Laos formally became a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as a signing ceremony for the memorandum granting the Laos the status of a dialogue partner of the SCO was held in Beijing on Friday morning, according to CCTV News.

Laos' entry as a dialogue partner will not only help the country expand its international cooperation and address domestic issues, but will also help the SCO further expand its regional influence, a Chinese expert said.

Previously, on September 1, 2025, at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO held in North China's Tianjin Municipality, the heads of SCO member states unanimously agreed to accept Laos as a dialogue partner. To date, the SCO has 10 full member states, two observer states, and 15 dialogue partners, including Laos, according to the CCTV News report.

Cooperation with regional mechanisms such as the SCO is an important option for Laos to tackle various security and development challenges it faces, Zhou Shixin, director of the Center of Southeast Asia Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Friday.

"Therefore, Laos' accession as an SCO dialogue partner is, first and foremost, an important consideration from the perspectives of domestic governance and security governance," Zhou said.

Laos' entry as a dialogue partner not only strengthens its cooperation with Eurasian countries but also creates deeper mutual understanding between Laos and SCO members, the Lao News Agency reported in September 2025. It is expected to contribute significantly to Laos' social and economic development, while highlighting the SCO's unique character as a cooperation mechanism that is "open and inclusive, but not exclusive; comprehensive, but not closed," according to the report.

Laos has increasingly focused its national development efforts on economic growth in recent years, which aligns with the SCO's evolving role in expanding economic cooperation, Zhou said, noting that in addition to traditional security issues, the SCO has placed growing emphasis on cooperation in areas such as economic development and connectivity.

Notably, Laos is just the latest Southeast Asian countries to participate in the SCO. Cambodia and Myanmar are also dialogue partners of the organization.

For Southeast Asian countries, strengthening cooperation with the SCO does not mean choosing sides, but rather expanding cooperation opportunities with more countries, Zhou said.

This is a diplomatic choice widely pursued by Southeast Asian nations, Zhou added, noting that with Laos joining the SCO, the organization's regional influence is expected to grow, and its ties with more Southeast Asian countries may be further strengthened.

During a meeting with Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane on the sidelines of SCO summit in September 2025, SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev expressed confidence in Vientiane's active involvement in promoting the SCO's multifaceted agenda, and informed about the SCO's current activities and priorities, according to the SCO's website.

China has strongly supported Laos joining the SCO family. Prior to the admission of Laos as a dialogue partner at the Tianjin summit, during a meeting with Phomvihane in August 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China welcomes Laos' joining the SCO family and looks forward to Laos contributing to the development of the SCO, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Thongsavanh thanked China for supporting Laos in becoming a dialogue partner of the SCO, and said that Laos is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with China to jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, Xinhua reported at the time.

As a landlocked country in the heart of the Mekong sub-region, Laos serves as a bridge between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). With the China-Laos railway already becoming a vital link in the regional transportation network, the Southeast Asian country is well positioned to deepen connectivity with SCO member states, the Lao News Agency said.

Nine districts in Beijing activated a Level-I emergency response for flood control on Saturday afternoon after a red alert for torrential rain was issued for these regions.

Downpours are forecast to batter the districts of Fangshan, Pinggu, Miyun, Huairou, Mentougou, Fengtai, Daxing, Tongzhou and Shunyi, mostly in the suburbs, from 7 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, according to the Beijing Meteorological Observatory. Some areas are expected to receive more than 150 mm of rain within six hours or over 200 mm within 24 hours.

The municipal emergency management office warned of a high risk of flooding in medium and small rivers, flash floods and geological hazards in mountainous and hilly areas, as well as waterlogging in low-lying areas.

As authorities intensified flood control efforts, around 104,000 people across the city had been relocated as of 4 p.m. Saturday. In addition, 73 elderly care facilities were temporarily closed, with 1,902 elderly people evacuated, according to the office of the Beijing municipal flood control and drought relief headquarters.

As a precaution, 188 scenic areas and 167 tent campsites have been closed, 4,376 rural homestays have been suspended and construction work at 3,318 sites has been halted.

A total of 27,418 rescue workers have been placed on standby across the city to respond to potential emergencies.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe.

Kruno Raguz, a member of the Vukovar City Council in Croatia, recently said in an exclusive interview with People's Daily Online that unity is a key to the Communist Party of China's success.

Impressed by China's development, he noted that the Chinese people stand together and build their country together. Despite their different systems, he said Croatia and China share the same goal of improving people's living standards.

Fu Cong, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), called for a truly lasting ceasefire in Gaza at a UN Security Council open debate on the Palestinian-Israeli issue on Tuesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Fu said that the Gaza ceasefire agreement has yet to bring real peace, with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remaining severe. Essential supplies are in short supply, sanitary conditions are dire, and more than 2 million people are struggling to survive amid the ruins. He stressed that history has repeatedly shown that security is mutual, and no country can build its own security on the insecurity of others. He added that military occupation and pressure will not help achieve lasting peace.

China calls on all parties concerned, particularly Israel, to fully comply with the ceasefire agreement and realize a truly durable ceasefire in Gaza, Fu said. Israel, as the occupying power, must fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law, lift restrictions on the entry of humanitarian supplies, and support and ensure the work of humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The situation in the West Bank of Jordan river continues to deteriorate, Fu said. China urges Israel to immediately halt settlement activities, curb settler violence, and ensure accountability for related attacks. Israel should lift unreasonable restrictions on the West Bank's economy, return withheld tax revenues as soon as possible, and stop undermining the governance foundation of the Palestinian Authority, Xinhua reported. 

Fu emphasized that the "two-state solution" is the only viable way out of the Palestinian question, and it must not be denied or replaced. The international community should further build consensus, reinvigorate the prospects of the two-state solution, reject any attempts to change the demographic or territorial structure of Palestine, and oppose unilateral actions that undermine its foundation. Fu called for support for the establishment of an independent State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, enjoying full sovereignty.

Fu said the Palestinian question has dragged on for decades, and the basic framework for its resolution has long been established. The path to peace lies ahead, requiring political will and courage. War cannot last forever, and understanding and mutual trust must ultimately be built. 

China calls on all parties to prioritize the well-being of the Palestinian people and the stability of the Middle East, work together to advance a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question, and China stands ready to continue making unremitting efforts to this end, Fu said, Xinhua reported. 

Taipei Zoo on Sunday celebrated the sixth birthday of Yuanbao, the youngest offspring of a pair of giant pandas presented by the mainland to Taiwan in 2008.

Despite currently being closed to the public for maintenance, Taipei Zoo on Sunday morning did a live-streaming session of about 30 minutes showing Yuanbao enjoying specially prepared treats, including a birthday cake, fruits and toys.

Yuanbao was born in 2020, following the birth of her sister Yuanzai in July 2013, to the giant panda pair Tuantuan and Yuanyuan. The male Tuantuan died from a cerebral tumor in 2022 shortly after his 18th birthday, having lived at the zoo for 14 years.

According to Wang Chien-po, curator of the Giant Panda House at the Taipei Zoo, the birthday treats this year were designed to help Yuanbao cope better with behavioral changes suspected to be caused by pseudopregnancy, a cycle her sister and mother have previously experienced.

During a pseudopregnancy, female giant pandas tend to eat less, move less and sleep for longer periods, thereby going through similar changes as they would if they were pregnant.

The zoo hopes to enrich the environment for Yuanbao to encourage her to explore more and eat more during her pseudopregnancy, Wang explained.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announces:

At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger will visit China from June 22 to 26.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with Qadir Nizamipour, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in New Delhi.

During the meeting, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said that China welcomes the launch of follow-up consultations -- with the assistance of Pakistan and Qatar -- between Iran and the United States based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries, as well as the consensus reached on the mechanism for the next phase of negotiation.

The core provisions of the 14-point MoU are hard-won, said Wang, adding that effectively maintaining and implementing the MoU will help consolidate the hard-won ceasefire situation, open up new prospects for Iran-U.S. relations, and help bring peace back to the Middle East region, said Wang.

Wang noted that China, as a comprehensive strategic partner of Iran, has always maintained a fair position and supported all efforts conducive to peace, supported Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and national dignity, and supported Iran in improving relations with the Gulf countries and regional countries.

China is willing to continue to provide assistance in its own way and play a constructive role in restoring regional peace and tranquility at an early date, he added.

China has always viewed and advanced China-Iran relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and is willing to work with Iran to enhance high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and promote the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations, said Wang.

On his part, Nizamipour briefed on the latest situation in the Middle East and the negotiations between Iran and the United States. He expressed the hope that China can continue to play an important role in facilitating the effective implementation of the first-phase MoU between Iran and the United States.

Nizamipour said that Iran has always attached great importance to its relations with China and highly appreciates the positive role China has played in international and regional affairs, adding that deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries is the consensus of all sectors in Iran.

Iran firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to further enhance exchanges at all levels with China, strengthen mutual support, tap cooperation potential, and enhance collaboration under multilateral frameworks such as BRICS to jointly address common challenges, Nizamipour said.

Both Wang and Nizamipour are in New Delhi to attend the 16th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors and High Representatives on National Security.

At the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Cambodian People's Party (CPP) President and Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen will pay an official goodwill visit to China from June 25 to 27, a spokesperson for the International Department of the CPC Central Committee announced on Tuesday.

In response to a question about how China, as Iran's comprehensive strategic partner, might leverage its influence to ensure US compliance with the ceasefire agreement and help Iran achieve peace, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that China stands ready to continue providing assistance in its own way, guided by the four-point proposal for promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, and to play a constructive role in restoring regional peace and stability at an early date.

Guo said China has always maintained that regional hot-button issues and differences between parties should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation, and opposes the use or threat of force. 

The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the US and Iran, in which they commit to respecting each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, refraining from any further military actions, and avoiding interference in each other's internal affairs, sends a positive signal to the international community, said Guo, adding that this commitment should be jointly upheld and implemented.

China has always taken an impartial stance, supporting all efforts conducive to peace, supporting Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and national dignity, and supporting Iran in improving its relations with Gulf countries and other regional states, the spokesperson said.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake jolted Haixi Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai Province at 5:06 p.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicenter was monitored at 37.80 degrees north latitude and 95.56 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, said a report issued by the CENC.