When Lucas Fan received his friend Jim in Beijing in June 2023, Lucas had to order a taxi for Jim every time he needed one as Jim, from Ireland, could not link his international bank card with WeChat or Alipay payment functions. As the two main social networking apps in China, WeChat and Alipay are virtually indispensable in nearly every aspect of daily life, from chatting, working to shopping, and from taxi-hailing to making electronic payments.

But had Jim pushed his visit back by a month, he would have found it more convenient to travel as a foreigner in China. Alipay and WeChat Pay started to comprehensively upgrade their systems in July 2023 to optimize support for international bank cards to better serve a growing number of international travelers along with bolstering international exchanges.

According to official data, in 2023, the national border inspection authorities checked in a total of 210 million inbound travelers, recovering to 62.9 percent of 2019 levels and the number is expected to continue to grow in 2024.

"This [payment difficulty of foreigners] is indeed an unexpected new problem as mobile payment has developed very rapidly in China," Sun Yeli, Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism, told domestic and foreign journalists after the closing of China's annual national legislative session in Beijing.

Sun noted that the Chinese central authorities have paid great attention to this issue and have established a coordination mechanism to solve it.

"We are optimizing each step of the inbound tourism process, streamlining procedures ranging from visa applications to flight arrangements, hotel check-ins, shopping, and sightseeing. With the implementation of these measures, foreign tourists visiting China will enjoy the same level of convenience in accommodation, transportation, and shopping as domestic tourists," Sun said.

"We sincerely welcome tourists from all over the world to visit China, enjoy the charm of Chinese culture, discover rapid changes in the country, and experience the hospitality of the Chinese people," Sun noted.
Get through 'reverse digital divide'

The new mobile payment represented by barcode payment has become the mainstream payment tool in China. However, in most countries around the world, especially in some developed economies, bank cards are still the mainstream payment tool.

In recent years, with the rapid development of informatization and digitization in China, the popularity of mobile payment has increased rapidly. Now, the popularity of digital payment in China may be twice as high as in other countries. And everyone in the country is very accustomed to using a mobile phone for all aspects of life. However, this has made China too "digitized" to be "out of touch" internationally. Some people say that this has created a "reverse digital divide" between China and foreign countries.

One main difficulty for foreigners in making mobile payments lies in the low success rate of overseas individuals using Alipay and WeChat to link overseas bank cards, as well as payment limits.

When overseas users enter China and want to link a third-party payment app, they need to provide real-name information. Some overseas users may be unwilling to provide their personal information for personal privacy concerns. In addition, the transmission of cross-border information is a long-standing difficult issue even in the traditional financial area due to different principles and rules in various countries in the issue.

Aside from mobile payment, foreigners were also reported to encounter obstacles in using cash and international cards in China. A typical example of this is foreigners like Jim who had difficulties in hailing and making payments in taxis in China, as due to the popularization of online payment, most Chinese taxi drivers receive orders on car-hailing apps and present a QR code to passengers to effect payment. Fewer and fewer of them handle cash, not to mention POS devices.

"Taxis are often the first local service that overseas business people and tourists come into contact with after arriving, and it is also one of their main ways of getting around the city. However, payment difficulties are particularly prominent in taxis," Yang Guoping, chairman of the Shanghai Dazhong Transportation Group and a representative to the 14th National People's Congress, told China Business Journal.

High transaction fees are also another obstacle. The single transaction fee for foreign card payments is basically between 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent, with VISA and MasterCard having a single transaction fee of around 3 percent, while the single transaction fee for domestic cards is around 0.6 percent, and mobile payment fees are even lower, with Alipay at 0.38 percent, according to a report published by yicai.com.

Many domestic merchants are not willing to pay high cross-border credit card transaction fees, but rather encourage foreign tourists to use cash, Alipay, or WeChat Pay, according to the report.
Step up efforts to address problems

Facing these problems, Chinese authorities and platforms are moving fast to address the obstacles to help facilitate foreigners' stay in the country.

On February 23, the State Council executive meeting reviewed and approved the "Opinions on Further Optimizing Payment Services to Facilitate Payments," (referred to as the "Opinions"), emphasizing the need to focus on the payment inconvenience of groups such as the elderly and foreigners coming to China.

On February 29, the People's Bank of China held a meeting to promote the optimization of payment services. On March 1, the State Council Information Office held a regular policy briefing on further optimizing payment services and enhancing payment convenience.

Zhang Qingsong, Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China, introduced the specific content of the above mentioned "Opinions," including promoting the improvement of the bank card acceptance environment and adhering to the positioning of cash as the bottom line, among others.

On the evening of March 7, the "Opinions" were officially released, closely followed by implementations by various platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay.

If Jim came to Beijing now, whether arriving at the Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or the Daxing International Airport, he could go directly to a service center outside the international arrival gate and seek help from staff to install Alipay or WeChat.

He could also directly withdraw RMB from the ATMs beside the service desk if he did not wish to bother with buying a Chinese phone card or had worries about personal information security. The service center could also provide him with smaller bank notes if necessary.

If he uses Alipay with real-name registration, he would be able to make a single transaction with a maximum limit of $5,000 and a maximum annual transaction limit of $50,000.

If Jim was a first-time user of WeChat Pay from abroad, he could also directly add his international bank cards to quickly activate the WeChat payment function without needing to buy a Chinese phone card. By linking an international card, he could use WeChat Pay in China within a certain amount of spending without verification.

As one of China's most international metropolises, Shanghai led the charge in providing international visitors with convenient payment services.

Since late 2023, Shanghai has taken the lead in installing over 36,000 points of sale (POS) machines that can accept foreign bank cards in commerce, cultural, and tourism sites, airports, and railway stations throughout the city, according to the Shanghai government website.

Near Yuyuan Garden, one of the most popular tourist sites in downtown Shanghai, small boards that read "Visa, Master, JCB… now available" are seen on the cashier counters of most shops and restaurants there. According to a cashier at a three-story shop selling souvenirs, clothes, and skincare products, the shop started offering foreign bank card payment services in November 2023, when Shanghai hosted the 6th China International Import Expo.

This improvement has particularly excited many foreign excursionists, who have little time to withdraw cash or get used to China's digital payment systems.

"I can't wait to directly pay with my bank card; that's much better and convenient for us international visitors," a Japanese college student told the Global Times ahead of the Chinese New Year in February. She planned to have a week-long stay in this city.

According to yicai.com, the coverage rate of key merchants accepting foreign cards in Shanghai and neighboring Zhejiang Province in East China has exceeded 90 percent.
Determined to further open up

According to media reports, by 2023, millions of foreigners in China had used mobile payments and truly enjoyed the convenience. In the fourth quarter of 2023 particularly, the scale of mobile payment transactions by inbound travelers significantly increased, with a total of 35 million transactions amounting to 5 billion yuan ($695.6 million).

By taking multiple measures to improve the convenience of mobile payment, it is not only an important starting point for Chinese mobile payment to go global, but also a vital part of China's recent efforts to expand international exchanges, including tourism and trade, experts pointed out.

Improving the convenience for foreign nationals to work and study in, and travel to China has been included in the Report on the Work of the Government (2024) announced during the just concluded two sessions.

On March 7, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced a visa-free policy for Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg on a trial basis at a press conference on the sidelines of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC).

In January, China had already announced five measures, including shortening visa application forms, lowering visa fees for the entire year, exempting some applicants from fingerprinting, providing walk-in without appointment visa application services, and extending a unilateral visa-free policy to a select number of countries including France and Germany on a trial basis.

At a press conference on February 7, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin revealed that, as of the time of the conference, China had signed mutual visa exemption agreements with 157 countries that cover different types of passports, and had reached agreements or arrangements to simplify visa procedures with 44 countries. China has a complete mutual visa exemption with 23 countries.

These measures show China's determination and concrete efforts to keep opening up, experts noted.

They proposed to continue to expand the scope of visa exemptions so that more foreign travelers can get a chance to enjoy China's large and diverse landscapes, the convenience brought by the 5G network and high-speed bullet trains, and understand China through first-hand experience rather than some second-hand biased reporting.

Editor's Note:

Looking back on the brotherhood between China and the Philippines that former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte highlighted during his visits to China while in office, many Chinese people fondly remember the friendly atmosphere between the two countries during his presidency, and appreciate the independent foreign policy the former leader pursued.

When the Global Times recently visited the Philippines, many local people praised Duterte for the significant improvements he made in social security, public wellbeing, and the economy. On local social media apps in the Philippines, one can also see many people sharing videos of Duterte's life after retirement.

Recently, Global Times reporters Hu Yuwei, Fan Wei, and Zou Zhidong (GT) visited and exclusively spoke with Duterte (Duterte) in Davao, the Philippines, where he repeatedly called for rational and friendly dialogue with China on current intense bilateral relations.

He expressed sadness over the disputes in the South China Sea and the policies adopted by the current administration toward China. He warned that the US is trying to provoke a war between China and the Philippines and cautioned that the US will not risk American lives for Filipinos. He hopes that the Philippines can turn back from its detrimental path and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation.
GT: Based on current China-Philippines relations, what kind of message would you like to convey to the people of both the Philippines and China?

Duterte: First of all, I would like to express my deep appreciation for China and the Global Times for coming here to interview us and talk about the relations between China and the Philippines. We should deal with the geopolitical mess that we are in. So China could get a clear view, at least around the former president of what we would like to happen between the Philippines and China.

When I was elected as president then (in 2016), I tried to craft an independent foreign policy, not really against America. I have no quarrel with America. But the problem was our foreign policy was dovetailing theirs, and not so good with China. So I started on a neutral foreign policy. I announced to the world that I had no friends and no enemies to fight. I just want to be neutral. And I did not have to kowtow to anybody's foreign policy, especially the Americans. I know that the previous administrations were always favoring the Americans in everything. Whatever be the events, whatever be the problems of Southeast Asia or the world, for that matter, it seems that China here in Asia is doing everything that is possible to encourage that we gather as good neighbors, especially when President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). That was really intended to galvanize relations between Asian countries.

But America, from a foreign policy standpoint, appears to be very hostile. So if you stick with America, if you identify yourself with America, then everything becomes blurry with our relations with China and the rest of the ASEAN countries.

Most of the ASEAN countries have followed a very neutral, independent foreign policy. I would have wanted that. Had I listened to the advisors of government, I could not have improved the relations between the Philippines and China. That is why I slowly detached myself, and, at least in foreign policy, and announced to China that we are not enemies, that we have never been, and never will be in our lifetime.

Now the BRI was meant to attract cooperation between ASEAN member states and China. America was very wary about that, very suspicious, and so they called us not to join as it was "bait for us." There's nothing wrong with economic cooperation. So I made it clear that I was more of a friend.

I must reiterate that I do not have a quarrel with the America. I just don't like their behavior. Their behavior is because at one time or another, they were imperialists. After Spain, they also occupied my country. And even though they say that it was good for the Philippines that they came and educated us, that's nonsense.

We could have developed on our own. We do not need anybody. We do not even need China. We could have developed the Philippines on our own without any interference from anybody.

Now in terms of geopolitics and trade, we have robust trade relations between China. Before I went to Beijing, the durian fruit and mangos were not acceptable to China. After I visited China and talked to the president, humbly asking [the Chinese government] to consider the plight of my nation, so that we earn money at least through our exports, because we are an agricultural country. When I came home, China opened the door.

So I was very appreciative of the brotherly gesture, almost like to cry. That was really very kind to us Filipinos.

Now even in the bilateral trade, China is near, America is far. We have some trade relations with America but not good for a day-to-day, like food. I don't think that we have really good trade relations with America. Maybe they are kind, I do not care to know, because I'm not interested.

Now our bilateral relations [with the US] focus on trade and maybe defense. We've been talking about it. There are issues with the island of Taiwan. We do not tinker with Taiwan. Taiwan is a province of China so we understand.

Here in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), when I was president, there was no quarrel. We can return to normalcy. I hope that we can stop the ruckus over there, because the Americans are the ones pushing the Philippine government to go out there and find a quarrel and eventually maybe start a war.

So I am very sure of that - America is giving the instructions to the Philippine government to "not be afraid because we will back you up."

But I do not think that America will die for us. And yet America has so many bases in the Philippines now; I objected to it when the US wanted to build a military base in Philippines. Then with the consent of the president of the Republic of the Philippines, they have so many bases.

I am sorry for my country. I am not the president anymore. I cannot run. But if there is a way we can reverse the situation, we might find a way inside to implode somewhere. And if God would allow it then perchance I would be able to reverse the situation. I would remove the bases.

And I would tell the Americans, you have so many ships, so you do not need my island as a launching pad or as a launching deck for you.
GT: What are your feelings about the change of the friendly diplomatic policy toward China that you always pursued and the peace you created in the South China Sea?

Duterte: I'm very sad. And I hope that we can bring it back again. With the present situation, there has to be a plan.

GT: The current Philippine government has taken a more hardline stance on the South China Sea issue, including the Senate's passage of the Maritime Zones Act, and has attempted to push more fishermen into disputed waters, which is seen as not conducive to dialogue and peaceful settlement. What's your comment?

Duterte: It's not been possible to talk since the current administration took office. Maybe one remedy is I can talk to the Chinese government. We can talk about easing up a little bit; And I will tell the people that this is the protocol that China wants too, and that it's good.

During my term, China allowed fishing [by Philippine fishermen] and nobody was disturbing them.

So, if you want a mid-term change, a radical change, we will have a hard time. You can begin to talk to others, not necessarily with me, but with others. But I'm the only one who's visible right now because I am not afraid of the situation.

GT: During your visit to China in October 2016, we saw a great improvement in China-Philippines relations, and the Chinese side made proper arrangements regarding your concerns. Do you remember how the consensus was reached at that time?

Duterte: The Chinese side allowed us to go there to fish. We do not quarrel with that. We do not ask for any solution to this issue now. We just leave it that way as long as there are no military [conflicts].

It was a very good arrangement. Everybody was happy. And if China should also go there and fish, then go there and fish. If the catch is already enough, then they can go back home.
GT: The current Philippine government has strengthened its military ties with the US, opening up new military bases in the Philippines and there have also been some voices shifting toward the US economically. How do you view the "deepening" of US-Philippine relations?

Duterte: It is very hard to comprehend the Philippines detaching a little bit and remaining neutral. That cannot happen until the end of the current term. We'll just have to wait it out. But in the meantime, we should educate the Filipino people and I can always go back to my public life.

I am retired, but I suppose I can still stand and call for a press conference and express my views about it and express my sentiments.

We have bilateral relations with America, but if your foreign policy is crooked or favors one country and is sometimes hostile because you are with America, then everything is wrong. That is the problem.

In terms of the Taiwan question, I said that's a province of China. There was a revolution (Chinese People's War of Liberation) in China between Chairman Mao Zedong of the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang. They (Kuomintang) retreated to an island, which is a part of China. And some in Taiwan want to be independent, and America is supporting them, despite the fact that they know it is illegal because Taiwan is part of China's territory. That's the problem.

So, including the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and the island of Taiwan, and asking for bases, a foreign policy that is not taken care of by the government by allowing itself to be attached to another country, is really at war every day.

In the matter of principle, there is a quarrel going on because there is the US telling everybody, "Okay, you fight. Do not be afraid because we are here." It's antagonistic and hostile.

GT: How do you think China and the Philippines can return to the table of dialogue and negotiations on the South China Sea issue?

Duterte: It will come after Marcos. We will just have to wait. You cannot talk to him because it is the Americans that will tell him what he should say to you. So it's forever a cycle of incongruity.

Lastly, I would say that we are not enemies.

Remember that. We do not have any quarrel with China. We know that if it would come, it would come because of the Americans. So we have to accept it because our government admittedly allowed it.

But we will always be friends. I can assure you.

Maybe we can look for ways to convince political leaders that this president is dragging us through a situation that can harm the relations between China and the Philippines.

GT: People have given you various tags regarding your governing style. For example, among your political opponents, there is a voice that believes you are too friendly to China on the South China Sea issue. However, many Chinese people are full of praise for the strong and powerful actions you've taken to deal with drugs and terrorism, as well as your independent foreign policy approach despite pressure from the US, and they often refer to you as a man of iron will, or a strong leader. What do you think of all these tags?

Duterte: First of all, let me explain. In the matter of foreign policy, and even in the matters of governance, it is a matter of principle.

The principle that I see is that I see things from the right perspective.

That is, whether or not it would be good for my country to remain neutral and not to entertain invasive activities.

The second is in governance. I'm a hardliner, especially on drugs, criminality, and every facet of governance. But I try to be friendly with all. And it's not a pretend friendship with China.

I really love China more than the Americans, simply because I do not believe in their habit, and the habit of saying things and doing what they are doing now. It is a pity that the BRI program has been slowed down [in the Philippines], maybe because of the economy. But I still hope that China will grow more powerful.

I dream of China and the Philippines working together; of better people-to-people exchanges. Most of the Filipinos are pro-American because of the educational system; I dream of Filipinos also gaining new views. There's a school in Fujian named after my mother; an exchange of peoples brings better trade and better bilateral relations.

The Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia have enhanced their infringement in the islands and reefs they illegally occupied in the South China Sea, according to a report Chinese think tank Grandview Institution released on Tuesday. Experts from the institution also warned of increasing illegal resupply activities by the Philippines to the illegally grounded warship in the South China Sea in 2024.

In recent years, China’s land reclamation and deployment of defensive military facilities on the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, out of its concern for maintaining national sovereignty and security, have been hyped up by the Western media as a testimony of the alleged "China threat" theory. Thereafter, the US and other extra-regional countries have been intensifying their interference, especially military interference, in the South China Sea issue. Their intervention has further worsened the maritime security environment in China’s periphery. In sharp contrast, the Western media turns a blind eye to the fact that Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia have occupied more than 40 islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands over the past four decades, and kept expanding land area, building facilities and deploying military capabilities on some of these islands, read the report.

In particular, Vietnam and the Philippines have further intensified their construction activities on occupied islands and reefs since 2022. Vietnam has carried out large-scale land reclamation on several islands and reefs, increasing the land area by three square kilometers, far exceeding the total construction scale of the past forty years. The Philippines has frequently attempted to reinforce its construction on the illegally grounded warship at the Ren'ai Jiao (Ren'ai Reef).

These actions have complicated and escalated the disputes, and have had an impact on peace and stability, the report said.

On May 9, 1999, the military vessel BRP Sierra Madre illegally intruded into China's Ren'ai Jiao, or what the Philippine side calls as the Second Thomas Shoal, running aground due to purported "technical difficulties."

According to the report, the vessel Sierra Madre has been grounded in the Ren'ai Jiao for a long time with over ten Filipino soldiers stationed and this has constituted actual encroachment of the Ren'ai Jiao. The Philippine military's Western Command is responsible for commanding the grounded troops and the Philippine Navy sends ships to resupply the grounded troop.

In 2022, the Philippine Navy conducted 11 illegal resupply activities to the Ren'ai Jiao, while in 2023, the number increased to 14 with more disguised approaches, according to the report.

Liu Xiaobo, director of the ocean research center of the Grandview Institution, told the Global Times that, before 2023, the Philippine Navy supplied the grounded military vessel once a month, but after that, the number of illegal resupply activities increased.

The current trend shows that the illegal supply actions in 2024 will continue to increase, according to Liu. "In order to reduce sensitivity, the Philippines has rented civilian ships - instead of sending military vessels - to supply the stranded ship under the escort of coast guard ships, but the Philippines has been reportedly taking advantage of the opportunity of resupplying troops to transport illegal construction materials to the grounded ship and China firmly opposed such attempt."

In addition, the Philippines currently invites international media to board transport ships and openly hype up China's so-called "interception actions" against them in order to gain sympathy and support from the international community. However, images accompanying the report show that compared to before, the main deck of the vessel Sierra Madre as been partially reinforced and renovated in 2023, indicating that the Philippines had secretly transported building materials long ago.

The report also points out that the Philippines has enhanced construction on the islands it occupied in the South China Sea. Apart from Ren'ai Jiao, the Philippines has illegally occupied eight islands and reefs in China's Nansha Islands, namely, Mahuan Dao, Feixin Dao, Zhongye Dao, Nanyao Dao, Beizi Dao, Xiyue Dao, Shuanghuang Shazhou, and Siling Jiao. In June 1978, it unilaterally went beyond its territorial scope to set up the so-called "Kalayaan Island Group," which violates China's territorial sovereignty.

Before 2022, the Philippines conducted less construction on the occupied islands and reefs. But in March 2022, the Philippines built a new helicopter landing pad on the Mahuan Dao; and in May of that year, the Philippine Coast Guard established command observation stations on the Mahuan Dao and others. These command observation stations monitor surrounding vessels and report information to the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters, according to the report.

In January 2024, Manila's military chief Romeo Brawner told media that the Philippines would develop islands in all the nine islands and reefs in the South China Sea that it considers part of its territory to make them more habitable for troops.

The Philippines Coast Guard recently claimed that China was attempting to build an "artificial island" in the Ren'ai Jiao. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference on Monday "the Philippines has repeatedly spread rumors, deliberately vilified China and tried to mislead the international community. None of those attempts will succeed."

Wang also urged the Philippines to stop making irresponsible remarks, face up to the facts and return to the right track of properly handling maritime disputes through negotiation and consultation.

Liu believes the Philippines will continue to advance its confrontational South China Sea policy in 2024. He points out that main factors contributing to the escalation of the disputes between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea include the pro-US stance of the Marcos government, the increased assistance from the US and its allies to the Philippines, as well as the joint defense commitment of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty that backs and encourages the Philippines' provocative actions of encroachment.

In addition, the Philippines has strengthened its maritime military capabilities in recent years, providing it with confidence, Liu said. But ASEAN countries will continue to be important forces in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea with China as resolving disputes through peaceful means and maintaining regional peace and stability remains a consensus between ASEAN countries and China despite the differences in their concerns and positions on the South China Sea issue, Liu noted.

Under the strategic guidance of their top leaders, China and Russia saw economic and trade cooperation overcome a complex external environment to make steady progress during the recent years.

Chinese observers said China-Russia trade and economic cooperation offers great potential, as bilateral trade is forecast to reach $300 billion in 2025, and their cooperation in sectors such as agriculture and renewable energy generation bring new opportunities.

However, the US' groundless accusation against normal China-Russia economic and trade relationship, as well as the US' imposing sanctions on selected Chinese companies has stirred up more troubles, negatively impacting global flow of logistics and trade settlement, industry insiders said.

They noted that the US' pursuit of power play and hegemony in international affairs cannot hold back the global trend toward a multi-polar world.

Normal trade exchange

During recent years, trade between China and Russia has been expanding rapidly, while commodity structure optimization is ongoing. In 2023, bilateral trade between the two nations reached $240.1 billion, a historical high, achieving the established trade target of more than $200 billion ahead of schedule.

In the first four months this year, the trade volume between China and Russia grew by 4.7 percent year-on-year to reach $76.58 billion, according to latest data released by Chinese Customs.

Now, China-Russia oil pipeline and China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline are operating at high capacity, and the number of freight containers transported through Heihe-Blagoveshchensk road bridge and Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye cross-border railway bridge continues to grow. And, the cooperation projects in energy, aviation and aerospace are being boosted steadily.

The scope and quality of China-Russia cooperation see constant improvement, Chinese Commerce Ministry official Liu Xuesong said at a news conference on May 6.

"Based on equality and mutual benefit, the economic and trade exchanges between China and Russia are normal and conforms to rules of international trade. It serves the interests of both peoples and the world at large," Song Kui, president of the Contemporary China-Russia Regional Economy Research Institute, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Given the strong momentum of China-Russia relations, it's projected that bilateral trade volume will reach $300 billion in 2025, Song said.
In March 2023, China and Russia signed a joint statement on a Pre-2030 Development Plan on Priorities in China-Russia Economic Cooperation, underscoring both sides' commitment to improve the quality and structure of rapidly expanding economic and trade cooperation.

As part of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia this year, the 8th China-Russia Expo is being held in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The event fosters extensive discussions and negotiations between the two countries.

"By attending the expo, we aim to break into the Russian market this year. Russian people have a strong interest in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), which provides a sound basis for the exports of our products," Gao Yuan, a manager from Shanxi Zhendong Pharmaceutical Co, which is engaged in the research and development of TCM, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Gao said the great potential of China-Russia economic and trade relations gives a boost to the company's sales in Russia market.

As Russia continues to improve its infrastructure and local business environment, with policy rollouts to boost goods export and find more import substitutes, Chinese companies could move to further tap the Russian market, Chen Zhigang, director general of the Russian-Chinese Business Park in St. Petersburg, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

False accusations rejected

However, against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US continues to assault normal China-Russia trade, and has imposed sanctions on selected Chinese companies. The US Commerce Department recently announced a decision to add 37 Chinese entities to the country's export control "entity list."

China categorically rejects US' groundless accusations over the country's keeping normal economic relations with Russia, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on April 23.

China's right to conduct normal trade and economic exchanges with Russia and other countries should not be interfered or disrupted. China's legitimate and lawful rights and interests should not be infringed on, the spokesperson said.

"The US' imposing economic sanctions on other countries for its own interests are typical examples of economic hegemony and American bullying," Song said.

But, the US' pursuit of hegemony in international affairs will not impede the trend toward a multi-polar world, Song said, noting that the US' unreasonable sanctions on other countries will erode the US dollar's dominant position in the world.

Given the financial sanctions imposed by the West on Russia, China and Russia should work to ensure that their bilateral trade is safe from the sanctions. More cooperation in the financial field, or within the BRICS countries, or between member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, should all be explored, Chen said.

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times in April, South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele said the BRICS are promoting the progress of its common currency, while actively promoting the use of local currencies from member states to reduce the risks of relying on the US dollar.

Song said more China-Russia trade is expected to be settled in Chinese yuan in the future. By taking advantage of platforms like the China-Russia Expo, the two countries could ramp up regional and corporate communications to deepen cooperation, he said.

The Samaranch Cup Junior Tennis Challenger 2024 ASICS Tennis Junior Tour Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao was officially unveiled in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on May 11 and Macao Special Administrative Region on May 12. As an original competition of ASICS, the Tennis Junior Tour has received widespread attention and recognition since its launch in 2022 as it provides a professional competition platform and communication opportunities for young people who love tennis. This year, the competition is linked to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, gathering outstanding young tennis players from all over the country to swing for their dreams.

This year, the ASICS Tennis Junior Tour has been officially upgraded to a Class B event in China Tennis Junior Tour. This tour will compete over four rounds to select multiple outstanding young players, while the finals will be held in Shanghai in October. As the main organizer, ASICS places great emphasis on upgrading and building the entire event experience and has spared no effort to provide professional event platforms and high-quality participation services for domestic tennis youth for three consecutive years. In addition, this year's tour also specially invited Yang Weiguang, former head coach of the national team and chief of the coaches for the Tokyo Olympics, to serve as the coach of the Hong Kong Masters Training Camp, providing professional technical guidance to participating athletes. At the same time, ASICS-signed athlete Yang Zhaoxuan and Wang Kangyi have been invited to interact with young people on site to enhance their enthusiasm for competition.

At the opening ceremony, ASICS also officially launched the "Dream Voices" program, which will collect the sports dreams of participants during this year's competition and help more young people realize their dreams on the tennis court with brand's resources and equipment. Moreover, the Samaranch-ASICS Xiangyang Foundation also awarded special funds for youth tennis exchange to the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association and the Macau Tennis Association. The two sides will work together in the future to support the development and exchange of youth tennis in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. At the same time, the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association and the Macau Tennis Association also awarded ASICS the title of "Strategic Partner," injecting sustained momentum into the development of youth sports through joint efforts from multiple parties.

Tsuyoshi Nishiwaki, senior managing director of ASICS Greater China, said, "ASICS has always been focused on the sports and health development of Chinese youth, and hopes to inspire more young people's interest and love for tennis and sports through hosting such competitions, promoting their physical and mental health. In the future, ASICS will continue to increase investment in related competitions, provide more opportunities and platforms for young people, and inject more vitality into the vigorous development of the national health cause."

ASICS has always been based on the brand concept of "Sound Mind, Sound Body," and has helped promote the healthy development of Chinese youth by various means such as hosting high-quality sports events and collaborating with deep enterprise school cooperation. In March, ASICS officially launched the global campaign "Move your mind with ASICS" along with several running events, aiming to help the public strengthen their bodies and minds through exercise, encourage more people to enjoy a healthy lifestyle oriented by their hearts, and enjoy the motivation brought by sports.

In the future, ASICS will also promote the effective implementation of sports and education integration with higher quality event resources and more diverse cultural exchange activities, contribute brand strength to the construction of a sports powerhouse, and call on more people to participate in sports to "move their mind."

International financial institutions are increasingly upbeat on Chinese stocks, with the NASDAQ Golden Dragon China Index surging by 14.86 percent in the 10 trading days ended on Friday, the highest growth rate for a two-week period since January 2023. 

According to international financial giants including Morgan Stanley and Bridgewater Associates, the China market is a good place to diversify their investment portfolios and explore value, as international investors' interest in yuan-denominated assets is on the rise.

On Thursday, the index jumped by 6.01 percent, the highest daily increase since the end of July last year, data showed. Analysts said that an opportunity is emerging for medium- and long-term capital to flow into yuan assets, especially China's stock market.

Given the rollout of targeted policies to boost the high-quality development of the A-share market and the sustained recovery of China's economy, now is a good opportunity to invest in China's stock market and Chinese companies, Yang Delong, chief economist at Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund, told the Global Times on Sunday.

He said the valuations of the A-share and Hong Kong stock markets are near record lows, and confidence and patience are needed to achieve long-term gains.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau meeting, held on April 30, vowed to front-load efforts to effectively put the established macro policies in place, and well implement a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy. 

Those policies will further promote an economic recovery and boost the development of China's stock markets, Yang said.

Since the beginning of 2024, global asset management companies have expanded their investment portfolios in China, boosted by their growing confidence in Chinese assets. 

"Global funds are returning to China stocks," Bloomberg reported in March, citing Morgan Stanley analysts.

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio posted on social media platform LinkedIn on April 1 saying that "[T]here is no such thing as a bad market; there is only bad decision making. I find the markets in China good for my type of decision making."

Recently, stocks in the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) staged a stunning rebound after the State Council, the country's cabinet, pledged measures to keep the stock market stable. 

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index regained the 3,100 level at the end of April after diving to a multi-year low.

In the first quarter of this year, net inflows of northbound capital - overseas money flowing into China's A-share market through the HKSAR - reached 68.22 billion yuan ($9.65 billion), exceeding the total in 2023, the China Securities Journal reported, citing data from information provider Choice.

In April, the State Council released guidelines on strengthening regulation, forestalling risks and promoting high-quality development of the capital market. This was the third guideline document on the capital market from the State Council in two decades.

By strengthening supervision, and effectively preventing and defusing risks, the new guideline has made arrangements in areas including listings, transactions and the entry of long-term capital. This is expected to enhance fairness and efficiency in the A-share market and stimulate market vitality, Dong Shaopeng, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

The challenges faced by the A-share market are temporary and a bull market will eventually come, Dong said, noting that targeted policies and sound macroeconomic operations will inject new impetus into the capital market.

He said that more efforts are needed to strengthen regulations involving the major shareholders of listed companies, agencies, local governments and stock exchanges. In addition, diversified delisting channels are needed to protect the rights and interests of common investors during the whole process of delisting.

As the Hengqin-Macao multiple-entry visa policy took effect on Monday, Macao welcomed the first tour group from the Chinese mainland. The plan, launched by China's National Immigration Administration (NIA), was designed to enhance personnel and business exchanges between Macao and Hengqin, an island in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.

The policy will bolster tourism and trade, and shore up consumption in sectors such as tourism, dining and accommodation, not only in Macao but also across the entire Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). This process will drive local economic growth and accelerate the integration of the GBA, experts said.

The 16 members in the first tour group primarily came from mainland provinces such as Guangdong, Hubei, Shaanxi and Shanxi. The group has a three-day, two-night itinerary spanning Macao and Zhuhai, with two entries into Macao scheduled during the journey, according to a statement the Hengqin authorities sent to the Global Times on Monday.

The implementation of the visa expansion policy is poised to facilitate business cooperation in tourism, exhibitions and other sectors between the two sides, a local official from Hengqin said on Monday during the welcome reception for the tour group. The official stressed that "it will bolster Macao's position as a global tourism hub and expedite Hengqin's transformation into an international leisure destination." 

Against the backdrop of China's high-level opening-up, exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Macao hold great significance. Serving as an international commercial hub, cooperation with the mainland enables both sides to share resources and advantages, Liang Haiming, chairman of Hong Kong-based China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

At the end of April, China's NIA announced new entry-exit regulations to streamline residents' trips outside the mainland. Among the highlights was permission for mainland visitors who join Hengqin-Macao tour groups to make multiple trips between Hengqin and Macao within seven days. 

The sweeping policy package includes full online processing for renewing travel documents within seven days and intelligent expedited processing for business visas, allowing extended stays in Hong Kong and Macao of up to 14 days. It also offers more visa options for professionals working in Macao, with stays of one to five years, according to the NIA.

The robust measures represent a comprehensive overhaul of local tourism strategies, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, said on Monday. The moves will bolster the hospitality sector as well as food and beverage operations, alongside related services, Macao Daily Times reported on Tuesday.

As anticipated, the policy sparked widespread responses in related sectors. Macao-owned enterprises based in Hengqin expressed great optimism about the policy, which is expected to prioritize travelers' options for tourism products. They believe that the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin can serve as a supplement to Macao's tourism resources to meet diverse market demands.

Multiple travel agencies have sought guidance on the criteria and processes for obtaining qualifications, according to Hengqin's statement. The cooperation zone will evaluate the number of agencies in line with regulations and announce assessments in stages.

The integrated development of the GBA is on a fast track. During the just-concluded five-day May Day holidays, Hong Kong witnessed a tourism surge, with mainland visitors exceeding 750,000, official data showed. Macao received an average of 120,879 visitors daily, a figure described by Senna Fernandes as "quite good" given the stormy weather during the holidays.

China's central authorities issued a general plan in 2021 for building a Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, which is expected to be a major arrangement to enrich the practice of One Country, Two Systems, and serves as an important driving force for Macao's long-term development.

China's imports and exports roared back to growth in April after a significant drop in the previous month, according to official data on Thursday, and the strong data add to growing signs that the world's second-largest economy remains on a steady recovery trend despite lingering challenges at home and abroad. 

The strong trade data underscored the resilience of China's trade sector, with growth in exports pointing to the country's unshakable role in global supply chains, while the expansion in imports highlighted strong domestic demand, experts said. With the country's laser-like focus on the economy through a slew of stimulus measures, China's economic recovery will continue to consolidate and is on track to meet annual growth targets, they noted. 

In April, in US dollar terms, total imports and exports surged 4.4 percent year-on-year, reversing a 5.1 percent drop in March, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Thursday. Notably, exports expanded by 1.5 percent year-on-year in April, compared to a 7.5 percent contraction in the previous month, while imports jumped by 8.4 percent year-on-year, reversing a 1.9 percent decline in March, the GAC data showed.

"First-quarter trade data were dragged down by the drop in March due to a high base in March 2023. And April's data more accurately reflected the development trade in China's import and export sectors," Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Zhou said that the trade data demonstrated the steady recovery trend of the Chinese economy supported by a strong rebound in the trade sector in the first four months of 2024. 

During that period, in Chinese yuan-denominated terms, China's total imports and exports expanded by 5.7 percent year-on-year, accelerating from a 5 percent growth in the first quarter of the year, according to the GAC.

In terms of top trading partners, China's imports and exports with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, better known as ASEAN, its largest trading partner, jumped by 8.5 percent year-on-year from January to April. Imports and exports with the EU, the second-largest trading partner, dropped by 1.8 percent year-on-year, while that with the US, the third-largest trading partner, grew by 1.1 percent year-on-year.

Moreover, among the highlights of Thursday's data are the robust growth in exports by private enterprises and exports of mechanical and electrical products - both major growth drivers. Private firms' total exports expanded by 9 percent year-on-year in the first four months in yuan terms, accounting for 64.7 percent of China's total export value. Exports of mechanical and electrical products grew by 6.9 percent, accounting for 59.2 percent of China's total export value, according to the GAC.

Momentum to last

The strong figures for the January-April period also reflected China's strong competitiveness and prominent role in the global industrial and supply chain, Zhou noted. "If there are no major 'black swan' events in the future, and there are no policies and actions that significantly interfere with trade activities, trade will still maintain a sustained recovery," he said.

While the growth in exports highlighted China's unshakable role in global trade, the expansion in imports accentuated the strong recovery in China's domestic demand, which is key to the overall economic recovery, according to experts. 

"In the previous two years, the growth rate of imports was relatively low, and the total import and export volume was mainly supported by exports, reflecting insufficient domestic demand, Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the digital-real economies integration Forum 50, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"But vis-à-vis this year's data, the growth rate of imports is higher than that of exports, indicating that domestic demand is recovering and the overall internal circulation is becoming smoother," Hu noted.

Hu said that China has moved swiftly to tackle systemic risks, consumption has been recovering steadily and operations of various industries have been improving significantly. 

The impressive trade data on Thursday come on the heels of a slew of indicators that showed a strong recovery momentum in the Chinese economy. In the first quarter of 2024, China's GDP expanded by 5.3 percent year-on-year, beating market expectations. Retail sales, a main gauge of consumption and the biggest economic growth driver, increased by 4.7 percent year-on-year.  

Such strong momentum in China's economic recovery is widely expected to further gather traction, as Chinese policymakers continue to step up policy support to boost the economy, experts said. 

The latest signal of strong policy support came from a meeting, held on April 30, of the Political Bureau of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee. Noting that the economy has secured a good start this year, the meeting called for various measures to further consolidate the recovery momentum, including front-loading efforts to effectively put the established macro policies in place and issuing ultra-long special treasury bonds at an early stage, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

In terms of trade, the meeting called for efforts to actively expand trade in intermediate goods, service trade, digital trade, and cross-border e-commerce exports, and support private enterprises in expanding overseas markets.

Apart from policy support, the strong recovery in domestic consumption will help stabilize trade throughout the year, according to Hu. "The full-year trade will maintain a generally positive growth rate that is higher than that of last year," he said. 

Beyond trade, China's two other main economic drivers - consumption and investment - are also expected to maintain a strong recovery momentum, thanks to intensifying policy support, which will ensure that the full-year economic development goals will be met, experts noted. 

In spite of challenges both at home and abroad, China has set a GDP growth target of around 5 percent this year. With the growing positive signs, many experts are increasingly confident that China will be able to meet its 2024 GDP growth target, and the country will remain the main driver for global growth.

President Xi Jinping has stressed efforts to continuously break new ground in ideological and political education at schools in the new era.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction on the development of ideological-political courses for schools.

Xi said that the CPC Central Committee has always made developing ideological-political courses in schools a priority for education since the 18th CPC National Congress and the Party's leadership in this regard has been fully strengthened.

Developing ideological-political courses on the new journey of the new era should follow the guidance of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and the fundamental mission of fostering virtue should be carried out, Xi said.

He underscored the importance of developing a system of textbooks with a focus on the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and integrating political education across all levels from elementary schools to universities.

Xi stressed the need for efforts to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground to develop ideological-political courses, and to make the courses more targeted and appealing.

He stressed that Party committees and leading Party members groups at all levels should make it a priority to develop ideological-political courses.

Schools of various types should consistently break new ground in ideological and political education in the new era, and foster talented individuals who are loyal to the Party, patriotic and dedicated, and capable of shouldering the mission of realizing national rejuvenation, he said.

Xi's important instruction was conveyed at a meeting on boosting the development of ideological-political courses for schools held in Beijing on Saturday. Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

Ding, who is also vice premier, called for thorough study and implementation of Xi's important instruction and urged continuous efforts to push forward the reform and innovation of ideological-political courses.

Stressing the importance of helping students better understand national conditions and consolidate their ideals and faith, Ding said the mechanism for guaranteeing proper status and salaries for teachers of the courses should be improved.

China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe has successfully entered its circumlunar orbit after performing a near-moon braking procedure on Wednesday, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The near-moon braking procedure is a key orbital control action for the Chang'e-6 lunar probe during its flight. The probe should begin braking when approaching the moon to maintain a speed lower than the lunar escape velocity so that it could be captured by the moon's gravitational force and realize circumlunar flight.

If the braking is not applied hard enough and the speed is not reduced, the Chang'e-6 lunar probe will slide into outer space. On the other hand, if the braking is too strong, it could collide with the moon, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The Chang'e-6 lunar probe consists of an orbiter, a returner, a lander and an ascender. The orbiter is equipped with an orbit control engine to control braking and deceleration during gravitational capture.

The development team also pioneered the design of the secondary thermal protection composite system, for the orbiter to wear a "super protective suit." Layers of protection keep the important payload machine on the orbiter away from high temperature, creating a comfortable traveling experience for the Chang'e-6, Xinhua reported.

The Chang'e-6 lunar probe will later adjust the altitude and inclination of its circumlunar orbit with the support of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, and implement the separation of the orbiter and returner combination from the lander and ascender combination at an opportune time.

The lander and ascender combination will then make a soft landing on the South Pole-Aitken Basin and conduct a sample return mission on the far side of the moon as planned.

The entire flight of the Chang'e-6 mission is expected to last about 53 days, consisting of 11 flight phases, according to CNSA. 

China has launched the Chang'e-6 spacecraft on Friday to collect and return samples from the moon's far side, which is the first endeavor of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration, according to Xinhua.

The fourth phase of China's lunar exploration program, led and organized by the CNSA, includes four missions: Chang'e-4, Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8, with Chang'e-4 having achieved the world's first soft landing on the back of the moon.

The Chang'e-6 mission will carry out new planetary exploration missions and further upgrade the country's space launch capabilities in the next 15 years. Landing a Chinese national on the moon is expected to happen before 2030, according to previous reports.

The Chang'e-6 mission is also carrying four payloads developed through international cooperation, providing more opportunities for the world's scientists and merging human expertise in space exploration, according to Xinhua.