Why Thailand, a US treaty ally, is stocking up on Chinese weapons

By Liu Zhen and Seong Hyeon Choi Thailand, a US treaty ally, has been adding to its arsenal of Chinese-made weapons with deals for ships, tanks and other high-value hardware. Analysts put the trend down to pragmatic considerations. The Royal Thai Army has finalised a deal to buy an additional batch of Chinese-made VN-1 armoured […]

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China says top military official under probe for ‘serious violations of discipline’

BEIJING: China said on Saturday the senior vice chairman of its powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) and another high-ranking official were under investigation for suspected “serious violations of discipline,” a common euphemism for corruption. The announcement marks the latest push in a sweeping drive to root out graft at all levels of the party and […]

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As Trump shakes world order, Western countries recalibrate approach to China

By Fan Chen At the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, world leaders warned of an increasingly fractured global order and took veiled swipes at the United States. But they held back on directly criticising China, which experts said signalled a recalibration in their approach to Beijing as US […]

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Chinese coastguard rescues Filipino sailors near Scarborough Shoal

By Shi Jiangtao The Chinese navy and coastguard said on Friday that they rescued 17 Filipino crew members from a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship that had capsized near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. According to the China Coast Guard (CCG), the Maritime Search and Rescue Centre in Sansha, Hainan province, received a distress report […]

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China, Philippines launch rescue missions for distressed cargo ship near Scarborough Shoal

BEIJING: China and the Philippines said on Friday they launched rescue operations after receiving reports of a distressed cargo ship near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea which was carrying 21 Philippine crew members. The Chinese military said two crew had died and 17 had been rescued, after a report around 1:30 a.m. […]

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China’s Xi urges ‘central role’ of UN in call with Brazil’s Lula

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping called on countries to protect the “central role” of the United Nations in international affairs, urging his Brazilian counterpart on Friday to help safeguard international norms, state media reported. The comments come after US President Donald Trump unveiled plans for his new “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum. […]

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Germany’s dramatic China car trade slump tests Merz’s tough talk at Davos

By Finbarr Bermin gham in Brussels After German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to make Europe “the antithesis to state-sponsored unfair trade practices”, the massive pressure the country’s automotive industry faced from China was laid bare in new figures. Over the course of 2025, German car and car part shipments to China saw dramatic slumps, while […]

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Why China is playing the long game in Iran despite Trump’s fresh threats

By Cao Jiaxuan in Beijing Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it all in a phone call to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, last week. With Tehran in turmoil and Washington threatening to intervene, Wang was holding Beijing’s long-standing line. “[China] opposes the use or threat of force in international relations, opposes imposing one’s own […]

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Beijing vows to ‘safeguard’ rights if EU bans telecom suppliers

Beijing vowed today (21 January) that it would “safeguard” the rights and interests of Chinese businesses if the European Union pushes on with plans to ban “high-risk” foreign telecoms suppliers, a move seen as targeting China. Brussels unveiled the proposal on Tuesday (20 January) as part of plans to revise its cybersecurity rules in a […]

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Could China draw battlefield inspiration from Ukraine’s drone-borne micro bombs?

By Alcott Wei in Beijing China could learn from Ukraine about using drones to launch modified small and micro aerial bombs, a leading Chinese weapons expert said. Cai Yi, chief scientist of China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), said in an interview earlier this month that aerial bomb strikes by Ukrainian drones provided “a valuable […]

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