Business — 3,364 insights
China firmly opposes US groundless allegations on Chinese AI firms
Business

China firmly opposes US groundless allegations on Chinese AI firms

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. The exterior view of China's Ministry of Commerce, Beijing, China, September 3, 2026. /VCG China's Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday voiced firm opposition to the recent US announcements that Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) companies are engaged in so-called industrial-scale efforts to distill capabilities from US AI models, calling the accusations groundless and without legal basis. The US move politicizes distillation, which is a normal technical and commercial issue in the AI industry, a ministry spokesperson said, adding the US announcements are another proof of the country's pursuit of technological hegemony and computing power monopoly in the AI field, as well as its suppression of competition. Distillation is a common practice for mutual learning among AI models, which is essentially a neutral technical means used by global model companies including US firms. It can help models enhance their learning efficiency, achieve more efficient utilization of human knowledge, and is significant for the development of the AI industry in various countries.

September 10, 2026
Graphics: China is a key driver of global trade in services
Business

Graphics: China is a key driver of global trade in services

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) is held at Beijing Shougang Park from September 9 to 13, drawing exhibitors from 90 countries, regions and international organizations, alongside over 1,800 offline corporate participants. A flagship showcase of China's high-level opening-up, the fair lets the world observe innovations in China's services sector and share its development gains. China's trade in services keeps expanding and upgrading. In the first half of this year, the total value of China's services imports and exports reached nearly 3.8 trillion yuan (about $570 billion), up 8.3% year on year. Services exports exceeded 1.5 trillion yuan, rising 17.6%. Knowledge-intensive services trade hit 1.66 trillion yuan, or 44% of the total services trade volume, showing a shift to higher-value segments. "Services consumption and trade have become a vital pillar for bolstering economic growth," said Li Jun, director of the Institute of International Trade in Services under the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

September 10, 2026
Rubio defends US strikes on boats, warns of drug cartel ‘cancer’
Business

Rubio defends US strikes on boats, warns of drug cartel ‘cancer’

US Secretary of State pledges continued military operations against suspected drug traffickers in Latin American waters US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended controversial strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats during a visit to Ecuador on Wednesday, arguing Latin American cartels would “eat these countries alive” if left unchecked. Hailing a new generation of conservative leaders emerging across the region who are allied with President Donald Trump, Rubio said Washington was finding partners willing to be “very aggressive” against criminal groups. Since Trump returned to power, the United States has embraced air strikes against vessels plying known trafficking routes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. According to Pentagon figures, the operations have killed more than 200 people. Rights groups, fishermen and their relatives have questioned the campaign, alleging vessels were targeted without sufficient evidence of links to trafficking. Experts have also questioned whether they do anything to curb the flow of cocaine and other drugs to the United States – the world’s largest consumer.

September 10, 2026
Fire engulfs Philippine ferry, killing 5 and leaving 87 missing
Business

Fire engulfs Philippine ferry, killing 5 and leaving 87 missing

The MV June Aster had departed from Manila and was near a tourist hotspot in Palawan province when the blaze started At least five people were killed and 87 remain unaccounted for after a fire erupted aboard a ferry near a tourist hotspot in the Philippine province of Palawan, the coastguard said on Thursday. The fire aboard the MV June Aster broke out on Wednesday evening about 2.2km (1.3 miles) offshore, the coastguard said, adding that five casualties had been brought ashore. Video shared by the coastguard on social media showed the vessel completely engulfed in flames. “Based on the data we have right now on rescued [42] and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for,” coastguard Captain Noemi Cayabyab told a local radio station on Thursday, adding the ship’s manifest had listed 134 passengers and crew. “Just to make it clear, this is live data and may change as our search and rescue operations are ongoing,” she said. Of those rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew, Cayabyab said.

September 10, 2026
Is the Philippine military ‘massively underfunded’?
Business

Is the Philippine military ‘massively underfunded’?

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr has warned there could be no military recruits next year due to budget cuts In 2024, Marcos approved a revised 1.9 trillion Philippine pesos (US$30 billion) plan to acquire newer military assets until 2034, aiming to enhance the capability of the military to project power in parts of the South China Sea that Manila considers its territory, in line with the emphasis on archipelagic defence. In his State of the Nation Address in July, Marcos vowed to “do all that is necessary to continue upholding” the 2016 arbitral award, under which a tribunal’s ruling in The Hague negated China’s nine-dash line, which overlaps with the Philippines’ claims in the contested waterway. Defence and security analyst Manuel Mogato called Marcos’ promise “mere lip service”, adding that the yearly budget should be at least 100 billion pesos to achieve military modernisation by 2034. Mogato said: “He [Marcos] promised to prioritise modernisation. But he did not give any money [for new military hardware] for next year.”

September 10, 2026
China’s Communist Party quietly signals social stability push with new high-level body
Business

China’s Communist Party quietly signals social stability push with new high-level body

Central Committee social governance group, while not formally announced, has been operational for a while, provincial reports indicate Beijing has never officially announced the formation of the body, nor disclosed who leads it. However, a trail of local government reports in recent months has offered quiet evidence of the group’s active operations. The latest hint came on Monday, in an online post from the social works department of Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The city authority said that it had convened a meeting to “convey and study” the spirit of “the fifth plenary meeting of the Central Leading Group for Social Governance” alongside that of its regional counterpart in Inner Mongolia. The report came in the form of a statement posted to the department’s official social media but appears to have since been taken down. The statement showed that the high-level social governance group had been active for a while – having recently held its fifth meeting – and that a network of provincial counterparts had also been set up.

September 10, 2026
Social media must join the fight against teen suicides
Business

Social media must join the fight against teen suicides

The causes are complex, and home and school problems are major factors, but the digital environment is a significant amplifier of distress As we observe World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, the global community reflects on a sobering reality: suicide remains a leading cause of death among young people. Every year, more than 720,000 people die by suicide – each life a story cut short, a family shattered, a community left to grapple with unbearable loss. Their impact on mental health deserves attention. For decades, my team at the CSRP has tracked the data, studied the patterns and advocated for evidence-based solutions. The evidence is overwhelming. Excessive use of social media is correlated with poor mental health and deteriorating family relationships. The causes of youth suicide are complex – home and school problems are major, intertwined contributors – but the digital environment has become a significant amplifier of distress.

September 10, 2026
China wife exposes husband’s US$1.5 million insurance-buying affair involving 180 hotel stays
Business

China wife exposes husband’s US$1.5 million insurance-buying affair involving 180 hotel stays

Husband sent ‘I miss you’ texts and numerous 520-yuan transfers, a number that phonetically means ‘I love you’ in Chinese A Chinese man’s seven-year affair with an insurance agent has ignited a legal dispute, revealing dramatic details uncovered by his wife. Guo, from Liuzhou in Guangxi province, southern China, is married to Zhen, with whom he shares a two-year-old daughter, according to Hongxing News. In 2017, Zhen discovered flirtatious messages exchanged between her husband and Li, an insurance agent eight years his junior. These texts included “I miss you” and multiple transfers of 520 yuan (US$77), a figure widely associated with “I love you” in Chinese due to its phonetic similarity. Years later, while hospitalised in 2024, Zhen discovered that Guo had bought medical insurance policies for her and their daughter. This revelation raised suspicions that Guo and Li had continued their relationship. Zhen later calculated that Guo had transferred over 3 million yuan (US$447,000) to Li over the course of the seven years. Insurance records indicated that he had acquired more than 50 policies through Li, paying over 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million) in premiums. During this period, Li was promoted to manager in her insurance firm.

September 10, 2026
Chinese vice premier calls for greater openness in services sector
Business

Chinese vice premier calls for greater openness in services sector

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivers a keynote speech at the 2026 Global Trade in Services Summit in Beijing, capital of China, September 9, 2026. /Xinhua Advancing trade in services and promoting opening up and cooperation in the services sector is not only China's choice but also a global necessity, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said on Wednesday. Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at the 2026 Global Trade in Services Summit in Beijing. China has actively promoted trade in services and opened up its services sector wider, Ding said, adding that these efforts are creating more opportunities for countries and businesses around the world.

September 10, 2026
Over 65% of cars sold in China are now EVs as Iran war drives electric shift
Business

Over 65% of cars sold in China are now EVs as Iran war drives electric shift

China’s electric vehicle adoption rate has hit yet another record high, as rising fuel prices accelerate the pivot away from petrol cars China’s electric vehicle (EV) adoption rate has hit an all-time high, as the Iran war drives motorists to shift away from petrol cars despite a sluggish automotive market. A record 65.2 per cent of the 1.54 million cars sold in mainland China last month were either pure electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed. The figure broke the previous record of 65.1 per cent set a month earlier. “Consumers are convinced of EVs’ advantages now that range anxiety has been largely eased,” said Zhao Zhen, a sales director at Shanghai-based auto dealer Wan Zhuo Auto. “Higher penetration rates can be expected as more drivers shun petrol cars.” The Iran war appears to be accelerating the electrification shift, as rising fuel costs prompt more Chinese consumers to shun petrol vehicles.

September 10, 2026
Softer focus on national security in Hong Kong’s 5-year plan? Why it won’t happen
Business

Softer focus on national security in Hong Kong’s 5-year plan? Why it won’t happen

Experts expect John Lee’s policy address to set ambitious governance agenda on various social and economic issues, but security will underpin them all In the first of our series of previews on the five-year plan and policy address, to be announced on September 16, Natalie Wong and Matthew Cheng look at the key political issues and the city leader’s hopes for a second term. Observers are closely watching where the two blueprints will take Hong Kong, and whether the synergy of high-level strategic planning will be used by the 68-year-old leader to build momentum for securing a second five-year term next July. Pressure is mounting on him to deliver on the Northern Metropolis near the Shenzhen border, with some political experts saying a key challenge is getting businesses to commit to the megaproject that could take up to 20 years to complete. Beyond policy initiatives, they said Lee’s future in the job also hinged on issues of political accountability arising from the Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades, which occurred on his watch. An independent committee’s findings are set to be published in late October, after months of evidential hearings earlier this year.

September 10, 2026
Japan’s protest over Russian soldier statue aggravates ‘summer of tension’
Business

Japan’s protest over Russian soldier statue aggravates ‘summer of tension’

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is under pressure from conservatives to take firm action, including helping Ukraine in its war against Russia The 15-metre granite monument to the Soviet Union’s victory over Japan in 1945 shows a soldier using the butt of his rifle to shatter the border post, identical to the former markers installed along the 50th parallel on Sakhalin Island to mark the boundary between the then Japanese-controlled southern section of the island north of Japan and the Russian-held north. The Soviet Union took back control of southern Sakhalin near the end of World War II, and Japan renounced its claims to the territory in 1951. A 16-petalled chrysanthemum motif, the symbol of the emperor, is depicted on the statue. Its unveiling last week went ahead despite Tokyo’s requests for an amendment through diplomatic channels, with its foreign ministry describing the statue as “extremely regrettable”. Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made it clear that Tokyo’s protests would be ignored.

September 10, 2026