China intends to maintain communication and consultations with India to facilitate cross-border movement of people, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Beijing, December 12 (Xinhua) — China intends to maintain communication and consultations with India to steadily promote the facilitation of cross-border movement of people between the two sides, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

The diplomat made the statement at a regular departmental press briefing, commenting on media reports that India had cut bureaucratic procedures to expedite the issuance of business visas for Chinese specialists.

"We welcome this positive step. Easing the movement of people serves the common interests of all parties," Guo Jiakun emphasized.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

China supports South Africa's continued participation in G20 cooperation, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Beijing, December 12 (Xinhua) — China supports South Africa in continuing its participation in G20 cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.

The diplomat made the statement at a regular departmental press briefing, commenting at a journalist's request on the United States' statement that after assuming the G20 presidency this month, it will not invite South Africa to participate in the 2026 G20 summit or to cooperate within the association.

Guo Jiakun recalled that South Africa successfully hosted the G20 summit in Johannesburg last month, which was highly praised by the international community.

According to him, the G20 has long remained committed to the principles of solidarity, cooperation, and equal consultation. Guo Jiakun also noted that South Africa, as a founding member of the G20, has participated in all previous summits and has always played a key role in the group.

"China supports South Africa's continued participation in G20 cooperation. We look forward to working with South Africa and all other G20 members to uphold multilateralism, promote global economic growth, and improve global economic governance," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson concluded.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

The Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress held a meeting with a delegation of the Social Democratic Party of Portugal.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) — Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), met with a delegation of the Portuguese Social Democratic Party led by its secretary general and parliamentary leader Hugo Soares in Beijing on Friday.

Li Hongzhong, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, noted that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership has been continuously deepened.

According to the vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, China hopes to establish closer exchanges between the political parties and legislative bodies of the two countries, advance cooperation within the framework of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and promote the healthy and stable development of relations between China and Portugal, China and the European Union.

Li Hongzhong also briefed the delegation on relevant information about the 4th Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

U. Soares, for his part, stated that Portugal firmly adheres to the one-China principle and intends to develop exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two countries through inter-party channels. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Freight traffic on the Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye railway bridge is planned to increase to 22.5 million tons by 2031, according to a representative of the Russian bridge operator.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Birobidzhan, December 12 (Xinhua) — Freight traffic on the Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye railway bridge, connecting China and Russia across the Heilongjiang (Amur) River, is planned to increase to 22.5 million tons per year by 2031, and the capacity of the railway checkpoint on the Russian side to 17 pairs of trains per day. Anton Ivanchenko, First Deputy General Director of IFR-1, the operator of the railway bridge on the Russian side, told Xinhua in an interview.

“Currently, we handle up to six pairs of trains per day, and we plan to increase this to eight. By 2031, we plan to handle 22.5 million tons of freight per year, or up to 17 pairs of trains per day,” he said.

A. Ivanchenko noted that the company is currently modernizing the checkpoint at Mikhailo-Semenovskaya Station (Leninsk-2, Jewish Autonomous Region of Russia) to increase its capacity and support growth in export and import traffic. "Two areas need to be improved: the railway checkpoint and the section from Birobidzhan to Leninsk," he explained, adding that three additional stations are planned for this section, as well as reconstruction of the checkpoint infrastructure. Specifically, this involves the construction of new overpasses in the receiving and dispatching yard, allowing for the receipt and dispatch of 71-car trains.

According to a Xinhua source, the company also plans to build three modern terminal complexes: a universal transshipment facility, a petrochemical facility, and an agro-logistics facility. This will allow it to handle various types of railcars and expand its cargo range. "The main cargo currently shipped to China is coal (70 percent) and iron ore (30 percent). Container shipments are also underway, including plywood, cardboard, and forest products. Consumer goods are shipped from China in containers," A. Ivanchenko said. He added that an experiment was recently conducted with shipping copper concentrate to China, and plans are also underway to ship the first batch of Russian peat.

Speaking about the uniqueness of the Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye Bridge, A. Ivanchenko emphasized that it is an important link between China and Russia. "It connects the Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia's main railway, and China. In other words, we are the direct link that brings Chinese goods to the Trans-Siberian Railway, from where they are delivered throughout Russia," he said, noting that IFR-1 is actively working with its Chinese partners to increase freight turnover between Russia and China.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Breaking: At least 8 people were injured after a four-story church collapsed in Durban, South Africa – media reports

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

JOHANNESBURG, December 12 (Xinhua) — A four-story church collapsed in Durban, South Africa, on Friday, trapping several people under the rubble, local media reported.

The exact number of victims remains unknown, but rescue services said they have treated at least eight people and are continuing to search for others.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

The process of discussing US proposals for a Ukrainian settlement will be lengthy, according to a Russian presidential aide.

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Ashgabat, December 12 (Xinhua) — The process of discussing US proposals for a settlement in Ukraine will be lengthy, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Friday.

"After all these working negotiations [with the US] with Ukraine, they should show us the documents. Active brainstorming is underway. We haven't seen any revised versions of the American projects," TASS quoted him as saying.

Yury Ushakov suggested that many of the changes introduced may not please Russia. He stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's goal is to introduce proposals into the documents that are unacceptable to Russia. "It's unlikely that these comments will be positive," the Russian leader's aide emphasized.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

The health of the Chinese population continues to improve steadily, according to the Chinese Consul General in Khabarovsk.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Vladivostok, December 12 (Xinhua) — Thanks to tireless efforts, the health of China's population continues to steadily improve, with life expectancy reaching 79 years in 2024. This was stated recently by Chinese Consul General in Khabarovsk Jiang Xiaoyang in a written interview published in the Khabarovsk newspaper "Medical Newspaper."

As the Consul General noted, since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has consistently prioritized the people's health, comprehensively strengthened the Party's leadership in healthcare, made a number of important strategic decisions, and contributed to a historic leap in the development of China's healthcare system, achieving comprehensive and innovative successes.

First, Jiang Xiaoyang pointed out, China has created the world's largest healthcare system. As of the end of 2024, the country had 1.09 million healthcare facilities and 15.78 million healthcare workers, making healthcare accessible to residents within 15 minutes.

Secondly, the public health and epidemiological protection network has become more robust. The country is implementing the national "Healthy China" strategy, and the state provides preventive vaccinations for 15 diseases. Premature mortality from major chronic diseases has decreased by 10.6 percent, and the incidence of tuberculosis, hepatitis B, AIDS, and other infectious diseases continues to decline or remains low. Furthermore, the country has withstood the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the diplomat added, unlike anything seen in a century.

Third, the reform of the medical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare systems continues to deepen. Regional reforms, based on local conditions, are underway in areas such as personnel training, service prices, wages, budget subsidies, and comprehensive oversight. Jiang Xiaoyang noted that 70 cities are receiving government funding to promote high-quality development and pilot reforms of public hospitals.

Fourth, he continued, positive progress has been made in the revival and development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). "We adhere to the principle of equal attention to TCM and Western medicine, are implementing a major project to revive and develop TCM, and are advancing the construction of a TCM service system, which plays a unique role in disease prevention and treatment," the Consul General noted.

Fifth, measures to stimulate the birth rate are being consistently implemented, including extending maternity leave, strengthening pregnancy support services, applying special tax deductions, and gradually introducing free preschool education.

Jiang Xiaoyang recalled that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee reviewed and adopted the CPC Central Committee's proposals for drafting the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. Based on the goal of achieving comprehensive human development and taking confident steps toward the common enrichment of the people, the proposals set forth clear requirements and adopted important measures to accelerate the construction of a "Healthy China" and "promote high-quality human development."

According to him, accelerating the construction of a “Healthy China” focuses on three main aspects:

Firstly, it is necessary to implement the strategy of priority development of health, which involves improving the system of policies and institutions in the field of health promotion, increasing the effectiveness of the “patriotic campaign for hygiene and sanitation”, continuously increasing life expectancy and improving the health level of the people.

Secondly, it is necessary to combine development and security to provide strong guarantees and support for socioeconomic development. In this regard, it is necessary to strengthen public health capacity, combat major infectious diseases, organize comprehensive preventive and therapeutic care for chronic diseases, comprehensively improve the effectiveness of emergency medical care, and strengthen mental health services, the Consul General added.

Third, he continued, it is necessary to provide the population with fair, accessible, systematic, sustainable, high-quality, and effective healthcare services. It is essential to promote coordinated development and management in the fields of medicine, health insurance, and pharmaceuticals to make healthcare more convenient and effective for the population.

The diplomat noted that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's population aging will continue to deepen, leading to a growing need for medical care for individuals with loss of independence and cognitive impairment, as well as hospice care for patients with terminal illnesses. In this regard, China plans to strengthen scientific and technological innovation in addressing major healthcare challenges, comprehensively expand the provision of services such as rehabilitation, nursing, and hospice care in urban and rural areas, launch a campaign to improve the health of the elderly, enhance the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of age-related diseases, and implement a long-term care insurance system. Authorities will also expand the provision of outpatient medical services and home care services for people with disabilities and the elderly, and develop family physician services to provide better care for the elderly and people with disabilities, reflecting the warmth of public services and the progress of social civilization, Jiang Xiaoyang added.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Russia is unaware of the changes the US and Ukraine have made to the peace plan, according to the Russian presidential press secretary.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Ashgabat, December 12 (Xinhua) — The Russian side is unaware of any changes to the American peace plan. During contacts between the US and Ukraine, some changes to the peace plan are being made, but the Kremlin has not received any notifications from Washington about them, according to Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

"There haven't been any updates. They're currently talking to the Ukrainians. Something is changing, some changes are being made, but we don't know what they are," D. Peskov told reporters, answering a question about whether any updates had been received from the United States regarding the Ukrainian settlement.

According to D. Peskov, the Kremlin has no information about whether a meeting between US President Donald Trump and representatives of Ukraine and the European Union will take place on December 13 in Paris. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Indonesia hosts Hongting Forum to promote China-ASEAN cooperation

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Jakarta, December 12 (Xinhua) — The Red Hall Forum, themed "Advancing New Frontiers of China-ASEAN Cooperation," was held here on Thursday. Forum participants discussed in detail strengthening cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The event, co-organized by the Xinhua Asia-Pacific Bureau, the Chinese Mission to ASEAN, Xinhua Institute, and the Xinhua News Agency Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Office, brought together nearly 100 representatives from government, academia, business, and media from China and ASEAN member countries.

In a video address, Fu Hua, Director-General of Xinhua News Agency, noted that China's initiatives, such as the development of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, serve as an important guideline for the sustainable and long-term development of cooperation between China and ASEAN. He emphasized that Xinhua News Agency has always been a witness to and participant in this cooperation.

Fu Hua noted that Xinhua News Agency will continue to make unremitting efforts to unveil the visions and guiding ideas put forward by the leaders of China and ASEAN member states, tell vivid stories of China-ASEAN cooperation in various fields, conduct in-depth research on prospective and strategic issues related to regional development, and organize more exchange activities between media and think tanks from China and ASEAN member states.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Horn stated in a video message that China and ASEAN enjoy one of the most meaningful and dynamic partnerships in the region. China remains ASEAN's largest trading partner, and bilateral economic connectivity continues to deepen. He noted that the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Protocol Upgrading the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area to Version 3.0 opened a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

At the forum, Xinhua Institute officially released the Indonesian version of the analytical report “RCEP and the Vision of the Maritime Silk Road: A New Space for China-ASEAN Cooperation.”

The forum also featured a China-ASEAN Media and Think Tank Salon, which brought together representatives from more than 10 media outlets and research institutions.

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Five crew members of a merchant ship fell into the sea off the South Korean island of Jeju.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

SEOUL, December 12 (Xinhua) — Five crew members of a merchant ship fell into the sea off the resort island of Jeju in southern South Korea, the country's coast guard reported on Friday.

At around 4:47 p.m. local time, the coast guard received a report that five sailors had fallen from an 8,580-ton Sierra Leone-flagged merchant vessel with 15 crew members on board in waters approximately 33 kilometers southwest of Seogwipo Port.

The Coast Guard sent five patrol ships, two coastal rescue boats and a helicopter to the scene.

A navy vessel was dispatched to the scene to support the rescue operation.

The cause of the incident is under investigation. –0–

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