The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, complained about the targeted intimidation of exiled pro-democracy campaigners from Hong Kong directly to her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during a bilateral meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The July meeting was the first face-to-face discussion between the pair since two Hong Kong activists wanted for alleged national security crimes were subjected to anonymous letters offering Australian neighbours $203,000 to inform on them. The letters are now being investigated by the countering foreign interference taskforce, which is led by Australia’s federal police and the domestic intelligence…
Day: August 6, 2025
Hong Kong stocks surge on China’s surprisingly strong July exports
Hong Kong stocks extended gains into a fourth day on Thursday, as a strong reading on China trade data bolstered hopes that the world’s second-largest economy would sustain growth momentum throughout the year. Advertisement The Hang Seng Index rose 0.5 per cent to 25,041.03 at the noon break, adding to an aggregate 1.6 per cent gain over the past three days. The Hang Seng Tech Index also rose by 0.5 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index and the Shanghai Composite Index both added 0.1 per cent. Alibaba…
China to restrict Tibetan language in college entrance exam
China plans to exclude Tibetan as a core subject from the national college entrance exam for the majority of students in the autonomous region, a senior official has said, raising concerns over the future of the language. Gama Cedain, chair of the Tibet Autonomous Region, told a press briefing this week that the change was part of reforms to the national examination and would improve Tibetans’ career prospects. “Tibet, like other provinces and regions,” would have “unified exam subjects”, he said, such as Chinese and mathematics, and foreign languages including…
Why Taiwanese fear China could take over from within
Trial $1 for 4 weeks Then $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism. Cancel anytime during your trial. Global news & analysis Expert opinion FT App on Android & iOS FT Edit app FirstFT: the day’s biggest stories 20+ curated newsletters Follow topics & set alerts with myFT FT Videos & Podcasts 20 monthly gift articles to share Lex: FT’s flagship investment column 15+ Premium newsletters by leading experts FT Digital Edition: our digitised print edition Financial Times
Flash floods cause havoc across Asia even as July temperatures ebb
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Climate change myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Flash floods are causing havoc across swaths of Asia even as scientists said the global temperature rise in the past three months had eased from record levels. The global temperature increase remained more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels over a 12-month period even though July was the third month where the temperature rise was below that level, the European earth observation agency Copernicus said. Scientists cautioned this did not mean…
US debuts Dark Eagle hypersonic missile in Australia with China in mind
The US appears to be strengthening its allied deterrence against China by deploying its Dark Eagle hypersonic missile, a move that could “further intensify” regional rivalry, Chinese experts have warned. Advertisement The United States Army Pacific, a service component for America’s Indo-Pacific Command, confirmed on the weekend that it had deployed a Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) system – commonly referred to as Dark Eagle – to Australia’s Northern Territory as part of the three-week Talisman Sabre 2025 military exercise that wrapped up on Monday. It was the first time that…
New Tsz Shan Monastery book offers peek into Li Ka-shing’s philosophy
The Tsz Shan Monastery, built by the Li Ka Shing Foundation, has published a new book, offering a peek into the philosophy and wisdom of Hong Kong’s wealthiest man, whose own rags-to-riches life story has inspired generations of entrepreneurs. Advertisement Titled “Eternity in Light”, the five-chapter tome was published to mark the monastery’s 10th anniversary, featuring writings by scholars of Buddhism and professors of architecture about the landmark in Tai Po in Hong Kong’s New Territories. The Li Foundation was the temple’s main benefactor, contributing HK$3.5 billion (US$446 million) towards…
How China used rare earths to turn on the US chip tap again
Rare earths are needed for everything from consumer electronics to electric vehicles, wind turbines and fighter jets – and China controls the supply chain. In the third of a four-part series, we look at how Beijing’s dominance in the critical minerals is matching up to Washington’s lead in artificial intelligence, as well as how they are related. Advertisement When the US president unveiled his tariffs in April, China knew it had a trump card that had been quietly gaining in value over the decades and that no other country in…
FirstFT: Trump hits India with extra 25% tariff for buying Russian oil
This article is an on-site version of our FirstFT newsletter. Subscribers can sign up to our Asia, Europe/Africa or Americas edition to get the newsletter delivered every weekday morning. Explore all of our newsletters here Good morning and welcome back to FirstFT Asia. In today’s newsletter: India’s Russian oil predicament China warms to stablecoins The global sand shortage The Berkshire Hathaway premium fades We start with the deteriorating US-India relationship, as Donald Trump announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India due to New Delhi’s purchases of…
US Republicans, usually Taiwan supporters, quiet on denying NY stopover to Lai
The White House’s apparent decision to block Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s transit through New York has sparked backlash from Democrats but met with relative silence from Republicans, including those typically outspoken about Taiwan. Advertisement The muted Republican response marks a notable shift for a party that has in recent years championed high-profile engagement with Taipei – including symbolic moves that Democrats have avoided. It also comes amid high-stakes US-China trade negotiations that some observers have suggested is motivating the posture. On Monday, three Democratic representatives – Raja Krishnamoorthi, the…