Chinese FM urges joint efforts with EU to address global challenges

China and the European Union (EU) should respect each other's core interests and major concerns, properly manage differences and frictions, deepen practical cooperation and join efforts to address global challenges, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday during a trilateral meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, described the first-ever trilateral meeting as an innovative step in response to evolving global circumstances and an important opportunity for strategic communication.

Highlighting that the world is undergoing the most profound and complex changes since World War II, with unilateralism, protectionism and power politics on the rise, Wang called for upholding mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences, promoting openness and cooperation and pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, to chart the course for the development of China-Europe relations and provide more stability and certainty to a fluid and turbulent world.

Five decades of exchanges and cooperation have shown that China and Europe are partners rather than rivals, that interdependence is not a risk, that convergence of interests is not a threat, and that openness and cooperation will not undermine security, he said.

Noting that China's development is an opportunity for Europe and that Europe's challenges do not come from China, Wang expressed hope that Germany and France will proceed from their own interests and the overall interests of the EU to help the bloc foster an objective and comprehensive understanding of China, pursue a rational and pragmatic China policy, and stay committed to regarding the China-Europe relationship as a partnership.

Wadephul said that in a turbulent world, Germany and France need dialogue and communication with China more than ever to build mutual trust, dispel misunderstandings, play their due roles as major countries and speak with one voice.

Germany attaches importance to China's positive role in global affairs and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China, he said, adding that Germany and France reaffirm their firm commitment to the one-China policy and are dedicated to developing long-term, stable relations with China.

Wadephul said that Germany supports free trade and opposes decoupling and disruptions to industrial and supply chains and is willing to work with China to resolve trade frictions through consultations and promote balanced development of EU-China economic and trade relations.

Noting the rising instability in today's world, threats to multilateralism and the international order and protracted conflicts in various regions, Barrot said France, China and Germany should work together to promote world peace and improve global governance.

The more unstable the international landscape becomes, the more necessary it is to build partnerships, he noted, adding that France is committed to revitalizing stable and positive EU-China relations.

Barrot said France welcomes the Global Governance Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and looks forward to holding communication and dialogue with China to promote coordination across multilateral platforms and uphold multilateralism and free trade.

The three sides also exchanged views on major issues in China-Europe relations and on issues of common concern, including the Ukraine crisis. They spoke positively of the significance of the meeting and agreed to maintain strategic communication.

Chinese FM urges joint efforts with EU to address global challenges

Chinese FM urges joint efforts with EU to address global challenges

Chinese FM urges joint efforts with EU to address global challenges

Chinese FM urges joint efforts with EU to address global challenges

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