After Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar assured that ties with the Maldives are a priority during his meeting with top Maldivian officials on Saturday, some Indian media said Jaishankar's visit has China in mind. Chinese experts said on Sunday that China does not seek exclusive engagement or cooperation from Maldives, while India perceives China as a threat to its supremacy in the region.

According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Jaishankar on Saturday met Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and other top leaders in the first high-level trip from New Delhi after Muizzu assumed office in November last year. Indian media outlets also mentioned China's "growing military ties" with the Maldives as part of their coverage on the relationship between India and the Maldives.

Some Western media claimed that the Maldives, which is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is caught in competition between India and China.

Long Xingchun, a professor from the School of International Relations at Sichuan International Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday that China views its relations with countries in the Indian Ocean, including the Maldives, as normal relations. However, India perceives China as a competitor that would challenge its supremacy in the region, which is India's self-perception.

Sovereign countries have the right to establish normal relations with any other country, as seen in China's relationships with Nepal and the Maldives. China does not seek exclusive engagement or cooperation from the Maldives, Long said.

Long added that China also supports the Maldives in fostering friendly cooperation with India, and China does not impose the need for small South Asian countries to align with a particular side, as China views such demands demonstrate a lack of respect for the sovereignty of these countries.

The relationship between India and the Maldives has been under severe strain since Muizzu took charge and demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives, PTI said.

Long noted that India may feel somewhat embarrassed about withdrawing its military personnel, particularly given the close relationship between the Maldives and China.

However, due to the strong ties between India and the Maldives, including the fact that a significant number of tourists in Maldives are from India, India is seeking to repair this relationship, Long added. Continuing to isolate the Maldives could potentially push the current government further toward China, which would not be beneficial for India.

The chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Ren Hongbin on Wednesday (local time) met with Craig Allen, president of the US-China Business Council (USCBC), in Washington during a roundtable on promoting exchanges between the two countries' business communities, the CCPIT said on Thursday. 

The roundtable was one of the events held during a week-long visit by the Chinese business delegation to the US, following a US business delegation visiting China that ended on July 23, on the heels of the recently concluded third plenum of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Ren said that the third plenum emphasized that China should develop new institutions for a higher-standard open economy, which will provide rare historical opportunities for deepening exchanges and cooperation between the business communities of China and the US, and achieving win-win cooperation.

Ren expressed hope that the two councils can enhance exchanges and make efforts to promote bilateral business relations.

Allen was thankful for the CCPIT's and Chinese business' efforts in meeting foreign companies' operating demand in China. He said he is looking forward to more measures to implement the guideline of the third plenum and the policies boosting domestic demand in China.

The event brought together a Chinese business delegation consisting of multiple entrepreneurs and executives from 11 top 500 US-based companies, according to the CCPIT.

Representatives from the US business community expressed optimism about the positive signal of China's broader opening-up. They hoped that US companies could participate in China's modernization drive and achieve win-win cooperation, adding that the China International Supply Chain Expo offers a platform for productive communication between enterprises from the two countries. 

Invited by the CCPIT, a US business delegation led by Raj Subramaniam, board chair of the US-China Business Council, arrived in Beijing on July 22, comprising top executives from US-based multinational companies, including Micron, Goldman Sachs, Apple and Boeing.

At the Paris Olympic Games, Team China has showcased confidence, friendship and unity by paying tribute to the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger -- Together" with their best competitive state and many heartwarming moments, analysts said.

In contrast, the lingering doubts over the doping case of American Olympic sprinter Erriyon Knighton is causing concerns but the US has turned a blind eye to its own athletes who violated the rules while busy accusing the China Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of "covering up the truth" and demanding sanctions against Chinese athletes. The US' domineering attitude of "I can only check you, but you are not allowed to check me" shows a hegemonic mindset, analysts said.

WADA responded to a Reuters story of Wednesday local time exposing a scheme whereby the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) allowed athletes who had doped, to compete for years, in at least one case without ever publishing or sanctioning their anti-doping rule violations, in direct contravention of the WADA and USADA's own rules.

This USADA scheme threatened the integrity of sporting competition, which the anti-doping code seeks to protect. By operating it, USADA was in clear breach of the rules. Contrary to the claims made by USADA, WADA did not sign off on this practice of permitting drug cheats to compete for years on the promise that they would try to obtain incriminating evidence against others, according to the statement published by WADA on Wednesday.

"WADA is now aware of at least three cases where athletes who had committed serious anti-doping rule violations were allowed to continue to compete for years while they acted as undercover agents for USADA, without it notifying WADA and without there being any provision allowing such a practice under the Code or USADA's own rules," said the WADA statement.

Li Xiang, a sports commentator who is covering the Olympic Games in Paris, told the Global Times on Thursday that the friction with WADA has shown that Team USA is not clean at all, and this makes those groundless accusations launched by the US authorities, media and some individuals against China and other countries on the doping issue even more unconvincing. Li said the US using its hegemonic influence and power to contain China and other competitors in sports is truly a disgrace and unsportsmanlike.

In any field that used to be dominated by the US, once Chinese or other countries' athletes make history and even break world records, the US will launch all-out campaign to stigmatize its competitors, weaponize its influence, conduct long-arm jurisdiction against its challengers, and this situation will likely become a new normal in the coming years, Shen Yi, a professor on international relations at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

According to the New York Times on Thursday, US Congress has threatened to cut funding for the WADA. The Justice Department and the FBI have opened criminal investigations into how the WADA tests were handled.

Clearly, the US, just like what it has always done in the UN and other fields like international trade disputes or sci-tech rivalry, will use all it has, including sanctions, bans, boycotts, stigmatizations, war of words, long-arm jurisdiction and so on, to contain its competitor and defend its hegemony, Li said.

Apart from the doping issue, the US also has tension with other countries' teams in Paris. According to CNN on Wednesday, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is refusing to attend the Olympics closing ceremony in protest over the women's floor exercise final earlier this week in which two Romanian gymnasts did not make the medal stand due to controversial judgement that favored US gymnasts.

China: friendship and unity

Team China, which now ranks NO.2 on the medal list, has demonstrated charm and sportsmanship in Paris, as Chinese young athletes win friendship and respect from their rivals and foreign audiences.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, Spanish badminton player Carolina Marin thanked He Bingjiao for her heartwarming gesture - showcasing a Spain pin on the medal podium.

Marin, leading the semifinal against He midway through the second game of the match, was forced to withdraw due to a serious knee injury, which sent her rival into the final. Although He only won silver, she showed in the medal ceremony that she had not forgotten Marin by showing a badge of the Spanish flag to the cameras.

Marin returned to Spain on Monday, where tests showed the 31-year-old has torn the cruciate knee ligament in her right knee for the second time in her career. She thanked He for her podium gesture.

"The moment on the podium is one of the kindest gestures I have ever had toward me and I will always be incredibly grateful," she wrote, adding that she had "never received as much affection and support.''

Another moment that demonstrated true Olympic spirit was when the table tennis players from China, North Korea, and South Korea stood together on the podium and happily took a selfie on July 30.

In the mixed doubles table tennis final at the Paris Olympics, the Chinese duo Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha defeated the North Korean team 4-2 to win the gold medal. The North Korean team took silver, while the South Korean team won bronze.

After the match, Chinese athlete Sun Yingsha organized a selfie with athletes from China, North Korea, and South Korea to commemorate the moment, CCTV reported.

Sports competitions are typically seen as contests between nations, but in this touching moment, they showcased the friendship and unity among athletes, analysts said.

China's government-subsidized housing construction has gained momentum this year. By the end of June, 1.128 million units have been built, or completing 66.2 percent of the annual target, with investments totaling 118.3 billion yuan ($16.5 billion), Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The progress came amid efforts by Chinese cities to strengthen policy support and advance related housing projects, in line with the central government's recent resolution to enhance the country's social security system, which includes scaling up construction and supply of government-subsidized apartments to improve residential well-being.

In Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, the city has recently introduced a dual application system for its first government-subsidized housing project based on the allotted purchase model, offering both online and offline options to streamline the application process for home-buyers.

As of the end of July, 362 out of the 701 housing units planned as part of the project had been successfully applied, thanks to its diverse application channels and flexible allocation principles, local authorities said.

Major Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Shanghai have also kicked off various government-subsidized housing projects.

As of July, Hangzhou has accumulated approximately 170,000 units of public rental housing, 264,600 units of government-subsidized rental housing, and 17,400 units of shared ownership housing. The city plans to commence construction of no fewer than 6,000 units of government-subsidized housing for sale in 2024.

In Shanghai, government-subsidized rental housing has also seen rapid progress, with around 47,000 new units constructed and 34,000 units supplied by mid-year, official data showed.

During the first half of the year, the Chinese government's work on affordable housing mainly focused on promoting major housing projects, managing existing inventory and optimizing market supply, Yan Yuejin, research director at Shanghai-based E-house China R&D Institute, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"Recent high-level meetings in Beijing clarified the direction for future real estate development, such as ramping up affordable housing projects," Yan said.

China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development plans to continue following up with the projects' execution and ensuring financial backing to speed up construction and meet annual targets.

Yan noted that the achievements in the first half laid a solid basis for advancing efforts in the second half. Ongoing improvements in housing market, particularly addressing the needs of first-time buyers, will help resolve housing issues for key group.

China is pushing to build a new real estate sector development model on the bedrock of the "three major projects" - involving affordable housing, advancing the construction of public infrastructure for both normal and emergency use, and the renovation of run-down neighborhoods in cities.

On July 31, China's State Council, the cabinet, pledged increased central fiscal support for affordable rental housing and urban infrastructure upgrades in a new five-year urbanization plan, as part of efforts to speed up urbanization and boost domestic demand.

China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) on Tuesday reiterated its stance against double standards of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in a statement, saying that USADA is trying its best to clear American athletes after series of domestic cases while accusing CHINADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of "covering up the truth" and demanding sanctions against Chinese athletes.

In response to a Global Times report on Monday on the doubts surrounding US sprinting star Erriyon Knighton, an under-20 world record holder in the men's 200 meters who tested positive for banned steroid trenbolone during an out-of-competition test in March 2024, CHINADA said the case "shows that USADA's rhetoric about fairness and clean sport runs counter to its actual practices."

USADA had previously argued that the analytical result was incompatible with meat contamination and had sought a sanction of four years against Knighton, but it later abruptly decided before the start of the US qualifiers for the Olympics that no ineligibility would be imposed on Knighton, claiming that the athlete's positive result was caused by his ingestion of contaminated meat, and allowed him to eventually represent the US at the Paris Olympics.

WADA noted in June that it is difficult to understand how USADA can declare that "justice was served" in Knighton's case, as WADA President Witold Banka said it is "particularly intriguing" that USADA made the sudden U-turn.

Erriyon Knighton on Monday local time qualified for the semifinals of the men's 200m, which will take place on August 7 local time, according to Paris Olympics website.

Studies have shown that trenbolone is an anabolic agent with strong enhancing effects on strength and explosiveness, and is not a common contaminant, CHINADA said, noting the US has turned a blind eye to its long history of doping problems, but is obsessed with cross-border jurisdiction and asserting sanctions against other countries.

In the buildup to the Paris Olympics, the Chinese swimming squad was put under extreme scrutiny, due to the pressure by US media and even the US Department of Justice and the FBI. Both WADA and CHINADA were accused by the US media of "covering-up" a 2021 food contamination case as the Chinese swimmers were to compete in Paris.

The Chinese swimmers had to be tested in a more frequent way ahead of and during the Paris Olympics to prove their cleanness.

"I think the routine of seven doping tests in a single day has successfully disrupted our Chinese swimming team, " Chinese diving queen Gao Min wrote on Weibo last week.

Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang expressed a similar viewpoint, stating that he believes some people are deliberately trying to disrupt Team China's preparation and mental state in this way. Nevertheless, he said he and his teammates would continue to focus on the competition and strive for more medals.

CHINADA had clarified they found no wrongdoings involving Chinese swimmers as early as 2021, followed by WADA and world swimming governing body World Aquatics, who found no evidence of irregularities, mismanagement or cover-up. But the findings were repeatedly ignored by USADA.

"It seems that the accusation and attacks on China and other countries is its tactic to deflect attention from the serious flaws in its own anti-doping work. This is sheer political manipulation and hypocritical double standards," said the CHINADA statement.

WADA president Witold Banka criticized the US for politicizing anti-doping and called it hypocritical and double standards in June, saying that 90 percent of athletes in the US do not enjoy the protections provided by the World Anti-Doping Code.

Shang Ximeng, a research fellow at the Center for International Sport Communication and Diplomacy Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times that the US wants to surpass the globally accepted unified set of anti-doping rules, the World Anti-Doping Code, and instate itself as an independent authority to counterbalance WADA.

"The US wants to position itself more prominently, or even dominantly, within the world anti-doping system led by the IOC and WADA, and to have others operate according to its rules," Shang said."The Rodchenkov Act grants the US judicial system independent authority to counterbalance WADA, allowing for separate judicial investigations and criminal sanctions on events or anti-doping cases it deems problematic. This reflects a double standard, as the act does not address issues within the US itself."

The Rodchenkov Act legislation passed in 2020 extends US law enforcement jurisdiction to any international sporting competitions that involve American athletes or have financial connections to the US, Reuters reported.

It was used to launch a US Department of Justice investigation recently into 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance months before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to food contamination.

"There's a big issue when it comes to the … Rodchenkov Act, and how that law has passed through Congress and the effect it could have in international sports," twice NBA champion and IOC member Pau Gasol told a press conference on Friday.

"The potential ability for US authorities to detain people potentially also, from my understanding, outside of US soil … so this jeopardizes the safety of officials and people in the Olympic movement, in the sports movement."

WADA also unveiled that over 300 million doses of anabolic steroids were seized and prevented from entering Europe, while the US remains one of the world's largest markets for illicit steroids and performance-enhancing drugs.

By fostering reconciliation among different Palestinian factions, the recent Beijing Declaration symbolizes hope and offers an alternative approach to addressing the longstanding Middle East conflict. 

Although some may argue that the Beijing Declaration simply reiterates past statements on intra-reconciliation between different Palestinian factions, it cannot be dismissed as lacking innovation. This document presents new avenues for achieving lasting peace in the Middle East and serves as a testament to China's innovative mediation efforts. Its potential impact extends far beyond diplomatic success, offering a glimmer of hope for a better future in a conflicted region.

The Beijing Declaration provides a more comprehensive framework to unite the voices of Palestine, laying a foundation for the future establishment of a Palestinian state. A major obstacle in achieving a two-state solution is the internal division and fragmentation within Palestine's political forces. However, unlike previous agreements, the Beijing Declaration not only aims to reconcile Fatah and Hamas but also includes all other significant factions in Palestine, creating a platform for unifying their political voice.

As President Xi Jinping called for a more inclusive international peace conference on the Palestine issue, the Beijing Declaration has opened a new channel and provided a crucial supporting framework. The involvement of Egypt and Algeria in this declaration ensures its continuation as a concerted effort. Just after its announcement, Sven Koopmans, European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, acknowledged China's "important role in reconciliation based on a two-state solution." This declaration solidifies China's position as a key player in promoting peace and stability in the region.

The Beijing Declaration, announced at a crucial time, has the power to reignite hope and confidence within the international community for a two-state solution. This declaration comes as previous deals have failed to address the pressing issue of marginalization toward this solution, which is now facing its greatest crisis yet. The unbalanced power dynamic between Palestine and Israel hinders any real progress toward revitalizing the two-state solution. Restoring unity among the various rival factions within Palestine could help rebalance their leverage in negotiations with Israel and inject new life into the long-stalled peace process for Palestine.

Ever since the successful mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran last year, China's involvement in the Middle East has steadily increased. As it navigated through complex conflicts, China gained invaluable experience in the art of mediation. In contrast to traditional methods, China has brought fresh and innovative elements to its mediation efforts, leaving a lasting impact on the region.

China places great importance on ensuring that mediation is rooted in just values that align with international standards of justice. This was evident in its involvement in the Palestine conflict, where a balance between realpolitik tactics and adherence to just values was crucial in reaching a compromise among the involved parties. China always maintains respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, not just in the Middle East but also in other conflict-ridden regions. 

For instance, in the case of Syria, China has exercised its veto power multiple times in the UN Security Council to prevent military intervention, because it recognized the importance of balancing power dynamics. This approach has earned China trust among regional countries, making it a powerful mediator in various conflicts.

From China's perspective, mediation is seen as a continuous and sustainable effort that is of utmost importance in earning credibility. The peace process in the Middle East is a challenging task, filled with unpredictable twists and turns. A mediator must understand that a single peace deal will not be a quick fix to deeply-rooted conflicts, and that maintaining a long-term and sustainable effort is key. In contrast to the US approach, China's engagement in Middle East peace is not influenced by partisan interests or government turnover. This serves as an institutional guarantee for China to effectively participate in the peace process and bring about lasting change.

China firmly believes that mediation should not be weaponized and used as a tool for geopolitical confrontations. In contrast to US initiatives in the region, China's mediation approach does not rely on the leverage of military alliances, but rather on its strong economic partnerships with Middle Eastern countries. Additionally, China's mediation efforts are not tied to any geopolitical intention. The focus remains on fostering peaceful relationships and promoting mutual cooperation among all nations involved.

China's involvement in mediating Middle East conflicts marks another significant achievement in its efforts to engage with the region. However, this path toward peace requires international cooperation as a necessary foundation. Despite key differences between China's mediation methods and those of the US, it embodies the ancient Chinese principle of finding harmony amid diversity. It is important to note that China's mediation does not contradict existing initiatives in the Middle East, but rather complements them, with a sincere hope for the Middle East to become an oasis of peace amid an increasingly fragmented world and a beacon of hope for global unity and understanding.

The US' newly approved strategy hyping the intelligence threat from China and Russia is an old trick by Washington attempting to provoke camp opposition in the Asia-Pacific region, serving its plan to implement unilateralism and hegemonism in the region, which will only bring insecurity and instability to the international community, Chinese experts said on Friday.

According to VOA, US President Joe Biden signed on Thursday a new strategy claiming Russia, China, Iran and North Korea as the "main culprits" that caused the US to face "a series of unprecedented threats from foreign intelligence agencies." 

The strategy also claimed that Moscow and Beijing are "the most significant intelligence threats," and hyped that they are increasingly cooperating with each other "to undermine the US."

The US' aggressive smearing of countries in the Asia-Pacific is a deliberate attempt to create divisions and foster hostility in the region, Chinese experts said.

"By painting China and Russia as adversaries, the US is seeking to create the formation of opposing camps in the Asia-Pacific region," Lü Chao, dean of the Institute of American and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University and a research fellow at the Charhar Institute, told the Global Times on Friday.

It has been the consistent practice of the US to stigmatize China in an effort to tarnish its international reputation, Lü said, noting that this is aimed at serving Washington's unilateral hegemonism in the Asia-Pacific region. However, Lü warned that such actions will only bring serious insecurity and instability to the international community.

When asked about US hyping of the bilateral cooperation between China and Russia, Lü emphasized that these partnerships are conducted with a focus on mutual benefit and are never targeted at a third party. Despite this, the US continues to take a provocative attitude toward China-Russia cooperation, and is also trying to sabotage the coordination between other countries and China and Russia. 

The US' reliance on spreading disinformation to sow discord and conduct provocation is a futile endeavor that is destined to end in failure, analysts said.

Experts also noted that the US hype has significantly eroded the bedrock of mutual trust in China-US relations. Both sides stand to benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation, but the US continues to wantonly smear China, constantly exaggerating the bilateral relationship as being a hostile one, Lü said.

It is imperative for the US to approach its interactions with China in a rational manner and avoid crossing red lines. China will resolutely fight back if any further provocative actions are taken by the US, experts said.

US officials have called for Washington to prioritize matching China's presence in the Global South. However, Chinese experts noted that China's approach of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, as opposed to the US' Cold War mind-set and its carrot-and-stick approach, has been key in winning hearts in Global South countries. 

Speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Ben Cardin, a Democratic senator and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the US needs to offer the Global South an alternative to China.

"In order to address these challenges, the US should not only be investing in our military, but also our diplomatic and economic development tools," Cardin said.

Echoing Cardin, US State Department Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said at the hearing that he has traveled to Africa twice since his appointment in February and has plans for a third trip. He also noted that there are 14 ambassador nominations for posts on the continent yet to be approved by the Senate, according to Voice of America. 

Several senators at the hearing stressed the need to increase the US diplomatic footprint and fill empty ambassadorial posts, particularly within the Global South.

Campbell said the lack of US ambassadors in key posts is "embarrassing" and "antithetical to US strategic interests." 

The US has quickened its pace in competing with China over influence in the Global South in recent years. In the latest move, the US opened an embassy in the Pacific island country of Vanuatu earlier this month, described as part of Washington's long-running competition with China for influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

The US has overlooked a crucial distinction in its approach to cooperation with Global South countries compared to China. While China offers equal and mutually beneficial partnerships that contribute to the development of these nations, the US often employs a carrot-and-stick approach to coerce support for its own interests, and treats these countries as tools in a geopolitical competition, Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. 

Campbell also said that "we need to do more, and we have to contest Chinese actions, not only in terms of their forward basing strategy, but their desire to go after Africa's rare earths that will be critical for our industrial and technological capabilities."

US competition with China in obtaining critical minerals, such as rare earths, will further politicize and intensify the global scramble for resources in developing countries, which is not conducive to the development of these countries, Song said.

A new Gallup report released in April this year shows median approval ratings for the US in Africa slipped from 59 percent in 2022 to 56 percent in 2023. Of the four global powers asked about, the US was the only one not to see its image improve across Africa in 2023. Meanwhile, China's approval in the region rose six percentage points, from 52 percent in 2022 to 58 percent in 2023, two points ahead of the US. 

A series of ASEAN-related meetings and bilateral sideline talks have been held in Vientiane, capital of Laos in recent two days, as foreign ministers from ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region gathered to discuss shared concerns and emphasize unity amid rising global uncertainties. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's busy schedule in Laos, which included discussions on China-ASEAN relations, regional development and major global issues, demonstrated that despite geopolitical tensions and competition among major countries, dialogue and cooperation with an open China remain attractive to other nations.

As instability grows globally and interference from external countries intensifies, especially on the South China Sea issue, ASEAN countries are placing greater emphasis on regional unity and prioritizing cooperation with China and other major countries, rather than being drawn into small cliques that could undermine regional collaboration, analysts said.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attended the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with China, together with the ASEAN foreign ministers or their representatives and Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn on Friday in Vientiane. 

During the meeting, Wang outlined the fruitful achievements made between China and ASEAN in various aspects from trade and investment to people-to-people exchanges and energy cooperation. For instance, China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, while ASEAN has become China's largest trading partner for four years straight, with bilateral trade growing 10.5 percent year-on-year in the first half year of 2024. 

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related events were held against the backdrop of sluggish global economic growth and protracted geopolitical conflicts. All parties hope to turn this region into a driving force for global economic development and to activate new momentum for international cooperation, Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. 

ASEAN is a priority direction and key region for the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and it is also one of the first regions to benefit from China's efforts to advance high-level opening-up, Xu said.

The expert noted that Wang's visit to Laos, which is also his first overseas visit after the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, as well as his extensive exchanges with ASEAN foreign ministers, will promote the implementation of reform measures proposed by the session and further deepen China-ASEAN cooperation. 

Growing challenges

The 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting started in Vientiane on Thursday, followed by meetings with East Asian countries and other global players, including Russia, the US, and the EU. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, from Thursday to Friday, Wang Yi held bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Russia, India, Japan, South Korea, the UK and Norway on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related meetings.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday that Wang will also meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Laos at the latter's request. Although Mao did not provide specific information on the time and other details of the meeting, she said that it is believed Wang and Blinken will exchange views on issues of mutual concern.

According to Xu, the ASEAN-related meeting and sideline talks have become a crucial platform for China to engage in bilateral diplomacy and participate in multilateral cooperation. Over the years, China has consistently prioritized its neighboring regions in its diplomatic strategy, actively articulating its perspectives on the international stage and expanding its global influence.

Some analysts noted that China's stance on settling disputes through dialogue was clearly demonstrated in Wang's interactions with other countries' diplomats during the sideline talks, aligning with ASEAN's common aspirations.

For example, Wang met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Vientiane on Thursday, and the two sides agreed to jointly commit to maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas and promote new progress in border affairs consultations.

Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, said that the latest remarks of the Chinese and Indian top diplomats on the border issue underscore both countries' commitment to resolving border disputes through diplomatic channels and dialogues, despite existing divergences. Such efforts to prevent differences from escalating into conflicts is particularly important given the current international context. 

The current global instability makes peace in Asia, especially Southeast Asia, particularly valuable. Most ASEAN countries cherish their hard-earned peace and wish to avoid conflicts like those in Europe, Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times.

Foreign ministers of China and majority regional countries have emphasized the importance of peaceful dispute resolution, agreeing that war would disrupt the region's economy. Many also expressed a strong desire to prevent the escalation of the South China Sea situation through dialogue and cooperation, aiming to maintain regional peace and stability, Gu said. 

However, analysts noted that efforts by China and most ASEAN members to resolve South China Sea issues through dialogue, as well as ASEAN's efforts to strengthen unity, have faced provocations from external interference. For example, the US and some of its allies have intensified attempts to draw ASEAN countries into their small cliques and back the Philippines in its provocations over South China Sea issues, raising concerns in the region.

Most Southeast Asian countries have expressed a strong willingness to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, which will positively influence the current tense situation to some extent, said Liu Chang, a research fellow from China Institute of International Studies. 

Liu said that US Secretary of State Blinken's meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers and visit to Southeast Asia are unlikely to yield significant results. "Until the dust settles on the US presidential election, Southeast Asian countries are expected to be more cautious in their cooperation with the US."

ASEAN will continue to emphasize its collective stance, adhering to its existing foreign policy and avoiding taking sides in major power rivalries. This reflects ASEAN's determination to uphold regional peace and stability while remaining vigilant against potential instability from major power conflicts, said observers.