China signed an agreement on Wednesday to contribute to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and called for continued international support for the body, which says it faces an "existential crisis" from the war in Gaza and a severe funding gap.

The contribution agreement, part of Beijing's annual donation, was signed in the Jordanian capital by Zeng Jixin, head of China's office to the State of Palestine, and Karim Amer, UNRWA's director of partnerships.

Zeng praised what he called UNRWA's "indispensable" role in providing humanitarian assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees. He said China has increased its annual donation and provided medical supplies and other aid since the Gaza conflict erupted.

"China calls on the international community to continue supporting UNRWA," Zeng said, adding that Beijing was ready to work toward ending the fighting and achieving a just, lasting solution based on a two-state framework.

The UNRWA has faced a major funding crisis after several key donor countries suspended contributions following Israeli accusations that a dozen of the agency's staff participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks. While many donors have since resumed funding, the agency says it is still grappling with "very big" financial challenges.

Juliette Touma, UNRWA's communications director, said the agency is also undergoing an "existential crisis" amid the devastating conflict in Gaza, where at least 340 of its staff have been killed since the war began.

"China has been a dear friend of the Palestinian refugees, a dear friend of UNRWA. Their contributions are always welcome," Touma said, expressing gratitude for Beijing's support.

Hong Liang, director-general for Boundary and Ocean Affairs of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Gourangalal Das, joint secretary of the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India co-chaired the 34th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs in New Delhi on Wednesday. 

Representatives from the foreign affairs, defense and immigration departments of both countries attended the meeting, according to a press release by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

The meeting is not merely a technical dialogue — it sends an important signal: Both sides are committed to using this mechanism to further implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, stabilize current relations and steadily advance the improvement and warming of China-India relations, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times. 

Guided by the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, the two sides focused on in-depth communication regarding the implementation of the outcomes of 23rd meeting of Special Representatives for China-India Boundary Question and agreed to jointly prepare for the 24th meeting. 

The two sides spoke positively of the progress made in managing the border situation since last year and held candid and in-depth discussions on issues such as boundary negotiations, border management, institutional development, and cross-border exchanges and cooperation, reaching preliminary consensus. Both sides agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels and jointly uphold peace and tranquility in the border areas.

During their stay in New Delhi, the Chinese delegation also paid a courtesy call to Indian Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri. 

Qian said that, since its establishment, this working mechanism has been alternately held by both sides in their respective countries. It has played a positive role in maintaining stability and exercising control over the border situation. The mechanism not only reflects equal cooperation in form but, more importantly, it has enhanced political mutual trust and helped prevent the escalation of potential risks.

"It not only ensures timely communication on border affairs and helps maintain peace and stability along the border, but also reflects an improvement in China-India relations," Tian Guangqiang, an assistant research fellow with the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. 

Qian, echoing Tian's comments, said that the current meeting takes place against the backdrop of gradually improving China-India relations. 

Senior officials such as the foreign ministers, defense ministers and national security advisers have repeatedly expressed their support for improving bilateral ties. This continued consultation at the working level is part of the effort to follow through on that strategic guidance, Qian said. 

Five years ago, in February 2020, India suspended Chinese citizens' tourist visa applications. However, the South Asian country announced on Wednesday that it will open tourist visa applications to Chinese citizens from July 24, 2025.

Tian viewed this move as a positive signal. Although some challenges remain, such as the Modi administration's lingering distrust toward China, both sides still demonstrate determination and confidence in improving ties and are taking steps in that direction, Tian added.

Tian said as the one who initiated the deterioration in bilateral relations, India needs to make greater efforts to improve ties and work with China toward the same goal.

A Chinese student sports body on Thursday condemned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for attempt to use sports for their secessionist agenda at the ongoing FISU World University Games in Germany.

During the taekwondo men's team medal ceremony on Wednesday, officials from Taiwan's sports authorities tried to distribute a message to members of the Chinese Taipei delegation in violation of FISU protocols, said the China Student Sports Federation.

The Chinese delegation intervened, during which one staff member was injured due to aggressive behavior by the Taiwan side, it added.

The FISU has expressed support for the Chinese delegation and urged relevant Taiwan officials to abide by Olympic protocol in regulating the delegation's conduct, said the federation.

Noting that the incident runs counter to the expectations of people across the Taiwan Strait, the federation said such political manipulation by the DPP authorities, driven by the party's own interests, lacks public support and is doomed to fail.

The United States should be ashamed of its repeated groundless accusations against China at the UN Security Council this week, said a Chinese envoy on Friday.

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, rejected the U.S. representative's accusation against China for the so-called export of dual-use materials to Russia.

"China did not start the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to it. China has never provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict and has always strictly controlled the export of dual-use materials, including drones," Geng told the Security Council. "We urge the United States to stop shifting blame over the Ukraine issue and creating confrontation, and instead, to make concrete efforts to promote ceasefire and peace talks."

On Tuesday, the U.S. representative took advantage of an open debate of the council to attack and accuse China over the South China Sea issue. On Thursday, when the council held an open meeting on cooperation between the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the U.S. representative, once again, started provocation by slandering and smearing China on Xinjiang-related issues.

"Within a single week, the United States has made groundless accusations against China at the Security Council multiple times. This has proved that what the United States cares about is not maintaining international peace and security or promoting the political settlement of wars and conflicts, but rather using this council to attack and suppress other countries and engage in political manipulation to serve its own agenda," said Geng.

"As a permanent member of the Security Council, the United States should be ashamed of and disgraced by its own words and deeds," he said. "China urges the United States to change course at an early date and engage constructively in the work of the Security Council."

On the issue of Ukraine, China has been calling for a ceasefire and is committed to promoting peace talks, Geng said, adding that China's efforts have been widely recognized by the international community.

"For the United States, I would like to say that the international community needs solidarity and cooperation instead of division and confrontation in the face of so many hotspot conflicts and a complex international situation," he said.

The second China-Latin American and Caribbean States Roundtable on Human Rights was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, drawing participation from over 130 representatives across 20 countries.

Foreign experts attending the event told the Global Times that while many countries have made various statements about defending human rights, few have, like China, created concrete conditions across multiple sectors to enable people to realize their own development. They noted that the "China experience" could contribute to advancing human rights in LAC countries, particularly by improving living standards through infrastructure development.

Themed China-Latin American and Caribbean States Community with a Shared Future and the Development of Human Rights, the roundtable featured in-depth discussions on key issues, including human rights in the digital age, the environment, climate with human rights, and China-LAC's joint contributions to global human rights governance. A wide consensus was reached among participants.

In his opening speech, Wang Yanwen, deputy secretary-general of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said that conflicts continue to erupt in various regions, with civilian casualties rising almost daily. Global development remains deeply imbalanced, leaving hundreds of millions still suffering from poverty and hunger. Amid a deficit in global digital governance, human rights violations are facing new forms of crisis.

"The international human rights cause is encountering both new opportunities and serious challenges. Only through solidarity and cooperation can countries safeguard global peace and stability and promote shared development and prosperity," Wang said.

"How can we accept countries that create growing inequality claiming to be defenders of human rights? Or tolerate those that create poverty judging where human rights are being violated?" said Victoria Analia Donda Perez, President of Citizenship and Human Rights Commission of the Mercosur Parliament. She emphasized in her keynote address that LAC countries must move toward the reconstruction of the concept of human rights. 

Human rights should be related to "the basic material conditions that allow people to live with dignity and achieve self-development." Only by starting from basic needs can the degree of a country's respect for and protection of human rights be truly measured, she said.

"From this perspective, China's development path has not only successfully lifted hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty, a remarkable achievement that itself stands as a powerful defense of human rights and human dignity, but also contributed a new perspective centered on human rights to global governance through its proposal of a 'community with a shared future for mankind,'" she said.

Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, widely known by his Chinese name Gao Wenyong, a law professor at Brazil's Fluminense Federal University, told the Global Times that China's eradication of extreme poverty demonstrates its commitment to human rights. "Providing people with the conditions for a decent life shows that the government respects and promotes the fundamental human rights people yearn for," he said. "In contrast, many countries that claim to defend human rights do not actually provide the specific conditions for people to develop themselves in many fields."

He further stated that China's successful experience in the construction of human rights can greatly assist the development of human rights in LAC, especially by creating conditions for improving human rights through infrastructure development. 

Three parallel forums were also held on the topics of "human rights in the digital age," "environment, climate and human rights," and "China-LAC contributions to global human rights governance." Bai Long, deputy editor-in-chief of the Global Times, was invited to speak, sharing media perspectives on how China promotes human rights through green development and ecological protection.

"Human rights are diverse, but some are universal - green development is one of them," Bai said. He pointed out that while countries in the Global South have made notable progress in sustainable development in recent years, such achievements are often downplayed in Western-led human rights narratives. 

Actively stepping out of the political narrative logic of human rights issues and telling good human rights stories from the perspective of green development is an important part of China and the LAC working together to promote the development of human rights, he said.

The roundtable published the Sao Paulo Consensus on China-Latin American and the Caribbean States Human Rights Communication and Cooperation and launched the China-Latin American and Caribbean States Human Rights Research and Cooperation Network.

It is understood that the network aims to establish a regular cooperation platform in the field of human rights research between China and LAC through academic exchanges. It will promote the common development of human rights through information sharing, joint research, talent cultivation and mutual learning of experiences, and provide new insights and paths for the further improvement and development of the global human rights governance system.

The US' artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI recently put a spotlight on a Chinese AI startup that it believes is on the "front line" of "China's race to lead the world in AI," the CNBC reported. The Chinese company is portrayed to "represent a threat to OpenAI, which has received Washington's support to promote its foundational models as the world's go-to AI offering," according to the report. In a blog post published on June 25, the company wrote that the Zhipu AI has made "notable progress" in the AI race, as global competition ramps up.

As of press time, Zhipu AI has not responded to interview requests from the Global Times. Experts noted that while American AI giants lead in technology, Chinese companies hold considerable advantages in engineering implementation and market scale. Amid "pressure from Chinese companies," OpenAI, as an industry leader, is also facing fierce competition from within the US.

True motives questioned after 'naming' a Chinese company

According to the CNBC report, while fellow "AI tiger" DeepSeek has received the "lion's share of international attention" after it released its R1 model in January, OpenAI suggested that "Zhipu's expansion outside China and its ties to Beijing deserve more scrutiny." Zhipu AI reportedly has offices in the Middle East, the UK, Singapore, and Malaysia, and is also running joint "innovation centers" projects across Southeast Asia, including in Indonesia and Vietnam, read the report.

Founded in 2019, Zhipu is regarded by Chinese media as one of the "six AI tigers" among domestic large-scale AI model companies. According to its official website, the AI company is dedicated to developing a new generation of cognitive intelligent large models, focusing on Chinese innovation in large-scale AI models. In April, Zhipu registered a counseling agreement with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), becoming the first of the "six AI tigers" to formally initiate the IPO process. It is reported that Zhipu aims to list on the A-share market as early as 2026.

A source familiar with the long-term development of the AI sector in China told the Global Times that American AI companies, including OpenAI, face intense talent competition and persistent funding gaps. Naming a Chinese company may be an attempt to draw attention from the US government, the source said.  

Global media have also questioned OpenAI's motives. India's Analytics India Magazine (AIM) reported that OpenAI's blog post seems less concerned with model performance and more alarmed about the architecture of influence. VC Bill Gurley questioned OpenAI's motives in spotlighting Zhipu AI, suggesting the move may have unintended consequences. "Very odd decision for OAI to openly promote this Chinese AI company 'Zhipu AI' in a blog post," he wrote on X. He suggested that the action taken simply boosts competitors' visibility among both funders and customers, effectively putting them on the map.

Bi Qi, chief scientist of China Telecom Corp Ltd and an academician at the Nokia Bell Labs in the US, told the Global Times that based on current reports, OpenAI did not highlight any technical superiority of Zhipu in AI but instead focused on Zhipu's success in fundraising and the number of its overseas offices. "From this perspective, they aim to amplify Zhipu's fundraising success, particularly emphasizing its success in securing funds from Chinese government channels, to lobby the US government to introduce policies favorable to OpenAI or even provide direct financial support," Bi said.  

He added that AI development is currently in a phase of heavy investment, and American AI companies hope to strengthen their funding chains through such publicity.

Since the beginning of this year, US tech giants have invested unprecedented sums in the AI sector. Microsoft has confirmed that it will lay off as many as 9,000 workers, in the technology giant's latest wave of job cuts this year. Microsoft has set out plans to invest heavily in AI, and is spending $80 billion in huge data centers to train AI models. Google announced a $75 billion investment plan for AI infrastructure earlier this year, while Meta plans to allocate $65 billion to support its AI goals, Reuters reported. 

However, the rapid rise of China's AI industry has instilled a sense of urgency among Silicon Valley giants. A July article in The Wall Street Journal titled "China is quickly eroding America's lead in the global AI race" noted that "Chinese artificial-intelligence companies are loosening the US' global stranglehold on AI, challenging American superiority and setting the stage for a global arms race in the technology."

Deep-seated concerns of US AI giants

Zhipu represented the nation's "hopes of building a self-reliant, globally competitive AI ecosystem that rivals America's and lessens dependence on American tech," OpenAI said.

Reuters reported that OpenAI has also built partnerships and attracted investment across the Middle East and Asia. Its "OpenAI for Countries" initiative helps interested governments develop "sovereign AI capability" in coordination with the US government.

OpenAI previously stated it plans to invest in infrastructure outside the US to run AI systems, as an overseas extension of its US AI data center project "Stargate." During a visit to the UAE in May, US President Donald Trump announced over $200 billion in commercial deals in the region, including one for building a Stargate UAE AI campus by OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, and Cisco Systems. It's expected to be launched in 2026, according to media reports.

"This is the US building walls," Analytics India Magazine analyzed, noting that "OpenAI's unease isn't just about competition. It's about losing narrative control." While the US has been aggressively promoting its AI stack globally through Project Stargate and government deals, trade missions, and strategic partnerships, China's quiet, infrastructure-first approach may prove more enduring, read the report.

Bi told the Global Times that, from the current trajectory, US giants like OpenAI and Meta, which initially advocated for open-source development, have shifted toward closed-source models. This reflects a lack of confidence in their technological leadership and monopoly status. "It is well-known in the internet industry that it's a winner-takes-all game. However, US companies currently face a dilemma in their business strategy," Bi explained. "Should they follow Google's Android model, using open-source to capture the global market, or Apple's model, leveraging technological superiority to create an exceptional user experience and lock in customers? This is a tough choice for US giants."

Bi believes that, as a general rule, market leaders prefer Apple's straightforward, aggressive business model, while challengers will strive to compete through an open-source approach. The global market shares of Android and Apple in smart devices demonstrate that open-source models pose a significant challenge to technologically leading companies. "This may be one reason why the early-stage overseas expansion of Chinese AI companies is striking a nerve with US giants."

Since the beginning of this year, both the US and China have seen rapid momentum in AI development. Bi noted that technologically, US giants lead China by a considerable margin. "This is why they opt for closed-source models. If they stick to closed-source while pursuers adopt open-source, it could create significant commercial impact for the leaders."

Bi believes that, despite the technological lead of US AI giants, Chinese companies have notable advantages in engineering implementation and market scale. Therefore, even if US giants maintain their technological edge, Chinese companies could capture a significant share of the global market through open-source strategies. "This is likely why US giants are deeply concerned. To mitigate this risk, a US AI giant must build enough confidence to stick with open-source and lead globally with its technological advantage.

A 'talent war' looms

The Wall Street Journal analyzed that while American AI companies give priority to the pursuit of major breakthroughs in a race to build AI, China's AI industry is focused far more on using AI to build practical applications — an emphasis that could help it win new users quickly.

"The No. 1 factor that will define whether the US or China wins this race is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world," Microsoft President Brad Smith said at a recent US Senate hearing, according to the Wall Street Journal.

According to Singaporean media outlet Lianhe Zaobao, amid the global wave of digitization and intelligence, Chinese AI companies are beginning to shine on the international stage, leveraging their technological advantages and innovation capabilities. An industry report indicates that as of October 2024, China had 918 AI companies, with 203 of them pursuing overseas expansion, an internationalization rate exceeding 22 percent. The report noted that the vast majority of Chinese AI companies expanding abroad focus on application-layer products. 

The report reveals that in 2025, Chinese AI applications have seen rapid growth in both product types and numbers. Many Chinese companies view Southeast Asia as a key destination for expansion, where content-driven e-commerce platforms like TikTok, Shopee, Lazada, and Temu are experiencing significant growth. The Global News Network reported that as trade between China and ASEAN deepens, the rapid development of the AI industry has opened new application areas, further promoting regional economic cooperation and reshaping regional industrial patterns.

Meanwhile, the "involution-style" competition among US tech giants in the AI race is intensifying, with the talent war between OpenAI and Meta becoming a focal point. Fortune magazine reported on July 5 that in Silicon Valley's heated "AI hegemony race," jaw-dropping high salaries have been a key tool for giants to attract talent. However, OpenAI, as the industry leader, is grappling with how to attract and retain top talent. 

According to multiple sources, Meta offered OpenAI employees signing bonuses of $100 million , with some contracts reaching as much as $300 million over four years. The offers have been described as "staggering" and are among the highest compensation packages in Silicon Valley history, according to media reports.

According to WIRED, OpenAI executives have called Meta's hiring tactics "invasion." After losing at least eight top researchers, including four in just one week, OpenAI's research director Mark Chen reached out to the team with a promise that management is working around the clock to retain talent.

The relationship between OpenAI and its long-term partner and major investor, Microsoft, has also deteriorated recently. The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI wants to loosen Microsoft's grip on its AI products and computing resources, and secure the tech giant's blessing for its conversion into a for-profit company. Microsoft's approval of the conversion is key to OpenAI's ability to raise more money and go public. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, the negotiations have been so difficult that in June, OpenAI's executives discussed what they view as a nuclear option: Accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior during their partnership, people familiar with the matter said. That effort could involve seeking federal regulatory review of the terms of the contract for potential violations of antitrust law, as well as a public campaign, sources said in the report.

Such a move could threaten the companies' six-year relationship, widely seen as one of the most successful partnerships in tech history. For years, Microsoft fueled OpenAI's rise in exchange for early access to its technology, but the two sides have since turned into competitors, making it more difficult to find common ground, according to the report. 

Commenting on South China Morning Post's report that China has removed "restrictions" on Reinhard Buetikofer, the former EU lawmaker it sanctioned in 2021, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday that in recent years, exchanges between the legislative bodies of China and Europe have encountered some setbacks due to well-known reasons. In the current situation, both sides believe it is very important to strengthen dialogue and cooperation.

Lin said that after mutual consultation, China and the European Parliament have decided to simultaneously and comprehensively lift the restrictions on mutual exchanges.

According to South China Morning Post, the move is expected to galvanise a new round of engagement, with an official meeting of the National People's Congress and the China delegation of the European Parliament penciled in for Brussels in October. This would be the first official meeting between the sides since 2018.

 "We believe and look forward to the deepening of communication and understanding as China and Europe fully restore exchanges between their legislative bodies, which will inject new momentum into the sustained, healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations," Lin said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited giant panda Fu Ni in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Thursday, who returned to China from Australia last year. Albanese wrote on social media that the "cute" panda is part of a "long-standing friendship between Australia and China."

Albanese is paying an official visit to China from July 12 to 18, traveling to Shanghai and Beijing, with Chengdu marking the final leg of his trip. 

"Fu Ni has settled back into life in Chengdu after 15 years in Adelaide. She's not just cute - she's part of a long-standing friendship between Australia and China. That friendship continues, with pandas Yi Lan and Xing Qiu now calling South Australia home," Albanese posted on X on Thursday.

Last year, Wang Wang and Fu Ni, Australia's only giant pandas, left the country for China after 15 years. They were replaced at Adelaide Zoo by female giant panda Yi Lan and male Xing Qiu, both from Chengdu, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"Seeing these cute ambassadors up close is a reminder of the bonds that bring our countries closer," Albanese posted.

Albanese confessed that he is a big follower of panda videos while visiting the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Australia's ABC news reported. 

The prime minister told the tour guide showing him around the center that he follows a bunch of accounts that post videos of the Chinese icons online.

"He does," fiancee Jodie Haydon interjected, per ABC.

The Australian Prime Minister also attended a Medical Technology lunch in Chengdu on Thursday promoting bilateral business deals in the space, including the manufacture of Australian-owned cochlear hearing devices in western China, Australian media outlet SBS news reported.

"Australia is a world leader in medical research. And Australian and Chinese scientists are working together towards new breakthroughs," Albanese posted on X.

During his stay in Beijing, Albanese visited the Great Wall on Wednesday and said in a post on X that "It was an honour visit the Great Wall of China today. It is in Australia's interest to have a stable relationship with China. Being here to advocate for our national interests directly is critical for maintaining and developing those ties." 

Albanese's visit to the Great Wall and the pandas follows a well-established precedent, Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times, citing as an example former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, who played a pivotal role in establishing diplomatic ties between China and Australia and also visited the Great Wall. Similarly, former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke visited Chengdu Zoo, which offered to loan Australia two pandas for the 1988 bicentenary celebrations.

Notably, those two former prime ministers were members of the Labor Party. In this light, it can be said that Albanese's trip builds upon the groundwork laid by his predecessors, further advancing and strengthening the China-Australia relationship, said Chen. 

Albanese's China trip, which began Saturday and ends on Friday, is extraordinarily long compared with Australian state visits over the past decade and marks a normalization of bilateral relations that plumbed new depths under the previous Australian government's nine-year reign, AP reported on Thursday.

During his visit, China and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the implementation and review of China-Australia Free Trade Agreement on Tuesday, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Xinhua reported.

As 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the agreement, the two countries will maintain close cooperation, continue high-quality implementation of the agreement, and jointly conduct a review to identify areas for further improvement or expansion, the MOFCOM said.

The visit centered on economic and trade cooperation, fostering the overall stability and development of bilateral relations, including in cultural and sports exchanges. 

Chen stated that he believes Albanese's visit to China was a success, highlighting the consistency and effectiveness of his China policy from his first term to his current second term.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced Saturday the start of the construction of a hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the announcement while attending a groundbreaking ceremony in Nyingchi City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

China's Tianzhou-8 cargo craft has re-entered the atmosphere in a controlled manner at 6:42 a.m. (Beijing Time) Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Most of the spacecraft's components burned up during the re-entry, and a small amount of its debris fell into the scheduled safe waters, said the CMSA.

Launched on Nov. 15, 2024 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the Tianzhou-8 was loaded with supplies for astronauts, propellants, and devices for applications and experiments.

The Tianzhou-8 separated from the orbiting Tiangong space station combination on Tuesday and then entered its independent flight phase.