The Philippines has recently advanced the domestic legislation of the "Maritime Zones Act" in an attempt to put a legal veneer on its illegal claims and actions in the South China Sea.

Experts have called it an "egregious bill" as it will create more risks and confrontations, like opening a Pandora's Box, making the situation more complex in the South China Sea.

This bill goes against the provisions of international law, including the UN Charter and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, they pointed out.

Chinese government has strongly opposes the bill and has lodged a solemn representation with the Philippine authorities. Experts warned that China's ability and determination to safeguard its sovereignty in the South China Sea should not be undervalued, and the Philippines will soon see more resolute, decisive, and powerful measures from China to defend its legal rights on the issue.

This investigative piece will expose, from various angles, why this bill does not conform to international norms, how it exacerbates the conflicts of claimant countries in the South China Sea, and why it goes against resolving the complex issues in the South China Sea.

This bill continues the recent trend of various provocations by the Philippines in the South China Sea issue and is a legal challenge launched against China. It is also the latest part of its "cognitive warfare" in attempts to tarnish China's image in the international community.
Egregious legal tool

The Philippine Senate recently approved the amendment to the Marine Zones Act in its third reading. The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines said the bill would "codify the status and regime of the waters inside the archipelagic baselines and redefine the extent of Philippine territorial sea, including the contiguous zone," the Philippine News Agency reported.

China firmly opposes attempts by the Philippines to solidify the illegal ruling of the South China Sea arbitration through domestic legislation, which unlawfully includes China's Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands in its maritime jurisdiction, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The move has severely violated China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, and China has lodged solemn representation to the Philippines, the spokesperson said.

The Philippines' move is to "legalize" its illegal occupation of the South China Sea islands and reefs, and it is a wrong attempt to consolidate its illegal gains, Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.

Since the 1950s, the Philippines has never relented its covetousness for islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and has adopted different means of encroachment under various disguises across different historical periods, Ding noted.

In 2009, for example, the Congress of Philippines amended "An Act to Define the Baselines of the Territorial Sea of the Philippines," which falsely claimed its sovereignty over China's Huangyan Dao and some other parts of the Nansha Islands.

In recent years, in the process of domestic legislation, the Philippines deliberately confused their illegal occupation with so-called "jurisdiction" over China's Nansha Islands, seeking to solidify its illegal claims, Ding stressed.

The expert said that manipulating "legal means" is part of the Philippines' cognitive warfare against China. A number of senior officials within the Philippine Coast Guard, National Security Council, and other departments continue to make provocative statements around this new agenda, serving their own political interests while tarnishing China's image to deceive the international community, Ding said.

The actions of ignoring reality and blindly resolving relevant disputes with unilateral legal resolutions are not applicable to the complex South China Sea issue. Such actions will only further squeeze the political space for the Philippines and China to jointly control crises and properly handle disputes, Ding noted.

This move indicates that the Philippines may further escalate its legal disputes against China in the future. This could involve proposing applications, either individually or jointly with other parties, for delineating the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in the South China Sea. The Philippines may also seek to bypass China and engage in maritime border negotiations with other countries. Additionally, there is a possibility of initiating new international lawsuits on issues such as marine environmental protection in the South China Sea, according to the expert.

In November 2023, the Philippines has approached neighbors such as Malaysia and Vietnam to discuss a separate code of conduct regarding the South China Sea, despite the code of conduct between China and ASEAN has seen progress. Analysts are concerned that the situation of the Philippines "always turning a new page" out of its own interests may also gradually spread to the legal level.

The Philippines' bill has had limited effect in practice, but it will inevitably exacerbate the contradictions and confrontations among the countries involved in the South China Sea dispute, Lei Xiaolu, a professor of law in China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies, Wuhan University, told the Global Times.

Currently, China and ASEAN countries are accelerating the negotiations over the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), and the Philippines' actions will disrupt the good atmosphere and be of no benefit to the overall peace and stability of the South China Sea, Lei underlined.

"If other countries were to emulate the Philippines by enacting domestic legislation to advance their maritime rights in a piecemeal manner, this could introduce more risks and uncertainty for resolving the South China Sea issue in the region. For example, such unilateral actions could escalate tensions in the South China Sea, leading to increased militarization, confrontation, or incidents at sea, affecting regional stability," Dai Fan, director of the Center for Philippine Studies at Jinan University, told the Global Times.

The bill has sparked some opposition within the Philippines. On social media X, a few Filipino users have expressed their concerns on this unreasonable bill. They criticized that the bill is sort of a "great cry and little wool," which can do nothing but worsen the Philippines' relations with involved countries.
Contravening international conventions

The Global Times has found that the Philippines' claim to "sovereignty" over Huangyan Dao, based on distance or the islands and reefs being located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, does not comply with international law, including the UNCLOS. Even the illegal ruling of the South China Sea arbitration, which the Philippines strongly supports, does not endorse the Philippines' claim.

According to the principle in international law that land dominates the sea, the land is always the basis for any claim of maritime entitlements. A coastal state should not base its claims to the sovereignty of islands and reefs on its maritime entitlements. Therefore, if the Philippines claims sovereignty over the islands and reefs simply because they are within its EEZ, it would violate that principle.

Moreover, Philippines' bill stated that "all artificial islands constructed within the Philippine EEZ shall belong to the Philippine government." However, even if there is no dispute over the sovereignty of islands and reefs, it has no basis in international law, because there is no international law that gives the Philippines ownership of those artificial features.

In accordance with Articles 80 and 60 of UNCLOS, "In the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State shall have the exclusive right to construct and to authorize and regulate the construction, operation and use of artificial islands, installations and structures." However, UNCLOS does not ensure that these artificial islands, installations and structures necessarily belong to the coastal state, according to Lei.

Chinese Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Tuesday that the territory of the Philippines is defined by a series of international treaties. China's Huangyan Dao and other islands and reefs of Nansha Islands are completely beyond the limits of the Philippines' territory. Its illegal occupation of a number of islands in the Nansha Islands has seriously violated international law, including the UN Charter.

Enactment of the bill is not a wise decision for the Philippines. Rigoberto Tiglao, former spokesperson and head of presidential office for former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said in his commentary piece in September 2023, "The very bad news is that under a Maritime Zones Law, we will lose our Kalayaan Island Group, which comprises 19 percent of our territory as currently defined."

A graphical representation on the Philippine so-called new maritime zone bill recently released by the Chinese think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) found that the bill effectively waived "Kalayaan's claim." This means that the Philippines has given up probably about tens of thousands of square kilometers of sea area and sovereignty over some features of the so-called Kalayaan's claim.

Philippines is pushing forward a domestic bill that interestingly relinquished its original illegal territorial claims, which they called the "Kalayaan Island Group," in the South China Sea. Experts wonder is the Philippines shooting itself in the foot with this move? Won't the Filipino people feel deceived?

Rigoberto Tiglao expressed in his commentary piece that this bill also happens to align with the US' conspiracy, which is to ensure that this sea area no longer belongs to the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines so that "the area would be indisputably international waters and therefore its warships, even those that are nuclear-armed, wouldn't need these nations' permission to pass through."

On March 5, the US State Department issued a statement on the situation in the South China Sea, smearing China's policies, exaggerating maritime friction, and declaring that they "stand with the Filipino people."

Experts say that the US is ostensibly siding with the Philippines, but is actually just using the Philippines as a pawn in a chess game to gain its own interests.

Dai believes that whether the latest versions of the so-called Marine Zones Act can ultimately be implemented, and the specific provisions will be carried out, will depend on further votes and deliberations in the Philippine House of Representatives. Considering the relatively low overall administrative efficiency in the Philippines, and the bill that this legal text will undergo negotiations between various parties internally, its implementation may be a lengthy process.

"China's ability to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests in the South China Sea is now stronger than ever before, and its determination to maintain stability in the region remains unwavering. Regardless of the Philippines' efforts to manipulate the arbitration ruling, push forward domestic maritime legislation amendments, or implement any unilateral actions to impose its claims on China, the arbitration ruling will not legitimize such actions, nor will it diminish China's legitimate rights in the South China Sea under international law. The Philippines can expect China to take resolute, decisive, and powerful measures to defend its rights," Ding noted.

Editor's Note:

The recent provocations made by the US, Japan, and the Philippines against China in the South China Sea reached a climax this week. The first "maritime cooperation activity" jointly performed with Australia and the first trilateral US-Japan-Philippines leaders' summit are widely seen as attempts to exert coercive pressure on China with the intent to ignite a powder keg of conflict in the South China Sea.

How do the people of the Philippines view their government's reliance on the US to stir up troubles in South China Sea? What will the Philippines' unilateral and dangerous moves bring to other ASEAN member states? With these questions, Global Times reporters went to the Philippines to speak with former senior officials, think tanks, and ordinary citizens.

"The Philippines should not adopt a one-sided foreign policy," "We fear the current government will lead the Philippines down a more dangerous path," and "Over-reliance on the US does not align with the ASEAN's principles of independence and neutrality" were the most common responses that reporters received during the visit.

This is the second installment in the series.
The US Embassy in the Philippines is located in a coastal area in Manila, which boasts the most beautiful beaches and waterfront promenades. A local tour guide told the Global Times that the US Embassy in the Philippines is one of the largest embassies among US missions abroad. It is closely connected to the Philippine Navy located in South Harbor in Manila and the Philippine Coast Guard Headquarters.

"The proximity means if there is any emergency, Americans can quickly escape under the protection of the Philippine military," said the guide.

Under the current Philippine government, the US' influence, which was once thought to be drifting away from the Philippines, is quickly coming back. Some Philippine analysts believe that the current Philippine government is creating friction in the South China Sea with the aim of boosting the presence of the US military in the Philippines. They believe that only by creating panic among the people can the US' military return to the Philippines "naturally."

However, the rapid transition from peace to turmoil in the Philippines has aroused strong dissatisfaction among Philippine politicians.

'We oppose increasing US military presence'

Former president Rodrigo Duterte has expressed concerns about US military presence in the Philippines on multiple occasions, believing that it will put the country in a dangerous position. He has stated that it would be pretty naive of or stupid for Filipinos to think that the Americans would only bring conventional warheads. But unfortunately, the Philippines granted the US wider access to military bases amid tensions with China in February.

The two countries not only plan to return the presence to Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Force Base, but also push an expansion reaching nine bases in total.

Ira Pozon, a Philippine lawyer, also the Legal Counsel to the former Philippine vice president, told the Global Times that the US' influence in the Philippines is deeply rooted, from the education system to the political system, with the Philippine parliament's bicameral system being modeled after that of the US. The names of many streets in the Philippines show the influence of the US and most Filipinos' understanding of China also comes from Western reports and narratives.

Pozon candidly said that the influence of the US on the Philippines has been strong since its founding. However, Filipinos have no intention of becoming enemies with China. On the contrary, they hope to become good, mutually understanding neighbors.

Rommel C. Banlaoi, president of Philippine Society for International Security Studies and the chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence, and Terrorism Research, told the Global Times that he believes it is one of the US' pieces of advice to the current Philippine government to pursue such kinds of confrontational action, especially in the context of what they call the "offensive transparency strategy" in the South China Sea.

"They have a way to give such kind of support to the Philippines. For example, as a result of President Marcos' decision to be closer with the US, the US decided to provide more military assistance funding to the Philippines, and the Philippine military can use this funding to train anybody to protect our interests in the South China Sea," he said.

Rommel C. Banlaoi is a renowned analyst on the South China Sea row, and was assigned to help advise the president on security matters in 2022. His experience has seen the Philippine government shift from neutrality to a clear bias toward the US.

"There are people opposing those decisions of increasing US military presence in the Philippines and I am one of them. The US wants to have a greater role in the area. We don't want to take sides with the US or China, but to take the side of our interests. Because of the decision of the current president to be closer to the US, we are becoming isolated from the ASEAN. Many ASEAN member states do not like what we are doing because it is running counter to the principle of the ASEAN of promoting the region as a zone of peace, freedom, and neutrality. The Philippines is no longer neutral because the Philippines has decided to become part of US strategy in the Pacific," said Banlaoi.

"The Philippines cannot be a truly proud, independent nation if we continue to rely on the US," Banlaoi stressed. "Our current government is heavily reliant on the US to advance our position in the South China Sea and that kind of reliance is truly hurting Philippines-China relations and is making it difficult to settle our disputes in the South China Sea."

Similar concerns are shared among current senior government officials as well.

On March 25, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 57. It's reported that the Executive Order was signed two days after the water cannon warning by the China Coast Guard against Philippine vessels near Renai Jiao, section 7 of which authorizes the National Maritime Center to "accept donations, contributions, grants, bequests, or gifts from domestic or foreign sources."

Philippine Senator Imee Marcos warned her brother, President Marcos Jr, against the Executive Order, which she said would welcome a "Trojan horse of foreign interference." "Emotion rather than reason has prevailed in our maritime conflict with China and is leading us down a dangerous path that will cost us more than just Filipino pride," she said in a statement on April 1, the Daily Tribune reported.

Imee Marcos reiterated that putting the lives of Filipinos in danger is a "gross irresponsibility and must be avoided at all costs." She also advocated for a proper dialogue with China.

Former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo also said during the Boao Forum for Asia 2024 on March 27 that the Philippine government and people do not want war, and China is very important to Philippines.

'Confronting with China would be very bad for us'

During the visit, Global Times reporters noticed that symbols of China-Philippines friendship are still visible everywhere in Manila.

When asked about the must-visit places for Chinese tourists in Manila, locals recommended the St. Augustine Church, the oldest Catholic church in Manila. On either side of the church's entrance are several Chinese-style stone lions, clear proof that Chinese workers participated in the construction of the church. They are considered by many Filipinos to be symbols of China-Philippines friendship.

In addition, the "China-Philippines Friendship Gate" archway at the entrance of Manila Chinatown with distinct Chinese characteristics and the Manila Bridge built by China for the Philippines still hold a place in the hearts of locals.

However, Global Times reporters could also clearly feel that under the guidance of the current Philippine government, the Philippine media establishment has dissolved the friendly atmosphere between China and the Philippines. This has increased public sentiment for the two sides to engage in dialogue, rather than introducing risks from external sources.

Philippine college student Yuan Ross Rama told the Global Times that he feels the growing confrontation between the two governments and hopes that the two governments will peacefully resolve the dispute through dialogue. Ordinary people do not want to take sides between the two major powers, as ultimately it is the interests of the people and fishermen that will be harmed.Local tourism industry practitioners are also worried about the deterioration of China-Philippines relations. A local tour guide named Ryan told the Global Times that "the deterioration of bilateral relations has had a direct impact on me. In the first three months of this year, I received fewer Chinese tour groups than in a typical month."

He said that if there were no Chinese people doing business in the Philippines, the Philippine economy would incur huge losses. "Chinese people are very good at trade, which is exactly the ability that the Filipino people lack."

According to Ryan, during former president Duterte's tenure, there were relatively fewer people begging on the streets of Manila or making a living by wiping cars in the dense traffic. But now these people can be seen frequently. "I can't say that the wealth gap in the Philippines was much wider now, but at least at that time the government would set up some relief agencies to help them. Now, the Philippine government chooses to confront rather than cooperate with China, which is very bad for us."
'Manila's role as US pawn receives no regional support'

The Philippine government's unilateral actions have not just sparked concern among its own people. Scholars from many ASEAN countries have also told the Global Times that they are worried that their own countries will be forced to take sides, or that current tensions will affect their bilateral cooperation with China.

"We are concerned that the worsening China-Philippines relations will have a negative impact on the projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Malaysia and the cooperation mechanism proposed by China in Southeast Asia," Ong Tee Keat, former Malaysian minister of transport, told the Global Times.

Any military posture and provocative remarks made by any party under the instigation of external forces should not be allowed to undermine the overall mutually beneficial partnership between China and the ASEAN, said Ong Tee Keat.

There's no necessity for the ASEAN to appoint a spokesperson that represents an external power, including the US, Dato' Abdul Majit bin Ahmad Khan, president of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, and also former Malaysian ambassador to China, told the Global Times in a recent interview.

"There has always been the intention of the ASEAN, China, and also other countries to ensure that the South China Sea remains a region of peace and stability. It's in our interest that things should not get toxic, because then it will affect our development efforts and the harmonious relationship that we have built over the past years. I believe all ASEAN member countries and China want to see peace in the region so that we can pursue development for our people," said Majit.

Malaysia's Prime Minister, on March 4, spoke up in defense of ties with China and rebuffed alleged pressure by the US and its allies on regional nations to take sides in the West's strategic rivalries with Beijing, the South China Morning Post reported. Anwar Ibrahim also said the risk of conflict in the South China Sea had been exaggerated.

Peng Nian, director of the Hong Kong Research Center for Asian Studies (RCAS), told the Global Times that except for the Philippines, other ASEAN countries are unwilling to "take sides" in this geopolitical competition. He said that what worries ASEAN countries is that the maritime dispute between China and the Philippines may escalate into a local military confrontation, threatening the peace and prosperity of the region.

Peng noted that countries like Vietnam have not followed the Philippines in provoking the South China Sea issue in the last two years. Obviously, the Philippines is acting as a "pawn" for the US, but not receiving support from regional countries.

In a recent survey in Southeast Asia - the State of Southeast Asia 2024 Survey Report - China became the respondents' "top choice" for an alliance if the ASEAN were forced to align with one of its strategic rivals (such as the US or China) for the first time since 2020.

The majority of respondents believe that Southeast Asian countries' relationship with China is improving, while confidence in the US as a strategic partner and provider of regional security has declined significantly.

A recent wave of visits by state leader and senior foreign affair officials to China has been witnessed among ASEAN member states, which is believed to be a true reflection of China-ASEAN relations growing closer, as well as a vivid practice of regional countries yearning for peace and seeking development.

"If you look at the trend in the region, all ASEAN countries except the Philippines are seeking balanced relations between these two great powers, but the Philippines is becoming more and more pro-American. The interests of the Philippines are the interests of the Filipino people, and the interests of the Filipino people are tied in with the interests of the ASEAN," said Banlaoi.

May 15 marks the 52nd anniversary of Okinawa's "return" to Japan. Recently, Okinawan residents discovered the presence of Dutch naval soldiers in the training grounds of the US military base in Okinawa but the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs may have been unaware of this beforehand. On Tuesday, Okinawan residents who discovered this matter spoke exclusively to the Global Times, detailing the sequence of events.

Despite accounting for only 0.6 percent of Japan's total land area, Okinawa hosts over 70 percent of the US military bases in Japan. Over the years, Okinawan residents have continuously protested against the presence of these bases, but the Japanese government has paid little attention and has instead accelerated military deployment.

Akino Miyagi, 45, was born on Hamahiga Island in Uruma city, Okinawa Prefecture. She began participating in anti-base protests during high school. As an entomologist, she discovered during her research in 2011 that the presence of US military bases, including artillery shells, had a detrimental impact on the local ecology. Since then, she has been actively involved in activities opposing US military bases as an environmental researcher.

Miyagi told the Global Times that in late March, while conducting her regular protests at the US military's Northern Training Area in Okinawa, she noticed several soldiers wearing different styles of camouflage uniforms on military trucks. Typically, after leaving the training area, US military trucks return to the base. However, on that occasion, she personally witnessed several trucks entering and leaving the training area, deviating from their usual route.

The Northern Training Area is located in Kunigami District, northern Okinawa Prefecture. It is a US military base and the largest military exercise field in Okinawa Prefecture. In 1998, it was renamed the Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC).

After noticing the unusual situation, Miyagi logged into the website of the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), a subunit of the US Department of Defense, to investigate.

One article on the website revealed that from March 10 to 24, the US military and the Dutch Marines conducted training at the JWTC in Okinawa called the "Jungle Leaders Course." It also noted that this training aims to prepare the US and its allies for combat in challenging jungle environments.

Miyagi told the Global Times that she immediately contacted the Okinawa Defense Bureau, who claimed that they were unaware of the presence of Dutch soldiers training at the US military training grounds in Okinawa.

Miyagi said that various indications suggest that the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs may also have been unaware of this matter beforehand.

According to the Okinawa Times, when asked for a response to related inquiries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it had confirmed with the US and Dutch military that indeed three Dutch soldiers entered the US military's Northern Training Area in Okinawa in March. However, the ministry claimed that their purpose was for inspection rather than "training."

When asked if they were aware of this beforehand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' response was ambiguous, stating that "individual cases cannot be generalized." It is reported that the Dutch soldiers disguised themselves as ordinary passengers and entered Japan via commercial flights at civilian airports.

Okinawan residents have long suffered from the troubles brought by US military bases. In recent years, with the significant rightward shift in the Japanese government, there has been an acceleration of military deployments in Okinawa, leaving local residents living in fear.

According to the Okinawa Ryukyu Shimpo, a local newspaper, the DVIDS released information saying that this US military training is aimed at helping allies familiarize themselves with the operational environment. This suggests that in the future, it is not unlikely that soldiers from other countries may enter the US military bases in Okinawa for combat training, raising concerns about the normalization of the entry of third-country forces into these bases.

Okinawa Governor Danny Tamaki said that the US military did not inform the prefecture in advance about the nature of the training they would conduct. Regardless of the specifics, joint training between the US military and foreign forces will not alleviate the burden on the bases.

As of press time, the Global Times found that the article on the website of the DVIDS had removed the mention of the Dutch soldiers.

The US military has only two facilities globally for jungle warfare training, one in Hawaii and the other being the Northern Training Area in Okinawa. The environment within the Northern Training Area is highly similar to that of several other countries, giving it a clear advantage in regular military training, according to Miyagi.

For instance, there are no infectious diseases like malaria in the jungle, no fierce beasts like tigers, strong radio signals, and it's relatively easy to obtain water from the mountains, rivers, and rainfall. Even in the event of injuries, the distance to hospitals is not far.

Miyagi also noted that the "Jungle Skills Course" typically involves soldiers entering the jungle on Sundays to begin a five-day training program, ending on Fridays. The entire process must be conducted collectively, aiming to reinforce soldiers' awareness of unconditional obedience to commands.

The Okinawa Ryukyu Shimpo reported that the Japanese government claims to allow third-country soldiers to enter the US military bases in Okinawa under certain circumstances but has not publicly disclosed specific criteria. In 2016, two British Royal Marines participated in training with the US Marine Corps at Camp Schwab and Camp Hansen in Okinawa. In 2017, the Philippine Navy trained with the US Navy at Camp Schwab in Okinawa. Instances of third-country military forces training at US military bases in Okinawa have occurred, but only a few of these cases have been made public.

The newspaper also mentioned that to counter China, the US Marine Corps has been conducting training for the so-called "Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations" (EABO) at the Northern Training Area. It is not unlikely that NATO member countries may also join this training in the future. Allowing foreign military forces to enter Okinawa without local knowledge may bring new concerns for the local residents.

Miyagi said that it is unacceptable for foreign military personnel to enter the US military bases in Okinawa for military training disguised as ordinary passengers on commercial flights through civilian airports. Even though Japan and the US have signed the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, many issues remain unresolved.

Moreover, there are no relevant agreements between Japan and the Netherlands, meaning that it may be difficult to hold Dutch soldiers accountable for any incidents in Okinawa. If this phenomenon becomes normalized, it will undoubtedly exacerbate tensions in Okinawa, said Miyagi.

Miyagi told the Global Times that the reason such situations occur in Okinawa is mainly because, from the US perspective, using US military bases in Germany and other countries comes with many restrictions, while those in Japan, especially in Okinawa, can be used "as they want."

Despite the extremely negative nature of this event, the reality is that the Japanese government simply doesn't care about what Okinawa is going through, said Miyagi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the eighth China-Russia Expo, which opened the same day in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties, Xi noted, saying that standing at a new historical starting point, bilateral relations will embrace new historical opportunities and show broader prospects for development.

Stressing that after years of cultivation and development, the China-Russia Expo has become an important platform for promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Xi added it is hoped that all sectors of the two countries will make full use of the opportunity presented by the current China-Russia Expo to deepen exchanges and share opportunities, jointly contribute to the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia, and inject new impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, Xinhua reported on Friday.

Expo attendees expressed their high expectation for the future of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, which will not only facilitate the growth of both countries, inject momentum into regional development, but also stabilize industrial chain, paving way to strengthening regional strategic security and stability, analysts said.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly attended the opening ceremony of the expo. Han read Xi's congratulatory letter and delivered a speech.

Putin said he had a fruitful meeting with President Xi in Beijing and pinpointed areas to further expand cooperation such as economy, trade, investment, energy, industry, high and new technology, cross-border transportation, tourism, agriculture and local affairs, to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

In meeting with Putin after the opening ceremony, Han said that China-Russia cooperation has enjoyed a sound momentum in recent years.

The Belt and Road Initiative has been further aligned with the Eurasian Economic Union, and a number of major projects have been smoothly advanced, Han said, adding that the China-Russia Expo was a beautiful "business card" of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Han expressed expectations for bilateral cooperation to achieve more results, benefit the two peoples and contribute to world development and progress.

Putin noted the two sides should enhance coordination and push forward the cooperation between the Far East and China's northeast region.
Economic potential

"There is great potential for the two countries to expand trade in energy, raw materials as well as deepen cooperation in industry, infrastructure as well as provincial cooperation," Zhang Hong, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Evgeny Bazhov, General Manager of United Confectionery (Uniconf) China subsidiary company told the Global Times that the company is attending the China-Russia Expo this year in order to seize the opportunity to expand its presence in the Chinese market through e-commerce.

"We have witnessed the inclusiveness and high efficiency of the Chinese market, as well as its high-level opening-up over recent years," Bazhov said, noting that he is optimistic about the vast potential of the China market.

Mutual trust in the future can become the basis for the formation of common research and development (R&D) and value chains between Russia and China, Alexander Lomanov, Deputy Director for Scientific Work, Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times.

"Confidence that your partner will never use sanctions and other illegitimate restrictions against you can help economic rapprochement between Russia and China and pave the way for a new model of globalization that is fair and beneficial to all," Lomanov said.

New paradigm of relations

The steady growth and great potential of China-Russia trade is a symbol of the stable and sound development of bilateral relationship; Interactions between the two heads of state have always served as crucial guidance, according to observers.

After their meeting at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday, Xi and Putin had a restrictive meeting at Zhongnanhai in Beijing. The two leaders took a walk in the garden, sat by the water, and engaged in in-depth discussions on strategic issues of common concern in a relaxed atmosphere with aromatic tea.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Russia bilateral trade volume hit a new record of $240.1 billion in 2023, crossing the $200 billion target ahead of schedule, and has maintained fast growth in 2024.

"China-Russia relations are not a military-political alliance. The economic trade cooperation between the two countries is limited to general trade, and does not target any third party," Zhang said.

The smooth development of China-Russia economic ties will also contribute to the stability and development of the Eurasia continent by bridging the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, Zhang said.

Such economic cooperation will also contribute to establishing a multi-polar world at a time when the US-led West is creating closed and exclusive small circles and advocating trade protectionism and unilateralism," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told the Global Times in an exclusive interview that China and Russia are both major powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council and adhere to the principle of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that the West always interprets China-Russia relations through a Cold War and camp confrontation lens, and falls short of understanding the true meaning of "non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party."

Bilateral economic ties have stabilized the industrial chain and provided strategic security, Li said.

Such security, plus the long-term high-level mutual trust, not only serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also helps promote global fairness and justice, as China and Russia can jointly withstand hegemony and unilateralism, and uphold multipolarity, Li said.

China-Russia cooperation is completely above-board. China and Russia have set a new paradigm of major-country relations that challenges the US-led hegemonic acts, which is why the US keeps slandering China-Russia cooperation, observers said.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Washington continues to assault normal China-Russia trade, and has intensified its crackdown on selected Chinese companies.

The US imposed a new round of sanctions against 20 companies based in China on May 1, claiming they are involved in supporting Russia's defense-industrial base.

Following the release of the China-Russia joint statement on Thursday, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said that China can't "have its cake and eat it too."

"You cannot want to have deepened relations with Europe… while simultaneously continuing to fuel the biggest threat to European security in a long time," Patel said, the Associated Press reported.

The US' logic is "either black or white," which is an attitude of seeking enemies rather than peace, and is a continuation of the Cold War mentality. This is a reflection of the Cold War mentality that still dominates US thinking, which bears unshirkable responsibility for the eruption and escalation of the Ukraine crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Friday's routine press briefing.

China is neither the creator of nor a party involved in the Ukraine crisis. We always stand on the side of peace and dialogue, are committed to promoting peace talks, and actively support the construction of a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture, Wang said, adding that China's objective and just position and constructive role have been widely recognized by the international community.

"To solve the problem, the one who started it should end it," Wang said, urging the US not to blame China, not to try to sow discord between China and Europe, not to continue to add fuel to the fire, but to do something practical for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is the first standard-gauge railway in East Africa and a flagship project between China and the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Having created more than 55,000 jobs for locals, the railway has greatly strengthened connectivity between Ethiopia and Djibouti and injected strong impetus into their economic and social development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.

A Chinese saying goes, "It is more important to teach people how to fish than just giving them fish." The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is a good example, Wang said at a regular press conference.

China has not only constructed a modern railway in cooperation with Ethiopia and Djibouti, but also trained more than 2,800 local professionals, helping build an excellent local team, Wang said.

The Chinese management consortium of the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway recently transferred management responsibility to Ethiopia and Djibouti after six years of successful operation.

Since entering commercial operation on January 1, 2018, the 752-kilometer-long Ethiopia-Djibouti railway has operated over 2,500 passenger trains with a passenger volume of 680,000. 

It has also operated more than 7,700 freight trains, with a cargo volume of 9.5 million tons in the same period, according to data the Chinese management contractor sent to the Global Times.

China will continue to cooperate with Ethiopia and Djibouti to build the railway toward win-win cooperation and prosperity, and will jointly promote the high-quality development of the BRI and contribute to the mutual development of China and Africa, Wang said.

After handing over management responsibility, the Chinese side will continue to provide technical support. The two sides also plan to continue cooperation in expanding supporting facilities so as to better unleash the potential of the railway to bring benefits to local people, Dai Hegen, chairman of China Railway Construction Corp, which is a contractor of the railway, was quoted as saying in a press release.

The project is a demonstration that underscores China's commitment to supporting Africa in realizing regional economic and social integration, Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Such BRI projects have not only boosted geopolitical and political ties across Africa but also strengthened the continent's self-sufficiency, Song said, noting that China, as a committed supporter, has helped enlarge the development scope for Africa by providing more funds.

Song refuted US claims alleging Chinese aid to African countries had led to a "debt trap," saying that Washington is still stuck in the Cold War thinking and zero-sum games by smearing China. As China's influence in Africa grows, the US heavily emphasizes the concept of a "debt trap" to undermine China's relations with its African allies as well as China's own global reputation, according to Song.

"China's aid to Africa is geared toward fostering the continent's development, especially for nations that have challenges in securing external funding," Song said.

No country has fallen into debt difficulty because of cooperation with China, and no partner believes that China has led them into a "debt trap," a spokesperson from the China International Development Cooperation Agency said in April.

China-based online travel platforms reported a 40-percent jump in searches for keywords related to Cuba following the announcement of visa-free tour for Chinese travelers on May 5. 

The new policy allows Chinese passport holders to enter Cuba visa-free this month, the country's minister for tourism Juan Carlos Garcia announced, in a move aimed at boosting engagement and cooperation between the two countries. 

Havana also announced that China would be a guest country during Cuba's 2025 tourism festival, adding that direct air flights would resume on May 17.

Flights on a Beijing-Madrid-Havana route operated by Air China are set to resume on May 17, currently the only route between China and Cuba.

The visa exemption will ramp up Chinese people's interest in traveling to Latin America, a region boasting unique cultural and natural landmarks.

The recent opening and resumption of direct flights between China and Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and other Latin American destinations will significantly reduce the time and cost for Chinese travelers, according to Trip.com.

Another travel platform Qunar.com revealed that Cuba is a popular destination for 14-day tour packages in China, with the two most attractive cities being Havana and Varadero.

Local economies in China fared well in the first quarter by developing new quality productive forces, while domestic demand revived and industries grew robustly. The momentum will be sustained, observers said on Tuesday, after 31 provincial-level regions reported GDP growth figures. 

A total of 13 province-level regions achieved GDP levels of more than 1 trillion yuan ($141.18 billion). The economies of South China's Guangdong Province and East China's Jiangsu Province, China's manufacturing hubs, each exceeded 3 trillion yuan - 3.15 trillion yuan for Guangdong and 3.10 trillion yuan for Jiangsu. 

In terms of growth rates, 16 regions grew faster higher than the country's 5.3 percent increase, and eight localities reported GDP growth of more than 6 percent. Northeast China's Jilin Province led the nation with a 6.5 percent expansion, followed by Jiangsu and Chongqing at 6.2 percent each.

Economic powerhouse provinces played a vital role in bolstering China' s economic development and stabilizing the nation's fundamentals. Local economic progress was achieved by developing new quality productive forces, as their traditional industries are relatively mature, Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the digital-real economies integration Forum 50, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The stable growth of the powerhouses demonstrated the country's economic resilience and vitality, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Investment in emerging industries in Guangdong remained robust in the first quarter - up 22.4 percent in the advanced manufacturing sector and up 33.3 percent in the high-tech manufacturing sector.

Output of new-energy vehicles in Beijing grew by 2.4 times year-on-year in the first quarter while production of integrated circuits increased by 22.6 percent, according to media reports.

The added value of Jiangsu's manufacturing industry rose by 7.3 percent year-on-year, accounting for 35.9 percent of the provincial GDP. The rapid development of the private economy in Chongqing contributed 67.5 percent of its economic growth, driving up the local economy by 4.2 percentage points. 

Thanks to its large real economy, China's monetary and fiscal policies have been able to diverge from global policies in a bid to stabilize economic growth, and policy implementation is dedicated to domestic market entities, Hu said.

China has been optimizing and adjusting its industrial structure by replacing low-end production capacity with high-end production capacity, Hu added. 

Experts remain upbeat on China's economic recovery given these favorable conditions. 

Supportive policies, a consumption rebound, the fast development of emerging industries and steady investment growth will continue to provide impetus to China's GDP growth, especially given the optimized industrial structure, Wang said.

The first-quarter figures were influenced by the resumption of production activities after the Spring Festival holidays. Hu said that second-quarter GDP growth should improve, and growth in the second half may further accelerate if the momentum is sustained. 

A Chinese expert on Thursday slammed US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's latest remarks about taking "extreme action" against and banning Chinese connected vehicles, noting her remarks reflected the US' politicization of trade issues and harm the global auto supply chain. 

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Wednesday that the US could take "extreme action" and ban Chinese internet- connected vehicles or impose restrictions on them following a national security investigation by the Biden administration in February, according to Reuters.

"We have to digest all the data and then figure out what action that we want to take. We could take extreme action, which is to say no Chinese connected vehicles in the United States or look for mitigation," Raimondo said, in the first indication that a ban could be on the table following a national security probe.

"It's ridiculous to say Chinese-made vehicles pose national security risks since only a limited number of Chinese-made vehicles were imported to the US. Such remarks and actions are manifestations of the US politicization of auto trading," Wu Shuocheng, a veteran automobile industry analyst, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The US practice distorts fair competition and will seriously disrupt the global auto industry chain and supply chain, Wu noted.

Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that overstretching the concept of national security, and weakening or severing one's economic ties with other countries leads nowhere, and will only destabilize global industrial and supply chains, disrupt international trade order, and end up harming one's own interests. Lin urged the US to fulfill its commitment of not seeking to hold back China's economic growthnot containing China's economic development.

Raimondo's latest remarks came as the US continues to step up its reckless suppression of China's car industry. Chinese officials and analysts have repeatedly slammed the US measures as acts of politicizing economic and trade issues.

On February 29, the White House said that the Biden administration was opening an investigation into whether Chinese vehicle imports pose national security risks and it could impose restrictions due to concerns about "internet-connected" vehicle technology.

The spokesperson from China's Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning in March noted that Chinese-made cars are popular globally, not by using "unfair practices" but by emerging from fierce market competition with homegrown technological innovations and superb quality.

This is not the first time that US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo peddled the "national security threat" theory against Chinese vehicles. "Cars these days are like an iPhone on wheels… You connect your phone and you might receive the text message… Imagine a world with 3 million Chinese vehicles on the roads of America, and Beijing can turn them off at the same time," she once said.

In a response, Mao said the US side was creating a false narrative,which clearly reflects Washington's practice of making economic and trade issues into ones of politics and security.

"By that logic, shouldn't China be more worried about Washington's ability to get hundreds of millions of Apple phones of Chinese users to channel collected information back to the US, or even cause a blanket screen shutdown?"

"China's door has been open to global auto companies, including US auto companies that fully share in the dividends of China's big market. By contrast, the US has engaged in trade protectionism and set up obstacles including discriminatory subsidy policies to obstruct access to the US market by Chinese-made cars. Such acts of politicizing economic and trade issues will only hinder the development of the US auto industry itself," Mao said.

China urges the US to respect the laws of the market economy and the principles of fair competition, stop overstretching the concept of national security, stop its discriminatory suppression of Chinese companies, and uphold an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment, Mao said.

One student was killed and several were injured following a traffic accident in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu Province on Friday. Authorities said that initial investigations have shed light on faulty signal and negligent driving as the main cause.

The accident occurred when a bus carrying 45, including 39 students, collided with a dump truck. The students belonged to an elementary school located in Nantong's Chongchuan District and were heading for an art festival exhibition on Friday.

Eight people, including six students, were injured during the accident.

A rapid response effort was initiated following the accident, with local authorities swiftly deploying rescue workers. The injured were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Unfortunately, one student died  from critical injuries sustained in the crash.

Authorities from Nantong traffic police told media on Saturday that the accident occurred at the intersection of Panxiang Road and Hongjiang Road in Chongchuan District. It was revealed that prior to the collision, both the bus and the dump truck were travelling in their respective lanes. 

However, a faulty traffic signal at the intersection led to the incident. The bus, traveling from north to south at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, failed to stop at the intersection due to the non-functioning signal and driver's lack of cautious observation. Simultaneously, the dump truck, traveling from west to east at a speed exceeding 50 kilometers per hour, collided with the right front section of the bus. The driver of the dump truck was  placed under control pending further investigation as he drove the vehicle in the restricted area, which violated regulations.

A shop clerk, surnamed Li, told Chinese media outlet thepaper.cn that she passed the intersection every day and the signal had been broken for a while, flashing abnormally. Passer-by and vehicles had been forced to stop and pass slowly after checking if there were vehicles in adjacent lanes.

In response to the incident, local Nantong officials swiftly established an accident investigation team, and conducted an inquiry to ascertain responsibility for the accident. Subsequent actions will entail the rigorous enforcement of relevant laws and regulations to hold accountable those individuals responsible.

Following the incident, authorities in Nantong swiftly moved to repair malfunctioning signals across the city.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday signed a joint statement on building a community with shared future in the new era in Belgrade, making Serbia the first European country to build such a community with China.

In the joint statement, the two countries decided to deepen and elevate the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership. Serbia was the first Central and Eastern European country to become China's comprehensive strategic partner eight years ago.

"It is a strategic choice made by both sides to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. Its goal is to realize the aspiration of the two peoples for a better life. Its foundation and driving force come from the firm support and extensive participation of the two peoples," Xi told reporters during a joint press conference with Vucic.

Xi also announced six measures to support the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future.

China is ready to import more quality and distinctive agricultural products from Serbia. China welcomes Serbia to increase direct flights between Belgrade and Shanghai, and encourages airlines from both sides to launch direct flights between Belgrade and Guangzhou.

The Chinese side will aid 50 young Serbian scientists in exchange programs with China for the next three years and a total of 300 Serbian youths will be invited to study in China in the next three years, said Xi.

China supports Serbia in hosting Expo 2027, and will send a delegation to participate in the grand show. China encourages its enterprises to take part in the construction of relevant projects, Xi said.

With joint efforts from China and Serbia, the free trade agreement between the two countries will take effect on July 1, Xi said.

During his talks with Vucic on Wednesday in Belgrade, Xi said bilateral relations between China and Serbia are richer in content and have become a model of friendly relations between China and European countries.

Xi called on China and Serbia to carry forward the innovative nature of bilateral relations, open up new prospects for cooperation, and make innovative cooperation a new growth point of bilateral ties.

Xi was greeted by tens of thousands of Serbians on Wednesday and a welcoming ceremony was held outside the Palace of Serbia before the meeting between the two leaders.

Chinese national flags and Chinese-language welcoming banners were hanging on landmark buildings in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Chinese and Serbian experts said the meeting between the two heads of state will continue to provide high-level guidance to the sound development of bilateral relationship for the years to come and further inject vitality into the time-weathered, ironclad friendship.
Ironclad friendship

On Tuesday, a signed article by President Xi titled "May the Light of Our Ironclad Friendship Shine on the Path of China-Serbia Cooperation" was published in Serbian media Politika.

Xi noted in the article that "there has always been an affinity between Chinese and Serbian peoples despite the long distance between us. During the bitter Anti-Fascist War and our respective nation-building in the last century, the Chinese and Serbian peoples forged a strong friendship that extends through time and space."

"Amid the ongoing transformations unseen in a century in the world, our mutual support remains as strong as ever, our cooperation is closer, and our exchanges and mutual learning more substantive. Whatever changes in the international landscape, China and Serbia remain true friends and good partners. Our ironclad friendship is ever-growing, setting a model for state-to-state and people-to-people interactions," Xi wrote.

The long-lasting friendship and win-win cooperation between China and Serbia makes it clear to us that a stronger bilateral relationship conforms with the trend of history and serves the best interests of our two peoples. It also helps promote our common progress. On the new journey of the new era, the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership has more potential for further growth.

Xi said China and Serbia should always be good friends and treat each other with sincerity, good partners for win-win cooperation, play an exemplary role in promoting fairness and justice and strengthen the heart-to-heart connection between their two peoples.

Chinese and Serbian observers shared the consensus that since Xi’s last visit, bilateral cooperation has entered fast track with numerous notable fruits.

With China's support, hundreds of kilometers of highways have been built, the fastest railway in Eastern Europe entered operation, and energy facilities keep renewing, Boyan Lalic, Director of the Belt and Road Institute Belgrade, told the Global Times Wednesday.

The China-built high-speed railway connecting Belgrade to Novi Sad, inexpensive and comfortable, has cut the previously 1.5-hour trip to just 36 minutes, making a two-city life possible for many young people seeking opportunities, the Global Times learned.

The railway is part of a more ambitious project linking Belgrade and Budapest, the capital of Hungary, which could finish construction by 2026, according to estimate. The flagship project has created jobs, offered unique career experience and trainings, and has allowed people like Serbian engineer Aleksandra Milosavljevic to "make really good friends with my Chinese colleagues."

Bilateral trade soared from $596 million in 2016 to $4.35 billion in 2023 and China became the largest source of direct investment for Serbia in 2022, per official data.

Join hands on international stage

In the signed article, Xi wrote "Twenty-five years ago today, NATO flagrantly bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia … This we should never forget. The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such tragic history to repeat itself."

The China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots, will stay in the shared memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples, and will inspire us to march forward with big strides, Xi wrote.

Dong Yifan, a research fellow at the Institute of European Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that both China and Serbia adhere to independence and non-alignment in their strategic approaches, choosing to follow their own development paths and opposing hegemony. "We share a strong consensus in international affairs."

The last stop of Xi's three-nation European trip is Hungary, during which a series of cooperation agreements are expected to be signed, according to media reports.

Both Serbia and Hungary are pillar countries in China-proposed BRI, and have long been at the forefront of European countries' relations with China with close cooperation, Dong said, adding that high-level diplomacy has played a key role in the two countries' relations with China.

He Zhigao, a research fellow with the Institute of European Studies of CASS, told the Global Times that Serbia and Hungary "stand out" among European countries in regard to developing China ties partly because they can overcome some external restraints and make more independent decisions based on their own interests.