BEIJING: Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun stated on Tuesday that China and the United States should respect each other’s core interests during a video call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Dong told Hegseth during the call, which the latter requested, that both sides should adopt an open attitude, keep communication and engagement active, and develop a military-to-military relationship grounded in equality, respect, peaceful coexistence, and steady, positive growth.

Dong warned that any efforts to support “Taiwan independence” through force or to use the Taiwan question to contain China, as well as any interference, will be firmly thwarted.

China is committed to working with regional countries to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea and firmly opposes infringements and provocations by certain countries or deliberate attempts by external forces to stir up trouble, he said.

Dong said that China remains committed to its own development and strongly defends its legitimate rights and interests. “Containing, deterring, or interfering with China will absolutely lead nowhere.”

Chinese vice premier calls to reduce service trade barriers, strengthen int’l cooperation

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday called for countries to lower barriers in services trade and boost international cooperation to support global economic growth. This was said during the Global Trade in Services Summit at the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing.

Ding, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, stated in the keynote speech that despite increasing unilateralism and protectionism worldwide, China remains dedicated to high-standard institutional opening-up in service trade.

He added that China has consistently promoted the facilitation and high-quality development of trade in services, which not only drives China’s growth but also opens new opportunities for the global economy.

Ding proposed a three-point plan to enhance global cooperation in service trade.

First, Ding said, countries should promote high-level openness, enhance regulatory coordination and alignment, cut service trade barriers, and foster a more favorable environment for the sector’s growth.

Second, nations should encourage innovation across all sectors, follow digital, networked, and intelligent trends, and boost international cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence and big data to achieve higher-quality improvements in service trade.

Third, all parties should follow mutual benefit and strive to sign more high-quality free trade agreements, using service trade as a catalyst for shared prosperity.

The summit, co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal Government, China’s Ministry of Commerce, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), also included video or on-site speeches by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, WTO Deputy Director-General Johanna Hill, UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno, and other guests.

After the event, Ding visited the exhibition halls of the simultaneous service trade fair. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to increasing high-quality service imports and exports, creating more opportunities for businesses worldwide.

The summit attracted approximately 800 officials and representatives from China and around the world.