44 h. ago CK Hutchison gets encouraging signs of a deal with Panama government

A senior Panamanian official said on Monday that Panama will remain flexible and potentially reach an agreement with CK Hutchison as the Latin American country navigates the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China. “We are working on a plan in case that [Panama’s Supreme Court] ruling goes against the extension of the contract” for CK Hutchison, said Jose Ramon Icaza, Panama’s minister of canal affairs. “In that case, we have to step in as the Panama Maritime Authority to take...

Politics

45 h. ago China AI plan offers hope for robot companions and kids by 2035

When the Chinese government launched the “AI+” initiative in August, it was widely perceived as a new economic stimulus. However, observers may have underestimated Beijing’s true ambition. On October 10, senior officials and experts published a series of analyses in the official journal E-Government, offering the public its first comprehensive look at the initiative’s deeper strategic intent. Far from being merely an economic policy, “AI+” is a decade-long national blueprint designed to propel...

Politics

3 d. ago China expels nine senior officials from the Communist Party in anti

China expels nine senior officials from the Communist Party in anti-corruption drive  France 24

Politics

4 d. ago China expels general and 8 other senior officials from Communist Party in anti

China expels general and 8 other senior officials from Communist Party in anti-corruption push  PBS

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong FinTech Week expects investment ‘action’, InvestHK says

Hong Kong FinTech Week 2025 in November aims to be an all-in-one marketplace for global cutting-edge technologies, with international buyers from areas including the Middle East and Global South coming to the city to shop for opportunities, according to senior InvestHK officials. Last year’s event was almost like a “study trip” for some delegations, according to King Leung, head of financial services and fintech at the government agency, which is responsible for attracting foreign direct...

Economics

7 d. ago UK’s Starmer to release security statements after China spying case collapse

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday promised to release evidence provided to prosecutors by a senior official, seeking to distance ministers from the collapse of a China spying case which has led to weeks of criticism. In an unexpected move last month, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped charges against two men who had denied passing politically sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence agent. The CPS said the decision was made because the additional evidence it...

Events

7 d. ago China’s top party journal urges action to boost confidence ahead of fourth plenum

China’s ruling Communist Party’s leading theoretical journal has urged authorities to better manage market expectations, improve policy predictability and pay closer attention to public sentiment – ahead of a closed-door meeting of senior officials to discuss the next five-year plan and as trade tensions with the United States mount. In a Wednesday article, Qiushi – a leading platform for disseminating official policies and ideas – called on policymakers to better time policy implementation,...

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong’s summer flu season very active, may last until November: expert

Hong Kong’s current summer flu season is much more active than last winter’s and is expected to continue into November, a senior health official has warned. Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said on Tuesday that about 70 outbreaks were recorded weekly over the past month, far exceeding the around 15 logged during last winter’s peak, indicating that the virus had been very active this season. But Tsui said the number of cases had not yet peaked and the summer...

Science

1 week ago South Korea urged to stay ‘pragmatic’ amid US pressure over China

South Korea should adhere to pragmatic diplomacy to safeguard its national interests as Washington steps up pressure on Seoul to clarify its role in countering China, analysts have said. They warned that leaning too far towards the United States under a transactional President Donald Trump could trap South Korea diplomatically and leave it with little room to manoeuvre amid growing global uncertainty. The warnings came in response to remarks by a senior Pentagon official, who said on Tuesday...

Events

1 week ago Chinese premier begins North Korea trip with friendly cooperation pledge

Chinese Premier Li Qiang promised closer cooperation with North Korea as he began a three-day visit to the country on Thursday following a recent flurry of diplomatic exchanges that signalled a thaw in relations. Li is the most senior Chinese official to visit the country since 2019. During his visit he will attend a series of events to celebrate the 80th anniversary of North Korea’s ruling party. Li said Beijing was ready to work with Pyongyang to “strengthen strategic communication, maintain...

Politics

2 w. ago Li Qiang to visit North Korea, most senior Chinese official to do so since 2019

Premier Li Qiang will travel to Pyongyang to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of North Korea’s ruling party later this week, according to Beijing, the most senior Chinese official to visit the country since 2019. The Chinese foreign ministry said Li would arrive in Pyongyang for a three-day visit on Thursday. A military parade commemorating the foundation of the Workers’ Party of Korea is expected to take place on Friday, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. Calling the two...

Politics

2 w. ago China Daily senior editor to helm publicity efforts at Hong Kong liaison office

Beijing has appointed a senior editor from its official English-language media as the chief publicity officer at its liaison office in Hong Kong, in a bid to improve the central government’s narratives for the international audience, the Post has learned. Official sources said Sun Shangwu, 56, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, would move to the city to take up the role of deputy director at Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, and take charge of publicity work. “Sun will greatly enhance...

Politics

3 w. ago Christian Families Wait To Complete Chinese Adoptions, But Hope Dims

Christian Families Wait To Complete Chinese Adoptions, But Hope Dims  Religion Unplugged

Politics

3 w. ago FBI’s Patel sparks scandal in New Zealand with illegal gun gifts

On a visit to New Zealand, FBI Director Kash Patel gave the country’s police and spy bosses gifts of inoperable pistols that were illegal to possess under local gun laws and had to be destroyed, New Zealand law enforcement agencies said. The plastic 3D-printed replica pistols formed part of display stands Patel presented to at least three senior New Zealand security officials in July. Patel, the most senior Trump administration official to visit the country so far, was in Wellington to open the...

Events

3 w. ago Underperforming top brass face probes, warns Hong Kong civil service chief

Senior officials may face disciplinary probes if their departments are found to have performed badly by the ombudsman or audit commissioner under the new accountability system being pushed by the Hong Kong government, the civil service minister has said. Speaking at a Legislative Council panel meeting on Monday, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan also dismissed concerns that department heads could be subject to overlapping probes. She was highlighting the initiatives on...

Events

3 w. ago Senior officials intensify focus on religion and use of Chinese in Xinjiang

Senior officials who travelled to Xinjiang with Xi Jinping have remained in the far western region to focus on religious affairs and the increased use of standard Chinese following the president’s return to Beijing. On Thursday, during a visit to Korla in central Xinjiang, Wang Huning, the country’s fourth-ranking official, urged Xinjiang – particularly its southern regions – to improve “education in the national standard spoken and written language”, according to state news agency...

Politics

3 w. ago US and Chinese officials agree to keep talking ahead of possible Trump

Senior officials from the United States and China agreed to step up communications to help manage their differences following a meeting in New York on Thursday. Chinese foreign -vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu told US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau the Taiwan question was “purely China’s internal affair”, while the American called for concrete efforts to tackle the fentanyl crisis and repatriate undocumented Chinese nationals. “China urges the US to adhere to the one-China policy, honour...

Politics

3 w. ago Household income growth holds key to Chinese consumption hopes: ex

China should make greater efforts to boost household income over the next five years as the world’s second-largest economy looks to consumption to power future growth, a former senior official said. Yang Weimin, a former deputy head of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs, made the comments ahead of next month’s fourth plenum of the Communist Party’s Central Committee. Committee members will discuss the country’s next five-year plan, with the economic...

Politics

3 w. ago US reaffirms India as China counterweight despite trade rifts, Pakistan concerns

India remains a democratic counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific region, a senior US State Department official said on Wednesday, dismissing any suggestion that sharp bilateral disputes over trade had fundamentally changed that position for US President Donald Trump’s administration. “Absolutely still see India as a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific,” the official said, suggesting India is the “indo” in Indo-Pacific and adding that ties with New Delhi remain strong. The official noted...

Politics