8 h. ago China set to up Iran support, cyborg bee is unveiled: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China likely to strengthen backing for Iran as it looks to secure interests Beijing is likely to step up support for Tehran as it tries to secure its strategic interests in the Middle East, analysts say, amid concerns over how the recent Iran-Israel war will reverberate across the resource-rich region. 2. ‘Whatever they do is wrong’: Chinese exporters...

Politics

12 h. ago China likely to strengthen backing for Iran as it looks to secure interests

Beijing is likely to step up support for Tehran as it tries to secure its strategic interests in the Middle East, analysts say, amid concerns over how the recent Iran-Israel war will reverberate across the resource-rich region. But one analyst noted it was a balancing act for Beijing to avoid compromising ties with Arab countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council nations. The assessment was made as policymakers around the world are closely watching how the 12-day conflict in June – briefly joined...

Politics

1 week ago Garamendi Continues Bipartisan Push to Counter China & Strengthen Ocean Shipping Regulator FMC

Garamendi Continues Bipartisan Push to Counter China & Strengthen Ocean Shipping Regulator FMC  Seapower Magazine

Politics

1 week ago Why Israel’s spy tactics against Iran have sparked fears in Taiwan

Israel’s sweeping intelligence operations against Iran have jolted Taiwan’s security community, raising concerns that Beijing could adopt similar tactics to cripple the island’s leadership or critical infrastructure. As assassinations and sabotage rattle Tehran, analysts in Taipei warn that Beijing’s infiltration of Taiwan is no longer a purely political threat, and it might be laying the groundwork for high-stakes covert warfare. In recent months, Taiwan has seen a surge in espionage cases...

Politics

1 week ago Iran Joins China and Russia in Security Talks After US Strikes

Iran Joins China and Russia in Security Talks After US Strikes  Newsweek

Events

1 week ago Will Guangdong’s plan for a domestic version of Canton Fair pay off?

Southern China’s Guangdong province will launch a “domestic trade version” of the Canton Fair – the country’s largest import and export fair – to help export-oriented companies tap into the domestic market amid weak external demand and rising global trade uncertainties. The initiative is a key component of a work plan released by the provincial government on Tuesday that aims to strengthen “domestic circulation” – a strategy focused on boosting China’s economic self-reliance by building a robust...

Politics

2 w. ago China warned to watch for threats as Israeli spies in Iran open ‘Pandora’s box’

Israel’s unprecedented success in infiltrating Iranian intelligence has opened up a “Pandora’s box” of global security threats, Chinese observers have warned, while urging China to tighten all national security measures against any vulnerabilities. According to Chinese military analyst and former air force member Fu Qianshao, one striking feature of the Middle East conflict is the critical role played by Israeli intelligence agents embedded in Iran. Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency reportedly...

Events

2 w. ago China backs Iran’s efforts to safeguard sovereignty, security

China backs Iran’s efforts to safeguard sovereignty, security  Middle East Monitor

Events

2 w. ago China not likely to use navy to secure Hormuz Strait, analyst says

China is highly unlikely to use its navy to secure the vital Strait of Hormuz if Iran threatens to close it as Middle East tensions rise, a top US analyst told reporters Monday. Although China depends heavily on Middle Eastern oil, its approach would be shaped by quiet negotiations and self-interest, not direct military intervention, Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank, said. Fontaine spoke at a CNAS press briefing on the...

Politics

2 w. ago China looks to Singapore to help secure supply chains from US trade war turmoil

China and Singapore should work together to safeguard global supply chains, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Monday as Beijing seeks deeper ties with neighbouring countries to help offset trade tensions with Washington. In talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Li said bilateral ties had continued to strengthen, and the two countries were “friendly neighbours and important partners”. “China is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges...

Events

2 w. ago Have Trump’s Iran strikes given China a strategic advantage?

The US’ direct engagement in the Israel-Iran conflict over the weekend could intensify its drive to secure critical resources – particularly rare earth minerals – a development that could strengthen China’s position in its ongoing geopolitical and economic rivalry with Washington, analysts said. A potential escalatory spiral in the Middle East could push forward trade negotiations between the world’s two largest economies, said Xu Weijun, an assistant research fellow at South China University of...

Politics

2 w. ago Russia and China push for a ceasefire as UN Security Council meets on Iran

Russia and China push for a ceasefire as UN Security Council meets on Iran  France 24

Events

2 w. ago UN Security Council meets on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire

UN Security Council meets on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire  Reuters

Events

2 w. ago Pakistan, China and Russia to push for ceasefire as UN Security Council meets on Iran

Pakistan, China and Russia to push for ceasefire as UN Security Council meets on Iran  Arab News

Events

2 w. ago UN Security Council to meet on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire

UN Security Council to meet on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire  Reuters

Events

2 w. ago China, US at loggerheads in emergency UN Security Council meeting on Iran

China and the United States were at loggerheads in an emergency UN Security Council meeting called a day after the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, a move that marked a major escalation in the Israel-Iran air war. “We call for an immediate ceasefire and end to the hostilities in the context of the abrupt escalation of tensions in the Middle East,” said Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN. “We call for effective protection of civilians. The ultimate victims of all...

Events

2 w. ago China ready to work with Russia to consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen bonds of shared interests: vice premier

China ready to work with Russia to consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen bonds of shared interests: vice premier  Xinhua

Politics

2 w. ago More military technologies targeted for civilian sector to boost economy

China will strengthen innovation by developing high-tech industries with military technologies to boost military-civil integration, a move that aims to cultivate new growth drivers and boost the economy, said a recent State Council guideline.

Events

3 w. ago Hong Kong issues ‘black’ travel alert for Iran and Israel as conflict escalates

Hongkongers should avoid visiting Iran and Israel because of the “highly unpredictable security situation” in the two warring countries, authorities have warned, raising their outbound travel alert to its highest level. A Security Bureau spokesman said on Thursday that it had upgraded the alert for Israel and Iran to “black”, meaning there was “severe threat” in going to those places and all travel should be avoided. “Due to the highly unpredictable security situation in Israel and Iran, the...

Events

3 w. ago Xi urges Communist Party to learn from pioneer of China’s economic planning

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the ruling Communist Party to learn from the legacy of early party figure Chen Yun – a pioneer of China’s economic planning – in remarks on Friday to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the late statesman’s birth. Xi called on the party to have unwavering confidence when facing “chaotic and complex turbulence”, and to strengthen its ability to cut a path for China’s economy with “objective and thorough” research, according to state news agency Xinhua. The...

Economics