Navy previously conducted investigation into senior officer to examine potential blackmail riskFinancial Times
Month: March 2026
Ko Wen-je’s Downfall Strengthens the KMT’s Position Ahead of Key Elections
On March 26, a Taipei court sentenced Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder Ko Wen-je to 17 years in prison in a corruption case that the TPP and Kuomintang (KMT) allege was politically motivated. The verdict, which also strips Ko of his civil rights for six years, will reshape Taiwanese politics ahead of this November’s island-wide local elections and the 2028 presidential race. The party that stands to gain the most from the shakeup is the KMT. The ruling dealt a heavy blow to the TPP, a party built largely around…
Huawei comeback loses pace as cloud and phones falter
Chinese tech conglomerate reports slowest revenue growth in three years Financial Times
Pakistan and China propose five-part peace plan for Middle East
Pakistan and China have released a joint five-part proposal for peace in the Middle East, after Pakistan’s foreign minister flew to Beijing on Tuesday to seek Chinese support for the country’s faltering efforts to negotiate an end to end the war. The one-day meeting between Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, came as Pakistan continues to push for the role of peacemaker between the United States and Iran, even as the war shows little sign of relenting. According to a statement from China’s foreign ministry, the trip was…
Geely to use Volvo Cars’ plants over building overseas factories
Move is in contrast to rival BYD, as founder warns of “very serious” overcapacity in global car industryFinancial Times
Why spike in fertiliser prices could boost China’s political clout
The US-Israel war on Iran has crippled exports of fertiliser from the Persian Gulf, raising the spectre of higher food prices if the conflict drags on. The disruption could hand China – the world’s largest fertiliser producer – greater political leverage over countries already locked in disputes with Beijing, though it is unlikely to weaponise exports, according to analysts. Global fertiliser prices have soared since Iran effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which exports flow from major producers such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Advertisement Since the…
China’s Economy Feels the Iran War Shock
When the United States and Israel launched their first missile strikes against Iran on February 28, the reaction world-wide was shock. The White House had managed not to leak. The press was oblivious. And Iran itself was caught completely off guard, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei killed in the first strikes. It is difficult to imagine that any country was more disconcerted than China. They had miscalculated the American intention on Iran, on a gargantuan level. China should have read the tea leaves. The United states had already neutralized Iran’s…
China pledges ‘strategic coordination’ with Pakistan to help end US war on Iran
China said on Tuesday it would enhance “strategic coordination” with Pakistan on the Iran crisis to promote dialogue and help end the conflict as Islamabad’s top diplomat Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing. Dar’s trip, his second to China in three months, came just days after a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, during which Beijing pledged to support Pakistan’s role as a mediator. Describing Pakistan as an “all-weather strategic cooperative partner”, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning confirmed the visit and said the two ministers would…
China has ‘room’ for imported inflation, but economic risks rising: PBOC adviser
China has sufficient leeway to cope with imported inflationary shocks from Middle East instability, a monetary-policy adviser to the People’s Bank of China said, but the country must balance those pressures with economic-growth risks. Huang Yiping, a member of the PBOC’s Monetary Policy Committee, said that China was already experiencing upwards pressure on prices. But China’s consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, has remained below its official target of 2 per cent in recent years, he noted, speaking at a media briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. Advertisement…
Could the energy crisis prompt US and China to ‘sit down and work together’?
As the Strait of Hormuz crisis roils world energy markets, China and the US still have strong potential to work together to find solutions, according to a researcher with a Chinese think tank. Wang Lining – who heads the oil market department at the Economics and Technology Research Institute under state-run China National Petroleum Corporation – also said Washington’s change in direction on energy diplomacy was a “reminder” that Beijing could play a bigger role in global governance. Wang made the remarks on Monday during a virtual event held by…