Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that China-Cambodia relations have withstood the test of global transformations, and always remained rock-solid.
In a written statement upon his arrival, Xi also noted that bilateral ties were forged and nurtured by the elder generation of leaders of the two countries.
Xi arrived for a state visit to Cambodia, the third leg of his three-nation Southeast Asia tour which have already taken him to Vietnam and Malaysia.
On April 21, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun will chair the First Ministerial Meeting of China-Indonesia Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue in Beijing. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono and Defen
China has unveiled a type of innovative barrage weapon system, the first of its kind in the world, with its chief designer introducing in a recent magazine interview that the weapon can effectively counter drone swarms.
The air defense system, named the anti-drone swarm and anti-missile barrage weapon system in full, is unveiled in the April edition of the Modern Weaponry magazine.
Yu Bin, the chief designer of the system, said in an interview with the magazine that the "barrage" the weapon shoots is a wall of projectiles that can cover incoming positions of all targets, achieving effective interception with the concept of "plane to point."
Conventional air defense guns use the concept of "point to point" interception, but when multiple air defense guns fire together, they can raise fire density and probability of interception, Yu said, noting that his new system is developed with a similar concept.
The Modern Weaponry magazine showed a prototype of the barrage weapon. It features 16 tightly designed gun barrels and unique munitions.
Yu said that this close-in air defense barrage system is a world's first, aimed to deal with aerial threats such as drone swarms. It is characterized by its fast reload speed, high fire density, controllable barrage size, outstanding destructive power and capability to accompany troops in maneuvers.
Currently available air defense weapons have shortcomings in countering drone swarms, as they lack sufficient capability to deal with saturation attacks and suffer from low cost-efficiency. However, the new equipment does not have these shortcomings, Yu said.
The barrage weapon system has conducted multiple demonstrations against drone swarms, and the results showed that it can shoot down all small-sized drones with a single barrage, Yu said.
In addition to drone swarms, the barrage weapon can also intercept high speed air-launched munitions such as missiles. It can also counter rockets, mortar shells and howitzer shells, according to Yu. While the primary targets of the barrage weapon are incoming aerial targets such as drone swarms, fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles, among others, it is also possible to attack ground or water surface targets when necessary, he said.
The chief designer added that the system is also modularized, making it possible to be installed on trucks, tracked or wheeled armored vehicles, as well as warships.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that he sees good prospects in the new weapon given its high cost-efficiency and good effectiveness against drone swarms and missiles
The barrage weapon system is not only appealing to domestic users, but it can also be put on the international market, as the battlefields face the increasing threats posed by drones, Fu said.
In response to a media inquiry regarding Japan's release of the 2025 Diplomatic Bluebook on Tuesday, which positions China-Japan relations as one of Japan's most important bilateral relationships and expresses Japan's intention to continue comprehensively advancing the strategic relationship of mutual benefit between Japan and China and building constructive and stable bilateral ties, while at the same time designating China as an unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge as well as hyping issues such as the East China Sea, the South China Sea, China-Russia military cooperation, and the safety of Japanese nationals in China, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian stated that China has taken note of the situation.
Lin emphasized that Japan's 2025 Diplomatic Bluebook continues to follow the old clichés of accusing and smearing China, exaggerating the so-called "China threat," and unjustifiably interfering in China's internal affairs, which China firmly opposes. China and Japan are important neighbors to each other, and maintaining a healthy and stable development of bilateral relations serves the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples, he noted.
We urge the Japanese side to adhere to the principles outlined in the four political documents between Japan and China, recalibrate its strategic perception of China, stop provoking bloc confrontation, and translate its commitment to comprehensively advancing the strategic relationship of mutual benefit between China and Japan and building constructive and stable bilateral ties that meets the requirements of the new era into concrete actions, said Lin.
The Chinese government's position on opposing US abuse of tariffs was released on Saturday.
Recently, under various pretexts, the United States has imposed tariffs on all trading partners, including China, which severely infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of nations, severely violates World Trade Organization rules, severely harms the rules-based multilateral trading system, and severely disrupts the stability of the global economic order. The Chinese government strongly condemns and firmly opposes this.
"The relevant security advisory by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines was issued in light of the current travel safety conditions," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Wednesday, in response to an AFP inquiry regarding the embassy's security advisory.
On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines issued a safety reminder for Chinese citizens in the country and those planning to visit ... It reads that recently, there have been frequent incidents of Chinese citizens and enterprises being harassed by Philippine law enforcement authorities, with political rallies, demonstrations in various parts of the country increased significantly.
The security risks faced by Chinese citizens and institutions in the Philippines have increased, the statement reads.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, an AFP reporter asked Guo whether China could confirm the case, what specific actions the Philippines had taken against Chinese individuals and entities, and whether Beijing was worried about the situation.
The relevant security advisory issued due to travel safety conditions in the Philippines: FM was issued in light of current travel safety conditions in the Philippines," Guo said. He pointed to extensive media coverage on the matter, suggesting the reporter consult those reports for more information.
In Tuesday's statement, the Chinese Embassy reminded Chinese citizens in the Philippines to pay close attention to the local social security situation and earnestly strengthen security precautions and emergency preparedness. Reduce unnecessary outings and stay away from political gatherings and crowded places; Comply with local laws and regulations, and beware of falling into security risks and traps.
The embassy advised those planning to travel to the Philippines to assess risks carefully and make prudent travel decisions. In case of emergency, travelers should report to local police and contact the nearest Chinese diplomatic or consular mission for assistance.
China will hold the Beijing meeting between China, Russia and Iran on the Iranian nuclear issue on Friday, which Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning described on Thursday as "China's latest diplomatic effort with the aim of enhancing communication and coordination."
A Chinese expert said that the meeting is a step signaling the three nations' pursuit of expanded strategic synergies. Almost at the same time, Iran rejected a US' move that proposed nuclear talks. Expert noted that the stalemate in US-Iran talks persists due to a deep lack of mutual trust.
China will hold the Beijing meeting between China, Russia and Iran on the Iranian nuclear issue on Friday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the meeting and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi will attend the meeting in Beijing. The three parties will exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues of mutual interest, said the spokesperson.
In response to a media question about China's expectations for the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Thursday that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), China calls for an appropriate resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means, and efforts of safeguarding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.
The Beijing meeting will be China's latest diplomatic effort with the aim of enhancing communication and coordination and creating conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiation at an early date, Mao said.
Under current circumstances, we believe that relevant parties need to remain calm, exercise restraint, and prevent the situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue from escalating or even descending to confrontation and conflict, the spokesperson noted.
With the Iran nuclear deal in stalemate, the Beijing meeting between China, Russia and Iran seeks to explore new possibilities and might discuss the establishment of a new negotiation platform for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue in the future, Liu Zhongmin, a professor from the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
With China, Russia, and Iran about to hold the meeting, the US government also said last week it had sent a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, proposing nuclear talks. This move, however, has reportedly been rejected by Iran.
According to Reuters, Khamenei on Wednesday rejected holding negotiations with the US over a nuclear deal. "When we know they won't honour it, what's the point of negotiating? Therefore, the invitation to negotiate ... is a deception of public opinion," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state media, reported the Reuters. Khamenei said he had not yet seen the letter, per Reuters.
Liu noted that though the US and Iran have a desire for negotiations, there is a severe lack of mutual trust. He said that on issues such as the Iranian nuclear issue, the US' approach comes with blackmail, attempting to force Iran into making significant concessions. However, Iran holds a tough stance.
Currently, the priority lies in all parties involved adopting a clam and restrained approach to handling the issue, Liu said, noting that blackmail or unilateral action won't solve the problem.
At around 1:30 pm on Saturday, a fighter aircraft from the navy of the PLA Southern Theater Command crashed during a training exercise, landing in an unpopulated area near Jialai Township, Lingao County, South China's Hainan Province, the PLA Navy said in a statement. The pilot(s) successfully ejected, and no collateral damage was reported on the ground. The Southern Theater Command Navy is managing the aftermath, while the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
China will continue to work closely with Jordan to promote common development and contribute to regional and global peace, stability, and development, Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Chen Chuandong said here on Sunday.
Chen made the remarks during a press conference held in Amman on the outcome of China's recently concluded "two sessions" -- the annual sessions of the National People's Congress, China's national legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body.
Hailing the "strong complementarity" of both countries in economic structure and calling Jordan a "close partner," Chen said some of China's reform and development policies and measures are consistent with Jordan's modernization drive.
The Chinese ambassador called on Jordan to make use of Chinese exhibitions to promote its products, particularly dates and olive oil, emphasizing the vast opportunities for agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
He stressed that China will uphold global governance based on extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits.
This year, China will continue to offer initiatives and solutions for hot-spot issues, promote the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and strive for a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, contributing to peace and stability in the Middle East, he said.
