Day: October 2, 2026

Economic Strain Is Pitting China’s People Against One Another

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For years, the mood in China has been darkening. A weakening economy has left many disillusioned, a state of mind expressed privately and across the heavily controlled internet in lowered expectations and quiet anxiety. Some of that may now be surfacing in more troubling ways. In March, a man drove a heavy construction vehicle through an outdoor market in a Beijing suburb, reportedly killing several people. In June, a small aircraft crashed into a prominent office building in the capital, killing the pilot and injuring 13 others in what may…

Myanmar junta airstrikes target civilians to coerce Arakan Army into peace talks

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Myanmar’s military junta is increasingly resorting to attacks on civilians as a means to bring the rebel Arakan Army in the western coastal state of Rakhine to the negotiating table, Rakhine politicians and analysts told Radio Free Asia. Airstrikes targeting civilians for peace talks (RFA Video) The junta launched an airstrike on the town of Kyauktaw, dropping bombs on a crowded marketplace and other civilian areas killing at least 50 people, including children and pregnant women, according to the Arakan Army, or AA, an armed ethnic group which controls most…

US arrests California man for allegedly smuggling $300m worth of computer servers to China

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US authorities have arrested a man accused of smuggling more than $300m worth of computer servers to China, the Department of Justice announced. Greg Lui, 38, of California, also known as “Yiu Kong Lui”, allegedly used false paperwork and shipments through third countries to smuggle the export-controlled computer servers to China, the justice department said in a statement on Thursday. The servers contained “US-manufactured graphics processing units (GPUs) commonly used for Super Intelligence (SI)”, it added, using the Trump administration’s new name for artificial intelligence (AI). “Protecting America’s national security…

‘Stand on the right side of history’: Starbucks urged to close stores in China’s Xinjiang

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US lawmakers have urged Starbucks to close newly opened outlets in China’s Xinjiang, saying it was a “morally bankrupt decision” to operate in a region where Beijing has been accused of widespread human rights abuses against Muslim minorities. The coffeehouse chain, which last year sold a controlling stake in its China retail business to the Hong Kong-based investment firm Boyu Capital, opened two stores in the region on Tuesday. Videos on Chinese social media showed long queues for the flagship store in Urumqi’s Grand Bazaar tourist area, with influencers showing…