China on Sunday released baselines of territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao, according to Xinhua News Agency. 

The Chinese government delimited and announced the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao, which is a natural step to lawfully strengthen marine management and is consistent with international law and common practices, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Sunday. 

The spokesperson said that Huangyan Dao has always been China's territory. In accordance with international law, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, the Chinese government delimited and announced the baselines of the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao.

The so-called "Philippine Maritime Zones Act" aims to further solidify the illegal arbitral award on the South China Sea in the form of domestic legislation and illegally include China's Huangyan Dao and most of the islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao, and their relevant waters into the Philippines' maritime zones, the spokesperson added.

"This move severely violates China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea," the spokesperson said, adding that China firmly opposes it and will continue to do everything necessary in accordance with law to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

The China Coast Guard (CCG) said on Sunday in a statement that it will continuously strengthen patrols and law enforcement in territorial waters off China's Huangyan Dao and relevant waters.

Huangyan Dao is inherent territory of China. For a long time, China has continuously, peacefully, and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over Huangyan Dao. In recent time, the Philippines has frequently dispatched military and law enforcement vessels and aircraft, and public service ships to provoke trouble in the waters and airspace near Huangyan Dao, seriously infringing on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, according to the CCG statement. 

The Philippines has also incited fishing boats to illegally operate in the lagoon of Huangyan Dao. According to the information commanded, some Philippine fishing boats are suspected of engaging in illegal activities such as using poisons for fishing and capturing endangered aquatic wildlife, which harm the fragile ecosystem of the relevant maritime areas.

The CCG will continue to strengthen patrols and law enforcement in the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao and related maritime areas in accordance with the China's Coast Guard Law, fisheries law, Marine Environmental Protection Law, and other laws and regulations, as well as in reference to international laws such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The CCG will firmly maintain good order in the relevant maritime areas, resolutely protect the ecological environment and biological resources of the relevant maritime areas, and firmly safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, read the CCG statement.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday extended congratulations to Donald Trump on his election as president of the United States.

The future of China-U.S. relations is a matter of great concern to both peoples and has drawn significant attention from the international community. Today's world needs an overall stable China-U.S. relationship. Whether China and the United States can find the right way to get along has a bearing on the future of humanity, and that is the question of the century that must be answered.

As Xi has pointed out, history teaches that China and the United States gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. A stable, sound and sustainable China-U.S. relationship serves the two countries' shared interests and meets the aspiration of the international community.

Relations between China and the United States, both permanent members of the UN Security Council and the world's top two economies, are one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. The characteristics of the times, such as the multi-polarization of the world, economic globalization and growing cultural diversity, have given the development of China-U.S. relations an even broader significance and impact. The relationship, which concerns not only the well-being of the two peoples, but the global prosperity in various fields like economy, politics, society and culture, is critical for world peace and development.

The world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, and the international situation is intertwined with changes and chaos. We live in an interdependent world and rise and fall together. With their interests deeply intertwined, all countries need to build maximum consensus for win-win and all-win outcomes. This is the basic starting point for China to view the world and the China-U.S. relationship. Major countries should behave in a manner befitting their status and act with broad-mindedness and a sense of responsibility.

As two major countries, China and the United States should undertake responsibilities for world peace, create opportunities for the development of all countries, provide the world with public goods, and play a positive role in promoting global unity, so that they can be a source of stability for world peace and a propeller for common development.
The international community widely believes that China-U.S. relations are crucial to the world. China cannot solve the world's problems by itself, and the United States can't do it by itself either. Better that the two countries do it together.

Getting the China-U.S. relationship right is not optional, but something the two sides must do and must do well. For China and the United States, turning their back on each other is not an option. It is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other, and conflict and confrontation has unbearable consequences for both sides.

China and the United States have different histories and cultures, social systems and development paths. However, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are the lessons learned from over 50 years of China-U.S. relations and the exchanges between major countries in history, which should be the direction of joint efforts between the two countries.

Specifically, mutual respect is the precondition, because interaction sustains only when differences in social and political systems are respected and acknowledged. Peaceful coexistence is the bottom line. That is because conflict and confrontation between two major countries like China and the United States have unimaginable consequences. Win-win cooperation is the goal. When working together, China and the United States can do great things conducive to the two countries and the world.

China does not engage in the so-called "major-country competition," with clearly stated and transparent strategic intentions. The aim is to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, base its efforts on the goal of meeting people's aspirations for a better life, unswervingly pursue reform and opening-up, and promote the building of an open global economy.

China's policy toward the United States remains highly consistent and stable. It has consistently perceived and envisioned the China-U.S. relationship in the broad context of the accelerating global transformations unseen in a century. The ultimate goal of maintaining good China-U.S. relations is to enhance the well-being of the people of the two countries and show the responsibility of a major country in promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The two sides should form a correct perception of each other's domestic and foreign policies and strategic intentions. China-U.S. interactions should be defined by dialogue and win-win cooperation, not confrontation and zero-sum competition.

China-U.S. relations should not be a zero-sum game where one side out-competes or thrives at the expense of the other. The successes of China and the United States are opportunities, not challenges, for each other. The world is big enough for the two countries to develop themselves and prosper together.

Differences and contradictions are inevitable, but as long as the two sides can strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, negative factors will be gradually reduced and positive factors accumulated. Thereby, the space for benign interactions in China-U.S. relations will become larger and larger.

The China-U.S. relationship has never been smooth sailing. There remain risks and challenges that call for joint attention and resolution.

Looking forward, it is hoped that the United States will work in the same direction with China, view China and its development in a positive and rational light, see each other's development as an opportunity rather than a challenge, let the two countries serve as a boost to each other's development rather than a hindrance, and find the right way to get along in the new era, so as to benefit both countries and the wider world.

Protests have erupted in Israel following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's abrupt firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Times of Israel reported Wednesday. 

Israel Katz, currently the foreign minister, will become defense minister. Gideon Sa'ar will replace Katz as foreign minister, the prime minister's office said Tuesday. Neither has extensive military experience, though Katz has served in the cabinet throughout the war, CNN reported. 

The move came as voters in the US, Israel's most important ally, voted for their next president. Gallant is a close interlocutor for the US administration, and has been said to have daily conversations with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CNN said. 

Gallant said his dismissal stems from disagreements on three issues: ultra-Orthodox military conscription, a hostage deal with Hamas, and a state commission of inquiry into the government's failures related to the October 7 attack that sparked the ongoing Gaza war, according to the Times of Israel.

Gallant, who was considered a moderate voice on security issues, had become an internal obstacle to Netanyahu's approach, Li Weijian, vice president of the Chinese Association of Middle East Studies, told the Global Times. 

Netanyahu and Gallant have long had a divisive working relationship. During the past year, there have been reports of shouting matches between the two men over Israel's war strategy, BBC reported. 

In August, the defense minister questioned the Israeli leader's goal of "total victory" over Hamas in Gaza, calling it "nonsense," The New York Times reported. 

Even before the war in Gaza, Gallant had repeatedly clashed with Netanyahu. Gallant was previously dismissed in March 2023 after Gallant spoke out against Netanyahu government's proposed overhaul of the judicial system, but he was reinstated less than a month later, the Times of Israel reported.

Over a year later, hostages remain unaccounted for, and the safety situation has become unprecedentedly perilous. In this context, Gallant, who advocated for hostage release, was dismissed, prompting protests among ordinary Israelis who are increasingly discontented, Li said. 

Thousands of text messages were sent to anti-government lists calling on citizens to protest the move, and large crowds gathered in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa Caesarea, and other locations t

The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, started its 12th session in Beijing on Monday, with lawmakers reviewing a series of legislative drafts including a draft preschool education law and a draft revision to the Law on Protection of Cultural Relics, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Monday.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the session's first plenary meeting, said Xinhua. The session is scheduled to last until Friday. 

Among the draft laws under review, the draft preschool education law is aimed at enhancing preschool children's rights and ensuring their safety, Huang Haihua, spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said at a press conference on November 1.

Huang noted that the revised provisions of the draft law require special care for preschoolers with unique needs, such as those with specific health conditions.

To further safeguard children's rights, the draft mandates that kindergartens and other educational institutions handle children's personal information responsibly, ensuring their privacy and reputation are protected, according to Huang. Huang said that the draft outlines regulations to ensure food safety in kindergartens and enhance security in surrounding areas.

The review of the draft preschool education law holds significant importance. It can help alleviate the burdens faced by young families in terms of childbirth and child-rearing, promoting diversified preschool education services, and encourage the participation of various social entities to enhance the parenting environment, Zhang Shuhua, director of the Institute of Political Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told the Global Times that the draft is significant as it can strengthen support for preschool education and regulate the operation of kindergartens. 

Lawmakers also deliberated a draft amendment to the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels, and other draft law revisions.

The draft amendment to the law on the deputies was submitted for its first review during the 12th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC on Monday, marking the fourth amendment to the law since its enactment in 1992, according to Xinhua.

It includes enhancing regulations for capacity building of people's congress deputies, improving the mechanism for handling deputies' proposals and suggestions, and regulations for the supervision and management of the deputies' performance, according to Huang.

According to the National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the scientific experiment mirror platform of the China Space Station has recently entered operation phase, providing critical support for scientific research conducted on the station.

The mirror platform is equipped with 14 scientific experiment cabinets, as well as corresponding information, power distribution, fluid cooling and other public support equipment inside and outside the cabin. It is a scientific experiment system on the ground that operates in parallel with the China Space Station. The matching and verification experiments of a large number of scientific experiments that are about to be carried out by the crew members of the Shenzhou 19 spacecraft have already been done there before its launch.

As a critical component of the national space laboratory's ground infrastructure, the mirror platform serves three primary purposes. First, final testing of scientific payloads destined for the Shenzhou and Tianzhou spacecrafts is conducted here before launch, and astronauts can also conduct operational training for scientific experiments. Second, scientific experiments scheduled for the China Space Station can be simulated in advance. Last, in the event of an in-orbit fault, troubleshooting and solution verification can be carried out here, and space-to-ground comparison experiments are supported.

On October 30, China Space Station welcomed the new Shenzhou 19 crew. The three taikonauts on Shenzhou 19 spaceflight mission entered the Tiangong Space Station and met with the other taikonaut trio stationed there.

The primary goals of Shenzhou 19 are to reside on the space station for about six months, conduct space science and application experiments, perform extravehicular activities (EVAs), manage cargo entry and exit, install and recover space debris protection devices and other external equipment on the space station.

The scheduled experiments during the mission include an unprecedented exposure experiment involving bricks made from simulated lunar soil -- a potential building material for future habitats on the moon. The mission carries great importance for the country's development of future manned lunar projects.

China Space Station on Wednesday welcomed the arrival of the new batch of residents - the youngest-ever crew comprising of Shenzhou-19 mission commander Cai Xuzhe and new taikonaut Song Lingdong and female taikonaut Wang Haoze, both of whom were born in 1990, at 12:51 pm, after the manned spacecraft successfully docked with the space station combination at 11 am, 6.5 hours after the lift-off from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said the Shenzhou-19 mission is unique. With its young lineup, the involvement of a female taikonaut and scheduled experiments during the mission, including the unprecedented exposure experiment of the bricks made from simulated lunar soil - a potential building material for future habitats on the moon, the mission carries great importance for the country's development of future manned lunar projects.

Cai returned to the China Space Station on the Shenzhou-19 manned mission just 22 months after his last flight on Shenzhou-14, setting a record for the shortest interval between missions in the history of Chinese taikonauts. Song and Wang were both born in 1990 and are members of the country's third batch taikonauts. The Shenzhou-19 mission is their debut in space. Wang is also the country's first female spaceflight engineer, according to the China Manned Space Agency on Tuesday.

This mission marks the fourth crewed flight in the application and development phase of the space station and the 33rd flight of China's manned space program. Its primary goals are to complete an in-orbit crew rotation with the Shenzhou-18 crew, reside on the space station for about six months, conduct space science and application experiments, perform extravehicular activities (EVAs), manage cargo entry and exit, install and recover space debris protection devices and other external equipment on the space station, Lin Xiqiang, a CMSA spokesperson, revealed at a press conference on Tuesday.

The mission will also involve public outreach, space education, and payload experiments to further enhance space station operational efficiency and maximize its overall utility, Lin said.

During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-19 crew will receive the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft, with their return to the Dongfeng landing site scheduled in late April or early May, said the spokesperson.

After the in-orbit crew rotation with the Shenzhou-19 crew, the Shenzhou 18 crew is set to return to the Dongfeng landing site on November 4, Lin said.

Further optimization

The Global Times learned from the spacecraft developer China Academy of Spacecraft Technology under the country's leading space contractor CASC, on Wednesday that for this Shenzhou-19 mission, the development team optimized the orbital module's design and layout to enhance payload transportation capacity, increasing storage space by 20 percent.

This improvement enables taikonauts and related systems to carry more time-sensitive and ad-hoc supplies. Not only does this advancement support the ongoing improvement of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft and new-generation spacecraft, gradually enhancing payload transport capabilities, but it also provides more efficient and stable in-orbit support for the long-term operation of China Space Station, the academy said in a statement it provided to the Global Times.

Further optimizing the mission, the Long March-2F Y19 rocket had implemented a 30-day testing and launch preparation process for the first time, its developer, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology revealed to the Global Times.

Future manned moon programs

The Shenzhou-19 crew includes two taikonauts born in 1990, making them the youngest crew since the manned space station missions began, Wang said.

This change can be attributed to two main reasons, he explained that with the space station now operational, there is a need for a large number of taikonauts for rotations and demanding tasks.

China is pressing ahead with its goal to land taikonauts on the moon by 2030, accelerating with the development and construction efforts to turn this ambition into reality, the CMSA announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

Wang also said that considering future manned lunar missions, more taikonauts are needed for both testing and actual flight operations, ideally within the 35 to 45 age range for optimal performance. Thus, the participation of 90s-born taikonauts in current manned space mission is indeed encouraging. Selecting younger taikonauts will help ensure that seasoned taikonauts take on leadership and organizational roles during complex future missions, while younger taikonauts focus on collaborative tasks.

China Space Station also welcomed its third female taikonaut and the first female flight engineer in the latest Shenzhou-19 mission.

As manned space missions evolve, the inclusion of more women in manned flights is becoming an inevitable trend. For long-term missions at the space station or future lunar bases, the dynamics are similar, akin to forming a work family in a closed environment, the participation of female taikonauts greatly benefits the work atmosphere. The involvement of female taikonauts indicates that China will incorporate more female technical personnel in future manned missions, Wang noted.

During the Shenzhou-19 mission, biological experiments at the space station will be further enriched based on the first aquatic ecosystem (fish farming) conducted during Shenzhou-18 mission, including experiments with fruit flies.

Three taikonauts of Shenzhou-19 mission will conduct experiments in life sciences, fluid dynamics, combustion, and materials science. Notably, fruit flies will be used as experimental subjects for the first time, creating a sub-magnetic environment in space to study their growth and behavior, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Zhang Wei, a researcher at the Space Application Engineering and Technology Center of the CAS, explained that while Earth has a magnetic field, the moon lacks one, and Mars has a weak magnetic field. By establishing a sub-magnetic environment in space, researchers can investigate how sub-magnetic conditions and microgravity affect animal behavior and growth development.

Fruit flies are an important model organism due to their small size, short life cycle, rapid reproduction, and relatively low chromosome count, making them ideal for genetic experiments. Additionally, many genes in fruit flies are similar to those in humans, providing insights into human genetic diseases and laying the groundwork for studying human adaptability in space.

Additionally, Zhang revealed that as experimental devices and key technologies advance, rat experiments will also be conducted aboard the China Space Station in the future.

According to China Central Television, the lunar bricks made of lunar soil simulant will be sent to China's space station aboard the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft to verify their mechanical and thermal performance, as well as their ability to withstand cosmic radiation. The first lunar brick is expected to return to Earth by the end of 2025.

This unprecedented exposure experiment on "lunar bricks" is a highlight of the Shenzhou-19 mission, Wang said. "China is broadening its research scope and intensifying its investigation, seeking pathways for swift engineering applications. Research on lunar bricks is essential for future lunar scientific explorations, as building long-term research bases on the moon requires construction materials, with the most practical approach being to utilize local resources and, ideally, on-site manufacturing."

If this exposure experiment yields optimistic results, it would mean that the engineering technology for constructing bases on the moon would be supported by data, ensuring its feasibility, Wang said.

When asked if the Shenzhou-19 manned spacecraft mission embodies China's future moon missions, Kang Guohua, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, told the Global Times on Wednesday that one of the most marvelous features of the mission is to bridge the country's grand manned space program and the lunar exploration missions.