Latest news with #GlobalTimes
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- Climate
- AsiaOne
Lorry left dangling over collapsed bridge in China with driver trapped inside, China News
A lorry, with its driver trapped inside, was left hanging off a collapsed highway bridge in China's Guizhou province. Days of relentless rainfall had triggered a landslide beneath the Xiamen-Chengdu Expressway, causing it to give way at around 7.40am on Tuesday (June 24), reported Guizhou Daily. Videos of the incident posted to Chinese social media show the lorry with its cabin suspended over the drop. In a video interview posted to X by Shanghai Eye, You Guochun — the lorry driver — stated that once the front of the truck reached the point of the bridge that eventually collapsed, he felt the ground "sink down a little" and stepped on the brakes at once. "But there was a bit of inertia and the truck kept going a bit. The bridge in front of me all collapsed... I was scared and simply froze," he said. In a video circulating on social media, a witness at the scene can be heard saying to You, "You're lucky, this is dangerous", and asking him to wait for help to arrive. You responded that he had tried to contact the fire department but could not get through. The onlooker then explained that there was no mobile connectivity in the area. According to You, the fire department eventually arrived and threw a ladder over for him to climb up to the top of the lorry, guiding him through the process. Local transportation authorities found a deformation in the bridge structure during a patrol inspection at 5.51am on Tuesday and immediately implemented traffic control for the uphill lanes, which was enforced by 7.11am, reported the Global Times. The authorities also stated that there were three vehicles at the bottom of the bridge and confirmed there were no people inside them. An investigation into the cause of the collapse and follow-up work is currently underway, reported China Daily. Extreme weather in multiple areas State meteorologists have forecast more rain in the coming days, warning that flood-hit provinces like Guizhou remain at risk from overlapping storms. Despite summer floods being common in China, climate change is amplifying the risk — with heavier rainfall events becoming more frequent, they added. The possibility of "black swan" disasters, rare but catastrophic events like dam failures or sudden infrastructure collapses, become more likely under extreme weather conditions, said the Chinese authorities. While Southern China was hit by heavy rain and floods on Tuesday, Northern provinces such as Henan, Shandong and Hebei recorded temperatures nearing 40°C. [[nid:719450]]
AllAfrica
3 days ago
- Business
- AllAfrica
Why China's sitting on the Iran war sidelines
On a visit to Shanghai some years ago, I asked a leading Chinese strategist how Beijing would view a war between the US and Iran, which even back then seemed a high probability. I thought he would opine on how higher oil prices could threaten Chinese manufacturing. Instead, he shocked me by explaining that China would benefit from the US fighting yet another costly war in the Middle East, since that could mark the 'end of US global hegemony.' The Chinese have indeed always considered the Middle East as 'the graveyard of empires.' While hostilities have subsided for now, there remains a grim possibility that the Israel-Iran ceasefire could break down and the US will once again face pressure to come to Israel's defense. If China were to aid Iran, as it has Pakistan, with aircraft, missiles, and battle management technologies, that would mark a troubling escalation. But now, Beijing remains cautious about wielding its military power abroad. Still, China will likely reap geopolitical benefits if the US continues to be on an adversarial footing with Iran. The Chinese government condemned the American strike on Iran, saying, 'The actions of the US seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.' An editorial published on June 22 in the Chinese newspaper Global Times asserts that Washington's resort to force amounts to 'adding fuel to the fire of war and pushing the Iran-Israel conflict to a more uncontrollable situation.' It's fair to say the Chinese have been increasing their presence in the Middle East. A month ago, the Chinese Air Force arrived in Egypt for a military exercise, which featured joint aerial refueling for the first time. China's warships have been conducting regular visits to the region for about a decade and it's only a matter of time before one of its new aircraft carriers makes an appearance in these crowded waters. Back in March, there was even a trilateral naval exercise, now an annual occurrence, between warships from Russia, Iran, and China. On the other hand, these exercises were all rather small in scale and could not be described as threatening shows of force. Overall, Beijing has declined to militarize its foreign policy toward the Middle East. Even when Trump in mid-2019 essentially invited the Chinese Navy to patrol the Strait of Hormuz, Chinese strategists answered with an unequivocal refusal. Likewise, Beijing has declined to join any military actions against the Houthis over the last few years, preferring to negotiate with the Houthis to secure passage for its ships through the contested waterway. China puts diplomacy rather than military might at the forefront of its foreign policy. True, Beijing maintains a military base at Djibouti. Yet that facility is notably situated next to bases from other foreign countries, including the US, France, and Japan. It's hardly a launching pad for globe-spanning power projection or regional aggression. More to the point, China has notched a number of diplomatic achievements in the Middle East in recent years. Its star has been rising steadily among Arab states, helped along no doubt by its sympathy for the Palestinians. But it's also been actively fostering development in much quieter corners of the Middle East, such as in countries like Morocco and Oman that are gradually changing the region's complexion. Most strikingly, Beijing set off a veritable foreign policy earthquake in the Persian Gulf when it announced that it had successfully mediated an Iran-Saudi rapprochement in 2023. We cannot rule out that this situation could still take a turn for the worse, especially now that Washington has shown a willingness to take offensive action against Iran. There have been rumors of secret Chinese flights into Iran. Even before the war, it was reported that Beijing was shipping key components for ballistic missiles to Tehran. One can also easily imagine how Pakistan might serve as a conduit for Chinese military aid to Iran. Washington should take note and act cautiously under the present circumstances. But let's not lose track of the fundamentals here. The bottom line is that China does not have a military alliance with Iran. Remarkably, despite decades of great power jostling in the Middle East, Beijing has not sold a single major weapons system to Tehran since the early 1990s. That is an impressive show of restraint from Beijing and one Washington ought to reflect on as it one again resorts to the major use of force in the Middle East. We might also recall that in previous great power crises in this volatile region, our rivals have sometimes been much more willing to go to the brink. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, both the US and the Soviet Union put their nuclear forces on alert as the Kremlin considered direct military intervention. In this present crisis, Russia is thoroughly distracted by the war in Ukraine and no longer able to throw its weight around the Middle East. Likewise, China is not inclined to increase its military involvement, which should thankfully set some kind of upper limit to the dangers for escalation if hostilities resume. Perhaps Beijing is wise to 'sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.' Washington would do well to take note of Chinese restraint as the situation with Iran is likely to remain fraught for the foreseeable future. Lyle Goldstein is director of the Asia Program at Defense Priorities.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Global Times Overseas China Week and Global South Dialogue open in Argentina, paves fast track for pragmatic cooperation
BEIJING, June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Times Overseas China Week and Global South Dialogue: Seminar on Relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries and the Mutual Perception of Public Opinion" were held in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina on Monday local time. Representatives from political, business, academic, think tanks and media circles of China and Argentina gathered to engage in in-depth exchanges on deepening mutual understanding, strengthening the public support foundation, and promoting mutual learning among civilizations between China and LAC countries. The Overseas China Week and Global South Dialogue series is an exchange platform for implementing Chinese President Xi Jinping's cultural thought and promoting dialogue among media and think tanks from Global South countries. This time, holding the event in Latin America is a proactive effort to practice the Global Civilization Initiative and promote the construction of a China-LAC community with a shared future. The diversity of civilizations is the natural state of the world. As key members of the Global South, China and LAC countries share broad common interests and vast cooperation potential across numerous fields. At the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum held in May this year, President Xi profoundly stated that "facts have shown that China and LAC countries are advancing hand in hand as a community with a shared future." He emphasized that China stands ready to join hands with LAC partners to launch five programs of solidarity, development, civilization, peace and people-to-people connectivity, charting the course for building a China-LAC community with a shared future in the new era. Fan Zhengwei, President and Editor-in-Chief of the Global Times, delivered a welcome address at the seminar. He noted that both Chinese and Latin American civilizations are uniquely distinctive, sharing similar experiences in modern history and both belonging to the Global South, which fosters a natural affinity for mutual respect and equal dialogue. Today, China and Latin America have entered a "fast track" of multi-channel and multi-level exchanges and cooperation in the humanistic sphere. The Global Times is committed to serving as a messenger for civilizational dialogue and mutual learning. This collaboration, which includes conducting a survey on mutual perception of public opinion between China and Latin America and hosting the seminar, is a practical effort to build a bridge for scholars, media, and societal figures from both regions to enhance exchanges and dialogue, provide intellectual support for advancing China-Latin America cooperation, and contribute to the future development of Global South countries, Fan said. He also expressed hope for candid and profound exchanges with more think tanks, media, and individuals from various sectors to promote pragmatic cooperation and jointly advance the construction of a China-LAC community with a shared future. Wang Wei, China's Ambassador to Argentina, stated in his keynote speech at the event that since the turn of the century, and particularly in the past decade or so, China and Latin America have not only written inspiring chapters of shared destiny, but also reaped abundant fruits from pragmatic cooperation. Mutual respect and trust align with public aspirations, with people on both sides increasingly viewing each other as good friends and partners who treat each other with respect and equality. Mutually beneficial cooperation resonates with public opinion, and the consensus on advancing together and achieving mutual success has become widely shared among Chinese and Latin American public. Solidarity and collaboration meet public expectations, as the peoples of both regions jointly uphold world peace, stability and the multilateral trading system, with a growing willingness to push for reforms in global governance, Wang said. The ambassador noted that openness and inclusivity reflect public sentiments, with the China-LatAm civilization dialogue having been successfully held seven times. China has provided 17,000 government scholarships and 10,000 training opportunities in China for Latin American participants, significantly enhancing people-to-people connectivity. The survey results released this time further highlight the genuine friendship between the peoples of China and Latin America across mountains and seas, sowing seeds of enduring friendship, Wang said. Pablo Vommaro, Secretary General elect of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) can bring new opportunities for cooperation, deepen connections, and promote exchanges based on mutual learning. Jorge Taiana, General Director of Centro Internacional de Estudios Políticos (CIEP), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, said that the ties between China and Latin America and the Caribbean are not limited to the present but are built on a rich history of decades of cooperation and mutual understanding. This relationship continues to strengthen, laying the foundation for promoting common development. During the seminar, more than 10 participants, including Daniel Filmus, Director of the Ibero-American Center for Research in Science, Technology, and Innovation (CIICTI), Former Argentine Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Patricio Conejero Ortiz, Director of the Latin America-China Observatory (OLAC) at University of Buenos Aires, Alejandra Conconi, Executive Director of the Argentine-Chinese Chamber of Production, Industry and Commerce, and Néstor Restivo, founder and journalistic director of DangDai Magazine, engaged in in-depth discussions on the survey on mutual perception of public opinion. The discussions focused on three key topics: mutual perceptions and public sentiment between China and Latin America, diverse drivers of positive China-Latin America relations, and the role of media in shaping mutual perceptions. The seminar, which was co-organized by the Global Times, CLACSO, and the Center for Chinese and Latin American Studies (CECLA), aimed to use media exchanges and think tank cooperation as a starting point to foster consensus through candid communication, continuously enhance people-to-people ties between China and Latin America, and cultivate strong public support for building a China-LAC community with a shared future. During the event, the Global Times Institute also signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ibero-American Center for Research in Science, Technology and Innovation. View original content: SOURCE Global Times
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Iran Should ‘Rethink' Nuclear Ambitions: China State Media Pundit
Iran's leadership should reconsider its nuclear ambitions and settle for the symbolic win after its retaliatory strikes against the United States, a prominent Chinese commentator said on Tuesday as oil prices dropped for the first time in a week amid a shaky ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump. "Iranian activities associated with the manufacture of nuclear weapons, even if they are for civilian use, will be difficult to continue in the future. From a realist perspective, Iran should rethink its nuclear path," said former Global Times editor Hu Xijin, who led the nationalistic state-run newspaper from 2005-2021. Hu's comments, aimed at nearly 25 million followers on China's X-like microblogging website Weibo, are not directly representative of the Chinese government's views. However, the prolific public commentator is one of China's best-know propagandists and his posts credibly capture part of the mood in the country. China is a major extra-regional stakeholder in stability in the Middle East, where over half of its oil imports originate-some covertly from Iran. It has been Tehran's largest trading partner for over a decade, including for sanctioned goods like military hardware and material to make missile propellant. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek: "The Persian Gulf and nearby waters are an important route for international trade in goods and energy. Keeping the region safe and stable serves the common interests of the international community." Iran was the "biggest loser" in the conflict with Israel and the United States, Hu said, citing the heavy blow dealt to its civil-military infrastructure and the killing of several leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, followed by the U.S. bombing of three nuclear facilities over the weekend. The final days of the Israel-Iran conflict were "performative," with both nations and the U.S. emerging with something to call a "victory," according to Hu, who posted his thoughts after Trump declared what is currently a vulnerable and uncertain ceasefire. Tehran "did not have sufficient strength and international support to contain the U.S.-Israeli threat, ultimately placing itself in an untenable and dangerous situation," he said while urging the Chinese public to support Beijing's military buildup "Strength is the ultimate universal language of all showdowns in this world. Remember," Hu said. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told former British Prime Minister Tony Blair-visiting China for a World Economic Forum event-that Israel and the United States had "set a dangerous precedent with serious consequences" by conducting preemptive strikes based on "potential future threats." "Peace requires strength to defend, but strength alone does not guarantee true peace," Wang said. "All parties to the conflict should take steps to de-escalate the situation, return to the path of political dialogue and negotiation, and work to restore peace and stability in the Middle East." Hu Xijin, former editor of China's Global Times newspaper: "Our planet is still not one that runs on reason. Some hard security dilemmas cannot be resolved, and war is still the way acute problems explode. In the end, power decides who wins and who loses. "Iran has its own ambitions, but not enough power and too big an appetite, as if political rhetoric can make up for the shortcomings of strength. It suffered big losses as a result and finally had to seek compromise with the United States and Israel." Oil prices have come down to under $70 a barrel after Trump indicated the U.S. airstrikes on Iran on Sunday were a once-off, for now. But with Israel and Iran yet to fully settle into the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, all options, including Tehran's threat to close energy shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, remain a possibility. Such a move would likely cause a spike in crude oil prices, hurting major importers like China. Oil prices peaked past $100 per barrel in March 2022 in the immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. If prices reach the same or similar levels because of conflict in the Middle East, it could benefit America's adversaries, Trump said in a social media post on Monday. Related Articles ICE Arrests 11 Iranian Nationals in US Amid Fears of Secret Terror CellsTrump Rejected Putin's Iran Offer: 'I Need Help With You'The 1600: Carlo vs. Carlo ReturnsTucker Carlson Claims MAGA Victory Over Ted Cruz, Mark Levin 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Iran Should 'Rethink' Nuclear Ambitions: China State Media Pundit
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Iran's leadership should reconsider its nuclear ambitions and settle for the symbolic win after its retaliatory strikes against the United States, a prominent Chinese commentator said on Tuesday as oil prices dropped for the first time in a week amid a shaky ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump. "Iranian activities associated with the manufacture of nuclear weapons, even if they are for civilian use, will be difficult to continue in the future. From a realist perspective, Iran should rethink its nuclear path," said former Global Times editor Hu Xijin, who led the nationalistic state-run newspaper from 2005-2021. Why It Matters Hu's comments, aimed at nearly 25 million followers on China's X-like microblogging website Weibo, are not directly representative of the Chinese government's views. However, the prolific public commentator is one of China's best-know propagandists and his posts credibly capture part of the mood in the country. A woman walks past a banner showing General Gholam Ali Rashid—who was killed in an Israeli strike—in downtown Tehran on June 24, 2025. A woman walks past a banner showing General Gholam Ali Rashid—who was killed in an Israeli strike—in downtown Tehran on June 24, 2025. Vahid Salemi/AP China is a major extra-regional stakeholder in stability in the Middle East, where over half of its oil imports originate—some covertly from Iran. It has been Tehran's largest trading partner for over a decade, including for sanctioned goods like military hardware and material to make missile propellant. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek: "The Persian Gulf and nearby waters are an important route for international trade in goods and energy. Keeping the region safe and stable serves the common interests of the international community." What To Know Iran was the "biggest loser" in the conflict with Israel and the United States, Hu said, citing the heavy blow dealt to its civil-military infrastructure and the killing of several leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, followed by the U.S. bombing of three nuclear facilities over the weekend. The final days of the Israel-Iran conflict were "performative," with both nations and the U.S. emerging with something to call a "victory," according to Hu, who posted his thoughts after Trump declared what is currently a vulnerable and uncertain ceasefire. Tehran "did not have sufficient strength and international support to contain the U.S.-Israeli threat, ultimately placing itself in an untenable and dangerous situation," he said while urging the Chinese public to support Beijing's military buildup "Strength is the ultimate universal language of all showdowns in this world. Remember," Hu said. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told former British Prime Minister Tony Blair—visiting China for a World Economic Forum event—that Israel and the United States had "set a dangerous precedent with serious consequences" by conducting preemptive strikes based on "potential future threats." "Peace requires strength to defend, but strength alone does not guarantee true peace," Wang said. "All parties to the conflict should take steps to de-escalate the situation, return to the path of political dialogue and negotiation, and work to restore peace and stability in the Middle East." What People Are Saying Hu Xijin, former editor of China's Global Times newspaper: "Our planet is still not one that runs on reason. Some hard security dilemmas cannot be resolved, and war is still the way acute problems explode. In the end, power decides who wins and who loses. "Iran has its own ambitions, but not enough power and too big an appetite, as if political rhetoric can make up for the shortcomings of strength. It suffered big losses as a result and finally had to seek compromise with the United States and Israel." What Happens Next Oil prices have come down to under $70 a barrel after Trump indicated the U.S. airstrikes on Iran on Sunday were a once-off, for now. But with Israel and Iran yet to fully settle into the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, all options, including Tehran's threat to close energy shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, remain a possibility. Such a move would likely cause a spike in crude oil prices, hurting major importers like China. Oil prices peaked past $100 per barrel in March 2022 in the immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. If prices reach the same or similar levels because of conflict in the Middle East, it could benefit America's adversaries, Trump said in a social media post on Monday.
