Day: September 11, 2025

Images of heavily armed American agents in paramilitary gear shackling and zip-tying hundreds of compliant South Korean technicians at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia were truly vile. Advertisement Last week’s raid not only outraged South Koreans and caused more distrust with Seoul, it also exposed the contradiction between Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant and labour crackdown and his industrial policy. Most of those targeted allegedly did not have proper work visas; many were working for contractors who couldn’t find suitable workers in the United States. Of course, the US president is…

China’s designation of a national nature reserve in the contested Scarborough Shoal – and its punitive measures for unauthorised entry – have prompted strong pushback from the Philippines, with analysts warning the move could escalate tensions in the strategically important waterway. Advertisement Beijing’s announcement of the decision on Wednesday marked its latest efforts to consolidate its claims in the contested area that is now a focal point of intense confrontations between the two countries and could drag the US, an ally of Manila by treaty, into the conflict. On Thursday,…

Advertisement Amap Street Stars – which uses AI algorithms to rank destinations including restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions – recorded that many users on its launch on Wednesday, as the mapping app positioned itself as a gateway for lifestyle services, according to data released by the Alibaba unit on Thursday. Alibaba owns the Post. That initiative marked “a significant step towards Alibaba’s vision for a super-app strategy”, JPMorgan analysts said in a research note on Wednesday. “Amap is increasingly positioned as Alibaba’s primary entry point for offline local services, running…

Eighty years after World War II ended, the multilateral system is faltering. The United Nations, once the symbol of post-war peace and cooperation, is increasingly sidelined by unilateral actions and trade wars, amid the marginalisation of the Global South in decision-making. Advertisement We are at risk of a world where tariffs and sanctions replace negotiation, conflicts multiply and the very principles of international law are often ignored. If the international community is to avoid drifting further into fragmentation, new governance approaches are urgently needed. It is in this moment of…

China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct scientific research tests and training exercises in the South China Sea, the PLA Navy said on Friday. Advertisement “The cross-regional tests and training are a routine mission of the carrier’s construction process and do not target any specific objects,” said navy spokesman Senior Colonel Leng Guowei, according to state news agency Xinhua. Photos and videos posted on social media showed the Fujian headed south after leaving its shipyard in Shanghai on Wednesday, triggering…

Stunning gains in Chinese stocks are testing regulators’ ability to manage the ascent, as Beijing seeks to fulfil its long-standing goal of positioning the nation’s US$12 trillion equity market as a steady source of household income that can support consumer spending and economic growth. Advertisement As the property market remains in the doldrums, eroding the wealth of Chinese investors who are sitting on a record 160 trillion yuan (US$22.5 trillion) in bank savings, the stock market has become a focus of President Xi Jinping’s drive to build a financial superpower.…

In the Paris boutique of a Swiss luxury watchmaker, a Chinese customer anxiously discusses a credit card payment with her bank. After hours of back and forth, it finally goes through – to everyone’s relief. Advertisement “Things like this rarely happened before,” a salesperson at the store said, explaining how the card of the female customer was repeatedly declined as she tried to purchase a €25,000 (US$29,126) watch. The salesperson has also noticed a decline in spending by Chinese customers, ceding their throne to clients from the United States and…

US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to India on Thursday pushed back on fears that New Delhi was drifting towards China, pledging to draw India closer to the US, open its markets to American goods and end Russian oil purchases, while telling senators that India and China had little in common and were unlikely to forge closer ties. Advertisement “While we might have our moments of hiccups right now, we are on the track of resolving that. Our relationship with the Indian government … is much warmer,” said Sergio…

China on Thursday condemned Mexico’s plan to sharply raise import tariffs on automobiles and other goods from countries with which Mexico does not have trade agreements, calling the measures discriminatory and saying they were the result of outside pressure. Advertisement Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters Beijing “firmly rejects moves that are taken under coercion to constrain China or undermine China’s legitimate rights and interests under any pretext”. “We will firmly protect our rights and interests in light of the developments of the situation,” Lin added, stressing that…