Day: November 12, 2025

Has Takaichi planted a Taiwan ‘time bomb’ in Tokyo’s ties with Beijing?

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that Japan could deploy its military in response to a Taiwan contingency has escalated diplomatic tensions and risks further damaging bilateral ties, analysts have warned. Advertisement According to Beijing, Takaichi “seriously damaged bilateral ties” when she told the Japanese parliament on Friday that use of military force in the Taiwan Strait could be seen as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, a situation that could allow Tokyo to engage in military action alongside Washington. Takaichi clarified on Monday that her remarks were only “hypothetical” and…

Fair wages: China’s young jobseekers take their résumés to trade expos

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As China’s youth continue to struggle to find jobs suited to their skills and background, some enterprising hopefuls are making use of an unorthodox channel to unearth new opportunities: the country’s sprawling trade fairs and expos. Advertisement Discouraged by the limited openings at both domestic and foreign firms, many jobseekers view these events – often the largest of their kind – as chances to network, explore new industries and even pick up temporary positions as expo employees. “I go to these expos to explore and broaden my view of what’s…

Alleged gambling kingpin linked to scam centres extradited from Thailand to China

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She Zhijiang, an alleged transnational crime kingpin accused by Beijing of having run more than 200 illegal online gambling operations, is being extradited to China from Bangkok on Wednesday, Thai police have said. The Chinese national is perhaps the most prominent figure among Asia’s alleged cybercrime operators to be arrested, and has been linked to regional scam networks by the US. She, 43, a Chinese national who also holds a Cambodian passport, was arrested by Thai police in August 2022 on an international warrant and an Interpol red notice requested…

China and Europe need clear communication on thorny issues, observer says

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Brussels and Beijing are both to blame for their strained ties and clear communication is needed to handle sensitive issues like Taiwan and rare earths, according to a veteran business leader and China watcher. Advertisement Joerg Wuttke, former president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said the 27-member bloc should also redouble efforts to become more resilient. Wuttke – now a partner at consulting firm DGA Albright Stonebridge Group in Washington – also called for a new Manhattan Project to break China’s dominance in the rare earths…

Chinese scientist charged with smuggling pathogen into US to be deported

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A Chinese scientist charged in Michigan with smuggling biological materials pleaded guilty on Wednesday, but was given no additional time in jail beyond the five months she already spent in custody. Yunqing Jian, who was a temporary researcher at a University of Michigan lab, will be released and quickly deported. A judge called it a “very strange” case involving an “incredibly accomplished researcher”. Jian, 33, was arrested in June and accused of conspiring with a boyfriend to study and nurse a toxic fungus at a campus lab. A pathogen known…

Brussels aims to speed up crackdown on cheap Chinese parcels

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the EU trade myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Brussels has called for customs fees on small packages ordered online from platforms such as Shein, Temu and Alibaba to be imposed in early 2026, more than two years earlier than scheduled, in an effort to crack down on billions of cheap Chinese imports each year. The European Commission urged EU finance ministers meeting on Thursday to agree on the faster implementation to protect domestic retailers from unfair competition. “It…

Brussels aims to accelerate crackdown on cheap Chinese parcels

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the EU trade myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Brussels has called for an EU-wide handling fee on small packages ordered online from platforms such as Shein, Temu and Alibaba to be imposed in early 2026, more than two years earlier than scheduled, in a bid to crack down on billions of cheap Chinese imports each year. The European Commission urged EU finance ministers meeting on Thursday to agree the faster implementation to protect domestic retailers from unfair competition.…

Japan’s insurers are staying at home for better returns

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Japan is one of the world’s largest net creditors. Its institutional investors’ overseas holdings pushed the country’s net external assets, which include holdings of foreign securities, to a record last year, according to official data, creeping past Y533tn ($3.4tn). Life insurers are among the largest investors and, for decades, their savings have helped steady global markets. What happens when that flow reverses? Last month, yields on Japan’s 30-year government bond…

Japan and China spar over Taiwan as Trump tilts global ‘chessboard’

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Days after Japan’s prime minister and China’s leader promised a new era of co-operation at a leadership summit, blunt comments from Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan and a threatening Chinese rejoinder have plunged relations between the countries into turmoil. The row has deepened concerns about the relationship between the region’s two biggest economies, diplomats and academics said, at a time when US President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to trade and diplomacy has shaken up geopolitics. The relationship between Japan and China, two regional heavyweights, is one of the most delicate in…