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Plan to cut German factories is politically fraught but makes sense economically
When Bernd Pischetsrieder at Volkswagen in the early 2000s, he was forced out. When Herbert Diess tried the same, he got the , leaving in 2022. Yet now Volkswagen appears to be deliberately grasping the nettle.
“This time it’s different,” says Matthias Schmidt, a Berlin-based automotive analyst. Chief executive Oliver Blume is “VW through and through”, and his actions likely reflect the desires of the controlling Porsche and Piëch dynasties, Schmidt said. The course is set for a historic clash over the future for Germany’s largest carmaker.

More than 50 African leaders have gathered in Beijing for a summit aimed at projecting the influence of China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in the developing world.

The United Kingdom is mulling an alternative strategy to its allies that could lead to a surge of imports of Chinese EVs.

China’s consulate in New York has denied reports that its top diplomat was removed in the aftermath of an alleged Chinese agent bust, saying the consul general is “performing his duties as usual.” ...

Academics say vulnerability of the two countries’ nuclear launch sites makes dangerous mistakes more likely
The US and its allies are capable of threatening and destroying all of Russia and with conventional weapons, creating what two experts describe as a potentially unstable geopolitical situation.
Prof Dan Plesch and Manuel Galileo, from Soas University of London, describe a “quiet revolution in military affairs” reflecting increased US military power relative to Moscow and Beijing, particularly in missile technology.

State department says ‘no expulsion action’, after ex-aide to Kathy Hochul charged with acting as Chinese agent
The US Department of State has denied that China’s consul general in New York has been expelled, amid a swirling crisis around New York governor ’s former aide, who has been charged with acting as a secret agent for the Chinese government.
CNN reported on Wednesday that Hochul had broken the news about the apparent expulsion of Huang Ping, the consul general, at an unrelated event. She told reporters that she told the Chinese consulate she wanted Ping expelled after she had been in touch with the US state department at the request of the secretary of state, Antony Blinken.

Beijing's "broader strategy" involves targeting local and state officials in hopes of securing more support for China and gaining insight into political decision making, officials say.

Beijing's "broader strategy" involves targeting local and state officials in hopes of securing more support for China and gaining insight into political decision making, officials say.

Princeton University and Yale University reported declines in the percentage of Asian-American students in their freshman class, the first students selected by the schools after the US Supreme Court ...

The context is that U.S.-China relations are at a low point. There is friction over control of Taiwan and the South China Sea. High-tech espionage is a hot-button issue, as are concerns over China’s ...

Princeton University and Yale University reported declines in the percentage of Asian-American students in their freshman class, the first students selected by the schools after the US Supreme Court ...