A Chinese scholar condemned the United States' outdated Cold War mentality on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, calling for greater Asian unity.
Speaking exclusively to China Global Television Network (CGTN), Senior Colonel Liu Wanxia, a professor with the National Defense University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, warned that confrontation and hegemony threaten peace and development in Asia.
"It is increasingly prominent that the international community is a community with a shared future. However, the United States and a few other countries are still stuck in the Cold War mentality, or even the law of the jungle mentality, which is extremely absurd and dangerous. We would like to advise the U.S. and some other countries that they should see the general trend of historical development as early as possible, proceed from the interests of the countries in the region, and do more things that are conducive to regional peace and stability," he said.
In recent years, the U.S.-led multilateral alliances or frameworks have been set up in this region, such as Quad comprising the United States, Australia, India and Japan, Squad consisting of the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines, and AUKUS grouping Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The groupings are part of Washington's so-called "Indo-Pacific Strategy" which stokes bloc confrontation and undermined regional peace, Liu charged.
"Within the context of the current international landscape, we also hope that Asian countries can stand together firmly, uphold fairness and justice, oppose bullying and hegemony, oppose bloc confrontation, strengthen dialogue and consultation, and strengthen unity and cooperation. Only in this way can we push Asia to proceed towards a more prosperous and stable direction," he said.
Running from May 30 to June 1, this year's Shangri-La Dialogue drew representatives from 47 countries, including 40 ministerial-level delegates, 20 chiefs of defense forces-level delegates, over 20 senior defense officials, and prominent academics, according to the Singapore Ministry of Defense.
Chinese scholar slams U.S. Cold War mentality, urges unity in Asia
South China's Guangdong Province is accelerating its transformation into an international medical tourism hub, positioning itself as a destination for patients worldwide seeking affordable, high-quality care.
The push follows a joint initiative announced in late March by nine Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, aimed at boosting spending by foreign tourists and enhancing exports of tourism services as part of broader efforts to expand the country's service sector.
Every day, some of the most complex surgeries are performed here. Li Zilun, deputy director of the division of vascular surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, is among the doctors capable of carrying out these intricate procedures.
He recently completed surgery on a patient with an aortic aneurysm, a condition often described as a "time bomb" in the body’s main artery, increasingly common in aging societies around the globe. Li also specializes in highly difficult and pioneering procedures, including repairing leaks caused by failed grafts.
"This was a very challenging case. And then, we implanted the covered stent to eliminate the endoleak. Actually, the outcome was pretty good. The patient will be discharged today," said Li Zilun.
The ability to handle such complex cases -- combining international techniques with domestically produced devices -- is drawing patients from around the world to seek treatment. In addition, high safety standards and low costs are also major draws.
"Our government is encouraging innovation. So, lots of physicians -- including our vascular surgeons -- we are actively involved in the innovation that helps to increase the effectiveness and safety, and also bring down the cost," said Li.
This hospital is one of the first in Guangdong to be designated by the provincial health commission as a pilot site for building an international medical service hub.
The growing number of patients has pushed the hospital to explore new ways to transform every step -- from treatment to payment and everything in between -- into a seamless experience, reducing waiting times and delivering better care for patients.
"I think it's fast. When the patient come here for just about, I think, one week, you can solve the problem," said Xiao Haipeng, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.
The hospital is also deepening its international cooperation with top-tier medical institutions, including those at Harvard University.
"Not just for China, for the whole globe, we are facing health care challenges -- emerging infectious disease and chronic, lung infectious diseases, and also the aging population, also the shortage of healthcare workforce," said Xiao.
In response to these challenges, China is promoting its own solutions, including aggressive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven workflows, while stepping up research and development investment and global engagement along the way.
"In recent years, the innovation in Western medicine is dramatically growing. An example of my hospital -- in the past few years, we have 140 innovations and seven of them are international leading innovations," said Xiao.
As global demand for medical tourism grows, China is positioning itself as a new destination. Official data shows that the number of foreign patients in Guangdong increased by 20 percent last year. Among them, the growth in inpatient admissions was even faster, rising by 76 percent.
Guangdong fast-tracks pilot for int'l medical service hub
