Anti-NATO protesters rally in The Hague prior to summit

Thousands of people took to the streets of The Hague in the Netherlands to protest against NATO and rising military spending Sunday, two days before the alliance's summit that is seeking to increase allies' defense budgets.

Although billed as a demonstration against NATO and the war in Gaza, many Iranians joined in response to Sunday's attacks carried out by the United States on three key Iranian nuclear sites.

Gathering at the Koekamp Park, demonstrators held various flags including the Palestinian and Iranian flags, as well as anti-NATO slogans, and marched along the main roads of The Hague all the way to the Peace Palace.

Hans Hedrich, who came to the Netherlands from Romania to participate in the protest, said what Europeans need is peace, not war. He criticized NATO for constantly making trouble and creating conflicts.

"We feel that prices go up, people don't have enough money. Simply, we don't want this to happen. We don't want to fund a war. We want to live in peace. We need the money for sustainable development," he said. The Netherlands is hosting the annual meeting of the 32-nation alliance starting Tuesday, with leaders scheduled to meet a day later.

During the meeting, the leaders will discuss an agreement on a hike in defense spending repeatedly demanded by the United States.

Organizers pointed out that NATO's ever-expanding military operations have stimulated a global arms race and seriously eroded funds originally used for public services such as health care, education, and climate protection. This approach not only fails to bring real security, but also runs counter to the fundamental well-being of the public, they said.

"We really need these investments in public infrastructure. And instead we're sending it to some sort of weapons manufacturing floor, which is horrible and drives just hatred and destruction worldwide. So I very much disagree," said Nina Boelsums, another protester.

Anti-NATO protesters rally in The Hague prior to summit

Anti-NATO protesters rally in The Hague prior to summit

Anti-NATO protesters rally in The Hague prior to summit

Anti-NATO protesters rally in The Hague prior to summit

Anti-NATO protesters rally in The Hague prior to summit

The Sanya branch of the Peking University (PKU) Hospital of Stomatology based in the tourist resort city of Sanya in south China's tropical Hainan Province -- the country's first national-level regional dental specialty center -- officially opened on Saturday, providing local residents and tourists with access to top-tier dental care without leaving Hainan.

As a key city in the Hainan Free Trade Port and a hub for both tourism and wellness, Sanya has seen rising demand for oral healthcare. Local resources, however, have long been strained.

The newly launched hospital aims to ease the situation. Both its management and medical teams come directly from the main campus of the PKU Hospita of Stomatology in Beijing, ensuring seamless integration and unified standards across diagnoses, treatment, and service quality. The facility comprises of nine specialized buildings, including an emergency outpatient complex and an international medical services building, covering all sub-specialties in dental medicine.

"Since the official start of Hainan Free Trade Port's island-wide special customs operations [on December 18, 2025], the very first zero-tariff items entering the region were advanced dental equipment for our hospital. This enables a wide range of patients in the Hainan region to access the world's latest dental treatment equipment and technology more quickly," said Deng Xuliang, president of the PKU Hospital of Stomatology.

Looking ahead, the main campus of the PKU Hospital of Stomatology will collaborate with medical universities in Hainan to jointly train more specialized professionals for grassroots-level healthcare institutions across the region. Through technical mentorship and integrated training programs, the initiative aims to leverage the policy advantages of the free trade port to build a high-level, comprehensive platform that integrates medical services, education, research, public health, and healthcare management, with particular attention on international patient services and comfort-focused treatment.

"The operation of medical care plus health and wellness programs and of medical care plus tourism projects has jointly contributed to the formation of an internationalized medical care platform in Sanya, which presents a major opportunity for both Sanya and the rest of Hainan, especially as the free trade port enters full operation, making more duty-free medicines and medical devices available locally," said Hu Yulei, director of the Sanya Municipal Health Commission.

Hainan's Sanya opens first national dental specialty center