14 h. ago As Trump urges cap on credit card rates, could China follow suit for online loans?

US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans. The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services. “Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...

Politics

18 h. ago Scam and corruption cases spark debate in China over cryptocurrencies’ future

The seizure of enormous cryptocurrency caches in two high-profile criminal cases in China – a former head of the central bank’s digital currency research institute accused of corruption, and an alleged scam centre kingpin linked to about US$15 billion in bitcoin – have sparked questions in the country about the safety and future of virtual money. But analysts said the long-term trend for the assets, especially bitcoin, depended on institutional capital, interest rate expectations and the...

Politics

18 h. ago Scam, corruption cases spark Chinese debate about future of virtual money

Scam, corruption cases spark Chinese debate about future of virtual money  South China Morning Post

Politics

21 h. ago ‘Will for Peace’ drills: Brics tests the waters of military cooperation

A week-long naval exercise off the South African coast involving the navies of China, Russia and the UAE has stirred debate over whether the primary purpose of Brics is evolving in the emerging post-Western global order. The exercise, held from January 9 to 16 under the banner “Will for Peace 2026”, was described by host nation South Africa as a routine maritime safety and interoperability operation. Officials said the drills aimed to improve coordination in protecting shipping routes and...

Events

27 h. ago Counting China’s wins and losses among ‘swing nations’ in new era of power rivalry

It took the United States less than three hours to stun the world with its abduction of the sitting leader of a sovereign state, but the strategic ramifications of that dramatic operation are likely to reverberate for decades. In laying bare the limits of China’s economic-centric diplomacy towards third countries in its competition with the US, the Venezuela crisis has delivered a stark reminder that spheres of influence continue to shape global politics in this new era of great power...

Politics

6 d. ago U.S. Action Against Venezuela Spurs Blunt Debate Among Chinese Scholars

U.S. Action Against Venezuela Spurs Blunt Debate Among Chinese Scholars  The China-Global South Project

Politics

6 d. ago US power politics creates volatile environment for Chinese investment: report

US power politics creates volatile environment for Chinese investment: report  China Daily

Politics

9 d. ago Uniform justice? Why the Philippine military expelled a lawmaker but not VP Sara Duterte

The Philippine military has opted to keep Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio in charge of an army reserve command despite her incendiary public remarks, even as it recently expelled a pro-Duterte lawmaker from the reserve force for politicised conduct. Military officers and defence observers said the contrasting treatment underscores how power, political risk and legal grey zones shape how the Armed Forces of the Philippines disciplines its reservists, as the rift between the president and his...

Events

1 week ago China woman, 62, gets pregnant through IVF after death of only child, sparks debate

China woman, 62, gets pregnant through IVF after death of only child, sparks debate  South China Morning Post

Events

1 week ago China’s Forex Reserves Rose in December as Yuan Debate Mounts

China’s Forex Reserves Rose in December as Yuan Debate Mounts  The Wall Street Journal

Politics

1 week ago Why coastguards, not warships, are shaping future of South China Sea

When ships from China and the Philippines encounter each other near the Second Thomas Shoal, most incidents are resolved without diplomatic intervention. No shots fired, no ministerial calls, no carrier deployments. Within days, encounters are logged, reviewed and absorbed into routine reporting channels. That administrative resolution reveals how stability is maintained in the South China Sea. Debate over these waters still defaults to navies, deterrence and great power rivalry. However, most...

Events

1 week ago In China, a Debate About Political Power Ignites After Maduro’s Capture

In China, a Debate About Political Power Ignites After Maduro’s Capture  The New York Times

Politics

1 week ago U.S. Strike in Venezuela Intensifies Chinese Media Debate Over Taiwan

U.S. Strike in Venezuela Intensifies Chinese Media Debate Over Taiwan  The China-Global South Project

Events

1 week ago US ‘kill line’ shocks Chinese social media as economic woes shatter illusions

A series of social media posts highlighting the economic insecurity facing ordinary Americans has triggered an intense debate in China about social problems in the United States and shattered some long-held perceptions. Many of the posts from influencers described the vulnerabilities as a “kill line”, a term used by Chinese video gamers to describe the health threshold below which a character can be instantly defeated. The term has now been repurposed to describe a financial and social tipping...

Events

1 week ago Thailand election 2026: can ‘orange wave’ break conservative grip on power?

For any party that wants to change Thailand, bitter experience has shown that winning an election and taking power are two entirely different things. Conservatives hold the keys to government in the kingdom, where politicians, tycoons and generals serving the apex power of the monarchy allow elections, but conjure up coups and other political manoeuvres to take down winners perceived as a threat to their power. But this time could be different, says Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the leader of the...

Politics

2 w. ago Silver’s Historic Breach of $80 Turns Chaotic as China’s Clampdown Sparks Bubble Debate

Silver’s Historic Breach of $80 Turns Chaotic as China’s Clampdown Sparks Bubble Debate  FXLeaders

Politics

3 w. ago Malaysia’s Najib found guilty on abuse of power charge in final 1MDB case

Malaysia’s jailed former prime minister Najib Razak was found guilty on the first count of abuse of power in the final criminal case linked to the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, following a seven-year trial. Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah is still reading the remaining verdicts. Prosecutors say that Najib abused his position to siphon 2.3 billion ringgit (US$568 million) from the scandal-hit state fund. In total, the 72-year-old faces four charges of abusing...

Events

3 w. ago Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal: Najib found guilty on all 4 abuse of power charges

Malaysia’s jailed former prime minister Najib Razak was found guilty on all four counts of abuse of power in the final criminal case linked to the multibillion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, following a seven-year trial. In convicting Najib of the four charges, Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the former leader had “abused the power and trust vested in him”. Rejecting Najib’s defence that he was misled or acted collectively, Sequerah ruled that the evidence showed he...

Events

3 w. ago Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal: Najib found guilty of abuse of power, money laundering

Malaysia’s jailed former prime minister Najib Razak was found guilty on all charges in the final criminal case linked to the multibillion-dollar state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), bringing to a close a seven-year trial over one of the country’s biggest corruption scandals. The High Court found Najib guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, ruling that he had abused the power and trust vested in him while at the helm of the government. Justice Collin...

Events

3 w. ago Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal: Najib sentenced to 15 years in jail for abuse of power, money laundering

A Malaysian court on Friday sentenced jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to 15 years in prison after convicting him on all 25 charges linked to the plundering of billions of dollars from scandal-tainted state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The High Court found Najib guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, after taking account of his “direct role” in the siphoning of 2.3 billion ringgit (US$568 million) from the troubled sovereign wealth...

Events