When asked if China and Japan will continue their international cooperation on giant panda conservation as Wakayama's four giant pandas will soon return to China and Japan's only remaining two giant pandas in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo will also return to China in February next year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that giant pandas are a precious endangered wild species and are loved by people around the world. They are emissaries of friendship from the people of China.

China and Japan have established sound cooperation ties since our two sides carried out international cooperation on giant panda conservation and research and have had positive cooperation on giant panda breeding, research, technical exchanges and public education, Guo said.

Such effort has played an important role for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between our two peoples, the spokesperson added.

"Looking forward, we stand ready to continue enhancing exchanges and cooperation with Japan and other partners in the world to jointly contribute to the protection of endangered species," the spokesperson noted.

Large crowds of fans gathered from the early morning on Friday, the last day the four pandas at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, could be seen by the public before the animals return to China, the Japan News reported. 

The pandas, which were born and raised at the theme park, are scheduled to depart on Saturday, according to the report. 

About 1,400 visitors lined up on Friday morning, prompting the park to open an hour earlier than usual, the Japan News said.

After the pandas return to China, only two pandas will remain in Japan, both at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. The two in Tokyo are also scheduled to return to China by February 20 next year, the Japanese media report said. 

People were seen taking pictures of the pandas, calling out their names and waving at them, NHK said. 

One visitor said she wanted her children to see the pandas one last time. Another person said she hopes the pandas will stay healthy and will be looked after well in China, according to NHK. 

Chinese archaeologists have uncovered 156 new remains and more than 500 precious artifacts at the Jiaopuxiang site in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, providing evidence that humans have been active in the area since the pre-Qin period, China Culture Daily reported on Saturday.

The Jiaopuxiang site is located in the Nanda street, Zhonglou district, at the intersection of the Grand Canal and the historic axis of the old city in Changzhou. Excavated across an area of approximately 3,000 square meters, the site is surrounded by other notable heritage landmarks.

Among the 156 unearthed objects, significant finds include roads and ditches from the Six Dynasties period (220-589), tamped-earth city walls and moats, streets and drainage facilities from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Five Dynasties (907-960) eras, as well as large Song Dynasty (960-1279) buildings and courtyards. Meanwhile, two Song Dynasty building foundations were also uncovered. 

One, located on the east side of the excavation, consists of seven square pillar bases measuring approximately 15.2 meters long and 4 meters wide, and is possibly linked to the historic Liedi Temple ancestral hall. The other is a well-preserved three-courtyard, five-bay structure facing the Grand Canal, measuring about 25 meters east-west and 17.5 meters north-south, with 16 square pillar bases remaining. Researchers believe it may have served as a military drill ground or an official temple complex during the Song Dynasty.

Beyond these discoveries, more than 500 artifacts from the Spring and Autumn period (770BC-476BC) to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties were unearthed at the site, including ceramics, pottery, metalwork, lacquerware, bone and horn tools, and stone implements.

Although no cultural layers or structures from the Spring and Autumn period were found, stone adzes and pottery shards at the bottom of some refuse pits indicate human presence as far back as the pre-Qin era.

According to China Culture Daily, the excavation at Jiaopuxiang systematically reveals the historical layers and cultural depth of Changzhou's old city. Additionally, the discovery holds significant value for research into the urban development of cities in the Jiangnan region and the origins of regional civilization in Jiangsu.

According to historical records, Changzhou was fortified on a large scale during the late Tang and Five Dynasties period with three layers of walls, the "inner city," "outer city," and "outermost wall." The newly uncovered wall segment between the outer city and the outermost wall, closely aligned with the course of the Grand Canal, not only revises the known history of Changzhou's urban defenses but also provides new material for the study of ancient city walls and fortification techniques.

In response to Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's first so-called "10 Talks on the Country" speech, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, issued a strong rebuke, stating that Lai's remarks were filled with lies and deception, hostility and provocation, and his distortions of history, reality, and legal principles will only be swept into the dustbin of history.

Chen noted that the speech deliberately distorted and fragmented history, aggressively promoted separatist "Taiwan independence" fallacies, and attempted to fabricate a theoretical basis for "Taiwan independence" in order to justify his political agenda, including advancing a so-called "mass recall" campaign for personal political gain. 

The speech was a blatant "Taiwan independence manifesto," inciting confrontation across the Straits, and was also a patchwork of deeply flawed and misguided separatist rhetoric, which fully exposed Lai's obstinate nature as a die-hard "Taiwan independence" advocate, said Chen.

Chen said Lai deliberately distorted the island of Taiwan's history in his speech, denying the historical fact that the island has been part of China since ancient times. He rejected the reality that the indigenous peoples of Taiwan originally migrated from the Chinese mainland and ignored the long-standing administrative governance of Taiwan by successive Chinese governments. Such statements, Chen stressed, are a blatant distortion and trampling of history. 

Chen also noted that that Lai turned a blind eye to the historic sacrifices made by people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits who united to resist foreign aggression and restore Taiwan to the motherland. Chen condemned Lai for attempting to associate the patriotic feelings of Taiwan compatriots with the notion of "Taiwan independence," calling it a betrayal of and crime against Taiwan's proud patriotic tradition and the legacy of countless martyrs who sacrificed themselves. 

Chen further criticized Lai for deliberately misrepresenting key historical facts and legal documents. He said Lai attempted to erase the victorious outcomes of World War II, dismissed internationally binding legal documents such as the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation, and distorted UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. By falsely claiming that "Taiwan does not belong to China" and promoting the idea of "non-subordination" between the two sides, Lai openly challenged the authority of international law, Chen said.

He added that Lai's inflammatory remarks disregarded the strong desire of the Taiwan public for peace, development, exchanges, and cooperation. Instead, Lai exaggerated the so-called "mainland threat," promoted a set of "17 counter-strategies," advocated confrontation with the mainland, intensified "green terror," and sought to obstruct cross-Straits exchanges — all of which run counter to public sentiment and the will of the people.

"History cannot be falsified, facts cannot be denied, and truth cannot be reversed," Chen said. He reiterated that all historical, factual, and legal evidence confirms that Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times. Archaeological discoveries and historical records demonstrate that the Chinese people were the earliest to develop Taiwan. From the Song and Yuan dynasties onward, successive central governments established administrative control over the island. In 1885, Taiwan was designated as a province by the Qing Dynasty — the 20th province of China at the time. 

Chen recalled that Japan's occupation of Taiwan in 1895 was a result of the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki, but post-WWII international agreements reversed that outcome. The 1943 Cairo Declaration, 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, and Japan's instrument of surrender all stipulated that Taiwan must be returned to China. On October 25, 1945, the Chinese government recovered Taiwan and resumed sovereignty over the island. With the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, it became the sole legitimate government of China and the only legal representative of China in the international community. The government of the People's Republic of China naturally and fully enjoys and exercises sovereignty over Taiwan., Chen noted. 

He added that subsequent political documents between China and Japan also reaffirmed Taiwan's return to China. "Taiwan has never been a country, and it is an integral part of China," he stressed. "The one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations and a widely recognized consensus in the international community." 

"Taiwan's future can only be decided by the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan," he said. "No matter how hard Lai tries, he cannot change the legal fact that Taiwan is part of China, shake the international consensus on the one-China principle, or stop the inevitable trend of national reunification," Chen added.

Tuesday marked the first anniversary of Lai Ching-te's tenure as the leader of Taiwan.

The 65-year-old spent his first year in office taking actions that undermined cross-Strait peace and stability and harmed the island's overall well-being -- revealing his true colors as a stubborn separatist.

With Lai as the leader, Taiwan grapples with protracted social and economic challenges and the Taiwan Strait has been turned into a tinderbox of heightened tensions.

A recent poll released by Taiwan's United Daily News shows that among those surveyed, more than half expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the island's leader and believed that Taiwan's society has become more divided.

Over the past few days, protesters took to the streets in large numbers in Taipei, Taichung and other cities on the island, voicing anger over what they see as poor governance and ineffective policymaking by Taiwan authorities.

What follows is a review of six grave mistakes Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) made over the past year.

AGGRAVATED SEPARATIST NARRATIVES

Having openly rejected the 1992 Consensus, which affirms the one-China principle, Lai brought out a new version of the "two states" theory, asserting that the two sides of the Strait do not belong to each other, upon assuming the role of Taiwan region's leader on May 20, 2024.

During the past year in office, Lai has used various statements and actions to clearly express this view. In March, Lai went further to portray the mainland as a "hostile external force" and outline 17 strategies to counter so-called threats facing the island.

Earlier this month, Taiwan's executive body removed explicit recognition of the Han people -- the majority ethnic group in both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland -- from the island's official demographic profile. The move was part of a broader scheme aimed at severing the historical and cultural ties between the island and the mainland.

Lai's separatist rhetoric and actions have repeatedly provoked the mainland, prompting countermeasures and escalating tensions across the Strait.

SABOTAGING CROSS-STRAIT EXCHANGES

The DPP authorities led by Lai have maintained the ban on group travel to the mainland, restricted direct flights, and prohibited collaborations between Taiwan-based institutions and 10 mainland universities.

Lai proposed policies to investigate Taiwan residents holding mainland identity documents, expand the scope of scrutiny over Taiwan artists' remarks and behaviors, and establish a review system targeting cross-Strait exchanges in religion, culture and education.

In Taiwan, groups and individuals who support reunification and cross-Strait exchanges are facing harassment and business people are discouraged from investing in the mainland, while pro-DPP media have launched smear campaigns vilifying cross-Strait cooperation.

ENFORCING POLITICAL PERSECUTION

Taiwan's democracy and rule of law are in decline, as Lai's DPP has increasingly suppressed political opponents, silenced dissenting voices, and restricted freedom of expression.

Given that the DPP's campaign color is green, many in Taiwan have begun referring to its recent authoritarian tactics as "green authoritarianism."

The primary targets of this crackdown are those who oppose "Taiwan independence" and advocate for closer cross-Strait relations.

One high-profile case involved a woman from the mainland, known online as "Yaya," who married a man in Taiwan and publicly expressed support for China's reunification. Her residence permit was revoked by the DPP authorities, and she was forced to leave, separating her from her husband and three children. Similar measures were imposed on two other mainland spouses.

NEGLECTING THE PUBLIC'S BASIC NEEDS

Under the leadership of Lai, chronic issues in Taiwan, such as power shortage, water scarcity, wealth inequality, and imbalanced industrial development, are worsening, while supply shortages of daily necessities and frequent price surges have occurred periodically.

The DPP authorities' rash decision to phase out nuclear energy amid an ongoing energy crisis sparked public outrage, with critics accusing the DPP of "powering Taiwan with lies, not electricity."

Instead of addressing these problems, Lai has diverted significant resources toward political vendettas, including orchestrating recall campaigns against opposition lawmakers.

SELLING OUT TAIWAN

To obtain support for his separatist cause from the United States, Lai has willingly sacrificed Taiwan's interests.

Key industries like semiconductor heavyweight TSMC are pressured to relocate to the United States, risking industrial hollowing-out in Taiwan, while few measures were taken to counter the unfair tariff demands from the United States.

Local residents have bluntly condemned the DPP authorities for "emptying Taiwan's coffers to serve as an American ATM."

DISTORTING INTERNATIONAL LAW

Since taking office, Lai has openly challenged the international community's fundamental adherence to the one-China principle and the post-WWII international order by claiming that U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 "does not mention Taiwan" and the People's Republic of China "has no right to represent Taiwan."

He also continued his predecessors' practices by manipulating the issue of Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) to advance his separatist agenda.

However, the proposal on Taiwan's participation as an observer was rejected by the WHA.

Over the past year, Lai and his followers have exploited the so-called "stopover" trips to collude with external forces and attempted to form ideologically-driven economic cliques that disrupt global trade order.

He sought to secure external forces' endorsement of his separatist agenda, fabricating the notion of so-called "international space" in the attempt to mislead the international community.