French football star Kylian Mbappé has committed the unforgivable sin of suggesting that Mao was a dictator. Now the Middle Kingdom is in uproar.
The story began with something as innocent as a doctored image on the internet. Someone had put Mbappé’s face on the body of none other than Mao himself. Images like these have become a genre of their own online. People cut and paste, poke fun at celebrities and create bizarre juxtapositions. Most are forgotten within hours. But this image took on a life of its own.
In an interview, Mbappé was asked which picture of himself he found funniest. He singled out the doctored Mao image and described the man as “some guy—I think he was a Chinese dictator”.
That was all. Mbappé made no speech about China. He demanded no political reforms, did not criticise Xi Jinping and urged no one to rebel. He simply talked about a picture that made him laugh and that he wanted to share with his friends. But in China, you cannot laugh at just anyone. Some people are above being laughed at, even if they have been asleep for half a century.
onsdag 28. oktober 2026
It can be lonely at the top. And that’s just how China’s leader likes it
Last week Beijing’s deputy mayor was meeting with Walmart CEO John Furner and encouraging American companies to invest in the Chinese capital. Now he has vanished from public life, the latest to be swept up in an anti-corruption campaign that has ensnared a galaxy of China’s talent: a former top judge, a spy chief, dozens of military generals – and even officials tasked with rooting out graft in the People’s Republic.
In hushed tones across China party officials are wondering who is next, as the purge continues to reach into the highest echelons of the ruling Communist Party and has even toppled those seen as being close to leader Xi Jinping. The only person who doesn’t need to worry about their future is Xi himself.
In hushed tones across China party officials are wondering who is next, as the purge continues to reach into the highest echelons of the ruling Communist Party and has even toppled those seen as being close to leader Xi Jinping. The only person who doesn’t need to worry about their future is Xi himself.
South Korea’s GDP growth beats forecasts amid AI boom
South Korea’s economy grew much faster than expected in the July-September quarter amid booming demand for chips used in artificial intelligence (AI). Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 1 percent on a quarterly basis, or 3.4 percent year-on-year, advance estimates released by the Bank of Korea showed on Tuesday.The Bank of Korea forecast in August that GDP would grow 0.3 percent in the third quarter.
Exports, which account for about 45 percent of South Korea’s GDP, rose 2.3 percent quarter-on-quarter, driven by semiconductors, machinery and electrical equipment, according to the central bank.
Exports, which account for about 45 percent of South Korea’s GDP, rose 2.3 percent quarter-on-quarter, driven by semiconductors, machinery and electrical equipment, according to the central bank.
Under Houthi fire, Saudi Arabia looks to China for missile support
Saudi Arabia’s rapid expansion of a ballistic missile factory signals a transformative shift in its pursuit of strategic deterrence.
Saudi Arabia is expanding its solid-propellant missile production complex near al-Duwadimi, approximately 200 kilometers west of Riyadh, to develop longer-range ballistic weapons capable of carrying heavier payloads, multiple media outlets reported this month based on satellite imagery analysis. Work began in April 2025 on two primary structures: an expanded motor-casting facility equipped with 5-to-6-meter casting pits flanked by blast-deflection walls, and an adjacent site likely intended for raw propellant precursors or component storage.
The upgrades, which experts assess could be operational by late 2026, rely heavily on Chinese technical designs following decades of missile acquisitions, including DF-3 and DF-15 systems.
Saudi Arabia is expanding its solid-propellant missile production complex near al-Duwadimi, approximately 200 kilometers west of Riyadh, to develop longer-range ballistic weapons capable of carrying heavier payloads, multiple media outlets reported this month based on satellite imagery analysis. Work began in April 2025 on two primary structures: an expanded motor-casting facility equipped with 5-to-6-meter casting pits flanked by blast-deflection walls, and an adjacent site likely intended for raw propellant precursors or component storage.
The upgrades, which experts assess could be operational by late 2026, rely heavily on Chinese technical designs following decades of missile acquisitions, including DF-3 and DF-15 systems.
Chinese study warns of rising risks this century from Yarlung Tsangpo flows, floods
Chinese researchers have determined, based on past nearly 700-year-long data, that the Yarlung Tsangpo river – which is soon to host the largest mega dam in the world – may face increased run-off and flood risks over this century. The brunt of the devastating effect of such an eventuality will obviously fall on downstream India. This is in addition to the serious danger already being posed by the fact that the mega dam is being built on a known seismically active zone.
Using tree-ring width chronologies in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, the team reconstructed the river’s run-off history from 1325 to 2020 and created a forecast model, reported scmp.com Oct 26.
The report said that along with climate data, this data was used to create a model that projected that river run-off would increase under future climate scenarios, along with a possible increase in high-run-off events such as floods.
Using tree-ring width chronologies in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, the team reconstructed the river’s run-off history from 1325 to 2020 and created a forecast model, reported scmp.com Oct 26.
The report said that along with climate data, this data was used to create a model that projected that river run-off would increase under future climate scenarios, along with a possible increase in high-run-off events such as floods.
India-China border face-offs test Modi six years after deadly clash
India’s armed forces are locked in multiple ongoing face-offs with the Chinese army along the border in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, the chief of India’s paramilitary border force guarding the Himalayan frontier with China has said.
The remarks late last week by Shatrujeet Kapur, the director-general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) paramilitary force, come nearly four months after local civil society groups in the remote northeastern region told Al Jazeera that Chinese forces were increasingly encroaching on Indian territory and denying Indian troops access to patrolling points, angering locals.
The remarks late last week by Shatrujeet Kapur, the director-general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) paramilitary force, come nearly four months after local civil society groups in the remote northeastern region told Al Jazeera that Chinese forces were increasingly encroaching on Indian territory and denying Indian troops access to patrolling points, angering locals.
China says Mbappé scored an own goal with his off-the-cuff ‘Chinese dictator’ remark
French football star Kylian Mbappé has faced severe backlash from China after he jokingly remarked that the funniest internet meme he had seen was that of his face photo-shopped onto that of a “Chinese dictator”, taken as an unmistakable reference to Mao Zedong, Communist China’s founding father.
In China, jokes about Mao, the country’s founding leader who died in 1976, are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo. There is also a law in China which punished people who show disrespect toward the country’s heroes.
Mbappé reportedly told French talk show The Bridge that a meme “that makes me laugh the most…the one where there’s a video of a guy, I think it’s a Chinese dictator”. As he speaks, a meme appears with his face superimposed on an image resembling Mao, noted bbc.com Oct 27.
“I use it with my friends all the time,” the Real Madrid forward and the French national team captain is stated to add in clips that have been circulating online.
In China, jokes about Mao, the country’s founding leader who died in 1976, are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo. There is also a law in China which punished people who show disrespect toward the country’s heroes.
Mbappé reportedly told French talk show The Bridge that a meme “that makes me laugh the most…the one where there’s a video of a guy, I think it’s a Chinese dictator”. As he speaks, a meme appears with his face superimposed on an image resembling Mao, noted bbc.com Oct 27.
“I use it with my friends all the time,” the Real Madrid forward and the French national team captain is stated to add in clips that have been circulating online.
Beijing softens on EU curbs to avoid blame for Europe’s unrest
The European Union is preparing to extend its curbs on Chinese imports of chemicals, furniture and machinery to fight a “China Shock 2.0,” after Beijing agreed in closed-door talks earlier this month to cap its hybrid car exports to the bloc.
The European Commission plans to use safeguard measures to cut imports of chemicals, furniture and machinery from China, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The measures, which could take the form of import caps or tariffs, may be presented as soon as the first quarter of 2027. They would comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and apply to all countries outside the European Economic Area, the people said.
The European Commission plans to use safeguard measures to cut imports of chemicals, furniture and machinery from China, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The measures, which could take the form of import caps or tariffs, may be presented as soon as the first quarter of 2027. They would comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and apply to all countries outside the European Economic Area, the people said.
Hegseth heads to Manila to shore up US ties with Asia-Pacific partners
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will attend a Southeast Asian defence meeting this week alongside his counterparts from India, South Korea and Japan as Washington looks to solidify ties with the region after a year overshadowed by the fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran.
The meeting will bring together defence officials from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus eight of the bloc’s dialogue partners. Australia, New Zealand, Russia and China are also expected to send representatives to the talks, which run from Wednesday to Thursday in the Philippines.
Known as the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), the meeting will be held alongside a parallel ASEAN members-only event for Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
The meeting will bring together defence officials from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus eight of the bloc’s dialogue partners. Australia, New Zealand, Russia and China are also expected to send representatives to the talks, which run from Wednesday to Thursday in the Philippines.
Known as the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), the meeting will be held alongside a parallel ASEAN members-only event for Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
mandag 26. oktober 2026
What to know about China’s plenum as Xi seeks stronger Communist Party discipline
China’s political leaders and elites began a four-day meeting Monday to discuss strengthening the ruling Communist Party’s discipline, as Chinese President Xi Jinping pushes for greater loyalty and reliability from officials while deepening his yearslong campaign against corruption.
This week’s closed-door gathering, known as the fifth plenum of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, comes roughly a year before Xi is widely expected to secure his fourth five-year term as the party’s leader and personnel changes to key leadership bodies.
Xi began the meeting by delivering a work report and speaking about a draft policy decision on advancing “full and rigorous party self-governance,” according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency. The policy aims to make cadres more disciplined, effective and less corrupt.
This week’s closed-door gathering, known as the fifth plenum of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, comes roughly a year before Xi is widely expected to secure his fourth five-year term as the party’s leader and personnel changes to key leadership bodies.
Xi began the meeting by delivering a work report and speaking about a draft policy decision on advancing “full and rigorous party self-governance,” according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency. The policy aims to make cadres more disciplined, effective and less corrupt.
As the US and China form AI blocs, countries are increasingly torn between them
With the two leading AI powers, the United States and China, forming their own AI blocs, other countries are maneuvering to harness the strengths of both groupings and avoid losing out. As the rivalry intensifies, experts say the window for countries to be able to choose freely between the two AI superpowers may be narrowing, forcing them to at one point pick between the U.S.-led Pax Silica and the China-inspired World AI Cooperation Organization.
How the world’s highest bridge became a tourist hot spot in China
Against the towering mountains of southwestern China, a crowd gathered as a young man prepared to bungee jump off the world’s highest bridge. He stood above a vast canyon, the bridge’s roadway soaring nearly nine times higher above the water than San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Beyond him, the ancient peaks of Guizhou rolled toward the horizon. Around him, spectators edged closer, phones raised, eager to capture the moment.
First came the safety checks. Strapped into a harness, he stood on a platform beneath the roadway as staff inspected his equipment. Then he stepped into the air. For seven seconds, he plunged toward the canyon floor, hundreds of meters below. Then the huge bungee cord bounced him back. Next came the applause.
First came the safety checks. Strapped into a harness, he stood on a platform beneath the roadway as staff inspected his equipment. Then he stepped into the air. For seven seconds, he plunged toward the canyon floor, hundreds of meters below. Then the huge bungee cord bounced him back. Next came the applause.
Wealthy Chinese move offshore money to U.S. banks as Beijing’s tax net widens
Wealthy Chinese rattled by Beijing’s widening hunt for overseas wealth are turning to a once-familiar refuge for their money: the U.S. Private bankers and lawyers who work with Chinese clients say inquiries about opening U.S. bank accounts have grown in the months after Beijing imposed retroactive taxes on offshore wealth in July, moving assets previously stored in Singapore or Hong Kong there to stay further away from Beijing’s reach.
“It has become relatively prevalent,” said Keith Tan, CEO of Singapore-based Golden Acacia Capital, who is helping Chinese clients manage their offshore portfolios. His clients began planning exits to the U.S. in July, and some have the accounts set up in less than two months. “The hurdle is not that high for Chinese clients to open American accounts and transfer assets there.”
Wealthy clients tend to choose large private banks while smaller accounts go to regional banks or online brokers, Tan said.
“It has become relatively prevalent,” said Keith Tan, CEO of Singapore-based Golden Acacia Capital, who is helping Chinese clients manage their offshore portfolios. His clients began planning exits to the U.S. in July, and some have the accounts set up in less than two months. “The hurdle is not that high for Chinese clients to open American accounts and transfer assets there.”
Wealthy clients tend to choose large private banks while smaller accounts go to regional banks or online brokers, Tan said.
Japan records a trade deficit as oil imports soar because of conflict in the Middle East
Japan’s trade deficit reached 2.81 trillion yen ($17.8 billion) for the first fiscal half, according to government data released Wednesday, as the war in Iran sent oil import prices soaring. The Finance Ministry’s preliminary data showed that Japan’s exports for the April-September period grew 18.4% from the same period the previous year to 63.5 trillion yen, while imports soared to 66.3 trillion yen, up 20.4% year-over-year. Both were record highs for Japan. The soaring price of oil affects a wide range of sectors, including plastic goods and shipping costs.
Resource-poor Japan imports virtually all its oil and has relied on access to the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East for its oil shipments. That’s now basically blocked, and Japan has had to pay more to get shipments from other routes.
Resource-poor Japan imports virtually all its oil and has relied on access to the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East for its oil shipments. That’s now basically blocked, and Japan has had to pay more to get shipments from other routes.
Cambodia and Laos are not pawns in a Chinese encirclement
In late September, China and Laos opened a Beijing-funded training and support center and an aviation academy at Ban Keun airport, about 50 kilometers north of Vientiane. China’s Ministry of National Defense says the facility will train Lao Air Force pilots and is “not directed against any third party.”
Even so, much of the commentary has linked Ban Keun to Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, which Beijing helped finance and where it also funded a joint training center, and has read the two as part of a Chinese effort to encircle Vietnam from the west. The evidence so far supports a more cautious view. Satellite imagery shows the Ban Keun runway at about 2,000 meters, long enough for most Chinese fighters and the Y-20 transport, but well short of the roughly 3,000 meters long-range bombers such as the H-6 need.
Even so, much of the commentary has linked Ban Keun to Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, which Beijing helped finance and where it also funded a joint training center, and has read the two as part of a Chinese effort to encircle Vietnam from the west. The evidence so far supports a more cautious view. Satellite imagery shows the Ban Keun runway at about 2,000 meters, long enough for most Chinese fighters and the Y-20 transport, but well short of the roughly 3,000 meters long-range bombers such as the H-6 need.
Takeaways from AP investigation into police shootings of alleged cow smugglers in India
Police in India’s most populous state have shot hundreds of Muslim men accused of cow smuggling in the legs in encounters that critics describe as extrajudicial justice designed to pander to India’s Hindu majority, an Associated Press investigation found.
Police in Uttar Pradesh say they shoot in self-defense and that the state’s “zero tolerance” policy on crime has helped restore law and order. Now the tactic of shooting people just below the knee — known locally as “Operation Lame” — is spreading to other states in India, even as human rights lawyers, local judges and activists raise alarms about rule of law and religious bias in the world’s largest democracy.
Here are key takeaways from the investigation.
Police in Uttar Pradesh say they shoot in self-defense and that the state’s “zero tolerance” policy on crime has helped restore law and order. Now the tactic of shooting people just below the knee — known locally as “Operation Lame” — is spreading to other states in India, even as human rights lawyers, local judges and activists raise alarms about rule of law and religious bias in the world’s largest democracy.
Here are key takeaways from the investigation.
fredag 23. oktober 2026
US Treasury proposes a rule to crack down on high-tech investments in China, other adversaries
The U.S. Treasury Department proposed a rule Thursday to crack down on American high-tech investments such as supercomputing and artificial intelligence in China, Russia, North Korea and other “countries of concern.” The U.S. government has been working for years to deny China and other adversaries investments that could help them boost their military power.
That program began in 2023 when then-President Joe Biden signed an executive order putting restrictions on outbound U.S. investments in sectors such as semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence going into China. Treasury later established the Outbound Investment Security Program.
In December 2025, Congress passed a law that codified and expanded the program to target more technologies and more foreign countries, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
That program began in 2023 when then-President Joe Biden signed an executive order putting restrictions on outbound U.S. investments in sectors such as semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence going into China. Treasury later established the Outbound Investment Security Program.
In December 2025, Congress passed a law that codified and expanded the program to target more technologies and more foreign countries, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
China Cannot Remain the World’s Factory. What Comes Next?
China’s manufacturing dominance is generating resistance. And not only in America. Europe worries about the erosion of its industrial base. Developing countries welcome Chinese investment and admire aspects of China’s development experience, but still ask a reasonable question: where, in this model, is our development?
Most countries do not simply want to buy Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, machinery and robots. They want factories of their own. They want their workers to acquire new skills and their suppliers to move up the value chain. They want technology and know-how. For years, Western companies complained that access to China’s enormous market came with demands for technology transfers. Now, China finds itself on the other side of the table, being asked to share its own expertise.
Most countries do not simply want to buy Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, machinery and robots. They want factories of their own. They want their workers to acquire new skills and their suppliers to move up the value chain. They want technology and know-how. For years, Western companies complained that access to China’s enormous market came with demands for technology transfers. Now, China finds itself on the other side of the table, being asked to share its own expertise.
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