On the afternoon of May 7, President Xi Jinping departed Beijing by special plane at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a state visit to Russia and to attend the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Great Patriotic War. Accompanying President Xi on his trip were Cai Qi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
On May 7, on the occasion of his state visit to Russia and attendance at the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Great Patriotic War in Moscow, President Xi Jinping published a signed article titled "Drawing Lessons from History to Create a Better Future" in Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The full text of the article is as follows: Drawing Lessons from History to Create a Better Future by Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Great Patriotic War, and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In this season when "pear blossoms bloom across the land," I am about to embark on a state visit to Russia and attend the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Great Patriotic War, to review history and remember the martyrs together with the heroic Russian people. Ten years ago, I visited Russia to attend the 70th anniversary celebration of the Great Patriotic War and specifically met with 18 Russian veteran representatives who had fought bravely in the Soviet Great Patriotic War and the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. I still vividly remember the veterans' unyielding spirit and resolute expressions. In the past few years, General Gareyev, Major General Shudlo, and other veterans have passed away, and I deeply mourn them. From generals to privates, we will never forget all the veterans who made outstanding contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War! Heroes are immortal, and justice lives on! In the World Anti-Fascist War, the people of China and Russia fought side by side and supported each other. During the difficult times of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Volunteer Air Force bravely fought and intercepted Japanese invaders in Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing, and other places, with many pilots sacrificing their precious lives. At the most critical juncture of the Soviet Great Patriotic War, "Oriental Sorge" - Yan Baohang, an outstanding underground worker of the Communist Party of China, provided first-hand intelligence to the Soviet side. During the war years, the Soviet Union provided a large number of weapons and equipment to China, and China also supplied urgently needed strategic materials to the Soviet Union. The two countries joined hands to open an international "lifeline" in the desert Gobi, playing an important role in supporting each other's anti-fascist wars. The profound friendship forged by the blood and lives of the two peoples flows endlessly like the Yellow River and is as wide and deep as the Volga River, becoming an inexhaustible source of China-Russia friendship for generations. Eighty years ago, righteous forces around the world, including China and the Soviet Union, fought bravely against common enemies and jointly defeated the arrogant fascist forces. Eighty years later, unilateralism, hegemonic behavior, and bullying are causing profound harm, and humanity is once again at a crossroads: unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum. The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy wrote in "War and Peace": "History is the biography of nations and of mankind." The memory and truth of history will not fade with the passage of time; the enlightenment it brings will always reflect reality and illuminate the future. We must learn from history, draw wisdom and strength from the profound lessons of World War II and the great victory of the anti-fascist war, resolutely oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics, and jointly create a better future for mankind. —We must adhere to the correct view of World War II history. China and the Soviet Union, as the main battlefields in Asia and Europe during World War II respectively, were the mainstays in resisting Japanese militarism and German Nazism, making decisive contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression started the earliest and lasted the longest. Under the banner of the Anti-Japanese National United Front initiated and established by the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people advanced wave upon wave, united in spirit, and paid huge sacrifices to defeat the vicious Japanese militarists, writing a magnificent chapter in the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. On the European battlefield, the Soviet Red Army, with its tenacious will, forged an iron torrent, crushed the ambitions of the Nazi invaders, liberated the people enslaved by German fascists, and wrote a magnificent epic of the victory of the Soviet Great Patriotic War. History tells us that light will surely dispel darkness, and justice will ultimately triumph over evil. The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and the International Military Tribunal for the Far East forever nailed war criminals to the pillar of shame in history; the just nature, historical value, and contemporary significance of these two great trials are unshakeable! All attempts to distort the historical truth of World War II, deny the results of the World War II victory, and discredit the historical contributions of China and the Soviet Union will not succeed! Any attempt to turn back the wheel of history will not only be rejected by the Chinese and Russian people but also by people around the world! —We must firmly uphold the post-war international order. Before and after the end of World War II, the most important decision made by the international community was the establishment of the United Nations. China and the Soviet Union were among the first to sign the UN Charter, and their permanent membership in the UN Security Council was formed by history and earned with blood and lives. The more complex and volatile the international situation, the more we must uphold and maintain the authority of the United Nations, firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and continuously promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's retrocession. Taiwan's return to China is an important part of the victory of World War II and the post-war international order. A series of documents with international legal effect, such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, have confirmed China's sovereignty over Taiwan. Their historical and legal facts are beyond doubt, and the authority of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 is not to be challenged. No matter how the situation on Taiwan Island changes, no matter how external forces try to create trouble, the historical trend of China's eventual reunification is unstoppable and inevitable. China and Russia have always firmly supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns. The Russian side has repeatedly reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle, stating that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, opposes any form of "Taiwan independence," and firmly supports all measures taken by the Chinese government and people to achieve national reunification. China highly appreciates this. —We must firmly uphold international fairness and justice. In today's world, deficits in peace, development, security, and governance are increasing. My proposals to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative, are aimed at addressing these deficits and actively leading the reform of the global governance system with fairness and justice as the guiding principle. The world needs justice, not hegemony. History and reality show that responding to global challenges requires adhering to the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, insisting on dialogue instead of confrontation, partnership instead of alliance, and win-win instead of zero-sum, practicing true multilateralism, accommodating the legitimate concerns of all parties, and maintaining international rules and order. We firmly believe that people around the world will choose to stand on the right side of history and on the side of fairness and justice. Both China and Russia are major countries with significant influence and constructive forces in maintaining global strategic stability and improving global governance. China-Russia relations have a clear historical logic, strong endogenous动力, and deep civilizational roots. They are not directed at a third party and are not constrained by any third party. The two sides should jointly resist any attempts to interfere with and undermine China-Russia friendship and mutual trust, not be confused by temporary events, not be disturbed by turbulent winds and waves, and jointly promote the process of world multipolarization with the certainty and resilience of China-Russia strategic coordination, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China and Russia are both great nations with brilliant civilizations, and the Chinese people and Russian people are both great peoples with heroic bloodlines. Eighty years ago, we rose up in resistance and won the great victory of the anti-fascist war. Eighty years later, we must take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard our sovereignty, security, and development interests, firmly act as guardians of historical memory, companions in development and revitalization, and defenders of international fairness and justice, and work together to strive for a brighter future for the destiny of mankind.
On May 6, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Friedrich Merz on his election as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Germany are all-round strategic partners. Over the 53 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have adhered to the principle of mutual respect and trust, and equal treatment, and have always pursued a path of mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, growing into good partners that advance hand in hand and achieve each other's success, promoting the sustained and healthy development of bilateral relations through high-level cooperation. In today's world of intertwined changes and turmoil, with unilateralism and protectionism surging, peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes remain the right path for humanity and an irresistible trend of the times. As the world's second and third largest economies and major countries with global influence, China and Germany should follow the historical trend, uphold fairness and justice, deepen exchanges and mutual learning, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, join hands to withstand storms, enhance the well-being of the two peoples, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization. I highly value the development of China-Germany relations and am willing to work with Chancellor Merz, upholding the original aspirations of establishing diplomatic relations, consolidating political mutual trust, deepening exchanges and cooperation, opening up a new chapter for the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership, guiding the correct direction of China-Europe cooperation, and jointly promoting world peace, stability, development, and prosperity. On the same day, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council sent a congratulatory message to Merz on his election as German Chancellor, stating that China and Germany are all-round strategic partners, and practical cooperation in various fields between the two sides has yielded fruitful results and has broad prospects. Equality, mutual benefit, cooperation, and win-win outcomes are the historical choices jointly made by the two countries, and also the most distinctive features of China-Germany relations, which deserve to be carefully cherished and carried forward by both sides. I look forward to establishing and maintaining good working relations with you, deepening exchanges, promoting development, enhancing understanding, building consensus, continuously enriching the connotation of the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership, and guiding the correct direction of China-Germany and China-Europe cooperation.
On May 6, Vice President Han Zheng attended and addressed a reception in Beijing celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. Han Zheng stated that over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, exchanges and dialogue have become increasingly close, the integration of interests has deepened, and the scale and level of cooperation have significantly improved, benefiting both sides and the world. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, China and the EU have no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical contradictions; they are partners that achieve each other's success. In the current international situation of intertwined changes and turmoil, China-EU relations hold even greater strategic significance and global influence. The two sides should take the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to uphold the original aspirations of establishing diplomatic relations, accurately grasp the overall trend, adhere to the partnership positioning, insist on mutual respect, open cooperation, and mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, promote the continuous forward and positive development of China-EU relations, jointly uphold multilateralism and the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and jointly open up a more promising next 50 years for China-EU relations, making greater contributions to world peace, stability, development, and prosperity. Before the reception, Han Zheng met separately with former President of the European Council Charles Michel and representatives of EU envoys to China. Han Zheng positively evaluated the 50-year development of China-EU relations, stating that the comprehensive resumption of exchanges between the legislative bodies of China and the EU recently provided new impetus for the development of China-EU relations. As two major stable and constructive forces globally, China and the EU should shoulder their due responsibilities in the face of complex and turbulent international situations, strengthen dialogue, deepen cooperation, properly handle trade differences, and jointly safeguard multilateral trade rules and order. The European side stated that over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Europe and China have achieved great development, and Europe-China relations have become one of the closest relationships in the world. Both sides should review and summarize the experience and lessons from the 50 years of Europe-China relations development, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, lay a solid foundation for the better development of Europe-China relations in the next 50 years, and inject stability and certainty into the world.
Today (May 7), the State Council Information Office held a press conference where the People's Bank of China, the National Administration of Financial Regulation, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission briefed on "a package of financial policies to support market stability and expectations." The People's Bank of China announced ten policy measures. In terms of quantitative policies, starting from May 15, the reserve requirement ratio for financial institutions will be lowered by 0.5 percentage points, expected to release about 1 trillion yuan in long-term liquidity. Additionally, the reserve requirement ratio for auto finance companies and financial leasing companies will be temporarily reduced from 5% to 0%. In terms of price-based policies, starting from May 8, policy interest rates will be lowered by 0.1 percentage point, and the interest rate for individual housing provident fund loans will be reduced by 0.25 percentage points, bringing the interest rate for first-time home buyers with loans over five years to 2.6%. In terms of structural policies, a 500 billion yuan "service consumption and eldercare relending" program will be established to increase credit support for service consumption and eldercare, and the quotas for relending for technological innovation and upgrading, as well as for supporting agriculture and small businesses, will each be increased by 300 billion yuan. The National Administration of Financial Regulation will soon introduce eight incremental policies. In real estate, it will accelerate the introduction of financing systems adapted to new real estate development models; expand the pilot scope for long-term investment by insurance funds, with an additional 60 billion yuan expected to be approved, injecting more incremental funds into the market; and introduce policies to support financing for small and micro enterprises and private enterprises, helping stabilize enterprises and the economy. The China Securities Regulatory Commission stated that it will dynamically improve work plans to cope with various external risk impacts, fully support Central Huijin Investment Ltd. in playing its role as a "stabilization fund," and also introduce policy measures to deepen the reform of the STAR Market and ChiNext, and issue the "Action Plan to Promote High-Quality Development of Public Funds."
During this year's "May Day" holiday, the total cross-regional movement of people across society increased by 7.9% year-on-year, setting a new record. The "flowing China" is full of developmental vitality. China's continuously improving transportation infrastructure network is strongly supporting the overall improvement of transportation services and the high-quality development of the economy. During this "May Day" holiday, from the snowy plateau to the coconut-lined coast, from bustling cities to remote villages, traffic flowed and crowds surged. The total cross-regional movement of people exceeded 1.465 billion person-times, with an average of over 290 million person-times per day, an increase of 7.9% compared to last year's "May Day" holiday, setting a new historical high for the same period. During this "May Day" holiday, approximately 90,000 ship movements arrived at and departed from various ports daily, over 55 million vehicles drove on urban and rural roads, and Beijing Capital International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, saw one take-off or landing per minute during peak hours. The world's largest modern transportation network carried the "poetry and distant places" of over 1.4 billion people. During this "May Day" holiday, the convenient transportation network provided important guarantees for passenger travel, with several transportation data points performing remarkably. Over 1.3 billion person-times chose road travel, and the 5.5 million kilometers of crisscrossing road networks ensured smooth and orderly holiday travel. Self-driving travel accounted for over 80%, and strong demand for self-driving boosted the car rental industry, with car rental company orders increasing by 10% during the holiday compared to normal times. Over 4.6 million kilometers of rural roads, like capillaries, extended deep into the countryside, accelerating the mutual flow of urban and rural resources and driving the continuous rise of rural tourism. Across the country, rural flower seas attracted visitors from all directions. Railway passenger flow set a new daily historical high of 23.119 million person-times. Currently, China's high-speed rail operating mileage exceeds 48,000 kilometers, with over 12,000 passenger trains running daily across the vast land. Tourist trains and senior citizen trains operated frequently, making holiday travel more convenient and comfortable for passengers. Today's China has a wider aviation network, making people's travel more efficient. During this "May Day" holiday, civil aviation passenger traffic accumulated 11.15 million person-times, a year-on-year increase of 11.8%. While passenger traffic was bustling, logistics were active and smooth. During this "May Day" holiday, nearly 500 million parcels were collected and delivered daily. Nearly one million intelligent sorting systems and a township express network coverage rate of 98% ensured that parcels filled with holiday greetings reached thousands of households at the fastest speed.
During this year's "May Day" holiday, cultural and museum venues saw a surge in popularity, with people immersing themselves in the charm of culture at museums and ancient sites. National museums received over 60.4919 million visitors, an increase of 8.7987 million compared to the same period last year, a year-on-year growth of 17%, reaching a new historical high. Provinces such as Shaanxi, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang received over 3 million visitors each, with Shaanxi's cultural and museum venues alone receiving 6.52 million visitors. Many archaeological site parks integrated intangible cultural heritage and folk customs, organizing exhibitions, cultural and creative markets, and other themed activities, attracting a large number of tourists. The 55 national archaeological site parks across the country received 3.3132 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%, with 11 of them exceeding 100,000 visitors.
Reporters learned from the China National Light Industry Council that in the first quarter, supported by a series of policies to expand domestic demand and promote consumption, light industry enterprises above designated size achieved revenue of 5.4 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%; and profits exceeded 300 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.4%. The overall operation of the light industry economy remained stable with steady progress. Production showed signs of recovery. In the first quarter, the added value of light industries above designated size increased by 7.3% year-on-year, accelerating by 2.2 percentage points compared to the end of last year. Thanks to the "trade-in" policy for consumer goods, in March, the output of electric bicycles, washing machines, air conditioners, and other products achieved double-digit growth. The "trade-in" policy for consumer goods also strongly promoted industrial development and green transformation. Investment grew rapidly. Confidence in the development of the light industry continued to strengthen. In the first quarter, the investment growth rate of major light industry sectors maintained double-digit growth, with investment growth exceeding that of manufacturing investment.
China's foreign exchange reserves amounted to 3281.7 billion U.S. dollars at the end of April. The latest data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange shows that at the end of April, China's foreign exchange reserves stood at 3281.7 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 41 billion U.S. dollars from the end of March, representing a rise of 1.27%. China's economy is showing an improving trend, with strong resilience and vitality, which is conducive to maintaining the overall stability of foreign exchange reserves. China's logistics industry prosperity index continued to expand in April. The China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing announced today (May 7) that China's logistics industry prosperity index was 51.1% in April. Overall demand for logistics business remained expansive, with a significant recovery in the western region. Among the main sub-indices, the fixed asset investment completion index hit a new high in nearly three years, with railway and waterway investments maintaining relatively rapid growth. National consumption-related industries' sales revenue increased by 15.2% during the "May Day" holiday. The latest value-added tax invoice data from the State Taxation Administration shows strong and favorable growth in consumer demand during the "May Day" holiday. Sales revenue in national consumption-related industries increased by 15.2% year-on-year. Among them, driven by the "trade-in" policy, sales revenue of household appliances and audio-visual equipment increased by 167.5%, communication equipment sales revenue increased by 118%, and furniture sales revenue increased by 1.7 times. Ministry of Water Resources deploys strong rainfall prevention and response work. Reporters learned from the Ministry of Water Resources that from May 7 to 10, most parts of Jiangnan and the eastern and northern parts of South China will experience a strong rainfall process. Affected by this, major rivers such as the Dongting Lake water system in Hunan and the Poyang Lake water system in Jiangxi will see significant water level rises. The Ministry of Water Resources has issued notices to 12 provinces including Shanghai and Jiangsu, requiring them to closely monitor risks in key areas and locations, and focus on preventing mountain floods and small and medium-sized river floods. Three-year action plan to optimize the consumption environment officially launched. Today (May 7), the State Administration for Market Regulation, together with the National Development and Reform Commission and three other departments, jointly launched a three-year action plan to optimize the consumption environment. 48 pilot areas across the country will first implement 17 key tasks, including cultivating trustworthy consumer entities, building a credit system in the consumer sector, and providing no-questions-asked returns for physical stores, to fully boost consumer confidence. Nation's largest "solar-hydrogen-storage integrated" offshore photovoltaic project fully operational. Recently, the nation's largest "solar-hydrogen-storage integrated" offshore photovoltaic project - Guohua Rudong 400MW photovoltaic project achieved full capacity grid connection and power generation, with an annual on-grid electricity generation exceeding 460 million kilowatt-hours. The project also includes a large-scale energy storage station and a hydrogen production and refueling station, which will realize local consumption and conversion of green electricity. World's first humanoid robot sports event to be held in Beijing in August. The 2025 World Humanoid Robot Sports Games will be held in Beijing in August this year. Today (May 7) marks 100 days until the event. This is the world's first comprehensive sports event with humanoid robots as participants, consisting of main events and peripheral events. The main events include three categories: competitive events, performance events, and scenario events, showcasing landmark application results of humanoid robots through sports competitions and promoting the progress of robot technology and accelerated industrial development. Three China-Russia ports in Heilongjiang officially resume navigation during the open water season. Reporters learned from the Heilongjiang Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station that today (May 7) morning, the navigation of the Heihe, Tongjiang, and Fuyuan ports along the Heilongjiang River officially resumed during the open water season. On the first day of opening, more than 1,700 Chinese and Russian passengers traveled between the two countries via water transportation at the ports.
People from all walks of life in Russia warmly welcomed President Xi Jinping's upcoming state visit to Russia and his attendance at the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Great Patriotic War. They expressed their belief that this visit will inject new impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era and powerfully promote the international order towards a more just and reasonable direction. Russian circles stated that President Xi's attendance at the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War is of extraordinary significance, and they believe that the two countries will take this opportunity to jointly uphold the correct historical view of World War II, continue to practice true multilateralism, and effectively promote world peace and development. Moscow in May is lush green. This historic city is ready to welcome President Xi.
According to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce on the 6th, the U.S. trade deficit in goods and services reached 140.5 billion U.S. dollars in March this year. U.S. media reported that compared to the beginning of this year, the data surged by 92.6%. The report stated that to avoid the impact of U.S. tariff policies as much as possible, U.S. companies significantly increased imported goods in March, leading to a record high U.S. trade deficit. CNN reported today (May 7) that the first batch of cargo ships affected by the U.S. tariff policy are gradually arriving at U.S. ports, but the volume of U.S. imported goods has begun to decline significantly. Under high U.S. tariffs, many importers were forced to cancel orders. At the Port of Los Angeles in California, 20% of the cargo ships expected to arrive in May have been canceled. The head of the Port of Los Angeles stated that the decline in imports will inevitably lead to insufficient supply of goods, pushing up prices, and employment in port-related industries will also be affected. EU: Will be prepared to deal with U.S. tariff escalation. European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, responsible for trade and economic security, stated on the 6th that the U.S. tariff policy is very unfair, and the EU will be prepared to respond, including through litigation. At the same time, the EU will accelerate free trade negotiations with other global trading partners.
The Pakistani military stated today (May 7) that the Indian military launched airstrikes on at least six locations in Pakistani territory and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in the early hours of the day, causing at least 26 deaths and 46 injuries. Pakistan immediately retaliated, shooting down five Indian military aircraft and several drones, and capturing some Indian soldiers. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz issued a statement strongly condemning India's airstrikes on Pakistan, stating that "Pakistan has every right to respond to India's acts of war." Pakistan's civil aviation and security departments announced today a temporary closure of its airspace for 48 hours. The Indian Ministry of Defense issued a statement today, saying that the Indian army launched military operations against multiple targets in Pakistan on the same day, and that this military operation was "specific, cautious, and non-escalatory." According to Indian media reports, the Pakistani army launched artillery shelling on the Indian side on the same day, causing 7 deaths and 38 injuries. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint on the same day.
The Israeli Defense Forces stated on the 6th that they carried out airstrikes on several targets in Yemen, including Sana'a International Airport, destroying part of the airport's infrastructure. According to Yemeni media reports on the 6th, Yemen's capital Sana'a and other areas were subjected to intensive airstrikes by the United States and Israel that afternoon, resulting in 3 deaths and 38 injuries. Another U.S. fighter jet crashed into the Red Sea. According to U.S. media reports, another F-18 fighter jet from the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman crashed into the Red Sea on the 6th. This is the second fighter jet lost by the aircraft carrier in over a week. The report stated that the fighter jet was landing on the aircraft carrier at the time of the incident but failed to hook the arresting wire, and the two pilots ejected. On April 28, a fighter jet of the same model from the aircraft carrier crashed into the sea. U.S. media reported that the aircraft carrier was making a sharp turn at the time of the incident to evade fire from Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Merz Elected German Chancellor After Two Rounds of Voting. The German Bundestag held the chancellor election on the 6th. Friedrich Merz, the chancellor candidate of the CDU/CSU alliance, which holds the most seats, failed to secure the required majority of 316 votes in the first round. On the afternoon of the 6th, the German Bundestag held a second round of voting, and Merz received 325 votes. On the same day, Merz was sworn in as German Chancellor. Seoul High Court Postpones Retrial of Lee Jae-myung Case. The Seoul High Court in South Korea announced today (May 7) that it has accepted the request from Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, to postpone the first hearing of the retrial of the case involving Lee Jae-myung's alleged violation of the Public Official Election Act until June 18, after the presidential election. According to a public opinion poll on popular presidential candidates released by a South Korean polling agency earlier this month, Lee Jae-myung ranked first with 42% support. Two U.S. Passenger Planes Collide Wings Before Takeoff. According to U.S. media reports on the 6th, two United Airlines passenger planes preparing for takeoff collided wings on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on the evening of the 5th. No injuries were reported. According to the reports, there were more than 500 passengers and crew members on board the two aircraft at the time of the incident, and both flights were canceled afterwards.
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