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Artificial intelligence is already reshaping industries and markets, even though artificial general intelligence (AGI) – a still theoretical form of AI capable of humanlike reasoning across many tasks rather than single specialised functions – has yet to be achieved. That was the message of a recent essay posted on X by start-up founder Matt Shumer, titled “Something Big Is Happening”. He likened the current moment to the period just before the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing that the disruption...

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday took advantage of being on the world stage to blast Sanae Takaichi’s remarks that a Taiwan contingency constituted an emergency for Japan, suggesting Japan’s military involvement in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. “This is the first time in 80 years that a Japanese Prime Minister has uttered such words. It directly violates China’s territorial sovereignty, and it directly challenges the fact that Taiwan has been returned to China. It completely...

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“Our destiny will be intertwined with yours”, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told European allies at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, sending a strong message of US commitment to transatlantic ties. Europe was the US’ “oldest friend” and the US’ “cherished allies”, Rubio said, adding “we want Europe to be strong”. “We believe that Europe must survive. Because the two great wars of the last century serve for us as history’s constant reminder that ultimately our destiny is and will...

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China’s travel industry is expecting a sharp increase in visitors to Australia during this month’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, as millions of tourists fan out across the world for a nine-day break. Industry insiders said the lure of wine, seafood, nature and flexible small-group itineraries was driving interest in the island country. Australia is projected to attract “the most travellers from China” during the break, with bookings likely to more than double over last year’s total, according...

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Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has appealed for public support amid a dispute about a special military budget, warning that the deadlock could delay key weapons deliveries and risks the island slipping down the US arms supply priority list. The NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special budget has been repeatedly blocked by opposition parties, even as Taipei comes under increasing US pressure to prove its commitment to its own defence. Analysts warn that continued delays could weaken...

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a battleground for the United States and China, but it can also be an area for dialogue and cooperation on regulation and global governance, according to researchers in Hong Kong and Singapore. The team highlighted “policy convergence” on AI at the local level and challenged the “conventional and stereotypical” expectations of policy models in China and the United States that mainly focused on divergence. “Despite fierce competition between the two AI superpowers,...

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There is this old British chestnut that says justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. Justice has been amply served in the 20-year sentence handed down to former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, but it has not been seen to be done in many quarters, especially in the West. There is the reality of justice and the appearance of it, and the two don’t always or even usually coincide. There are two main reasons behind the widespread Western criticism of Lai’s case. One is that...

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Chinese scientists have developed microelectrodes that can flex and move with the brain, potentially paving the way for more advanced and adaptable brain-computer interfaces, according to a study published by the peer-reviewed Nature Electronics. The researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said the design of the neuronal activity recorders was inspired by the Japanese art of kirigami, with its intricate 3D designs achieved by cutting and folding paper. The scientists said their design...

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On the margins of a glitzy security event in Bavaria, the foreign ministers of France and Germany revived a dormant diplomatic format with China, in what was described as part of a larger effort to prevent the world’s superpowers from picking Europe apart. France’s Jean-Noel Barrot and Germany’s Johann Wadephul hosted China’s Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference, reviving a configuration not seen since the days of French President Emmanuel Macron’s first term. “If we do not stick together,...

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Brazilian prosecutors and police launched an extensive crackdown on a Chinese electronics distribution network accused of laundering more than one billion reais (US$190 million) over seven months through a system allegedly related to one of Latin America’s most powerful crime syndicates. The Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC, syndicate allegedly sold imported consumer electronics throughout Brazil via a Chinese e-commerce platform called “Knup Brasil”, including mobile phone chargers,...

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In a move that escalates tensions between Beijing and Washington just weeks ahead of US President Donald Trump’s anticipated trip to Beijing, the Pentagon added a wide range of Chinese companies to a list of firms with alleged links to the military before withdrawing the document. Giants like Alibaba Group Holding, Baidu and BYD are among the firms added to the list. Alibaba is the parent company of the South China Morning Post. Released on Friday, the updated designation also names firms...

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In the article below, Professor Jiang Shixue argues that “coercive diplomacy” best characterises the foreign policy of the United States. He defines coercive diplomacy as the use of diplomatic language backed by military or economic pressure to force other countries into submission. Jiang writes that the United States, as the world’s sole superpower, routinely applies … Continue reading Coercive diplomacy is diplomacy of muscle

The post Coercive diplomacy is diplomacy of muscle appeared first on Friends of Socialist China.

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In the following analysis for Beijing Review, Carlos Martinez assesses British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s January visit to China as a significant moment in the recalibration of Britain-China relations amid accelerating geopolitical changes. The trip – the first by a British prime minister in eight years – signals a cautious thaw after a prolonged diplomatic … Continue reading Deal diplomacy: Starmer’s China trip bets on business over ideology

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Fiscal strains are forcing Chinese provinces to slash their budget-revenue expectations for 2026 due to the knock-on effects of a five-year property market slump, and analysts cite the shift as a warning sign that intense debt pressures continue to drag down the nation’s economic growth outlook. Major provinces are budgeting for 2 to 3 per cent growth this year in general public operating revenue, broadly in line with last year but below broader economic growth targets, Fitch Ratings said in a...

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China and the US are likely to secure several “very positive” outcomes but not a “grand bargain” at their presidential summit in April, according to the board chief of a major American business lobby. James Zimmerman, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said on Friday that “the optics [of] announcing deals” such as aircraft and soybean sales might be US President Donald Trump’s primary objective for his meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing this...

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In the latest sign of China’s push to channel private capital into infrastructure, several local governments have begun actively seeking private investors for two major ultra-high-voltage power line projects – the first schemes of their kind to open up to non-state funding since a Beijing directive encouraging the practice last November. China is building a series of vast power lines to funnel clean energy from its resource-rich but sparsely populated western regions to power-hungry industrial...

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China’s anti-corruption watchdogs have again put cadres on notice, ordering tighter discipline and greater scrutiny of Communist Party officials in the countdown to next year’s leadership reshuffle. Among the fresh warnings on Thursday was a caution against associating with “political swindlers”, people who fraudulently claim to have links to senior officials so they can peddle promotions for cash. The orders were issued jointly by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the...

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Beijing has urged Tokyo to protect its crew members’ rights after Japan said it had seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its captain in an incident that will potentially heighten tensions. Japanese authorities said the incident occurred on Thursday inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off its southwestern Nagasaki prefecture after the Chinese vessel allegedly tried to flee an inspection. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday that the Chinese government had...

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AstraZeneca’s former China head has been formally charged with medical insurance fraud, illegal trading and unlawful collection of personal information, more than a year after he first came under investigation – casting a shadow over the Swedish-British drug maker’s expansion in its second-largest market. The pharmaceutical giant confirmed to the Financial Times and Reuters that Leon Wang was one of two individuals indicted, as referenced in its latest earnings report published on Tuesday. The...

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China’s official military paper has revealed another incident in which PLA fighter jets radar-locked a foreign stealth aircraft, four months after state media reported a similar encounter. A social media account affiliated with the PLA Daily said in an article published on Wednesday that Eastern Theatre Command fighter jets locked their radar onto a foreign stealth aircraft at a distance of 800 metres (2,624 feet). The article did not mention when or where the encounter took place. Military...

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi have met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. The meeting comes as Washington and Beijing prepare for US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in April. The trip is expected to take place in early April, although the exact dates have yet to be confirmed. Trump has said that Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will visit the United States “towards the end of the year” but details of that trip also have not...

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In the following article, Mick Kelly, the Political Secretary of the Freedom Road Socialist Organisation (FRSO) in the United States, argues that the US is on a collision course with socialist China. Scholarly international relations journals, such as Foreign Affairs, regularly carry articles about a coming war between the two countries. Mick notes that in … Continue reading An analysis of the escalating US threats toward China

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The Hong Kong romantic comedy ‘My Indian Boyfriend’ is to be remade for audiences in Britain, with a production set in the East Midlands city of Leicester. It’s another pioneering first for Dr. Hiu Man Chan, the Founder and Executive Director of UK-China Film Collab, who also lectures in creative industries at Leicester’s  De Montfort … Continue reading Pioneering Hong Kong ‘rom com’ to get Leicester remake

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Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen have warned gold market operators not to use exaggerated slogans such as “get rich by buying gold”, barring them from making inflated promises to retail investors after two trading platforms failed amid sharp price swings in global markets. Ten government departments – including the local financial regulatory bureau and the Shenzhen branch of the People’s Bank of China – issued a notice on Friday to “prevent and defuse market risks, protect...

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Beijing has for the first time revealed the intricate composition of China’s consumer price index (CPI) basket, and a fresh recalibration sees it shift more weight towards services and new types of consumption goods. The basket adjustment itself, conducted every five years, comes as the Chinese leadership seeks to steer the world’s second-largest economy out of deflationary pressure while avoiding a prolonged Japan-style spiralling of prices. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has...

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