Beijing’s powerbrokers are credited with winning Iran over, although one analyst says they were ‘pushing an open door’ Middle East crisis – live updates As the world struggles to make sense of what, if anything, was achieved by the ceasefire deal announced by the US and Iran on Tuesday, one major power that stands to win regardless is China. Beijing’s powerbrokers are being credited with pushing Iran towards agreeing to the ceasefire, bolstering its status as a regional mediator. In China’s tightly censored domestic media, articles basking in the glory…
Month: April 2026
China always a connector, never a coloniser, scholar says
Scholar and author Sheng-Wei Wang discusses how studying an ancient Chinese world map led her to conclude China explored and mapped the world before the European Age of Discovery and how the legacy of colonialism and a Eurocentric record of global history continue to affect power dynamics today. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. What first made you suspect that it was Chinese explorers and not Europeans who launched the true Age of Discovery? The… South China Morning Post
China’s Economic Sanctions Against Japan: An Assessment
On February 24, 2026, China placed twenty Japanese companies on its Entity List. This move marked a significant shift in China’s posture: Having previously sought to keep Japan’s security status deliberately ambiguous, Beijing has now explicitly designated Japan a country of security concern and publicly identified specific firms it views as threats. By framing the measure under the national security exceptions recognized by the WTO framework, China has made it considerably more difficult for Japan to establish a clear trade rule violation. Until now, China had pursued a different strategy.…
China’s energy storage tech exports: a buffer against the Iran war oil shock?
China’s exports of energy storage equipment are expected to keep rising as the US-Israeli war in Iran renews global calls for energy independence, industry insiders and analysts said. The total export value of Chinese inverters – key components in energy storage systems – jumped 57 per cent year on year to US$1.66 billion for the first two months of 2026, Chinese customs data showed. Inverters convert electricity generated from batteries and solar panels into usable power for homes, businesses and industry. “The increasing demand for energy storage [systems] is mainly…
China strengthens oversight of state-owned assets overseas amid global tensions
China’s state assets watchdog has established a new department to oversee foreign investments, as firms continue to expand their global footprint amid an increasingly turbulent geopolitical outlook. The new bureau, launched by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) on Wednesday, will guide state-owned enterprises in their international operations, according to its website. It will also be responsible for helping firms optimise and restructure their overseas assets, as well as strengthening risk prevention for their investments and handling emergencies and crises abroad. Advertisement A growing…
China team introduced plant-based photosynthesis in sick animals. They recovered
A team of Chinese scientists has found a way to introduce plant-based, light-activated nanoparticles into animal cells to improve their health and lifespan. When the team’s photosynthetic nanoparticles were transplanted into rats and rabbits with degenerative disease conditions, they helped boost energy production and restore disrupted cell interactions. By integrating their plant-based system with implantable, wirelessly powered lights, the team also proposed an approach for deep tissue treatment of cell dysfunction linked to ageing and disease. Advertisement “This treatment model has broad application prospects for various diseases involving imbalanced organelle…
More Chinese banks claw back bonuses, cut salaries despite mixed profit recovery
Several major Chinese banks have clawed back staff bonuses or cut salaries amid a sluggish economic recovery and Beijing’s ongoing scrutiny of the financial sector. In their annual reports, an increasing number of lenders, ranging from state-owned institutions to commercial banks, are disclosing the amount of performance-based compensation reclaimed from their employees last year. State-owned Bank of China recovered 47.18 million yuan (US$6.9 million) from 4,630 individuals in 2025, according to its latest annual report. In 2024, it clawed back 32.5 million yuan from nearly 2,500 staff. Advertisement China Bohai…
Xi: senior officers must ‘stay pure’ to meet Chinese military’s centenary goal
Following the sweeping anti-corruption drive within the Chinese military, President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged its senior officers to deepen ideological rectification and political refining for a “brand new look” to celebrate the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) centenary next year. Xi told the officers to maintain resolute political loyalty to the party and said that any thought or action driven by self-interest or corruption was “fundamentally against the Communist Party’s nature and purpose”, state media reported. “Senior military officers must take the lead in restoring and promoting the fine traditions…
Is one of America’s top AI-robot scholars about to join China’s tech talent pool?
China looks set to claim another coup in its mission to build AI talent, with one of the world’s top scholars in artificial intelligence for robots listed among PhD supervisors at a Shanghai university. Su Hao, who holds two doctorates – one in mathematics and one in computer science – has appeared on Fudan University’s faculty list as a professor in electronic information specialising in AI. The list, published on March 31, names 322 PhD supervisors appointed this year. Previously, Su was a tenured associate professor at the University of…
Chinese researcher’s death after questioning in US prompts anger in Beijing
Last year, the Trump administration vowed to “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students, especially those linked to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. Months later, the US made a U-turn on the hard line stance, issuing 600,000 Chinese student visas as Washington and Beijing engaged in trade talks. BBC