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.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China is ready to work with other countries in building a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the statement in a congratulatory letter to the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting, which opened in Beijing.

He pledged that China will work with other countries to champion equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, and implement the Global Civilization Initiative, in a bid to provide fresh impetus for advancing human civilizations and promoting world peace and development.

"The world is, in nature, a place of diverse civilizations," Xi said in the letter. "History has shown us that exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are essential for civilizations to flourish and human progress to be made."

In a world where transformations and turbulences are interwoven and humanity stands at a new crossroads, there is an ever-pressing need for civilizations to transcend estrangement through exchanges, and to transcend clashes through mutual learning, Xi said.

He also expressed his hope that participating representatives would engage in in-depth exchanges to build consensus and contribute their wisdom and strength to the goal of promoting understanding and friendship among peoples, and achieving harmonious coexistence among civilizations.

Themed "Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development," the two-day meeting is co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

In response to a reporter’s question about European companies’ concerns regarding China’s export controls on rare earths, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated on Thursday during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul that rare earth exports have never been, and should not become, an issue between China and Europe. He emphasized that as long as export control regulations are followed and necessary procedures are fulfilled, the legitimate needs of European companies will be guaranteed.

Imposing necessary controls on dual-use items is an exercise of national sovereignty and an international obligation for all countries. China’s policy aligns with international norms and serves to safeguard global peace and stability. Chinese authorities have even established a “fast track” mechanism for European enterprises. Any attempt to stir up this issue between China and Europe is driven by ulterior motives, according to Wang.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently replied to teachers and students of the U.S. youth pickleball cultural exchange delegation from Montgomery County, Maryland, who have visited China under the initiative of inviting 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in a five-year span.

Xi congratulated the delegation on its successful visit to China, saying he was pleased to see that pickleball has become a new bond for youth exchanges between China and the United States.

The future of China-U.S. relations depends on the youth, said Xi, expressing the hope that the delegation members will become a new generation of ambassadors for friendship between the two countries and make greater contributions to enhancing the friendship between the two peoples.

Earlier, the teachers and students of the delegation sent a letter to Xi, expressing their gratitude for the "50,000 in Five Years" initiative he put forward.

They shared their experience of visiting China and engaging in pickleball exchange activities in April, saying that they forged unforgettable friendships with Chinese youths during the trip.

They expressed their hope to invite Chinese young people to visit the United States.

Faced with US tariff pressure, China stands firm in defending its own rights and interests and upholding international fairness and justice, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Monday.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit.

The 3D-printed Minimalist Lightweight Micro Turbojet Engine, which was developed independently by the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), successfully completed its first flight test in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday, AECC announced on its official WeChat account on Wednesday.

According to the AECC, the engine is the first of its kind in China to complete a flight test, with a thrust level of 160 kilograms. The engine, which utilized multidisciplinary topological optimization and additive manufacturing technology, represents a revolutionary integration and innovation in aviation engine design and manufacturing processes, filling a domestic gap in the full-scale engineering application of this technology.

The flight test was conducted according to the planned scheme. It reached a maximum altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, which fully verified the engine's reliability and stability under real flight conditions. The success of the test marks significant progress in China's application of deep integration of multidisciplinary topological optimization design and additive manufacturing in aviation power engineering.

The engine’s development team tackled key technologies such as multidisciplinary topological optimization design tailored for additive manufacturing and integrated design of components, significantly reducing the engine's structural weight and achieving remarkable improvements in key performance indicators. To ensure the success of the flight test on the first attempt, the engine had completed critical ground tests, including performance standards and engine life, before the test flight.

This successful maiden flight will lay a more solid technical foundation for the development of subsequent advanced aviation engines, said AECC.

China is confident in and capable of maintaining rapid economic growth, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Wednesday, vowing that the country will always keep the doors wide open and warmly welcome businesses from all countries to invest and deepen their roots in China.

Li made the remarks when addressing the opening plenary of the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC), also known as the Summer Davos, in North China's Tianjin.

Themed "Entrepreneurship for a New Era," the event, held from Tuesday to Thursday, is gathering around 1,800 leading figures from more than 90 countries and regions to explore how entrepreneurship and emerging technologies can unlock more dynamic and resilient economies, Xinhua News Agency reported.

President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa, Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Aleshovich Kasymaliev, Prime Minister of Senegal Ousmane Sonko, and Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh would also attend AMNC this year, according to an earlier announcement of Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"Over the years, no matter how the international environment has changed, China's economy has consistently maintained a good momentum," Li said, noting that China's GDP grew by 5.4 percent in the first quarter of 2025 despite facing significantly heightened external shocks this year.

China's economic development is not about short-term spurts, but sustained progress toward long-term goals, Li added. He also noted that China is moving toward becoming a high-income country as a whole, driven by strong demand for consumption upgrades in the world's second-largest consumer and import market.

Li said China's sustained breakthroughs and advances in innovation will inject fresh vitality into global development, which will accelerate global economic growth, per Xinhua.

He also called on the international community to take constructive actions in international economic and trade cooperation.

"Constructive actions mean we need to proactively take measures to safeguard free trade and multilateralism and promote the stable development of the world economy," Li said. The premier called for resolving disputes and differences through dialogue.

Li further said China will continue to deepen its integration and connectivity with the world market and strengthen industrial collaboration with various countries.

Premier Li's speech has drawn broad positive response at the Summer Davos, as many international attendees recognize the achievements of China's high-quality development and major contributions to global trade and economic growth, eyeing greater opportunities from China's massive market and pioneering innovations.

Confidence in economy

During the Summer Davos, World Economic Forum President Borge Brende shared an optimistic outlook on China's economic prospects.

"I'm relatively optimistic for the Chinese economy, both in the medium-term and long-term. China has already diversified, in addition, China is pivoting from manufacturing of goods to more services and digital trade. We are also seeing a lot of new technologies being applied. China is doing very well in artificial intelligence (AI), on robotics," he said, reported Xinhua.

"There has been a 5.4 percent year-on-year growth in China in the first quarter this year, and the premier said key economic indicators continued to improve in the second quarter. Even though there are a lot of challenges, China is able to overcome them. That's very positive," Bassam Al-Ibrahim, a representative from General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority of Qatar, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday.

Now, China is probably at the forefront of innovation from all the technological aspects, and innovation is going to be one of the driving forces for China, especially AI, Al-Ibrahim said.

Joel Ruet, president of the Bridge Tank in France, said Premier Li's speech continued the theme of his speech delivered at last year's Summer Davos - promoting the country's high-quality development and firm commitment to opening-up.

It's reassuring to see continuity in countries including China and within the ecosystem of entrepreneurs, because we live in a world where we perceive many abrupt changes taking place, Ruet told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Driven by the notable strides in advancing innovation-driven development, China's economy has advanced steadily, and demonstrated robust resilience and development potential.

A recent report released by the World Bank showed that China's economy maintained growth momentum in early 2025, and in response to global trade uncertainty, the government has implemented accommodative monetary and fiscal policies. Recently, international institutions, such as J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, have revised up China's growth prospects.

Call for cooperation

As the world economy is confronted with a worsening growth predicament due to the escalation of geopolitical conflicts and policy uncertainty, global leaders from government, business, academia and other fields at the Summer Davos also called for win-win cooperation and close collaboration to deal with challenges.

Robert Koopman, Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer with the School of International Service of American University, especially highlighted Premier Li's emphasis on global trade and cooperation and coordination.

"I think there's a deeply ingrained understanding of the importance of access to global markets, of access to global technology, and the positive spillovers that come from that kind of access and cooperation," Koopman told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"This is my first time participating in the Summer Davos, and I'm happy to be here to see the various discussions and collaboration between different governments, public, and business parties from around the world," Hisham Aljadhey, president of Saudi Food & Drug Authority, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The event provides an important platform for dialogue where governments and businesses are talking about many key economic issues that matter to the world today, seeking understanding and consensus, according to Aljadhey.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government strongly condemned on late Thursday night the latest remarks made by US Consul General to Hong Kong Gregory May that totally disregarded the spirit of the rule of law and deliberately misled the public and smeared the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong and the work of the HKSAR safeguarding national security including the case of Jimmy Lai.

With at least 21 pieces of laws in the US safeguarding national security, US politicians have displayed hypocrisy and exposed their double standards by pointing fingers at the HKSAR's legal system and enforcement mechanisms to safeguard national security, while entirely disregarding the constitutional duty and practical needs of the HKSAR to legislate, and the positive effects brought by the enactment of the relevant national security legislation on economic development and protection of human rights, a spokesperson from the HKSAR government said.

The American diplomat in Hong Kong on Thursday criticized Hong Kong's national security law and the jailing of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, and engaging in the so-called "transnational repression" of activists abroad, Reuters reported.

As the legal proceedings of the case involving Lai are still ongoing, it is inappropriate for any person to comment on the details of the case, the Hong Kong spokesperson said. The HKSAR government strongly urges US politicians to immediately stop interfering in the HKSAR's internal affairs and the independent exercise of judicial power by the courts of the HKSAR, the spokesperson added.

May also criticized attempts by Hong Kong authorities to "pressure overseas Hong Kong activists" including the issuing of arrest warrants for national security violations and offering bounties of HK$1 million ($127,393) each, Reuters said.

Extraterritorial effect for the offences under the NSL for Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance fully aligns with the principles of international law, international practice and common practice adopted in various countries and regions, the HKSAR government spokesperson said.

It is both necessary and legitimate, and is also in line with those of other countries and regions around the world. As the law enforcement department of the HKSAR safeguarding national security, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) are duty bound to pursue the liability of those who have endangered national security overseas, the spokesperson said.

Those absconders hiding in the US and other Western countries are wanted because they continue to blatantly engage in activities endangering national security, including inciting secession and requesting foreign countries to impose "sanctions" or blockade and engage in other hostile activities against the country and the HKSAR, the spokesperson continued.

More so, they continue to collude with external forces to cover for their evil deeds. It is necessary for the HKPF to take all lawful measures to strongly combat the acts of abscondment, and such actions are fully justified, necessary and legitimate, the spokesperson said.

Traces of a sea turtle coming ashore to lay eggs were recently discovered on a beach near a community in Yongxing Island, Sansha City, South China's Hainan Province, marking the first such discovery on the island in years. 

Staff from the local marine protected area administration, along with turtle patrol members from Beidao, visited the site and identified the likely nesting location, according to a post on the city's official WeChat account on Friday.

Visible signs at the site included a large pit consistent with the size of a sea turtle and evidence of disturbed sand. Chen Shan, a veteran turtle patrol officer with over a decade of experience, was able to pinpoint the general nesting area based on these traces, the post said. 

"From the trail patterns, we can reasonably determine the location of the nest. After laying eggs, sea turtles typically cover the entire nest with sand. Judging by the condition of the tracks, the turtle likely came ashore about a week ago. At this time of year, it usually takes 40 to 50 days for the hatchlings to emerge," said Chen, as he patrolled the area and pointed at the nesting site. 

The Xisha Qundao, where Yongxing is located, are currently home to China's largest natural nesting ground for green sea turtles. As a national first-class protected species and a flagship animal for marine conservation, sea turtles play a vital role in maintaining ocean biodiversity. Thanks to years of conservation efforts, sightings of sea turtles in the waters around the Xisha Qundao have increased, said the post. 

So far this year, a total of 43 sea turtle nests have been recorded across the Xisha Qundao, with this being the first on Yongxing Island, according to the post.

"According to records, there hasn't been a turtle nesting on Yongxing Island for nearly 10 years. This recent event shows that the environment is improving. We'll mark the nest with a sign indicating the estimated date and assign it a number to remind passersby not to step on it. We'll also be increasing patrols on other islands and reefs," said Yu Yangfei, a staff member with the local marine protected area administration.