A suspect surnamed Cai, who had long been hiding overseas and is accused of organizing illegal border crossings, was successfully extradited back to China on June 8, China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on its WeChat account on Thursday.

In February 2024, immigration authorities in Zhenjiang, East China's Jiangsu Province, uncovered a transnational criminal syndicate that organized Chinese citizens to leave the country illegally through third countries.

Investigations found that between 2023 and 2024, a Chinese national surnamed Cai and his accomplices colluded with human smugglers both inside and outside China to organize multiple Chinese citizens to be smuggled abroad for illegal activities. The NIA designated the case as a major case under supervision and listed Cai as a fugitive target, said the administration. 

In March 2026, Cai was apprehended by police in a foreign country, which subsequently notified Chinese authorities. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Security and the NIA, the case-handling authorities promptly submitted an extradition request. China's foreign affairs authorities actively facilitated coordination efforts, with close cooperation between agencies at home and abroad helping advance the extradition process.

In late May, the foreign country approved the extradition request. Cai has since been escorted back to China, and further investigation into the case is underway.

A spokesperson for the NIA said the successful extradition represents another important achievement in China's efforts to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation and pursue fugitives overseas. It also demonstrates China's firm resolve to crack down on cross-border crimes and bring fugitives to justice wherever they may flee.

The NIA said it will continue working with relevant authorities to deepen international law enforcement cooperation, dismantle transnational human-smuggling networks, and safeguard national security and border stability.

The administration also issued a warning to fugitives still at large, saying that no one can escape the reach of the law. Overseas locations are neither safe havens from prosecution nor places beyond the rule of law. Any attempt to evade justice will ultimately be met with legal punishment, and the only viable option is to voluntarily return to China and surrender to authorities in exchange for possible leniency.

If individuals like Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro are allowed to repeatedly undermine efforts to stabilize bilateral relations, it is ultimately the fundamental interests of the Philippine nation and its people that will suffer, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Friday. 

Lin made the remarks in response to a media inquiry on that given Chinese officials recently said criticism from the Philippine side could make it more difficult for China to continue aiding the Philippines, whether China's announcement of sanctions against Teodoro will affect future Chinese aid to the Philippines. 

In response, Lin stated that the decision to impose sanctions on Teodoro and his relatives, as published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, has already explained the specific circumstances involved.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony on Friday for General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, who is on a state visit to China.

China launched a special maritime law enforcement operation in the waters east of Taiwan island on Saturday. It is a necessary move in response to Japan and the Philippines' unilateral announcement of the so-called "maritime delimitation talks" on the east of China's Taiwan island, which constitutes a serious violation of China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday. 

The operation, launched by China's Ministry of Transport, in coordination with the Fujian and Guangdong maritime safety administrations, the East China Sea Navigation Support Center, and the East China Sea Rescue Bureau, aims to fully exercise China's maritime administrative law enforcement jurisdiction, enhance deep-sea cruise enforcement and traffic control capabilities in key waters, ensure maritime traffic safety, and safeguard national rights and interests, Xinhua reported. 

During the Philippine President's recent visit to Japan, the two countries issued a joint statement announcing the start of talks on the delimitation of exclusive economic zone and continental shelf between Japan and the Philippines. The area the two countries announced they will delimit is east of China's Taiwan island.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that Japan and the Philippines' attempt to bypass China and initiate the so-called "maritime delimitation talks" constitutes a severe violation of UNCLOS and other international laws and basic norms governing international relations.

It also seriously infringes on China's maritime rights and interests and China will not allow this, she continued.

"According to China’s domestic law and international law including UNCLOS, China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in this area. As per UNCLOS, the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf between States with opposite or adjacent coasts shall be effected by the States concerned by agreement on the basis of equity. Any delimitation concerning waters to the east of Taiwan must have China as a party to the talks," Mao stated.

At a press conference of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday, spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said the waters slated for "delimitation" by Japan and the Philippines lie east of China's Taiwan island. Their proposed so-called "delimitation negotiations" gravely infringe on China's maritime rights and interests, run counter to international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and are entirely illegal, null and void. 

Zhu noted that compatriots across the Taiwan Straits belong to the Chinese nation. They must uphold their national stance, stand for the fundamental interests of the nation, and jointly safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the overall interests of the Chinese nation. 

Should the DPP authorities collude with external forces to betray national interests, they will surely be spurned by compatriots on both sides of the Straits and punished by history, the spokesperson said. 

A Chinese anti-epidemic medical expert team arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Tuesday for a three-month mission to support the Central African country's response to the Ebola outbreak.

Luku Maleyo Marius, a representative of the DRC Ministry of Health, welcomed the team at the airport, saying that China's dispatch of the medical experts represents timely and strong support for the Congolese government and people.

Whenever the DRC faces major public health challenges, China has consistently extended timely assistance, he said, adding that he looks forward to the mission further strengthening the country's epidemic prevention, control and treatment capacities, and helping bring the outbreak under control as soon as possible.

Lu Ming, head of the Chinese expert team, said the team would begin work promptly in line with the Congolese side's needs and would cooperate with local medical and disease control institutions to provide support in epidemic assessment, case management, and other areas.

He added that the team would work closely with the Congolese side to safeguard people's lives and health, contributing China's expertise to helping the DRC control the outbreak at an early stage.

On May 15, the DRC officially confirmed its 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976. Two days later, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

China's National Health Commission announced on Monday the decision to send a medical expert team to support the DRC's Ebola control efforts.

According to the commission, the first group consists of five members with extensive experience in epidemic control. They will also share practical response experience tailored to local conditions and help enhance the DRC's capacity for Ebola prevention, control and treatment.

"The allegation of so-called 'Chinese espionage threat' is entirely fabricated and constitutes malicious slander. We strongly condemn this," said a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in UK when asked to comment on the so-called "warning" issued by the UK Security Service (MI5), together with intelligence agencies from other "Five Eyes" countries, alleging that Chinese intelligence services are approaching individuals in Western countries through fake online recruitment schemes in order to steal military, political, and technological intelligence, according to the embassy on Thursday.

It must be pointed out that the "Five Eyes" are the world's largest intelligence network. Its members have engaged in unscrupulous espionage and intelligence-gathering activities around the globe. They are the real threat to peace-loving countries, the spokesperson said.

"We urge the UK side to immediately stop this clumsy self-staged show of thief crying catch thief. Otherwise, it will only bring shame upon itself," the spokesperson continued.

Chinese Foreign Ministry also responded on the same day. Spokesperson Mao Ning said as the world's largest intelligence cooperation network, the "Five Eyes" has long engaged in massive systemic espionage all over the world. It is ironic that such an organization is accusing China of "spy threat."

According to Reuters on Wednesday local time, security agencies from the US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand claimed that Chinese military intelligence services ultimately seek to "acquire privileged military, political and economic intelligence that can provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes."

A Chinese expert told the Global Times on Thursday that the Five Eyes Alliance's current hype over the so-called "Chinese espionage threat" is essentially a carefully crafted rhetorical trap. Ostensibly framed as an effort to safeguard "national security," the campaign is in reality designed to fuel the "China threat" narrative, the expert stressed. 

Regarding similar allegations, China has stated its position more than once. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a press conference in November 2025 that China never interferes in other countries' internal affairs and has absolutely no interest in the so-called "intelligence" of the UK Parliament.

The response came after MI5 in 2025 issued an official warning to British politicians about two LinkedIn accounts that it claimed were posing as "headhunters" but were in fact operating on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security. 

 "Time to stop those phantom allegations and the false projection," the spokesperson said at the time.

In global geopolitics, the Five Eyes ranks among the world's largest intelligence surveillance blocs, having long leveraged its technological advantages to conduct indiscriminate mass surveillance across the globe, Wang Hanyi, a research fellow at the Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. Wang noted that the bloc's credibility is therefore highly suspect when it loudly hypes alleged "Chinese espionage threat." 

Wang said that the joint initiative results from a mix of domestic pressures and the strategy to contain China. Some Five Eyes countries are plagued by weak economic growth, worsening social conflicts and rising political polarization. Against this backdrop, exaggerating external threats serves as an easy tool to divert domestic disputes and consolidate political consensus, the expert added.

The Reuters report noted on Wednesday that although there have been similar so-called warnings from individual countries in the past, the joint bulletin was described as unprecedented.

"Such an 'unprecedented' scale stems from a collective anti-China anxiety and coordinated escalation of containment strategies against China," Wang said.

Their practice will severely disrupt regular people-to-people exchanges, normal economic and trade cooperation between China and certain Western countries, and erode the long-built foundation for global cooperation, the expert noted. 

The rise of the Global South represents a shift toward a more balanced and inclusive international system, Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, a law professor at Fluminense Federal University in Brazil, said in a video address during the Global Times Annual Conference 2025, themed "Moving forward in Partnership: Resonance of Values between China and the World," which took place in Beijing on Saturday.

In his address,Carvalho pointed out that the Global South's growing influence helps balance the traditional dominance of Western powers in institutions like the UN, the IMF, and the World Bank.

Many Global South countries are experiencing rapid economic growth, which diversifies global economic leadership beyond Western economies. Initiatives like the BRICS Plus and the establishment of alternative financial mechanisms like the New Development Bank, reduce reliance on Western-dominated systems and promote development tailored to regional needs, Carvalho said.

The professor noted that a multipolar world dilutes hegemonic tendencies and promotes a system where multiple voices and perspectives shape international policies.

"By championing non-alignment and cooperation among diverse nations, the Global South fosters a more inclusive global order that reflects the interests of a broader range of states," he said.

The successful launch of Macao Science-1 satellites, the first space science satellite program jointly developed by the Chinese mainland and Macao, owes much to the strong support of scientists and engineers from the mainland, Zhang Keke, chief scientist of the program and vice president of Macao University of Science and Technology, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. 

"It is a successful example of leveraging the advantages of the 'one country, two systems' policy to jointly achieve technological breakthroughs," Zhang said, while revealing that on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, the Macao Science-2 satellite project has also been approved by the Macao Special Administration Regional (SAR) government.

As the establishment of a "global high-precision geomagnetic constellation" has been included in the recently released national-level development program for medium- to long-term space science from 2024 to 2050, it can be expected that Macao's influence in the international space science and technology field will continue to grow in the future, said Zhang, who is also the director of the Macao Institute of Space Technology and Applications.

The People's Daily reported on December 9 that the Macao Science-1 satellite science team recently released China's first WM³ 4D Earth magnetic field model, which fully leverages the high-precision geomagnetic data collected by the satellite, expected to significantly improve Earth science and geomagnetic navigation. It can be applied to scientific research in Earth's deep interior, oceans, and Earth space, as well as in aerospace, maritime navigation, resource exploration, and intelligent devices.  

Zhang told the Global Times that the current version of the real-time Earth magnetic field model is built on the high-precision magnetic field data from the Macao Science-1 satellites and other effective geomagnetic data. As China's first self-controlled real-time Earth magnetic field model, it holds significant scientific and practical value and represents a major advancement in the scientific research and applications of the satellite project.  

Zhang added that the data collected by the Macao Science-1 satellites will grow, with algorithms undergoing continuous refinement. The team plans to release updated versions of the real-time Earth magnetic field model in the future.  

The study of Earth's magnetic field is key to human survival, Zhang said. The sun constantly emits high-energy particles that hurtle toward Earth at high speeds. Earth's magnetic field serves as a protective shield, shielding the planet from these particles. Without it, life as we know it would be impossible, he said.

China launched the Macao Science-1 satellites on May 21, 2023, with a Long March-2C carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macao Science-1 project is the first jointly developed space science satellite program by the Chinese mainland and Macao. It is also the first scientific exploration satellite designed to study the geomagnetic field and South Atlantic Anomaly, Xinhua said.

"After more than a year in orbit, the 'Macao Science-1' satellite has completed 8,000 Earth orbits, operating smoothly, collecting extensive high-precision data," Zhang said. "Scientists and engineers from countries including the US, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain are using this data for research and applications in fields such as Earth's deep interior, ocean science, and Earth space science."

According to the CNSA, the Macao Science-1 satellite program has signed cooperative research agreements with 18 countries including the US, the UK and France, positioning it as a "golden calling card" showcasing Macau's cutting-edge high-tech capabilities. 

"Due to the great success of the Macao Science-1 satellite, our team is now working on the planning of Macao Science-2," Zhang Keke shared. "If all goes well, the 'Macao Science-2' satellite is scheduled to be launched in late 2026 or early 2027."

When asked why it is necessary to launch the Macao Science-2, Zhang explained, "Macao Science-1 can only conduct observations, analyses, and data measurements in low-latitude regions, but it excludes polar regions. To achieve full global coverage and to enhance measurements of Earth's magnetic field and spatial data, it is essential to launch the Macao Science-2 satellite."

The Macao Science-2 program will also consist of two satellites. If successfully launched, they will form a satellite constellation with Macao Science-1 satellites. This four-satellite constellation will facilitate networked observations to deliver precise global data on Earth's magnetic field and space weather. It will be the world's first ideal constellation combining polar orbit and low-inclination satellites, offering detailed 3D observations of Earth's magnetic field and space weather.

China deplored and has lodged strong protests to the US over arranging for Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's "stopovers" in Hawaii and Guam and having official interactions with the Taiwan region, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference on Friday, urging the US to adhere to one-China principle and stop sending seriously wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

By arranging for Lai's "stopovers" in Hawaii and Guam, having official interactions with the Taiwan region, helping Taiwan expand so-called "international space," and providing platforms for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, the US gravely violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués. The actions it took undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and send a severely wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, Lin said at a press conference on Friday.

Taiwan regional Leader Lai Ching-te has reportedly concluded his "stopovers" in Hawaii and Guam of the US and is scheduled to return to the island on Friday, according to Taiwan media. 

Lin said the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. "Taiwan independence" separatist activities are as incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits as fire with water. China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, act on the US leaders' commitment, including not supporting "Taiwan independence," stop its official interactions with Taiwan, stop obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, stop abetting and aiding the separatist forces and their activities in any form, and take concrete actions to stabilize China-US relations and contribute to peace in the Taiwan Straits, said Lin.

"Let me stress that attempts to solicit US support for 'Taiwan independence' or use the Taiwan question to contain China will lead nowhere. No one should underestimate the firm resolve, will and ability of the Chinese government and people to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Lin.

Also on the same day, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said Lai's actions once again prove that the so-called "stopover" is merely an excuse, and in reality, it is a political maneuver by the DPP authorities to "rely on the US to seek 'independence'" and by the US side to "use Taiwan island to contain China."

Zhu warned the DPP authorities that relying on the US for "Taiwan independence" and pursuing military means for "Taiwan independence" agenda is a dead end, and is doomed to failure.

The real purpose of Lai's "stopover" in Hawaii and Guam, which are not essential to the travel route for countries in the South Pacific, is to advance the "Taiwan independence" agenda by seeking more US support, Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Friday. 

Before and during the trip, Lai repeatedly exaggerated "threats" from the mainland to gain US backing and deceive the international community. His tactics resemble those used in his inauguration on May 20 and "Double Ten" speeches: provoking first, then inflating potential mainland countermeasures. Once the mainland responds firmly, Lai is portrayed as the victim, said Zheng. 

The US government will not abandon its use of Taiwan as a bargaining chip, but the extent to which the incoming US administration will leverage Taiwan remains uncertain. Lai is compelled to pledge loyalty to the US during his brief "stopover," said Zheng.

Also on Friday, Lai reportedly claimed that he is confident of deeper cooperation with the next administration of Donald Trump and the day before, he had a phone call with US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson.

In response, Lin said that China has repeatedly stated its firm position on this matter. 

We urge the US to fully see the separatist nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities, fully understand the grave damage that "Taiwan independence" separatist activities due to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, fully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, stop meddling in affairs related to Taiwan, which are China's internal affairs, and stop aiding and abetting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, Lin said.  

Unwavering determination

Lai and other "Taiwan independence" separatist forces should know that their provocative remarks promoting "Taiwan independence" cannot be made lightly, and they will have to pay the price. Taiwan is a part of China, and this fact cannot be changed, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times. 

China will not make any concessions on the Taiwan question even when faced with external interference and the People's Liberation Army is fully prepared for any circumstance, said Song. 

On Friday, in response to a query on whether the mainland is planning to conduct more military exercises surrounding Taiwan island, Lin said the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. China remains unwavering in its resolve to defend our nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Previously some Taiwan local media claimed that the mainland military is poised to "encircle Taiwan proper in military exercise 'Joint Sword-2024C'," as Lai is returning from his visit to "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific via "transit" through the US.

On May 23, the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army conducted the "Joint Sword-2024A" military exercise around the Taiwan Straits. Also on October 14, the PLA Eastern Theater Command dispatched troops from its army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct joint military drills code-named Joint Sword-2024B in the Taiwan Straits. The drill served as a stern warning to the separatist acts of "Taiwan Independence" forces, Senior Captain Li Xi, spokesperson of the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement.

Conducting military exercises shows PLA's determination to safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national unity while curbing separatism, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times.

As the situation in Syria escalates, Chinese Embassy in Syria issued an urgent reminder, advising Chinese citizens to return to China or leave the country as soon as possible. 

Currently, the battle field situation in northwestern Syria is becoming tense, and the security situation in the country is further deteriorating. The Chinese Embassy in Syria has advised Chinese citizens to return to China or leave the country as soon as possible while commercial flights are still available. Those who are able to do so may also consider leaving through relevant land border checkpoints. 

Given these exceptional circumstances, Chinese citizens who insist on traveling to or staying in the affected areas may face extremely high security risks, which could also impact the effectiveness for them to receive assistance.

The Syrian army announced Thursday that it has redeployed its forces outside the western-central Syrian city of Hama after fierce battles with rebel groups, confirming that rebels have entered the city following intense attacks from multiple fronts, according to Xinhua News Agency.

"Over the past few days, our armed forces have fought fierce battles to repel and thwart the violent and successive attacks launched by terrorist organizations on the city of Hama from various directions and in large numbers, using all types of military equipment and assisted by infiltration groups," said a statement issued by the Syrian General Command of the Army and Armed Forces.

In another development, Syria's air defense systems intercepted two hostile drones over the capital city of Damascus on Thursday, the Syrian Defense Ministry said.

"Our air defense units recently repelled hostile unmanned aircraft in the skies over Damascus and shot down two drones, without any human casualties or material losses," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement did not specify who was operating the drones or what their intended targets were. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Xinhua correspondents in Damascus heard sounds of gunfire and explosions, but the situation returned to normalcy shortly afterward.