Dubai, UAE -- Global political and business leaders called for faster adoption of emerging technologies and closer international cooperation to translate innovation into economic growth, job creation and competitiveness, as the World Economic Forum's "Summer Davos" meeting concluded in the Chinese city of Dalian. More than 1,800 participants from over...
China’s LNG ambitions take shape
The 344-meters-long QC-Max vessel, being built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, is designed for a major Qatari LNG expansion project.
China’s foreign exchange reserves rise by $31bn to $3.44 trillion
Dubai, UAE -- China’s foreign exchange reserves rose to $3.4422 trillion at the end of May, their highest level in several months, as a weaker U.S. dollar and changes in global asset prices boosted the value of the country's holdings, official data showed on Sunday. The reserves increased by $31.7...
Xi and Putin reaffirm alliance days after Trump’s Beijing visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, days after US President Donald Trump visited the Chinese capital, with the two leaders presenting themselves as a force for stability amid growing global tensions linked to Washington’s policies.
Trump says Xi wants Hormuz Strait reopened amid Iran conflict
US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened, following talks between the two leaders in Beijing that focused heavily on the Iran conflict and disruptions to global energy supplies.
US slaps fresh sanctions on China-linked firms over Iran missile program
The United States on Friday announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting people and companies in China, Hong Kong, Belarus, and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly helping Iran acquire supplies and military equipment for its missile and drone programs.
Humanoid robot outpaces human half-marathon record in Beijing trial
Dubai, UAE -- A humanoid robot completed a half-marathon in China in a time faster than the human world record, according to state media and industry reports, highlighting rapid advances in robotics. The robot, widely referred to as “Lightning” or “Flash,” finished the 21.1-kilometer race in 50 minutes and 26...
Novel concept: China’s spellbinding bookstores draw selfie snappers
Tianjin, China -- Towering accordion steps and a fantastical spiral staircase greet visitors to a massive bookstore in northern China's Tianjin, where its striking interior is a bigger draw for selfie snappers than scholars. Sales of hard-copy books across the country have failed to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels, data...
Russia joins Chinese, Iran warships for military drills off South Africa
A Russian warship arrived off South Africa's main naval base Friday to join Chinese and Iranian vessels for military exercises that risk further damaging Pretoria's relations with Washington.
China says to launch digital currency action plan
Beijing, China -- China will on January 1 launch an "action plan" for boosting management and operations of its digital currency, a deputy governor of the country's central bank said Monday. "The future digital yuan will be a modern digital payment and circulation means issued and circulated within the financial...China’s high-speed rail network passes 50,000km mark
Beijing, China -- China's sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening of a new line on Friday, state media reported. The country has the world's largest rail network -- one-fifth longer than the circumference of the earth. The trip begins in...Kuwait signs $4.1 billion deal with China to build port
Kuwait City, Kuwait -- Kuwait has signed a deal worth $4.1 billion with China to complete the construction of a major port, as the oil-rich country seeks to diversify its economy with a bigger role in global trade. The State Audit Bureau, a government oversight body responsible for monitoring public...China’s rare earths El Dorado gives strategic edge
Ganzhou, China -- Buried in the reddish soil of southern China lies latent power: one of the largest clusters of crucial rare earths is mined around the clock by a secretive and heavily guarded industry. The hills of Jiangxi province are home to most of China's rare earth mines, with...
Global coal demand expected to hit record in 2025: IEA
In its annual report on the coal industry, the International Energy Agency said demand was on course to rise by 0.5 percent this year to hit a record 8.85 billion tons, although demand is expected to decline over the rest of the decade as rival generation options multiply.China’s smaller manufacturers look to catch the automation wave
Yancheng, China -- In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world's manufacturing powerhouse. China is already the world's largest market for industrial robots, and...
US launches pact for AI supply chains with key Asia-Pacific allies to face China
The United States signed an agreement on the supply chains with key Asia-Pacific allies concerned about China's growing clout -- Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australia -- as well as Israel.Trump says US will allow sale of Nvidia AI chips to China
Washington, United States - President Donald Trump said Monday he had reached an agreement with President Xi Jinping to allow US chip giant Nvidia to export advanced artificial intelligence chips to China. The announcement marked a significant shift in US export policy for advanced AI chips, which Joe Biden's administration...Robots take centre stage at Singapore ‘Olympiad’
Singapore -- The World Robot Olympiad opened in Singapore on Wednesday with hundreds of international students, some as young as eight, set to compete using automatons to solve real-world problems. The annual competition, which began in 2004 in Singapore and was held in Turkey last year, highlights the importance of technology...How China leveraged its rare earths dominance over the US in tariff war
China's stranglehold on the rare earths industry -- from natural reserves and mining through processing and innovation -- is the result of a decades-long drive, now giving Beijing crucial leverage in its trade war with the United States.China’s Xi pushes Taiwan issue in call with Trump
Chinese leader Xi Jinping pressed the ever-sensitive issue of Taiwan in a phone call Monday with US President Donald Trump, as he stressed the need to build on a fragile trade truce between the two superpowers.China’s consumer prices rose in Oct, reversing stagnation
Beijing has struggled to maintain a strong economic recovery from the pandemic, as it fights a debt crisis in its massive property sector, chronically low consumption and elevated youth unemployment.
Chinese ship scouts deep-ocean floor in South Pacific
Beijing, China -- A Chinese research vessel docked in the Cook Islands Saturday as it probed the Pacific nation's deep-sea mining potential, a fledgling industry of mounting interest to both Beijing and Washington. The Da Yang Hao docked in the palm-shaded port of Avatiu on a "scientific research cruise" through...China hails coming of ‘multipolar world’ ahead of key Trump-Xi talks to avert trade war
Global markets are watching closely to see if Thursday's planned meeting between the two presidents can halt a trade war sparked by the sweeping tariffs Trump announced after returning to office this year.
US treasury secretary signals deal to ease trade war with China
Washington, United States -- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday signaled a tentative deal with China to de-escalate their damaging, tariff-fueled trade war -- just days before a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. In an interview with ABC's "This Week," Bessent said the US threat of...China vows massive high-tech sector development in next decade
Beijing, China -- China will develop its high-tech sector on a massive scale in the next decade, top officials vowed Friday, a day after meetings on the country's future policy priorities concluded in Beijing. The four days of closed-door discussions began on Monday and involved high-ranking officials outlining long-term strategies...China’s power paradox: record renewables, continued coal
Bangkok, Thailand -- Call it the China power paradox: while Beijing leads the world in renewable energy expansion, its coal projects are booming too. As the top emitter of greenhouse gases, China will largely determine whether the world avoids the worst effects of climate change. On the one hand, the...
US Treasury chief: Beijing’s rare earths control is ‘China versus the world’
Washington, United States -- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent slammed Beijing's rare earth export curbs Wednesday as "China versus the world," vowing that Washington and its allies would "neither be commanded nor controlled." "This should be a clear sign to our allies that we must work together, and work together we...
IMF lifts 2025 global growth forecast, warns of ongoing trade ‘uncertainty’
In its flagship World Economic Outlook (WEO) report -- compiled before the most recent US-China tariff spat -- the IMF hiked its 2025 global growth forecast to 3.2 percent, up from 3.0 in July, while leaving its prediction for 2026 unchanged at 3.1 percent.As Trump mulls imposing additional 100% tariff, China says will ‘fight to the end’ in trade war
China said on Tuesday it was ready to "fight to the end" in a trade war with the United States after President Donald Trump said he would impose an additional 100 percent tariff on the world's second-largest economy.
China accuses US of ‘double standards’ over new tariffs threat
Beijing, China -- China accused the United States of "double standards" on Sunday, after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 100 percent tariff on the world's second-largest economy. Trump reignited his trade war with China on Friday, accusing Beijing of imposing "extraordinarily aggressive" new export curbs relating to rare earths....Trump says no reason to meet Xi, threatens ‘massive’ China tariffs
US President Donald Trump said Friday he no longer feels the need for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this month, slamming Beijing for hostile trade practices and threatening "massive" tariffs.China’s chip challenge: the race to match US tech
Beijing, China - China's push to develop top-end artificial intelligence microchips is gaining momentum, but analysts say it will struggle to match the technical might of US powerhouse Nvidia within the current decade. Ramping up its chip industry is a way for Beijing to beat restrictions imposed by Washington on...US sanctions on key Indian project in Iran take effect
US sanctions went into effect Monday on a major Indian port project in Iran, as President Donald Trump again showed his willingness to punish longstanding partner New Delhi in aid of his wider regional goals -- in this case to pressure Tehran.
World’s highest bridge opens to traffic in China
Beijing, China -- The world's highest bridge opened to traffic in China on Sunday, state media said, capping an engineering feat three years in the making and snatching the record from another bridge in the same province. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge towers 625 metres (2,051 feet) above a river...Sweeping UN sanctions loom for Iran after nuclear talks fail
Sweeping UN sanctions loomed for Iran late Saturday for the first time in a decade, after last ditch nuclear talks with Western powers failed to produce a breakthrough.
Iran sanctions look set to return despite last-ditch China, Russia effort to secure a delay
China and Russia at a Security Council session on Friday put forward a draft resolution, seen by AFP, that would give another half year for talks, or until April 18, 2026.Americans would dominate board of new TikTok US entity: W.House
A deal for the Chinese parent company of popular video-sharing app TikTok to sell its US operations would see the creation of a board dominated by Americans, the White House said Saturday.Trump speaks with Xi, sees progress on TikTok, says will visit China early next year
US President Donald Trump hailed Friday what he called progress with Chinese President Xi Jinping including on selling blockbuster app TikTok and said he would visit the Asian powerUS says ‘framework’ deal with China on TikTok ownership
Donald Trump said -- without directly naming the social media giant -- that a deal was reached with a "certain company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy!"Post SCO summit, Kim, Putin at Xi’s side for massive China military parade in Beijing
In unprecedented scenes, Xi shook both their hands and chatted with the pair as they walked down a red carpet towards Tiananmen Square, with Putin to Xi's right and Kim to his left.
Post SCO summit, China’s Xi and Russia’s Putin start talks in Beijing, says state media
The Chinese and Russian leaders criticised Western governments during the summit on Monday, where Xi slammed "bullying behaviour" from certain countries -- a veiled reference to the United States.Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ‘strongly condemns’ civilian toll in Gaza
The 10-member SCO said they also strongly condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iran in June, in the statement issued after a summit of the 10 member states in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin.Leaders gather in China for SCO summit ceremony, Xi slams ‘bullying’ behaviour in world order
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus -- with 16 more countries affiliated as observersPutin and Modi in China for summit hosted by Xi
President Xi Jinping gathered the leaders of Russia and India among dignitaries from around 20 Eurasian countries on Sunday to kick off a showpiece summit aimed at putting China front and centre of regional relations.China manufacturing shrinks in August despite new US trade truce
Beijing, China -- China's factory output ticked up in August but still recorded a fifth straight month of contraction, official data showed Sunday, as Beijing and Washington press on with trade talks. The Purchasing Managers' Index -- a key measure of industrial output -- was 49.4, the National Bureau of...Labubu fans flock to stores after launch of mini dolls
Beijing, China -- A dozen furry dolls strung together on a metal chain dangled from Labubu fan Maki Li's neck as he proudly posed for photos in front of a store selling the toys in central Beijing on Friday. Made by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, the fanged creatures have taken...Bird call contest boosts conservation awareness in Hong Kong’s concrete jungle
The competition brought nearly 100 people together, including a contestant who mimicked the critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoo.Boeing in talks to sell up to 500 planes to China: Bloomberg
New York, United States -- US aviation giant Boeing is in talks to sell up to 500 aircraft to Chinese companies, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The deal would be a major win for the struggling US manufacturer, with company shares rising as high as 3.7...Indian PM Modi to visit China, security chief says
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China later in August, his security chief said on Tuesday during talks with Beijing's foreign minister in New Delhi.China Evergrande Group says to delist from Hong Kong
Hong Kong, China -- Embattled property giant China Evergrande Group said Tuesday it will delist from Hong Kong Stock Exchange as a heavier-than-expected debt burden weighed on its liquidation process. The Hong Kong bourse's listing committee decided to cancel Evergrande's listing as it had failed to meet a July deadline...
Most markets rise as China-US tariff truce extended, US inflation data in focus
In an executive order, the White House reiterated its position that there are "large and persistent annual US goods trade deficits" and they constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the economy of the United States.
