Chinese economic officials have slammed the hyped “overcapacity” tag on Chinese new energy products on Friday, calling it “a carefully crafted narrative trap created by some countries with the aim of making it a pretext to implement trade protective measures.” While voicing strong objection to the action, they also warn against its dire consequences, which will disrupt the stability and smooth flow of global supply chains, hinder the global green transition and eventually backfire on the initiators of trade protectionism.

For some time, certain officials and media outlets in some countries have intensively accused China’s new energy products of “overcapacity.” These hypes are attempts to set the stage for unilateralism and the implementation of trade protection policies, according to an article posted on Friday on the WeChat account of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner.

Those allegations on China’s new energy products do not hold ground as they are neither in line with facts nor economic rules, the NDRC article said, while rebutting every piece of the fallacy with solid proof and data.

With regards to the claim that “the overcapacity of China’s new energy exports was a result of insufficient domestic market and thus have to sell to the global market at a low price,” the NDRC blasted it with a reference to the fundamental law of international industrial division and cooperation.

Take the US exports as an example, it noted. About 80 percent of high-end chips produced in the US are destined for export, and the country is also the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, while one-fifth of US agricultural products are shipped to China, however, the US has not been accused of exporting “overcapacity” in these areas. In contrast, China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) exports only represented 12.5 percent of its total output last year, showing that China's new energy products currently mainly satisfy domestic demand.

It is also key to view the global supply-demand relationship from a developmental perspective, or the demand of global market and its development potential, the NDRC said, lambasting the claim that “China’s new energy capacity has surpassed global demand, making other countries unable to absorb.”

The NDRC highlighted a bunch of data by IEA which showed that the forecasted global demand for NEVs and power battery by 2030 will be almost five times from China’s capacity in relevant industries in 2023. In terms of the cumulative photovoltaic installed capacity, the projected global demand by 2030 is calculated to be around 9 times from China’s capacity in 2023. All underscore huge room for future demand growth.

On the one hand, the advantage is built upon a vast domestic market, a complete industrial system, intense market competition and continuous technological innovation under market mechanism, the NDRC pointed out. On the other hand, individual country has been encouraging and supporting the growth of relevant industries amid global green transition, and in particular the US is providing prodigious subsidies and tax incentives to new energy industries through legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

There isn't a “China overcapacity,” but a US overcapacity of anxiety stemming from a lack of confidence and smears against China, Lin Jian, spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press briefing on April 30.

During US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to China, he pointed finger at China over the so-called “unfair trade practices and the potential consequences of industrial overcapacity to global and US markets,” naming some industries including electric vehicles, batteries, and solar panels. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently reiterated in an interview with Reuters the "overcapacity" in China, claiming that the so-called overcapacity in China is not only a problem faced by the US, but also by Europe, Japan, India and Mexico.

It is indeed despicable and hypocritical for nations to proclaim that addressing global climate change is their “noble mission,” while simultaneously adopting protectionist measures under the pretext of “overcapacity” to suppress the development of new energy industries in other countries, according to the NDRC article.

Such actions not only undermine the global efforts to combat climate change but will also backfire, the NDRC warned, while citing a list of examples from the past decades that show that there’s no winner out of trade protectionism.

Also, the moves could wreak havoc on the stable operation of global new energy industry supply chains, creating “blockages,” “choke points,” and “breakpoints” that affect the efficiency of economic operations and may even trigger various potential risks, the NDRC stressed.

“Economic globalization has become a major trend. Countries are interdependent and integrated into a community of shared interests. Being open and inclusive, and pursuing win-win cooperation is the only correct choice,” the NDRC article concluded, urging countries to oppose the politicization of economic and trade issues or make them security issues, advocate for “tearing down walls rather than building them, for openness rather than isolation, for integration rather than decoupling, and promote the construction of an open world economy.”

EHang Holdings, an autonomous aerial vehicle technology company based in China, announced on Monday that its pilotless electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft EH216-S successfully completed its first passenger-carrying demonstration flight in Abu Dhabi, marking the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Middle East. 

The EH216 series pilotless eVTOL aircraft performed several autonomous flights at the Emirates Falcons Aviation Club in Al Ali, Abu Dhabi with the approval by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the UAE. 

"After obtaining approval for the demo flights carrying passengers and completing the inaugural flight, we will closely collaborate with the GCAA and the Civil Aviation Administration of China to accelerate the commercialization of our unmanned aircraft in the UAE. This will mark a significant milestone for Abu Dhabi and the global air mobility industry," Hu Huazhi, chief executive of EHang, was quoted as saying in a statement sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.

EHang's inaugural manned flight of the eVTOL in the UAE not only signifies the advancement of China's drone technology but also underscores growing international cooperation in the field of low-altitude economy.

China's low-altitude economy has been included in the new quality productive forces, according to the Government Work Report for 2024.

The EHang Intelligent EH216-S stands as the world's pioneering eVTOL aircraft to obtain all three certifications - Type Certificate (TC), Airworthiness Certificate (AC), and Production Certificate (PC). Capable of fully recharged within two hours, the EH216-S boasts a top speed of 130 kilometers per hour, with a flight endurance of 25 minutes and a designed range of 30 kilometers.

The pilotless eVTOL aircraft feature a compact fuselage, high redundancy design and intelligent cluster management, enabling safety and efficiency as well as scalable operations, in order to provide safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility.

Additionally, the EH216-F (for high-rise firefighting) and EH216-L (for aerial logistics) demonstrated their debut flights in the UAE too, showcasing a diverse range of UAM use scenarios of the pilotless eVTOL aircraft.

The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) raised deep concerns regarding the European Commission's selective transparency and potential discriminatory application of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) against Chinese products.

The CCCEU submitted a comprehensive response on Tuesday to the EC's recent initiation of in-depth FSR investigations into Chinese companies that participated in a solar photovoltaic project tender in Romania, according to a statement released by CCCEU.

The rebuttal voiced a range of concerns about various shortcomings in the EC's actions and its potential ramifications for Chinese businesses operating in the European market.

The chamber noted the heightened scrutiny imposed on Chinese companies compared to those subjected to non-EU entities in the same tender process. "This selective enforcement of the FSR raises serious questions about the fairness, objectivity, and consistency of the Commission's approach," the chamber said.

On April 3, the EC launched two in-depth FSR investigations on two bidders involved in the tender process for Romania's 110MW solar photovoltaic park project. Afterward, the commission conducted a raid on a Chinese company's offices in Poland and the Netherlands without prior notice on April 23, following another probe targeting Chinese wind turbines which began on April 9.

The FSR has increased uncertainties for Chinese bidders, causing concern about the EU's growing protectionism and misapplication of policy tools, the chamber noted in the statement, urging the European Union to ensure Chinese enterprises' operations in Europe in "a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory environment."

Since the end of 2023, the bloc has launched a series of subsidy investigations targeting Chinese businesses in emerging sectors such as electric vehicles, solar panels, and wind turbines, which has been labeled by China's Ministry of Commerce as protectionist behavior that distorts fair competition.

Top executives at BMW and Volkswagen on Wednesday warned against imposing EU import duties on electric vehicles made by Chinese automakers, saying it could upend the bloc's Green Deal plan and harm automakers that import cars made in China. The comments were in response to the bloc's probe launched in October into Chinese automakers for alleged subsidies and extra tariffs, Reuters reported.

In Thursday's statement, the Chamber also contended that the EC has not provided sufficient justification or interpretation of "foreign subsidies" under the FSR, and expressed concern about the burden placed on Chinese companies by the broad information requests and the potential disclosure of sensitive business data.

The chamber's observations follow the recent publication of EU summary notices, inviting stakeholders' feedback. Throughout the legislative and implementation process of the FSR, the chamber has been actively involved, stressing the importance of legality, transparency, and non-discriminatory application.

A technician inspects an automated production line at a local new-energy technology company in Gaoyou city, East China's Jiangsu Province, on May 12, 2024. In recent years, Jiangsu has become a major production base of solar photovoltaic panels that sell well at home and abroad. Photo: VCG

China and France have issued a joint statement on the situation in the Middle East, condemning all violations of international humanitarian law, including all acts of terrorist violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians.

The statement was released during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to France, where Xi and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged in-depth views on the situation in the Middle East.

China and France condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, including all acts of terrorist violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians. They recall the absolute imperative of protecting civilians in Gaza in accordance with international humanitarian law. The two heads of state expressed their opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah, which would lead to a humanitarian disaster on a larger scale, as well as to forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, according to the joint statement.

The two heads of state stressed that an immediate and sustainable ceasefire is urgently needed to enable the delivery of large-scale humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip. They called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and the guarantee of humanitarian access to meet their medical and other humanitarian needs, as well as respect for international law with regard to all detainees, it said.

The two heads of state called on all parties to refrain from unilateral measures on the ground that might aggravate tensions, and in this respect condemned Israel's policy of settlement construction, which violates international law and constitutes a major obstacle to lasting peace as well as to the possibility of establishing a viable and contiguous State of Palestine. The two heads of state reiterated that the future governance of Gaza cannot be dissociated from a comprehensive political settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-State solution, according to the statement.

The two heads of state called for a decisive and irreversible relaunch of a political process to concretely implement the two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, both with Jerusalem as their capital, and the establishment of a viable, independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders. The two heads of state reaffirmed their commitment to this solution, which is the only way to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Israeli and Palestinian people for lasting peace and security, it said.

China and France reaffirm their commitment to promoting a political and diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action concluded in 2015 is a major outcome of multilateral diplomacy. The two countries are concerned about the risks of escalation, recall the importance of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and facilitation of diplomatic efforts, and reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding the international non-proliferation regime and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, according to the statement.

The statement was issued as Israeli military forces have taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a key strategic objective and the sole gateway between Egypt and Gaza for humanitarian aid, the Guardian quoted Israeli military officials as saying on Tuesday.

In response to Israeli military operations in Rafah, Lin Jian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a Tuesday briefing that China expresses serious concern over Israel's action, and strongly urges Israel to listen to the overwhelming calls from the international community to cease the attack on Rafah and to prevent a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.

The spokesperson stated that the Gaza conflict has been going on for over 200 days, resulting in a shocking humanitarian crisis, which is a test of human conscience. War and violence cannot fundamentally solve problems and bring real security, but only exacerbate hatred. The international community must take action. The immediate priority is to effectively implement UN Security Council Resolution 2728, immediately cease fire, ensure humanitarian aid returns as soon as possible, and return to the basis of the two-state solution to politically resolve the Palestinian question.

Weighing a total of 31.5 kilograms, the sixth batch of scientific samples that was returned to Earth by China’s Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship has been delivered to scientists in Beijing on Wednesday. A day prior to that, the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. 

The new batch of space samples include 32 types of life experimental specimens like human osteoblasts, a major substance for bone formation, protein crystals and organic molecules. 

Another 18 types of material samples such as high-temperature and extravehicular exposed materials are all contributed to this new batch of off world discoveries. The samples collected will serve around 23 different scientific projects.  

On Wednesday, the precious scientific cargo was handed to researchers at the Technology and Engineering Centre for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Science. A process of biological analysis including the transcriptome sequencing and proteomic researches will now be carried out by experts. 

A study of biological mechanisms of cells in a microgravity environment was conducted to assist better understand disease prevention and intervention. Future analysis on collected protein samples may also provide scientific support for new medicine and vaccine development.  

Technical staff from the space program also expect that collected material samples from space can enhance China’s researches on optimizing resource utilization of lunar soil. 

China’s Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship mission marks a new chapter in human-space success following the spacecraft’s taikonauts returning in good health. The taikonauts, Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin had been in orbit for 187 days before returning to earth. 

Amid the Shenzhou-17 mission, taikonauts completed the first extravehicular maintenance task in the history of China’s space program. 

“I believe that the shenzhou-18 crew will succeed us to complete the follow-up mission successfully. I am more convinced that in the near future, we will not only return to the space, but also let the Chinese space exploration go deeper and deeper. China’s aerospace industry is always worth looking forward to,” Tang Hongbo told media. 

Global hot tourist destinations will welcome a large number of Chinese tourists during the upcoming May Day holidays from May 1 to May 5. The return of Chinese tourists will greatly boost local economic growth through travel spending, analysts said, noting that China, with its growing consumption power, remains a major contributor to global growth.

China is one of the largest tourist sources and host countries in the world, and the expected boom in China's outbound and inbound tourism will continue to play a crucial role in the economic recovery of global tourism, industry observers said.

On several travel platforms, outbound travel bookings for the May Day holidays increased significantly, even on the high base set last year, with some services witnessing an increase of nearly 100 percent.

Bookings for international hotels, air tickets, car rentals and other bookings have far exceeded that during the May Day holidays in 2023, according to a report by Fliggy, a domestic travel platform under Alibaba, sent to the Global Times. 

So far, the number of outbound cruise trip bookings has increased by more than 16 times year-on-year, and the products of some routes have been sold out on Fliggy. Ticket bookings for overseas amusement parks and scenic spots grew more than 90 percent. 

Meanwhile, there has been a rapid increase in bookings for local travel experiences, such as snorkelling in Thailand's Similan Islands to see the underwater world and hot air balloon rides in Turkey, on Fliggy.

Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the US, France, Vietnam and other countries are among the hottest outbound destinations for Chinese tourists during the May Day holidays, according to a report by Trip.com Group sent to the Global Times.

Thanks to the resumption of international routes and the improvement of flight supply, the outbound travel cost performance is higher than the May Day holidays in 2023.  The per capita purchase price of international air tickets fell by 19 percent year-on-year on Fliggy.

Many airliners have announced an increase in capacity for international routes. China Southern Airlines has launched a new route from Beijing Daxing International Airport to Riyadh and increased the frequency of flights between Beijing's Daxing and Macao to once a day. China Eastern Airlines has resumed the route from Daxing to Kuala Lumpur, while China United Airlines plans to open international routes to Russia, Japan and South Korea during the peak season. South Korea's Jeju Airlines has settled in Daxing airport, providing more choices for passengers.

The Global Times learned from Beijing Daxing International Airport that the average number of daily inbound and outbound passenger trips at the airport is expected to exceed 14,000 during the May Day holidays. 

Global tourism market boosted

Chinese outbound and inbound tourism is expected to accelerate in 2024, due to visa facilitation and improved air capacity, according to a forecast report released in January by UN Tourism, a United Nations agency responsible for tourism.

On Monday, China's Embassy in Georgia announced that the mutual visa waiver agreement between the two countries will come into effect on May 28, expanding the number of China's visa-free partners.

So far, China has concluded visa-free agreements with more than 150 countries covering different passports. 

Since the beginning of 2024, China's tourism sector has soared compared with the average level of the international market, and there are great expectations both at home and abroad for China's tourism market, analysts noted.

According to a forecast by the China Tourism Academy, the number of outbound trips by Chinese tourists will reach 130 million in 2024. 

This figure is close to the number of Chinese outbound tourist trips in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, which stood at 155 million. 

Chinese tourists spent $133.8 billion on outbound tourism in 2019, with per capita consumption of $863, ranking first in the world in outbound tourism expenditure, accounting for 23.8 percent of global total, according to statistics from UN Tourism.

Analysts said that China could regain the crown of tourism expenditure in 2024. The 2019 figures clearly show why global tourism markets are eager for the return of Chinese tourists. China remains an engine and a contributor to global economic growth. 

According to official data, China's contribution to global economic growth is approximately 30 percent, underscoring the country's central role in the world's economic system.

"With their strong spending power, Chinese outbound tourists will significantly boost the global tourism market," Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

Wang also noted that tourism is not a one-time consumption activity, and will drive the development of a series of related industries, such as catering, entertainment and retail. 

"This spillover effect can further magnify the driving role of tourism on economic growth through consumption," said Wang.

Momentum of consumption

Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times that consumer spending could hit a new high during the May Day holidays in China, boosted by several shopping festivals and trade-in activities, which will further boost the country's economic growth.

"Consumption is a key link in domestic economic circulation and an important engine of economic growth," Zhang Lingyun, a member of the academic committee of the China Tourism Academy, told the Global Times on Monday.

Experts said that there is still potential for further growth in consumption after a nearly 5 percent growth in the first quarter, and the momentum of consumption will provide new impetus to the economic growth of the world's second-largest economy and refute "Peak China" narrative hyped by some Western observers and media.

According to statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China's total retail sales of consumer goods rose 4.7 percent year-on-year to 12.03 trillion yuan ($1.7 trillion) in the first quarter of 2024, indicating a steady expansion in consumption after a surge during the Spring Festival holidays in February.

"What boosted China's strong consumption power is government policy promotion and social security. To meet people's aspirations for a better life, China is shifting to a consumption-oriented economy," said Zhang.

Analysts also pointed out that the increase in consumption reflected spending power. In the first quarter, the per capita disposable income nationwide was 11,539 yuan, a nominal increase of 6.2 percent over the same period in 2023, and a real increase of 6.2 percent after deducting price factors, according to the NBS.

The increase in disposable income comes from China's stable economy, which also explains why the yuan maintains its resilience in the foreign exchange market, while multiple currencies including the yen, won and rupee continue to depreciate against the US dollar.

Dozens of foreign diplomats commended the expertise and efficiency of China's grassroots lawmaking process, while rejecting the notion that the Western model is the only form of democracy, as they visited a local legislative liaison station in Beijing on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, ambassadors and diplomats from 36 countries visited a local legislative liaison station in Beijing's Chaoyang District, where they held meetings with grassroots lawmakers and observed a fundamental step of China's whole-process people's democracy.

The Nanmofang Township Legislative Liaison Station visited by the foreign envoys is one of the 43 legislative liaison stations in Chaoyang District, and is one of the most grassroots institutions in the Chinese legislative system. Established by the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Chaoyang District, it is where grassroots deputies discuss legislative drafts and collect suggestions from the public.

During the visit, the foreign diplomats audited a consultation meeting on the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses, which was attended by grassroots deputies from all walks of life.

After the consultation meeting, they took part in a symposium with the deputies and officials from the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Chaoyang District, sharing their views, questions and observations of China's grassroots legislative process.

The ambassadors interviewed by the Global Times said that it is their first time to observe China's whole-process people's democracy at the grassroots level, and they are impressed by the level of expertise and efficiency, and diversity in participation.

"This is the first time that I've had the privilege and the opportunity to observe a lower level of the People's Congress," Michael Campbell, Nicaragua's Ambassador to China, told the Global Times after the event. "We've had the chance to see that the whole-process people's democracy model has been improving, which is very important."

Campbell said he was impressed by the diversity in the grassroots legislation in terms of the backgrounds of the participants. "You have professors, you have doctors, you have lawyers … Everybody was debating on the same bill that will eventually go to the upper level," he said. "When the bill reaches the national level, it already has the suggestions of all walks of life. So when it's finally approved, everybody is willing to implement it."

Campbell, who has also been invited to the national two sessions - the annual legislative and political consultative sessions - in March, believes that China's whole-process people's democracy will continue to strengthen and improve, as everybody has their voice to make China better.
China has more than 2.77 million lawmakers at five levels of legislative bodies. Among them, there are less than 3,000 national deputies, while county and township-level deputies account for about 95 percent of the total number of lawmakers. The vast majority of these grassroots deputies, or 94.5 percent of the total, are directly elected.

Abu Bakarr Karim, the Sierra Leone Ambassador to China, and Anne Lafortune, Seychelles Ambassador to China, both described what they witnessed as "impressive."

"You can actually see the level of consultation that takes place at the grassroots level," Karim told the Global Times. "I was impressed by the level of expertise."

Karim noted that he would like to communicate with his local parliament back in his country about his observations and discuss whether they can learn more from it.

Lafortune said she was always aware of China's whole-process democracy but has never seen it up close as she did during the visit.

"I was impressed by the different ways that the grassroots people are able to voice their opinion," she said. "It has shown that China is really committed to making sure its people are actually heard."

Lafortune noted that there are many models of effective democracy, and each country can see their own way to approach it. "China is moving forward. This version apparently fits China," she said.

Campbell, the Nicaraguan Ambassador, noted that it is obvious that the "Western model of democracy" is not the only definition of democracy.

"It is one of the greatest mistakes that the West is making right now - instead of investing in their model, they are busy promoting false narratives related to the democracy of other countries," he told the Global Times. "Each country has to decide what is most appropriate for them."

One of the most important things about China is that it respects the democracy model of other countries, he said, while Western democracy is promoting interventionism, warmongering and false narratives.

China appreciates Hungary's commitment to being a force for peace and stability in Europe amid the complex international situation. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also commended Hungary for steadfastly deepening cooperation with China despite interference and pressure during a meeting with visiting Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Beijing on Wednesday.

The top Chinese diplomat also said China hopes Hungary will promote a rational and friendly view of China's development in the EU, encourage the bloc to pursue a more proactive and pragmatic policy toward China, and strengthen strategic communication between China and the EU.

During his talk with Szijjarto, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said Hungary has unique influence and a commitment to independence, noting it has long adhered to a friendly policy toward China.

China-Hungarian relations are based on mutual respect and mutual benefit, with a positive momentum in various fields of exchange and cooperation, said Wang. China is confident in the development of bilateral relations and practical cooperation.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, presenting a new important opportunity for the two countries, said Wang. He noted that China is willing to maintain close communication with Hungary, implement the important consensus of the leaders of both countries, continue the traditional friendship between China and Hungary, deepen political mutual trust, promote cooperation in building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and advance bilateral relations to a higher level.

China appreciates Hungary's commitment to being a force for peace and stability in Europe amid the complex and intertwined international situation, and commends Hungary for steadfastly deepening cooperation with China despite interference and pressure, said Wang.

Wang said the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Hungary in various fields has yielded fruitful results, benefiting not only the two peoples but also demonstrating that China is an opportunity rather than a challenge, and a partner rather than a competitor for Europe.

As Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year, China hopes that Hungary will promote a rational and friendly view of China within the EU, encourage the bloc to adopt more proactive and pragmatic policy towards China, strengthen strategic communication between China and Europe, create more positive expectations for mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the sustained, stable, and healthy development of China-EU relations, said Wang.

Szijjarto said China is a major country with global influence, and Hungary welcomes China to play a greater role in maintaining world peace and stability.

In the current turbulent international situation, the strong and powerful development of Hungary-China and Europe-China relations is particularly important.

Over the past 75 years of diplomatic relations, the solid mutual trust and friendly cooperation between Hungary and China have translated into tangible results, bringing great benefits to the Hungarian people, said Szijjarto.

He stressed that Hungary opposes "decoupling" and always believes that viewing China as a threat will only lead to missed opportunities, while treating China as a partner is the right choice.

Hungary welcomes China to further increase investment in Hungary, and is willing to promote key project construction within the framework of the BRI, continuously deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields between Hungary and China, elevate bilateral relations to a new level, and promote stable and healthy development of Europe-China relations.

The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on common concerns such as the Ukraine crisis.

Before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's upcoming visit to China, US officials adopted their usual tactic of using harsh language to apply pressure on China, expressing so-called strong concerns about China's support for Russia and the Taiwan question. Chinese observers stated that the recent frequent visits of Blinken and a string of US officials to China recently indicate that Washington is unable to solve domestic and global issues without cooperation from China. Therefore, when seeking help from Beijing, the US would be wise to communicate with China respectfully and as equals, rather than condescendingly. 

Blinken will meet with senior Chinese officials in both Shanghai and Beijing during his April 24-26 visit, CNN quoted a senior US State Department official as saying on Saturday. 

The US State Department said Saturday that Blinken would "discuss a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues," including the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits.

He will also talk about progress made in "resuming counternarcotics cooperation, military-to-military communication, artificial intelligence, and strengthening people-to-people ties" and will reaffirm how important it is for the US and China to be "responsibly managing competition, even in areas where our two countries disagree," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, according to media report. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian welcomed Blinken's upcoming visit at Thursday's media briefing, but provided no further details. 

Negative factors

After the meeting of the two heads of state in San Francisco last year, China-US relations have to some extent stabilized, but negative factors keep on increasing. Blinken's visit is to implement the consensus of the two heads of state, but from the so-called focus points announced by the US government, it is possible that the visit will widen the differences and create more negative factors, Lü Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Lü pointed out one example as Filipino and US forces will conduct their annual joint military exercises soon, including simulations of sinking ships, which is widely seen as targeted at China. 

During his upcoming visit, Blinken will also reportedly ask Beijing to avoid "provocative" measures during next month's inauguration of Lai Ching-te, who was elected as Taiwan's regional leader in January, AFP quoted a US official as saying.

Blinken's tactical goal this time is clearly to launch a verbal offensive against China, including on the South China Sea, trade issues, and the Taiwan question, in order to put pressure on China, Lü noted. 

He believes that if Blinken puts forward these propositions, China will definitely hit back resolutely. China will also be highly vigilant on the Taiwan question and won't let the US hurt its core interest. 

As the US has already entered the presidential election season, the Biden administration, although deeply mired in domestic political competition, is unwilling to show weakness at this time, and no matter how unprepared it is in dealing with those global issues, officials from the Biden administration are still trying to show that it is capable and strong, said Lü. 

Abandon condescending approach

CNN on Saturday quoted an official from the US State Department as saying that Blinken plans to "reiterate our deep concerns regarding the PRC's support for Russia's defense industrial base, as well as its human rights abuses and unfair economic and trade practices." 

The US House of Representatives on Saturday approved billions of dollars in new US military aid for Ukraine to help combat Russia. The foreign aid package passed on Saturday also includes military support for Israel, and funding for allies in the Asia-Pacific, including island of Taiwan. 

Chinese experts said this foreign aid package mirrored Biden administration's lousy performance on handling foreign affairs. When Biden realized the Russia-Ukraine conflict is beyond US' ability to solve, he forced the House of Representatives to pass a bill to support Ukraine, in order to showcase its strength and to muddy the waters to extricate themselves by blaming the US' failure on China's "support" for Russia. 

After overcoming the obstacles of sending support to Ukraine, Washington will inevitably focus on obstructing China's trade with Russia. China will face new struggle with the US in terms of defending its sovereignty in foreign trade, said experts, noting that Washington should be clear that it has very few tools to pressure China in this regard. 

US foreign aid has prolonged the crisis in Ukraine. As of January 2023, the US commitment to Ukraine amounted to $76.8 billion, of which military aid accounted for the largest share, $46.5 billion, or 61 percent. US media revealed that 40 percent of US military aid to Ukraine is used for the mandatory purchase of US equipment and training services, known as "tied aid." Part of the military aid is a financial loan that will become a long-term liability for Ukraine, said the report released by China titled "the Hypocrisy and Facts of the United States Foreign Aid."

On global issues, apart from expressing "concerns" over China's cooperation with Russia, Blinken will also reportedly discuss the situation in the Middle East. The US has repeatedly called on China both publicly and privately to press Iran to exercise restraint as tensions simmer between it and Israel, according to CNN.

After Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Israel earlier this month, Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he should consider Iran's strikes a win, since they had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel's ability to defend itself. Biden had already made clear to Netanyahu that the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran in response, a senior administration previously told CNN.

Experts suggest that Blinken's upcoming visit, coming as the US presidential election draws near, signals the US government's desire to engage in stabilizing ties with China to avoid any potential incidents that could negatively impact the Biden's election prospects.

The recent frequent visits of Blinken and other US officials to China indicate that without China, it will be difficult for the US to achieve its plans for domestic, regional and global issues. Therefore, the US hopes that China will help it resolve the problems it faces, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

However, since the US is seeking help from China, it should do so on the basis of equality and respect in its communication with China. But now, it seems that the US is adopting a pressuring and commanding attitude towards China. This is not conducive to communication, so the US needs to correct its attitude, Li noted.