Pan-African News Wire

Friday, March 07, 2025

Sectarian Violence Sweeps Syria as Western-backed Security Forces Rampage in Alawite Towns

Social media is awash with videos of HTS-led Syrian government forces executing unarmed Alawites in cold blood

News Desk

MAR 8, 2025

At least 147 people have been killed in Syria in the past two days, as security forces from the country's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – led government carried out a series of massacres and extrajudicial executions against Alawites in the country's coastal regions as part of a broader security campaign to target remnants of the former Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

Videos of many instances of extrajudicial killings have been posted to social media showing HTS militants from the government of Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former Al-Qaeda in Iraq commander, killing unarmed Alawites in cold blood.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 69 of those killed were Alawite minority members executed by security forces, while the rest included government security personnel (of the Sunni sect), and members of the former Syrian army (of the Alawite sect), and civilians caught in the clashes.

Among those killed were 15 Alawite men who were executed by HTS forces in the village of al-Muktariyya on 7 March. "It is not clear what or if any criteria was used for their execution," Syria expert Joshua Landis wrote on the social media site X.

Landis added, "This sort of undirected killing is widespread now in Alawite villages. People are terrified."

Another 20 were killed by HTS militants in the village of Al-Haffeh in the Latakia countryside, with their bodies stacked in a group in an unfinished building. They appear to have been lined up and killed in an orderly manner.

Gunmen thought to be affiliated with the HTS-led government are also storming civilian houses in Alawite villages and killing their occupants, including as far away as the town of Waroud in the northern Damascus countryside, local sources speaking with The Cradle said.

The local Alawite families in Waroud had been previously disarmed by the security forces. Last night, the roads accessing the town were closed, preventing any Alawite families from leaving. Gunmen linked to the new HTS government went from house to house, killing residents this morning, sources told The Cradle.

Friday's clashes erupted after remnants of the former army conducted ambushes and attacks on members of Syria's Military Operations Command earlier this week, prompting the new government to mobilize reinforcements to be deployed across the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartous for a sweeping security operation.

SOHR added that government security forces launched a major offensive on Qardaha, the hometown of former President Bashar al-Assad, after fighters of the former government reportedly seized several villages.

Tanks and armored vehicles have been deployed in an effort to regain control of the areas. Earlier, government forces recaptured Baniyas, a strategic coastal city. Meanwhile, Jableh remains under near-total government control, though armed resistance persists in the mountainous regions along the coastline, SOHR said.

HTS forces have controlled Baniyas city after forcing the remnants of the former army to withdraw. Government forces are currently combing the city's outskirts and the highway using heavy artillery and machine guns, the rights monitor added.

Syrian Armed Group Kills Several HTS Security Troops in Latakia

Heavy clashes have been reported in western Syria between remnants of the Syrian Arab Army and extremist groups backed by the west that have been integrated into the new government

News Desk

MAR 6, 2025

At least 16 members of the General Security Administration from the Al-Qaeda-linked government in Syria were killed on 6 March during ambushes by armed groups identifying themselves as the ‘Coastal Shield Forces,’ which local media described as “remnants of the Assad regime.”

“Huge military reinforcements are heading to the Jableh area and its countryside to support the public security forces and restore stability to the region. The Ministry of Defense forces will be a backup for the General Security forces that are absorbing the attack carried out by the remnants of Assad's militias on several areas in a unified manner,” sources in the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led Ministry of Defense told SANA.

The violence broke out following the arrival of military reinforcements from Idlib to launch a large-scale security operation in Latakia and its countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

In the wake of the deadly ambushes and subsequent clashes, hundreds of citizens poured into the streets of Tartous in western Syria to protest against the de facto government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa – formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the founder of Al-Qaeda in Syria and deputy to ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Videos shared on social media show that the Turkish and Gulf-backed security forces readily opened fire on the protesters. According to local reports, a curfew has been issued in Tartous.

In another video, a person calling themselves the leader of the Coastal Shield Forces announced the “irreversible decision” to “liberate the entire Syrian coastline from [HTS] terrorist forces.”

In a statement released late on Thursday by a group calling itself the Military Council for the Liberation of Syria announced that “following months of injustice, sectarian violence, looting, oppression and the seizure of Syrian land by external aggressors,” the armed groups would “liberate all Syrian territory from occupiers and terrorist forces” and “overthrow the HTS regime.”

The statement also calls for “rebuilding state institutions on national and democratic foundations” and “establishing a unified, sovereign state consisting of all sects and ethnicities.”

In response to the uprising, HTS-linked extremist groups and supporters of the new government also took to the streets, saying they were ready to fight the “remnants of the [Assad] regime, the Alawites.”

Since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's government in December, hundreds of Syrians have been killed by members of the HTS-led security forces in field executions. Hundreds of kidnappings have also been reported.

Several Al-Qaeda-linked individuals were appointed to top positions in the new Syrian government. Foreign fighters who illegally entered the country during the US-backed war against Damascus have been given senior ranks within the new armed forces.

Kenyan Government’s Political Pact with Main Opposition Party Draws Criticism

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI

8:14 AM EST, March 7, 2025

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s ruling and main opposition parties have signed an agreement that will see both sides involved in critical government policy making in what critics have described as an attempt to silence opposition.

President William Ruto and main opposition leader Raila Odinga signed the agreement on Friday as their supporters held a march around the capital, Nairobi.

Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement, said Friday’s pact was not a “new political formation” but an agreement that would “help build the country.”

Ruto, who leads the United Democratic Alliance, said leaders had always made “politically correct” decisions and not those that are good for the people of Kenya. He hailed Odinga for always making “difficult decisions” for the interest of other Kenyans.

“So basically there’s no opposition party in parliament in Kenya?” political analyst Nanjala Nyabola posted on X.

The opposition Wiper Democratic Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka wrote on X that Friday’s pact was “the biggest betrayal of Kenyans.”

It is the fourth time Odinga – a five time election loser - has signed a pact with a ruling president.

Odinga and Ruto said their pact was not aimed at distributing government positions amongst the two parties, but instead it provided a framework for consultations on issues that affect Kenyans.

Odinga said it would “help ease tension in our country” and that the opposition had realized that it was not enough to “stand aside and criticize.”

“We commit to hold regular consultations on pressing issues,” Odinga said.

The opposition in Kenya has been criticized for being quiet as the government increased taxes and cracked down on young anti-government protesters in June 2024.

In February, Odinga ran and lost the African Union chairperson bid to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, a move that created uncertainty over Odinga’s political future.

Mali Suspends Artisanal Gold Mining Permits for Foreign Companies After Series of Accidents

By BABA AHMED

10:28 AM EST, March 6, 2025

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali said on Wednesday it was suspending licenses for foreign artisanal gold mining companies after a series of fatal accidents in the West African country, one of Africa’s top three gold producers.

Gen. Assimi Goita, president of Mali’s transitional government, ordered “the suspension of artisanal mining permits granted to foreigners,” according to a statement issued following a Council of Ministers meeting which was read out on the national television station ORTM.

The move comes in response to accidents at mining sites that have claimed the lives of dozens of people, most recently in January in the Koulikoro region, in the south of the country, and in February in the Kayes region, in the southwest. Artisanal gold mining is estimated to produce around 30 tons of gold a year and represents 6% of Mali’s annual gold production.

The Council of Ministers’ statement said measures would be taken to facilitate the recovery of equipment used in gold panning and its addition to the national patrimony. This is a major change, as previously mining companies could recover their equipment after paying a fine to the country’s authorities.

“These measures are designed to further strengthen the state authorities and protect our fellow citizens. These measures give us the power to seize materials (mining equipment), which will be confiscated and placed in the domain of national heritage,” Gen. Daoud Ali Mohammedine, the minister of security and civil protection, said on ORTM.

In recent years, there have been concerns that profits from unregulated mining in northern Mali could benefit extremists active in that part of the country.

“Gold is by far Mali’s most important export, comprising more than 80% of total exports in 2021,” according to the International Trade Administration, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. More than 2 million people, or more than 10% of Mali’s population, depend on the mining sector for income, according to the U.S.

Mali is one of the top three gold producing countries in Africa. Several major gold producing companies operate in this West African country, including Barrick Gold, B2Gold, Resolute Mining and Allied Gold.

Tensions have been rising between some mining companies and the military authorities, who are demanding that companies pay money and comply with a new mining code. At least four employees of the Canadian company Barrick were still in prison in Bamako at the end of last year. Military authorities then seized 3 tons of gold from Barrick’s mining site and deposited it in a Bamako bank.

Ebola Cases in Uganda Rise to 14 as New Cluster Emerges, Posing a Challenge to Health Workers

A health worker walks outside Mulago Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA

3:35 PM EST, March 6, 2025

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s Ebola caseload increased to 14 in the last week, Africa’s top public health agency said Thursday, with a new cluster emerging from a 4-year-old child who recently died of the infectious disease.

Three of five new cases have been confirmed as Ebola, with two cited as probably Ebola, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters.

The Africa CDC reported that there was no direct epidemiological link between the new cluster and another one accounting for nine previous Ebola cases, including the first victim of the outbreak.

Ebola is now spreading in five of Uganda’s 146 districts, it said. That includes Kampala, the capital, where the outbreak was declared on Jan. 30. Two Ebola deaths have been confirmed.

Local health officials have not been giving regular updates on the outbreak, raising concerns about a lack of transparency. At least three hospitals in Kampala have handled confirmed or suspected Ebola cases without later informing the public of it.

Dr. Charles Olaro, the director of health services in the Ministry of Health, told The Associated Press he believed the situation was under control. Officials were not required to give updates on every incident, he said.

Tracing contacts is key to stemming the spread of Ebola, and there are no approved vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola that’s infecting people in Uganda.

Ebola, which is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials, manifests as a deadly hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

Scientists suspect the first person infected with Ebola in an outbreak acquired the virus through contact with an infected animal or eating its raw meat.

Ugandan officials are still investigating the source of the latest outbreak.

The first victim was a male nurse who died the day before the outbreak was declared. He had sought treatment at multiple facilities in Kampala and in eastern Uganda, where he also visited a traditional healer in trying to diagnose his illness, before later dying in Kampala.

Uganda’s last outbreak, discovered in September 2022, killed at least 55 people before it was declared over in January 2023.

Dr. Emmanuel Batiibwe, a hospital director who helped lead efforts to stop that outbreak, described the current one as “amorphous,” throwing up sporadic cases that require more serious surveillance to locate and isolate contacts.

Ebola in Uganda is the latest in a trend of outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers in the east African region. Tanzania declared an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg disease in January, and in December Rwanda announced its own outbreak of Marburg was over.

Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed hundreds. The 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people, the disease’s largest death toll.

Ebola was discovered in 1976 in simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, where it occurred in a village near the Ebola River, after which the disease is named.

Italy’s Top Court Orders Government to Compensate Migrants Who Were Stranded at Sea for Days

Migrants stand on the deck of the Italian Coast Guard ship Diciotti, moored at the Catania harbor, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

By GIADA ZAMPANO

11:10 AM EST, March 7, 2025

ROME (AP) — Italy’s highest appeals court has ordered the government to compensate a group of migrants who were stranded at sea for days on a coast guard vessel in 2018 due to then-Interior minister Matteo Salvini ’s tough anti-migration policies.

Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday criticized the court decision as “questionable” and “frustrating.”

The Cassation court ruling, which overturns a previous one, ordered the Italian government to pay for damages inflicted to the migrants at the time of the standoff. Judges late on Thursday sent the case back to an ordinary court, asking it to define the exact amount of compensation to be granted.

A group of Eritrean migrants appealed to the Cassation court over the ordeal of 190 migrants by Italy’s Diciotti coast guard ship in August 2018. Thirteen migrants with health problems were first disembarked on the island of Lampedusa, off Italy’s southern coast. The ship then headed to Catania, in Sicily, but was blocked for about 10 days by Salvini’s orders before the remaining 177 migrants were allowed off.

Meloni, who leads a conservative coalition including hardline League leader and vice-premier Salvini, said the ruling won’t help “citizens getting closer to institutions.”

“Due to this decision, the government will need to pay compensation — using money from honest Italian citizens who pay taxes – to people who tried to enter Italy illegally, violating the Italian law,” she wrote in a social media post.

Salvini called the ruling “absurd” in his own post and urged the magistrates to use their own money if they really want to compensate their “beloved migrants.” He has always said that his job was to defend Italy’s borders.

It was the latest chapter of a months-long clash between the Italian magistrates and the Meloni government, which is trying to push forward a radical reform of the judiciary system. Many critics say it puts the judiciary’s independence at risk.

Italian courts have also been challenging Meloni’s flagship initiative to transfer migrants to costly reception centers built in Albania for fast-track processing.

France Begins Handing over Military Bases to Senegal

By BABACAR DIONE

4:48 PM EST, March 7, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — France handed control of two military facilities to Senegal on Friday, beginning the formal process of withdrawing its military presence from the West African country amid its waning influence in the region.

The handover follows the declaration by Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye late last year that all foreign troops would leave the country.

“The French side handed over to the Senegalese side the facilities and housing in the Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry districts on Friday, March 7, 2025,” the French Embassy in Senegal said in a statement Friday. “Located near the Hann Park, these districts were ready to be returned since the summer of 2024.”

France set up a joint commission with Senegal last month to organize the withdrawal, and the French army recently announced it had dismissed 162 Senegalese who worked on military bases in Dakar.

The French Embassy did not respond to an email late Friday seeking details on how many service members remain in Senegal.

Senegal’s new government has taken a hard-line stance on the presence of French troops as part of a larger regional backlash against what many see as the legacy of an oppressive colonial empire.

France has faced opposition from some African leaders over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach to the continent. It has suffered setbacks in West Africa in recent years, including Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso, where French troops are no longer on the ground.

France has said it is planning to sharply reduce its presence at all its bases in Africa except Djibouti, including the 350 French troops in Senegal. It has said it could instead provide defense training or targeted military support, based on needs expressed by those countries.

Crew Member Killed as UN Helicopter is Attacked in Violence-prone South Sudan

South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir, left, and vice-president Riek Machar, right, shake hands after meetings in Juba, South Sudan, on Oct. 20, 2019, to discuss outstanding issues to the peace deal. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA

1:30 PM EST, March 7, 2025

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A crew member was killed and two others were injured when a United Nations helicopter on an evacuation mission in a remote part of South Sudan was attacked on Friday, the U.N. mission in South Sudan said, as violence escalated in fighting that threatens a fragile peace deal between the country’s top two leaders.

The attack took place in the Nasir area of South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, according to UNMISS, which said in a statement that the helicopter “came under fire” as it attempted to evacuate government troops from the area.

Several soldiers and their commanding officer in Nasir, Gen. Majur Dak, were among those killed in the attack, President Salva Kiir said in a statement late Friday.

“I am appealing to you to remain calm,” his statement said. “The government which I lead will handle this crisis and we will remain steadfast in the path of peace.”

Nasir has seen violence in recent days as government troops clashed with an armed group, known as the White Army, that some believe is allied with South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar. The military garrison in Nasir was attacked on March 4, leaving Dak and his men trapped in tanks and trenches.

The U.N.-affiliated Radio Miraya reported that the White Army was suspected of involvement in Friday’s attack on the U.N. helicopter sent to Nasir to rescue Dak and his remaining soldiers.

Friday’s evacuation was part of U.N. efforts to de-escalate political tensions and prevent violence in Nasir, UNMISS said, noting that the mission was undertaken at the request of the warring parties.

The fighting in Nasir threatens a 2018 peace deal signed between Machar and Kiir to end a five-year civil war in which more than 400,000 people were killed. Machar serves as the country’s first vice president in a government of national unity, even though his political group opposes Kiir.

The political rivalry between the two men is widely seen as a major obstacle to peace in South Sudan, with Kiir suspicious of his deputy’s ambitions and Machar calling Kiir a dictator.

Kiir has angered Machar’s group in recent weeks by firing officials seen as loyal to Machar, who charged that “persistent violations through unilateral decisions and decrees threaten the very existence” of the 2018 agreement.

Government troops earlier this week surrounded Machar’s home in the capital, Juba, and several of his allies were arrested after the White Army overran the military base in Nasir. Deputy army chief Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam was among those detained earlier this week.

“Juba-based leaders must demonstrate their commitment to peaceful dialogue and should put the interest of the South Sudanese people first,” the U.S. and others in the international community said in a statement that called for an immediate cessation of hostilities following arrests in the capital.

The latest statement from UNMISS urged “all actors to refrain from further violence and the country’s leaders to urgently work together to resolve tensions.”

There were high hopes for peace and stability after oil-rich South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. But the country slid into civil war in December 2013 largely based on ethnic divisions when forces loyal to Kiir started battling those loyal to Machar.

Kiir and Machar are under pressure from the United States and others to more quickly implement the 2018 peace deal and prepare for elections.

Challenges include the government’s failure to implement promised reforms such as completing the unification of the army command.

Presidential elections, repeatedly postponed, are now scheduled for 2026.

Nearly 100 People Died of Cholera in Less Than a Month in Sudan’s White Nile State

People gather to collect water in Khartoum, Sudan, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali, File)

By FATMA KHALED

2:00 PM EST, March 7, 2025

CAIRO (AP) — Nearly 100 people died of cholera in two weeks since the waterborne disease outbreak began in Sudan’s White Nile State, an international aid group said.

Doctors Without Borders — also known as Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF — said Thursday that 2,700 people have contracted the disease since Feb. 20, including 92 people who died.

Of the admitted cholera patients who died, 18 were children, including five children who are no older than 5, and five others who were no older than 9, Marta Cazarola, MSF emergency coordinator for Sudan, told The Associated Press.

Sudan plunged into war nearly two years ago when tensions simmered between the Sudanese army and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces group, or RSF, with battles in Khartoum and across the country.

RSF launched intense attacks last month in the White Nile State that killed hundreds of civilians, including infants. The Sudanese military announced at the time that it made advances there, cutting crucial supply routes to RSF.

During the RSF attacks in the state on Feb. 16, the group fired a projectile that hit the Rabak power plant, causing a mass power outage and triggering the latest wave of cholera, according to MSF. Subsequently, people in the area had to rely mainly on water obtained from donkey carts, because water pumps were no longer operational.

“Attacks on critical infrastructure have long-term detrimental effects on the health of vulnerable communities,” said Marta Cazorla, MSF emergency coordinator for Sudan.

The cholera outbreak in the state peaked between Feb. 20-24, when patients and their families rushed to Kosti Teaching Hospital, overwhelming the facility beyond its capacity, according to MSF. Most patients were severely dehydrated. MSF provided 25 tons of logistical items such as beds and tents to Kosti to help absorb more cholera patients.

Cazarola said that numbers in the cholera treatment center were declining and at low levels until this latest outbreak.

The White Nile State Health Ministry responded to the outbreak by providing the community access to clean water and banning the use of donkey carts to transport water. Health officials also administered a vaccination campaign when the outbreak began.

Sudan’s health ministry said Tuesday that there were 57,135 cholera cases, including 1,506 deaths, across 12 of the 18 states in Sudan. Cholera was officially declared an outbreak on Aug. 12 last year by the health ministry after a new wave of cases was reported starting July 22.

The war in Sudan has killed at least 20,000 people, though the number is likely far higher. The war has driven more than 14 million people from their homes, pushed parts of the country into famine, and caused disease outbreaks.

UN Says 186 Missing and at Least 2 Dead After Migrant Boats Capsize off Yemen and Djibouti

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)

By SAMY MAGDY

6:21 AM EST, March 7, 2025

CAIRO (AP) — At least two people have died and 186 others are missing after four boats carrying migrants from Africa capsized overnight in waters off Yemen and Djibouti, the U.N.'s migration agency said on Friday.

Two vessels capsized off Yemen late Thursday, said Tamim Eleian, a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration, or IOM. Two crewmembers were rescued, but 181 migrants and five Yemeni crewmembers remain missing, he told The Associated Press.

Two other boats capsized off the tiny African nation of Djibouti around the same time, he said. Two bodies of migrants were recovered, and all others on board were rescued.

Strong winds caused the two boats to capsize near the beach in Djibouti after they started sailing off, Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM mission in Yemen, told AP.

The third boat, which capsized off Dhubab district in Taiz governorate, southwestern Yemen, was carrying 31 Ethiopian migrants and three Yemeni crew.

The fourth boat, which capsized near the same area, was heading to Ahwar district in Abyan governorate and carried 150 Ethiopian migrants and four Yemeni crew.

Yemen is a major route for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa trying to reach Gulf countries for work, with hundreds of thousands attempting the route each year. To reach Yemen, migrants are taken by smugglers on often dangerous, overcrowded boats across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.

The numbers making it to Yemen reached 97,200 in 2023 — triple the number in 2021. Last year, the number dropped to just under 61,000, probably because of greater patrolling of the waters, according to an IOM report this month.

Over the past decade, at least 2,082 migrants have disappeared along the route, including 693 known to have drowned, according to the IOM. Some 380,000 migrants are currently in Yemen.

What We Know About Clashes Between Security Forces, Assad Supporters in Syria

The domestic security authority imposed curfews in Latakia, Tartus, and Homs amid ongoing clashes that have become the fiercest since the change of power in Syria in December 2024

DUBAI, March 7. /TASS/. Clashes are ongoing in Syria between law enforcement units and supporters of the country’s former President Bashar Assad, prompting the transitional government to launch a large-scale operation and send reinforcements to Latakia and Tartus.

TASS has compiled the key facts about the situation in the country.

Clashes

- On March 6, a group of Assad's supporters attacked one of the checkpoints of the internal security directorate of the new Syrian administration in the vicinity of Jableh, a city near Russia's Hmeymim air base.

- The Al Jazeera TV channel reported that at least 15 Syrian security officers were killed in clashes.

- The state-run SANA news agency, in turn, reported that armed groups supporting the former president also attacked military sites in the settlement of Beit Ana in Latakia’s south.

- One Syrian security officer was killed, and several were injured in the attack.

- Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Knefati, the head of the provincial police directorate, told the SANA news agency that remnants of pro-Assad militias attacked checkpoints and security patrols near Latakia, as well as government buildings, public and private properties.

- Knefati stressed that the Syrian authorities intend to end attacks on patrols and barracks in coastal areas.

- The Syria TV reported earlier that heavy gunfire was ongoing in the Al-Ziraa neighborhood and near the criminal police department, where blasts were also heard.

- According to the report, riot police have already repelled the attack of armed groups, which suffered losses.

- Units of the armed forces under Syria's interim government entered Latakia and Tartus to combat pro-Assad insurgents, the SANA news agency reported.

- Syria’s Internal Security Directorate has launched a large-scale security operation in key areas to neutralize militias and regain control over administrative centers, nearby localities, and mountainous areas.

- It called on supporters of the former head of state to surrender their arms.

Curfew

- The domestic security authority imposed curfews in Latakia, Tartus, and Homs amid ongoing clashes that have become the fiercest since the change of power in Syria in December 2024.

Arrest of former head of Syria's Air Intelligence Forces

- Syrian security forces have arrested Ibrahim Huweija, the former head of Syria's Air Intelligence Forces (from 1987 to 2002), Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported.

- Huweija, a powerful figure in Syria's intelligence apparatus, was accused of orchestrating the 1977 assassination of Kamal Jumblatt, who was a Lebanese Druze leader and founder of the Progressive Socialist Party.

Russian Troops Liberate Four Communities in Donetsk Region over Week — Top Brass

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted roughly 575 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated four communities in the Donetsk region over the week of March 1-7 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"Battlegroup Center units improved their tactical position and liberated the settlement of Andreyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic… Battlegroup East units kept advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the settlements of Skudnoye, Burlatskoye and Privolnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia delivers overnight strike on energy sites of Ukraine’s military-industrial sector

Russian troops delivered an overnight strike by precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on energy facilities of Ukraine’s military-industrial sector, the ministry reported.

"Last night, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a combined strike by air-launched, sea-and ground-based long-range precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on facilities of gas and power supply infrastructure of Ukraine’s military-industrial sector. The goal of the strike was achieved. All the targets were struck," the ministry said.

Over the week, Russian troops delivered seven combined strikes, hitting Ukrainian military airfields, ammunition depots and UAV assembly workshops, the ministry reported.

"On March 1-7, the Russian Armed Forces delivered seven combined strikes by precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles, hitting the infrastructure of military airfields, ammunition depots, production workshops, storage warehouses and control posts of attack unmanned aerial vehicles, the bases of boats and temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations, nationalists and foreign mercenaries," the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts over 1,590 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,590 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy ammunition depots in its areas of responsibility in the Kursk and Kharkov Regions over the week, the ministry reported.

"During the week, Battlegroup North units continued destroying Ukrainian armed formations on the territory of the Kursk Region. They inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of a heavy mechanized brigade, five mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an assault brigade, two air assault brigades and two assault regiments of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades," the ministry said.

In the Kharkov direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades and a motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian army, two territorial defense brigades and two border guard detachments of Ukraine’s Border Guard Service, it said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in those frontline areas over the week totaled more than 1,590 personnel, six tanks, 74 armored combat vehicles and 99 motor vehicles, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed 28 field artillery guns, including three Western-made weapons, five electronic warfare stations and four ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army over the week, the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 1,525 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 1,525 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed ten NATO artillery weapons in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of five mechanized brigades, a tank brigade, an assault brigade and an airborne brigade of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,525 personnel, two tanks, two armored combat vehicles, 40 motor vehicles and 29 field artillery guns, among them 10 NATO weapons in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed seven electronic warfare stations and 11 ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army over the week, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts over 1,665 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 1,665 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 11 enemy armored fighting vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of four mechanized brigades, two motorized infantry brigades, an airmobile brigade, an unmanned aircraft systems regiment of the Ukrainian army, two National Guard brigades and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the week totaled more than 1,665 personnel, a tank, 11 armored combat vehicles, 19 motor vehicles and 20 field artillery guns, including four Western-made weapons, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed seven ammunition depots and four electronic warfare stations of the Ukrainian army over the week, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 3,810 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 3,810 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and 29 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week, Battlegroup Center units "inflicted losses among manpower and equipment of six mechanized, three jaeger and two assault brigades, an infantry brigade, an airborne brigade, an unmanned systems brigade and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 3,810 personnel, two tanks, 29 armored combat vehicles, including 16 armored vehicles of Western manufacture, 25 motor vehicles and 21 field artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 1,210 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 1,210 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy tanks and 26 artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week, Battlegroup East units "inflicted losses on formations of four mechanized brigades, a jaeger brigade and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade, a National Guard brigade and three territorial defense brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the week totaled more than 1,210 personnel, three tanks, 11 armored combat vehicles and 45 motor vehicles, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed 26 field artillery guns, including six Western-made weapons and two electronic warfare stations of the Ukrainian army over the week, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts 575 casualties on Ukrainian army over week

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted roughly 575 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units improved their frontline positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of four mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, three coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and a detachment of foreign mercenaries," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the week amounted to 575 personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, 40 motor vehicles and three field artillery guns, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two ammunition depots and nine electronic warfare stations of the Ukrainian army over the week, it said.

Russian air defenses destroy 637 Ukrainian UAVs, 21 JDAM smart bombs over week

Russian air defense forces shot down 637 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and 21 JDAM smart bombs over the week, the ministry reported.

"Over the week, air defense capabilities shot down 21 US-made JDAM guided aerial bombs, five rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 637 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Over 30 Ukrainian soldiers surrender to Russian troops in week

More than 30 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered to Russian troops over the week, the ministry reported.

"During the week, 35 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered at the engagement line," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 656 Ukrainian warplanes, 283 helicopters, 45,471 unmanned aerial vehicles, 600 surface-to-air missile systems, 22,076 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,523 multiple rocket launchers, 22,333 field artillery guns and mortars and 32,573 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Vucic Confirms Plan to Attend Victory Parade in Moscow in 'Great' Phone Call with Putin

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/TASS

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic

BELGRADE, March 7. /TASS/. Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic affirmed in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he will attend the coming May 9 parade in Moscow.

I’ve held "a great conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on all major issues relating to our bilateral cooperation and confirmed that our meeting in Moscow on May 9 will take place," Vucic said in a video message on Instagram (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).

Among other issues, the two leaders discussed political cooperation and the need for more intergovernmental work to restore bilateral trade and boost economic ties between their countries in what Vucic called a meaningful phone call. "[We] discussed <…> cooperation with Russian Railways, primarily how and on what terms we should sign a natural gas agreement before May 31, and the situation around NIS, given US sanctions imposed on the [Serbian oil] company," Vucic added.

Serbian Army Unit to Participate in Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9 — Kremlin

Aleksandar Vucic also reaffirmed that he would come to Moscow for the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/. A parade unit of the Serbian armed forces will arrive in Moscow for the celebration of the Victory Day on May 9, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic assured his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the phone, the Kremlin press office reported on Friday.

"Aleksandar Vucic reaffirmed that he would come to Moscow for the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the [Soviet Union’s] Victory in the [1941-1945] Great Patriotic War and would also send a unit of the Serbian armed forces for its participation in the May 9 Parade," the Kremlin press office said in a statement.

Vucic said earlier on Friday that he had held a talk with Putin and called it very good and substantive.

The Russian president has invited the heads of many countries to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War. Some friendly countries from among those which fought against German Nazism, Italian fascism and Japanese militarism, in particular, Belarus, Mongolia and Myanmar, will send their parade units to participate in the May 9 Parade on Moscow’s Red Square.

Last time, the allied troops marched on Moscow’s Red Square during the Parade on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Victory in 2010.

Xi Calls for Successful Conclusion of Five-year Plan for Military Development

By Xinhua

Mar 07, 2025 07:03 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police Force at the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. Xi delivered an important speech at the meeting. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for reaching a successful conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for military development.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while attending a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force at the third session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.

Xi called for efforts to strengthen confidence, face challenges head-on, and implement the requirements for high-quality development to achieve the established goals and tasks on schedule.

Over the past four-plus years since the implementation of the plan, a series of significant achievements have been made, while there are also many challenges and issues that need to be addressed, he said.

Xi called for pursuing a high-quality, highly efficient, cost-effective and sustainable path of military development to ensure that its outcomes withstand the test of time and real combat.

Xi highlighted the importance of using modern management concepts and methods, and continuously improving strategic management systems and mechanisms to implement the plan in a more systematic, holistic and coordinated manner.

Stressing intensified joint civil-military endeavors, Xi urged efforts to effectively leverage the strengths and resources of civilian sectors to enhance the quality and efficiency of military development.

Calling for the accelerated development of new quality combat capabilities, Xi urged efforts to improve a swift response and rapid transformation mechanism for advanced technologies.

He also demanded the establishment of a sound and effective oversight system to thoroughly investigate and address corruption.

China’s Sense of Responsibility, Pledge to Multilateralism on Full Display

Nation will provide certainty to this uncertain world: Chinese FM

By GT staff reporters

Mar 07, 2025 11:55 PM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China's foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. Photo: VCG

Through head-of-state diplomacy, China's relations with the world have undergone positive and profound changes. In the past year, President Xi Jinping personally planned and conducted head-of-state diplomacy, and many fruitful results were achieved, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

There will be new highlights in China's head-of-state diplomacy in 2025. "Head-of-state diplomacy will write a new chapter of closer cooperation and shared success between China and the world," Wang said, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

At the Friday press conference lasting about 90 minutes, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, took 23 questions, two more than the previous year, on a wide range of topics including China's relations with other countries, China's views on hotspot issues as well as China's vision for global governance.

The press conference, held on the sidelines of the ongoing two sessions, provided a window for the world to understand China's diplomacy. Domestic and foreign reporters arrived early and seats in the meeting hall were all taken an hour before the press briefing, which started at 10am, the Global Times noticed.

Buzzwords from Wang's remarks including stability, cooperation, multilateralism, and Global South, have jointly delivered the message that in a world facing mounting challenges of unilateralism and protectionism, China will continue to bring much-needed stability and positivity to the world and advocate for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, analysts said.

Stability in turbulence

Wang said that we are living in a changing and turbulent world, where certainty is becoming a scarce resource. The choices made by countries, especially major countries, will determine the trajectory of our times and shape the future of the world. China's diplomacy will stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human progress. We will provide certainty to this uncertain world.

Of the 23 questions, eight directly mentioned the US. In response to a question concerning the US administration's imposition of tariffs using the excuse of fentanyl while claiming to seek a good relationship with China, Wang said, "The US should not return good with evil, or even impose arbitrary tariffs," which is not the behavior of a responsible major power.

Wang further said that "if one's action fails, look for the reason within oneself."

"One should not fantasize that it can suppress China and maintain good relations with China at the same time," he said, adding that such a "two-faced" approach not only undermines the stability of bilateral relations but also fails to build mutual trust between the two sides, according to a transcript of the press conference published by Xinhua.

The US should go over what has actually happened: What has it achieved from tariffs and trade wars these years? Has its trade deficit grown or shrunk? Has the competitiveness of its manufacturing sector increased or declined? Has inflation improved or worsened? Has the quality of life for its people gotten better or worse? Wang asked.

Responding to another question about the impressive emergence of DeepSeek, and US reactions to China's technological advancement, Wang said that science and technology should not be used to put up an iron curtain, and it should be the wealth that benefits all and is shared by all.

Where there is blockade, there is breakthrough; where there is suppression, there is innovation; where there is the fiercest storm, there is the platform launching China's science and technology skyward like the Chinese mythological hero Nezha soaring into the heavens, said Wang.

As China-US relations carry great international significance, many of the questions also touched upon the US as the backdrop.

In response to a question about whether Russia-US dialogue could influence China-Russia strategic coordination, Wang said China-Russia relations are "a constant in a turbulent world rather than a variable in geopolitical games." No matter how the international landscape evolves, the historical logic of China-Russia friendship will not change and its internal driving force will not diminish, Wang said.

Wang also criticized the role of "external forces" when addressing a question on the South China Sea.

Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Friday that the press conference highlighted a stark contrast: the US administration's "America First" and unilateralism have triggered instability and tensions worldwide, whereas China has consistently advocated for a fair and just international order based on cooperation and mutual benefit.

Li expressed confidence that more countries will come to recognize that China's approach of international relations will inject more certainty and stability into a world in turbulence.

Global South

Another buzzword at the press conference was "Global South", which was mentioned 24 times, the Global Times noticed.

The collective rise of the Global South, represented by emerging markets and developing countries, is profoundly reshaping the global landscape and has become a key force driving changes in the international order, Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Friday.

"The hallmark of our era is the prominent, growing strength of the Global South," Wang said Friday.

This year, China will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Brazil the BRICS summit, and South Africa the G20 summit. "We should speak in one voice to the world, safeguard our common interests, and steadily increase our representation and voice in global governance," Wang said.

Wang also called for building a community with a shared future for mankind. An increasing number of countries have participated in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, with over 100 countries supporting the three global initiatives, namely, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

Wang added that over three quarters of countries across the world have joined the family of the Belt and Road cooperation, Wang said.

History will prove that a real winner is the one that keeps in mind the interests of all. A community with a shared future for humanity will ensure that the world belongs to every country, and that everyone will have a bright future, Wang added.

Song said China is not advocating for one system or civilization to replace another, but that different countries share interests and benefits while shouldering responsibilities together in international affairs.

China, through its own development and cooperation with others, through the three global initiatives, the Belt and Road Initiative and proposals alike, shares development opportunities with others, particularly the Global South, analysts said.

Vision for global governance

At the press conference, the Global Times reporter raised a question that some believe that the current international order is facing its most dangerous moment since WWII, with the role and authority of the UN being undermined, how the situation can be addressed and what role China will play?

Wang said the more complex the problems, the greater the need to accentuate the important status of the UN; the more pressing the challenges, the greater the need to uphold the due authority of the UN.

Amid certain countries' stirring up of bloc confrontation and divisions in recent years, China's emphasis on strengthening the UN's central role has become even more urgent. By advancing genuine multilateralism, China is emerging as a key force in guiding the world toward greater stability, prosperity, and fairness, Li added.

All countries want to prevent the world from returning to the law of the jungle. To this end, the first thing to do is to cement the cornerstone of sovereign equality. Those with stronger arms and bigger fists should not be allowed to call the shots, Wang said.

Last month, China presided over a high-level meeting in the UN Security Council on the theme of "Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance."

More than 100 countries enthusiastically signed up to participate, marking the beginning of the activities to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN, Wang said.

China is ready to work with all sides to reflect on the founding vision of the UN, observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and build a more just and equitable global governance system, he said.

The Only Reference to Taiwan Region in the UN is 'Taiwan, Province of China': Chinese FM

By Global Times

Mar 07, 2025 02:25 PM

In response to media inquiry over some countries claiming that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not equate to the One China principle, does not clarify the island of Taiwan's sovereignty, and does not prevent the island from participating in international organizations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a conference on China's foreign policy and external relations on Friday in Beijing that the only reference to the Taiwan region in the UN is "Taiwan, Province of China." Taiwan is never a country, not in the past, and never in the future. To clamor for "Taiwan independence" is to split the country, to support "Taiwan independence" is to interfere in China's internal affairs, and to connive at "Taiwan independence" is to undermine the stability of the Taiwan Straits.

Such a narrative is a blatant challenge to the authority of the UN and the post-war international order. It is extremely absurd and dangerous. Those who spread it could use some help to improve their common sense, Wang said.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is the history and the reality. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the recovery of Taiwan. Eight decades ago, the victory of the Chinese People s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression put Taiwan back under China's sovereign jurisdiction. Both the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, issued by major victorious nations of World War II, stated in explicit terms that Taiwan is a territory that Japan had stolen from the Chinese, and shall be restored to China. Japan also accepted the terms of the Potsdam Proclamation and announced its unconditional surrender. All these have confirmed China's sovereignty over Taiwan, and formed an important part of the post-war international order.

Resolution 2758 was later adopted in 1971 by the UN General Assembly with an overwhelming majority. It decides to restore all the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China at the UN and expel forthwith the representatives of the Taiwan authorities from the UN and all the organizations related to it. Once and for all, this resolution resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the UN, and precluded any possibility of creating "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

The principle of sovereignty is the cornerstone of the UN Charter, and no country or individual should apply double standards, Wang noted. Respect for all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity should mean support for China's complete reunification. Commitment to one-China should mean opposition to any form of "Taiwan independence."

Realizing China's complete reunification is a shared aspiration of the Chinese nation. It is an inevitable trend, and it is what the greater national interests entail. Seeking "Taiwan independence" is doomed to backfire, and using Taiwan to contain China will be nothing but a futile attempt. China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable, said Wang.

Global Times

‘Stability’ of China’s Diplomacy is a Gift to the World: Global Times Editorial

By Global Times

Mar 08, 2025 01:08 AM

On Friday, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi answered questions from Chinese and foreign journalists about China's foreign policy and external relations during a press conference of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing. Wang answered 23 questions in nearly 90 minutes, comprehensively reviewing the achievements of China's diplomacy and looking ahead to its future direction, ranging from head-of-state diplomacy, great power relations, hotspot issues, and international order to scientific and technological development and people-to-people exchanges.

Foreign media paid great attention to expressions such as "China and the US will stay on this planet for a long time, and they must, therefore, seek peaceful co-existence", "the world today is marked by sweeping winds and surging clouds and the dynamism of these changes originates from the South", and "preventing the world from returning to the law of the jungle." The keywords that many people have taken away from this year's press conference are "stability" and "certainty," which are also gifts that China has contributed to a world full of uncertainty.

China's "stability" comes from the mentality of "staying cool-headed and not being affected by any distractions in a volatile world." Today's world is characterized by changes and turbulence, with the rise of anti-globalization thinking, the apparent growth of unilateralism and protectionism, the frequent occurrence of local conflicts and turmoil as well as the hegemonic and bullying behaviors of certain powers in wantonly encircling and suppressing the emerging forces - these are real challenges that must not be ignored. At the same time, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is developing further, the Global South is gaining momentum, while peace, development, cooperation and win-win have become the universal wish of the people and a general trend.

But regardless of what happens, "the mission of China's diplomacy remains unchanged." It is a manifestation of China's diplomatic pattern and determination to be a staunch force defending our national interests, a just and righteous force for world peace and stability, a progressive force for international fairness and justice and a constructive force for the common development of the world. Furthermore, it injects more positive energy into the maintenance of world peace and stability.

Over the past year, head-of-state diplomacy has continued to play a visionary and leading role in China's in-depth interaction with the world, demonstrating extraordinary charm and commitment. The three main home-court diplomatic events, four important overseas visits and more than 130 foreign affairs talks and meetings have continued to write a new story of friendship between China and other countries, creating a new momentum of solidarity and cooperation in the world. Building a community with a shared future for mankind has taken new and solid steps forward under General Secretary Xi Jinping's stewardship. This is where the confidence and backbone of Chinese diplomacy's "stability" lies, and it has also become a grand cause for all parties to participate in.

Today, the notion of humanity sharing a common future has been written into multiple resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) and multilateral documents, more than 100 countries have expressed support for the three major Global Initiatives, and more than three-quarters of the world's countries have become part of the family of the Belt and Road Initiative. With its growing number of friends and partners, China is gathering greater strength to stabilize the world.

The "stability" and "certainty" of China's diplomacy also lie in its proactive approach and continued opening-up. As Wang Yi stated, China's foreign policies, especially those important concepts and initiatives proposed by President Xi, are increasingly welcomed and supported by the international community; China's important role in addressing global challenges and resolving burning and tough issues is becoming more and more expected and commended by countries across the world; the success of Chinese modernization and the inspiration it offers are being increasingly recognized and emulated by more and more countries.

The press conference provided a preview of key diplomatic activities for this year: President Xi is expected to make a number of overseas visits; we will solemnly commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and hold a series of major events including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit; China will convene a Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Beijing.

The significance of China's diplomatic vision and policies extends beyond the present - it is about shaping the future. From this consistent commitment to progress, the world sees China taking the initiative in history and driving historical advancement with concrete actions.

By always upholding the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win and pursuing a win-win strategy of opening-up, China continues to create new opportunities for the world through its own development. Over the past year, China has expanded its unilateral visa-free policy to 38 countries, continued to unilaterally open up to the least developed nations, shortened its negative list for foreign investment, and shared innovations in space exploration, artificial intelligence, and other fields with more countries.

With sincerity and pragmatism, China's diplomacy is becoming increasingly attractive and influential, positioning itself as a "top choice" for international cooperation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres previously hailed China as an "indispensable and trustworthy vital force in promoting world peace and development."

"China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world." As emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping, China always stands firmly on the right side of history and the side of the progress of human civilization. In this new year, major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics will bring even greater certainty to the world. We also have every reason to look forward to a world of shared prosperity and cooperation, where the future belongs to all.

China's Jan-Feb Exports Hit Record High, Foreign Trade Off to Stable Start

Tech-intensive products weigh higher, showcasing trade structure improvement

By Chi Jingyi

Mar 07, 2025 11:19 PM

Aerial photo taken on March 7, 2025 shows containers at the Lianyungang Port in Lianyungang City, East China's Jiangsu Province. Photo: VCG

China's foreign trade market has gotten off to a good start in 2025, with exports reaching a record high, the overall trade volume remaining generally stable and trade structure improving in the first two months of the year, despite an increasingly complex and severe external environment.

The country's exports rose by 3.4 percent year-on-year to reach 3.88 trillion yuan ($535.25 billion) from January to February 2025, marking a historical high for the period, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Friday.

"This fully demonstrates the advantages of China's market, its comprehensive industrial system and the resilience of its foreign trade sector," Huo Jianguo, a vice chairman of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday.

Analysts also pointed out that such an increase in exports in the first two months of this year was hard-won given the high base in the same period in 2024, which stood at 3.75 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.3 percent, also a historical high at that time.

Due to the high base last year, total imports and exports in the first two months of 2025 showed a moderate decrease of 1.2 percent year-on-year, totaling 6.54 trillion yuan, according to the GAC.

However, after excluding the impact of incomparable factors, China's total foreign trade in goods saw a year-on-year growth of 1.7 percent in the first two months, Lü Daliang, GAC spokesperson and director of the GAC's Department of Statistics and Analysis, said on Friday.

China's foreign trade remained generally stable in the first two months, as various regions and departments actively responded to adverse effects resulting from the external environment, said Lü.

Despite the US and some Western countries continued to promote trade protectionism, China's exports to the US and the EU increased in the first two months.

China's exports to the EU increased by 1.8 percent and exports to the US surged by 3.4 percent, data showed.

China's exports to the US maintained positive growth in January-February, which could partly be attributed to the "rush to import" effect from US importers, Feng Lin, executive director of Research and Development at Golden Credit Rating, said in a note sent to the Global Times on Friday.

"Data shows that US import growth in January reached 11.9 percent year-on-year, while the growth rate in December was 12.4 percent. This may indicate that US importers sought to partially offset the impact of the 10 percent tariff increase on Chinese goods exported to the US, which took effect on February 4," said Feng.

"The strong exports were within our expectations, as the resilience of China's supply chain empowers the core competitiveness of its products," Zhu Qiucheng, CEO of Ningbo New Oriental Electric Industrial Development, an exporter of home furnishing products, told the Global Times on Friday.

This reinforces that the world needs China's high-quality products, which are irreplaceable, especially amid trade protectionism of certain countries that harms their own consumers, Huo noted.

Improving trade structure

The latest GAC data also showed that China's foreign trade structure continues to improve, with technology-intensive products weighing higher in the country's exports.

In the first two months, exports of machinery and electronics reached 2.33 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.4 percent year-on-year, accounting for 60 percent of the total export value.

Among them, exports of automatic data processing equipment and its components reached 217.68 billion yuan, up 11.7 percent, while integrated circuits reached 180.44 billion yuan, up 13.2 percent. Exports of vehicles totaled 116.02 billion yuan, up 3.7 percent, according to the GAC data.

In comparison, the exports of labor-intensive products dropped 8.2 percent to 608.13 billion yuan during the same period, accounting for 15.7 percent of China's total exports, GAC data showed.

Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, said on Thursday at a press conference on the sidelines of the two sessions that from small appliances like coffee machines and robotic vacuum cleaners to larger products such as electric vehicles and industrial robots, China's exports are becoming more technology-intensive and widely recognized globally.

Huo also noted that China's foreign trade continues to build on the strong growth momentum seen in 2024, as China's high-quality products are widely welcomed by consumers worldwide.

"China's foreign trade, especially exports, is witnessing a transition from pursuing quantity to stressing high-quality and high-value-added," said Zhu.

Apart from increasingly technology-driven products that weigh more in China's exports, the country's trade partners also witnessed a trend toward more diversification.

In the first two months of 2025, ASEAN, the EU, the US, and South Korea were the top four largest trade partners for China, according to GAC statistics.

In the first two months, ASEAN was China's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching 1.03 trillion yuan, up 4 percent year-on-year. The EU was China's second-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching 833.34 billion yuan. The US ranked third, with a trade volume totaling 733.67 billion yuan, up 3.5 percent, GAC data showed.

Wang also indicated on Thursday that China's trade partnerships have become more diversified in 2024, as the country has become a primary trading partner for more than 150 countries and regions, with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) accounting for over 50 percent of China's total foreign trade for the first time.

"It is necessary for Chinese exporters to diversify their destination markets as some policies of the new US administration are bringing more uncertainty to exports to the US market," said Zhu, adding that the importance of ASEAN, BRI participating countries and emerging markets is increasing to reduce the volatility risks from uncertainty in the single market.

Future measures

China will work for stable development of foreign trade by bolstering policies for stabilizing foreign trade and supporting enterprises in securing orders and exploring new markets, according to the Government Work Report.

It will improve financial services related to financing, settlement, and foreign exchange, expand the scale and coverage of export credit insurance, and provide more support to enterprises participating in and organizing exhibitions abroad, the report said.

Wang noted on Thursday that currently, the adverse effects of the external environment are deepening, with unilateralism and protectionism on the rise. Some countries are wielding the "tariff stick," disrupting international trade order and impacting the stability of global industrial and supply chains, posing severe challenges to China's foreign trade development.

However, Wang also said that many Chinese foreign trade enterprises told him that China's foreign trade has weathered many storms over the past years, but have stood the test of time. They believe that "there are always more solutions than difficulties."

Huo said that although global trade protectionism is on the rise, China needs the world, and the world also needs China.

With the continuous implementation of policies to stabilize foreign trade by relevant departments, it is believed that China's foreign trade will maintain a stable and healthy development trend, Huo said.

"As an industry practitioner, I remain confident in the healthy and stable development of China's foreign trade in 2025," said Zhu, adding that the resilience of China's supply chain has been proven by time.

The US Has Withdrawn from a Climate Agreement that Helps Developing Nations, South Africa Says

By MICHELLE GUMEDE

9:20 AM EST, March 6, 2025

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The United States has withdrawn from a climate agreement where rich nations have pledged billions of dollars to help a small group of developing countries switch from coal to green energy sources in a possible blueprint for future deals to cut carbon emissions, one of the participating countries said Thursday.

South Africa said it had received notice that the U.S. had withdrawn from the International Partners Group, a bloc of rich countries that has pledged money for energy transitions in South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam and Senegal. The bloc includes the European Union, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan, Norway and Denmark.

The U.S. had declared, effective immediately, its withdrawal from the agreements in South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam, said Chrispin Phiri, a spokesperson for the South African Foreign Ministry.

The U.S. had not pledged money for Senegal’s energy transition, although other members of the IPG did.

It’s another move by President Donald Trump to take the U.S. out of global climate pacts after he signed an executive order in January to withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement that brings countries together to combat global warming.

That agreement is aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels or, failing that, keeping temperatures at least well below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels.

The U.S. withdrawal from the IPG meant South Africa would lose more than $1 billion in future investment pledges from the U.S. to gradually decommission its polluting coal-fired power stations in favor of renewable energy, according to a statement from the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Phiri said grant projects in South Africa that were previously funded “and in planning or implementation phases have been canceled.”

The U.S. had canceled future funding for Indonesia’s energy transition program that had been provided through the United States aid agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, said Fabby Tumiwa, executive director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform, a climate-focused non-profit.

Officials said the other rich countries were still part of the agreements and they would continue to provide support.

“South Africa remains steadfast in its commitment to achieving a just and equitable energy transition,” said Joanne Yawitch, the head of the Just Energy Transition Project Management Unit in South Africa. “All other IPG partners remain firmly committed.”

U.K. Climate Envoy Rachel Kyte, who was in South Africa for an energy conference, told the News24 outlet it was “regrettable” that the U.S. had withdrawn.

South Africa was the first country to sign up to a so-called just energy transition agreement at the United Nations climate conference in 2021. It said it had received $13,8 billion in pledges before the U.S. withdrawal. Indonesia and Vietnam signed their multibillion-dollar deals in 2022.

The agreements are meant to recognize that some developing countries are reliant on coal to keep their economies going. They don’t have the money or the green energy capacity to swiftly change and need to convert more gradually. South Africa, the most advanced economy in Africa, relies on coal for more than 80% of its electricity supply. Nearly all of Indonesia’s energy needs are currently met by fossil fuels, with 60% coming from coal.

South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam are all among the world’s top 20 emitters of greenhouse gases, according to ClimateWatch, which compiles data on climate change.

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Associated Press writer Victoria Milko in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

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