Fiscal pressure sparks retroactive campaign and tougher controls on future offshore capital flowsFinancial Times
Author: Media Library
PLA scientists say submarine cables carrying 99% of global data could be ‘easy target’
The underwater cables that play a vital role supporting the international digital economy are increasingly vulnerable to attack from low-cost drones, Chinese military researchers have warned. “The barrier to entry for undersea warfare is lowering,” Shi Guanglei and Shi Haiming from the National Defence University wrote in Science and Technology Daily, pointing to the Aukus pact between Australia, Britain and the United States as a key driver of this change. “In the past, underwater operations relied heavily on crewed submarines, which were expensive and posed significant risks to personnel, making…
Bangkok airport apologises after clash with Chinese tourists at boarding gate
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has apologised for “inappropriate behaviour” following backlash over an employee making a slant-eyed gesture towards reportedly disruptive Chinese nationals. The apology came soon after Thai authorities insisted that individual clashes would not harm bilateral relations. In a statement on Tuesday night, airport management expressed regret over the “inappropriate behaviour and expressions of the personnel concerned”, noting that disciplinary action had been taken against the guard involved. The incident happened around 11pm last Wednesday when fans of a Chinese celebrity taking a Beijing-bound flight reportedly breached boarding area…
Democracy is at stake when foolish humans bet on machines being intelligent | Rafael Behr
When I am woken by the sound of my dog whining, I understand that she is hungry and wants me to get up. When my alarm clock goes off, I don’t consider its needs. It is following an instruction to rouse me at a certain time but it doesn’t care if I stay in bed. It doesn’t try to get me up by other means. The dog, on the other hand, will go to plan B. She barks. This capacity for autonomous action was once a difference between animals and…
‘China doesn’t want these built’: Trump claims Beijing is behind AI data centre protests
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused China of fuelling the growing nationwide backlash against AI data centres, claiming Beijing is promoting resistance because the United States is pulling ahead in the global artificial intelligence race. “A big part of it is China,” Trump told Fox News during a California visit focused on the economy ahead of the midterm elections in November. “Look, whoever wins the AI race is going to win AI. It’s bigger than the internet. It’s bigger than maybe anything that has happened for literally hundreds of…
Narrow escape: how ANA flight from Shanghai avoided a collision at Tokyo airport
An All Nippon Airways passenger jet took evasive action after coming close to a government inspection aircraft near Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday, in the latest aviation safety incident at the airport since a deadly runway collision in 2024. According to Japanese media reports, ANA flight NH968 from Shanghai was approaching the airport at around 6am on Tuesday when its traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) was activated, warning of a potential collision risk with another aircraft. The… South China Morning Post
A moment that changed me: I found a forbidden novel – it led to a dangerous, lasting love
Growing up in the Chinese region of Xinjiang, romance was frowned upon – as was much of my Uyghur culture. But one day, exploring a strange house, I found a gateway to both worlds Many people have a book that changes their life. For me and my wife, one book in particular changed our destinies for ever. We have been in love since we were teenagers, and today we are happily married – all because I accidentally discovered a forbidden novel in someone else’s house. It was a hot summer’s…
Most Americans say US has not achieved war goals in Iran, survey finds
Most Americans believe the Donald Trump administration has been unable to achieve its war objectives against Iran, according to a Marquette Law School poll released on Wednesday, as negotiations continue to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end five months of hostilities. A striking 88 per cent of respondents said the US had not achieved its goals in the war with Iran, up seven percentage points from April, while only 12 per cent believed it had met its objectives, down from 21 per cent. The poll… South China Morning Post
How an amputee Chinese scientist is fortifying the country’s military software
Much of the global debate on Chinese military power focuses on hardware but a vital part of the modernisation process is in the niche field of software verification. Wang Ji, a computer science researcher at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), is mentoring a new generation of scientists to treat the software code in national defence systems with the same precision as doctors diagnosing patients. After losing both legs to a life-threatening emergency, Wang, 56, has stayed at the forefront of China’s military modernisation, leading efforts to secure the…
PNG’s closure of Taiwan trade office signals expanded economic ties with China
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Papua New Guinea’s decision to close Taiwan’s trade office in Port Moresby is puzzling from a diplomatic standpoint, but it signals a coming expansion of its economic relationship with China, experts told Radio Free Asia. Last month, PNG’s Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko announced in an official statement the immediate cessation of operations and the formal closure of the physical presence of the Chinese Taipei Economics Office, citing Port Moresby’s “unwavering commitment to honoring, respecting and upholding Papua New Guinea’s foundational One-China Policy,” which…