Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djurić is scheduled to pay an official visit to China from December 19 to 21. The visit is at the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi. Chinese expert believed that the visit is expected to further solidify ties and explore new areas of common interest.
In his X post on Thursday, Djurić wrote that "At the start of my visit to the People's Republic of China, I was pleased to reconnect with Ms. Chen Bo, President of the China Institute of International Studies and former Chinese Ambassador to Serbia, whose invaluable contributions have greatly advanced our bilateral relations."
Speaking at a regular press conference on Monday on Djurić's visit to China, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian said that Serbia is China's ironclad friend.
In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Aleksandar Vučić, bilateral relations have realized leapfrog growth and historic achievements. Cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, energy, cultural and people-to-people exchange, and education continues to expand, and bilateral relations have been deepened and upgraded, the spokesperson said.
Through this visit, China stands ready to work with Serbia to consolidate their ironclad friendship, strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation and advance the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Lin noted.
With the Serbian Foreign Minister's visit, it is anticipated that cooperation between the two countries in various fields will further deepen. Collaboration in emerging areas such as technology, environmental protection, and culture will also inject new momentum into the friendship between China and Serbia, said Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China.
Wang Yiwei told the Global Times that for Serbia, seeking China's assistance in security matters is crucial in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the struggle against a "color revolution."
Against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict altering the landscape in Europe, and with an upcoming new US administration, Serbia still aims to maintain its own balance in its diplomacy during this period. As a result, China has become a focal point of its foreign policy, leading to an increased need for coordination and communication with Beijing, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
President Xi visited Serbia in May this year, and was warmly welcomed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his wife, Tamara Vucic, at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, according to Xinhua News Agency.
During the visit, Xi and Vučić signed a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, an upgrade of relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established in 2016. The deal makes Serbia the first European country to build such a community with China, the Xinhua report said.
On October 17, 2023, President Xi met at the Great Hall of the People with Serbian President Vučić who was in China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Vučić said he has led a large government delegation to China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which has demonstrated Serbia's respect and friendship for China and the importance Serbia attaches to China. Vučić noted that the Serbia-China relationship has withstood various tests, Xinhua reported.
The Chinese side stands ready to follow the guidance of the consensus reached by top leaders of both parties and countries, deepen practical cooperation with the Vietnamese side in various areas including maritime security, enhance strategic mutual trust between both militaries, promote constant development of bilateral relations and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said when meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam in Hanoi on Thursday.
China also cherishes the traditional friendship between the two parties, the two countries and the two militaries, according to China's Ministry of National Defense on Friday.
Lam welcomed Dong's participation in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army, saying that Vietnam and China are socialist neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Lam said Vietnam cherishes China's valuable support in the cause of national liberation, national independence and socialist construction in Vietnam, and takes developing friendly relations with China as a strategic choice and top priority in its foreign policy.
Lam expressed the hope that the two militaries will strengthen practical cooperation and inject new vitality to the development of bilateral relations, as reported by Xinhua.
Dong noted that China and Vietnam have entered a new era of building the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
On Friday, Dong and his delegation attended a grand gathering marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army, according to the report.
Chinese and Vietnamese coast guards have made positive comments on the cooperation achievement in 2024, discussed and determined the future cooperation direction and specific projects, and fully exchanged views on topics of common interest during the eighth high-level work meeting between the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the Vietnam Coast Guard in Hanoi, Vietnam from December 16-21, according to China Military Online.
During the meeting, the two sides agreed to deepen bilateral maritime law enforcement cooperation, jointly crack down on illegal and criminal activities, properly handle emergencies, maintain security and stability, and work together to set a model for regional maritime law enforcement cooperation.
A source familiar with the matter told the Global Times on Sunday that the two sides also agreed to enhance information exchange in combating maritime drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal immigration, and other criminal activities, and regularly carry out synchronized law enforcement actions in the Beibu Gulf region.
In addition, both sides vowed to strengthen mutual support in multilateral circumstances, releasing the model effect of China-Vietnam maritime law enforcement cooperation in the South China Sea, according to the source.
Since the beginning of 2024, coast guards of the two countries have carried out exchanges at various levels and in different fields, maintained monthly updates on information about illegal fishing vessels, and exchanged letters at key points, effectively establishing China-Vietnam maritime law enforcement cooperation as a model for regional maritime law enforcement, the source revealed.
The two sides have agreed to make good use of the secondary contact window to enhance communication and coordination on issues such as the notification of illegal fishing vessels in the Beibu Gulf, drafting and implementing joint patrol plans, and initial response to maritime emergencies. They also plan to hold sea (sub)regional-level talks in 2025, the source told the Global Times.
Among the gifts exchanged by the Vietnamese side was a Vietnamese bronze drum, and among the gifts Chins gave in return was a Chinese knot, both representing traditional cultures, Global Times learned from the source.
Despite some differences between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea, both sides have managed to effectively control these differences in order to safeguard their shared interests. As a result, they have not allowed these conflicts to escalate. China-Vietnam exchanges and cooperation have become a model in this regard, Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
In a notable contrast, the Philippines has chosen otherwise and not cooperated with China to jointly maintain maritime security in the South China Sea. Instead, Manila has sought to involve external forces, particularly the US, especially around Huangyan Dao, which has contributed to tensions in the region and to a setback in China-Philippines relations, Gu said.
According to China Military Online, after the work meeting, the CCG delegation visited the Fisheries Supervision Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam for talks. Both sides reviewed and evaluated the use of the emergency hotline, and had in-depth exchanges on issues such as establishing institutional cooperation and handling maritime fishery emergencies.
All participating delegations were invited to pay a courtesy call to the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam and visit the second Vietnam International Defense Exhibition. The CCG delegation also visited and paid tribute to Chinese martyrs of the Vietnam War at a cemetery in Gia Lam, Hanoi.
The delegation of the CCG also attended the second "Vietnam Coast Guard and Friends" exchange activity, and held talks with the Cambodian National Committee of Maritime Security, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Indonesian Coast Guard, and the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center. They held in-depth discussions on addressing non-traditional security issues in the maritime domain, handling maritime emergencies, and exchanged views on such topics of concern as establishing a cooperation mechanism, managing differences, enhancing mutual trust and jointly promoting security and stability in the South China Sea.
China and most Southeast Asian countries hope to effectively manage differences on the South China Sea issue. They aim to prevent these differences from escalating and affecting the peace and stability of the South China Sea and the surrounding region. This reflects the consensus reached between China and ASEAN on this matter, Gu noted.
How does development promote progress in human rights? Over the past two weeks, commissioners and experts from the Global South and the United Nations sought answers through discussions, site visits and dialogue meetings in Beijing and East China's Zhejiang Province.
The Hernán Santa Cruz Dialogue on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) brought together ministerial and department-level officials from nearly 50 countries and regional organizations, including the Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania and Yemen, as well as UN experts and officials from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Participants from abroad engaged in discussions on economic, social and cultural rights in Beijing, before they toured several locations in Zhejiang.
The event was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"It is important to adhere to a people-centered approach, step up efforts on the ESCR and focus on addressing uneven development. It is also important to strengthen solidarity and coordination, and increase the support to developing countries from developed countries to make sure that no one is left behind," Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, noted in a written address at the opening ceremony of the dialogue, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Comprehensive development
The three-and-a-half-day trip to Zhejiang left a profound impression on the visiting participants.
Located in East China's coastal region, Zhejiang is one of the most economically developed provinces in China, renowned for its advanced manufacturing and commodity trade. In 2023, the province's GDP totaled 8.26 trillion yuan ($1.13 trillion), with a per capita GDP of 125,043 yuan, according to a report released by Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Statistics in September 2024.
Zhejiang has also been a pioneer of China's reform and opening-up. The province has successfully transitioned from a traditional industrialized economy to a modern, service-oriented, innovation-driven, digital economy.
During their first stop in Zhejiang, the participants visited China's e-commerce giant Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou, where they witnessed the dynamism of China's e-commerce sector. They observed real-time orders from across the country and reviewed the outcomes of the recent Double 11 Shopping Festival.
The group also explored how the e-commerce model supports the sales of rural products and contributes to charity, fostering social welfare initiatives.
In Yucun, a village in Anji county where the concept "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" was first proposed, the participants learned how ecological improvements have benefited local residents, becoming a backbone of economic development. Once plagued by environmental degradation due to mining, the village is now picturesque and attracts a stream of tourists. In 2023, Yucun recorded a total village collective economic income of 22.47 million yuan and a per capita income of 71,000 yuan.
Amid the scenic mountains and rivers, participants eagerly pulled out their phones to capture memorable moments.
Aslan Abashidze, a member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, said that Zhejiang's success exemplifies "how a strong economic foundation contributes to people's happiness and well-being."
Abashidze highlighted China's ability to turn theoretical discussions at the international legal level into practical realities. "What I have seen here serves as an excellent example for other countries, especially those from the Global South, demonstrating how to implement ideas discussed at platforms like the United Nations," he told the Global Times.
He also praised China's Belt and Road Initiative, calling it a transformative action plan that promotes mutual benefits and development. "China's approach to fostering international cooperation sets a high standard," he said.
By the people, for the people
In addition to economic development, China's grassroots governance and the inheritance of traditional cultural values also gave participants much to ponder.
They visited the Fengqiao community in Shaoxing, the birthplace of the Fengqiao model.
Standing amid the beautiful Jiangnan traditional pavilions and bridges over flowing water, the exhibition hall in Fengqiao community provides a detailed introduction to the origins of the Fengqiao model and its development in the New Era.
Created by people in Fengqiao, a small town in Zhejiang, some 60 years ago, the "Fengqiao model" gained recognition for promoting the resolution of disputes by people at the community level. It has since been promoted across the country.
Emmanuel Nweke, Minister Counsellor on Drugs, Crime and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, shared his observations with the Global Times. "In Nigeria, conflict resolution at the community level is less common these days, as modern systems often require turning to the police or courts, which sometimes fail to restore peace," he said. "When disputes are resolved within the community, the outcomes tend to be more lasting."
He emphasized the challenges faced by developing countries, where "the priority often shifts to development over civil and political rights, as poverty and underdevelopment leave many unable to meet basic needs."
Zineb Ouaaba, Studies Officer at the Interministerial Human Rights Department in Morocco, expressed interest in the Fengqiao model's development and its influence across other parts of China.
"The exhibition guided us through a social justice model grounded in community practices and the values of local people," she told the Global Times. "It ensures that everyone becomes an actor, not merely a participant. I am not just a recipient of services," she said.
The Global Times Annual Conference 2025, themed "Moving forward in Partnership: Resonance of Values between China and the World," is held in Beijing on Saturday. Experts and scholars engaged in discussions on the topic, "Exploring the path of great power relations: differences and consensus." Huang Jing, a distinguished professor at Shanghai International Studies University, said that among the current four major world powers - China, the US, India and Russia - China, India and Russia all belong to the Global South, and are also members of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, this marks the most fundamental structural change in international landscape since the Industrial Revolution.
Huang said in this irreversible shift in the international landscape, "a just cause attracts much support, an unjust one finds little." This "just cause" refers to peaceful and stable development, which is the shared goal of the vast majority of countries and a global trend. In international affairs and major power relations, China has made the maintenance of peace and the promotion of development its primary responsibility as a major power. As a result, China's responsibility and achievements will receive positive responses and support.
Regarding the current international order, Huang outlined three fundamental pillars: The first is the international political order centered around the United Nations; The second is the global economic and trade order framed by the World Trade Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership; The third is the international financial order supported by institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. The common feature of these three pillars is their foundation in multilateral mechanisms, created collectively by all, rather than dominated by any single major power. For this reason, China firmly upholds multilateralism in international affairs, and advocates for global governance based on multilateral mechanisms.
"Cognitive Warfare" has become a new form of confrontation between states, and a new security threat. With new technological means, it sets agendas and spreads disinformation, to change people's perceptions and thus alter their self-identity. Launching cognitive warfare against China is an important means for Western anti-China forces to attack and discredit the country.
Some politicians and media outlets have publicly smeared China's image by propagating false narratives in an attempt to incite and provoke dissatisfaction with China among people in certain countries. These means all serve the US strategy to contain China's rise and maintain its hegemony. The Global Times is publishing a series of articles to reveal the intrigues of the US and its allies' China-targeted cognitive warfare and expose its lies and vicious intentions.
In the 17th installment of the series, the Global Times revealed how the US military-industrial complex orchestrates cognitive warfare campaigns against China to incite the Philippines to confront China, how the US government has transitioned from the forefront to the background to exert influence on the Philippines, and what tactics have been used in these cognitive wars.
From manipulating public opinion through hyping the South China Sea issue to launching smear campaign against Chinese vaccines in the Philippines, the US military-industrial complex has been exposed for persistently instigating the Philippines behind the scenes to fabricate biased or false narratives and foment public misunderstanding regarding China.
Experts warned that this strategy risks pushing the Philippines toward greater conflict and jeopardizes its own interests.
What lobbying groups are behind these cognitive warfare efforts against China? What ties do they have to the US Department of Defense, the US government, and the Philippine military? And ultimately, what tactics do they employ in their coordinated cognitive warfare assault? This investigative report aims to unravel these dirty tricks.
Military forces disguised as think tanks
In the process of supporting the Philippines in provoking disputes with China over the South China Sea, there is a non-negligible American think tank behind the scenes, known as Project Myoushu at Stanford University, which focuses on South China Sea security issues.
The project became well-known to the public due to a notorious smear campaign against the China Coast Guard (CCG) in February 2023. Project Myoushu claimed that China had harassed the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) vessel by citing a so-called source. Subsequently, the PCG asserted that a Chinese ship had directed a laser at the PCG, while then US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, further fanned the flames by stating that the US stands with its ally in the face of alleged laser incidents. The Chinese Foreign Ministry later clarified the facts, saying that the CCG's on-site operations are professional and res trained, and the claim made by the Philippines has no basis in fact.
Taking its name from an "inspired move" in the ancient Chinese game Go, Project Myoushu was established in 2022. Ray Powell, who served in the US Air Force and currently leads Project Myoushu at Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, is an active figure in the narrative campaign against China on the South China Sea issue.
Reports show that Powell had served 35 years in the US Air Force, including a posting in the Philippines. After retiring in November 2021, Powell joined Stanford University as a research fellow.
In July 2023, Ray Powell visited with then Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos of Western Command to discuss "how to leverage emerging technologies to help improve maritime domain awareness and illuminate gray-zone activities in the West Philippine Sea," according to SeaLight's website, an organization at Stanford University that Powell led.
The term "gray zone activity" has been used by some officials and scholars in the US to discredit China's policies and legal actions in the South China Sea. They use this term to accuse China of employing non-military means to "change the status quo" or "create tension."
"This is a blatant inversion of reality. In fact, labeling China with various cognitive tags regarding the South China Sea issue is itself a manifestation of the US' use of the 'gray zone' strategy," said Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
Powell has also given interviews to US-funded media sources to support the Philippines or levy groundless accusations against China over the South China Sea issue.
In addition to Powell and Project Myoushu, another think tank with military ties has been found to openly intervene in the South China Sea issue.
According to an article in the US Naval Institute's magazine Proceedings, the US Naval Institute initiated the Maritime Counterinsurgency (COIN) Project in July 2022, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The project is specifically aimed at China's activities in the South China Sea, as it has claimed that "China is working below the threshold of armed conflict to subjugate the large civilian maritime population of Southeast Asia […] who depend on access to the South China Sea for their daily livelihoods."
The initial concept of Maritime COIN has sparked intense discussion in the US and its partners since 2019. Several high-ranking US military officers, including Admiral John Aquilino, Vice Admiral William Merz, and Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, have been influenced by this concept.
According to the US Naval Institute, the Maritime COIN has published 19 articles from July 2022 to April 2024, and many of the authors have US military backgrounds. A retired Philippine rear admiral is also among them.
US arms firms also have stakes in the South China Sea issue. According to the arms transfers database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US has transferred many pieces of military equipment including aircrafts, ships, missiles, armored vehicles, and engines to the Philippines over the last 10 years.
Manila is also planning to procure a US-made Typhon mid-range capability missile system, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on August 29.
Observers said that US weapon makers are eager to see tensions in the South China Sea rise, so that they can sell more of their products to make profits. Sophisticated network built on cognitive warfare players
The influence of the US military-industrial complex extends beyond the South China Sea issue, bleeding into other areas as well.
In June, Reuters published an investigative report revealing that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US military secretly launched a campaign to counter what it saw as China's growing influence in the Philippines. At the time, the Philippines had one of the worst inoculation rates in Southeast Asia.
Citing three former US military officials, a Reuters report referenced the operation as having been pushed by then US Special Operations Command Pacific General Jonathan Braga, who was reportedly a longtime advocate of increasing the use of propaganda operations as a tool in the global geopolitical competition.
The Pentagon's audit concluded that the military's primary contractor handling the campaign, General Dynamics IT, a US-based global aerospace and defense company, had employed sloppy tradecraft, taking inadequate steps to hide the origin of the fake accounts, according to a person with direct knowledge of the review, Reuters reported.
Why did the US launch such a cognitive war against Chinese vaccines? Reuters provides an answer: To counter what it perceived as China's growing influence in the Philippines. At the time, the Philippines had received vaccine aid from China, while US-produced vaccines had not yet been introduced in the Philippines.
These highly similar tactics lead to a suspicion of a connection between the narrative campaigns over the South China Sea and Chinese vaccines. Following the clues, the Global Times discovered that the key figures behind both operations are intricately linked.
The Global Times found that Braga, one of the initiators of the vaccine campaign, once visited the Hoover Institution in February 2020, engaging fellows in a roundtable discussion about the threats his command faced in the region. One of the fellows he met with is research fellow Joseph Felter.
The ties between the two individuals go far beyond this. Felter once served in the US Army Special Forces, while Braga was quickly reassigned to command the US Army Special Operations Command in mid-2021 after the launch of the vaccine campaign against China.
Joe Felter, as the former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, is familiar with the situation in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. He served as the principal advisor to senior US Department of Defense leadership for all policy matters pertaining to the development and implementation of defense strategies and plans for the region. Felter's resume shows that he has also been a military attaché in the Philippines.
Moreover, he also co-founded the defense company BMNT, which has close ties to the Pentagon and US military giants like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, according to the company's official website. Felter's role as a bridge between the US military and the Philippines has since become clear.
Felter is the director of Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. This indicates that Powell, while working on Project Myoushu, is required to report to Felter as the head of the center.
The intricate connections between Powell, Braga, and Felter, along with their profound military backgrounds, make the player network picture behind two typical cognitive wars against China much clearer. A significant shift in strategy
The connections also highlighted a significant shift in the US' strategy: The military-industrial complex has begun to play an active role in the cognitive war against China.
"The US military-industrial complex is often involved in many global conflicts. Driven by its own interests, it benefits from escalating regional tensions," Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.
By creating instability in the region, the complex aims to stimulate demand from countries around the South China Sea, thereby fulfilling its economic interests, he noted.
The military-industrial complex seeks to leverage these initiatives to encourage the US Congress to approve larger budgets and to push the US Department of Defense to procure more weapons, Chen said.
The interests of the military-industrial complex are clearly driving the US strategy of cognitive warfare against China, Chen noted.
The expert further stated it is clear to see that the US government has shifted from a front-stage role to a behind-the-scenes one. This can help avoid direct involvement in controversies that may provoke public resentment or skepticism, as well as prevent "factual conflicts" with China.
Meanwhile, by packaging think tanks as neutral and objective "academic authorities," the US can better exert global public opinion pressure, according to Chen.
"This strategy may push the Philippines to escalate tensions in the region, ultimately jeopardizing its own interests. The Philippines is by no means the winner of the cognitive war," he stressed.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has embraced a recent panda craze as the third pair of giant pandas, gifted by the central government, arrived in the city on Thursday with enthusiastic crowds and panda-themed decorations welcoming the "national treasures."
The pair, An An, a male, and Ke Ke, a female, both born in June 2019, arrived at Hong Kong International Airport by special flight from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at around 11 am, and then was transferred to a special bus to arrive at their new home in Ocean Park Hong Kong at around 1 pm, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Upon arrival, the two will be quarantined for 30 days. Afterward, they will spend time acclimating to their new environment before meeting the public in December, Xinhua revealed.
They are to join four others currently living in Hong Kong, bringing the total number to six, making it the city with the largest number of giant pandas outside the Chinese mainland, chinanews.com reported.
On Thursday afternoon, escorted by local police, the panda convoy smoothly entered the Ocean Park Hong Kong. Accompanied by the park's band, dozens of eager panda enthusiasts waved panda-shaped balloons and signs, cheering in joyful welcome, the Global Times learned.
"The adorable image of the giant panda is simply irresistible," said Jane, a member of the crowd.
"The event was quite grand and impressive, clearly showing that the Hong Kong SAR government places great importance on this new pair of giant pandas. We were also very excited," Jane told the Global Times on Thursday.
"When I talked to my friends in the mainland about this, they mentioned that the previous pandas that came to Hong Kong live long lives, so they feel reassured about An An and Ke Ke's arrival," Jane said.
The central government gifted Hong Kong with its first pair of giant pandas in 1999. However, both pandas passed away in 2016 and 2022 at the ages of 38 and 35, respectively. Jia Jia, which died at 38 in 2016, was the world's longest-living captive giant panda. The central government gifted a second pair in 2007 and they had recently given birth to twin panda cubs, Xinhua reported.
Now with six pandas, Paulo Pong Kin-Yee, chairman of Ocean Park said on Thursday that the nursing team has made thorough arrangements to care for the lovable mammals. The two exhibition halls feature four designated areas for the pandas, ensuring ample space for their needs. Additionally, sufficient staff is available to ensure the well-being of the pandas, Pong stated, according to Hong Kong's local media.
The arrival of the new pair came ahead of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which is also a highlight of the hundreds of celebrations in Hong Kong.
LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "LONGi"), a China-based solar technology company, recently published a research paper titled Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells with bilayer interface passivation online in the journal Nature as the first corresponding author. It reported the research results of breaking through the efficiency limit of single-junction solar cells by developing crystalline silicon-perovskite dual-junction tandem solar cells.
The dual-junction tandem solar cells are considered to have the potential to exceed the theoretical efficiency limit of single-junction solar cells in terms of photovoltaic conversion efficiency. For decades, research institutions and teams worldwide have been committed to achieving this goal.
In November 2023, LONGi announced that its crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell has been certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with an efficiency of 33.9 percent. This achievement has set a new world record for the efficiency of this type of cell and surpasses the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction semiconductor photovoltaic materials.
The company employed a double-layer staggered passivation strategy, which more effectively suppresses the non-radiative recombination at the perovskite interface while ensuring efficient charge transport. To better achieve structural coupling between the perovskite top cell and the crystalline silicon bottom cell, LONGi has developed a patented technology for silicon heterojunction solar cells with an asymmetric textured surface. The front surface of this silicon cell has a fine textured surface, facilitating the solution-based preparation of perovskite film, while the rear surface of the silicon cell uses a standard large size textured surface to achieve better passivation and infrared spectral response.
Making a series of key technological breakthroughs, LONGi's tandem team has achieved a certified conversion efficiency record of 33.9 percent for ultra-high-efficiency perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem solar cells. This is the first time that the efficiency of tandem solar cells has been experimentally proven to exceed the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit of single junction solar cells, marking a milestone achievement.
The work also received strong support and assistance from the co-corresponding agencies, including Soochow University, Clean Energy Research Institute of China Huaneng, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
In recent years, LONGi has maintained intensive R&D activities in the field of crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells, continuously achieving breakthrough progresses. Currently, the two-terminal tandem prototype devices (1 square centimeter) developed by LONGi's tandem team have been authoritatively certified with a record efficiency of 34.6 percent. The commercial-sized two-terminal tandem cells developed for mass production and the world's first square meter four-terminal tandem modules have been certified with efficiencies of 30.1 percent and 25.8 percent, respectively. These results demonstrate a significant efficiency advantage over single junction silicon cell technology. This achievement has greatly boosted the global photovoltaic industry's confidence and expectations for the next generation of ultra-high-efficiency tandem photovoltaic power generation technology.
On March 10, 1947, a provisional war crimes tribunal in Singapore officially began the trial of the perpetrators of the "Sook Ching Massacre," a mass killing that took place in the city in 1942. Most of the victims were of Chinese ethnicity. At the time, a Nanyang Siang Pau newspaper journalist named Xie Songshan recorded the trial proceedings.
From the testimonies of the victims and the confessions of the Japanese war criminals, Xie learned of numerous atrocities committed by the Japanese military, which had a profound impact on him.
He later wrote in the preface of his poetry collection, "The victims were all our compatriots, and this is indeed a great sorrow. I recall the time when fathers lost their sons, brothers lost their younger brothers, wives lost their husbands, and children cried for their fathers; there were even entire families that were slaughtered…"
The survivors of the massacre have gradually passed away, but this heavy history should not be easily buried by the sands of time.
Japanese occupation of Singapore
On December 8, 1941, Japanese troops landed in Kota Bharu and then advanced rapidly to occupy the Malay Peninsula, with their sights set squarely on Singapore. The Nationalist government in Chongqing notified the British, expressing their willingness to mobilize overseas Chinese people to cooperate with the British military in resisting the Japanese invasion. Chinese businessman Tan Kah Kee was entrusted with the important task of organizing the Overseas Chinese Mobilization Council.
The association was established on December 30, 1941. It had several departments, including a labor service department responsible for recruiting workers for the government, a security department in charge of patrolling and maintaining public order in various streets, a publicity department dedicated to promoting resistance against the Japanese invasion, and a civilian armed forces department responsible for organizing the overseas Chinese volunteer army. Under the association's organization, local ethnic Chinese people actively responded, with the number of registrants reaching 3,000 in a week, and the total number of subsequent registrants reaching 10,000.
Unfortunately, the Japanese army advanced rapidly, and the Singapore overseas Chinese anti-Japanese volunteer army had to engage in combat with the invading Japanese forces using poorly-made weapons issued by the British army, even before completing their basic military training.
Under the fierce attacks from the Japanese army, the Chinese volunteer army suffered heavy losses and had to retreat to their headquarters at the Nan Chiau Teachers' Training School, where they were subsequently ordered to disband by the British army. The association also completely ceased fundraising in January 1942, and hurriedly transferred the last amount of funds, totaling S$1.6 million, to the Executive Yuan of the Nationalist government in Chongqing before the fall of Singapore.
During the Japanese invasion, local ethnic Chinese people resisted tenaciously in various ways. As Lee Kuan Yew once pointed out, at that time, the only ones who had the courage and confidence, and dared to stand up against the invaders were the Chinese.
After occupying Malaya, General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Japanese 25th Army began to readjust the administrative divisions of Malaya established during British colonial rule. Malaya was renamed "Malai," and it was divided into 10 states. At the same time, Singapore was renamed "Syonan-to" and designated as a special city, serving as the military and political hub for Japan's southern occupied territories.
Given the special strategic position of Southeast Asia in the Japanese military's plans, the Japanese army formulated three major guidelines for the military and political affairs of the occupied territories: Restore public order, swiftly acquire important national defense resources, and ensure the occupying army's "self-sufficiency in the local area." Among these, the second guideline was deemed the most urgent, while the other guidelines aimed to ensure the smooth achievement of this goal.
Furthermore, the Japanese military explicitly stated in their guidelines that during the course of the war, in order to obtain national defense resources and achieve local self-sufficiency for the military, it was necessary to tolerate, to the greatest extent possible, the heavy pressure on the livelihood of the local population, and pacification work must not violate the above objectives.
In other words, Southeast Asia, as a key resource area in the overall strategy of the Japanese military, had to serve Japan's strategic goal of "fighting to sustain the war." Therefore, the task of the occupying army was to maintain a high-pressure governance mechanism to ensure that the Japanese military could "maximize" the extraction of local resources. Brutal slaughter of overseas Chinese
Due to the fact that ethnic Chinese people made up over 70 percent of Singapore's total population at the time, targeting and controlling this group became a primary objective for the Japanese occupying authorities.
In February 1942, the Japanese military ordered ethnic Chinese people aged 18 to 50 to report to gathering points. After a brief interrogation, those detained were taken to the coast or remote areas to be executed in what became known as the "Sook Ching Massacre." Sook Ching is a Chinese term meaning "purge through cleansing." This massacre was referred to as "Sook Ching" because the Japanese military issued small slips of paper stamped with the Chinese character "Jian" (meaning "examine") to those who were released. Once these slips were used up, the character was indiscriminately stamped on the clothing or bodies of the released individuals.
Experts pointed out that in practice, the Japanese military transported large numbers of unarmed civilians to execution sites without any investigation, so scholars and experts argue for a redefinition of Sook Ching as a genocide rather than a massacre.
The main purpose of the Japanese military's "cleansing" campaign was to eliminate ethnic Chinese people who resisted the Japanese invasion.
After the "cleansing" began, the Japanese forces ordered all Chinese men aged 18 to 50 to gather at 28 screening centers across the island for inspection, with the Japanese gendarmerie responsible for identifying and screening anti-Japanese individuals. The results of this "examination and cleansing" changed the fates of countless ordinary people.
Those who passed the "examination" received a paper stamped with the Chinese character "Jian," or had the character printed on their bodies and clothing. By contrast, those who failed the "examination" were labeled as "anti-Japanese subversives" and were transported by truck to execution sites.
Some historic materials indicate that the Japanese gendarmerie seemed to use five criteria to determine whether an individual was "anti-Japanese element": First, members of volunteer military forces; second, communists; third bandits; fourth, those carrying weapons; and fifth, individuals listed as anti-Japanese suspects by Japanese intelligence agencies.
However, substantial evidence suggests that the Japanese military did not adhere to these standards during their searches. Reports indicate that the gendarmerie's conviction process was extremely brief and arbitrary. All men who spoke the Hainan dialect, for example, were treated as communists.
According to testimonies from post-war trials of Japanese personnel and accounts from various witnesses, the Japanese military often determined the fate of detainees based solely on brief questioning or visual assessments at the concentration sites. In summary, the so-called "cleansing" was essentially a massacre driven by personal biases, resulting in the indiscriminate slaughter of innocents.
The death toll from this massacre remains a topic of heated debate. Regardless of the exact number of victims, the massacre stands as an indelible crime committed by Japanese fascists during World War II. Attempts to twist truth in post-war era
During the 1950s, a Japanese government committee was established to take charge of recommending the parole and release of war criminals to the Allied Nations. The committee's recommendations are still closed to the public in Japan, but can be read in the national archives of the UK and the US.
As an example of the committee's recommendations, in 1952, the British government was asked to consider parole for Onishi Satoru, who took part in the Sook Ching Massacre as a Kempeitai officer and was sentenced to life imprisonment by a British war crimes trial. The recommendation says that the figure of 5,000 victims of the massacre was untrue and that his war crimes trial had been an act of reprisal. Although this recommendation was not approved by the British government, it reflects the Japanese government's refusal to admit that mass murder had occurred in Singapore. Among many Japanese nationals, the war crimes trials were, and still are, regarded as a mockery of justice.
Beginning in 1962, numerous human remains dating back to the occupation were found in various locations around Singapore. Prolonged discussions between the Singaporean and Japanese governments relating to these deaths led to a settlement in 1967. This was reported in the Japanese press, but only as minor news.
During negotiations with the Singaporean government, the Japanese government rejected compensation demands but agreed to provide funding in other forms as a "gesture of atonement." However, the Japanese government ultimately refused to accept legal responsibility for the massacre or to investigate the death toll.
As many survivors began publishing memoirs and historians released research on the Sook Ching Massacre, the truth about the tragic event gradually came to light. Unfortunately, this did not garner widespread attention from the Japanese public.
In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Education ordered the deletion of passages relating to Japanese wartime atrocities in Asia from school textbooks, and instructed textbook authors to replace the term "aggression" with less emotive terms, such as "advance." Descriptions of the Singapore massacre in high school history textbooks are particularly rare. According to research in the 1990s, just eight out of a total of 26 textbooks mentioned the event. The most widely used textbook states simply that "atrocities took place in Singapore and elsewhere." Other textbooks say that the Japanese army massacred tens of thousands of overseas Chinese people in Singapore and Malaya, but even these descriptions are limited to one or two lines, and give no details.
The historical distortion surrounding the Sook Ching Massacre is not an isolated case. In the eight textbooks approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education in April 2005, descriptions of Korean forced labor have all but disappeared, as has the term "comfort women."
The Sook Ching Massacre cannot be viewed as the actions of "a few evil individuals," but only as an extension of Japan's aggression. It was a large-scale, organized, and systematic campaign of slaughter and plunder against the Chinese community, an unforgettable part of the atrocities committed by Japanese fascists in Asia.
As Japan's Ambassador to the Philippines recently intervened in the South China Sea issue, he might do well to reflect on his country's historical role in Southeast Asia during World War II. The Philippines should also consider whether accepting the overtures of a neighbor with a bloody past and no inclination for reflection is akin to inviting a wolf into the house. A careful examination of 20th-century Asian history reveals that a responsible attitude toward history must be grounded in remembrance and an understanding of reality. Only by correctly recognizing history can we better shape the future.
The story was originally published on National Humanity History magazine.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, China's film industry is gearing up for a promising season, offering a diverse lineup of 21 new releases to draw audiences back to theaters. At a time when the market faces challenges, will this mix of films have the potential to energize the box office? An industry expert told the Global Times that he has confidence in this year's Mid-Autumn film season.
Among the highly anticipated films, Stand by Me, which premieres on Sunday, stands out due to high pre-sales.
Following that, there's the Hollywood thriller Speak No Evil. On September 17 when the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated, there will be realism-orientated films such as Like A Rolling Stone and Enjoy Yourself, as well as comedies like A Frozen Rage and Keep Rolling.
Moreover, there will be re-releases such as The Wandering Earth II, along with a behind-the-scenes documentary about the film.
According to online ticketing platform Maoyan, by 12:29 pm on Wednesday, pre-sales for this season have already surpassed 40 million yuan ($5.62 million), with Stand by Me, Like A Rolling Stone, and Enjoy Yourself leading the pack. From thrillers to comedies and animated films, the Mid-Autumn season caters to diverse audience preferences.
This year's Mid-Autumn Festival falls in mid-September, right between the summer and National Day film seasons, serving as a bridge for the market. The recent summer box office was not ideal, with a decline in both revenue and viewership compared to 2023.
The summer box office (June 1 to August 31) reached 11.64 billion yuan, a decrease of nearly 9 billion yuan compared to 20.619 billion yuan in 2023.
Additionally, this summer saw 285 million tickets sold, a significant drop compared to the 505 million from the same period in 2023.
According to a report by Maoyan, the long-tail index for summer blockbusters has significantly decreased compared to 2023, with overall post-release box-office performance and film discussions being less favorable.
The long-tail index refers to the total box-office earnings divided by opening day earnings.
Additionally, there was a scarcity of large-scale family films, which led to a decrease in group viewership, while single-viewer rates reached their highest in the past six years.
The most prominent reason for not watching films during the summer is "lack of interest in the films." The "cost-effectiveness" of going to the cinema was also a crucial factor in audiences' decision-making.
However, since the box office for the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays in 2023, which were combined that year, reached 2.734 billion yuan, one interviewed expert noted he is optimistic about this year's performance during the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.
"Although the summer season didn't meet expectations, the film market is not lacking in excitement, and there is a certain level of anticipation for the Mid-Autumn Festival," Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration, told the Global Times.
According to Sun, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival benefits from its timing. If it were closer to the summer or National Day periods, many films might opt to release during those peak times instead.
"I believe that this year's Mid-Autumn releases might actually perform slightly better than last year's. The key is that the lineup for this year is quite rich for a smaller season, offering a wide range of choices across various genres, including Hollywood films, realistic themes, and comedies," he added.
Realism is a major highlight of this year's Mid-Autumn film season. Movies like Stand by Me and Like A Rolling Stone stand out not only for their narratives but also for their focus on realism, often tackling pressing social issues.
