Latin American, Caribbean States never "backyard" of any country: senior official

Latin American and Caribbean States are an important force in advancing world multipolarity and the democratization of international relations, and they have never been a "backyard" of any country, said a senior official with the China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

Zhang Run, director general of the foreign ministry's Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, made the statement at a briefing hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association in Beijing, which highlighted the outcomes of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum held in May.

Zhang said that the forum demonstrated the strong resilience of China-Latin America relations and underscored how cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit contributes to global development.

During the forum, China announced the launch of five major programs -- solidarity, development, civilization, peace and people-to-people connectivity -- along with 20 concrete measures to support Latin American development. The forum adopted the Beijing Declaration and a joint action plan, which will further assist regional countries in pursuing modernization paths suited to their national conditions, according to Zhang.

"Brazilian President Lula stated that the Beijing Declaration is a historic and significant document for Latin American and Caribbean countries, particularly the region's poorer and weaker nations. The series of important cooperation measures announced by China demonstrate the country's commitment to Latin America and its sincere sense of responsibility in promoting the development of regional countries. Latin America and the Caribbean are a vital part of the Global South and an important force in advancing world multipolarity and the democratization of international relations. They have never been a 'backyard' of any country," Zhang said.

The senior official also reaffirmed the one-China principle, noting that 183 other countries around the world have established diplomatic relations with China, demonstrating broad international consensus. He urged the few remaining regional holdouts to align with the trend of history and aspirations for peace, to make decisions that serve their long-term national interests.

Latin American, Caribbean States never "backyard" of any country: senior official

Latin American, Caribbean States never "backyard" of any country: senior official

Latin American, Caribbean States never "backyard" of any country: senior official

Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks, with recent tests showing common pathogens and no evidence of new infectious diseases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday.

At its first press briefing of 2026, the commission reported that flu activity nationwide remains moderate at the moment.

According to Xin Li, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory samples collected from sentinel hospitals indicated that the influenza virus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 27.4 percent of cases, followed by respiratory syncytial virus at 8.8 percent and rhinovirus at 5.7 percent.

"Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks and remains at a moderate level overall. Analysis of nationwide fever clinic consultations, influenza-like illness cases at sentinel hospitals, and multi-pathogen testing shows that all detected pathogens are known common ones, with no evidence of unknown pathogens or new infectious diseases," Xin told the press.

Data from sentinel hospitals indicated flu activity was falling across provincial-level regions, while reports of school outbreaks dropped for five consecutive weeks. Laboratory tests showed that 97.3 percent of positive influenza samples were H3N2 subtype viruses.

China flu activity declines for fourth week, no new pathogens detected: official