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A passenger ferry named after an ancient monk seen as a symbol of Sino-Japanese cultural exchange has suspended its service as Beijing continues its retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan. The Jian Zhen Hao ferry from Shanghai to Japan’s Osaka and Kobe has been suspended since Saturday “due to a request from the Chinese side” over concerns that the safety of travel between the two countries could not be guaranteed, according to the operator, Japan-China...

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China’s commerce minister has urged the country to push forward with opening-up policies over the next five years to reshape China’s role in the global economy while bolstering domestic consumption, as Beijing gears up for one of its most important economic planning meetings of the year. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao highlighted China’s commitment to open markets and multilateral trade in an article published in the Communist Party’s flagship newspaper, People’s Daily, on Monday. His remarks...

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Emmanuel Macron has warned Beijing that Europe would be forced to retaliate with “strong measures” against Chinese goods – including punitive tariffs modelled after US policy – if a trade imbalance between the two sides remains unaddressed well into 2026. Back in Paris, fresh from a diplomatic visit to China that ended on Friday, the French president told business newspaper Les Echos that China was “effectively killing their own customers” by running unsustainable surpluses while curbing...

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The US defence chief touted a message of peace, communication and “flexible realism” with China in a speech over the weekend, foreshadowing an American national defence strategy that is expected to be released soon. In his keynote address at the annual Reagan National Defence Forum on Saturday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was committed to putting “America first” and avoiding involvement in foreign entanglements as it prioritised domestic security. Yet in drawing comparisons...

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China’s top espionage official has identified Taiwanese independence, technology theft, subversion and the defence of strategically important sea lanes as top priorities for the next five years. State Security Minister Chen Yixin identified the issues as his main priorities in an article published in Study Times, the mouthpiece of the Central Party School, which is used for ideological and administrative training. In his assessment of international affairs, Chen noted the decline of a “unipolar...

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Chinese scientists have genetically modified a fungus commonly used in the production of meat substitutes to make it an even more environmentally friendly source of protein than chicken – one of the farmed animals that has the least impact on the environment. The team used CRISPR-based gene editing to modify Fusarium venenatum, improving its production efficiency and reducing its environmental impact without introducing foreign DNA, according to a paper published in the peer-reviewed Trends in...

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China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier continued its military drill in waters near Japan’s Okinawa on Sunday, Tokyo said, after a rare military stand-off between Chinese and Japanese fighter jets the previous day. The Liaoning and three guided missile destroyers were sailing northeast in the waters between Okinawa and Minami-Daito islands, and in waters around 190km (118 miles) east of Kikai Island, Japan’s defence ministry said on Sunday night. Furthermore, around 50 take-offs and landings by...

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China has pledged to continue to exert a “more proactive” fiscal policy and “moderately loose” monetary policy next year as it seeks to promote “effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth” in its economy. After a meeting of the 24-member Politburo on Monday, the major decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party said the country would “seek progress while maintaining stability and pursue higher quality and greater efficiency in next year’s economic work.” “[We...

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China’s big money is returning to African infrastructure as its state-owned firms evolve from mere builders into long-term financiers and operators. This is so they have enough “skin in the game”, according to one analyst, as Beijing seeks lasting influence over key transport routes and critical mineral supply chains in Africa. Across the continent, these companies are increasingly financing, building and operating key infrastructure under public-private partnerships (PPP). This financing model...

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China’s exports rebounded in November after declining in October, as trade sentiment improved on the heels of high-level China-US talks. Outbound shipments rose 5.9 per cent year on year to US$330.35 billion, customs data showed on Monday. This marked an improvement from October’s 1.1 per cent drop and beat the 3 per cent increase projected by financial data provider Wind. Imports reached US$218.67 billion in November, rising 1.9 per cent year on year, accelerating from October’s 1 per cent...

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China is building the world’s highest unmanned mine at a forbidding altitude of 5,600 metres (18,372 feet), higher than the world’s highest known inhabited settlement. At the Huoshaoyun lead-zinc mine in Hotan county, Xinjiang, domestically developed unmanned mining trucks have successfully completed ore loading and transport testing, according to the state-owned Science and Technology Daily. These machines can operate round the clock, eliminating the risk to workers of exposure to the...

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Beijing has hit back with “counter-protests” against Japan’s representations over the weekend mid-air military stand-off northeast of Taiwan near the Miyako Strait, accusing Tokyo of “purely ill-intentioned” rhetoric. The escalation of the diplomatic clash showed that tensions between the two neighbours continue to heighten following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in November over Taiwan. According to Japan’s defence ministry, there were two separate instances of radar...

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Mainland China’s coastguard has carried out its first-ever search and rescue exercise in a key section of the Taiwan Strait – one of the world’s most strategically vital and busiest waterways. The large-scale drills on Saturday centred around the Taiwan Shoal – a shallow, hazardous stretch in the southern end of the strait. The location underscored Beijing’s first operational presence in the vital choke point where global trade, military strategy and cross-strait politics converge. The Fujian...

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Huang Yiping is the dean of Peking University’s National School of Development and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank. He also sits on the Hong Kong stock exchange’s Mainland China Advisory Group. In his second Open Questions interview, Huang shares his thoughts on the need for caution in adopting new technologies like stablecoins and artificial intelligence, China’s next five-year plan and whether its tariff ceasefire with the US...

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China has launched a revolutionary facility in the eastern province of Shandong that produces fresh water from seawater for just two yuan (US$0.28) per cubic metre, generating green hydrogen as a by-product in a breakthrough that could redefine global water and energy systems. This small but world-first installation in the city of Rizhao is powered entirely by seawater and low-grade waste heat from nearby steel and petrochemical plants, official provincial news outlet Dazhong reported on...

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Imagine a robot that could tie your shoelaces to the perfect degree of tightness, or a robotic hand capable of performing abdominal surgery and then suturing the wound with impeccable precision. You might assume these feats would rely on complex electronic sensors, and yet a breakthrough by Chinese scientists has made it possible for robots to rival the skill of experienced surgeons – even with their “eyes closed” – using just a simple knot. The achievement, by an interdisciplinary team from...

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Chinese cross-border e-commerce entrepreneur Andy Guo has just opened two warehouses covering a total of 5,000 square metres (53,820 sq ft) on the outskirts of Moscow. He said the move was not about addressing logistical bottlenecks, but preparing his business for a potential geopolitical shift that could reshape his fastest-growing yet most uncertain overseas market if Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal. US President Donald Trump has continued to push for the end of hostilities between...

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A research project about changes in family life over three generations has found that traditional values still play a key role in sexual relations in China, and women often struggle amid tensions between old and new. One of the areas of conflict is what researcher Liu Jieyu has called a “virginity battle”. Influenced by Western liberal attitudes, many younger Chinese men are open to premarital sex, and they often pressure their girlfriends to have sex while dating, according to Liu’s new book,...

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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s trip to China this week signals a mutual desire to resume high-level dialogue amid mounting economic and geopolitical tensions, according to analysts. But they cautioned that the visit, which could lay the groundwork for a trip by Chancellor Friedrich Merz early next year, should be viewed as pragmatic management of a complex “systemic rivalry”, rather than a major reset in Beijing’s relations with Berlin or Brussels. For Germany, securing access to...

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South Africa, China’s largest trade partner in the continent, and other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) members are suffering from an unforeseen barrier to enjoying Beijing’s zero-tariff policy. The hurdle is eSwatini’s continued diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and hence exclusion from the favourable policy. SACU customs deals are negotiated collectively among the five member states, which means none can unilaterally benefit from the preferential tariff exemption. Beijing sees Taiwan as...

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Ground has quite literally been broken on a Chinese-funded project to modernise the Tanzania-Zambia railway after years of negotiations, amid intensifying “corridor wars” as major powers compete to shape transport and trade networks across not just Africa but also Eurasia and beyond. The US$1.4 billion upgrade will restore the 1,860km railway, known as Tazara, a vital corridor linking Zambia’s Copperbelt to the Indian Ocean via Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port, connecting southern and eastern...

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They promise consistency, cost savings and the speed demanded by modern life. But in a culture that reveres freshness and the wok hei benchmark for Chinese dishes, the rapid rise of industrially processed pre-made meals has stirred a heated debate – and simmering anger. The recent public outcry has been driven not by food safety fears, but by a perceived lack of transparency. Diners at restaurants are increasingly incensed about paying premium prices for reheated factory packets served without...

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A rare military confrontation occurred in the waters northeast of Taiwan near the Miyako Strait on Saturday when Japan claimed that Chinese naval fighters had conducted intermittent fire-control radar illumination – a tactical precursor to missile engagement – on its F-15J fighter jets. According to Japan’s Ministry of Defence, J-15 fighters launched from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier performed two separate instances of radar targeting. The first incident happened between 4.32pm and 4.35pm...

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The southern Chinese megacity of Shenzhen, a symbol of the country’s rapid urbanisation and development, has spent decades transforming urban villages and tenement blocks into dense public housing estates and massive industrial and office parks. Now, in a move that speaks volumes about its scarcity of land, the tech hub is relocating an enormous landfill from the city centre, an act that could allow for the development of floor space totalling more than 1 million square metres (10.76 million sq...

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From temple courtyards to trendy cafes, cats have long captivated hearts in China. Now, scientists have shed light on the pet’s origin in the country, suggesting its earliest presence dates back to the Tang dynasty (618-907), with its arrival via the Silk Road. A Tang dynasty provincial governor was recorded as the first person in Chinese history to name his dozens of cats. The avid cat lover also set aside a large area at home to play with them. Wu Zetian, China’s first and only woman emperor,...

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