Vietnam's party general secretary meets Chinese defense minister amid high level of political mutual trust

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam met with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Hanoi on Thursday. Dong and his delegation attended a grand gathering marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Since the beginning of this year, there have been frequent high-level exchanges between the military forces of China and Vietnam. An analyst reached by the Global Times said that the positive interactions between the two militaries show a high level of political mutual trust, which has positive significance for jointly maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Lam said that Vietnam and China are socialist neighbors connected by mountains and rivers. Vietnam cherishes China's valuable support in the cause of national liberation, national independence and socialist construction in Vietnam, and takes developing friendly relations with China as a strategic choice and top priority in its foreign policy. 

Lam expressed the hope that the two militaries will strengthen practical cooperation and inject new vitality into the development of bilateral relations. 

The Chinese side cherishes the traditional friendship between the two parties, the two countries and the two militaries, and stands ready to follow the guidance of the consensus reached by top leaders of both parties and countries, deepen practical cooperation with the Vietnamese side in various areas including maritime security, enhance strategic mutual trust between both militaries, promote the constant development of bilateral relations and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Dong said. 

Since the beginning of this year, there have been frequent high-level exchanges between the Chinese and Vietnamese militaries. From October 24 to 26, Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited Vietnam at the invitation of the Vietnamese side, where he held talks with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang. They conducted in-depth exchanges of views on international and regional situations as well as bilateral military relations, and witnessed the signing of relevant agreements to strengthen defense cooperation.

On August 20, China's Minister of National Defense Dong Jun met with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang in Beijing. 

From April 11 to 12, China and Vietnam held the eighth border defense friendship exchange in Hekou county, Yunnan Province in Southwest China, and Lao Cai of Vietnam, as well as relevant port areas. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun and his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang led delegations attending the event and held talks. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a hotline between the Chinese People's Liberation Army's Southern Theater Command and the Vietnamese navy, according to Xinhua News Agency. 

Lam highly praised Dong Jun's visit with the delegation, emphasizing that strengthening defense and security cooperation is one of the cornerstones of the bilateral relationship and a concrete manifestation of the consensus at the leadership level of both countries.

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 that since the beginning of this year, the positive interactions between the two militaries have demonstrated a high level of political mutual trust, and have shown the regional and international community that China and Vietnam are capable of effectively managing and addressing maritime differences, jointly maintaining regional peace and stability.

"In the current international environment of increasing uncertainty, China-Vietnam cooperation serves as a stabilizer. The military and security cooperation between China and Vietnam is not aimed at any third party," Ding Duo said. 

China establishes first weather modification institute to cultivate talents for disaster prevention amid climate change

China's first Institute of Weather Modification has been officially established in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province. The new institution aims to cultivate high-level professionals to enhance the role of weather modification amid climate change, the director of the institute told the Global Times on Thursday.

The institute, established at Chengdu University of Information Technology, is dedicated to talent cultivation for weather modification, said Yang Dingyu, the director of the institute, adding that this will enhance the role of weather modification in addressing climate change, ensuring national food security, improving the environment, and promoting socioeconomic development. 

This bachelor's degree program in meteorological technology and engineering, with a specialization in weather modification, is the first undergraduate program in China to focus on talent development in this field, Yang introduced.

Yang added that the major was established in 2023 with an intake of 80 students. The program offers courses in subjects such as meteorological physics, cloud precipitation physics, and meteorological big data and artificial intelligence.

In recent years, with the increasing impact of meteorology on transportation, agriculture, tourism, energy, and ecosystems, the role of weather modification has become more prominent, Yang added.

Under reasonable conditions, weather modification can fully utilize climate resources to achieve goals such as increasing rainfall and snowfall, preventing hail, dispersing rain, dissipating fog, and preventing frost, Yang said, adding that it is an effective means for disaster prevention and reduction, as well as for the development of aerial cloud water resources.

Currently, the weather modification industry still needs to further improve in terms of operational accuracy, efficiency, and scientific management, and there is a clear lack of technological talent, so it is necessary to strengthen basic scientific research and talent cultivation in areas such as cloud microphysics, new catalysts, and operational equipment technology, Yang said.

The institute has established a faculty team with impressive research and teaching capabilities, including over 10 experts from the China Meteorological Administration and various provincial meteorological bureaus serving as adjunct professors, according to media outlet Sichuan Guancha.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events worldwide, leading to significant repercussions for both human society and ecosystems, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

According to a report from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification on Monday, some 77.6 percent of Earth's land experienced drier conditions during the three decades leading up to 2020 compared to the previous 30-year period.

China holds 11th national commemoration for victims of Nanjing Massacre

At 10:00 am on Friday, the people of Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, observed a moment of silence, and sirens were heard across the city as China held a memorial ceremony to mourn the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre. This is the 11th national memorial ceremony for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

China's national flag was flown at half-mast in front of the crowd, which included survivors of the massacre, local students and international friends. As the sirens began to blare, drivers in the downtown area stopped their vehicles and honked in unison, while pedestrians paused to observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims.

Over 80 young people recited a declaration of peace, and citizen representatives struck the Bell of Peace. In a poignant symbol of hope, white doves were released, soaring over the square of the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

In 2014, China's top legislature designated December 13 as the national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre, which took place during Japanese occupation on December 13, 1937. The Japanese invaders brutally killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in over six weeks, marking one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II.

Since last year's national memorial day, six survivors of the massacre have passed away, leaving only 32 registered survivors still alive today. 

The Chinese government has preserved the testimonies of these survivors through written documents and video recordings. In 2015, these records were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, ensuring that this harrowing chapter of history is remembered by future generations, as reported by Xinhua. 

The national commemoration for Nanjing Massacre victims serves to remind us to not forget history and to pass on the message of peace to future generations, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday. 

It is essential to convey an accurate historical narrative to ensure that the facts are recognized in the international community, Da said. This is particularly important in light of certain ultra-right wing factions in Japan, who deny the massacre ever happened, Da added.

The purpose of remembering history is not to perpetuate hatred. Rather, our aim is to learn from history, and such an approach contributes to an objective understanding of history, promotes education for peace and ensures that the right narratives are passed on, Da added.

The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, the notorious Japanese germ-warfare detachment during World War II in Northeast China's Harbin, was reopened to the public on Friday, and a special exhibition of historical artifacts and documents on the bacterial warfare of the Japanese army was also launched. Since the winter of 2023, the exhibition hall of Evidences of Crimes Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army has received more than 3.5 million visitor trips, according to Xinhua.

China can be a bridge between Global South and Global North: Chinese expert

China can play a bridging role between the Global South and the Global North, Yang Xuedong, director of the Department of Political Sciences at Tsinghua University, said at the Global Times Annual Conference 2025, themed "Moving forward in Partnership: Resonance of Values between China and the World," held in Beijing on Saturday. 

Speaking during a session on "The Resurgence of the Awakening of the Global South: Mutual Learning and Resonance," Yang noted that the concept of the Global South has evolved from an intellectual and political imagination into a social cognition.

According to the expert, a defining characteristic of the Global South is its high degree of diversity in political, economic, and cultural aspects, but this diversity creates vulnerabilities, posing challenges to collective action. 

Furthermore, the modernization of the Global South is globally interconnected. This interdependence, once being weaponized, risks mutual harm and challenges the future development of Global South countries. 

Yang noted that China should leverage the development achievements and experiences accumulated over the past four decades to find its own suitable role. He believes that China can be an advocate for a new agenda within the global system, to find out which agendas in the development of the Global South countries need to be given more attention by the international community. 

Additionally, Yang pointed out that China's integration into the global system fosters strong connections, making China be able to connect the Global South with the Global North. This is precisely determined by China's position in the global landscape.

Xi urges new achievements in modernization on centenary of late top legislator's birth

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for constant efforts to achieve new accomplishments that will stand the test of history and time, and fulfill the expectations of the people, amid the country's drive to build a modern socialist country in all respects.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing a meeting held to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of late top legislator Qiao Shi at the Great Hall of the People on Monday.

Chinese embassy refutes NZ and its partner countries' baseless cyber espionage accusation, calls for vigilance against US

China firmly rejects the baseless and irresponsible accusations and slander made by New Zealand and its partner countries including the US over the so-called "China-linked cyber espionage" against local telecom networks, the Chinese embassy in Wellington said in a press release on Saturday, while highlighting the US' long history of conducting large-scale, systematic cyber surveillance globally, even targeting its own allies. 

New Zealand's National Cyber Security Centre, along with cybersecurity authorities from the US, Australia and Canada, issued a joint advisory on Wednesday alleging "China-linked cyber espionage" targeting telecommunications networks. 

The advisory read that China-affiliated "threat actors" compromised the networks of major global telecom providers to conduct "a broad and significant cyber espionage campaign."

In response to the advisory, the Chinese embassy in New Zealand referred to a recent report issued by China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center, National Engineering Laboratory for Computer Virus Prevention Technology and 360 Digital Security Group, which found that the US fabricates cyberattacks attributed to other countries. 

"This includes deliberately misleading trace analysis and shifting blame by inserting Chinese and other foreign-language strings," said the embassy spokesperson, noting that the US exploits its dominant position in submarine cables and other infrastructure to conduct large-scale, systematic cyber surveillance and espionage globally, "even targeting the leaders of its own allies."

The above-mentioned Chinese agencies in October released a report, the third of its series, on Volt Typhoon, a "China state-sponsored cyber actor" claimed by the Five Eyes countries - the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand - that had impacted networks across US critical infrastructure.

In April and July, two reports were released exposing the Volt Typhoon narrative as a fabrication by the US government. Multiple cybersecurity authorities in the US have been pushing the false narrative to secure more funding, while companies like Microsoft seek larger contracts from these agencies, according to the investigation.

However, the US side has remained silent over the disclosure.

Cybersecurity is a global challenge. As one of the primary victims of cyberattacks, China has consistently opposed cyberattacks and pursued legal actions against them, the embassy spokesperson said.

The Chinese embassy urges the countries concerned to cease global cyberattacks immediately and to cease using cybersecurity issues as a pretext to smear and discredit China. It also calls on all parties to work together to tackle cybersecurity threats collaboratively through dialogue and cooperation based on mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit.

As early as 2020, China proposed the Global Initiative on Data Security, calling on all nations to work together to build a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative, and orderly cyberspace. The initiative opposes using information technology to harm the critical infrastructure or steal important data of other countries, as well as engaging in activities that endanger the national security and public interests of others.  

76-year-old woman killed by wild boar attack in NW China’s Shaanxi

A 76-year-old woman surnamed Hu in Huangxing village of Langao county in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province was attacked by a wild boar on Sunday. Hu died despite rescue efforts by the county hospital's emergency center, according to a statement from the Langao county's forestry bureau on Tuesday.

A joint investigation team was established following the incident. Preliminary findings revealed that wild boars had been damaging crops in the area. On Sunday morning, four people including one surnamed Chen took hunting dogs up the mountain to chase wild boars. One of the wild boars, pursued by the dogs, entered a farmer's yard, where it attacked Hu, according to the statement. 

The statement noted that the county has strengthened monitoring of wild boar damage, proactively carried out population control measures, organized boar culling in an orderly manner, and launched extensive campaigns to raise the public's safety awareness on wildlife to eliminate potential risks and reduce harm.

The incident has garnered widespread attention across China. Along with the statement issued by Langao county on Tuesday, CCTV provided key recommendations for the public on how to respond if charged by a wild boar, including stay calm to avoid shouting or throwing stones and sticks at the boar, as this could provoke it and lead to an attack. If possible, leave the area slowly without running, as running may agitate the boar.

Atoms for a better home: CNNC showcases 'Chinese solution' on nuclear technology application to the world

The 2024 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ministerial Conference is taking place from November 26 to 28 in Vienna, Austria. On November 26, China held a side event themed "Atoms for a Better Home," focusing on integrated solutions for irradiation and nuclear medicine. At the event, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) presented its solution for nuclear technology applications, highlighting China's achievements and expertise in nuclear medicine, irradiation, medical isotopes, and radioactive drug production. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Deputy Director General Liu Hua attended the event and visited the exhibition of China's nuclear technology application achievements. Also present were IAEA Deputy Director General Najat Mokhtar, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Qu Dongyu, Deputy Director General of United Nations Industrial Development Organization Zou Ciyong, China's Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna Li Song, Secretary General of the China Atomic Energy Agency Huang Ping and CNNC Chief Accountant Wang Xuejun. More than 200 officials, experts, and media representatives from countries such as Russia, Cuba, Thailand, Syria, Sudan, and Pakistan and international organizations also attended the event. 

At the event, Grossi said that the Global Development Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping has a significant impact on guiding the international community to seek common development and enhance the well-being of people worldwide. Grossi expressed hope that China would continue its active participation in global development cooperation, making greater contributions to building a safer world and creating a better life. 

Qu emphasized that food security is fundamental to human survival and development. He highlighted the need to further leverage nuclear technology in advancing food security efforts, to tackle global food challenges and benefit humanity. 

Li noted that the applications of nuclear technology offer unique opportunities to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind through technological innovation. Nuclear technology should be utilized as a catalyst for exploring innovative applications across various fields.

Huang mentioned that 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the IAEA. China and the IAEA have engaged in extensive cooperation on nuclear technology applications, yielding notable achievements. The China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) will continue to maximize nuclear technology's benefits to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Wang stressed that the applications of nuclear technology are driving technological progress, economic growth, and global well-being, serving as an important support for meeting the growing needs of people for a better life. In the future, CNNC will work hand in hand with all sectors to share China's nuclear technology advancements and expertise globally, contributing Chinese strength to the health and well-being of humanity. 

"Atoms for a Better Home" represents a vision of harmony and innovation in the relationship between humanity and nuclear technology. As a pioneer in the development of nuclear technology applications in China, CNNC has been deeply engaged in the fields of nuclear medicine and irradiation applications for many years, offering comprehensive services, including isotope production, drug manufacturing, nuclear medical services, equipment production, irradiation operations, and decommissioning of radiation sources. This enables CNNC to deliver end-to-end services such as project design, construction, equipment commissioning, operational management, and training for international clients. 

During the event, CNNC showcased world's first X/γ nuclear radiation dose detection chip. This chip is compact, highly sensitive, and has broad application prospects, especially suitable for intelligent terminal products with radiation detection functions. It can integrate into devices like smartphones, tablets, smart helmets, and drones. Users only need to conduct simple secondary development to apply it in radiation dose monitoring scenarios in nuclear-related workplaces and environments. 

The China Isotope and Radiation Association formalized agreements with the IAEA on radioactive isotopes and radiation processing, further deepening exchanges and cooperation in nuclear technology applications. Experts from organizations, such as China Isotope & Radiation Corporation, Nuclear Power Institute of China, China Institute of Atomic Energy, and Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, highlighted China's advancements in medical isotopes, radioactive drugs, nuclear medicine, radiation detection chips, and irradiation processing. 

During the event, CNNC demonstrated its comprehensive solutions for drug production facilities, smart nuclear medicine departments, radiotherapy centers, intelligent radiation detection, and integrated irradiation stations using physical displays and interactive exhibits under the theme "fortune and radiation."

Representatives participating in the event voiced their aspirations to enhance collaboration with China in agricultural and medical nuclear technology applications, jointly playing a greater role in achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. 

The side event was organized by China Isotope & Radiation Corporation, a subsidiary of CNNC. Officials from CNNC's Industrial Development and International Cooperation Department, Business Management Department, Finance Department, European Representative Office, China Isotope & Radiation Corporation, China Nuclear Power Engineering, Nuclear Power Institute of China, CNNC Overseas Ltd., China Institute of Atomic Energy, China Institute for Radiation Protection, CNNCMED, and the China Isotope and Radiation Association participated in the event.

Xi urges more efforts to adapt Marxism to Chinese context, needs of the times

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for greater efforts to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the requirement in an instruction on the project of studying and developing Marxist theory in the new era.

A work meeting on the project of studying and developing Marxist theory was held in Beijing on Friday.