Beijing floods kill 30 as China sees summer of extreme weather

At least 30 people have died in Beijing and more than 80,000 were evacuated to safety, Chinese authorities said, as heavy rains and floods ravage roads and houses in northern China. Eight other people died after a landslide on Monday in Chengde city, about three hours northeast of Beijing. China is dealing with a summer of extreme weather. Record heatwaves hit the country’s eastern region earlier this month while floods swept the country’s southwest. Against the backdrop of the massive floods in northern China, President Xi Jinping has called for…

China offers parents $1,500 in bid to boost births

Parents in China are being offered 3,600 yuan (£375; $500) a year for each of their children under the age of three in the government’s first nationwide subsidy aimed at boosting birth rates. The country’s birth rate has been falling even since the ruling Communist Party abolished its controversial one-child policy almost a decade ago. The handouts will help around 20 million families with the cost of raising children, according to state media. Several provinces across China have piloted some form of pay outs to encourage people to have more…

Watch: Nursing home residents rescued from China floods

At least 30 people have been killed in floods that have inundated large parts of northeastern China. More than 80,000 people have been relocated from their homes after more than 543.4mm (21.4 inches) of rain fell in areas around Beijing over recent days. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has ordered an “all-out” search and rescue effort to minimise casualties. Video by James Chater. Follow live coverage of the China floods here. BBC

China investigates head monk of Shaolin ‘Kung Fu’ temple

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the world-renowned Shaolin Temple, is being investigated by multiple agencies for embezzlement, “improper relationships with multiple women” and “fathering illegitimate children”, the temple said on Sunday. The 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple, located in a mountain range in central China’s Henan province, attracts thousands of disciples every year – some from across the world. Mr Shi, who has been Shaolin Temple’s abbot since 1999, has earned the nickname “CEO monk” for transforming the institution into a global brand. He has been stripped of his ordination certificate amid…

US-China talks to restart as hopes grow for trade war truce extension

The US and China are due to start a fresh round of talks on Monday as expectations grow that the world’s two biggest economies could agree a 90-day extension to their trade war truce. The meetings in Sweden – led on Washington’s side by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and for Beijing by Vice Premier He Lifeng – come hours after US President Donald Trump announced a framework tariffs deal with the European Union. The current 90-day truce between the US and China – which saw the two countries temporarily lowering…

EU-China summit kicks off under shadow of fraught ties

A summit between China and the European Union (EU) has kicked off in Beijing on Thursday, with leaders set to discuss issues ranging from trade conflict to the war in Ukraine. Expectations have been tempered however by uncertainty over global trade, politics and the attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping, after he had earlier reportedly declined a visit to Brussels, where the summit was originally to be held. China confirmed this week that Xi would meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa in…

Labubu craze to drive up profit 350%, Pop Mart says

Pop Mart, the Chinese toy firm behind the hugely popular Labubu dolls, has said its profits are set to soar for the first six months of this year. The Beijing-based company said in a preliminary statement that it expects profits for the period to jump by 350% as revenues more than tripled. Pop Mart, which has a stock market value of more than $45bn (£34bn), also said profitability had been boosted by increased recognition of the brand globally and cost controls. Collectors have been obsessed with the viral Labubu dolls…

China growth slows as trade turmoil weighs on economy

China’s economy has slowed as trade turmoil triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and a prolonged crisis in the property market weigh on growth. Official figures show the world’s second largest economy grew by 5.2% in the three months to the end of June, compared to the same time last year. That’s down from 5.4% in the previous quarter. But the country has so far avoided a sharp downturn, partly due to measures announced by Beijing to help support the economy and a fragile tariffs truce with Washington. Trump…

Trade trumps geopolitics as Australia PM visits China

Australia’s leader Anthony Albanese will visit China and meet with President Xi Jinping this weekend as he seeks to strengthen ties with Canberra’s largest trading partner. Regional security and trade will take centre stage during the prime minister’s six-day trip spanning three cities – Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. “My government will continue to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, and engage in our national interest,” Albanese said in a statement. The trip marks Albanese’s second official visit to China – but the first since his re-election…

China rejects German claim it targeted military plane with laser

China has disputed Germany’s claim that it targeted a military plane with a laser fired from a warship, as a diplomatic spat between the two countries deepens. Germany accused China of attempting to disrupt one of its aircraft earlier this month as it was taking part in European Union-led operations aimed at protecting ships in the Red Sea from missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group. The German foreign ministry has summoned the Chinese ambassador and described the incident as “entirely unacceptable”. China’s envoy to the EU has also been…