Top leaders of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest in Pyongyang next week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

Mao made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked about the upcoming state visit to the DPRK by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, scheduled from June 8 to 9.

Xi's trip is at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK.

This visit will be Xi's first state visit to the DPRK in seven years. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

China and the DPRK will take this visit as an opportunity to promote the bilateral relations to keep pace with the times and achieve greater development, enhance the well-being of the people of the two countries, and make greater contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world at large, Mao said.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Saturday called for deeper trade and investment cooperation between China and Belarus for the benefit of the two peoples.

Addressing the opening ceremony of a China-Belarus industrial and investment cooperation forum in Minsk, Han said relations between the two countries have maintained high-level development in recent years, with economic, trade and investment cooperation yielding fruitful results.

Bilateral trade in 2025 was nearly 150 times the figure recorded shortly after they forged diplomatic relations more than three decades ago, he said, adding that the flagship China-Belarus Industrial Park has attracted 178 enterprises and effectively driven local economic and social development.

He called on the two countries to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies, advance the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, explore new drivers of trade growth and expand industrial and investment cooperation.

China will remain committed to high-quality development and high-level opening up, creating broader development opportunities for countries around the world including Belarus, he noted.

The forum was jointly organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the China-Belarus Industrial Park and the National Agency of Investment and Privatization of Belarus, with more than 400 people present.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said China hopes the British side will provide Chinese enterprises with a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment, and foster a sound atmosphere for the development of bilateral ties and the deepening of cooperation between the two countries, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding the 11th China-UK Strategic Dialogue with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper in Beijing.

Noting that the leaders of both sides agreed to develop a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited China at the beginning of this year, Wang said that at present, exchanges and cooperation in all fields between the two countries have been fully restored and are gradually getting back on track.

As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the UK should take the lead in following the right and impartial path, safeguard the fruits of victory in World War II, abide by the UN Charter, adhere to true multilateralism, and jointly promote the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system, Wang noted.

Cooper said that the long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership is of great significance and in line with the interests of both sides. At a time when the international situation is turbulent and complex, it is more important than ever for the UK and China to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to jointly address global challenges, she added, according to Xinhua.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations with China, the policy pursued by the UK on the Taiwan question has remained unchanged and will not change, Cooper said, adding that the British side is willing to continue to engage in candid dialogue with the Chinese side, handle differences constructively and properly, and promote the healthy and stable development of UK-China relations. 

Cooper's visit is widely seen as a follow-up to the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries during Starmer's visit to China in January, with the aim of translating political understandings into concrete outcomes, Li Guanjie, a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies under the Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

"Economic and trade cooperation remains the cornerstone of China-UK relations. Bilateral trade has remained steady in recent years, but maintaining that scale has become increasingly challenging amid global economic uncertainties. Against this backdrop, both sides are expected to focus on consolidating existing cooperation while exploring new growth areas, like science and technology cooperation, as the UK seeks to gain a better understanding of China's technological development and identify potential areas for future collaboration, Li said.

British media have also closely followed Cooper's visit. In a report published on Monday, the Independent said that Cooper had arrived in Beijing for in-depth talks on global security as the UK seeks to strengthen diplomatic relations with China.

Cooper's trip, which runs from Monday to Wednesday, includes visits to Beijing and Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province for a program focused on science and technology, according to Reuters. Cooper's visit is a "trip to focus on tackling global challenges," Reuters said.

Cooper's trip is understood to be aimed at building on previous Government visits with the most extensive senior foreign policy discussions since Labour came to power, said the Independent.

In another article published on Tuesday, the Independent noted that the UK government "sees engagement with major economies like China as key to protecting Britain's security at a time of heightened global instability, insisting the UK will cooperate where it can and challenge where it must."

At a time when geopolitical tensions, regional conflicts and protectionist tendencies continue to create uncertainties worldwide, maintaining dialogue and expanding areas of consensus between major countries could contribute to international stability, which is important for countries like China and the UK, Li said, adding that issues such as climate change, artificial intelligence and multilateral governance are likely to become important areas where the two sides can further deepen cooperation in the future.

Fabricating excuses and spreading disinformation cannot serve as a justification for the US' brutal blockade and illegal sanctions against Cuba, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday. 

Mao made the remarks when asked to comment on media reports that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a senator said that US intelligence agencies during the Biden administration had found no evidence of Cuba supporting terrorism. Rubio reportedly responded that Cuba had "sponsored" almost every left-wing, radical, violent terrorist group in the Western Hemisphere and that no evidence was needed. He also reportedly claimed Cuba needs new leadership to achieve serious reforms so that it will no longer pose a threat to Washington. On the same day, media reports said that due to the US oil embargo on Cuba, transportation difficulties in Cuba have prevented the smooth distribution of 20,000 tons of food that the UN planned to provide to Cuba. 

The US has long imposed unilateral sanctions and a blockade on Cuba, severely affecting Cuba's economy and people's livelihoods and causing great suffering to the Cuban people, which has been widely opposed by the international community, said Mao.

China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security and opposes external interference. The US should listen to the call of the international community and immediately and fully end its blockade, sanctions, coercion and pressure against Cuba, Mao said.

The amount is equivalent to saving 550 million tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.49 billion tonnes, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

The project's first hydropower generator unit was put into operation to generate electricity in July 2003.

The project has intercepted floods nearly 70 times, demonstrating comprehensive benefits and contributions to high-quality economic and social development.

It has improved navigation of the Yangtze River, with a cumulative cargo throughput of over 2.1 billion tonnes and an annual average economic benefit of 34.4 billion yuan (4.78 billion U.S. dollars).

The project has regulated and supplemented water for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River for 2,732 days, with a total water supplement of over 360 billion cubic meters. This can help ensure drinking water supply and irrigation for the middle and lower reaches.

The ecological environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir area has improved. The daily sewage treatment capacity has increased by 1.58 million tonnes. The forest and grass coverage in key areas has increased, with a forest coverage rate exceeding 50 percent, thus enhancing soil and water conservation capabilities.

"We have taken note of the most recent political developments in the ROK. These are the ROK's internal affairs, on which I will not comment," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday in response to South Korea's National Assembly passing the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday. 

"Let me say that China and the ROK are important neighbors and cooperation partners. The sound and steady growth of bilateral relations is in the interest of both sides. China's policy toward the ROK has been consistent, and we have maintained the continuity of that policy. We hope the ROK will continue to make positive efforts with China to actively deepen our friendly cooperation and strategic cooperative partnership," Lin said.

A peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula is in the interest of all parties and requires the concerted and strong efforts of all sides, the spokesperson added.

The ruling party of South Korea is striving to stabilize domestic politics while the government is making efforts to minimize the diplomatic implication caused by the martial law turmoil.

Responding to a question on whether the appointment of a new Chinese ambassador to South Korea will be postponed due to the impeachment, Lin said he has no information to share.

Recently, the footage of a wild Amur tiger captured in the Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve in Northeast China's Jilin Province has gone viral on social media, igniting discussions among wildlife enthusiasts. Animal experts said it reflects the positive outcomes of China's conservation efforts.

The increase in the number of tigers in recent years is attributed to a combination of robust wildlife protection measures undertaken by both China and Russia. Experts told Global Times that future conservation will incorporate even more technological advancements to protect these tigers.

Endangered tiger spotted

The Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve has recorded footage of a wild Amur tiger, as well as tracks left by the big cat, according to the provincial forestry and grassland bureau on Tuesday.

The discovery is proof that wild Amur tigers have returned to the hinterland of Changbai Mountain after three decades, and signifies the ongoing expansion of the species' habitat.

Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, mainly reside in Russia's Far East and Northeast China. As one of the world's most endangered species, just over 10 wild Amur tigers were believed to be living in China at the end of the 20th century.

Inbreeding has resulted in low population immunity and population decline, threatening the sustainable survival and development of the tigers, Feng Limin, a professor of Beijing Normal University and director of National Forestry and Grassland Administration Amur Tiger and Amur Leopard Monitoring and Research Station, told Global times on Thursday.

Cross-border endeavor

As one of the 13 countries where tigers live, China has dedicated itself to preserving this endangered species and helping in the recovery of its population through afforestation efforts, hunting bans and rewilding training programs.

In recent years, China has continuously implemented measures to protect wild Amur tigers, establishing the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, one of the first national parks. In Russia, the Land of the Leopard National Park and others have also been strengthening the protection of wild tigers, Feng added.

As the tigers frequently move between China and Russia, cooperation between the two sides is of vital importance, said Liu Ming, an associate researcher from the International Society of Zoological Sciences, Xinhua reported.

The world's first cross-border protected natural area for the conservation of wild Far Eastern leopards was established near the borders of China and Russia in May of 2024. The agreement between the China and Russia on the creation of the Land of Big Cats Reserve was signed by the relevant departments of the two countries during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China, according to the Russian Geographical Society, a non-government organization.

The park, "Land of the Big Cats," combines China's Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park with Russia's Land of the Leopard National Park and Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve.

On August 22, following the 29th regular meeting of the prime ministers of Russia and China held the previous day, a joint communiqué was issued stating that measures will be intensified to protect the populations of the Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard.

"Work on the creation of a cross-border reserve has been going on for more than 10 years. The agreement marks a new milestone in environmental cooperation between the two countries," said Alexander Kozlov, the Minister of Natural Resources of Russia. "The primary tasks will be the unification of animal counting methods and the establishment of joined photo-monitoring."

Feng said that with the strong support from local border management authorities, we have opened more than 290 wildlife passages along the China-Russia border, removing parts of the border fencing to facilitate the movement of wild animals.

Wang Aimin, the chief representative of the Wildlife Conservation Society Beijing Office, has been working in wildlife conservation for many years. He told the Global Times on Thursday that, on an academic level, Chinese and Russian experts have maintained close exchanges in the conservation of tigers and leopards, conducting seminars, technical cooperation, and experience sharing.

Besides of communications between experts, frontline breeders also learn from each other. Russia started earlier in tiger and leopard conservation and has rich experience, Wang added.

According to data from the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration, the populations of wild Amur tigers and Amur leopards have grown to 50 and 60, respectively. Both species are experiencing a reproductive peak and a period of rapid population growth, with a strong trend of migration and expansion inland. Additionally, more than 50 percent of Amur tiger cubs survive to adulthood.

As wild Amur tigers make a comeback and thrive in the park, the likelihood of encounters between tigers and people living in the area is on the rise.

Deep inside a dense forest in Northeast China, a Siberian tiger cub was cuddling and playing with its mother. This heartwarming scene in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park was streamed in real-time on an intelligent screen at the park's control room.

Such new technologies, including early warning systems and thousands of smart cameras, have greatly mitigated human-tiger conflicts in the park spanning over 14,000 square kilometers.

According to statistics from the park, since the establishment of the integrated space-aerial-ground monitoring system, over 26,000 sightings of tiger and 34,000 sightings of leopards have been recorded. Additionally, more than 20,000 early warnings regarding human-tiger conflicts have been issued. The system has enabled round-the-clock monitoring of over 30 species, with recognition accuracy exceeding 90 percent for tigers and leopards.

The monitoring system uses satellites, drones, and ground-based methods for ecosystem monitoring. Satellites provide macro-level monitoring with visible light, infrared, and microwave sensors, transmitting data to cloud platforms for further analyses. Drones focus on medium- and small-scale assessments of key areas, while ground-based methods include field surveys and manual sampling for detailed observations, Feng noted.

This is currently the only large-scale monitoring system in the world, equivalent to installing "eyes and ears" capable of seeing and hearing over long distances in a forest area the size of Beijing, Feng said.

Forest rangers are the frontline workers for the "ground" component. Compared with earlier years, patrol work now benefits from more technological support, according to the China News Service. They carry WiFi devices that maintain network signals even deep in the mountains and forests, allowing them to communicate with the base through WeChat. Feng said that China has accumulated lots of successful experiences in tiger and leopard conservation, including the establishment of protected areas and national parks, as well as patrol enforcement. These experiences are gradually being shared and exchanged with over 20 Belt and Road Initiative participating countries.

In the future, new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and robotics, will be applied to tiger conservation, the expert said.

At the same time, new technologies will be developed to monitor the location of tigers and leopards and their distance from humans, providing early warnings of potential human-tiger conflicts and improving the ability to handle emergency situations, Wang stated. "The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth."

Traditional Chinese customs drew more attention from the world after the UNESCO inscribed the Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Wednesday. 

With the growing popularity of Spring Festival worldwide and its recognition by UNESCO, experts believe that more Chinese traditional folk customs will gain worldwide popularity in the future, as many of them, including Spring Festival, carry the Chinese philosophy of harmony and pursuit of wellbeing, a common aspiration of people around the world.  

At a press briefing on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Lin Jian expressed congratulations over Spring Festival's UNESCO intangible heritage inscription. 

Lin stated that the Spring Festival is the oldest and the most important traditional festival in the Chinese culture. "The festival is always a time for family reunion and ringing in the new year. We have many Spring Festival traditions such as writing the character Fu which means good fortune, hanging Spring Festival couplets, making dumplings and watching dragon dance and lion dance performance, which I believe many of you are familiar with."

The Spring Festival embodies peace, amity and harmony which are values cherished by the Chinese nation and civilization, which makes it a festival that is meaningful for China and can be enjoyed by the world, Lin said. 

"In about six weeks, we will celebrate the Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake. We welcome all journalists here and friends from all over the world to come and experience the rich and wonderful Spring Festival culture. We very much hope that the festival's cultural message will contribute to a world of less conflicts, harmony among civilizations, and amity between peoples of the world. Hope the Spring Festival will be a moment of joyfulness shared by all," Lin said. 

According to an on-site report from China Central Television, representatives from countries around the world expressed their heartfelt congratulations on Spring Festival's UNESCO recognition during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, taking place in Paraguay.

Dozens of representatives from dozens countries stood up and approached the Chinese delegation to shake hands and offer their congratulations. Some representatives could even fluently say "Happy Spring Festival" in Chinese. Chinese sides' return gesture was also full of "New Year spirit" - red envelopes containing blessing cards, symbolizing the joy of successfully inscribing the Spring Festival as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage and sharing it with more people, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

On Twitter, netizens from different countries swarmed into UNESCO's post on X, expressing their excitement and congratulations over the Spring Festival's inscription as a world intangible heritage, in both English and Chinese. 

As the oldest and most important traditional holiday in Chinese culture, the Spring Festival is reaching out to the world. 

According to spokesperson Lin Jian, Spring Festival is a public holiday in almost 20 countries and celebrated in various ways by about one-fifth of humanity. Furthermore, the 78th UN General Assembly decided to list the Lunar New Year as a UN floating holiday.

Xiao Fang, head of the Department of Anthropology and Folklore Studies at Beijing Normal University, believed that the inscription of Spring Festival demonstrates the world's recognition and respect for traditional culture.  

It is a jubilant time for Chinese people, and China is also generous in sharing its excellent traditional culture with people around the world, Xiao said. 

According to the expert, the popularity of Spring Festival around the world comes from its strong lifestyle appeal. Whenever local people encounter the Chinese community in their country, they can feel a charming atmosphere.

Nowadays, during Spring Festival, people continue the tradition of hanging up red lanterns, setting off fireworks and fixing red scrolls with rhyming phrases on their doors to ward off evil spirits and attract good luck. Paper-cuts, the dragon dance, Temple Fair and lantern festival events, are also related activities forming the happiest of days in a year. 

The Spring Festival's UNESCO inscription will also make it possible for more Chinese traditional folk customs to gain worldwide popularity and recognition, Xiao added. 

Common values and pursuit

With the addition of Spring Festival, China now has 44 cultural elements or practices recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

China's vice minister of Culture and Tourism, Rao Quan, who led the Chinese delegation at the UNESCO session on Wednesday, said the inclusion of the Spring Festival on the UNESCO list will help promote the universal values of peace and harmony and highlight the important role of intangible cultural heritage in sustainable development, according to Xinhua. 

Chinese experts believe that the Spring Festival is not only a cultural and historical bond connecting the collective memories and emotions of Chinese people at home and abroad, but also contains the common values and pursuits that belong to all mankind, including harmony and unity between human beings and nature, as well as the expectations for a better life.

The global influence of Spring Festival is expanding year by year, and its cultural influence will become even greater as a UNESCO recognized intangible heritage, which emphasizes the humanity behind it, Xiao said. 

According to the expert, the greatest philosophy carried by the Spring Festival is the concept of peace and harmony of the Chinese civilization, and the pursuit of wellbeing and fostering cross-cultural understanding during a jubilant festive atmosphere. 

"Such values are significant in the current chaotic world plagued by multiple conflicts," Xiao added. 

Veteran folk custom expert Li Hanqiu told the Global Times on Thursday that the festival embodies hope as people welcome Spring. 

The Spring Festival aligns with the value of ecology, and tells human beings to coexist with nature in a harmonious way, he remarked.

Spring Festival is a time for bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new - a new way of life, new exploration, new achievements and new ideals, which are the common aspirations of all mankind, Li said. 

"No matter who holds what position in the new US government, it does not change the fact that Taiwan is part of China," Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office responded on Wednesday to an inquiry over Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's recent remarks, which claimed that several key members of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet, including Marco Rubio, who has been nominated as Secretary of State, have strong ties with Taiwan and the relations between the island and the US are "at their best in history."

Lai persistently relies on the US to seek "Taiwan independence," but he will inevitably face the tragic outcome of being abandoned," said Chen. 

In response to proposals by officials from the US and some EU countries to transfer nuclear weapons to Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that China is highly concerned about the issues of nuclear risks arising from the Ukraine crisis and has repeatedly emphasized that nuclear weapons must not be used, and a nuclear war must not be fought.

Mao urged all parties to remain calm and exercise restraint under the current circumstances, promote the deescalation of situation and reduce strategic risks through dialogue and consulation.

The New York Times reported on November 21 that some unidentified Western officials had suggested that the US President Joe Biden is considering providing Ukraine with nuclear weapons before he leaves office, according to Reuters.