• For China and the Middle East, a Space Silk Road is written in the stars
• Brazil seeks China’s support to salvage maritime emissions pact opposed by Trump
• Mathematician Zhang Yitang says he left US for China due to political climate
• China turns up oil tap from Russia as purchases of US crude remain suspended in July
• Trump tariffs spark India-China reset, Chinese city’s biotech dream: SCMP daily highlights
• Philippines assures China of restraint after ship clashes – will tensions ease?
• DJI faces new challenger as China’s robot vacuum maker Dreame hires drone experts
• Did Zhuque-2E launch failure deal a blow to China’s Guo Wang satellite project?
• Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Tibet for landmark anniversary
• FAW, China’s oldest carmaker, eyes 10% of Leapmotor to boost stake in EV surge
• ‘Still believe in love’: China tycoon whose divorce gripped public, remarries ex-classmate
• Why has China sent research vessels to Scarborough Shoal after a collision?
• Chinese jeweller Laopu Gold shines as earnings nearly triple on sales bump at home, abroad
• China expands regulatory arsenal in fight against solar industry price wars
• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kabul for 3-way talks as Afghan-Pakistan tensions ease
• After Shaolin Temple scandal, China’s Buddhists urged to obey the law and pay taxes
• China’s EV industry expands ‘going global’ strategy, latest Tesla Model 3: 7 EV reads
• China-India talks: Narendra Modi praises ‘stable, predictable, constructive ties’
• Ex-China diver becomes merman performer, creates stunning underwater routines with artistry
• How the Philippines forced China to adjust historic mission to moon’s far side
• Australia, Philippines stage largest-ever drills: ‘denial of China’s aggression’
• China says it will highlight joint combat groups in next month’s military parade
• From mining to tourism, space ambitions of China’s Guangdong rival those of Elon Musk
• India-China thaw: rare earths, border headway as Trump turns up tariff heat
• As the US and China compete, Asean could play arbiter
• ‘Beautiful’ gun-toting China tactical police officer goes viral after hitting 10 bullseyes
• Is China poised to lead the world with combat-ready ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 stealth drone?

For China and the Middle East, a Space Silk Road is written in the stars

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322274/china-and-middle-east-space-silk-road-written-stars?utm_source=rss_feed

The Silk Road once connected China and the Arab world, stretching from Cordoba to Canton. The network not only fostered trade, but also cultural and intellectual exchange. Today, as humanity stands on the brink of a new age of exploration, this time of the cosmos, the stage is set to revive this historic partnership.

For Arab countries, especially the Gulf states, space exploration represents a way to diversify their economy and reinvent their image. They are investing billions in space exploration in a global space industry projected to be worth more than US$1 trillion by 2040.

This ambition is nothing new. The Arab space odyssey can be traced back to the Cold War. In 1985, a Saudi prince, flying aboard an American spacecraft, beat his Soviet-backed Syrian counterpart by two years and secured his place in history as the first Arab in space.

Yet it was the 21st century which would see Arab countries’ ambition to reach the stars really take flight. In 2023, Saudi Arabia achieved another landmark when a Saudi became the first Arab woman to visit the International Space Station (ISS). In 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made history when it became the first Arab country to reach Mars’ orbit.

Other Arab countries have also set their sights on space. Some have established space agencies while others are launching satellites into orbit or training astronauts.

Traditionally reliant on the United States in space exploration, Arab countries have increasingly turned to China as Arab-US relations soured over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. For China, that Arab countries are “looking east” aligns with its interests, making this win-win cooperation a partnership written in the stars.

First, as space technology has both civilian and military applications, the US is wary of the dual-use potential given its commitment to preserve Israel’s military edge in the region. In contrast, China offers Arab countries access to its advanced technologies with no strings attached.

China dismisses the American narrative of a new space race as a Cold War mentality. Beijing’s philosophy is completely different, believing space technology should benefit people all around the world, not just a privileged few.

This is not just rhetoric. While the US has barred Nasa from working with China, the Tiangong space station welcomes foreign astronauts with open arms. The US-led Artemis Accords – which some critics argue favour the early birds who join up – stand in stark contrast with China’s emphasis on inclusive space governance.

For example, in 2023, China and Egypt jointly developed the MisrSat-2 satellite, with Egyptian scientists taking part throughout, from assembly and integration to testing. This level of technology transfer would have been unimaginable with Western partners, yet it is exactly what Arab countries need to fast track their progress in the new age of discovery.

In return, China takes one small step towards realising its vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, and one giant leap towards establishing the “Space Silk Road”. Where camels and dhows once traversed deserts and seas, rockets now fly above the skies. Yet the essence remains the same: the exchange of ideas, mutual benefit and the pursuit of a brighter future for all.

Second, China is the only competitor to the US in space. While China’s space programme still lags behind, it has caught up in some areas and even taken the lead in others. China is the only country besides the US to have landed and operated a rover on Mars, its Tiangong space station is the only alternative to the ageing ISS, and most notably, it is the only country to have landed a spacecraft on the far side of moon.

As US-Arab relations are once again put to the test, China stands as the only viable alternative. In exchange, China gains access to the lucrative Arab market and taps into Gulf countries’ many sovereign investment funds.

For example, in 2023, a delegation from the Saudi Space Agency held meetings with private Chinese companies to discuss the joint development of satellites and spacecraft. Inspired by SpaceX’s success, China has been encouraging private companies to participate in space exploration. With Arab countries in these private companies, China’s space industry as a whole stands to benefit.

The US, however, continues to throw up obstacles.

After the Rashid-1 rover crash-landed on the moon in 2023, the UAE decided to partner with China for its second attempt: the plan is for the Rashid-2 rover to hitch a ride aboard China’s Chang’e-7 mission next year. But the plan reportedly ran into an American roadblock – the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

These American export control rules, meant to prevent US technology from falling into certain hands, are now hindering international cooperation. Since the Emirati rover would contain American components, there were concerns in the US that Chinese engineers could reverse-engineer the technology. It left the UAE with a difficult choice: to redesign the rover to exclude American components or end the collaboration with China.

But when one door closes, another opens. An outdated Cold War mentality cannot derail China-Arab space cooperation indefinitely. Space is the common heritage of humanity. Should any country choose competition over cooperation, they will find themselves trapped behind an imaginary iron curtain of their making.

Meanwhile, China and Arab countries will continue to push forward – light years ahead, their achievements will prove that humanity does not need to succumb to another space race and, instead, can enjoy a space renaissance built on collective progress.

Brazil seeks China’s support to salvage maritime emissions pact opposed by Trump

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322577/brazil-seeks-chinas-support-salvage-maritime-emissions-pact-opposed-trump?utm_source=rss_feed

Brazil is banking on China to support a landmark UN effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions generated by international shipping as governments prepare for a decisive October vote on the plan.

One of the staunchest supporters of the International Maritime Organisation’s proposed Net-Zero Framework, Brasilia is waiting for China to clarify its position on implementation of the plan, Ports and Airports Minister Sílvio Filho told reporters on Wednesday.

The situation is setting up a stand-off with the administration of US President Donald Trump, which generally opposes any environmental mandates.

The framework will require large ocean-going vessels that do not meet fuel-efficiency standards to pay for their carbon emissions starting in 2027.

Ships over the base-level target will be charged US$380 per tonne of greenhouse gases, measured in carbon dioxide equivalent, while those missing the stricter Direct Compliance target will pay US$100 per tonne.

Revenue from the system will be used to reward the application of cleaner fuels and support a “just transition”, helping developing countries adopt new green technologies.

It still needs formal adoption at an extraordinary IMO session set for October. If approved, companies would have to meet the full emissions requirements starting in 2028.

Filho said Brazil fully supports the framework. He outlined Brazil’s position during a Brazilian Foreign Press Association media briefing on US opposition to the climate initiative.

Negotiated in London, the IMO framework was approved by 63 countries, including Brazil, China and the European Union, while 16 opposed and 24 abstained.

The United States rejected the proposal outright, while China shifted course and supported it after years of resisting tougher climate measures.

The US has called the plan a “global carbon tax on Americans” that would raise energy and transport costs while benefiting competitors such as China. US officials have threatened retaliation against countries that back the deal, including possible tariffs and visa restrictions.

With the US opposing the framework, Filho said that Brazil is looking to other major players for support and that Chinese Ambassador to Brazil Zhu Qingqiao will meet Brazilian officials next week to “bring alternatives” and give the ministry a clearer position on implementation of the IMO agreement.

“We are working to reach consensus in October. Brazil is favourable; we are supporting this understanding,” Filho told reporters. “We expect China’s collaboration to also move this agreement forward.”

China has historically resisted ambitious climate measures at the IMO. For years it opposed strict deadlines such as achieving net-zero emissions “by 2050”, as specified in the agreement, preferring looser language like “around mid-century”.

It rejected proposals for a carbon tax on shipping, arguing such a tax would disproportionately burden developing nations and shift responsibility for climate actions away from richer countries.

Beijing has also criticised a “well-to-wake” method of counting fuel emissions, which takes into account the full life cycle of a fuel, from production and transport to its use on board a ship. Instead, China favoured a narrower “tank-to-wake” approach that only measures what comes out of a ship’s exhaust.

But in April, during fractious negotiations in London, China shifted course and voted in favour of the Net-Zero Framework.

At the same event on Wednesday, Anderson Pomini, head of the Santos Port Authority, said the difference between Washington and Beijing could already be seen on the ground.

Located in São Paulo state, Santos is home to Latin America’s largest port and the main gateway for Brazilian agricultural exports, such as soybeans, sugar and meat to China.

Pomini said that while the US has threatened retaliation, Chinese companies investing in Santos have complied with local sustainability rules.

He pointed to COFCO, a Chinese agribusiness firm building a nearly US$1 billion terminal in the port, which has joined an environmental programme and financed the recovery of degraded land for public use.

“One country imposes itself through threats of retaliation, while the other, although it raises complaints, adapts,” Pomini said, referring to Washington’s position.

“Meanwhile, the Chinese are adapting here in the Port of Santos to our rules that include environmental preservation,” he added.

He added that cooperation with Chinese firms at Santos went beyond infrastructure. The companies, he said, had signed onto the port’s sustainability certification effort, which encourages environmental best practices, and have contributed to community projects such as the redevelopment of a waterfront park.

Mathematician Zhang Yitang says he left US for China due to political climate

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322381/mathematician-zhang-yitang-says-he-left-us-china-due-political-climate?utm_source=rss_feed

Mathematician Zhang Yitang, who joined Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou from California in June, has called the wave of Chinese researchers exiting the US a “positive trend”.

Zhang, known for his prime number research, told Phoenix TV, a partially state-owned broadcaster, in a programme aired on Monday that he had been thinking about returning to the mainland “in light of recent international political issues that have strained China-US relations”.

The Shanghai native, 70, is now a full professor at Sun Yat-sen’s newly established Institute of Advanced Studies Hong Kong. He left the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he taught mathematics, to work and live in the Greater Bay Area.

“Many Chinese scholars and professors in the US have already returned, and many others are still considering it,” Zhang said. “I think this is a positive trend.”

“My field is not greatly affected, but for researchers in computers, chips or anything related to the military industry, they need to be especially careful,” he warned. “The US is very strict about these areas now.”

Zhang said that one advantage of studying mathematics, especially theoretical mathematics, was not having to be tied to a particular place.

“For those in experimental science or experimental physics, without a laboratory or equipment, everything is off the table,” he added.

“The [Donald] Trump administration recently cut funding for many laboratory research programmes, which has left those in fields like biology in a tough situation.”

Zhang said he decided to join Sun Yat-sen in March after receiving several invitations from universities across China.

“The university planned for my return very meticulously. They waited until I was on the plane and had flown out of US airspace before announcing my appointment.

“When I landed in Guangzhou, a customs officer came on board to greet us. I was really touched,” he recalled. “It felt like the country valued and respected me highly.”

Zhang said he could continue his research in China, adding that he did “not want to be like a yellow fallen leaf, settling on the ground as if it were the end”.

The number theorist achieved acclaim in 2013 when he solved one of mathematics’ oldest problems: the twin primes conjecture.

The conjecture proposes that there are infinitely many pairs of prime numbers that differ by two. Zhang’s proof was the first to show that infinitely many prime pairs exist with a gap of less than 70 million.

His proof was significant because it established a finite upper limit for the gaps between infinitely many prime pairs, opening a path to further narrowing that distance, potentially all the way down to two.

Zhang has also made notable progress in solving the Landau–Siegel zeros conjecture, a key problem linked to the Riemann hypothesis, an unsolved problem in mathematics that concerns the distribution of prime numbers.

“At that time, a conference held in the western US to discuss this conjecture was attended by experts from around the world,” Zhang said of his 2013 proof. “I was not there. Their conclusion was that the problem was impossible to solve.”

“When I learned why they could not solve it, I realised that this might be my strength. In the end, I managed to solve it. In academia, it is best to maintain a sense of freshness and think about areas that others have not considered,” he added.

“Science is becoming increasingly difficult, and the time and cycles needed are growing longer. I do not worry about age – whether you are 30 or 40 – you just need to keep moving forward.”

After graduating from Purdue University with a PhD in 1991, Zhang struggled to find an academic position in the United States without a recommendation letter and worked as an accountant in a fast-food restaurant for seven years.

“Around 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the Americans, quite cleverly, recruited many of the Soviet Union’s renowned mathematicians and physicists to the US,” he said. “Finding a job in the US was incredibly difficult for PhD graduates in those few years.”

“I did not give up because I felt that I could continue to research mathematics, which can be done anywhere,” Zhang added.

“Forty years later, I am back to my starting point, working in and serving my country.”

China turns up oil tap from Russia as purchases of US crude remain suspended in July

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3322541/china-turns-oil-tap-russia-purchases-us-crude-remain-suspended-july?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s crude oil imports remained robust in July, fuelled by higher Russian shipments, while China’s purchases from the US remained suspended for a second straight month.

The latest customs data shows that the volume of inbound crude oil reached 47.2 million tonnes in July, up 11.5 per cent from a year earlier.

China purchased 8.71 million tonnes of crude oil from Russia, making it the top source of China’s crude imports last month, according to the official data. This marked a year-on-year increase of 16.8 per cent, with its northern neighbour supplying nearly a fifth of crude imports. Meanwhile, China’s last import of crude oil from the US was in May.

China also imported 7.47 million tonnes of crude oil from Saudi Arabia in July – a year-on-year rise of 16.6 per cent. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Malaysia were China’s other top crude oil suppliers last month.

Over the first seven months of the year, China imported 326.6 million tonnes of crude, up 2.8 per cent from the same period in 2024. Russia accounted for 17.7 per cent of this year’s total.

Despite sweeping Western sanctions on Moscow, China has deepened energy trade with Russia amid their “no-limits” partnership declared in 2022. Russia has topped China’s crude oil imports in recent months.

Last year, Russia shipped a record 108.5 million tonnes to China, accounting for 19.6 per cent of its total crude imports and cementing Russia’s role as one of China’s top suppliers.

Even though the administration of US President Donald Trump has signalled possible tariffs on China as punishment for Beijing buying Russian oil, after having slapped a 25 per cent punitive levy on India over its continued purchases of Russian oil, Washington has so far stopped short of imposing secondary sanctions on Beijing.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent on Tuesday defended that stance, arguing that China’s oil supply was more diversified than India’s, and that Beijing had not engaged in the kind of “arbitrage” seen by New Delhi.

He noted that China’s share of Russian crude had edged up to 16 per cent from about 13 per cent before the war in Ukraine, while India’s intake had soared from less than 1 per cent to as much as 42 per cent over the same period.

“So, this is a completely different thing,” Bessent told CNBC. “India is just profiteering. They are reselling.”

Xu Tianchen, senior China economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said the ramping up of oil imports was likely part of a stockpiling drive. China’s oil consumption is expected to peak in 2027, the International Energy Agency said in June.

“The difference between China and India is that China has the ability to cause pain to the US, while India does not,” Xu said. “Think about China responding to US tariffs by reimposing strict export controls on rare earths – is that something that the US can afford?

“It’s quite possible that China will continue to cease US oil imports. First, China has never relied on US oil. Second, withholding US oil purchases is probably a bargaining chip for China that could potentially become part of a broader deal between the US and China.

“In such a deal, China could resume oil imports in exchange for the US allowing more technology exports to China. But the deal would require a lot of political push from both countries, so let’s see how it goes.”

Last week, the US extended its tariff truce with China until November 10, keeping the current 10 per cent “reciprocal” tariff on Chinese imports in place until then.

Bessent noted how the Trump administration was “very happy” with the arrangement, calling China “the biggest revenue line in the tariff income”.

“We had put some countermeasures on them that we’ve taken off,” Bessent told Fox News. “So, I think right now the status quo is working pretty well.”

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Trump tariffs spark India-China reset, Chinese city’s biotech dream: SCMP daily highlights

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3322549/trump-tariffs-spark-india-china-reset-chinese-citys-biotech-dream-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

The world’s two most-populous countries made significant progress on the diplomatic front recently, and those championing such moves may have Washington to thank.

South China’s Guangdong province has announced its ambition to join the country’s race to expand its commercial space sector, promising financial and policy support for companies wanting to build low-orbit satellite constellation systems and promote their application in futuristic industries including space mining and space tourism.

Could a city best known for its classical gardens and ancient canals emerge as China’s answer to Boston – the global epicentre of biotechnology innovation?

China has updated the 2025 edition of its guide to living in China for expatriates, which addresses how to travel to or work in the country legally as a foreign national. Here, we attempt to break down the 22-page document to provide the most salient details, like how to apply for a residence permit, pay income tax and handle payments and benefits under the country’s social insurance.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday it is designating five new Chinese industry sectors, including copper, lithium and steel, for “high priority” enforcement under a human rights law restricting imports from China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The FH-97, a single-engine, ground-attack uncrewed aircraft, has been described as potentially China’s first combat-ready stealth drone, capable of coordinated aerial warfare alongside crewed jets.

Chinese space engineers made small but deliberate changes to last year’s historic sample retrieval mission to the far side of the moon to avoid political friction in the South China Sea, according to a new paper.

Philippines assures China of restraint after ship clashes – will tensions ease?

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322558/philippines-assures-china-restraint-after-ship-clashes-will-tensions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed

Maritime tensions between the Philippines and China have entered what analysts describe as a risky and potentially volatile phase after an accidental collision between two Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal, one of the most contested features in the South China Sea.

The rare mishap involving the vessels from the Chinese coastguard and navy during a high-speed chase of a Philippine coastguard ship has raised the risk of Beijing adopting a more aggressive posture as it seeks to save face, potentially leading to further tensions in the disputed waters, according to analysts.

Chester Cabalza, founding president of the International Development and Security Cooperation think tank in Manila, said the Chinese coastguard and navy could “launch a thousand assets from the sea, cyber, air, and ground to redeem its military image in the region” because of the “embarrassing collision”.

Nonetheless, officials in Manila reaffirmed the Philippines’ intention to exercise restraint while defending its sovereignty in response to the incident on August 11 and other subsequent maritime activities involving Chinese vessels.

“We will not be intimidated. And we will continue to have our presence felt to protect and defend sovereignty in our jurisdiction,” said Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, spokesman for the National Maritime Council, the government’s coordinating and policymaking body on maritime concerns, during a press briefing on Monday.

Borrowing a line from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, Lopez said: “Now, we do not intensify operations, we just respond.”

National Security Council spokesman Cornelio Valencia Jnr echoed the stance at the briefing, saying the Philippine coastguard – not the navy – would continue to lead operations in the West Philippine Sea.

“This is just to ensure the message to our Chinese friends that we are not escalating things,” he said.

The choice not to send in navy vessels was “not because we are cowards ... we are just being prudent”, Valencia Jnr added.

Lopez said: “Once you deploy a navy vessel, you come in warlike. Like you are taunting and challenging them. That is not the policy stance of our government. So we won’t provoke.”

Angelica Escalona, a foreign affairs department spokeswoman, said Manila had already conveyed “concern on the dangerous manoeuvres of the Chinese vessels” and was still assessing the appropriate diplomatic protest to file over the incident and China’s reported demand for compensation.

There had been 35 diplomatic protests filed with Beijing so far this year, said Escalona, adding that the Marcos administration hoped to address the latest incident in the next round of the bilateral consultative mechanism, in line with the president’s instructions “to manage the issue in a peaceful manner”.

Despite Manila’s restrained response, analysts believe the maritime row could worsen.

Lucio Blanco Pitlo, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, agreed that China would not let the incident pass without a robust response.

“The embarrassment from the collision of two Chinese government ships near Scarborough Shoal may compel China to double down in enforcing an exclusion zone around the contested shoal that would affect regular Philippine patrols and fishing activities in the rich fishing ground,” Pitlo said.

He added China might bolster its presence in the overlapping exclusive economic zones of Batanes and Taiwan “to dissuade Manila from interfering in the cross-Strait spat”.

Lopez confirmed that Chinese maritime presence in the area surged after the collision, with seven Chinese coastguard ships and 13 other vessels deployed near Scarborough Shoal over several days until August 14.

On August 15, one Chinese coastguard vessel, the CCG 3306, was seen loitering outside Manila Bay, according to Raymond Powell, director of Sea Light – a project by Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Centre for National Security Innovation.

“China seems determined to intercept and escort any Philippine ship moving in Scarborough Shoal’s general direction,” Powell said in a social media post.

On Wednesday, two Chinese research vessels – the Zhu Hai Yun and the Xiang Yang Hong 10 – were spotted near Scarborough by Sea Light, Powell said.

Defence and security analyst Collin Koh told This Week in Asia that China would be expected to tighten its maritime standard operating procedures after the collision. Chinese vessels could step up their interceptions of the Philippine coastguard’s operations to help fishermen around Scarborough Shoal or elsewhere in the West Philippine Sea while avoiding a repeat of the August 11 incident.

“In a gist, we shouldn’t expect the Chinese to back down just because of what happened on August 11. There’s too much at stake, and Beijing wouldn’t want to show weakness at this juncture,” said Koh, a senior fellow at the Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

Even as Manila’s officials stress that the Philippines will exercise restraint over the incident, the country is deepening defence cooperation with its allies.

Just days after the collision, the US deployed the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins near Scarborough Shoal – a move that drew a protest by China.

On August 15, the Philippines launched joint amphibious and land drills with Australia. Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane, Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and Manila’s BRP Jose Rizal are expected to sail together in the South China Sea as a result of “flaring tensions” following the collision, according to Australian maritime security expert Jennifer Parker.

Several countries including South Korea, Japan and Australia have expressed their concern over the collision. In a speech at a forum in Jakarta on Wednesday, German Foreign Affairs Minister Johann Wadephul said: “China’s growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea not only threatens Asia’s security” but also “has a direct impact” on European security.

Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine navy spokesman, said that more joint maritime activities were being planned involving “not only with the US but with other foreign partners, like-minded nations”.

Koh said a joint escort with allies such as the US might have “the potential of ameliorating China’s aggressive posture”.

“While we may expect Chinese forces to challenge the foreign presence alongside Philippine forces in these missions, I would find it hard to imagine them firing water cannon, for example.”

Nonetheless, Koh said there was a limit on how far allies could help the Philippines.

He cited the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty, which calls for the US and the Philippines to help each other in case of an armed attack on either party in the Pacific, saying “political will” over its invocation could be a potential hurdle.

As for Manila’s non-US allies, “there are operational risks involved, and certainly these foreign allies and partners will prudently have to weigh them”, Koh said.

DJI faces new challenger as China’s robot vacuum maker Dreame hires drone experts

https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3322510/dji-faces-new-challenger-chinas-robot-vacuum-maker-dreame-hires-drone-experts?utm_source=rss_feed

Dreame Technology, a Chinese brand known for its robot vacuum cleaners, is actively recruiting drone experts in what is seen as a move to compete with DJI, the dominant player in the market, amid growing competition from innovative hardware start-ups.

The company is advertising at least 10 positions – including drone navigation modelling algorithm engineer, drone test pilot, drone operations sales director and business director for the pan-aviation industry – according to job postings on the recruitment platform Boss Zhipin.

The roles will be based either in Dreame’s headquarters in Suzhou, a city in eastern Jiangsu province, or the Chinese drone hub of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province, home to a vast drone supply chain network that supports DJI and other companies.

Dreame has already recruited talent from DJI and food delivery giant Meituan, according to news portal Sina, which first reported on the expansion. Meituan had been developing drones for its logistics service since 2017 and used them to deliver more than 200,000 orders in 2024, nearly doubling the volume from the previous year, the company said.

Dreame did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

China’s drone industry is attracting an increasing number of start-ups, as Beijing aims to develop a low-altitude economy. Antigravity, a drone brand incubated by leading action camera manufacturer Insta360, unveiled its first product last week: the A1 consumer drone featuring a built-in 8K 360-degree camera and pilot goggles.

While DJI maintains its position as the world’s largest vendor of consumer drones with an about 70 per cent market share, the rapid advancement of related technologies has empowered other hardware manufacturers to introduce their own drones.

Dreame founder Yu Hao is a graduate of Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University, where he majored in aerospace engineering and established the student association Skyworks, focused on aircraft research.

His company’s expansion appears to be a response to DJI’s recent foray into Dreame’s core market. Earlier this month, DJI launched its first robot vacuum cleaner Romo, said to be equipped with drone-level obstacle avoidance capabilities.

Worldwide shipments of robot cleaners reached 5.1 million units in the first quarter, a 12 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to market research firm IDC. China’s Roborock led the market with a 19 per cent global share, while Dreame ranked third with an 11 per cent share.

Did Zhuque-2E launch failure deal a blow to China’s Guo Wang satellite project?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322530/did-zhuque-2e-launch-failure-deal-blow-chinas-guo-wang-satellite-project?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s push to build broadband mega constellations could face further delays after one of the country’s leading privately developed rockets failed after take-off last week from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert.

The Zhuque-2E – an upgraded version of the LandSpace rocket that saw the company beat SpaceX in the race to send the world’s first methane-fuelled projectile into orbit – experienced a flight anomaly after lift-off on Friday morning, the company said.

LandSpace apologised to its unnamed clients and pledged to conduct a transparent investigation into the failure of the rocket, which successfully placed two satellites on its maiden flight in November.

According to a Beijing-based space engineer who asked not to be named because of the issue’s sensitivity, the lost payload is widely believed to consist of four experimental satellites for Guo Wang, China’s state-backed network that aims to rival SpaceX’s Starlink.

The setback came a day after LandSpace – whose only active rocket is the Zhuque-2E – was named preferred bidder to launch orbiters for the Qianfan constellation, a Shanghai-backed initiative comparable in scale to Guo Wang’s planned nearly 13,000 satellites.

Both Guo Wang and Qianfan have stepped up launch efforts to meet their near-term deployment goals, but it is likely the Zhuque-2E failure may hit the Shanghai project harder, especially since it has not launched a single satellite since March.

Guo Wang, which aims to have 400 satellites in orbit by 2027, has so far launched 72, while Qianfan’s planned deployment of 648 by the end of this year remains stalled at 90.

However, as a national priority, Guo Wang has access to state-owned rockets, namely the LM-5B, 6A, 8, and 8A in the Long March family.

Adding to Qianfan’s potential woes, its second-ranked bidder, Space Pioneer, is struggling to recover from a high-profile mishap in June 2024 that stunned the industry and triggered tighter government safety rules.

The commercial operator said a structural problem was to blame for the unintentional lift-off of a Tianlong-3 during a static fire test, which ended with the rocket crashing and exploding in flames on the outskirts of the central Chinese city of Gongyi.

Friday’s failure could have deep consequences for LandSpace, which is at a pivotal moment both technically and financially, with the debut of its reusable Zhuque-3 expected in the autumn.

The Zhuque-2E is 47 metres (154 feet) tall and capable of lifting 6 tonnes into low Earth orbit or 4 tonnes to sun-synchronous orbit. Its first stage is powered by four Tianque-12A engines burning methane and liquid oxygen.

The rocket’s second stage shares a design heritage with the Zhuque-3. If the problem lies there, it could delay the new variant’s readiness at a time when several reusable rockets are competing to reach the launch pad this year.

A slip in schedule could weaken LandSpace’s standing in China’s fast-moving commercial launch race, with Space Pioneer, CAS Space and Galactic Energy all putting the finishing touches on their reusable contenders.

The setback has also come just weeks after LandSpace took the first steps in filing for a potential IPO on Shanghai’s tech-focused Star Market. Lingering doubts or delays could rattle investor confidence and complicate its fundraising ambitions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Tibet for landmark anniversary

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3322542/chinese-president-xi-jinping-arrives-tibet-landmark-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed

Xi Jinping has arrived in Tibet for events on Thursday to mark the 60th anniversary of the autonomous region, making him the first Chinese president to attend the once-a-decade activities.

He arrived in Lhasa at around noon on Wednesday accompanied by Wang Huning, China’s top political adviser and fourth-ranking official, and Cai Qi, the president’s chief of staff, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The Tibet autonomous region was established in September 1965 and is one of five ethnic minority regions in the country. Yu Zhengsheng, then the fourth-ranking Politburo Standing Committee member, oversaw anniversary events in 2015.

Xi is also the only person to visit the region twice while president – his first trip was in 2021 for the 70th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army’s entry into Tibet.

State news agency Xinhua said Xi’s attendance at the anniversary reflected the importance of the region.

“This is the first time in the history of the Communist Party and the country [that Xi has attended the event],” Xinhua said in an article on Wednesday. “It fully demonstrated the party leadership’s high regard for Tibet’s work and their sincere care for Tibetan cadres and the masses of all ethnic groups in Tibet.”

The anniversary comes at a tense time for the region’s spiritual leadership.

The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s 90-year-old spiritual leader in exile, announced his succession plan last month, maintaining that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the office overseeing his reincarnation in India, has the sole authority to identify the next Dalai Lama.

Within hours, Beijing swiftly rejected his statement and insisted that the reincarnation must follow Chinese law and tradition, including the “golden urn” process, and be approved by the Chinese government.

The Dalai Lama’s new approach marks a clear break from tradition, observers say, likely escalating tensions with Beijing. China considers him a separatist, accusing him of inciting unrest in the 1980s and 2008. He denies these charges and advocates a “Middle Way” to maintain Tibetan culture and religious practices under Chinese sovereignty.

This year could also be an important time for China’s relations with India, which borders Tibet. China and India have overlapping territorial claims, which escalated into deadly clashes in 2020.

However, Beijing confirmed earlier this week that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China at the end of the month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, marking his first trip to China in seven years.

As Xi arrived in Lhasa, state media showed crowds lining the airport and streets, waving Tibetan ceremonial khatas, Chinese national flags and bouquets of flowers.

As Xi stepped onto the tarmac, he was greeted by residents holding bowls of barley. He picked up some barley and tossed it into the air, a traditional Tibetan blessing gesture, before waving to the crowd and walking along the red carpet, followed by Wang and Tibet party chief Wang Junzheng.

Xi’s route into Lhasa took him past a monument to the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet highways, according to CCTV. The monument was built in 1984 to mark the 30th anniversary of the completion of the roadworks, which are of military and strategic importance in the region.

On Wednesday afternoon, Xi met various officials from the region, public security officers, and religious figures, including the Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, CCTV reported.

According to media reports in Tibet, rehearsals for the 60th anniversary activities began at 4pm on Sunday when the Potala Palace Square in central Lhasa was closed to visitors.

In a cover story on Tuesday, People’s Daily, the party’s mouthpiece, reviewed China’s decades of efforts to promote stability and development in Tibet.

It also referred to Xi’s visit to the region in 2021, when he described Tibet as being at a “new historical starting point” and emphasised the need for high-quality growth, environmental conservation, border security and cultural protection.

Despite dramatic economic achievements – such as lifting Tibet out of “dire poverty”, with all 74 impoverished counties and more than 628,000 registered poor people declared poverty-free by 2019 – Beijing’s administration of Tibet has long been a source of criticism from the West.

Critics and human rights organisations point to increased control over Tibetan Buddhism and cultural expression, restrictions on religious activities, and intensified security measures such as “grid policing”, which significantly limit travel and social interactions for Tibetans – accusations Beijing denies.

FAW, China’s oldest carmaker, eyes 10% of Leapmotor to boost stake in EV surge

https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3322527/faw-chinas-oldest-carmaker-eyes-10-leapmotor-boost-stake-ev-surge?utm_source=rss_feed

FAW Group, mainland China’s oldest carmaker, plans to acquire a 10 per cent stake in Stellantis-backed electric vehicle (EV) maker Leapmotor, as the state-owned automotive giant looks to enhance its competitiveness in the segment, according to Cailian, a Shanghai-based financial news outlet.

The investment would pave the way for the two companies to jointly develop new EV models, fine-tune supply-chain management and bolster overseas expansion, the report said.

Leapmotor declined to comment, while FAW could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.

Two sources with knowledge of FAW and Leapmotor’s thinking said the companies were putting the final touches on an investment agreement that would benefit both parties by controlling costs and boosting research and development.

The deal would make FAW China’s first state-owned carmaker to own a stake in an EV start-up.

“State-owned automotive giants lag behind their privately owned rivals in terms of electrification and new EV model development,” said Chen Jinzhu, CEO of consultancy Shanghai Mingliang Auto Service. “The equity investment is likely to spawn imitators as more state-owned companies look to enlist emerging EV companies to improve their technology and production efficiency.”

In July, deliveries of EVs – pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars – jumped 12 per cent to 987,000 units on the mainland, accounting for 54 per cent of overall car sales, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

FAW, the Chinese partner of Volkswagen and Toyota, delivered 28,500 EVs, 11.3 per cent of its total sales last month.

In March, FAW and Leapmotor signed a preliminary pact to jointly develop EVs and collaborate on supply-chain procurements.

Leapmotor, founded in 2015 by Zhu Jiangming, a veteran electronics engineer who also co-founded surveillance giant Dahua, is one of the big winners in the mainland’s EV industry this year.

Last month, the company delivered 50,129 vehicles for its third straight monthly sales record. In the first seven months of 2025, it sold a total 271,793 vehicles, up 150 per cent year on year.

In October 2023, Leapmotor received a US$1.6 billion investment from Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, giving the European carmaker a 20 per cent stake in the Chinese EV start-up.

Zhu, who is also the CEO of Leapmotor, said in late July that the company’s goal was to sell 4 million units a year, without elaborating on the time frame.

The company is known for its smart EVs priced at around 100,000 yuan (US$13,923), attracting thousands of young motorists willing to embrace new self-driving and in-car entertainment technologies.

FAW, China’s oldest carmaker and once a symbol of the Communist Party’s manufacturing might, is actively promoting green and intelligence-based development of the vehicle industry, its chairman Qiu Xiandong said in May 2024.

Its iconic Hongqi, or Red Flag, car was once viewed as a symbol of the mainland’s automotive sector.

Mao Zedong, one of the key founders of the People’s Republic, oversaw the establishment of the firm in 1953 with the help of the former Soviet Union. Former president Jiang Zemin spent six years working for FAW between 1956 and 1962, rising from an engineer to chief manager of the group’s power unit.

‘Still believe in love’: China tycoon whose divorce gripped public, remarries ex-classmate

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3322479/still-believe-love-china-tycoon-whose-divorce-gripped-public-remarries-ex-classmate?utm_source=rss_feed

A 61-year-old Chinese business tycoon has remarried a woman the same age as him after a bitter six-year divorce battle.

The fresh nuptials, which challenge the stereotype of wealthy older men marrying much younger women, have earned the successful businessman widespread praise online.

Li Guoqing, 61, is a Peking University graduate and the co-founder and former CEO of Dangdang, one of China’s first and most well-known online book retailers.

Founded in 1999 with his former wife, Peggy Yu, Dangdang became a household name in China’s e-commerce sector. The two married in 1996 after dating for three months.

On August 16, Li married his new wife Zhang Danhong in a wedding with the theme “Still Believe in Love”.

The ceremony was attended by notable figures including Zhang Chaoyang, CEO of Sohu Inc, and Yu Minhong, founder and president of New Oriental Education & Technology Group.

Zhang Danhong, a German-Chinese, is a well-known economic journalist and former Deputy Director of the Chinese Department at Deutsche Welle.

She is also the author of the book From Charlemagne to the Euro: Europe’s Dream to Be Integrated.

Zhang went to Peking University and earned a degree in German Language and Literature.

Their wedding invitation clearly stated “No gifts or red envelopes” and encouraged guests to donate 500 yuan (US$70) to support the rural Tianzige Primary School and help underprivileged children.

“Two trains that once missed each other finally meet at the same station in our sixties. We still believe in the beauty of love,” the invitation read.

The path to their new life together was not easy.

Li revealed that Zhang had gone abroad in the early 1990s to pursue her career after graduation.

In an effort to win her back in 1995, he once promised her an array of riches if she would return to China and marry him.

Zhang, however, was furious and snapped back: “Why is it all about money?”

Li’s remarriage also follows a bitter and very public six-year divorce battle with his ex-wife Peggy Yu, which began in December 2018.

The dispute, which included public accusations of infidelity and financial impropriety from Yu, as well as an incident in which Li reportedly seized the company’s official seal, finally ended in June 2025.

The resolution saw Yu retain full control of Dangdang.com, while Li received a substantial cash settlement, the exact amount of which remains confidential.

In 2019, Li said: “If I marry again, I will not choose a businesswoman. I want someone pure and sweet, because I am just a pure and sweet guy myself. I cannot afford to be hurt a second time.”

He also implied that his relationship with Zhang began only after his divorce, countering speculation of an affair during his previous marriage.

Li’s choice has been widely praised online as a story of “pure love”.

Many other Chinese tycoons, such as Wang Shi, founder and chairman of China Vanke, the country’s largest real estate enterprise, who married Tian Pujun, who is 30 years his junior.

One online observer said: “Much respect to Li Guoqing. With his wealth, most men would have chosen someone younger. Instead, he married someone who is the same age and is also an intellectual.”

Another person said: “When successful men start valuing the wisdom of women their own age instead of calculating their youth, when marriage shifts from being a status symbol to a ‘soul contract’, we can truly see the possibility of love breaking free from prejudice.”

Why has China sent research vessels to Scarborough Shoal after a collision?

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At least two Chinese research vessels have been operating around Scarborough Shoal at the same time as a Philippine coastguard ship has been patrolling the disputed area of the South China Sea.

The Xiang Yang Hong 10, an ocean research vessel operated by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, has been operating near the reef since last Friday, according to information from the satellite-based Automatic Identification System.

Another Chinese research vessel, the Zhuhai Yun, a maritime drone carrier, arrived in the area on Monday.

As of Tuesday evening, both vessels remained south of the shoal and close to each other, according to the satellite information from open source tracking website vesselfinder.com

Meanwhile, the Philippine coastguard vessel BRP Cape San Agustin was patrolling east of the shoal on Friday and Saturday, returning again on Monday.

Scarborough Shoal has become one of the main flashpoints in the two countries’ long-running dispute over the South China Sea.

China effectively seized control of it in 2012, while the Philippines says it falls within its 200-nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone.

Last Monday, a Chinese coastguard ship and navy destroyer were filmed colliding while apparently chasing a Philippine coastguard vessel. Video and photos of the incident suggested the smaller coastguard ship suffered severe damage as a result of the collision.

The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, sent a guided-missile destroyer on Wednesday to the waters for a “freedom of navigation” operation, an attack China criticised as a “provocation”.

Bao Yinan, an associate research fellow at the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance in Hainan, said the deployment of research vessels might signal that Beijing was considering using underwater drones or related equipment in the area.

“Currently, China does not have fixed installations on Scarborough Shoal, putting it at a disadvantage regarding intelligence gathering and maintaining situational awareness there,” Bao said.

He added that establishing a network of underwater surveillance and information gathering could significantly improve China’s ability to monitor the shoal and conduct law enforcement activities.

But he suggested that Beijing would “stop short of engaging in land reclamation” as such a move would contradict Beijing’s commitment to “self-restraint” as outlined in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea – an agreement signed between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2002.

Bao said China could “easily” build facilities or deploy troops on any unoccupied feature.

But he argued that Beijing’s lack of response to Vietnam’s large-scale land reclamation on disputed features elsewhere in the South China Sea and the measured response to a flag-waving contest on Sandy Cay suggested land reclamation was “not part of [its] immediate strategy”.

Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, played down Chinese actions near the shoal, saying what the research vessels were doing was “normal”, as China was “undoubtedly working to strengthen” its presence in the area.

“This effort includes enhancing its understanding of the features’ conditions, such as hydrogeological features and marine environmental situations,” Hu added.

In recent years, scientific research ships have sometimes served as a spearhead for China’s maritime interests.

In the South China Sea, where its claims overlap with those of several neighbours, their activities are highly sensitive and have sometimes led to stand-offs.

The Xiang Yang Hong 10 has been circling the reef repeatedly in recent days, coming within a few hundred metres of the maritime feature, satellite tracking images show.

The Zhuhai Yun, the world’s first ship of its type, is designed to carry and control a range of aerial, surface and underwater drones. Although it can be remotely operated, it is usually crewed.

Chinese jeweller Laopu Gold shines as earnings nearly triple on sales bump at home, abroad

https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3322514/chinese-jeweller-laopu-gold-shines-earnings-nearly-triple-sales-bump-home-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed

Robust growth at home and abroad nearly tripled Laopu Gold’s earnings in the first half of the year, with managers predicting even stronger momentum in the second half.

Net profit soared 290.6 per cent from a year earlier to 2.35 billion yuan (US$327 million) in the six months ended June 30, the Beijing-based company said in a statement on Wednesday. Revenue surged 251 per cent to 12.4 billion yuan.

The Hong Kong-listed jeweller attributed its rapid growth to its premium positioning, noting that 77.3 per cent of its customers also shopped for international luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Cartier, citing data from Frost & Sullivan. The high-end strategy also boosted gross margins, which climbed despite higher costs from rising gold prices.

Like its high-end peers, Laopu uses a relatively fixed pricing model, adjusting prices only two or three times a year to reflect fluctuations in gold rather than daily movements. Gold prices have jumped more than 20 per cent this year to around 760 to 780 yuan per gram, as investors seek safe-haven assets amid geopolitical risks and bet on a Federal Reserve rate cut in September.

Dubbed “the Hermes of gold” by Chinese consumers, the company recorded a 455 per cent jump in overseas revenue in the first half to 1.6 billion yuan, while sales at home increased 233 per cent to 10.8 billion yuan.

The bulk of Laopu’s sales comes from retail stores, which are situated in premium shopping centres in top-tier Asian cities to tap high-spending customers. As of June 30, the company owned and operated 41 stores across 16 cities, according to the statement.

The company expanded its footprint in Hong Kong with a location in IFC Mall in Central in April. It also opened a shop in Singapore in June.

Momentum in Singapore was likely to pick up as customer traffic rises during the summer holiday season, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a report on Wednesday. Overseas expansion was likely to accelerate further with new store openings and stronger engagement with non-Chinese customers, they added.

New sales channels and store optimisations would boost revenue and net profit in the second half, company executives said.

Inventory turnover days – a metric of how fast a company’s inventory moves – dropped to 150 in the first half from 195 in 2024. The company could raise prices for a second time this year this month, which would further support its gross profit margins, Goldman analysts said.

Laopu declared an interim dividend of 9.59 yuan per share, implying a 72.1 per cent dividend payout ratio, versus the US investment bank’s estimate of no dividend.

Shares in Laopu jumped 8.8 per cent to HK$782 on Wednesday. The stock has gained 196 per cent in 2025 and more than 800 per cent over the past 12 months.

China expands regulatory arsenal in fight against solar industry price wars

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322512/china-expands-regulatory-arsenal-fight-against-solar-industry-price-wars?utm_source=rss_feed

Beijing has signalled stronger action against price wars, convening a high-level symposium of enterprises and regulators – including many left out of previous meetings – to tackle cutthroat competition in the solar sector.

Authorities vowed to tighten oversight of new project investments, phasing out outdated capacity through market-based and rule-of-law approaches, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), one of the meeting’s hosts.

“Efforts will focus on improving price monitoring and product pricing mechanisms, as well as cracking down on illegal practices such as selling below cost and engaging in false advertising,” it said in a statement.

More actions would also be taken to ensure product quality, including cracking down on false performance ratings and intellectual property infringements. Industry discipline would be encouraged and associations urged to promote fair competition, drive technological innovation and uphold quality and safety standards, according to the statement.

“The meeting called on all parties in the photovoltaic industry to fully recognise the critical importance of regulating competition for the high-quality development of the sector and to work jointly towards its healthy and sustainable growth,” the ministry said.

Amid continued deflationary pressures, Beijing has stepped up its campaign to curb excessive competition, which has threatened profit margins across several bedrock industries.

The producer price index, which tracks factory gate prices, fell in July by 3.6 per cent year on year, marking the 34th consecutive month of contraction.

The solar industry is one of the sectors most prominently mired in ruthless competition – or “involution” in official rhetoric – after briefly emerging as a potential growth engine. Prices across the entire supply chain have plummeted, with losses reported by smaller firms and industry leaders alike.

On July 1, the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission – the Communist Party body supervising economic matters – recommended stronger government action, with President Xi Jinping identifying “disorderly low-price competition” as a regulatory priority.

Two days later, the MIIT held a meeting with the heads of China’s top solar panel manufacturers to gather insights and suggestions.

But despite the July symposium, solar module prices have continued to sell below cost, according to a board secretary at a solar manufacturer based in Jiangsu province, who spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity. One possible reason, the person added, is that stakeholders responsible for downstream operations, investment and regulation were absent from the discussions.

In contrast, Tuesday’s session included more powerful regulatory bodies than the last symposium, such as the National Development and Reform Commission, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Energy Administration.

Representatives from power generation enterprises and local authorities, along with solar manufacturers and industry associations, also attended.

“With Tuesday’s meeting, this part of the chain now seems to be connected. So going forward, the entire industrial chain is expected to see rising prices,” the board secretary said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kabul for 3-way talks as Afghan-Pakistan tensions ease

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322511/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-kabul-3-way-talks-afghan-pakistan-tensions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in Kabul to meet his counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It is Wang’s first trip to the country since a surprise visit March 2022.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed he had arrived in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The ministry had earlier said he would travel to Pakistan later in the day for a three-day visit that will include talks with Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

According to Geo News, a Pakistani media outlet, the Kabul meeting will focus on counterterrorism efforts and extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a project under China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative – to Afghanistan.

The three-way meeting takes place against the backdrop of intensive trade and security discussions between Kabul and Islamabad in recent months, signalling a warming of ties that were once shaped by concerns about terrorism.

Although China and Pakistan have not formally recognised the Taliban government, Beijing has acted as a facilitator behind the scenes.

In May, the three foreign ministers met in Beijing, where Wang invited Afghanistan to join the CPEC. Shortly afterwards Pakistan sent its first ambassador to Kabul since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Wang said in May that the three countries should “carry out law enforcement and security cooperation” and “stay vigilant” against “external interference”.

Last month, China’s special envoy on Afghan affairs, Yue Xiaoyong, visited both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been accelerating. In April, Dar made his first visit to Kabul.

The main source of friction between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an anti-government militant group that Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering.

The TTP has also threatened Chinese interests, particularly in the CPEC corridor. Following recent high-level engagements, the Taliban has reportedly pledged it would not allow Afghan territory to be used for TTP operations.

Pakistan and Afghanistan’s cooperation has also expanded on the economic front. Last month, the deputy commerce ministers of both countries signed a trade deal in Islamabad to cut tariffs on agricultural exports.

Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan also agreed to launch a feasibility study for a railway that would connect Central Asia to Pakistan’s ports and join the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway and CPEC.

Wang’s Kabul trip followed his first visit to India in three years, which included a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where he pledged deeper cooperation on a range of issues ranging from the long-running border dispute to economic ties.

Modi is also scheduled to visit China at the end of the month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, his first trip in seven years.

But although relations are improving after reaching a nadir following a deadly border clash in 2020, China’s close partnership with Pakistan, its long-term rival, is a persistent source of mistrust in India.

New Delhi, which views Afghanistan as an important part of its strategic sphere, also opposes the expansion of CPEC.

Islamabad has just concluded its landmark engagement with Washington, with the United States agreeing to deepen counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan following Islamabad’s charm offensive to court greater American investment.

Last week, the US designated the Balochistan Liberation Army, a group responsible for a series of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including some aimed at Chinese targets, to its list of foreign terrorist organisations.

Meanwhile, Islamabad has agreed to receive more investment from the US, including to develop its resources, such as oil. The two countries even reportedly touched on potential reserves of rare earths, a group of critical minerals at the centre of the US-China trade war.

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After Shaolin Temple scandal, China’s Buddhists urged to obey the law and pay taxes

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Buddhists should obey the law, be patriotic, pay taxes and “play an active role in building the nation and society”, China’s Buddhist regulator said on Tuesday, speaking out for the second time this month about the disgraced abbot of Shaolin Temple.

In a statement on its website, the Buddhist Association of China said that Shi Yongxin, the former abbot, had misappropriated and embezzled funds and temple assets, violated Buddhist regulations, and was suspected of criminal offences.

“This has tarnished the reputation of the Buddhist community in China. Therefore, Buddhist clergy, especially leading figures, must strengthen their awareness of the rule of law, remain vigilant and never cross the legal red line,” the statement said.

It said Buddhists were citizens of China first and foremost and should be bound by law. According to the statement, committing crimes creates evil karma, so compliance with the law is a fundamental requirement of Buddhist teachings.

It also referred to some specific religious prohibitions, without saying whether Shi had violated them.

“Buddhist scripture requires the ordained to not betray the nation, not slander the country’s leaders, not evade taxes and not violate laws,” the statement said.

The Communist Party’s policy of “Sinicising religion” aims to bring all doctrines and practices into line with its ideology and ensure loyalty to the party and state.

In a 2021 national conference on religious affairs, President Xi Jinping said that religious groups should strengthen their self-management and emphasised the need to improve the rule of law in religious affairs governance.

Shi, known as the “CEO monk”, is facing a criminal investigation over accusations that he embezzled project funds and temple assets. He is also accused of maintaining improper relationships with multiple women and fathering children with them, according to a statement released by the temple last month.

The association has cancelled Shi’s ordination certificate.

Shi is known for transforming the 1,500-year-old temple in central China’s Henan province into a multibillion-dollar global brand. Under his leadership, the temple appeared in films and launched a Taobao shop, and Shaolin kung fu was the subject of multiple books.

His critics had accused him of over-commercialising the Shaolin brand, including his plans to build a complex in Australia that includes a temple, four-star hotel, kung fu academy and educational facilities.

Shi Yinle, who was leader of the White Horse Temple, also in Henan, for 20 years, has been appointed the new abbot of Shaolin Temple.

In media reports, he has been portrayed as a sharp contrast to his predecessor. During his time at White Horse Temple, he kept a low profile and was photographed operating a bulldozer during wheat planting season. When asked to comment on the commercialisation of Shaolin, he said that White Horse Temple had “insisted on following Buddhist traditions to preserve Buddhist culture”.

In a visit to Shaolin last week, Guangzhou-based Time Weekly magazine reported that the temple had stopped taking donations from tourists, and QR codes posted in the temple had been disabled. Incense has also become free of charge to temple visitors, according to the report.

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China’s EV industry expands ‘going global’ strategy, latest Tesla Model 3: 7 EV reads

https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3322482/chinas-ev-industry-expands-going-global-strategy-latest-tesla-model-3-7-ev-reads?utm_source=rss_feed

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

The electric vehicle (EV) industry, formerly one of China’s most inward-focused industrial sectors, is now leading a push overseas, carrying the government’s hopes of forging an offshore economic empire to sidestep cutthroat competition at home.

Tesla has begun offering its longer-range Model 3 variant to Chinese customers as it fights to regain market share from local rivals amid intense competition in the country’s premium EV segment.

EV sales in mainland China hit a speed bump last month, sparking worries about the industry’s growth momentum as more carmakers heed Beijing’s call to hold back on discounts and focus on profitability.

Chinese carmakers have refrained from offering steep discounts to align with Beijing’s efforts to protect a vital industry, but an end to the prolonged price war remains elusive, as the sector grapples with overcapacity and weak consumer demand for high-ticket items.

Chinese EV manufacturer BYD is targeting first-time buyers in Hong Kong with the launch of a competitively priced car model, building on its recent ascension as the local market leader, overtaking Tesla.

Geely Auto, mainland China’s second-largest carmaker, reported a 14 per cent drop in first-half profit even as revenue surged on sales of EVs to budget-conscious consumers aided by heavy discounts.

Contemporary Amperex Technology’s suspension of production at a major lithium mine in mainland China is a clear sign of Beijing’s aggressive stance towards curbing overcapacity in the EV battery sector, according to analysts.

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China-India talks: Narendra Modi praises ‘stable, predictable, constructive ties’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322471/china-india-talks-narendra-modi-praises-stable-predictable-constructive-ties?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi highlighted to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi how dialogue mechanisms between their countries have been revived when the two met on Tuesday, following their latest cautious overture amid a rapidly evolving global landscape.

In New Delhi, Wang said that during border talks he and India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had reached a consensus on regular management and control to maintain peace in border areas, properly handling sensitive points and advancing delimitation talks in specific regions, when conditions permitted.

Wang said they also agreed to revive dialogue mechanisms across various sectors, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

In the meeting, Modi commended the “steady progress” achieved in mending the bilateral ties, noting that it was guided by “respect for each other’s interests and sensitivities”.

“Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity,” the Indian leader wrote on X after his meeting with Wang on Tuesday.

Modi is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in late this month, which would be his first visit to China in seven years.

The Chinese diplomat arrived in India on Monday and held discussions with Doval and Foreign Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, focusing on the long-standing border dispute in the Himalayan region.

Among outcomes achieved during Wang’s trip, the two countries agreed to set up an expert group to push for early results in “boundary delimitation”, and to establish general-level mechanisms to address border issues in the eastern and middle sectors, according to a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

These mechanisms would complement the existing framework for the western sector, which includes Ladakh – the focal point of a stand-off that persisted for more than four years. Additionally, the two nations have committed to convening an early meeting of the mechanism for the western sector.

China and India also agreed to use diplomatic and military mechanisms to advance border management and begin discussions on de-escalation, starting with the establishment of principles and modalities, according to a Chinese statement on the consensus reached during the talks.

The deadly clash between troops in the Ladakh region in 2020 cast a deep chill over relations, affecting trade, diplomacy and air travel, but the two countries have increased official visits in recent months and eased some restrictions.

Reflecting on the ups and downs of Sino-Indian relations, Wang underscored the importance of learning from past experience and the need to value hard-won improvements and developments in bilateral ties.

“Regardless of the circumstances, both nations should view each other as partners rather than adversaries, handle differences with prudence and ensure that border disputes do not overshadow the larger bilateral relationship,” Wang said.

The renewed engagement comes as New Delhi’s relationship with Washington is showing signs of strain. The United States has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including an additional 25 per cent penalty for India’s purchase of Russian crude oil, which is set to take effect on August 27.

In an apparent reference to the US trade policies that have caused geoeconomic turmoil, Wang said the two sides had reached a consensus on “deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, upholding multilateralism, jointly addressing global challenges and opposing unilateral bullying”.

New Delhi has been a long-standing US partner often viewed as a counterbalance to China’s influence in Asia. India remains a key member of the Quad security alliance alongside the US, Australia and Japan.

However, Washington is strengthening its engagement with Islamabad – India’s key rival – through a deal that sets tariffs on Pakistani goods at 19 per cent, security cooperation on counterterrorism and also an energy deal to jointly develop Pakistan’s oil reserves.

Ex-China diver becomes merman performer, creates stunning underwater routines with artistry

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3321726/ex-china-diver-becomes-merman-performer-creates-stunning-underwater-routines-artistry?utm_source=rss_feed

A Chinese diving athlete turned oceanarium merman performer has gone viral for his physical presence and self-taught underwater dance routines that blend strength with beauty.

Xiao Songyi, a 22-year-old from Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province, was once a professional diver and is now a university student at Wuhan Sports University.

Despite his deep passion for water, which led him to start swimming and diving training aged just seven years, he was forced to retire from professional diving at the age of 19 because of an injury.

“I was lost at the time, but I felt that going to university would allow me to continue learning and growing,” he told Jiupai News.

By chance, he came across the mermaid performance industry and saw it as an unexpected and promising opportunity in a promising new field.

“In 2023, I was performing in a diving show in Harbin. Coincidentally, there was also a mermaid performance, and they happened to be short one male performer. I had just obtained the necessary certification, so they invited me to give it a try,” said Xiao.

“I was nervous and worried I would not do well in front of the audience. But it was that experience that opened my eyes to new possibilities in underwater performance,” Xiao said.

However, his career transition has been far from smooth.

Lacking experience and recognition, few companies were willing to work with him.

Xiao remained committed to training and bodybuilding, even teaching himself ethnic and classical dance to choreograph underwater routines and refine his performance.

He has now completed between 300 and 500 performances.

Xiao balances his studies with gigs, sometimes rushing to early morning events in other cities before hurrying back for classes and working weekends during the school term.

During the summer, his monthly income can reach 10,000 yuan (US$1,400), while commercial gigs pay him a daily rate of 2,500 yuan (US$350).

Currently, Xiao performs at the Xiaopinmao Oceanarium in Wuhan, where his shows have become a major attraction with many tourists travelling specifically to see the “male mermaid”.

During peak summer periods, he performs five 10 to 15-minute shows per day, holding his breath for about 40 seconds each time.

His performances draw a predominantly female audience, while many children even press their faces against the glass to watch.

He also interacts with the children by drawing hearts in the water, waving and blowing kisses.

“It feels like I am helping bring their fairy tale dreams to life,” he said.

He also focuses on blending softness with masculine strength in his routines, aiming to “convey male power through tenderness”.

“In the mermaid performance industry, male performers are still quite rare. I believe male mermaids create a strong contrast that brings freshness to the audience and showcases the diversity of mermaid shows,” he said.

His performances have attracted widespread attention online, with many netizens praising his physical presence.

One person said: “Self-disciplined men are truly attractive. That muscle definition is incredible!”

While another asked: “I want to go! Where is this aquarium?”

How the Philippines forced China to adjust historic mission to moon’s far side

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3322331/how-philippines-forced-china-adjust-historic-mission-moons-far-side?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese space engineers made small but deliberate changes to last year’s historic sample retrieval mission to the far side of the moon to avoid political friction in the South China Sea, according to a new paper.

The Chang’e-6 spacecraft left the Wenchang spaceport on Hainan Island on board a Long March-5 rocket in May 2024, returning to Earth the following month with the world’s first lunar samples from the moon’s hidden side.

According to the paper published last month by China’s Journal of Astronautics, the Long March-5 flew southeast after lifting off and engineers delayed the release of the rocket’s nose cone by several dozen seconds, nudging the splashdown of debris further out to sea.

An accompanying map showed the original debris drop zone off the east coast of Luzon – the Philippines’ largest and most populous island – with the revised zone shifted further into the Philippine Sea to avoid waters considered by Manila to be under its jurisdiction.

“In response to new domestic regulations and evolving claims over foreign territorial sea baselines, we fine-tuned the launch trajectory timing,” Wang Qiong, the mission’s deputy chief designer, and his team wrote.

Without naming the Philippines, the authors said the delay pushed debris away from “sensitive maritime areas”.

The decision to alter the rocket’s trajectory followed years of complaints from Manila over Chinese rocket debris falling near its islands.

In 2022, fragments from Long March-5B rockets – which delivered modules for the Tiangong space station to low Earth orbit – washed ashore near Palawan and Mindoro, prompting the Philippine Space Agency to warn of hazards to ships and aircraft.

Earlier this month, debris from a Long March-12 rocket carrying China’s Guo Wang internet satellites landed near the same island. No injuries occurred, but Philippine officials again condemned the incident, noting risks to people, ships and aircraft.

The paper also revealed the complex adjustments that were made to the Chang’e-6 craft, originally built as a backup for Chang’e-5 and repurposed for the more complex task after the success of that mission in 2020.

While much of the design remained intact, the Chang’e-6 needed major adjustments to its planned trajectory to reach the lunar far side, the team wrote.

To line up with the landing site, the spacecraft needed to fly against the moon’s spin in a retrograde orbit that stretched the journey from 23 to 53 days, according to the paper.

Instead of relying on a single fixed path, the team designed multiple launch windows and trajectories, since even tiny timing errors would have compounded over the 53-day journey, it said.

Wang and his colleagues noted that this flexibility was crucial because the route to the lunar far side left almost no margin for error – a small slip at lift-off could have prevented the spacecraft from reaching its landing site, they said.

Another adjustment was made upon the return to Earth, after engineers found that the original path would have skirted the airspace of an unnamed West Asian country, according to the paper.

To avoid any potential diplomatic concerns, the engineers fine-tuned the craft’s re-entry angle by just 0.2 degrees – a tiny tweak that ensured the Chang’e-6 would safely return without crossing into restricted skies, it said.

Just under 2kg (4lb 6.5 oz) of samples retrieved from the moon’s far side by Chang’e-6 are now being studied by Chinese scientists, with Beijing pledging to share some with international partners – a move that could shape lunar science for years to come.

Australia, Philippines stage largest-ever drills: ‘denial of China’s aggression’

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322450/australia-philippines-stage-largest-ever-drills-denial-chinas-aggression?utm_source=rss_feed

Off the shores of Palawan, more than 3,600 troops from Australia and the Philippines are taking part in their largest-ever military drills, marking a decisive shift in Canberra’s Indo-Pacific security strategy.

Exercise Alon, launched on Friday, is taking place less than 300 nautical miles (555km) from the Philippine-held Thitu Island in the Spratly archipelago – an area at the heart of escalating territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims the Spratly island group alongside almost all of the contested waterway – claims disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, among others.

Named after the Filipino word for “wave”, Alon encompasses live-fire drills, amphibious landings, air support operations and special forces manoeuvres. Among the Australian assets deployed are a guided-missile destroyer, F/A-18 fighter jets, Javelin anti-tank missiles and C-130 transport aircraft.

Observers from the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia are attending the drills, which are scheduled to conclude on August 29.

“This exercise reflects Australia’s commitment to working with partners to ensure we maintain a region where state sovereignty is protected, international law is followed and nations can make decisions free from coercion,” Australia’s Vice-Admiral Justin Jones said in a statement.

The combat drills were “an opportunity for us to practice how we collaborate and respond to shared security challenges and project force over great distances in the Indo-Pacific”, he added.

Exercise Alon follows hot on the heels of the Philippines’ first-ever participation in last month’s Exercise Talisman Sabre, Australia’s largest bilateral military drill with the United States.

Under a visiting forces agreement in place since 2012, Australian and Filipino troops can be deployed to each other’s territory for joint exercises. The Philippines has a similar arrangement with the US.

Bilateral ties between Canberra and Manila were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2023, encompassing defence, maritime security, counterterrorism, law enforcement and cooperation on climate action, education and development.

Analysts say the back-to-back military exercises reflect Australia’s drive to strengthen defence collaboration with regional allies in the face of China’s expanding maritime presence.

The drills come against a backdrop of repeated incidents in the South China Sea. In the latest, a Chinese navy ship collided with a Chinese coastguard vessel while pursuing a Philippine coastguard ship near Scarborough Shoal on August 11, with both sides accusing the other of dangerous manoeuvres.

“If Chinese behaviour remains unchecked in the disputed waters, Beijing will soon legitimise its de facto control,” Mark Manantan, director of cybersecurity and critical technologies at the Pacific Forum, told This Week in Asia.

“Thus, conducting maritime exercises with the Philippines, as well as other claimant states in the South China Sea, will become the norm.”

Earlier this year, Australia lodged concerns with Beijing over what it described as “unsafe and unprofessional” actions by a Chinese fighter jet towards an Australian maritime patrol aircraft.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman dismissed Canberra’s account of the February incident, describing the jet’s “expulsion measures” as “legitimate, professional and restrained”.

“As China’s belligerent behaviour in the West Philippine Sea escalates, I think Australia will continue to maximise its long-standing partnerships with the Philippines and Japan alike,” Manantan said, using Manila’s terms for the parts of the South China Sea that it claims as its own.

“Australia’s purchase of the Mogami-class frigates and Exercise Alon 25 underscore Canberra’s increasing direct engagement and proactive partnerships with Manila and Tokyo.”

With the Philippines on the front lines of the pushback against Chinese claims, any weakening of Manila’s resolve would have “serious ramifications in countering China’s efforts to legitimise its claims”, Manantan said.

Gary Ador Dionisio, dean of the Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance in Manila, echoed these views, noting that Australia “considers the Philippines an important and strategic ally for their denial strategy of China.”

Australia saw its Indo-Pacific partnerships as key to maintaining the regional security balance and safeguarding vital trade routes, Dionisio said, with about two-thirds of the country’s maritime trade passing through the South China Sea.

For the Philippines, Exercise Alon provided “an opportunity to further strengthen its partnership with all the countries utilising the Indo-Pacific corridor, including Australia”, he said, adding that it also helped “to promote regional security balance and stability and denial of China’s aggression”.

Beijing has repeatedly protested against exercises involving the US and its allies in the South China Sea, accusing Washington of militarising the region.

But Manantan said uncertainty over Washington’s continued commitment to the region’s security had caused partnerships among US allies to deepen.

Australia and the Philippines were looking to “future-proof the depth and scope of the partnership as initial concerns of Sara Duterte’s bid for presidency can reset the current stance of Manila against China”, he said, referring to the current vice-president of the Philippines, whose father ex-president Rodrigo Duterte was notably friendly with China.

Manantan said there was “a growing concern of foreign interference in the Philippines that seeks to curry a pro-China stance”.

“As a fellow democracy, this is concerning for Canberra’s national interest, but more so on the implications in regional security and stability,” he said.

Manantan added that a comprehensive approach would be needed, spanning information warfare, influence operations and cybersecurity, given the Philippines’ “alarming exposure to cyberattacks and data breaches”.

“Both countries can share best practices and interventions, especially on foreign interference by hostile actors,” he said. “Other key issues like humanitarian and disaster response must also be further enhanced.”

China says it will highlight joint combat groups in next month’s military parade

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3322448/china-says-it-will-highlight-joint-combat-groups-next-months-military-parade?utm_source=rss_feed

The joint combat capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army – a key focus of reforms that began a decade ago – will be showcased during next month’s Victory Day military parade in Beijing.

Wu Zeke, deputy head of the warfare bureau at the Central Military Commission’s Joint Staff Department, told reporters on Wednesday there would be “combat-oriented joint formations” made up of land combat, maritime combat, air defence and missile defence groups, as well as information warfare, unmanned combat, rear support and strategic strike groups.

He said aircraft flying over Tiananmen Square during the parade on September 3 would be in “modular” and “systematic” formations.

“Advanced early warning and command aircraft, fighter jets, bombers, transport aircraft and others” will take part in the event – many of them highly anticipated “star” weaponry, some of which will be seen in public for the first time, according to Wu.

A major overhaul of the PLA initiated by President Xi Jinping in 2015 has sought to streamline its command structure, with five theatre commands set up to enable joint operations across the military branches, while a modernisation drive has also been under way.

Wu said the parade and march-past was expected to run for 70 minutes.

But he did not say if war veterans from the Kuomintang – the Communist Party’s rival during the Chinese civil war that ended in 1949 – would attend the event as they did 10 years ago, when the last Victory Day parade was held.

The PLA choir will perform songs about the war of resistance against Japan before the parade begins.

Beijing announced in June that it would hold the parade and a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of China’s triumph over the Japanese invasion and the global victory against fascism.

Foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim are expected to travel to Beijing to attend the event.

Preparations for the parade are in full swing, with rehearsals held in the Chinese capital for the last two weekends and onlookers posting images and videos on social media of advanced weaponry such as hypersonic anti-ship missiles, drones and next-generation tanks spotted on the streets of Beijing.

From mining to tourism, space ambitions of China’s Guangdong rival those of Elon Musk

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322444/mining-tourism-space-ambitions-chinas-guangdong-rival-those-elon-musk?utm_source=rss_feed

South China’s Guangdong province has announced its ambition to join the country’s commercial space sector race, promising financial and policy support for companies wanting to build low-orbit satellite constellation systems and promote their application in futuristic industries including space mining and space tourism.

Guangdong plans to use government procurement to support key innovative products and application scenarios for satellite constellation systems, which also include telecommunications and logistics, according to a commercial space policy statement released by the provincial government on Tuesday.

“Companies will be supported in continuously scaling up the satellite application industry and in purchasing computing power services, while relevant local governments are encouraged to provide rewards in accordance with regulations,” it said.

As part of a three-year development plan, the provincial government will also push companies to expand overseas in the fields of satellite navigation and remote sensing.

Guangdong has pledged to provide a fast track for approving satellite constellation projects, promising specially designated government funding to help with rocket and satellite development, as it tries to play catch-up with peers such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Beijing pioneered the construction of the state-backed Guowang national network, and Shanghai is leading the efforts to build Qianfan, which means “a thousand sails”, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. But Guangdong, which boasts the country’s biggest provincial-level economy, has yet to produce a local champion in satellite constellation systems or the space economy in general.

China had been ramping up its efforts to build satellite constellation systems that could rival Elon Musk’s Starlink. Guangdong’s ambitious plan is the latest sign those efforts are accelerating, something also evidenced by an increase in rocket launches since late July.

There was a one- to two-month gap between launch missions for the first five sets of satellites used to build Guowang, but that was reduced to just three to five days for the launch of the three most recent sets, according to a note issued earlier this month by analysts at China Securities.

“The pace of network deployment has accelerated significantly, which may indicate that China’s satellite internet has entered a rapid buildout phase,” they said.

While the construction of Shanghai’s Qianfan system has slowed recently, with no launches since March, a new seven-launch programme was announced last month, and analysts expect launches to accelerate in the second half of the year.

To cope with the increasing number of commercial rocket launches, the commercial launch site in Wenchang, Hainan province, began building two more launch pads in January that will double capacity.

Several high-capacity commercial liquid-fuel rockets are also set for their maiden launches in the second half of the year. They are expected to “gradually become an important force in building China’s low-orbit satellite networks”, according to the China Securities note.

As launches become more frequent, China has also encountered setbacks in its endeavours. A test launch by Beijing-based LandSpace, a pioneer in reusable rocket development, failed on August 15.

India-China thaw: rare earths, border headway as Trump turns up tariff heat

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322436/india-china-thaw-rare-earths-border-headway-trump-turns-tariff-heat?utm_source=rss_feed

The world’s two most-populous countries made significant progress on the diplomatic front recently, and those championing such moves may have Washington to thank.

India has agreed to a long-standing Chinese proposal to ease border tensions while also resuming direct flights and business links, as both sides explore trade cooperation – particularly in strategic sectors like rare earths – in a bid to reset their strained ties.

Experts highlight that even as deep mistrust lingers, the Asian powers view mounting US tariff pressure as an opportunity to show Washington that they can push back and have other options.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday said the two sides would create an “expert group” to explore an “early harvest” approach to boundary delimitation in disputed areas. This marks a shift from New Delhi’s earlier opposition to prioritising settlement in less contentious sectors, particularly in the Sikkim region, in favour of a comprehensive resolution. There are three other disputed sectors along the Sino-India border: western, middle and eastern.

The two sides also pledged to take “concrete” steps to boost trade and investment flows.

The joint statement underscored both countries’ intent to “enhance communication on major international and regional issues”, uphold a “rules-based multilateral trading system”, and “promote a multipolar world, that safeguards the interest of developing countries”.

Beijing has also cleared rare earth exports to India ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China later this month, according to Indian media reports. Modi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, where he will meet President Xi Jinping.

China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday signalled openness to deeper cooperation, saying Beijing was ready to “strengthen dialogue and cooperation” to “jointly maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains”, when asked if Foreign Minister Wang Yi had assured his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of support for India’s rare earth needs.

Wang travelled to New Delhi on Monday for a two-day visit, during which he also met national security adviser Ajit Doval and Modi.

Ties between India and China, strained since the deadly 2020 Galwan clash, have shifted rapidly amid US President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive. Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods after trade talks stalled following five rounds since April, with the US pushing for full market access. He soon followed with another 25 per cent tariff targeting India’s purchases of Russian oil, singling out New Delhi.

Trump’s public rebukes over India’s ties with Russia and Brics membership have left New Delhi shocked and increasingly resentful. With Beijing, Washington has agreed to reduce tariffs to 55 per cent in exchange for China issuing new rare-earth export licences. However, Beijing argues the rate remains too high, especially with an additional 20 per cent tariff imposed by the US in February in response to the fentanyl crisis.

Against this backdrop, the recent tentative thaw between China and India reflects New Delhi’s frustration with stalled trade talks and rising demands from Washington, prompting a reassessment of its economic alliances.

Experts say while mutual distrust between New Delhi and Beijing remains deep, recent diplomatic overtures signal a pragmatic attempt by both sides to gain leverage in a shifting global order increasingly shaped by US protectionism and geopolitical rivalry.

Akshobh Giridharadas, a geopolitical analyst based in Washington, noted that both India and China “see themselves as geopolitical rivals” and “have been over the past few years in the competing arenas” as the US aimed to position New Delhi as Beijing’s counterweight in the Indo-Pacific.

He added that despite the history, both sides had “an economic incentive for closer ties, to rebuild some of the trust deficit and economic linkages in an era where the global economy is being reshaped by tariffs”.

According to Dhruva Jaishankar, executive director of the Observer Research Foundation America, a think tank in Washington, “obviously India is unhappy with US tariffs and threats and is seeking options, including with China”.

Sourabh Gupta, of the Institute for China-America Studies, said that from an “optical standpoint, it is a golden opportunity for New Delhi to show that it is pushing back and has other relationship options”.

Analysts view the resumption of rare-earth exports as a brief respite ahead of a Xi-Modi meeting. Other experts highlight that rare earths, in particular, are emerging as a strategic incentive for improving ties with China.

According to a State Bank of India report in July, India has spent US$33 million annually over the past four years importing rare earths vital for sectors like renewable energy, electronics, and other key industries.

Jaishankar called Beijing’s decision to lift restrictions on exports to India as “short term relief”, noting that “there’s also knowledge that that tap can be turned off again”.

“It still seems far-fetched to imagine Beijing helping to finance India’s rare earth processing capability and integration with global rare earth supply chains,” he added, noting that issues – like China’s ties with Pakistan and its building of a hydropower dam opposed by New Delhi – remain.

David Abraham, a natural resource strategist and author of the book The Elements of Power, described rare earths as India’s “reward for easing tensions with China”.

“Approvals and exemptions are now bargaining chips, and in this case, rare earths are framed as a peace bounty,” he said on social media, adding that critical materials and components were “no longer just traded; they’re deployed as diplomatic tools, offered as rewards or withheld as punishment”.

“It’s deal-making, and everyone is doing it,” he stressed.

Gupta of ICAS described the rare earth easing as “certainly part” of the confidence-building process, “wherein both sides hurt each other less on the economic and people-to-people side too”.

He added that in return, there was hope that New Delhi would “reciprocally unblock access for Chinese electric vehicles and EV-linked investment in its domestic marketplace”.

But he stressed that “New Delhi doesn’t trust China and has an anti-China policy at every turn; just as importantly, Xi has lost confidence in Modi”.

“The era of cold peace in China-India relations is well upon us and here to stay,” Gupta said.

As the US and China compete, Asean could play arbiter

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3322211/us-and-china-compete-asean-could-play-arbiter?utm_source=rss_feed

As Asean celebrates its 58th anniversary, it is inhabiting a liminal moment, one that straddles the unmarked border between two international eras. One era is lingering but on its way out as another is hobbling its way in. The Cold War is long gone and the subsequent period of American unipolar primacy is drawing to a close, albeit without a new global order to replace it.

The great powers are in the throes of an inevitable transition. The United States and China each believe that history is on its side. Southeast Asian countries do not believe that the global highways of military and financial power have bypassed the US forever or that they should put all their eggs in China’s basket. History is still in flux.

The rules-based global order is like a highway under tensile stress, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, perhaps the most congested junction on the highway between the US and China. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations stands at the heart of that junction. The safety of the highway depends on its structural integrity. The safety of regions along the highway depends on great powers following the rules of the road.

However, there is no longer one set of rules. The traffic laws of international affairs now have many different interpretations. Increasingly, the US and China insist on adherence to a rules-based order on their own respective terms and for their respective interests. Interpretations must be reconciled so international traffic can flow safely and smoothly.

Asean can encourage both sides to adopt a common highway code for mutual security. Of course, Asean is no global policeman. But it’s precisely because Asean poses no economic, political or military threat to either the US or China, or to anyone else, that it can act as an informal and impartial interlocutor between the two great powers.

That should be Asean’s diplomatic purpose: to be an arbiter in the Indo-Pacific region. Southeast Asia is still a price-taker in international relations. However, the escalating Sino-US rivalry has turned the world from a seller’s market into a buyer’s one. The more intense that rivalry gets, the more that great powers feel the need to “sell” themselves to others.

In this scenario, small and middle powers thus have more leeway to “buy” into a sphere of influence by judging which economic and political offer suits them best. Strategic autonomy should remain a core goal of Asean’s foreign policy.

The new cold war could promote Asean’s autonomy by creating space for choice, but only so long as the bloc exhibits strategic coherence. Asean member states should display a convincing degree of unanimity in their attitude and approach to the great powers amid the growing rivalry.

Strategic unanimity is built on internal unity, which itself rests on how much Asean member states can integrate their economies, align foreign policies and foster the kind of trust and goodwill that define relations among Southeast Asian societies.

Asean’s successful diplomatic intervention in the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia showed its capacity to contribute to regional and thus world peace. Great powers must take Asean seriously, particularly when the world is being divided between the contrarian pulls of their rivalry.

This is where Indonesia comes in as Asean’s long-running de facto leader. It is the bloc’s largest country by territory, population and economy. Indonesia also reflects the diversity within many of Asean’s member states – from the ethnic affiliations of its inhabitants to the skyscrapers that rise in cities surrounded by green villages to a developmental system that seeks to empower different social classes in joining the march of economic, political and social progress. Indonesia is a microcosm of Asean.

Jakarta’s regional and international leadership must be substantiated by its political and economic development. Indonesia’s success since the late 1990s has shown that democracy is the true basis of political stability, which forms the bedrock of sustainable socioeconomic development.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is pushing for policies that will underpin the country’s economic growth, such as a free nutritious meal scheme for students, the construction of new homes and support for co-operatives to uplift the village economy. If implemented well, these reforms could pave the way for inclusive and sustainable economic development by helping the marginalised members of Indonesian society.

A revitalised Indonesia is the key to a rejuvenated Asean, whose signposts are taken seriously by great powers travelling on their well-paved highways. Those highways might pass from one centre of power to another. But they pass through lands and peoples who are by no means peripheral. That is true of Asia, as it is of Africa and the Americas. Everywhere, transitional times demand nuanced responses. Liminality constitutes Asean’s strength.

‘Beautiful’ gun-toting China tactical police officer goes viral after hitting 10 bullseyes

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3321706/beautiful-gun-toting-china-tactical-police-officer-goes-viral-after-hitting-10-bullseyes?utm_source=rss_feed

A Chinese police officer, who first gained online fame for her role in an anti-fraud miniseries, has hit the headlines again, this time for her exceptional marksmanship.

Ying Weimin, 26, from Wangchun Police Station, Haishu District Branch, Ningbo Municipal Public Security Bureau, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, has become an internet sensation thanks to a training video.

It showcases her exceptional marksmanship – she hit the bullseye with all 10 available shots – and composed demeanour, which has captivated millions online.

Ying has dreamed about becoming a police officer since her childhood.

In 2017, she entered the Zhejiang Police College, majoring in police command and tactics.

Upon graduating in 2021, she volunteered for frontline police work, where she underwent rigorous training in investigation, making arrests and case handling.

Recently, she rose to national fame online when Zhejiang police released training footage.

The video shows her in tactical gear, swiftly assembling her firearm and, in one fluid motion, transitioning from drawing the gun and loading ammunition to aiming and firing, hitting the bullseye with all 10 shots.

Netizens have marvelled at the entire shooting sequence, describing it as “smooth as flowing water”.

However, her impressive competence extends far beyond sharpshooting skills.

In March 2023, Ying played a crucial role in cracking a complex cross-border e-commerce agency case.

As part of the special task force, she travelled to the scene, charged forward to subdue suspects on-site, and carefully preserved critical electronic evidence.

A year later, she successfully cracked a series of theft cases, arresting the entire criminal gang and recovering tens of thousands of yuan.

In recognition of her efforts, the public presented her with a banner which read: “Prompt response like a tiger, precise search and reliable capture of thieves.”

“We must take the initiative. Only by staying closer to the people can police officers keep them further away from being deceived!” said Ying.

After taking part in multiple telecoms fraud investigations, Ying developed her own approach to anti-fraud public education.

In October 2024, she incorporated real scam tactics into a script and starred in a miniseries to raise public awareness of fraud prevention.

Netizens were full of praise.

“Anti-fraud knowledge just entered my brain in the strangest way,” said one online observer.

However, Ying remains humble: “Thanks to the public and netizens for their attention and support to us. It motivates me to stay passionate, work diligently, and do my job even better,” she said.

Online observers have been quick to express their admiration.

One person said: “Such a cool policewoman, so heroic!”

“Beautiful and cool, I have already watched the video dozens of times!” said another.

While a third wrote: “Amazing! Behind every bullet that hits the target is a vow to protect life with life.”

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Is China poised to lead the world with combat-ready ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 stealth drone?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3322417/china-poised-lead-world-combat-ready-loyal-wingman-fh-97-stealth-drone?utm_source=rss_feed

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is likely to showcase a new type of advanced stealth attack drone during September’s Victory Day parade in Beijing, rehearsal images circulating online suggest.

The FH-97, a single-engine, ground-attack uncrewed aircraft, has been described as potentially China’s first combat-ready stealth drone, capable of coordinated aerial warfare alongside crewed jets.

Photos leaked online over the weekend appeared to show an FH-97 takng part in the rehearsals for the massive military parade on September 3, which will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II.

The official debut of the model would make China the first country to have such a drone – dubbed a “loyal wingman” in crewed-uncrewed team-up warfare – ready for combat.

The parade’s second full rehearsal was held from Saturday evening into Sunday morning near Tiananmen Square, involving around 40,000 personnel.

Although the aircraft was covered and mounted on a military truck, enough design features were revealed to suggest it was the FH-97, or Feihong-97, developed by a subsidiary of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (AVIC).

The angular shaping of its vertical stabilisers further aligns with the FH-97.

A scale model of the FH-97 was first unveiled at the premier Zhuhai Air Show in 2021. Chief designer Deng Shuai told state-run Global Times the following year that the drone “acts as both a sensor and an ammunition depot, as well as an intelligent assistant for pilots”.

He added that it had earned the “loyal wingman” moniker because it flew alongside crewed aircraft “like an armed bodyguard”.

An article on military website The War Zone said on Sunday that the newly sighted drone “might be a further addition to the FH-97 line” rather than the 2021 version, referring to newer variants. The AVIC arm unveiled an air-to-air variant called the FH-97A in 2022.

An FH-97 debut at the parade would make China the first country to publicly announce the deployment of fully operational loyal wingman drones. While several nations have advanced to late-stage testing, none has yet confirmed their combat deployment.

“All weapons and equipment to be displayed in the [Victory Day] parade are domestically produced, active-duty main battle gear,” Major General Wu Zeke, the deputy head of the parade organising committee, said in June.

Collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drones or loyal wingmen are designed to work alongside advanced stealth fighters, their crewed-uncrewed teaming multiplying combat effectiveness while reducing pilot workload and risk to human life.

The United States’ XQ-58A loyal wingman combat drone is expected to be combat ready by 2029.

Australia is the other military close to deploying loyal wingman drones, specifically Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat, recognisable by its side-mounted air intakes. Market reports say eight Block 1 prototypes have been already delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force and have logged more than 100 flight hours as of this month.

Additional PLA rehearsal images emerging over the weekend also showed two previously unknown drone designs with tailless, modified delta wings. One featured a slender nose leading into a wider fuselage, while the other had a broader nose and central section.

Both remained under covers, obscuring details such as engine placement. But based on their truck-mounted scale, both designs appeared significantly larger than the FH-97-style drones, hinting at higher performance levels.

The War Zone concluded that “all of this reflects China’s clear pursuit of multiple CCA and/or [Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle] designs for land-based use, as well as operations from aircraft carriers and big-deck amphibious warfare ships.”