This court was unlike any courtroom most visitors would expect. Located on Shanghai's eco-island of Chongming, the circuit court features a massive aquarium behind the judges' bench, where schools of fish drift silently beyond the glass. Visitors can watch aquatic life swimming in the background while learning about cases involving wildlife and environmental protection.

On Wednesday, members of a legal observation group, including both Chinese and foreign guests, took part in a "blind box" challenge in the circuit court, drawing cards depicting different fishing tools and trying to determine whether they are legal under Chinese law. After each guess, a guide explained how the tool is used and whether its use is permitted by law.

The event was part of a program organized by the Shanghai High People's Court to showcase China's development of the rule of law. On Wednesday, members of a legal observation group visited the circuit court, where a judge from the Chongming court said the visit provided an opportunity to highlight the court's environmental adjudication efforts and showcases how specialized judicial practices are helping protect the ecosystem at the Yangtze River estuary.

The guests were first introduced to the ecological diversity of the Yangtze River through a series of aquariums outside the circuit court housing Chinese sturgeon - a nationally protected first-class aquatic species and one of the Yangtze River's flagship species - as well as other aquatic creatures.

The exhibition hall also features specimens of extinct animals as well as a number of rare species. Alongside them are displays detailing related court cases, helping visitors understand both the environmental damage caused by threats to biodiversity and the legal consequences faced by those responsible.

Later, the legal observers were introduced to the number of environmental protection cases the Chongming court has handled as this year marks both the 10th anniversary of building of Chongming's world-class eco-island and a decade of specialized environmental adjudication by the Chongming court.

The Chongming court has handled more than 2,300 environmental cases over the past ten years, including landmark cases involving the illegal killing of Chinese sturgeon, unlawful occupation of farmland and ecological restoration along the Yangtze estuary. 

Court officials said the declining number of environmental cases in recent years reflects growing public awareness of environmental protection and improved ecological governance in the region.

One court official explained that the establishment of the circuit court brought environmental justice closer to where ecological crimes occur. Because many environmental violations, such as illegal fishing and poaching, take place in wetlands, forests and nearby waters, the court occasionally holds hearings at the scene of the offenses and invites local residents and fishermen to observe the proceedings. 

The aim is not only to facilitate trials but also to raise public awareness of environmental protection, the official said. In addition to hearings, the site serves as a public education center, featuring exhibitions of environmental cases to help visitors understand the ecological damage caused by environmental crimes and the legal consequences for those responsible.

The foreign guests who participated in this activity were amazed by China's unique way of combining education with legal process. 

"The beauty of this exhibition is that it is a good initiative for disseminating knowledge. We saw technical data on nature conservation here. We also saw reports on the cases that have been tried by the Chongming court so far. It is an important asset for environmental education. This is a trend in which China is leading the world," Douglas de Castro, a professor of international law at the School of Law of Lanzhou University, told the Global Times.

"It was very interesting because there was a combination of the theory and practice of law, which is very important for environmental protection," he noted.

"What impressed me is that the courts here are thinking beyond fines, jail sentences and other forms of punishment. They are also asking: How can we restore what has been taken away from nature? That's where things become creative, and I found that very enlightening," said Cameron Andersen, an Australian TV presenter. 

"The judges are not simply thinking, 'We need to put this person in jail.' They are also thinking about nature and how to repair the damage that has been done. It was encouraging to hear that they are looking for creative ways to fix the problem, not just punish the offender," Andersen noted. 

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.

Former abbot of the renowned Shaolin Temple Shi Yongxin, originally named Liu Yingcheng, was sentenced on Friday to 24 years in prison and fined 3.5 million yuan ($488,050) for committing the crimes of occupational embezzlement, fund misappropriation, bribery as a non-state employee, and offering bribes, China Central Television (CCTV) News reported.

This case was publicly pronounced by the Intermediate People's Court of Xinxiang City in Central China's Henan Province. The Procuratorate found through trial that the defendant Liu, while serving as the abbot of Shaolin Temple and president of the Shaolin charity and welfare foundation, abused his official authority. 

Between 2003 and 2025, Liu illegally embezzled over 131 million yuan of institutional assets either alone or in complicity with others. From 2012 to 2022, he misappropriated more than 151 million yuan of institutional funds for personal use and failed to repay the money within the statutory three-month period.

Starting in July 2006, Liu rendered assistance to others in undertaking construction projects and related business operations for Shaolin Temple, in return for which he illicitly accepted assets worth a total of over 11.63 million yuan.

From 1995 to 2022, to seek improper gains, Liu also offered bribes totaling more than 5.67 million yuan to state officials.

The Procuratorate ruled that Liu's conduct constituted the crimes of occupational embezzlement, fund misappropriation, bribery committed by non-state functionaries, and bribery of state functionaries.

Given the exceptionally huge sums implicated in Liu's crimes, as well as the especially aggravated circumstances surrounding his bribery offences, the protracted duration of his criminal acts, grave consequences and damaging social fallout, the Procuratorate sentenced him in accordance with the law to 24 years in jail and a fine of 3.5 million yuan, per CCTV News.

Upon the pronouncement of the verdict, Liu pleaded guilty in court and stated he would not lodge an appeal.

The Buddhist Association of China on Friday evening issued a statement on its official website stating that it believes Liu's sentencing was entirely self‑inflicted. This ruling embodies the principle that all are equal before the law and serves as a stern warning for members in Buddhist circles, read the statement.

The Procuratorate announced on March 20, 2026 that it has filed public charges against Liu, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing sources at the procuratorate. Earlier on July 27, 2025, the Shaolin temple management office announced in a statement that Liu is under a joint investigation by several departments.

During an unannounced visit on December 14, 2025, to Shaolin Temple, Liu Ning, secretary of the Communist Party of China Henan Provincial Committee, called on religious figures to take the lead in abiding by laws and regulations and strictly observing religious discipline, continuously enhance their spiritual cultivation, properly handle the relationship between Shaolin Temple and Shaolin culture, clarify the boundaries between Shaolin Temple, the Songshan Mountain scenic area, and cultural and tourism development, return to the true essence of religion, and safeguard the reputation and image of Shaolin Temple, Henan Daily reported.

The hull and interior facilities of the illegally grounded Philippines' warship at Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) are severely corroded, showed a set of images exclusively obtained by the Global Times from the China Coast Guard (CCG) recently.

Experts warned that the illegally grounded warship may cause irreversible and continuous damages to the marine life in the South China Sea.

Since 2023, the Philippines has acted in bad faith, and secretly supplied construction materials to the grounded warship through various means. The Philippines' repeated supplements fully exposed its intention to blatantly violate its promise to tow away the warship, and its attempt to illegally occupy China's Ren'ai Jiao with malicious intent.
The exclusive images obtained by the Global Times from the CCG show that the hull of the illegally grounded warship has damage and leaks, with a large amount of paint peeling off the hull, and many corroded rusts water directly flowing into the sea. The entire ship has almost become a pile of rusty scrap iron, with various personal items and garbage casually placed on the uncovered deck.

Filipino military personnel are fishing on the shallow reef of Ren'ai Jiao. One of the images shows a Filipino military personnel is standing on the grounded warship and is suspected of urinating into the lagoon of Ren'ai Jiao.

The illegally grounded warship looks actually to be no longer suitable for human habitation and living.
Several video clips captured earlier this year show that Filipino military personnel on the grounded warship not only dumped waste water directly into the sea, they also gathered on the foredeck to burn garbage. The actions of the Filipino military personnel have starkly contrasted with the pristine blue skies and clean waters near Ren'ai Jiao, showing their destruction of the marine environment.

Facing such a dilapidated warship, the Philippine authorities have repeatedly violated their promises. Instead of towing away the illegally grounded military vessel, they have attempted to carry out large-scale repairs and reinforcements on it. The transportation has been reinforced since last year.
An anonymous professional told the Global Times that since 2023, the Philippines has repeatedly illegally intruded into China's Ren'ai Jiao, and carried out illegal resupply activities for the warship. In addition to the malicious provocations, the reason behind this is that the warship is severely damaged, and the Philippines needs to resupply building materials to repair and reinforce it in order to maintain their illegal presence in China's Ren'ai Jiao.

"But every time, the intention to secretly resupply building materials is exposed by the CCG, who resolutely stops it," the professional said.

Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that due to the fact that the warship has been grounded for nearly 25 years, the spread of ship hull paint, the dissolution of hull metal rust, the discharge of fossil fuel combustion, and domestic waste onboard the ship have been discharged for a long time on the reefs and waters around the Ren 'ai Jiao.
These toxins continue to spread around the illegally grounded ship's grounding points, causing irreversible and continuous damage to the surrounding marine life. This not only causes the death of marine animals such as fish and shrimps, but also makes cumulative damages to marine aquatic plants. Furthermore, through the food chain, it poses significant adverse effects on the marine ecosystem of the South China Sea and humanity by extension, Yang said.

For ships constantly moving at sea, the paint and pollution of the ship could be continuously diluted by seawater. However, if it's moored or grounded at fixed points for a long time, pollution is difficult to be diluted by seawater due to a lack of water movement, resulting in a gradient of toxins centered on the warship, Yang noted.

"Among them, prominent pollutants include mercury oxide, organotin [TBT], and copper compounds. There is enough scientific research to show that these toxins can cause irreversible pathogenic pollution to marine life. More importantly, with the enrichment of the food chain, these pollutants may enter the human living circle," Yang said.

Yang further stated that the Philippine government, for the sinister purpose of stealing territory from other countries, deliberately ran a dilapidated military ship aground on the beautiful reefs of the South China Sea, and failed to fulfill its promise to remove it for 25 years.

Moreover, the Philippines is unable and unwilling to carry out environmental protection and pollution control on the warship, leading to a large amount of natural and man-made pollutants being directly discharged into the surrounding reefs and waters, which is extremely irresponsible and uncivilized, Yang said.

The Hong Kong economy has seen five consecutive quarters of growth, primarily driven by a revival of inbound tourism alongside the continued recovery of the stock market, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday, stressing that the good performance demonstrates the sustained growth momentum of Hong Kong.

The surge in Hong Kong's inbound tourism was a key factor driving the city's first-quarter economic growth. With an increasing number of visitors to the city, services output is steadily rising, as highlighted by the financial chief in his weekly blog.

Around 670,000 visitors from the Chinese mainland had visited the city between Wednesday and Saturday, the first four days of the May Day holidays, which ran from May 1 to 5, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung told a radio show on Sunday.

The tourism chief noted that spending by Chinese mainland visitors in Hong Kong is estimated to have exceeded HK$2 billion ($256 million) during the holidays, as arrival numbers aligned with original estimates despite the recent stormy weather.

Hong Kong's economy has maintained a favorable growth trajectory this year, with an accelerating trend overall. This can be attributed to a substantial adjustment of the economic structure following the COVID-19 pandemic, Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday.

More notably, the sustained recovery of the mainland's economy has bolstered Hong Kong's growth and reinstated market confidence in its economic performance, Cong said.

As a front-runner in China's opening-up, Hong Kong is actively driving economic integration with the Greater Bay Area, which offers significant momentum and opportunities for its economic development.

Hong Kong's real GDP grew 2.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, the fifth consecutive quarter of growth. After seasonal adjustment, the quarterly growth rate stood at 2.3 percent, according to data from the Census and Statistics Department.

As another indication of the stable recovery of the city's economy, Hong Kong stocks have climbed for nine straight trading sessions, with the Hang Seng Index surging by nearly 14 percent overall. The average daily trading volume exceeds HK$128 billion, signaling improved sentiment in the financial markets, Chan pointed out.

The recent rebound in the Hong Kong stock market is expected to have a positive impact on the economy in the second quarter. The central government's support for Hong Kong's economic development and financial market liquidity reflects its commitment to maintaining the city's status as an international financial center, Liang Haiming, chairman of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, a Hong Kong-based research institute, told the Global Times on Sunday.

This support has led to a steady rise in financial markets, creating a positive "wealth effect" on the economy and consumption in Hong Kong, sparking optimism in its growth for the following quarters, Liang said.

Hong Kong is stepping up efforts to accelerate economic development by "continuing to build on its traditional strengths while exploring new sources of growth," as the financial chief put it on April 28. 

The Financial Secretary announced at the end of February the withdrawal of all property cooling measures in Hong Kong's 2024-25 budget, eliminating the requirement for additional stamp duties in residential property transactions. With the easing of property market restrictions, related transactions have picked up momentum, and prices show signs of stabilization, according to Chan.

In line with global digitalization and green economic transformation, the budget also proposes various measures to assist small and medium-sized enterprises, including those in the catering and retail sectors, in their digital transformation to adapt to evolving tourist spending patterns, Chan added.

China and France have inked a number of cooperation agreements during the recent state visit by China's top leader to Paris. Moving ahead, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) will work with its French counterpart to elevate bilateral economic and trade cooperation to a new stage, a spokesperson from the ministry said on Thursday.

During the visit, MOFCOM and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on promoting cooperation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aiming to enhance the business environment for SME cooperation between the two countries, according to He Yadong, the spokesperson for MOFCOM.

Additionally, the sixth meeting of the China-France Entrepreneur Committee convened successfully in Paris, with over 200 entrepreneurs from both nations attending. Discussions centered on topics like industrial innovation for mutual trust and win-win cooperation, green economy and low-carbon transformation, and fostering new productivity for sustainable development.

Following the meeting, companies from both countries signed 15 cooperation agreements in such areas as finance, nuclear energy development, aviation, manufacturing, and new renewable energies, according to the MOFCOM spokesperson.

"Moving ahead, the Ministry of Commerce will work with relevant French departments to conscientiously implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and elevate bilateral economic and trade cooperation to a new stage," He Yadong told a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday, noting rapid development in bilateral economic cooperation during the recent years.

In the 60 years since the two countries formally established diplomatic ties, bilateral trade has skyrocketed nearly 800-fold, hitting $78.9 billion in 2023.

China has become France's primary trading partner outside the EU, while France retains its crucial role as an important trading partner for China within the EU. Total two-way investment has exceeded $26 billion, placing China and France at the forefront of cooperation among EU nations, with over 2,000 French companies now operating in China.

In the context of intensified global economic uncertainty, the importance of strengthening China-France relations in trade, strategic cooperation, and cultural exchange is ever more pronounced, guided by principles of independence, mutual understanding, and mutual gain.