China urged Britain to uphold fairness, impartiality and non-discrimination following media reports that the British government is planning to nationalize British Steel, owned by China's Jingye Group.
The British government should "uphold fairness, impartiality and non-discrimination, act cautiously in its decisions, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," said a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce.
The British government has been in control of British Steel for over a year since taking it over from the Chinese company, the spokesperson said, stressing that any action taken by Britain should fully consider the substantial investment made by the Chinese company in the British steel industry and its contribution to the British economy and society.
The spokesperson called on Britain to respect the will of the Chinese enterprise and market principles, refrain from abusing administrative coercive measures, and actively seek a fair, just solution acceptable to both sides.
China hopes the UK government will follow the principles of fairness, justice, and non-discrimination, think twice before acting, make prudent decisions, effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and maintain the hard-won positive atmosphere in China-UK economic and trade relations.
China will closely follow the development of the situation and take firm measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, said the spokesperson.
British Steel was acquired by Chinese enterprise Jingye Group in 2020 and secured thousands of jobs across the UK.
China urges fairness over British Steel nationalization plan: commerce ministry
With the upgrading of tourism products and services, an increasing number of international visitors are opting for in-depth tours in smaller cities to explore and immerse themselves in Chinese culture.
The trend was vividly demonstrated by data from online travel platforms during the 2026 May Day holiday, which ran from May 1 to 5. As of Monday, the number of passengers entering and exiting Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, through Xi'an Port exceeded 700,000 this year, and the number of foreign passengers exceeded 100,000, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.9 percent. The proportion of passengers entering China under unilateral or mutual visa-free policies has increased to 78.9 percent.
At Tangyue Gong, a restaurant and theater featuring elements of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), an immersive Tang-style music and dance performance "Empress of Tang Dynasty" is being staged. The blending of classical music and dance, traditional instruments and court banquets create a panoramic experience for foreign tourists featuring culture of the Tang Dynasty.
"I enjoy the history of China. I am very interested in the country to learn more about your beautiful land, actually, and your history," said a tourist from Australia.
"I've never personally been to China before, never been to Asia, and I was just really excited to try something different, to experience a different culture. [It is] Absolutely fabulous. As soon as I walked in, it was just incredible. I gasped. I was videoing and recording everything. The dresses, the outfits were so beautiful. The food, there were so many different dishes that I've never tried before," said another tourist from the UK.
Zhouzhuang Water Town of east China's Jiangsu Province recently welcomed a large inbound tour group of over 1,800 people from Russia, Türkiye and several Central Asian countries. Tourists strolled through classic spots, appreciating the charm and cultural heritage of this ancient town amidst its bridges and flowing water.
Leveraging overseas cooperation channels, Zhouzhuang has launched exclusive tourism products for international tourists and improved services such as bilingual tours, foreign card payments and tax refunds, thereby promoting steady growth in the number of inbound tourists.
"We provide inbound tourists with a full-scene experience combining ancient architecture, intangible cultural heritage, folk customs and culture, and build a thoughtful full-chain service ranging from overseas market promotion to the visit and immersive experience in Zhouzhuang," said Lu Guilin, head of the marketing department of Zhouzhuang Cultural Tourism Development Group.
Growing number of int'l tourists seek cultural immersion in smaller Chinese cities
