Day: November 15, 2025

A new defence pact between Tokyo and Manila allows the Japanese military to deploy in the Philippines for the first time since World War II – with the goal of deterring Beijing in the South China Sea. Advertisement Analysts said the “quasi-security alliance” – which took effect in September and is known as a reciprocal access agreement – could harden Manila’s stance in the contested waters, and that other US allies in the region could follow suit. Ding Duo, an associate research fellow at the National Institute for South China…

Advertisement The luxury property segment of the world’s sixth-largest country is also expected to see increased interest from affluent investors looking for cost-efficient safe havens amid changes in the immigration and residency requirements of the US and the UK, among other jurisdictions. “For many years, Australia has been a desirable destination for Hong Kong and mainland Chinese buyers and investors,” said Freya Watson, head of residential project sales at JLL Australia. “With geopolitical challenges, Australia offers an international lifestyle that is transparent and open to investment and migrants. We can…

Taiwan is facing an intensifying debate about draft dodging among young men after the government moved to extend the term of compulsory military service amid heightened tensions with Beijing. Advertisement The island’s government has extended the term conscripts must serve to one year, and the contrast between its warning that the stakes have never been higher in the face of increased pressure from Beijing and the growing reluctance to serve has fuelled a debate about weaknesses in its mobilisation system. A recent poll by local media outlet My Formosa found…

Chinese merchants who sell to overseas markets via popular sites like Shein and Temu are struggling with escalating tax and compliance burdens from both their main export market, the European Union, and the domestic tax authority. Advertisement The latest pressure came from the EU, which on Thursday agreed to abolish a rule that allowed goods worth less than €150 (US$174) to enter the region without customs duties. The new rule will apply once an EU customs data hub is ready, scheduled for 2028. However, the bloc said it was working…

When Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump met in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, they spent nearly two hours discussing rare earths, fentanyl and trade. Taiwan, the one issue most likely to bring the world’s two largest powers into direct conflict, never came up. That silence was the message. Advertisement It revealed how both leaders prefer to manage rivalry through quiet understanding rather than confrontation. The approach reduces the risk of war but narrows Taiwan’s options. The question is whether that silence can hold, and what…

In a small town in the US Midwest, 47-year-old military veteran Natalie Hubble loves spending her evenings lost in the mythic worlds portrayed in Chinese fantasy stories. Advertisement Hubble has never been to China, yet few could describe Chinese mythical tales as well as she does. She described her growing connection to Chinese culture, ancient and modern, as a “natural progression”, since she reads over 150 books a year and likes to take recommendations from all over the world. She said her favourite fantasy novel was Chinese – Grandmaster of…

After US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands in Busan last month, the headlines highlighted smiles and tariff rollbacks. Washington hailed it as a “massive victory”, saying China had pledged to buy 12 million tonnes of American soybeans by January and at least 25 million tonnes annually for the next three years. Futures on the Chicago Board of Trade surged and farmers in the US Midwest cheered. Advertisement US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that “our great soybean farmers, who the Chinese used as political pawns”…

Supporters erupted in joy last week as Zohran Mamdani won a commanding victory in the New York mayoral race, becoming the first Muslim elected to lead the US financial capital. Advertisement The young politician’s complex identity as an African-born person of South Asian heritage, his political positions and the broader implications of his win have resonated far beyond New York. In China, his victory quickly became a talking point, both online and among scholars. According to Chinese observers, the rise of the Democratic Party’s left wing, marked by Mamdani’s historic…

Defying global geopolitical currents, China’s business schools are actively resisting the mounting risks of decoupling from the West, according to a leading accreditation body. Advertisement Its top executive said that instead of retreating into isolation amid rising US-China tensions, Chinese institutions remained deeply committed to internationalisation as they prioritised global talent and diverse cultural backgrounds to boost their competitive edge. “No [Chinese business] school that I visited expressed resistance to international talent; instead, they actively highlight diverse cultural backgrounds to enhance global competitiveness,” said Lily Bi, president and chief executive…

Advertisement The event on Tuesday at Guinea’s Morebaya port, attended by Chinese and regional African leaders, saw the departure of the first shipment of ore from the Simandou project – a major feat after nearly three decades of development. The Chinese delegation was led by Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong, who underscored the importance Beijing has attached to securing high-grade ore for decarbonising the national steel industry and diversifying away from Australian supplies. Guinea’s Simandou 2040 plan aims to use mining revenues to develop infrastructure, agriculture and education in the West African…