News

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s disclosure about the attack in the Indian Ocean prompted concern that Australia’s close military cooperation with the United States could draw it into the fighting in the Middle East.

Lai was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in jail last month on charges for sedition and collusion with foreign forces.

Once celebrated for its fiery spirits, the town of Maotai has reeled from a bad Chinese economy, changing tastes and a crackdown on boozy official banquets.

Decision marks end of years-long legal saga for 78-year-old critic of Chinese Communist party
Jimmy Lai, the prominent pro-democracy activist who was in Hong Kong, has said he will not appeal his conviction.
The decision marks the end of a years-long legal saga for the 78-year-old critic of the Chinese Communist party (CCP), and opens the door for political negotiations to his release.

China is not feeling the shock of war in the Middle East - yet. But it is feeling the ripples.

Bi Haibo of the Chinese embassy in the UK responds to an editorial
Regarding your editorial (), I wish to make the following points.
First, Jimmy Lai is by no means the “defender of democracy” portrayed in some western media narratives, but a principal figure behind the turmoil in Hong Kong. He was a key planner and participant in a series of anti-China incidents aimed at destabilising Hong Kong, and served as an agent and pawn of external anti-China forces. What he has done would constitute criminal offences in any country and must be punished in accordance with the law.
Second, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, and the Sino-British Joint Declaration has long fulfilled its historical mission. The constitutional and legal basis for the Chinese government’s governance of Hong Kong lies in China’s constitution and Hong Kong’s basic law. Since the enactment of the National Security Law in 2020, Hong Kong has restored stability, and the rights and freedoms of residents are better protected in a more secure environment.
Third, Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs, and Hong Kong’s judiciary does not allow external interference. Moreover, China does not recognise dual nationality. Jimmy Lai is regarded in Hong Kong solely as a Chinese citizen.
We urge the Guardian to respect China’s sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong and to report on related issues in an objective and fair-minded manner.Bi HaiboSpokesperson, Chinese embassy in the UK

The US president the easily debunked claim that there are no wind farms in China

China announced a 7 percent increase in military spending and a five-year plan to try to reduce its military and industry’s reliance on Western technology.

‘High-quality growth’ target of 4.5-5% outlined at Two Sessions as Chinese premier talks of complex situations at home and abroad

China has set its target for GDP growth to a record low of 4.5-5%, the first time since 1991 that the figure has dropped below 5%, reflecting an economic strategy that is shifting away from export-led growth to a model that leaders hope will be more resilient to external shocks.
Li Qiang, China’s premier, announced the target for 2026 in the (NPC), China’s annual parliamentary gathering, which began on Thursday.

The conflict in the Middle East has sent energy prices soaring, and for countries that import a high proportion of their fuel, it’s a reminder of the perils of energy dependence. As the recipient of almost 90% of Iran’s crude oil, China knows this only too well. Which partly explains why the country spent the last decade heavily investing in clean power.
To find out what else could be driving the strategy, Madeleine Finlay speaks to senior China correspondent Amy Hawkins.
And energy correspondent Jillian Ambrose reflects on how China’s ambitions could affect the rest of the world
Support the Guardian:

If we want things to be ‘Made in Europe’ again, we need to be realistic about how grimy and grey our centres of commerce once were
“Bitterfeld, Bitterfeld, where dirt falls from the sky,” went a popular saying. Located in the intensely industrialised of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), in the 1980s Bitterfeld became known as the dirtiest town in Europe. Its chemical industry and lignite mines dumped toxic waste in waterways, and the air carried a concentrate of sulphur dioxide some .
Europe would soon be rattled out of its postwar reliance on heavy industry, in favour of cheap imports from abroad. In the last days of the GDR, environmental activism brought the coup de grâce. The 1988 release of the undercover film shed light on the appalling living conditions in the Chemical Triangle, and the city’s chemical plants were soon decommissioned.
Hans Larsson is an architect at OMA/AMO

It is also the first time the target has been lowered since it was cut to "around 5%" in 2023.