When Xi Jinping held the first-ever talks in Beijing with a former president of Taiwan, seeking to press the island closer to unification, a bookish-looking official stood out for his ease around China’s leader. While others treated Mr. Xi with stiff formality, the official, Wang Huning, spoke confidently in his …
Read More »Republic of Georgia’s Ruling Party Claims Election Victory
The governing party in Georgia, which has increasingly steered the nation toward Russia and China, claimed victory Saturday in a parliamentary election that both the government and the opposition described as decisive for the country’s future. Georgia’s splintered opposition did not admit defeat, setting the stage for a likely political …
Read More »China Tightens Its Hold on Minerals Needed to Make Computer Chips
The vise-tight grip that China wields over the mining and refining of rare minerals, crucial ingredients of today’s most advanced technologies, is about to become even stronger. In a series of steps made in recent weeks, the Chinese government has made it considerably harder for foreign companies, particularly semiconductor manufacturers, …
Read More »Chinese Hackers Are Said to Have Targeted Phones Used by Trump and Vance
Chinese hackers targeted data from phones used by former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, as part of what appears to be a wide-ranging intelligence-collection effort, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Investigators are working to determine what communications data, if …
Read More »Water Crises Threaten the World’s Ability to Eat, Studies Show
High food prices, meet the global water crisis. The world’s food supply is under threat because so much of what we eat is concentrated in so few countries, and many of those countries are increasingly facing a water shortage. That’s the conclusion of three independent studies published this week. One …
Read More »Global Electricity Demand Is Rising Faster Than Expected, I.E.A. Says
Demand for electricity around the world is rising faster than expected, making it harder for countries to slash their emissions and keep global warming in check, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday. Over the next decade, the world is poised to add the equivalent of Japan’s annual electricity demand …
Read More »Trump Signals Skepticism of Google Breakup, Citing Competition With China
Former President Donald J. Trump, whose administration sued Google over allegations it violated antitrust law, indicated that he might not break up the company if he regained the presidency, describing it as a bulwark against China’s technology ambitions. “China is afraid of Google,” Mr. Trump said while speaking on Tuesday …
Read More »China Holds War Games Encircling Taiwan in Warning to Island’s Leader
China held large-scale military drills in the waters and skies surrounding Taiwan on Monday, a show of force that signaled the growing threat of Beijing’s ability to choke the self-governing island that China claims as its own. China said its army, navy, air force, rocket force and other troops took …
Read More »Killing of Japanese Boy Leaves Chinese Asking: Is This My Country?
A Japanese boy was stabbed on his way to school in China on Sept. 18. That’s the date when, nearly a century earlier in 1931, Japan invaded China. The child, who was 10 years old, was pronounced dead the next morning. The police arrested a 44-year-old man at the scene …
Read More »China’s Stock Markets Rebound on Promises to Help Businesses
Stock prices rose in China on Monday, as investors welcomed government signals of renewed attempts to counter weakness in the economy by borrowing more and easing oversight of the private sector. The CSI 300, an index of large companies traded in Shanghai and Shenzhen, rose 1.9 percent. The increase came …
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