China’s vital statistics Chinese power took on an old-fashioned hue in the past week with a huge military parade, a gathering of former allies Russia and North Korea, and President Xi Jinping’s defiant vow not to be intimidated by bullies. Soldiers march during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. Photograph: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images That display reminded many of the cold war, but it captured only a fraction of China’s far greater modern…
Category: Media Library
Brainless bodies and pig organs: does science back up Putin and Xi’s longevity claims?
Perhaps it was the extravagant display of deadly weaponry that prompted Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to mull on mortality at this week’s military parade in Beijing. It was more banter than serious discussion, but with both aged 72, the Chinese president and his Russian counterpart may feel the cold hand on the shoulder more than Kim Jong-un, the 41-year-old North Korean leader who strolled beside them. Speaking through a interpreter, Xi told Putin that 70 is considered young today, prompting Putin to claim that human organs can now be…
Japan’s prime minister plans to quit, says state broadcaster NHK
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has decided to resign to make way for a new leader and prevent the ruling Liberal Democratic Party from splitting, according to state broadcaster NHK. His decision came ahead of a party leadership election on Monday, when a majority of LDP parliamentarians were expected to force Ishiba out of office. The prime minister’s formal resignation statement is expected at a press conference at 6pm on…
One by one, leaders learn that grovelling to Trump leads to disaster. When will it dawn on Starmer? | Simon Tisdall
Sucking up to Donald Trump never works for long. Narendra Modi is the latest world leader to learn this lesson the hard way. Wooing his “true friend” in the White House, India’s authoritarian prime minister thought he’d conquered Trump’s inconstant heart. The two men hit peak pals in 2019, holding hands at a “Howdy Modi” rally in Texas. But it’s all gone pear-shaped thanks to Trump’s tariffs and dalliance with Pakistan. Like a jilted lover on the rebound, Modi shamelessly threw himself at Vladimir Putin in China last week. Don…
Niche Asian exports wilt because of Trump’s tariffs
In rural Houbi, on the sweltering plains of southern Taiwan, low-rise buildings covered in black mesh and studded with big fans extend for nearly 2km in each direction. Tucked into the rice fields, they are barely visible to the passer-by. This is the home of Taiwan’s other great export success, orchids — much less familiar than the country’s semiconductors but as dependent on the upheaval brought to global trade by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. The Taiwan Orchid Technology Park is the heart of an industry that holds more…
Wakuku vs Labubu: Miniso challenges Pop Mart for collectible toy supremacy
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Chinese business & finance myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. China’s low-cost retailer Miniso has released its own collectible toys to compete with Pop Mart’s spiky-toothed doll Labubu, as a wave of Chinese companies rush to develop their own brands. The company, which produces a range of items including plush toys and homewares, recently unveiled a strategy to develop its own characters and said it had hired nine artists to produce designs. Miniso’s move into original intellectual property…
Hilton and Marriott lead global hotels push into India’s smaller cities
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Travel & leisure industry myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Hilton and Marriott are leading a push by global hotel chains into India’s smaller cities, investing in and opening mid-range lodging to accommodate a surge in domestic travel and cater to the country’s price-conscious tourists. Marriott earlier this year took an undisclosed minority stake in Mumbai-based Concept Hospitality, which will work with the global hotel group to expand its room count in India to 50,000 within five years…
China’s military follows Australian and Canadian warships in Taiwan Strait accusing them of ‘provocation’
Australian and Canadian warships sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait have been followed and warned by China’s military, with Beijing describing the incident as a provocation. The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command said the Australian guided-missile destroyer Brisbane and the Canadian frigate Ville de Quebec were engaged in “trouble-making and provocation”. “The actions of the Canadians and Australians send the wrong signals and increase security risks,” it said. A spokesperson said the Canadian armed forces do not comment on sail plans for currently deployed ships. The spokesperson said the…
Mandelson warns US and UK must unite to halt Chinese tech supremacy
Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world A new US-UK technology partnership is essential to stopping China from achieving technological dominance over the west in crucial fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotechnology, the UK’s ambassador to the US has warned. Lord Peter Mandelson said that if China won the race for technological supremacy in the coming decades it would affect “every facet of our lives”. He compared a planned tech pact with…
China launches corruption probe into former securities regulator chair
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Chinese politics & policy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. China’s anti-graft watchdog has launched an investigation into the former chair of the country’s securities regulator, the latest official to be swept up in President Xi Jinping’s corruption campaign. Yi Huiman was ousted from his post as chair and party secretary of the China Securities Regulatory Commission last year amid a steep drawdown in the domestic stock market. Before leading the CSRC, Yi was chair of the state-owned…