China

New Delhi’s tug-of-war with Beijing is unfolding amid protests by ethnic Adi opposed to a hydropower project on the Siang River, India’s response to China's Medog mega-dam. Recent protests have also been accompanied by arson attacks and damages, forcing New Delhi to deploy security forces.

Some opinion polls suggest that the outgoing mayor, Chiang Wan-an – long regarded as the rising star of the party closest to Beijing – is struggling. Running against him in the 29 November election is Puma Shen, one of the politicians most hardline towards the People’s Republic. It is a neck-and-neck race that will have repercussions beyond the local government sphere.

Anthropic has documented the use of Claude to track Catholic and Tibetan Buddhist leaders, Christians in Taiwan, and the Falun Gong. A religious affairs intelligence unit that once employed many teams has been reduced to a single office, yet this is enough to produce thousands of investigations per month.

The first brain-computer interface (BCI) auditory brainstem implant has been approved. China wants to challenge US leadership in a multi-billion-dollar market, with BCIs identified as one of the key sectors of the future. However, unresolved concerns remain regarding bioethics and the protection of personal data.

Next week, the final plenum before the 2027 Congress is set to further tighten internal controls over officials, this despite the tenfold increase in anti-corruption probes since Xi Jinping came to power. One of every four members of the Party’s governing body are expected to be present. The fate of the Central Military Commission is a paradox.

The Japanese MMX mission is designed to bring samples from one of Mars’ moons back to Earth by 2031, the same year that materials collected on the moon by China’s Tianwen-3 mission are also expected to return. India and South Korea are investing in new technologies, infrastructure, and satellites. The commercial importance of space is growing.

A conference in Taipei marked the centenary of Pius XI’s historic decision in October 1926 to ordain the first six bishops born in China. This was a crucial step on a path of inculturation which, after 1949, however, had to contend with control from Beijing. The challenge of the Church’s identity in China remains as relevant as ever.

From reforestation in China to sustainable coffee in Indonesia, and free-diving fisherwomen in South Korea: the FAO has selected 100 women who are contributing to food security, environmental protection and the development of rural communities. However, the sector is still marked by significant gender inequalities.

The latest case was reported in late September, involving the Yikoufu walnut oil brand. Deceptive advertising and poor quality have failed to slow the boom in online sales. Producers, intermediaries, live streamers, and platforms all shift the blame onto one another. New laws are needed.

Ignatius Ding Zuyao, a priest born in 1986, was consecrated this morning in Jiangsu province under the terms of the agreement with the Holy See. This diocese saw Bishop Shen Bin moved (by the Communist Party) to Shanghai. Ding becomes the youngest bishop in the world, confirming a clear trend in episcopal appointments in China.

Increasingly, the focus of new possibilities opened up by melting ice, polar routes have become a place of geopolitical confrontation. Although Russian officials continue to project an image of equal cooperation with China, Russia actually finds itself in a vulnerable position.

Retail sales are not growing as much as Beijing would like. Employees currently work an average of 48.2 hours a week, but without a significant increase in income. So, during the recent public holidays, a call not to use days off for shopping went viral on Weibo before being censored.