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Industry

Trump still ‘disappointed’ with Nato, says US should control Greenland as summit kicks off

US President Donald Trump doubled down on his criticism of Nato member states’ refusal to aid Washington’s military operation in the Middle East, while noting that his country would consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey after years of deadlock. In his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, the US president, who arrived in Ankara to attend this year’s Nato summit, said he was “very disappointed” with fellow Nato member states during Washington’s military operation...

July 7, 2026

Industry

Nato launches defence projects to counter Russia and China

New measures focus on critical minerals, drone capabilities and missile shields as members boost the alliance’s industrial base Nato member states unveiled a series of defence initiatives on Tuesday aimed at strengthening weapons development, production and supply chains in response to security challenges posed by Russia and China. Speaking at the Nato Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF) on the first day of this year’s summit in Ankara, Turkey, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte announced several new projects involving member states and defence contractors to bolster the alliance’s advanced military capabilities. Among them was a multinational initiative on defence-critical raw materials involving 12 Nato member states: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. While not going into detail about the plans of the initiative, Rutte said that Nato’s industrial base and supply chain must be “resilient and secure” for the alliance to remain ready and strong, meaning that Nato needs a stable supply of critical materials and components “regardless of potential shocks or disruptions”. “That’s what this new project is all about.

July 7, 2026

Industry

Latest US political divide emerges: the age gap over whether China is cause for concern

While the issue is less polarising than many others, a survey has found a ‘marked’ difference between different generations “Across almost every potential concern tested regarding Beijing, American unease climbs steeply with age,” the 2026 Reagan Institute Summer Survey report said. It also found that despite the deep political divisions within the US over foreign and domestic policy, there was less sign of a bipartisan split over China compared with any other specific foreign policy issue. “There is bipartisan consensus across most concerns regarding China, from its role in the fentanyl crisis to its human rights abuses. But domestic-facing worries top the list of concerns about China,” the report said. The survey questioned 1,555 respondents about 11 China-specific issues, and concluded that “younger Americans are markedly less worried than their older counterparts”.

July 7, 2026

Industry

Indian ambassador to China urges deeper economic ties, touts AIIB as model

New envoy also advocates for multilateral cooperation as global economy faces challenges ranging from tariffs to export controls The senior diplomat said countries were now “less willing to look at preferential trading arrangements” around the world, adding that beyond tariffs, the global economy faced other barriers in certification processes, export controls, weaponisation of finance, technology and digital infrastructure. Doraiswami also pointed to a global trend of looking increasingly at “moving away from efficiency-first economics to security-first production”, with many pursuing “competitive advantage rather than comparative advantage” for a “unilateral self-reliant system”. Different economies were reluctant to open up areas where they had shortcomings and often sought free trade in sectors where they were strongly positioned, Doraiswami said.

July 7, 2026

Industry

China submarine fires long-range missile ahead of Nato summit

Nato chief Mark Rutte said the alliance “cannot be naive” about China’s military build-up, after the nation conducted its first known launch of a strategic missile from a nuclear submarine. “What happens in the Indo-Pacific is relevant to what is happening in the transatlantic,” Rutte told a news conference on Monday, ahead of the military alliance’s annual summit in Ankara, Turkey. The Indo-Pacific and European theatres were becoming “more intertwined”, as was also shown by China’s support for...

July 7, 2026

Industry

To boost manufacturing, India need not choose between Japan and China

Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi led a business delegation to New Delhi for the 16th India-Japan annual summit. During last year’s summit in Tokyo, Takaichi’s predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the Japan-India Joint Vision for the next decade – during which period India may see up to 10 trillion yen (US$62 billion) in investment from Japan. Some of Japan’s most notable investments in India have been in the financial sector. Japanese...

July 7, 2026

Industry

Dear You: Beijing holds movie night for diplomats to help them ‘better understand’ China

Staff from 74 embassies attend the screening of the smash hit that has triggered debates about propaganda across Southeast Asia The movie was shot in the Teochew dialect spoken in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong province and follows a man as he uncovers his family’s struggles over half a century through remittance letters sent from Thailand in the 1940s. The story also touches on the issue of migration to Southeast Asia and the Chinese diaspora’s efforts to preserve their heritage. Assistant foreign minister Hong Lei told the event that vast numbers of Chinese people had worked hard to make lives and careers in foreign lands. He added that the film showed ordinary Chinese people’s care for home and country and their true kindness. “[I] hope that by watching this film, everyone can further enter the deep recesses of the Chinese people’s hearts and minds, and better understand China,” he said.

July 7, 2026

Industry

China floods: 900 snakes escape snake farm amid historic rainfall and rare tornadoes

Meteorologists warn of a ‘complex’ series of challenges this year, with severe wind, rainstorms and geological disasters across the country “All local governments should tighten accountability for disaster prevention and relief, thoroughly check rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other regions prone to geological disasters, strengthen early warning, prevention and relief work and ensure the safety of people’s lives and property,” he said. In southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the flood alert was upgraded to red, the strongest in a four-tiered system, on Monday midnight. Water levels at 70 monitoring stations on 55 rivers were above the warning level, authorities said. A central government task force was sent to the scene to monitor the typhoon’s passage and flood prevention efforts. It also called for volunteer teams with inflatable boats and storm boats to aid rescues.

July 7, 2026

Industry

Norway urges China to help bring Russia to Ukraine peace talks

‘China is probably the country with the ‌best and most direct access to the Russian leadership,’ said Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Stoere Norway wants China to use its ⁠ties to the Russian ⁠leadership to help bring about ⁠a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine, also for the sake of better relations with Europe, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday. “China is probably the country with the ‌best and most direct access to the Russian leadership. We expect, hope and strongly urge China to use that channel,” he told reporters after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Oslo. The biggest chunk of their discussion was devoted to Ukraine, Stoere said. “There is a potential ⁠for deeper cooperation between Europe and China but as long as this war ‌goes on and China is a close partner of Russia, that is a limitation on that opportunity,” he added. Norwegian Foreign ‌Minister Espen Barth Eide, speaking earlier on Monday, said dialogue with China ⁠on ending ⁠the war had been “constructive and promising”. “I’m not a spokesperson for China. I’m not going to quote them ‌but there are some hints in what they say,” he said when asked whether China had ‌indicated it ‌would help to bring Russia to the negotiating table.

July 6, 2026

Industry

Canada picks German firm for new submarine fleet, South Korean competitor loses out

In a closely watched outcome, Canada on Monday chose a major German defence contractor over its South Korean competitor to build a US multibillion-dollar fleet of submarines, as mid-tier nations increasingly work together in the face of a less reliable United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Ottawa chose Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS)’s package over Hanwha Ocean Company’s. The move is expected to strengthen ties between Canada and Nato, which is holding a two-day summit...

July 6, 2026

Industry

Trump hints at public ‘contribution’ from US AI firms, sparking speculation

US president offers few details on possible AI industry payments or benefits to Americans as administration weighs new policy options US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that leading American artificial intelligence companies would make a public “contribution” to the country, offering few details but fuelling speculation about a greater government role in the booming industry. Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday morning, Trump said tech companies “making tremendous amounts of money” will be making “a contribution to the people of our country”. “We’re going to have guardrails … You know that. But [AI] can be used for tremendous good. And mostly good, and some bad,” he said. Trump suggested discussions were under way within his administration over such public “contributions”, telling Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, “You know what I’m talking about”, before declining to explain what form they might take.

July 6, 2026

Industry

Nato can’t be ‘naive’ about China as it ramps up military might, Rutte claims

Nato cannot be “naive” about China’s military development, as the Indo-Pacific and European theatres are becoming “more intertwined”, evident in Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Nato’s secretary general has said. During a pre-summit press conference on Monday, a day before the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, this week, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte responded to questions about a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine firing a test missile into the Pacific. Rutte said that Nato...

July 6, 2026