Emanuele Scimia

An Yankui taken away by police after Sunday service along with one of his co-workers. His electronic devices siezed. His family: he was travelling with a valid passport and visa. Five people linked to the Reformed Church of Zion had already been arrested for the same reason in July.

The Greek visit is a tribute to the osmosis between Greek and Christian thought. During the new visit to Lesbos the pope will meet refugees stranded on the island. Cyprus has a past of Christians, Muslims and Jews living together. Cypriots have struggled after the Turkish invasion of 1974.

The new relationship is a response to the “dual containment” by the United States and its allies. China and Russia are expected to conduct more strategic exercises and joint patrols in the Asia-Pacific region. For expert Alexey Muraviev, this is not a “de facto alliance”. Joint operations in the South China Sea are not yet on the cards, and the Kremlin is not ready to sell its submarines to Beijing.

Today’s headlines: Record microchip production for Taiwan. Fears in China about an imminent drop in exports. First confirmed deaths from riots in the Solomon Islands. India resumes exports of COVID-19 vaccines to COVAX. Lukashenko encourages migrants to go to Poland.

Acting as a tourist, Guanguan travelled to various locations to check on detention camps’ existence. He found 18 different locations in operation and one abandoned. Ethnic Han Chinese have confirmed the existence of forced labour. The EU renews its sanctions against China’s repression of its Turkic speaking population.

Rioters continue to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Sogavare, also for being pro-Beijing. Casualties have been reported in the capital's Chinatown. Both public and private buildings, shops, and police stations have been set on fire. The prime minister refuses to give in to rioters.

China Harbour Engineering will build the Eastern Container Terminal in the Port of Colombo. Indians will still build the Western Container Terminal. The Sri Lankan president says he has to balance relations between Beijing and New Delhi. In the background loom fears over Beijing's “debt trap".

Following attack on Parliament, the Chinatown of the capital Honiara was targeted. Australian peacekeeping force sent. Demands for ouster of Prime Minister Sogavare: in 2109 he broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognized China. The rioters come for the most part from the island of Malaita, which has close ties with Taipei.

Cracks have appeared in the CCP before and after its sixth plenary session. Internal opposition prevents President Xi from imposing his version of the third “historic resolution”. The case of tennis player Peng Shuai was artfully built to hit Zhang Gaoli. The Chinese do not accept Xi's dictatorial model. The “father of democracy" in China, now exiled in the United States, offers his thoughts.

Taiwanese companies that finance separatist groups and personalities will be punished "according to law," the Chinese government says, targeting those present also in China. Taiwanese multinational Far Eastern Group seems to be the first victim. Tensions high: US warships continue to pass through the Taiwan Strait.

Xi Jinping told ASEAN countries that China does not seek hegemony in the South China Sea. For Washington, Vietnam "will define the future of Asia". Like the Chinese, the Vietnamese are boosting their presence on disputed atolls in the region. For expert Carlyle Thayer, conflict between Hanoi and Beijing is extremely unlikely.

Democratic representation reduced to zero after electoral reform. Only 11 candidates out of 153 declare themselves unrelated to pro-Beijing forces. A candidate committed to the democratic protests of 2019-2020 suceeds in being admitted. The problem of voter turnout.