Month: April 2026

Trade tensions between the US and China have made companies around the world less keen to invest in either country, with the United States almost twice as unpopular, according to a new report from Allianz Trade. The report, based on an annual survey by the Paris-based international insurance company, said US-China decoupling had not materialised, but investment intention towards China had dropped “significantly” to 24 per cent of survey respondents, down from 53 per cent a year ago. The survey tracked corporate expectations for exports, global trade and supply chains…

Beijing has raised the limit on banks’ overseas lending – a move that analysts say will support Chinese firms in outbound investment expansions while helping to stabilise the yuan. Regulators raised the overseas-loan leverage ratio for foreign banks in China and their joint ventures with Chinese lenders from 0.5 to 1.5 on Wednesday, according to a statement published by the central bank and the foreign exchange regulator. In a separate statement, the regulators said that the new rules would better address the financing needs of firms expanding abroad, as overseas-loan…

China’s prototype Qingzhou robotic cargo spacecraft successfully conducted capture and towing operations on “non-cooperative” space targets, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday. The progress paves the way for so-called orbital tow trucks capable of clearing space debris and derelict satellites. The prototype spacecraft launched last month also conducted a suite of in-orbit experiments designed to sustain long-duration missions, according to CCTV. These included automated metal production, moss cultivation and the electrolytic production of hydrogen and oxygen. Advertisement The Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Innovation Academy for Microsatellites (IAMCAS), which developed the…

The Chinese embassy in Japan has received a series of “terrorist threats”, including an intrusion and a bomb threat, in the past month, a diplomat said on Thursday, describing the incidents as “extremely egregious”. Shi Yong, the acting head of the embassy, said that on March 5 the embassy received a threatening letter from an organisation claiming to comprise former Japanese police officers and former Self-Defence Forces members. Shi said the embassy had reported the matter to the local police, but said the Japanese police did not take matters seriously,…

China has advised its citizens travelling to the US to avoid a Seattle airport, citing “malicious interrogation and harassment” of some 20 Chinese academics. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that the academics had valid visas and were going to a conference but were denied entry after “unreasonable interrogation” by US border officers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The ministry said that any citizens planning to travel to the US in near future should improve their awareness of security, avoid Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and “carefully review US entry regulations in…

South China Morning Post