The Defense Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states was held in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province on Thursday. Both the group photo featuring participating parties and the group visit to the site of the 2018 SCO summit drew the attention of global media. The fact that defense ministers from 10 countries gathered to discuss regional issues and reached a consensus, especially against the backdrop of frequent regional conflicts, demonstrates their shared desire to pursue cooperation and seek development, experts told the Global Times.

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun hosted the meeting and delivered remarks, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

At a time when the international situation is intertwined with chaos and change, it is particularly important for the SCO to play the role of a stabilizing anchor, said Dong. 

He noted that China is willing to work together with all member states to uphold the original aspirations of the SCO and promote the "Shanghai Spirit," firmly defend international fairness and justice, jointly address security challenges, and promote the steady and long-term development of defense and security cooperation in moves to provide stronger support for building a shared home featuring solidarity, mutual trust, peace, prosperity, development, good neighborliness and friendship, as well as fairness and justice.

All participating parties unanimously agreed to continue to strengthen strategic communication, promote practical cooperation, and work together to maintain regional peace and stability. The meeting was a complete success, according to the Xinhua report.

Zhang Chi, a military affairs expert at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), told the Global Times at the sidelines of the meeting that the remarks by the Chinese side showed vision, responsibility, and action.

Zhang Chi said that the Chinese side emphasized that the SCO is open and inclusive, upholding solidarity, mutual trust, shared security, consensus-building through dialogue, and close coordination, with the goal of building an SCO community with a shared future. The Chinese side also stressed that the SCO will serve as a stabilizing anchor amid a turbulent and complex international landscape, with member states working together to safeguard regional peace and stability. China is committed to advancing practical cooperation alongside fellow SCO member states. 

The meeting was attended by defense ministers from all 10 SCO member states, including India, Pakistan, and Iran, which have recently gone through conflicts. Through the discussions, all parties reached a consensus, agreeing to further strengthen strategic communication, advance practical cooperation, and jointly uphold regional peace and stability. Zhang said that this vividly exemplifies the "Shanghai Spirit," a spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development, thereby continuously advancing the building of an SCO community with a shared future.

The Global Times reporters also met many colleagues from other media outlets at the meeting, some of whom had also attended the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Since 2002, the Shangri-La Dialogue has become the biggest defense and security forum in the Asia-Pacific region, but many people have noted the differences between these two important events: the Shangri-La Dialogue was highly confrontational, while the SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting was full of friendly trust.

Zhang Chi, who has participated in five editions of the Shangri-La Dialogue, said that it is an international conference led by the US and Western countries that often intentionally hypes some sensitive and disputed issues, and even sets traps to attack attendees. By comparison, the SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting gives all parties full respect and hosts friendly conversations and talks.

Another difference is that the US and Western countries often trigger confrontation at some international conferences, which leads to a deterioration of global and regional tensions. The SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting, however, advocates the safeguarding of regional peace and stability, the strengthening of strategic communication and promotion of pragmatic cooperation, which provides positive energy for the peaceful development of the world.

Briefing the media at a regular press conference on Thursday, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, said that China is the rotating chair of the SCO this year, and hosting the Defense Minister's Meeting is an important part of its duties.

Throughout the process of the establishment and development of the SCO, defense and security cooperation has played an especially significant role. The Chinese side has actively promoted strategic communication, deepened substantive cooperation, and initiated many cooperation programs, Zhang Xiaogang said. 

"United in cooperation, our journey will be long and steady. The Chinese military will work with militaries of other SCO member states to carry forward the 'Shanghai Spirit,' further broaden and deepen defense cooperation, and join hands in building a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, and fairness and justice, thereby contributing to building a community with a shared future for mankind," said the spokesperson.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday that an important mission of the SCO is jointly countering terrorism, separatism and extremism, as these forces threaten all countries' national security as well as peace and stability in various regions. He stressed that the SCO is not a military alliance, nor does it target a third party, but an organization that boosts cooperation.

SCO member states are influential countries that play crucial roles in safeguarding regional peace and stability. The stronger they are, the more helpful they will be in playing such roles, Song said.

Silently standing at the Kwong Tong Cemetery in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur for nearly eight decades, the Selangor Nanyang Drivers and Mechanics World War II Monument marked some less known stories during that massive war - overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia (Nanyang Huaqiao) who dedicated their youth and life on the Burma Road, a wartime lifeline for China's combat against Japanese aggression.

After Japan decreed full-scale war against China in 1937, many ports and maritime routes were occupied by Japanese troops and logistics became a serious problem. China opened up the Burma Road which connected today's Myanmar and Southwest China's Yunnan Province, for transportation of military supplies.

Some 3,200 overseas Chinese drivers and mechanics living in Southeast Asian countries were rallied by famous business pioneer and philanthropist Tan Kah Kee in 1939 during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945). From 1939 to 1942, these Nanyang Volunteers transported 500,000 tons of military supplies, more than 15,000 auto vehicles and countless civilian supplies through the Yunnan-Myanmar Road, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

These drivers and mechanics, braved primitive nature, poor road conditions and barrages of bombs, with more than 1,000 losing their lives. Among the rest of the volunteers, half returned to Southeast Asia and half stayed in China.

Numerous Nanyang Huaqiao, rich or poor, also donated their property to support China's resistance to aggression and anti-fascist efforts - in 1937-42, they supported more than 5.4 billion French francs by donation, overseas remittance and purchase of public bonds.

However, their contribution and sacrifice were "largely forgotten in the following half century," said Yong Pock Yau, the chairman of the association of Kwong Tong Cemetery Management Kuala Lumpur, where the monument stands.

Yong, a second-generation Malaysian Chinese, told the Global Times that he only got to know about the Nanyang Volunteers after becoming president of the association and very recently realized that the familiar Selangor Monument erected in 1947, which he sees daily, is the world's first dedicated specifically to this heroic group.

Another international task force operating in wartime on the Yunnan-Myanmar Road, protecting it from Japanese bombing, was American Volunteer Group. Compared with those "Flying Tigers," Nanyang Volunteers are unsung heroes.

"We are obliged to preserve their heroic stories and pass them on to future generations, so that history is correctly memorized, Yong said, "If we do not remember them, do not rescue the documents, do not tell our children about them, that will be a betrayal to our roots and disrespectful to the historical truth."

Sing for less known patriots

This year, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the Kwong Tong Cemetery Kuala Lumpur is building the historic monument into a memorial park with a museum. Names of all the volunteers will be inscribed on a stela.

Due to lack of paper records, unearthing the history of Nanyang Volunteers depended heavily on oral history; as many of the volunteers settled down in Southwest China, a bunch of research institutions, museums and memorials took root in Yunnan Province.

To make the new memorial park true to history, educational and enlightening, Yong and his colleagues have visited institutions and museums in Yunnan to collect the limited and precious documents and photos, and learn about their curation experience.

Numbers, including 3,200, the number of volunteers, and 1,146 km, the full length of the wartime road, will be highlighted in the park.

Yong's team also retraced a section of the Yunnan-Myanmar Road "to get firsthand experience" of what it would be like to traverse the deep mountains and forests to get lifesaving supplies to the frontline.

The 24 switchbacks on this winding road became a design element of the memorial park to remind visitors of how dangerous the trip was and how brave the volunteers were, according to Yong.
"You will never understand their [Nanyang Volunteers] deep love for the motherland and their great courage, unless you retrace that path," 73-year-old Bong Boon Ming, nephew of a Malaysian volunteer, told the Global Times.

Bong organized a revisit to the historical road where 3,200 volunteers shed sweat, tears and blood. He is also in close contact with descendants of Nanyang Volunteers and related organizations to jointly preserve the history.

"For me and other volunteers' descendants, the revisit was about tracing family history, inheriting spirit of overseas Chinese and feeling their belief," Bong said.

Yong said it is hoped that this upgrade of the monument can help visitors, particularly the younger generation, to learn more about the Nanyang Volunteers' history, so as to better understand the role of our ancestors in the World War II and get a comprehensive view of war history.

Yong also mentioned that after Japanese occupation of Malaysia, they carried out massacres, mostly against overseas Chinese. There are many monuments for massacre victims across Malaysia. A large monument with a World War II Memorial Peace Park was built at the cemetery in Kuala Lumpur in 2015.

Just like the name Peace Park suggests, we are commemorating the suffering in war "not to pass on hatred, but because we yearn for and vow to safeguard peace," Yong noted.

Carrying on their legacy

There has been more and more people joining the cause of unearthing the Nanyang Volunteers' stories, doing related academic research and public education. It is crucial because the international community, especially the English language world, knows so little about it, said Xia Yuqing, professor and deputy director of the overseas Chinese research institute at the Yunnan Chinese Language and Culture College, Yunnan Normal University.

Xia has been doing research on the Nanyang Volunteers for decades.

Through exchanges with Southeast Asian countries, "we can bring their stories to the world" as peace defenders during World War II and hardworking builders of local communities after the war, Xia told the Global Times.

Their stories constitute an indispensable chapter in the narration of wartime Yunnan-Myanmar Road, an artery that links China to global anti-fascist forces, including British, Americans, Indians…It is an epitome of anti-fascist alliance's efforts in pursuit of peace and justice, Xia noted.

Yong told the Global Times that the construction of the memorial park and museum is going smoothly and they will open to the public on August 14, the eve of the 80th anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender.

Commemoration events in August will also include premiere of a drama featuring the Nanyang Volunteers. The cemetery association allocated fund for playwright and director, while all performers are volunteers.

After the debut, the drama will tour dozens of Chinese schools in Malaysia and possibly reach a wider audience, supplementing education of history that is seldomly taught today.

Yong had brought his children to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province, as well as other memorial sites and venues.

"It is important for youth to understand that the peace and prosperity we enjoy today are not given, but obtained through endeavors and struggles."

The United States conducted attacks on three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. China strongly condemns the US attacks on Iran and the bombing of nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA. The actions of the United States seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, as well as Iran's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. They have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East and dealt a heavy blow to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council Emergency Meeting, according to a release posted on the website of China's Permanent Mission to the UN on Sunday.

The international community must uphold justice and make concrete efforts to cool down the situation and restore peace and stability, said Fu.

In the context of the abrupt escalation of tensions in the Middle East, China is deeply concerned about the risk of the situation getting out of control. The parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, should reach an immediate ceasefire to prevent a spiraling escalation and to resolutely avoid the spillover of the war. The parties concerned should abide by international law, curb the impulse to use force, and avoid exacerbating conflicts and adding fuel to the fire, Fu said.

Fu called for effective protection of civilians. "The ultimate victims of all conflicts are the innocent people. China is deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict," Fu noted.

"At present, diplomatic means to address the Iranian nuclear issue have not been exhausted, and there is still hope for a peaceful solution. Parties should stay firmly committed to the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue and work to bring it back onto the track of a political solution through dialogue and negotiation, with a view to reaching an agreement acceptable to all parties," Fu said.

The Security Council shoulders the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It cannot stand idly by in the face of a major crisis. Russia, China, and Pakistan have proposed a draft resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, protection of civilians, respect for international law, and engagement in dialogue and negotiation, Fu said. 

"We hope that Council members can demonstrate their strong sense of responsibility by jointly supporting the draft resolution, to enable the Security Council to fulfill its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security," Fu noted.

China stands ready to work with the international community to foster synergy, uphold justice, and make unremitting efforts to restore peace and stability in the Middle East, Fu said.

According to notices on the official WeChat accounts of the Chinese embassies and consulates in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, in light of the current regional security situation, Chinese citizens in these countries are advised to exercise caution when traveling, stay away from military bases and sensitive facilities, and ensure personal safety.

The Chinese Embassy in the UAE stated on its WeChat account that given the further escalation of regional conflicts and the high risk of spillover effects, Chinese citizens in the UAE should closely monitor the regional situation, raise their awareness of protection, arrange travel plans cautiously, avoid military bases and sensitive facilities, and prioritize personal safety. In case of emergencies, they are advised to contact local authorities immediately and reach out to the embassy or consulate.

The Chinese Embassy in Kuwait issued a similar notice warning that due to the current regional security situation, Chinese citizens in Kuwait should remain highly vigilant, stay informed about security risks, plan their trips prudently, steer clear of military bases and sensitive installations, and ensure their safety. In emergencies, they should call the police first and contact the embassy promptly.

Following online reports alleging that an employee of the Songyang County Transportation Bureau in East China's Zhejiang Province held wedding ceremonies with two women in succession, the county authorities launched an investigation and dismissed the employee for seriously violating social ethics and causing a negative public impact, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

The statement by a joint investigation team the county organized revealed that the employee, surnamed Pan, was an auxiliary law enforcement staff member of the county's transportation bureau. Pan was simultaneously in romantic relationship with two women, surnamed Huang and Zhou.

On May 10, 2025, Pan held a wedding ceremony with Huang. On May 13, Pan proposed to Zhou the cancellation of their originally scheduled wedding on May 17. The investigation confirmed that Pan did not legally register a marriage with either Huang or Zhou, according to the statement.

The statement said that Pan has seriously violated social ethics and caused a negative impact. After deliberation by the local transportation bureau, it has been decided to dismiss Pan from his position.  

The Hong Kong Police Force have launched a pilot program called the "Small-Scale Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operational Deployment" to conduct automated and regular high-altitude patrols for crime prevention using drones, local media Wen Wei Po reported on Wednesday. In the first phase, the program will be implemented in the Border District and the Kowloon West Region for a period of three months, officially starting from Friday, Wen Wei Po said. 

The Global Times learned from the HKPF on Wednesday that the program is part of the police's efforts of actively promoting "digital policing" by leveraging technology and streamlining processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

The program aims to integrate drones into various aspects of daily policing. This includes the use of automated drone hangars to pre-program flight paths and execute patrol missions autonomously, significantly improving patrol efficiency, the police told the Global Times in an e-mailed statement. 

The drones will also be deployed for high-altitude urban patrols focused on crime prevention and maintaining public safety and order. The primary goal of the pilot program is to harness technology to implement digital policing, deliver high-quality police services, enable more flexible deployment of frontline officers, and enhance overall operational efficiency, the police said. 

Tango Ko, superintendent of police at the key points and search division of the major events bureau, was quoted as saying in a report by the local media RTHK on Wednesday that all police drone operations will be conducted by certified remote pilots.

"Before every drone mission, they will have a comprehensive risk assessment, for example, the takeoff area, landing area and also to decide the flight path. We will make sure that the flight path is away from the pedestrian and also vehicular traffic density," Ko was quoted as saying in the media report. 

To address and alleviate public concerns about potential privacy infringements during drone operations, the police told the Global Times that it will strictly adhere to the relevant guidelines regarding the use of drones including conducting routine patrols primarily for real-time surveillance, focusing only on public areas unless video recording is required for specific investigations.

Surveillance will not cover the interior of private buildings or personal spaces, the police said. 

Also, it is establishing internal protocols to regulate flight missions, including whether recording is necessary and how any collected footage will be handled, and carefully planning flight routes to avoid unnecessary proximity to the public or residential areas.

Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chris Tang Ping-keung revealed in December 2024 that the police would implement the drone patrol system integrated with artificial intelligence to enhance security services, local media outlet in Hong Kong The Standard reported on December 12, 2024. 

During a Legislative Council meeting, Tang said drone technology is becoming a global trend, saying that the Hong Kong disciplined forces will adopt various strategies to effectively utilize drone technologies in suitable scenarios.

As of May, 700 officers across all police districts are qualified to operate patrol drones as holders of an advanced rating from the Civil Aviation Department, the South China Morning Post reported. Ten officers in the border police district have been trained to operate the automatic drone system, according to the media report. 

In elaborating on China's position on upholding multilateralism and safeguarding multilateral trade rules at the Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs on Monday local time in Rio de Janeiro, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said multilateralism is the cornerstone of the international order established after World War II, and solidarity and cooperation represent the greatest common ground of the international community.

Certain countries have developed a seriously distorted perception of the world. The US is vigorously pursuing unilateralism and prioritizing its own interests above the common good of the international community. Although the current international system has underpinned global stability and prosperity, the US, as its greatest beneficiary, is now moving against it, Wang said.

We are witnessing a blatant return to the law of the jungle, where coercion and bullying are no longer disguised, and the very foundations of international relations are under sustained threat, Wang said.

Wang emphasized that safeguarding multilateral trade rules is the most urgent task at present. The essence of trade lies in complementary advantages and mutual benefit, not in calculations of who wins or loses, and certainly not as a tool for serving selfish interests.

The US has long reaped enormous benefits from free trade, yet it now wields tariffs as a bargaining chip to make exorbitant demands on other countries. If we choose to remain silent or to compromise and back down, it will only embolden the bully, Wang noted.

BRICS countries should jointly oppose all forms of protectionism, firmly uphold a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, defend its core values and fundamental principles, and promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade, Wang said.

The return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, carrying astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announces:

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya will pay a state visit to China from April 22 to 26.

In response to the US government's announcement of new port fees for Chinese-built and operated vessels, set to take effect in mid-October, which is part of the Trump administration's efforts to revive the US shipbuilding industry and reduce China's dominance in the sector, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that China has repeatedly stated its position on the issue. "I would like to reiterate that imposing port fees and additional tariffs on cargo handling equipment harm the interests of both others and itself. It raises global shipping costs, disrupts supply chain stability, and increases inflationary pressures in the US, ultimately harming American consumers and businesses, without revitalizing the US shipbuilding industry," he said.

"We urge the US side to respect the facts and multilateral rules, immediately cease its wrongdoings. China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," Lin said.