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China’s exports of permanent magnets to the European Union saw a sharp rebound in November, as Beijing confirmed last week it has begun granting general licences with lengthier terms for overseas shipments of the magnets, which contain valuable rare earth elements and are essential components in numerous hi-tech items. Last month’s total export volume of the magnets to the EU increased 59.5 per cent year on year to 2,568.8 tonnes, according to figures released on Saturday by China’s General Administration of Customs. The corresponding export value went up 60.3 per…

China has taken a step towards regulating the childcare industry at the national level, drafting legislation to standardise services and lower costs as policymakers fight to reverse a demographic decline that could have long-term economic ramifications. The draft Childcare Services Law was submitted on Monday to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for review, according to Xinhua. The bill, comprising eight chapters and 76 articles, aims to establish a national legal framework for institutions and carers, focusing specifically on children under the age of three. The move is…

China is highlighting its success in joint law enforcement with the sentencing of two men in a drug-related money laundering case following a tip-off from the United States. The People’s Daily stated on Saturday that officers in Shenyang, in northeast China’s Liaoning province, had received information in April last year from US authorities about a Chinese citizen surnamed Tong. 01:44 US, China join forces to counter global fentanyl trade US, China join forces to counter global fentanyl trade Chinese authorities established a task force and sent 25 teams to 16…

When Zeng Jinghan accepted an offer to lead the Confucius Institute at Lancaster University in England in 2018, he already had a plan to write a book. “I thought it would be very interesting if I could write about something that I know a lot about and participate in it personally, like Richard Crossman’s The Diary of a Cabinet Minister,” Zeng said, referring to the British politician’s memoirs published half a century ago. The job did not offer higher pay, and he was still an international studies professor with Lancaster…

In a bid to overhaul their economic relationship, China and South Korea are reviving long-stalled trade talks, with an eye on moving beyond factory floors to target the lucrative services sector as geopolitical shifts redraw the region’s alliances. The thaw follows a December 12 agreement between Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan to accelerate negotiations on the second phase of their free-trade agreement (FTA). The push aims to expand cooperation in services, investment and finance after years of stagnation. Advertisement…