9 h. ago How US actions in Venezuela and beyond could spell opportunity for China

America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order. But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power. Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete...

Politics

32 h. ago China’s charm offensive: Beijing bypasses Brussels in bid to soften EU trade push

Hua Chunying, China’s foreign vice-minister, beamed this week as she presented a leading Czech lawmaker with a decorative porcelain plate – a gift that signalled a possible thaw in ties between Prague and Beijing. The image sent tongues wagging in Europe: a symbol that a new Chinese charm offensive towards a Europe jilted by its erstwhile ally across the Atlantic had reached even its most hawkish capitals. China has spent the opening weeks of the year courting European governments, offering...

Politics

37 h. ago Trump pick for South America command sidesteps China questions at Senate hearing

Days after the operation that abducted then Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump’s nominee to command US forces in Latin America dodged pressure from senators to endorse a military-first plan to counter China’s growing influence in the region. Lieutenant General Francis Donovan, who is nominated to lead US Southern Command (Southcom), repeatedly declined to say whether Washington should rely mainly on force projection to push back against Beijing’s expanding footprint. The...

Politics

3 d. ago Why China may buy Nvidia’s H200 chips as Trump eases curbs – and replace them later

China is likely to accept Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence (AI) chips following US clearance, driven by immediate demand in the country’s vast tech sector, according to analysts – though they said Beijing would push to replace them over time. The American chip giant’s second-most-advanced AI processor can be exported to China from Thursday, as long as shipments total no more than half the amount sold in the US, according to the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and...

Politics

3 d. ago Zhipu AI breaks US chip reliance with first major model trained on Huawei stack

Chinese artificial intelligence firm Zhipu AI said its new image generation model was trained on chips from Huawei Technologies, making it the first powerful open-source model to be developed on an entirely domestic training stack. The Beijing-based company, fresh off its Hong Kong initial public offering, said on Wednesday that the achievement proved the feasibility of developing powerful multimodal models without US semiconductors, as Beijing pushes for self-reliance in China’s AI industry...

Politics

3 d. ago China healthtech stocks surge on Beijing’s cloud integration push By Investing.com

China healthtech stocks surge on Beijing’s cloud integration push By Investing.com  Investing.com South Africa

Science

3 d. ago China healthtech stocks surge on Beijing’s cloud integration push

China healthtech stocks surge on Beijing’s cloud integration push  Investing.com

Science

6 d. ago Maduro's capture was also a message to China as US moves to push Beijing out of the Americas

Maduro's capture was also a message to China as US moves to push Beijing out of the Americas  Telegraph India

Politics

7 d. ago Beef, business and Beijing: Inside Micheál Martin’s China push

Beef, business and Beijing: Inside Micheál Martin’s China push  Business Post

Politics

9 d. ago Trump wants US$1.5 trillion for ‘dream military’. Will China boost spending in response?

US President Donald Trump’s proposal to boost next year’s military budget to US$1.5 trillion aims to blunt China’s global influence, a move analysts said could push Beijing to speed up its own military build-up with “greater urgency”. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on social media that the US military budget for the 2027 financial year should be raised in the face of “very troubled and dangerous times”. “This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more...

Events

9 d. ago Trump wants US$1.5 trillion for ‘dream US military’. Will China boost spending too?

US President Donald Trump’s proposal to boost next year’s military budget to US$1.5 trillion aims to blunt China’s global influence, a move analysts said could push Beijing to speed up its own military build-up with “greater urgency”. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on social media that the US military budget for the 2027 financial year should be raised in the face of “very troubled and dangerous times”. “This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more...

Events

1 week ago China’s top lithography bet shifts gears: SMEE sells subsidiary in strategic pivot

China’s state-backed lithography champion Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE) has reshuffled its business, divesting a manufacturing arm as it sharpens its focus on research in Beijing’s push for chip self-sufficiency. SMEE – widely seen as China’s best chance of closing the gap with Dutch lithography giant ASML – had transferred 100 per cent of its subsidiary Shanghai Weiyao Industrial to AMIES Technology, according to updates on corporate database Qichacha. The deal was priced at 228.5...

Politics

1 week ago China’s top chip foundries move to consolidate as Beijing pushes semiconductor self

China’s top chip foundries move to consolidate as Beijing pushes semiconductor self-sufficiency — SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor deals pave the path to unified power  Tom's Hardware

Politics

1 week ago Beijing’s ‘Visit Nepal’ push fails, Tibetans continued to be denied passports

Beijing’s ‘Visit Nepal’ push fails, Tibetans continued to be denied passports  Tibetan Review

Events

2 w. ago Beijing pledges with ‘utmost sincerity’ to continue push to reunite peacefully with Taiwan

Beijing will continue to push for peaceful reunification with Taiwan with the “utmost sincerity”, according to a new year’s message from a senior official delivered days after the People’s Liberation Army concluded large-scale drills around the island. Mainland China had strengthened its capacity to safeguard peace and security over the past year and would take more forceful action to oppose separatism and external interference this year, Song Tao, the head of Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office,...

Politics

2 w. ago In New Year’s speech, Xi urges growth and vows ‘unstoppable’ Taiwan reunification

President Xi Jinping issued a rallying cry for the country to double down on efforts to boost economic growth and technological advancement in the new year during his annual televised New Year’s speech on Wednesday. The call came as Beijing faces complicated geopolitical challenges while pushing for economic transition at home, with the coming years seen as critical to consolidating its position in its rivalry with Washington. He also mentioned Taiwan, describing the island’s reunification with...

Politics

2 w. ago Beijing trims property resale tax in fresh push to stabilise housing market

Beijing trims property resale tax in fresh push to stabilise housing market  South China Morning Post

Economics

3 w. ago Hong Kong to broaden crypto rules with new licences for dealers and custodians

Hong Kong will broaden its crypto rule book next year, with regulators preparing new licensing regimes for virtual asset dealers and custodians, as the city pushes to deepen its digital asset market even as Beijing tightens its scrutiny on crypto activities on the mainland. Regulators said on Wednesday they would finalise legislative proposals for two new licensing frameworks – one for providers of virtual asset dealing services, previously referred to as over-the-counter (OTC) trading services,...

Politics

3 w. ago China vows to retaliate against ‘unreasonable’ US semiconductor tariffs

China said on Wednesday it would hit back against the latest US tariffs targeting its semiconductor sector. On Tuesday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said it would raise the tariffs on June 23, 2027 with the level to be announced at least 30 days in advance. It followed the release of the findings of a year-long probe into China’s chip sector, launched in the final month of the Joe Biden administration. The office said Beijing’s push to dominate the sector was...

Economics

3 w. ago Are the US and China heading for a new chip war? Washington probe flags Beijing’s ‘aggressive’ push

Are the US and China heading for a new chip war? Washington probe flags Beijing’s ‘aggressive’ push  Firstpost

Events