US Telecoms Agency Votes to Expand Tech Crackdown on China
The FCC voted unanimously to advance a proposal that would bar all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices destined for the United States. The agency says about 75% of U.S. electronics are currently tested in China and will streamline approvals for devices tested in U.S. labs or in low‑risk foreign labs. In a separate 3‑0 vote, the commission moved to prevent China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom from operating data centres in the U.S. and to restrict interconnection with firms on its national‑security “Covered List.”
Oil Surge on Trump Blockade Warning Tests Stocks’ Resilience
Crude oil prices leapt to a four‑year peak after President Donald Trump suggested a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could endure for months. Brent crude surged as much as 7.3%, breaking the $126 per barrel mark. The...
How China Can Avoid a Repeat of Japan’s ‘Lost Decades’, in Eyes of Top Economist
Top economist Bai Chongen warns that China could repeat Japan’s prolonged stagnation if it clings to outdated growth models. He argues that shifting from export‑driven expansion to an innovation‑centric economy is essential, alongside curbing corporate debt and reforming state‑owned enterprises....
Ikea to Open First Small-Format Beijing Store to Tap China’s Changing Consumer Trends
Ikea will launch its first small‑format store in Beijing’s Tongzhou district, a 1,500 sqm outlet aimed at convenience and efficiency. The move follows the closure of seven large stores in China as demand for new‑home furnishings wanes amid a sluggish property...
In a Fragmenting Global Order, Former Japanese Leader Urges Pivot to China
Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama called on Beijing and Tokyo to cooperate against what he described as US “arrogance” and to prevent a collapse of the world order. He argued that joint coalitions with like‑minded nations would boost bargaining...
Rights Groups Hail Indonesia’s ‘New Chapter’ for Domestic Workers, Warn of Long Road Ahead
Indonesia’s House of Representatives approved a long‑awaited domestic‑worker protection law, granting 14 rights such as social security, universal health care and mandatory vocational training. The legislation caps domestic duties at ten specific tasks and requires placement agencies to register and...
Youth Hostel Scheme Falls Short as only 44% of Expected Flats Offered: Audit
Hong Kong’s Youth Hostel Scheme, launched in the 2011‑12 policy address to deliver 3,000 affordable flats for young workers, has fallen far short of its goals. An Audit Commission report shows only 1,326 flats – just 44% of the target...
Hong Kong Surplus Hits HK$11 Billion as Finance Chief ‘Monitors’ Mideast War
Hong Kong’s financial secretary Paul Chan announced a revised fiscal surplus of HK$11 billion (about US$1.9 billion) for the 2025‑26 year, roughly four times the original forecast. He stressed that the ongoing Middle‑East conflict has only a limited effect on the city’s...
As Hong Kong Recalibrates, the Blue Economy Offers an Anchor
Hong Kong completed its first green methanol bunkering operation, signaling a push to decarbonise global shipping. The city is positioning the blue economy—valued by the UN at $3‑$6 trillion annually—as a strategic growth anchor amid a shifting regional maritime landscape. With...
Will Asean’s Scramble for Russian Oil Fuel Shift in Regional Alliances?
Southeast Asian nations are turning to Russian oil to fill shortages caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockage. Countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Myanmar have secured U.S. sanctions waivers and signed energy deals with Moscow. The move...
China Faces a France-Sized Demographic Loss that Threatens Coastal Growth: Analysts
China is projected to lose about 60 million people over the next decade, a decline roughly equal to France’s entire population. The shrinkage will hit the affluent coastal provinces that have driven most of China’s growth, reducing labor productivity and household...
Trump’s Golden Dome Aimed at Combating China’s ‘Hypersonic Weapons, Cruise Missiles’
The Pentagon told Congress it currently lacks any defense against hypersonic weapons or advanced cruise missiles, prompting President Donald Trump to push the $185 billion Golden Dome missile‑shield program. The initiative, originally budgeted at $175 billion through 2035, was raised by $10 billion after...
Scientists in China Create a Predator-Like Material to Hunt for Uranium in the Ocean
An international team at China’s CAS Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes has created a light‑powered metal‑organic framework micromotor that swims through water and selectively captures uranium ions. The 2‑micron particles propel themselves using hydrogen peroxide and double their speed under...
Can Parents and Children Playing Video Games Together Level up Their Relationship?
A Hong Kong survey by the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong found that parents who play video games with their children report relationship scores about 20 percentage points higher than families that don’t. The study sampled 2,271 youths and 1,283...
Middle East Shipping Crisis Elevates China-Europe Railway’s Profile
The China‑Europe railway network has transformed from a niche experiment into a commercial freight alternative, linking 235 cities across 26 European nations with more than 120 Chinese hubs. Driven by pandemic‑induced air‑freight shortages and maritime congestion, annual train trips doubled...