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Industry

China’s No 4 official Wang Huning to head to North Korea as visits multiply

The move shows that the nations are rapidly deepening ties after reassessing each other’s strategic value, analysts said China’s fourth-ranked official, Wang Huning, will head to North Korea this week, the latest in a flurry of high-level exchanges between Beijing and Pyongyang. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday that Wang would lead a Communist Party and government delegation on an “official goodwill visit” to the country from Wednesday to Friday. Wang is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s leading decision-making body. He is also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body. In the meeting, Xi called on Beijing and Pyongyang to expand cooperation, maintain “firm strategic resolve” and “resolutely defend our respective sovereignty, security and development interests”, according to a Chinese statement.

July 14, 2026

Industry

Should heavy-duty drones be used to rescue China’s flood victims?

Photos and discussions about China’s recent use of heavy-duty drones to “airlift” villagers affected by flooding in Guangxi have gone viral but almost two decades ago, the disaster-prone country once relied on risky, low-tech means to fight natural calamities. China’s rapid tech advancement, represented by the development and deployment of drones, has helped it better handle emergencies, as shown by first responders rescuing residents from widespread rainstorms and floods since June. In the...

July 14, 2026

Industry

China links family of ex-Politburo member Ma Xingrui to ‘rampant corruption’

The former Xinjiang party chief ‘lost his ideals and beliefs’ and betrayed the party’s principles, watchdog finds Ma, 67, who once headed China’s new-generation carrier rocket programme, is the third member of the Politburo – the party’s elite political body – to come under investigation in the current term that began in 2022, a situation unseen in decades. Before his role in Xinjiang, Ma became deputy party secretary of the southern province of Guangdong in 2013 after a brief stint at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. He went on to become party secretary of Shenzhen, provincial vice-governor and then governor. The Politburo reviewed and approved the report on Ma’s cases by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the party’s top disciplinary and anti-corruption body, on June 30, state news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. Ma was found to have “lost his ideals and beliefs”, abandoned “his political conviction”, “betrayed the party’s principles and original mission” and “seriously violated [the party’s] political discipline and rules”, the report said.

July 14, 2026

Industry

Fifa World Cup semi-finalists Argentina pledge donations to China’s flood victims

The Argentine national football team expressed solidarity with China’s flood-affected Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Tuesday, offering to donate supplies to victims of the disaster. In a statement online, the national team, beloved by Chinese fans, said it would contribute provisions such as water bottles, towels, clothing and backpacks to aid post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. The team said it wanted to give back to Chinese supporters, who had cheered them on during this year’s...

July 14, 2026

Industry

Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic A decade after Beijing rejected the ruling by The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration on its South China Sea claims, rival nations continue to manoeuvre for control. In the second of our series on the anniversary, Alyssa Chen explores how deepening maritime cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam could affect China’s regional strategy. “Maintaining peace, stability and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea remains non-negotiable,” Marcos said. The two countries “remain resolute in their commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes”, he said, adding that this approach would be grounded in international law. As part of that upgrade, Manila and Hanoi also agreed to implement a hotline and improve coordination between their coastguards to prevent accidental clashes in disputed waters. The move came at a symbolically important time – just weeks before the 10th anniversary of the ruling by The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration that dismissed China’s expansive claims to most South China Sea features.

July 13, 2026

Industry

US National Science Foundation to ban projects with flagged Chinese institutions

The United States’ National Science Foundation (NSF) is set to ban collaborations with Chinese research institutions designated as restricted entities, as well as their employees, under a new policy that moves away from seeking to balance security risks with the benefits of international collaboration. The policy reflects a broader congressional push by House Republicans to curb academic partnerships between China and the US, amid lawmakers’ concerns that such ties could contribute to Beijing’s...

July 13, 2026

Industry

US tariff probe unlikely to derail fall Xi-Trump meeting: analysts

The ongoing US tariff investigations against China and Washington’s other trading partners are unlikely to significantly impair bilateral ties or the planned meeting in September between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, analysts said on Monday. “China is just one of a group of countries. So it’s less insulting to China,” said Wei Liang, a professor at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey. The Trump administration has launched two major Section...

July 13, 2026

Industry

Lindsey Graham’s death removes one of Washington’s most influential China hawks

Graham’s sister will fill his Senate seat, but his role as one of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers may prove harder to replace The death of US Senator Lindsey Graham has removed one of Washington’s most influential advocates of a hardline approach towards China at a moment when Republicans are debating how aggressively the United States should confront Beijing and project military power overseas. On Monday, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to fill the vacant Senate seat. McMaster said he spoke with Nordone by phone on Sunday and she agreed to serve. Attention is now turning to whether Nordone, or anyone else, will inherit the late lawmaker’s unusually prominent role as both a congressional China hawk and a close foreign policy adviser to US President Donald Trump. “I promise to work hard over the next several months, to support the president, and carry forward the efforts of my brother,” Nordone said.

July 13, 2026

Industry

Shein executive chairman to step down as IPO nears completion, sources say

The departure of Chinese-American billionaire Donald Tang raises the question of whether founder Sky Xu will now step into the spotlight Shein Executive Chairman Donald Tang will step down as his mission of taking the company public nears completion, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday, retreating to an advisory role after three years as the public face of the global fast-fashion retailer. A Chinese-American billionaire who began his career in banking, Tang has acted as the Western proxy of ‌secretive Shein founder Sky Xu, liaising with politicians and regulators around the world while also representing the e-commerce group at conferences and other public events. His planned departure raises the question of whether Xu will now step into the spotlight, assign one of his co-founders to that role, or bring in another external leader. Tang, 63, will move to a role as senior adviser and continue to work closely with the management team for the foreseeable future, said a source with knowledge of the company’s thinking, adding that there is no fixed timetable for the transition.

July 13, 2026

Industry

Pentagon invests US$25 million into rare earths start-up ReElement Technologies

The move is part of a push by the US to boost domestic supplies of critical minerals and challenge ‌China’s dominance of the sector The US Department of Defence ⁠said on Monday ⁠it would invest US$25 million ⁠in rare earths start-up ReElement Technologies, part of a broader push by the Trump administration to boost domestic supplies of critical minerals and challenge ‌China’s dominance of the sector. ReElement aims to use a novel processing technology to refine rare earths and other critical minerals at its planned commercial facility in Marion, Indiana. The rare earths are expected to be used ⁠in magnets found in a range of military equipment, including ‌fighter jets, missiles and submarines. It was not immediately clear if the US$25 million investment is in the ‌form of a grant, loan or another funding ⁠mechanism. Representatives ⁠for the Pentagon and ReElement were not immediately available to comment. China dominates ‌global rare earths processing and magnet production, a strategic supply chain the United ‌States and ‌its allies have been seeking to diversify.

July 13, 2026

Industry

Why ‘reverse tech transfer’ from China remains a non-starter in the US auto industry

Experts say political resistance blocks technology transfer that could help US carmakers compete with Chinese rivals For decades, Western carmakers complained that China forced them to hand over technology in exchange for access to the world’s largest auto market. As Chinese carmakers capture global market share with cheaper, high-quality electric vehicles, countries including Canada and members of the European Union are embracing a “reverse tech transfer” strategy – by seeking Chinese investment and technology to strengthen their own industries. The United States, however, is taking the opposite approach. Tariffs on Chinese EVs have expanded, Chinese-owned auto companies are being banned or put on notice, and lawmakers are weighing new legislation to block the new global leader in electric vehicles. Analysts say despite abundant scope for reverse tech transfer that could improve American carmakers’ competitiveness, Chinese companies would likely remain locked out of the market due to deep-seated barriers: geopolitical tensions, espionage concerns, economic protectionism, bipartisan opposition in Congress and resistance in local communities.

July 13, 2026

Industry

Trump to restore Iran blockade, charge fees for Strait of Hormuz shipping

US president says Iranian ships and those trading with Iran will be barred, while other commercial traffic will pay a 20% transit fee Trump said Iranian vessels and ships trading with Iran would be barred from using the strategic waterway, while other countries would retain access under a system that would impose a 20 per cent fee on eligible cargoes. “We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving,” Trump said online. “All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.” The US president said the charge would help pay for “any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World”. As US forces struck Iran for a third consecutive night, Trump argued that the naval blockade had proven effective, particularly when paired with attacks on Iranian military infrastructure. He also suggested Washington should be compensated for protecting Gulf allies and ensuring the flow of commerce through the region. “We expect to be reimbursed because we are protecting a very rich part of the world ... Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, they do very well,” Trump said on Monday afternoon.

July 13, 2026