An ordinary rural store in Yantai, East China's Shandong Province, has gone viral online not for its retro decor, but for the 42 swallow nests dotting its ceiling. The owner shared that for over two decades, these little swallows have chirped loudly each morning to wake them up, and flutter back to their respective nests independently by evening.
According to Wang, the store owner, the nests have accumulated over more than 20 years, now totaling 42 in all.
Over the years, Wang's family and the little swallows have grown close. "They're like friends to us," Wang said, adding that "We coexist in perfect harmony."
At dawn, the swallows chirp like a lively alarm clock, calling the family to open the shop so they can hunt for food. By nightfall, each swallow returns to its nest before the doors close.
"Years ago, there were even more—up to 60 or 70 nests," Wang said, noting how rare such a sight is in the area. "One or two nests are common, but this many are almost unheard of."
Netizens marveled. "This isn't a store at all — it's a swallows' hotel." Another man who discovered the store surprised, "It's incredible!"
When concerns about cleanliness arose, Wang reassured that these swallows are intelligent and relatively clean. "Even if droppings fall occasionally, we just clean it up — it's no trouble," he said. "We've developed real affection for these little birds."
US President Donald Trump declared in a social media post on Saturday US local time that the US had completed "very successful" attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran, Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan, with Fordow being widely seen as "the crown jewel" of Tehran's nuclear program.
According to media reports, the US Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were involved in the strikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned of retaliation on X, saying that "the events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences."
"In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," Araghchi wrote in the post.
Chinese analysts approached by the Global Times on Sunday said the US' attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities are unlikely to quickly end the conflict. The conflict will further spill over, potentially leading to greater turmoil in the Middle East and moving further away from the "day of peace," they warned.
In a speech on Saturday evening US local time, Trump defended Washington's move by clarifying that the objective was "destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat," and claimed that "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," according to a full text of the speech provided by Al Jazeera.
The US president said Iran must now make peace, or future attacks will "be far greater and a lot easier."
The "complex and high-risk mission" was carried out primarily by seven B-2 stealth bombers, according to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine. Caine disclosed at a Pentagon briefing on US local time Sunday morning that a total of 14 bunker-busters were dropped in the attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.
However, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) in a statement after the attacks, assured the Iranian nation that despite the evil conspiracies of its enemies, with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts, it will not allow the path of development of this national industry to be stopped.
Although Trump suggested in a Social Truth post that Fordow is gone, Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said that Iran had moved its nuclear infrastructure from Fordow in anticipation of an attack. "The site has long been evacuated and has not suffered any irreversible damage in the attack," Mohammadi wrote in a social media post, Al Jazeera reported.
Iranian and Saudi nuclear regulatory authorities also confirmed on Sunday that no radioactive contamination has been detected following US airstrikes targeting three key nuclear facilities in Iran, amid growing international concern over potential environmental consequences, regional media outlet Kurdistan24 reported.
Li Zixin, an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that the true effectiveness of the operation on three nuclear sites in Iran remains unclear, and that the strikes may not have been sufficient to completely destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities.
Global voices
China strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and bombing of nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday, when responding to a question on US President Donald Trump's announcement that strikes have been carried out on Iran's nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
The actions of the US seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East. China calls on the parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians, and start dialogue and negotiation. China stands ready to work with the international community to pool efforts together and uphold justice, and work for restoring peace and stability in the Middle East, the spokesperson said.
Following the attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed grave alarm by US' use of force against Iran on Saturday. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge - and a direct threat to international peace and security, per UN statement.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran's nuclear sites, Reuters reported. "The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," the ministry said in its statement.
Saudi Arabia issued a statement on Sunday expressing "deep concern" with the developments in Iran. The kingdom underscores the need to exert all efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate, and avoid escalation, the statement said.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also strongly condemned the US bombing, saying it constituted a "dangerous escalation" and a serious violation of the UN Charter. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil in a Telegram post also condemned US' action and demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities, Al Jazeera reported.
Besides, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called on the parties involved to return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation.
The head of UN's nuclear watchdog, Rafael Mariano Grossi, posted on X that given the US intervention in the Israel-Iran war, he will be convening an emergency meeting of the Board of Governors on Monday, AP reported.
Araghchi said on Sunday afternoon in an X post that "last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy."
The Iranian foreign minister questioned that "What conclusion would you draw? To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must "return" to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?"
Retaliation still underway
Hours after the US attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, Israel's military said Iran had fired a fresh wave of missiles toward the country, the first since the US announced it had attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, according to a statement by Israel Defense Forces, CNN reported.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it launched 40 missiles, including its advanced Khorramshahr-4 missile, during the attack on Israel on Sunday morning, AP News reported.
The Khorramshahr-4 has the heaviest payload of Iran's ballistic missile fleet, which analysts say may be designed to keep the weapon under a 2,000-kilometer range limit imposed by the country's supreme leader, according to AP report.
Abbas Golroo, head of the parliament foreign policy committee, said Iran has the legal right to withdraw from the nuclear Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons - based on its Article 10, Al Jazeera reported.
Article 10 states that an NPT member has "the right to withdraw from the Treaty if it decides that extraordinary events have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country."
Iran's parliament voted to approve the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported Sunday. The decision still requires approval from the Islamic Republic's Supreme National Security Council, France 24 reported.
Explosions were heard in Iran's southwest city of Bushehr Sunday, Iranian state-affiliated media said without indicating the exact location of the blasts.
The news outlets said Israel had struck the area. Bushehr is home to Iran's only functioning nuclear power plant, and the port city is close to a number of capital cities in the Gulf region, located around the Persian Gulf sea.
Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Agency for Atomic Energy, warned last week that a direct attack on the Bushehr nuclear plant would result in "a very high release of radioactivity," which would affect people within hundreds of kilometers of the plant.
Peace further away
A Reuters report on Sunday said the dramatic US strike, including the targeting of Iran's most heavily fortified nuclear installation deep underground, marks the biggest foreign policy gamble of Trump's two presidencies and one fraught with risks and unknowns.
Trump, who insisted on Saturday that Iran must now make peace or face further attacks, could provoke Tehran into retaliating by closing the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil artery, attacking US military bases and allies in the Middle East, stepping up its missile barrage on Israel and activating proxy groups against American and Israeli interests worldwide, analysts told the Reuters report.
Zou Zhiqiang, a research fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Sunday that although the US has attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, the outcome will not be as Washington hopes. Iran will not easily yield, and the conflict will not easily end.
It is easy to start a war but difficult to end one, the expert noted, adding that the US may want a quick strike and a swift withdrawal, but the confrontation between the two sides is likely to continue.
The US reached out to Iran diplomatically Saturday to say the strikes are all the US plans and that regime change efforts are not planned, the sources said, CBS News reported.
Regarding how Iran might respond to the US strikes, Zou said Iran now faces a major decision, and the US military bases in Iraq could be the first targets. However, the situation is still unfolding.
"The risk of spillover from the current situation in the Middle East is rising, with serious consequences, as the security situation in the region face the risk of losing control," said Ding Long, professor of the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University. "If Iran's nuclear sites are destroyed, all retaliation options - including attacks on US interests and control of the Strait of Hormuz - are possible," Ding Long added. Reprisals by Iran and its supporters against the US and Israel will further escalate the situation in the Middle East, and the security of the Middle East will face threats in many aspects, including maritime shipping security.
Yemen's Houthi group said in a statement on Saturday that it would target US ships if Washington attacks Iran.
"If America is involved in the attack and aggression against Iran ... the armed forces (Houthi forces) will target its ships and battleships in the Red Sea," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in the statement, aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
Ding added that the US bombing marks a serious escalation and disrupts hopes for a peaceful resolution. Iran is likely to retaliate, and US interests in the region may suffer, he said.
China's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Li Song stated that the US, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and a nuclear-weapon state, conducted a military strike against against a non-nuclear-weapon state's facilities under IAEA safeguards—an act that is egregious and unprecedented in nature. China strongly condemns this action.
Li made the remarks at an emergency meeting the IAEA convened on the situation in Iran to discuss issues related to the US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities on Monday.
The US attacked three key Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday local time, according to CNN. US President Donald Trump claimed the operation "obliterated" the sites.
Li stressed that the US' move constitutes a grave violation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, exacerbates tensions in the Middle East, and has severe negative repercussions. China expresses serious concern and firmly opposes any violation of Iran's sovereignty and security, as well as armed attacks against nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards.
Li emphasized that under the current circumstances, all parties should adhere to the overarching direction of resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through political means. The Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during its first term, and now it has recklessly resorted to military force against Iran—another serious incident undermining the political and diplomatic process on the Iranian nuclear issue. The US must bear historical responsibility for this, Li noted.
China calls on the parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease hostilities as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians, and prevent further escalation.
Li stated that resolutely upholding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime is crucial for maintaining global peace and security and serves the fundamental interests of the international community. The IAEA is a vital international organization responsible for safeguarding the nuclear non-proliferation regime, implementing safeguards, and promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The board of governors and member states must take a stance on the serious developments in the Iranian nuclear issue, pool their joint efforts, uphold justice, and make principled, responsible and constructive efforts. China supports the IAEA in fulfilling its duties impartially and playing a positive role in the political and diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue.
During the meeting, many countries expressed grave concern over the current developments, noting that attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities violated the UN Charter, international law, the IAEA Statute, and relevant IAEA General Conference resolutions. All parties reaffirmed that the political and diplomatic path remains the only viable solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and called on the relevant parties to cease hostilities immediately and engage in dialogue and negotiations.
Responding to media inquiries on whether China will announce territorial sea baselines for Tiexian Jiao, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that Tiexian Jiao is part of China's Nansha Islands and is an uninhabited reef.
Guo emphasized that China's law enforcement activities in accordance with the law are aimed at countering the Philippines' illegal landings and other provocative actions, and at firmly safeguarding national territorial sovereignty. They are also aimed at maintaining the reef's status as uninhabited and without facilities and upholding the seriousness of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Guo added.
On Sunday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) announced that six Philippine personnel illegally boarded Tiexian Jiao in the South China Sea despite the Chinese side's warnings and dissuasion. Following the move, the CCG officers boarded the Tiexian Jiao to verify and handle the situation in accordance with the law.
China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, including Tixian Jiao, and the adjacent waters. The Philippine side's actions violate China's territorial sovereignty, breach the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea, CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun said on Sunday.
The 78th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland, announced the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement on Tuesday.
What does the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement mean for global public health governance? What role has China played in the negotiations?
Xinhua interviewed Hu Guang, director of the Emergency Response Division at China's National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA), who was deeply involved in the drafting and negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement, to better expound China's actions and positions.
SOLEMN COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING HEALTH OF ALL HUMANITY
Q: What does the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement mean for global public health governance?
A: The formulation of the Pandemic Agreement is a key measure in the reform of global health security governance following the COVID-19 pandemic, as countries seek to improve global health governance, address deficiencies in the international and the World Health Organization (WHO) responses to the pandemic, and enhance global capacity to prevent, prepare for and deal with the next infectious disease pandemic.
The agreement proposes establishing a series of new platforms and mechanisms which aim to comprehensively reform the existing working rules for pandemic monitoring, prevention and response systems, promote the development and sharing of pandemic-related products, and restructure production and distribution systems -- to collectively optimize the global public health governance system and make efforts to address the current challenges to fairness in international health development.
After over three years of intensive negotiations, nations have finally reached consensus on the agreement text, fulfilling a solemn commitment to protecting global public health while demonstrating robust support for multilateral governance mechanisms.
IMPROVING GLOBAL HEALTH GOVERNANCE, DEMONSTRATING CHINA AS A RESPONSIBLE MAJOR COUNTRY
Q: What role has China played in the negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement?
A: China has been actively participating in the negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement. Guided by the vision of building a global community of health for all proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, China has practiced true multilateralism and has advocated for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among nations during the talks. It has supported the WHO in playing a central coordination role in order to jointly improve the global health governance system and boost worldwide capacities for prevention, precaution and response.
On technical issues including pandemic prevention and monitoring, China, upholding the spirit of science, has put forward reasonable amendments to the text and been deeply involved in drafting the relevant text, playing an important role in helping reach consensus. Thanks to China's efforts, all parties agreed to focus monitoring efforts on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases with pandemic potential, to clarify the scope of institutions responsible for information sharing, to reduce the implementation burden on the parties, and to safeguard the common interests of developing countries.
In addition, together with Brazil, Indonesia, Bangladesh and other countries, within the framework of "Friends of Fairness," China actively responds to the reasonable demands of developing countries for fair access to health products, demonstrating its role as a responsible major country. ADDRESSING EQUITY ISSUES AND CARRYING OUT SUBSEQUENT ANNEX NEGOTIATIONS
Q: How will the Pandemic Agreement enhance global coordination and effectively address existing equity issues?
A: The Pandemic Agreement proposes measures in areas such as research and development (R&D), production, technology transfer, benefit-sharing, product supply and financing to address existing equity issues.
Regarding R&D, the agreement mandates collaborative actions among the parties, requiring them to support developing countries in building their R&D capacities and institutions, actively facilitate their participation in scientific research, and establish mechanisms for the prompt sharing of research data and outcomes.
In the areas of production and technology transfer, the agreement requires the parties to implement measures -- including transferring production technologies and skills for producing pandemic-related products -- to enhance the sustainability and geographic diversification of global production capacity, ensuring more sustainable, timely and equitable access to such products worldwide.
Regarding pathogen access and benefit-sharing, the agreement calls for establishing a WHO-managed pathogen access and benefit-sharing system to achieve rapid and timely sharing of materials and sequence information on pathogens with pandemic potential, and share the benefits resulting from the use of these materials and sequence information.
Regarding product supply, the agreement proposes establishing a WHO-led global supply chain and logistics network to meet global public health needs.
Additionally, it establishes a financing coordination mechanism to provide more sustainable and predictable funding for implementing the Pandemic Agreement.
Q: When will the adopted Pandemic Agreement enter into force?
A: According to the relevant arrangements, after the adoption of the agreement at the 78th World Health Assembly, the WHO will establish Intergovernmental Working Group to negotiate the annex related to Article 12 (Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System) of the agreement.
The outcomes of the annex negotiations will be submitted to the 79th World Health Assembly for consideration. Upon adoption, the annex will be open for signature and approval together with the main text of the Pandemic Agreement and will enter into force after the approval of sixty nations. China will continue to actively participate in the negotiations on the annex in a bid to promote the agreement's scientific rigor, equity and operational feasibility.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for pooling the strength of the country's working class and working people and working hard in a down-to-earth manner to turn the grand blueprint of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into reality.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and honor model workers and exemplary individuals.
This year's event is the 17th edition of its kind, and showcases the patriotism and creativity of workers in the new era. A total of 1,670 people were honored as national role model workers, while 756 were recognized as exemplary individuals, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.
Apart from those working in the traditional sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, the honorees also include inheritors of fine traditional Chinese culture and representatives from new professions such as delivery workers and domestic service trainers.
No matter how historical conditions and social groups evolve, the status and role of the working class in China, the fundamental principle of relying wholeheartedly on the working class, and the nature and functions of the country's trade unions cannot be shaken, Xi said.
Xi called on the whole society to learn from the model workers and exemplary individuals, and promote their excellent qualities. Model workers and exemplary individuals should also cherish the honors they have received and continue working hard to achieve new successes.
Inspiration for people
Xi has made inspirational remarks in various occasions to commend people in different walks of life for their hard work, underscoring the significance of the leading role of the working class and working people.
While addressing a discussion session with national model workers in 2013, Xi noted that "people make history, and work creates the future. Work is the fundamental force driving the progress of human society. Happiness does not fall from the sky, nor do dreams come true automatically."
Xi, in a visit to the hutong neighborhoods of central Beijing in 2019, particularly dropped in on an express delivery station there. He praised the hard work of deliverymen, saying they were "busy as bees," bringing convenience to people's lives.
"No matter how the times change, we must always treat work and working people with reverence and respect, and we must always attach significance to the leading role of the working class and working people." These words by Xi encapsulate his decades of concern, support and respect for the workforce, Xinhua reported in May 2022.
Among many inspired are the Fu family from Haermodun village in the Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The father Fu Zhizhou started four decades ago as a pioneer in afforestation efforts in the village located near China's largest desert, the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang.
Fu led his family and mobilized fellow villagers to plant poplar trees, which when connected, have a total length of 34 kilometers, forming a Green Great Wall that defies the arid landscape.
After Fu Zhizhou passed away, Fu's children are now carrying forward the cause to complete his pledge to plant one million trees. As a sand control worker, "I will bend down, work diligently, plant one tree after another, one year after another," the second son Fu Guoxi told the Global Times.
With determination and courage, people overcame the hostile environment and transformed the desert, and with unwavering efforts, people can achieve bigger goals, according to Fu.
Down-to-earth manner
At the Monday gathering, Xi said that on the new journey in the new era, it is imperative to focus on promoting high-quality development and motivate the broad masses of working people to strive for achievements and be innovative and creative.
For example, sending science and technology experts to boost local development has been one of China's measures to facilitate local development, and such creative and down-to-earth measures have yield fruitful outcomes with vivid examples across the country.
The practice of sending sci-tech experts to rural areas was initiated in 1999 when the local government in Nanping, East China's Fujian Province, sought to upgrade its unproductive rural economy.
In 2002, Xi, then governor of Fujian Province, appreciated the measure of Nanping in an article, saying it was a useful exploration in innovating rural work. In the same year, the measure was piloted in several other provinces and regions. It was promoted nationwide in 2009 and has gained bigger institutional support from the central authorities since 2012, according to Xinhua.
Wu Jingcai, number 001 of the first batch of 225 experts sent to Nanping, has retired from his job in a Fujian agrotechnological institute, but "never retired from work." In March, Wu received a phone call and went all the way to a village 160 kilometers away to help a farmer upgrade the shaddock variety.
"I am happy and fortunate to be able to apply what I have learned to agricultural production. It is of great importance to me that when farmers are in need, I can help," Wu said.
Agricultural sci-tech experts help farmers solve real problems and it is truly rewarding to see farmers increase their incomes and improve their livelihoods, Wu said. Part of Wu's job is to help farmers better cope with the ever-changing market as "there is no forever profit-making variety, and cultivators need to understand supply and demand."
But one principle does not change, that is hard work will pay off, Wu said.
Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University, told the Global Times on Monday that being hardworking is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, and the China of today was built by the hard work of its people, from generation to generation.
The virtue of hard work has always been cherished in China, yet it is of unique significance in times of hardship, Zhang said, adding that in the face of major changes in the external environment at the moment, Chinese people, hardworking and down-to-earth, keep the courage and confidence to overcome challenges and march forward on the great path of national rejuvenation.
The Higher People's Court of Hubei Province ruled on Wednesday to reject the appeal and uphold the original verdict against Li Tie, former head coach of China’s national men’s football team, according to CCTV News.
Li was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a first-instance verdict issued by the Intermediate People’s Court of Xianning, in central China’s Hubei Province, in December 2024. He was convicted on multiple charges, including offering and accepting bribes.
According to the indictment, from 2019 to 2021, Li, leveraging his position as the head coach of the national team, assisted relevant organizations and individuals in matters such as player selection for the national team, match outcomes, and signing contracts with clubs. He illegally received more than 50.89 million yuan ($7 million) in total during this period, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
He was also charged with multiple bribery offenses committed from 2015 to 2019 when he worked for local football clubs, according to the report.
The main point of contention in both trials was the issue of identity classification, which formed the core of Li’s appeal. Li and his defense team argued that he was not a state functionary, and therefore should not be subject to charges applicable to state functionaries. Under Chinese law, bribery involving state functionaries carries a sentence of more than 10 years to life imprisonment, while bribery involving non-state functionaries carries a sentence of 5 to 15 years, according to CCTV News.
Following the second-instance verdict, if Li still does not accept the ruling, he may, in accordance with legal procedures, apply for a retrial with the Supreme People’s Court within six months of the judgment taking effect, CCTV News reported.
The former Everton player, 47, was placed under investigation in November 2022 and stood trial in March in 2024.
The Chinese Embassy in Canada voiced firm opposition to the latest so-called cybersecurity advisory issued by the Canadian government which cited "cyber threats" from China, stressing that China firmly rejects such smears and slander.
In a statement issued on Wednesday local time, the embassy said despite China's repeated solemn representations, the Canadian side has once again smeared and slandered China over so-called "cyber threat" activities. China firmly opposes and rejects this.
The Canadian government issued a cyber security advisory on Tuesday local time, saying that it "has observed increasing levels of China threat actor activity, including activity associated to Salt Typhoon, targeting network edge routers across critical infrastructure sectors."
China is one of the primary victims of cyberattacks. We have always firmly opposed and cracked down on all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law, and we are committed to safeguarding cybersecurity, the embassy said.
We urge Canada to immediately stop politicizing and stigmatizing cybersecurity issues, and to cease making groundless accusations and attacks against China, the embassy noted.
By the end of 2024, the US fabricated a so-called "hacker group associated with the Chinese government" - the "Salt Typhoon," promoting the narrative of "Chinese cyber threats."
However, professionals in the field of cyberspace told the Global Times that the so-called "Salt Typhoon" not only lacks any substantial evidence but also exposes the fact that US intelligence agencies are conducting large-scale surveillance and espionage against their own citizens.
In response to the US' sanctions against relevant Chinese company and citizen involved with so-called Salt Typhoon's cyberattack, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in January that China opposes the accusations without any convincing evidence and their abuse of sanctions against China. In fact, the US has conducted large-scale and systemic cyberattacks on China for years. We have made very clear our concerns and opposition on this for many times.
China’s Hainan University unveiled domestically developed core technologies and a series of products for implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCI), including globally leading BCI-specific chips, at the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) held from April 13 to Friday. With core technologies breaking dependence on imports, this also marks that China has achieved full-chain technological autonomy and control in the field of BCI, the Hainan University School of Biomedical Engineering announced on Friday via its official WeChat account.
The breakthrough will inject “Chinese chip” power into brain science research and medical applications. These technologies and products also include neural signal acquisition systems, neural signal modulation systems, and neuron positioning systems, according to the Hainan University School of Biomedical Engineering.
The team from the university has nearly 20 years of experience in the research and development of BCI chips and systems. They have developed several core chips for invasive BCI, with some of them achieving full-link coverage for the acquisition, regulation, and transmission of BCI signals, with performance comparable to leading international products. It has received high recognition from several research institutions and enterprises in the industry, according to the university.
The team leader said specialized chips are fundamental to the BCI system, and that the team has been dedicated to developing and refining these chips through independent innovation. The performance of these chips has reached an internationally advanced level, and the team aims to eliminate China’s reliance on imported invasive BCI chips and also support the growth of the Chinese BCI industry, said the team leader, according to the Hainan University School of Biomedical Engineering.
According to a report by a Hainan local media, a bionic manipulator showcased at the booth of Hainan University at the expo may in the future help some patients with partial paralysis. The device has already been tested in animal experiments, and it may take some time for the project to be implemented. Currently, they are in the process of applying for a patent, according to the report.
The Intermediate People's Court in Xinyu city, East China's Jiangxi Province on Tuesday publicly pronounced the first-instance verdict in the bribery case of Mao Qi, former Party chief of Wannian county in Shangrao. Mao was found guilty of accepting bribes and was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, along with a fine of 1 million yuan ($137,000). His illicit gains were ordered to be confiscated and turned over to the state treasury.
Between 2012 and 2024, Mao took advantage of his positions as the director of the office of the talent work leading group of the Shangrao Municipal Committee, deputy secretary of the Wannian County Party Committee and county head, and secretary of the Wannian County Party Committee, to seek benefits for others, including project contracting, fund allocation, promotions, and bank loans. By abusing his authority and leveraging the influence of his positions, he accepted bribes totaling more than 11.5 million yuan, either directly or through others.
Based on the facts and circumstances of Mao's crimes, the Intermediate People's Court in Xinyu city rendered the above judgment in accordance with the law.
