30 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

61 h. ago Beijing Welcomes Canada’s Mark Carney as Part of Global Charm Offensive

Beijing Welcomes Canada’s Mark Carney as Part of Global Charm Offensive  The Wall Street Journal

Politics

1 week ago China’s clean tech charm offensive wins Global South hearts and minds

China’s clean tech charm offensive wins Global South hearts and minds  Dialogue Earth

Science

2 w. ago China’s Hangzhou Combines Ancient Charm and Modern Innovation to Offer a Unique Cultural Experience

China’s Hangzhou Combines Ancient Charm and Modern Innovation to Offer a Unique Cultural Experience  Travel And Tour World

Politics

2 w. ago Xi renews call to boost grain output after trade war sharpens China’s food security push

President Xi Jinping has issued a mandate to expand grain production as China moves to shield its food supply from global volatility, calling for renewed efforts to modernise agriculture and rural areas over the coming year. Speaking at a two-day work conference in Beijing that ended on Tuesday, Xi urged a “no-relaxation” approach to grain output and called for higher overall production capacity and efficiency by integrating high-quality land, seeds, machinery and farming techniques. “We must...

Events

2 w. ago Xi renews call to boost grain output after trade war sharpens food security push

Xi renews call to boost grain output after trade war sharpens food security push  South China Morning Post

Events

3 w. ago India’s gem sector regains shine beyond US as exporters pivot to Asia, Middle East

India’s gem and jewellery exports, among the country’s biggest earners, are rebounding in ways that reflect a successful push to diversify trade away from the United States amid higher tariffs and a tougher global trade environment, analysts and industry executives have said. The industry’s shipments rose 19.64 per cent year on year to US$2.51 billion in November, even after Washington imposed tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Indian goods – a move that had initially raised fears of a sharp hit to...

Politics

3 w. ago Blackpink for Ayumi? Why China may reward South Korea’s soft stance amid Japan tensions

In a bid to overhaul their economic relationship, China and South Korea are reviving long-stalled trade talks, with an eye on moving beyond factory floors to target the lucrative services sector as geopolitical shifts redraw the region’s alliances. The thaw follows a December 12 agreement between Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan to accelerate negotiations on the second phase of their free-trade agreement (FTA). The push aims...

Events

3 w. ago Dior, Louis Vuitton ditch China’s malls for shopping streets to replicate Ginza’s charm

Stand-alone flagship stores with distinctive architectural facades, long prevalent in global metropolises like Tokyo, Seoul and New York, are gradually gaining traction in China, as the country’s retail landscape undergoes a broader shift from enclosed malls towards open-air and street-facing formats. More luxury brands are setting up such flagships in places like Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun North, a trendy open-air commercial block developed and operated by Hong Kong’s Swire...

Economics

last month Beijing’s Gulf trade charm offensive meets familiar resistance

Beijing’s Gulf trade charm offensive meets familiar resistance  Arabian Gulf Business Insight | AGBI

Politics