Chinese embassies, consulates across Europe host receptions to mark upcoming National Day

Chinese embassies and consulates across Europe have been hosting various reception events to celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China which falls on Oct 1.

The Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands held a reception on Wednesday, drawing nearly 700 attendees from diverse backgrounds, including government officials, heads of international organizations and representatives of overseas Chinese.

A cultural and tourism promotion group from northwest China's Gansu Province staged vibrant performances featuring elements of the Silk Road, an ancient trade route linking China with the West, fostering a warm and friendly atmosphere at the event.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Chinese Embassy celebrated the anniversary on Friday with a reception attended by over 400 participants, including representatives of people from all walks of life in the country, from Chinese-funded institutions, of overseas Chinese and Chinese language teachers.

Students from the Department of Sinology at the University of East Sarajevo and the choir from the University of Banja Luka delivered impressive performances of songs and dances from both countries.

At the National Day reception held on Thursday by the Chinese Consulate General in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom, more than 200 guests from various sectors in Scotland, along with consul-generals from multiple countries and overseas Chinese, were present.

The event featured captivating performances by Chinese students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and artistic groups from the overseas Chinese community, which received enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience.

"I'm delighted to represent the Parliament in joining you to celebrate the 75th National Day of the People's Republic of China. This is a significant milestone, and I extend the good wishes of the Scottish Parliament to the people of China," said Alison Johnstone, the presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament.

Alois Philipp Maria, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, praised China's remarkable success in economic and cultural development in recent years, particularly highlighting its embrace of digitalization and new technologies, during a recent exclusive interview with China Media Group on the occasion of the upcoming National Day.

"China has developed very successfully [over] the last decades. China is now a highly developed economy and country. Also on the international stage, the importance of China has grown accordingly. We hope that China and Liechtenstein will be able to continue to develop the relationship fruitfully," said Alois.

Chinese embassies, consulates across Europe host receptions to mark upcoming National Day

The Japanese government's move to lift the ban on lethal weapon exports has sparked strong opposition among citizens, who denounce it as a shameful attempt to make money at the cost of harming innocent people abroad.

On April 21, the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi officially revised the "three principles on transfer of defense equipment and technology" and their implementation guidelines, scrapping restrictions that had limited Japan's defense equipment exports to five noncombat categories. The revision allows, in principle, overseas sales of weapons, including those with lethal capabilities.

The change has drawn strong concern and protest in Japan.

A poll released by Kyodo News on Sunday showed that 57.2 percent of respondents rejected allowing exports of lethal weapons, while 37.1 percent were in favor.

Another poll conducted by public broadcaster NHK from May 8 to 10 found that 52 percent of respondents opposed the government's move to open the door to lethal arms exports, compared with 35 percent who expressed support.

Masayasu Kai, chair of the Citizens' Movement Committee at Japan's New Socialist Party, voiced his concern in an interview on Monday with CCTV.

"The Japanese government is trying to make money off weapons, and it's a truly disgraceful way to go about it. This so-called exporting of weapons and profiting from the arms industry clearly means that lives will inevitably be lost. This should never be tolerated," Kai said.

"Even if Japan is not directly involved in a war, these weapons could be sent overseas and used to harm people in other countries. Many people don't even fully realize what's happening. The current situation is far from normal," said one demonstrator.

The Takaichi administration has also been pushing for the first-ever change to the Constitution. The postwar supreme law, which took effect in 1947, is often referred to as the pacifist Constitution because its Article 9 renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits Japan from possessing "war potential".

Japanese citizens have warned that altering the pacifist Constitution would lead the country down a dangerous path.

"Japan is clearly moving toward military expansion, and that in itself goes against the fundamental stance of the Constitution. Some people are even talking about 'revising the Constitution.' We are firmly against that. We demand that the Constitution be protected. It must not be broken for the sake of starting a war," said another resident in Tokyo.

Japanese residents voice opposition to lethal arms exports