63 h. ago Macron begins China visit with EU trade ties and Ukraine war high on the agenda

French President Emmanuel Macron has started a three-day visit to China, where he is expected to confront thorny issues including Europe’s trade with Beijing and the Ukraine war. On Wednesday evening, Macron landed in Beijing at the start of his fourth visit to China, which will also include a trip to the southwestern city of Chengdu. He was given a red-carpet welcome by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, with whom he had a brief exchange of words. The French leader is due to meet Chinese President Xi...

Politics

3 d. ago Chinese and Japanese coastguard ships confront each other near disputed islands

Chinese and Japanese coastguard vessels have been involved in a stand-off near the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The two sides gave conflicting accounts of Tuesday’s incident, with the Chinese coastguards saying they had driven a Japanese fishing boat away from the islands, which are known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the coastguard, said the Chinese vessels took “necessary control measures” and issued warnings to the boat. “The Diaoyu Islands and...

Politics

5 d. ago Amid a Global Arms Boom, China Confronts Delays, Scrutiny, and a Rare Drop in Defense Sales

Amid a Global Arms Boom, China Confronts Delays, Scrutiny, and a Rare Drop in Defense Sales  The China-Global South Project

Events

9 d. ago Beijing Amasses 30 WARSHIPS Near Philippines in South China Sea; Is Xi Jinping Preparing Major MOVE?

Beijing Amasses 30 WARSHIPS Near Philippines in South China Sea; Is Xi Jinping Preparing Major MOVE?  Oneindia

Events

9 d. ago ‘Pressure from China’: US, Philippines take cyberwar games to the next level

The United States and the Philippines are preparing to hardwire advanced cyber operations into the heart of their annual war games, signalling a shift from merely talking about digital threats to practising how to fight through them. Jennifer Schmidt, head of the US embassy’s information and communications technology unit, said specialised training ranges and sophisticated threat-emulation software would be incorporated into next year’s Balikatan drills so troops could rehearse defending...

Events

9 d. ago Are US, Philippines preparing for a future cyber ‘confrontation’ with China?

The United States and the Philippines are preparing to hardwire advanced cyber operations into the heart of their annual war games, signalling a shift from merely talking about digital threats to practising how to fight through them. Jennifer Schmidt, head of the US embassy’s information and communications technology unit, said specialised training ranges and sophisticated threat-emulation software would be incorporated into next year’s Balikatan drills so troops could rehearse defending...

Politics

1 week ago Resilient engagement playbook: How Europe can navigate relations with a more confrontational Beijing

Resilient engagement playbook: How Europe can navigate relations with a more confrontational Beijing  Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS)

Politics

1 week ago Can Manila as Asean chair deliver progress on Myanmar and South China Sea code?

As the Philippines prepares to take over the rotating Asean chairmanship next year, Manila faces the daunting task of managing a protracted civil war in Myanmar while pushing for progress on a long-delayed code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Analysts say Manila must navigate an Asean agenda crowded with difficult trade-offs, balancing the crisis in Myanmar where progress is expected to remain incremental with a COC process facing a 2026 deadline, even as internal divisions within the...

Society

1 week ago How Philippines might navigate Asean’s divisions as it prepares to lead bloc

As the Philippines prepares to take over the rotating Asean chairmanship next year, Manila faces the daunting task of managing a protracted civil war in Myanmar while pushing for progress on a long-delayed code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Analysts say Manila must navigate an Asean agenda crowded with difficult trade-offs, balancing the crisis in Myanmar where progress is expected to remain incremental with a COC process facing a 2026 deadline, even as internal divisions within the...

Politics

1 week ago Trump’s Threats of Military Intervention in Nigeria Are About Confrontation with China

Trump’s Threats of Military Intervention in Nigeria Are About Confrontation with China  Left Voice

Events

3 w. ago Why China studies scholars in the West have been left in ‘crisis’ mode

As China’s global influence grows, the landscape of China studies is undergoing a profound transformation. Scholars both within China and internationally are confronting new challenges, from escalating geopolitical tensions and mutual distrust – especially between Washington and Beijing – to increasingly limited access, making research and academic collaboration more difficult than ever. Some have also urged a shift beyond Western-centric frameworks towards more field-based research and a truly...

Events

3 w. ago Can China and India turn tactical calm into strategic moderation?

In recent months, India-China relations have returned to normality after a long decade of confrontation. With the resumption of direct flights after five years, recent corps commander-level talks, the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route, the relaxation of barriers on hi-tech supplies and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping exchanging pleasantries at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, a quiet detente is under way. This cooperation could...

Politics