Day: February 22, 2026

From a satellite ground station in Namibia to an Egyptian laboratory in orbit, China has been building the hi-tech backbone of Africa’s space ambitions. Earlier this month, Beijing handed over a new satellite data ground station near Windhoek, Namibia – the latest in a growing network of space facilities across the continent built by China or with Chinese funding. The China-funded ground station at Windhoek’s Telecom Earth Station enables Namibia to process remote-sensing data from satellites, including the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS-4). Advertisement During the February 12 handover, China’s…

China’s leading planemaker is redoubling its efforts to boost the international profile of its home-grown jets in 2026, injecting a sizeable amount of capital into a subsidiary carrier as it attempts to widen its planes’ coverage area and attract more overseas buyers. The state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), manufacturer of the C909 regional airliner and the company’s flagship narrowbody C919, recently infused 634 million yuan (US$91.76 million) into C909 launch customer Chengdu Airlines, in which the planemaker has a 48 per cent controlling stake. Combined with funding from…

Universities in China are shifting focus from traditional language degrees to country-specific and regional studies – a move analysts say reflects a broader strategy to craft a uniquely Chinese framework for understanding the world, independent of Western paradigms. The field of regional or area studies examines the politics, economics, culture, military affairs, geography, linguistics and other dimensions of countries and regions worldwide. Ministry of Education data shows that the interdisciplinary field has rapidly grown in popularity as an academic programme. At least 450 regional studies centres across more than 180…

Abraham Newman is an American political scientist and a professor in the School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown University. His research focuses on the ways in which economic interdependence and globalisation have transformed international politics. Along with Henry Farrell, he is co-author of the book Underground Empire: How America Weaponised the World Economy, published in 2023. In this interview, he discusses how the concept of weaponised interdependence has… South China Morning Post

China has launched its first next-generation Type 095 nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), according to satellite imagery analysed by defence experts. It marks a significant leap as Beijing ramps up the underwater arms race to challenge US naval dominance in technology and production. Images captured between February 9 and 12 showed the vessel being fitted out at the Bohai Shipyard in Huludao, Liaoning province, according to Janes and Naval News. Advertisement Defence analysts said the pictures revealed a new design with advanced acoustic stealth and strike capacity. The most prominent visual…