China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism officially launched the 2025 "Discover China Cultural Tour" in Beijing on Thursday, drawing diplomats from around the world to experience the nation's vibrant heritage.
Over 50 diplomats, including ambassadors from nine nations, attended the launch ceremony to explore the details of this year's cultural tour.
The tour will span six provinces and regions, taking diplomats to Yunnan, Jiangxi, Liaoning, and Jilin provinces, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Hui autonomous regions.
For longtime participants, the upcoming journey presents an exciting opportunity to further explore China's vibrant traditions and stunning landscapes.
"I have been on the tour [a] few times, and it has always been great. I've been around, I remember at the very beginning, my first tour was in Xinjiang. It was one of the best trips I've ever had in China. It was so well organized and we visited so many things. We even rode camels, went in the desert. And for this coming tour, one province I'm really looking forward to go is Inner Mongolia. I've always heard so much about Inner Mongolia, about the culture, about the people, about the food, so I would like to ensure that I don't miss it, that I can experience that as well and add it to my souvenir of China," said Anne Lafortune, Ambassador of Seychelles to China.
Highlighting the tour's impact on cultural relations, the Ambassador of Argentina expressed his commitment to further enhancing tourism ties.
"From the Embassy of Argentina to China, we are permanently working (on) deepening our ties with China from a tourism perspective. So for us, tourism is a key area of cooperation, and we will not stop until we see a bigger flow of tourists between Argentina and China. I have to say that we are working on having flights that connect China and Argentina. It's technically impossible to get to Argentina with a nonstop flight because of the distance. But that is something that we are working very hard on," said Marcelo Gabriel Suarez Salvia, Argentine Ambassador to China.
Over 400 diplomats from 103 countries have explored China's rich cultural fabric through the "Discover China" program since it began in 2021.
2025 "Discover China Cultural Tour"to give diplomats an immersive journey across six regions
Russia said its forces have hit Ukrainian targets like defense industrial enterprises and energy facilities, while Ukraine reported strikes over major Russian facilities.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, its forces struck Ukrainian defense industrial enterprises, energy facilities used by the Ukrainian military, as well as assembly and storage sites for long-range drones. The military also reported hitting temporary deployment points of Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries in 142 locations.
Russian air defense units shot down eight guided aerial bombs and 800 fixed-wing drones during the same period, according to the report.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Saturday that its troops conducted precision strikes on multiple key Russian targets, including an oil terminal on the Black Sea coast. Ukrainian strikes also targeted logistical warehouses, ammunition depots, and communication nodes on the eastern front.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said in a social media post that Ukrainian forces carried out a long-range strike against a major chemical plant in Russia's Perm Krai region.
The death toll from a Ukrainian attack on a college dormitory in Starobelsk in the Luhansk region has risen to 21, with many others being injured, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situation said on Saturday.
The ministry said on Friday a large-scale overnight drone assault hit the campus of Starobelsk College, affiliated with Luhansk Padagogical University, causing the collapse of the student dormitory building.
A total of 86 students aged 14 to 18, along with one staff member, were inside the building at the time of the strike, said local health authorities.
The Russian-appointed governor of the Luhansk region declared May 24 and 25 as days of morning for the victims of the attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the attack was "not an accident," claiming that "there are no military facilities, security service sites or related agencies near the dormitory."
Ukraine's General Staff denied targeting civilian infrastructure, saying its forces strike only military facilities and objects used for military purposes in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Russia says targeting Ukrainian defense enterprises, Ukraine reports strikes on major Russian facilities
