Day: February 16, 2026

US warehouse retailer Sam’s Club has gained traction among Chinese shoppers by strengthening localisation and launching more China-tailored products, continuing to expand even as many foreign retailers have scaled back their mainland operations or exited the market. Instead of replicating its US model, Walmart-owned Sam’s Club has introduced products catering to local tastes, including copper gourd ornaments, ginseng and some traditional food items in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year holiday. Its stores have seen robust foot traffic, with some gift-box varieties such as nuts selling out.…

Not far from the fringe of the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in a remote valley to the north of the Karakoram mountain range, China’s road building programme has encountered another tough diplomatic posture from New Delhi. In January, India’s external affairs ministry said the stretch was “Indian territory” and that it had “consistently protested with the Chinese side against attempts to alter the ground reality”. Beijing responded that the area “belongs to China”, adding that it was “fully justified” in conducting infrastructure construction “on its own territory”.…

As China’s workforce heads into another year-end bonus season ahead of the Lunar New Year, the mood is colder than in previous cycles. Unlike a few years ago, when social media was flooded with posts flaunting outsized payouts, public talk of bonuses has largely faded from view. Long viewed by Chinese employees as a barometer of corporate prospects, industry momentum and even the broader economy, the year-end bonus packages for 2025 have become smaller, rarer and far more unevenly distributed, amid slowing growth, squeezed profit margins and heightened external uncertainty.…

China has been urged to build dual-use satellite application systems to increase the military use of commercial technology. The appeal by researchers from a university affiliated with the Central Military Commission – China’s highest command body – comes as space technology developed by private firms is increasingly being used for military purposes. For example, the US military has stepped up its use of technology from Elon Musk’s Starlink network and other commercial satellite companies, carrying out tests to help it build a more advanced and efficient command system. Advertisement Musk’s…