World

Beijing, China: Valerio Fabbri, writing in Portal Plus, a Slovenian publication, said the demographers have predicted that the shrinking may begin in 2022 itself, a turning point that will weaken the government's economic tools which in turn could impact manufacturing, China's main economic weapon spearheading its economic supremacy in the last couple of decades. China is already struggling to meet the rising cost of health and social care and their expenditure on draconian zero-Covid infrastructure has ballooned. In contrast, tax receipts from the battered property sector have plummeted and now the population is shrinking, according to Portal Plus. Portal Plus citing Global Times reported that in several provinces of China, the number of new births in 2021 was the lowest in deca...

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s Two Nation Theory-centred views on Kashmir seem to be an Indiaphobic outlook accepted almost wholly by the Foreign Ministers of Germany and its biggest trading partner, China. The ideology of the Green Party is not usually associated with measures that promote conflict, but Minister Annalena Baerbock seems not to be concerned about the past. She is as set on flooding Ukraine with weapons and prolonging the war between that country and the Russian Federation as the most hawkish in NATO are. GHQ Rawalpindi is eager to present the facade of being a partner of NATO even while (since the Musharraf era) serving the interests of the PLA. Which is why Imran Khan, who in the past had (and still has) several admirers in the UK and India in particular, w

TAIPEI: China again rejected her latest overture, saying the island was an inseparable part of its territory. Democratic Taiwan, which China claims as its own, has come under increasing military and political pressure from Beijing, especially after Chinese war games in early August following a Taipei visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Any conflict over Taiwan could drag in the United States, Japan and perhaps much of the world, as well as shatter the global economy, especially given Taiwan's dominant position as a maker of semiconductors used in everything from smartphones and tablets to fighter jets. Tsai, in her national day speech outside the presidential office under a grey sky, said it was "regrettable" that China had escalated its intimidation and threatened peace an...

Protesters jailed over Hong Kong’s anti-government demonstrations in 2019 should be viewed as assets to help halt the brain drain and be given support to rehabilitate them, a group set up to assist them has said. Project Change, a programme established up by a group of 16 academics and professionals, suggested on Monday the Correctional Services Department expand resources for jailed protesters who were keen to continue with their studies. The group, speaking in advance of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s first policy address, highlighted that some of those incarcerated might not have resorted to violence at protests. “If you want to change the game, you have to heal the wound,” said Sung Yun-wing, treasurer of the group. Without such a mindset, “you can’t tell a good Hong K

Beijing, China:  Due to these, European countries are increasing scurrying to look out for new options as they continue to remain hesitant to new investments in China amid economic uncertainty, The Singapore Post reported. China became Europe's biggest trading partner just a few years ago. According to New York-based Rhodium Group, European investment in China has been through a few big companies. "Virtually no new European firms have chosen to enter the Chinese market in recent years," said the group. "A few big firms are propping up the numbers there. Many others are reassessing their presence," said Noah Barkin, the managing editor of Rhodium's China practice. Moreover, Nomura Holdings, a global financial services group, has downgraded its forecast for China's 2023 annual...

Taipei, Taiwan: Taiwan’s value-driven outreach faces a dilemma in Southeast Asia, where democracy is retreating in countries from Cambodia to Myanmar and where authoritarian regimes often pivot toward Beijing in return for political patronage, Nikkei Asia reported. According to the survey conducted by US-based think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) over 500 Taiwanese corporate executives, over a quarter (25.7 per cent) of the surveyed companies with business in China had already shifted some of their production or sourcing out of China and another third were considering doing so, Nikkei Asia reported. The survey released this week also stated, that of those on the move, a substantial majority (63.1 per cent) were going to Southeast Asia, but slightly ove

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said Friday he has assured Australia that his nation will not allow a Chinese military presence in its territory. The island nation has been at the center of a diplomatic tussle in the southern Pacific Ocean between the United States, Australia and their allies on one side and an increasingly assertive China on the other. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Sogavare in Canberra on Thursday to smooth ties that have been frayed since the Solomons signed a security pact with Beijing this year -- a move that sparked fears of Chinese military presence in the region. "About China, this is a sensitive issue we discussed, and I assured Australia when I met with Anthony Albanese yesterday that we will not allow such to happen," S...

A turning point in Vietnam-Laos ties occurred this year: The 45th year of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, which gave the two countries' "special relationship" its name, coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The year 2022 has been designated as the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year, and Vietnam is marking the occasion with several events, including high-profile visits, extensive cultural exchanges, and the signing of several agreements involving various ministries. Perhaps this overt enthusiasm in Vietnam helps to lessen the unsettling home circumstances in Laos. Despite Vietnam's apparent optimism over its relations with Laos, recent commentary has focused on how the nation is moving closer to China, particula...

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has accused China of attempting to "spread false narratives and suppress information on a range of topics" in the Solomon Islands, even as the countdown for the crucial National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party has begun.Days ahead of the 20th National Congress due to begin next week, accusation of ‘spreading false narratives and suppressing information’ in the Solomon Islands  is embarrassing for China which has always boasts of non-interfering and transparent foreign policy. Such accusation is not something President Xi Jinping would like as he prepares to get a third term in power. Theprestigious ASPI has claimed that China is attempting to "spread false narratives and suppress information on a range of topics" in the Solomon Isl

The relations between Europe and China are growing more tense every passing day thanks to several factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, economic coercion China's support for the Ukrainian invasion, human rights violations, and the Taiwan Strait Conflict. European countries are now mulling reducing their dependence on China as well as restricting economic investments there. This comes as a big jolt to China as it became Europe’s biggest trading partner just a few years ago. The European investment in China has been through a few big companies while no new firm now is interested in entering the Chinese market, said New York-based Rhodium Group. According to a report by the Rhodium Group, European groups started leaving China due to the country’s links with the ongoing geopolitical tensi