Editor's note: In 2023, the global economy will recover slowly, and the international situation is still in turmoil and change. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has not yet ended, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated sharply. At the same time, Japan has insisted on discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea despite opposition, and extreme weather has threatened human lives and the ...... of the global economy and food securityHowever, we have also seen some new hopes and developments this year. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has gone through a glorious decade, with the BRICS countries ushering in a historic expansion, and the development potential of emerging economies and countries in the "Global South" has attracted the world's attention. In terms of science and technology, breakthroughs have been made in artificial intelligence technology, and global regulatory collaboration has accelerated. In terms of international relations, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a historic agreement in Beijing, allowing the world to witness the power of peace and dialogueThe San Francisco meeting between the heads of state of China and the United States has raised the international community's expectations for the future relations between the two major powers and their common contributions to the world. In the field of sports, the successful hosting of the Chengdu Universiade and the Hangzhou Asian Games fully demonstrated China's soft power and Asia's unity and friendship. In the past year, the world has moved forward amid challenges and opportunities, and we have witnessed the complexity and changeability of the international situation and the confusion and exploration of mankind. The Top 10 News of the Year selected by the Global Times will take you back to the extraordinary year of 2023.
China urged Saudi Arabia and Iran to reach a historic agreement.
Many countries in the Middle East have ushered in a "wave of reconciliation".
On March 10, China, Saudi Arabia and Iran issued a trilateral joint statement in Beijing, announcing that Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic relations. Subsequently, a "wave of reconciliation" was set off in the Middle East, and high-level visits between Arab countries, Iran, Turkey, and Arab countries entered a period of frequent visits, and relations between countries improved markedly.
For a long time, the hostility between Saudi Arabia and Iran was regarded by the outside world as a version of the "Cold War" in the Middle East, and it profoundly affected the security landscape in the region. The Beijing dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been a major success, and the international community has responded enthusiastically, welcoming it and "appreciating" China's role in actively promoting peace talks. China's goodwill and sincerity have won the trust of all parties concernedChina's solution has also been recognized by all parties and has shown strong attraction. A number of foreign media commented that China's successful mediation demonstrates China's wisdom and image as a responsible major country, marking the beginning of a new era in the Middle East.
Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea has attracted many parties**.
China has completely suspended the import of Japanese aquatic products.
On June 12, Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) began trial operation of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station's nuclear contaminated water discharge equipment. On August 24, despite the strong opposition of the international community, Japan officially launched the first round of discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. The General Administration of Customs of China issued an announcement stating that it will completely suspend the import of aquatic products originating in Japan from the same day. At present, Japan has completed a total of three rounds of discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, with a cumulative discharge of more than 230,000 tons. TEPCO said the fourth round of discharge will begin in late February 2024.
In June this year, the Global Times launched a poll for 11 countries, including China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and New ZealandAmong the more than 10,000 respondents, nearly 90 percent expressed concern, fear and anger about the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, and more than 90 percent of the respondents supported their country's measures to intervene in Japan's discharge into the sea. By forcibly discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, Japan is undoubtedly gambling on the global marine environment and the health of all mankind. In this regard, the international community can hold Japan accountable indefinitely. The spokesperson of the Chinese side said that Japan should respond to the concerns of the international community in a serious and serious manner, dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a responsible manner, and fully cooperate with the establishment of a long-term and effective international monitoring arrangement with the substantive participation of Japan's neighboring countries and other stakeholders, so as to prevent the irreversible consequences caused by the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.
The Wagner affair "shook Moscow.
There has been no significant turnaround in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
On June 23, the Wagner group, a Russian private military group that has been prominent in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, launched a "March for Justice", and one of its troops approached 200 kilometers from Moscow. On June 24, Putin delivered a national address to the entire population, military personnel and powerful departments, vowing to defend the country from threats with "tough" actions. Later, under the mediation of Lukashenko of Belarus, members of the Wagner organization stopped their movement in Russia, and the mutiny ended quickly in less than 24 hours. On August 23, a private plane flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed in the Tver region of western Russia, killing all those on board, including Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group.
On February 24, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the full-scale escalation of the Ukraine crisis, China released the document "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis", which comprehensively and systematically explained China's relevant basic positions and propositions. On November 22, while attending the G20 leaders' summit in Moscow, Putin said that it was necessary to consider how to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict "this tragedy". At present, a number of Russian media believe that due to the huge differences in the negotiating positions of the parties, the war may continue in the form of a long-term positional war, and next year Russia may maintain the current intensity of military operations and gradually consume Ukraine's strength. With the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Western military support for Ukraine has gradually decreased or postponed. How the Russia-Ukraine conflict will end is unknown, and its profound impact on the world continues.
On December 8, Putin announced that he would participate in the 2024** elections. A day earlier, the Russian side confirmed that elections would be held on March 17, 2024.
The UN warns of "the dawn of the era of global boiling".
Extreme weather threatens the food security of the world economy.
The era of global warming is over, and the era of global boiling has arrived. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on July 27. This year, extreme weather has led to "deadly attacks" in many countries around the world. Heavy downpours have inundated parts of China, South Korea, Japan, India and other countries, causing floods, mudslides and power outages. Many European countries have experienced historic high temperatures for many days in a row. In August, the multi-day fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui in the United States caused huge losses of life and property. On September 10, a hurricane struck Libya and caused massive flooding, which collapsed two dams in the historic city of Derna in the eastern part of the country, completely destroying large swathes of the surrounding area, leaving tens of thousands of people dead and missing.
Extreme weather is hitting the global economy, and the climate crisis is also posing huge risks and challenges to global food security. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that with the emergence of the El Niño phenomenon, severe weather has occurred in some major food-producing areas in the world, resulting in a reduction in grain production and a sharp rise in food prices. On July 13, Nigeria declared a food security emergency in Tinubu, Nigeria. On July 20, India issued a ban on rice exports.
There is no time to delay climate action. The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 to December 13 (originally scheduled to close on the 12th). On the day of the COP28 extension, nearly 200 party representatives agreed to the "UAE Consensus" on climate change, a "historic" agreement calling on countries to "reduce the dependence of energy systems on fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner, and accelerate action in this critical decade to achieve science-based net-zero emissions by 2050".
The Chengdu Universiade has attracted global attention.
The Hangzhou Asian Games show that "Asia is a family".
From July 28th to August 8th, the 31st Summer Universiade in Chengdu was successfully held. The Chengdu Universiade is the third Universiade hosted in Chinese mainland after 2001 and 2011, and it is also the first comprehensive international sports event held in western China. In the end, the Chinese sports delegation won 103 gold medals and 178 medals, ranking first in the gold medal list and medal table. Sen Chao, secretary general of the International University Sports Federation, said that the Chengdu Universiade will be a "template and demonstration" for the future Universiade.
From September 23rd to October 8th and from October 22nd to October 28th, the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and the 4th Asian Games for the Disabled in Hangzhou were successfully held. **Attend the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games and announce the opening of the Asian Games. At the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Chinese sports delegation won 201 gold medals and 383 medals, achieving the best results in the history of the Asian Games and topping the gold medal list of the Asian Games for the 11th consecutive time. At the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, the Chinese sports delegation won 214 gold medals and 521 medals, ranking first in the gold medal list and medal list of the Asian Para Games for the fourth time, both of which are the best results in history. Some experts said that this Asian Games fully demonstrates China's open and inclusive attitude, builds Asian consensus with sportsmanship, and reinvigorates confidence in Asia's regional development.
The BRICS countries ushered in a historic expansion.
The Global South" is a strong voice for development.
From August 22 to August 24, the 15th BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. In an important speech on the 23rd, China said that the BRICS countries have broad consensus and common goals, and no matter how the international situation changes, the original intention and common aspirations of cooperation will not change. On the 24th, the BRICS Summit held a special press conference, announcing that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran and Ethiopia would be invited to officially become members of the BRICS family. ** The important speech emphasized that this expansion is historic, reflects the determination of BRICS countries to unite and cooperate with developing countries, meets the expectations of the international community, and is in line with the common interests of emerging market countries and developing countries. This expansion is also a new starting point for BRICS cooperation, which will inject new vitality into the BRICS cooperation mechanism and further strengthen the force for world peace and development. South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa announced at the meeting that the new BRICS membership will take effect on January 1, 2024.
In addition, South Africa has invited more than 60 leaders of African countries and countries in the Global South to attend the BRICS-Africa Conference and the BRICS+ Dialogue. Some analysts believe that a series of positive developments, such as the expansion of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, have brought important opportunities for the "Global South" countries to enhance their voice and influence in international governance. Some experts said that the economic growth rate of the countries of the "Global South" is generally higher than that of Western countries, which indicates that the center of gravity of the world economy is shifting to developing countries.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated abruptly.
The international community has stepped up its good offices.
On 7 October, a new large-scale conflict broke out between Palestine and Israel, with the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which controls the Gaza Strip, firing thousands of rockets into Israel and entering Israel to carry out military operations. Subsequently, Israel launched several rounds of air strikes on the Gaza Strip, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel a "state of war", saying that the Israeli army would use all its military forces to destroy Hamas. The new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict as of December 27 has caused more than 210,000 people died.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, the international community has stepped up its good offices. On November 15, during China's presidency of the UN Security Council, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2712, calling for an emergency "humanitarian moratorium" and the establishment of humanitarian corridors throughout the Gaza Strip. This is the first time since the outbreak of the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict that the Security Council has adopted a relevant resolution. On 24 November, Israel and Hamas began a temporary seven-day ceasefire. Some analysts said that at present, there is a big gap between the demands of the two sides, and a new round of ceasefire negotiations may be very difficult. At the same time, the impact of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues to spill over, and many countries in Europe and the United States are in an unprecedented situation on how to view this issue. Yemen's Houthi rebels in December carried out a series of attacks on ships "associated with Israel" in the Red Sea and related waters, partially disrupting international shipping. The escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has not only aggravated tensions in the Middle East, but also affected the global strategic landscape.
The achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative in the past ten years are precious.
The summit showcased China's global influence.
From October 17th to 18th, the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing. "Ten years of wind and rain, ten years of spring and autumn. The Belt and Road Initiative originates from China, and the achievements and opportunities belong to the world. On the morning of the 18th, China attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. In his speech, Chairman ** talked about the original intention of the Belt and Road Initiative, comprehensively reviewed the fruitful achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative over the past 10 years, systematically summarized important successful experiences, solemnly announced China's eight actions to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and drew a grand blueprint for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The speech not only resonated with the leaders and representatives of the participating countries, but also attracted widespread attention from the world.
On the evening of the 18th, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and head of the Communist Party of China, said at a press conference that over the past 10 years, the Belt and Road Initiative has made historic achievements, benefiting more than 150 countries, opening up a road of cooperation, opportunity and prosperity leading to common development, and becoming the most popular international public good and the largest international cooperation platform in the world today. The summit forum also illustrated that peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the trend of the times and the aspiration of the people, and that Cold War confrontation, decoupling and chain breaking go against the historical trend and have no way out. Representatives from 151 countries and 41 international organizations attended the summit in China, with a total of more than 10,000 registrations. This "10,000-person event" once again reflects the great appeal and global influence of the Belt and Road Initiative.
New breakthroughs have been made in artificial intelligence technology.
Global regulatory collaboration is accelerating.
What risks should not be ignored?"In 2023, artificial intelligence (AI) technology will usher in new breakthroughs, which will also lead to heated discussions on how to regulate them.
From November 17 to 21, the personnel turmoil at the Open Artificial Intelligence Research Center (OpenAI) in the United States shocked Silicon Valley, exposing the power struggle over who can control the future of AI.
At the same time, global AI regulatory collaboration is accelerating. In October, China proposed the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
On November 1, the United Kingdom hosted the first Global AI Security Summit, and representatives from 28 countries and the European Union, as well as technology companies, signed the "world's first" agreement to address the potential risks of AI, the Bletchley Declaration.
These initiatives mark the beginning of countries around the world joining forces to manage the development of AI. However, it will be a long time before we see the fruits of these efforts.
Sino-US bilateral relations have "stopped falling and stabilized".
The San Francisco Summit" reached a number of consensuses.
Over the past year, China-US relations have been turbulent. From the establishment of the "Special Committee on US-China Strategic Competition" by the US House of Representatives at the beginning of the year, to the hype up of the "unmanned airship incident" in February, to the insistence of then-Speaker of the House of Representatives McCarthy on meeting with the leader of the Taiwan region at the Reagan Library in Los Angeles in spite of China's strong opposition and solemn representations in April, the erroneous words and deeds of the US side that undermined China's interests have deviated from the consensus reached by the two heads of state, interrupted the process of Sino-US dialogue, and caused Sino-US relations to hover at a low ebb. Since June, the trend of positive interaction between China and the United States has been increasing, high-level interaction has increased, a series of dialogue mechanisms have been launched, and exchanges and cooperation in local, non-governmental, people-to-people and other fields have been activated, and bilateral relations have shown a momentum of stopping decline and stabilizing.
On November 15, China and Biden of the United States met in San Francisco, and the two heads of state had a frank and in-depth exchange of views on strategic, overall and directional issues related to bilateral relations and major issues related to world peace and development. The two sides reached a number of consensuses and formed the "San Francisco Vision", which pointed out the direction for the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-US relations. ** He pointed out that great power competition is not the background color of this era, and it cannot solve the problems faced by China, the United States and the world. This planet can accommodate both China and the United States, and our respective successes are opportunities for each other. This meeting will not only serve as a new starting point for stabilizing the U.S.-China relationship, but will also bring more certainty and stability to a turbulent world.