Taiwan President Lai Ching-te meeting with Biden riles Beijing ahead of US president’s meeting with China’s Xi in Peru
At the same time, Beijing’s economy is taking a stiff hit from Biden’s steps on trade, including a plan to restrict US investment in Chinese artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors and export restrictions on high-end computer chips. All of those topics are expected to figure into the talks, US officials said.
Half of China’s 1.5 billion people are overweight, government has come up region-specific diets to combat obesity crisis
Not only China but also other developing nations facing similar health and environmental challenges could benefit from the roadmap for the diet, the scientists said in the study. Brent Loken, global food lead scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, said the study provided a promising way forward for developing countries, including India and Kenya.
Stabilising China’s population: Childbirth ‘festivals’ and ‘marriage school’ won’t lure youth to have children
China’s Yuwa Population Research estimates the country needs to invest 10 per cent of GDP to stabilise the population. Policies like those laid out last week have been helpful in countries such as France and Sweden, but they have not moved the needle in East Asia, most likely due to high gender inequality, according to demographers.
Interpol investigation exposes how transnational organised criminal gang Black Axe funds, fixes who rules Nigeria
Scrutiny is needed on governments in China and the United Arab Emirates that serve as major financial transfer hubs for Black Axe’s illicit transactions.
Barely weeks after Iranians attempted to bug Trump communication system, Chinese hackers hit Harris campaign
The FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said on Friday they were investigating unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by people associated with China.
Ukraine war: US doubts Russia’s military capacity in wake of North Korea’s 3,000-troop donation
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday there was evidence that North Korean troops were in Russia, although it remained to be seen what they would be doing there. Austin, speaking in Rome, said the alleged North Korean deployment could be further evidence that the Russian military was having problems over manpower in its war against Ukraine.
China reluctant to commit to debt relief sought by Africa but pledges $58 billion support over three years
During those peak years, Beijing bankrolled the construction of roads, railways and bridges. But a drying up of funds since 2019 has left Africa with stalled construction projects.
Chinese President Xi pledges more aid to Africa at what’s now derided ‘parley of African beggars’ in Beijing
China has tried to position itself as a leader of the Global South, a catchphrase for the developing world. While others don’t necessarily see China as the leader, its message of rewriting the international order resonates with African nations that feel frustrated and abandoned by their traditional Western partners.
Recalcitrant China expected to listen more to mineral-rich African countries, give others a short shrift
China unveiled a $60 billion financing package at the 2015 FOCAC and repeated that in 2018. By the summit in Dakar in 2021, Beijing pivoted to trade and investments – a shift largely due to domestic financial pressures, the onset of Covid-19 and a commodities crash that hurt African economies.
Boston University study: China’s loans to Africa rise by $4.6 billion for the first time seven years
The new data comes as Beijing prepares to host African leaders next week for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which takes place every three years. There were 13 loan deals last year involving eight African countries and two African multilateral lenders, the study found.
