43 h. ago China’s top baijiu maker faces sobering reality as austerity trims profits

China’s premier liquor distiller Kweichow Moutai – a brand that had, over decades, become synonymous with sumptuous feasts – is heeding a renewed mandate for austerity from Beijing, distancing its products from the extravagant hard-drinking lifestyle with which it had been linked in the public consciousness. Management at the company, valued at 1.86 trillion yuan (US$258.73 billion), has pledged to comply with strictures stressing thrift – guidelines that have helped to remove Moutai’s expensive...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump says China will face 55% tariffs as he endorses trade deal

Trump says China will face 55% tariffs as he endorses trade deal  The Guardian

Politics

5 d. ago New faces, fresh energy: China showcases youthful promise at VNL in Beijing

New faces, fresh energy: China showcases youthful promise at VNL in Beijing  Xinhua

Politics

5 d. ago Why Trump’s nuclear export controls won’t stop China, may hurt US firms: analysts

China’s nuclear ambitions may face a slight setback from Washington’s reported export restrictions on power plant components, but Beijing will press ahead with its construction drive and intensify efforts to develop home-grown technologies as its domestic reactors mature, analysts said. The Trump administration has reportedly suspended licenses for the export of some nuclear power generation equipment to China. The US Department of Commerce issued the ruling in recent weeks, according to...

Politics

6 d. ago American students in China face a barrage of questions about Trump

American students in China face a barrage of questions about Trump  The Washington Post

Politics

7 d. ago China slams US as research pair face toxic fungus smuggling charge

China has condemned “political manipulation” by the United States and its “overstretched concept of national security”, days after two Chinese researchers were charged with illegally importing a toxic fungus described by US authorities as a “dangerous biological pathogen”. The Chinese Consulate in Chicago said in a statement on Saturday that it was seeking information about the case and had lodged a “stern representation” with the US side. This comes after the US Department of Justice announced...

Events

8 d. ago Alibaba unveils new AI embedding models, a field it leads globally

Alibaba Group Holding has made its Qwen3 Embedding series available for developers, in the Chinese tech giant’s latest bid to solidify its global leadership in open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models. Released late on Thursday, the series marks another addition to the company’s line-up of large language models (LLMs), which are among the world’s most popular open-source AI systems, according to New York-based computer app company Hugging Face. Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning...

Politics

8 d. ago The world could be facing another 'China shock,' but it comes with a silver

The world could be facing another 'China shock,' but it comes with a silver-lining: Cooler inflation  CNBC

Events

8 d. ago The world could be facing another ‘China shock,’ but it comes with a silver lining

The world could be facing another ‘China shock,’ but it comes with a silver lining  CNBC

Events

9 d. ago Auto companies face shortages due to China's rare earth restrictions

Auto companies face shortages due to China's rare earth restrictions  Reuters

Politics

9 d. ago US Pentagon chief warns of ‘real’ and ‘imminent’ threat from China — says we face ‘devastating consequences’ if Beijing takes this 1 serious step. Here’s how to protect yourself now

US Pentagon chief warns of ‘real’ and ‘imminent’ threat from China — says we face ‘devastating consequences’ if Beijing takes this 1 serious step. Here’s how to protect yourself now  Moneywise

Events

9 d. ago US faces vape shortage as China tariffs, seizures hit Geek Bar

US faces vape shortage as China tariffs, seizures hit Geek Bar  Reuters

Events

9 d. ago China vows to protect students in face of ban on new foreign students at Harvard

China has pledged to “firmly safeguard” the interests of its students following US President Donald Trump’s ban on international enrolment at Harvard University. Citing the institution’s failure to address national security risks on campus, Trump announced in a proclamation on Wednesday night that he would immediately block the Ivy League school from enrolling new international students or exchange visitors, while also ordering the State Department to review whether current foreign enrolments...

Politics

9 d. ago Tiananmen Mothers face blackout as China tries to silence memory of June 4 crackdown

Tiananmen Mothers face blackout as China tries to silence memory of June 4 crackdown  Radio Free Asia

Politics

1 week ago South Korea’s new leader faces tightrope act between China ties, US alliance

Hours after Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as the president of South Korea early on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a congratulatory message, emphasising that China placed “great importance” on strengthening ties with its neighbour amid an increasingly uncertain global landscape. During his campaign, Lee pledged to repair strained ties with China and North Korea and underscored China’s role as a vital trading partner. Analysts predicted more stable China-South Korea relations to...

Politics

1 week ago How is China ramping up controls on critical mineral exports amid row with US?

Parts of China that are rich in critical minerals are stepping up enforcement of tighter export controls as the country doubles down on its dominance of world supplies in the face of increasing pressure from the United States. China, the world’s biggest producer of critical minerals, supplies 92 per cent of the refined rare earth elements that are essential in the production of consumer electronics, electric vehicles and hi-tech defence systems. Its export controls mean companies must obtain...

Politics

1 week ago Taiwan to test kamikaze sea drone to ‘support coastal assault operations’

Taiwan is planning to test a home-made kamikaze sea drone later this month as it seeks to boost its naval defences in the face of growing pressure from mainland China. The vessel – developed under the code name “Kuai Chi Project” by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan’s top weapons developer – will undergo combat capability evaluations later this month before further tests later this year, a military source said on Monday. “If all goes according to plan,...

Events

1 week ago Boeing’s China hopes face trade war headwinds, supply chain risks: analysts

Boeing expects Chinese airlines to resume orders that were paused during the trade war with the United States, but analysts warn supply chain constraints and tariff uncertainties could slow actual deliveries. Kelly Ortberg, CEO of the American aircraft giant, said Chinese airlines have confirmed they would begin taking deliveries of Boeing planes this month after Beijing and Washington agreed to a 90-day trade truce in May. In April, Ortberg was quoted as saying that deliveries to China had been...

Events

1 week ago South Korea’s presidential election puts its US alliance, Taiwan stance at stake

As South Koreans prepare to vote in a snap presidential election that could reshape Seoul’s defence spending and its approach to a potential conflict over Taiwan, the future of the nation’s foreign policy and its alliance with the United States hangs in the balance. On Tuesday, South Koreans will go to the polls to elect a successor to impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol, with Lee Jae-myung of the centre-left Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) widely expected to win by a comfortable margin. Observers...

Politics

1 week ago Novo Nordisk faces fierce competition in China’s diabetes drug market

Competition in the mainland Chinese market for diabetes and weight loss drugs is set to intensify as more than 60 late-stage drug candidates are undergoing clinical trials, according to a recent report. Up to 20 biosimilar or generic copies will vie for market share and add pricing pressure after Denmark-based Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide product loses patent protection in China next year, according to Boston-based global consultancy L.E.K. Consulting. Novo Nordisk’s patent will expire in 2031 in...

Events