Day: May 12, 2025

Chinese nationalism surges across social media as viral video mocks downed Indian jets

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A song adapted by a Chinese influencer mocking the reported downing of Indian fighter jets by Pakistan’s Chinese-made J-10C has gone viral on almost every major global social media platform, in a surge of Chinese nationalism and celebration of Chinese weaponry. Advertisement The song, a remix of the Indian song “Tunak Tunak Tun”, was released in a video by Chinese influencer “Brother Hao” on Thursday on Chinese social media. “Our newly purchased jets were shot down … none returned home, 9 billion all wasted”, the new lyrics go. The minute-long…

China and US agree to slash tariffs

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Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world The US and China have agreed to lower tariffs for the next 90 days in a major de-escalation of the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. As part of an agreement hammered out in Geneva over the weekend, the US will lower tariffs on Chinese goods to 30 per cent from 145 per cent and China will reduce duties on US imports to 10 per cent…

Trump’s tariffs, higher port fees will force shipping firms to adapt, chamber head says

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Shipping companies, known for their ability to navigate stormy economic seas, will need to adapt to whatever trading barriers remain after global trade powers negotiate their way out of the trade war, according to the head of the International Chamber of Shipping. Advertisement “Shipping is an extremely resilient industry, which will adapt to whatever the market does, because ships are mobile assets,” said Guy Platten, secretary-general of the London-based body that represents more than 40 national shipowner associations and over 80 per cent of the world’s merchant fleet. The chamber…

US says ‘deal’ reached with China after trade talks

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Both China and the United States have said they have made progress at trade talks between the two countries in Switzerland. The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the discussions as “productive and constructive,” while China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng said the talks were “in-depth” and “candid”. The White House called it a “trade deal” but gave no further details. A joint statement with full details is expected on Monday. The pair were engaged in secretive closed-door discussions all weekend, in the first meeting since US President Donald Trump levied…

US-China trade talks seen as politically symbolic, but is outcome a real ‘deal’?

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Landmark China-US talks at the weekend likely carry economic and political significance on both sides while kick-starting a long process toward substantive deals that should address tariffs and other trade barriers, according to analysts. Advertisement The apparent upbeat move in the Swiss city of Geneva stands to give both powers interim political relief at home without appearing weak on the trade war battlefront, they added. Chinese and US negotiators agreed during the talks – their first formal encounter since tariffs skyrocketed in early April as part of President Donald Trump’s…

Taiwan ex-president Tsai Ing-wen to visit UK as China ratchets up threats against Taipei

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Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Britain this week at the invitation of British politicians, a trip that comes as London is trying to improve ties with Beijing and China ramps up efforts to diplomatically isolate the island. Britain, like most countries, has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the economic and political exchanges between the two sides have increased as Beijing ratchets up military threats to force Taipei to accept its sovereignty claim over the democratic island. Tsai, who stepped down in May last year, has become…

Potential role for Chinese firm in key UK windfarm attracts government scrutiny

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Ministers are weighing up proposals for a Chinese company to supply wind turbines for a major offshore windfarm in the North Sea. The government is in discussions with Green Volt North Sea over whether Mingyang, China’s biggest offshore wind company, should supply the wind turbines. Mingyang has emerged as the preferred manufacturer, but the company has sought advice from ministers on whether to proceed. Green Volt, which is jointly owned by Flotation Energy, a Scottish company and Vårgrønn, a Norwegian one, is constructing the first commercial-scale floating offshore windfarm in…

Low-cost India seen as potential regional hub in data centre boom

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Indian telecom giant Airtel is planning to double the capacity of its data centre business in less than three years, as growing domestic internet consumption and increasing artificial intelligence adoption drive unprecedented growth.  Ashish Arora, chief executive of Airtel subsidiary Nxtra, the domestic leader in data centres, told the Financial Times it would invest about $600mn in its latest round of expansion to achieve nearly 400 megawatts in capacity by the end of 2027. It was also gearing up for further growth over the next five to seven years, he…

Amid US chip sanctions and climate pressure, China builds mighty ocean simulation system

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Chinese researchers have unveiled the world’s most advanced ocean simulation system with a resolution of 1km (0.6 mile) – an unprecedented benchmark. Advertisement The simulation system, named LICOMK++ and developed by teams from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Atmospheric Physics and Computer Network Information Centre, has broken computational barriers to deliver unparalleled precision in modelling global ocean dynamics and climate patterns. Dubbed an ocean “microscope”, the ultra-high-resolution simulator enables scientists to analyse intricate processes like eddies and heat transport with groundbreaking clarity, significantly enhancing predictions for extreme weather…