A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman on Tuesday slammed a Philippine defense department statement issued on July 31 as an extremely vicious political provocation.
Spokesman Lin Jian made the remarks in response to a media query about the Philippine statement that also mentioned China's law on promoting ethnic unity and progress.
"This so-called statement, full of disinformation and smears designed to interfere in China's internal affairs, constitutes a political provocation of an extremely malign nature. China firmly opposes it. The facts are crystal clear for all to see. A small handful of anti-China forces in the Philippines have engaged in massive political and public opinion manipulation, trying every means to mix right and wrong, in order to seek selfish political gains and cover up the Philippines' infringement activities at sea. Their attempts will not succeed. This small handful of individuals cooked up this so-called statement, issued in the name of a governmental department, to take hostage and disrupt China-Philippines relations in violation of the Philippines' commitments made in recent diplomatic communication. We once again urge these individuals to stop making provocations and creating trouble, and stop attacking and smearing China. Otherwise, they will bear the consequence for their despicable acts," Lin said.
"We'd like to stress once again that the implementation of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law provides better protection for all ethnic groups' lawful rights and interests, and will serve as a solid legal safeguard for the cause of ethnic unity and progress," he said.
China slams Philippine defense department's statement as extremely vicious political provocation
From bustling shopping malls in Shanghai to trending feeds on social media, a new wave of international tourists is reshaping China's retail landscape.
China's relaxed visa regulations are turning international sightseers into serious shoppers, giving local consumer spending a significant boost.
Armed with digital shopping lists and empty suitcases, visitors are flocking to Shanghai's premier 2.2-kilometer shopping stretch on Huaihai Road in search of hard-to-find brands.
Many international shoppers are finding these Chinese brands on their phones, sometimes from half a world away.
"[I buy] sunglasses, purses and accessories. I actually found [the bag] on TikTok and then I ordered one when I was in New York. I waited a while and now I'm in Shanghai and I said, why not check it out? I think it's more, you know, like a modern and sleek looking. So I just like that it's not everywhere in the U.S. and it's a bit more of a rare find," said a shopper from Untied States.
Shanghai's Huaihai Road shopping area is lined with trees and historic facades. Some of the buildings are among Shanghai's most iconic.
The street, which has long been one of Shanghai's best-known commercial streets, is now home to a growing number of local designer brands, alongside major modern shopping centers including iAPM, Shanghai K11 and Hong Kong Plaza, and one of the newest of them, TX Huaihai.
These places are where fashion lovers from abroad are coming to get their fix.
"I think we will be the most beautiful and fashionable ladies in our city," said a shopper in a shoe store.
A new generation of fashion lovers is discovering that a real statement piece doesn't necessarily come from Paris or Milan. It can be found right there in Shanghai, and Huaihai Road can be one of the best places to find it.
"Yesterday I bought five and today my mom buys one. I wear it to Disneyland yesterday," said an Indonesian shopper at a fashion bag store.
"I saw it in the window, and I was like... I need that bag. It's so different and unique. I'm just loving all the different things that Shanghai and China has to offer," said another shopper.
The shoppers repeatedly mentioned the same appeal — distinctive designs that can be hard to find at home.
"[I like] the difference in architecture. There's Shanghai-only brands here too," said a shopper from the United States.
"Yeah, the independent designers are like really nice. I feel like we have less independent designers. And when we shop, we just shop at like the big brands or go thrifting in California," said another shopper.
"The style and the design, and architecture of everything is just done so much more beautifully, in my opinion. I think everything feels very grand here. Which I don't really feel in Singapore. I think a lot of effort was put into the design of the stores. Yeah, I think that's something that's very unique about Shanghai," said a shopper from Singapore.
At some stores, managers said international shoppers can account for nearly half of the customer traffic during their busiest periods.
"International customers make up 80 percent of our weekend traffic. The average transaction is around 1,000 yuan or more. Their favorite styles are the runway pieces and leather goods," said Ma Rui, manager of MasonPrince store on Huaihai Road.
According to the managers, international customer numbers began climbing in the second half of last year and accelerated this year, boosted by China's expanded visa-free and transit visa-free policies.
"On weekends, we get about 1,600 visitors on average. At peak times, 50 percent are international. Most of them buy at least two pairs," said Lucas Sa, manager of PANE store at TX Huaihai mall.
Not long ago, the global shopping dream was centered mainly on the West. But on Huaihai Road, Shanghai is claiming a place on that map, not simply because of price or proximity, but because visitors are finding designs, brands and retail experiences they cannot easily find at home.
Visa-free policy drives surge of international shoppers in Shanghai
Visa-free policy drives surge of international shoppers in Shanghai
