A worker fulfills domestic and overseas orders for logistics equipment at a manufacturing company in Wuhu, East China's Anhui Province, on April 28, 2026. Profits of industrial enterprises above designated size in China hit 1.696 trillion yuan ($248.57 billion) in the first quarter of 2026, up 15.5 percent year-on-year, according to official data. Photo: VCG

The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) called for strengthening cooperation between Hong Kong and Macao and the mainland in economy and trade, science and technology, and culture, and improving policies and measures to facilitate the development and life of Hong Kong and Macao residents on the mainland. It also called for boosting exchanges among youth and at the grassroots level, and continuing to create better conditions for Taiwan youth to pursue their dreams on the mainland.

A growing number of young people from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are planting the seeds of their dreams across the vast and fertile land of their motherland. Weaving their personal aspirations into the tide of the times, and with the support of various policies, they are writing vivid stories of entrepreneurship. Their journeys offer a window into the profound sense of national commitment and striving spirit alongside the motherland.
"Hi! Fancy a freshly made ice cream?" At Longtan Park in Longgang District, Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, a virtual cartoon "store manager" on the screen of an ice cream robot warmly greets visitors.

After visitors scan a QR code, select a flavor and complete payment, a compact white robotic arm springs into action, placing a cup beneath the dispenser. As the cup rotates gently, the ice cream is layered into a torch-like swirl. In under 30 seconds, an ice cream is made and sent to the serving area.

This ice cream robot, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) interactive technology, is the latest achievement of Lun Wenjing, a post-2000s girl from Hong Kong, who started her business in Shenzhen. The machines have already been deployed across Shenzhen's Guangming, Longgang, Longhua and Futian districts. From conceiving the idea of starting a business in 2022 to developing products such as unmanned coffee kiosks and ice cream robots, she has dared to think, try, and strive. On the fertile ground of innovation that is Shenzhen, she has deeply cultivated intelligent unmanned retail machinery and pursued her entrepreneurial dreams.

Identify demand

In Guangming District, Shenzhen, the production workshop of Shenzhen Chuangjie Zhilian Technology Co, founded by Lun, is bustling with activity.

"Ice cream robots and unmanned coffee kiosks operate on essentially the same logic and principle. They rely on a complete algorithm to precisely schedule hundreds of parts. We have applied for more than 20 invention patents," said Lun, born in 2001, speaking eloquently about her products.

Why choose to start a business in Shenzhen? In the summer of 2020, Lun became a student in the Department of Economics at Shenzhen University. Shenzhen University has a strong entrepreneurial atmosphere, and besides her studies, she thought most about finding entrepreneurial opportunities. During her freshman year, she participated in the school's entrepreneurship competition, gaining experience and broadening her horizons through repeated competitions.

In 2022, while still a sophomore, Lun had an idea over a cup of coffee: Guangdong's robotics industry was booming, and robotic arms were already widely used in smart manufacturing. Could these "tireless" robotic arms be brought into the beverage sector? The idea of building an unmanned coffee kiosk took root from that moment.

But was the idea commercially viable? Lun was not sure. After giving it careful thought, she decided to work part-time at a tea shop first to better understand the market. "I can't just make assumptions or act on impulse; I have to accurately identify the demand," she said.

Every weekend, Lun worked part-time at a popular tea shop in downtown Shenzhen. She took orders, prepared drinks and delivered them to customers, gradually becoming familiar with every step of the beverage-making process.

Lun then reached out, one by one, to the people she had met at entrepreneurship competitions. Armed with strong determination and a clear plan, she quickly brought together a like-minded team with complementary strengths in computer science, power machinery, journalism and communication, with each member assuming a clearly defined role.

Support also came from her university. In 2022, Lun's unmanned coffee kiosk project stood out from more than 70 entries in a call for startup incubation at Shenzhen University's entrepreneurship park. The team was given free workspace, utilities and WiFi, helping cut operating costs significantly.

At the outset, Lun and several of her partners pooled 1 million yuan ($145,700) of their own money, but it was far from enough. Just as she was worrying about funding, a new partner came on board - Pei Yicheng, a computer science graduate of Shenzhen University, who had likewise taken part in the university's entrepreneurship competitions.

Also born in the 2000s, he was very optimistic about Lun's project and understood cutting-edge AI technology, so he joined with funds and took the lead in technology research and development.

Policy support

Technical challenges are fraught with difficulties. Even after resolving the funding issue, Lun still faces research and development challenges.

The team had to develop its own algorithms while carefully selecting every component. Whenever they had spare time, they were also out searching for suppliers. Thanks to the Greater Bay Area's comprehensive industrial ecosystem, virtually everything they needed was readily available, easing much of the burden on the team.

"It takes little more than an hour to travel from Shenzhen to factories in Dongguan, Huizhou and other nearby cities in Guangdong. This has greatly reduced both coordination time and transport costs. Suppliers also respond very quickly. On one occasion, we raised our requirements in the morning and received samples the very next day," Lun said.

In May 2023, the team assembled a prototype of the unmanned coffee kiosk in the lab. After repeated testing and fine-tuning, they were able to realize the core concept of intelligent coffee-making.

To turn the prototype into a commercial product, Lun began planning to establish a company in the second half of 2023. While searching for a location, she consulted widely and carried out multiple site visits before identifying Shenzhen's Guangming District as a promising base.

"Guangming District offers strong support for startups," Lun said, noting that the district's Science and Technology Innovation Service Center has set up a Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao youth innovation and entrepreneurship base and introduced professional incubators. Startups that move in can receive professional guidance, enjoy three years of rent-free office space and obtain start-up funding.

In September that year, Lun rented a 200-square-meter office free of charge at the entrepreneurship base and officially registered the company.

By establishing a presence in Guangming District, the team also gained access to numerous resources. In November of that year, with the assistance of the Guangming District Science and Technology Innovation Bureau and the Commerce Bureau, the company obtained a free exhibition at the China Hi-Tech Fair, where the company's 1.0 version of the unmanned coffee kiosk prototype was successfully unveiled.

"With its complete industrial chain, supportive policies and strong backing for startups, the Greater Bay Area is especially friendly to first-time entrepreneurs," Lun said.

In July 2025, the team launched the 5.0 version of its unmanned coffee kiosk and moved into mass production. The new model can prepare three drinks simultaneously in fully automated fashion, with each drink taking about 70 seconds. It also features new AI-powered interactive functions, including a virtual store manager carefully designed by the team to converse with customers.

Growing business

In July 2025, shortly after the 5.0 version of the unmanned coffee kiosk was launched, a company in Huizhou approached Lun's team and placed an order for 25 units at once, planning to install them in pedestrian streets and other cultural and tourism venues. The 6-million-yuan deal was the largest order the company had received since its establishment, providing a much-needed cash injection just as funds were running low.

But the order also brought new challenges. "Previously, our products had all been used indoors. Suddenly, they were being moved outdoors, with no shelter from the elements, exposed to wind, sun and rain, and expected to withstand typhoons and extreme heat. Could the product really stand up to that kind of test?" Lun recalled.

They had to tackle the challenges head on. Lun and Pei took the product to the site and tackled problems as they arose. When rainwater seeped in during typhoons, they thickened the machine's waterproof coating. When ground temperatures climbed above 60 C in extreme heat and the screen repeatedly malfunctioned, they immediately contacted the supplier and replaced it that same day with a heat-resistant screen.

It was also at this point that Lun realized where the real bottleneck lay: If the products were to be rolled out on a large scale in the future, on-site operations and maintenance would be critical, and the team lacked talent in that area.

Born in 1997, Hong Zhaolong is also an alumnus of Shenzhen University and had previously started a business in the convenience store sector. His arrival helped fill the company's gap in market operations.

"Coffee kiosks need to be cleaned every day and restocked daily, so on-site operations and maintenance must be standardized," Hong said. After joining the company, he worked with the team to map out seven major categories and 163 specific operations and maintenance tasks, giving the work a unified template and raising standards to a new level.

Not long afterward, a company from Northeast China's Jilin Province approached Lun, hoping it could adapt the unmanned coffee kiosk model to develop customized machines for herbal wellness drinks and ice cream.

Off-the-shelf components could not meet the demands of customization, making tailor-made parts essential. To solve the problem, Lun reached out to multiple suppliers. In the end, a supplier in Guangming District was persuaded to join the effort and began producing bespoke components specifically for the ice cream robot. At the same time, Pei led the technical team in developing proprietary technologies, including a dedicated Internet of Things development system.

Soon, four customized ice cream robots were developed and put into operation in Changchun, Jilin. Today, the robots can be found in 10 parks across Shenzhen, each featuring its own distinctive exterior design and virtual character.

"The entrepreneurial journey has come with its share of ups and downs, but our team has only grown stronger along the way. Clients and suppliers have become partners, and our products are reaching ever farther afield, it feels remarkable," Lun said with emotion. "This fertile ground has given ideas the space to grow. Going forward, we will continue to build our future in Shenzhen."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday that China-US economic and trade relations are essentially mutually beneficial and win-win in nature, noting that both sides should jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, so as to provide greater stability for bilateral economic and trade cooperation. 

Mao made the remark when asked by a foreign reporter whether China would "reinstate" export restrictions on rare earths to the US, as US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the US is able to access Chinese rare earths while working on plurilateral agreements to boost alternative supplies of critical minerals, according to Reuters. 

"For specific questions, you may contact relevant Chinese authorities," Mao said. 

"When I said, 'I love you,' its eyes immediately lit up with red heart emojis and it responded affectionately in both Chinese and English." Ram Niranjan Sharma, an Indian business consultant, still vividly remembers the encounter at an expo in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province, in 2023. The small cat-shaped robot, which could read emotions, shattered his preconceived notions about tech products. "At that moment, I felt warmth from technology I'd never experienced before, and now I see this kind of caring, emotional innovation has spread far and wide."

In China, this quest for warmth and connection has crystallized into a growing trend known as "emotional value consumption." In the past two years, this term has become a defining buzzword in China's consumer landscape. From collectible blind boxes and anime merchandise to AI-powered companionship apps, young Chinese are increasingly spending not for utility, but to find psychological comfort, express their identity, and create moments of joy - prioritizing mental satisfaction over mere function.

This is not just a local trend. A global wave of "emotional value consumption" is surging, with the market for mood-enhancing products projected to grow robustly. London-based market research company Euromonitor International has predicted that the global market for mood-enhancing products will grow at a 12.3 percent compound annual growth rate through 2028.

Amid this worldwide shift, a new wave of Chinese products has risen to global prominence. Blending gentle Eastern aesthetics with thoughtful, responsive technology, these products speak to a universal human need for comfort and understanding and are winning hearts around the world.

A new wave of choices

When asked about his initial impression of "emotional value consumption," Sharma described it traditionally: products that offer emotional connection more than just utility. "Globally, from the US and European countries to India, these have often taken familiar forms: nostalgic gifts, handmade crafts, limited-edition collectibles, or personalized presents. Think of a locket for a photograph, a vintage video game console, or a finely restored classic bicycle," Sharma told the Global Times.

The impulse to pay for what moves people is timeless. But in today's China, Sharma observed an "upgraded version" of this emotional linkage.

What recently stirred him was something he hadn't anticipated encountering in the realm of hardcore tech products. "Two years ago, at a robotics expo in Beijing, I saw humanoid robots for the first time. They could deliver goods in stores, and also make tea and coffee for you," he said, adding that today, he's seeing many Chinese robots go beyond those functional tasks - engaging people in conversations and even cracking jokes.

This blend of advanced capability and personal touch is what defines the new wave for many consumers. Nepali influencer Garima Ghimire first discovered these China-made offerings with an emotional touch through social media. "While scrolling, I saw people sharing their favorites, which immediately caught my attention," she said. Drawn in, she began visiting malls to explore them in person. "The variety is dazzling, and there's always something new to catch the eye," she added.

Online, she has observed a global community sharing heartwarming experiences with Chinese emotional value products - from a stringless guitar featured in Time magazine's Best Inventions of 2025 list to a sleep pillow modeled after the "Mo," a mythical dream-eating creature from the renowned ancient Chinese mythology text Classic of Mountains and Seas, and from original beauty brands to autonomous companion robots.

"There was something about their design, the playful interaction, and the attention to detail that really tapped into my inner child," Ghimire reflected. "Interacting with them made me feel a sense of comfort and understanding, almost like they were quietly responding to my emotions. It was both healing and uplifting."

Core tech as the new edge
"When I tell my friends about this, they are left thinking," said Sharma, referring to the high-tech emotional value products from China that are capturing attention in his home country.

As a business consultant and a frequent visitor to trade shows across China since 2019, Sharma has closely followed the evolution of the country's latest technological offerings. He pointed out that currently, consumers are increasingly willing to pay for a product that can provide an intelligent relationship - one that can interact, respond, and even anticipate needs.

Sharma said that from companion robots to interactive smart toys, a new generation of products provides emotional solace by leveraging proprietary core technologies and patents. This foundation in research and development, and manufacturing scale is becoming Chinese companies' critical competitive edge as they extend into the global market.

At CES 2026, an annual consumer electronics trade show, AI-powered companion robots from Chinese firms drew significant crowds. As reported by Pakistan's ARY News, one new product is "warm and appears to breathe to make it more realistic," with the report suggesting such AI toys have the potential to be a new driver of consumer spending.

The smooth, responsive movements that bring these creations to life rely on breakthroughs in underlying hardware. "The flexibility and safety of a robot's movements and interactions depend entirely on one core component: the motor," said Chen Weijie, a representative at a technology company based in Dongguan, South China's Guangdong Province. His firm has achieved high integration of core parts - including encoders, control boards and gearboxes - essentially packing a complete control system into a single motor unit.

Beyond companion robots, another Chinese sensation taking CES and overseas social media by storm is the stringless guitar. A quick search for "China stringless guitar" on YouTube and other global platforms brings up videos with tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of views.

According to China Media Group, Chinese companies independently developed the intelligent playing system for the stringless guitar. The built-in chip acts as a "music brain," analyzing pressed chords in real time and calling up authentic tones. The right-hand pick uses magnetic sensing technology to simulate the intensity and rhythm of strumming.

Requiring no complicated music theory or repetitive practice, this low-barrier, instant-gratification experience precisely hits the emotional needs of global users. Social media reactions echo the sentiment: "Great idea. The future" and "I actually love this idea! Really useful for when you want to sing and need backing instruments but don't feel like learning guitar first."

Chen's experience encapsulates this journey of innovation. "In the past, we only sold hardware, which meant low profit margins and frequent encounters with overseas patent barriers," Chen said, noting that this reality forced an understanding: only technological and patent innovation ensures a foothold in the global market.

Today, robots equipped with his company's self-developed technology are sold to 36 countries and regions, including the US, Germany, and Japan, for use in companionship, service, and domestic settings.

Chen pointed to this growing capability to conceive, engineer, and mass-produce as the engine behind the trend. "We're turning cutting-edge patents into accessible products," he said. "That's how emotional comfort is becoming a tangible good, newly made within reach for a global market."

Cultural code meets emotional needs
"I've always been naturally drawn to tradition," said Ghimire. For her, what resonates most about Chinese emotional value products isn't cutting-edge technology, but the traditional aesthetics and cultural depth woven into their design.

In Nepal, she explained, people don't use the term "emotional value products," but they have long cherished items that carry profound emotional weight: traditional sweets like Pustakari and Gudpak, hand-woven Dhaka fabric bags, and small bamboo toys. "These products are rooted in tradition and craftsmanship, cherished for the emotions and memories they evoke," Ghimire said. That cultural affinity is precisely why she finds Chinese emotional value products so compelling: They speak to the universal human connection to heritage.

Today, a growing number of Chinese products are embracing distinct cultural identities in their design and aesthetics. In a January 2026 Financial Times article titled "Local brands weaken European luxury groups' grip in US and China," the head of luxury at consultancy Bain commented that certain Chinese brands "are better at interpreting heritage and local taste."

This ability to bridge cultural specificity and universal feeling lies at the heart of "Chinese-style emotional value," a narrative strategy that transforms weighty cultural symbols into approachable, tangible, and usable daily companions, Wu Qiaomei, brand marketing director of a trendy toy company in Dongguan, told the Global Times. "We don't just sell products. We create emotional companions rooted in our culture," she said.

Wu noted that consumers crave more than just a decoration. They want a companion that offers emotional comfort. Her team spent years refining the design, settling on skin-friendly rose velvet fabric and integrating intangible cultural heritage "lotus fragrance" beads that emit a subtle, soothing scent. This multi-sensory experience has struck a chord: The pillow secured numerous domestic and overseas orders before its launch, with exports now accounting for 30 percent of sales, expanding from Southeast Asia to Europe and the Americas.

Today in China, this blend of cultural storytelling and user-centric design isn't limited to toys. Singaporean business media Marketing Interactive has observed this aesthetic shift across categories, noting that in cosmetics, for instance, Chinese brands are "turning their products into storytelling canvases, drawing deeply from Chinese aesthetics and folklore. Rather than chasing Western standards, these brands are redefining what Chinese elegance looks like - both at home and abroad."

"Given China's over 5,000-year-old culture, their global popularity is totally understandable - It's a heritage that deserves to be preserved and shared worldwide," Ghimire said.

Ghimire believed that this cultural resonance isn't about imposing culture on others, "but as a gift to be shared." "Every time I return home, I often bring cultural and creative products with Chinese traditional elements as gifts… It's a way to share Chinese culture and values. While rooted in Chinese traditions, they tap into universal emotions about comfort, nostalgia and playfulness."

In a January report titled "Why China cares about being cool all of a sudden," The Wall Street Journal cited a media observation: "Many foreigners' perceptions of China may still be stuck at kung fu, the Great Wall and pandas. Now, through trendy collectibles, they are seeing a China full of creativity and attuned to young people's needs… Through these trend icons, China is reshaping the world's perceptions of who we are."

Looking ahead, Ghimire has high hopes for the future of Chinese emotional value products. "I expect Chinese enterprises and brands to grow even stronger," she said, "and to meet the needs of more people - no matter where they come from. Culture is a bridge, and these products are building it one heart at a time."

While several TV stations, including Israel's Channel 13 and Fox News, were counting down to the 8 pm (00:00 GMT) deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, or "a whole civilization will die," the US leader surprisingly announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, about one and half hours before the deadline.

Iran later confirmed the two-week ceasefire deal brokered by Pakistan, saying it does not mean an end to the war as Tehran released its own 10-point peace plan.

In a stunning turn of events closely watched by the world, the US-Israeli military operation against Iran that had dragged on for over a month has dramatically reversed, ushering in a significant de-escalation of tensions.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday that China welcomes the announcement of the ceasefire arrangement by relevant parties.

We support the mediation efforts by countries including Pakistan. We have all along been calling on parties to end hostilities as soon as possible and resolve disputes through political and diplomatic channels to achieve enduring peace and security in the Gulf and Middle East region. China has made active effort to this end, Mao noted.

Victories declared by both sides

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday local time, Trump claimed that he agreed to "suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks." He wrote that his decision is "subject to" Iran agreeing to the complete, immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

"The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East," Trump said. "We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate," he said.

According to Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency, Iran's 10-point plan includes US commitment to ensure no further acts of aggression, continued Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of Iran's nuclear enrichment rights, the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions, payment of damages to Iran for losses in the war and the withdrawal of US combat forces from the region.

Trump told AFP that the US won a "total and complete victory. 100 percent."

Hours later, in a statement published by the Mehr News Agency, Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed the ceasefire negotiated by Pakistan. The statement claimed the deal is a "victory for Iran," according to Al Jazeera.

Zhu Yongbiao, a Middle East affairs expert at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times that as both sides were locked in a stalemate, continuing the conflict would make the costs of war increasingly unbearable. Therefore, negotiations are aligned with the expectations of both parties.

According to Zhu, although both sides have declared victory, neither the US nor Iran fully achieved its anticipated objectives. The US did not succeed in toppling the Iranian regime, nor was it able to restore its absolute deterrence in the Middle East through strikes against Iran. For Iran, while it showcased its resilience and the stability of its regime, Tehran suffered heavy losses in the war, and its relations with Gulf states have worsened.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in an X post on Wednesday that the ceasefire deal between Iran and US, along with their allies, is "effective immediately."

"I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes," Sharif wrote in the post.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf is to head a negotiating team for talks with US Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Iranian Students' News Agency on Wednesday.

And according to a Pakistani government release later on Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, in the afternoon. During their warm and cordial conversation that lasted for over 45 minutes, President Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran would be participating in the negotiations in Islamabad, read the statement.
Sharif on Wednesday posted a message in Chinese, English and Arabic on social platform X, thanking China and other countries for their diplomatic efforts and support in securing a ceasefire between the US and Iran.

"As we proceed to Islamabad Talks, I wish to extend our deepest and sincere gratitude to our brotherly countries People's Republic of China, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Türkiye, Arab Republic of Egypt and State of Qatar for extending invaluable and all out support towards reaching the ceasefire and giving peaceful diplomatic efforts a chance to seek a comprehensive and conclusive end to the conflict," he said.

Besides Pakistan's mediation, China and Russia on Tuesday blocked a UN Security Council resolution which "strongly encourages" states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts of a defensive nature to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the strait.

"Only a few hours after the vote, the US and Iran announced a ceasefire deal. If the resolution had not been vetoed, it would have greatly heightened uncertainty in the regional tension," Zhu said, noting that the move highlights China's tangible actions for resolving hotspot issues through political dialogue rather than military confrontation.

In response to Trump's claims that he believes China helped get Iran to negotiate on a truce during an AFP interview, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing on Wednesday that since the outbreak of the war, China has been actively working to promote peace and bring about a ceasefire.

As a responsible major country, China will continue to play a constructive role and contribute to restoring peace and security in the Gulf and the Middle East, the spokesperson added.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi made 26 phones calls with his counterparts from relevant countries. The Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue traveled to the Gulf and Middle East region in a mediation effort. China and Pakistan jointly put forward the five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region. As a responsible major country, China will conti

Welcoming but skeptical

Regional countries have welcomed the ceasefire. Iraq's Foreign Ministry said Baghdad hopes the truce will deescalate tensions and lead to strengthening security and stability in the region, Al Jazeera reported.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the move as representing "a very important opportunity that must be seized to make room for negotiations, diplomacy and constructive dialogue" in a statement on Facebook.

Oman's Foreign Ministry also welcomed the ceasefire, AFP reported.

But some voices are still concerned over the prospects for lasting peace.

Trump said in an interview with Sky News later on Wednesday that the US will be ready to resume hostilities against Iran if the coming negotiations or a deal aren't good enough for Washington, according to media reports.

"We go right back to it, very easily," he told the British TV channel, Aljazeera reported.

On Wednesday evening, Iran's Press TV on X posted footage released by the IRGC of the 100th wave of Operation True Promise 4 in which 25 strategic positions of enemies were targeted. The post did not detail when that happened, but according to the WANA (West Asia News Agency) Wednesday report, the military operation took place overnight.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a Wednesday statement that Israel supports the US-Iran two-week ceasefire, "subject to Iran immediately reopening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region," according to Xinhua.

However, the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, the office said in a statement, which differs from Sharif's earlier statement of "an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere."

According to Al Jazeera, in the hour and a half since Trump's ceasefire announcement, there had already been at least two Israeli air strikes in Lebanon.

The New York Times in an opinion article published on Wednesday noted that Trump's tactic of escalating his rhetoric to astronomical levels certainly helped him find an offramp he had been seeking for weeks but "it resolved none of the fundamental issues that led to the war."

The article also quoted Richard Fontaine, the chief executive of the Center for a New American Security, a Washington think tank, by saying that "Iran remains in the control of the Strait, which was not the case before the war." Fontaine continued that "I find it hard to believe that the US and the world could accept a situation in which Iran remains in control of a key energy checkpoint indefinitely. That would be a materially worse outcome than existed before the war."

Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, said the two-week ceasefire is a welcome development.

"The serious trust deficit between Washington and Tehran, combined with the US' pattern of inconsistent stances and the complicating factors of Israel, will continue to exert a major impact on the evolution of the situation going forward," Liu said, "the hard bargaining and fierce tit-for-tat negotiations over specific conditions in the days ahead are expected to remain highly intense."

Focusing on the regional macroeconomic situation and key issues of financial cooperation, the ASEAN+3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting was held on Wednesday, according to a statement published on the website of China's Ministry of Finance. 

Participants reviewed the arrangements related to the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM), and the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI).

Amid rising global uncertainty and multiple pressures on regional economies, the meeting not only reaffirmed the cooperative foundation of the ASEAN+3 mechanism but also sent a clear signal: In the face of intensifying external headwinds, all parties need to push cooperation and exchanges further with a greater sense of urgency if they are to firmly seize the initiative for development amid such profound changes.

Since its establishment, the ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) cooperation mechanism has continuously strengthened its crisis response capabilities, promoted the process of economic integration, and worked together to build the momentum of new growth drivers. Remarkable achievements have been made across various fields, helping East Asia become one of the most dynamic regions in the world.

Relying on institutional opening-up arrangements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the level of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation within the region has continued to rise. The flows of goods, technology, people and other factors have become smoother, industrial and supply chains have become deeply intertwined, and a closely connected community of shared interests has taken shape. The steady progress of various institutional mechanisms, including in the financial field, has also provided important support for the region to withstand external shocks.

According to AMRO's latest report, ASEAN+3 has become more regionally anchored over the past two decades, with denser and more interconnected production networks and a decisive shift toward intraregional sources of demand. The share of the region's value-added exports to the US has declined from about one-third to 20 percent, while the share absorbed within the region has risen to nearly 30 percent. This structural change profoundly reflects the trend of the East Asian economy shifting from external dependence toward regional demand-driven growth, which also means that intraregional cooperation and coordination are becoming more and more crucial.

At this critical transformation juncture, strengthening all-round exchanges and cooperation within the region is not only a practical need to stabilize the existing industrial and supply chains but also an inevitable requirement to promote industrial upgrading and cultivate new growth drivers. Whether it is unblocking trade channels, optimizing the investment environment, promoting the coordinated development of emerging fields such as the digital economy and the green economy, or jointly responding to challenges such as inflationary pressures and fluctuations in external demand, it is inseparable from close communication and coordinated efforts among all countries. Only through continuous deepening of cooperation can we release cooperation dividends, and enhance the overall risk resistance capacity of the region.

For instance, the implementation of the RCEP has significantly reduced barriers to the flow of goods and services, and the key next step is how to carry out closer coordination and planning around the restructuring of the global industrial chain. In response to the investment transfer trend brought about by industrial chain adjustments, ASEAN+3 economies need to strengthen dialogue and coordination on investment policies within the framework, avoid vicious competition, and help form a more resilient and competitive regional industrial ecosystem.

In addition to industrial coordination, financial cooperation, as an important pillar of regional cooperation, also needs continuous upgrading to adapt to the development needs under the new situation.

The experience of the past few decades has proved that openness, inclusiveness and pragmatic cooperation are effective approaches to respond to crises. Today, standing at the critical crossroads of industrial chain restructuring, all parties in ASEAN+3 need to deepen exchanges and cooperation across various dimensions, enabling East Asia to remain a stable anchor and a driving force for world economic growth.

China's top internet watchdog issued a comprehensive set of rules on Monday to tighten the management of tipping on live-streaming platforms, aiming to curb irrational spending, prevent the exploitation of minors, and promote a healthier online ecosystem.

The notice, released by the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, outlines 11 specific requirements for website platforms that offer tipping features. The move comes amid growing public concern over inappropriate tipping behaviors, including the use of vulgar content and fake personas to manipulate viewers.

Under the new rules, platforms must disclose their tipping rules in a straightforward manner without hidden clauses. For users who wish to enable tipping on their live-streaming accounts, those with prior violations will have to wait three months after the penalty period ends before regaining tipping privileges. If an account is muted, its tipping function will be suspended for two to three times the duration of the mute period, according to the notice, which was posted on the website of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission on Monday.

To promote rational spending, platforms are required to provide users with personalized tipping limits. First-time tippers must be offered the option to set per session and daily caps. Tipping reminder functions must be turned on by default, though users may adjust or disable them after confirmation.

The notice also bans platforms from publicly displaying users' consumption data, such as recharge and gift amounts, without consent. Rankings of streamers or users based solely on tipping volume are prohibited, as are interactive features that encourage tipping through cash-back schemes or self-tipping.

In a significant step for youth protection, the rules establish a tiered system based on age. Platforms are barred from offering tipping services to children under eight. For users aged eight to 16, parental consent is mandatory. For those aged 16 to 18, platforms must either obtain guardian approval or verify the user's income documents. If a minor is suspected of using an adult's account to tip, platforms must investigate and take immediate action.

Platforms are also required to maintain a negative list of tipping-related misconduct, enhance monitoring for abnormal tipping patterns, and establish robust complaint mechanisms. Refund disputes involving minors must be handled in a manner most favorable to the minor.

In response to questions, an official from the cyberspace administration's comprehensive governance bureau explained that the notice avoids a one-size-fits-all cap on tipping amounts. Instead, it emphasizes user empowerment through voluntary limits and reminders. The official noted that the rules build on past cleanup campaigns and aim to steer streamers away from "begging for tips" toward competing on content quality and talent.

Local internet regulators are responsible for enforcing the new measures and ensuring platform compliance through self-inspection and the regular disclosure of typical violations, and resolutely curbing industry malpractice, according to the notice.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announces:

At the invitation of the Myanmar side, President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and Vice Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Jiang Xinzhi will attend the inauguration of President Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw on April 10.

Philippine and Australian troops are conducting Exercise Alon 25, the largest military drill between the two countries, per media reports. Chinese military affairs experts said that judging from the training objectives, the exercise provides a scenario for Australia mimicking combat in the future, but has limited military significance for the Philippines. 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Australian Defense Force (ADF) are scheduled to train around Luzon, including the islands of Palawan between August 15 and 29. More than 3,600 personnel are taking part, including members of the Royal Canadian Navy and the US Marine Corps' Marine Rotation Force - Darwin, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported. 

This year's iteration will feature live-fire exercises at military training ranges and maritime zones. 

The drill will also test joint force projection through the mass airlift of an army battle group with armored, engineering, health and artillery units. Amphibious landings and maritime maneuvers are also planned, per the PNA.

Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones of Royal Australian Navy, claimed that Exercise Alon 25 demonstrates the strength of the Australian-Philippine security partnership, according to a press release on Australia's defense ministry website. 

"Exercise Alon 25 is an opportunity for us to practice how we collaborate and respond to shared security challenges, and project force over great distances in the Indo-Pacific," Jones said.

Launched in 2023, Exercise Alon has expanded to include maritime, land and air training, supported by cyber and space capabilities, PNA report claimed. 

Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times on Sunday that judging from training objectives, a key point of the exercise is the drill of projecting Australian forces over a long distance from the South Pacific region to the Western Pacific.

"This exercise has provided a rather realistic site and scenario that mimic Australia supporting the US' operations in the Asia-Pacific region in the future. It includes not only strategic projection drills, but also landing operations and maritime operations. The Philippines has provided Australia with a scenario that is closer to future operations, a rare opportunity for Australia," Zhang said.

Yet the Philippines has not gained much militarily from the Australia-Philippines bilateral exercises and the multilateral military exercises involving the US and other countries. "The Philippines can take this opportunity to observe and learn about landing operations of Western countries, but the Philippines does not have the weapons used by the West and cannot realize joint operations or landing in terms of equipment and combat capacity, therefore the military boost to the Philippines is limited," Zhang added.

Australia is the second nation, after the US, to have a Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines, allowing for large-scale troop deployments and joint combat exercises in each other's territory, the Associated Press reported Friday. A similar defense pact between the Philippines and Japan is set to take effect next month. 

Manila is actively negotiating similar agreements with other countries, and its primary consideration lies in political significance and the effect on international public opinion, Zhang said.

The most important purpose is to tout that the Philippines has the support of the US and other non-regional countries. The Philippines hopes to draw more external countries into the South China Sea, thereby achieving its strategic attempt of carrying out infringements, provocations and illegal territorial claim in the South China Sea, the expert said. 

However, the expert also emphasized the need to closely monitor the developments regarding the Philippines' enhanced joint military exercises and its cooperation with extra-regional countries on defense equipment and technology.

But the Philippines should bear in mind that those countries have their own political agendas, and will not make sacrifices for Manila in times of emergency, Zhang said, noting that the Philippines' move cannot intimidate the Chinese people. 

"No country should underestimate the resolve and capability of the Chinese military to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," Zhang noted.

A team of Shanghai physicians has accomplished a globally rare surgery for an extensive cervical spine dissociation, a condition analogous to head-body separation, the People's Daily reported on Monday. During the surgery, they successfully pioneered incorporating auxiliary plates beyond conventional fixation to endow the reconstructed cervical spine with unprecedented stability, a breakthrough that marked the first use of such technology for extreme cases.

According to the report, the patient sustained a severe blow to the neck from a robotic arm, causing catastrophic, instantaneous damage to the cervical spine. He suffered high paraplegia and cardiac arrest on the spot, and only barely regained vital signs after emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Imaging examinations revealed an extremely rare, extensive dislocation of the patient's cervical spine, with severity comparable to near decapitation. Moreover, the patient teetered on the brink of catastrophic hemorrhage-induced shock or fatal cerebral infarction caused by vertebral artery injury.

"We reviewed numerous domestic and international studies but found no cases of such severe cervical spine separation, let alone any cases where patients survived treatment," said Chen Huajiang, director of the cervical spine surgery ward at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital.

Chen promptly organized a team with professors from the emergency department, critical care department, and anesthesiology department, and they conducted a meticulous assessment of the patient's injuries. For every conceivable extreme intraoperative risk - such as uncontrollable massive hemorrhage - the team formulated comprehensive contingency plans and a detailed surgical roadmap.

Despite the patient's critically unstable vital signs, the experts, leveraging exceptional anatomical expertise and microsurgical techniques, evacuated massive hematomas, overcame severe adhesions and deformities, and ultimately achieved precise anatomical reduction of the fully displaced and separated cervical structures.

The team also innovatively added auxiliary plates in addition to conventional fixation to provide stability for the reconstructed cervical spine - an unprecedented application of this technique in such extreme cases.

Chen noted that while the overall plan was clear, intraoperative decisions - such as screw trajectory selection and ensuring secure vertebral fixation - had no precedent for reference, relying entirely on real-time judgment honed through accumulated experience.

When performing complex reduction procedures in such a confined space, "it may seem like we're just moving bones, but in reality, the surrounding blood vessels and nerves will be stretched. This requires us to be 'bold yet meticulous' - avoiding secondary injuries ensuring surgical success," Chen added.

Fortunately, thanks to the team's meticulous work, the surgery was successfully completed after approximately three hours. The patient rapidly regained consciousness, with vital signs gradually stabilizing, the report noted.

The patient can now sit up with assistance, marking the emergence of positive signals in his neurological function, and has been transferred to the stage of structured rehabilitation, according to the report.