Exhibitors use a massive three-meter cauldron to simmer braising liquid in Guilin, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on April 17, 2026 as the city hosts its inaugural Rice Noodle Super League from April 17-20, 2026, coinciding with the vibrant Sanyuesan Festival, which is a traditional festival celebrated by various ethnic groups in China. Photo: VCG

At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will pay an official visit to China from April 11 to 15, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Wednesday. 

China has expanded its pilot free trade zones (FTZ) to 23 with the establishment of the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone, according to a plan made public by the State Council Thursday.

The plan grants the new pilot FTZ in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region greater reform autonomy and encourages pioneering, integrated and differentiated exploration across a wider range of areas and at a deeper level.

It specifies 19 reform and innovation measures, including developing border trade in an innovative way, strengthening international logistics services, improving the efficiency of technology transfer and application, and expanding external exchanges across multiple fields.

The establishment of the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone is an important strategic move to further deepen reforms comprehensively, advance high-standard opening up, and promote high-quality development, according to the plan.

The plan aims to build the pilot FTZ into a hub for information exchange, transportation and logistics, allocation of resources and production factors, sci-tech innovation and industrial cooperation in key areas, connecting domestic and international markets while radiating to neighboring regions.

The FTZ will fully leverage its role as an important bridgehead for China's opening up to the north, and strive to become a high-level FTZ featuring convenient investment and trade, a sound innovation ecosystem, clustering of competitive industries, and vibrant international exchanges.

The pilot FTZ covers 119.74 square kilometers and comprises three subzones in Hohhot, capital of the autonomous region, Manzhouli, a northern border city, and Erenhot, a land port on the China-Mongolia border, each tasked with differentiated functions and the development of industries tailored to local conditions.

China had earlier established 22 pilot FTZs in areas including Shanghai, Guangdong, Liaoning, Hainan, Shandong and Beijing. The previous addition was the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone in 2023.

China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. announced on Saturday that railway construction has been advancing with high quality and efficiency in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, laying a solid foundation for the full-year goals and injecting new vitality into economic and social development.

In the first three months, China's railways completed 137.9 billion yuan (about 20.09 billion U.S. dollars) in fixed-asset investment, a year-on-year increase of 5.1 percent. A series of key railway projects, including the Xi'an-Shiyan high-speed railway and the Shandong section of the Xiong'an-Shangqiu high-speed railway, have achieved significant progress since the start of the year.

The company has leveraged favorable policies, including those for major national projects and programs, to fully leverage the advantages of railway construction's long industrial chain and broad reach, accelerating nationwide railway construction.

China will continue to push forward national key railway projects in 2026, with more than 2,000 kilometers of new national railway lines to be put into service. Looking ahead, the company will implement the key railway construction tasks specified in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), and further leverage railway construction to support the expansion of domestic demand and economic growth.

In response to a media inquiry regarding a report by The Guardian that Pakistani officials said China had directly encouraged Iran to accept a ceasefire and promised to act as a guarantor of Iran's safety in any talks — including assurances that Iranian officials would not be assassinated if they traveled for future negotiations — Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that China has consistently advocated for an early ceasefire and an end to the fighting, and for disputes to be resolved through political and diplomatic means so as to ultimately achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region, according to The Paper.

She added that China hopes all parties will properly resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiations, and that China will continue to make efforts to ease tensions and help bring an end to the conflict, The Paper reported.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to pay a visit to India and hold talks on the boundary question from Monday to Wednesday at the invitation of the Indian side, his first trip to the country in over three years, according to media reports. 

Chinese experts saw the visit as a step toward further improvement of bilateral relations, although they noted further substantive progress is needed to achieve full normalization. 

From August 18 to 20, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Minister of Foreign Affairs and China's Special Representative on the China-India boundary question Wang Yi will visit India and hold the 24th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question at the invitation of the Indian side, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Saturday. 

China and India's special representatives on the boundary question held the 23rd meeting in Beijing in December of 2024 and reached a six-point consensus. 

Wang will hold talks with Shri Ajit Doval, India's National Security Adviser and Special Representative for the China-India Boundary Question, and meet with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.

The two sides are expected to consider several confidence-building measures to bolster peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including the resumption of border trade, and to discuss a mutually acceptable framework for settling the border issue, people familiar with the matter said, according to the Hindustan Times.

In response to a related inquiry, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that China and India are maintaining interactions at various levels. 

"We stand ready to work with India to act on the important common understandings reached between leaders of our two countries, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, cement political mutual trust, enhance practical cooperation, properly handle differences, and promote the sustained, sound and steady development of China-India ties," the spokesperson said.

In recent months, officials from both sides have continued to engage. Wang met with Doval in June, with both sides calling for continued peace and tranquility in border areas. The exchanges continued the following month with the top Chinese diplomat holding talks in Beijing with Jaishankar.

Wang's visit comes days ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned trip to China to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Press Trust of India reported. Since the meeting between Chinese and Indian leaders late last year in Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, relations have been heading toward improvement, and in recent months there has been tangible progress, Long Xingchun, a professor from the School of International Relations at Sichuan International Studies University, told the Global Times.

Hu Zhiyong, a professor from Zhejiang International Studies University and a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the visit would place greater emphasis on restoring communication mechanisms and easing border tensions. 

India media outlet The Hindu reported on Sunday that the visit is being viewed as a significant development in India's diplomatic calendar as it comes days after high penalty tariffs imposed on Indian goods by the US, which, according to the expert, has also prompted India to adjust its diplomacy and seek to further improve ties with China.

When asked about how China sees the bilateral relations with India evolve as India's ties with the US face challenges, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that China and India are both major developing countries and important members of the Global South. A cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant as partners helping each other succeed is the right choice for both sides. 

China stands ready to work with India to act on the important common understandings reached between leaders of our two countries, consistently increase political mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation together, properly handle differences while bearing in mind the bigger picture, and strengthen coordination and cooperation on such multilateral platforms as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with a view to promoting the sound and steady development of China-India relations, the spokesperson added.

Besides, for some time, the Chinese side has been in close communication with India to promote the early resumption of direct flights between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a press conference on Thursday. 

Amid the continued improvement of bilateral relations, a recent proposal by an Indian government's think tank to ease rules that require extra scrutiny for investments by Chinese companies has also sent a positive signal.

However, Long added that the normalization of bilateral relations still hinges on economic and trade relations and personnel exchanges, which in turn requires the resumption of regular flights. These key areas are the urgent priority and a critical indicator of whether China-India relations have genuinely returned to a normal state, the expert added.

India said it will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens from July 24 this year for the first time in five years. Long said that India still needs to demonstrate greater sincerity in improving bilateral relations, such as by streamlining its complicated visa procedures and other barriers.

In response to the criticism made by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul during his visit to Japan, who claimed that China has repeatedly issued public threats in the Taiwan Straits, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea to unilaterally change the status quo, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that the Taiwan question is China's internal affair. The one-China principle is the political foundation for China to establish and develop diplomatic relations with countries around the world, a basic norm of international relations, and a broad consensus within the international community. 

To safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, it is essential to firmly uphold the one-China principle and oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, the spokesperson said.

The situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea remains generally stable. "We urge relevant parties to respect the joint efforts of regional countries to resolve issues through dialogue and consultation and to safeguard peace and stability, rather than stoking confrontation or hyping up tensions," Mao said.

Ahead of his first trip to Asia since taking office in May, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul claimed that "China's behavior in the Taiwan Straits is aggressive," Reuters reported on Sunday. A Chinese expert on European affairs called such a statement highly discourteous in diplomatic practice, negatively impacting China-Germany and China-EU relations.

Wadephul made this statement before a trip to Japan and Indonesia, Reuters said. Speaking to reporters, he praised Japan's solidarity with Europe over Ukraine as he prepared to board a plane, and highlighted the importance and economic potential of the two populous Asian countries, according to Reuters. 

The German Foreign Ministry also published a separate statement from Wadephul in which he expressed concern about China on the Taiwan question as well as   on the East and South China Seas. 

After holding talks with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya on Monday, the German foreign minister repeated those criticism, claiming that China's repeated threats to "unilaterally change" borders in the Asia-Pacific region, the AFP reported.

"It's regrettable that when it comes to China's core interests—particularly the Taiwan question—some German politicians have chosen to make unwarranted remarks rather than show understanding and respect," Jiang Feng, research fellow at the Shanghai International Studies University and president of the Shanghai Association of Regional and Country Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. This provocative move not only reflects a lack of historical awareness but also violates the long-standing political consensus in China-Germany relations, Jiang emphasized.  

The scholar noted that Germany had long been in a state of division and should have a deep understanding of the yearning for national reunification. China's current position on the issue of national unity is, in fact, similar to Germany's own historical aspiration for reunification. 

This was not the first time Wadephul raised the so-called concerns over the Taiwan question. In an interview published by the German Foreign Ministry in July, he claimed that the "status quo" of the Taiwan Straits should not be changed through force. 

Ahead of his visit to Japan, Wadephul also expressed on Sunday his eagerness to reinforce his country's cooperation with Japan in order to stabilize the international order, Japan-based Jiji Press reported.

"Germany and Japan are standing together against the crisis of the global security environment caused by Russia and China," Wadephul said in a statement, per Jiji Press. 

His recent visit and related remarks carry a strong sense of "forming alliances," particularly in interactions with Japan and the US, portraying China as a so-called "aggressor" or "threat," as if positioning themselves as "guardians of regional and even global security," Jiang noted. 

Yet, both Germany and Japan once brought immense disasters to Asia, Europe, and the world at large, which makes their frequent rhetoric on peace and security logically inconsistent, he said. 

"What is more concerning is that, against the backdrop of insufficient historical reflection, voices glorifying war and promoting xenophobia remain present, especially in Japan. As a result, their self-image as 'defenders of peace' inevitably raises questions of legitimacy and credibility, " the expert said. 

It is also worth noting that China and Russia, as victorious powers in WWII, made enormous sacrifices for global peace—China lost tens of millions of lives, and the Soviet Union over 30 million. That sacrifice secured the post-war international order, Jiang said. 

"Today, however, former defeated nations are attempting to reshape the narrative, casting the victors as threats. This is nothing less than a desecration of both history and the sacrifices made," he added. 

In meeting with Wadephul during the 8th round of China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy and Security in July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Taiwan question, to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, it is imperative to firmly oppose "Taiwan independence" and avoid sending any wrong signals to separatist forces. It's also worth noting that during the dialogue, Wadephul said the German government firmly adheres to the one-China policy. The Chinese expert called on Germany to demonstrate consistency between words and actions, and genuinely respect China on the Taiwan question, which is a core interest for China.

At a press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, when responding to a related question related to the Thailand-Cambodia border clash, stated that Thailand and Cambodia are both friendly neighbors of China and important members of ASEAN. Maintaining good-neighborly relations and properly handling differences serve the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides.

He added that China is deeply concerned about the current escalation and hopes both parties will resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation. In light of the common interests and aspirations of regional countries, China, upholding a fair and impartial stance, has been and will continue to play a constructive role in promoting dialogue and de-escalation in its own way.

On Thursday, Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire along their shared border. According to AFP, both Cambodia and Thailand accused each other of firing the first shot in what is the latest clash stemming from a longstanding territorial dispute near two ancient temples.

According to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on Friday, in the national rainfall ranking over the past 24 hours, Yixian county in Hebei, was ranked highest. From 6 am on Thursday to 6 am on Friday, the maximum rainfall in Yixian county reached 447.4 millimeters, and multiple stations reported rainfall exceeding historical extremes. The Yixian meteorological station issued a red alert for heavy rain at 6:11 am on Friday, according to the CMA.

The Hebei provincial meteorological authority upgraded its emergency response for heavy rain to Level III on Friday morning, and issued an orange alert for rain storm, requiring relevant departments to initiate and upgrade their emergency responses to heavy rain disasters in a timely manner, and to make every effort to implement the emergency plans for effective disaster prevention and response, according to the Hebei provincial government.

According to information posted on the official website of the Hebei provincial government, the province sees an average annual precipitation of 484.5 millimeters.

According to the Yixian county government, from 8 am on Thursday to 8 am on Friday, the average rainfall in the county was 253.6 millimeters, with the maximum precipitation reaching 448.7 millimeters in Renyizhuang village. The highest hourly rainfall intensity was 98.1 millimeters, also recorded in Renyizhuang village. As of 8 am on Friday, a total of 1,584 people had been relocated, with no casualties reported, according to the Yixian county government.

From Thursday, heavy rainfall struck areas including Baoding and Chengde in North China’s Hebei Province, as well as Yulin and Yan’an in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, leading to flood disasters, according to a notice posted on the website of the Ministry of Emergency Management on Friday.

In response to the local disaster relief requirements, the office of the national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief, the Ministry of Emergency Management and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, urgently allocated 23,000 items of emergency relief supplies, including folding beds, blankets, emergency lighting, and family emergency kits, to support the two provinces in the emergency relocation and resettlement of affected residents and disaster relief efforts,  the notice read.

The Hebei provincial meteorological disaster prevention and environmental meteorology center issued an urban rainstorm flooding risk warning at 5 pm on Friday.

It is expected that over the next three days, heavy rain will continue in most of the areas including parts of Hebei Province, with some regions experiencing torrential rain and isolated areas facing extreme rainfall, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Friday.

Fifteen rivers across Shanxi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei, Shaanxi, and Guangdong have experienced floods exceeding warning levels, according to CCTV News.

Heavy rainfall lashed north China's Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, causing two deaths and two others missing so far, said local authorities on Saturday.

Widespread torrential rain has persisted across Inner Mongolia since Wednesday, triggering flooding in several areas.

In Xilingol League and cities of Ordos and Ulanqab, more than 22,000 people have been relocated. Over 14,000 pieces or sets of machinery, 737 drainage devices and 8,287 sets of rescue supplies have been deployed across the region, according to the regional emergency management department.

In Fuping County, Baoding City of Hebei, two were killed and two others missing due to the latest round of heavy rainfall starting from Friday.

For the county, the record-breaking downpour has caused direct economic losses of about 203.5 million yuan (about 28.5 million U.S. dollars).

As of 6 p.m. Saturday, more than 46,200 people in the county have been affected by the rainstorms. So far, more than 4,600 local residents have been evacuated, according to the county's flood control and drought relief headquarters.

From 8:00 a.m. on Friday to 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, precipitation was recorded at 1,854 stations across 12 leagues or prefecture-level areas and 92 banners or counties in Inner Mongolia, with heavy rainfall concentrated in Xilingol League and the cities of Ulanqab, Hohhot and Tongliao, said local meteorological authorities.

In response, the region has activated Level-IV alerts for flooding and geological disasters and a Level-III alert for rainstorms. Currently, it has also allocated 34,000 items or sets of relief supplies to support its affected areas.