The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...
Category: Culture
China’s Hainan Islamic Pilgrimage Stopover Reveals Bigger Plans
China is quietly transforming the island of Hainan, located 20 kilometers offshore in the South China Sea, into a strategic transit hub for Muslim pilgrims from Southeast Asia, starting with Indonesian travelers seeking to make the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, known as Umrah.
China Eases Transit Rules for Indonesians. Jakarta Should Push for More.
China’s recent inclusion of Indonesia in its 240-hour visa-free transit program is a notable, if not entirely surprising, development. While Indonesia is now among the 55 countries benefiting from this arrangement, the move signals a step forward in the broader relationship between the two nations. For ...
Gay Chinese Couple Fulfil Wedding Dream in ‘Freer’ Thailand
By Sarah Lai When Wang Zengyi, 41, and Song Jihan, 29, first met at a friend's dinner party in China, it was love at first sight. "I thought he was handsome and pure," says Wang. ...
How Apartheid Shaped U.S. Policy on South Africa: China Study
A provocative analysis from a Chinese think tank examines the collapse of U.S.-South Africa relations, uncovering an unexpected driver: the influence of three tech titans—Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and David Sacks—all of whom spent their formative years in apartheid-era South Africa.
China’s May Day Tourists Flock to an Unlikely New Hotspot: Central Asia
Over the recent Labor Day holiday on May 1st, an unexpected destination emerged as a top choice for Chinese tourists venturing overseas: Central Asia. While Southeast Asia once dominated the list of overseas travel favorites, recent high-profile cases involving telecom fraud ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
China’s May Day Tourists Flock to an Unlikely New Hotspot: Central Asia
Over the recent Labor Day holiday on May 1st, an unexpected destination emerged as a top choice for Chinese tourists venturing overseas: Central Asia. While Southeast Asia once dominated the list of overseas travel favorites, recent high-profile cases involving telecom fraud ...
A Taste of Tradition in Nairobi’s Oldest Chinese Restaurant Without Chinese Chefs
It’s lunchtime in Nairobi, and the city buzzes with energy. I arrive at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC), a landmark in the heart of the City in the Sun. But today, I’m not here for a conference or a meeting—I’ve ...
Chinese Lessons in Saudi Schools Show Growing Ties
By Haitham El-Tabei With a map of China on the wall behind him, 14-year-old Yasser al-Shaalan studied the names of professions in a Chinese textbook, one of thousands of Saudi children now learning the language at school.
Living Between Worlds With One Homeland in Heart: The Story of South African Chinese
Chinese communities in South Africa are generally divided into three distinct groups. LaoQiao (老侨), are South African-born Chinese (SABC) whose families have been in the country for generations, with ancestors arriving as early as the 1870s amid war and disaster in China. The second group, often termed ...
Hong Kong’s ASEAN Pivot: Strategic Muslim Outreach Amid Global Trade Uncertainty
As U.S. trade policy uncertainty casts a shadow over Asia, Hong Kong is moving decisively to deepen its economic and cultural ties with ASEAN. By positioning itself as China’s gateway to the region, the city is actively courting Muslim tourists ...
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 ...
Fears of Scam Center Kidnaps Keep Chinese Tourists on Edge in Thailand
By Montira Rungjirajittranon and Sarah Lai Chinese tourists visiting Thailand for Lunar New Year are worried about being kidnapped by gangsters to work in hellish scam centers, despite efforts to reassure them. Chinese nationals topped ...