Global Times

According to media reports, local officials in Auckland decided on Tuesday not to allow the installation of a “comfort women” statue on public land in the city. Rebekah Jaung, the chairperson of the Aotearoa New Zealand Statue of Peace committee, which has been promoting the statue’s establishment, told the Global Times on Tuesday evening that she felt “extremely disappointed” with the decision. She said they were familiar with how the #Japanese government has opposed similar memorials elsewhere, but it’s pretty shocking that a country like Japan would so blatantly try to silence a monument honoring women on the other side of the world. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

China will implement zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with it, starting May 1. People can see China’s policy philosophy of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith toward Africa, as well as its correct view of justice and interests. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

#China’s zero-tariff policy is a strategic step that could help move bilateral cooperation beyond individual projects toward full industrial-chain collaboration to support #Africa’s economic autonomy, with implications that extend far beyond, an expert says. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, on Wednesday in Beijing. Separately, Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Baerbock in Beijing on Wednesday. Wang said it is high time to support, reinvigorate and strengthen the UN amid growing turbulence and escalating hotspot issues, according to the Xinhua News Agency. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

China’s national railway officially kicks off the annual May Day holiday travel rush on Wednesday, unleashing a sweeping nationwide travel frenzy. Soaring air and road passenger flows, red-hot travel service reservations, robust hotel and scenic bookings, as well as booming catering and retail spending, all serve as tangible barometers of thriving domestic demand. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

China’s total gold demand—including gold jewelry, bars, ETFs, and industrial use—reached 362 tonnes in the first quarter, up 24 percent year-on-year, marking a record high for the same period. Overall, the rapid growth in gold investment has more than offset weakness in jewelry consumption, according to a report released Wednesday by the World Gold Council. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

An 8-year-old Iranian boy named Radin returned to his school in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang Province, ending an absence of more than three months that included over a month without any contact. His classmates erupted in joy, rushing to hug him tightly, according to Xinhua. Radin had left China with his father in mid-January due to rising tensions in Iran. In late February, he promised his teacher that he would return in about three weeks, but the promise was broken by the conflict, leading to weeks of silence from him. His eventual return brought an emotional classroom reunion, Xinhua reported.

Following the completion of the 168-hour trial operation on Wednesday, China’s first Hualong One nuclear power unit in the Yangtze River Delta region and the first nuclear power project with private capital involvement officially met the conditions for commercial operation and was put into use, China Media Group (CMG) reported. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

On April 30, the 6th #AsianBeachGames in #Sanya, South China’s Hainan Province, will come to a close. Read the article based on interviews with the chief directors to get a preview of the closing ceremony’s highlights. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

The world’s top divers will converge in Beijing this week as the 2026 World Aquatics #Diving World Cup Super Final takes place from May 1 to 3 at the iconic National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

In the heart of Sichuan's Daliangshan mountains, Yi poet Jidi Majia accepted Cuba’s Nicolás Guillén International Award – previously given to Márquez, Saramago & Alberti. "Poetry will break all barriers and illuminate humanity’s path," he said. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

China’s men’s and women’s teams aim to defend their titles at the ITTF World Team #TableTennis Championships Finals in London, Britain and the men’s team faces stern challenges from several contenders, an analyst told the Global Times on Wednesday. #ITTFWorlds2026 globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

The sound and stable development of China-EU economic and trade relations requires joint efforts from all sides. Mainstream European think tanks should view China-EU economic cooperation objectively and recognize its mutually beneficial nature, abandon cold war thinking, and stop promoting misleading narratives such as so-called “Chinese coercion” or irresponsibly encouraging unilateral confrontation. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

China’s GDP grew 5 percent in the first quarter. In terms of macroeconomic growth, the economy accelerated in the first three months on both a year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter basis, and the figures exceeded expectations. It is believed that, given the stronger-than-expected GDP growth in the first quarter, this has created favorable conditions for achieving the full-year GDP growth target. There remains a good chance for GDP to stay within the 4.5 to 5 percent range in the coming quarters. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders officially added 18 rare archival items related to David Nelson Sutton, a US assistant prosecutor at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, to its collection on Wednesday. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

Powering a greener world! 🇨🇳#China's clean energy exports are helping countries worldwide slash their CO₂ emissions. 🇮🇳#India benefits the most, avoiding 33.47 Mt of CO₂ in 2024, followed closely by 🇸🇦#SaudiArabia. #FactsMatter

#HongKong stock market has remained as the world’s leading initial public offering (IPO) market in the first three months of 2026, as the total funds raised – HK$110.4 billion ($14.1 billion) from 40 listed companies – set a record high for any first quarter since 2021, latest data showed on Wednesday. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

China’s average daily #token call volume grew rapidly from 1 trillion at the beginning of 2025 to 100 trillion at the end of last year, while the cumulative token call volume for the whole year reached approximately 21,100 trillion, according to a report released at the 9th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, East China’s Fujian Province, state broadcaster CCTV News reported on Wednesday. #AI globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

The year 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials. However, in recent years, with the rise of Japanese right-wing online groups, false narratives about the Tokyo Trials have permeated cyberspace. Their core aim is to completely dismantle the historical view established by the trials, shed Japan’s identity as a defeated nation, and clear the way for its agenda of constitutional revision, military buildup and so-called national normalization, a Chinese expert said. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…

#Opinion: For Australia, closer defense integration with Japan – however commercially attractive or ostensibly operationally rational in the short term – carries longer-term risks. globaltimes.cn/page/202604/13…