Emanuele Scimia

Joe Biden declares that the United States will defend the island in case of a Chinese attack, distancing himself from Washington’s traditional "strategic ambiguity". The EU Parliament asks to negotiate an investments agreement with Taiwan. London: Chinese air raids along the Taiwan Strait could trigger a conflict. Tokyo supports Taipei's joining the CPTPP

Standoff over withdrawal of respective forces along the disputed frontier. The Chinese position long-range missile launchers in the region; the Indians deploy M777 howitzers. Indian government: we have the capabilities to face the Chinese army. China is better equipped, but its soldiers are unfamiliar with operations at high altitude.

Attendance limited to 800 people due to Covid-19. Widespread mourning among Chinese Catholics for a highly respected bishop. Bishop Yang often clashed with the government. Beloved also for his liturgical songs and poems.

The large Chinese real estate group risks bankruptcy. For China’s central bank, there is no "systemic" danger. On Wall Street, it is not seen as another Lehman Brothers. Chinese businesses are shifting investments from real estate to other sectors. Evergrande workers protest for non-payment of wages.

The Abeka Academy in Suzhou and a private school in Zhenjiang were the target. Dozens of people were arrested, including children and parents. Last month, the police took action against a Christian music school in Harbin. The government is cracking down on after-school courses.

Some 50,000 protesters take to the streets in support of the former president jailed on corruption charges after returning from his Ukrainian exile. Since then, "Misha" has been on a hunger strike. The Georgian Patriarchate calls for Saakashvili’s release, urging the parties to engage in political reconciliation.

For Xi, the country’s political system is a "great creation", the key to its global success. However, as the 20th Party congress approaches, tensions are developing with Vice President Wang Qishan and the Shanghai faction, led by Zeng Qinghong.

The 99 year-old prelate had been hospitalized for days in a serious condition. He was trained and worked together with the PIME fathers of Kaifeng and Weihui. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison during the Cultural Revolution. An ordinary bishop since 1999, he never easily submitted to the "patriotism" of the religious authorities linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

The appeal was launched on Weixin, which was later blocked by censorship. Bishop Yang, 99, has difficulty breathing and his body is swollen. He is not an “underground” bishop, but has never submitted to the religious authorities linked to the Chinese Communist Party. He supported the protests against cross removals in Zhejiang and had run-ins with the police in Hebei.

On October 15, Xi Jinping and the President of the European Council Charles Michel will have a telephone conversation. The aim is to reduce tensions. Punished by the Chinese for its growing relations with Taiwan, Vilnius calls for united EU intervention. Lithuanian MP: We are not like them, we must not respond with symmetrical retaliations or coercive measures.

Hungry for raw materials, the Chinese returns to Australian products they previously boycotted. Australian coal a lifeline for China's energy crisis. Beijing's economic needs now outweigh geopolitical concerns, such as the growing military synergy between Canberra and Washington.

Some Uyghur intellectuals have been arrested on charges of terrorism and separatism, their whereabouts unknown. At present, more than a thousand Uyghur intellectuals are said to be in prison, their fate uncertain. The US reiterates its criticism of human rights violation in China. A virtual summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping is set for the end of the year.