Emanuele Scimia

Russia, Iran and the US follow China. Conspiracy theories are amplified on Twitter and Facebook. Hundreds of millions of social media users have shared conspiracy tweets posted by Chinese diplomats. Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran spread same theories. Trump's accusations sparked China’s reactions.

They face up to five years in prison. Accused of having organized and taken part in an unauthorized demonstration. The group includes Jimmy Lai and Martin Lee. Seven pleaded not guilty. Lee Cheuk-yan, one of them: We will fight like an "ox".

The Chinese president likened it to a steamed bun. In the past he was depicted as Winnie the Pooh. Satirical web channels that damage the reputation of the Chinese leader have been targeted. Videos have been removed for alleged copyright violations.

The Nikkei index exceeds 30 thousand points. Negative interest rates and large monetary liquidity favour the main world markets. Driven by GDP growth, the launch of vaccinations and an end to political uncertainty in the US. Doubts about the post-Covid prospects of the Japanese economy.

180,000 city officials have to swear an oath of loyalty by the end of the month, under penalty of dismissal. Defections put the coronavirus campaign at risk. The suffocation of democratic freedoms continues: limits on the right of expatriation proposed.

He is in prison for calling for political reforms and defending various human rights activists. Sentenced to four years on charges of "inciting subversion". He was the defender of the well-known dissident Wang Quanzhang. His wife: the award will give courage to those who fight for human rights in China.

Lai’s first application was rejected by the Court of Final Appeal at the request of the Department of Justice. The pro-democracy tycoon has been in prison since 31 December. He still has a chance to be placed under house arrest if his defence team can prove that he poses no threat to national security.

Zdeněk Hřib targeted for having twinned with Taipei and supporting Tibetan dissidents. “No cost” for my commitment to Taiwan and Tibet. China is an “unreliable” trading partner. Alarm raised over Chinese lobbying campaigns in Europe. Xi Jinping embarrassed at the “17 + 1” summit.

First contact between the two leaders. The new administration wants to continue Trump's tough policy, but with a different approach. Washington: involve allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. China task force created in the Pentagon. US warships continue to challenge Chinese interests.

Erdoğan appears to have traded them for millions of doses of the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine. Protests are taking place in front of the Chinese embassy in Ankara. The ratification of an extradition treaty with China faces an uphill battle. Turkish opposition parties are on the attack against the “sultan”.

From almost 12 million in 2019 to just over 10 million last year. Some provinces report a 30% drop. The failure of the regime's demographic control policies. Over the next 30 years, China will lose 200 million working-age adults and have 300 million more retirees.

China has tried to confuse domestic and international public opinion about the origins of the pandemic. The narrative spun by Chinese authorities suggests that China’s response to the crisis was effective and transparent and that the coronavirus did not originate in China. For the United States, the evidence points to “illnesses inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology”.