Asia

Leaders from Russia, Belarus, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey and Vietnam are among those attending a summit billed as promoting peace and stability. China slammed “hegemonism and power politics” on Friday as it touted an upcoming summit it is hosting for more than 20 world leaders as promoting stability and peace. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit will be held in the northern city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, days before a huge military parade in the nearby capital Beijing to mark 80 years since the end of World War II. China has long sought to present the SCO as a counterweight to Western-led power blocs and has pushed for greater collaboration between its 10 members. More than 20 foreign leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra

Xi Jinping’s slow-motion nosedive from China’s throne is less a political drama than a masterclass in how to botch a nation. Beijing’s strongman, once hailed as the eternal helmsman, is now steering a ship that’s springing leaks faster than his censors can plug them. Economic wobbles, public grumbling, and a leadership drunk on its own myth expose the rot of hyper-centralised rule. But this isn’t just China’s circus—democracies, with their messy debates and fragile guardrails, can stumble into the same traps if they’re not vigilant. Picture a cautionary tale, served with a smirk and a shiver, as we unpack why China’s mess is a 900-word warning for every democracy to keep its house in order. Buckle up; the lessons are sharper than the Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army. China’

Australia's relationship with China appears to be strengthening. Could this create increased tension with the US? As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, questions have been raised over how the US will view the visit and whether there could be consequences for Australia. The visit comes after US President Donald Trump announced new tariff rates of 25 per cent on some trading partners, including Japan and South Korea. US tariffs on Australian products remain at 10 per cent, but with relations between the two allies strained, could the US respond negatively to Australia potentially strengthening ties with China? Here's what you need to know. Australia's relationship with China Albanese is set to visit China from Satu...

China’s state-driven education system, crafted and enforced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), continues to embed hostility toward Japan and the West into the minds of younger generations. This ideological programming, framed as patriotic instruction, often crosses into overt racial prejudice, fostering intolerance and isolating Chinese citizens from global engagement. Far from empowering its people, this agenda has led to tragic outcomes heightening xenophobia, damaging China’s international reputation, and provoking social instability. Chinese influencer Deng Jiajun, known as “Jang,” caused an uproar after posting a viral video of himself hoarding luxury seafood at a Japanese buffet. With over 4.3 million Douyin followers, Deng proclaimed his overeating spree—featuring salmon,

TAIPEI — Taiwan is "of course" a country and China lacks both the historical evidence and legal proof to back up its sovereignty claims, President Lai Ching-te said on Sunday (June 22) in a strong rebuke to Beijing and its stepped up political and military pressure. China says democratically-governed Taiwan is "sacred" Chinese territory that has belonged to the country since ancient times, and that the island is one of its provinces with no right to be called a state. Lai and his government strongly reject that view, and have offered talks with China multiple times but have been rejected. China calls Lai a "separatist". Giving the first of 10 speeches in a series called "uniting the country", Lai drew on Taiwan's history, including the millennia-long connection of its indigen

China and five Central Asian republics look to enhance common development projects, such as the BRI, and vowed to push against trade protectionism, for a more inclusive economic globalization. The second China-Central Asian summit concluded in Astana, Kazakhstan on Tuesday with countries signing a treaty on eternal good neighborliness, friendship, and cooperation as well as a joint Astana declaration. The summit was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the five Cental Asian presidents, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan (the host country, Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan. The Astana declaration, signed by all the participants, talks about enhancing cooperation i...

Xi Jinping celebrated China's "eternal friendship" with Central Asia at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, as the Chinese leader blasted tariffs and sought to assert Beijing's influence in a region historically dominated by Russia. The summit in Astana brought together Xi with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Under Russia's orbit until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the five Central Asian states have courted interest from major powers including China, the European Union and the United States since becoming independent. At the summit, the group signed a pact of "eternal" friendship as Xi called for closer ties with the resource-rich region. "We should... strengthen cooperation with a more enterprising attitude and more p...