Trillions of dollars have been wiped from China’s stock markets in recent months amid increasing anxiety about the future of artificial intelligence, as Beijing races against the United States for dominance in the sector. The STAR 50 Index, which tracks technology and innovation companies on the Shanghai stock exchange, has plunged 40% since June. Other indexes of major companies dropped by about 20% over the same time period. The precipitous drop has wiped out $2.4tn from the Chinese stock market since May, according to Bloomberg. AI stocks account for over…
Author: Media Library
Online post purportedly by Chinese students calls for restoring term limits for Xi
Read a version of this story in Chinese An “open letter” purportedly signed by students from multiple Chinese universities appeared on a Chinese language website on Monday, calling for the restoration of term limits for the Chinese president, but an investigation by Radio Free Asia was not able to determine if it originated from within China. The letter, which also called for the promotion of democratic constitutional amendments and the guarantee of space for citizens to discuss national affairs, appeared the same day as the opening of the fifth plenary…
Kim Jong Un’s unprecedented day-trip to China shatters Pyongyang’s Korean War myths
Read a version of this story in Korean North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s weekend visit to China over the newly completed New Yalu River Bridge was largely symbolic, and acknowledged a history that Pyongyang has downplayed for three generations, experts told Radio Free Asia. Is China steering North Korea’s next move?During Saturday’s unprecedented one-day car trip to Dandong, China, across the border from North Korea’s northwestern city of Sinuiju, Kim inspected a bus factory, met with high-ranking Chinese officials, and visited a monument that commemorated China’s entry into the…
Taiwan-Vatican Ties: The Dynamic Interplay Under Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV succeeded Pope Francis in May 2025, becoming the 267th Pontiff of the global Catholic Church. According to academic and media analyses, Pope Leo XIV’s diplomatic strategy continues Pope Francis’ approach of “engagement” and “openness,” placing a particular emphasis on “peace” and the “de-escalation of potential armed conflicts.” For Taiwan, the most closely watched diplomatic development during Pope Francis’ tenure was the 2018 provisional agreement on appointing bishops, signed between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This agreement led the Chinese government to formally…
Why China’s new estimate on Greenland ice loss speed is 55% lower than America’s
Chinese researchers have created a new model to convert satellite surface elevation data for the Greenland Ice Sheet into a detailed estimate of how much ice it has lost in recent decades. Using satellite altimetry data covering 2002 to 2023, they found that the ice sheet lost an average of about 120 gigatonnes (264.5 trillion lbs) of mass per year. This figure is considerably lower than the widely cited figure reached by Nasa, which previously estimated Greenland’s annual loss to be nearly 270… South China Morning Post
‘Zero-energy companionship’: bizarre hobby takes seed among China’s stressed young adults
Young adults in China looking for a cheaper, low-maintenance alternative to having children or pets have found an answer: raising bricks. Bricks may not be as cuddly as cats or as life-affirming as human offspring, but they also cost next to nothing. “No cats, no dating, I started raising a brick,” wrote one brick parent on social media. Raising “brick babies” is easier than caring for house plants, involving spraying them with water a few times a day then waiting for moss spores already present in the atmosphere to attach…
China’s big political meeting could see Xi ‘tighten discipline’ in Party
Past plenum sessions have been used to declare Xi as “the core” of the Party, abolish term limits which cleared the way for him to remain in power indefinitely, and elevate his personal philosophy – branded as “Xi Jinping Thought” – to the same level as Chairman Mao. This years plenum is an opportunity for Xi to dictate strategy in the run up to the Congress, ensuring that views are aligned and delegates loyal. Even the location of the meeting, which will wrap up on Thursday, has not been announced.…
Xi Jinping’s corruption crackdown in the spotlight as China prepares for meeting of top leaders
When Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, he pledged to stamp out corruption all through the ranks of the Communist party. More than a decade later, the pace of investigations has not slowed. Last year, China’s disciplinary authorities opened investigations into more than 1 million people, including more than 100 officials at or above ministerial or provincial level. As Chinese Communist party (CCP) officials prepare for an important meeting this week discipline – and party loyalty – is high on the agenda. For those who try to read the…
Kim Jong-un crosses over newly opened bridge into China
Kim Jong-un has travelled to China over a newly opened bridge marking the North Korean leader’s first known trip abroad in more than a year, South Korean officials have said. A government source told the Yonhap news agency on Saturday that Kim had arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong, in Liaoning province, after taking a train from Pyongyang to Sinuiju and crossing the New Yalu River Bridge. Yonhap also reported that the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, had travelled to the city. Kim’s trip was not announced in advance…
As Trump’s time runs out, this could be his most dangerous legacy: a world divided into three | Steve Bloomfield
In the final two years of a US presidency, when Congress has been lost, approval ratings have sunk like a stone and their party has started to think about who’s coming next, the person occupying the Oval Office can feel their power draining away. Domestic legislation, particularly in an era where bipartisan cooperation is almost nonexistent, grinds to a halt. But as the days tick by until the end, and as presidents begin to think about their legacy, there is one part of the job where they still have power:…