China

The Hungarian prime minister's electoral defeat deprives China of its main ally in the EU, with repercussions on investments, European cohesion, and relations with Taiwan. However, the new government led by Péter Magyar will have ample room to reposition itself along European lines without abandoning economic ties.

During his meeting with Prince Mohamed bin Zayed in Beijing, the Chinese president called for the creation of a shared security system for the Middle East, as well as respect for the principle of sovereignty and international rules (which Beijing itself, however, does not respect in the South China Sea). According to UNDP estimates, 8.8 million more people are at risk of poverty in the Asia-Pacific.

During her visit to the People's Republic of China, seen as a sign of the pro-Beijing orientation of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang leader surprisingly paid homage to Sun Yat-sen at his mausoleum, praising his role in the development of the island's “national identity”, in an attempt to reconcile Taiwanese attitudes to Beijing’s outstretched hand.

Talks between Washington and Tehran will take place in Islamabad on Friday after threats of escalation. China has applied pressure, consolidating its influence in the region. Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir has played a crucial role. Uncertainties remain regarding the actual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the Israeli-Lebanon front. Pakistani Christians tell AsiaNews that they are praying for lasting “peace and prosperity”.

An analysis from an observer familiar with the Church's journey in mainland China notes that Pope Leo’s remarks about China clearly show him as the shepherd with the “smell of the flock" hoped for by Pope Francis. For this reason, the faithful today hope to see a change that will give hope for the future, even to those who wish to live their faith in China.

The ‘Yesterday’ observatory monitored 50 such incidents in a single month. These are fragmented initiatives, most often linked to unpaid wages. They are also fuelled by the obstacles placed in the way of the petition system, with local officials paying teams of men to discourage the submission of complaints to the relevant office in Beijing, which would cast them in a bad light. A reality that the Party prefers to hide and ignore.

New Beijing-mediated talks took place today in Xinjiang to halt fighting along the Pakistan-Afghan border. Meanwhile, Islamabad is positioning itself as a mediator in the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, after presenting a tentative ceasefire initiative, with Chinese backing.

In a message released today, the Buddhist leader endorses the pope's appeal on Palm Sunday for nonviolence and disarmament, emphasising the values ​​common to all religions – “love, compassion, tolerance” as the basis for conflict resolution, from the Middle East to Ukraine.

Online for a month now, “S.H.I.T Journal” – playing on the double meaning of the acronym for Science, Humanity, Information, and Technology – is racking up millions of views by publishing studies on grotesque topics presented with apparent rigour. A ‘subtle protest’ against the Party’s pressure to publish ever more studies to certify the excellence of Chinese universities.

A source in China reinterprets for AsiaNews the suffering of the Catholic communities of the People's Republic in light of the words of the Prophet Isaiah heard in the liturgies of this period, from the deep wound caused today by the increasingly rigid ban on educating minors in the faith to the certainty that “God is with us, and we move forward.”

After testing the programme in some regions with a series of pilot projects, China is preparing to launch a form of universal plan specifically for long-term disability care. The mutual support will be funded by a 0.3 per cent contribution rate. This will help families in a country where people over 65 are expected to make up 20 per cent of the population by 2033.

He was convicted for "inciting subversion of state power" after a trial marked by serious procedural breaches of Chinese and international law. Xie, who has handled several sensitive cases, including religious persecution cases, and has been imprisoned and tortured in the past for his work. The human rights community is calling for his immediate release.