13 h. ago China, Pakistan pledge stronger tech and trade cooperation amid US charm offensive

China and Pakistan have pledged to expand trade and deepen technological cooperation in areas ranging from agriculture to space exploration, at a time when Islamabad is warming to the United States. During a meeting on Thursday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Premier Li Qiang said Beijing would advance the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative. “Global instability and uncertainty have grown...

Politics

62 h. ago UK’s Deputy PM faces calls to resign over tax error on US$1 million home

Angela Rayner, the deputy British prime minister, faced calls to resign on Wednesday after she admitted to not paying enough tax on a home purchase. Following weeks of press speculation regarding the tax paid on her purchase of a flat in Hove, on England’s south coast, Rayner said she has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards and that she has considered resigning. Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered his support to Rayner as opposition lawmakers demanded that she...

Economics

62 h. ago UK deputy PM faces calls to resign over tax error on US$1 million home

Angela Rayner, the deputy British prime minister, faced calls to resign on Wednesday after she admitted to not paying enough tax on a home purchase. Following weeks of press speculation regarding the tax paid on her purchase of a flat in Hove, on England’s south coast, Rayner said she has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards and that she has considered resigning. Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered his support to Rayner as opposition lawmakers demanded that she...

Economics

66 h. ago Indonesia’s Prabowo attends China’s military parade as protests rage at home

Despite a deadly anti-government protest raging across his country, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stood overlooking Beijing’s Tiananmen Square watching China’s grand military parade with a group of world leaders. His one-day trip was appreciated by Beijing, with the Chinese foreign ministry saying it “welcomed” the visit. Earlier this week, when Prabowo decided to skip the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the ministry said it “respected” Jakarta’s decision. Prabowo joined...

Events

2 d. ago Thailand acting leader moves to dissolve parliament to block rival’s PM bid

Thailand’s acting prime minister has moved to dissolve parliament, his party said on Wednesday, after the largest opposition party backed a rival candidate for prime minister. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was ousted last week by the Constitutional Court, leaving a power vacuum in the kingdom’s top office. Her Pheu Thai party – still governing in a caretaker capacity – was jostling for support from the largest opposition bloc, the People’s Party, to confirm a new candidate for prime...

Politics

2 d. ago Thailand’s acting leader moves to dissolve parliament to block rival’s PM bid

Thailand’s acting prime minister has moved to dissolve parliament, his party said on Wednesday, after the largest opposition party backed a rival candidate to lead the country. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was ousted last week by the Constitutional Court over her handling of a border row with Cambodia, leaving a power vacuum in the kingdom’s top office as rival factions jostled to replace her. Her Pheu Thai party – still governing in a caretaker capacity – was jostling for support from...

Politics

3 d. ago 96 arrested, HK$479 million in drugs seized in Hong Kong police, customs effort

Hong Kong police and customs have arrested 96 people and seized more than HK$479 million (US$61 million) worth of drugs in a months-long joint effort, with authorities warning that an increasing number of mainland Chinese and foreign air passengers are being lured into smuggling narcotics. Authorities said on Tuesday that the recruitment of non-local air travellers was part of attempts to confuse investigators, with other tactics including arranging convoluted flight routes to target...

Events

6 d. ago Typhon warning: China hits out at Japan over US missile system deployment

Japan is expected to deploy the US-made Typhon missile system for the first time during joint military exercises with the United States next month, according to Japanese media. Analysts view the move as a strategic signal against Beijing, especially in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. The Chinese foreign ministry criticised the move on Friday, saying Beijing firmly opposed “the US deployment of the Typhon intermediate-range missile system in Asian countries”. “The deployment of the system in...

Events

7 d. ago Goldman Boosts China Stock Targets as Morgan Stanley Flags Risks

Goldman Boosts China Stock Targets as Morgan Stanley Flags Risks  Bloomberg.com

Events

8 d. ago Futu opens Russell Street flagship outlet to tap Hong Kong’s bull run

Futu Holdings is expanding its footprint in Hong Kong with the opening of its first flagship store and inaugural Institutional and Private Wealth Services centre in Causeway Bay, underscoring the online brokerage’s ambition to capture the city’s growing base of high-net-worth clients. The new centre, occupying two floors with a combined area of more than 7,000 sq ft (650 square metres) on Russell Street opposite Times Square, officially opens on Friday . It marks Futu’s eighth permanent service...

Politics

8 d. ago Beijing tells new US consul general to Hong Kong to respect city’s rule of law

Beijing has called on the new US consul general to Hong Kong to uphold the principle of non-interference and respect the city’s rule of law, following the announcement that Julie Eadeh has taken up the role after receiving the central government’s approval. Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said on Thursday that the central government hoped that Eadeh would respect China’s sovereignty and “abide by international conventions”. Guo was responding to a media query about...

Politics

8 d. ago China warns against external interference in ties with South Korea

Third parties should not interfere with – and were not a factor in – the relationship between China and South Korea, Beijing said on Wednesday following suggestions that Seoul would not act counter to Washington’s policy. “The China-South Korea relationship is based on mutual interests, is not targeted at a third party, and should not be interfered with,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. “China’s policy is consistent and stable, and we hope that South Korea will work with...

Events

9 d. ago China offers South Asia a choice between swords and ploughshares

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi didn’t just tour South Asia earlier this month; he redrew the region’s strategic map. In three stops – India, Afghanistan and Pakistan – Beijing offered a tactical reset, a warning and a lifeline. The choreography was deliberate; the message was unmistakable: China is shaping the region’s future, one handshake at a time. The stops were not random. They were sequenced with intent, each one revealing something about China’s ambitions, South Asia’s anxieties and the...

Politics

1 week ago If Americans Are Lawyers and the Chinese Are Engineers, Who Is Going to Win?

If Americans Are Lawyers and the Chinese Are Engineers, Who Is Going to Win?  Foreign Policy

Politics

1 week ago China vows defence amid US report on Vietnam’s accelerated Spratly efforts

Beijing has vowed to defend its maritime rights after a US report that Vietnam has sped up its island-building efforts in the contested Spratly Islands this year. In a report on Friday, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), part of the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said Vietnam had ramped up construction on multiple reefs in 2025. Responding to the report on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the islands “are China’s...

Politics

1 week ago China vows to stand maritime ground as Vietnam ‘expands’ Spratlys construction

Beijing has vowed to defend its maritime rights after a US report that Vietnam has sped up its island-building efforts in the contested Spratly Islands this year. In a report on Friday, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), part of the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said Vietnam had ramped up construction on multiple reefs in 2025. Responding to the report on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the islands “are China’s...

Politics

1 week ago China urges ‘dialogue’ to resolve Iran nuclear issue as new sanctions loom

Beijing has urged that the Iran nuclear issue be resolved through political and diplomatic means as Tehran faces new economic sanctions. Chinese foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu and Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi spoke by phone on Sunday, during which Ma was described as having voiced China’s hope that all parties concerned would “remain committed to resolving the issue through political and diplomatic means and actively create conditions for an early resumption of dialogue and...

Events

2 w. ago We can’t be oblivious about China, says Shashi Tharoor; flags Beijing’s deliberate economic moves

We can’t be oblivious about China, says Shashi Tharoor; flags Beijing’s deliberate economic moves  The Economic Times

Economics

2 w. ago The US is heaping pressure on Venezuela. What will China do?

Beijing is likely to increase its economic support for Venezuela, its only all-weather strategic partner in South America, as tensions rise between Washington and Caracas. However, analysts suggest that China will hold back on direct military aid or actions that could provoke a direct confrontation with the United States. The assessment comes after Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that China opposed “any move that violates the purposes and principles of the United...

Events

2 w. ago Amid India tensions, China’s Wang Yi hails Pakistan as ‘most reliable partner’

Foreign Minister Wang Yi has pledged China’s continued support for Pakistan and urged an acceleration of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure project. In whirlwind meetings with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials in Islamabad on Thursday, Wang also vowed to enhance security collaboration to counter the country’s long-standing terrorism threats, often targeting Chinese nationals. “China has always been...

Events