6 d. ago Japan launches world’s first deep sea trial to secure own rare earth supply

A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in rare earths, part of Tokyo’s drive to curb its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing tightens supply. The month-long mission of the test vessel Chikyu near Minamitori island some 1,900km (1,200 miles) southeast of Tokyo, will mark the world’s first attempt to continuously lift rare earth seabed sludge from 6km deep onto a ship. Japan, like its Western allies, has been reducing its dependence on...

Politics

8 d. ago Hu Anyan's account of working as a delivery driver in Beijing moved readers

Hu Anyan's account of working as a delivery driver in Beijing moved readers  IslanderNews.com

Economics

1 week ago Turning point: China doubles IPOs in 2025 amid eased curbs to drive tech innovation

Initial public offerings (IPOs) in mainland China nearly doubled in 2025 from a year earlier after the securities regulator rolled back curbs on new listings and resumed approvals for pre-profit technology companies, in line with Beijing’s drive to replace imported tech products with home-grown alternatives. A total of 115 companies raised a combined 128 billion yuan (US$18.3 billion) from IPOs on the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing exchanges this year, according to Bloomberg data. That eclipsed...

Economics

2 w. ago Peak Travel and Cultural Tourism in China: A Look at the Surge in Beijing, Guangzhou, Dunhuang, and Macao during the 2026 New Year Holiday – Everything You Need to Know About the Surge in Visitors

Peak Travel and Cultural Tourism in China: A Look at the Surge in Beijing, Guangzhou, Dunhuang, and Macao during the 2026 New Year Holiday – Everything You Need to Know About the Surge in Visitors  Travel And Tour World

Politics

2 w. ago Cultural tourism drives Beijing's robust New Year holiday spending

Cultural tourism drives Beijing's robust New Year holiday spending  Xinhua

Transport

2 w. ago Hong Kong remains a top countdown city as 200,000 visit on New Year’s Eve: minister

Tourist numbers on New Year’s Eve have shown that Hong Kong remains an attractive destination for countdowns, according to the tourism minister, with sector representatives underscoring the need to direct visitors to different parts of the city. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Saturday that close to 200,000 visitors arrived in Hong Kong on December 31 alone, contributing to a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in tourist figures between Christmas and the end...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s top contract chipmakers pursue acquisitions amid Beijing’s self

Hua Hong Semiconductor, China’s No 2 contract chipmaker, on Wednesday announced the acquisition of its sister foundry in Shanghai, days after market leader Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) said it would take full control of a subsidiary. Those big-ticket transactions – 8.27 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) for Hua Hong and 40.6 billion yuan for SMIC – signalled a fresh round of consolidation in the country’s semiconductor industry, as Beijing’s tech self-sufficiency drive...

Politics

2 w. ago Malaysia’s tourism minister urges warmer welcomes after ‘less than friendly’ complaints

Malaysia’s tourism minister has urged the public to be more friendly to visitors and take cleanliness seriously as the country ramps up preparations for Visit Malaysia 2026, after several government agencies flagged complaints from tourists about rude treatment when they sought help. Speaking on New Year’s Day at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said he had asked for explanations after receiving the feedback. “I have received complaints and...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s DRAM giant CXMT plans US$4.2 billion IPO on Shanghai’s Star Market

CXMT Corporation, parent of Chinese memory chip giant ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), aims to raise 29.5 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) from an initial public offering in Shanghai to fund technology upgrades, as Beijing presses ahead with its drive for tech self-reliance amid geopolitical tensions. The Shanghai Stock Exchange received CXMT’s application for a listing on the Nasdaq-style Star Market, a filing on the bourse’s website showed on Tuesday night. This marks a critical step towards...

Economics

3 w. ago China sharpens sales pitch for overseas investment with new list of sought

China is taking steps to reshape the direction of its foreign investment, unveiling a revised catalogue of encouraged industries that steers overseas capital towards the advanced and technologically complex sectors Beijing’s policymakers view as future growth drivers. The revised catalogue, which takes effect in February 2026, covers 1,679 industries – 205 more than the current version, which was released in 2022. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Commerce said the changes are aimed...

Economics

3 w. ago Safety gaps, outdated facilities hobbling Malaysian tourism: minister

Traveller safety and outdated facilities remain pressing issues that could undermine Malaysia’s tourism ambitions if left unaddressed, according to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing. Tiong said many attractions lack basic infrastructure upgrades, particularly in destinations frequented by repeat visitors. “Some foreign visitors tell us that when they came 10 years ago, the facilities were like this, and 10 years later, nothing has changed,” he added. While Malaysia has produced...

Politics

3 w. ago US launches tariff action on Chinese chips, flags economic threat

In a decisive trade move against China’s semiconductor industry, the US Trade Representative Office said it had determined that Beijing’s drive for dominance in the sector is “unreasonable and discriminatory” and poses a direct threat to US commerce. In a formal Notice of Action filed with the Federal Register, the agency said the US is implementing a tariff action on a wide range of Chinese semiconductors, with an initial rate of 0 per cent. The rate is set to rise in 18 months, on June 23,...

Economics

3 w. ago US labels Chinese chips an economic threat, but delays tariff impact until 2027

In a new trade move against China’s semiconductor industry, the US Trade Representative Office said it had determined that Beijing’s drive for dominance in the sector is “unreasonable and discriminatory” and poses a direct threat to US commerce. In a formal Notice of Action filed with the Federal Register, the agency said the US is implementing a tariff action on a wide range of Chinese semiconductors, with an initial rate of 0 per cent. The rate is set to rise in 18 months, on June 23, 2027, to...

Economics