China News

China has launched a revolutionary facility in the eastern province of Shandong that produces fresh water from seawater for just two yuan (US$0.28) per cubic metre, generating green hydrogen as a by-product in a breakthrough that could redefine global water and energy systems. This small but world-first installation in the city of Rizhao is powered entirely by seawater and low-grade waste heat from nearby steel and petrochemical plants, official provincial news outlet Dazhong reported on...

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Imagine a robot that could tie your shoelaces to the perfect degree of tightness, or a robotic hand capable of performing abdominal surgery and then suturing the wound with impeccable precision. You might assume these feats would rely on complex electronic sensors, and yet a breakthrough by Chinese scientists has made it possible for robots to rival the skill of experienced surgeons – even with their “eyes closed” – using just a simple knot. The achievement, by an interdisciplinary team from...

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Chinese cross-border e-commerce entrepreneur Andy Guo has just opened two warehouses covering a total of 5,000 square metres (53,820 sq ft) on the outskirts of Moscow. He said the move was not about addressing logistical bottlenecks, but preparing his business for a potential geopolitical shift that could reshape his fastest-growing yet most uncertain overseas market if Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal. US President Donald Trump has continued to push for the end of hostilities between...

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A research project about changes in family life over three generations has found that traditional values still play a key role in sexual relations in China, and women often struggle amid tensions between old and new. One of the areas of conflict is what researcher Liu Jieyu has called a “virginity battle”. Influenced by Western liberal attitudes, many younger Chinese men are open to premarital sex, and they often pressure their girlfriends to have sex while dating, according to Liu’s new book,...

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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s trip to China this week signals a mutual desire to resume high-level dialogue amid mounting economic and geopolitical tensions, according to analysts. But they cautioned that the visit, which could lay the groundwork for a trip by Chancellor Friedrich Merz early next year, should be viewed as pragmatic management of a complex “systemic rivalry”, rather than a major reset in Beijing’s relations with Berlin or Brussels. For Germany, securing access to...

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A rare military confrontation occurred in the waters northeast of Taiwan near the Miyako Strait on Saturday when Japan claimed that Chinese naval fighters had conducted intermittent fire-control radar illumination – a tactical precursor to missile engagement – on its F-15J fighter jets. According to Japan’s Ministry of Defence, J-15 fighters launched from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier performed two separate instances of radar targeting. The first incident happened between 4.32pm and 4.35pm...

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South Africa, China’s largest trade partner in the continent, and other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) members are suffering from an unforeseen barrier to enjoying Beijing’s zero-tariff policy. The hurdle is eSwatini’s continued diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and hence exclusion from the favourable policy. SACU customs deals are negotiated collectively among the five member states, which means none can unilaterally benefit from the preferential tariff exemption. Beijing sees Taiwan as...

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Ground has quite literally been broken on a Chinese-funded project to modernise the Tanzania-Zambia railway after years of negotiations, amid intensifying “corridor wars” as major powers compete to shape transport and trade networks across not just Africa but also Eurasia and beyond. The US$1.4 billion upgrade will restore the 1,860km railway, known as Tazara, a vital corridor linking Zambia’s Copperbelt to the Indian Ocean via Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port, connecting southern and eastern...

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They promise consistency, cost savings and the speed demanded by modern life. But in a culture that reveres freshness and the wok hei benchmark for Chinese dishes, the rapid rise of industrially processed pre-made meals has stirred a heated debate – and simmering anger. The recent public outcry has been driven not by food safety fears, but by a perceived lack of transparency. Diners at restaurants are increasingly incensed about paying premium prices for reheated factory packets served without...

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From temple courtyards to trendy cafes, cats have long captivated hearts in China. Now, scientists have shed light on the pet’s origin in the country, suggesting its earliest presence dates back to the Tang dynasty (618-907), with its arrival via the Silk Road. A Tang dynasty provincial governor was recorded as the first person in Chinese history to name his dozens of cats. The avid cat lover also set aside a large area at home to play with them. Wu Zetian, China’s first and only woman emperor,...

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ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, has moved to tighten controls on its artificial intelligence-powered smartphone after several of China’s most widely used apps restricted its voice-operated functions. The company said it had scaled back the capabilities of Doubao, the agentic AI that runs on the device. In a statement issued on Friday, ByteDance said it would prevent the Nubia M153 AI phone from claiming incentives that were intended for active human users. It was also disabling the assistant’s...

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The southern Chinese megacity of Shenzhen, a symbol of the country’s rapid urbanisation and development, has spent decades transforming urban villages and tenement blocks into dense public housing estates and massive industrial and office parks. Now, in a move that speaks volumes about its scarcity of land, the tech hub is relocating an enormous landfill from the city centre, an act that could allow for the development of floor space totalling more than 1 million square metres (10.76 million sq...

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Western analysts often frame automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics as an existential threat to workers, with the risk of impending unemployment potentially triggering economic unrest. However, 74 per cent of all industrial robots deployed last year were in Asia, where they do not appear to be replacing workers but are instead redefining roles amid innovative modes for production and higher efficiency. As digital factories become ubiquitous, countries such as Vietnam and China are...

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Chinese medical experts have created an ultra-efficient stem cell approach to Parkinson’s disease, raising prospects for treatment for a condition for which there is no known cure. Parkinson’s disease is often referred to as a “movement disorder”. Its symptoms are caused by the brain failing to generate enough dopamine, due to the death or impairment of the neurons responsible for producing the chemical. While researchers around the world are exploring stem cell therapies to replenish lost...

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A pale-grey, nearly one-metre-tall, four-legged robot drew crowds at Tokyo’s International Robot Exhibition, lowering itself down some steps before lifting its right foreleg as if to greet onlookers. It rolled around one of the exhibition halls on wheels, avoiding obstacles in its path. The quadruped, dubbed the D5, is the latest model unveiled on Wednesday by Chinese robot maker Pudu Robotics at IREX – a biennial industry showcase at Tokyo Big Sight from December 3 to 6. It is Pudu’s second...

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Only a few years ago, the notion that Beyond Meat – the former poster child of the plant-based meat industry – would shut down its operations in China seemed unthinkable. At the height of the brand’s popularity, its label could be found adorning heavily promoted products at restaurants and grocery stores across major cities. Many observers speculated that the alternative meat company and others like it had found the next great success story in the country’s rapidly evolving consumer market. But...

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Jing Quan, formerly the second-in-command at the Chinese embassy in Washington, arrived in Manila on Saturday to assume his post as Beijing’s top envoy to the Philippines, pledging to both defend national interests and stabilise bilateral ties. “As the ambassador, I will firmly safeguard China’s national interests and dignity, while also serving as a bridge to ensure China-Philippines relations stabilise rather than deteriorate, and that our peoples draw closer instead of drifting apart,” Jing...

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It is not unusual for Berlin to be cloaked in a blanket of grey on the brink of winter. What hangs over the city this year, however, feels heavier. This new shade of gloom cuts through conversations about everything. Germany’s coalition government is just six months old, but already some are wondering how long it can last. The economy is no larger now than it was five years ago and is being pummelled by a heady brew of structural problems and external threats. The German foreign minister warned...

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Competing priorities and US economic interests are likely to challenge Washington in its goal of “deterring a conflict over Taiwan” through an overwhelming military advantage, according to experts. The strategic goal was laid out in the White House’s latest National Security Strategy report released on Friday. While the report said the western hemisphere and domestic security were Washington’s top concerns, it also noted that “Taiwan provides direct access to the second island chain and splits...

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Beijing’s omission of the term “denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula” from a new white paper suggested its “tacit acceptance” of North Korea as a nuclear-armed state while prioritising its strategic competition with Washington, analysts said. Last week, China released a white paper on the country’s arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, outlining its policies on national defence and nuclear policy and updating a previous paper from 2005. One notable shift in Beijing’s position on...

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Nigel Slater, former pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge and a distinguished figure in chemical engineering and biopharmaceuticals, has officially embarked on a new chapter in China’s rapidly rising biomedical frontier. The veteran academic, who spent over three decades shaping science and innovation at Cambridge, has joined Zhejiang University in Hangzhou as part of a strategic move fuelled by both personal ambition and global scientific realignment. For Slater, the journey from...

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Taiwan’s updated crisis and war survival guide has ignited fierce political debate, hailed by officials as a lifeline amid Beijing’s mounting military pressure but blasted by critics as costly propaganda prompting fear rather than readiness. Mass distribution of In Case of Crisis: Taiwan’s National Public Safety Guide – quickly dubbed the “little orange book” – began late last month, targeting 9.83 million households. The 29-page comic-style publication explains how to stockpile food and water,...

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The American public still wants the United States to be “engaged and take the lead” in international affairs, with support increasing for military intervention if Taiwan were to be attacked, according to a new survey. This view contrasts with US President Donald Trump’s isolationist bent and pivot towards homeland security, something analysts say could “complicate” decision making in the event of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. According to an annual survey published on Thursday by the Ronald...

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China’s official media has called on disciplinary watchdogs to stop giving low-level officials insulting nicknames that imply they are not doing their jobs properly. The provincial publicity department of the eastern province of Zhejiang became the latest to weigh in on this issue. In a commentary posted on its official social media on Tuesday, it warned that this approach was likely to backfire. It criticised the use of labels such as “refrigerator” officials to describe those who “don’t speak...

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The ashes of microelectronics legend Chih-Tang Sah (Sa Zhitang), whose inventions underpin nearly all modern semiconductor chips, have been transported from the US to his ancestral province of Fujian in southeastern China for burial. Sah and his collaborator Frank Wanlass’ proposal of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors laid the foundation for the development of low-power integrated circuits and the modern semiconductor industry. By 2011, around 99 per cent of...

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