"China welcomes the U.S. and Iran reaching an agreement on the text of an initial memorandum of understanding," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. "We hope the document will be signed as planned and all relevant parties will stay committed to peaceful solutions and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation," Lin said.
mandag 15. juni 2026
China Responds to US-Iran War Deal
China has responded with cautious optimism to the United States and Iran's agreement to end hostilities more than three months after the U.S.-Israel attacks against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
"China welcomes the U.S. and Iran reaching an agreement on the text of an initial memorandum of understanding," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. "We hope the document will be signed as planned and all relevant parties will stay committed to peaceful solutions and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation," Lin said.
"China welcomes the U.S. and Iran reaching an agreement on the text of an initial memorandum of understanding," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday. "We hope the document will be signed as planned and all relevant parties will stay committed to peaceful solutions and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation," Lin said.
India bets big on domestic drones for future warfare
For decades, India's military relied primarily on troops, fighter aircraft, satellites and conventional surveillance systems to monitor its borders. The 2020 military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh exposed the challenge of maintaining constant surveillance across vast stretches of difficult high-altitude terrain.
Now India is preparing to place a record military drone order worth over $2 billion (€1.7 billion) with domestic manufacturers, including major firms like Adani Group, Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro as well as startups such as ideaForge and Asteria Aerospace, marking this its largest-ever unmanned systems procurement.
Drones are increasingly seen as the eyes and ears of the battlefield, capable of gathering intelligence, tracking troop movements, delivering supplies and carrying out precision strikes.
Now India is preparing to place a record military drone order worth over $2 billion (€1.7 billion) with domestic manufacturers, including major firms like Adani Group, Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro as well as startups such as ideaForge and Asteria Aerospace, marking this its largest-ever unmanned systems procurement.
Drones are increasingly seen as the eyes and ears of the battlefield, capable of gathering intelligence, tracking troop movements, delivering supplies and carrying out precision strikes.
Trump Celebrates While America Capitulates: The peace deal with Tehran is an Iranian victory.
President Trump has announced that the United States and Iran have reached a deal to end their war. “Congratulations to all!” he said in a posting on his Truth Social site this evening. He then headed off to oversee the garish public spectacle he’d arranged for his birthday on the South Lawn of the White House. The United States, however, has little to celebrate: Trump and his team, in record time, just lost a war to a militarily mediocre—but nonetheless extremely dangerous—adversary.
The details of the agreement remain unconfirmed, but the president, of course, is eager to spin the outcome as a victory. Trump was in a hurry to sign the deal on his birthday; the Iranians, who now seem to be in charge of this whole business, instead said they will send someone to a meeting in Switzerland on Friday.
The details of the agreement remain unconfirmed, but the president, of course, is eager to spin the outcome as a victory. Trump was in a hurry to sign the deal on his birthday; the Iranians, who now seem to be in charge of this whole business, instead said they will send someone to a meeting in Switzerland on Friday.
China opposes US move to list top firms as military companies
China said Saturday it firmly opposed the U.S. adding several prominent Chinese businesses to its list of military companies, and that the move ignored the consensus reached during U.S. President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month.
The Pentagon on Monday added several non-state-owned Chinese companies, including electric vehicle maker BYD, tech giants Alibaba and Baidu to its list that seeks to identify Chinese companies it deems to have ties to the Chinese military, preventing them from landing U.S. defense contracts.
By adding these firms to the list, “the U.S. side has ignored the consensus reached during the meeting between the heads of state of the two countries in Beijing,” a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Saturday in a statement.
The Pentagon on Monday added several non-state-owned Chinese companies, including electric vehicle maker BYD, tech giants Alibaba and Baidu to its list that seeks to identify Chinese companies it deems to have ties to the Chinese military, preventing them from landing U.S. defense contracts.
By adding these firms to the list, “the U.S. side has ignored the consensus reached during the meeting between the heads of state of the two countries in Beijing,” a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Saturday in a statement.
Why Trump and other G7 leaders meeting without China might be a mistake
From the outset, China wasn’t included when major powers gathered in 1975 at a chateau outside Paris to fix the slumping global economy, the first of what have become annual summits by the G7 club of wealthy nations to forward their interests.
No surprise there. Imagining Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong brainstorming with U.S. President Gerald Ford and other leaders would have been unthinkable.
China was in turmoil, nowhere close to becoming the economic giant it is now. Mao had also helped defeat France and U.S. forces in Vietnam, by militarily supporting Ho Chi Minh’s communists that took power. So Mao would have been the odd man out had he been at the inaugural Rambouillet summit of six nations, growing into the G7 when Canada joined the following year.
No surprise there. Imagining Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong brainstorming with U.S. President Gerald Ford and other leaders would have been unthinkable.
China was in turmoil, nowhere close to becoming the economic giant it is now. Mao had also helped defeat France and U.S. forces in Vietnam, by militarily supporting Ho Chi Minh’s communists that took power. So Mao would have been the odd man out had he been at the inaugural Rambouillet summit of six nations, growing into the G7 when Canada joined the following year.
Hong Kong opens consultation on first 5-year plan that echoes mainland China’s playbook
Hong Kong on Monday launched a public consultation for its five-year plan in a politically symbolic step that brings the special administrative region closer to mainland China’s development approach. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse said at a news conference that mainland China kicked off its 15th five-year plan for 2026 to 2030 this year. Hong Kong has long prided itself on minimal government intervention in the economy, even while referencing Beijing’s vision for the city.
The city’s blueprint will help Hong Kong synchronize with and serve the national development plan while upholding a free-market economy, Tse said.
“Aligning with the national 15th five-year plan does not replace the free market,” she said. “Rather, it channels a clear vision and strategic planning through major policies, and that allows the market to develop more stably and clearly.”
The city’s blueprint will help Hong Kong synchronize with and serve the national development plan while upholding a free-market economy, Tse said.
“Aligning with the national 15th five-year plan does not replace the free market,” she said. “Rather, it channels a clear vision and strategic planning through major policies, and that allows the market to develop more stably and clearly.”
What to expect from this powerful El Nino
A potentially powerful El Nino developing in the Pacific Ocean could reshape weather patterns around the world in the coming weeks. Forecasters that warn this could be among the strongest El Nino events on record. There’s "real potential for the strongest El Nino event in 140 years," said Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the State University of New York at Albany.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects El Nino conditions to emerge soon and continue at least into winter. Depending on its strength and duration, the climate phenomenon could trigger drought, flooding, heat waves and disruptions to food and water supplies in multiple regions.
"The world must treat it as the urgent climate warning it is," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "El Nino conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world."
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects El Nino conditions to emerge soon and continue at least into winter. Depending on its strength and duration, the climate phenomenon could trigger drought, flooding, heat waves and disruptions to food and water supplies in multiple regions.
"The world must treat it as the urgent climate warning it is," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "El Nino conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world."
Photos Show China’s Unidentified Objects in Disputed Territory
Philippine authorities have released images of structures at a disputed reef they believe were placed there by China. The number of newly identified foreign objects has grown to six since the first structure was reported inside Scarborough Shoal's lagoon on May 30, a Philippine coast guard spokesperson said on Wednesday. Scarborough Shoal—known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China—is one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the South China Sea dispute.
Beijing has exercised de facto control over the feature since a tense standoff in 2012, but has so far not physically occupied it.
"We flew planes over Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, to see what structures are being built there—whether it's a floating structure or a fixed structure," Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jr. told reporters Tuesday in Quezon City. "We will also send ships."
Beijing has exercised de facto control over the feature since a tense standoff in 2012, but has so far not physically occupied it.
"We flew planes over Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, to see what structures are being built there—whether it's a floating structure or a fixed structure," Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jr. told reporters Tuesday in Quezon City. "We will also send ships."
China arrests US researcher it says is suspected of ‘spying’
China says it is holding an American citizen accused of espionage, identifying the man as a political analyst at a policy think tank focusing on neighbouring Myanmar.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrest of the man on suspicion of “spying” and “endangering national security” on Friday, a day after United States media reports said a scholar holding dual US and Myanmar citizenship was detained in early June. Min Zin – a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M) – “has been subjected to criminal compulsory measures”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news briefing.
Lin said China had notified the US consulate general in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou of the arrest. The ISP-M researches the political, resource and conflict dynamics of Myanmar, which was plunged into civil war by a 2021 coup.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrest of the man on suspicion of “spying” and “endangering national security” on Friday, a day after United States media reports said a scholar holding dual US and Myanmar citizenship was detained in early June. Min Zin – a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M) – “has been subjected to criminal compulsory measures”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news briefing.
Lin said China had notified the US consulate general in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou of the arrest. The ISP-M researches the political, resource and conflict dynamics of Myanmar, which was plunged into civil war by a 2021 coup.
fredag 12. juni 2026
China’s program for cadres to ‘form pairs, make friends’ in Tibetan villages continuing for 15th year
China is continuing into the 15th year a campaign to embed its cadres in each village of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in a long-running campaign to strengthen political control and accelerate forced assimilation policies, said Washington-based Tibet advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) Jun 2. The campaign is stated to involve over 22,000 cadres being deployed on a yearly rotational basis to villages across the TAR at an average of four cadres per village.
A similar campaign is stated to be continuing in the Tibetan areas outside TAR, namely in Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces, although on smaller scales of deployment. Under the campaign, which began in 2011, teams of cadres are required to live, eat and work full-time in the villages in TAR for one-yearly rotations.
A similar campaign is stated to be continuing in the Tibetan areas outside TAR, namely in Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces, although on smaller scales of deployment. Under the campaign, which began in 2011, teams of cadres are required to live, eat and work full-time in the villages in TAR for one-yearly rotations.
Free Tibet’s Classrooms: End Patriotic Drills, Restore Native Language Learning
The future of Tibet’s cultural identity is increasingly being shaped not in monasteries or family homes, but inside classrooms where political indoctrination is steadily replacing native language education.
The policy framework driving this shift is no longer merely administrative. China’s Patriotic Education Law, passed on 24 October 2023 and signed by President Xi Jinping, came into effect on 1 January 2024. It requires that “all levels and types of school shall have patriotic education permeate the entire course of school education” and that patriotic content be “integrated into all subjects.”
A 2025 Preschool Education Law extended this requirement down to kindergarten level. For Tibetan communities, this nationwide mandate carries a sharper edge: it accelerates the displacement of Tibetan language instruction by making political content a non-negotiable feature of every classroom hour.
The policy framework driving this shift is no longer merely administrative. China’s Patriotic Education Law, passed on 24 October 2023 and signed by President Xi Jinping, came into effect on 1 January 2024. It requires that “all levels and types of school shall have patriotic education permeate the entire course of school education” and that patriotic content be “integrated into all subjects.”
A 2025 Preschool Education Law extended this requirement down to kindergarten level. For Tibetan communities, this nationwide mandate carries a sharper edge: it accelerates the displacement of Tibetan language instruction by making political content a non-negotiable feature of every classroom hour.
China training brainwashed Tibetan child soldiers?
A Tibet advocacy group in Washington, DC, has on Jun 10 called “deeply disturbing” a Chinese media report that show Tibetan kindergarten children dressed in camouflage uniforms marching under the Chinese flag and participating in simulated combat exercise near the border with India.
Analyzing images released recently by the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) from the southern Tibetan town of Tsona (Chinese: Cuona), the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said the photographs also depict deeply troubling scenes of indoctrination.
The group said the children carry imitation rifles for the activities described by Chinese state media as “immersive and distinctive national defense and ethnic unity-themed educational activities.”
Analyzing images released recently by the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) from the southern Tibetan town of Tsona (Chinese: Cuona), the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said the photographs also depict deeply troubling scenes of indoctrination.
The group said the children carry imitation rifles for the activities described by Chinese state media as “immersive and distinctive national defense and ethnic unity-themed educational activities.”
Censorship Is Not Deterring Global Adoption of Chinese AI
In 2023, Chinese tech giant Baidu debuted a large language model called Ernie Bot. It was a flop.
Baidu began as a search engine company. It now provides a long list of services and is a leader in self-driving technology. It has also “aggressively” invested in AI since 2012, making it an early player, one which also boasts decades of data from its many online services it can use to train its models.
But Ernie’s launch event—hosted by the company’s CEO Robin Li, dressed in a crisp dress shirt, dark slacks, and white sneakers—only showed pre-recorded sessions of the model answering questions and undertaking tasks. Commentators surmised Baidu lacked full confidence in Ernie’s ability to perform. Li even admitted on stage that the model was “not perfect” and that his company was releasing it so soon because “the market demanded it.”
Baidu began as a search engine company. It now provides a long list of services and is a leader in self-driving technology. It has also “aggressively” invested in AI since 2012, making it an early player, one which also boasts decades of data from its many online services it can use to train its models.
But Ernie’s launch event—hosted by the company’s CEO Robin Li, dressed in a crisp dress shirt, dark slacks, and white sneakers—only showed pre-recorded sessions of the model answering questions and undertaking tasks. Commentators surmised Baidu lacked full confidence in Ernie’s ability to perform. Li even admitted on stage that the model was “not perfect” and that his company was releasing it so soon because “the market demanded it.”
Leaked Documents Show the Success of China’s VPN Crackdown
As long as Beijing has been censoring content online, people in China have been finding ways around that censorship. Such “wall-jumpers” used to have a relatively easy time getting their hands on the necessary digital tools. Often, this was in the form of a VPN, or virtual private network, which disguises a user’s ultimate online destination to any censor who might be snooping in. In recent years, however, Beijing has cracked down on VPNs, making them less readily accessible to average internet users.
State-approved VPNs, which are relatively easy for authorities to surveil, are still permitted. At the same time, it’s become harder for outside observers to estimate the number of wall-jumpers in the country. Given how much effort Beijing expends on identifying and blocking unsanctioned VPN traffic, we suspect that China’s internet bureaucracy has a reasonable estimate but it does not share this information with the public.
State-approved VPNs, which are relatively easy for authorities to surveil, are still permitted. At the same time, it’s become harder for outside observers to estimate the number of wall-jumpers in the country. Given how much effort Beijing expends on identifying and blocking unsanctioned VPN traffic, we suspect that China’s internet bureaucracy has a reasonable estimate but it does not share this information with the public.
China bars Philippines defence chief as South China Sea spat sails onwards
China has sanctioned the Philippines’ defence minister, barring him and his family from entering the country, citing comments he made about Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea.
Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued on Thursday that Manila’s Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, as well as his wife and children, are now banned from entering the country, including Hong Kong and Macau.It said Teodoro had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning China”, which had undermined China’s legitimate interests and bilateral ties. It added that “organisations and individuals in China” will not be permitted to “engage in any transaction, cooperation or other activities with him and his spouse and child”.
The ban marks another escalation in long-running tensions between the two countries over the South China Sea. Half a dozen countries, including the Philippines, lay claim to different parts of the sea, but Beijing insists that it holds sovereignty over almost all of its waters.
Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued on Thursday that Manila’s Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, as well as his wife and children, are now banned from entering the country, including Hong Kong and Macau.It said Teodoro had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning China”, which had undermined China’s legitimate interests and bilateral ties. It added that “organisations and individuals in China” will not be permitted to “engage in any transaction, cooperation or other activities with him and his spouse and child”.
The ban marks another escalation in long-running tensions between the two countries over the South China Sea. Half a dozen countries, including the Philippines, lay claim to different parts of the sea, but Beijing insists that it holds sovereignty over almost all of its waters.
Kim Jong Un Is Gaining Major Ground in the Great Power Game
With the United States' attention locked on Iran, another supreme leader thousands of miles away is leveraging his nuclear-backed geopolitical position to great success.
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's summit earlier this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang marked not only an affirmation of the two nations' 65-year mutual defense treaty but an opportunity for the ruler to showcase his status on the world stage.
Just weeks earlier, Xi had received U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in separate summits in China. Xi's meeting with Kim, his second since hosting the North Korean leader last September, illustrated the degree to which Beijing views Pyongyang as a relevant player at the highest levels.
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's summit earlier this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang marked not only an affirmation of the two nations' 65-year mutual defense treaty but an opportunity for the ruler to showcase his status on the world stage.
Just weeks earlier, Xi had received U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in separate summits in China. Xi's meeting with Kim, his second since hosting the North Korean leader last September, illustrated the degree to which Beijing views Pyongyang as a relevant player at the highest levels.
A Chinese start-up’s unfolding dilemma exposes cracks in Beijing’s tech funding machine
The rush of capital into China’s tech start-up world hit a speed bump this month. Within hours of each other last Friday, a Chinese city government ordered companies to disclose their financial ties to robot vacuum maker Dreame Technology, and China’s State Council issued sweeping rules to tighten oversight of the country’s 23 trillion yuan ($3.4 trillion) private fund industry.
The events, in quick succession, underscored Beijing’s tough balancing act in trying to rival U.S. tech dominance. While the state pours in money to support China’s tech ambitions, there are not always the guardrails and market forces to prevent widespread misallocation. Beijing is reining in a co-investment model that local authorities have embraced in recent years to lure businesses into their regions, said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group.
The events, in quick succession, underscored Beijing’s tough balancing act in trying to rival U.S. tech dominance. While the state pours in money to support China’s tech ambitions, there are not always the guardrails and market forces to prevent widespread misallocation. Beijing is reining in a co-investment model that local authorities have embraced in recent years to lure businesses into their regions, said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group.
Ex-South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to 30 years in jail over Pyongyang drone plot
A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison on Friday over charges linked to military drones sent over Pyongyang to help create a pretext for his failed December 2024 martial law declaration, Yonhap reported.
The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, saying he had conspired in the October 2024 drone incursion from the outset, the news agency said. Yoon denied wrongdoing. His lawyers said he neither ordered nor later approved the operation, which they said was unrelated to martial law and instead a response to months of North Korean launches across the border of balloons stuffed with rubbish.
The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, saying he had conspired in the October 2024 drone incursion from the outset, the news agency said. Yoon denied wrongdoing. His lawyers said he neither ordered nor later approved the operation, which they said was unrelated to martial law and instead a response to months of North Korean launches across the border of balloons stuffed with rubbish.
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