China

The Sea Legend Shipping Company will inaugurate the first regular container service via the Northern Sea Route. South Korea is following with a trial voyage. The thawing Arctic and the difficulties affecting traditional routes are making the arctic more attractive. But ice, costs, sanctions, and security are limiting commercial ambitions (for now).

The fifth plenum of the Central Committee, set for October, will not focus on the new Five-Year Plan but on the party's "rigorous" internal governance. Meanwhile, the anti-corruption drive is also affecting the military leadership at a time when the economy is slowing. For Xi Jinping, cohesion remains the top priority ahead of the 2027 congress.

In addition to Russia, Armenia’s prime minister is looking to China and India to boost the country’s development. New Delhi plays an important role in military-industrial and security matters. China is looking for Armenian raw materials. In the background, ties with the European Union (along with the United States) remain the primary political objective.

The oldest Trappist monk in the world has passed away at the age of 108. But his story evokes the brutal "death march" with which Mao's communists wiped out the monasteries of Yangjiaping and Liesse in the 1940s. He took part in the rebirth of the Abbey of Our Lady of Joy in Hong Kong in 1956.

After the real estate crisis drained local finances, Beijing is focusing on private wealth to finance the race for artificial intelligence and semiconductors. But new taxes, controls, and steered investments are increasing the risk of passing the cost of this industrial strategy on to households.

Torrential rains and floods in China are now a regular feature every summer. Described by the authorities as "exceptional”, these weather events are due to structural problems, such as uncontrolled urbanisation, obsolete infrastructure, aging dams, and increasingly less transparent management of emergency situations.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, digital psychological and psychotherapeutic support services have grown significantly in the country in response to the lack of adequate countrywide resources, as well as to the stigma surrounding this topic. However, those who exploit this need are also increasingly fuelling collective anxiety.

A few days after the episcopal ordination in Chifeng, a new ordination took place today in Inner Mongolia, under to the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China regarding the appointment of Bishops. The new prelate, 46, will join Bishop Du Jiang, who was secretly ordained in 2004 and recognised by the government in 2010.

After serving an 18-month sentence for the “public sale of religious books”, the former head of Zhejiang’s large Catholic community was welcomed by hundreds of the faithful. The authorities are exerting ever-greater pressure even on “official” communities, including a ban on minors entering churches. by Andrew LawChina28 July 2026

An inappropriate remark by a singer in support of a film now playing in Beijing has caused a storm that has hit her foundation, resulting in plummeting donations. Distrust by the Chinese public now seems to extend to endorsements as well as charity as a whole.

Despite more high-level meetings with Xi and improved economic relations, Kim Yong-un's regime is cracking down on Chinese films and TV series and is careful with its official statements. Meanwhile, North Korean workers returning from China report being treated like beggars.

The first regulations on artificial intelligence services designed to build emotional bonds with users have come into effect. Chinese authorities want to combat emotional dependence and inappropriate content. ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent are eliminating or modifying features dedicated to “virtual companions”.