Year: 2025

A Chinese combat robot tore through the competition at the Games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025 on Sunday, sealing the Battle of the Robots title in a shower of sparks after slamming its rival into the glass wall of the arena. The robot, dubbed Deep-Sea Shark 3, was built by a China-based student team calling itself Fierce Roc, which was crowned champion, according to organisers. The contest was staged as part of a multi-sport festival of so-called “phygital” games – sport that blends real-world competition with digital or esports-style…

China accused the United States on Monday of violating international law by seizing oil tankers off Venezuela, as Washington intensified pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government and a senior US official openly suggested that he should be removed from power. At a regular press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the United States “seriously violated international law” by intercepting foreign vessels and reiterated China’s opposition to unilateral sanctions and coercive measures. “The US practice of arbitrarily seizing other countries’ vessels seriously violates international law,” Lin said.…

China recently announced it would impose an export licensing regime on around 300 steel products starting January 1. The move, while seemingly technical, sends a clear signal Beijing is attempting to address a key source of trade friction with its emerging market partners. To understand the policy’s intent, it needs to be placed in the broader context of China’s trade position this year. As global trade protectionism intensifies, China’s exports have shown remarkable resilience. Even as shipments to its largest export destination, the United States, fell by 18.3 per cent…

Weeks after US immigration authorities arrested and separated 6-year-old Yuanxin from his father, Fei Zheng, during a routine immigration check-in in New York, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the pair had been deported to China. “We are happy to report we were able to remove the family back to their home country on December 17, 2025,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to the South China Morning Post. Jennie Spector, a volunteer and community activist who spoke to Zheng just two days before his deportation,…

Two senior Democratic lawmakers on Monday asked the ‌US Commerce Department to disclose details ‍and any approvals of continuing licence reviews for potential sales to Chinese firms of Nvidia’s second-most powerful AI chips. US President Donald Trump this month said he would allow sales of Nvidia’s (NVDA.O) H200 chips to China, with the US government collecting a 25 per cent ‍fee, and that the sales would help ‍keep US firms ahead of Chinese chipmakers by cutting demand for Chinese chips. Senator ‌Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Gregory Meeks in a letter…

While China has already logged a record-breaking trade surplus in the first 11 months of 2025, that milestone could be a harbinger of more protectionist pushback, an American research firm said on Monday – a development that could complicate the country’s efforts to meet its economic growth target in 2026. Though export performance remains the “most important” variable for China’s real economic growth rate next year, trade measures adopted by other countries and weaker demand will also have an impact, according to Rhodium Group co-founder Daniel Rosen. Changes to external…

China’s leader has promoted two PLA commanders who oversee the Taiwan Strait and the city of Beijing, suggesting that the dust has begun to settle following a massive purge in the military over corruption concerns. The move formally confirms Yang as head of the Eastern Theatre Command. Yang previously served as a lieutenant general in the PLA Air Force. A PLA theatre commander typically holds the rank of general, the highest active-duty rank in China. Advertisement He succeeds Lin Xiangyang, whose expulsion from the Communist Party over serious violations of…

Beijing has lodged a protest with Tokyo over a series of visits to Taiwan by high-ranking officials from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) amid a sharp downturn in bilateral relations. Koichi Hagiuda, an LDP lawmaker and the party’s executive acting secretary general, is on a three-day trip to Taiwan that will end on Tuesday. Hagiuda on Monday held a meeting with William Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s leader. In total, about 30 Japanese lawmakers plan to visit the island between the end of this year and early next year, according to…