Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, and Makoto Nishida, secretary-general of the Komeito Party, will lead a delegation of Japan's ruling parties to visit China from January 13 to 15, at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Hu Zhaoming, spokesperson for the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, announced on Tuesday. Both sides will jointly hold the 9th meeting of China-Japan ruling parties exchange mechanism.
The 8th meeting of China-Japan ruling parties exchange mechanism was held in Japan in October 2018. During the three-day meeting, the delegations of the ruling parties of China and Japan had candid and in-depth exchanges centering on topics on political mutual trust and practical cooperation, according to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for the nation to remain confident in the coming year, saying the world's second largest economy can overcome its challenges and pressure through hard work.
Xi made the remarks in his New Year message for 2025 delivered through China Media Group and the internet.
Set to fully complete its 14th Five-Year Plan in 2025, China will implement more proactive and effective policies, prioritize high-quality development, promote greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development, Xi said.
He said the Chinese economy "now faces some new conditions, including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones."
"But we can prevail with our hard work. As always, we grow in the wind and rain, and we get stronger through hard times. We must be confident," Xi said.
Reviewing China's footprint in 2024, Xi said the economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with the national GDP expected to pass the mark of 130 trillion yuan (about 18.08 trillion U.S. dollars) and the country's grain output surpassing 700 million tonnes.
He also noted that China has fostered new quality productive forces, and new business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging. For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year, and breakthroughs have been made in fields including integrated circuit, artificial intelligence and quantum communications.
In response to a question about China's disaster relief assistance following the earthquake in Vanuatu, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Thursday that after the earthquake, China immediately extended emergency humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu.
To better support Vanuatu's disaster relief work, a chartered plane sent by the Chinese government carrying emergency disaster relief supplies arrived in Vanuatu's capital city Port Vila on Thursday, Mao said.
This shipment, weighing approximately 35 tonnes and 235 cubic meters in volume, includes tents, folding beds, water purification equipment, solar lights, emergency food provisions, medical supplies and so on. Chinese post-disaster assessment engineers have been carrying out intensive work in Vanuatu, providing support to the local government and people of Vanuatu in their efforts to respond to the disaster, Mao said. China and Vanuatu are good friends, good partners and good brothers that support each other in overcoming difficulties. China will continue to do what we can to help with the relief and reconstruction effort in light of the damage and the need of Vanuatu. We believe the people of Vanuatu will overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes soon, Mao added.
"We deeply understand that the recent earthquake has caused significant damage," said Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Li Minggang at the handover ceremony on Thursday as the emergency relief supplies from the Chinese government arrived in Port Vila, adding that China will always stand together with Vanuatu to assist the country, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Also attending the event, Vanuatu's caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai expressed the country's appreciation for China's assistance, and said it will support Vanuatu's recovery process going forward.
Previously, four experts from the Institute of Engineering Mechanics at the China Earthquake Administration (CEA) arrived in Port Vila on Monday. Their mission is to conduct post-earthquake assessments following the earthquake. This effort comes at the request of the Vanuatu government and is part of a coordinated deployment by the CEA and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the institute's official WeChat account.
On Tuesday, the CEA team held a working meeting with Vanuatu's Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities. During the meeting, they shared China's expertise in post-earthquake rescue and structural assessments, reviewed the overall earthquake damage in Vanuatu, and finalized plans for the next phase of work. The team also inspected and assessed the structural and non-structural damage to several government buildings.
The expert team will stay in Vanuatu for eight days to assist the Vanuatu government and Chinese-funded enterprises in the country in conducting safety assessments of damaged buildings and bridges, as well as carrying out scientific investigation of earthquake damage in the disaster-affected areas, according to the Institute of Engineering Mechanics at the CEA.
Mao previously said that this was the first time China has urgently dispatched a disaster assessment team of experts to a Pacific island country.
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Port Vila on December 17, killing at least 14 people, injuring more than 200 and severely damaging the city's infrastructure, according to Xinhua.
"I am deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash at Muan Airport today. My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims and their families, and I extend on behalf of my colleagues our sympathies to those injured," Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing wrote on X on Sunday, shortly after a passenger plane reportedly veered off runway and crashed at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province.
The Chinese Consulate General in Gwangju, South Korea, confirmed to reporters on Sunday that no Chinese citizens were among the casualties in the air crash, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Most of the people aboard a South Korean airplane that crashed at an airport in southwest South Korea on Sunday morning were believed to have been killed except two rescued, local fire authorities said.
The passenger plane with 175 passengers, including 173 South Koreans and two Thais, as well as six flight attendants on board, crashed while attempting to land at the Muan International Airport, some 290 kilometers southwest of the capital Seoul, at about 9:07 am.
"Chinese Embassy stands in solidarity with the ROK during this difficult time," Dai added in the Sunday post.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday expressed his confidence in Sam Hou Fai, who was just sworn in as the sixth-term chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
When meeting with Sam here, Xi said the central government will fully support the chief executive and the Macao SAR government in fulfilling their duties.
The Chinese embassy in Germany said it has not received reports of casualties among Chinese nationals as a driver killed at least five people when he rammed into a large crowd of revelers at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening local time.
The embassy reminds Chinese nationals to increase their safety awareness, stay informed about local safety conditions, and avoid gatherings during the holiday season.
According to China Central Television, at least five were killed and over 200 were injured.
One of the dead was a young child, said Reiner Haseloff, premier of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The incident took place in Magdeburg, the state capital, which is 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Berlin, Reuters reported.
Haseloff described the attacker as a 50-year-old male doctor from Saudi Arabia with permanent residency in Germany, where he had lived for almost two decades.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who sent his thoughts to those affected in a post on social media platform X, is expected to visit the scene on Saturday together with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Reuters reported
Former Chinese national football team head coach Li Tie was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a first-instance verdict on Friday for a number of charges including offering and accepting bribes.
The verdict was made by the Intermediate People's Court of Xianning, Central China's Hubei Province.
From 2019 to 2021, Li, taking advantage of his position as the head coach of the Chinese men's national football team, illegally accepted bribes totaling over 50.89 million yuan ($7.04 million), the Beijing Daily reported, citing revelations from the courts.
From 2015 to 2019, while working at the Hebei Huaxia Fortune Soccer Club and the Wuhan Zall Club, Li bribed other football clubs to cooperate or play passively during matches in order to win or achieve favorable outcomes, with the amount totaling over 39.05 million yuan.
From 2017 to 2019, leveraging his positions as general manager and head coach at the Wuhan club, Li received a total of 26.75 million yuan from the Hebei club to assist it in player transfers and winning matches.
Before the sentencing of Li, media reports show that 15 people have been sentenced in the ongoing anti-corruption campaign in China's football field.
On the same day of Li Tie's sentencing, the case of Du Zhaocai, former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China, for accepting bribes is also set to be sentenced. During the public trial in August, Du was accused of using his position to directly or indirectly, through relatives and others, illegally accept over 43.41 million yuan in bribes.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in Macao from Dec. 18 to 20 to attend a gathering marking the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be present at the inauguration ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
Xi will also conduct an inspection tour during his stay in the Macao SAR.
