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By Nick Perry, Laurent Thomet and Shaun Tandon The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal Sunday but poorer nations most at the mercy of worsening disasters dismissed a US$300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low. The closing plenary of COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 24, 2024. Photo: COP29 […]
For most of the 103-year history of the Communist Party of China, the teachings of the philosopher Confucius were deemed relics of a backwards past, with its leaders looking to Marxism and socialism to modernise China. But under President Xi Jinping’s leadership, Confucianism has made a dramatic comeback as the bedrock of imperial Chinese ethics […]
The US has banned food, metals and other imports from about 30 more Chinese companies over alleged forced labour involving the Uygurs, according to a government notice posted online on Friday. The new restrictions, covering a range of products from tomato paste and walnuts to gold and iron ore, are part of the federal government’s […]
(Analysis) China’s energy security faces a significant challenge due to its heavy reliance on the Strait of Malacca. This strategic chokepoint is crucial for global trade, with about 40% of maritime trade passing through it. For China, approximately 80% of its oil imports traverse this narrow passage, making it a potential target for disruption by […]
(Analysis) Many have long viewed the 21st century as an “Asian century,” dominated by a perpetually rising China. However, the 2020s may mark a turning point, with China’s meteoric ascent slowing and signs of a decline emerging. This pivotal shift could reshape the global order, moving from relative unity under globalization to intensified competition between […]
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. AI can now create a replica of your personality Imagine sitting down with an AI model for a spoken two-hour interview. A friendly voice guides you through a conversation that ranges from your […]
This is a comment I get all the time on the topic of climate change, both in conversations and on whatever social media site is currently en vogue. Usually, it comes in response to some statement about how the US and Europe are addressing the issue (or how they need to be). Sometimes I think […]
After Lai Ching-te was elected President of Taiwan on May 20, and then again after National Day on October 10, China conducted military exercises near Taiwan. These exercises – respectively called United Sword-2024A and United Sword-2024B – were conducted on a scale that was somewhat smaller than the exercises China put on in the wake […]
Forget Amazon or AST SpaceMobile: Starlink’s newest competitive threat may be the Qianfan “Thousand Sails” satellite constellation from China’s Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology, which just signed an agreement with the Brazilian government. The company says it signed a memorandum of cooperation with Brazil’s state-owned telecommunication firm Telecomunicacoes Brasileiras to supply satellite internet in remote and […]
China’s annual Singles Day shopping festival has again seen Apple’s iPhone sales decline year over year. Singles dDay used to regularly see record-breaking sales for the iPhone, with one vendor selling 156 million of the iPhone 13 in the first two seconds of its sale in 2021. With increased competition from local brands, Apple had […]