27 h. ago US arms deal supports Taiwan’s effort to reassure Trump on defence burden

The US State Department’s approval this week of a US$11.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan – reportedly the largest in the island’s history – dovetails with Taipei’s effort to show US President Donald Trump it is doing more to defend itself, even as it shifts towards a less conventional “porcupine” strategy, analysts said. “These are asymmetric weapons that are focused on bolstering the capability of Taiwan’s military to prevent a PLA invasion,” said Bonnie Glaser, vice-president of the German...

Politics

40 h. ago Chinese University of Hong Kong appoints veteran administrator as vice

A leading university in Hong Kong has appointed a veteran academic administrator to be its vice-president in administration – the third person in the role in as many years – after his predecessor resigned less than 12 months into the job. Albert Chow Hing-pong’s tenure at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will begin in the first half of 2026 for a term of three years, according to a statement issued by the institution on Thursday. “I look forward to leveraging my experience in public...

Politics

5 d. ago Is plunder complaint against Philippine VP Sara Duterte an attempt to blunt her 2028 bid?

A plunder complaint filed against Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio has reopened scrutiny of her use of “confidential funds” and opened a new legal front in a political stand-off that could shape the early dynamics of the 2028 presidential race. A highly placed source, who told This Week in Asia about the complaint a week before it was filed, said the move was intended to blunt Duterte-Carpio’s prospects in the 2028 presidential election by tying her down in a prolonged...

Politics

9 d. ago Alibaba creates new unit to push consumer use of its Qwen AI models

Alibaba Group Holding said on Tuesday that it will set up a new division to push the consumer use of artificial intelligence applications based on its Qwen family of large language models. The new business unit, Qwen Consumer Business Group, led by Alibaba vice-president Wu Jia, will oversee the Qwen chatbot app, the Quark AI assistant and cloud drive, AI hardware products, the UC Browser and the online reading platform Shuqi. The move marked a significant organisational change at Alibaba to...

Politics

1 week ago Former chief of China’s food and drug watchdog ousted from Communist Party

Bi Jingquan, China’s former top food and drug regulator who received an international accolade for promoting innovation, has been expelled from the Communist Party and removed from public office on corruption charges. An investigation found that Bi had accepted gifts, money, trips and banquets and borrowed vehicles from private business owners, a statement from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said on Monday. The statement also said Bi had “allowed others to pay for him,...

Society

1 week ago Could ICC warrants against Duterte allies alter the Philippines' balance of power?

A former spokesman for Rodrigo Duterte has claimed that the International Criminal Court is preparing to arrest two of the ex-Philippine leader’s closest allies over his administration’s bloody war on drugs. Harry Roque told This Week in Asia that President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr intended to use such arrests to “destroy the [political] opposition”, arguing that clearing Duterte-allied senators from the chamber would secure the votes Marcos needed to oust Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio – his...

Economics

1 week ago Could ICC warrants against Duterte allies alter Philippines’ balance of power?

A former spokesman for Rodrigo Duterte has claimed that the International Criminal Court is preparing to arrest two of the ex-Philippine leader’s closest allies over his administration’s bloody war on drugs. Harry Roque told This Week in Asia that President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr intended to use such arrests to “destroy the [political] opposition”, arguing that clearing Duterte-allied senators from the chamber would secure the votes Marcos needed to oust Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio – his...

Economics

1 week ago Former Peking University Vice President Expelled From Communist Party for Bribery

Former Peking University Vice President Expelled From Communist Party for Bribery  Caixin Global

Politics

2 w. ago EU hits Musk’s X with US$140 million fine, risking Trump’s ire

The European Union hit Elon Musk’s X with a €120 million (US$140 million) fine on Friday for breaking its digital rules, in a move that risks a fresh clash with US President Donald Trump’s administration. The high-profile probe into the social media platform was seen as a test of the EU’s resolve to police Big Tech. US Vice-President J.D. Vance fired a warning against “attacking” US firms through “censorship” before the penalty was even made public. Imposing the first fine under its powerful...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong poll candidates pledge to stem decline in student population

Two candidates for the education sector seat in the upcoming Legislative Council election have highlighted Hong Kong’s shrinking student population as a key concern, with one pledging to advocate for the gradual reopening of public institutions to non-locals. Tang Fei, an incumbent lawmaker from the election committee constituency and a vice-president of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers (FEW), alongside Ray Cheung Chak-chung, associate provost of City University and vice-chairman of...

Politics

3 w. ago Tesla affirms confidence in Chinese partners, rejects supplier bans

Tesla does not exclude suppliers based on their country of origin as the US electric-vehicle (EV) maker applies unified and rigorous standards in selecting vendors from around the globe, according to a senior official. Grace Tao, vice-president of the US company, offered a vote of confidence to the more than 400 Chinese manufacturers that supply car components from batteries to heat-control systems to Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. She made the remarks on Wednesday, in what appeared to be an...

Politics

3 w. ago Tesla affirms confidence in Chinese partners, repudiates supplier ban

Tesla does not exclude suppliers based on their country of origin as the US electric-vehicle (EV) maker applies unified and rigorous standards in selecting vendors from around the globe, according to a senior official. Grace Tao, vice-president of the US company, offered a vote of confidence to the more than 400 Chinese manufacturers that supply car components from batteries to heat-control systems to Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. She made the remarks on Wednesday, in what appeared to be an...

Politics

3 w. ago Former finance ministry official expelled from China's Communist Party

Former finance ministry official expelled from China's Communist Party  TradingView

Politics

4 w. ago US honours Republican titan Dick Cheney, with Trump off the funeral guest list

Dick Cheney, celebrated as a master Republican strategist but defined by the darkest chapters of America’s “war on terror”, was honoured on Thursday in a funeral attended by Washington’s elite that pointedly left out US President Donald Trump. Cheney’s career over half a decade reads like a catalogue of American statecraft, even as his long shadow over foreign policy – as defence secretary during the Gulf War and as the 46th vice-president under George W. Bush – still divides the country. Bush...

Politics

4 w. ago Dick Cheney’s funeral held in Washington, with Trump off guest list

Dick Cheney, celebrated as a master Republican strategist but defined by the darkest chapters of America’s “War on Terror”, was honoured on Thursday in a funeral attended by Washington’s elite that pointedly left out President Donald Trump. Cheney’s career reads like a catalogue of American statecraft, even as his long shadow over foreign policy - as defence secretary during the Gulf War and the 46th vice-president under George W. Bush - still divides the country. Bush and fellow former...

Politics