This year marks the 75th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Xizang.

The Forum on Building up China's Cultural Strength 2026 was held on Thursday in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Across both the main forum and sub-forums, one shared topic sparked lively discussion: why did Dear You become such a phenomenon?

In May 2025, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum was held in Beijing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern over an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on May 17.

Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.

China's recently released foreign trade data for the first four months of 2026 shows robust growth, with total goods imports and exports rising 14.9 percent year-on-year, continuing the steady, positive momentum observed in the first quarter.

Editor's note: Qiao Basheng, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a professor at the Institute of China's Borderland Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, and an adjunct professor at Northwest University of Political Science and Law, China.

The high-profile meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday set the course for the next stage of bilateral relations and underscored the two major countries' commitment to advancing global governance reform in the right direction.

Some in the West appear to believe that a breakthrough on pricing could facilitate investment in critical minerals supply chains. But the real problem with Western rare earths is not a lack of pricing rules; it is the lack of a commercially viable industrial foundation for critical minerals.

Nanning, capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has reportedly launched an ASEAN-focused international pilot program in the data sector, becoming one of the first Chinese cities to take such a step.

Dear You, a film made on a budget of just about 14 million yuan ($2.05 million), featuring a cast of first-time amateur actors and delivered almost entirely in a local Chaoshan dialect, has unexpectedly become a phenomenon in Chinese cinema. As of May 21, the film has grossed more than 760 million

With the diplomatic red carpet barely rolled up following visits by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Beijing's May diplomatic blitz shows no signs of slowing down.

Recent high-level interactions between China and the US have sent a significant signal: Both sides are emphasizing the need to stabilize relations, manage differences and avoid confrontation.

In a speech marking his second anniversary in office, Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te superficially projected a posture of "willingness to engage in dialogue" and "maintaining the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits."

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to China from May 19 to 20 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This was Putin's 25th visit to China and the first face-to-face meeting between the two heads of state this year.

As the global economic center of gravity shifts steadily eastward, Southeast Asia finds itself in an era where pragmatism, connectivity and development take precedence over ideological confrontation.