China’s Foreign Ministry: China Willing to Work with Russia to Promote a More Just and Equitable Global Governance System
Xinhua News Agency reported that at a regular press briefing on May 11, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to remarks by Vladimir Putin following the May 9 Victory Day celebrations. Putin had stated that Russia–China strategic coordination has become a key pillar in preventing conflict and maintaining global strategic stability.
Guo said that China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination in the new era. He noted that, in recent years, under the strategic guidance of Xi Jinping and Putin, bilateral relations have maintained a high level of development and contributed stability to an increasingly uncertain global environment.
He added: “China is willing to work with Russia to continue to uphold the spirit of permanent good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, continuously strengthen cooperation in various fields, and promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system.”
Source: Xinhua, May 11, 2026
https://www.xinhuanet.com/20260511/3d3844f7f0d14190bf7fd06a9a23eb35/c.html
Sanctioned Chinese Satellite Firm Defiantly Posts Job Ads, Mocks U.S. “Surprise”
A Chinese satellite imagery company based in Hangzhou has responded to U.S. government sanctions with a bold recruitment drive and a thinly veiled mockery of Washington’s actions, calling the designation an unexpected “surprise.”
The company, MizarVision, was among four entities added to a U.S. sanctions list on May 8. American authorities alleged that the firms had supplied satellite imagery of U.S. facilities in the Middle East to Iran, posing a threat to the safety of American personnel and those of partner nations.
According to reports, the U.S. State Department stated that MizarVision had published open-source imagery of U.S. military activity during what was designated “Operation Epic Fury” — a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran launched in late February of this year.
Just two days after the sanctions were announced, MizarVision posted a recruitment notice on Chinese social media Weibo on May 10. The announcement declared that the more complex the external environment, the more focused the company would be on building solid technology and robust products. It concluded with a pointed aside: “External forces occasionally send us some ‘surprises,’ but we’ve always been the kind of people who smile, take it in stride, and keep pushing forward” — a clear dig at the U.S. sanctions.
The company is looking to hire AI algorithm and multimodal fusion engineers, as well as industry application development engineers, among other roles.
Founded in 2021, MizarVision specializes in global multimodal sensor data fusion and geospatial intelligence. During the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, the company repeatedly posted data and imagery on Weibo tracking U.S. military movements in the Middle East, including the locations of major naval assets such as the aircraft carriers USS Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), May 13, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202605130302.aspx
China Rejects Taiwan’s Participation in World Health Assembly
The 79th World Health Assembly is set to open on May 18, but Taiwan has not received an invitation to attend. At a regular press briefing on May 11, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that China has blocked Taiwan’s participation in the assembly.
Guo said: “The Taiwan region of China, without the consent of the central government, has no basis, reason, or right to participate in the World Health Assembly. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan stubbornly adhere to a ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist stance, which has led to the loss of the political foundation for the Taiwan region’s participation in the World Health Assembly. In order to uphold the One China principle and safeguard the seriousness and authority of relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the World Health Assembly, China has decided not to agree to the Taiwan region’s participation in this year’s World Health Assembly.”
Sources: Peopl’s Daily, May 11, 2026
https://world.people.com.cn/n1/2026/0511/c1002-40717722.html
Report: China Is Using Hong Kong Entities to Facilitate Iran’s Sanctions Evasion, Arms Procurement, and Financial Support
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation on May 11 released a report titled “Oil, Arms, and Cash: How Hong Kong Fuels the Iranian Regime,” stating that Hong Kong has become a key enabler of Iran’s activities. The report says Hong Kong-linked entities have helped Iran evade sanctions, finance proxy groups, procure weapons components, and expand surveillance systems. It highlights the role of Hong Kong-registered vessels in transporting Iranian oil—much of it sold to China—and the use of Hong Kong’s financial system for laundering proceeds. It also notes that major banks, including HSBC and Standard Chartered, have previously paid substantial fines for violating Iran-related restrictions.
Since 2020, at least 95 Hong Kong entities have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for assisting Iranian oil trade and sanctions evasion. In July 2025, OFAC sanctioned 17 Hong Kong companies linked to an Iranian shadow banking network. In September 2025, another network involving Hong Kong shell companies was designated for laundering over $100 million in cryptocurrency tied to Iranian oil revenues, some of which allegedly funded Hezbollah and other proxy groups. The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network estimated that $4.8 billion in related transactions flowed through Hong Kong-linked accounts in 2024.
The report states that Hong Kong companies have acted as key transshipment hubs for dual-use electronics, drone engines, missile components, and centrifuge equipment tied to Iran’s weapons programs. U.S. indictments and sanctions filings cited in the report indicate that Hong Kong-based procurement networks supplied entities affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Defense, including those involved in drones, radar systems, and ballistic missiles. Evidence from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East has identified Western-made components, routed through Hong Kong, in Iranian Shahed and Mohajer drones.
The report also highlights the role of Chinese technology firms in supporting Iran’s surveillance capabilities. It states that Huawei Technologies used its Hong Kong subsidiary Skycom Tech to provide telecommunications and surveillance equipment to Iran, which U.S. authorities allege was used to monitor protesters. It adds that other Chinese firms, including ZTE, Hikvision, and Dahua Technology, have supplied surveillance technologies such as cameras, facial recognition systems, and internet monitoring tools used by the Iranian government.
Source: Epoch Times, May 12, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/5/11/n14762232.htm
Chinese State Media Confirms Technical Support to Pakistan During 2025 India–Pakistan Conflict
China’s state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) has for the first time confirmed that Chinese personnel were deployed to support Pakistan during the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict. In a May 7 military program, engineers from the Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) of China said they were sent to the front line to provide technical and logistical assistance to Pakistani forces.
The conflict followed an April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people. India launched “Operation Sindoor,” striking targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, leading to four days of fighting. Reports indicated that a Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jet used by Pakistan shot down at least one Indian Rafale jet, drawing international attention.
CCTV identified AVIC engineers Zhang Heng and Xu Da as among those providing on-site support, describing combat conditions including frequent air raid alerts and extreme heat. Their accounts are seen as the first public acknowledgment of direct Chinese involvement in support roles.
A 2025 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission suggested China may have used the conflict to test weapons performance and possibly provide real-time intelligence. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China has sold about $8.2 billion in arms to Pakistan since 2015 and ranked as the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter between 2020 and 2024.
Source: Epoch Times, May 9, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/26/5/8/n14759816.htm/amp
Former Arcadia Mayor Charged, Pleads Guilty to Acting as Agent of Chinese Government
On May 11, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Eileen Wang, the Chinese American mayor of Arcadia in Los Angeles County, was charged in April with a felony count of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. She is accused of disseminating pro-China articles and propaganda at the direction of Chinese officials without notifying the U.S. government, as required by law. Federal prosecutors said Wang has agreed to plead guilty and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. She has also resigned from her position as mayor.
According to the plea agreement, Wang and her associate Yaoning Sun (also known as “Mike” Sun) acted on behalf of officials in Beijing between late 2020 and 2022, promoting pro-Beijing narratives to advance Chinese interests. The two jointly operated the “US News Center” website, which targeted Chinese American audiences and published content directed by Chinese government officials. Sun, 65, pleaded guilty to the same charge in October 2025 and was sentenced to four years in prison. He also served as Wang’s campaign treasurer during her 2022 city council run.
U.S. prosecutors said that in 2021, Wang reposted and helped disseminate pro-China articles provided by a Chinese official through a WeChat group, including content promoting Beijing’s position on Xinjiang. She shared posting links and screenshots showing more than 15,000 views with the official, who responded, “Great!” Wang replied, “Thank you, leader.”
Later that year, Wang also contacted John Chen, described in court documents as connected to China’s intelligence system, to further distribute content she said originated from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Chen was subsequently convicted in the United States in 2024 for acting as an unregistered Chinese agent and conspiracy to bribe public officials to persecute Falun Gong practitioners in the U.S, and was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Source: Radio France International, May 12, 2026
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20260512-被控充当-中国代理人-加州华裔市长认罪辞职，最高可判10年
PLA Navy Says Aircraft Carriers Equipped with “Five-Piece” Air Wing
The “carrier five-piece set” refers to a combination of key carrier-based aviation assets: stealth carrier-based fighter jets, multi-role catapult-launched carrier fighters, fixed-wing airborne early warning aircraft, fixed-wing electronic warfare aircraft, and anti-submarine helicopters.
On May 9, Jiang Bin, deputy director of the Information Bureau of China’s Ministry of National Defense and a ministry spokesperson, addressed the issue at a press briefing, confirming reports that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has completed its “carrier five-piece set.”
He stated that this configuration represents a critical component in building an integrated carrier strike group combat capability. Jiang added that the development marks an important milestone in the PLA Navy’s efforts to accelerate its transformation and modernization.
Source: Xinhua, May 9, 2026
https://www.news.cn/20260509/f7057b4186ea45e48991080ab976335a/c.html
China’s Marriage Registrations Dip in Early 2026 Despite Policy Push
China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs reported that 1.697 million couples registered marriages in the first quarter of 2026, a decline of 113,000 couples, or 6.24 percent, compared to the same period last year. Divorces totaled 622,000 registrations over the same period.
The drop comes after a brief rebound in 2025, when 6.763 million couples wed — up 10.76 percent from 2024’s record low of 6.106 million. China’s marriage numbers have broadly trended downward since peaking at 13.469 million couples in 2013, falling for 12 consecutive years before last year’s uptick.
Beijing has been actively promoting marriage and childbearing through a range of policy measures. A revised Marriage Registration Regulation took effect on May 10, 2025, eliminating regional restrictions and removing the household registration booklet requirement, allowing couples to register anywhere in the country. Following implementation, cross-provincial marriage registrations rose notably, with particularly strong growth in cities with large migrant populations.
Despite the first-quarter decline, demand for registrations on May 20 — pronounced “520” in Mandarin, a homophone for “I love you” — remains robust. Slots in major cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Wuxi, and Chengdu have already been fully booked for that date. Civil affairs bureaus in Shanghai, Wuxi, and other cities have announced that couples who are unable to secure advance appointments can still register on the day itself, provided they arrive during business hours.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), May 10, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202605100093.aspx