Day: June 3, 2025
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Chinese Cross-Border Payments Expand in Southeast Asia
Cross-border payments using QR codes between China and several Southeast Asian countries took a leap forward this week. Chinese travelers to Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia can now use cashless QR code-based payments, eliminating the need for currency conversion. The initiative ...
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How Green Hydrogen Is Opening a New Chapter in China-Latin America Relations
In a global context marked by climate urgency and transition to cleaner energy, green hydrogen—a fuel produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy—has emerged as a strategic vector for decarbonization. Unlike solar or wind power, which ...
Cook Islands Involved in Trade of Sanctioned Oil to China?
Several tankers suspected of transporting Iranian and Russian oil to China were registered to the Cook Islands, according to an ongoing investigation by AFP. The news agency analyzed sanctions data from the U.S. and UK, and found that at least 34 ships tagged as transporting sanctioned oil in ...
Taiwan Pushes to Reset Ties with Honduras
Taiwan is ready to reestablish diplomatic relations with Honduras, and has been in touch with the two right-wing frontrunners in the closely fought election, said Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung on Tuesday. Both Salvador Nasralla (who took a narrow lead as ...
China to Expand Power Exports to Vietnam as Needs Surge
Vietnam is considering a sharp jump in electricity purchases from China as it looks for ways to keep the lights on in its fast-growing northern region. Factories there have multiplied. So have homes. Hanoi wants double-digit economic growth, and officials say the grid needs help to ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: Africa Edges Into the EV Era With Universal Charging Hubs And More Funding
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service. Many African nations find themselves in a paradoxical moment regarding electric mobility. They sit atop some of the world’s richest ...
Chinese Embassy Rebukes European Official’s Critique of Ghana Trade Relations
The Chinese embassy in Ghana blasted remarks by David McAllister, chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, who led a six-member delegation to visit legislators in Accra and warned about the dangers of becoming overly reliant on China for trade and investment.
Philippines and Canada Seal Troop Pact, Expanding Manila’s Web of Defense Ties Amid China Tensions
The Philippines and Canada signed a visiting forces agreement on Sunday, allowing Canadian troops to conduct joint exercises, deepening defense ties amid rising tensions with China in the South China Sea. The pact follows similar deals Manila signed with New Zealand, ...
China Denounces Philippines’ Joint Sea Exercises With U.S. and Allies, Calling Them a Threat to Stability
The People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command on Saturday accused the Philippines of undermining regional peace and stability for organizing joint naval exercises with Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Spokesperson Tian Junli accused Manila of acting as a "troublemaker" for its part ...
U.S. Defense Chief Lauds China Ties, Then Sounds Alarm Over Beijing’s Aggression at ASEAN Meeting
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth conveyed two seemingly contradictory messages on China during his discussions with his Southeast Asian counterparts during the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. On the one hand, Hegseth was downright effusive ...
US Offers ASEAN Surveillance Help, Then Praises China Ties
The United States on Saturday told Southeast Asian defence ministers it is ready to share technology and information to help them watch Chinese activity in the disputed South China Sea and respond together to what it called Beijing’s “destabilising actions.” Hours later, US Defense Secretary Pete ...
Learning the Latin American Way: How Chinese Companies Are Rewriting Their Playbook Overseas
A report in the popular nationalist news site Guancha.cn (Observer) draws on a year of field interviews with Chinese managers and entrepreneurs working across Latin America. It explores how firms accustomed to China’s high-speed, KPI-driven culture are adapting to Latin America’s “life-first” ethos, where social trust, ...
Chinese Scholars See Russia’s Venezuela Strategy as a Model of Hybrid Power Projection in the U.S.’ Backyard
Amid the ongoing deterioration of U.S.–Venezuelan relations, one analysis from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Latin American Studies, offers a valuable perspective on how Russia extends its global influence through selective partnerships in Latin America. By focusing on ...
Chinese Media View Milei’s Victory as Deepening Argentina’s Tilt Toward the U.S. and Wall Street
Chinese observers interpret Javier Milei’s triumph not simply as a domestic win for libertarian reform but as a struggle that places Argentina squarely under the shadow of Washington and Wall Street. In an analysis published by The Paper.cn, Yuan Mengqi, ...
China’s COMAC in Advanced Talks With AirAsia on Jet Sales
China’s state-linked planemaker COMAC is in advanced talks with Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia to sell narrow-body jets. “We’re in active discussions. I can confirm that,” AirAsia Tony Fernandes said. “We are very serious about COMAC. We’re excited. It’s ...
China-India Direct Flights to Resume After Long Suspension
China and India will restart direct flights between selected cities “by late October,” India’s embassy in China said, calling the move part of New Delhi’s “approach towards gradual normalization of relations between India and China.” Direct flights between the two ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China’s BYD Projects One Million EV Deliveries Abroad
China is reportedly curbing the use of European tech in its communication networks. State buyers of internet and mobile phone components have to submit contracts with companies like Sweden’s Ericsson and Finland’s Nokia for security review by the Cyberspace Administration of China before the purchase is allowed. The ...
China’s Global Initiatives: More Questions, Fewer Answers
By Lukas Fiala With the Xiangshan Forum, Beijing’s premier security summit, having taken place in September, I’ve been wondering about the state of the Global Security Initiative (GSI). It is common knowledge that it’s rather difficult to understand the implementation of ...
Inside the Bid: How Chinese Power Projects Are Procured in Africa
Behind every power plant is a crucial decision: who gets to build it, and how. Whether a project is delivered on time and on budget often hinges on how it was procured. Was it awarded through a competitive bidding process or negotiated behind closed doors? Were contractors ...
China Connects Alipay, WeChat to Indonesia’s QR Code QRIS
China’s central bank will enable Indonesia’s QR code standard, QRIS, to link with Alipay and WeChat Pay, a new step in an ongoing pilot with Bank Indonesia (BI). The link would let Indonesians scan the same QR codes to pay at ...
Zambia’s Lawsuit Against Sino-Metal Sparks Chinese Social Media Storm
International media particularly in the Western countries but also in South Africa and India extensively covered the Sino-Metals Leach tailings disaster that happened back in February, amplifying its impact on lives of Zambian communities and the environment. However, Chinese media maintained a conspicuous silence for ...
South Africa Solar Boom Signals Rebellion Against “Malfunctioning Energy Systems”
In many African countries, the future of electricity generation lies in renewables, and South Africa, where over 85% of the energy comes from coal-fired power plants, is already undergoing a shift. Last year, South Africa imported Chinese ...
In Bolivia, China’s Lithium Extraction Plans Went to the Polls and Lost Badly
Bolivia’s presidential elections have thrown the future of its lithium sector into doubt — and the country’s relationship with China has gone along with it. The first round of voting in late August ended two decades of rule by leftist party Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), and now, ...
Xi Pushes for Security Boost in Pakistan
Chinese President Xi Jinping increased pressure on Pakistan to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel working in the country during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. Chinese work teams ...
China–Central Asia Weekly Digest: Vocational Training, Cultural Centers & Governance Programs
This is a free preview of the upcoming China-Central Asia Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in late 2025. This week’s developments highlight how China is deepening its engagement with Central Asian societies through education, culture, and ...
China’s Military Parade Cements Superpower Optics
China displayed a vast array of advanced weapons during a large military parade to mark the 80th commemoration of World War II. The parade snaked down Chang'an Avenue in central Beijing. President Xi Jinping delivered a speech on Tiananmen Square and inspected the soldiers from a parade ...
China “Unstoppable,” Says Xi With Kim, Putin at His Side
By James Edgar North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin flanked Chinese President Xi Jinping at a massive parade in Beijing on Wednesday, capping a week of diplomatic grandstanding by the Chinese president and his allies against ...
SCO Summit Review: Xi, Modi & Putin Present a United Front
This week's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin signaled China’s ambition to redefine global governance. Leaders from more than 20 countries endorsed the Tianjin Declaration, pressing for a multipolar order, tighter security cooperation, and expanded economic integration.
Q&A: China’s EV in Southeast Asia: Growth or Dependency Trap?
A few weeks ago at the Indonesian auto show, I stood near a cluster of visitors crowding around new electric cars EVs. I noticed three questions that came up repeatedly as people leaned in to quiz the sales reps: How far can it go? Will it last? ...
Kim, Putin at Xi’s Side for Massive China Military Parade
By James Edgar North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin arrived Wednesday morning ahead of a massive parade in Beijing to cap a week of diplomatic grandstanding by President Xi Jinping and his allies against the West.
Chinese Military Blogger Reviews Vietnam’s Parade on the Eve of Beijing’s Own
On the day before China’s September 3rd military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, Vietnam staged its own large-scale celebration in Hanoi for the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day. On a Chinese WeChat public account focused on military ...
Why Chinese Flight Attendants Love Africa Routes
The most coveted international route among China Southern Airlines crew isn’t to glamorous destinations in Europe or the United States, but to Africa, a flight attendant recently revealed on Chinese video platform Bilibili. Back in 2015, during China Southern’s peak ...
Rubio Presses Mexico on Cartels and Fentanyl as China Looms in U.S. Security Push
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio headed Tuesday on his first trip in office to Mexico, which has so far succeeded in navigating treacherous terrain with President Donald Trump who wants tough action on migration and cartels. Rubio is set to ...
Indonesian Leader U-Turns on China Visit Despite Deadly Protests
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will visit China for a military parade commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II on Wednesday, after earlier cancelling his trip over deadly domestic protests stoked by the death of a young delivery driver. ...
China E-Mobility Weekly Digest: BYD Thailand Exporting to Europe, Limited Infrastructure Slows Ghana’s EV Adoption as Chinese EV Imitations Go Rogue
This is a free preview of the upcoming Africa EVs Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. The African electric vehicle (EV) market is projected to grow by 25 percent annually over the next ...
China and Russia Start Joint Drills in Sea of Japan
China and Russia began joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan on Sunday as they seek to reinforce their partnership and counterbalance what they see as a U.S.-led global order. Alongside economic and political ties, Moscow and Beijing have strengthened ...
Chinese Commentators Cheer Over Iran Ditches GPS for Beidou
In a move hailed by Chinese media as a geopolitical turning point, Iran has announced plans to gradually replace the U.S.-controlled GPS system with China’s Beidou satellite navigation network. The decision, revealed in mid-July by Iran’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology, is being framed in ...
“1001 Days of Pouring Concrete in Africa”: A Chinese Engineer’s Memoir Sparks Debate Online
A recently published memoir titled 《在非洲打灰的1001天：一个现代化的故事》 (“1001 Days of Pouring Concrete in Africa: A Modernization Story”) has ignited widespread discussion on Chinese social media. The author, Cao Fengze, holds a PhD in civil engineering from Tsinghua University and previously served ...
China’s Copper Smelting Boom Backfires Amid Global Supply Strains
Over the past decade, China positioned itself as a leader in copper refining, accounting for more than half of global capacity. Its strategy designed to secure control over key critical minerals meant to power everything from clean energy grids to electric vehicles, defense equipment, and construction ...
Fiji PM Says Chinese Base Is Not Welcome
Fiji opposes the idea of a Chinese military base in the Pacific Islands, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said on Wednesday. He told the National Press Club in Sydney that the island countries are navigating Chinese power and that Beijing knows he would lobby other countries in ...
U.S. Aircraft Carrier Makes Philippines Port Call
The nuclear-powered U.S. carrier George Washington arrived off the Philippine capital Thursday for a port visit, as the two allies increase defense cooperation aimed at contesting China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. The Nimitz-class vessel's port call came the ...
Lithium Prices Are Crashing, But Some Producers Are Doubling Down. Why?
There is a puzzling shift unfolding in the global lithium market. Prices have collapsed by over 70% from their 2022 highs to around $12,000 per tonne, and yet, against all market logic, some Chinese lithium giants are not retreating. Instead, ...
China Warns Against Trade Deals That ‘Hurt’ Others After Vietnam-U.S. Pact
China warned on Thursday against trade deals that "hurt third parties" after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Vietnam. "China has always advocated that all parties resolve economic and trade differences through equal dialogue and ...
Lessons for Europe From China’s Critical Minerals Strategy in Africa
While the U.S., India, and countries in the Persian Gulf are all moving quickly to establish new critical mineral supply chains, the European Union is struggling to follow suit, particularly in Africa. The EU currently lacks a cohesive policy framework that ...
Brazil’s BRICS Balancing Act Faces a New Test in Rio
The 17th BRICS Summit kicks off this weekend in Rio de Janeiro, but preserving the group’s original mantra of non-alignment is proving to be a challenge for Brazil, the summit’s host. Since returning to power, President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva ...
U.S.-Vietnam Trade Deal Sows New China Uncertainty
By Tran Thi Minh Ha Vietnam's trade deal with the United States averts the most punishing of Donald Trump's "reciprocal" levies but analysts warned it could provoke a fresh standoff between Washington and Beijing. The ...
Asian Stocks Mixed as Traders Shrug at U.S.-Vietnam Trade Deal
Stocks struggled in Asia on Thursday as investors gave a lukewarm reception to the U.S.-Vietnam trade deal, while the dollar eased ahead of key U.S. jobs data that could impact Federal Reserve interest rates plans. Attention was also on Washington as ...
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms
With just days left before the deadline, Thailand is urging the United States to cap new reciprocal tariffs on Thai goods at 10%, as Bangkok races to avoid steep increases that could climb as high as 36%. Thailand’s Finance Minister ...
Chinese Aircraft Carrier Shandong Arrives in Hong Kong
China's first domestically built aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong on Thursday, just days after the city marked 28 years under Chinese rule. Commissioned in 2019, the more than 300-metre (1,000-foot) Shandong is China's second carrier and key to the country's ...
Modi Visits Ghana to Strengthen Ties as India Seeks to Rival China in Africa
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ghana's President John Mahama agreed on Wednesday to deepen security and mining ties during the first visit by an Indian leader in three decades. Resource-rich Ghana, seen as a beacon of democratic stability in Africa, ...
Indonesia Submits Second U.S. Tariff Offer Amid China Warning
Indonesia has filed a second proposal to the United States Trade Representative in a bid to avert steep reciprocal tariffs threatened by the Trump administration, just days before the July 8 deadline. The decision marks Jakarta’s latest move in a ...
Pakistan, Afghanistan Agree to Promote Regional Railway Project
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan’s Acting FM Amir Khan Muttaqi agreed to push forward a regional rail project that would connect the two countries to Uzbekistan. This emerged after a call between the two on Sunday. The call follows ...
Why China’s “Overcapacity” Looks Very Different in the Global South
A new Financial Times article about rapid changes in Pakistan’s electricity mix highlights how the large-scale production of solar panels and batteries in China, criticized as overcapacity by G7 governments, provides Global South countries the opportunity to rapidly expand their electricity supply and decarbonize their economies.
Indonesia Hints at China’s J-10 Fighter Jets Deal in Deleted Defense Minister Post
Indonesia’s defense minister's deleted social media post on J-10C fighter jets may have revealed more than intended: Jakarta’s plan on a potential deal with China to purchase, signaling a quiet pivot that potentially disrupts Jakarta’s longstanding military ties with Washington. Although ...
China’s EV Price War Could Offer Short-Term Gains But Long-Term Risks for Global South Consumers
BYD is no longer just building electric cars; it’s building pressure. As China’s dominant electric vehicle (EV) maker cuts prices, scales exports, and tightens its grip on market share, competitors, especially at home, are feeling the strain, but in Africa and Asia, the tide may just be ...
China Factory Activity Hits Lowest Since 2022, Survey Shows
Chinese factory activity hit a more than two-year low in May, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday, as a detente in Beijing's trade war with Washington was offset by ongoing domestic problems in the world's number two economy. China and the ...
Vietnam Protests China, Philippines Claims on South China Sea Reef
Vietnam on Saturday protested claims by China and the Philippines over a disputed reef in the South China Sea, which it considers its own territory. Manila and Beijing traded barbs last week over Sandy Cay, a group of small sandbanks in ...
Indonesia Eyes 10 GW Nuclear by 2040, First Contracts in 5 Years: Prabowo Aide
Indonesia is preparing to launch its first nuclear energy program. This landmark shift could redefine Southeast Asia’s clean energy trajectory or expose the country to new geopolitical and environmental risks. The plan, unveiled by President Prabowo Subianto’s energy envoy Hashim ...
Vietnam Protests China and Philippines Over Sovereignty Violations at Sandy Cay in South China Sea
Vietnam has formally protested recent actions by China and the Philippines at Sandy Cay, a feature it claims as part of its sovereignty over the Spratly Islands. It warns that such moves threaten regional peace and international maritime law. ...
Indonesia Eyes 10 GW Nuclear by 2040, First Contracts in 5 Years: Prabowo Aide
Indonesia is preparing to launch its first nuclear energy program. This landmark shift could redefine Southeast Asia’s clean energy trajectory or expose the country to new geopolitical and environmental risks. The plan, unveiled by President Prabowo Subianto’s energy envoy Hashim ...
Indonesia Eyes 10 GW Nuclear by 2040, First Contracts in 5 Years: Prabowo Aide
Indonesia is preparing to launch its first nuclear energy program. This landmark shift could redefine Southeast Asia’s clean energy trajectory or expose the country to new geopolitical and environmental risks. The plan, unveiled by President Prabowo Subianto’s energy envoy Hashim ...
Vietnam Protests China and Philippines Over Sovereignty Violations at Sandy Cay in South China Sea
Vietnam has formally protested recent actions by China and the Philippines at Sandy Cay, a feature it claims as part of its sovereignty over the Spratly Islands. It warns that such moves threaten regional peace and international maritime law. ...
Vietnam Protests China and Philippines Over Sovereignty Violations at Sandy Cay in South China Sea
Vietnam has formally protested recent actions by China and the Philippines at Sandy Cay, a feature it claims as part of its sovereignty over the Spratly Islands. It warns that such moves threaten regional peace and international maritime law. ...
Trump Tariffs Herald Trade Chaos
The Trump administration marked what it called “Liberation Day” with the imposition of sweeping tariffs on imports from numerous trade partners. The White House described the measure as rectifying “a lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships, disparate tariff rates and non-tariff barriers” imposed by foreign ...
Anticipating a New Nuclear Deal: Chinese and Iranian Experts Analyze the Iran-China-Russia Meeting in Beijing
By Giorgia Facchini and Veronica Turrini On March 14, just one day after China, Iran, and Russia concluded the Security Belt-2025 joint naval exercise near the Iranian port of Chabahar, high-ranking representatives from the three countries convened in Beijing. Hosted by ...
Philippines Assures China on U.S. F-16 Fighter Jet Deal Amid South China Sea Tensions
The Philippines is assuring China that its planned purchase of 20 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, part of a $5.58 billion arms package, is not directed at any nation, even as Beijing warns that such military deals should not harm third-party interests. ...
Colombia Seizes 54 Tons of China-Bound Smartphone Minerals
Colombian police said Wednesday they had seized 54 tons of tin and coltan, a mineral used in smartphones, that had been illicitly extracted by leftist rebels and readied for shipment to China. They valued the seizure, one of the biggest of ...
Tanzanian Ruling Party Leader Meets with Chinese Envoy, Underscoring Beijing’s Party-to-Party Ties
The Vice Chairman of Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi, Stephen Wasira, paid a courtesy call to the Chinese embassy on Sunday for talks with Beijing's envoy to Dar es Salaam Chen Mingjian. The Chinese embassy did not release specific details of their discussions, ...
Chinese Countermeasures Against U.S. Agriculture Could Bode Well for Global South Countries
China is expected to target U.S. agricultural goods in its latest countermeasures against new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, according to the Communist Party-run newspaper Global Times. Since China is the largest export market for U.S. farmers, any new ...
U.S. Lawmakers Want to Close Back Doors That Chinese Companies Use to Circumvent Tariffs
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. Senate is set to introduce new legislation on Monday aimed at cracking down on Chinese companies that shift production to other countries to circumvent tariffs. The bill, if passed, would allow the Commerce Department ...
Why Indonesia Remains Silent on Thailand’s Uyghur Repatriation
When Thailand deported 40 Uyghurs to China, the move sparked strong condemnation from Japan and various Western nations, citing human rights concerns. Indonesia, a country with the world’s largest Muslim population, however, stayed silent. This was no accident. Jakarta’s response, ...
Phase 3 of the Belt & Road Initiative: Develop New Supply Chains
Princeton University Post-Doctoral Researcher Kyle Chan recently published a fascinating new map of that shows the surge of Chinese manufacturing investment around the world between 2019 and 2024. Unsurprisingly, the map reveals heavy investment in Southeast Asia but relatively little in Africa ...
Asian Markets Climb on China Fiscal Hopes Against Trump Tariffs
Asian markets climbed on Monday in hopes that China would announce a huge stimulus package to help offset U.S. President Donald Trump's looming tariffs on Chinese goods. Investors were also watching for any last-ditch deals to ward off the levies hitting ...
China’s $4.4 Billion Bet on Indonesia’s New Capital: A Strategic Utility Tunnel for Power and Sensitive Fiber Optics
In a move that underscores Beijing’s growing role in Indonesia’s ambitious new capital, Nusantara IKN, the Indonesian government has given China Harbour Indonesia the green light to develop a massive multi-utility tunnel (MUT) and road infrastructure project, including fiber optics, worth approximately $4.4 billion.
Cobalt Prices Sink to New Record Low Amid Chinese Production Surge
The price of cobalt, a key metal used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries, dropped to its lowest point in nearly a decade last week amid mounting concerns that Chinese companies are flooding the market. Despite persistently low prices, CMOC Group, the world's ...
CK Hutchison: The Hong Kong Firm Behind Panama Port Operators
By Holmes Chan A sprawling business empire built by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing is caught in the crossfire as the extent of Chinese influence over the Panama Canal is debated. U.S. Secretary of State ...
Trump Warns BRICS Countries May be Next in His Tariff Campaign
As Donald Trump prepared to launch a trade war against his North American neighbors on Friday, the U.S. president focused renewed attention on what could be his next target: the ten member states of the BRICS group. The president is seemingly ...
Rubio Warns Panama of Consequences About Chinese “Influence and Control” Over Canal
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday threatened action against Panama without immediate changes to reduce Chinese influence on the canal, but the country’s leader insisted he was not afraid of a U.S. invasion and offered talks. Rubio, paying his ...
Africa, China, and Trump’s World-Spanning Gamble on Foreign Assistance
The Trump administration’s decision to halt and review U.S. foreign assistance to developing countries instantaneously turned the United States from many countries’ biggest helper into their biggest problem. In the process, he kicked off a massive experiment. The research question ...
Jakarta Main Airport Scandal: 30 Immigration Officers Under Investigation for Extorting Chinese Visitors
Indonesia’s Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Affairs (Imipas) has removed 30 immigration officers from their posts and conducting investigation at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport following allegations of extortion targeting Chinese nationals. Minister of Immigration Agus Andrianto confirmed the action after receiving ...
China in the Lead as Taliban Opens Afghanistan’s Mining Sector
By Claire Gounon A miner in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan poured water over a block of jade, exposing the green stone that is part of the Taliban authorities' push to capitalize on the country's rich mineral resources. ...
Rubio Warns Panama of Consequences About Chinese “Influence and Control” Over Canal
By Shaun Tandon and Maria Isabel Sanchez U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday threatened action against Panama without immediate changes to reduce Chinese influence on the canal, but the country's leader insisted he was not afraid of a U.S. ...
Philippines Recovers Suspected Chinese Submarine Drone
A submarine drone suspected to be from China was recovered in waters off the central Philippines, police said on Thursday, warning of "potential national security implications." Three fishermen found the drone on Monday around nine kilometers off the coast of San ...
A Taliban security personnel operating an anti-aircraft gun keeps watch for Pakistani airstrikes near the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Nangarhar province on February 27, 2026 following overnight cross-border fighting between the two countries. Photo by AIMAL ZAHIR / AFP
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared "open war" against Afghanistan on Friday amid a surge of fighting between the two South Asian neighbors. Pakistan said it's retaliating against Afghanistan for a series of attacks, including a suicide bombing in early February that killed at least 36 people ...
Pakistan, Afghanistan Agree to Promote Regional Railway Project
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan’s Acting FM Amir Khan Muttaqi agreed to push forward a regional rail project that would connect the two countries to Uzbekistan. This emerged after a call between the two on Sunday. The call follows ...
Why China’s “Overcapacity” Looks Very Different in the Global South
A new Financial Times article about rapid changes in Pakistan’s electricity mix highlights how the large-scale production of solar panels and batteries in China, criticized as overcapacity by G7 governments, provides Global South countries the opportunity to rapidly expand their electricity supply and decarbonize their economies.
Indonesia Hints at China’s J-10 Fighter Jets Deal in Deleted Defense Minister Post
Indonesia’s defense minister's deleted social media post on J-10C fighter jets may have revealed more than intended: Jakarta’s plan on a potential deal with China to purchase, signaling a quiet pivot that potentially disrupts Jakarta’s longstanding military ties with Washington. Although ...
China’s EV Price War Could Offer Short-Term Gains But Long-Term Risks for Global South Consumers
BYD is no longer just building electric cars; it’s building pressure. As China’s dominant electric vehicle (EV) maker cuts prices, scales exports, and tightens its grip on market share, competitors, especially at home, are feeling the strain, but in Africa and Asia, the tide may just be ...
China Factory Activity Hits Lowest Since 2022, Survey Shows
Chinese factory activity hit a more than two-year low in May, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday, as a detente in Beijing's trade war with Washington was offset by ongoing domestic problems in the world's number two economy. China and the ...