A statement issued by the Chaoyang district government said the investigation concluded the June 26 crash was caused by “personal reasons.” The pilot, identified only by his surname, Liu, was killed, while 13 other people were injured.

Authorities said none of the injuries were life-threatening and that one injured person had already been discharged from hospital.

The incident occurred at about 6 p.m. in Beijing’s central business district, when the aircraft struck the 108-story CITIC Tower, commonly known as the “Zun” building because of its resemblance to an ancient Chinese ceremonial wine vessel. The impact damaged part of the skyscraper’s glass facade.

According to the official statement, Liu, 66, initially flew with another person in the two-seat training aircraft before departing alone from a general aviation airport on the outskirts of Beijing. Investigators said he later deviated from the approved flight route, after which communication with the aircraft was lost.

The government said Liu was divorced, lived alone and did not have permanent employment. Investigators also said he had experienced insomnia and anxiety, and that diary entries reflected severe emotional distress. Authorities cited those findings as part of their assessment that the crash was linked to personal circumstances.

The crash prompted questions about aviation security in the Chinese capital because it occurred in one of Beijing’s busiest commercial districts during the evening rush hour.

Officials did not indicate that any mechanical failure or external interference contributed to the crash, and the investigation remains subject to the authorities’ findings.

The CITIC Tower, one of Beijing’s most recognizable landmarks, is the tallest building in the Chinese capital and serves as office space for financial institutions and major corporations. Emergency responders secured the area following the incident while investigators examined the crash site and gathered evidence.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced the itinerary during a regular news briefing in Beijing, saying Wang would hold bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of each of the four countries during the week-long visit.

The ministry did not provide additional details on the agenda for the meetings or identify specific issues expected to be discussed during the tour.

The visit will take Wang to all four Nordic countries over a seven-day period, marking one of China’s latest high-level diplomatic engagements in Northern Europe.

Further details on the discussions are expected to be released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry as the visit progresses.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks during a regular news briefing after Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic in Brussels on Monday in an effort to ease growing trade tensions.

“China and the European Union are partners, not rivals,” Guo said, adding that the causes of the EU’s economic difficulties did not originate in China.

Guo said Beijing was prepared to strengthen communication and consultations with the European Union and manage trade differences through constructive dialogue while pursuing mutual development.

Following the meeting, Sefcovic said the current state of trade relations was unsustainable, warning that “the status quo is not an option” as Brussels seeks to address longstanding concerns over its trade relationship with China.

The European Union has expressed increasing concern over China’s expanding trade surplus with the 27-member bloc, arguing that low-cost Chinese exports threaten the competitiveness of European manufacturers.

European officials have also maintained that Chinese companies benefit from substantial state subsidies, creating an uneven competitive environment for businesses operating within the European market.

Beyond trade imbalances, Brussels has also raised concerns over China’s export controls on rare earth elements introduced last year. The materials are critical for a range of industries, including advanced manufacturing, renewable energy technologies and electronics.

Wang and Sefcovic are scheduled to hold another round of trade discussions in China in October as both sides seek to manage differences and avoid further escalation in commercial disputes.

The extension will run from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, allowing Ocean Infinity additional time to complete the search of a remaining 7,428.54-square-kilometre area in the southern Indian Ocean, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said in a statement.

Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, disappeared on March 8, 2014, while traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite multiple international search operations, the aircraft has never been located.

Ocean Infinity previously conducted an unsuccessful search until 2018. Under a new agreement signed last year, the company resumed operations across a 15,000-square-kilometre search zone under a “no find, no fee” arrangement that provides for a payment of $70 million only if the wreckage is successfully located.

Loke said the extension reflected the government’s continued commitment to providing answers for the families of those aboard the flight.

“This decision is a manifestation of the government’s continuous and unwavering commitment to provide closure for the next of kin of the passengers aboard flight MH370,” he said.

According to the ministry, the additional time also accommodates Ocean Infinity’s commercial obligations, which will require its primary search vessels and equipment to be temporarily redeployed to another project between November 2026 and April 2027 before returning to complete the remaining search area.

The disappearance of MH370 remains one of the most enduring mysteries in modern aviation, with previous multinational search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean yielding only scattered debris confirmed to have originated from the aircraft.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Xi hosted Lukashenko at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse but did not immediately disclose details of the discussions or any agreements reached during the meeting.

Lukashenko, who has led Belarus since 1994, remains one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies. Belarus allowed Russian forces to use its territory to launch the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, although Lukashenko has consistently denied that Belarus intends to participate directly in the conflict.

Belarus occupies a strategically important position along NATO’s eastern frontier and hosts Russia’s Oreshnik, a nuclear-capable missile system that Moscow has highlighted as part of its evolving military posture.

China has maintained that it is a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict and has repeatedly called for negotiations to end the war. However, Kyiv and several Western governments have accused Beijing of providing political and economic support that has helped sustain Russia’s war effort, allegations China has denied.

The meeting follows Lukashenko’s previous visit to China in September 2025, when he attended a military parade in Beijing and participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin.

The latest talks reflect continuing diplomatic engagement between Beijing and Minsk as China seeks to strengthen ties with strategic partners while navigating heightened competition with Western powers over global security and economic issues.

The “Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise” will run through Friday and forms part of Taiwan’s broader military modernization efforts to shift training toward realistic wartime scenarios and away from traditional scripted drills, the Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday.

The exercise comes as Taiwan increasingly bases portions of its military planning on the possibility that China could transform one of its frequent military operations around the island into a real attack with little warning.

According to the ministry, the drills will focus on improving the armed forces’ ability to conduct rapid transitions from peacetime to wartime conditions, while enhancing battlefield deployment, command coordination, logistical support and joint operational capabilities.

“The main objective is to train units at all levels to become familiar with combat practices and the battlefield environment during the readiness deployment phase,” the ministry said in a statement.

Officials said the exercise would involve troops operating in real-time conditions using actual equipment and terrain, reflecting Taiwan’s growing emphasis on combat-oriented training.

The announcement coincided with a new report of Chinese military activity near the island. Taiwan said 21 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighter jets, KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft and Y-20 aerial refueling planes, were detected operating near Taiwan on Sunday.

Nineteen of the aircraft entered airspace to Taiwan’s southwest and proceeded into the Western Pacific for what Taipei described as long-distance training missions over open seas.

Taiwan’s military said it monitored the activity and deployed forces to respond, using what it described as appropriate measures.

China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory despite the objections of the government in Taipei, has increased military operations around the island in recent years, regularly sending warships and aircraft into nearby waters and airspace.

Taiwan has responded by accelerating defense reforms, expanding reserve-force training and increasing the realism of military exercises designed to prepare for a potential cross-strait conflict.

Earlier this month, Taiwan conducted live-fire tests of its newly acquired U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a weapon platform that has gained prominence through its battlefield use in UkraineTaiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercises, the island’s largest war games, are expected to take place in August.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Lai said Taiwan’s efforts to safeguard its security, democratic system and way of life should not be viewed as a provocation toward Beijing. He reiterated that the island rejects unification under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party and remains committed to enhancing its self-defense capabilities.

The request comes as Washington reviews the proposed arms package, which includes advanced U.S.-developed weapons systems. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month that the proposal remained under consideration, while American officials have also assessed the impact of overseas military commitments on available weapons stockpiles.

The United States maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan and is legally obligated under domestic legislation to provide the island with defensive capabilities, despite formally recognizing Beijing as the sole government of China. Arms sales to Taiwan remain one of the most contentious issues in U.S.-China relations.

Responding to Lai’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said attempts to pursue independence through U.S. support or military means were destined to fail. He accused Taiwan’s leadership of escalating regional tensions and dismissed Taipei’s defense initiatives.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly stated that it reserves the right to use force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and maintains that its future should be determined by its people.

Lai’s administration has pledged to raise defense spending above 3 percent of gross domestic product this year. The government has proposed a broader defense procurement plan worth approximately NT$1.25 trillion ($40 billion), including purchases of American weaponry, domestically produced drones and other military equipment.

However, the proposal has faced resistance in Taiwan’s legislature. Opposition parties, which hold a majority of seats, approved a reduced special defense budget last month worth about $25 billion, cutting roughly one-third of the funding requested by the government.

In a move aimed at addressing capability gaps, Taiwan’s cabinet on Thursday approved an additional NT$210 billion ($6.6 billion) for indigenous unmanned systems. The defense ministry has argued that the reduced budget approved by lawmakers would be insufficient to fully achieve planned force modernization goals.

Lai also accused China of increasing pressure on neighboring countries, including Japan and the Philippines, amid maritime disputes in waters east of Taiwan. His comments followed recent announcements by Tokyo and Manila that they would begin formal negotiations to delimit maritime boundaries between their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.

China has opposed those talks and continues to assert broad claims across the East and South China Seas. Lai said Beijing’s military activities and coercive actions in the Taiwan Strait and wider Indo-Pacific region were expanding, raising concerns among regional governments.

Japan and the Philippines have strengthened security cooperation in recent years amid shared concerns over China’s maritime claims and growing military presence across disputed waters.

Speaking at a news conference in Taipei following her return, the chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT) said meetings with U.S. lawmakers, government officials, policy experts and supporters had been positive and encouraging. She did not disclose specific outcomes or agreements resulting from the trip.

“Our meetings with the U.S. side were very positive,” Cheng said, adding that many discussions with members of the administration were confidential.

The visit came as the KMT faces scrutiny over its role in blocking a Taiwanese government proposal to allocate nearly $40 billion for military procurement, including U.S.-supplied weapons systems and domestically manufactured drones.

Cheng rejected reports suggesting she had been unable to secure meetings with senior U.S. security officials and said American interlocutors demonstrated strong understanding of the party’s positions, including its support for military cooperation with Washington and efforts to enhance Taiwan’s defense capabilities.

The KMT leader said her party remained committed to strengthening Taiwan’s security while pursuing policies aimed at reducing tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Political analysts questioned the significance of the visit, noting the absence of publicly announced high-level meetings. Wen-Ti Sung, a political analyst at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, described Cheng’s reception in Washington as relatively restrained.

“Judging by public information, Cheng did not even get to meet working-level officials at, say, Assistant Secretary level — let alone further up the hierarchy,” Sung said. He added that the limited disclosure surrounding the meetings could indicate lingering reservations among U.S. officials.

Cheng has emerged as one of the most influential figures in Taiwanese politics since unexpectedly assuming leadership of the KMT last year. Her advocacy of closer engagement with China has attracted criticism from opponents who argue that such positions risk undermining Taiwan’s security interests.

The KMT has historically favored stronger ties with Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly stated it reserves the right to use force to bring the island under its control.

The U.S. trip followed Cheng’s visit to Beijing two months ago, during which she met Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first meeting between a KMT leader and the Chinese leader in a decade. The visit also came weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump held talks with Xi in the Chinese capital.

Although Washington shifted diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, the United States remains Taiwan’s principal security partner and largest source of defensive military equipment.

Recent comments by President Trump suggesting that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could potentially be used as leverage in broader negotiations with China have heightened concern among policymakers and security analysts about the future trajectory of U.S.-Taiwan relations.

Sung said Cheng’s Washington visit appeared designed to demonstrate her ability to engage both Beijing and Washington while presenting herself as a credible foreign policy figure. He added that success in balancing those relationships could strengthen speculation about a potential bid for Taiwan’s presidency in 2028.

The Philippine task force on South China Sea issues confirmed the removal of the structure, which Manila had earlier described as a movable platform likely deployed by Chinese research vessels operating in the area.

“While we take note of the removal, we reiterate our principled and unyielding position: Bajo de Masinloc is and will always be an integral part of Philippine territory,” the task force said in a statement, using the Philippine name for the shoal.

The task force said the Philippines possesses “indivisible, incontrovertible and longstanding sovereignty” over the feature, located about 200 kilometers west of the Philippine coast and approximately 874 kilometers from China’s Hainan Island.

Manila further asserted that only the Philippines has the right to construct structures, conduct activities and undertake marine scientific research within the shoal and its territorial waters. It called on foreign entities to comply with international law and refrain from actions that infringe upon Philippine sovereignty.

The platform was first observed near the entrance of the shoal in late May before later being detected inside the lagoon. Philippine authorities said the structure consisted of wooden planks forming a central deck surrounded by cylindrical flotation devices secured around its perimeter.

The Philippines previously lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over the platform’s presence, viewing it as part of activities conducted without Manila’s authorization.

China’s Foreign Ministry maintained its claim over the disputed feature, known in China as Huangyan Island. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday that the structure formed part of a program of “comprehensive research” being carried out in the South China Sea.

Lin said the activities were conducted within China’s sovereign rights and that other countries had no authority to interfere.

The episode adds to longstanding tensions between Manila and Beijing over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.

Relations between the two countries have faced additional strain in recent weeks after China imposed sanctions on Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and several of his close relatives over what Beijing described as “erroneous remarks” regarding China. Teodoro responded by saying he would continue performing his duties despite what he characterized as Beijing’s “wickedness.”

China has maintained a regular presence of coast guard and maritime militia vessels around Scarborough Shoal since gaining effective control of the area in 2012 following a standoff with the Philippines.

The sovereignty dispute remains unresolved. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague ruled largely in favor of the Philippines, finding that China’s actions around the shoal violated international law and determining that the area constituted a traditional fishing ground used by multiple countries. Beijing has rejected the ruling and continues to assert what it describes as indisputable sovereignty over the shoal and surrounding waters.

The meeting took place at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People following a ceremonial reception, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, and comes as Myanmar’s military government seeks to consolidate political legitimacy following the 2021 coup that ousted the elected administration of Aung San Suu Kyi.

China has remained Myanmar’s most significant external partner since Western countries severed or downgraded ties after the coup, and has played a role as a regional power broker in efforts to manage the country’s civil war and border stability.

Xi told Min Aung Hlaing that China supports Myanmar in balancing development and security and pursuing a development path aligned with national conditions, while also calling for continued cooperation between the two countries on combating transnational crimes such as online fraud, illegal gambling and drug trafficking.

The Chinese president also emphasised the importance of dialogue among all parties in Myanmar to advance peace and reconciliation, describing the bilateral relationship as one that has “stood together through thick and thin,” according to state media.

Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Beijing, his second since becoming civilian president in 2021, comes amid ongoing conflict inside Myanmar and increasing scrutiny of cross-border scam networks operating in border regions, which have affected Chinese citizens.

Beijing has also maintained defence and economic ties with Myanmar’s military authorities, while supporting limited ceasefires brokered with some armed groups operating along the countries’ shared border.

Myanmar’s political crisis, triggered by the 2021 military takeover, has fuelled armed conflict across the country and contributed to severe economic disruption, while also increasing its strategic importance in regional supply chains, including rare earth mineral production.