China has seen three of its cherished sites included among the new additions made to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List, which honors locations deemed to be of significant cultural, historical, or scientific value.
The Chinese sites were among 24 added during the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India, bringing the overall total to 1,223 inscribed properties.
The majority of these have been included in the cultural category in recognition of their integrity, authenticity, protection and management status. Among them is the Beijing Central Axis, an area located right in the heart of the Chinese capital which includes a host of historical sites including the renowned Forbidden City.
"The cultural sites are really a treasure for humanity. People from all around the world, they have so much in common when we talk about culture and when we value about culture," said Yang Xinyu, China's Ambassador to UNESCO, in a interview on the sidelines of the New Delhi session.
Also at this session, China's "Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes" and "Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) were reviewed and approved by the World Heritage Committee, also successfully entering the World Heritage List.
Located in the hyper-arid region of northwestern China, the Badain Jaran Desert is the country's third largest desert. Its notable features include the world's tallest, stabilized sand mega-dune, which reaches a relative height of 460 meters, the highest concentration of inter-dunal lakes, and the largest expanse of so-called singing sands and wind-eroded landforms.
The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) is a serial extension of the property of the same name that is already listed on the World Heritage List. The newly-admitted five sites are part of Phase II, while Phase I sanctuaries were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019.
Tim Badman, director of the World Heritage Programme under the IUCN, hailed the sheer diversity of sites chosen, and also noted the inclusion of 'phrase II' of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, an extension of a site which had previously been inscribed on the World Heritage List back in 2019.
"We have sites that have been listed for their geological values, sites listed for their cave biodiversity -- the incredible animals that live isolated from the outside world. And we have a very important site that's been listed in China, which recognizes a series of migratory sites for the birds that pass across many countries," said Badman.
The World Heritage Committee also considered properties in the endangered category and added the Saint Hilarion Monastery in the war-torn Gaza Strip, which is deemed one of the oldest sites in the Middle East.
"For us, it's a hope for people, because our people are suffering so much. And the inscription of this site came under an emergency basis, and it is inscribed on the World Heritage List [as a site] in danger," said Ahmad Rjoob, general director of the World Heritage Directorate.
The 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee took place from July 21 to 31 in the Indian capital.
Chinese sites included among diverse new inscriptions on UNESCO World Heritage List
China has taken the lead worldwide in hitting back the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" by the U.S. on its trading partners, demonstrating China's determination to safeguard its rights and interests, according to a commentary by Yuyuan Tantian, a media outlet affiliated with China Media Group (CMG), published on Saturday.
An edited English-language version of the commentary is as follows:
China's Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced Friday that the country will impose additional 34-percent tariffs on all products imported from the United States starting from April 10.
The announcement follows the U.S. decision to impose "reciprocal tariffs" on Chinese exports to the United States on Wednesday.
Why have China's countermeasures come so swiftly and decisively?
Firstly, due to eight years of continued trade frictions with the U.S., China had already been restructuring its import demand for American goods.
Take soybeans as an example. Before the China-U.S. trade frictions began in 2018, the United States was China's largest soybean supplier, accounting for 34.4 percent of China's total imports.
However, the proportion dropped sharply then, with South American countries like Brazil turning into the main sources of China's soybean imports.
Meanwhile, China, with improved reserve system, has produced over 20 million tons of soybeans annually for three consecutive years since 2022, thus further reducing the country's dependence on imports.
Second, China's efforts to promote the "dual circulation" of markets both internally and internationally have provided companies with more diverse market choices.
In 2024, China's imports and exports to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative grew by 6.4 percent, taking up 50.3 percent of the total foreign trade. In breakdown, the growth rates of trade with Latin America, Africa, the five Central Asian countries, as well as Central and Eastern Europe stood at 7.2 percent, 6.1 percent, 7.2 percent, and 7.5 percent, respectively. In addition, emerging markets, including ASEAN countries, have contributed nearly 60 percent to China's foreign trade market.
At the same time, China is also continuing to help local foreign trade enterprises to expand their domestic sales channels.
These diverse channels at home and abroad are conducive to helping Chinese firms cope with the impacts of U.S. trade policy, which is one of the reasons why China has remained calm in its handling the trade war.
Following the U.S. move to slap "reciprocal tariffs" on all its trading partners, many nations have expressed their intention to take countermeasures, including the European Union (EU), Japan, South Korea, India and ASEAN countries.
In particular, the EU has issued warnings one after another, saying that it has prepared a set of countermeasures against the United States, not just limited to imposing tariffs.
After receiving these warnings for countermeasures, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg, "I wouldn't try to retaliate. As long as you don't retaliate, this is the high end of the number."
His remarks indicate a U.S. negotiation strategy that begins with an excessive gambit so as to leave room for later concessions.
In other words, the tariffs aim to win leverage over U.S. trade partners by creating enough pressure to force the other parties to give in.
If any country subject to the tariffs shows any sign of hesitation or compromise in exchange for tariff reductions, they leave the door open to allow the U.S. to exert more pressure.
The move taken by the U.S. does not conform to international trade rules, represents a typical act of unilateral bullying, seriously undermines other nations' legitimate rights and interests, and jeopardizes global economic development and the stability of industrial and supply chains.
As the first nation in the world to roll out resolute and swift countermeasures against U.S. "reciprocal tariffs", China has sent a clear message to the world -- it will not hesitate to resolutely fight back against any unilateral bullying that violates international rules.
The U.S. should immediately lift its unilateral tariff measures and resolve trade disputes through consultations on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefits.
Tariffs will not crush China and other countries. It is the United States that will be the one to pay the heaviest price.
China shows firm resolve in striking back on US "reciprocal tariffs": commentary
