Editor's Note:

China's human rights stories are unfolding in a new era of comprehensive deepening reform and historic changes. It is a great practice of China's poverty alleviation and whole-process people's democracy, a thorough reformation in judicial, medical insurance and other key sectors related to the national economy and people's livelihood, as well as a combination of numerous impressive and inspiring individual stories.

To be nurtured in youth, be educated, secure gainful employment, receive medical care when ill, be cared for in old age, have a place to live, and be supported when weak… these are concrete embodiment of human rights, which explains that the greatest human right is the right to the happiness of the people.

For a long time, some politicians and media outlets in a few countries have been hostile and prejudiced against China, leading to a lack of understanding among foreign audiences about the concepts and achievements in China's human rights development. But what is revealed in the daily lives of the Chinese people speaks to the most basic truth: Rights to survival and development are fundamental human rights.

The Global Times is launching a series of articles, telling the vivid stories about human rights protection in the new era. We expect this series to become a window through which more foreign readers will understand how Chinese people recognize human rights and what efforts they have made to fight for and fully enjoy human rights in their daily lives.
Wang Yongcheng, the first and only visually impaired deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), returns home with a sacred mission.

Back to East China's Fujian Province from Beijing, Wang has constantly been on the move. Having visited the Fuzhou School for the Blind, and Fujian Disabled Persons' Federation, he is dedicated to spreading the spirit of the two sessions with no signs of fatigue.

"This is my job. The staff representatives of the disabled persons' federation, the teachers and students at the school for the blind, volunteers, and caring individuals are all eager to learn about the grand occasion of the 'two sessions' through me. Every time I speak, I receive enthusiastic responses," Wang told the Global Times.

During the two sessions, the introduction of a Braille version of the Government Work Report, a concentrated interview in the "Deputies' Passage," and a 6-minute deliberation speech, are all new experiences that impressed and inspired Wang for his rest of life.

Wang said that he always remembers that as early as 1990, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was then secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Fuzhou Municipal Committee, said that the disability cause is a spring cause.

From being the first visually impaired NPC deputy to receiving the first Braille version of a reply to a deputy's motion and the Government Work Report, Wang has vividly witnessed the subtle and considerate changes at the two sessions, which he calls the "springtime grand event."

By witnessing the happiness embraced by the group he represents, Wang perceives the country's tangible democracy.

Wang's story of fulfilling his duties is a microcosm of the protection of the disabled in China. In recent years, from constructing a barrier-free environment to fostering a more respectful attitude toward disadvantaged groups in the public, more disabled persons in the country are now participating in and integrating into society on an equal footing, allowing them to share in the fruits of social development.

Sensing democracy's pulse

On March 5, at the opening meeting of the second session of the 14th NPC, Wang was handed a special government work report - white 8K paper, circular binding, and orderly arranged with convex and concave Braille. This groundbreaking Braille version of the government work report made its debut at two sessions, courtesy of the newly established Braille translation team under the secretariat of the NPC.

"For me, this is democracy that I can literally feel," Wang said. With the Braille version of the Government Work Report in hand, he was able to silently follow along as the Chinese premier delivered the report. "I could run my fingertips over every accomplishment our country has achieved. It was an unparalleled experience."

Following his election as a deputy to the 14th NPC, who commenced their five-year term in 2023, Wang attended his first session of the NPC last year. Since then, his room has been equipped with a laptop adapted for visually impaired people. The venue has also been made accessible to ensure his smooth participation in the conference.

"This year, I was provided with Braille documents and even had the opportunity to speak at the 'Deputies' Passage," Wang shared. "I made a promise to myself to bring the voices of visually impaired people to the NPC. We may not be able to see, but we want to be seen by more people."

Born in Ninghua county of Fujian Province in 1967, Wang lost his sight in an accident at the age of 18. Undeterred, he embarked on a challenging entrepreneurial journey by learning massage skills and conducting non-profit training. His efforts helped over 6,000 visually impaired individuals to become self-reliant.

From casting his vote in the majestic Great Hall of the People to proposing to provide large-print textbooks for low-vision students enrolled in regular schools, in 2023, Wang, as an NPC deputy, has had some touching moments.
His proposal was adopted and incorporated into China's first dedicated law on constructing a barrier-free environment, which took effect on September 1, 2023.

And in a historic moment in November 2023, Wang received the first-ever braille response to an NPC deputy's motion. The Ministry of Education also embraced this proposal and supported the promotion of large-print textbook publications, starting with the first grade in autumn 2023.

On March 5, Wang delivered a 6-minute speech at the meeting of the Fujian delegation. He put forth two suggestions on facilitating the building of an elderly care service system which could better meet the special needs of people with disabilities, and promote the integrated development of the cause of the disabled on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

"I am honored to have witnessed the country's increasing efforts to improve barrier-free environment construction, help people living with disabilities integrate into society, and share the fruits of economic and social development," Wang said.

Legal protection

Apart from Wang, Li Qingzhong, a national political advisor living with severe visual impairment, also drew widespread attention during the two sessions this year.

Tactile stick in hand, Li spoke to the media at an inclusive interview at the Great Hall of the People on March 4, the first day of the two sessions. He shared that he is able to commute by subway alone and travel by plane or high-speed rail, and he deals with his work online with the help of screen reader software.

"Thanks to China's continuous optimization of a barrier-free environment, and the progress of modern technology, physically disabled people can integrate into society, and work hard in all walks of life," Li said. Also President of the China Association of Persons with Visual Disabilities, Li prepared five proposals for this year's two sessions. Of them, one focused on the promotion of preschool education for the multiplicity of visually impaired children.

Wang and Li's stories let the public once again closely see the aspirations of China's 85-million-strong people living with disability, as well as the many forms of assistance and care extended by the country and society to them.

China attaches great importance to the protection of the rights and interests of persons living with disabilities, said Chen Bin, an associate research fellow at the Institute for Human Rights, East China University of Political Science and Law.

"It not effectively protects their rights to subsistence and development, but also creates convenient conditions for them to perform their duties as the country's legislators and political advisors, guaranteeing their right to participate in national and social affairs," Chen told the Global Times.
Chen said that for decades, China has always been committed to protecting the rights of persons living with disabilities from a legal standpoint. The Barrier-free Environment Creation Law, for instance, took effect in September 2023, becoming another law to safeguard the human rights of people living with disabilities. Before that, there had been many related laws and regulations such as the Law on the Protection of Disabled and Regulations on Education for Individuals with Disabilities.

The principle of accessibility is one of the essentials of international human rights law, and constitutes the basic principle of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons living with Disabilities, Chen said. The Convention was eventually adopted by the 61st session of the UN General Assembly in December 2006 after a long motion discussion.

"As a responsible major country, China is not only an active advocate, but also a firm supporter and implementer of the Convention," Chen told the Global Times. He added that in March 2007, when the Convention opened for signing, then permanent representative of China to the UN Wang Guangya signed it for the first time on behalf of China.

Looking back, there is a clear timeline showing how China has gradually fine-tuned laws and regulations to guarantee the well-being and visible human rights of its people living with disabilities, Chen said.

"Every law and regulation carries specific human dignity," he noted.

A decent, dignified life

Apart from protecting the human rights of persons living with disabilities from the legal perspective, China has also strived to improve services through almost every detail of life.

From the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, to education, employment, recreation, and social identification, it spares no effort in facilitating decent and dignified lives for this population.

"We were married voluntarily…" Last week, with the help of Braille and large-print versions of marriage registration notices and marriage vows, a couple with visual impairments said their vows and registered their marriage in Beijing. It was the first time in the country that a marriage registry offered such documents to a visually disabled couple.

As for sporting events, the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games served as a window to show the world China's technological progress, particularly in caring for those living with disability. It used an energy-efficient printing technology for the Braille version of the manual for athletes and officials, spectators' guide, venue introduction, and maps, reportedly the largest use of Braille in the history of the Winter Olympics.

This green printing technology for Braille is energy-efficient and low-cost, and allows Braille to be printed on more materials, including paper, glass, stainless steel, and pottery, said Song Yanlin, a scientist from the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, whose team developed this technology.

The green printing technology was already in widespread use across China before the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, Song told the Global Times. At the Beijing School for the Blind, children started to use Braille books printed with this technology as early as 2018. In Shanghai, the city metro operators also offered passengers with visual disability direction information printed in this green technology.

The Chinese film industry is also trying to offer visually disabled people better a "viewing experience," by specially transforming the movies into accessible versions with comprehensive audio descriptions for visually impaired audiences. The narrators' voices, which transform action on screen into vivid descriptions, have allowed this special group to access China's various film and television products.

Li Wenwen, CEO of Shanghai PMF Pictures, said the company has made accessible versions for all its productions for visually impaired audiences. "Although it increases production costs, it is worthwhile as it is something meaningful to do," Li told the Global Times in a previous interview.

Moreover, inIn the social atmosphere that advocates caring for those living with disability, some stigmatizing words used to describe persons with disabilities have been eliminated. In 2022, China's Disabled Persons Federation issued a notice that advised media outlets to use updated terms in stories about people living with disability. Some persons with disabilities told the Global Times that, now they rarely see or hear offensive words whether in media coverage or in daily life.

China's efforts in affording its people with disabilities respect, love, and care are obvious to all. These efforts embody the people-oriented and inclusive nature of the development of human rights in China in the new era, which has effectively made Chinese people the main participants, promoters, and beneficiaries of the development of human rights causes, Chen told the Global Times.

On March 9, Wang received a heartfelt letter from Deng Zhiqiang, an individual living with disability from Central China's Hunan Province.

"I am standing by your side, rooting for your success. Your achievements are our patriotic motivation," Deng wrote in the letter.

"We will walk hand in hand with our nation on the path toward advancing the rights of the disabled community. Together, we will continue to contribute to the story of springtime filled with progress and hope with unwavering determination," Wang said.

Editor's Note:

Preppers are a group of people who believe a catastrophe or emergency might happen in the future and take steps to prepare in advance. They often hoard water and food, build shelters, and even stockpile ammunition and construct underground bunkers.

In recent years, the American doomsday prepper community has grown larger and more diverse, with increasingly extreme preparatory measures.

The old stereotype of doomsday preppers being "conspiracy theorists and paranoid uncles" living on the fringes of society is gradually changing.

According to Fox News, more Americans are beginning to plan for future disasters. Survival-themed reality shows are frequently featured on streaming platforms. On social media, disaster preparation bloggers have amassed millions of followers across various platforms.

Analysts from both the US and Europe suggest that the rising number of preppers and the extreme nature of their preparations reflect widespread anxiety in American society, closely related to political polarization, racial issues, and class divisions.
Enlarging community

Helena, a student from China studying in Atlanta, initially thought the "doomsday prep kits" she saw at her local Costco were incredibly novel. However, as she adapted to life in the US over the years, she came to understand the necessity and ubiquity of these products.

"Doomsday kits are very practical in the US, especially during emergencies like the 2021 Texas power outage," she told the Global Times. "A small generator is also essential. I personally own a small solar panel, though it can only power a fan."

On Costco's website, a large tub of instant noodles that serves 150 people is available for $100, providing about 25,000 calories and a shelf life of 25 years. Additionally, affordable doomsday tool kits are also available on Temu, and they are currently on sale.

"This is a totally new market," said a survival skills instructor with 20 years of experience, quoted by The Wall Street Journal. Initially, the instructor's outdoor survival courses attracted only hardcore outdoor enthusiasts, but since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he has received more calls from clients.

According to The Wall Street Journal, many companies selling survival toolkits and other doomsday preparation products have emerged in recent years.

A report released by Zion Market Research in March this year shows that the global survival tools market is expected to reach $2.46 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of over 7 percent from 2023 to 2030.

The report indicates that sales of survival toolkits have risen, showing that Americans are more inclined to have emergency supplies on hand than in previous years.

For instance, Preppi Emergency Kits, which resemble classic doctor's medical kits, saw a 29 percent increase in sales in 2023 compared to 2022. The Ready Set Judy kits, which are bright orange, doubled in sales in June 2023 when wildfires occurred in the Northeast US. Both brands' kits include a hand-crank radio, masks, non-perishable food, first aid supplies, and other equipment.
Moreover, NBC reported that what was once a fringe idea among doomsday preppers is now becoming popular among celebrities and the wealthy.

In December 2023, reports emerged that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was constructing a 4,000-square-foot underground shelter at his Hawaiian home. Kim Kardashian, Tom Cruise, and Shaquille O'Neal have also built bunkers or safe rooms. Open AI founder and CEO Samuel Harris Altman is also among the doomsday preppers.

Data released in April 2023 by the US research website Finder showed that the percentage of people in the US spending on emergency preparedness increased from 20 percent in 2020 to 29 percent in 2023, with a total expenditure of about $11 billion over the last 12 months.

Political and radical

However, as the prepper community expands, its internal atmosphere is also changing.

A YouTuber, who focuses on doomsday preparation, told the Global Times that she has left the prepper community and now discusses saving money and investing instead. In her view, the prepper community has become increasingly "radical and political," even to the extent that her personal safety has been threatened.

In a video clip, she stated that she has observed an emerging mentality of comparison and competition within the community, with many boasting about their equipment and resources, claiming to be better and more prepared than others.

"But you don't need 20 different guns and 50,000 bullets; you don't need special tactics and combat training to survive," she said, advocating for a more practical and simple preparation method focused on satisfying quality of life and emotional needs, opposing the view of preparation as an extreme or luxurious activity.

According to the Business Insider website, there is a community called "Riverbed Ranch" in the western Utah desert, which is actually a land cooperative consisting of 135 shareholders, living a "self-sufficient" life. According to the community, many residents are doomsday preppers, some are conspiracy theorists, while others just want to retire. Most residents at "Riverbed Ranch" believe that their community is distinctly different from the stereotype of "armed doomsday preppers."

A resident named Priscilla Hart mentioned that many people, like them, moved there because they hoped to reduce their dependence on political, economic, and social structures, with the main reason being "the instability and ambiguity of society." "The more you can learn to take care of yourself and not rely on the government, the better," she said.

A 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center showed that only 16 percent of respondents believe the government will do the right thing, marking a historic low. Meanwhile, 79 percent of people said that Americans have "too little" or "very little" trust in each other.

USA Today reported that more and more Americans are preparing for "impending disasters" before major elections. Overall, doomsday preparation activities seem to reflect the deep uncertainties many Americans feel.

A poll conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University at the end of 2023 found that 67 percent of Americans believe the country is facing bigger problems than usual or is in the worst state they have ever seen.

A world of political polarization

US political commentator and journalist Caleb Maupin told the Global Times that the rise of the "doomsday preparation" movement reflects not only widespread anxiety in US society but also exposes a declining trust in the government and public institutions. From urban to rural areas, from left to right, a general sense of social pessimism is spreading across all strata.

Maupin explained that since the 1950s, the US has had the subculture of "preparation actions" associated with doomsday scenarios, often linked to far-right militias and more fanatical Christian sects.

In recent years, this culture has seen a noticeable uptrend due to national political polarization and economic downturns. Pessimistic media coverage has intensified people's unease and fear, causing survivalist ideas to gradually permeate mainstream society. The sense of national identity that Americans once held is fading, replaced by a widespread pessimism about the country's future and fears of civil war and economic disasters, Maupin noted.

According to Maupin, race and class issues in the US have a profound impact on doomsday preparation culture. While some media content on survival culture features wealthy individuals building luxurious "panic rooms" and installing complex security systems, a broader range of survivalist media targets the working class in economically depressed areas who distrust national institutions.
He specifically mentioned that in low-income Black communities, there has long been a perception that the government is attempting racial cleansing, a sentiment that has also led to a high rate of vaccine refusal. Meanwhile, more and more people in rural and suburban white areas feel that the country is heading toward collapse.

US political commentator and journalist Bradley Blankenship recently wrote in the Global Times, analyzing that the doomsday preparation subculture, originally present among far-right groups, has gradually infiltrated mainstream US culture.

The occurrences of recent years, including the surge of civil unrest sparked by movements such as Black Lives Matter, have laid bare the deep-seated fault lines running through American society. This polarization transcends mere ideological and policy disagreements, encompassing fundamental questions regarding the role of government, the essence of democracy and the legitimacy of societal institutions, according to Blankenship.

This political polarization is also affecting Europe, where people have become more enthusiastic about stockpiling food in recent years.

Christian Wagner, a European issues expert from Germany currently based in Beijing, told the Global Times that although Europe does not have as strong a doomsday prepper culture as the US, concerns and unease about the future are also growing in society. Wagner believes that this anxiety primarily stems from concerns about climate change and recent political polarization in Europe.

Wagner said that in Europe, the Green Party has consistently tried to influence public sentiment on the issue of climate change, describing the climate crisis as a looming doomsday disaster and using this emotional narrative to attract support. Wagner observed that since around 2015, this fear of impending disaster has taken a place in public consciousness, leading to a general feeling that the world is on the brink of collapse.

Although not digging fortresses in their backyards like Americans, Europeans are also stockpiling supplies in their apartments like "hamsters," Wagner told the Global Times.

However, this phenomenon is occurring alongside significant price increases and energy shortages. "Everything in Germany is becoming more expensive. Even though people want to be prepared and purchase a heat pump for heating or stock up on more food, they can't, because they can't afford it," Wagner lamented.

Wagner reflected that history seems to be repeating itself, with Europe experiencing a period similar to the 1920s and 1930s, which followed a "golden age" with an economic crisis and social instability, eventually leading to the rise of fascism and World War II.

Wagner said ordinary people increasingly adopt a defensive mindset, focusing more on self-protection and preparing for potentially extreme situations such as war or a global apocalypse.

The combatants in the largest land conflict in Europe since the World War II may be Russia and Ukraine, but there is no mistaking that it is really NATO's war. It has claimed it for itself. Whether by intention or unforeseen consequence, it is so deeply enmeshed in the strategies, intelligence, supplies, tactics and weapons employed by Kiev that it is impossible to become disentangled, and that means it cannot afford to let Ukraine lose.

What this also means, of course, is that for as long as fighting between the two countries continues, NATO is committed to supporting Ukraine militarily. Its military leaders believe that Russia no longer has the power to overwhelm Ukraine, but it is also the case that Russia is not about to lose the war any time soon. Does this mean an eternal and bloody stalemate?

NATO's commitment to a nation which is not even a member of its bloc is almost total. This week the alliance's Military Committee - its highest military authority - met at the organization's Brussels headquarters with Ukraine crisis high on the agenda and high-ranking Ukrainian military officials present, despite their country's lack of membership credentials. Also present were the defence chiefs of NATO member states, and NATO's top brass, including secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.

Three separate sessions in a day-long conference covered NATO's multi-domain readiness to wage war on land, sea, and air, and in space and cyberspace. They were briefed by Ukraine's armed forces chief Anatoliy Barhylevych of the reality on the ground. The committee's chair Admiral Rob Bauer declared, rather pompously: "There is nothing they [Ukraine] cannot do." Then he pointedly added: "All they need… is our help".

That help is no small consideration. In addition to the many billions in support already given by NATO members, the US has additionally just approved a $61bn package of aid which includes missiles, ammunition, and air defence systems. The real danger, however, is of NATO being drawn into the conflict itself.

The Military Committee's attitude is understandable, predictable even. Its comprises military personnel, and wars - how to fight them, how to win them, and how to avoid losing them - are their soldierly stock-in-trade. However, there is scant evidence of this military activity being balanced by any serious political activity to try to prevent escalation or seek an end to the slaughter. Words like "truce" and "ceasefire" are difficult to find among the political rhetoric. On the contrary, when serious proposals are made for ending the fighting they are dismissed out of hand by NATO. 

It scoffed at China's 12-point plan as firstly an attempt to distract from what it claimed was Beijing's support for Moscow, and then criticized the proposals for not condemning Russia. This misses the entire point that China could not claim to be an honest broker if it were to blame one of the combatants for the entire war. Little coverage was given to the fact that Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave China's plan a cautious welcome. Earlier this month Viktor Orban, the president of Hungary - a NATO ally for 25 years - renewed his endorsement of Beijing's peace plan. 

He said: "Today, Europe is on the side of war". Hungary is the sole NATO nation calling for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations.

Meanwhile NATO's own commanders have been talking up the possibility of war. Already this year several of them have warned their own nations to prepare for war with Russia, positing the reintroduction of conscription and mooting the idea of a citizen army. That's their only idea: to let Ukrainians continue to die on their behalf in NATO's proxy war until it escalates to a full-on, direct conflict with Russia. It is a strategy for the hard-of-thinking, with consequences which are the stuff of nightmares.

Those opposed to an urgent cessation to the killing are fond of saying that to stop hostilities would be tantamount to rewarding what they see as Russia's aggression. That aggression should not be rewarded, is a fine principle. Surely it is finer to believe that further slaughter should be prevented? Both sides are mourning tens of thousands, yet continued fighting guarantees only that more will be mourned. There will be no winner, only more victims.

What kind of principle rigidly precludes the triumph of compromise, negotiation, and common sense? If I was living there and my friends and family were among the slaughtered, I would ache for justice and for revenge: I would want the war to be fought to the last man or woman standing, because that is the natural human reaction. This would be human, and understandable, but I would be wrong. NATO's single, relentless strategy to just keep fighting, guarantees only enduring misery. Its path to so-called peace could lead us all on a journey to war.

A US House of Representatives committee on Wednesday local time voted to advance Biosecure Act that would prohibit US federal agencies from contracting with China's BGI, Wuxi AppTec and other biotech companies under the excuse of "national security." This is the latest move of the Biden administration's heightened suppression of China's normal economic, trade and technological activities.

Chinese observers said the biotech legislation targeting Chinese companies, along with US' new tariffs imposed on Chinese electric vehicles and advanced batteries, is part of the Biden administration's political show aimed at winning voters in an election year. US President Joe Biden and his administration will likely intensify crackdown on Chinese companies before the election, even at the risk of harming more US consumers and economic health.

However, they said the US' hysterical crackdown on China will neither make China surrender nor impede China's development, rather it will harm US companies in international competition and hinder technological progress.

Intensifying crackdown

The US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on Wednesday approved the Biosecure Act, which must get through the US House and Senate before Biden could sign it into a law, Reuters reported.

The targeted Chinese companies expressed strong opposition to the US' proposed legislation which is based on false and misleading allegations.

"As public records show, the Biosecure Act is advocated by a US company, to eliminate competition and strengthen its monopoly in the DNA sequencing market. BGI Group is disappointed to see the US legislative process being abused by the company which the US government itself has accused of holding an unlawful monopoly," BGI Group told the Global Times on Thursday.

BGI places the highest priority on privacy and strictly follows international and local data protection regulations. Statements alleging BGI is controlled by the Chinese government or military are false, the company stressed.

WuXi AppTec said the company "has not posed, does not pose, and will not pose a security risk to the US or any other country," according to a filing with the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd on Thursday. The company reiterated that it does not have a human genomics business or collect human genomic data in the US, China or elsewhere.

Since the beginning of 2024, the Biden administration has expanded its crackdown on Chinese companies to sectors including biotechnology, new energy and shipbuilding, which are part of a political show to win voters for the presidential election, Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Take the newly announced tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports for example. The volume is not that big compared with tariffs imposed on hundreds of billions of Chinese goods amid China-US trade war, but by doing so, the Biden administration wants to show that they could come up with a stronger hard-line policy against China, according to Gao.

On Wednesday, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that her department plans to announce proposed rules on Chinese connected vehicles this autumn, citing so-called "national security" risks to Americans' data, Reuters said in another report.

China firmly opposes and lodges solemn representations over the further increase of additional tariffs on some Chinese goods by the US, and will take resolute measures to safeguard its own rights and interests, He Yadong, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce, reiterated at a regular press conference on Thursday.

US' protectionism doomed

Unilateral and protectionist actions aimed at China by the US expose the loss of confidence and composure on the part of the US and are doomed to fail, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The US' unscrupulous suppression of China does not help address domestic problems in the US, but only results in a greater disruption of the normal operation of the international industrial and supply chains, Wang said, adding that the US' move will not deter China's development and rejuvenation.

Economic bullying and technological blockades have actually accelerated China's innovation. China's chip-making capability is catching up, artificial intelligence is gaining traction, and sectors like aerospace and electric vehicles are developing very fast, Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The US' unilateral moves will only backfire, as they will likely raise market prices, burden consumers, and hinder global cooperation and innovation in the industry, Li said.

"A series of hegemonic and bullying practices against China underlies the US' double-dealing face," he said. While the US touts its open economy and free trade, its unilateral and protectionist actions are against its words. Biden promises that the US does not seek to decouple from China and hinder China's development, but its practices tell another story, Li said.

Despite US' growing erraticism and paranoia to fragment the world by ideological differences, it is becoming increasingly hard to decouple from China, Li said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Tuesday slammed US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s double standard narrative on “overcapacity”, calling it an act of protectionism, which tramples on the principles of market economy and international rules, and is blatant bullying.

The remarks came after Yellen recently raised the “overcapacity” narrative in an interview with US media, saying the US would provide targeted investment and subsidies to support its strategic industries. She added that the US doesn’t want China to provide huge subsidies to enterprises, which would squeeze US firms out of the market.

“We’re very explicitly subsidizing investments in these important strategic areas. And what we don’t want to see is massive Chinese subsidies to firms with huge overcapacity that will just drive our firms out of business,” Yellen said.

Wang pointed out that the US sees its own subsidies as important investments in key industries, but criticizes other countries for providing subsidies. The US also berates other countries for exporting competitive products, labeling it as "overcapacity", while promoting its own exports as “free trade.”

The US is using the "overcapacity" narrative to suppress advanced industries in other countries. It is nothing but blatant bullying and hegemony, Wang noted.

Wang reiterated that the rapid development of China's new energy industry is built on homegrown tech innovation, the complete supply chain and sufficient market competition rather than relying on government subsidies. 

On the contrary the US has been a major player in doling out government subsidies through the CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act, Wang added.

Wang noted that the rapid development of China's new energy industry is in line with the global economic need for the green transformation, benefiting China, the US and the world. He urged the US to abandon hypocrisy and playing double standards, and to avoid slipping back into trade protectionism.

Now, the Biden administration is reportedly planning to levy 100 percent tariffs on Chinese EVs.

Wang said that China has always opposed the unilateral hike of tariffs that violate WTO rules and will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. 

China's May Day holidays witnessed 8 million inbound and outbound trips, up 35.1% y-o-y

This year the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will be held from June 5 to 8. Together with specialized federal services, the city is preparing for the event in accordance with the Action Plan approved by Governor Alexander Beglov.

“SPIEF is one of the brightest brands of our city, known all over the world. Despite all external constraints, its popularity is only growing every year. A total of 17,000 people from 130 countries took part in SPIEF 2023. I am convinced that this year’s geography of participants will be equally extensive, and St. Petersburg will demonstrate its traditionally high level of hospitality,” said Alexander Beglov. 

In the Northern Capital, the territories adjacent to the main event venues and traffic routes for SPIEF participants are being upgraded. More than 250,000 annual flower plants, 5,000 shrubs, about 70 trees will be planted in the Moscow and Pushkin districts, and more than 1,500 hanging flower arrangements will be installed.

City infrastructure improvements are underway, and routes for participants travelling to key event venues are being worked out. The current scheduled repair of motorways along the route of SPIEF participants will be completed by the end of May. Together with Rospotrebnadzor, the issues of ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological safety of Forum participants and guests are being addressed. 

The program of cultural and sporting events is currently being approved by the SPIEF Organizing Committee. Traditionally, events are planned not only for Forum participants, but also for residents and guests of the city. A concert featuring popular Russian pop artists will be held on Palace Square as part of the St. Petersburg Seasons project. For a second time during SPIEF, the international multi-day cycling race “Ladoga Gold” will be held.

The exhibition and business zone of St. Petersburg at SPIEF, as in previous years, will occupy 1,700 square meters. The business program of the city is being actively formed and will be approved by May 20. 

This week the Roscongress Foundation presented the architecture of the SPIEF 2024 business program. The main theme of the Forum is “The Formation of New Centres of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World.” The theme is articulated through four thematic blocks of the federal program, which this year includes two events from St. Petersburg.

According to Alexander Beglov, the panel discussion entitled “Let’s All Go to the Park?! Strategies and Practices for Success in Creative Sustainable Cities” will be held within the track “A Healthy Society, Traditional Values and Social Development: The Priority of the State.”

“We will discuss the issues of managing urban spaces, attracting investment, creating conditions for sustainable economic growth and improving life in cities,” he added.

Another St. Petersburg event is the business session ‘‘International Promotion. Development of New Tourist Offers and Products.’’ It will be held as part of the thematic block ‘‘Goals and Objectives of Russia’s New Economic Cycle.’’ 

At the previous SPIEF 2023, St. Petersburg concluded 62 agreements totaling 661 billion ruble. “We are counting on new major contracts this year as well,” the governor emphasized.

The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of nationwide and international conventions; exhibitions; and business, public, youth, sporting, and cultural events. It was established in pursuance of a decision by the President of the Russian Federation.

China and the EU are each other's comprehensive strategic partners, with a wide range of common interests, with more cooperation than competition and more agreement than disagreement, Erno Peto, president of the Hungarian-Chinese Chamber of Economy, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview, amid the visit of China's top leader to Hungary this week.

The significance of thevisit is very promising for Hungarian businesspeople, Peto said, describing this as the result of the close cooperation the two countries have fostered.He expressed confidence that "very good political relations that have existed at a high level for a long time will generate faster development in economic relations than ever before."

Talking about the high complementarity between China and Hungary, Peto said that China was and still is Hungary's ninth most important trading partner and the first most important trading partner outside Europe.

In addition to infrastructure projects and major battery industry investments, more cooperation in the fields of finance, alternative energy, communications technology and logistics can be developed substantially, according to the Hungarian industry representative.

Hungary can be a special platform for Chinese enterprises to directly enter the European market with their own branded products, Peto added.

In recent years, relations between China and Hungary have been highlighted, with frequent high-level exchanges, deepened mutual trust and fruitful outcomes in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, observers said.

Investment from China has played an increasingly positive role, facilitating the economic development of Hungary, relevant data showed.

China's direct investment in Hungary in 2023 amounted to 7.6 billion euros ($8.15 billion), accounting for 58 percent of Hungary's total foreign direct investment inflow. This created more than 10,000 jobs, making China once again the largest source of foreign investment in Hungary since 2020, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing data released by the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency.

Petoalso noted the important role that China, the world's second-largest economy, plays in leading the fight against the adverse effects of climate change, noting the potential of the joint development of the new-energy sector.

As the two countries are marking their 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the business community expected that more important opportunities are set to be unleashed for the growth of bilateral relations.

In the face of the growing complexities in the world, with the US-led West calling for "decoupling" from China for protectionism, the Hungarian chamber head said that "the globalization process is now irreversible," noting that "now is the time for all three economic superpowers -- China, the US and the EU -- to manage the global economic situation carefully."

"In my view, the EU's economies need the Chinese market as much as China needs the EU market, so the solution is not the so-called decoupling, but cooperation that takes into consideration each other's long-term interests," Peto said.

The US' reported plan to levy tariffs on imports from China's emerging industries is adding mistakes to mistakes, and its commerce department's decision to add 37 Chinese entities in the high-tech sector to a trade restriction list is abusing export control tools to suppress Chinese companies, which will prompt necessary countermeasures from China, a Chinese Foreign Ministry (FM) spokesperson warned on Friday, urging the US to stop politicizing trade matters and cracking down on Chinese companies on so-called national security grounds.

The latest moves showed that the US is stepping further down the path of clamping down on Chinese companies and "decoupling" with China, observers said, warning that there will be serious consequences.

The Biden administration is set to announce new China tariffs as soon as next Tuesday targeting strategic sectors including electric vehicles, batteries and solar equipment, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, the US moved to tighten its technology crackdown on Chinese firms after the US commerce department added 37 Chinese entities to a trade restriction list, including some companies accused of involvement in the balloon incident in 2023, and also citing other reasons such as national security and links to Russia. 

Observers said the moves revealed that the illogical and groundless smear campaign by the Western media and politicians hyping so-called Chinese "overcapacity" in green products is no more than a stepping stone for trade protectionist measures that had long been planned by the Biden administration, which lays bare the US' ulterior motive of cracking down on and stymieing China's development.

In response to reported US levying of more tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other green exports, FM spokesperson Lin Jian told a routine press briefing on Friday that the actions are "doubling the US' fault," noting that the Section 301 tariffs imposed by the former US administration on China have severely disrupted normal trade and economic exchanges between China and the US. 

The WTO has already ruled those tariffs against WTO rules. Instead of ending those wrong practices, the US continues to politicize trade issues, abuse the so-called review process of Section 301 tariffs and plan tariff hikes. 

The spokesperson urged the US to follow WTO rules, lift all additional tariffs on China and not to impose new ones.

Regarding the US entity list, Lin said that China strongly opposes US abuse of entity list and other export controls to go after Chinese companies. 

"China and Russia have the right to normal economic and trade cooperation, and such cooperation should not come under external interference or constraint," Lin noted.

Lin urged the US to stop overstretching the concept of national security, stop politicizing trade and tech issues or using them as weapons, and stop abusing various types of sanctions lists to suppress Chinese companies. 

China will continue to do what is necessary to defend the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies, Lin said.

China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own interests if the US still proceeds with its wrongdoings, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday in response to a military aid package the Biden administration signed in April, which contains multiple negative items targeting China.

Politicizing trade matters

Following US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China in April, there has been a marked uptick in the US' actions aimed at provoking China in trade and economic matters.  

The US this week revoked licenses that allowed companies including US chipmakers Intel and Qualcomm to deliver chips used for laptops and handsets to Chinese tech giant Huawei. China's Ministry of Commerce on Thursday lambasted US export restrictions on the purely civilian use of chips as a "typical act of economic coercion," while US companies said that the move would negatively impact their earnings.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Wednesday warned that the US may take "extreme action" and seek to ban Chinese connected vehicles on national security grounds.

The US has also launched a probe into the Chinese maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries.

Analysts warned that the US government has walked away from its pledge to avoid holding back China's economic growth and formulated new measures to crack down on Chinese companies and engage in "decoupling", which is hurting the positive atmosphere of engagement and dialogue that had developed in recent months.

Li Yong, a senior research fellow from the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Friday the US' continued crackdown on China's high-tech sectors and emerging industries is not surprising and represents more of the US saying one thing but doing another.

"The US' continuing to contain and suppress China's development, to build and expand the so-called 'small yard, high fence,' and push toward decoupling is undermining the positive atmosphere of engagement and dialogue that had been built up in recent months with multiple high-level meetings taking place between the two sides," Li said.

Lü Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday that the reports on a potential rollout of additional tariffs on Chinese green products showed that the Biden administration now believes there is an urgent need to resort to protectionist trade measures to shore up the US traditional industries and salvage some voters' support.

The Biden administration has apparently backpedaled on its pursuit of a green economy by giving in to pressure from workers' unions at traditional US automakers that predominantly make internal combustion engine vehicles, the expert said.

Biden and his aides are also trying to woo voters by playing tough on China, Lü said. "The punishment of entities accused of being involved in the balloon incident seems to tell its voters that the Biden administration does not easily forget things, while the crackdown on Chinese technology companies serves the purpose of looking tough on China."

However, Lü said any trade protectionist moves taken by the Biden administration are unlikely to halt the downward trend of the US economy, noting that the US government's investment and industrial policies have been so far proved ineffective in boosting overall investment in the US.

Global concerns

International and global business communities have raised grave concerns over the prospects of heightened tensions between the world's two biggest economies and their implications for global economic recovery.

IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said on Tuesday that escalating tensions between the US and China have caused global ripples, and countries are reevaluating their trading and investment partners based on economic and national security concerns, leaving the world divided into three blocs.

Many in the corporate sector have also cast doubt over the West's hyping of Chinese "overcapacity" in green exports.

"With green technologies, China is making a great contribution to the world because we need to go very fast to solar and go very fast to electric mobility. China is helping to achieve that both in China and the world," Frank Hammes, global CEO of Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, told the Global Times in an interview on Friday.

China is well positioned in important sectors that facilitate a global transition to a greener, more sustainable power generation and transport, he said.

China, which had kept a restrained posture in response to US provocations, could strike back when it deems necessary in this escalation of trade tensions amid the US' headstrong trade protectionist moves, analysts warned.

Despite certain US politicians pushing for decoupling against Chinese exports, bilateral trade has shown signs of steady growth, with total China-US trade expanding 1.1 percent year-on-year to 1.47 trillion yuan ($203.42 billion) in yuan-denominated terms in the first four months, reversing a 0.7 percent contraction in the first three months, customs data showed on Thursday.

Israeli tanks entered the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Tuesday, even as the country sent a delegation to Cairo to resume talks for a potential truce. Chinese observers view Israel's military operation in Rafah as a pivotal moment in the conflict. The operation could either serve as a strategic and final move by Israel to gain leverage in truce negotiations, or it could escalate the current situation and lead to a wider humanitarian crisis, they said. 

At least 27 people, including six women and nine children, were killed in Rafah since Monday evening, CNN confirmed through hospital sources in the southern Gaza city.

Israel's military has seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, an Israeli military official said Tuesday. International pressure is growing against Israel following the seizure after it refused to rule out a full-scale invasion in Rafah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's military operation in Rafah serves the twin goals of returning the hostages held in Gaza and eliminating Hamas. Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, said the Israeli military's operations in Rafah will "continue and expand as necessary," media reported. 

The incursion got underway as both Hamas and Israel reportedly sent a delegation to negotiate in Cairo, Egypt, NPR quoted anonymous officials as saying. Copies of the three-stage deal that Hamas agreed to were leaked Monday night. The deal includes temporary pauses in fighting, Hamas freeing Israeli hostages over stages in exchange for Israel's release of Palestinian captives and detainees, more aid entering Gaza and Israeli troops withdrawing from parts of the territory, NPR reported.

However, Israel's War Cabinet said Monday the deal Hamas agreed to fell short of its "core demands," without elaborating.

"The negotiations are more of a diplomatic battle, and for Israel, invading Rafah has always been its goal," Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times. He believes it is possible that Israel's attack on Rafah is to seek an advantage at the negotiations.

Chinese experts noted that Israel's military operation in Rafah has pushed the conflict to a tipping point. From a military conflict perspective, the Rafah conflict may be the final battle, but on the other hand, Israel's attack on Rafah could escalate further, leading to a large-scale humanitarian disaster, Liu said. 

The United Nations and aid agencies have slammed the Israeli army for cutting off an essential aid route by seizing the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza, warning that already scarce supplies will be further depleted in the enclave that is on the brink of famine, media reported on Tuesday.

US President Joe Biden's administration paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week in opposition to Israel's incursion in Rafah, the Guardian quoted a senior administration official as saying. 

Washington's decision to temporarily halt weapons shipments to Israel is seen as a symbolic gesture aimed at alleviating both domestic and international pressure over its support for Israel. Chinese experts believe that the US has the capability to impose more significant pressure to compel Israel to cease its assault in Gaza, but instead chose a relatively minor action. "It is akin to giving a reward of $100 and then taking back a small portion due to misbehavior. Ultimately, the reward still stands," said Zhu Yongbiao, executive director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road at Lanzhou University, in an interview with the Global Times.

He said the US move has raised suspicion whether it is still overwhelmingly biased toward Israel, and is possibly colluding with Israel to stage a show. 

On Tuesday, China and France released a joint statement on the situation in the Middle East, in which the two heads of state expressed their opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah, which would lead to an even bigger humanitarian disaster, as well as the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians.

Zhu hailed the statement as marking another major effort by China in mediating the Middle East conflict, as it is an agreement reached by two permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and paves way for China and France, as well as China and Europe, to seek collaboration in mediating the crisis in the Middle East. 

Apart from sending envoys to the Middle East to promote negotiations and trying to reach a cease-fire deal at the UN level, China also invited Fatah and Hamas to hold talks in Beijing last month. In the future, China will continue facilitating reconciliation between forces within Palestine to form a unified government and voice when participating in talks with Israel, Liu said. 

Zhu said that although the situation in Gaza is grim, it is likely that the Palestine-Israel conflict will turn to politics and diplomacy for solution after the Rafah attack, which will enable China to play a bigger role in mediating. Moreover, China can also contribute in areas such as the reconstruction of Gaza in the future.