3 h. ago UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia (UNESCO Beijing) Newsletter, 2025 Q3

UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia (UNESCO Beijing) Newsletter, 2025 Q3  unesco.org

Politics

37 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

47 h. ago Taiwan sets out new rules outlining when troops can shoot down drones

Taiwan has for the first time formally outlined the circumstances under which its troops can shoot down incoming drones. The move is part of a broader effort by the island’s defence ministry to codify its rules of engagement and strengthen its ability to respond to mounting military pressure from mainland China. The new procedures, disclosed in the recently released National Defence Report 2025, set out a four-step standard operating procedure – identification and monitoring, alert and...

Events

69 h. ago No major PLA activities near Taiwan after ‘troublemaker’ Lai’s policy speech

The People’s Liberation Army has refrained from conducting a large-scale drill near Taiwan following its leader’s annual policy speech – an address seen as less provocative than last year’s, which drew sabre-rattling from Beijing. Figures released by Taiwan’s defence ministry showed there was no increase in the number of PLA warplanes and warships detected near the island following William Lai Ching-te’s Double Tenth address on October 10. According to the Taiwanese figures, the PLA conducted...

Events

69 h. ago No major PLA activity near Taiwan after ‘troublemaker’ Lai’s policy speech

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has refrained from conducting a large-scale drill near Taiwan following its leader’s annual policy speech – an address seen as less provocative than last year’s, which drew sabre-rattling from Beijing. Figures released by Taiwan’s defence ministry showed there was no increase in the number of PLA warplanes and warships detected near the island following William Lai Ching-te’s Double Tenth address on October 10. According to the Taiwanese figures, the PLA...

Events

3 d. ago Labour urged to come clean over secret summits with Chinese officials that show extent of links to Beijing

Labour urged to come clean over secret summits with Chinese officials that show extent of links to Beijing  Daily Mail

Politics

4 d. ago Envoys take special tour of Hong Kong’s exhibition on Chinese side of WWII

China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has organised its first tour for diplomats and business chamber representatives of an exhibition on the country’s war of resistance against Japan, with a Beijing official saying the event promotes remembering history, cherishing peace and creating a better future. More than 20 consuls general, consuls and representatives from foreign commerce chambers on Friday afternoon joined the visit to “United in Arms, Standing for Peace: 80th Anniversary of Chinese...

Events

4 d. ago Envoys given special tour of Hong Kong exhibition on Chinese victory in WWII

The Chinese foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong has organised its first tour for diplomats and business chamber representatives of an exhibition on the country’s war of resistance against Japan, with a Beijing official saying the aim of the visit was to remember history, cherish peace and create a better future. More than 20 consuls general, consuls and representatives from foreign chambers of commerce joined the visit on Friday afternoon to the “United in Arms, Standing for Peace: 80th...

Events

4 d. ago No ‘Beijing’s blessing’ or special treatment in Hong Kong election, office says

There is no such thing as a “blessing” or “special treatment” for candidates in Hong Kong’s coming Legislative Council poll, Beijing’s top office overseeing the city’s affairs has said, after at least 15 legislators decided against running for re-election. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office also said on Friday night that a change of lawmakers through Legco elections was standard practice and represented “the true meaning of democracy”. It said younger, more professional and innovative...

Politics

5 d. ago EU and China lawmakers spar over Moscow, Taipei in first talks since 2018

Lawmakers from Brussels and Beijing clashed on Russia and Taiwan, during their first official talks for seven years in the Belgian capital on Thursday. EU lawmakers and other people present said delegates from the National People’s Congress (NPC) echoed Russian narratives on the cause of the three-year war in Ukraine, as they visited the European Parliament for the first dialogue since 2018, following a normalisation of ties earlier this year. “The Chinese side questioned Nato’s right to exist....

Politics

5 d. ago Brussels and Beijing lawmakers spar over Russia, Taiwan in first talks since 2018

Lawmakers from Brussels and Beijing clashed on Russia and Taiwan, during their first official talks for seven years in the Belgian capital on Thursday. EU lawmakers and other people present said delegates from the National People’s Congress (NPC) echoed Russian narratives on the cause of the three-year war in Ukraine, as they visited the European Parliament for the first dialogue since 2018, following a normalisation of ties earlier this year. “The Chinese side questioned Nato’s right to exist....

Politics

6 d. ago US officials blast China rare earth curbs, urge Beijing to reverse course

US officials blast China rare earth curbs, urge Beijing to reverse course  thesun.my

Politics

6 d. ago How China can position its K visa for success in race for global tech talent

Could China’s new K visa reshape the global competition for top talent? Beijing certainly aims to do just that. Officially rolled out this month, the visa is aimed at young foreign professionals in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. It targets graduates and professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree in STEM from recognised institutions or engaged in relevant education or research. Unlike other Chinese visas for employment or research, the K visa does not...

Politics

6 d. ago US officials blast China's actions on rare earths, urge Beijing to back down

US officials blast China's actions on rare earths, urge Beijing to back down  Yahoo

Politics

6 d. ago What China’s bounty for 18 Taiwan military officers says about Beijing’s calculations

What China’s bounty for 18 Taiwan military officers says about Beijing’s calculations  The Straits Times

Events

7 d. ago ‘Red gift bag’: US national security expert arrested over classified documents

Ashley Tellis, a prominent Indian-American national security expert and long-time US adviser, has been accused of hoarding classified documents and repeatedly meeting Chinese officials, stirring concern over possible Beijing ties and jolting Washington’s foreign policy circles. An affidavit dated October 13 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said more than a thousand pages of classified materials – several marked “Top Secret” and “Secret” – were recovered from various...

Events

9 d. ago Sending a message: Beijing issues documents without Word format amid US tensions

China’s expansion of its rare earth export controls appeared to mark another escalation in the US-China trade war last week. But the announcements were also significant in another way: unusually, the documents could not be opened using American word processing software. For the first time, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a slew of documents that could be directly accessed only through WPS Office – China’s answer to Microsoft Office – as Beijing continues its tech self-reliance...

Events

9 d. ago Interview: Global leaders' meeting in Beijing a key platform to advance women's empowerment, says Egyptian official

Interview: Global leaders' meeting in Beijing a key platform to advance women's empowerment, says Egyptian official  Xinhua

Politics

9 d. ago New deputy chief of liaison office meets Hong Kong media delegation in Beijing

The new deputy chief of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong has made his public debut, meeting a media delegation from the city in Beijing on Sunday. Sun Shangwu, who was appointed as a deputy director of the liaison office on Saturday, met representatives from some 20 mainstream media outlets, including the South China Morning Post. The delegation was received by Nong Rong, a deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), according to a...

Politics

9 d. ago Deputy director of Beijing office overseeing Hong Kong meets media delegation

Nong Rong, a deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), has met a media delegation from the city in Beijing. He was joined at the meeting on Sunday by Sun Shangwu, the new deputy chief of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong, who made his public debut a day after taking up the post. They met representatives from some 20 mainstream media outlets, including the South China Morning Post. Sun was appointed as a deputy director of the liaison...

Politics