Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in Beijing on Tuesday night, where he was greeted by senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, placing the Chinese capital back in the international spotlight just days after US President Donald Trump's visit.

"China welcomes President Putin's state visit to China," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun at a press conference on Tuesday, when Chinese and Russian national flags fluttered along several major streets across Beijing. 

The visit marks Putin's 25th trip to China - more than any other incumbent leader of a major country.

Observers said the frequency of such exchanges reflects the depth of China-Russia ties. In a complex and shifting global landscape, the relationship has demonstrated notable resilience, with both sides emphasizing non-alliance, non-confrontation and a commitment not to target third parties - an approach they say supports global stability and a more multipolar international order.

'Unprecedented level'

In a video address delivered before his state visit to China, Putin said Russia-China relations have reached "a truly unprecedented level," Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Putin also noted that 25 years ago, Russia and China signed the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, which laid a solid foundation for a genuinely strategic relationship and comprehensive partnership for the benefit of the two countries and two peoples.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination.

The special nature of Russia-China relations is reflected in the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust, a commitment to pursuing win-win and equitable cooperation, conducting respectful dialogue, and supporting each other on matters affecting the core interests of both countries, including protection of sovereignty and state unity, he said.

International media have drawn attention to the close and enduring ties between Beijing and Moscow.

In a report on Monday, The Guardian noticed that Putin's visit to Beijing came just "four days after Donald Trump left China after a high-stakes summit," adding that the two leaders have met on more than 40 occasions, far outstripping Chinese leaders' encounters with Western leaders. 

The AP reported that the last time Putin visited China, the two heads of state called each other "friend," and noted Putin is also scheduled to visit China for the APEC summit in the city of Shenzhen in November. 

German media DW said that Putin's visit "highlights China's influential position in a geopolitical landscape that is increasingly fractured and marked by great power rivalries." 

Some Western media outlets have revived the old narrative of an "alliance" between China and Russia. CNBC, for instance, reported that "Washington is likely to closely monitor what emerges," reflecting heightened attention from the US side.

On Monday, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said that Moscow and Beijing "are not allying against anyone," "we are working together in the name of peace and everyone's prosperity," per Tass. 

Li Yongquan, director of Eurasian Social Development Research at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said the principle of developing China and Russia ties based on non-alliances, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third country represents the historical wisdom of the experience gained in China-Russia relations. 

Guided by this principle, the two countries have forged a model of a new type of major-country relations, which has also exerted a very positive impact on regional security and the global order, the expert said. 

Practical cooperation, multipolar vision

On Tuesday, Ushakov told a press briefing that the Russian delegation accompanying the president on his visit to China will be "quite representative,'' Tass reported. It added that the delegation includes five deputy prime ministers and eight ministers, ranging from sectors like agriculture, culture, transport, economy, finance, construction, and education. 

Besides, Russia's Central Bank governor Elvira Nabiullina, heads of a number of Russian regions, CEOs of state corporations and Russia's largest, as well as top executives of Russia's largest companies will accompany the Russian leader.

Ushakov said that Russia and China will sign around 40 documents, per Tass. 

Citing an analyst, CNBC commented that the size and composition of the Russian delegation suggest Moscow hopes to expand bilateral cooperation across multiple areas. 

Li Yongquan said that China-Russia trade has grown rapidly in total volume in recent years. Moreover, the trade structure was changing from the previous heavy reliance on energy. For instance, China's exports of automobiles and electronic products to Russia have increased notably, and industrial and supply chains cooperation in science and technology is also expected to deepen further.

According to China's Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade reached approximately $228 billion in 2025, exceeding the 200-billion-dollar threshold for a third consecutive year. China has remained Russia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years.

Both China and Russia have well-established policy frameworks for aligning their respective development strategies, and are steadily elevating the status of emerging markets and developing countries in their foreign policies, said Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University. 

China-Russia relations have always been, are now and will always maintain a sound momentum for steady progress, marked by aligned development blueprints, all-round practical coordination and proactive diplomatic strategic interactions, he added. 

Beyond deepening bilateral cooperation, Beijing and Moscow, two major powers of pivotal importance in the world, have also drawn global attention for their coordination.

In a video address before his departure, Putin stressed that the close strategic relationship between Russia and China plays a major, stabilizing role globally. "Without allying against anyone, we seek peace and universal prosperity," according to Xinhua. 

"It is in this spirit that Moscow and Beijing act in a coordinated manner to defend international law and the provisions of the UN Charter in their entirety, completeness and interconnectedness," Putin said.

"We support active cooperation through the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, and other multilateral entities, making a substantial contribution to resolving pressing global and regional challenges," he added, per Xinhua. 

On the same day, Ushakov also told media that the two sides will adopt a Joint Declaration on the Emergence of a Multipolar World and a New Type of International Relations. 

Both China and Russia are staunch supporters of the UN-centered international system and firm advocates of multipolarity, said Li Haidong. 

Positioned as a partnership free of alignment and targeting no third party, China-Russia relations not only serve as a successful practice in advancing global peace, prosperity and stability, but also represent active efforts to steer the world away from outdated mindsets and paths, he said. 

Bilateral coordination between Beijing and Moscow proves that major powers can rise above bloc confrontation and zero-sum games, effectively advance multipolarity and foster greater stability and certainty amid global changes, the expert added. 

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to undertake a three-day visit to China, starting May 23, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday, Pakistani media Dawn reported on Wednesday.

According to the Dawn, speaking at a ceremony, Ishaq Dar underscored that Pakistan and China were taking "another significant step towards innovation, digital connectivity and the economy of the future as our partnership enters a new phase in the digital age."

He remarked that Pakistan-China friendship was "not ordinary diplomacy," per the report.

"It is a relationship tested by time and strengthened by trust […] from the Karakoram Highway, carved through some of the most difficult terrain in the world, to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which transformed Pakistan's energy and connectivity landscape," he continued. Dawn reported.

Earlier, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to China, which ran from April 25 to May 1, included stops in Hunan and Hainan provinces, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Regarding the trip, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at the regular April 27 press briefing that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, with bilateral ties maintaining strong momentum at a high level of development, Lin said at a regular news briefing.

China stands ready to work with Pakistan to promote friendly exchanges and cooperation at all levels and in various regions, and jointly build an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, Lin added.

Chinese police have intensified their crackdown on cross-border drug-related crimes, including the smuggling and trafficking of drug-making precursor chemicals and new psychoactive substances, solving 29 criminal cases and arresting 157 suspects since 2025, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced on Friday.

Police have also seized 720 kilograms of drugs, 1.3 tons of new psychoactive substances, 0.9 kilograms of stimulants and 27.7 tons of non-scheduled precursor chemicals, the MPS said, according to a release sent to the Global Times on Friday. 

In recent years, China's national narcotics control authority has repeatedly issued notices warning of the legal risks of selling drug-making precursor chemicals and new psychoactive substances overseas. However, some illicit traders have still trafficked controlled and non-scheduled precursor chemicals and new psychoactive substances to overseas markets, gradually forming illicit or gray-market supply chains in the chemical sector, according to the MPS release. 

To give full play to their role in warning and educating the public, the MPS also released 10 cases involving cross-border trade in such substances. Details of the cases showed that some suspects posted advertisements online to solicit orders from overseas clients, obtained or produced the chemicals domestically, and then smuggled them abroad.

In some cases, suspects posted false advertisements on overseas online chemical trading platforms, falsely claiming they could sell state-controlled psychotropic drugs to induce overseas clients to place orders. After receiving payment, they passed off cheap substances such as flour, rock sugar and monosodium glutamate as the sensitive chemicals sought by overseas clients, thereby defrauding them of their money.

China has issued arrest warrants for some of the suspects involved in these cases or taken criminal coercive measures against them. Others were sentenced in accordance with the law. The charges or suspected offenses included smuggling, trafficking, transporting or manufacturing drugs, as well as illegal business operation, environmental pollution and fraud, according to the MPS. 

In recent years, the global spread of synthetic drugs, including the fentanyl crisis in some countries, has brought new challenges to global drug governance. Although China does not face large-scale fentanyl substances abuse and did not cause the crisis in other countries, it has taken comprehensive measures, such as expanding controlled substance lists, strengthening supervision and enforcement, and promoting global cooperation, Zhang Li, an expert from Drug Control Theory and Policy Research Center of People's Public Security University of China, told the Global Times.

China has also actively helped the US and other countries address fentanyl substances-related threats, achieving effective control over the issue, said Zhang.

China has worked with the US to crack drug trafficking cases. For example, on Monday, the MPS announced that anti-drug agencies from China and the US had jointly cracked a drug trafficking and smuggling case, arresting five suspects, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Zhang noted that the measures China has taken to advance the governance of fentanyl-related substances have offered a "Chinese solution." For example, China has strictly implemented rules on online chemical trading platforms, including real-name registration, content review, online monitoring, and the reporting and removal of harmful information. It has continued to launch special campaigns against the manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl-related substances and other new types of drugs, in order to crack down on fentanyl substances-related illegal and criminal activities to the greatest extent possible.

Through concrete actions, China has fulfilled its responsibility as a major country and contributed valuable Chinese wisdom and strength to global drug governance, said Zhang. 

When asked to comment on the fact that Takaichi administration's plan to revise the Constitution has been met with widespread opposition in Japan, which is witnessing the largest antiwar protests in decades, sentiments like fear, worry, alarm and anger are playing out on the streets, and also media commentary says revising Article 9 of the Constitution will rock Japan's identity as a "pacifist nation" and divide the country, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that all peace-loving nations and Japanese people should reject the remilitarization scheme of Japan's right-wing forces, and stem the rise of Japan's neo-militarism.

Guo noted that history is a mirror. In the first half of the 20th century, people in Japan witnessed how their country marched to militarism step by step and degenerated into a war machine. They too suffered from the war Japan waged and know better than anyone the meaning of Japan's commitment to forever renounce war. 

Today, however, the Takaichi administration seems ready to abandon pacifism, which is the fundamental prerequisite for Japan to be readmitted to the international community, and tear up the pacifist identity cherished by generations in Japan, the spokesperson said.

By rearming Japan and breaching the pacifist Constitution and stipulations in international and domestic laws, are Japan's right-wing forces trying to turn Japan into a country for war? Or to bring war back to the Asia Pacific? Using self-defense and "external threat" as pretexts, Japan's right-wing forces are gambling with the livelihoods of the Japanese people and jeopardizing peace and stability in the Asia Pacific, the spokesperson added.

Guo said that the largest antiwar protests in decades show that people across Japan are increasingly aware that to reembark on the road of militarism is a doomed path.

A "no war" sentiment has been growing louder across Japan in recent months, written on the posters at some of the country's largest protests in at least a decade, The New York Times reported. They oppose Takaichi's push to steer the nation away from its decades-long pacifist identity.

Already on Tuesday, Guo said during the press conference that the "gray rhino" of Japan's remilitarization is running toward us in response to a media inquiry about Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi remaining unwilling to retract what she said on Taiwan region last November, while China has been amplifying criticism of Japan's neo-militarism. 

The Chinese side has made clear its principled position on the relevant case many times. The facts of this case clearly show that this is nothing but a political move of abusing the law and manipulating the judicial process by the UK side, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Thursday local time in response to a question about a court in the UK convicted Chung Biu Yuen, an employee of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, of “assisting a foreign intelligence service.”

Its sole purpose is to embolden those anti-China elements who are hiding in the UK and bent on destablising Hong Kong, and to smear the Chinese government and the Hong Kong SAR government. We deplore such an act and have made solemn representations with the UK side. We urge the UK side to immediately stop the anti-China political manipulation, stop backing and emboldening those anti-China elements and stop all acts that smear China and interfere in Hong Kong affairs. We will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard our interests, the spokesperson said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday called for respect for and safeguarding of Iran's sovereignty security and legitimate rights as a country along the Strait of Hormuz, as well as guaranteeing the freedom and safety of international navigation through the strait.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when speaking to Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi over phone.

A Chinese research team announced in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region that cloned yaks have, for the first time, achieved batch pregnancies involving 10 yaks, all of which were delivered naturally, offering a solution for the next stage of industrialized production that can be scaled up and promoted, China Media Group (CMG) reported on Monday.

The report said that after three years of sustained efforts, the team successfully developed an integrated yak-breeding technology combining whole-genome selection and somatic cell cloning, reaching a leading position domestically and an advanced level internationally.

On July 10, 2025, the team produced the world's first somatic cell-cloned yak using proprietary technology, making a "zero to one" breakthrough in overcoming long-standing bottlenecks in traditional yak breeding in Xizang. The cloned calf weighed 16.75 kilograms at birth and reached 183.25 kilograms at 286 days.

From March 25 to April 5, 2026, the second batch of cloned yaks achieved, for the first time, batch pregnancies of 10 individuals, all of which were delivered naturally.

An expert noted that whole-genome selection enables the precise identification of superior genetic loci associated with large body size, rapid growth, high fertility, strong disease resistance, efficient feed conversion, and tolerance to cold, hypoxia and high-altitude conditions, allowing the screening of elite breeding stock, said CMG.

Building on this, somatic cell cloning achieves one-to-one genotype replication and rapid asexual propagation, shortening the breeding cycle to within five years and addressing key constraints such as low natural reproduction rates (just over 20 percent), scarce high-quality germplasm, and slow herd expansion.

The yak industry is one of nine key sectors prioritized during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period in Xizang. Traditionally, yak breeding has relied on phenotypic selection, with cycles of up to 20 years, low efficiency and a risk of genetic degradation, according to CMG. 

The integrated "whole-genome selection plus somatic cell cloning" technology represents a breakthrough solution to challenges including germplasm degradation, slow expansion of improved breeds and low industrial returns, while also delivering multiple benefits in scientific advancement, livelihoods, economic growth and ecological conservation.

With the May Day holidays just around the corner, China is preparing for a two-way surge in cross-border travel, serving as a window into the country's consumption vitality. 

As inbound tourism evolves from "China Travel" to "Shopping in China," while outbound trips to Southeast Asia and Europe see double-digit growth, a market expert attributed the holiday trend to the services industry, which reflects China's high-level opening-up.

China's ports are expected to handle a peak in cross-border passenger flows during the May Day holidays, which runs from May 1 to May 5, with average daily inbound and outbound trips projected to reach 2.25 million and the single-day peak expected to exceed 2.4 million, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Tuesday.

Inbound and outbound passenger flows at major international airports are expected to rise notably, with Shanghai Pudong International Airport projected to handle 102,000 border crossings per day, followed by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport with 55,000 crossings and Beijing Capital International Airport with 49,000 crossings, said the NIA.

Similar outlooks are being announced by airlines and travel platforms. China Eastern Airlines said on Tuesday that on international routes, flights to destinations such as Kazan, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, Madrid, Maldives, Rome, Cairo, and Budapest have seen strong booking demand and high load factors. 

China Southern Group plans to operate about 4,200 flights on international and regional routes, a year-on-year increase of nearly 3 percent. Among these, Southeast Asian routes are scheduled to operate more than 2,100 flights, a year-on-year increase of 11 percent.

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways said that during the May Day holidays, overall travel demand remains strong on routes such as Hong Kong to Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, with bookings up significantly compared with the same period last year. Bookings for the Shanghai market are up more than 30 percent year-on-year, and bookings from Chengdu have risen 80 percent year-on-year.

A Beijing resident surnamed Cai told the Global Times on Tuesday that her cousin's family will come from Cambridge, the UK, to China for the May Day holidays.

"Their trip will include sightseeing, and they will visit the cities of Beijing, Huai'an, Suzhou, and Shanghai," Cai said, adding that the family will stay in China for three weeks.

The positive figures show that China is becoming an increasingly popular destination for international tourists, Yang Jinsong, a tourism expert with the China Tourism Academy, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

On the policy side, unilateral visa-free entry and other facilitation measures continue to be implemented effectively, significantly reducing the cost of cross-border travel and further enhancing the convenience and attractiveness of inbound and outbound tourism, said Yang.

The latest statistics released by the World Travel & Tourism Council showed that China's travel and tourism economy grew by 9.9 percent in 2025, more than twice as fast as the global average, and that China could become the world's largest tourism economy by 2030.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was recently asked to comment on trends in tourism, with more and more foreign tourists changing the way they travel in China from simply sightseeing to having an immersive experience, and from having a glimpse into China to being integrated into the country

Guo said that these tourists come to China and discover its true charm beyond imagination, citing figures from the first quarter of 2026, which showed that the number of foreigners who entered China visa-free continued to increase, rising nearly 30 percent year-on-year.

During the May Day holidays, outbound travel continues to show strong momentum, with destinations concentrated in Southeast Asia and Europe. 

Data from industry information provider Umetrip showed that as of April 24, flight bookings from China to Southeast Asia for the holiday period were up by more than 26 percent year-on-year. Bookings to Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam each grew more than 30 percent year-on-year. 

The European market has also performed strongly, with flight bookings from China to Europe increasing by about 13 percent year-on-year. Scheduled flights by domestic carriers to Europe are up by more than 17 percent year-on-year.

Against the backdrop of expansion of visa-free policies and tax rebate facilitation have jointly driven the anticipated two-way surge in cross-border travel during the May Day holidays. Inbound "China Travel" has been gaining sustained momentum, with outbound tourism flourishing across multiple destinations, serving as a vivid reflection of China's high-level opening-up, Hu Qimu, a professor at the Maritime Silk Road Institute of Huaqiao University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In Hu's view, inbound travel serves as an important window into China's consumption confidence, as tourism is a vital industry that combines services, culture, and cross-border exchanges. The sustained growth of international visitors not only boosts domestic consumption but also signals global trust in China's open market policies. 

"When foreign tourists choose to spend their holidays in China - from bustling metropolises to quiet counties - they are not just sightseeing; they are experiencing and validating the vitality of the Chinese economy," Hu said.

As spring returns to the land, farming activities are gradually picking up pace. On April 14, employees from the Guolutan Central Power Supply Station of State Grid Gushi County Power Supply Company visited the seedling cultivation factory of the Taiping Professional Planting Cooperative in Guolutan township. They conducted safety inspections and coordinated electricity needs, providing high-quality power services to safeguard spring plowing and irrigation.

This year, the Taiping Professional Planting Cooperative has seized the opportunity of agricultural modernization and invested in the construction of a new 30-mu seedling cultivation factory. Its single-season seedling cultivation capacity can meet the transplanting needs of 4,000 mu of farmland. Inside the factory, power supply service personnel inquired in detail about the cooperative's power needs during the spring irrigation and its subsequent electricity usage plans. They also conducted a thorough safety hazard inspection of key electrical equipment to ensure "zero-defect" operation.

To fully guarantee safe electricity use for spring plowing and irrigation, the local power supply department, focusing on the service needs of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, has organized comprehensive special inspections of agricultural drainage and irrigation lines and transformers. Meanwhile, a "green channel" for spring plowing electricity use has been opened, simplifying the electricity application process to ensure "fast acceptance, fast survey, and fast power supply" for relevant applications. To date, more than 200 farmland irrigation wells in Gushi have completed the inspection and maintenance of their electrical equipment. The local power supply department will continue to support farmers in detecting potential electrical risks within irrigation systm, thereby guaranteeing zero-defect performance.

"With stable power, our minds are at ease. Looking at these sheds full of green seedlings, and with your 'zero-distance' attentive service, this year will be another harvest year," said Ding Zhifa, the head of the cooperative, pointing to the thriving seedlings in the greenhouses. Inside the seedling factory, lush greenery abounds. On the neatly arranged seedling trays, tender green seedlings stand tall and stretch out, vigorously accumulating strength and nurturing the hope for a new year's harvest.

Tianjin Haihe Dairy Co issued an apology on Wednesday, saying that it has noticed relevant video content from a "Haihe Dairy Flagship Store" livestream account has had a negative impact on consumers and has sparked widespread public discussion and controversy.

"The company deeply feels remorse and would like to express its sincere apologies," Tianjin Haihe Dairy said in a statement posted on its official website on Wednesday. 

Earlier, relevant media reports revealed that the "Haihe Dairy Flagship Store" livestream account contained obscene and vulgar content. The male host made highly vulgar remarks while livestreaming the promotion of Haihe milk, including sexual innuendos, references to sex transactions, and inappropriate gestures, according to a report published on legaldaily.com.cn on Wednesday.  

In the statement, Tianjin Haihe said its investigation found that the livestream account was operated by a distributor cooperating with the company. It added that it had immediately terminated the partnership and revoked the distributor's authorization to operate under the name "Haihe Dairy Official Flagship Store."

Tianjin Haihe also said that it had initiated legal proceedings and would pursue legal accountability against the distributor for the damage caused to the brand's image. At the same time, the company said it bore undeniable supervisory responsibility and would seriously deal with those internally found responsible for oversight failures.

In addition, the company will conduct a full-channel investigation, immediately inspect all authorized distributor stores' livestreaming accounts, comprehensively regulate livestreaming and personnel management, and resolutely eliminate vulgar and illegal phenomena, the statement said.