The U.S. threat and blackmail against the rest of the world with tariffs is a real attempt to choke the throat of other countries and bully them into making a compromise or concessions, a spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday in Beijing.
Lin Jian, the spokesman, made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a media query about the comments made by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who criticized Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo's suggestion that Europe should more closely align with China.
"That would be cutting your own throat," Bessent told a banking event in Washington earlier.
"Speaking of 'cutting the throat', the U.S. threat and blackmail against the rest of the world with tariffs is a real attempt to choke the throat of other countries and bully them into making a compromise or concessions," Lin said.
"The relationship between China and Spain is a vital component of the relations between China and the EU. Last year, the total trade between China and Spain topped 50 billion U.S. dollars and Spain’s exports to China grew by 4.3 percent. In recent years the bilateral cooperation on the new energy industry has boosted green and low-carbon development. The two countries maintain communication in the multilateral cooperation and jointly uphold the international system with the UN at its core and the WTO-centered multilateral trading system. Just like the friendly ties between China and other countries, the cooperation between China and Spain always serves as a driving force for both countries’ economic growth and delivers tangible benefits for the two peoples, and contributes to world stability and development," Lin added.
US blackmail against rest of world with tariffs real attempt to choke throat of other countries: FM spokesman
The number of temporary accommodation registrations of foreign nationals in Shanghai hit a record high of 7.139 million in 2025, up 49.6 percent from the previous year, the Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau said at a press briefing on Thursday.
The figure, which had already doubled in 2024, points to a continued rise in the number of foreign nationals visiting and staying in the city, highlighting the metropolis's growing appeal to international visitors.
Shanghai also issued more than 200,000 visas and residence permits to foreigners for the second consecutive year in 2025.
Long-term permits, including residence permits, accounted for a share 10 percentage points higher than the previous year, reflecting growing demand for extended stays.
Officials said the increase mirrors Shanghai's expanding openness and improving services for foreign visitors and residents.
"In 2025, Shanghai processed 7.139 million temporary accommodation registrations for foreigners. Following a doubling from the year before last, the figure rose by another 49.6 percent year on year, marking a historical high in the number of foreign nationals coming to Shanghai," said Song Weiqi, deputy head of the administration corps.
Accommodation registrations are required for foreigners staying in China. In 2025, 94.7 percent of temporary accommodation registrations were handled directly by hotels, resulting in a convenient check-in process.
Among foreigners residing in Shanghai's residential communities, 84.8 percent opted for online self-reporting via a multilingual platform that offers efficient, flexible registration.
Meanwhile, to ease the surge in passport applications for foreign travel ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday in mid-February, the administration corps announced plans to extend service hours for residents.
Shanghai hits a record-high 7.14 million expat accommodation registrations in 2025
