The devastating fire that destroyed much of a public housing complex in Tai Po has exposed the fragility of Hong Kong's housing system, characterised by overcrowding, negligently managed construction sites, and thousands of senior citizens and domestic workers trapped in hard-to-evacuate high-rise buildings. PIME missionary Fr Franco Mella slams the authorities for the way they manage the real needs of the population. Meanwhile, fears are growing that the tragedy could reignite tensions with Beijing on the eve of the 7 December local elections.
From dolls that have become a global phenomenon to large technology factories and the delivery sector, a system is increasingly spreading in China that relies on the ability to transform individual needs and family obligations into a virtually unlimited willingness to work. Women themselves are being pushed to abandon stable contracts (guaranteed only on paper) in favour of temporary and seasonal employment.
A new, large-scale mining facility, 75 per cent owned by Chinese companies, began operations this week in the hills of southern Guinea. It is expected to have a major impact on the global mining industry, not least because of the quality of the extracted material, which is more suitable for low-carbon steel production.
Over the past five years, Chinese loans and deposits in renminbi abroad have quadrupled, while CIPS (Beijing's alternative to SWIFT) is growing in Central Asia, the Middle East, and other strategic areas. But the plan remains China-centric, because to truly rely on a global currency, Beijing would have to give up control over capital flows, a choice Xi Jinping believes is incompatible with internal stability.
The long-awaited Fourth Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China ended today in Beijing chaired by Xi Jinping, offering little direction if the final communiqué is to be believed. The emphasis on the “extraordinary” results of the 2020-2025 five-year period was countered by current economic difficulties. In the end, the spotlight was on the new wave of firings from top military command posts.
At a global summit on the status of women, 30 years after the Beijing Conference, the Chinese president pledged funding to UN Women and new, pro-women worldwide cooperation. Yet, since 2022, the Politburo has been entirely male. Meanwhile, discrimination is rising again in the workplace in China after the abrupt shift from the one-child policy to a pro-natalist policy.
Following last year’s historic reconciliation between Palestinian factions in Beijing, "blessed" by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the People's Republic of China did not take part in ceasefire negotiations over Gaza. Even after last night's breakthrough, Beijing appears aloof. Business remains the crux of its involvement in the region.
The Taiwanese government was quick to deny that trade negotiations with the United States include moving to the US half of its microprocessor production for the US market. The opposition Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party attack the government, warning that an agreement would “hollow out” the country’s tech sector. TMSC’s investments in new 1.4-nanometer chips are also at stake.
In his annual address, Chief Executive John Lee announced special legislation to speed up a futuristic project for a new metropolis in the New Territories, the area closest to mainland China. The goal is to bring 2.5 million new residents, centred around a major tech hub. This is also part of a political plan to turn a page in a major Asian crossroads where growth has stalled since the events of 2020.
Friends report that Zhang Yadi, 22, has been missing since 30 July, a few weeks before she was supposed to start an MA in anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London. She had founded “Chinese Youths Stand for Tibet”, a pro-Tibet group based outside of China. In Changsha, lawyer Jiang Tianyong, who was making inquiries about her case, was also arrested. Beijing is increasingly cracking down on criticism, even among Chinese communities abroad.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has examined a new regulatory framework mandating the use of Mandarin in all sectors. This threatens bilingualism, especially in Tibet and Xinjiang, two regions where an increasing number of international influencers are being invited to promote a positive outlook, countering reports from international organisations criticising human rights violations.
In a chat picked up by a hot mic, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping talk about the possibility of organ transplants allowing people to live up to 150 years. China has never adopted a clear and transparent system for organ donation. Despite new regulations, forced organ harvesting reportedly continues, especially from members of minorities.
China continues to violate the rights and abuse Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the western region. Victims' families are silenced and threatened. Those waiting for the return of a relative from detention centres tell their stories. For Brooks, Amnesty’s China Director, “lives have been destroyed, families separated, and communities dismantled by the Chinese authorities’ continuing cruelty.”
Next Saturday Taiwanese voters are set to approve or reject the reactivation of the Maanshan plant in a referendum called by the opposition after the country's last plant shut down in May after 40 years of operation. After Fukushima, environmentalists have achieved a gradual phase-out, but fears that China might stop natural gas supplies are now reviving the issue. For its part, China has 33 plants under construction.
The Chinese government is forcing activists and human rights defenders to leave their homes under police escort to prevent protests or interviews during politically sensitive events. A report by Safeguard Defenders documents the practice, which is effectively a form of detention that violates human rights and, since Covid-19, has become less “luxurious” due to China's economic difficulties, but no less oppressive.
The state-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation has announced the start of work at the Mes Aynak mine, one of the largest copper deposits in the world. But the area is still mined, infrastructure is lacking, and security risks remain high. The Kabul regime is seeking legitimacy by focusing on Chinese investment, and Beijing is proceeding, but with caution.
A new book by historian Paul Mariani traces the life of the Catholic community of Shanghai during the years when it was led by the Jesuit prelate, "illegitimately" ordained in 1985, a complex figure who, under difficult circumstances, sought in his own way to maintain a balance between Beijing and Rome. It is an interesting read not only about the past of the Church in China but also about what is going on today.
The diplomat, who has just taken up his post as his country’s representative to the Holy See, recounts his meeting with Leo XIV. Taiwan helped the pontiff “when he served in Peru”. Leo “said that he will pray for Taiwan.” The island does not “pose any threat” to China, offering instead “opportunities for dialogue and for peace.”
A new report accuses Chinese state-owned companies of supporting the Burmese junta's arms production for over a decade, particularly at the DI 21 military plant, where aerial bombs used against the population are manufactured. This ongoing support includes know-how and essential components for manufacturing weapons. Experts are calling on the international community to put pressure on Beijing to stop military assistance and start a genuine peace process.
In the Chinese province of Zhejiang, the authorities have recently detained priests, nuns and ordinary Catholics who made a trip abroad last year; their goal is to induce underground Bishop Shao Zhumin to join a government-controlled Church body. Places of worship and the relatives of underground priests have also been targeted. One priest says, “we want to follow our conscience” without having to submit to the political whims of the Party.
On 3 September, China will stage a show of force to mark the anniversary of its victory over Japan. The event has strong symbolic and political significance, reflecting the country's strategic rivalry with Washington and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. From the Japanese city of Okinawa, which in recent days commemorated the battle in which some 200,000 people lost their lives, a message to the contrary has emerged, calling for the past to be remembered in order to build peace, rather than tomorrow's conflicts.
In this huge country where the decline in the number of marriages (and births) has reached a critical level, introducing people with the declared aim of matching them for marriage is considered the simplest and most common way to achieve the goal, without being perceived as an outdated practice. Catholic parishes promote this type of activity. Parental approval is still necessary, but the way of going through with it can become an opportunity for new relationships.
While the phone call between Trump and Xi Jinping is attracting the world's attention amid the Sino-US trade war, Beijing is moving forward with a project for large free trade zone on its southernmost island. To attract foreign investment, it is also launching a pilot project for direct access to the global Internet for authorised users and under state control.
A report by the Lowy Institute highlights that China is expected to receive this year some US$ 22 billion in interest on debt from countries that the UN classifies as most fragile. This figure is far higher than new loans China currently grants per year. For 54 countries, China holds more shares of bilateral debt than all the countries of the Paris Club put together. The numbers are significant also considering the appeal Pope Francis made for debt cancellation on the occasion of the Jubilee.
Opened in 2019, the futuristic Beijing Daxing International Airport continues to expand as the "new gateway to China". But hundreds of residents forced to leave their villages to make way for the structure have found themselves with homes that are smaller than they were promised. Now they are mobilising for compensation based on the market value of their lost properties.
Chinese concerns over its army of subcontractors in the garment industry working for big brands is behind the first truce in the Sino-American trade war. The China Labour Bulletin reports protests and closures in April. Local authorities are trying to limit the damage with informal mediation, hoping for a recovery. Facts contradict statements by Western brands about “responsible exits”.
In the era of tariffs, stimulating domestic demand is vital for Beijing. But consumption is growing slowly—and it is no longer the megacities driving it, but smaller cities, where wages and confidence in the economy are rising. These shifts may also bring about broader social changes.
A source talked to AsiaNews about how Chinese Catholics are coping with Francis’s death. Remarks and pictures abound on local social media. “Amid the sorrow and mourning, the joy of announcing love prevailed,” as “a spontaneous explosion, not very cautious, but conscious that death and fear are not the last word.” An elderly lady and the Pope shared an “impossible dream”: she wanted to visit the Vatican, while he wanted to visit China.
Nine hours of lessons a day plus homework in the evening, parental expectations, anxiety about the gaokao, the exam that opens the doors to the best universities. A recent study reveals the widespread feeling of never being good enough. The toll of the long years of the ‘one-child policy’ is also evident in the relational difficulties of today's teenagers.
The implications of Trump’s trade war are being vetted in Beijing. For sociologist Sun Liping, it is time “to overcome the obsession with a production-oriented model of society” and instead increase “domestic consumption”.
