Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Xi arrived here earlier on Thursday for a state visit to Cambodia.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said on Friday that it would be "very foolish" for the United Kingdom (UK) to disengage from China, emphasizing the importance of continued economic cooperation.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Reeves expressed support for strengthening ties with China rather than building new barriers.

"China is the second biggest economy in the world, and it would be, I think, very foolish to not engage. That's the approach of this government," Reeves said ahead of a scheduled trip to Washington next week.

Reeves pointed to her visit to China earlier this year, where she participated in the 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue alongside leading British financial services firms, including HSBC, the London Stock Exchange Group, Standard Chartered, and Prudential.

She said the visit aimed to boost the ability of British financial services firms to operate in China by securing more licenses and quotas for British businesses. That visit resulted in a deal she estimated to be worth around 600 million pounds (795.93 million U.S. dollars) to the British economy.

Reeves also voiced support for Chinese fast fashion company Shein listing on the London Stock Exchange, and said she would be happy to ride in Chinese-made electric vehicles despite so-called "spying fears."

According to The Telegraph, her comments signal the British government's ongoing commitment to deepening trade and financial ties with China - an agenda championed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Lee Jae-myung, chief of South Korea's main liberal opposition Democratic Party, resigned as party leader on Wednesday amid wide expectations for his presidential run.

Lee said at the party's supreme council meeting that he was grateful to party members, officials and lawmakers for achievements during his three-year party chairmanship.

The most-favored presidential hopeful noted that he would start something new soon, indicating his declaration to run for president in the near future.

He stressed that the difficulties people were currently experiencing would be overcome quickly by the help of "great DNA," with which people overcame the past hardships, pledging that he would be with people in the process.

A snap presidential election was set for June 3 following the constitutional court's removal of former President Yoon Suk-yeol from office on April 4 over his short-lived martial law imposition last December.

Lee, who lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon by the narrowest margin, had been broadly viewed as the most powerful contender for the snap election.

According to a survey by local pollster Flower, 49.6 percent said they will vote for the Democratic Party's candidate in the next presidential election, while 29.5 percent were in favor of the ruling People Power Party's candidate.

Lee was the most favored as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate with a support rate of 85.5 percent.

The result was based on a poll of 3,004 voters conducted from March 17 to 20. It had plus and minus 1.8 percentage points in margin of error with a 95-percent confidence level.

Xi sends congratulatory message to 9th CELAC summit

In response to the latest sanctions imposed by the US government on six officials from the Chinese government and the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) government, Chinese authorities voiced strong opposition and condemnation on Tuesday, saying that it will take strong countermeasures in response to US erroneous practice.

The US State Department on Monday released its latest "Hong Kong Policy Act Report" and sanctioned the six individuals under the excuse of "erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy." 

Responding to a media inquiry, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun slammed the report on Tuesday. He said it is a vicious attack on China's One Country, Two Systems, the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The report seeks to smear Hong Kong's democracy, rule of law, exercise of freedoms, and human rights conditions.  

Guo also denounced US hypocrisy, saying the US on the one hand keeps overstretching and abusing the concept of national security, stepping up illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, yet on the other deliberately smearing and attacking the effort of China's central government and the HKSAR government in upholding national security in Hong Kong in accordance with the law, and abusing sanctions.

The sanctions announced on Monday put blocks on any property, funds or transactions within the US for these individuals, Reuters said. 

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of State Council, the central government's office for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, the central government's liaison office in the HKSAR and the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong SAR all issued statements, expressed strong condemnation and firm opposition to the US' actions on Tuesday.

The US's repeated, groundless unilateral sanctions against Hong Kong are nothing but worthless scraps of paper, a spokesperson from the central government's office for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR said on Tuesday. 

Regardless of how many sanctions it imposes, they will remain meaningless and cannot stop Hong Kong's path toward prosperity, and those who act unjustly will ultimately face consequences, the spokesperson said, warning that unjust actions will have consequences and urging the US to abandon its arrogant bullying, otherwise it will end up shooting itself in the foot.

The US, on one hand, abuses "national security" as a pretext for heavy-handed law enforcement at home while wielding sanctions and imposing so-called "long-arm jurisdiction" to act domineeringly on the global stage. On the other hand, it rascally uses the guise of "democracy," "freedom," and "rule of law" to meddle in Hong Kong affairs, making baseless accusations and interfering excessively, a spokesperson from the central government's liaison office said. 

Such moves expose Washington's hypocritical double standards and bullying to the world. "The US is marking April Fool's Day with foolish tactics," one netizen quipped, according to the spokesperson.

This egregious act by the US flagrantly tramples on international law and the basic norms of international relations, interferes in China's internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, and undermines Hong Kong's rule of law and judicial independence, a spokesperson from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of State Council said on Tuesday. 

Once again, it exposes the US' hegemonic and arrogant nature, exposing its desperation and hysteria to the world. Such repeated disgraceful performances by the US are nothing but futile attempts. Its so-called reports and sanctions amount to nothing more than the buzzing of flies and worthless scraps of paper, the spokesperson said.  

Paul Lam, Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR government, was quoted as saying in a local media report by the RTHK on Tuesday that those sanctions imposed by the US "had no impact on him" and didn't affect his work and life, saying the best way to respond is to "remain calm and collected."

The Chinese Embassy in the US strongly condemned the latest report and sanctions. The embassy said the so-called report continues to repeat the cliche smearing Hong Kong's democracy, rule of law, human rights, and freedoms. 

The embassy urged the US to respect facts, stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs, and cease smearing Hong Kong's democracy and rule of law. It warned that China will take strong measures to counter these wrongful actions.

Several district councilors protested outside the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao at noon on Tuesday, the Global Times learned from a pro-establishment party Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB). They condemned the US for its blatant interference in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs, as well as for seriously trampling on international law and the basic norms of international relations, Vice Chair of the DAB Chan Yung told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

"The so-called US sanctions and its political scheme to disrupt Hong Kong and hinder China's development are doomed to fail," Chan said. 

"It is indeed ironic that the US government is imposing sanctions on several officials from the central government and the HKSAR responsible for safeguarding national security under the pretext of protecting human rights," Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Lau believed that the US government will continue to impose sanctions on Hong Kong judges and law enforcement officers. "Given these indications, both the central government and the HKSAR government must harbor no illusions about the US government. The only response is firm countermeasures, ensuring that the US pays an equivalent price for its actions," he added. 

China's state security authorities have uncovered a case of Filipino espionage and apprehended three Filipino nationals suspected of spying in the country. The investigation revealed that Philippine intelligence agencies have long been focused on gathering information about China's military deployments. 

David Servañez, a Philippine citizen residing in China, repeatedly visited areas near Chinese military facilities, raising suspicions due to his unusual behavior. After investigation, China's national security authorities discovered that he was being remotely directed by a  Philippine handler known as "Herrera," engaging in espionage and intelligence-gathering activities within China. 

Further investigation revealed that "Herrera" was also directing two other Philippine nationals in China, Albert Endencia and Nathalie Plizardo, to gather sensitive information.

Following a thorough investigation and evidence gathering, national security authorities apprehended the three espionage suspects according to law.

Security authorities confirmed that Philippine intelligence agencies have long targeted China's military deployments. Since 2021, Richie Herrera, an operative within the Philippine military intelligence agency, recruited David, Albert, and Nathalie as field agents. After providing them with espionage training, Herrera dispatched them to China to carry out covert intelligence missions. 

The case remains under investigation.

China's national security authorities also warned that foreign nationals working or living in China must not engage in espionage under the direction of overseas institutions, organizations, or individuals.

In response to media inquiries about the espionage case, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday that China's judicial organs and relevant departments are handling the case strictly in accordance with the law and will protect the legitimate rights and interests of those involved.

The spokesperson noticed that the Philippine side has recently fabricated a number of so-called "Chinese spy" cases, making a concerted effort to presume guilt, stigmatize, and politicize the issue despite unclear facts. "China firmly opposes this and has lodged solemn representations on many occasions."

China urges the Philippines to stop making groundless accusations and unfounded labels, to handle cases involving Chinese citizens fairly and in accordance with the law, and to genuinely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the country, Guo said.