Month: August 2025

When more than two dozen officers from the Somali National Armed Forces were awarded Chinese training scholarships this month, Beijing’s ambassador to Somalia Wang Yu assured them and the rest of the country that “China will not be absent” in helping the East African country achieve peace. Advertisement Since the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre, Somalia has been plagued by civil war and conflict with extremist groups such as al-Shabab. The training aims to help Somalia build a self-reliant defence force to fight al-Shabab, filling the security gaps as…

North Korea, one of the world’s most isolated and heavily sanctioned countries, has remained a major destination for Chinese wine exports this year, as the nation has few alternative options to source alcoholic drinks. Advertisement North Korea bought 157,393 litres of wine from China in the first seven months of 2025 – more than double the volume imported during the same period last year – making it the second-largest buyer of Chinese bottled wine so far this year, trailing only Hong Kong, according to customs data. In terms of value,…

Epidemiologist and human microbiome scientist Wang Leyao, a scholar for the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), has returned to China amid drastic research funding cuts initiated by the White House. Advertisement Wang joined the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (Smart) as a senior research fellow at the Institute of Human Immunology last month, according to an announcement on Smart’s official social media account on Monday. The academy stated that Wang “has long been dedicated to the study of the human microbiome” and has made significant contributions to…

Japan is expected to deploy the US-made Typhon missile system for the first time during joint military exercises with the United States next month, according to Japanese media. Advertisement Analysts view the move as a strategic signal against Beijing, especially in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. The Chinese foreign ministry criticised the move on Friday, saying Beijing firmly opposed “the US deployment of the Typhon intermediate-range missile system in Asian countries”. “The deployment of the system in Japan will further undermine the legitimate security interests of other countries.…

In the second instalment of the two-part series on the outlook for the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stock markets, Zhang Shidong and Yulu Ao look at the catalysts that could underpin the rally. Read part one here Advertisement When Chinese stocks hit a 10-year high this week, Jian Shi Cortesi saw it as a sign that the rally could continue as overseas investors returned to the nation’s onshore and offshore equities, which are worth a combined US$20 trillion. The Switzerland-based investment director at GAM Investments expects a further uptick…

Hong Kong’s once sprawling and diffuse network of state-backed research labs has undergone a surgical transformation – streamlined, repurposed and laser-focused on Beijing’s strategic technology ambitions. Advertisement In a move emblematic of China’s broader overhaul of its national scientific apparatus, the city has dismantled underperforming labs, rebranded legacy institutions and launched three cutting-edge facilities dedicated to quantum materials and climate resilience – all under tightened alignment with national priorities. This quiet revolution is part of a nationwide push since 2022 to convert China’s bloated system of State Key Laboratories (SKLs)…