News and policy developments from mainland China and the wider region.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in the early hours of Monday in Hefei, the capital of eastern China's Anhui province, launching a five-day state visit to China. The trip is his first visit to the country in nearly eight years. During the visit, Steinmeier is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping , Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. The leaders are expected to exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.
China's population dropped by 3.39 million to 1.404 billion in 2025, edging closer to the 1.4 billion mark. The National Bureau of Statistics reported 7.92 million births and a natural growth rate of negative 2.41 per thousand, with the elderly dependency ratio exceeding the youth ratio for the firs
New research shows the Terracotta Army was built by a diverse workforce including women and teenagers, challenging the long-held belief that only adult male artisans were involved.
Beijing's traditional department stores grapple with modernisation, as some transform into tourist hotspots while others retain original operations. Meanwhile, China combats 'online hitmen' extorting through negative reviews, and France's anti-fast fashion law targets Chinese cross-border e-commerce
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda died of heart failure in Tokyo on 22 October 2026 at age 90. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun offered condolences, praising Fukuda as an old friend of China who contributed to improving bilateral ties.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has sent a congratulatory message to Mansouri on her appointment as Morocco's prime minister, highlighting the strong development of bilateral ties under strategic guidance of both countries' leaders. Foreign Minister Wang Yi also congratulated Bourita on his re-election as
China's domestic passenger vehicle sales are expected to fall to 18.5 million in 2026 before rising 2 per cent in 2027, according to a senior industry executive. The recovery is attributed to easing cost pressures and improved product offerings.
Beijing is turning historic state-owned stores into tourist attractions. The Youyi Store and Yong'an Road Department Store have been renovated, blending nostalgia with modern retail to reverse losses and attract younger customers.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Tibet's Nagqu region on Sunday evening, followed by a magnitude 5.6 quake in neighbouring Qinghai. The tremors come three days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed 16 people and injured 76 in the same area.
Baqen County in Tibet has rolled out comprehensive epidemic prevention measures after a recent earthquake, including disease monitoring, disinfection and water safety checks for over 3,600 displaced people across 35 shelters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Belgian King Philippe exchanged congratulatory letters on the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations, pledging to deepen cooperation and contribute to China-EU ties.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by Chinese official Wang Huning, visited Dandong to mark the 76th anniversary of China's entry into the Korean War. He paid respects at the Memorial Tower and met Wang, who praised the visit as significant for bilateral ties. Kim conveyed greetings to Xi
China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level IV emergency response for Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangsu as Severe Tropical Storm Jongdari entered the East China Sea. Authorities ordered vessel checks, risk inspections and evacuations in high-risk areas.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Dandong, China, via a newly opened border bridge, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The visit comes as China and North Korea seek to revive trade and ties after pandemic disruptions.
The US Defense Department has designated Chinese-funded Confucius Institutes on university campuses as a national security threat. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alleged the institutes were propaganda cells that stole intellectual property and infiltrated student minds, and said the Pentagon had dis
Rescue operations for the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Baqên County, Nyingchi, Tibet, have entered the golden rescue period. Over 50 tents now house all displaced villagers in the worst-hit Mayu Township, with most connected to electricity. China Mobile restored damaged base stations and deployed eme
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Nyemo County in Tibet, causing casualties and building damage. Hong Kong's Immigration Department said it has received no requests for assistance from Hongkongers and is monitoring the situation via its Chengdu office and the tourism regulator.
China's Commerce Ministry called on the US to stop discriminatory measures against Chinese research institutions, saying they undermine scientific cooperation. The comments follow a Republican lawmaker's call to add 58 Chinese schools and 62 tech labs to a Pentagon list restricting research funding,
China's first fully AI-generated feature film 'Sanxingdui: Future Past' opened on Friday 23 October with more than 10,000 screenings but presale revenue of only 80,000 yuan ($11,980) and forecast total box office below 150,000 yuan, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.
China’s finance ministry will develop new policies targeting household consumption, private investment and supply-demand optimisation, a senior official said. A credit package launched early this year has already issued over 28 trillion yuan in loans, benefiting 836,000 firms and 147 million individ
Nyingchi city government warns that low temperatures and landslides from a magnitude-7 earthquake in Baqên County pose the main secondary risks. Officials outline safety measures including geological surveys, road monitoring, and setting up shelters away from dangerous slopes.
China's Communist Party will hold its fifth plenum next week, with analysts expecting President Xi Jinping to use the meeting to reinforce authority and ideological uniformity ahead of the 2027 leadership reshuffle. The closed-door session will focus on party self-governance and anti-corruption camp
Typhoon Champi has killed one person and injured more than 90 in Taiwan, with extreme rain forecast for several cities. China has raised its emergency response to Level 3 and suspended ferry services. Japan also warned of damaging winds in Okinawa.
Chinese mainland regulators are tightening scrutiny of corporate spin-offs by publicly traded companies, aiming to suspend new stock listings. Sources say regulators may block firms from spinning off their most profitable businesses to protect parent-company shareholders. Formal guidelines could be
Central government allocates 50 million yuan for emergency rescue after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Tibet's Nagqu region, killing 16. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang order all-out rescue efforts.
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Tibet killed at least 16 people and injured 46, with more than 300 houses collapsed, Chinese state media reported, citing local authorities. Rescue operations are underway with hundreds of personnel deployed.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Baqing County, Tibet, has killed 16 people and injured 54. China's emergency response has been upgraded to level 3, with a working group led by Wang Kun, head of the China Earthquake Administration, dispatched to the area.
French authorities reported the first human case of Shamonda virus, usually found in livestock, after a patient died in early October. The victim, a man in his 60s, was bitten by a midge carrying the virus in eastern France. Officials say there is no risk to the general population.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tibet on Thursday evening, the strongest in China since January 2024, with at least two injured and some houses cracked near the epicentre in Nagqu.
Beijing Vice-Mayor Xia Linmao has been placed under investigation for suspected serious disciplinary and law violations, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Xia, who also sits on the Beijing municipal party committee's standing committee, is the 56th centrally-administered senior official formally inve
China's industry ministry on Thursday called for organisations and users to inspect tech systems and upgrade to the latest secure PHP version. It also recommends strengthening cybersecurity monitoring and timely changing of accounts, passwords and keys.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth in the economy in a speech marking the 90th anniversary of the Long March, state media reported. He also emphasised the Communist Party's "absolute leadership" over the armed forces and advancing
China has criticised the European Union's new Arctic strategy, accusing it of stoking geopolitical tensions. The EU plan, unveiled on Tuesday, calls for boosting Arctic surveillance and icebreaker fleets, citing China's growing strategic ambitions and deepening partnership with Russia.
China's natural disasters caused direct losses of 199.36 billion yuan ($29.9 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, down 8% year-on-year. The Ministry of Emergency Management reported 1,162 deaths or missing persons, a sharp rise from 742 a year earlier, driven by severe typhoons, flooding and l
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued a risk alert over two critical PHP remote code execution vulnerabilities, urging users to upgrade immediately. The vulnerabilities could allow unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code, compromising servers and causing data
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke at a Beijing ceremony marking 90 years since the Red Army's Long March victory, urging unity under the party and the promotion of the Long March spirit. He called for high-quality development, military modernisation, and strict party discipline.
China is becoming a major exporter of water technology to Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Industry experts say Beijing's push is driven by domestic water shortages and climate change, with spending now exceeding 1.2 trillion yuan annually.
Taiwan issued a land warning on Thursday as powerful Typhoon Champi approached, cancelling over 100 flights. The storm, packing gusts over 227 kph, is expected to brush the northeastern coast and turn north toward China and Japan. President Lai urged public readiness.
Beijing and Moscow issued a joint statement condemning 'destructive external interference' in Eurasia during Premier Li Qiang's visit to Russia. The two sides pledged mutual support on core interests and opposed external coercion, though the statement did not mention a possible trilateral summit wit
China and Djibouti issued a joint statement calling for freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Both countries expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation and stressed that the rights of merchant ships should be respected under international law.
Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department director attended the first joint C929 type certification meeting in Shanghai, following an April agreement among mainland, Hong Kong and Macau regulators. The C929 is China's first domestically developed long-haul wide-body jet, designed for up to 290 seats and
China denounced a Florida arrest warrant for former Cuban president Raul Castro on murder charges, calling it an "abuse of judicial measures". Beijing urged Washington to cease pressure on Cuba and voiced support for Cuban sovereignty.
China defends yttrium export controls on Japan, saying they are needed to halt Tokyo's remilitarisation. Beijing tightened curbs after a row over Taiwan. A report says Japan's yttrium reserves could run out in months.
China urges next month's COP31 summit in Turkey to address what it calls a new problem for global climate action: tariffs on its clean technology. Vice minister Li Gao criticised unilateralism and protectionism, and said Beijing would give a firm response to attacks.
China's urban youth unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds fell to 18 per cent in September from 18.9 per cent in August, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. The rate for 25- to 29-year-olds also dipped slightly, while the rate for 30- to 59-year-olds held steady.
Indonesian authorities are investigating after a car-sized piece of debris, possibly from a Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket, crashed into a palm oil plantation in Central Kalimantan. No injuries or damage were reported, and a second fragment was later found nearby.
Unemployed Chinese workers are pretending to still have jobs to avoid family pressure amid a weakening labour market, with related posts drawing hundreds of millions of views online. Analysts say the trend reflects economic strains from automation, AI adoption and a property crisis.
China's plans to expand social insurance coverage and standardise fines for non-paying employers have sparked online criticism, with users demanding better jobs and higher wages first. The backlash highlights challenges Beijing faces in restructuring its economy and boosting household consumption.
Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo'an called on Asia-Pacific economies to deepen policy coordination and practical cooperation to counter global challenges and geopolitical tensions. Speaking at an APEC finance meeting in Hong Kong, he outlined priorities including AI-driven transformation and open tra
China's tax authority has reminded offshore trust taxpayers to declare and pay personal income tax by Thursday, potentially affecting eight Chinese billionaires with combined assets of about US$140.2 billion, Bloomberg reported. The list includes Xiaomi's Lei Jun, NetEase's Ding Lei and Pinduoduo's
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