Multiple kidnappings targeting female Chinese nationals have occurred in various regions of South Africa since June, especially in Gauteng and Eastern Cape provinces, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa warned on Sunday, urging all overseas Chinese in the country to enhance their safety awareness and take extra precautions.

In a warning issued on its official WeChat account on Sunday, the embassy said that the kidnappers tend to attack on weekends, targeting Chinese nationals during commuting hours or after shops have closed. These incidents pose a serious threat to the personal safety and property of the Chinese community.

The embassy said that due to the overall deteriorating security situation in South Africa, the outlook for violent incidents involving Chinese nationals remains grim, warning overseas Chinese to observe the suspicious activities around their homes and businesses, especially around weekends when criminals tend to commit crimes as law enforcement authorities are less responsive.

Female Chinese nationals are advised to avoid going out alone. If unavoidable, they should inform family or friends promptly about their whereabouts, the embassy said.

As criminals usually conduct thorough surveillance before committing crimes, the embassy suggested to pay attention to suspicious vehicles and individuals around shops and prevent collusion between employees and criminals. Pay attention to being followed, change routes frequently, avoid displaying wealth.

The embassy reminded Chinese nationals to use trackers, one-click emergency alarms, or enable remote location tracking on the phone and share account access details, so that in the event of a disappearance, the police can carry out a timely search. In the event of a kidnapping, victims are urged to stay calm, avoid direct confrontation with the kidnappers, and not reveal personal or family financial information.

Families of kidnapped individuals should report to police immediately and avoid disclosing case details to unrelated parties. They should follow the advice of police negotiation experts and refrain from making promises of large ransom payments, said the embassy.

The embassy provided emergency contact numbers, including South Africa's police and medical hotlines, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's global consular protection number, and contact details for Chinese embassies and consulates in South Africa.

One week earlier, the embassy issued a warning that Chinese tourists planning to visit South Africa during the approaching summer holiday should strengthen personal safety measures and ensure a secure trip as several Chinese nationals in South Africa have been kidnapped in recent weeks.

Ahead of the BRICS Summit, the Global Times held its "Global Times Overseas China Week and Global South Dialogue" in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from June 22 to 28 local time. Dozens of guests from the political, academic, media, and business sectors in China and Latin America gathered together for sincere dialogue, enhancing mutual understanding and promoting exchanges through the clash of ideas. During the event, the Global Times also held a photo exhibition titled "Moving forward together across mountains and seas: a decade of China-LAC sustainable cooperation" at the Iberian-American Center for Science and Technology Innovation (CIICTI) in Buenos Aires, which received widespread attention and positive feedback from various sectors in Argentina.

Daniel Filmus, former Minister of Science and Technology in Argentina and Director of the CIICTI, attended the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition and held a book launch for the Chinese version of "The Voice of Latin America." At the event, Global Times reporters (GT) interviewed the seasoned politician and scholar, who has interviewed dozens of presidents from Latin American countries and has maintained keen insights into the modernization processes of these nations, to share his views on the Chinese model. In Filmus's opinion, China's practice demonstrates that economic growth and inclusive sharing can be balanced, and the global vision proposed by China is crucial for Latin American countries.
GT: Firstly, congratulations on the successful launch of your new book - the Chinese edition of The Voice of Latin America. We understand that this book is based on a television program you hosted over a decade ago, where you interviewed more than 10 Latin American presidents. Although a long time has passed, reading this book now still made me feel it is very beneficial for me to deeply understand current Latin American politics. What motivated you to write this book? What core messages do you hope to convey to Chinese readers through it?

Filmus: It was a moment that needed to be captured. For the first time, the presidents of Latin America closely resembled their people. Lula in Brazil was a laborer. Evo Morales in Bolivia was the first president of indigenous origin. There were women presidents. There was even a priest-president in Paraguay-Lugo. There were also presidents like Correa and Chávez, who truly responded to the people's interests. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to interview all of them, and to create a TV series that later became a book.

The publication seeks to provide first-person perspectives on the challenges of The main objective of the Chinese edition of the book is to bring readers closer to the Latin American reality. China is Latin America's main economic partner, but our people still have little knowledge of a reality so geographically distant. The presidents' accounts describe the life and history of our peoples in first-person detail. Through reading it, I hope Chinese readers will feel much closer to our problems and challenges, as well as closer to the shared sense of peace and friendship.

GT: In this book, almost all the interviewed presidents discussed the issues of poverty and inequality facing Latin America. Where do you believe the root causes of these problems lie? What lessons can Latin America learn from China's development model and successful experiences?

Filmus: The main cause of Latin America's poverty and inequality problems lies in the fact that the economic and social structures built through colonization and subsequent dependence on central countries have not yet been transformed. That is why the presidents featured in the book prioritize industrial development and the contribution of science and technology to achieve an economy that better distributes the benefits of that growth.

The Chinese example shows us that it is possible to grow and ensure that growth benefits everyone. China's development in recent decades shows that enormous growth can be combined with a targeted effort to lift people-especially rural populations-out of poverty. China's vision for the world-through the Global South and BRICS-is important to us. It proposes a development model without a global division of labor where some only supply raw materials and others make technology. We believe in integration, where Chinese-developed technology can be shared to benefit all countries.
GT: Regional unity is also a key theme in this book. As an important member of the Global South, China shares extensive common interests and cooperation space with Latin American and Caribbean countries in many areas. In the face of US interference in Latin America, what significance do you think deepening China-Latin America cooperation has for maintaining regional unity? How do you think of the three major global initiatives (Global Development Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Security Initiative) proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping on the development of Latin America?

Filmus: During that same decade, Latin America created CELAC and UNASUR-two major regional organizations without US participation. For the first time, Latin America and the Caribbean countries organized themselves independently. These organizations, especially the UNASUR reflected a unified Latin American voice, a desire for a shared future, and a multilateral approach.

Latin America had long been seen as the backyard of the US. But these presidents-many of whom are still influential today-never imagined tying Latin America's destiny solely to that of the regional superpower.

Ideas about Global South cooperation matter deeply to us. As Argentinians, we're very disappointed that our current government is withdrawing from BRICS. That's a huge setback. Argentina's main economic partners are Brazil and China. BRICS includes the biggest markets in the world. As an exporting country, we should be in that common market and partnership.

Most Latin American countries believe in multilateralism. In this regard, they consider the initiatives launched by President Xi to be important contributions to the sustainable growth of countries with the greatest development needs, to bringing together nations with very different traditions and histories but a shared vision for the future, and to building a more collaborative and peaceful world. At a time when humanity is in such turmoil and facing such a high risk of war, these three initiatives contribute to generating a universal culture of development, sustainability, and peace.

GT: You visited China twice, in 2008 and 2023, while serving as Argentina's Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, respectively. What impressions did these two visits leave on you, and what differences and changes did you observe?

Filmus: During both of my trips to China, I spent most of the time working and had little chance to explore the country, but I read a lot about and study China. At the center I direct, we're conducting several studies on China, primarily to learn from its experiences. For example, how China used digital and ICT technologies, alongside major public infrastructure, to lift hundreds of millions out of poverty and how China applied these technologies-especially recently, artificial intelligence-to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) grow. SMEs are the primary employers in Latin America. So we're focusing on that.

As a former Minister of Science and Technology in Argentina, the main impression China left on me is that China is invested in education, science, and technology-and in transferring that knowledge to production to improve people's lives.

Thirty years ago, South Korea was more developed than China-perhaps similar to Argentina at one point. But through heavy investment in science and tech, Korea surged ahead. Today, China rivals or exceeds that. The key was its investment in education, science, and tech. That's a vital lesson for us. So in general-not just for Argentina, but for China and Latin America-I believe that scientific and technological cooperation is one of the most important tools for integration.
GT: In a media interview, you mentioned that China has undergone profound developmental changes, but the most important aspect is the advancement of technology. In our conversations with local people, we also found that technology is a frequently mentioned key word. Many Argentinians affirm and appreciate China's technological progress and industrial upgrading. Could you share the current status of cooperation between China and Argentina in the field of technology? What do these highlights of cooperation reflect? How do you think technological cooperation contributes to strengthening China-LAC relations?

Filmus: In terms of scientific cooperation, Argentina and China have a long history that began with the recovery of Argentine democracy in the mid-1980s when the first agreements were signed. In 2004, President Néstor Kirchner visited Beijing, and agreements were signed that allowed for the first steps of effective collaboration. During those years, as Minister of Education, Science, and Technology, I initiated a significant number of initiatives that deepened the bond between our countries. In the following years, decisive progress was made in implementing cooperation. The agreement signed between CONICET and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2005 marked the beginning of a joint effort that continues to this day.

In 2021, we created the Binational Chinese-Argentine Center for Innovation Policy Studies in Science and Technology with the aim of addressing technological changes and innovation strategies and promoting development. In 2023, after visiting China, we further strengthened our work in the areas of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Biomedicine, Astronomy, Space Studies, Polar and Environmental Studies, and doubled our efforts to enable more young Argentines and Chinese to engage in educational and labor exchanges.

No one will dispute that the China represents one of the most significant social experiences in the history of humanity. Over time, it has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to generate diverse systems of government and models of political, cultural, and economic organization, accompanying-and in many cases, challenging-the historical contexts and changes of eras. Today, China once again proposes to the world a strategic dialogue aimed at rethinking the future of the international system in the medium and long term-the Belt and Road Initiative.

In this framework, in the institutional mission of the CIICTI, we have set out to resume the long tradition of scientific and technological cooperation with China. We are developing joint research with academic institutions and universities in China on the comparative experience with Latin America in the inclusion of digital technologies in poverty eradication and the introduction of new automation technologies. We must pay close attention to the Chinese experience in these and other issues related to economic development and social integration.

When asked about China's expectations for the 17th BRICS Summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at the regular press conference on Wednesday that the BRICS cooperation mechanism serves as the most important platform for solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, and represents a key force in advancing an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization. 

Mao noted that this year's summit is the first since the accession of new member Indonesia and 10 partner countries, with several international and regional organizations from other emerging markets and developing nations also invited to attend. She said China looks forward to working with all parties to strengthen the BRICS strategic partnership, contribute to upholding multilateralism, promoting common development, improving global governance, and driving high-quality development of the BRICS cooperation framework.

At the press conference, Mao Ning announced that Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 5 to 8 at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Also, at the invitation of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Premier Li will pay an official visit to Egypt from July 9 to 10.

Question: On 24 June, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy made a statement on the "China Audit" in the House of Commons. While emphasising China's importance and the need for increased engagement and cooperation with China, he continued to falsely claim that China poses multiple security threats to the UK and made unwarranted comments on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and human rights. On the same day, the UK released its National Security Strategy report, which also mentioned China multiple times. What is China's comment?

Embassy Spokesperson: We firmly oppose the erroneous remarks in the UK's statement and report that spread "China threat", make groundless accusations against China, and interfere in China's internal affairs.

Facts fully demonstrate that China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. China's development does not pose a challenge or threat to any country; rather, it brings opportunities for shared development to countries around the world. Accusations such as Chinese espionage, cyber-attacks, and transnational repression against the UK are entirely fabricated, malicious slander. Issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and human rights are purely China's internal affairs, which brook no interference from any external force. China's determination to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests is unwavering. We will never allow any external force to provoke or stir up trouble.

We urge the UK to see the situation clearly, adopt the right mindset, and completely abandon Cold-War mentality and ideological bias. Only by maintaining a correct perception of China and adhering to mutual respect and open cooperation can dialogue and exchanges across various fields between China and the UK proceed smoothly, and bilateral relations achieve steady and sustained progress.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 10th Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Board of Governors, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday that China's economy will remain a thriving land in the global economy, and the expansion and upgrading of the massive Chinese market will keep generating significant dividends, offering greater trade and investment opportunities for other countries, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li affirmed China's commitment to high-standard opening up and its ongoing deep integration into the global economy, a move set to create fresh development opportunities worldwide.

Li noted that when the AIIB was launched, President Xi Jinping proposed making the AIIB "a new type of professional, efficient, and clean multilateral development bank."

Over the past decade, the number of AIIB members grew from 57 to 110, Li said, praising the bank for having fueled the common development of its members, pioneered new models of global financial governance, and set a new example for international multilateral cooperation.

Regarding the bank's future development, Li said that in the face of global growth challenges, the AIIB should enhance its support for the members' development.

"The AIIB ought to offer high-quality, low-cost financing that caters to members' varied development needs, facilitate the sharing of expertise and experience, and help strengthen their endogenous growth momentum," Li said.

Furthermore, the premier emphasized that the AIIB needs to promote more international dialogue and coordination and play a better role as a new multilateral platform in addressing global governance challenges.

"China is ready to work with all parties to support the AIIB in starting a new decade of glory, and make greater contributions to promoting the sustainable development of its members and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity," Li said.

Marking its 10th anniversary, the AIIB convened its Board of Governors, the bank's highest authority and decision-making body, from June 24 to 26 in Beijing. Under the theme "Connecting for Development, Collaborating for Prosperity," the event brought together over 3,500 participants from nearly 100 countries and regions, China Media Group reported. 

The annual meeting highlighted the bank's key achievements in advancing sustainable economic development, creating wealth and improving infrastructure connectivity across our Members in Asia and beyond, according to a release issued on the bank's official website.

International and domestic experts have welcomed China's reaffirmed commitment to greater openness and global economic integration, praising the China-initiated AIIB for its significant role in promoting sustainable growth in developing economies and advancing multilateral governance. Amid growing global volatilities, they note China's mutually beneficial investment approach has become a vital stabilizing force, boosting confidence in the world economy.

Far-reaching gains

Founded in 2015, AIIB has grown from 57 founding members to 110 across six continents, covering 81 percent of the world's population and 65 percent of global GDP, Xinhua News Agency reported. The multilateral development bank (MDB) is playing an increasingly prominent role in advancing connectivity, green growth, and sustainable development across regions.

In just under 10 years, AIIB has invested more than $60 billion in over 300 projects in 38 economies, with projects spanning from Indonesia to Uzbekistan, from Egypt to Brazil, delivering clean energy, transport networks, water systems and digital connectivity, according to AIIB's official website. 

The AIIB represents a significant collective endeavor that brings diversity to the MDB landscape, said Joël Ruet, a French economist and chairman of The Bridge Tank, a G20 affiliated think tank. "It's massive as its engagement in volume increasingly compares with the historical World Bank; it's collective as its governance and shareholding has been open in a very inclusive way to countries, even non-BRI members," Ruet said. 

Ruet told the Global Times on Thursday that AIIB also promotes diversity through its portfolio strategy, which focuses on large-scale economic transformation and green initiatives across multiple continents, China's push for further opening-up is expected to create more opportunities for such win-win cooperation, the expert said.

"China was seminal in crafting the AIIB of course, and many programs of the bank draw from China development experience at home and abroad. Also, its governance is open and not China-centric. This is a real institutional innovation," Ruet stressed.

Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that Premier Li's remarks once again reflect China's open and inclusive approach to economic cooperation, an approach that is also embodied in the operational model of AIIB, which is expected to promote more investment cooperation across economies and regions.

In a pre-meeting interview with Xinhua, AIIB president Jin Liqun said the bank's success stems from developing and developed members, large and small shareholders, working together in a consensus-driven manner. By fully embracing multilateralism, AIIB has achieved remarkable growth over the past decade, which is the most critical factor behind AIIB's progress, Jin said.

"We provide not just financing, but the invaluable knowledge and development expertise that money alone cannot buy," Jin emphasized that as a multilateral development institution, AIIB must look beyond its own growth to promote regional and global integration.

As of 2024, the AIIB had supported the development of over 51,000 kilometers of transport infrastructure, benefiting more than 410 million people. It had also added 21.3 gigawatts of renewable energy generation capacity and backed energy projects that collectively help reduce nearly 30 million tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions annually, Xinhua reported.

Carl Fey, professor of strategy at the BI Norwegian Business School and affiliated scholar at Boao Forum for Asia, highlighted AIIB's "large impact" on Asia through mutually beneficial development projects. "It is important that China and other AIIB investors have been willing to share their growing prosperity with countries in need across Asia, helping to raise living standards in the region's less fortunate areas," Fey told the Global Times on Thursday.

Fey noted that AIIB has become more essential than ever in today's increasingly polarized world, where some developed nations are reducing investments in development projects. 

Innovative future

Adapting to new development priorities, the AIIB is strategically focusing on emerging areas, such as green energy, digital transformation and AI adoption, which are aligning with this year's event focus on cross-border connectivity, regional cooperation, green finance, private capital mobilization, and digital partnership building.

Fey said through leveraging China's technology capacity and transition experience, AIIB has made lots of efforts in boosting green energy capacity across several regions. "As China's economy has grown stronger, it is encouraging to see the country assuming greater leadership through AIIB and other initiatives to support economic development in these nations, particularly in enhancing green and sustainable growth capacity across Global South," he added.

Jin emphasized AI's vast potential for "offering developing countries an opportunity to leap ahead in their development," per the Xinhua report. "That's why our infrastructure investments must evolve with the times. We should ensure that emerging technologies like AI help narrow, not widen, the digital divide, especially for the developing world."

In 2024, the AIIB approved $8.4 billion in financing for 51 projects spanning energy, water, transport, sustainable cities and digital and social infrastructure, reflecting the bank's ongoing commitment to financing "infrastructure for tomorrow" and delivering measurable development outcomes, according to a report published on the bank's official website on Monday.

The AIIB differs quite a lot from traditional Western-led financial institutions, Wang noted, saying, "Unlike traditional development banks that focus primarily on philanthropy programs, AIIB maintains sharper focus on long-term bottleneck projects in the real economy, these transformative projects that empower developing nations to achieve self-reliant and sustainable growth." 

Amid a global trend driven by innovation, digital transformation and new technology adoption will empower the AIIB to enhance operational efficiency, thereby providing developing nations with new growth opportunities and greater risk resilience. It will also help stabilize global economy and boosting confidence in growth, according to Wang.

China's first Type 055 10,000-ton-class destroyer, the Nanchang, which was launched eight years ago on June 28, 2017, had once confronted two foreign warships in a "one-versus-two" standoff and forced them to retreat, China Central Television (CCTV) revealed on Saturday, marking the 8th anniversary of its launch.

At 6 am of an unspecified date, the battle alarm suddenly sounded aboard the Nanchang. Two foreign vessels had made sharp turns one after another, attempting to cut through the routine formation of the Chinese naval fleet.

"Our fleet was conducting routine operations in international waters when foreign warships loitered nearby. Their maneuvers showed clear intent to break through our formation. A warship is sovereign territory at sea—this was a blatant provocation," said Xu Wenqian of Nanchang, according to the CCTV report.

Despite repeated warnings, the foreign ships did not respond and continued trying to breach the Chinese formation. The Nanchang was forced to execute tactical maneuvers to block their path, Xu said.

"I could hear the commander constantly issuing helm orders. I made frequent adjustments to alter our ship's direction and stop them from traversing," Xu said.

Faced with the Nanchang's resolute countermeasures, the two foreign vessels found no chance to cut through and eventually left, according to the CCTV report.

The Type 055 missile destroyer marked a breakthrough in large destroyer design, integrating advanced technologies in overall architecture, information systems, and modular construction. With superior situational awareness, air defense, missile interception, and maritime strike power, it epitomizes the current pinnacle of China's naval technology. Its over 100 vertical launch cells can carry a mix of air-defense, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and land-attack missiles, making it the Chinese People's Liberation Army PLA Navy's most heavily armed destroyer to date, per the CCTV report.

Previously, Chinese official media on Sunday released footage documenting J-15 fighter jets taking off from an aircraft carrier at an undisclosed location in Western Pacific to expel foreign aircraft believed to be attempting mock attacks on the Chinese carrier group.

The US State Department issued a "worldwide caution" for Americans on Sunday, saying that the conflict in the Middle East could put those traveling or living abroad at an increased security risk, the AFP reported.

The US attacked three key Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday local time. US President Donald Trump claimed the operation “obliterated” the sites, but officials are still assessing how significant of a blow it dealt to Tehran’s program, CNN reported. 

CNN said B-2 stealth bombers dropped more than a dozen massive “bunker-buster” bombs on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz facilities, while Tomahawk missiles struck Isfahan, according to a US timeline of the attack.

Iran is yet to reveal the extent of the damage caused to its nuclear facilities, or outline its full response, the Al Jazeera reported. 

But it launched a fresh barrage of missiles into Israel that wounded dozens and flattened buildings in Tel Aviv, according to the media report.

The Al Jazeera also noted that Israel continues attacks on Iran, carrying out another wave of air raids on Tehran and western parts of the country and claiming hits on missile launchers, satellite facilities and military radar sites.

Trump suggested the possibility of regime change in Iran, after his top officials said the administration wasn’t interested in such a move, the Washington Post said. 

Iran’s permanent representative to the UN described the US strikes as a “blatant crime” and accused Israel of drawing Trump into the conflict, adding that Iran’s armed forces will decide the “timing, nature, and scale of Iran’s proportionate response,” according to the Washington Post.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday the US attacks on the country's three nuclear facilities indicated that the US is the "main factor" behind Israel's hostile actions against Iran, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Pezeshkian said although the US initially was trying to deny its role in Israeli strikes against Iran, it eventually joined the war, Xinhua said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a gathering marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will deliver a speech at the gathering, which is set to be held on Sept. 3 in Tian'anmen Square, downtown Beijing.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has called for continuous efforts to build the manufacturing industry stronger to advance Chinese modernization.

Xi made the remarks during his inspection tour in a bearing producer in Luoyang City, central China's Henan Province, on Monday afternoon.

Xi visited the company's intelligent manufacturing plant to learn about the performance and applications of various types of bearing products. He inspected the intelligent production lines and had an amiable conversation with the workers.

"China has always adhered to the path of developing the real economy. From the past reliance on imported matches, soap and iron, to now becoming the world's largest manufacturing country with the most complete industrial categories, we have taken the right path," Xi noted.

China must continue to strengthen the manufacturing sector, adhere to the principles of building self-reliance and strength, and master core technologies in key fields, Xi said.

He also urged efforts to strengthen collaboration between industries, universities and research institutes, and cultivate a large number of high-quality talents.

The producer, Luoyang Bearing Group Co., Ltd., is a traditional manufacturing firm that has invested heavily in scientific and technological research and made significant progress in industrial upgrading in recent years. Its wind turbine main bearings now hold over 40 percent of the domestic market share.

The Shenzhou-20 crew members, who are currently on board China's space station, will conduct their first extravehicular activities (EVAs) within the next few days, the China Manned Space Agency announced on Wednesday.

Since entering the Tiangong space station on April 25, the three astronauts have completed a series of tasks in orbit, including the rotation with their predecessors Shenzhou-19 crew members, the maintenance and upkeep of the space station platform, inspections and tests of EVA suits, and medical rescue exercises.

All space science experiments have been progressing as planned, the agency said.

It also confirmed that the three Shenzhou-20 crew members are in good health and the space station is operating smoothly, ready for the upcoming space walk.