"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.
As a responsible major country, China will continue to play a constructive role and contribute to restoring peace and security in the Gulf and the Middle East, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.
Mao made the remarks after a Sky News reporter from the UK said that US President Donald Trump believed China had persuaded Iran to negotiate over the current ceasefire agreement and asked whether China could confirm that claim. The reporter also asked whether, if China had indeed been involved, it could provide further clarification on certain provisions of the agreement that already appeared to show clear differences, especially over whether Lebanon was included in the ceasefire and whether the "10-point plan" submitted to the US included the issue of Iran's uranium enrichment.
Mao said that since the outbreak of the war, China has been actively working to promote peace and stop the war. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held 26 phone conversations in succession with the foreign ministers of relevant countries. The Chinese government's special envoy on the Middle East issue has also conducted shuttle visits to the Middle East and the Gulf region.
China and Pakistan have also jointly put forward a five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region. As a responsible major country, China will continue to play a constructive role and contribute to restoring peace and security in the Gulf and the Middle East, said Mao.
The Panama unit of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings (CKHH) said that it filed an arbitration against shipping giant Maersk in relation to the takeover of the company's port terminals in Panama.
Panama Ports Company S.A. (PPC), an indirect 90-percent-owned subsidiary of CKHH, said in a statement released on Tuesday (local time) that "the arbitration is based on a long-term contract to facilitate a collaborative approach to business through the exclusive use of PPC port terminal operations in Panama and access to a range of PPC operational facilities and information."
However, "Maersk undermined the contract and aligned with the Republic of Panama in connection with its State campaign against PPC and scheme to replace it through a takeover that installed new port operators," the company said.
PPC said in the statement that on February 23, 2026, Panama expelled PPC from port operations through extreme executive measures, took over the port terminals, and entered into a pre-arranged concession contract for the Balboa terminal with a new operator that is affiliated with Maersk and has utilized PPC operational facilities and information.
The arbitration will be held in London. PPC will vigorously pursue its claims in the Maersk arbitration and its claims against Panama, as well as other rights and remedies, the company announced.
On March 6, the subsidiary of CKHH said in another statement that it already filed an international arbitration against the Republic of Panama seeking at least $2 billion in damages, a figure that has been misstated by the Panamanian State in press comments.
PPC also said that it had taken additional legal actions against the illegal takeover by the Panamanian State of the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal in Panama on and after February 23.
On February 24, in response to a question saying that Panama's authorities had taken control of two ports on the Panama Canal from CK Hutchison, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that "China's position on relevant Panamanian ports is clear. I believe you have noticed that the company concerned has issued a statement, saying that it will reserve all rights including to proceed legally. China will firmly protect the company's legitimate and lawful rights and interests."
A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on February 24 also reiterated that the earlier ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama, which declared the operation of the two Panamanian ports by the company concerned unconstitutional, disregarded facts and breached faith. The company concerned had already initiated and commenced arbitration proceedings.
China's Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures prices at the factory gate, rose 0.5 percent year-on-year in March, reversing a 0.9 percent decline in the previous month and marking the first increase in more than three years, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday.
NBS statistician Dong Lijuan attributed the turnaround mainly to imported inflationary pressures and improved supply-demand dynamics in some domestic industries.
Prices in the mining and processing of non-ferrous metal ores rose 36.4 percent year-on-year in March, up 6.2 percentage points from the previous month, while prices in the smelting and processing of non-ferrous metals rose 22.4 percent, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month.
Prices in petroleum and natural gas extraction shifted from a 12.9 percent decline in the previous month to a 5.2 percent increase in March. Meanwhile, prices in the processing of petroleum, coal, and other fuels, and in the manufacture of raw chemical materials and chemical products fell by 4.5 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, in March, with the rates of decline narrowing by 7.5 and 3.4 percentage points from the previous month, NBS data showed.
Meanwhile, improved supply and demand conditions in some domestic industries led to higher prices, according to Dong.
"Market competition has become more orderly, with prices for photovoltaic equipment and components and lithium-ion batteries rising by 5.2 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively," Dong said.
New growth drivers also gained momentum. With the accelerated expansion of "AI+" and rapid growth in demand for computing power, prices in optical fiber manufacturing rose 76.1 percent, prices for external storage devices and components rose 21.1 percent, and prices in the manufacture of electronic specialty materials rose 18.7 percent, according to the NBS.
Additionally, the green transition supported growth, with prices in biomass fuel processing and the comprehensive utilization of waste resources rising by 6.1 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.
"While soaring international bulk commodity prices partially pushed up the PPI, the positive change also reflects the gradual recovery of the domestic industrial market and proves the effectiveness of policies including building a unified national market and anti-involution campaign," Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Friday.
Friday's data also showed that China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose 1 percent year-on-year in March. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, increased 1.1 percent year-on-year, according to the NBS.
"The CPI growth rate indicates that the country maintains a moderate level of inflation, and is steadily advancing toward the annual CPI growth target of around 2 percent set out in this year's Government Work Report," Yang Delong, chief economist at Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund, told the Global Times on Friday.
"The moderate rise in prices reflects the gradual recovery of domestic demand, which is highly conducive to stabilizing economic growth and boosting consumer confidence. To stabilize economic expansion, the Chinese government is implementing more proactive and effective macro policies, driving simultaneous recoveries in both CPI and PPI by stimulating investment, boosting consumption and spurring aggregate demand," Yang said.
According to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, the NDRC and the Ministry of Finance have recently allocated the second batch of 62.5 billion yuan ($9.15 billion) in ultra-long special treasury bond funds to support the trade-ins of consumer goods for 2026.
The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration has issued the "technical guidelines for chikungunya fever prevention and control" (2025 Edition), listing South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as a Category I risk area for chikungunya fever, the same risk level as Guangdong.
Authorities at all levels have implemented multiple measures to strengthen transmission barriers. Guangdong Province has largely brought its chikungunya fever outbreak under control, with 1,387 new cases reported over the past seven days, the Yangcheng Evening News reported on Sunday, down from close to 3,000 weekly new cases in previous two weeks.
The disease control and prevention department in Nanning, capital of Guangxi has established a closed-loop mechanism featuring "2-hour core epidemiological investigation + 4-hour risk assessment + 24-hour response feedback," and formed three municipal-level rapid response teams operating in shifts with 24/7 standby to ensure suspected cases undergo complete epidemiological investigations within two hours and disinfection of core outbreak zones is completed on the same day.
Chikungunya fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the chikungunya virus and transmitted through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes, with transmission patterns and epidemic characteristics similar to dengue fever and Zika virus disease. It does not spread from person to person, but the virus can circulate in a "human-mosquito-human" cycle. In China, the primary vectors are Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) and Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito), according to the administration.
After an Aedes mosquito bites an infected human or animal during the viremic phase, the virus replicates inside the mosquito and migrates to its salivary glands. Following an extrinsic incubation period of two to 10 days, the mosquito becomes capable of transmitting the virus. A small number of patients may develop severe complications such as hemorrhage, encephalitis, or myelitis, and in rare cases, the disease can be fatal.
According to the "technical guidelines for chikungunya fever prevention and control,"
Category I regions are defined as areas with a longer active period of Aedes mosquitoes, higher historical incidence of local dengue fever cases, and an elevated risk of clustered outbreaks. Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and Yunnan are listed as Category I regions for chikungunya fever risk.
India announced on Wednesday that it will open tourist visa applications to Chinese citizens from July 24, 2025. It was the first time in five years since the South Asian country suspended Chinese citizens' tourist visa applications in February 2020.
The Embassy of India in China announced via its Sina Weibo account on Wednesday that, starting from July 24, 2025, Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to visit India after completing an online application, scheduling an appointment, and personally submitting their passport and other required documents to three Indian visa application centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province.
Responding to the related inquiry, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that "we take note of this positive move. Easing cross-border travel is widely beneficial. China will maintain communication and consultation with India to further facilitate travel between the two countries.''
Chinese experts said the latest move taken by the India marks a phased milestone in the easing of relations between the two countries, and creates favorable conditions for further strengthening bilateral people-to-people exchanges.
On February 2, 2020, India temporarily suspended its e-visa facility for Chinese travelers and foreigners residing in China amid coronavirus outbreak, according to the Times of India.
Before the pause, both tourist and business visa applications to India by Chinese nationals recorded positive year-on-year growth in 2019, according to data sent from Chinese online travel platform Trip.com to the Global Times on Wednesday. Indian media estimated that in 2019, the country issued about 200,000 visas to Chinese nationals, while the number was just 2,000 in 2024, said another report by the Times of India.
A staff member at the Consulate General of the Republic of India in Guangzhou confirmed the news to the Global Times on Wednesday, saying, "We received the notice from Beijing today. Starting tomorrow, we will also be awaiting more detailed instructions from the embassy regarding the visa application process."
Easing bilateral ties
Relationship between China and India has been on positive recovery path recently. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited China on July 14 and 15, his first dedicated visit since the 2020 military standoff in the western sector of the China-India border.
As two neighboring Eastern civilizations and major emerging economies, the essence of China-India relations lies in how to coexist harmoniously and achieve mutual success, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi when holding talks with Jaishankar on July 14.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that both sides should adhere to the direction of friendly neighborliness, achieve the "Dragon-Elephant Tango" and find a way for mutual respect and trust, peaceful coexistence, common development and win-win cooperation.
Jaishankar's visit follows the recent visits of India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to China, The Hindu reported.
The positive signs of easing bilateral times also came at a time when the US is waging tariff wars against most nations in the world, including its close partners such as India, Xie Chao, an associate professor at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, wrote in an opinion article in the Global Times on July 16.
On June 20, a group of 39 pilgrims from India arrived in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, marking the resumption of pilgrimages to Mount Gang Renpoche and Lake Mapam Yun Tso in the region after a five-year hiatus, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xu Feihong, the Chinese Ambassador to India, said in a recent interview with an Indian newspaper The Hindu that the government departments of both China and India, as well as major airlines, have done a lot of work for the resumption of direct flights. We hope that it will be launched as soon as possible.
Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Chinese and Indian economies are highly complementary. "If bilateral relations continue to warm, it will not only benefit both countries but also have a positive impact on the broader region and even the world," he noted.
Managing perception
Previously, India was among the destinations preferred by some Chinese tourists, with some travel agencies maintaining partnerships with Indian side, Jia Jianqiang, founder and CEO of Beijing-based online agency 6renyou, told the Global Times on Wednesday, while noting that the suspension of visa issuance had resulted in the gradual disappearance of India from Chinese tourists' itineraries over the past few years.
While the resumption of tourist visa issuance is a welcome move, Jia said it is only a first step. "Whether the market can recover depends on further support from relevant authorities," Jia said.
A former Chinese business representative in India told the Global Times on Wednesday that although tourist visas have resumed, work visas remain difficult to obtain due to a lengthy approval process, extensive documentation requirements, and increasingly strict background checks.
Qian emphasized that China-India ties represent a new type of relationship between two neighboring emerging powers, and the first and most crucial step in managing it is aligning strategic perceptions from both perspectives.
"Like buttoning the first clasp on a shirt - the Indian side should not see China as a threat, but as a partner. Only on this basis, aligned with economic needs and public demand, can the bilateral relationship develop steadily," said Qian.
Responding to a question regarding the news that India's Foreign Ministry has agreed with China to expedite the process to resume direct flights between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a press conference on June 13 that the resumption of direct flights is conducive to ensuring cross-border travel, exchanges and cooperation between China and India, which is in the interest of the two sides.
"China is positive toward it. We hope India will work with us to resume flights as soon as possible and ensure safe and orderly mutual visits between the two countries," said Lin.
Chinese corruption suspect Zhou Jinghua, one of the 100 fugitives listed on the Interpol Red Notice, has been extradited from Thailand to China in July under the coordination of Chinese authorities and the joint judicial cooperation between China and Thailand, CCTV News reported on Thursday.
Zhou is the 63rd "100 most wanted fugitive" to be brought to justice since the launch of Operation Sky Net. Her extradition means that all the Asia-based corrupt officials on the Interpol red notice have been hunted down.
Zhou, born in September 1969, was the former manager of Thailand Project of Real Estate Development Co., LTD of Yunnan Copper Group, on suspicion of crime of embezzlement. After fleeing abroad, she has resisted capture and refused to return to face charges. In September 2012, Interpol issued a Red Notice for Zhou.
