Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a state visit to China, the Xinhua News Agency reported. During the visit, the Russian president is scheduled to meet with Peng Pai, a Chinese engineer Putin once encountered as a child during his inaugural state visit to China in 2000, according to Russia's TASS News Agency.

Peng's childhood photo with the Russian president has gained widespread media attention. According to a video posted by Russia Today both on Chinese and overseas social media platforms, Peng said he is deeply moved to meet President Putin again and he plans to tell him: "President Putin, you're still as dashing as ever, while I've gone from being a little boy to a middle-aged man who's put on a few pounds."

Peng, now 36, was among the fortunate children invited to visit Beihai Park in 2000. During that visit, he joyfully waved to Putin, who responded with warmth - lifting the boy from a stone railing, kissing his forehead, and posing for a memorable photograph, per TASS.

That moment profoundly influenced Peng's life. He learned Russian, graduated from the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction Institute, and even earned a Russian name among his friends - Pavel, or Pasha - symbolizing the enduring bond formed during that historic encounter, TASS reported.

According to another report by the TASS agency on Monday, Yury Ushakov, Putin's aide, shared details of the president's itinerary during a briefing. "Our president will meet with Chinese engineer Peng Pai at his residence," Ushakov announced. "Back in 2000, during his first state visit to China, President Putin saw Peng Pai as a young boy. Now, many years later, they will reconnect."

Ushakov emphasized the significance of this encounter, saying, "Peng Pai has since grown up, earned a university degree in Moscow, and now works for a major Chinese corporation. We see this as a meaningful symbolic meeting," TASS reported.

Peng said "To think that 26 years later, an incredible dream could come true. That chance encounter 26 years ago, one that should have been completely impossible never led me to expect that we would have the chance to meet again 26 years later. It really is unbelievable," according to a China News Service Wednesday report, citing the footage by the Russia Today.  

Also, according to TASS, Peng has expressed a heartfelt desire to serve as a bridge of friendship between Beijing and Moscow. "In my profession, I build roads, bridges, and tunnels. I would like to construct a friendship bridge between Russia and China," he told Russian journalists, according to TASS. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are reportedly planning visits to China. As of press time, however, the Global Times has not seen any confirmation from the Chinese Foreign Ministry regarding the visits. Observers noted that a new wave of high-level visits to China is underway, and with China's rising strength and global influence, countries are increasingly seeking closer engagement, recognizing its development opportunities and major-power role.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China will take place in the very near future, and the date will be announced soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing, Russian media outlet TASS reported on Thursday.

"This visit is being prepared. It can be said that the preparation has already been completed — we are just adding the final touches. It will take place in the very near future," Peskov said in reply to a question about whether there is now clarity regarding the dates of Putin's visit to China.

Speaking at a previous press conference, Putin described cooperation between states like China and Russia as "undoubtedly a factor of deterrence and stability" in global affairs, said the Xinhua News Agency on May 10. He noted that China is Russia's largest trade and economic partner, adding that bilateral trade diversification continues through high-tech industries, which is very important.

Regarding the remarks by Putin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun also responded during a press conference on Monday by saying that China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination, the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, and the first year of the China-Russia Years of Education, which provides fresh opportunities for further advancing the China-Russia relationship, Guo said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid an official visit to China on April 14 and 15. During his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Lavrov said Russia is willing to work with China to maintain close high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

Zhang Hong, research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Putin's earlier remarks, in his view, underscore how China-Russia ties inject stability into a turbulent international landscape.

In addition to Putin's announced upcoming visit, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to undertake a three-day visit to China, starting May 23, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday, Pakistani media Dawn reported.

According to Dawn, speaking at a ceremony, Ishaq Dar underscored that Pakistan and China were taking "another significant step towards innovation, digital connectivity and the economy of the future as our partnership enters a new phase in the digital age."

He remarked that the Pakistan-China friendship was "not ordinary diplomacy", per the report.

"It is a relationship tested by time and strengthened by trust […] from the Karakoram Highway, carved through some of the most difficult terrain in the world, to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which transformed Pakistan's energy and connectivity landscape," he continued, Dawn reported.

Earlier, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to China, which ran from April 25 to May 1, included stops in Hunan and Hainan provinces, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"Frequent high-level visits underscore the uniqueness of China-Pakistan ties, Pakistan's diplomatic agility amid global turbulence, and China's facilitation of cooperation and strategic alignment, advancing a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future," Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Commenting on the recent surge of high-level visits to China, two experts expressed similar views. Zhu noted that China's growing influence in global governance, development, and economic cooperation are prompting countries to seek closer engagement, reflecting recognition of China's development opportunities and major-power role.

In an era marked by uncertainties in the world, China has become a key stabilizer, offering peace, win-win cooperation, and constructive contributions amid international uncertainty—explaining why countries are increasingly drawn to engage with Beijing, both experts stressed.

Recently, a new species of "two‑headed" snake has been discovered in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which raises its blunt, rounded tail tip to mimic a head when disturbed, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

This discovery has been published in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, marking another new species discovered within Guangxi Huaping National Nature Reserve, Xinhua reported.

While conducting field surveys in broad‑leaved forests at an elevation of about 760 meters within the Cathaya argyrophylla management zone of the reserve, a research team from the Natural History Museum of Guangxi unexpectedly discovered this small, non‑venomous fossorial snake species, according to Xinhua. 

Comprehensive assessments, including morphological observations and molecular biological analyses, confirmed it to be a previously undescribed new species, formally named the "Guangxi two‑headed snake," Xinhua reported.

The research team said the snake features a slender build, with adult individuals reaching merely around 22 centimeters in total length. Its dorsal side is brownish tan, marked with seven intermittent dark longitudinal stripes, while dark edging on its scales forms an intricate reticulated pattern, granting it highly distinctive physical characteristics, according to the report.

As a typical semi-fossorial snake, it is slow-moving, docile, non-venomous, and non-aggressive, Xinhua reported. It is primarily nocturnal, often hiding in leaf litter, humus soil, or rock crevices, and feeds mainly on earthworms and insect larvae.

Its most peculiar habit is that when disturbed, it coils its body into a figure-eight shape or raises its blunt, rounded tail tip to mimic its head, from which its common name "two-headed snake" derives, Xinhua reported.

The identification of the Guangxi two‑headed snake marks the second new species discovered within Huaping National Nature Reserve this year. This finding not only enriches China's inventory of amphibian and reptilian species but also provides pivotal evidence for phylogenetic research on two-headed snakes, Xinhua reported.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony on Thursday morning outside the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing for US President Donald Trump, who is on a state visit to China.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) said on Saturday that the delivery of the first Qilin-class conventional submarine to Pakistan, also known as Hangor-class submarine, PNS/M Hangor, represents normal military equipment cooperation between the two countries and serves as a vivid embodiment of their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

It is reported that the Pakistan Navy announced the commissioning ceremony of the vessel in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, on April 30. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf were present at the ceremony, according to Pakistan Navy press release. 

Asked to comment on this, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, the MND spokesperson, said that under the strategic leadership of both countries' leaders in recent years, bilateral ties have continuously scaled new heights and delivered fresh outcomes. 

Over the years, the two militaries have supported each other with utmost sincerity. Fruitful cooperation in strategic dialogue, joint exercises and training, personnel development, and equipment and technology has made important contributions to the security of both countries and regional peace and stability, Jiang noted.

In the next stage, the two militaries will further strengthen strategic mutual trust and deepen practical cooperation in various fields, so as to build an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future and contribute to world peace and development, the MND spokesperson said.

China's tech-heavy STAR 50 Index, tracking the 50 largest and most liquid stocks on the high-tech board, soared to a record high on Wednesday fueled by extraordinary financial performances of semiconductor, artificial intelligence (AI) and battery companies.

Market analysts said that they are optimistic about the outlook of China's stock market, betting on opportunities from the rapid technological development and robust economic resilience of the world's second largest economy.

On the first trading day after the 5-day May Day holidays, the STAR 50 Index surged 9 percent in intraday trading. Shares of chip developer Hygon Information Technology Co Ltd saw intraday gains of 20 percent, while integrated circuit design firm Montage Technology and chipmaker Biwin Storage Technology Co Ltd were both up 16 percent. The index closed 5.47 percent higher at 1,656.95 points.

As China accelerates the development of new quality productive forces, the strong financial results of those companies is mainly driven by rapid iteration in AI applications, rising demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and computing power, and a continued recovery in new-energy materials, Yang Delong, chief economist at Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Yang said that the recent bull runs for A-shares and H-shares will likely continue this year, with Chinese high-tech companies bringing more investment opportunities and attracting continuous inflows of foreign capital.

According to Shanghai-based financial data provider Wind Information, the qualified foreign institutional investors' (QFIIs) holdings are mainly focused on sectors including banks, electronics, and telecommunications.

The electronics sector saw the largest increase in the number of shares held by QFIIs in the last three months, led by telecommunications sector which recorded the highest growth in the market value of QFII holdings, up by 10 billion yuan ($1.46 billion), the Securities Daily reported.

Foreign financial institutions told the Global Times on Wednesday that China's economic and financial resilience has been evident this year. The country's full-year growth is projected to stay within the target range of 4.5-5 percent, underpinning the stock market. The institutions are upbeat on sectors including AI technology, energy, and raw materials.

China's GDP growth rate of 5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter exceeded market expectations, according to a note released by Goldman Sachs on April 24. It highlighted notable resilience in Chinese financial markets despite external uncertainties.

There are offsetting factors and policy tools that the Chinese government can use to keep economic growth within its target range for the remainder of 2026, for instance, China's advantages in new-energy products, resilient supply chains, and policy flexibility, according to the note.

Chinese stocks closed broadly higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 1.17 percent at 4,160.17 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 2.33 percent higher at 15,459.62 points. The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 2.75 percent to close at 3,778.16 points.

Wang Zonghao, head of China equity strategy research at UBS, forecasted more appreciation in both the A-shares and H-shares over the coming two months, noting that the A-share market is expected to benefit from robust profit expansion in the industrial sector, according to a note sent to the Global Times.

The analyst pointed to investment opportunities in AI hardware, electricity equipment, and non-ferrous metals.

"As the Iran conflict has driven up global energy and commodity prices, corporate profit margins may be under pressure in the next few quarters. However, this is a global headwind, and Chinese enterprises will feel less impact compared with those from other regions," read the note, outlining reasons including China's ample strategic petroleum reserves and greater adoption of renewable energy and electric vehicles.

China's Law on State-Owned Assets of Enterprises, which has been in effect for nearly 17 years, is undergoing its first major revision. A draft version was submitted to a standing committee session of China's top legislature for its first reading on Monday, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The revision followed a problem-oriented approach, balanced development and security, and upheld the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, according to Xinhua.

The draft made comprehensive changes to the existing law, revising 71 articles and adding 32 new ones, resulting in a total of 109 articles across nine chapters, according to Xinhua.

Key revisions include improving the modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics, refining the supervision and management system for state-owned assets, clarifying the principle of classified management, and strengthening the management system for state-owned capital gains, Xinhua reported.

Enacted on May 1, 2009, the Law on State-Owned Assets of Enterprises has served as the foundational legal framework for the supervision and management of state-owned assets in China, according to information posted on the website of the National People's Congress.

Over the past 17 years, the law has provided strong legal support for the reform and development of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), according to Xinhua.

In the context of the complex and profound changes in China's development environment during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, revising and improving this law is of great significance. It aims to provide stronger legal guidance and guarantees for the reform and development of state-owned assets and SOEs, and to strengthen the rule of law in state-owned asset supervision and management, thereby ensuring the sustained and healthy development of the state-owned economy.

China will continue to deepen the reform of SOEs, officials said at a press conference in January. Efforts will be made in aspects such as the optimization and restructuring of the state-owned economy's layout, promoting the deep integration of sci-tech and industrial innovation, and continuously improving the supervision system and mechanism for state-owned asset management.

This year's Government Work Report also gave instructions on work related to SOEs. "We will formulate and implement plans for further deepening SOE and state-capital reform to refine the layout of the state-owned sector and adjust its structure," read the report.

"I have already stated China's position on the Strait of Hormuz issue. We would like to reiterate that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, and keeping it open to navigation serves the common interests of countries in the region and the international community," Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular press conference on Monday.

Guo was responding to a reporter's question citing reports that Iranian forces had opened fire on an Indian-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over navigational safety, and the reporter asked how China views the escalation and what measures it is considering to safeguard its shipping and energy interests in the strait.

China hopes all parties will work together to prevent the situation in the Strait from deteriorating further, and stands ready to continue making efforts alongside the international community to help de-escalate tensions, Guo stressed.

Consumer associations in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province summoned the domestic operator of international hotel brand InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for talks on Wednesday after some of its membership terms were suspected of infringing on consumers' legitimate rights and interests, media outlets including the Beijing Daily reported.

According to a release by the Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation on its official WeChat account on Wednesday, the Beijing Consumers' Association, the Tianjin Consumers' Association and the Hebei Consumers' Rights Protection Committee have had talks with InterContinental Hotels Group Liuzhou Hotel Management (Shanghai) Co, the domestic operator of IHG, and put forward clear rectification requirements for the company.

According to the notice, multiple clauses in IHG's membership terms on the company website and app were suspected of infringing upon consumers' legitimate rights, including excluding Chinese law from jurisdiction, forcing Chinese consumers to seek arbitration abroad, restricting consumers' right to collective rights protection, arbitrarily changing contract terms, and refusing to be liable for any losses caused by the use of goods.

The notice said that the associations acted under regulations on the implementation of the consumer rights protection law and in accordance with the relevant procedures for handling the business operators.

IHG's standard terms and conditions are suspected of being illegal and restricting consumers' rights, said the notice.

The joint investigation identified two broad categories of problems. First, the membership terms reportedly include mandatory arbitration clauses that require Chinese consumers to pursue arbitration outside China and to accept foreign law, while excluding litigation options and effectively limiting consumers' ability to pursue collective redress. 

Second, the clauses were said to impair core consumer rights such as the right of choice, the right to fair transactions, and the right to seek compensation - for example, by permitting unilateral contract changes and overly broad liability exemptions that absolve the operator of responsibility for losses caused by the use of goods or services, according to the announcement. 

The associations have asked the company to conduct a comprehensive review and revise its membership terms within a fixed timetable. They requested deletion or amendment of provisions that exclude consumers' litigation rights, force overseas arbitration, apply foreign law to disputes, or contain excessive unilateral exemptions and other unfair or unreasonable language, and urged IHG to ensure the contract terms conform to the principles of fairness.

The associations said that they will monitor IHG's response, continue oversight of unfair standard-form contract terms, and take firm steps to protect consumers' lawful interests.

IHG shares closed down 2.11 percent at $132.02 on that day, Jiemian News reported.

IHG has gained a large number of customers in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, the fairness and legality of its standard terms and conditions have attracted widespread attention, said the announcement.

In response, the company told the Global Times on Thursday that IHG attaches great importance to and sincerely welcomes the supervision and guidance of consumer associations in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, and remains committed to putting consumer rights and interests first.

When asked to comment on the repeated recent activities of a New Zealand air force military aircraft near China's peripheral airspace, which have disrupted numerous civil aviation flights, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Friday that a P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the New Zealand air force conducted continuous close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the airspace and waters of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Such actions undermine China's security interests, heighten the risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation, and severely disrupt civil aviation operations in relevant airspace.

China has taken firm and forceful response and lodged stern representations with the New Zealand side. China urges New Zealand to strictly abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, respect China's sovereignty and security concerns, and safeguard the safety and order of civil aviation, Guo said.

Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, also responded to the matter on Friday at a press conference. Zhang said that recently, a P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the New Zealand air force has conducted frequent close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the airspace and waters of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea in disregard of China's warnings. The Chinese military has taken professional and forceful measures to respond to and deal with the situation, and lodged stern representations with the New Zealand side.

Such acts by New Zealand undermine China's sovereignty and security, severely disrupt flight order in relevant airspace, and may easily trigger maritime and aerial incidents, Zhang said. "We urge the New Zealand side to exercise strict restraint on its frontline forces, immediately stop disruptive and irresponsible acts that jeopardize civil aviation safety, and prevent risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation," the spokesperson said.