“People gone; buildings empty: this is the fact of daily life in the countryside,” lamented the author Liang Hong in her bestselling account China in One Village. It was a grim portrait of her home town – its vitality ebbing as the forces of modern life drained it of young people, polluted its water, exploited its resources and even turned the local school into a pigsty. Its quarter of a million sales reflected not just her distinctive writing, but the familiarity of the story. As urban China prospered with the…
Month: August 2025
How US nuclear sanctions on China backfired
When Sama Bilbao y León, director general of the World Nuclear Association – a global industry body based in London – toured China’s nuclear facilities this summer, she was left speechless. Advertisement “I couldn’t close my mouth in amazement,” she admitted, stunned by China’s advanced capabilities and “incredible” industrial scale. This awe-inspiring progress exists despite stringent US sanctions – including the 2019 blacklisting of China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) and the recent suspension of equipment licences – imposed over national security concerns. Ironically, these very restrictions have backfired spectacularly.…
Why US allies are resisting China’s charm offensive on trade
Geopolitical tremors from Washington’s trade wars against its closest allies – the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Australia – might have convinced Beijing of an impending realignment. China has seized the moment with a charm offensive, urging pragmatic cooperation amid tariff spats. Advertisement Beijing rightly condemns Washington for shredding the very World Trade Organization rules and post-war liberal order it crafted, calling for collective action against US coercion. Yet despite the tangible frustration – seen in the EU’s retaliation threat and Japan’s rhetorical condemnation – no ally has…
Signs of a new drone boat surface from China’s Victory Day parade rehearsal
Advertisement According to photos and footage circulating online, the uncrewed vessel was transported on a heavy semi-trailer and features a number of obvious stealth designs, including angled surfaces, a faceted hull and concealed superstructure. Online commenters said the structure would also have concealed antenna and radar, all aimed at reducing infrared, visual, and acoustic signatures. The vessel appeared to be painted in the Chinese navy’s white-grey-blue camouflage and did not have a hull number. It is unclear if it is covered with radar-absorbent materials. It has windows on its cockpit,…
‘Coloniser and oppressed’: Chinese journal questions WWII-era US aid
US aid to China during World War II was driven by Washington’s self-interest, and the dynamics between the two nations before 1949 was that of “coloniser and oppressed”, according to a top Chinese government-backed historical journal. Advertisement Another paper in the same issue of the periodical characterised Moscow’s wartime support as “offering fuel in snowy weather” while accusing the United States and its Western allies of trying to “erase” the Soviet Union’s contribution to the anti-fascist struggle. The comments came two weeks before celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of…
China must accept India is looking after itself
The evolving dynamics between China and India, the world’s most populous nations and rising economic powers, are at a critical juncture. Recent developments have shown encouraging signs in bilateral relations, with both sides expressing a willingness to re-engage constructively. Advertisement Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently visited New Delhi, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. This has renewed the momentum of high-level exchanges and paved the way for Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit…
What Taiwan’s largest presence in US drills says about American defence ties
Taiwan’s biggest-ever participation in American-led military exercises has been thrust into the open by Pentagon-linked media, widely seen as a deepening of Washington’s defence ties with Taipei despite the Trump administration’s transactional approach to policy. Advertisement Analysts said the unusually high-profile disclosure was aimed not only at deterring Beijing but also at countering rising distrust of the United States among Taiwanese people during Donald Trump’s second term as president. Citing a senior official from the US National Guard Bureau, Stars and Stripes reported last Monday that more than 500 Taiwanese…
Investigation under way into fatal bridge collapse in Qinghai province
Four people remained missing on Sunday after a railway bridge collapsed in the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai, killing 12 people. Advertisement The central government has sent a task force to investigate the failure, which occurred on a section over the Yellow River at about 3am on Friday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The report said 16 workers were on the Jianzha Yellow River Super-large Bridge carrying out a tensioning operation when a steel cable snapped. According to media reports, a resident nearby said he was woken by a loud…
Chinese team to delve into deep history of Egypt’s ancient Sekhmet Temple ruins
A team led by the Shanghai Museum will embark on a joint archaeological research project with Egypt in October at the Sekhmet Temple ruins, a complex on the west bank of the Nile River. Advertisement The temple is part of the ancient Memphis archaeological site dating back over 5,100 years, at a site that was then the capital of ancient Egypt and the home of the god Ptah. For Beijing, the cooperation represents both an academic pursuit and a strengthening of bilateral ties, but international experts say China’s involvement could…
Taiwan referendum on reopening last nuclear plant fails
A referendum to push for the reopening of Taiwan’s last nuclear plant has failed to reach the legal threshold to be valid, though the president said the island could return to the technology in the future if safety standards improved. The plebiscite on Saturday, backed by the opposition, asked whether the Maanshan power plant should be reopened if it was “confirmed” there were no safety issues. The plant was closed in May as the government shifts to renewables and liquefied natural gas. The small Taiwan People’s party proposed the referendum…