Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday inspected the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command ahead of the Spring Festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), extended festive greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Jan. 29 this year.

China and Indonesia are seeking concrete and pragmatic actions to boost military and coast guard cooperation after recent exchanges between high-level officials, a move seen by an expert as reflecting the two sides' firm consensus on managing maritime differences and promoting regional peace and security.

In a visit to Indonesia from Friday to Saturday, Liu Zhenli, Chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, respectively met with Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief General Agus Subiyanto in Jakarta, said a statement released by China's Ministry of National Defense on Sunday.

Liu told the Indonesian side during the visit that the Chinese military is willing to work with the Indonesian side under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries to create more highlights and achievements in military cooperation for regional peace and stability, according to the statement.

Indonesian officials also expressed their wish to further strengthen practical cooperation in personnel exchanges and joint military exercises on the basis of the positive development momentum of China-Indonesia military relations, said the statement.

According to Indonesia's national news agency Antara News, the Indonesian Defense Ministry sees the joint military exercise as instrumental in bolstering Indonesia-China diplomatic ties and refining the two nations' defense capacity. Head of the Information Bureau of the Defense Ministry Frega Ferdinand Wenas said that such an activity might offer Indonesia and China the opportunity to exchange insights on battle strategies and defense technology and mutually send soldiers for educational purposes, the report said.

China and Indonesia have had open and clear communication channels, especially close cooperation between military departments, including the bilateral meetings between defense and military officials and interactions under multilateral frameworks such as the China-ASEAN Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Besides talks between high-level officials, the two countries have had joint drills and exchanges of visits, Chen added. Last December, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's Type 075 amphibious assault ship made its first foreign stop with a technical stop in Indonesia, which experts said fostered international exchange and cooperation.

Besides the Chinese military official's visit to Indonesia, an Indonesian Coast Guard (Bakamla) delegation, led by Vice Admiral TNI Dr. Irvansyah, visited Beijing from Tuesday to Saturday. A high-level meeting was held for the first time between the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Indonesian Coast Guard.

A source close to the matter told the Global Times on Sunday that the meeting was the first formal one of its kind, and is aimed at further deepening China-Indonesia maritime pragmatic cooperation, safeguarding maritime security and handling maritime disputes.

According to the source, the two sides transformed their intentions to cooperate into concrete actions by discussing the main areas and forms of maritime cooperation during the meeting, following an informal one in Vietnam at the end of 2024, where they initially discussed the importance and necessity of future cooperation.

According to the CCG, the two sides had in-depth exchanges on conducting pragmatic cooperation in all-level regular meetings, mutual ship visits and capability building, reaching a broad and important consensus.

Chen said the establishment of communication channels between the Chinese and Indonesian coast guard departments can help them understand each other's positions and better handle situations in case of maritime disputes.

At the same time, Japan on Saturday agreed to provide high-speed patrol boats to Indonesia to deepen bilateral defense ties during a visit by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Indonesia, seen by some media as confronting China's growing clout and muscle flexing.

Chen pointed out that Indonesia maintains a relatively rational, objective and rational approach to China.

The enhanced cooperation between China and Indonesia is exemplary for the South China Sea amid rising maritime tensions in the region, Chen said.

The China space station will conduct over 1,000 research projects in its operations over the next 10 to 15 years, while also promoting scientific outreach and international cooperation, according to Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

As China's national space laboratory, which encompasses the broadest range of space science disciplines, along with unique advantages of human participation and transportation, the Chinese space station plans to operate stably in orbit for over 10 years, the center said.

In the future, during the course of conducting over 1,000 research projects, it aims to achieve major breakthroughs in key frontier fields and position itself at the forefront of global scientific research. Also, it plans to achieve systematic understanding and significant results in applied fundamentals and new technologies, addressing major national needs.

In its summary of the scientific research and development achievements made by the space at a press conference on Monday, the center also said that the Chinese space station offers a distinct and effective platform for addressing critical scientific and application challenges by providing long-term microgravity, cosmic radiation, and unique environments, as well as advantages such as astronaut participation and transportation between Earth and space, serving as an important platform for conducting groundbreaking experiments in new space technologies, the center said.

After years of validation by over 100 academicians and more than 1,000 experts, China has developed a comprehensive research framework for its space station featuring 32 research themes spanning four key fields: space life sciences and human research, microgravity physical sciences, space astronomy and Earth sciences, and new technologies and applications in space. 

The Chinese space station is equipped with over 20 cabin scientific experiment cabinets and three extravehicular exposure experiment platforms that meet international advanced standards in life ecology, biotechnology, fluid physics, two-phase flow, combustion science, containerless electrostatic levitation, high-temperature materials, ultracold atomic physics, high-precision time-frequency, scientific glove boxes, variable gravity experiments, and online maintenance and adjustment. 

It is also developing a series of major research facilities, including a 2-meter aperture space station survey telescope (CSST) that is internationally competitive, according to the center.

The space station has completed over 180 scientific and application projects in orbit, sending nearly two tons of scientific materials, including experimental modules, units, and samples, for scientific and application tasks, and returning nearly 100 types of space science experiment samples, gathering more than 265TB of scientific data.

Meanwhile, scientific teams from various fields of the Chinese space station project are deeply exploring numerous areas, tackling major scientific challenges across disciplines, producing a series of original, cutting-edge, and innovative progress and results. 

This work has resulted in the publication of over 500 high-level research papers and the authorization of more than 150 patents. Some results have been transferred, transformed, and promoted for application, significantly advancing the rapid development of China's space science and applications, according to the center.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Wednesday slammed the US' claims of "forced labor" in Xinjiang as baseless and reiterated China's commitment to defending its enterprises' legitimate rights and interests in response to the US latest ban on imports from 37 Chinese companies over alleged "human rights abuses" involving the Uygur people.

US Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday the addition of 37 entities to its so-called the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List over alleged "forced labor" practices in China's Xinjiang region, marking the largest single expansion of the list to date, according to the department.

Guo said that the US fabricated and enacted malicious legislation targeting Xinjiang based on unfounded claims, and placed Chinese companies on a sanctions list, which constitutes interference in China's internal affairs, undermines its interests, and seeks to suppress its development. 

"China will take resolute measures to protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Guo said.

After the personal accounts of well-known Chinese male actor and singer Lu Han on multiple social media platforms showed that they could not be followed on Monday, Lu's studio issued an apology statement on his behalf. In the statement, Lu sincerely apologized for his inappropriate behavior during a livestream and pledged that he would impose stricter self-discipline in the future to demonstrate his remorse to everyone through concrete actions.

Lu committed to actively addressing the negative social impact caused by the incident and to take on the social responsibilities that an entertainer should shoulder, according to the statement.

During a livestream in the early hours of November 29, 2024, Lu was reportedly drinking, where he angrily fired back at his anti-fans, swore, and threw the finger to detractors, according to Jimu News on Monday.

The incident quickly went viral on social media, prompting widespread debate among netizens. Some expressed support for Lu's confrontation with anti-fans, while others criticized his behavior as inappropriate for a public celebrity, said the Jimu News.

In 2008, while studying in South Korea, Lu was discovered by SM Entertainment and became a trainee under the company. In 2012, he officially debuted as a member of the South Korean boy group EXO. In 2014, he terminated his contract with SM 
Entertainment to return to China and further his career, according to the report.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, stating his intention to step down as prime minister and leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party after a new party leader is selected.

"I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its new leader," the 53-year-old leader told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday. Canada's parliament will be suspended until March 24 while a new Liberal Party leader is chosen, he added, according to CNN.

During his news conference, Trudeau was asked how the government can protect Canada from the US tariff threat if key cabinet ministers are absorbed in a leadership race. "The government and the cabinet will still be very much focused on doing the job Canadians elected us to do in 2021, which is fight for their interests, stand up for their well-being and make sure that Canadians ... are protected and strong," Trudeau said.

"I can assure you that the tools and the need to stand up for Canadians, to protect Canadians in their interests and continue to fight for the economy, is something everyone in this government will be singularly focused on," said Trudeau, according to CBC. 

Pierre Poilievre, the opposition Conservative Party's leader, was quick to weigh in on the political fracas surrounding Trudeau, writing in a post on X Monday that Liberals wanted to "trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians," and "The only way to fix what Liberals broke is ... to elect common sense Conservatives," he added.

On December 20, Trudeau reshuffled his Cabinet, a move that Canadian public opinion believes is aimed at stabilizing the government to address potential tariff threats from the Trump administration and to prepare for the federal election scheduled for October 2025, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Trump reacted to Trudeau's resignation in a Truth Social post. "Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned," Trump said in the post. 

"If Canada merged with the US," Trump continued, "there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!"

Trudeau's decision to step down is bringing questions about how the government will handle any negotiations with the Trump administration, CBC reported on Tuesday.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that since 2015, some believe that Trudeau's nine-year tenure has seen limited progress in many fields. "In terms of diplomacy, Canada has lost dignity; in terms of economy, it has seen little progress; and in terms of society, the country has become increasingly divided. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening. All of these problems constitute the reasons behind Trudeau's resignation."

Lü Xiang, a research fellow on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "Looking ahead, after Trump is inaugurated, the US is expected to gather the resources from its allies to serve the US overall strategy and solve the country's troubles for development. Washington is likely to increase pressure on Canada following Trudeau's resignation, and whoever becomes the new leader of Canada would have to face greater pressures from its old neighbor in the south."

Recently, a report published by the Financial Times stated that submarine communication cables outside Keelung Port at the northern tip of Taiwan island were damaged, allegedly by a cargo ship's anchor dragging. The DPP authorities in Taiwan claimed this was not an "innocent accident" and expressed concerns about such "grey zone" operations from the mainland.

In response to DPP's comment, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, stated that there are over a hundred incidents of submarine optical cable damage globally each year, which are common maritime accidents.

The DPP authorities made baseless assumptions and deliberately exaggerated the incident as a so-called "grey zone threat," despite the basic facts and accident liability remaining unclear. This fully demonstrates the DPP's unscrupulous approach in manipulating anti-China narratives by any means necessary, showing no bottom line, Chen noted.

When the first rays of the sun shone over Tiananmen Square on Wednesday morning, the very first day of 2025, 51,000 Beijing residents and tourists from across the country sang the national anthem and watched the national flag rise to the top of the flagpole along with 10 thousand doves flapping their wings at 7:36 am. Meanwhile, Five-star Red Flags fluttered at Golden Bahinia Square in Hong Kong, at China's highest border check point in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison stationed in Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea… China is embracing a vibrant New Year of 2025. 

Even though there are challenges and uncertainties ahead, the country, cheered by President Xi Jinping's New Year message, welcomes 2025 with hope, confidence and determination. 

In 2024, we have together journeyed through the four seasons. Together, we have experienced winds and rains and seen rainbows. Those touching and unforgettable moments have been like still frames showing how extraordinary a year we have had, Xi said, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

"In 2025, we will fully complete the 14th Five-Year Plan. We will implement more proactive and effective policies, pursue high-quality development as a top priority, promote greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development. The Chinese economy now faces some new conditions, including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones. But we can prevail with our hard work. As always, we grow in the wind and rain, and we get stronger through hard times. We must be confident," Xi said. 

"Of all the jobs in front of us, the most important is to ensure a happy life for our people. Every family hopes that their children can have a good education, their seniors can enjoy good elderly services, and their youngsters can have more and better opportunities. These simple wishes are our people's aspirations for a better life. We should work together to steadily improve social undertakings and governance, build a harmonious and inclusive atmosphere, and settle real issues, big or small, for our people. We must bring more smiles to our people and greater warmth to their hearts," Xi said. 

Xi also said that no one can ever stop China's reunification, a trend of the times. "We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same family. No one can ever sever the bond of kinship between us," he said.

China will unswervingly implement the policy of "one country, two systems" to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, he said.

Year of Hope

"The moment I saw the national flag rising slowly in the morning sun, the freezing cold during the wait was forgotten," Wei Tong, an employee at a foreign trade company in Beijing, told the Global Times. 

"We extended New Year greetings to strangers. I made wishes for myself, my family and of courses for our motherland… It is a moment when I feel united with so many people, with hope and high morale," Wei said. 

President Xi especially mentioned opportunities for youngsters, and his words are cheerful, Wei said. "Although there are uncertainties for my own industry of foreign trade, they should be catalysts for endeavors, not an excuse for sitting idly." 

Wei's hope for 2025 is to get a pay increase through hard work, move to a bigger apartment, and invite her parents from her hometown to come to see Beijing. 

It is a small, personal wish. Yet it is the combination of wishes from 1.4 billion people and their unwavering efforts to realize those wishes that sustains China's solid steps forward. 

Guo Fengyang, a PhD candidate in Germany, came to the ceremony after attending an academic forum in Beijing. "This is the fifth year of my PhD studies, and I do hope to return to the motherland at an early date, make contributions to nation's development in AI field and benefit the people," Guo told Xinhua. 

Across the country, people bid farewell to 2024 and embraced 2025 in diverse ways, from booking banquets with family and friends, to watching grand firework displays and drone light shows. As the New Year holiday is not linked to a weekend, people tend to make local excursions or take advantage of the day to visit hot springs and ski resorts, according to an industry report released by rating platform Meituan.    

The vibrant and jubilant atmosphere foretells Chinese people's hope for another fruitful year despite challenges, said Fan Peng, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Political Sciences. 

Facing international political uncertainty and emerging internal challenges, China's strategic stability and consistency, complete economic structure, effective governance and strong national cohesion can guarantee goals of the 14th Five-Year Plan can be met and bigger aspirations for the future can be realized, Fan said.   

'Rise above estrangement, conflict'

Many world leaders have extended New Year messages for a 2025 which is predicted to be a year of great uncertainty and turbulence. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed Russia's destiny and well-being of its people has always been and will remain our absolute value while being proud of the soldiers and commanders' bravery and valor, Tass reported.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: "You, the citizens, decide what happens in Germany," in his New Year's address, "It's not up to the owners of social media," according to Politico, which said Scholz was referring to X owner Elon Musk who endorsed the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of Germany's snap election on February 23. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that 2025 would be a year of rebuilding, with his government looking to turn the corner after a turbulent first six months in power, the Guardian reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to tackle pressing security, economic and demographic issues through his minority government, working with opposition parties "sincerely and humbly" to ensure better lives for the public, Kyodo News reported. 

In a world of major changes, each country has its own challenges and missions. China cannot control the direction of the changes, yet it can master its own path of modernization and national rejuvenation, observers said. 

In his New Year address, President Xi stressed that as changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, it is important to rise above estrangement and conflict with a broad vision, and care for the future of humanity with great passion. China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world.

Dreams and wishes may be far, but they can be fulfilled with dedicated pursuit. On the new journey of Chinese modernization, everyone is a key actor, every effort counts, and every ray of light shines, Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Thursday exchanged congratulations on the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

China and Ecuador, as comprehensive strategic partners, have maintained a sound momentum for the growth of their relations over the past 45 years, Xi said in a congratulatory message.

In recent years, the political mutual trust between the two sides has been strengthened, practical cooperation in various fields has delivered fruitful results, and the China-Ecuador friendship has become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, he said.

Notably the China-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement, which has been successfully signed and entered into force, has given a strong boost to upgrading economic and trade cooperation and injected fresh impetus into the development of bilateral relations, the Chinese president said.

"I attach great importance to the growth of China-Ecuador relations and stand ready to work with President Noboa to take the 45th anniversary as a new starting point to renew the traditional China-Ecuador friendship and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields so as to lift China-Ecuador relations to a higher level," Xi said.

Depicting the 45th anniversary of bilateral ties as a milestone bearing great significance, Noboa said that over the past 45 years, the two sides have established a comprehensive strategic partnership based on mutual respect and trust, with fruitful outcomes in cooperation in various fields.

Ecuador's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and the entry into force of the Ecuador-China Free Trade Agreement have improved the well-being of the two peoples, Noboa said, voicing readiness to keep working closely with China to deepen friendship, dialogue and cooperation and build a future of common prosperity.

As lifelong education has become a trend, China's middle-aged and elderly people are no longer content with the classes provided by domestic institutions for seniors. Instead, they set their sights on broader opportunities abroad. After talking to several elderly people with studying abroad experience, reporters from the Global Times found that the reason most of them decided to study overseas was as they that they had a desire d to explore more possibilities in their lives, and that although studying abroad posed a lot of difficulties for them, they found pleasure in it.
"I shocked myself when I came up with the idea to apply to study abroad. It's quite challenging for me," Wang Xiaoxi, 57, a student majoring in the archaeology, history, and literature of ancient Greece in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, told the Global Times. It is an undergraduate program taught entirely in English, with the added course of Modern Greek, Greek and Latin, Wang said.

"Upon applying, I wasn't sure if I would be able to complete the course (at this age), But on second thought, if I don't try, I'll never know," said Wang.

There are increasing number of seniors like Wang in China. Studying overseas is no longer exclusive to teenagers and young adults, it has emerged as a growing trend among the elderly, according to Jiemian News.

According to data from a private education company in China that centered around language learning, educational travel and degree programs, the proportion of individuals aged above 50 participating in overseas study programs in their institution was approximately 3 percent in 2019, but this figure has surged to 20 percent by 2024, the Jiemian News reported.

Popular destinations favored by older adults include New York, Boston, London and Malta, an industry insider told the Global Times.

Fifty is the new twenty-five

Like energetic young people, the elderly possesses the determination to chase their dreams, the courage to embark on new journeys and a curiosity to explore the world.

"In fact, when my parents and some of my friends learned about my plans to study abroad, they were not very supportive. They felt that at my age, there was no need to travel abroad and study," Jia Daming, a 50-year-old man who recently earned a degree of Master of Education from the University of Sydney, told the Global Times. Some of his friends even told him that he was already at the top of his field, and considering the many difficulties and high costs, it wasn't necessary for him to go through with it.

"However, I believe that if I want to maintain a competitive edge in international school education field, it is essential for me to enhance my educational qualifications," Jia said, adding that only through personal experience can one achieve perfection. Therefore, he resolutely embarked on his overseas studying journey in February 2023.

Jia said that at the beginning of the academic year, many of his classmates called him "uncle Jia," but after they became acquainted with each other, they called Jia "bro." Jia mentioned that sometimes while walking down the street or even reading in the library, classmates greet him as if they were peers. He sometimes hanged out with his classmates. For example, he has been to the Great Barrier Reef with them. And some film majors have even invited him to appear as an extra.

However, compared to those in their twenties, elder international students encounter more difficulties and challenges along their courageous journey.

As Wang noted, at any age, you have to be determined to study abroad. However, studying at an older age is even more of a challenge. Even with a good educational background, Wang feels that there are "mountains after mountains to climb" during her studies abroad.

Before the semester started, Wang prepared many electronic devices, such as a voice recorder, an iPad and a Kindle. "As soon as the first week of school started, I was ready to use these devices. But I was fumbling with which buttons to press to turn them on and lower the volume," said Wang, adding that "I can only type with two fingers, and I can't type fast enough to keep up with the professor's speaking pace."

Wang said that when she looked around at her classmates, they were all typing quickly on their laptops. She was the only one writing with a pen.

"It's all Greek to me," Wang described her first two weeks of school, saying that her teacher has quite a thick Greek accent that she could not understand even with the tape recorder, and once she did not even know that her teacher was giving a quiz in class, so she was not prepared.

On that test, Wang only scored 40 points and was "criticized" by her daughter.

"I quickly turned my sorrow into motivation for learning. After class, I copied, translated, understood and memorized every word of the professor's lecture slides. Although it required a lot of effort, the results were quite rewarding," Wang said.

Later on, Wang scored 92 points in her archaeology class test.

Go for it, enjoy it

Wang said that studying abroad is a natural progression for her, as she has always been self-educated and she has always studied whatever she was interested in. "I noticed that the course is taught in English. I realized that I must seize this opportunity to learn English," said Wang, noting that she has always worked hard and embraced new challenges in life.

Since she has been studying abroad, Wang has felt that each day is fulfilling and she always lives in the moment. Wang said she walks to school these days, basking in the sunshine and recounting how she also walked to school as a child. But back then she had a completely different mindset.

She feels grounded, taking one step at a time, and genuinely believes that she has a bright future.

"For me, studying abroad at this age marks the beginning of the 'middle-aged woman' era. The most exciting phase of a woman's life is no longer the traditionally emphasized years of 16 to 25, but rather a woman's entire life is filled with infinite possibilities," said Du Liping, a Chinese woman in her fifties, who kicked off a journey to learn French in Paris a few months ago.

Du told the Global Times that starting her study journey made her feel as though she had suddenly returned to her twenties, but not the impoverished version of her twenties.

Du also mentioned that she never imagined she would have the opportunity to study abroad in her fifties, which makes her feel unique and surrounded by love.

Instead, it felt more like the twenties of a luckier girl, with more life experience.

"My life is extremely rewarding," Du told the Global Times.