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The Philippine government has been overdrawing on its reputation and national credibility on issues related to the South China Sea, saying one thing and doing another and constantly flip-flopping, Chinese analysts said after Philippine officials accused China of "violating wiretapping law" over a phone conversation in which a Philippine navy official agreed to a "new model" for resupply missions concerning Ren'ai Jiao.

A transcript of the supposed recording of a phone call between the Chinese side and the Philippines' Western Command (WESCOM) Commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos on January 3 was revealed by media in recent days, in which Carlos agreed to a "new model" for resupply missions concerning Ren'ai Jiao. 

The transcript which documented the phone conversation between the Chinese side and Carlos on January 3 has been confirmed to be true, the Global Times has learned from a source familiar with the affair on Wednesday. Following the conversation, the Philippine side adhered to the "new model" in the subsequent resupply mission, only delivering essential daily supplies to the grounded warship, and notified the Chinese side in advance.

Based on the "new model" arrangement and humanitarian principle, the Chinese side permitted the Philippine resupply operation, said the source. 

However, thereafter, the Philippine side reneged on its promise. Not only did it fail to notify the Chinese side in advance of its resupply activities, but it also attempted to transport construction materials to the illegally grounded vessel, deliberately causing trouble and maliciously hyping up the situation. 

The China Coast Guard has firmly restricted the Philippine's illegal resupply activities, according to the source.

On Wednesday, Philippine defense chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr. told reporters that the audio recording had "violated" the country's Anti-Wire Tapping Law.

Teodoro also claimed that they are leaving the department of Foreign Affairs to find out the truth behind the incident, threatening that the person responsible for the recording will "be expelled," according to media reports. 

Teodoro's remarks sound more like chicanery when facing undeniable facts, as the transcript of the "new model" is true, said Chinese analysts.

At a press conference on May 6, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian also gave a briefing on the situation, saying that early this year, the Chinese and Philippine sides agreed on a "new model" for resupply missions concerning Ren'ai Jiao after multiple rounds of discussions through diplomatic channels and the Armed Forces of the Philippines WESCOM.

The Philippine military made repeated confirmations that the "new model" had been approved by all key officials in the Philippines chain of command, including the Secretary of National Defense and the National Security Advisor. On February 2, the Philippines carried out one resupply mission under this "new model" before abandoning it, said Lin. 

The Chinese proverb "listen to what they say, watch what they do" seems fitting when considering the recent reactions of senior officials in the Philippines. It appears that the country has habitually been overdrawing on its government's reputation and national credibility on relevant issues, saying one thing and doing another, presenting one face in public and another in private, constantly flip-flopping, Ding Duo, a deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times. 

In addition to China, other regional countries and the international community have sufficient reason to believe that "political commitments" made by the Philippine government are no longer credible, and that the Philippines is perceived as an untrustworthy nation in international relations, said Ding.

As China announced the extension of its visa-free policy for 12 countries until the end of 2025, analysts noted that the measures will significantly boost inbound tourism, which also demonstrate China's commitment to fostering people-to-people exchanges and determination to opening up.

At a joint meeting with the press with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China has decided to extend the short-stay visa exemption policy for citizens of 12 countries including France to the end of 2025.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a regular press conference on Tuesday that by December 31, 2025, citizens from the 12 countries will be able to visit China for business, sight-seeing, transit and other purposes for up to 15 days without having to apply for a visa.

The 12 countries are France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. 

China's efforts to facilitate foreigners visiting the country has delivered positive initial results. According to the National Immigration Administration, trips by foreign nationals reached 13.1 million in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 305.2 percent. Among them, the number of visa-free foreigners entering China reached 1.98 million, up 266.1 percent compared to last year.

"The extension of the short-term visa-free policy until the end of 2025 will undoubtedly further boost confidence and enthusiasm for traveling to China, and will contribute to the growth of inbound tourism as well as aid in the prosperity of the industry," Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Academy, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The move also showcases China's unwavering commitment to openness and its strong belief in the potential of tourism development, Dai said, noting that the extension exemplifies the resilience and determination of China in embracing the world with open arms.

"We have witnessed a surge in travel bookings - about 40 percent - to China since the visa-free policy for French citizens was effective. With the extension of the visa-free policy, it is expected that more bookings will come," a manager surnamed Fang at a Paris-based travel agency, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Fang said that most bookings to China came from elderly people, but the extended visa policy would appeal to more young people to visit China.

"Meanwhile, as the Olympic Games approaches, bookings from Chinese tourists have also increased, especially travel products for small groups. We have launched products such as a two-day tour in Provence departing from Paris," said Fang.

In addition to extending the visa-free period, China is actively promoting the opening and resumption of international routes to facilitate the increased movement of people. According to media reports, direct flights between Shanghai and Marseille will officially open on July 2, providing the first direct air passage for the two sister cities.

Bahrain will also open direct flights to China starting from May 28, and direct flights between China and Mexico will resume on May 11. 

Dai noted that the expansion of air routes and transportation capacity not only enhances convenience for travelers but also lowers travel costs, thereby fostering the growth of inbound tourism. "More travel agencies are expected to intensify their efforts in promoting overseas tourism," he said.

China's increase in direct flights sends a clear message that we are willing to take all effective measures to facilitate international exchanges and also demonstrates the country's determination to welcome visitors from across the world, Dai said.

By implementing more open policies in areas such as visas, air routes, and payment convenience, China's efforts in inbound tourism will not only boost consumption and drive economic growth, but also foster cultural exchanges and interactions among people, helping to establish China's image as a confident, open and inclusive major country, analysts said. 

At the same time, with the increasing number of tourists visiting China, the foreign nationals will have the opportunity to develop a more thorough, comprehensive, and authentic understanding of the country, they said.

Looking ahead, with the upcoming China-US high-level dialogue on tourism, as well as the implementation of various activities under the Kazakhstan tourism year in China and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, it is anticipated that inbound and outbound tourism will rebound to the level of 2019 by the end of 2024 or early 2025, Dai noted.

The latest research findings in a document detailing the personal information of Japanese Army Unit 731 members and their involvement in Japan's infamous germ warfare during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) have been made public for the first time recently. The document is seen as a great source of academic value and practical significance in deepening research on Japan's bacteriological warfare program during the war.

According to the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, the 69-page document clearly recorded these soldiers' involvement in the criminal activities since their joining in the Unit 731, and provides record of personnel allocation and dispatch between Japan's infamous biological and chemical warfare, Central China Television (CCTV) reported Sunday. The exhibition hall is located in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

The archival material, entitled the "personal information declaration form of Unit 731 headquarters," was previously stored at the National Archives of Japan and was brought by researchers in 2023 to the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army for translation and study. 

The academic circles have long believed that after the then Japanese government announced its unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945, Unit 731 was withdrawn, in its entirety, back to Japan. However, the latest findings in the newly released document show that when the main force withdrew, 52 people did not return to Japan along with the unit. 

According to Jin Shicheng, a researcher with the exhibition hall, when Unit 731 received the evacuation order, some of the unit members might have been in other parts of China or on official duties elsewhere, instead of at their headquarters in Harbin, thus, they were unable to return to Japan with the headquarters. 

After all Japanese overseas troops returned to Japan, soldiers had to fill in the personal information declaration forms to have their military status recognized and their pensions claimed. 

According to the released personal information declaration form, 14 of the 52 members who failed to withdraw with the headquarters were arrested and detained within territory belonging to the Soviet Union, 38 members concealed their identities and hid away in various parts across China. After the end of World War II, they returned to Japan as individuals and filled out the personal information declaration forms. 

The 69-page document contains complete records of the 52 soldiers' information, including their names, arms of services, dates of enlistment, their affiliation to the unit before the end of the war, and their military history at the end of the war. 

This document clearly recorded the involvement of the registrants in a series of criminal activities from their joining in the Unit 731, as well as their movements between different units. It also recorded their activities and trajectories between August of 1945 and their returns to Japan. 

From their trajectories, the researchers found clues to the personnel flow between the Unit 731 and the Japanese army's Kwantung Army Chemical Department, also known as Unit 516, established in in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang. 

According to Jin, Unit 516 served as the headquarters for Japan's chemical warfare operations during the Japanese invasion of China, while the Unit 731 served as the headquarters for germ warfare. 

According to the document, one of the 52 members was transferred from Unit 516 to Unit 731 in 1945, demonstrating the new discovery of the close links and personnel flow between the germ and chemical warfare units of the Japanese Imperial Army, Jin noted. 

The new findings detailed in the document also show that the Unit 731 and a Harbin-based medical university during the illegitimate regime of Manchukuo, a puppet state established by Japanese invaders to control Northeast China from 1932 until 1945, jointly cultivated young soldiers. 

The document shows that four members of Unit 731 were sent to the medical university for three years of the so-called medical training as military family students from Japan and they returned to Unit 731 after graduation from the medical university. 

According to Jin, the complete documentary information of the four members once again proved that the medical universities in the northeastern region of China during the puppet Manchukuo regime served as an extension of Unit 731's medical crimes, collaborating with Unit 731 in conducting human experiments and bacteriological warfare. 

The human experiments and bacteriological warfare conducted by Unit 731 were the result of a top-down, organized, premeditated, and systematic group crime integrated with cooperation among the military, academia, government, and medical sectors in Japan, Jin said. 

The personal information declaration forms also revealed for the first time that the Unit 731 also contained intelligence agent positions. 

This document serves as a new element for the primary historical record and core document of Unit 731, provides important evidence for studying issues such as the overall structure of Unit 731, its post-war trajectory, and war responsibility, holding significant academic value and practical significance for deepening research on the Japanese bacteriological warfare, according to the exhibition hall. 

China's Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship separated from the space station combination on Tuesday, and the astronauts aboard -- Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin -- are returning to Earth, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

China's disease control and prevention authority has recently warned of increasing risks of the spread of infectious diseases during the approaching May Day holidays and reminded localities to persist in implementing multi-channel monitoring of the COVID-19 epidemic and multi-pathogen monitoring of other respiratory infectious diseases.

According to a notice issued by China's National Disease Control and Prevention Administration regarding the prevention and control of key infectious disease epidemics during the upcoming May Day holidays and the spring and summer seasons, while the overall situation of infectious diseases in China is generally stable, COVID-19 viruses are still mutating, and there are still certain fluctuations in the epidemic situation, and the prevention and control of some infectious diseases are facing new situations and characteristics.

According to the notice, the global COVID-19 pandemic caused by the JN.1 variant has peaked and declined to a lower level, and the COVID-19 situation in China continues to remain at a low level with a wave-like pattern of prevailing. However, the viruses are still mutating, resulting in certain fluctuations in the epidemic situation.

Meanwhile, prevention and control of some infectious diseases in China are encountering new situations and characteristics. In some areas, influenza epidemics have not yet returned to the same level as in previous years. The pertussis epidemic is showing a rapid growth trend, and reported cases of hand-foot-mouth disease are significantly increasing. The co-occurrence of multiple diseases has become normalcy.

In addition, dengue fever, measles, and other epidemics have rebounded in multiple countries and regions globally, increasing the risk of overseas epidemics being imported into China.

In May when spring transitions into summer, some mosquito-borne diseases and intestinal infectious diseases enter their peak seasons. The increased mobility of personnel during the May Day holidays and the rise in gathering activities may amplify the transmission risk of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Therefore, the disease control and prevention authority emphasized that during the May Day holidays, all regions should strengthen epidemic prevention and control at ports, closely monitor key infectious diseases worldwide, such as COVID-19, dengue fever, measles and malaria, implement measures such as temperature monitoring, medical inspections, epidemiological investigations, and medical screenings for inbound travelers, conduct spot checks of nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 among inbound travelers, and enhance health education for inbound and outbound travelers.

The notice also stressed that all regions should continue to implement multi-channel monitoring of COVID-19 and multi-pathogen monitoring of respiratory infectious diseases, strengthen monitoring and early warning based on the characteristics of infectious disease outbreaks in spring and summer, conduct comprehensive analysis and assessment of the epidemic situation, and promptly conduct investigations and handling of outbreaks.

Meanwhile, the notice emphasized the need for adequate preparations for medical treatment and strengthened training for medical personnel and medical service management to ensure smooth and orderly medical services.

Moreover, in line with the goal of achieving a vaccination coverage rate of no less than 90 percent in the national immunization program, all localities should strengthen monitoring and assessment of vaccination rates. Efforts should be made to ensure that eligible children receive timely and complete vaccinations. Additionally, there should be continued promotion of vaccination among key populations with COVID-19 vaccines containing components targeting the XBB variant.

The disease control and prevention authority has told local authorities to strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures in key institutions such as childcare facilities and schools as well as elderly care institutions and social welfare institutions to reduce the risk of introducing and spreading of the epidemics.

The disease control and prevention authority also reminded the public to conduct self-health monitoring before traveling and after returning, and to take timely and effective preventive and treatment measures if any health issues are detected.

China strongly condemned unwarranted accusations and malicious slander against China, and urged British politicians to stop their belligerent rhetoric, and instead, focus more on domestic economic and social issues, a spokesperson from Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Wednesday, in response to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s latest anti-China remarks.

The British politician is looking for an excuse to ramp up British military spending. We firmly reject his Cold War rhetoric that incites antagonism and confrontation, the spokesperson said.

China is committed to promoting peace and justice, and has always sought peace talks and the peaceful settlement of international conflicts. China has contributed more than one-third of global economic growth consistently. China has always been committed to promoting international cooperation and maintaining world stability. These are undeniable truths, the spokesperson noted.

However, the current UK government seems to be set on stirring up troubles and heightening tension around the world. They are supplying offensive weapons to one side in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, exacerbating the situation.

The UK has repeatedly opposed resolutions calling for an immediate cease-fire at the United Nations Security Council on the Gaza issue. It shows no support for Palestine’s application for full UN membership and continues to supply weapons to Israel. The UK has forgone any sense of morality and has no concept of responsibility when it comes to matters of international peace and justice, the spokesperson noted.

We urged the UK to act in a way that is truly in the interest of world peace and justice, the spokesperson noted.

Harry Roque, a former Philippine congressman and former presidential spokesperson to president Rodrigo Duterte, recently expressed dissatisfaction at the series of legal maneuvers carried out by the current Philippine government regarding the South China Sea dispute in an interview with the Global Times in Manila.

He called on the Philippine government to seek diplomatic channels to resolve the dispute, as some of the legal measures taken do not, in fact, serve the interests of the Philippines. Stressing that the US will not get involved in the conflicts against China for the sake of Philippine interests, Harry Roque noted "It is a misplaced belief that the US, which our leaders consider as their big brother, will come to our assistance."

Roque is also a well-known international law professor, and is the former president of the Asian Society of International Law.

In March, the Philippine Senate passed the so-called Maritime Zones Act, attempting to solidify the illegal ruling of the 2016 arbitration case through domestic legislation, illegally including China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) and most of the islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands and their related waters in its maritime zone.

Roque believes that this legal provision not only violates the Philippine Constitution, but also fundamentally goes against, and even betrays the interests of the Philippines, with its effect being more like "killing 1,000 enemy soldiers but losing 800 of your own."

"When the Philippine Congress passed the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law, I filed a case in the Supreme Court questioning its constitutionality, because the Philippine Constitution says that the water is between the islands of the Philippines are all internal waters. What the Archipelagic Baselines Law did was they made it into archipelagic waters, which is not only subject to innocent passage, but also subject to overflight. When under our Constitution, the water is in between our islands, our internal waters, and therefore not subject to innocent passage. Now the Maritime Zones Act makes it worse because it now acknowledges that we have lost tremendous amounts of internal waters," Roque told the Global Times.
As an example, Roque highlighted the case of Japan, and how it will never become an archipelagic state on their own clause because it will never consider waters between their islands as an archipelago, as archipelagic water is subject to innocent passage and overflight. Roque believes that both laws - the Archipelagic Baselines Law as well as the Maritime Zones Act - are both unconstitutional and run contrary to Article One of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.

"All I'm saying is when we adopted the Archipelagic Baselines Law, we already gave up tremendous amounts of internal waters, which will also happen for the recently approved maritime zones bill. It's probably not a really good way for the politics. It's not in the wider national interest to lose so much of internal waters. It's not quite reasonable and wise, and it violates our very own Philippine Constitution," Roque underlined.

In addition to attempting to solidify the illegal ruling of the South China Sea arbitration case through domestic legislation, the current Philippine government is also preparing to launch a second arbitration case against China, citing environmental issues in the South China Sea, which Roque firmly opposes to.

"I was the one that suggested the South China Sea Arbitration the first time around, because I thought we needed to clarify maritime issues involving, specifically the existence of historic claims to waters. But after the arbitral tribunal was resolved, the arbitral proceedings, the way it did, I believe the way forward now is through diplomacy. You cannot solve all diplomatic issues through litigation. I think the remaining issues to be resolved now with China, including territorial disputes over islands, which remain unresolved, should be resolved diplomatically," Roque said.

He stressed that the issues between the Philippines and China are better resolved through negotiation and diplomacy rather than litigation. Especially since China has shown that it will not honor any decision unless it consents to the proceedings.

"I believe that the current Marcos administration knows that the reason why the Chinese are reacting the way they are doing the resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre around Ren'ai Jiao in the South China Sea is because China has made it clear that they will only allow the delivery of food and water. China has been accusing the Philippines, but side and the Philippine side has not acknowledged the fact that that it has, in fact, been delivering construction and repair materials to the vessels," he told the Global Times.

"Now I think the current administration has to make up its mind about what is more important. The continuing presence of our men on board the Sierra Madre in a union provokes China into taking more aggressive action," said Roque.

Roque also offered a theory that there are elements within the Marcos administration that would want to provoke China further "because they want the US to be involved in the controversy through the Mutual Defense Treaty."

"I think they're dreaming because I don't think the US can be involved so in a third conflict, in addition to the ongoing Ukraine and Middle East conflicts now. And I don't think the US will risk its national interest involving China, its primary trading partner and main one debtor country, just to defend us over a shoal and rocks in the South China Sea," he said.

"So I think it is a misplaced belief that the US, which our leaders consider as their 'big brother,' will come to our assistance," he argued.

In a recent interview with the Philippine media ANC, Roque reiterated his view that it's unwise for the Philippines to deliver construction or repair materials to grounded vessel BRP Sierra Madre in a way that would provoke China.

"It is foolhardy for the Philippines to think that the US will in fact come to its rescue, because we lost Mischief Reef (Meiji Jiao), they didn't come to our rescue. We lost Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Dao), they did not come to our rescue. The Mutual Defense Treaty exists, whether or not of course the US will get involved militarily, will depend on their national interests. I don't think our dispute with China over this very derelict ship will warrant a military response from the United States," he said.

Roque also noted that the current Philippine government has taken a "'microphone diplomacy' that we want the whole world to hate China because they will be able to see what is happening to our soldiers, including those making the deliveries."

Roque argued that he didn't see the possible gains from that. "The whole world will be on our side? Fine. But will any one of them actually stand up to China when there is an actual armed conflict, a shooting war? I don't think so."

In response to the Global Times' question of whether China really poses a national security threat to the Philippines, Roque said, "Our history has shown that we fought a war with Spain; that we fought a war with the US; we fought a war with Japan, but we have never fought a war with China."

"We were desperate," said Chinese passengers who were stranded in Dubai airport for around 40 hours due to a record-breaking storm this week; and Chinese national who lived in the city said the downpour is "more serious to our lives than the Iran-Israel conflict." This rare and record-breaking rainfall in Dubai triggered debate in China on climate change, and how to cope with it.

"Never thought for once that I could be able to see such heavy flood in the desert city of Dubai and watching flights take off from the 'ocean,'" a passenger surnamed Wang told the Global Times on Thursday. Like many Chinese who were stranded in the airport in the past hours, Wang said she was offered with drinks and food. "All the hotels in nearby area were booked and chairs in the airport were occupied, so I had no choice but sat against the wall to rest," Wang said, describing the experience as "glimpsing into the life of a hobo." 

Several Chinese passengers reached by the Global Times complained about Emirates Airlines' chaotic management as it kept delaying the flights and canceled some flights after several hours of waiting.

Dubai Airport said on Thursday morning it had resumed receiving inbound flights at Terminal 1, used by foreign carriers, but that flights continue to be delayed and disrupted.

A Chinese national named Joanna Liang, who works in Dubai said that the impact of recent Iran-Israel conflict pales in comparison with the storm's influence on Dubai. "We were hiding in our apartment when the heavy rainfall arrived. The traffic was disrupted," Liang said. 

The storm, which hit neighboring Oman on Sunday, pounded the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, flooding roads and causing hours-long gridlock as rainwater inundated homes. One person was reported dead in the UAE while 20 have died in Oman, Reuters reported. 

Flooding trapped residents in traffic, offices and homes as the UAE recorded its heaviest rains in the 75 years that records have been kept, authorities said.

The Chinese Consulate General in Dubai had activated emergency response mechanism, it said on Wednesday. As of now, there have been no reports of Chinese citizens being injured or killed. The consulate is currently working on assisting Chinese tourists who have sought help.

The National Center of Meteorology of UAE, a government taskforce responsible for cloud seeding missions in the country, denied reports that it carried out the weather modification technique in the run-up to heavy storms across the country, after discussion of whether cloud seeding was the culprit of the record rainfall gained momentum on internet. 

Chinese scientists also believed extreme weather has a bigger role to play in this record rainfall in desert nations.

Global warming increases the water vapor content in the atmosphere, thus the convection of the same strength will result in even stronger heavy rainfalls in a warmer atmosphere, Zhang Wenxia, a research fellow from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times. 

Global warming may bring extreme weather events to regions where they have not typically occurred in the past, said Zhang, given the example of heavy rainfall in the usually dry Middle East. "Therefore, the world needs to prepare for emerging extreme events," Zhang noted. 

Pictures and videos of Dubai's downpour also gripped Chinese social media, with discussion focusing on the aggravating global warming, and how cities should cope with extreme weather events. "The city [Dubai]'s drainage system is simply not built for flood like this," Liang added.

Zhang believed that early warnings can play a significant role in helping cities during extreme weather events and reducing damage. She believed this is an area where Arab countries, and other developing countries can cooperate with China. 

Early warning system requires both equipment such as radar, and personnel with technical expertise, and China, a country with abundant experience and cutting-edge technology in this area, can offer a lot to help, said Zhang.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Chinese Embassy in the UK and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government have firmly refuted the UK's recent so-called six-monthly report on Hong Kong, which disregarded the facts and grossly interfered in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs.

On Monday, the UK government published its 54th six-monthly report on Hong Kong, continuing to use the Sino-British Joint Declaration as an excuse to defame One Country, Two Systems, the Hong Kong national security law, and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

In response to the so-called six-monthly report, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at Tuesday's regular press briefing that it violates the principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the report, Lin said.

Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. We urge the UK to respect the basic fact that Hong Kong returned to its motherland nearly 27 years ago, and the UK should stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop sheltering and condoning criminals and anti-Hong Kong destabilizers who undermine China's national security, Lin said.

On Monday, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in the UK said the Sino-British Joint Declaration does not give the UK any right to intervene in Hong Kong affairs. The Chinese government remains firmly resolved to safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests, in implementing One Country, Two Systems, and in opposing any external interference in Hong Kong's affairs.

Any negative voices trying to undermine HKSAR and spread pessimism will not shake the firm steps of One Country, Two Systems from moving steadily forward. The train of "Hong Kong" in the new era will advance unhindered, said a spokesperson from the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR on Monday.

The UK is playing the same old trick again, but it should be well aware that it no longer has the right or strength to intervene in Hong Kong affairs, Gao Jian, director of the Center for British Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Stirring up the Hong Kong-related issue is one of the few ways the UK can create relevant public opinion and trouble for China in the overall development of the bilateral relationship. Moreover, stirring up the issue also caters to or satisfies a kind of pitiful vanity within the British domestic political circle, Gao said. "Overall, the UK's comprehensive ability to intervene in the Asia-Pacific region is gradually declining," said Gao.

In terms of the current overall national development trend and comprehensive national strength of the UK, "the weakening of its international status is an inevitable trend in the future." Furthermore, in terms of specific measures, the UK's policy toward HKSAR does not have real strong support, Gao said.

The Global Times has found that cognitive warfare tricks are used by external forces and anti-China elements to disrupt Hong Kong. These tactics involve attacking the management of the central government and the HKSAR government under the guise of "human rights, religious freedom violation" and badmouthing Hong Kong's economy.

According to our research, the basic tricks of UK's cognitive warfare include utilizing the international media outlets controlled by Western countries, which still have international media dominance, to hype up the National Security Law and related laws in the HKSAR, Gao noted. "The UK is trying to continue to salvage their remaining social influence in HKSAR," said Gao.

The HKSAR government also strongly condemned and rejected the wanton slander and political attacks which make up the UK's so-called six-monthly report. The UK's attempt to undermine the stability and prosperity of HKSAR is doomed to fail, the HKSAR government spokesman noted.

China's top legislator Zhao Leji, who led a Party and government delegation on an official goodwill visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Saturday. 

Zhao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, first conveyed kind regards and good wishes from Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK.    

Zhao stated that, entrusted by Xi and the CPC Central Committee, he led a Party and government delegation to the DPRK for an official goodwill visit and attended the opening ceremony of the China-DPRK Friendship Year, receiving a warm reception from the DPRK. 

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the DPRK. China and the DPRK have been good neighbors for 75 years, fighting side by side, sharing a common future and promoting common development.

Under the new situation, China is ready to work with the DPRK to promote greater development of bilateral relations in accordance with the lofty will of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries and the common aspirations of the two peoples, Zhao said. 

Zhao pointed out that the friendship between China and the DPRK was built and nurtured by the older generations of revolutionaries of the two parties and two countries, enduring tests amid a volatile international situation, and is a precious treasure shared by both sides. 

The CPC and the Chinese government have always viewed China-DPRK relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, he said. "It is our unswerving policy to maintain, consolidate and develop the traditional friendly cooperative relations between China and the DPRK."

China is willing to work with the DPRK to achieve new results in bilateral practical and mutually beneficial cooperation under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, continue to effectively support each other, and safeguard the common interests of both sides. China is willing to closely coordinate with the DPRK to jointly organize various activities of the China-DPRK Friendship Year, Zhao said.  

Zhao emphasized that China is striving to build the country into a strong nation and realize national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization in accordance with the strategic arrangements made at the 20th National Congress of the CPC. China is willing to strengthen development alignment and deepen bilateral cooperation with the DPRK, continuously enriching the depth of China-DPRK relations.

Kim asked Zhao to convey sincere greetings and good wishes to Xi.

It is the unswerving policy of the WPK and the DPRK government to consolidate and develop the traditional friendly cooperative relations between China and the DPRK, Kim said. 

The relations between the two countries are constantly developing to a higher stage in accordance with the requirements of the new era, he said.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and China and the China-DPRK Friendship Year. The DPRK is willing to strengthen cooperation in various fields and exchange experiences in governance with China, deepen traditional friendship, and write a new chapter in DPRK-China relations, Kim added.