The 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance opened in Beijing on Thursday, bringing together hundreds of officials, experts and representatives from around the world to discuss the role of development in advancing human rights.

The two-day forum is themed "Joint Development, Shared Human Rights: The 40th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development and a New Vision for Global Human Rights Governance". Over 400 participants from over 100 countries and international organizations, including the United Nations, attended the forum, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The forum also released the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2026-30), which outlines China's work to protect human rights in the next five years, per Xinhua.

The forum is jointly hosted by the Information Office of the State Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

With the effective implementation of its objectives and tasks, the country achieved remarkable progress in human rights protection, providing much-needed stability and certainty for global human rights development, the latest action plan said. This viewpoint also found clear echoes in remarks made by forum attendees.

Former Iraqi president Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid said during his speech that China has made tangible contributions to energy, infrastructure and many other projects in Iraq, adding that they are "contributions that we highly appreciate."

Marcella Favretto, Acting Chief of the Development, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Branch of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that resolutions on economic, social and cultural rights and on advancing human rights through development, spearheaded and promoted by China, have helped countries across the world better meet the growing demand for capacity-building and technical assistance.

Standing out among academics and experts was a special speaker: Luogu Youge, Party Secretary of Sanhe Village, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Southwest China's Sichuan Province and director of the village committee. He shared vivid personal stories to illustrate how the country's support helped his village shake off poverty.

He said that the village's per capita net income for people lifted out of poverty reached 21,933 yuan ($3,237) in 2025, up over 15,000 yuan from 2018. "When everyone has a job, every family has a sustainable livelihood, and people thrive through their own hard work — that is the most tangible human right," he said.

Whereas Western conceptions of human rights tend to focus narrowly on civil and political rights while neglecting the rights to livelihood and development, China has politically recognized that poverty eradication is a core human right, said the forum's guest speaker Zhang Weiwei, dean of the China Institute at Fudan University.

"Giving people access to health, education, basic necessities for their existence, and giving them opportunities as well as the freedom to explore and develop their talents and entrepreneurship - I think those are very key takeaways of China's development in human rights," Robert M. Persaud, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, told the Global Times on Thursday.

While listening to speeches and interviewing participants, Global Times reporters also noticed that attendees paid attention to human rights issues in war-torn regions and denounced certain Western nations for politicizing human rights.

In his address, Rashid called for Gaza's children to be granted the right to education and a safe life, Gaza's doctors to be allowed to perform their duties, and the people of Gaza to live with dignity.

Agnes Oswaha, undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, South Sudan, said that her country has long endured targeted sanctions, adding that multiple hurdles have prevented the country's rich natural resources from being translated into driving forces, and such practices are unfair.

"Unlike those Western countries, China has reached out to help us develop," Oswaha told the Global Times. Citing the story of local women learning to grow crops, Oswaha illustrated how China has helped them become productive members of society. The skills they acquired have boosted women's personal development, she said, "This is the fundamental path to advancing human rights."

Zhang said at the forum that China's practice has provided the Global South and the world at large with valuable approaches, steering global human rights governance toward a more equitable, more rational, and more sustainable trajectory.

Zhai Dayu, assistant to the Dean of the Institute for Global South Development and Human Rights in the University of International Business and Economics, also said that if a large number of less developed countries remain stuck in prolonged underdevelopment, terrorism, armed conflicts and other crises will easily breed, which will disrupt the global order. "By advancing human rights across the Global South, China is also actively safeguarding the international order," he told the Global Times.

As the forum's first day wrapped up, Global Times reporters chatted with a senior scholar, who recalled that when the UN adopted the Declaration on the Right to Development 40 years ago, he had just started his career in human rights research. Today, he joins fellow academics of diverse backgrounds in Beijing to explore ways to advance the right to development.

Just as the scholar's research deepened over four decades, so has the cause of human rights. An original vision then, it is now rooted worldwide with tangible gains for all.

An explosion occurred at a street-facing shop on Friday in northeast China's Liaoning Province, leaving two people dead and 13 others slightly injured, according to local fire authorities.

The blast, caused by a suspected liquefied gas cylinder leak, took place at 6:42 a.m. at the shop in a residential building in Benxi City. The shop covers about 35 square meters.

The injured have been sent to hospital for treatment. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The US side has doubled down on its blockade and sanctions on Cuba, going so far as to add Cuban leaders to its sanction list. That once again reveals the US hegemonic and domineering behavior and bullying practices. China firmly opposes it, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday in response to a question about US’ sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and some affiliated people and entities, including Diaz-Canel’s wife and stepson and Cuban leader Raúl Castro’s son and grandson.

A stable Cuba is what the international community wants to see, and any attempt from the US to destabilize Cuba will eventually backfire, the spokesperson said. 

In response to the US’ sanctions, Cuban President Diaz-Canel said that these measures are aimed at reinforcing the blockade. Cuba will firmly stand against the imperial aggression. Cuban foreign ministry said that it is a ruthless act of economic aggression, and Washington could seek to use it as justification for more dangerous actions, including military aggression against Cuba.

We urge the US to immediately stop its blockade and any other forms of coercion and pressuring against Cuba, and stop infringing upon Cuban people’s right to survive and thrive. China will, as always, firmly support Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security and opposing external interference, the spokesperson added.

General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith arrived in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, on Tuesday for a five-day state visit.

Authorities in Luzhi township of Suzhou, East China’s Jiangsu Province, said a fire broke out at a scrap recycling warehouse around noon on Wednesday. The blaze was extinguished without causing environmental pollution, and two people who suffered burns were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, per the authorities. 

Prior to the statement, videos circulating online show a white mushroom cloud rising above the facility, with explosions heard by witnesses before the white mushroom cloud, according to media including Dahe Daily affiliated with Henan Daily. 

The local emergency management bureau confirmed with Dahe Daily that relevant departments were handling the incident after the explosions.

According to media reports, there were two explosions heard. A witness surnamed Jiang said the fire started at 10 am. The first explosions occurred between 1:30-2:00 pm and the second at around 3:20 pm. A white mushroom cloud could be seen rising from the site, Xiaoxiang Morning Post reported. 

Jiang’s workplace was only a few dozen meters from the affected factory. The blast wave shattered nearby windows and brought down parts of the company's aging ceiling. The witness experienced ringing in the ears from the shock wave generated by the explosion, but did not smell any unusual odors because of the wind direction at the workplace, according to Xiaoxiang Morning Post.

A recent report on Chinese human capital reveals that in 2022, the average age of China’s working-age population was 39.72 years, and the average years of education reached 10.88 years. Beijing ranked highest nationwide in terms of average education levels among the working population.

The 16th International Symposium on Human Capital and Labor Markets was held at the Central University of Finance and Economics from Friday till Sunday with the China Human Capital Report 2024 released on Saturday, The Beijing News reported on Saturday.

The report estimates and analyzes the distribution and development of human capital in China, employing extensive data and diverse methodologies to systematically measure human capital at both national and provincial levels, while constructing multiple indices.

From the perspective of age-related human capital measurement indicators, the average age of the working population nationwide in 2022 was 39.72 years. According to China’s current retirement policy, the working population in Chinese mainland is defined as males aged 16 to 59 and females aged 16 to 54.

From 1985 to 2022, the average age of the labor force in China increased from 32.25 years to 39.72 years, the report revealed.

In 2022, the top five provincial-level regions with the highest proportion of the population aged 25 to 45 in the total labor force were Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong Province, Tianjin, and Fujian Province. The bottom five provincial-level regions with the lowest proportion of the population aged 25 to 45 in the total labor force were Sichuan, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Heilongjiang provinces.

The average years of education for the working population nationwide in 2022 was 10.88 years.

Over the same period, the average years of education for China’s labor force increased from 6.14 to 10.88 years.

In 2022, the top five provincial-level regions with the highest average education background were Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiangsu Province and Chongqing, while the bottom five provincial-level regions with the lowest average education background were Xizang Autonomous Region, Gansu, Qinghai, Guizhou, and Yunnan provinces.

The report further reveals that China’s total human capital reached 316.65 trillion yuan ($435.25 trillion) in 2022, a 14.4-fold increase compared to 1985, based on the Jorgenson–Fraumeni method adopted internationally in measuring a nation’s total human capital stock.

In 2022, the per capita human capital in China was calculated at 2.743 million yuan at current value, with urban areas at 3.524 million yuan and rural areas at 821,000 yuan. For males, it was 3.729 million yuan, while for females, it was 1.698 million yuan.

In 2022, the top five provincial-level regions in terms of per capita human capital were Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiangsu and Shandong. The bottom five provincial-level regions were Gansu, Hainan, Ningxia, Qinghai and Xizang.

The Center for Human Capital and Labor Market Research at the Central University of Finance and Economics has published the Chinese and English versions of the “China Human Capital Report” for 15 consecutive years since 2009.

In November, China's economy maintained the rebound momentum that began in September thanks to a raft of macroeconomic policies. Multiple indexes point to a number of highlights, including a robust growth pace in the industry and service sectors, rising social expectations and the stable development of new quality productive forces - though individual indicators such as retail sales showed signs of slowing down, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Monday.

Above figure serves as a barometer gauging the fourth quarter and whole-year operation of the world's second-largest economy, with Chinese officials expressing confidence that it is on a trajectory to achieving the annual social and economic development targets. 

The data was also the first of its kind on the national economy following last week's annual Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC). As Chinese leaders decided on priorities for the economic work in 2025 during the tone-setting conference, the November reading - which underscored both positive changes and downward pressure on the economy - would also provide fresh insights into how Chinese policymakers will adjust next year's policy strength "dynamically and flexibly," so as to address any incoming headwinds next year, according to analysts.

In November, the total value added of the industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 5.4 percent year-on-year, 0.1 percentage points faster than a month earlier, NBS data showed, beating the market expectation of 5.3-percent growth. 

Regarding two other important indicators, the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 3.0 percent year-on-year, according to NBS data, slowing down from the 4.8-percent growth recorded in October. In the first 11 months, fixed-asset investment was up 3.3 percent year-on-year, NBS data showed, compared to a 3.4-percent figure in the first 10 months.

Positive changes

"Although the growth rate of individual indicators slowed down in November due to short-term factors, major economic indicators of the fourth quarter were significantly better than those in the third quarter, and the momentum of economic recovery has not changed," NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui said at a press briefing of the State Council Information Office on Monday.

Fu stressed that the Chinese economy performed well in the first quarter, but pressures increased in the second and third quarters. Taking note of the complex situation, a package of incremental policies was swiftly carried out following the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on September 26. As a result, major economic indicators have shown significant improvement since the fourth quarter, social confidence has been effectively boosted, and positive changes have notably increased.

In terms of the November figure, Chinese economists took particular note of the pick-up in industrial output, which they said remains the "bright spot" of the Chinese economy throughout the year.

"External demand maintained resilience in November, which serves as support for the industrial output and investment in the manufacturing sector," Wen Bin, chief economist at China Minsheng Bank, told the Global Times on Monday.

In November, the steady development of new quality productive forces continued to instill new impetus into the economy. NBS data showed that the added value of the integrated circuit manufacturing industry grew by over 20 percent year-on-year in November, while that of the production of new-energy vehicles increased by more than 50 percent the same month.

Measurements on market expectation and confidence also show signs of continued improvement as more macro policies bear fruit. 

For example, the sales area and value of newly built commercial housing both achieved positive growth in November, NBS data showed. The Chinese stock market also witnessed more active trading in November, with the combined transaction volume and value in the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets both jumping by approximately 1.1 times year-on-year. These positive changes are "conducive to expanding consumption and investment, which in turn drives economic recovery," Fu said. 

Investment in the manufacturing sector also gained pace in the January-November period. In the first 11 months, the reading expanded 9.3 percent year-on-year, which was significantly higher than the average 3.3 percent growth, NBS data showed. 

Regarding consumption, analysts said that the front-load effect of the Double 11 Shopping festival dragged on consumer spending in November, as this year's pre-sales started 10 days earlier than last year's. 

Wang Qing, chief macro analyst at Golden Credit Rating, predicted that China's retail sales will return to a growth rate of 4.5 percent in December and 3.5 percent for the whole year, as the slowdown in urban residents' disposable income and adjustment in the real estate market weigh on consumer confidence. 

Although downward pressures persist, Fu said that judging from the year's situation, the main goals of economic and social development are expected to be successfully achieved. 

In addition to the freshly released economic reading, the just-concluded CEWC has further rallied great confidence in the prospects of the Chinese economy among officials and entrepreneurs. 

Based on the current economic performance, annual economic growth is expected to be around 5 percent this year, and China remains an important engine of global economic growth, an official with the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs told the Xinhua News Agency in an interview published on Monday.

Policy priorities next year

Next year, global uncertainties and complexities could rise, and China is still in a period of economic adjustment and transformation, which calls for sustained efforts to "expand domestic demand, promote employment and income growth for residents, and address potential risks and hidden dangers," Fu said at the press briefing. 

On top of the complex global situation, the set of November figures also exposed structural issues in the Chinese economy, such as an imbalance between the supply and demand sides, Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday. Tian said that addressing insufficient domestic demand will remain a major policy focus next year. 

During the Xinhua interview, the official with the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs stressed that "boosting consumption is the top priority" for expanding domestic demand. The official highlighted various ways to enhance Chinese residents' consumption capacity and adapt to changes in consumption structure. 

While outlining a number of key tasks for 2025, the CEWC also called for efforts to vigorously boost consumption, improve investment efficiency, and expand domestic demand on all fronts.

Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday that China's consumer market continues to see favorable conditions and there is vast market potential to be unleashed.

"As trade-in policies and a package of incremental policies continue to yield effects, consumer spending in bulk commodities such as cars and home appliances has shown relatively rapid growth. Efforts are needed to strengthen the upward momentum and build new consumption drivers," Li said.

The CEWC sent a clear signal of more proactive macro-policies, which will help consolidate economic development confidence, stabilize social expectations and ensure that the goals and tasks in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) are reached with high quality and a solid foundation for a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) is laid, according to Li.

"Though a specific policy plan will be unveiled at the national two sessions in 2025, it is important that Chinese policymakers in various departments dynamically and flexibly adjust detailed measures in the next few months to ensure a smooth transition between the 14th and 15th Five-Year Plan periods and a good opening next year," Tian added.

As South Korea's martial law chaos entered its fourth day, Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), called on Friday for President Yoon Suk-yeol to be "immediately suspended from his duties." 

Han's reversal from his previous stance is viewed by Chinese expert as a sign that the likelihood of Yoon's impeachment is increasing. Yoon's unexpected move of declaring martial law has had significant impact on the country's relations with the US and Japan, the expert added.

Han called an emergency meeting on Friday and claimed that he has "credible evidence" Yoon mobilized troops in a bid to arrest politicians on the night of martial law, and that Yoon "poses a danger to the country and its people," the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

If Yoon continues to serve as president, there is great concern that extreme acts like this emergency martial law will be repeated, Han said, the report noted.

Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), confirmed earlier on Friday that Yoon had ordered the arrest of prominent lawmakers of the ruling and main opposition parties shortly after he declared martial law, including the main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon, and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-Shik, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Han's latest remarks ran counter to his position on Thursday when he pledged his party would fight the opposition-led impeachment motion scheduled to take place at around 7 pm Saturday.

"This could be an indication that Han may support the impeachment, which means the likelihood of the motion passing is on the rise," Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Friday, adding that confirmation of the "arrest list" from the intelligence agency and the public's negative perception have further exacerbated the unfavorable situation for Yoon, Xiang said.

The motion to impeach the South Korean president requires at least two-thirds, or 200 of the 300-seat parliament, to vote in favor for it to pass. The opposition parties currently hold a combined 192 seats in National Assembly, which means it needs at least eight of the 108 ruling party lawmakers to vote with opposition parties.

However, Xiang noted that many senior members within the ruling party wish to maintain party unity and avoid a repeat of the situation eight years ago when former president Park Geun-hye was impeached. 

The dramatic incident is believed to have had significant impact on South Korea's diplomatic relations, particularly with the US and Japan.

Following Seoul's imposition of martial law, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin canceled his plans to travel to South Korea in the near term, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's trip to South Korea set for January will also likely be postponed, Asia News Network reported, as will the visit of Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani to the country scheduled for late December.

On Wednesday, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that Yoon had "badly misjudged" his decision to declare martial law, and it had been seen as "deeply problematic" and "illegitimate," according to Reuters.

"From the US perspective, Yoon's move is seen as a regression of what it believes to be 'democracy,' which will undoubtedly disappoint and irritate Washington and in turn affect the US-South Korea alliance; while on the Japanese side, the improvement of ties with its neighbor looks like it will be stalled," said Xiang. Furthermore, US-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation may also face challenges, he added.

Astronomers from China, France and Japan discovered in situ spheroid formation in distant starburst galaxies. The study provides the first solid observational evidence that spheroids can form directly through intense star formation within the cores of highly luminous starburst galaxies in the early universe, based on a new perspective from the submillimeter band, the Global Times learned from the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), on Thursday.    

The discovery was published on Thursday in the Nature journal. It is believed to significantly impact models of galaxy evolution and deepen scientists' understanding of how galaxies form and evolve across the universe, according to the PMO. 

Galaxies in today's universe are diverse in morphologies and can be roughly divided into two categories: younger, disk-like spiral galaxies, like the Milky Way, that are still forming new stars; and older, elliptical galaxies, which are dominated by a central bulge, no longer forming stars and mostly lacking gas. These spheroidal galaxies are home to very old stars, yet how they formed has remained a mystery until now.

In the study, researchers from PMO, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) Paris-Saclay and Kavil Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, The University of Tokyo, analyzed data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) on over 100 Submillimeter Bright Galaxies (SMGs) with redshifts dating to the "Cosmic noon" era, when the universe was between around 8-12 billion years ago and many galaxies were actively forming stars.

Researchers used statistical analysis of the surface brightness distribution of dust emission in the submillimeter band, combined with a novel analysis technique. 

They found that the submillimeter emission in most of sample galaxies are very compact, with surface brightness profiles deviate significantly from those of exponential disks. This suggests that the submillimeter emission typically comes from structures that are already spheroid-like. 

Further evidence supporting the spheroidal shape theory comes from a detailed analysis of galaxies' 3D geometry. Modeling based on the skewed-high axis-ratio distribution shows that the ratio of the shortest to the longest of their three axes is, on average, half and increases with spatial compactness. This indicates that most of these highly star-forming galaxies are intrinsically spherical rather than disk-shaped. 

Supported by various numerical simulations, this discovery has shown that the main mechanism behind the formation of these spheroids is the simultaneous action of cold gas accretion and galaxy interactions. This process is thought to have been quite common in the early universe, during the period when most spheroids were forming. It could redefine how human understands galaxy formation.

Severe illegal operations, chaotic safety management and inadequate safety supervision by the parent company led to the coal mine explosion in Shuangyashan city, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province last November which killed 11 people and injured six, with 46 individuals held accountable. 

The major coal mine explosion at the Shuangyang coal mine belonging to Heilongjiang Longmei Shuangyashan Mining Co occurred at around 12:37 pm on November 28, 2023, resulting in 11 deaths, six injured, and economic losses totaling 19.51 million yuan ($2.69 million), China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday, citing Heilongjiang Bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration. 

An investigation team was established on November 29 with provincial government approval. The investigation team concluded the explosion was caused by illegal operations, chaotic safety management and inadequate supervision. 

It was determined that the direct cause of the accident was the Shuangyang coal mine illegally venting gas, which led to gas accumulating to explosive levels. A spark generated by a defective cable ignited the explosion.

The investigation team proposed penalties against 46 responsible individuals and related units. The Heilongjiang provincial discipline inspection commission and supervision commission proposed accountability measures for personnel under supervisory and Party members. 

Five people are under compulsory measures by public security authorities and one person has been placed under investigation. Termination of labor contract was proposed to one mechanical and electrical maintainer, while Party disciplinary or administrative penalties were proposed for 38 individuals, including the head of the mine.

Additionally, the team leader of the gas ventilation team at the ventilation district at the Shuangyang coal mine, who died in the accident, was recommended for exemption from accountability.