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.
It is a moment that will be remembered in the history of the Chinese film industry - animated film Ne Zha 2 topped 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in the global box office as of 7:10 pm on Thursday, according to statistics from China's ticketing platform Maoyan.
Ranking above blockbusters like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Black Panther, it has become the first Asian film to enter the top 20 club of global box office records. After scoring a big success at home, the film's overseas releases in multiple markets have earned it positive reviews from foreign audiences, contributing to the milestone moment.
"It shows the world's filmmakers the development of Chinese cinema, the support for Chinese films, and the deep cultural significance behind them, including the success of Eastern aesthetics. This is a monumental milestone for the Chinese film industry," Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration, told the Global Times on Thursday.
As of Thursday, Ne Zha 2 has also become the first film in Chinese cinema history to have over 200 million viewers, statistics from China's ticketing platform Maoyan showed.
Global appeal
The number is still rising as the film was screened in front of overseas audiences around the world. On Thursday, it was officially released in countries including Australia and New Zealand. The film has been screened in over 116 theaters in these two countries, earning it the title of highest-grossing Chinese film in the region for advanced screenings over the past 20 years, according to overseas distributor CMC.
The CMC also said that in North America, Ne Zha 2 has been scheduled in over 700 theaters, breaking the record for the largest opening theater count for a Chinese film distributed by a Chinese studio in the region in the past 20 years.
C.L. Chadwick, an Australian student who watched Ne Zha 2 at the preview screenings in Adelaide, told the Global Times that he was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Chinese animation and the movie certainly challenged biases he may have held beforehand about its competitiveness.
"Animation and modern art are not areas that most Australians would associate with China, but I would strongly agree with that Ne Zha 2 was on par with Western animation from both a technical and artistic standpoint," the Australian said.
He is among many overseas viewers who love this Chinese animated film and who want to share and talk about it on various social media platforms, including Rednote. Numerous international movie fans have taken to it to engage with Chinese audiences, discussing the film's storytelling, spiritual depth, and stunning visual effects.
Some foreign media outlets have hailed the film for "redefining the heights of China's film industry," while several Hollywood producers, after viewing the movie, expressed interest in pursuing more collaborations with their Chinese counterparts. Striving for perfection
The Chinese Film Audience Satisfaction Survey by China Film Archive shows that the satisfaction score for Ne Zha 2 is 87.3 out of 100, making it the "most satisfying film" among the Spring Festival film season releases in the past two years.
The number of characters in the film is three times that of the first instalment released in 2019. There are nearly 2,000 special effects shots, exceeding the total number of shots in the first film, and a creative team consisting of over 4,000 people. The end credits feature nearly 140 Chinese animation companies.
Behind the success of Ne Zha 2 lies the creative team's unwavering determination, as expressed by the line "I am the master of my own fate," from the movie's core character Ne Zha, Sun Jiashan added.
The film's director Yang Yu, also known as Jiaozi, revealed in an interview that he estimated that "Ne Zha 2 might take about three years to finish."
"But as we got deeper into the work, we just couldn't stop. Everyone hoped to constantly strive for perfection and do their jobs to the best of their abilities," he said.
While retaining the distinctiveness of mythology, Chinese animators like Jiaozi endow it with a resonance of the times. They are breaking away from imitating Western films in terms of both aesthetics and narrative, achieving a cultural renaissance of Eastern aesthetics.
In an interview with the Global Times, Zhang Yiwu, a professor at the Peking University, summarized it as "the unique charm of traditional culture, the long-term accumulation of cultural context, and excellent contemporary transformation".
In order to ensure the accuracy of the characters' images and the integrity of the picture details, director Jiaozi personally acted out more than 70 percent of the scenes in the film.
Furthermore, a rich variety of ethnic musical instruments and elements including grand songs of the Dong ethnic group, suona horn, khoomei, and the ocarina-like xun were included in the film's soundtrack.
Professor Zhang believes that "the combination of traditional Chinese music and Chinese animated films has a strong chemical reaction."
Cultural exchanges
The glowing market performances and high quality of Chinese films like Ne Zha 2 not only encourage the Chinese film industry and filmmakers, but also inject confidence into the global industry.
Lai Li, a market analyst at Maoyan platform, believes that the film's market performance has significantly raised the ceiling of the single-film box office in the history of Chinese cinema, bringing great inspiration to Chinese filmmakers, especially Chinese animation creators.
"It also demonstrates the strong resilience and huge upward potential of the Chinese film market, and further boosts the confidence in Chinese national culture," he told the Global Times on Thursday.
"This enthusiasm is expected to further sweep across the globe, allowing the world to witness the outstanding strength of Chinese animation and experience the unique charm of Chinese traditional culture and Chinese films," he added.
"Ne Zha 2" earned 562 million yuan in IMAX box office revenue within just 15 days of its release, surpassing "Avengers: Endgame" to become the highest-grossing IMAX release ever in China.
Daniel Manwaring, CEO of IMAX China, told the Global Times, "this offers audiences exactly what they are looking for: not just the experience of watching a movie, but the chance to engage in a true cultural event, one that is made possible through the combination of the experience and high-quality film content."
Zhang Peng, a film researcher and associate professor at Nanjing Normal University, remarked that the breakthrough significance of Ne Zha 2 goes far beyond the impact of a single film, becoming a landmark case for the global export of Chinese culture.
Speaking of the reasons for the warm response toward the film across the world, Zhang pointed out that by focusing on the narrative on the coming-of-age journey of a rebellious teenager and incorporating universal emotions such as family bonds and responsibility, the film lowers the cognitive barrier of its mythological background.
"In many ways, Ne Zha 2's impressive performance signifies the transition of Chinese cinema from being a 'market miracle' to becoming a 'cultural export.' The film has already provided the world with a window into the rise of China's film industry and its growing cultural soft power," said Zhang.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday expressed China's willingness to promote more achievements in various fields of China-Brazil cooperation.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Wang said that Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Brazil last year and reached a series of important consensus with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on building the China-Brazil community with a shared future, demonstrating the contemporary significance and strategic value of China-Brazil relations.
The synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's development strategies has injected strong impetus into China-Brazil cooperation, he added.
As major global powers and representative forces of the Global South, China and Brazil, facing a turbulent and intertwined world, have maintained strategic focus and worked together to make contributions to promoting world peace, stability, and development, Wang noted.
China is willing to work with Brazil to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote more achievements in various fields of cooperation, practice true multilateralism, uphold the core role of the United Nations, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Global South countries, he said.
Amorim said that President Xi's state visit to Brazil last year was of great significance, demonstrating the vision of the two heads of state and consolidating the deep friendship between Brazil and China.
The visit would also promote more achievements in practical cooperation between Brazil and China in various fields, said Amorim.
Brazil is willing to work with China to accelerate the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state, build a fairer and more sustainable Brazil-China community with a shared future, and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, he added.
The two sides expressed their willingness to strengthen communication and coordination, and deepen cooperation within the BRICS framework and between China and Latin American countries.
Both sides recognized the work of the "Friends of Peace" platform and pledged to continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
A viral social media post revealed that a tour guide used a laser pointer while explaining details of a relic at the Xi'an Museum in Shaanxi Province, raising concerns about potential damage to the artifact.
"Flash photography emits intense bursts of light that can accelerate artifact aging and shorten their lifespan. While occasional exposure has less impact, we strongly advise against using intense light sources, especially laser pointers," a staff member, surnamed Liu, from Xi'an Museum, told the Global Times on Monday. "The laser beam is highly concentrated, and if directed at an artifact for an extended period, it may cause irreversible damage."
According to Liu, the Xi'an Museum strictly prohibits the use of flash photography, laser pointers and flashlights inside exhibition halls. Security screenings are also conducted at the entrance to ensure visitors do not bring prohibited items that could harm artifacts.
"We will strengthen supervision, improve security screening procedures, and ensure that similar incidents do not happen again. Additionally, we will also enhance education for staff and visitors to ensure compliance with artifact preservation regulations," she added.
The artifact exposed to the laser pointer was a stone sarcophagus from the tomb of Shi Jun. Dating back to the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581), it was discovered in 2003 in a noble's tomb in Xi'an's Weiyang district. The sarcophagus features inscriptions in Sogdian and Chinese, along with carvings that blend multiple cultural elements, making it valuable for studying cultural and commercial exchanges along the Silk Road, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Liu Zheng, a member of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, told the Global Times that "While brief exposure to laser pointers may not immediately damage stone artifacts, they are susceptible to temperature fluctuations. Large temperature differences could cause surface detachment or even cracks in the material."
Meanwhile, artifacts like silk, paintings and ancient manuscripts are much more vulnerable to light exposure. Flash photography is widely banned in museums to prevent damages from strong light, infrared and ultraviolet rays, which could accelerate oxidation, fading, and degradation of these delicate materials, Liu Zheng explained.
The incident has sparked heated online discussions about the importance of banning laser pointers and other light sources in museums.
"The damage may not be immediately visible, but over time, it will definitely have an impact. When we visited the Xi'an Museum and the Shaanxi History Museum, we didn't even dare to turn on our phone flashlights," read a comment on China's X-like platform Sina Weibo.
Another Weibo user echoed this comment, writing, "Ever heard of the saying 'constant dripping wears away a stone'?"
In fact, many museums across China have already posted rules prohibiting the use of flashlights, laser pointers and other strong light sources in exhibition spaces. The National Museum of China's website explicitly states that flash photography, selfie sticks and tripod-mounted cameras are not allowed without prior approval.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command on Tuesday expelled a Philippine aircraft which illegally intruded into Chinese territorial airspace over Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. A Chinese expert slammed the Philippines' increased provocations from the air, which is riskier and could cause unexpected incidents.
On Tuesday, a Philippine C-208 aircraft illegally intruded into the airspace of China's Huangyan Dao without the permission from the Chinese government, then Manila confused right and wrong and spread false narratives. The PLA Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces and tracked, monitored, warned and expelled it in accordance with laws and regulations, said Senior Colonel Tian Junli, a spokesperson of the PLA Southern Theater Command, in a statement on the day.
Tian's remarks came after the Philippine coast guard accused the Chinese navy of performing "dangerous" flight maneuvers when a Philippine government fisheries aircraft was conducting what it called a maritime domain awareness flight on Tuesday over Huangyan Dao, Reuters reported. The Philippine coast guard claimed that a PLA Navy helicopter flew as close as three meters to the Philippine aircraft, according to the report.
The Philippine actions are a serious violation of China's sovereignty and relevant provisions of international and Chinese laws, Tian said, stressing that Huangyan Dao has always been China's territory.
The Philippines' attempt to pursue its illegal sovereignty claims through military provocations and to mislead international perception through propaganda and hype is futile. The theater troops remain on high alert to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea, the spokesperson said.
Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Studies at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the Philippines intentionally ramped up provocation in the air over Huangyan Dao, believing that aerial provocations are of lower cost. Aircraft are also faster than vessels and due to potential higher risks, they could trigger stronger reactions among the Philippines' domestic audience.
Another aerial provocation that sabotaged peace and stability in the South China Sea was a joint patrol by three Philippine FA-50 aircraft and two US B-1 bombers on February 4, according to an AP report at the time.
In response to the so-called joint patrol, Senior Colonel Li Jianjian, spokesperson of the air force of the PLA Southern Theater Command, said at the time that on February 4, the air force of the PLA Southern Theater Command conducted a routine patrol in the airspace over Huangyan Dao.
The air force units of the theater command have maintained a high level of alert, resolutely defending national territorial sovereignty as well as maritime rights and interests, Li said, noting that any military activities aimed at disrupting the South China Sea are under control.
Ding said that the Philippines' scheme to make provocations in the air is bound to fail. Whether it is territorial waters or airspace, the PLA will surely adopt corresponding control measures.
Compared with ships, aircraft are faster, and the risk of causing unexpected incidents is also higher. This once again proves that the Philippines is undermining the peace and stability of the South China Sea, Ding noted.
Taikonauts of the Shenzhou-19 manned spaceflight mission crew successfully completed their second series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) at 1:12 am on Tuesday, which lasted approximately 8.5 hours, the Global Times learned from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA.) The agency also outlined plans consisting of three major missions for 2025.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences also disclosed to the Global Times on Tuesday as the China Space Station enters the third year of becoming fully operational, abundant research results have been achieved in multiple disciplines including the space biology and new materials science, laying foundations for future applications.
Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and the third member of the crew Wang Haoze, collaborated to install space debris protection devices and perform an extravehicular inspection. with support from the China Space Station's robotic arm and a team on Earth, the CMSA revealed in a press release it provided to the Global Times on Tuesday.
Cai, the mission commander and Song, who performed the spacewalk duties, safely returned to the Wentian lab module, marking a full success of the mission.
The Shenzhou-19 mission is nearing its halfway point, the CMSA said, as the crew continues to conduct numerous scientific experiments and technical tests in orbit.
A few days later, despite their busy schedule, the Shenzhou-19 crew will celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Snake in space, safeguarding China's “space home” and observing the Earth illuminated by the lights of thousands of families, the CMSA said.
The China Space Station is now in its third year of full operation. Over 180 scientific and application projects have been conducted, with nearly 2 tons of experimental modules, units, and samples sent to space, while almost 100 types of experimental samples returned to Earth. A series of original scientific results have been achieved, Global Times learned from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Tuesday.
In recent days, researchers at the Institute of Biophysics, CAS, have been analyzing recent in-orbit monitoring footage of fruit flies from the China Space Station, examining their growth, reproduction, and behavioral patterns.
The fruit fly, a small insect that feeds on fruit, is a well-established model organism with over a century of research history. On November 15, 2024, fruit flies were sent to the space station aboard the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft for experiments.
Li Yan, a researcher at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained that fruit flies in space exhibit mating, reproduction, and other behaviors similar to those on Earth. However, during these behaviors, scientists have observed unique behavioral patterns that differ significantly from those on Earth.
On Earth, fruit flies crawl and fly, while in space, fruit flies display behaviors like floating and flipping upside down, the scientist told the Global Times.
Currently, advanced video processing technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are utilized on Earth to support the analysis. CAS scientists revealed that the fruit fly research platform aboard the Chinese space station is set up with very strict conditions for temperature, humidity, lighting cycles, and gas circulation. Over two months of orbital cultivation have resulted in the fruit flies producing a third generation.
Through continuous video monitoring, researchers have gathered over 4TB of in-orbit video footage of the fruit flies. These recordings are vital for studying the growth, development, and behavioral traits of fruit flies in space, including sleep, mating, and activity patterns.
Also, research has been conducted on refractory alloys in orbit, focusing on alloy materials and multi-metal compositions that are challenging to melt under Earth's conditions, utilizing the unique containerless material experimentation environment in space. This research lays the foundation for the development of important alloy materials, such as those for future aircraft engine blades, according to the CAS.
Zhang Wei, a researcher at the Space Application Engineering and Technology Center of the CAS, said that in the field of new materials research, future research aims to develop high-entropy alloys, which are created by combining over five different metals, as well as functional crystals such as scintillation crystals and semiconductor crystals. Efforts will focus on material research and preparation in the space environment, he said.
In the field of space astronomy, China plans to deploy flagship instruments, including the Xuntian space telescope and advanced high-energy cosmic radiation detection systems.
The CMSA revealed mission logos on Monday for three pivotal projects in China's manned space program for 2025, including the launches of the crewed Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 spacecrafts, as well as the Tianzhou-9 cargo mission.
According to the CMSA, both Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 missions will feature three-member astronaut crews. Shenzhou-20 is set to dock with the radial port of the space station's core module, while Shenzhou-21 will dock with its front port.
The main tasks of the astronauts will include extravehicular activities, cargo outbound deliveries via the station's cargo airlock module, and the conducting of space science experiments and technology tests.
In the second half of 2025, China plans to launch the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in its southern Hainan Province. This mission will deliver astronaut supplies, propellants, and a variety of payloads necessary for station operation.
The investigation and assessment report on the "5·1" landslide disaster was released on Wednesday. At approximately 1:57 am on May 1, 2024, a landslide occurred in the Chayang section of the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway in Meizhou City, South China's Guangdong Province. The landslide caused a collapse of half of the roadbed in the eastbound direction, resulting in 23 vehicles falling off the road, leading to 52 deaths and 30 injuries. The investigation concluded that this was a particularly severe landslide disaster caused by prolonged continuous rainfall and the combined effect of multiple factors, resulting in significant casualties, CCTV reported.
The disaster occurred in the early hours of May 1, with light rain, poor visibility, and a sudden increase in traffic volume. After the vehicles fell, they caught fire, which further exacerbated the damage. At the same time, problems existed in the areas of engineering survey, design, construction, supervision, acceptance, operation, and maintenance, which affected the roadbed's ability to withstand such disasters, said the report.
In accordance with relevant regulations, Guangdong Province established a provincial government investigation and assessment team for the disaster, led by local authorities. Experts in highway engineering, geological engineering, geotechnical engineering, meteorology, and hydrology were invited to form an expert group to participate in the investigation and assessment.
A national expert advisory group, established by the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Natural Resources, joined the investigation and assessment team on-site to offer comprehensive guidance throughout the disaster investigation and evaluation efforts.
The investigation revealed that, prior to the disaster, Guangdong experienced multiple rounds of heavy rainfall, with the province's average precipitation breaking historical records for the same period.
The main cause of the disaster was prolonged rainfall causing groundwater accumulation and rising water levels, which increased hydrodynamic forces and reduced the slope's shear strength, ultimately leading to a sudden landslide of the roadbed and retaining wall, resulting in the expressway collapse, said the investigation.
Clues regarding performance issues of government officials from participating units and relevant departments, found during the investigation, were transferred to the discipline inspection and supervision authorities for further handling. Legal and regulatory violations by the participating units and their personnel were also referred to the appropriate departments for investigation and punishment according to the law.
Five key lessons were concluded by the investigation team, including insufficient attention to high-fill embankment risks, inadequate awareness of prolonged rainfall hazards, weak groundwater prevention and monitoring, gaps in construction and maintenance management, and overlapping regulatory responsibilities leading to ineffective supervision.
The report also proposed five corresponding measures to enhance weather preparedness, improve roadbed safety, strengthen lifecycle management, boost risk monitoring, and raise societal risk awareness and self-rescue capabilities.
