Emanuele Scimia

Today's headlines: Shanghai remains on lockdown. India's Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief, speaks out; The Arab League offers to mediate between Russia and Ukraine; Criticism of Putin's war grows; Armenians and Azeris resume peace talks.

Her mandate expires on 30 June. Her successor will be picked on 8 May by a pro-Beijing select committee. For analysts, Lam lost Xi Jinping's support. Second highest official John Lee is favoured to win. Hong Kong residents are increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of press freedom.

In today's headlines: Jordan's King Abdullah's younger half-brother relinquishes royal title; An 81-year-old Tibetan sets himself on fire in protest against the Chinese regime; Presidential candidates in the Philippines attack Beijing; Han Duck-soo will be South Korea's new premier; Russian elites press Putin to end war with Ukraine.

The Chinese continue to gloss over the possibility of mediating between Kiev and Moscow. The EU threatens to respond in case of Chinese aid to the Kremlin. Europeans demand an end to Beijing's trade boycott of Lithuania. The Union wants to relaunch human rights dialogue with the Chinese government.

A military agreement signed with Cambodia and a security deal concluded with the Solomon Islands. Australia: China has established 20 military posts in the South China Sea, it could do the same in the South Pacific. Beijing has also militarized disputed areas on the Himalayan border.

Driven by the Chinese leader's "redistributive" policies, such as the crackdown on hi-tech, real estate and private education giants. In China there are 626 billionaires: potentially a counter-power in the eyes of the regime. In China's rural areas, per capita income is less than half that of the cities.

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council is set to approve two legal agreements signed in September with Russia. After the national security law was adopted, several countries suspended extradition agreements with Hong Kong. The International Bar Association slams Hong Kong police for threatening activist Benedict Rogers.

Since February 2020 the number of displaced people increased by about 520,000. Humanitarian groups highlight food shortages, warn that the country is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. The military have killed more than 1,700 civilians so far, with nearly 10,000 arrested. The US has imposed new sanctions on Myanmar generals.

Sinopec stops a US$ 500 million project with a Russian petrochemical company. China fears secondary sanctions from the US and its allies if it helps the Kremlin. Nothing indicates that Beijing is backing Putin in his Ukrainian campaign.

The other news of the day: Talks between India and China on the Himalayan border go nowhere. A quarter of Hong Kong's population wants to emigrate. Sri Lanka’s crisis forces two newspapers to suspend publications due to a paper shortage. Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv calls for the union of all Orthodox in Ukraine. Azerbaijan attacks areas in Karabakh still under Armenian control.

Chen Ming-tong dismissed the claim, allegedly from Russia’s security services, as “cognitive warfare” against Taiwan. Xi Jinping wants stability before the 20th Congress of the Communist Party. About 90 per cent of Taiwanese reject Chinese efforts at reunification.

Fighter jets and a frigate have been delivered,the possible arrival of eight submarines pending. In 10 years, China has sold almost US$ 6 billion worth of armaments to the Pakistanis. Beijing is exploiting the war in Ukraine, and the US distraction, to advance in South Asia. Border tensions with Delhi remain.