20 m. ago Is this the end of summer US study trips for Chinese children?

For two decades, it was popular for many Chinese families to send their children on “study tours” overseas – most often to the United States – during the summer. The programmes generally involved summer camps jointly organised by American universities and language institutions, as well as visits to colleges, museums and tourist attractions. In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, around 1.3 million Chinese students spent part of their summer holidays studying overseas, according to a report by...

Politics

77 m. ago In human rights talks, EU warns of ‘deterioration’ of basic freedoms in China

During thorny human rights talks with China on Friday, the European Union voiced concerns about what it called a “deterioration of fundamental freedoms” in the country. The EU cited “government interference” in the succession plan for the Dalai Lama, an ongoing crackdown in Hong Kong, and jailed Uygur and Tibetan activists as examples in its statement on the 40th edition of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels. The bloc accused China of “persistent restrictions on freedom of...

Events

1 hour ago Rare earth minerals are the biggest card China can play in its negotiations with Trump

Rare earth minerals are the biggest card China can play in its negotiations with Trump  Business Insider

Politics

2 h. 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

2 h. ago Trump military parade set for Washington, while protests are planned around US

For the first time in more than three decades, the United States is holding a major military parade in the nation’s capital on Saturday – fulfilling a long-standing desire of US President Donald Trump and echoing displays more typically seen in countries like China, France and Russia. Showcasing the nation’s political divisions, though, the display in Washington will come on the same day as mass protests across the US. Trump sparked nationwide outrage just days earlier when he ordered thousands...

Events

2 h. ago Kind China pupils rush to help crashed delivery rider, pick up scattered lunchboxes

A group of school pupils in China have moved internet users by supporting an electric bicycle and picking up lunchboxes left scattered on the road after a food delivery worker crashed while working. The touching scene was filmed by a camera worn on the chest of delivery man Dong Ziheng while he was riding the electric bike in an alley in Xingtai, northern Hebei province on June 3. Dong fell off the bike as he tried to avoid hitting another electric bike coming in the opposite direction. After...

Events

2 h. ago Hong Kong to explore need for new law covering building repairs by landlords

Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority will examine whether legislation should be introduced requiring landlords to create periodic maintenance plans for their blocks and ensure sufficient funds for the work. The study would also cover the possibility of creating a new statutory body to supervise building restoration and maintenance, according to the authority’s retiring head, Wai Chi-sing. Wai stressed the importance of “preventive maintenance” by homeowners while also pledging the authority would...

Society

3 h. ago How Trump’s Military Parade Compares to China, Russia and North Korea

How Trump’s Military Parade Compares to China, Russia and North Korea  WSJ

Events

4 h. ago China scenic site seeks dancing ‘savages’ for US$70 daily, requires eating raw food

A top natural scenic spot in central China has come under the spotlight for hiring people to pose as savages for tourists, and paying them 500 yuan (US$70) a day to do so. Since Shennongjia National Nature Reserve in Hubei province began recruiting on June 7 about 10,000 people have applied for the job, the scenic zone’s management company told the Beijing News on June 9. Included in the Unesco World Heritage List, the Shennongjia tour zone features primeval ecology, rich biodiversity and...

Politics

6 h. ago Taiwan war game triggers US questions over island’s ‘will to fight’

A high-level civilian war game held in Taipei this week has exposed serious vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s defences of its outer perimeter and eastern regions, prompting a retired US admiral to warn that Washington’s involvement depended on “Taiwan’s will to fight”. In the exercise simulating a 2030 cross-strait conflict, Taiwan lost control of key outlying territories – most notably Penghu, a group of islands 50km (30 miles) east of the main island – as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched...

Sport

6 h. ago Taiwan war game triggers US questions over its ‘will to fight’ if PLA attacks

A high-level civilian war game held in Taipei this week has exposed serious vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s defences of its outer perimeter and eastern regions, prompting a retired US admiral to warn that Washington’s involvement depended on “Taiwan’s will to fight”. In the exercise simulating a 2030 cross-strait conflict, Taiwan lost control of key outlying territories – most notably Penghu, a group of islands 50km (30 miles) east of the main island – as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched...

Events

7 h. ago Chinese scientists find first evidence that AI could think like a human

Chinese researchers have confirmed for the first time that artificial intelligence large language models can spontaneously create a humanlike system to comprehend and sort natural objects, a process considered a pillar of human cognition. It provides new evidence in a debate over the cognitive capacity of AI models, suggesting that artificial systems that reflect key aspects of human thinking may be possible. “Understanding how humans conceptualise and categorise natural objects offers critical...

Politics

8 h. ago ‘Probe under way on whether Beijing will take over collusion case in Hong Kong’

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong conducted its first publicly known joint operation with the city’s police to determine whether a suspected collusion case is complex to the extent that it requires mainland China to take over, the security minister has revealed. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday that no arrests had been made so far, adding it would require the central government’s approval if the case were to be handed over. His remarks were made after the...

Politics

8 h. ago Authorities still studying if Hong Kong collusion case needs to be handled by Beijing

Beijing and Hong Kong are investigating the complexity of a suspected collusion case to determine whether mainland China needs to take over, security minister has said, in what may become a precedent for the central government to exercise its jurisdiction over such matters. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday that authorities were gathering information to ascertain if Article 55 of the national security law, which applies to complicated and severe cases, should be...

Events

8 h. ago A typhoon landed in China’s Hainan island at a severe tropical storm level

A typhoon landed in China’s Hainan island at a severe tropical storm level  AP News

Events

8 h. ago Chinese envoy urges Israel to halt ‘risky’ Iran attacks, warns of consequences

A senior Chinese diplomat has urged Israel to halt its military actions against Iran as tensions between the two Middle Eastern rivals mount, warning the escalating conflict could have “serious consequences”. Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN, told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday that the surging tensions in the region did not serve the interests of any party. “China urges Israel to immediately stop all risky military actions to avoid further escalation of...

Events

8 h. ago Russia, China condemn Israel's attacks on Iran in UN Security Council

Russia, China condemn Israel's attacks on Iran in UN Security Council  Ynetnews

Events

10 h. ago End of political chaos in South Korea sparks pickup in Chinese visitors

Chinese tourism to South Korea is picking up with the end of political instability in Seoul and the two nations pledging closer relations shortly before visa exemptions take effect, travel industry sources said this week. Bookings from China – South Korea’s largest source of foreign visitors – for the three months from April to June have been about 24 per cent higher than for the three months ending in February, according to data compiled by the travel marketing and technology company China...

Politics

10 h. ago Is North Korea’s Kim shoring up navy in strategic bid with allies China, Russia?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to build a blue-water navy to counter what he described as growing threats from the United States, an ambition that observers say appears to be linked to broader strategic coordination with key Pyongyang allies China and Russia. Kim made the announcement during a launch ceremony at the northeastern port of Rajin for a newly repaired warship, following an earlier failed launch at the same location, state media reported on Friday. The vessel, “Kang Kon”,...

Politics

11 h. ago Aukus pact up in the air but US to stay focused on China: analysts

The United States may be rethinking its Indo-Pacific strategy with its review of the Aukus security agreement, but its focus on countering China is unlikely to change, according to analysts. The pact with Australia and the United Kingdom has been thrown into doubt with the Pentagon’s announcement this week that it is reviewing the US’ role in the Biden-era agreement to supply nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Some observers suggested that this could be cause for celebration in Beijing,...

Politics