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.
Q: On December 21, the White House announced military assistance worth US$571.3 million to Taiwan. The US Department of Defense announced on the same day that the State Department has approved US$295 million worth of arms sales to Taiwan. What’s China’s comment?
A: The US once again approved military assistance and arms sales to China’s Taiwan region. This seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué of 1982, and China’s sovereignty and security interests. The decision is a severe breach of the US leaders’ commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence,” and sends a gravely wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes it and lodged serious protests at once with the US.
The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. To aid “Taiwan independence” by arming Taiwan is just like playing with fire and will get the US burned, and to use the Taiwan question to contain China is doomed to fail. China urges the US to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop the dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We will take all measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who is on a duty visit to Beijing.
During the meeting, Xi heard a report from Lee on Hong Kong's current situation and the HKSAR government's work.
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. During a discussion on how to address the global security deficit, Kishore Mahbubani, distinguished fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore and Singapore's former permanent representative to the United Nations, delivered a video speech stating that the West must adapt to a multi-civilizational, multipolar and multilateral world.
Mahbubani said that our world today is a troubled place, and the fundamental reason is that the world is experiencing three fundamental structural changes. The world is becoming multi-civilizational, multipolar and multilateral, he said. The multi-civilizational world is a natural result of the fact that we are moving away from the era of Western domination of world history. And we are seeing the return of many other civilizations especially in Asia, the Sinic, the Indic, the Islamic civilizations. While the US tries to stop the return and development of China, it cannot stop the return of such an old and resilient and strong civilization, Mahbubani emphasized.
Multipolarity is emerging because new powers are rising. Mahbubani believes that Russia is one of the great powers of the world, and the West must understand that 85 percent of the world's population have not imposed sanctions on Russia. The legitimate security interests of Russia must also be taken into consideration while also respecting international law, he noted.
Moreover, the world is becoming more multilateral, Mahbubani said. Regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, he said that the UN was constantly calling for a "two-State solution" between Israel and Palestine when the Cold War ended. The West had an opportunity to create a permanent two-State solution, it failed to do so. It allowed the problem to fester and grow, and so at some point, it had to explode, the scholar stressed.
Mahbubani believes that in the face of these conflicts, we have to find ways and means of bridging the divide. He is glad that China has taken some steps toward trying to improve the situation in the Middle East by organizing the meetings between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and by organizing a meeting of the Palestinian factions in Beijing. He thinks China and the other Asian countries can step up and do more to persuade the West to accept the fact that the West has got to adapt to a different world which is multi-civilizational, multipolar and multilateral.
Workers carve a big snowman in a public square in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on December 15, 2024. Their work attracted numerous tourists, many of whom stopped to watch and take pictures. Photo: VCG
China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced on Tuesday that the permitted stay for foreign nationals entering China under the visa-free transit policy for purposes such as tourism, business, visits, and family reunions has been extended from the original 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours or 10 days, as part of the latest measures to further relax and optimize the visa-free transit policy. The policy takes effect immediately.
At the same time, the NIA announced that the number of ports eligible for the visa-free transit policy will be increased from the original 39 to 60, including Chengdu Tianfu International Airport Port in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province and Sanya Phoenix International Airport Port in South China's Hainan Province.
Also, as part of the latest policy announced on Tuesday, the permitted activity areas for visa-free foreign nationals will be expanded to 24 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities including Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hainan and Guizhou provinces from the original 19.
During their staying in China, foreigners who travel in transit without a visa can engage in activities such as tourism, business, visits, and family visits. However, those who want to work, study, or conduct news interviews and other activities that require prior approval still need to obtain a visa before coming to China, per the NIA.
So far, there are 54 countries that are eligible for the 240-hour transit visa exemption policy.
The latest data released by the NIA on Tuesday shows that from January to November 2024, there were 29.218 million foreign entries into China through various ports, an 86.2 percent year-on-year increase. Of these, 17.446 million entries were made visa-free, a year-on-year growth of 123.3 percent.
The US insisted on arranging Lai's "transit" to offer platform for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, seriously violating the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and sending a seriously wrong signal to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. China strongly protests this and has lodged a stern representation with the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference on Friday.
Taiwan regional Leader Lai Ching-te is reportedly completing "transiting" through Hawaii and Guam and is scheduled to return to the island on Friday.
Lin said the Taiwan question is the primary, non-negotiable red line in China-US relations. The actions of "Taiwan independence" are incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.
China urges the US to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, honor US leaders' commitments not to support "Taiwan independence," cease official exchanges between the US and the island of Taiwan, stop hollowing out or undermining the one-China principle, and cease any form of support or tolerance for "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their activities and take concrete actions to stabilize China-US relations and maintain peace in the Taiwan Straits, said the spokesperson.
Any attempt to rely on the US for "independence" will hit a wall, and any efforts to use Taiwan island to contain China are bound to fail, Lin said.
In response to another inquiry on whether the mainland is planning to conduct more military exercises surrounding Taiwan island as Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te has completed "transiting" through Hawaii and Guam, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and the foremost, non-negotiable red line in China-US relations. China's determination to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering.
Previously some Taiwan local media claimed that the mainland military is poised to "encircle Taiwan proper in military exercise 'Joint Sword-2024C,'" as Lai returns from his visit to "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific via "transit" through Hawaii and Guam.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Palau on Friday, Lai claimed that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits are "not subordinate to each other," which Lin also refuted on Friday, saying that the separatist activities of the "Taiwan independence" forces and the connivance and support from external forces are the greatest threats to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.
Lai and the DPP authorities have consistently used various pretexts to promote "Taiwan independence" separatism. Regardless of what they say or do, they cannot change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China, nor can they stop the historical trend that China will be and must be reunified. The attempt to rely on external forces for independence is doomed to fail, Lin said.
Also on Friday, Lai claimed that he is confident in deepening cooperation with the next Trump administration in the US. The day before, he had a phone call with US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson.
In response, Lin said that China has repeatedly stated its firm position on this matter. We urge the US to recognize the "Taiwan independence" separatist nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities, and the serious harm that "Taiwan independence" separatist actions pose to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.
The US should adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, stop interfering in Taiwan affairs, stop meddling in China's internal affairs, and cease supporting or conniving "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, said Lin.
"It would be both "short-sighted" and "unwise" to write off China," the world's second-largest economy despite challenges at home and abroad, Senior Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong said when addressing a forum in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province on Monday.
"China's development is an enterprise that will take 100 years. It has shown that it can take a strategic perspective to maintain consistent policies and direction over the long term, riding through transient ups and downs in its development journey," Lee said, Singapore-based CNA reported.
The Senior Minister Lee made the remark while delivering the keynote address at the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park High-Quality Development Forum, marking the park's 30th anniversary.
At the invitation of the Chinese side, Lee is visiting China from November 24 to 29.
The Chinese economy retains "considerable capacity" to grow, considering the untapped potential in its workforce and higher productivity from an increasingly urbanized population, he added, the CNA report said.
"We must never underestimate the Chinese people's determination for their nation to succeed and stand tall in the world. This is a driving ambition. Its impact cannot be captured in economic statistics, but it will make all the difference."
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Senior Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong on Monday in Suzhou.
He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the two sides should focus on the new positioning of bilateral relations, make full use of cooperation platforms such as the Suzhou Industrial Park, and work together to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, Xinhua News Agency reported.
They agreed the two countries should give better play to the pioneering role of the park, deepen institutional reform, and work together to build a world-class science and technology park that is open and innovative. They also witnessed the signing of cooperation documents, the Xinhua report said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent congratulations to a UN meeting held on Tuesday to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Noting that the question of Palestine is at the heart of the Middle East issue and concerns international fairness and justice, Xi said the pressing task is to comprehensively and effectively implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions to end the war as soon as possible and ease the regional situation.
In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On that day in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine, according to the UN website.
Xi has sent congratulatory messages to the UN meeting in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People for 12 consecutive years.
The fundamental way out is to implement the two-State solution and promote the political settlement of the question of Palestine, establish an independent Palestinian state enjoying full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and ensure the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, their right to existence and their right of return, Xi said.
Xi stressed that China has always been a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, and has always supported all Palestinian factions in strengthening unity and implementing the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity to realize internal reconciliation.
China firmly supports Palestine in becoming a full UN member and supports the convening of a more broad-based, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference, Xi added.
Xi said that China will continue to work with the international community to end the war and stop the killing, support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in continuing to provide humanitarian assistance to the Gaza people, and bring the question of Palestine back to the right track of the two-State solution to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement at an early date.
Wang Jin, an associate professor at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Northwest University in Xi'an, told the Global Times on Tuesday that this demonstrates China's firm and consistent support for the Palestinian people's just cause and also shows China's responsibility to uphold justice and fairness in international hot spot issues.
"Chinese people have always been good friends and good partners of the Palestinian people, and our consistent stance on justice has widely won praise and support from the Arab world and the whole international community," Wang said
"The Middle East is still mired in conflict and bloodshed, so the voice from China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a country with international influence, will greatly contribute to international efforts to mediate the conflict and call for a ceasefire. It will boost the confidence of the international community to attain a two-State solution to the Palestine-Israel issue," Wang noted.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, Office of the People's Republic of China to the State of Palestine, through the Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas Foundation, organized a ceremony on Monday to distribute winter supplies to children in two refugee camps in Tulkarm, in the West Bank.
More efforts needed
According to AP, Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants began a ceasefire Wednesday in a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting as a region on edge wondered whether it will hold. The ceasefire began at 4 am Wednesday, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities.
In response to the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China is closely following the current situation between Lebanon and Israel, and has always been calling on all parties to earnestly abide by UN Security Council Resolution 1701. We support all efforts conducive to deescalating the tensions and realizing peace, and welcome the ceasefire agreement reached by relevant sides.
In the meanwhile, China believes that the protracted fighting in Gaza is the root cause of this round of turmoil in the Middle East, and all parties need to work together to realize a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza at an early date, Mao said.
The current situation in the Middle East remains concerning as conflicts have already escalated from the Gaza Strip to the Lebanon-Israel border, as well as other parts of the region, and hopes of a ceasefire are still fragile and uncertain, observers noted
"Last Wednesday, because of the single use of veto by the US, the Council's efforts for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza suffered another setback," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at the UN Security Council Briefing on the situation in the Middle East on Monday.
"The Gaza conflict is the biggest stress test the United Nations has ever faced in the Middle East. In our view, this stress test is first and foremost a test for Council members. It tests our ability to save lives and maintain peace. It tests our determination to uphold international rule of law and fairness and justice. It tests our willingness to safeguard the authority of the Council's mechanisms and resolutions," Fu said.
Calling for more actions, Fu added: "So far, due to the negative attitude of some country, the Council's past performance did not pass the test. We call on the individual country to face up squarely to its responsibilities and support the Council in using all options in its toolbox to take further actions to achieve an immediate ceasefire and restore peace."
