45 m. ago Lifeline or trash? Taiwan safety guide sparks fierce debate amid Beijing threat

Taiwan’s updated crisis and war survival guide has ignited fierce political debate, hailed by officials as a lifeline amid Beijing’s mounting military pressure but blasted by critics as costly propaganda prompting fear rather than readiness. Mass distribution of In Case of Crisis: Taiwan’s National Public Safety Guide – quickly dubbed the “little orange book” – began late last month, targeting 9.83 million households. The 29-page comic-style publication explains how to stockpile food and water,...

Events

3 h. ago Chinese EV maker Li Auto unveils industry’s cheapest AI glasses at US$282

Chinese electric vehicle maker Li Auto has launched its first wearable product, the Livis artificial intelligence glasses, marking a bold foray into the rapidly expanding market already crowded by tech giants like Alibaba Group Holding, Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi. The device is priced at 1,999 yuan (US$282), but buyers who place an order before December 31 qualify for a 15 per cent rebate via the government-backed subsidy programme, bringing down the price to 1,699 yuan. That effectively...

Politics

5 h. ago China’s 2 largest food and drink chains officially step foot in the US

China’s 2 largest food and drink chains officially step foot in the US  The US Sun

Politics

6 h. ago US confirms Chinese boy in federal custody, but his whereabouts remain unknown

More than a week after US immigration authorities separated 6-year-old Yuanxin from his father during a routine check-in with ICE in New York, it has been confirmed that the child has been placed in the custody of the US Office of Refugee Resettlement. However, his location still remains unknown. The ORR, a federal agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services, is almost always the agency that takes custody of immigrant children classified as unaccompanied or separated minors...

Politics

6 h. ago US confirms Chinese boy Yuanxin, 6, is in federal custody. But where is he?

More than a week after US immigration authorities separated 6-year-old Yuanxin from his father during a routine check-in with ICE in New York, it has been confirmed that the child has been placed in the custody of the US Office of Refugee Resettlement. However, his location still remains unknown. The ORR, a federal agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services, is almost always the agency that takes custody of immigrant children classified as unaccompanied or separated minors...

Politics

7 h. ago Shanghai, Ningbo Set Container Records as China Ports Defy Trade Headwinds

Shanghai, Ningbo Set Container Records as China Ports Defy Trade Headwinds  Sourcing Journal

Politics

7 h. ago China’s He Lifeng holds ‘constructive’ call with US officials Bessent, Greer

Top Chinese and US officials held a call on Friday to discuss trade, including ongoing efforts to implement an agreement to de-escalate their countries’ trade war. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng had an “in-depth and constructive” video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported. Both sides agreed to promote the stable development of bilateral trade and economic ties, and “expand the list for cooperation...

Politics

7 h. ago China’s VP has ‘constructive’ call with Trump officials Bessent and Greer

Beijing and Washington held a call on Friday to discuss bilateral trade and economic ties, as a variety of practical issues – from soybean orders to computer chips – remain problematic despite the trade truce in October. Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng’s video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was part of a bilateral negotiation mechanism started this year to address issues between the world’s two largest economies. The two sides had...

Politics

10 h. ago China will work with US on global narcotics control, says official

China will work with US on global narcotics control, says official  Anadolu Ajansı

Politics

12 h. ago Letters to the Editor: China dominates the EV market, but that doesn’t mean we should give up

Letters to the Editor: China dominates the EV market, but that doesn’t mean we should give up  Los Angeles Times

Politics

13 h. ago As China defies US tech blockade, can local AI chipmakers capture Nvidia share?

With the technology race between the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, intensifying even though a trade truce was reached in late October, analysts say the prospects of China achieving self-sufficiency in semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) are positive, despite American efforts to maintain leads in those fields. “If any country can do it [achieve self-sufficiency in semiconductors], it’s China, owing to its vast resources and pool of engineering talent,”...

Politics

13 h. ago Avatars, influencers in China livestreams help drive Reckitt's emerging

Avatars, influencers in China livestreams help drive Reckitt's emerging-market led growth  Reuters

Politics

14 h. ago BYD founder bets on new tech to win back customers as sales decelerate

BYD, China’s electric vehicle (EV) king, is pinning its hopes on next-generation technology to engineer a turnaround in sales amid fierce competition in the world’s largest automotive market, according to its founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu. Speaking at a shareholders’ meeting in Shenzhen on Friday, the billionaire said the company’s 12,000 engineers – the backbone of the carmaker – would help it regain a technological edge over rivals. “We have heavyweight new technology in the pipeline,” he...

Economics

16 h. ago Discounts widen on Russian ESPO blend crude oil to China, sources say

Discounts widen on Russian ESPO blend crude oil to China, sources say  Reuters

Politics

17 h. ago Moore Threads shares jump fivefold in Shanghai trading debut in rush for 'China's Nvidia'

Moore Threads shares jump fivefold in Shanghai trading debut in rush for 'China's Nvidia'  Yahoo Finance

Politics

17 h. ago Moore Threads aspires to become ‘leading global player’ in AI chips after IPO

Moore Threads, a five-year-old graphics processing unit (GPU) developer created by Nvidia’s former China chief, aspires to become one of the leading global players in artificial intelligence chip development, its founder and CEO Zhang Jianzhong said. Zhang, Nvidia’s China general manager from 2006 to 2020, was quoted as saying by the official Shanghai Securities Journal that the start-up would introduce a new-generation chip each year to provide key hardware for China’s AI development. “Our goal...

Politics

19 h. ago Bali mulls Airbnb ban to put a lid on revenue leak, overtourism

Bali is considering a ban on Airbnb’s accommodation, its latest attempt to impose order on a resort island struggling to cope with a record surge in tourism. Use of Airbnb-style rentals has exploded in recent years, eroding tax revenue from hotels even as foreign arrivals boom, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster told state news agency Antara. The proliferation of unregistered villas and guest houses in turn hampers the government’s ability to raise revenue to fund public services, he was quoted as...

Society

19 h. ago Filipinos slam official’s US$8.50 advice for Christmas feast

Marife Dhoctor, 43, a domestic helper in the Philippines, is looking forward to the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, when families gather to savour festive dishes and exchange gifts. However, rising prices of goods have forced her family of five to stretch their meagre budget as they plan for the annual feast known as Noche Buena or “the good night”. Dhoctor and her husband, who works as a construction worker, earn a combined daily wage of just over 1,000 pesos (US$17). As building projects are...

Politics

19 h. ago Anger boils in Philippines over official’s US$8.50 Christmas feast budget

Marife Dhoctor, 43, a domestic helper in the Philippines, is looking forward to the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, when families gather to savour festive dishes and exchange gifts. However, rising prices of goods have forced her family of five to stretch their meagre budget as they plan for the annual feast known as Noche Buena or “the good night”. Dhoctor and her husband, who works as a construction worker, earn a combined daily wage of just over 1,000 pesos (US$17). As building projects are...

Politics

19 h. ago China’s risky shadow banks back in spotlight after debt crackdown

China’s crackdown on borrowing by local governments is forcing state-run entities in even some of the wealthiest provinces to tap costly credit from non-bank lenders, a stopgap that is increasing risk in an opaque corner of the financial system. The borrowing marks a return of China’s shadow-banking market, which is more loosely regulated than traditional lenders and had been reined in over the past few years in a bid to reduce risk. Since September, industrial investment arms and financing...

Economics