China’s manufacturing success was attributed to cheap labour. That perception has now changed completely. Factory wages in China have climbed close to eight dollars per hour, far higher than those in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and India. By cost logic alone, China should have lost its position as the world’s manufacturing hub. Instead, it continues to dominate global production, contributing nearly 28 percent of worldwide manufacturing output. The reason lies not in wages, but in produc

China and Canada have announced a significant reduction in tariffs and signalled a broader reset in their bilateral relationship following high-level talks in Beijing, marking a notable shift after years of strained diplomatic and trade ties. The agreement was confirmed after a meeting on Friday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the first Canadian leader to visit China in nearly a decade. Under the deal, China is expected to reduce tariffs on Canad

China’s record-breaking trade surplus is increasingly reshaping global financial markets as export earnings that once accumulated primarily in state reserves are now being redirected into private investments overseas. The shift marks a notable departure from Beijing’s traditionally centralized management of foreign exchange inflows and introduces new dynamics into global capital movements at a time of heightened sensitivity over trade imbalances and financial stability. Last yea

Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, trade disputes, and armed conflicts across multiple regions, China quietly achieved two major economic milestones in 2025, underscoring its continued influence over global manufacturing and trade. Official data released this month shows that the country recorded the largest annual trade surplus in its history while further consolidating its position as the world’s leading automobile producer and seller. These achievements came despite persistent pressures

​Warships from China, Russia and Iran arrived in South African waters on Friday to participate in a week-long multinational naval exercise off the coast of Cape Town, drawing attention amid heightened global tensions and renewed scrutiny of South Africa’s foreign policy positioning. The exercise, titled “Will for Peace 2026,” is being conducted under the framework of the BRICS group of emerging economies and is scheduled to continue until next Friday. South Africa’s armed forces sa

China on Wednesday strongly criticized reported United States demands aimed at reshaping Venezuela’s oil partnerships, calling the move an act of coercion that violates both national sovereignty and international law. Beijing’s response follows media reports that Washington has sought exclusive control over Venezuela’s oil sector as part of its political and economic engagement with the South American nation. Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spoke

China has issued a strong response to recent actions taken by the United States in Venezuela, sharply criticizing what it described as unilateral behavior and calling for the immediate release of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The remarks came amid growing international attention to Washington’s role in the South American nation and broader concerns about adherence to international law and diplomatic norms. Speaking during high-level talks in Beijing with

Amid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the United States State Department has urged China to halt its recent military activities near Taiwan, warning that the drills are unnecessarily heightening regional instability. The call followed a two-day military exercise conducted by China around Taiwan, which included missile launches and the deployment of fighter jets, naval vessels, and coast gua

Chinese President Xi Jinping used his annual New Year’s Eve address to reaffirm Beijing’s long-standing position on Taiwan, declaring that reunification with the self-governing island was inevitable. Speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, Xi said that bringing Taiwan under China’s control was “a trend of the times” that could not be stopped, reiterating a pledge that has become a central pillar of his leadership. The speech came just one day after the conclusion of large-scale

China has set a new global benchmark in rail transportation technology after successfully accelerating a superconducting magnetic levitation train to a speed of 700 kilometres per hour in just two seconds. The achievement marks the fastest acceleration ever recorded for a maglev system and positions China as the first country to demonstrate this capability using superconducting electric maglev technology. The experiment was conducted by researchers at the National University of Defe

China has strongly criticised a recent Pentagon report, calling it irresponsible, misleading, and an attempt to create divisions between Beijing and New Delhi while exaggerating the so-called China threat narrative. Responding sharply, Chinese officials accused the United States of distorting China’s defence policy and interfering in its internal affairs to justify Washington’s continued military dominance. Speaking at a media briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes

The United States has cautioned India about China’s evolving two-front strategic approach that combines diplomatic calm along the Line of Actual Control with an aggressive expansion of military support to Pakistan. The warning comes from the US Department of Defense’s 2025 Annual Report to Congress on Military and Security Developments involving the People’s Republic of China, a comprehensive assessment of Beijing’s military modernisation and regional ambitions. The report h

A migratory seagull carrying a Chinese-made GPS tracking device was found along Karnataka’s Karwar coast, raising questions due to the location’s proximity to the strategic INS Kadamba naval base. Locals first spotted the bird near Timmakka Garden in Uttara Kannada district and alerted the marine division of the forest department. The discovery drew attention because INS Kadamba hosts key Indian Navy assets and is undergoing expansion that will make it one of the largest naval bases in th

Tensions between Japan and China intensified further after a coordinated air patrol by Chinese and Russian military aircraft passed close to Japan and South Korea, prompting both Tokyo and Seoul to scramble fighter jets. According to Japan’s defence authorities, seven Russian aircraft and two Chinese aircraft briefly entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone, raising fresh concerns over the scale and frequency of joint operations by Beijing and Moscow in the Asia Pacific regio

The Ministry of External Affairs issued a firm message to China after an Indian national was reportedly singled out and detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai airport. The statement, released on Monday, underscored India’s expectation that its citizens travelling through Chinese airports must not be selectively targeted or subjected to arbitrary detention, and urged Beijing to ensure that international air travel regulations are respected without exception. The incident has intensified di

China has firmly rejected Japan’s claims regarding recent aerial encounters, escalating a diplomatic dispute that has widened to include political, economic, and regional security dimensions. A spokesperson for the Chinese navy, Colonel Wang Xuemeng, stated that Japanese aircraft had repeatedly approached Chinese vessels as they carried out previously announced carrier-based flight training east of the Miyako Strait. According to Wang, the operations were routine and transparent, and China

Apple is on track to ship more smartphones than Samsung in 2025, marking the first time in fourteen years that the U.S. technology company is expected to lead the global smartphone rankings. The projection comes from Counterpoint Research, which reported that Apple could finalize the year with roughly 243 million iPhone shipments, surpassing Samsung’s estimated 235 million units. This shift is significant in a highly competitive smartphone market where leadership has historically alternated

India has taken a major step toward reducing its dependence on imported critical technologies by approving a new national programme for manufacturing sintered rare earth permanent magnets. These magnets are essential components used in electric vehicle motors, renewable energy systems, advanced electronics and defence platforms. The Union Cabinet cleared a financial package of Rs 7,280 crore to establish a fully integrated domestic supply chain capable of producing 6,000 metric tonnes per yea

Alibaba’s newly launched Qwen AI application has recorded exceptional early momentum, surpassing 10 million downloads within the first seven days of its public beta release. The rapid acceleration places it ahead of the early adoption trajectories of several high-profile AI platforms and highlights how competitive strategies in the global artificial intelligence sector are shifting. Unlike subscription-driven models popular among Western AI developers, Alibaba’s free-access approach embed