Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged further efforts to preserve the country's cultural and natural treasures and renew their glamour in the new era.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction on strengthening the protection, preservation and utilization of cultural and natural heritage.
The instruction was made after one cultural heritage and two natural heritages of China were inscribed on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in July 2024.
UNESCO announced the inscription of Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital, Badain Jaran Desert -- Towers of Sand, and Lakes, and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) on its list at the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India.
The inclusion of these heritage items has positive significance for the building of Chinese modernization that features material and cultural-ethical advancement and harmony between humanity and nature, Xi said, noting that it also adds new luster to world civilizations.
Xi called for efforts to take this UNESCO inclusion as an opportunity to further strengthen the comprehensive and systematic protection of cultural and natural heritage and make good use of them to better meet the people's needs.
He also urged enhanced international exchange and cooperation in this field, and efforts to make greater contribution to the practice of the Global Civilization Initiative and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Currently, China is home to a total of 59 World Heritage Sites.
Italian Nicolò Balini is a travel vlogger on YouTube with over 1 million subscribers. In June of this year, he embarked on his second trip to China, visiting cities such as Macao, Xi'an, and Chongqing, amassing over 2 million views on YouTube. One of Nicolò's key features is his refusal to just skim through the surface. For instance, when taking the high-speed train, he provided a detailed introduction to the development history of China's railway construction. When visiting the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, he narrated the painstaking efforts of Chinese scientists in wildlife conservation. His extensive and detailed research has won praise from Chinese viewers.
This year marks the 700th anniversary of the death of Italian explorer Marco Polo. More than 700 years ago, Marco Polo's journey to China opened the door to the East for the Western world. Through the information and experiences he brought back, Westerners learned about a China with a splendid civilization, thereby promoting mutual understanding and learning between Eastern and Western civilizations. Today, foreign internet influencers, including Nicolò, are introducing the real China to Western audiences through their smartphones and camera lenses. Due to their status as internet influencers, they are collectively referred to as "Marco Bloggers."
The rising popularity of "Marco Bloggers" on social media, both at home and abroad, vividly reflects the enormous desire and enthusiasm of people from both the East and the West for civilizational exchange and mutual learning. This desire once supported Marco Polo's journey across oceans and deserts; in today's globalized world, it helps people overcome the barriers of geopolitical and ideological biases. In Marco Polo's era, distant China was mysterious to Westerners; today, the hindrance to Westerners' objective understanding of China is the stereotypes shaped by some Western media outlets. Marco Polo profoundly changed the way Westerners viewed the world; today's Western audiences break the information cocoon of "Western centrism" through the videos of "Marco Bloggers," thereby witnessing a real, multi-dimensional, and rapidly evolving modern China.
China needs to understand the world, and the world also wants to understand China. Whether it is Marco Polo or "Marco Bloggers," an open and inclusive China always opens its arms to friends from around the world. Since the beginning of this year, in order to facilitate the entry of foreign tourists, China has made great efforts to optimize visa policies and improve the convenience level of payment and accommodation. Recently, Chongqing launched a one-stop online application for entry port visa services, the first digitalized entry port visa project in China, and the Beijing PASS, a multi-purpose card for international visitors, is currently being tested. The efficiency and governance of China that foreign bloggers admire are accumulated from such meticulous work and solid progress.
In addition to high-speed trains and electric cars, what impresses foreign bloggers the most is the sincerity and friendliness of the Chinese people. When a stranger helped traveler Amir Malik pay for the subway ticket directly, when two Beijing alley elders chatted with a British couple, tourism bloggers Jack and Paige, despite the language barrier, many Chinese and foreign netizens are moved to tears. Many foreign bloggers also mention that the integrity of the Chinese people has left a deep impression on them. Whether in a supermarket in Guangzhou or a morning market in Shenyang, when they hand over their phone payment interface to a Chinese merchant who doesn't speak the same language, they have never encountered a situation where the payment was made incorrectly. Just like the British couple exclaimed, "what an amazing people!" This is the significance of cultural exchange, different civilizations can understand each other better through dialogue and communication on the basis of mutual respect and tolerance. In the process, they can also better understand themselves through the understanding of others.
At the same time, we also noticed a regrettable phenomenon: Many foreign bloggers have clarified in their videos that they have not accepted any so-called "funds" to do propaganda for China. A pair of Irish bloggers even directly questioned why they have been to so many countries, but only their videos in China were questioned as "propaganda." For Western media, this question should be enlightening. However, on August 1, a reporter from The New York Times published two articles within two hours, distorting and smearing Chinese inbound tourism by taking foreign bloggers' videos out of context. It seems that the pressure brought by those "Macro Bloggers" to The New York Times is not small, may have even irritated it. This is the power of truth. Don't say two articles in two hours, even if there are more lies, how can they overcome the truth?
From Marco Polo to "Marco Bloggers," the encounter of different civilizations has not only led to clashes of civilizations, but also brought about a blending of civilizations. The stories of ordinary people meeting and interacting, from the most simple and real perspective, have added a vivid and convincing footnote to the Global Civilization Initiative. In today's world where the future and destiny of countries are closely linked, only by strengthening dialogue among civilizations based on mutual respect and inclusiveness, promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, can we eliminate barriers, alienation, and hostility, and can we uphold the beauty of each civilization and the diversity of civilizations in the world. These are the inspirations that "Marco Bloggers" bring to our time.
Hong Liang, Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division of Ministry of External Affairs of India co-chaired the 30th Meeting of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India Border Affairs in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The recent interactions between China and India are seen as crucial for building positive momentum toward addressing border issues and stabilizing bilateral relations, analysts said, also urging Indian side to intensify efforts in collaboration with China to further improve bilateral relations.
During the meeting on Wednesday, the two sides agreed to actively implement the important common understandings reached at the recent bilateral meeting between the two foreign ministers, focus on specific issues related to the China-India border, accommodate each other's legitimate concerns and reach a mutually acceptable solution at an early date, according to a release of Chinese foreign ministry.
The two sides also agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels, strengthen negotiation mechanism building, speed up the negotiation process, and turn over a new leaf in the border situation at an early date so as to promote the sound and steady development of China-India relations. The two sides agreed to strictly abide by the agreements already reached and continue to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.
The meeting came against the backdrop of a series of interactions between China and India. On July 25, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Vientiane, Laos on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN meetings.
Also on July 4, Wang met with Jaishankar in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, during which the two sides agreed to commit to stabilizing the border areas and hold a new round of consultations addressing border issues.
There are some positive signals coming from China-India relations, however, without breakthroughs on the core issue of border affairs, it will not be easy to see more improvement in bilateral relations, Long Xingchun, a professor from the School of International Relations at Sichuan International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
Long said that while China maintains that border issues do not encompass the entirety of bilateral relations, India insists that resolving these issues are crucial for returning bilateral relations toward a normal trajectory.
Based on current momentum, India may consider making tactical adjustments that align with its interests. For instance, there is increasing discussion in India about relaxing visa restrictions for needed Chinese engineers and lifting restrictions on Chinese investments, Long said.
Some analysts hold a cautiously optimistic view on future bilateral relations, noting that with no major changes observed in India's China policies during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term, shifts in political mindset may be challenging for Indian politicians.
However, exchanges at various levels combined with people-to-people interactions can serve as a bridge for mutual understanding between the two countries, they said, noting that China has consistently maintained an open and welcoming stance towards Indians, and New Delhi should reciprocate by taking similar steps to foster more positive factors for bilateral relations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday arrived in Lao capital Vientiane to attend the ASEAN meetings and other events against the backdrop of turbulence in the South China Sea, but analysts believed the tensions will not have a major impact on the main course of cooperation.
The Philippines hopes to utilize the ASEAN events to endorse its stance, but other ASEAN members understand the complexity and sensitivity of the topic, and recognize the bloc's priority as being development and prosperity, they said.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on Thursday.
Wang said the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed more than 300 reform tasks, outlined a blueprint for deepening reform across the board, and sent a clear signal that reform and opening-up will always be in progress.
China appreciates that Laos has always stood with China on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns, and will continue to be the most reliable friend and partner of Laos, ready to enhance experience sharing with Laos on governance, Wang said.
China firmly supports Laos in exploring a development path suited to its own and in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity, willing to deepen all-round cooperation with Laos, strengthen comprehensive development along the China-Laos Railway and promote connectivity to boost Laos' economic development, said the foreign minister.
During the meeting, Thongloun said that the important conclusions and innovative achievements of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee have provided important references for Laos to promote the socialist cause.
In his meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on Thursday, Wang said both sides should carry forward their traditional friendship, deepen their construction of a China-Laos community with a shared future, and achieve high-standard, high-quality and high-level collaboration and coordination, making their relationship one of the best among China's neighboring countries.
Sonexay Siphandone said the country stands ready to promote a new version of the action plan on building a Laos-China community with a shared future and expand practical cooperation with China on all fronts, Xinhua reported.
The prime minister said that the Laos-China Railway provided strong momentum for Laos to transform from a land-locked to a land-linked nation, adding that the country welcomes more capable Chinese enterprises to invest in Laos, helping to deepen regional interconnectivity and safeguard regional supply chain stability.
From Thursday to Saturday, Wang will attend the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane and pay an official visit to Laos, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting convened on Thursday, to be followed by meetings with East Asian countries and other global players including Russia, the US and the EU.
Cooperation priorities
Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi Minzu University, told the Global Times on Thursday that the foreign ministers' meetings, routinely held annually, will prepare for the leaders' meeting in the second half of the year and serve as an opportunity to review the progress and specify further plans to jointly build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable homeland.
Ge named infrastructure, economic growth, the South China Sea and external hotspot issues as areas in which China and ASEAN will have in-depth exchanges.
The 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting started in Vientiane on Thursday under the theme of "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience," as the region, like many others in the world, faces myriad challenges, including lingering economic and financial difficulties, climate change, natural disasters, and traditional and non-traditional security issues, according to the official website.
ASEAN's choice of main theme suggested that the bloc has an urgent need to further boost its economy, and improving infrastructure, particularly transportation and energy, is a key task as it has prevented economic development from going faster, Ge said.
Southeast Asia's first bullet train route, the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, was built with Chinese assistance; In the first five months of 2024, the China-Laos railway carried 2.3 million tons of freight, an increase of 31 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
Despite a better economic performance than a few years ago, many Southeast Asian economies still face pressure from inflation and fiscal budgets, and are compelled to stabilize industrial chain and build up economic resilience in the era of Industry 4.0, which demands close cooperation with China, Ge said.
Also among the topics on the agenda will be negotiations on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) Version 3.0, which is expected to inject new momentum into bilateral trade, Ge said.
The expert also mentioned some non-regional hot spot issues that would impact the international environment, namely the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the war in Gaza, which China and the ASEAN members have similar stances on.
Not a confrontational sea
The South China Sea will definitely be an integral part of China-ASEAN exchanges, and the situation this year is more complex, given frictions between China and the Philippines under the shadow of US intervention, analysts said.
ASEAN will likely welcome the "provisional arrangement" reached between Beijing and Manila at the Ren'ai Jiao, or Ren'ai Reef concerning the illegally grounded Philippine warship, and negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) will continue to make some progress, Ge said.
Divergence on some core texts will remain a thorny issue during the third reading, and the frictions at sea have cast a shadow over political mutual trust and poisoned the atmosphere, not to mention interference from external forces, Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday. "There will be progress, but it might be limited; and certain countries might shift the blame to China for not making substantial progress."
However, Ding believed ASEAN will not allow a confrontational atmosphere to override the platform's basic position of disputes over the South China Sea being addressed directly by the countries involved, and ASEAN should join hands with China to safeguard peace and stability in the region.
The Philippines hopes to utilize the ASEAN events to endorse its claims, but other ASEAN members are aware that disputes are not solely between China and the Philippines - some countries have a row with Manila that is no less serious than that between Beijing and Manila, Ding explained.
They understand the Philippines' attempts to take advantage of them, and that the US is standing behind it, so they are cautious of echoing the Philippines' views amid the frictions, Ding said.
Actually, there are other countries that have disputes with China, but none of them has moved as close to the US as the Philippines in the strategic sense, Ding noted, "Manila is quite an outcast in the region."
The Philippines submitted to a United Nations body a proposal to formally recognize the extent of its undersea continental shelf, which Malaysia has publicly opposed, saying it clearly disregards Malaysia's indisputable sovereignty over the state of Sabah, according to media reports.
Reuters reported Wednesday that the Philippines will in Vientiane propose the creation of an ASEAN Coast Guard Forum between its members to enable dialogue and law enforcement, according to its senior diplomat Theresa Lazaro, a plan likely to rile China.
Ding said that although the Philippines is eyeing closer intra-ASEAN coast guard cooperation with China in mind, the mechanism itself should not be interpreted as China-targeted. "We should analyze it case by case based on specific items, types and scope of such cooperation."
The China coast guard has also cooperated with its counterparts in ASEAN members in recent years, including Vietnam and Cambodia, and exploring the possibility of ASEAN-China Coast Guard Forum cannot be ruled out, Ding said.
Resilience to intervention
Although some analysts believe the US will try to sow discord between China and ASEAN, and mobilize the Philippines to create trouble, both Ding and Ge are optimistic that ASEAN can uphold centrality and resist the intervention and negative impact of external forces.
ASEAN does not want to focus excessively on South China Sea and marginalize the key agenda of regional cooperation, solidarity and ASEAN's international status, or divert the main course of the China-ASEAN relationship, Ding said, "the stability and resilience of the relationship determines that it can withstand the test."
Ge compared this year with 2012 when China and the Philippines also had fierce frictions in the South China Sea.
While maintaining the basic line of avoiding getting involved in major power competition, ASEAN members are increasingly clear about who is the peacekeeper and who is the troublemaker militarizing the region, Ge said.
Indonesia, the ASEAN chair of 2023, warned in February last year not to use Southeast Asia as a "proxy" for their rivalries amid reports of an enhanced military pact between the US and the Philippines. Washington and Manila formally upgraded the treaty months later in May and in April 2024, and involved Japan in a trilateral summit to form a structure targeting China.
Despite receiving immediate benefits from industrial relocation from China-US trade frictions, ASEAN rejects excluding China from the landscape out of concerns that the supply chain may become very turbulent, Ge said.
Ge believes that ASEAN could have started to consider whether the rosy picture painted by the US can be realized given the development of the US elections.
There have been records of US withdrawal after turning a region into total mess, and the ASEAN would not allow the same scenario to be copied in Southeast Asia when the US is trying to start a new Cold War in the region, analysts said.
The new Argentine government is looking to cooperate with China, Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Monday.
She also said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is very important for Argentina, and the Argentine government will continue to maintain an open attitude toward foreign investment, including from China.
From April 27 to May 1, Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina, Mondino, visited China. This visit marked the first visit to China by Mondino since the current government took office, and it coincided with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Argentina.
China looks forward to further enhancing political mutual trust and opening up broader prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation through this visit, continuously enriching the content of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Argentina, and helping both countries achieve common prosperity and development, according to media reports.
Mondino told the Global Times that her visit to China is expected to enhance friendship with China and strengthen links in the economy, politics, diplomacy, and business.
Accompanying her on her visit to China were the President of the Central Bank of Argentina, the Vice Minister of Economy, and representatives from more than 20 Argentine companies, all of whom engaged in dialogues with Chinese partners.
She said that a series of meetings and agendas in China have been very successful. "Everybody is trying to foster these very good relations," she said.
According to Mondino, during this visit, she and her colleagues explained to China the economic and social changes Argentina is undergoing, as well as some measures taken by the new government over the last four months.
She stressed that Argentina is trying to further open up to foreign investment and the economy, while reducing inflation and the fiscal deficit.
She said that China is very cautious in its monetary policy and has been very successful in its openness to the outside world. Argentina hopes to continue to be China's trading partner and an investment destination, and the new government will seek deeper cooperation with China.
"The cooperation between Argentina and China is very good, very fast, and very expeditious," she said.
She also noted to the Global Times that Argentina's participation in the BRI is "really very important" for the country.
Argentina has a huge demand for infrastructure construction. In addition, there is potential for both countries to further strengthen cooperation in agriculture, and in the mining of minerals such as lithium, and in energy. She said that Chinese investments will receive fair and equal treatment in Argentina.
According to public information, China is currently Argentina's second-largest trading partner, accounting for 13.8 percent of Argentina's total foreign trade. China is also Argentina's third-largest export market and second-largest source of imports, accounting for 8 percent of Argentina's total exports and 19 percent of total imports. Chinese direct investment in Argentina is mainly concentrated in three major areas: infrastructure, energy, and the new energy industry.
During the interview, Mondino denied claims that "China-Argentina relations are at their worst historical time."
"Maybe (those people) do not understand Spanish," she jokingly told the Global Times. She mentioned that the bilateral trade volume between China and Argentina may have temporarily declined, mainly due to Argentina experiencing a severe drought, which has led to crop yields reduction and, consequently, exports to China.
However, overall, there are no issues in China-Argentina relations. "You should not believe everything you read."
The Argentine diplomat also stressed that Argentina has always firmly adhered to the one-China policy, and the new government will continue to uphold this policy.
China's steel sector, an important gauge of the national economy, is advancing toward high-quality development by optimizing its product structure, as reported by the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) during a press conference addressing the first-quarter industry operation report.
Specifically, the proportion of high-end manufacturing steel, including automobiles, household appliances, and photovoltaics, increased from the 42 percent in 2020 to 48 percent in 2023, and has maintained a further upward trend since the beginning of 2024, according to the CISA.
The positive trend reflects a significant acceleration in the restructuring of the steel industry's operating structure, industry insiders noted.
Meanwhile, businesses are contending with multiple hurdles, including diminished market demand, declining steel prices, and escalating iron ore expenses. External factors, such as heightened scrutiny targeting the Chinese steel industry overseas, compound the profitability challenges faced by enterprises, the Global Times learned from the industry body.
Speaking at Tuesday's press conference, Jiang Wei, vice chairman and secretary general of the CISA, said that China's steel industry is embracing high-quality development which have borne positive results so far.
The optimization of steel-related product structures is accelerating in response to ever-growing demand from burgeoning industries such as car manufacturing, shipbuilding, home appliance production, as well as the wind and solar power sectors.
The production upgrade is reflected in the corresponding export volume. In the first quarter, China's high value-added product exports accounted for more than 35 percent, Jiang said.
Efforts are underway to enhance intelligence in steel production and management within the industry. According to a report by the CISA, surveyed companies have invested approximately 38.5 yuan per ton of steel in digital and intelligent transformation initiatives so far this year. This represents a notable year-on-year increase of 23.9 percent.
There were 40 percent of surveyed companies applying 3D visual simulation technology in their main production lines, another reflection of the industry digitalization and upgrade, according to the CISA.
In addition, domestic steel companies are actively pursuing green transformation, another key element of high-quality development. As of April 23, 2024, a total of 136 companies had either completed or partially completed ultra-low emission transformations and undergone assessment monitoring.
Challenges persist in China's steel industry, primarily stemming from a significant structural imbalance between market supply and demand. Difficulties also include declining steel prices and high iron ore prices, according to the CISA.
In the first quarter, the national crude steel production came to 257 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 1.9 percent. Meanwhile, nationwide consumption of crude steel was 232 million tons, a decrease of 4.7 percent year-on-year, indicating a surplus in steel supply over demand.
National steel exports reached 25.8 million tons in the first quarter, marking a year-on-year increase of 30.7 percent, while the average export price stood at $789 per ton, reflecting a decline of 33.4 percent year-on-year, suggesting thinner profit margins for companies despite strong demand overseas.
Meanwhile, the high price of iron ore, a key raw material for steelmaking, remained elevated, serving as another factor affecting company profits. The primary cause behind this is the lack of bargaining power in international pricing negotiations, Shi Hongwei, deputy secretary general of the CISA, said on Tuesday.
Inventories of domestic steel companies were also on the rise. As of mid-March, key steel enterprises reported steel inventory levels of 19.53 million tons, the highest level since the beginning of this year and the highest level in nearly four years, trailing only the 21.41 million tons during the 2020 pandemic period, according to the CISA.
The high inventory reflects the juxtaposition of weak market demand with strong market expectations for the economy, which have supported stockpiling.
Looking ahead, China's steel industry remains optimistic despite certain and temporary challenges.
Despite the challenges, the steel industry's structure is continually optimizing in pursuit of high-quality development, as industry insiders said, with manufacturing figures being a reflection.
In April, China's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index stood at 50.4 percent, down 0.4 percent from the previous month, remaining in the expansionary zone for two consecutive months. This indicates the continued recovery and development momentum of the manufacturing industry, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics Service Industry Survey Center on Tuesday.
As China further ramps up its investment in new energy and the development of infrastructure, which are major consumers of steel, and implements policies promoting the trade-in or the replacement of old equipment with new, there will be a boost in steel demand, industry insiders said.
Baidu's vice president and head of its public relations department Qu Jing, whose remarks on her personal social media account provoked an uproar from the public, has left the company, the Economic View reported on Thursday, citing an insider familiar with the incident from the company. Information from the company's email system also shows her departure from her position.
Chinese search engine giant Baidu has unexpectedly found itself in a public relations crisis stemming from recent comments made by its head of public relations.
Qu Jing, Baidu's vice president and head of the public relations department, created a personal account on Douyin, Chinese version of TikTok, during the May Day holidays and posted four videos. In the first video, she criticized employees who refused to go on long business trips, stating she had "no obligation to know if employees are crying," and no obligation to "consider employees' families, as I'm not your mother." "If you are not satisfied with your job, you can resign. I will approve it immediately," she said.
Qu later apologized for the controversy caused by her personal short video recently. "I have carefully read all the opinions and comments from various platforms, and many criticisms are very pertinent. I deeply reflect on and humbly accept them," Qu said in a WeChat post seen by the Global Times.
She said that the videos did not represent the company's stance and apologized for any misunderstandings they may have caused. Her original idea was to do her job well, but she admitted that she was too hasty and using inappropriate methods.
"Before posting the short videos, I didn't seek the company's opinion in advance, which doesn't comply with the relevant procedures and doesn't represent the company's position. I clarify and apologize. There were many inappropriate and unsuitable points in the videos, which led to misunderstandings about the company's values and corporate culture, causing serious harm," Qu said.
"If you work in public relations, don't expect weekends off," she said in another video posted previously."Keep your phone on 24 hours a day, always ready to respond."
In another video, Qu said she had received hundreds of reports from employees' families, describing it as "the lowest tactic." She also said, "I can make it impossible for you to find a job in this industry with just a short essay. [If you don't believe me,] try it."
Due to the extreme nature of Qu's comments in the videos and the unreasonable treatment of employees, she quickly sparked widespread controversy.
In the past few days, several related topics about her comments have trended on Weibo. Many people believe that her tough approach demonstrates the excessive exploitation and lack of empathy for employees that large tech companies are often criticized for. Some netizens have directly vented their anger at Baidu and posted screenshots uninstalling the Baidu app. At the same time, some netizens have created sarcastic parodic videos from the perspective of employees.
After sparking widespread anger, the four videos posted by Qu were deleted.
Subsequently, a video widely circulated on the Chinese internet showed Qu in the office using a data cable whipping a homemade doll with a media outlet's name written on it. The shooting time and the person who filmed the video are unknown.
At the same time, some netizens pointed out that Qu's account followers might not be real. According to Douyin account information, Qu's account had hundreds of thousands of followers before she started to post videos, and the name was that of a clothing store. Therefore, many netizens speculated she had purchased the account.
In recent months, many executives of Chinese tech companies have opened public accounts on short video platforms, including Xiaomi's Lei Jun, Nio's Li Bin, and Li Auto's Li Xiang. Some executives have won public favor for their companies by chatting humorously with netizens in the comments section.
However, Qu sparked a public relations crisis just days after opening her personal account. Observers pointed out that she provoked public anger by "describing exploitation as something worthy of praise from a condescending perspective." Some media reports also noted that her videos were intended to provoke confrontation, a common tactic for gaining attention on short video platforms.
"Companies cannot simply enjoy the utilitarian value provided by employees without shouldering the emotional burden they create. People are the purpose, not tools," Red Star News stated in a commentary.
The 21st Century Business Herald quoted a senior expert as saying that Qu's remarks cannot be simply viewed as personal opinions. "Creating a workplace internet celebrity IP itself is not right or wrong, but whether the remarks represent the individual or reflect the company culture, they absolutely cannot challenge mainstream values. Above company rules and economic rationality, there is also human care, warmth, and humanity."
Following the incident, Baidu's Hong Kong-listed stock price continued to decline, closing at HK$106.9 on Wednesday, down 1.29 percent. As of press time, Baidu's US-listed stock fell 0.92 percent to $109.51 on Wednesday.
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake that claimed at least 137 lives in Gansu and Qinghai provinces has struck the nerves of the Chinese people over the past week. How do the survivors recall the life-and-death moment? How difficult were the rescue operations carried out in the cold winter night at -15 C? How did they manage to keep going during those golden rescue hours?
In this piece, we give a retrospective of the life-saving race that took place in the first 48 hours in harsh winter conditions by sharing the on-the-spot accounts of survivors of the earthquake and the subsequent mudslides in Jishishan county - the epicenter of the Gansu earthquake - as well as the stories of the soldiers involved in the rescue efforts.
This story is a part of the Global Times' "Witness to history" series, which features first-hand accounts from witnesses who were at the forefront of historic moments. From scholars, politicians and diplomats to ordinary citizens, their authentic reflections on the impact of historical moments help reveal a sound future for humanity through the solid forward steps taken in the past and the present. A bustling Lanzhou beef noodle soup stall was busy distributing noodles for free to the survivors beside a temporary resettlement camp for earthquake victims in Jintian village in Northwest China's Qinghai Province. With the steaming soup came gradually relaxed faces and unfolding smiles as the warmth comforted bellies and hearts in a temperature approaching -15 C. With the heat curling up, it was probably one of the warmest moments among people's memories from the disaster area.
Not far away, four excavators worked non-stop together to dig through 3- to 4-meter thick mud. Underneath, there were still two households and nine missing villagers.
When Global Times reporters visited Jintian village on Wednesday morning, there were still thick layers of mud, about three to four meters deep, throughout the village. The mud was super soft and one could easily sink in and get stuck if they stumbled into it.
Thrilling moments
On Monday evening, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Jishishan county, Northwest China's Gansu Province, affecting neighboring Minhe county in Qinghai. Jintian village in Minhe saw an unprecedented mudslide triggered by the earthquake, which caused a rupture in a canal on the northern side of the village. The houses of 36 households, totaling 177 villagers, were destroyed by surging mud from underground.
Li Xi (pseudonym), a rescue worker who was waiting in line, was warmly handed a bowl of beef noodles by a survivor from the village, who asked him to eat first. Li smiled shyly, waved his hand in the negative. Despite working all night, he still wasn't able to help Yang Zhongcai, a villager, find his buried family members.
Thirteen people, including a pregnant woman, went missing. Yang's 100-year-old mother, 2-year-old grandson, and two other relatives were among them. Yang returned to the scene to provide more detailed instructions to the rescue workers about the exact location of the incident. The 75-year-old elderly man had not slept a wink all night and had been returning to the scene every a few hours to check if there was any news about his missing relatives.
"This was the most powerful earthquake I had experienced," Yang told the Global Times on Wednesday. At midnight on Monday night, he suddenly felt a strong shaking, as cups and teapots on the table fell one after another.
"I quickly woke up my wife and pulled her to run into the yard. We didn't even have time to put on shoes or socks, just grabbed a coat. While running, I shouted for my mother and grandson who live in the neighboring yard. We had only run a few meters when our house collapsed, it only took about five minutes."
"Then I saw mud flowing toward us. I was scared and wanted to go through the small path in the middle of the yard to find my mother and grandson, but the mud quickly caught up from behind and swept over us. We had to immediately run to higher ground. The mud quickly submerged the ground floor of my mother's house," Yang recalled with wet eyes.
The dirt from the night before still clung to his trouser leg.
Earthquakes are quite unfamiliar to local people. The last time Jishishan county experienced such a devastating earthquake was in 1936.
The lack of awareness and experience in earthquake response, especially in extremely cold weather, may be one of the reasons for the severe damage caused by the earthquake.
Yang said that he burst into tears when he saw the rescue team arrive at the scene in about just two hours.
"On that most helpless freezing night, seeing these young rescue officers and soldiers - some were not even wearing thick clothing - appear here overnight to help us find our loved ones, I felt truly grateful. I know they came to help us at the fastest speed, risking their lives," said Yang.
Li Xi was one of the young rescue soldiers who arrived in Jintian village for reinforcement early Tuesday morning.
"After we arrived, we found that the search and rescue here were very difficult. We couldn't step on the mud, so we had to build boards to make a path. This was what we called an 'initial lifeline'," Li told the Global Times.
He said one of the biggest challenges was working in the freezing cold. "It was very difficult to work at night in such cold temperatures, but we maintained 24-hour non-stop rescue. Every two hours, a group of people would rotate in and out."
Each group had three firefighters, one responsible for close observation of the excavator, one responsible for maintaining vigilance on the side, and one mobile personnel. "A layer of ice would form on the surface of the mud at night, but it was still flowing and soft underneath. If you didn't watch your step, it was easy to sink in. In this situation, we needed to be extra careful," Li said.
The lows in Gansu at night reached -15 C. Global Times reporters' hands were almost numb with the cold after less than 10 minutes, but there was no sign of stopping search and rescue on the scene when they visited Jintian village on Tuesday midnight.
The Global Times learned from a rescue team that low temperature environments can cause stiffness and muscle contractions, which greatly hinders flexibility. At the same time, it can also reduce the power supply and even cause some communication devices and rescue equipment to malfunction. Moreover, there was still snow and ice on most of the roads in the villages, which made it difficult for the rescue vehicles to travel. But these difficulties did not stop the lifeline.
Li Kai, a commander from a battalion in the PLA Western Theater Command participating in the post-disaster rescue mission, told the Global Times that after completing search and rescue efforts on Tuesday, his battalion returned to the homes of affected people to help them move furniture, livestock, and other belongings to help minimize their economic losses.
When Global Times reporters visited a temporary shelter for victims in the earthquake-hit village of Dahe in Jishishan county on Tuesday night, almost 130 tents with electricity and heating had been erected.
Local government workers were preparing hot food, free drinks and instant noodles for the victims. Supplies and rations from all over the country were being transported here constantly.
Some children were playing games inside the tents. Although the aftershocks are still uncertain, every light in the resettlement site was illuminating people's expectations for the future and the yearning for a warm home.
Full-wing supports
Rescue personnel used sonar, drones, and other equipment to carry out geological surveys during the rescue efforts. They used excavators, bulldozers, and other large machinery to quickly clear away the mud. Rescue dogs were also brought in to help.
The Global Times reporters on the scene witnessed the use of a number of high-tech equipment in disaster relief efforts, including Y-20 military aircraft used to transport large-scale rescue vehicles and the "Wing Loong" unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for emergency telecommunication support and disaster reconnaissance tasks. Currently, the public communication network in the affected areas has been largely restored to normal. When the Global Times reporters left the scene on Wednesday night, the excavators were still roaring, and non-stop search and rescue efforts remained the first principle of China's response to earthquake disasters. The rescue officers and soldiers were putting in all their efforts to ensure the success of this life-saving relay.
Gansu's emergency management bureau said on Thursday that the province's earthquake relief work has achieved a phased victory, and now the local government is focusing on saving the injured, the resettlement of victims and cleaning debris from across earthquake-stricken areas.
Meanwhile, local hospitals have received a total of 784 injured people, and health authorities are currently providing psychological counseling for those impacted by the disaster.
More than 500 specialists and technicians have been dispatched to the area to survey the damage to residential areas and facilities, conduct emergency assessments of building structures, and carry out urgent repairs.
As of Thursday, the water and gas supply in Jishishan county, the epicenter of the earthquake, had resumed.
Signs of life resuming and the return of vitality are gradually emerging. Survivors are helping each other in the aftermath of the earthquake, with the full support and great efforts of the whole country.
Eighteen days have passed since Israel launched its bombardment offensive against the besieged Gaza Strip, following a deadly attack on October 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The conflict had killed more than 5,000 Palestinians, about 40 percent of which were children, and about 1,400 Israelis as of Monday, according to media reports.
Many countries, including China, have openly called on relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, and immediately end hostilities, to protect civilians and avoid further loss of life.
While the US, in sharp contrast, is actively transporting more lethal weapons to Israel, demonstrating conspicuous support for its "close ally," as it has done in many previous bloody conflicts in the region.
The US is also the sole vote against a United Nations Security Council resolution on Wednesday that would have condemned Hamas' attack on Israel while calling for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza, with 12 members voting in favor and Russia and the UK abstaining.
US President Joe Biden visited Israel on October 18, "putting himself in harm's way to show that he stands squarely with the country," according to US media sources. Before his arrival, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that Israel "has the right to defend itself," when announcing Biden's Israel visit.
The US' unsurprising one-sided support, including its military aid, will likely escalate the already fraught situation between Israel and Hamas, and reduce the likelihood of peace talks between the two sides in the near future. That may lead to further catastrophic loss of life, warned some experts in international relations and Middle East affairs reached by the Global Times. Heightened tensions
Despite footage of innocent children killed in airstrikes causing a global outcry, the US is sending more arms and ammunition to Israel, intensifying the running gun battle on the ground.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced over the weekend that Washington is sending multiple military ships and the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, "as a show of force to its closest ally in the region," Al Jazeera reported.
"I have directed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to begin moving to the Eastern Mediterranean…the Eisenhower CSG will join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which arrived earlier this week," read a statement by Austin published on the US Department of Defense website, on October 14. Previously, the US Air Force had announced the deployment of F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons to the region.
Increased US force posturing signals the country's "ironclad commitment to Israel's security," said the statement.
As Israel has an absolute military advantage over Hamas, the US' military support for Israel is more of a political tool for the Biden administration to demonstrate its allyship to Israel and its domestic politicians, analyzed Chinese observers.
It is in the US' domestic interests to militarily aid Israel, said Li Weijian, a research fellow at the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. "Supporting Israel is politically correct in the US, a country with more than 6 million people of Jewish heritage, many of whom make up the core of the US' political and public opinion power, with positions in major government departments and media outlets," Li told the Global Times.
"Biden has announced his reelection bid for 2024 presidential elections. Aiding Israel at this moment can bring him more domestic support," Li said.
Biden is counting on successfully brokering the normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations to boost his performance in the Middle East before the presidential elections in 2024, said Niu Xinchun, a research fellow at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing.
However, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas "may not only sink the deal, but also likely to deal a heavy blow to Biden's performance in the election," Niu told the Global Times.
After the conflict broke out, some lawmakers in the US urged Biden to communicate that Israel's response to Hamas' attack must limit harm to civilians and adhere to international law. "We write to express our concerns regarding the unfolding humanitarian situation in Gaza," read the letter to Biden and Blinken, signed by 55 lawmakers.
The letter listed five requests to the Biden administration, including putting pressure on Israel to adhere to international law and helping set up a humanitarian corridor, reported The Hill on October 13.
The US' one-sided military aid has only served to heightened tensions. Worse still, due to the lack of supervision, US aid to Israel is not transparent enough and is suspected of abetting war crimes, warned observers.
There has been one US politician who caused great controversy due to his Israeli military background.
Brian Mast, a member of the US Congress, with a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, reportedly arrived to work on October 13 in the uniform of the Israeli military. "As the only member to serve with both the United States Army and the Israel Defense Forces, I will always stand with Israel," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that morning.
According to US-based news site Grayzone, Mast previously served in the US military in Afghanistan. He volunteered as a bomb disposal specialist for the Israeli army during its 2014 assault on the Gaza Strip. The assault resulted in the death of 2,202 Palestinians, including 526 children.
"Is it appropriate that someone who has served in a foreign military be allowed to return to the United States and serve on such a sensitive government committee, earning a security clearance along the way?" asked Grayzone. US 'always be there'
When speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken promised that the US will "always be there" for Israel, the BBC reported on October 12.
Blinken was not mistaken in his assertion. The US indeed has always been there for Israel for more than 70 years, constantly providing the country with weapons, allowing it to maintain the most powerful militaries in the Middle East, and complementing it with advanced surveillance and weapons.
According to a report published by the Congressional ReAccording to a report published by the Congressional Research Service under the US Congress on March 1, 2023, Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance since World War II. To date, the US has provided Israel with $158 billion in bilateral assistance and missile defense funding.
In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed their third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on military aid, under which the US pledged to provide $38 billion in military aid ($33 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants plus $5 billion in missile defense appropriations) to Israel, according to the report.
In addition to the $3.8 billion yearly aid as per the MOU, the US also added $98.58 million this year in funding for other cooperative defense and nondefense programs, read the report.
Almost all US bilateral aid to Israel so far has been in the form of military assistance, with some observers noting that the aid is, in fact, a subsidy to the US military industry.
To date, Israel has purchased 50 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in three separate contracts, funded with US assistance, and has received a total of 36. For the fiscal year 2023, the US Congress authorized $520 million for joint US-Israel defense programs (including $500 million for missile defense).
According to the BBC, $1.6 billion of US military aid to Israel since 2011 was for the country's Iron Dome short-range anti-rocket, anti-mortar, and anti-artillery system (intercept range of 2.5 to 43 miles). Developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and originally produced in Israel, the system was first tested in 2011.
As a US pawn in the Middle East, Israel serves the US' geographical and defense industry interests. Their decades of special partnership have a historical background known to the whole world, said Li weijian.
Nonetheless, the US continued to support Israel while avoiding the question of Palestinian statehood. "Such a partiality is very unreasonable," Li said.
"The Israel-Palestine conflict will never be resolved without a solution to the question of Palestinian statehood," Li said. "It's Palestine's right to found a state, and the US should not [have a hand] in it."
But the US' goal maybe is never to help achieve a resolution to any conflict, not only the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but every other conflict in the world such as that between Russia and Ukraine.
The US' response to conflicts is always to escalate the violence instead of encouraging peace. This is because war brings losses and pains to most countries and regions in the world, but the US is one of the few that can exploit the conflict for sickening profits.
Take a look at the performance of US defense stocks this week. The nearly 9 percent rise in Lockheed Martin's stock on Monday was the biggest for the largest US defense contractor on a non-earnings day since March 2020. Northrop Grumman shares also had their best day since 2020.
On a recent earnings call, executives of US defense giant Lockheed Martin highlighted the Israel and Ukraine conflicts "as potential drivers for increased revenue in the coming years," according to a CNN article on October 18.
The US' military support policy to Israel, as well as to other countries or regions, is always out of realistic consideration and aimed to serve the US' own global strategic needs, experts pointed out.
Instead of contributing to the maintenance of world peace, the US has continued to fuel the escalation and continuation of various conflicts so as to bring fortunes to its military-industrial complex, but it comes at the expense of people's lives. But the approach of relying on wars to get enough orders is dangerous to the world. The world cannot afford to allow them to continue making profits from misfortunes in other countries and regions, experts noted.
The Chinese-built Belgrade-Novi Sad high-speed railway, a section of Hungary-Serbia Railway, a benchmark infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), marked its 2nd anniversary on Tuesday.
The railway has transported over 6.83 million people between Serbia's two largest cities since its operation in 2022, which greatly facilitated travel in the region and has become a significant project of international railway cooperation, China Railway said in a press release sent to the Global Times.
The Belgrade-Novi Sad section marks the first time that China-developed train control system and technology were imported to Europe.
A large range of Chinese technology and equipment, such as wireless communication systems, were also used in the railway. The Belgrade-Novi Sad section of the railway is more than 54 percent made-in-China, according to the company.
China Railway said that the construction of the section between Novi Sad and Subotica - another part of Hungary-Serbia Railway - is picking up speed, and will be ready for operation at the end of 2024.
According to the company, the north-south high-speed railway is a double-track electrified railway with a total length of 341.7 kilometers, including 183.1 kilometers in Serbia, with a designed maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour, and 158.6 kilometers in Hungary, with a designed maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
It is a major project to forge high-quality BRI cooperation among China, Hungary and Serbia, a flagship project of the cooperation between China-Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.
To date, the majority of CEE countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the BRI with China. Since 2012, the trade volume between China and CEE countries expanded by 8.1 percent year on year, and bilateral investment has neared $20 billion to date, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
