China

In China's Shandong province, controversy surrounds fencing installed to stop "wild hiking" on the sacred mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The authorities claim it is a safety measure, but protesting residents and environmentalists argue that it distorts the spiritual significance and habitat of the place.

His release on 4 July follows talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, during which Jimmy Lai was also mentioned, although the latter’s situation remains unchanged. Meanwhile, the crackdown on house churches continues in China: eight other pastors remain in prison.

Today, Washington and Beijing clash over tariffs, Taiwan, and technology. Yet Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and other leading figures of the American Revolution also found inspiration in the thoughts of Confucius and the meritocratic system of the Chinese empire. This forgotten story speaks to a different beginning in relations between the two powers.

Under new rules, Beijing cracks down on regional branches of organisations, while limiting the use of titles for local officials because they fuel the proliferation of positions and corruption. In reality, this is another step to control organised civil society. Meanwhile, Xi promoted two senior generals after purging the military.

According to official licence statistics, as many as 30,000 are aged between 70 and 79. This reflects not only the ageing population but also the financial difficulties faced by those who lost their jobs during the Covid pandemic. And with pensions insufficient to cover their expenses, many make ends meet by working as taxi drivers.

On 26 June, a small, single-engine plane carrying only the pilot crashed into the CITIC Tower, the Chinese capital’s tallest skyscraper, injuring 13 people. But within hours, information on social media disappeared, something that usually happens with accidents of this kind in China, giving rises to speculation that is not likely to find an answer.

June in China is the month of the Gaokao (the university entrance exam) and the Zhongkao (the secondary school entrance exam), with the usual mobilisation of families anxious about their children’s future. But the structural limitations of China’s current economic system, with 320 million ‘flexible’ workers, are turning yesterday’s dreams into a mere struggle for survival.

Thanks to massive investments in solar, wind, and nuclear power, China has topped four billion kilowatts of installed capacity, 1.7 times that of the United States and the European Union combined. And it is working to have a system operational by 2030 that will allow millions of idled electric vehicles to return energy to the grid to meet peak demand.

In Wuhan, a call for teachers to turn up at dawn to inspect vegetables for school canteens sparked a protest. But among the non-teaching tasks assigned to teachers is also the requirement to ‘like’ posts from public accounts on social media. Meanwhile, an increasing number of schools are turning to the ready-meal market, which the Party has identified as one of the key sectors to be promoted in the economy.

Pope Leo XIV yesterday spoke about the great Italian patron saint of migrants, who dreamt of going on a mission to the East like Saint Francis Xavier. After her death, her fellow sisters fulfilled this dream in Zhejiang and Henan until its forced closure under Mao. Nevertheless, it still continues through the Scalabrinian family who chose her as their patron in Asia.

With the People's Republic of China missing from the tournament for 24 years, the "card master" has become a celebrity among fans. He is the only Chinese tasked with refereeing a World Cup match, but also an ambassador for giants like Lenovo and Hinsense. Tomorrow evening, he will referee the Ecuador-Curaçao match, with two Chinese assistants.

In a speech to the foreign press, the Taiwanese leader hailed 30 years of democracy on the island, starting with the 1996 elections. He urged the US to unfreeze the US$ 14 billion arms sale, which has already been approved by Congress. Opposition leader Cheng Li-wun, just back from a visit to the United States, said that Trump’s position on his return from Beijing is “fairly consistent” with that of her party.