Japan is openly stepping up its involvement in the South China Sea. · Ten years ago, Japan was among the first countries to endorse the so-called South China Sea arbitration award. · Ten years later, it is no longer just voicing support. The Balikatan exercise has expanded to its largest scale ever. · For the first time, Japan's Maritime, Ground and Air Self-Defense Forces participated in the exercise in an integrated manner. · Japan also launched Type 88 missiles overseas for the first time since the end of World War II. The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) has entered into force, further deepening Japan-Philippines security ties. More recently, the two sides have even begun discussing the so-called maritime delimitation. Why is Japan becoming increasingly involved in the South China Sea? When did it start laying the groundwork? And how did it gradually extend its "white-hull strategy" and broader strategic playbook into the South China Sea?↓↓↓ @jaytaryela #SouthChinaSea #Japan #Philippines #MediaUnlocked

The Chinese President attended a welcoming ceremony hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday morning. The grand ceremony lasted roughly an hour and a half. Here are some key moments. President Trump and the First Lady greeted the Chinese leader at the White House's South Portico before the two leaders delivered remarks inside. One detail stood out: both leaders reflected on the shared history of China and the United States fighting fascism during World War II. The ceremony continued with military performances on the South Lawn and in the Rose Garden. The grand finale featured a B-2 Spirit bomber and four F-22 Raptors flying over the White House.#MediaUnlocked

"I am absolutely going crazy right now!" US teacher Ronald Sakolsky could barely contain his excitement after the Chinese President shared his story with Yin Yuzhen at the White House state dinner. In an exclusive response to #MediaUnlocked, Sakolsky said their friendship shows that ordinary people from different cultures can get along, adding that the speeches at the White House absolutely "had us in the right direction". #ChinaUS #Friendship

The Chinese President arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon, officially beginning a three-day state visit to the United States. The biggest detail? US President Trump and the First Lady personally traveled from the White House to greet the Chinese leader at the airport. The welcoming ceremony lasted over 30 minutes and showcased an exceptionally high level of hospitality.#MediaUnlocked

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wants to remove the "enemy state clauses" from the UN Charter. China argues that the clauses remain important safeguards against the return of militarism. Japan, meanwhile, considers them outdated and has pushed for their formal removal. Some South Korean media have noted that the move is not only about shedding Japan's postwar "enemy state" label. It could also help Tokyo raise its international status, counter China's influence and create more political space for expanding its military capabilities. So why does Japan want these postwar clauses gone now and what could their removal mean?#MediaUnlocked

China has announced that President Xi Jinping will visit the United States this week, 11 years after his last state visit to the country in 2015. The trip will also mark a historic exchange of visits between the Chinese and US leaders within the space of six months. What will the two leaders discuss at their second summit this year? Experts predict that issues such as trade, technology and artificial intelligence will all be on the table. The significance of the meeting will extend far beyond China and the United States. As the world's two largest economies, every major interaction between them can send ripples through global markets and regional affairs around the world.#MediaUnlocked

On September 18, the China Coast Guard carried out a law enforcement operation near China's Xianbin Reef. Philippine vessel 3015 ignored warnings from the Chinese side, suddenly accelerated and cut across the bow of a Chinese coast guard vessel, resulting in a collision. Footage from the scene shows the Philippine vessel making two dangerous maneuvers near Chinese coast guard vessels within 10 minutes. #MediaUnlocked

During the third China-Latin American and Caribbean States Roundtable on Human Rights, Gustavo Pacheco Villar, former president of the Andean Parliament and president and founder of the International Institute of Government in Peru, said the right to life is the most fundamental human right. He noted that China has lifted 800 million people out of poverty and said the country deserves a Nobel Prize for this achievement. #MediaUnlocked

Recently, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs revised its statement on the South China Sea after it had already been released. "The territory of the Philippines has nothing to do with the islands in the South China Sea," said Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center for Marine Cooperation and Ocean Governance, in an interview at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. He also pointed out that the Philippines' illegal occupation of islands and reefs is a fact that cannot be changed by repeatedly adjusting its narrative. Such claims cannot withstand the test of time. #MediaUnlocked

Since the Chancay mega-port in Peru, developed by the China Ocean Shipping Company, began operations, a direct shipping route to Shanghai has opened, making the port an important hub for imports and exports. During the third China-Latin American and Caribbean States Roundtable on Human Rights, Gustavo Pacheco Villar, former president of the Andean Parliament and president and founder of the International Institute of Government in Peru, said in an interview that China can contribute a great deal to Peru, while Peru can also contribute to China. This is just the beginning. #MediaUnlocked

The 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum is underway in Beijing from September 15 to 17. •Delegations from more than 100 countries, regions and international organizations are taking part. •The forum discusses key issues including the resolution of regional conflicts, AI governance, maritime security governance, and prospects for peace in the Middle East. •The forum is a place to listen to different views, respect differences and seek common ground — reflecting the Chinese idea of "harmony without uniformity". "The forum is effectively dealing with conflict and trying to make people have better dialogue together to find solutions. And this is what we need. China is the only country to do that," said Jean Christophe Baron von Pfetten, chairman of the UK's Royal Institute for East West Strategic Studies.#MediaUnlocked

During the ongoing 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama said that current Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi should either retract the Taiwan-related remarks she made last November, or communicate in "an absolutely unambiguous manner" that Japan continues to firmly respect the one-China principle. #MediaUnlocked

"People in the West still don't quite understand the idea of 'harmony without uniformity'. Chinese people need to teach them," said Jean Christophe Baron von Pfetten, chairman of the UK's Royal Institute for East West Strategic Studies, in an interview at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. #MediaUnlocked

The US accuses Chinese AI companies of carrying out aggressive distillation on an industrial scale. China rejects the accusation, saying it is unsupported by evidence and has no legal basis. Even some American researchers question the US narrative. Researchers including OpenAI executive Dean Ball believe that distillation may have given Chinese companies a boost early in the AI race, but it is not the main reason behind their recent breakthroughs. Ultimately, the real debate in the China-US AI competition may not be about distillation at all. It may be about two competing visions for AI: an inclusive, open-source ecosystem or a closed system built around technological hegemony. #MediaUnlocked

The 22nd Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting, High-Level Meeting, is underway in Hangzhou, China. Here are the key takeaways↓↓↓ •100+ foreign representatives are taking part, from maritime law enforcement agencies in 23 countries and regions, as well as UNODC and the ReCAAP ISC. •The meeting focused on six key areas: preventing and combating illicit activities at sea, maritime search and rescue, marine environmental protection, information sharing, joint exercises, and capacity building. •Experts and scholars have been invited to discuss two key themes: the Global Security Initiative and maritime law enforcement related to ocean carbon sinks. The meeting brings coast guard agencies together to share experience, build trust and explore new areas of cooperation. Different challenges, but one shared responsibility: keeping our oceans safe and sustainable. #MediaUnlocked

A group of foreign journalists visited the mudslide-hit Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border over the weekend. Since the disaster struck, some Western media have fallen back on a familiar pattern in their coverage of China, amplifying claims about limited information and a lack of transparency. But after reporters reached the site and saw the devastation for themselves, their coverage began to change. The reports provided more details about how remote the area is, how badly the roads were damaged and how difficult and dangerous it was for rescuers to reach the worst-hit areas. And that is one of the most revealing changes. Before reporters went there, "lack of access" was part of the story. Once they got there, the difficulty of access itself became part of what they witnessed. #MediaUnlocked

"Come to China with an open mind, not with expectations, and get over the fear," retired US educator Ronald Sakolsky said. He noted that many Americans believe the whole world lives the way Americans do. "Chinese people do it the Chinese way. Learn about the different ways, take a little from each, and the world would be a better place," he said, urging young Americans to see China for themselves. #MediaUnlocked

Did China refuse to share data with Nepal? That is the impression created by a Reuters report and amplified by anti-China influencers who stripped away even more context. The reality is quite different. According to a source familiar with discussions at China's Ministry of Water Resources, China and Nepal had already been advancing cooperation on cross-border river data sharing before the disaster struck. • In May, China sent a team of experts to Nepal to discuss Nepal's needs and possible cooperation mechanisms. • In July, China proposed signing an MoU on flood-data sharing, establishing a joint expert mechanism, conducting regular technical exchanges. • In August, China also invited Nepali officials to China for further consultations. When the disaster struck, both China and Nepal suffered devastating losses, with much of the monitoring equipment destroyed. Yet China responded: - Chinese hydrologists rushed to the affected area and restored damaged monitoring stations. - Emergency monitoring and warning systems were established. - Nepal received five categories of risk information from China every day. - Nepal later expressed its appreciation through the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu. The disaster was not a predictable glacial-lake outburst. It was triggered by a sudden ice-and-rock collapse in a remote, high-altitude area. Disasters must not be ideologicalized or exploited for geopolitical point-scoring. Using a natural catastrophe to sow distrust between two neighboring countries is propaganda at its most cynical. #MediaUnlocked

We followed retired US educator Ronald Sakolsky during his journey through China and witnessed many moments worth treasuring. What did returning to China mean to Sakolsky? Why did he repeatedly say that "Yin Yuzhen is the hero"? How different is the China he remembers from the China he sees today? And what kind of "seed" does he hope to plant in the younger generation? We sat down with him for an exclusive interview. Here are some highlights: • "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." • "China does not have to love America. We don't have to love each other. We just have to like each other. I think if we look at it that way, we can make the bond." • "The world is beautiful, but it is not good in some ways: war, conflict, international problems. So learn from that and make it better."

"As I say goodbye, I take a piece of China with me. So it will always be with me," retired US educator Ronald Sakolsky said as his journey through China drew to a close. He believes that one day he will return to write the next chapter of his China story. #MediaUnlocked

The catastrophic mudslide along the China-Nepal border has triggered a wave of anti-China misinformation online. Here are the facts behind three of the most widely circulated claims↓↓↓ Claim One: Chinese dams or construction caused the disaster. • This allegation spread widely across some Indian media outlets. Some even used AI-generated images and videos as "evidence". • However, scientific findings show that the disaster began with a massive slope failure involving a glacier in Nepal's Langtang National Park. Claim Two: China concealed the disaster. • Some Western media outlets, including The New York Times, BBC, The Guardian and The Telegraph, suggested China was hiding the scale of the disaster. • However, Chinese media reported casualties, missing persons and rescue efforts from day one, focusing on verified information rather than repeatedly broadcasting graphic images. Claim Three: China knowingly failed to warn Nepal. • Some pro-DPP commentators in China's Taiwan province propagated this claim to fuel anti-China sentiment. • However, the source area was in Nepal, and the collapse triggered a destructive debris flow that reached China's Gyirong Port within minutes — barely enough time to assess the situation, let alone issue an effective warning. The facts should outlive the propaganda. A disaster demands scrutiny — but it must never be reduced to ammunition for a political agenda. #MediaUnlocked #Mudslide