China
Magnitude 7.7 earthquake rocks much of Southeast Asia
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday, March 28 at 2.20 pm, with the tremors felt as far away as neighbouring Thailand and China to the northeast as well as Bangladesh and India to the west.
Indian defence reforms stymied by lack of funds
India’s plans to modernise its military and strengthen domestic defence production are facing mounting challenges due to financial constraints, despite a net boost in the country’s defence budget.
Myanmar junta chief to attend regional summit in Bangkok
Myanmar's military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is expected to attend a regional summit in Thailand in April, marking his first visit to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations member state since 2021.
Indonesia joins BRICS' new development bank
Indonesia has formally decided to become a member of the BRICS-affiliated New Development Bank, just months after fully integrating into the China-led economic alliance
The ‘Squad’ looks at adding two new members to counter China in the Indo-Pacific
The Philippines is seeking to expand the informal security alliance known as the ‘Squad’ by including India and South Korea, in an effort to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
COMMENT: What impact will a raft of protests across the Emerging Markets have?
A spate of protests across several emerging markets is reigniting concerns over economic stability and long-term financial health. From Turkey to Indonesia, social unrest has flared up that threaten countries with weak fundamentals.
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Energy demand surges, renewables increase substantially
The latest report from the International Energy Agency has revealed a significant rise in global energy demand in 2024, driven primarily by a sharp increase in electricity consumption.
Glaciers are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, says UN agency
Mass loss of ice from the world’s 19 glacier regions was 450bn tonnes in 2024, says a new report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation.
Global energy demand doubled in 2024 driven by extreme temperatures, but renewables covered 80% of the increase, says IEA
Global energy demand growth surged in 2024 to almost twice its recent average, driven by rapidly rising electricity use, the International Energy Agency said in its global energy review 2025 report on March 23.
China's Shang Xin secures $2bn contract to build industrial complex in Iraq's Basra
Iraq's Minister of Industry, Khaled Battal Najm, signed a contract with China's Shang Xin company to build a major industrial complex in Basra with investments exceeding $2bn.
Welcome to the new transactional world order
Welcome to the new world order. Values and liberal democracy is giving way to a world run on the basis of deals.
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Chile places Chinese observatory project under review
Chile has put a planned Chinese astronomical observatory project under review, potentially dealing a blow to Beijing's scientific ambitions in Latin America.
China sits on the Afghan-Pakistan fence as the Uyghurs watch and wait
As the largest foreign investor in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, China has thus far remained silent on the escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
European Commission launches inquiry over BYD’s Hungarian investment
The European Commission has launched an investigation into whether BYD received unfair state subsidies from China to support the construction of its Hungarian factory.
India boosts energy, mobility infrastructure in western Himalayas
The union territory of Ladakh holds immense strategic and geopolitical importance for India as it borders China and Pakistan.
Global cereal production grows faster than populations, says OWID
The world's population has more than doubled over the last 60 years, but global food production has managed to keep up, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
China stalls BYD's Mexican electric vehicle plant approval over US tech concerns
Beijing is delaying approval for carmaker BYD to build a plant in Mexico amid concerns that the smart car technology developed by China's biggest electric vehicle maker could leak across the border to the US, the FT reported.
Chinese intimidation tactics against Taiwan continue
The constant military pressure from China, which views the island as a breakaway province, is showing as Taipei repeatedly works to raise awareness of the issue with the international community.
Why India’s adversaries force it to engage with authoritarian regimes
These ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend’ dynamics, while fraught with challenges, offer New Delhi the opportunity to secure its regional influence, contain cross border threats, and protect its economic and strategic assets.
Singapore’s chip fraud scandal has global repercussions
Singapore has found itself at the centre of a high-profile fraud case involving the alleged illegal export of AI-capable servers, potentially containing Nvidia chips.