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Amid a Global Arms Boom, China Confronts Delays, Scrutiny, and a Rare Drop in Defense Sales

Sales by the world's top 100 arms makers reached a record $679 billion last year, as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza boosted demand, researchers said Monday, but production issues hampered deliveries. The figure was 5.9 percent higher than the year before, ...

Japan Protests at Chinese Diplomat Threat Over PM’s Taiwan Comments

Tokyo said Monday it had lodged a protest over a Chinese diplomat's online threat of decapitation made after remarks on Taiwan by Japan's new prime minister. In a now-removed post on X, the Chinese consul general in Osaka Xue Jian threatened ...

Trade Truce in Balance as Trump Meets ‘Tough Negotiator’ Xi

By Aurelia End with Isabel Kua in Beijing U.S. President Donald Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping opened on Thursday their first face-to-face meeting in six years, seeking a truce to end a trade war that has roiled the world economy. ...

Australia Chides China Over Mid-Air Incident

Australia on Monday rebuked Beijing for "unsafe" military conduct, accusing a Chinese warplane of dropping flares near an Australian surveillance plane over the South China Sea. The Australian Poseidon was flying a surveillance patrol over the South China Sea on Sunday ...

China Says Will ‘Fight to the End’ in U.S. 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. "On the matter ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

The G20 Summit and the Half-Life of a Joke

When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...

$80 Billion Zambian Lawsuit Triggers Outrage on Chinese Social Media

China’s social media has been buzzing after Zambian farmers filed an $80 billion lawsuit against Sino-Metals, a Chinese-owned copper mining company, accusing it of causing an environmental disaster following the collapse of a mining waste dam earlier this year. Beyond the ...

China at UN Warns of Return to ‘Cold War Mentality’

Chinese Premier Li Qiang warned Friday against a return to a "Cold War mentality" and defended multilateralism and free trade, in a veiled criticism of the United States from the United Nations. The Chinese premier made no explicit reference to U.S. ...

China Slams Germany for ‘Hyping’ Regional Tensions in Asia

China lashed out at Germany on Monday, warning Berlin against "inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions" after its foreign minister said Beijing was "increasingly aggressive" in the Asia-Pacific region. During a visit to Japan, Johann Wadephul said China had made repeated ...

Philippine, Indian Navies Begin First Joint South China Sea Patrols

Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila's military said Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos departed for a state visit to New Delhi. The two-day sail, which ...

Japan Grants Philippines Funding to Boost Naval Capabilities

Japan on Thursday granted the Philippines $10.6 million aimed at beefing up its naval capabilities, a day after Manila said the China Coast Guard had "harassed" its government vessels. The funds, part of a Japanese regional security assistance program, will provide more ...

Australia Woos Solomon Islands After Pro-China PM’s Exit

Australia touted on Thursday a "much bigger" relationship with the Solomon Islands, further ramping up efforts to woo a Pacific nation that has lurched closer to China in recent years. Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrived in Honiara for talks with new ...

South Korea Discussing Participation in AUKUS Tech Pact: Defense Minister

South Korea's defense minister on Wednesday said his country was actively discussing participation in a landmark defense technology pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "During today's meeting, we also discussed the possibility of partnering with AUKUS pillar ...
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