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A delegation of Japan's ruling coalition kicked off its visit to China from Monday to Wednesday, marking the first China-Japan ruling parties exchange since 2018, according to an announcement made by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Also on Monday, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced that a delegation from the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will visit Japan in mid-January under a mutual agreement. 

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, met in Beijing on Monday with a delegation of Japan's ruling coalition, led by Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama of the Liberal Democratic Party and Secretary General Makoto Nishida of the Komeito Party.

Li welcomed the Japanese delegation to China to attend the meeting of the China-Japan ruling party talks.

The previous meeting of China-Japan ruling parties exchange mechanism was held in Japan in October 2018. 

The CPC is willing to work with the ruling coalition of Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen political dialogue, promote people-to-people exchanges and create a healthy and rational public opinion environment for China-Japan relations, said Li.

The Japanese side expressed its willingness to give full play to the role of the ruling coalition in accordance with the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, face up to problems and challenges, and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries, especially youth exchanges. 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had a meeting with the secretaries-general of the ruling parties last week. During the meeting, Ishiba expressed eagerness to visit China as soon as possible, and he told Moriyama and Nishida that he hopes Japan and China will continue dialogue at various levels, according to the Japan Times.

Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya's visit to China last month can be seen as an initial exploration to improve relations between the two countries; whilst the ruling party delegation's visit is expected to focus on substantive issues with the Chinese side and may become an important step for Japan in promoting Ishiba's visit to China, Lü Chao, an expert on the Korean Peninsula at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

If this ruling party delegation's trip to China yields positive results, it will also promote cooperation between China and Japan in various areas such as politics and economics, Lü said. 

Delegation of Japan's ruling parties' China trip came less than a month after Iwaya's visit to China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Iwaya held talks in Beijing on December 25, 2024, when Wang expressed hope that Japan will work with China to uphold the correct orientation of the strategic relationship of mutual benefit, abide by the important consensus that "the two countries are cooperative partners, not a threat to each other," and jointly advance the sound and stable development of bilateral relations.

A delegation from the Eastern Theater Command of the PLA will visit Japan in mid-January under a mutual agreement. The delegation will meet with leaders of Japan's Ministry of Defense and the Joint Staff of the Self-Defense Force, and visit related military units, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Monday. 

The ministry said the visit is conducive to boosting mutual understanding and mutual trust, and promoting China-Japan defense exchanges. 

PLA Eastern Theater Command delegation's visit to Japan marks the second exchange between the militaries of China and Japan within two months. A delegation of Japanese young and middle-aged military officers visited China from November 26 to December 4 last year.

Since Ishiba took office, China-Japan ties have begun to show signs of easing and stability, Lian Degui, director of Center for Japanese Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times. He noted that defense exchange plays an important role in this process, carrying positive significance and laying a solid foundation for the future development of bilateral ties. 

Considering that the PLA Eastern Theater Command's jurisdiction includes the East China Sea and the Diaoyu Dao, frontline troops in the theater have many opportunities to interact with Japanese maritime and air forces, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times, noting that the Chinese delegation's visit to Japan is of great significance for the defense departments of both countries, especially for the frontline naval and air forces in the East China Sea.

Zhang said this helps to eliminate misunderstandings and misjudgments between the two sides, reduces the likelihood of unexpected incidents, and maintains regional peace and stability.

Complicated mentality

US President Joe Biden on Sunday met virtually with his counterparts from Japan and the Philippines to advance cooperation among the three countries, the White House said. The three leaders discussed trilateral maritime security and economic cooperation, and China's "dangerous and unlawful behavior in the South China Sea," according to a White House statement, Reuters reported. 

Last week, Japan linked more than 200 cyberattacks over the past five years targeting the country's national security and high technology data to a Chinese hacking group, MirrorFace, detailing their tactics and calling on government agencies and businesses to reinforce preventive measures, according to the Associated Press. 

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday that China firmly opposes and fights all forms of hacker attacks in accordance with law, and opposes politicizing cybersecurity issues. 

"Some allies of the US have recently started to assist the US in spreading disinformation about China. We hope that all parties will approach cybersecurity issues on the basis of facts, guided by international rules, and with objectivity, fairness, and professionalism rather than playing supporting roles in political stunts," Guo added.

Tokyo's China policy is fraught with complications stemming from both historical grievances and contemporary issues, such as Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater. Additionally, the influence of Japan's hawkish factions and pressure from a third country have further complicated the situation, Lü Chao said. 

China's policy toward Japan has remained consistent and stable. The crucial question now is whether Japan can effectively implement its current pragmatic approach to China and take advantage of this opportunity to foster warmer ties. By building mutual trust, both nations can bring much-needed warmth to their frosty relationship, according to Lü Chao.

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake kicked off a four-day state visit to China on Tuesday, according to Sri Lanka local media Sunday Times. This marks the leader's first visit to China after taking office. 

Upon his arrival, the President was accorded a ceremonial welcome by the Chinese military, and he was formally received by Chen Xiaodong, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President's Media Division said.

During this state visit, Dissanayake is scheduled to participate in several key engagements, including field visits focused on technological and agricultural development, as well as initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation. The visit also includes high-level business meetings and discussions, Sunday Times reported on Tuesday.

China and Sri Lanka have long been each other's friend and close neighbor. Since our two countries established diplomatic ties in 1957, the bilateral relationship has stood the test of the changing international landscape, always maintained sound and steady growth, and set up a fine example of friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries different in size, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on January 10. 

China stands ready to work with Sri Lanka through the upcoming visit to carry forward our time-honored friendship, deepen political mutual trust, and expand high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and practical cooperation in various fields for continuous new progress in advancing the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincerity, mutual support and ever-lasting friendship as well as more benefits for the two peoples, Guo said. 

Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times that Dissanayake is seeking more development opportunities through his visit to China. 

China and Sri Lanka are promoting traditional cooperation in infrastructure construction and agriculture, but there is also great room for cooperation in tourism, port city development under the Belt and Road Initiative and fisheries, Qian said.

The agenda includes key focus areas such as technology, agriculture and poverty alleviation. President Dissanayake is also scheduled to visit strategic facilities and participate in high-level business forums aimed at enhancing economic collaboration and investment opportunities, according to a notice released by Sri Lanka's Presidential Office on Monday. 

Dissanayake's visit to China demonstrates a firm "Rubber-Rice" friendship between China and Sri Lanka, Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Dissanayake's visit to China is being closely watched by Indian media. 

"After India, Sri Lanka's president heads to China for key diplomatic talks," according to a video segment on Indian TV station NDTV's website. 

During the visit of the Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to India in December 2024, some Indian media outlets diverted attention from India-Sri Lanka relations and instead sought to sow discord between China and Sri Lanka. 

Experts suggest that, as an independent sovereign state, maintaining its own interests is paramount for the Sri Lankan government, which is expected to continue a balanced diplomatic approach.

China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has made a breakthrough in mineral exploration. Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), more than 20 million tons of new copper resources have been discovered, with the total resource potential reaching 150 million tons, the Global Times learned from the China Geological Survey on Monday.

Four major copper resource bases: Yulong, Duolong, Julong-Jiama, and Xiongcun-Zhunuo, have emerged on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The region is poised to develop into a world-class copper resource hub, changing the landscape of copper mine exploration and development in China, according to the China Geological Survey.

Tang Juxing, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, highlighted the significance of copper as a critical metal, particularly in green energy development and applications. For instance, solar energy, onshore wind energy, offshore wind energy, and new-energy vehicles all depend heavily on copper, Tang was quoted by the China Central Television as saying on Monday.

Tang said the exploration is crucial for building key resource bases in China and securing the stability of the copper industrial and supply chains.

In addition, the Duobao Mountain copper mine located in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has added 3.65 million tons of copper resources, consolidating the resource foundation of China's eastern copper resource base, according to the China Geological Survey.

The Mount Qomolangma scenic area was temporarily closed, and tourists and staff were in safe condition after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the Xizang Autonomous Region Tuesday morning, according to local authorities.

Dingri is home to the base camp of the world's highest peak. Fifty-three people have been confirmed dead and 62 injured during the earthquake, according to the regional disaster relief headquarters.

The hotel buildings and surrounding areas in the scenic area have remained intact, and tourists and staff are safe, according to the Dingri Culture and Tourism Bureau.

The Qomolangma Station for Atmospheric and Environmental Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, located in Dingri, is experiencing a power outage. However, the facilities have remained in good condition.

Located at the China-Nepal border, Mount Qomolangma reaches an altitude of more than 8,840 meters, with its northern section located in Xizang.

The weather forecast showed that Dingri's temperature ranged from minus 18 degrees Celsius to zero.

The Chinese side of Mount Qomolangma received 13,764 overseas tourists in 2024, more than twice the number recorded in 2023. This is a notable sign of booming international tourism following China's relaxation of its visa policies.

According to the County Bureau of Culture and Tourism, these tourists are mainly from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and France.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of workers and has always required Chinese-funded enterprises to operate in accordance with laws and regulations.

Guo made the remarks as Reuters reported that Chinese eelectric vehicle producer BYD brought hundreds of Chinese workers on irregular visas to build a factory in Brazil, adding the company has pledged to comply with local labor laws for the workers remaining in the country.

Guo also stated that China is willing to continue working with Brazil to strengthen cooperation in all fields based on the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation.

The Regulation on Network Data Security Management took effect on Wednesday, with a Chinese expert highlighting the importance of ensuring data security amid the widespread integration of AI technology.

The regulation aims to standardize activities related to the processing of online data, safeguard the security of online data, promote the lawful and efficient use of online data, protect the legitimate rights and interests of individuals and organizations, while safeguarding national security and public interests. It consists of nine chapters and 64 articles, according to the document issued by the government in September 2024.

No individuals or organizations may use online data to engage in illegal activities or data processing practices, nor may they engage in illegal data processing activities such as stealing or otherwise unlawfully obtaining, selling, or providing online data to others, according to the regulation. No individuals or organizations may provide programs or tools specifically designed for engaging in the aforementioned illegal activities; if they are aware that others are engaging in such illegal activities, they must not provide technical support such as internet access, server hosting, network storage, or communication transmission, nor assist with advertising promotion or payment settlement. 

Besides, no individuals or organizations may provide programs or tools specifically designed to destroy or circumvent technical measures; if they are aware that others are engaging in activities to destroy or circumvent technical measures, they must not provide technical support or assistance.

The regulation also stresses that network data processor, before processing personal information, shall formulate and prominently display clear personal information processing rules to inform individuals. These rules should be prominently displayed, easily accessible, and placed in a conspicuous location, with content that is clear, specific, and easy to understand. If the network data processor processes personal information of minors under the age of 14, it shall also formulate specific personal information processing rules.

Previously, officials from the Ministry of Justice and Office of the Central Cyberspace Affair Commission noted that some network platform service providers have failed to meet their obligations regarding network data security, while exploiting their data advantages to engage in activities prohibited by laws and regulations. Relevant legislation both domestically and internationally has explored practical solutions to these issues.

To address this problem, the regulation establishes the network data security protection obligations for network platform service providers, third-party service providers, as well as manufacturers of smart devices with pre-installed applications. It also requires network platform service providers that offer application distribution services to establish application verification rules and conduct relevant network data security verifications.

In response to challenges such as the difficulties in disabling personalized recommendation services, the variety of personal information collected, and the abuse of precise personal profiling data, it clarifies that network platform service providers should provide easily understandable, accessible, and operable options for users to disable personalized recommendations. This includes functionalities for users to refuse to receive push notifications and delete user tags related to their personal characteristics.

Network platform service providers are encouraged to support users in registering and verifying their real identity information using the national online identity authentication public service.

It also mandates that large network platform service providers release annual reports on personal data protection, detail measures to address cross-border security risks related to network data, and states their obligation not to engage in related activities using network data, algorithms, or platform rules.

As a subordinate supporting regulation to the Cybersecurity Law, the Data Security Law and the Personal Information Protection Law, the introduction of the regulation fills the gap of "administrative regulations" in the comprehensive legal framework for data governance in our country, according to the interpret document issued by the Ministry of Public Security. It provides solutions for the institutional connection and coordination, as well as the refinement and supplementation of rules under the framework of the three laws. 

This regulation plays a guiding role in the field of network data security protection. With the implementation of the regulations, China's network data security regulatory system will undergo a new round of adjustments, which will directly impact the current regulatory landscape, regulatory thinking, priorities and directions, as well as compliance with regulations in the field of network data security, the document said.

It should be noted that the current foundation and driving force of the national economy primarily rely on data, especially in the context of AI technology fully empowering various industries, Wang Sixin, a professor of law at the Communication University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Ensuring the security of data has become particularly important, which includes the regulation and lawful use of data to prevent illegal exploitation. 

Wang emphasized the need for a comprehensive framework to ensure the legal and compliant use of data amid signs of misuse of AI technology for improper gains, which engages in irregular algorithm operations and other behaviors. "Therefore, we need to establish a broad direction, a comprehensive framework, and behavioral norms to ensure the legal and compliant use of data, minimize the occurrence of improper actions, and safeguard overall security," he said.

A paper written by Chinese scientists, titled "Description of six new genera and twenty species of the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae (Araneae, Araneoidea) from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China" was recently published. Among the 20 new species described, 16 were named after songs by Jay Chou, such as C. xingqing sp. nov., C. longquan sp. nov., and Pengaraneus qingtian sp. nov.

This paper was published in Zoological Research: Diversity and Conservation, and available online on December 18, 2024.

The first author of this paper is Professor Mi Xiaoqi from Tongren University, and the corresponding author is Researcher Li Shuqiang. The website unveiled that the research was carried out by Li Shuqiang's team at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), starting in 2006, and has resulted in 78 taxonomy-related papers published in international journals.

Mi told the Hongxing News that naming species requires ensuring that there are no duplicates within a group, and it took considerable time to name the 16 new spider species. Using song titles made the naming process quicker and simpler. 

Mi also mentioned that in this study, they discovered six new genera and 16 new species, all of which belong to the family Araneidae. Mi also emphasized the importance of paying more attention to and protecting biodiversity.

Mi mentioned that he enjoys listening to Jay Chou's music in daily life as a way to relax and unwind.

The news has sparked widespread discussions online, with netizens humorously "shouting" to Jay Chou, saying "Your fans are now scientists!"

Some people remarked that the spider names sound very cool, and it seems like the author named them while listening to Jay Chou's songs.

In fact, this is not the first time Jay Chou's fans have appeared in the scientific world. In 2020, Sun Zhixin, then a master degree candidate from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS, named a unique 500-million-year-old trilobite he discovered Phantaspis auritus.

Sun explained to Science and Technology Daily that Jay Chou's songs have had a significant influence on him. By naming the trilobite Phantaspis auritus, he intended to pay tribute to Jay Chou's whimsical musical style. It is a romantic gesture from a science enthusiast. 

A meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership has stressed strengthening Party discipline and urged senior leaders to set an exemplary and leading role in observing Party rules.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered an important speech while chairing the criticism and self-criticism meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which was held from Thursday to Friday.

The Wenzhou People's Procuratorate in Zhejiang Province on Monday filed charges against 39 members of the Ming family's "mafia" and associated criminal groups, who had long been operating in the northern Myanmar's Kokang Self-Administered Zone. They used armed forces and carried out telecom network fraud and other crimes targeting Chinese citizens. Among those indicted are Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Ming Julan, Bi Huijun, Zhou Weichang, Luo Jialiang, and others.

The charges include fraud, intentional murder, intentional injury, illegal detention, operating a casino, drug trafficking, and organizing prostitution. The case has been referred to the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court for trial, according to CCTV News.

China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) in November 2023 announced that Ming Guoping, Ming Julan and Ming Zhenzhen, ringleaders of the telecom and online fraud criminal gang in northern Myanmar's Kokang, have been arrested, and that the chief criminal of the gang Ming Xuechang has committed suicide. All four of them were put on a wanted list with a reward by the police in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

A research team led by Xing Lida from the China University of Geosciences (Beijing), in collaboration with co-authors from Spain, Brazil, South Korea, and Australia, has made notable progress in classifying Cretaceous sauropod tracks.

The sauropod tracks, found in Gajin-ri, Jinseong-myeon, Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, were named Gyeongsangsauropus pentadactylus. This marks Gyeongsangsauropus as the first sauropod ichnogenus identified in South Korea, with its unique morphology shedding new light on the posture and gait of sauropods.

The research findings have been published in the monograph Vertebrate Ichnology: The Fossil Record of Prehistoric Behavior.

Gyeongsangnam-do, in South Gyeongsang Province, has long been a significant area for dinosaur research in South Korea. Regarding the sauropod skeletal record, a study in 2016 reported on an Early Cretaceous somphospondylan (Dinosauria: Titanosauriformes) from Haedong-gun, featuring partial cervical and dorsal vertebrae. Since 2006, Korean researchers have documented over 4,000 dinosaur tracks in Goseong County, South Gyeongsang Province, cementing its status as one of the world's most important sites for dinosaur footprints.

In 2012, South Korean Jeong Yul Kim and co-authors described a new sauropod ichnospecies, Brontopodus pentadactylus, under the widely distributed ichnogenus Brontopodus, from the Haman Formation at the Gazin site in South Gyeongsang Province. The fossil-bearing strata are dated to between 113 and 94 million years ago. The Brontopodus pentadactylus tracks are well-preserved, with clear digit traces, and provide an invaluable sample of sauropod track morphology.

A recent study re-examines this ichnospecies by conducting a detailed comparison with various sauropod track records. The research group suggests that the features of Brontopodus pentadactylus, including the rotation angle of manus tracks, differ significantly from those of other Brontopodus ichnospecies. Consequently, this ichnospecies has been reclassified into the new ichnogenus Gyeongsangsauropus.

This study identifies the distinctive characteristics of medium-sized sauropod tracks (approximately 40-50 cm in length), including manus tracks with five short, blunt digits, with digits III-V being nearly identical in length and width. The manus tracks are noticeably outward rotated from the midline of the trackway.

The trackway parameters of Gyeongsangsauropus pentadactylus include an average stride length of 150 cm and a distance between manus and pes tracks of 50-80 cm. The hip height of the Gyeongsangsauropus pentadactylus trackmakers, estimated from footprint length, is approximately 2-2.9 meters.

The establishment of the ichnogenus Gyeongsangsauropus provides important scientific evidence for studying the locomotion and ecological adaptations of sauropods. The findings suggest that different groups of sauropods may have exhibited significant diversity in their postures and gaits, Xing said.

According to Xing, further research is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of sauropod evolution and their ecological roles within the paleoenvironment.