A closely watched United Nations (UN) Security Council election delivered a mix of continuity and change on local time Wednesday, as Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Zimbabwe, and first-time member Kyrgyzstan secured seats as non-permanent member of the Security Council, while Germany suffered a notable setback, according to UN News.

The election came against the backdrop of widening geopolitical divisions and repeated deadlock within the UN body in resolving conflicts and preventing wars. The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.

Austria and Portugal won the two seats allocated to the Western European and other States Group, while Trinidad and Tobago was elected from the Latin American and Caribbean Group and Zimbabwe from the African Group.

Kyrgyzstan secured the Asia-Pacific seat after defeating the Philippines in four rounds of voting. Germany, however, suffered what the media refers to as "a historic defeat" in the election, breaking its winning streak.

The Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members with veto power - China, France, Russia, the UK and the US - and 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for staggered two-year terms.

Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia will remain on the Council through the end of 2027, providing continuity in its work.

The Security Council has the authority to impose sanctions, authorize peacekeeping missions, establish international tribunals and, in exceptional circumstances, authorize the use of force.

Although non-permanent members of the UN Security Council do not possess veto power, they can directly participate in the deliberation, voting, and agenda-shaping of issues concerning international peace and security. Their institutional influence should not be underestimated, Gao Wanni, the deputy dean of the School of Politics and International Relations at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Chen Hong, director of the Asia-Pacific Studies Center at East China Normal University, told the Global Times the election outcome reflects the UN member states' response to the principles of geographical balance, fair representation, and the broader trend toward a multipolar world.

Making history

One of the most dramatic and striking moment of the Wednesday election was the win for Kyrgyzstan. This marked not only a major diplomatic breakthrough for Bishkek, but also the return of Central Asian representation to the Security Council for the first time in nearly a decade, following Kazakhstan's 2017-2018 term, according to the UN official news site release and Central Asian media reports.

"A Truly Historic Moment! Thank You for Your Trust!" the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan wrote in a post on X, attaching a video of the announcement of the final round of voting where Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines. In the final round, 142 countries voted in favor of Kyrgyzstan, a two-thirds majority.

After the victory, Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev told reporters "we understand now is a turbulent time" and said Kyrgyzstan will work together with other council members, the AP reported on Thursday.

The Philippine local media Inquier.net covered the close contest between the two countries while highlighting that "Kyrgyzstan is among 59 UN member states that have never served on the Security Council."

According to the Philippine News Agency, Malacanang presidential palace on Thursday said domestic political tensions may have contributed to the Philippines' unsuccessful bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

Pass Blue, an independent, US-based digital publication that monitors and reports on activities by the UN, reported on Wednesday that Kyrgyzstan campaigned on a commitment to the UN Charter, multilateralism and conflict prevention. The permanent representative, Aida Kasymalieva, described the race as a milestone in the country's post-independence development.

"This is not only about a seat," she said during a World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) session on May 20. "It's about the completion of a long chapter of state-building, democratic transition, national consolidation, and international engagement."

Kyrgyzstan's election reflects a deeper demand for representation. Among UN member states, there are numerous landlocked small and medium-sized countries like Kyrgyzstan, yet they have long remained on the margins of the Security Council agenda. In this election, a country that has never held a Security Council seat before defeated the Philippines — which possesses a stronger traditional diplomatic network — by a wide margin of 142 votes to 49. This in itself is a clear signal, Gao said.

The victory also carries broader regional significance. Central Asia sits at the intersection of several issues regularly discussed at the Security Council, including counterterrorism, water security, transnational crime and regional stability. Kyrgyzstan's term is expected to give the region a more direct platform in Council deliberations, the Times of Central Asia report noted.

Bitter defeat

Western media services such as Reuters emphasized more over the fallout of Germany, stating that Germany, which had lobbied hard for a seat, came third for the two places contested by the Western European and Others Group, with 104 votes, against 134 for Portugal and 131 for Austria.

Germany's leading role in rallying support for Ukraine and its close relations with Israel may have cost Berlin the chance of a seat ‌on the UN Security Council, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Wednesday, Reuters reported in another report on Wednesday.

Speaking to the press after the vote, Wadephul called the outcome "a real disappointment." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: "We applied with conviction. We did not achieve our goal," local media DW reported.

According to RFI, this marks Germany's seventh bid for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat and its first-ever defeat. As Europe's largest economy, a G7 member and one of the major UN contributors, Germany had won all six previous campaigns.

DW noted that Germany is the second-largest contributor to the UN. The DW report also said that Wadephul, who had traveled to the UN in New York for the occasion, told the press afterwards that Germany's positions on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza may have influenced how states voted.

"It also may have cost us votes that Germany must always assume a special responsibility to Israel with regard to the Middle East conflict," Wadephul said.

Euronews wrote that diplomatic circles also viewed critically the fact that the German federal government had failed to clearly describe either the US or the Israeli attacks on Iran as violations of international law. Observers saw this as a potential handicap for the candidacy.

The Times headlined its report "Germany suffers historic UN Security Council defeat." A loss to Austria denies Berlin a seat, breaking a winning streak in the periodic ballots, per the Times.

Germany has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council six times to date: 1977/1978, 1987/1988, 1995/1996, 2003/2004, 2011/2012 and 2019/2020, per the federal government.

The defeats of Germany and the Philippines — both close US allies — show reliance on US-style alliances and bloc confrontation is no longer widely supported by the international community, Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Through unilateral measures such as slashing UN funding, successively withdrawing from multilateral mechanisms, and selectively engaging in international affairs, the US has further worsened the international community's perception of the American-style global governance model, said the experts.

According to Li, the election signals expectations that global governance should shift toward greater equity, balance and stability.

Luan Yukun, a 33-year-old climber from North China's Hebei Province, completed a consecutive climb of Mount Qomolangma and Mount Lhotse in less than 48 hours, becoming the first Chinese mountaineer to have accomplished both the Qomolangma-Lhotse consecutive climb and earlier ascents of Mount Qomolangma from its southern and northern routes, China Central Television News (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

According to CCTV, Luan reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma at 11:33 am on May 20 and, instead of descending from Camp 4, he continued toward Mount Lhotse, reaching its summit at 11:31 am on May 22, according to CCTV. He had previously summited Mount Qomolangma from the south face of the mountain (on the Nepalese side) in 2023 and from the northern slope of China's Xizang Autonomous Region, in 2024. 

In a close-up image of Luan posted by CCTV in its coverage, on the summit of Mount Lhotse, Luan looked weathered by the climb, with deep marks from his oxygen mask pressed into his face. He said one finger was badly frostbitten and had turned slightly dark, while his right hand and feet were also affected. "The frostbite was quite serious this time," Luan said. "It is a mark left by the climb, and in a way, also a gift."

After serving in the military, Luan carried that drive into work and mountaineering. He climbed the first high-altitude snow mountain of his life in 2017 and summited Muztagh Ata in 2022. A failed Qomolangma-Lhotse attempt in 2023 became "a regret and a motivation." In 2024, he summited Qomolangma from the tougher northern route.

After returning from more than 8,000-meter to lower altitudes, Luan is often asked why he keeps climbing, he says the feeling is hard to explain, but "everything feels worth it." Mountaineering may not always be enjoyable at the moment, he said, yet the happiness and growth it brings last far longer. "A ship is safest in harbor, but that is not what ships are built for," Luan said.

Several individuals have been administratively punished for cyberbullying a village Party secretary in Central China's Hunan Province after spreading rumors about her wearing "gold earrings" while engaged in flood relief work, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday, citing China's Ministry of Public Security.

According to the report, Shimen County in Hunan Province was recently hit by heavy rainfall. A village cadre remained on the front line of flood control and disaster relief for several consecutive days, going door to door to alert residents, organizing evacuations, arranging temporary shelter, and delivering supplies. Her dedication moved many netizens.

However, while society was rallying to support disaster-relief efforts, a small number of netizens made groundless accusations against her because of the accessories she wore during an interview. They speculated that "the earrings weigh two liang (about 100 grams)," and posted belittling and mocking comments such as "ordinary rural women can't afford gold earrings" and "it would be more touching if she donated the earrings." Their actions interfered with flood relief efforts and created a highly negative impact, according to the Xinhua report.

Public security and cyber security authorities moved swiftly to investigate the case and handled 15 incidents of cyberbullying in accordance with the law. A 44-year-old man surnamed Qin, and a 45-year-old man surnamed Wei, among others, were given administrative penalties in accordance with the law, per Xinhua.

The cyber security department of the public security authorities said it will continue its "Clean Internet" campaign, focusing on tackling prominent online problems such as cyberbullying, online trolls, and online rumors, while cracking down on related illegal and criminal activities to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of the public and maintain order in cyberspace.

AI-related topics are among the highlights of this year's Shangri-La Dialogue. On Saturday afternoon, Meng Xiangqing, the head of China's delegation to the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) responded to questions on AI development during a parallel session and said that China stresses that the final decision-making authority over weapon systems must remain in human hands, and that it opposes the development and use of lethal intelligent weapons that lack human control.

Meng said that, historically, every major scientific and technological invention has had two significant impacts on human society: on the one hand, it has brought tremendous development; on the other, it may also bring enormous disasters.

Speaking about the impact of AI on warfare, Meng said several military conflicts in recent years have profoundly reflected the influence of AI, while also showing, to a considerable extent, a more dangerous trend in the militarized use of AI. For example, various large models are playing an increasingly important role in decision-making, meaning AI is providing support for war-related decisions.

As a responsible major country, China has played an active role in managing emerging technologies. In his remarks before the interactive session, Meng said it is important to actively manage the risks of emerging technologies and prevent a "rules vacuum" in the military field. Allowing algorithms to control matters of life and death could very likely lead to technological loss of control, and even turn scenes from the US film The Terminator into reality. At all times, the control of war and relevant weapon systems must be firmly kept in human hands, he said.

China has submitted a position paper on regulating the military application of artificial intelligence under the framework of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and supports reaching a legally binding international instrument when conditions are mature, said Meng.

When asked to comment on claims by Benjamin Leon, the US Ambassador to Spain, that China is starting to penetrate into critical areas and Spain must be really careful about this, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Spain said on Thursday that the US Ambassador to Spain has made groundless accusations and smears against China and Chinese companies, and arbitrarily meddled in China-Spain cooperation, and China firmly rejects such erroneous claims.

The spokesperson made the remarks when also asked to comment on the US ambassador's claims that China aims to secure dominance in critical technologies through enterprises including Huawei which pose "an unacceptable risk" ⁠to US national security, and claims that China uses unfair trade practices and economic coercion to expand its strategic influence.

The Chinese Embassy spokesperson stated that China and Spain are both sovereign, independent countries. Bilateral cooperation is always based on the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. It is a choice made by the two countries for their own interests, serves the fundamental and long-term interests of both peoples, targets no third party, and will not be subject to outside interference or restrictions. In fact, the deepening of friendly cooperation between China and Spain has received strong support from all walks of life in both nations, the spokesperson added.

"China has always championed open cooperation in science and technology based on mutual respect, fairness, equality and non-discrimination. Chinese firms such as Huawei have operated in Spain in full compliance with local laws and regulations for years, fulfilled social responsibilities, and contributed greatly to local economic and social progress. Arrogance, prejudice and arbitrary labeling can solve no problems and will only harm all parties concerned," the spokesperson continued.

The international community is clear about which country is bent on erecting technological barriers, building a "small yard with high fences," pushing for decoupling and severing industrial and supply chains, and abusing tools such as tariffs, export controls, long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions, the spokesperson said. 

The allegations against Chinese enterprises by the US Ambassador to Spain are totally unfounded in terms of technology and facts, and represent nothing but blatant anti-China political manipulation, according to the embassy spokesperson.

"We hope the US Ambassador to Spain will earnestly implement the important consensuses between the two heads of state, do more that are conducive to boosting mutual trust, and stop making reckless comments and hyping up the so-called 'China threat'," the spokesperson said.

Multiple regions across China on Sunday issued red alerts for rainstorms as heavy, prolonged torrential rain continued to batter the southern and central parts of China, which has resulted in flash flooding, landslides and mudslides. In particular, torrential rain in Southwest China's Chongqing has resulted in three deaths and at least 19 people missing, media reported on Sunday. 

An extreme rainstorm hit Chongqing's Yongchuan district from late Saturday to early Sunday morning, with rainfall in the Chashan Zhuhai community in the district reaching 296.6 millimeters from 2 am to 4 am and peak hourly rainfall of 103.6 millimeters. The sudden downpour had left three dead and 17 people missing as of 2:30 pm on Sunday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday. 

In addition, two people were also unaccounted for after the rain lashed Beibei district in the municipality, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Following the flooding, the flood control and drought relief headquarters at both the municipal and district levels in Chongqing swiftly activated emergency response measures, with over 400 personnel from public security, emergency response, and fire services deployed to the scene for rescue and emergency operations. 

Rescue operations were still underway at full scale as of press time. A total of 168 people have been evacuated and 82 have been relocated and resettled in emergency response efforts, CCTV reported. 

After consultation and risk assessment, the Chongqing flood control and drought relief headquarters decided to upgrade to a Level-I flood control emergency response at the city level in the Yongchuan district starting at 2 pm on Sunday. 

According to the municipal hydrological monitoring center, heavy rainfall has pushed water levels above warning marks at 37 monitoring stations on 22 small and medium-sized rivers across Chongqing, per CCTV. 

China's Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued a red alert for flash flood disasters, forecasting very high risks of flash floods (red alert) in localized areas in western Anhui Province and eastern Hubei Province from 8 pm on Sunday to 8 pm on Monday, while other regions, including western Zhejiang, western and southern Anhui, northeastern Jiangxi, and eastern Hubei have a high risk of flash floods (orange alert) triggered by short-duration intense rainfall, China Central Television reported on Sunday.

In Central China's Hubei Province, the meteorological authority in Wuhan city issued a red rainstorm alert on Sunday morning, warning of over 100 millimeters of rainfall within three hours in some areas and risks of urban and rural waterlogging and geological disasters, and flooding in small and medium-sized rivers, and advising the suspension of public gatherings, classes, and business activities, the Hubei Daily reported on Sunday. 

This is the second red alert for rainstorms issued by Wuhan within a week, following another red alert released on the evening of May 18. Statistics show that Wuhan has issued a total of 14 rainstorm warnings over the past week, according to the Hubei Daily. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that claims of "Taiwan independence" separatists are "not worth commenting on," stressing that Chinese military activities have always been in line with international law and practice. 

Mao made the remarks when asked to comment on claims made by Taiwan regional authorities that the Chinese mainland deployed more than 100 vessels last week in waters stretching from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea, with some reportedly near South Korea, Japan and the Philippines.

In her response, Mao also pointed out that China has always been a constructive force in safeguarding regional peace and stability.

The latest data shows that Japan's defense spending in 2025 increased by 9.7 percent, with both the total amount and its share of GDP reaching record highs, while arms imports surged 76 percent over the past five years. Despite defense spending having risen for 14 consecutive years, right-wing forces in Japan are still clamoring for further increases in military expenditure. This once again shows that Japan is peeling away the disguise of its so-called "peaceful nation" layer by layer and steadily moving down the wrong path of "neo-militarism," Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular press conference on Friday.

Guo's remarks were made when asked to comment on reports that Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has proposed a draft recommendation calling for higher defense spending targets, citing countries whose defense expenditures account for 3 to 3.5 percent of GDP as references, while Japan only surpassed the 2 percent threshold last year. Meanwhile, sales revenue from defense related businesses among Japan's major military industrial companies has also risen sharply in recent years.

Guo said that a series of documents with full force under international law, including the Potsdam Declaration and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, clearly stipulated that Japan must be "completely disarmed" and must not maintain industries which would re-arm it for war. 

Japan's Constitution also made strict restrictions on the country's military forces, the right of belligerency and the right to war, while a series of related laws established principles such as "exclusively defense-oriented policy."

The military-industrial complex was one of the key driving forces behind Japanese militarism's hijacking of the state and its path toward expansion and aggression in history, Guo said.

"Today, however, right-wing forces in Japan are pushing for surging defense spending and loosening restrictions on exports of lethal weapons, once again supporting the development of the military industry, and even attempting to turn it into an economic pillar to facilitate military expansion and war preparations and serve the process of remilitarization," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson urged Asia-Pacific countries to remain highly vigilant against and firmly oppose Japan's reckless moves toward "neo-militarism," and jointly safeguard peace and order in the Asia-Pacific region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a state visit to China.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin is visiting China from May 19 to 20. This is Putin's 25th visit to China. The two presidents will exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of mutual interest, according to China's foreign ministry.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.

The two sides will take this opportunity to continue deepening and elevating relations between China and Russia, so as to inject more stability and positive energy into the world, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said.

China stands ready to work with the US to translate the new vision into actions in the same direction and jointly work for a steady, sound and sustainable development of China-US relations, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday. 

A Reuters reporter said that President Xi talked about a new positioning in ties with the US and also he said both leaders agree that building a constructive and strategically stable relation will guide ties in the next three years and beyond. The reporter asked if the spokesperson could elaborate on the new positioning in ties. 

President Xi Jinping and President Trump held talks this morning. Both sides agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability. This will provide strategic guidance for China-US relations over the next three years and beyond, Guo said. 

"Constructive strategic stability" means positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, healthy stability with competition within proper limits, constant stability with manageable differences, and lasting stability with expectable peace, Guo noted.

In response to a second question about Taiwan question mentioned by the Chinese leader, Guo said that President Xi Jinping noted during the talks with President Trump, the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy. 

"Taiwan independence" and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water. Safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the US. The US side must exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question, Guo said.