Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian announces:

At the invitation of Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Zhang Guoqing will visit Iran from December 3 to 4.

Xi, Macron inscribe prefaces to exhibition of China's Tang Dynasty in France

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Brasilia on Tuesday for a state visit to Brazil.

He was warmly welcomed upon his arrival by the Chief of Staff of the Brazilian Presidency Rui Costa, along with several other senior Brazilian officials.

An all-female local Batala band greeted him with vibrant drumbeats, dressed in full attire and brimming with enthusiasm.

Xi traveled to Brasilia after attending the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A total of 763 Chinese nationals suspected of cross-border telecom fraud have been transferred from Myanmar to China after being apprehended in Myanmar's Tangyan region, marking another significant breakthrough in China's cooperation with Myanmar, according to China Central Television (CCTV) on Thursday.

Since 2023, more than 53,000 Chinese nationals suspected of telecom fraud have been captured, and all large-scale telecom fraud industrial parks in northern Myanmar bordering China have been dismantled.

To intensify crackdowns on telecom fraud targeting China from northern Myanmar, eliminate scam hideouts, and apprehend suspects, China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) recently strengthened law enforcement cooperation with local authorities in Myanmar. For the first time, a total of 1,079 suspects involved in cross-border telecom fraud were captured in Myanmar's Tangyan area, including 763 Chinese nationals, according to CCTV news.

Since the launch of a specialized operation by MPS in 2023, criminals have increasingly shifted their activities to more regions in Myanmar. They continue to recruit or lure individuals from China to illegally leave the country and engage in telecom fraud, leading to serious violent crimes such as illegal detention, intentional injury, and even kidnapping and murder, which pose significant threats to the safety and property of Chinese citizens.

MPS has directed Yunnan police to maintain close cooperation with Myanmar's local law enforcement. A joint operation in Tangyan led to the capture of 763 Chinese suspects involved in telecom fraud, including 69 fugitives on China's most-wanted list, on Sunday, the report said. 

A large number of tools used in the crimes, such as computers, mobile phones, and scam scripts were also seized. The suspects and evidence were handed over to Chinese authorities through the Yonghe port in Lincang,Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

An MPS spokesperson stated that authorities will continue to maintain high-pressure enforcement against cross-border telecom fraud, particularly in areas where scam operations are concentrated. Efforts to enhance law enforcement cooperation with Myanmar will be intensified to resolve telecom fraud crimes targeting China.

In March, Chinese and Myanmar police conducted their first joint law enforcement operation in the Muse region of Myanmar, arresting over 800 telecom fraud suspects.

In May, the ministry said 49,000 criminal telecom and internet fraud suspects had been handed over by Myanmar to China's custody since July 2023.

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Saturday morning after attending the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the 19th G20 Summit and paying state visits to Peru and Brazil.

Xi's entourage, including Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister, returned on the same flight.

Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, among others, saw Xi off at the airport when his flight left after a technical stop in Casablanca, Morocco.

The Philippine side, in collusion with external countries, carried out frequent military exercises in the South China Sea to sow discord and provoke confrontation. Such actions disrupt peace and stability in the South China Sea and undermine the interests and well-being of people in the region, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, told a press conference on Friday.

Zhang made the remarks in response to a question about Philippine Navy spokesperson's remarks that the joint naval exercises frequently held by the Philippines, the US and other Western powers were helping reign in "aggressive" Chinese actions in the South China Sea, and that the Philippine government signed into law the so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act to commit to "rule-based international order."

Zhang said the Philippine side attempted to solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea through domestic legislation, to include China's Huangyan Dao, most islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao and their adjacent waters into the Philippine's maritime zones.

Such acts severely violate China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and harm other countries' right to navigation and shipping. The Chinese side firmly opposes this, said Zhang.

Zhang emphasized that the Asia-Pacific welcomes those who share the pursuit of peaceful development, not those who create troubles and conflicts. China urges the Philippine side to immediately stop spreading false narratives, refrain from any unilateral action that may expand and complicate disputes, and return to the right track of settling disputes through dialogue and negotiation, he said.

The Chinese military will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, counter infringements and provocations, and preserve peace and stability in the South China Sea, said Zhang.

The People's Procuratorate of Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, approved on Saturday the arrest of the suspect surnamed Fan involved in a car ramming incident in Zhuhai, on the suspicion of endangering public safety by dangerous means, state broadcaster CCTV reported.  

The case is currently under further investigation, according to the report. 

A total of 35 people were killed and another 43 injured after the car ramming incident at a sports center in Zhuhai on Monday, the city's public security bureau said Tuesday. The 62-year-old suspect, a divorced man surnamed Fan, was quickly brought under control by the police as he was fleeing the scene, the bureau said.

On Saturday, the Communist Party of China Guangdong Provincial Committee urged to promote the substantive resolution of conflicts and disputes, and to strictly prevent the occurrence of serious cases and individual extreme incidents.

In a meeting held on Saturday to hear about the progress of handling the case, the committee emphasized the need to thoroughly manage the follow-up work. The meeting stressed the importance of making every effort to provide medical treatment, aiming to minimize fatalities and disabilities caused by injuries, and striving to help the injured individuals recover as soon as possible, Zhengzhijian, a WeChat public account run by Beijing Youth Daily reported.

It's essential to approach the aftermath work with care, patiently coordinating and providing services for the injured and the families of the deceased, and various forms of support and concern should be offered to help them through this difficult time, the meeting said. 

Additionally, the committee stressed to advance the investigation of the case, strictly punish the perpetrator according to the law, so as to deter crime and stabilize public sentiment.

The meeting also emphasized to comprehensively strengthen the social security, enhance patrol in densely populated areas and key locations, promptly eliminate various prominent security risks, and resolutely combat all forms of illegal activities and crimes. It also urged to strengthen the safety management of public places, comprehensively upgrade the configuration of safety infrastructure, so as to further reinforce the public safety barrier.

The committee further called for the need to solidly ensure production safety, focusing on key industries such as road traffic, construction, hazardous chemicals, industrial and trade sectors, and special equipment, and stressed to continue to promote the screening and rectification of risks and hidden dangers, resolutely maintaining the bottom line of preventing major and serious accidents.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Rio de Janeiro Sunday for the 19th G20 Summit and a state visit to Brazil.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to Sun Yat-sen University on its centennial anniversary.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended congratulatio

Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Wednesday to attend the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima and pay a state visit to Peru at the invitation of President of the Republic of Peru Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra.

Xi will deliver an important speech at the meeting to elaborate on China's important measures to deepen reform and opening up and propositions on advancing Asia-Pacific cooperation. China stands ready to work with other parties to deliver on the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 in an all-round and balanced way, strive for positive outcomes of this meeting, provide new impetus for advancing regional economic integration and promoting the growth of Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world, and jointly build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on November 8.  

Lima, the capital of Peru, has officially entered the "APEC moment," with billboards on the streets promoting the theme of the meeting - "Empower. Include. Grow." - and flags of APEC economies flying high in front of key event venues. 

Reflecting the deep bond between China and Peru, locals were quick to share their connections to China and extend warm welcome to Chinese guests once they heard reporters are from China. An APEC Peru 2024 worker at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport told the Global Times his grandmother was Cantonese, and although he hasn't been to China, he feels "close to China."

Another hotel staff member named Sergio told the Global Times that China is seen as a very friendly country in Peru with a rich historical tradition, and he added that he enjoys watching Chinese kung fu films.

In interviews with the Global Times on Tuesday local time, APEC officials and locals in Peru voiced strong expectations for the upcoming leaders' meeting to explore and enhance cooperative opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. Many also showed significant interest in China's proposals to be raised at the meeting, given the country's influential role in regional cooperation.

"This is a pivotal year. There's an expectation to see meaningful advancements on key issues," Carlos Kuriyama, director of the APEC Policy Support Unit, told the Global Times at the media center on Tuesday, emphasizing that while trade flows among some Asia Pacific economies remain robust, various challenges require joint efforts to address. 

During the discussions, leaders from APEC's 21 member economies, which together account for almost two-thirds of world GDP and half of global trade, will tackle core challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region, including climate change, sustainable energy solutions, digital economy transition, and trade facilitation. Leaders and ministers will discuss policies that could help economies overcome these current challenges while promoting innovation and inclusiveness, an APEC official statement said. 

Kuriyama highlighted China's important role in Asia Pacific as well as global cooperation. "China's role is very important, not just in APEC, but for whole world," noting that China is advocating for the free, open trade, citing China's free trade agreement with Peru as a model. 

In the first ten months of 2024, China's trade with other APEC economies achieved a historic level of 21.27 trillion yuan ($2.94 trillion), making up 59.1 percent of China's total trade value during the same period, according to official data on Wednesday.   

"We are very excited to see new possibilities of investment here in Peru. I think that's the main interest that we have," Juan Aurelio Arévalo Miró Quesada, editor-in-chief of El Comercio, a Peruvian newspaper, told the Global Times at the APEC media center in Lima on Tuesday.

"We always had a very close relationship with China," pointing to historical background of Chinese immigration to Peru, cultural exchanges and diverse Chinese investments across various fields. "So, we are very close to China."

Unique value

As one of the most influential and extensive multilateral cooperation platforms in the Asia-Pacific region, APEC was established in 1989 with the goal of enhancing trade openness and fostering sustainable economic growth.

According to Marco Balarezo, Peru's ambassador to China, an expected turnout of 5,000 delegates at the APEC Leaders' Meeting, 1,200 CEOs and leaders in the APEC CEO Summit which may be among the largest gatherings in the history of APEC, per CGTN. 

Liu Chenyang, director of the APEC Study Center of Nankai University in Tianjin, told the Global Times that Peru has prioritized empowering vulnerable economic actors in their transition from informal to formal participation in the global economy, the first time in history.

This reflects a strong call from emerging economies for inclusive development, and places greater prominence on enhancing the integration of vulnerable economic actors into formal economic frameworks such as regional economic cooperation and economic globalization, Liu said.

Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, said that the APEC gives developed and developing countries a unique opportunity for extensive engagement, and creates a valuable platform for exchange to address critical global challenges across economic, financial, and industrial sectors.

Emerging economies and developed countries have different perspectives and respective concerns on global affairs and pacing challenges, Wang said, "Through exchanges at the multilateral mechanism, there is an opportunity to reach consensus and jointly find ways to solve problems."

Taking the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting as an opportunity, China stands ready to remain committed to upholding true multilateralism and open regionalism, create more opportunities for Asia-Pacific partners with high-quality development and high-standard opening up, and work with others to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future featuring openness and inclusiveness, innovative growth, connectivity, and win-win cooperation, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Wednesday at a regular press briefing. 

Growing role

Beyond the diplomatic sphere, the Chinese business community places significant emphasis on economic cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region.

Zhang Shaogang, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), told the Global Times the CCPIT is leading a substantial business delegation to participate in the APEC CEO Summit in Peru.

According to Zhang, the delegation includes over 120 representatives from more than 60 Chinese companies across various sectors such as infrastructure construction, energy, finance, bio technology, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and international trade.

With this visit, the Chinese business delegation aims to advocate for an open Asia-Pacific economy, explore pathways to advance sustainable development in the region; and share thoughts and ideas on shaping next-generation rules for AI, digital trade, green development, and other emerging sectors, Zhang said.

"We hope APEC economies prioritize these policy recommendations to embody open regionalism genuinely. It is also very essential for some economies to refrain from building walls and erecting barriers and focus on creating fair, and favorable conditions for regional business cooperation," Zhang said. 

According to the Ministry of Commerce, China's trade with APEC economies reached $3.74 trillion in 2022, accounting for 59.7 percent of China's overall trade. Eight of China's top 10 trading partners are APEC economies.

China is the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. A total of 15 APEC economies have signed free trade agreements with China.

Some analysts pointed out that from an early participant in globalization, China has become an active facilitator or even a leading one.

Joining APEC's market opening mechanism is a milestone for China's integration into regional cooperation and the continuous promotion of high-level opening up. In turn, it has also provided enormous opportunities for the economic and trade development of the entire Asia-Pacific region. And that makes APEC a practical platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

"The key advantage of APEC is that it brings together both the Global North and South, serving as a forum that links them, especially the US, China and Russia. APEC isn't just about the Global South. It includes a large number of countries from the Global South, but also from other parts of the world. There isn't another organization quite like it that brings regional cooperation in this way," Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, told the Global Times. 

Theo Schunck, Executive Secretary of the Instituto Rio Metropole, told the Global Times that emerging economies play a crucial role in APEC meetings, as they can bring innovative perspectives and solutions to global challenges, and represent a significant share of global economic growth. 

They bring a new dynamic to the world economy, promoting innovation, inclusive growth and sustainability, Schunck said.