Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on China and the European Union (EU) to provide more stability and certainty for the world through steady and sound China-EU relations, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Xi made the remarks when meeting with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who are here for the 25th China-EU Summit in Beijing.

Xi said over the past 50 years, China and the EU have achieved fruitful outcomes in exchanges and cooperation, delivering mutual success and worldwide benefits, and an important understanding and insight is that the two sides should respect each other, seek commonality while reserving differences, uphold openness and cooperation, and pursue mutual benefit.

These are also important principles and the right direction for China-EU relations in the future, Xi said. Xi underscored the importance for China and the EU, both constructive forces for multilateralism and openness and cooperation, to strengthen communication, enhance trust and deepen cooperation in a more challenging and complex international situation, in order to provide more stability and certainty for the world through steady and sound China-EU relations.

Both as "big guys" in the international community, China and the EU should keep their bilateral relationship growing in the right direction, and work together to usher it into an even brighter next 50 years, he said. 

President Xi's three proposals - adhere to mutual respect to consolidate partnership; uphold openness and cooperation to properly address differences; and practice multilateralism to safeguard the international rules and order - clearly outline the fundamental pillars of a stable and enduring China-Europe relationship. They provide not only strategic direction but also concrete pathways for future collaboration, Gao Jian, a scholar at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Xi's remarks also underscore China's consistent and steady approach to Europe, which is distinct from the shifting policies frequently seen in some Western countries. China views its ties with Europe as an engagement between two major civilizations, powers and markets, and remains firmly committed to a long-term, stable policy course regardless of external changes, said the expert. 

Upon arriving in Beijing early Thursday morning, von der Leyen wrote on X that the China-EU Summit "is the opportunity to both advance and rebalance our relationship." After meeting with President Xi, she posted again to thank him for hosting them in Beijing, saying: "Europe and China are global economic heavyweights. Our relationship matters globally, and it must work for both sides - for our people and our businesses. Let's shape that future together."

European Council President Antonio Costa also mentioned the meeting with President Xi in a post on X on Thursday, writing: "Committed to deepening our partnership. Seeking concrete progress in addressing concerns - with respect, goodwill, and honesty. Working together to uphold multilateralism."

On Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and the two EU leaders jointly chaired the 25th China-EU Summit. The two sides also released a joint statement on climate change on Thursday, in which it said they reiterate that in the fluid and turbulent international situation today, it is crucial that all countries, notably the major economies maintain policy continuity and stability and step up efforts to address climate change.

The statement also noted that the Chinese and EU leaders also recognize that strengthening China-EU cooperation on climate change bears on the well-being of the peoples on both sides and is of great and special significance to upholding multilateralism and advancing global climate governance.

This round of high-level China-EU talks carries both historical significance and practical relevance - marking 50 years of diplomatic ties and unfolding against the backdrop of rising unilateralism and global instability. As two major powers and markets, China and the EU should reaffirm their shared responsibility to uphold multilateralism and resist the Cold War mentalities, Cui Hongjian, professor of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Cui said the leaders' meeting mechanism reflects growing political maturity, policy continuity and a shared commitment to manage differences while deepening cooperation.

Managing through dialogue

President Xi on Thursday also stressed that China and the EU should uphold openness and cooperation, and properly manage differences. Xi said that "reducing dependency" should not lead to reducing China-EU cooperation. The bilateral economic and trade relationship, which is by nature complementary and mutually beneficial, can indeed achieve dynamic equilibrium through development, according to Xinhua.

It is hoped that the EU can remain open in trade and investment market, refrain from using restrictive economic and trade tools, and foster a sound business environment for Chinese enterprises investing and operating in the EU, Xi stressed.

China doesn't shy away from challenges in its relationship with the EU. As two of the world's largest economies and key trading partners, frictions are natural, but the focus should be on managing them through dialogue, not escalation, said Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Concerns such as trade imbalances, overcapacity, and rare earths should be addressed through negotiation, grounded in the mutual dependence of both economies. Despite rising tensions, trade remains the area of greatest shared interest. "While the EU now sees China as a competitor, it still prioritizes de-risking over decoupling and seeks cooperation on global issues like climate change," the expert said. "Both sides should adjust to a relationship shaped by both cooperation and competition."

China and the EU, as two of the world's major economies, have both the responsibility and capacity to send a strong message in support of multilateral trade systems and inject much-needed stability and certainty into global markets during these challenging times, Fang Dongkui, secretary general of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU), told the Global Times. 

Despite the headwinds, the fundamentals of China-EU economic relations remain strong, with several areas particularly standing out for future cooperation, naming green transition, digital economy and third markets cooperation, the chamber head said.

This round of high-level interactions between China and the EU has also attracted wide attention and coverage in Europe. A report from the German news network Deutsche Welle (DW) noted that Brussels has framed Thursday's talks as "a clear opportunity for detailed, frank, substantive actions around all aspects of our relationship."

Cui said that neither side set unrealistic expectations for the outcome of this meeting. "The complex issues in China-EU relations cannot be resolved in a single stroke," Cui said. "As long as both sides can reach a basic consensus on positions, understanding, and future direction, that would already be a significant achievement. Remaining issues can be addressed through the more than 70 existing dialogue mechanisms."

We hold a rational expectation for China-EU relations. 2025 is more likely to be a phase focused on maintaining stability and sustained engagement, said Cui. 

Gao also emphasized that stabilizing China-EU relations requires the EU to move beyond Cold War thinking and opportunistic approaches. Europe is navigating a deep structural crisis - entangled in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, facing transatlantic trade tensions, and lacking a unified, consistent strategy toward China.

"To move forward, Europe needs to reassess the principles guiding its domestic and foreign policy and adopt a more realistic view of today's global landscape," he said. "China is an opportunity - not a threat."

In response to a media inquiry regarding French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France will formally recognize the Palestinian State during a UN meeting in September, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that the Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East situation. The only viable way to resolve it lies in the two-State solution.

Guo stated that China supports the upcoming UN high-level conference on the implementation of the two-State solution. "We will continue working with the other member states to end the Gaza conflict, ease the humanitarian crisis, implement the two-State solution, and realize the full, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question," Guo said.

In a X post on late Thursday (local time), Macron announced that France will officially recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, stressing the "historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East," which would make France the first G7 nation to do so.

"The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,″ Macron said, calling for an immediate cease-fire, the release of all hostages, and large-scale humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. 

In a formal letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Macron said the urgent need is to achieve the only viable solution (two-state solution) to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, put an end to terrorism and all forms of violence, and ensure lasting peace and security for Israel and the entire region. 

In response, Abbas's deputy, Hussein al-Sheikh, thanked the French leader, saying "This position reflects France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state," according to Sheikh's X post. 

Hamas, according to Al Jazeera, also praised Macron's announcement in a statement as a "positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination."

Al Jazeera said the move makes France the largest and arguably most influential country in Europe to move toward recognizing a Palestinian state, after EU members Norway, Ireland and Spain indicated they would also begin the same process. It added that at least 142 countries out of the 193 members of the UN currently recognize or plan to recognize a Palestinian state.

Cui Hongjian, a professor of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said that France's stance reflects the autonomy of its major-power diplomacy. 

France's shift from initial hesitation and ambiguity to increasingly clear support was backed by the growing consensus that sympathy for Palestine and support for the "two-state solution" are gradually becoming a consensus among more European countries, Cui said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed Macron's announcement in an X post, stressing that "the two-state solution is the only solution." 

In a statement on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an "emergency call" with French and German leaders on Friday to discuss "what we can do urgently to stop the killing," according to the BBC. Statehood is an "inalienable right of the Palestinian people", Starmer said, adding that a ceasefire would "put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution," the BBC report. 

In a joint statement released on Monday, Western countries including UK, France, Australia, Canada and 21 other countries, plus the EU, have called for an immediate end to the war on Gaza, saying that suffering there had "reached new depths."

According to a senior official in the French presidency reached by CNN, the Elysee is confident that it won't be the only ones recognizing Palestine in September.

France's announcement is likely to trigger domino effect of Palestinian state recognition, Cui said. 

It is possible that in September, some countries may follow suit and align with France in expressing their stance, said the expert, noting that there will also be countries that do not publicly declare their position, however, their stance may further tilt toward France in practice.

Macron's announcement came on the same day that the US and Israel walked away from Gaza cease-fire talks in Qatar, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of showing "a lack of desire to reach a cease-fire in Gaza," according to the New York Times. 

Regarding Macron's announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that the US "strongly rejects" the French plan, as the "reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace." 

Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Macron's announcement. "Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became," according to The Times of Israel's report. 

Cui believed that Europe and the US are increasingly at odds, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is further evidence of this divergence. 

An increasing number of Western countries have come to realize that Israel's actions have far exceeded the scope of what was initially claimed as self-defense and are moving toward geopolitical ambition of shaping a new Middle East order that favors Israel, said Cui. 

Meanwhile, in the US, the Republican administration, which appears to have stronger ties with Jewish interest groups compared to the previous Democratic administration, is moving toward more explicit support for Israel, Cui noted. 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the Palestinians are facing "the biggest humanitarian catastrophe" of their time amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank, due to the failure of global efforts to deter Israeli actions, Xinhua reported. 

The Israeli military campaign in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has resulted in more than 59,210 Palestinian deaths and over 143,040 injuries, according to Gaza-based health authorities. 

Cui believes that France's announcement carries positive implications for the broader Middle East. 

If this [pro-Palestine] trend continues among Western nations, it will likely generate greater pressure on Israel globally, including mounting condemnation in international public opinion and practical moves of opposition, said Cui, adding that this shift may eventually impact on the US decisionmaking. 

China's renowned "Village Super League," also known as Cun Chao, has made a triumphant return with a gratitude-themed restart ceremony staged in Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, on late Saturday, drawing tens of thousands of spectators. The celebration comes after devastating floods weeks ago, when the stadium and much of the county were submerged in floodwaters.

Four matches, including three friendship matches, were held on Saturday, of which many players from all walks of life contributed to the flood fighting in late June.

International stars, Roberto Baggio from Italy and Roberto Carlos from Brazil, also showed up during the halftime. "Although China is half a globe away from Europe, here I can feel that the passion for football is exactly the same," said Baggio on the scene.

Li Sha, head of the county cultural center and a member of the event's organizing committee, said that in just one month, Cun Chao is back in full swing. "This would not have been possible without nationwide support."

Launched in May 2023, Cun Chao has become one of China's most prominent grassroots football events. Boosted by the sports event, Rongjiang County, home to a population of 385,000, attracted 7.6 million tourists in 2023 and over 9.4 million in 2024.

The third season kicked off in early January this year, with over 3,000 players from 108 village teams competing for the champion.

On June 24 and 28, rain-triggered floods hit the county hard, leading to the suspension of the league. The floods impacted 145,000 people and prompted 92,000 evacuations. Six people were killed.

GRATEFUL RETURN

At the ceremony in the newly renovated stadium with donated turf, repaired lighting and rebuilt corridors, a performance titled "Rebirth" reenacted scenes of firefighters, armed police, electricians and medical workers from nationwide joining in the rescue.

"When floods raged, seeing rescuers from across China made us feel assured," said 55-year-old Yang Changrong, a performer from the Changba residential community, one of the worst-hit areas.

Yang recalled that the rescuers worked in extreme heat, carrying supplies by hand where vehicles could not reach. "When exhausted, they simply rested by the roadside. It was heart-wrenching yet inspiring."

Figures show that over 30,000 rescuers rushed to aid the county and donations -- nearly 80 million yuan (about 11 million U.S. dollars) in funds and 2.2 million relief items -- poured in for the disaster relief work.

Liang Xiaolei attended the ceremony as part of the parade team that participated in the relief efforts.

The veteran rescuer called Rongjiang's flood fight an experience that moved him the most. "From elderly folks to schoolchildren, everyone pitched in -- cooking meals and clearing rubble," he said. "Every time we opened the boxed meals and saw the tightly packed food, we felt their care."

REBUILDING HOPE

The restart of the league, a major sign of Rongjiang's post-disaster recovery, has brought strong hope to people in their efforts to restore normal life.

As the football matches are back on schedule, hotels are fully booked, and schools have been made available to temporarily accommodate about 6,000 visitors.

Wearing the iconic yellow costume of the Brazilian national team, He Yufeng from Chongqing Municipality headed to Rongjiang with his family to see Roberto Carlos and watch the matches.

Also an amateur player, the 37-year-old plays football every weekend in Chongqing. "The atmosphere here is great. I'll come back to play with my team if I get the chance," he said.

Fruit vendor Yan Jiafu, who suffered much economic loss in the floods, reopened his shop after obtaining a 500,000 yuan government-subsidized loan in mid-July. "Cun Chao has brought back our confidence," he said.

The county has coordinated with banks to provide financial support and state-owned properties to waive six-month rentals to related businesses. As of Friday, more than 90 percent of some 6,800 affected businesses had reopened.

After the gratitude-themed restart, Rongjiang will resume the league with full force and host all the delayed matches, said Xu Bo, the county's Party chief.

"Bearing gratitude in mind, we will move on, bringing Cun Chao's passion, vitality and joy to people across the country again," Xu said.

China's robot wolves have recently been deployed in a human-drone collaborative exercise, official media reported. This marks the quadrupedal robot's first appearance in a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) drill shown to the public.

On the training ground, two motorized infantry companies from a brigade of the PLA's 76th Group Army conducted a confrontational drill featuring human-drone collaborative assault operations, the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday.

Building on the traditional infantry offensive tactics, the exercise integrated unmanned systems such as drones and robot wolves to carry out combat operations, including preliminary reconnaissance verification, precision strikes on key targets and covering charges during breakthroughs.

The CCTV report footage shows that the exercise took place in a hilly grassland area. Human soldiers armed with QBZ-191 assault rifles, QBU-191 marksman rifles and man-portable rocket launchers advanced alongside robot wolves also equipped with QBZ-191 assault rifles or reconnaissance payloads. Meanwhile, aerial drone operators, wearing ghillie suits, hidden in the grass, deployed first person view (FPV) drones to carry out reconnaissance and suicide attack missions.

"This exercise marks the first time I have commanded and operated the robot wolf," said Hu Te, a member of the brigade, according to the report.

"Our primary-level companies aim to use the newly commissioned unmanned equipment well, and integrate them with humans," Hu said.

The robot wolf was first unveiled to the public at Airshow China 2024 held in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.

Weighing about 70 kilograms, the robot wolf is a utility quadrupedal robot platform with variants for attack, reconnaissance, transport and support missions. The robot wolf has high mobility and adaptivity in complex terrains. It can operate alongside human soldiers, overcome high obstacles and climb ladders, the Global Times learned from its developer, the state-owned China South Industries Group Corporation.

Multiple robot wolves can operate in coordinated formations, establishing networks among human operators, vehicles and robot wolves. This will boost combat capabilities of special operations forces and infantry units operating in complex environments such as urban areas, high-altitude plateaus and mountainous regions, according to the developer.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the addition of ground robots to combat could be even more effective and impactful than the deployment of aerial drones.

Ukrainian forces recently claimed to have for the first time captured Russian troops without the use of infantry, relying solely on drones and ground-based robotic systems, according to media reports.

Fu said that when soldiers encounter robots, as opposed to human enemies, they may experience severe psychological stress. Even if you manage to destroy some units, more could keep advancing relentlessly, posing persistent threats, and possibly leading to thoughts of surrender.

With more ground robots being deployed, great changes could happen on the battlefield. These technologies could redefine battlefield dynamics, alter the nature of conflict and revolutionize tactical approaches, Fu added.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announces:

At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia Gordan Grlić Radman will visit China from July 20 to 22.

China on Thursday called for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected, as Israel's heavy airstrikes on Syrian capital Damascus have drawn widespread attention.   

Some experts noted that Israel's recent military actions in the Middle East - enabled in part by US leniency - have intensified regional instability as it seeks to expand its strategic reach, potentially deepening humanitarian crises and accelerating already unfolding risks.

"Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected. In particular, given the continuous ongoing turbulence in the Middle East, there shouldn't be any action that may lead to escalation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday that protecting Druze citizens and their rights is "our priority," as Israel vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria. In his first televised statement, al-Sharaa addressed Druze citizens, saying "we reject any attempt to drag you into hands of an external party," according to Reuters. 

Turning to Israel, al-Sharaa accused the "Israeli entity" of consistently targeting Syrian stability and seeking to incite internal conflict since the fall of the former Syrian government. He accused Israel of aiming to "turn Syria into a permanent battlefield, weaken its national cohesion, and obstruct its reconstruction process," according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Syrian government officials and leaders in the Druze religious minority announced a renewed ceasefire Wednesday. The announcement came after Israel launched airstrikes in the heart of Damascus, an escalation in a campaign that it said was intended to defend the Druze, according to the Associated Press.

According to the Al Jazeera's report on Thursday, Syrian government forces have withdrawn from areas they entered in recent days in Sweida, the heartland of the Druze minority in southern Syria. 

Ahmed al-Sharaa announced that "responsibility" for security in Sweida would be handed to religious elders and some local factions "based on the supreme national interest," said the report. 

The Druze form a substantial community in Israel as well as in Syria and are seen in Israel as a loyal minority, often serving in the military. The escalation in Syria began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in the southern province of Sweida. Government forces that intervened to restore order clashed with the Druze militias, AP reported. 

A BBC report on Thursday noted that Israel's strikes "represented the most serious Israeli escalation in Syria since December 2024, when it obliterated hundreds of military sites across the country and seized a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights." 

Israel has sought to expand its influence in southern Syria, viewing the Druze as a potential local ally. The Syrian army's advance undermines this foothold and risks bringing armed forces closer to Israel's southern border - both developments that Israel finds unacceptable, Tian Wenlin, a professor at Renmin University of China's School of International Studies, told the Global Times.

Zhu Yongbiao, a professor from the School of Politics and International Relations in Lanzhou University, said that Israel's airstrikes are a continuation of its "maximum operations" strategy. Following the October 7 attacks, Israel has sought to restore deterrence through sustained airstrikes, signaling that any attack will trigger retaliation.

The Wednesday strikes likely mark the start of a broader campaign. Israel may politically court and militarily support minority or sectarian groups in Syria, providing training and arms to build a controllable force. Unlike the singular goal of eliminating Hamas in Gaza, this strategy aims to expand strategic depth and reshape the regional order in Israel's favor, Zhu told the Global Times. 

A report from AP on Thursday described the "violence" in Syria as the "most serious threat yet to efforts by Syria's new rulers to consolidate control of the country." 

Zhu also said that the current situation may raise security risks in Syria, with renewed civil war, the resurgence of armed groups, and deeper national fragmentation all becoming more likely. 

"These developments pose new challenges for both Syria and the broader region," said Zhu. 

Global reaction

On Wednesday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said, "The Secretary-General [António Guterres] is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Sweida" and "unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians," according to a release from the UN website.  

Guterres further condemned Israel's "escalatory airstrikes" on Sweida, Daraa and central Damascus, together with "reports of the IDF's redeployment of forces in the Golan," the highly-contested mountainous region along the border of the two countries.

Several Arab states, including Lebanon, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, and Kuwait, have condemned the Israeli strikes targeting Syrian government and security forces. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry denounced what it described as "Israel's blatant attacks" on Syria, while Iran described the attacks as "all too predictable," according to BBC. 

Turkey, a key stakeholder in post-Assad Syria, described the strikes as "an act of sabotage against Syria's efforts to secure peace, stability and security."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US was "very concerned" about the violence and announced on July 16: "We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight."

The US aims to avoid deeper entanglement in regional conflicts, yet repeatedly ends up passively endorsing Israel's aggressive actions. This effectively gives Israel a "blank security check," with Washington left to manage the fallout. As Israel launches more strikes, the US faces mounting reputational costs and is increasingly viewed as complicit by Middle Eastern nations, said Tian. 

Fresh off its clash with Iran, Israel has turned to Syria, further fueling Middle East instability, said Tian, noting that Israel's strikes span nearly the entire "Axis of Resistance" - from the Houthis and Iran to Syria. 

Israel's reliance on force to address security concerns is instead a key source of regional unrest, said the expert. 

With the regional order already shattered by recent conflicts, Israel may become bolder, while the US and other countries remain largely indifferent, creating a "broken windows" effect, Zhu said. 

In the long run, this will worsen humanitarian crises and further erode the UN Charter's principle of sovereignty - trends that are already unfolding and accelerating in the region, said Zhu. 

Several districts in Foshan, South China’s Guangdong Province, updated chikungunya fever case numbers on Saturday. Shunde district alone had reported 1,161 confirmed mild cases as of Friday. Local authorities of affected districts initiated a district-wide mobilization of residents for intensive eradication of mosquito breeding habitats and adult specimens this weekend.

The health bureau of Shunde district, Foshan, announced on its official WeChat account on Saturday that the district had reported a cumulative total of 1,161 confirmed cases of Chikungunya fever as of Friday, all of which were mild.

On the same day, the health bureau of Nanhai district in Foshan also released updated figures, confirming 16 mild chikungunya cases as of Friday.

Additionally, Chancheng district reported 22 confirmed mild cases as of the same date, according to the official WeChat account of the district’s health bureau. 

To contain the outbreak, Shunde and Nanhai districts initiated public campaign on Saturday, reminding local residents of the emergence of an epidemic, with the primary transmission vector being Aedes albopictus, a type of mosquito, and warning of a continued rise in individual infection risk.

To prevent further spread of the epidemic, both districts called on all residents to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and exterminate adult mosquitoes this weekend, the announcements stated.

Shunde district detected a local Chikungunya fever outbreak, traced to an imported case, during monitoring on July 8, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Chikungunya is a disease caused by the chikungunya virus, which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, with large outbreaks and sporadic cases reported mostly in the Americas, Asia and Africa, and occasional smaller outbreaks in Europe, according to the official website of the World Health Organization in April, 2025.

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines on Tuesday responded to questions concerning sanctions China imposed on former Philippine senator Francis Tolentino, stressing that the measures fall entirely within China's legal jurisdiction and that actions harming China's interests will certainly have consequences.

According to a statement published on the official WeChat account of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, Ambassador Huang Xilian notified the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs about China's decision. A spokesperson for the Embassy noted that "For some time, a handful anti-China politicians in the Philippines, driven by personal interests, have made a series of malicious remarks and actions on China-related issues that undermine China's interests and damage China-Philippines relations."

The Chinese government remains unwavering in its resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, the spokesperson said, adding that the decision to sanction Tolentino was based on his egregious behavior concerning China-related matters.

Individuals like Tolentino who maliciously smear China and stir up confrontation over disputes will only reap what they sow. Ultimately, these actions will harm the interests of the Philippine nation and its people, according to the Embassy's statement.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on July 1 announced that China had decided to impose sanctions on former Philippines' senator Francis Tolentino for his egregious conduct on China-related issues and prohibit him from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.

For quite some time, driven by selfish interests, a handful of anti-China politicians in the Philippines have made malicious remarks and moves on issues related to China that are detrimental to China's interests and China-Philippines relations. The Chinese government is firmly resolved to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests, according to the Ministry.

Recently, a cotton laser topping robot jointly developed by Xinjiang University and Xinjiang Eavision Robotic Technologies Co., Ltd., was officially declared a success. Verified by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's Agricultural and Rural Mechanization Development Center, this groundbreaking robot represents the world's first application of laser technology in cotton topping—a crucial farming task now entering the high-tech era, Xinjiang Daily reported Wednesday.

As the industry's first robot equipped with solid-state LiDAR for cotton topping, it integrates cutting-edge LiDAR and vision fusion technologies, achieving major breakthroughs in navigation accuracy and environmental adaptability. This innovation pushes cotton topping robotics to new heights.

The robot was developed over three years of intensive research. Through countless experiments, the team combined advanced technologies such as sensors, machine vision, and laser control with Xinjiang's unique planting model.

After multiple field tests, the robot demonstrated a 98.9 percent accuracy rate in identifying cotton apical buds, a plant damage rate of less than 3 percent, and a topping success rate exceeding 82 percent, with further improvements still possible. Once fully optimized, its operational efficiency is expected to reach 6 to 8 acres per hour—over 10 times faster than manual labor.

"The core challenge was enabling the robot to track moving targets and strike precisely, eliminating missed or incorrect cuts common in traditional topping methods," explained Professor Zhou Jianping from Xinjiang University. "It's like hitting a moving target with a moving gun." Cotton plants vary in height, and airflow from the robot can cause them to sway. However, the robot's "smart eye" rapidly and accurately locates each plant's apical bud. A high-powered blue laser then instantly burns and deactivates the bud, effectively breaking the plant's apical dominance and redirecting nutrients to boost cotton yield.

Compared to traditional mechanical cutting or chemical topping, laser topping is non-contact and non-damaging, significantly reducing harm to cotton plants and environmental impact. It also operates efficiently day or night, according to the Xinjiang Daily.

"Cotton topping has long been the final hurdle in achieving full mechanization of cotton production," said Pei Xinmin, a researcher at the Agricultural and Rural Mechanization Development Center. "This world-first laser topping robot's emergence means China is on the verge of realizing fully mechanized cotton farming."

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Friday attended China's National Pavilion Day at Expo 2025 Osaka and delivered a speech, expressing China's willingness to work with Japan to promote a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, highlighted that the Expo serves as an important platform for promoting mutual learning among civilizations, fostering social progress, and strengthening friendship among peoples.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the country's participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, he said, noting that the China Pavilion showcased China's practices in ecological civilization and promoted the country's development philosophy of respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature.

Through immersive exhibitions, interactive experiences, and diverse cultural activities, global visitors will gain a genuine, lovable, and respectable image of China, he said.

"China is willing to work with Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and jointly promote a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship, so as to build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the needs of the new era," he said.

The Chinese vice premier visited the China and Japan pavilions at the Expo, and held friendly exchanges with Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama and representatives from Kansai-based economic organizations. 

Expo 2025 Osaka, themed "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," opened on April 13 and runs until October 13, 2025. China's National Pavilion Day was held on Friday, with more than 400 attendees from both countries' political, business, media and cultural circles as well as international pavilion representatives, according to Xinhua.

Covering approximately 3,500 square meters, the China National Pavilion is one of the largest foreign-built pavilions at this year's Expo, according to data from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

On the China Pavilion Day, a grand cultural performance titled "Splendid China, Co-Creating the Future" took place within the Expo grounds. Rooted in Chinese cultural aesthetics within a global context, the show featured a mix of music, dance, opera, calligraphy, martial arts, acrobatics, and intangible cultural heritage displays, China Media Group reported on Friday.

Since the Expo opened on April 13, the China National Pavilion has welcomed over 760,000 visitors, averaging nearly 10,000 daily, according to CCPIT data.

"We attach importance to the Osaka Expo," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday, responding to inquiries about China's expectations for the National Pavilion Day. "We hope that through the wonderful exhibition and diverse activities of the China National Pavilion, people from all countries will gain a better understanding of China," Mao noted.

Analysts said that recent high-level and grassroots exchanges between China and Japan have created a positive atmosphere for improving bilateral relations.

The Osaka Expo is a key opportunity to demonstrate both countries' willingness to deepen ties and cooperation across various sectors, said Wu Yingjie, research fellow with the Centre for Japanese Studies at the University of International Business and Economics. "As a highly watched global event, the Expo provides a platform for economic and cultural engagements," Wu added.

China-Japan economic ties are recovering, but they still face a transitional phase requiring innovative cooperation, policy coordination, and people-to-people engagement, Wu noted, and caution about political disruptions is still needed.

A day earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "China and Japan are important neighbors, and the relationship between the two countries is of far-reaching significance beyond the bilateral scope," Wang said.

Japan looks forward to working with China to strengthen exchanges at all levels and promote cooperation in various fields, Iwaya noted.

Progress in China-Japan relations has been seen in the area of trade. Earlier in June, China conditionally approved the resumption of Japanese seafood imports from select regions, effective from June 29, following verification of safe discharge monitoring data and Tokyo's quality guarantees. Japanese media reports said the move was aimed at easing trade tensions while bolstering bilateral relations.

However, Wu cautioned that China-Japan economic relations still face challenges, with external political uncertainties remaining a destabilizing factor.

To foster positive momentum, Wu suggested expanding cooperation in AI, the digital economy, elderly care, energy conservation, new energy and other emerging fields. 

"Leveraging platforms like the Osaka Expo can unlock collaborative opportunities, while improved policy coordination and enhanced people-to-people trust will help to create favorable conditions for bilateral economic ties - these efforts require commitment from both nations," he added.