Beijing

'Beijing top US threat': China preparing for war, warns Pentagon chief

Hegseth believes US President Donald Trump's "peace through strength" strategy is the appropriate response, and that the stagnating US defence industrial base must be revitalised

China imposes 6-month cap on rare-earth export licences to US amid talks

China is limiting rare-earth export licences for US firms to six months, using it as leverage in trade talks while the US agrees to ease some restrictions on key goods like jet engines and ethane

Beijing approves some rare earth exports ahead of US-China trade talks

The Chinese commerce ministry confirmed the approval of the applications without specifying which countries or industries were covered

As European economy slows, companies scale back investments in China

European companies are cutting costs and scaling back investment plans in China as its economy slows and fierce competition drives down prices, according to an annual survey released Wednesday. Their challenges reflect broader ones faced by a Chinese economy hobbled by a prolonged real estate crisis that has hurt consumer spending. Beijing also faces growing pushback from Europe and the United States over surging exports. "The picture has deteriorated across many key metrics," the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said in the introduction to its Business Confidence Survey 2025. The same forces that are driving up Chinese exports are depressing the business outlook in the Chinese market. Chinese companies, often enticed by government subsidies, have invested so much in targeted industries such as electric vehicles that factory capacity far outpaces demand. The overcapacity has resulted in fierce price wars that cut into profits and a parallel push by companies into oversea

Search continues as 6 remain missing after blast at Chinese chemical plant

Six people remained missing and search and rescue efforts continued on Wednesday morning after an explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China shook nearby buildings, killing at least five people and injuring 19. The blast on Tuesday, occurring in an industrial park in the city of Weifang, in Shandong province, knocked out windows at nearby buildings and spewed a thick plume of white smoke, according to videos shared on social media. It was not immediately clear what had caused the explosion, which occurred at a plant owned by Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co., a producer of pesticides and chemicals for medical use with more than 500 employees, according to corporate registration records. Local fire officials sent more than 230 personnel to the scene, according to state broadcaster CCTV. A student at a school about one kilometer away from the plant told state-run news site The Paper that he heard an explosion and saw dirt-yellow smoke, tainted with redness, rising from the plant. He sai

China, Brazil agree to defend free trade as leaders meet in Beijing

"China and Brazil are determined to unite their voices against unilateralism and protectionism," the Brazilian leftist leader said, according to Brazilian state television

Nvidia CEO Huang visits Beijing amid US export curbs on H20 AI chips

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met Chinese officials in Beijing after US imposed fresh export curbs on H20 AI chips, a move that may cost the company $5.5 billion in quarterly charges

Ajay Bhushan Pandey appointed as V-P of investment at AIIB in Beijing

Former Finance Secretary and CEO of Aadhaar Ajay Bhushan Pandey has taken over as Vice President of Investment Solutions for the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), in which India is the second largest shareholder after China. As Vice President of Investment solutions, Pandey provides strategic leadership and oversees three key departments, the Sectors, Themes and Finance Solutions Department (STF), the Sustainability and Fiduciary Solutions Department (SFD) and the Portfolio Management Department (PMD), AIIB said in a statement on Wednesday. "I am delighted to announce Pandey's appointment to this important leadership role Jin Liqun, AIIB President and Chair of the Board of Directors, said. "He brings with him decades of highly relevant experience leading transformational change, including a pivotal role with the Government of India in shaping the country's digital and financial infrastructure, that will greatly benefit the Bank as we continue to grow and ...

'The ball is in China's court': Donald Trump presses Beijing on tariff deal

Amid ongoing tensions with Beijing, the Trump administration is negotiating with multiple countries to explore trade deals aimed at easing the impact of US-imposed reciprocal tariffs

New Trump tariffs push total China duties to 145%, key imports spared

The cumulative tariff burden on some Chinese products stands at 145 per cent, including duties left in place from previous administrations

Beijing denies claims of Chinese troops fighting with Russia in Ukraine

Ukraine's claim that significant numbers of Chinese nationals are fighting alongside Russia's invading army is totally unfounded, a Beijing official said on Wednesday. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that the Ukrainian military had captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region and had information that significantly more are with Russian forces. It was the first time that Ukraine had made such a claim about Chinese fighters on its soil amid Russia's almost three-year invasion. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing that China has played a constructive role in politically resolving the Ukraine crisis. Lin told a daily news briefing Wednesday that the Chinese government always asks Chinese citizens to stay away from conflict zones, avoid getting involved in any form of armed conflict, and especially refrain from participating in any party's military operations. His comments appeared to indi

Fitch cuts China credit rating on debt risks amid trade tensions

The downgrade came a day after President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from US trading partners, with China among the hardest-hit

India, China hold diplomatic talks in Beijing on border row, bilateral ties

India and China on Tuesday agreed to work together to make "substantial preparation" for the next meeting of their Special Representatives (SR) on the boundary question that is set to be held in the national capital later this year. The decision was taken at a fresh edition of talks held in Beijing under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the WMCC meeting was held in a "positive and constructive atmosphere" and both sides "comprehensively" reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control. "The two sides agreed to work together to make substantial preparation for the next meeting of the Special Representatives (SR), which will be held in India later this year," it said in a statement. The MEA said peace and tranquillity on the border are critical for the smooth development of overall bilateral relations. "The two sides explored various measures and proposals to

China deepens ties with B'desh, extends loan repayment, duty-free access

The delegation headed by Abdul Moyeen Khan, a senior leader of the opposition Bangladesh National Party, visited China at the invitation of the ruling Communist Party of China

Chinese lithium firm halts sorbent exports as Beijing tightens tech control

Jiangsu Jiuwu Hi-Tech told customers last month it would stop exporting a piece of filtration equipment known as a sorbent from February 1

A month after Doval's visit, foreign secy Misri to go to Beijing on Jan 26

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will travel to Beijing on a two-day trip beginning Sunday to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, in the second such high-profile visit from India to China in less than one-and-a-half months. Last month, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval visited Beijing and held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi under the framework of Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary dispute. "Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will be visiting Beijing on January 26 and 27 for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between India and China," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "The resumption of this bilateral mechanism flows from the agreement at the leadership level to discuss the next steps for India-China relations, including in the political, economic, and people-to-people domains," it said in a brief statement. It is expected that the two sides would touch upon a number of issues at the talks including ways to .

China gives govt workers first big pay hike in a decade to boost economy

On a combined basis, the immediate payout would amount to a one-time shot to the economy of between about $12 billion and around $20 billion

Beijing to boost driverless vehicle use, regulations to kick in from Apr 1

In a separate notice published on Monday, the central Chinese city of Wuhan also said it had approved regulations to promote the development of intelligent connected vehicles

China's industrial profits set for steepest annual drop since 2000

Industrial profits at large Chinese companies fell 7.3 per cent last month compared to a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement on Friday

China plans record budget deficit of 4% of GDP in 2025, up from 3%

These targets are usually not announced officially until an annual parliament meeting in March. They could still change before the legislative session