China opens embassy in Nicaragua for first time since 1990 after Taiwan ties cut

China has opened an embassy in Nicaragua for the first time since 1990, less than a month after the central American country cut ties with Taiwan. The Nicaraguan foreign minister, Denis Moncada, said there was an “ideological affinity” between the two countries and thanked China for donating 1m doses of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine. Nicaragua’s president, Daniel Ortega, established relations with China in 1985, but after he lost the election in 1990, Nicaragua recognised Taiwan. Ortega returned to power in 2007 and in won re-election in November. In December, Nicaragua…

China’s Ban on ‘Sissy Men’ Is Bound to Backfire

BEIJING — China is facing serious challenges on multiple fronts: Great power competition with the United States. Trade disputes. The future of Taiwan. But that doesn’t mean it’s too preoccupied to escalate a battle of another sort on the home front. The Chinese government, you see, has been fighting what state news outlets have called a “masculinity crisis” for the past few years, with one top official warning that “effeminate” men in popular culture were corrupting “a generation.” The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece decreed that young men need to have…

‘Tit for tat’: why hunt for Covid’s origins still wrapped in politics and controversy

Robert Garry, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Tulane medical school in Louisiana, got a call from his university management telling him that agents from the FBI and CIA had requested a chat about his research into the origins of Covid-19. Garry agreed and on 30 July three agents flew down to Louisiana to talk to him in person. The meeting, held at a university conference room, began at 9am and ended at about 5pm. “I presented my evidence to the agents, who were properly trained scientists themselves. They…

Evergrande: ‘Everyone bet on inexorably rising Chinese property prices’

The crisis engulfing the Chinese property sector appears certain to intensify in 2022 as companies face debt repayments in the new year that are double those of the final months of 2021, risking what one China expert calls a systemic crisis for the world’s second-biggest economy. Although concerns about the stricken giant China Evergrande have receded in recent weeks behind a massive state-led restructuring operation, it missed a bond repayment of $255m (£190m) on Thursday and the debt problems that have pushed the second biggest developer in the country into…

What Default? With Confetti and Fanfare, Evergrande Says It’s Ready to Build.

To mark the completion of a residential complex called World City, the indebted property giant China Evergrande Group held an elaborate red carpet ceremony on Monday, with eight cannons firing off confetti before a cheering crowd. The company then released a series of images featuring newly completed buildings covered with bright red decorations. Just weeks earlier, Evergrande had been declared in default. The developer has unpaid bills in excess of $300 billion and has struggled to pay back its creditors and business partners. Some in China saw the company’s celebrations…

Lithuanian firms hit by dispute with China may get government help

Lithuanian companies affected by the Baltic country’s dispute with China could get government help, with Vilnius considering a €130 million (US$147 million) support package.An initial €6 million has been allocated to companies from the European Regional Development Fund due to “the geopolitical tensions and the problems businesses are facing in China today, especially exporting businesses”, Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste told cabinet on Wednesday, Baltic News Service reported.Lithuanian…South China Morning Post

Why Chinese stand-up comedians are turning to English

When you think of stand-up comedy, China may not immediately spring to mind but a small explosion in this art form has led to many new venues and unknown comedians attracting solid audiences, especially amongst younger crowds. Even in the darker days of coronavirus and with pressure from the authorities there is much to laugh about in modern Chinese life. Some local comedians are even embracing English as the vessel for their at times hilarious view of the world. Alex Shi is one of them. Reporter: Stephen McDonell Filmed by…

China bans footballers in national teams from getting tattoos

Chinese authorities have banned footballers from getting tattoos and instructed national team players who have been inked to remove them or cover them up to set a “good example for society”. A growing number of high-profile Chinese players have tattoos, including the international defender Zhang Linpeng, who has previously been told to cover up while appearing for the national team and his club Guangzhou FC. The General Administration of Sport of China (GAS) said in a statement about “strengthening the management of football players” that the Chinese Football Association would…