Day: May 23, 2026

Like Serbia, the EU should be open to partnership with China

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As I return to China, I do so with an abiding sense of respect for a nation that has become one of Serbia’s most indispensable partners and a defining force of our century. In Europe, discussions about China are too often clouded by suspicion and strategic anxiety. I understand that every major political community must guard its future, but I believe Europe should approach China not with fear and suspicion but with confidence and a serious, open-eyed willingness to cooperate. Serbia has chosen the path of openness. And our experience…

Why Bangladesh could raise Indian red flags by buying a China-Pakistan fighter jet

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Bangladesh’s potential purchase of a Sino-Pakistani fighter jet could raise tensions in India’s sensitive northeast, as relations between Dhaka and New Delhi remain tense, analysts said. Fighter jet simulators replicate the experience of flying an aircraft and are used to train pilots in combat tactics and systems management. Advertisement Jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the fighter is one of the main combat aircraft operated by the Pakistan Air Force and has also been exported to Azerbaijan, Myanmar and Nigeria. Pakistan’s reported transfer of the…

Xi Calls for All-Out Rescue After Coal Mine Explosion Kills at Least 82 in China

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China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, called on Saturday for a redoubled rescue mission in northern China after a gas explosion in a mine there killed at least 82 people, the Chinese state news agency said, in what appeared to be one of the deadliest Chinese mining disasters in years. Mr. Xi “stressed the need to make every effort to treat the injured, organize search and rescue operations scientifically and properly handle the aftermath,” the agency, Xinhua, reported. He also called for an investigation into the explosion, which happened Friday night,…

Dozens Killed in Coal Mine Explosion, China State Media Says

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new video loaded: Dozens Killed in Coal Mine Explosion, China State Media Says <img alt="An industrial complex at a mountain’s base, with blue buildings. Many yellow buses, white vans and people in orange uniforms are in the foreground." src="https://www.chinastrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/dozens-killed-in-coal-mine-explosion-china-state-media-says.jpg" data-testid="betamax-poster" sizes="(width < 1024px) 100vw, (width A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China killed dozens on Friday, according to Xinhua, a Chinese state news agency. In 2024, China’s National Mine Safety Administration cited the coal mine for “severe safety hazards” and high gas levels. As of Saturday morning,…

Angus Taylor’s claim support is a ‘privilege of citizenship’ leaves Deepa and others with an impossible choice

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When Deepa Chaudhary’s newborn slept, she used the time to find out what support she could get as a permanent resident in Australia. The answer was: not very much. Chaudhary moved here from India four years ago and worked until her baby was born in January last year. She describes the stress and mental health issues of being a new mother in Australia. “You’re supposed to get a maternity payment, but I didn’t meet the residency test so I didn’t get it,” she says. She does get the Family Tax…

Vance and Rubio emerge as early contenders to inherit Trump’s Republican Party

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An early glimpse of the battle to succeed US President Donald Trump atop the Republican ticket played out last week in classic Trumpian fashion when Vice-President J.D. Vance was temporarily demoted to play press secretary. His hour-long spell fielding questions from the White House “lion’s den” press corps included statements chiding the media and the obligatory denial for ambitious politicians. “This is crazy. You guys have got to behave yourself,” he told reporters, before adding: “I’m not a future candidate, I’m a vice-president. And I really like my job.” Advertisement…

Is China building the world’s largest naval support ship?

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China appears to be close to launching the world’s largest naval support ship. On Thursday, the China State Shipbuilding Corporation released a picture of one of its shipyards on social media as part of a message marking a new Chinese solar term, which showed a massive hull in a dry dock in the background. The photo prompted speculation among military observers that the hull was an auxiliary ship and triggered a debate about the future logistical capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army Navy. Advertisement The ship’s upper deck and island…

How ‘Sentinel Gardens’ Help Spot Dangerous Bugs Abroad

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The wriggling larva would one day metamorphose into the red coffee-borer moth, an invasive species that damages many plants. It hasn’t yet infested the United States — but here it was, on a cloudy morning in early 2023, burrowing into the trunk of an American oak tree. Fortunately, that particular oak tree was growing in China, in what scientists call a “sentinel garden.” These gardens, scattered around the world, are plots of foreign trees that researchers closely monitor to figure out what local bugs and diseases can damage them. The…

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visits China amid ongoing Middle East peace drive

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The visit also coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between the two countries, which are expected to use the occasion to upgrade their already close relationship. One Chinese analyst said Beijing was willing to offer its support for the peace efforts – and also help resolve Pakistan’s ongoing dispute with Afghanistan – but would be reluctant to be drawn directly into efforts to solve the Middle East conflict. Advertisement However, some Pakistani observers have said they expect China to take a more active role…