(AI image generated using ChatGPT) China has begun taxing condoms and other contraceptives, ending a three-decade exemption as the government intensifies efforts to reverse a deepening demographic decline. From January 1, condoms and contraceptive pills are subject to a 13% value-added tax, the standard rate applied to most consumer goods, according to Reuters.The move marks […]
Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul and outspoken critic of Beijing, was convicted on Monday in a landmark national security trial, a verdict that could see him sentenced to life in prison. The 78-year-old was found guilty of conspiracies to commit sedition and to collude with foreign forces in a case that […]
Taiwan will introduce a $40-billion supplementary defence budget to underscore its determination to defend itself in the face of a rising threat from China, President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday. As Taiwan faces calls from Washington to spend more on its own defence, Lai said in Aug he hoped for a boost in defence spending […]
Hasan Piker faces backlash after holding Chinese flag during livestream in Beijing (Image via Getty) Hasan Piker, the popular Twitch streamer and political commentator, has once again found himself in the spotlight. During his recent visit to China, Hasan attended the Chinese national flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. While standing in front of […]
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth called on Southeast Asia to strengthen cooperation in maritime surveillance including the use of unmanned technologies to counter what he said was worsening aggression by Beijing in the South China Sea.Speaking during an meeting in Malaysia with defence ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday, Hegseth urged the […]
US President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that he might reduce tariffs on Chinese goods, but only if Beijing agrees “to do things” for the United States. These concessions include buying more US soybeans, halting restrictions on rare earth minerals, and other security concerns. Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, he said, “They’re paying […]
The United States has escalated its rhetoric against China on Wednesday, with treasury secretary Scott Bessent claiming that American Senators may back a staggering 500% tariff on Chinese imports over trade with Russia. Speaking at a press conference, Bessent said 85 US senators were ready to give US President Donald Trump the authority to impose […]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that China has the potential to pressure Russia to end the war, following US calls for Beijing to halt its oil purchases from Moscow.“China is also represented here, a powerful nation on which Russia now depends completely,” Zelensky told the council, noting China’s status […]
US lawmakers push for military dialogue in a rare visit to Beijing BANGKOK: A bipartisan group of US lawmakers pushed for more military-to-military dialogue in a meeting Sunday with China’s Premier Li Qiang, a rare congressional visit since the US-China relations soured. The last trip by a group of senators was in 2023, and Sunday’s […]
VLadimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un (AP image) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. No details have been provided yet on the exact timing of the meeting.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said […]
