Law enforcement agencies in China and the US recently collaborated to tackle a case of cross-border trafficking of chemicals and illegal settlement of foreign exchanges, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday, citing China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
Following up on the clues tapped by the US side, the MPS deployed Hubei provincial public security authorities to investigate a suspect surnamed Gao, 38-year-old, and others. It was uncovered that Gao and others had been taking advantage of the differences among national chemical import/export control regulations to illegally trade chemicals and conduct illegal settlement of foreign exchanges.
Currently, the company operated by Gao has been deregistered, and four main suspects have been arrested by the public security organs. The case is under further investigation.
During the course of the joint investigation, both countries' law enforcement departments shared information and briefed each other over the case's progress.
On Thursday, MPS said law enforcement agencies of the two countries recently collaborated to tackle a transnational telecommunications fraud, recovering more than $1.7 million for a company in East China's Zhejiang Province and its US partner.
Naval forces of Indonesia and Russia began their first joint military training drills in the Java Sea on Monday, Reuters reported, citing analysts as saying that this "shows the Southeast Asian country's willingness to befriend any country."
Chinese experts said on Monday that Indonesia's independent foreign policy, which seeks to foster positive relations with nations including China, the US, and Russia without aligning with any specific side, benefits Indonesia's national autonomy by prioritizing and safeguarding its own interests.
The five-day drills will take place in two phases at a naval base in Surabaya and in the Java Sea. Russia has sent three corvette class warships, a medium tanker ship, a military helicopter, and a tug boat, the Indonesian Navy said in a statement, AFP reported.
ASEAN, which Indonesia is a member of, held joint exercises with Russia in 2021, but Jakarta had never held drills alone with Moscow before this week, according to AFP.
The joint exercise comes as Indonesia's newly-inaugurated President Prabowo Subianto has pledged closer ties with Russia on defense, in his bid to forge ties with any country as part of his country's long-held non-alignment foreign policy, read the Reuter's report.
AFP quoted analysts as saying that the "joint exercises signal Prabowo is beginning a significant foreign policy shift, pledging to boost Jakarta's alliances with major powers."
"Indonesia is committed to an independent foreign policy, rather than dependent diplomatic strategies. As the global landscape continues to evolve, Indonesia is increasingly recognizing the importance of emerging countries like itself taking on a more prominent role within the international system, and this means they should not be subject to the US' pressure to take sides," Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Monday.
Indonesia's foreign policy is characterized by diversification, seeking to maintain positive relations with countries including China, the US, and Russia, while avoiding alignment with any particular side, Song said, noting that this strategy is advantageous for Indonesia's national autonomy and the development of its foreign policy, as taking sides would likely result in the loss of more valuable opportunities.
"This is also beneficial for maintaining peace and stability in the region," Song said.
In addition to Indonesia, many ASEAN countries have adopted an independent and autonomous foreign policy, particularly a diplomatic approach that emphasizes balancing relations with major powers, Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times on Monday.
According to Free Malaysia Today on November 1, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is on a working visit to China from Monday to Thursday, has revealed that he recently rejected a call by the top US diplomat to stop being friendly with Russia by saying "We are an independent, sovereign country; we make decisions for our people and our nation."
Many ASEAN countries do not take sides; instead, they pursue foreign policies that prioritize the protection of their own national interests, Gu said.
China and Slovakia have decided to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, which meets the future development needs of both countries and will inject new and strong momentum into bilateral cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while meeting with visiting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing on Friday.
Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Slovakia, Xi said that after three-quarters of a century of development, the traditional friendship between the two countries is full of vitality, and the cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries.
"We have decided to elevate China-Slovakia relations to a strategic partnership, which meets the future development needs of both countries and will inject new and powerful momentum into bilateral cooperation," Xi said, adding that China is willing to work together with Slovakia to open a new chapter in bilateral relations and lift their ties to a higher level.
China has decided to grant 15-day visa-free entry to Slovak citizens, Xi added.
China attaches great importance to China-EU relations, Xi said, adding that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, and China-EU relations should demonstrate due maturity and stability.
For his part, Fico said Slovakia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate government representing all of China.
Slovakia appreciates China's decision to grant Slovak citizens the 15-day visa-free treatment, Fico said. Slovakia supports facilitating people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in the country and strengthen cooperation in areas such as new energy and infrastructure, he added.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Xi expounded on China's consistent principle and position, commending Slovakia for adopting an objective, rational and impartial stance. He welcomed Slovakia, as well as more like-minded countries, to play a positive role in promoting peace talks.
The two governments on Friday released a joint statement on the establishment of a strategic partnership. It said that friendship and cooperation have always been the mainstream of bilateral relations and are in line with the common and long-term interests of the two peoples.
During the visit, Fico also met Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi also held talks with Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar on Friday. Wang said that Fico's visit is rich in content and fruitful.
Pragmatic cooperation
In the current complex geopolitical environment, the elevation of relations between China and Slovakia holds significant positive implications, said Yan Shaohua, a research associate professor at the Center for China-Europe Relations, Fudan University.
He noted that due to the trade frictions and renewal of the leadership in the EU's main institutions, China-EU relations have experienced some twists and turns. The elevation of China-Slovakia relations helps improve political trust between China and Central and Eastern European nations, while also sending a positive signal that both sides are eager to stabilize their bilateral relations, Yan said.
Amid Europe's current economic challenges, Central and Eastern European countries are seeking to attract Chinese investment and pursue high-tech cooperation as a path for future growth. Slovakia's unique strengths in traditional automobile manufacturing, electromechanical products, and the chemical industry offer promising conditions for collaboration with China, said Zhao Junjie, senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
According to a release from the Slovak government's press office, in addition to visiting Beijing, Prime Minister Fico will travel to Hefei in East China's Anhui Province to visit Chinese battery maker Gotion, and travel to Shanghai to attend the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo.
The locations in East China that Fico will visit are known for their rapid economic development and leading role in driving China's innovation, said Zhao, noting the potential for expanding cooperation on electric vehicles (EVs) and battery production.
Cooperation between China and Slovakia in areas such as automobile manufacturing, electromechanical products, and high technology not only benefits countries like Slovakia but also provides opportunities to strengthen China-EU relations. Fico's visit is expected to yield meaningful results and conducive to improving and stabilizing these ties, said the expert.
Yan also noted that the meeting between Xi and Fico will have a positive impact on China-EU relations. Despite the EU's decision to impose tariffs on imports of Chinese EVs, negotiations between the two sides are still ongoing, and Slovakia holds significant influence within the European automotive supply chain.
The China Manned Space Agency announced that the Shenzhou-19 manned spacecraft successfully docked with the Tianhe core module of the China Space Station at the front port at 11 am on Wednesday, completing the rendezvous and docking in about 6.5 hours.
Next, the three Shenzhou-19 crew members will enter the Tianhe core module, where the Shenzhou-18 crew has prepared to welcome the new arrivals, the CMSA said.
