Chinese AI companies have made inroads globally by giving their models away for free. Now Beijing is weighing whether to stop them. Chinese authorities have held talks with Alibaba, ByteDance, and Z.ai about whether to restrict foreign access to their most advanced models, including ones not yet released, Reuters reportedtoday, citing three people familiar with the discussions.
Nothing has been decided yet, and the ministries involved have made no official comment, but officials have gone as far as sketching options—including a bar on public release or a limit to domestic use only.
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mandag 13. juli 2026
China Is Already Trying to Control Who the Next Dalai Lama Will Be
In early June, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was wheeled into an operating room at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi. Spiritually, His Holiness is an emanation, or tulku, of the bodhisattva Chenrezig, who renounced nirvana to help mankind. But his corporeal manifestation, which just turned 91 on July 6, requires maintenance; this time, it was a left-knee replacement. While he is recovering well, that physical frailty is an alarm bell for the Tibetan diaspora. The vessel is aging, and the war for what happens the moment he leaves it has already begun.
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Vietnam too slow, too timid to defuse its demographic time bomb
Vietnam is one of the most rapidly graying countries in the world, aging at a stage of development that leaves it far less room to adapt than many of its regional peers.
Vietnam’s total fertility rate (TFR) fell from 2.11 children per woman in 2021 to 1.91 in 2024, the third consecutive year below the replacement level of 2.1. Significantly, the decline is sharpest where economic activity is highest. Ho Chi Minh City recorded a rate of between 1.32 and 1.39 in 2024, depending on the source.
The United Nations Population Fund projects that by 2036, Vietnam will have transitioned from an “aging” to an “aged” society, a shift that took roughly 25 years, comparable to Japan and far faster than the 115 years France required.
Vietnam’s total fertility rate (TFR) fell from 2.11 children per woman in 2021 to 1.91 in 2024, the third consecutive year below the replacement level of 2.1. Significantly, the decline is sharpest where economic activity is highest. Ho Chi Minh City recorded a rate of between 1.32 and 1.39 in 2024, depending on the source.
The United Nations Population Fund projects that by 2036, Vietnam will have transitioned from an “aging” to an “aged” society, a shift that took roughly 25 years, comparable to Japan and far faster than the 115 years France required.
China’s often flawed arms still buy lasting influence
China’s weapons may face mounting questions over quality, reliability and after-sales support, but its arms trade still serves a larger strategic purpose: locking vulnerable states into long-term military, economic and political dependence.
That paradox is at the center of a June 2026 report by The Takshashila Institution, which argues that China’s rise as a major global arms exporter has outpaced its ability to guarantee battlefield performance and life-cycle support.
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That paradox is at the center of a June 2026 report by The Takshashila Institution, which argues that China’s rise as a major global arms exporter has outpaced its ability to guarantee battlefield performance and life-cycle support.
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Major German carmakers saw sharp sales declines in China for the April-June quarter
Major German carmakers saw sharp quarterly sales declines in China as domestic demand weakened and competition heated up in the world’s biggest auto market.
At Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche, China sales for the April-June quarter plummeted between 30% and 41% compared with the same period a year ago, according to company data released over the past week.
For the first half of this year, they all reported a more than 20% year-on-year drop in China. The falling China sales have squeezed their overall profits and in some cases offset gains from other regions.
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At Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche, China sales for the April-June quarter plummeted between 30% and 41% compared with the same period a year ago, according to company data released over the past week.
For the first half of this year, they all reported a more than 20% year-on-year drop in China. The falling China sales have squeezed their overall profits and in some cases offset gains from other regions.
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China’s claims in the South China Sea are illegal, says the United States and a dozen other countries
The United States, the United Kingdom and a dozen other Western and Asian countries reasserted on Sunday that China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea are illegal based on a 2016 arbitration ruling.
A joint statement issued by the 14 nations said they rejected “destabilizing” actions in the disputed waters that threaten regional stability. The 27-nation European Union released a separate statement, reaffirming the ruling as a “landmark decision in the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
The statements commemorated a July 12, 2016, arbitration ruling by a tribunal established in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, saying the landmark decision is “is final and legally binding.”
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A joint statement issued by the 14 nations said they rejected “destabilizing” actions in the disputed waters that threaten regional stability. The 27-nation European Union released a separate statement, reaffirming the ruling as a “landmark decision in the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
The statements commemorated a July 12, 2016, arbitration ruling by a tribunal established in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, saying the landmark decision is “is final and legally binding.”
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China’s war against deserts isn’t over
For half a century, millions of workers have repeated a task across the deserts in northern China: inserting forearm-length sticks into shifting sand, first in a row, then in an intersecting line, gradually forming a grid. Then saplings are planted at the center of each small square.
The technique, known as “straw checkerboards,” is a simple yet widely used method to stabilize sand dunes against the wind and help plants take root by using water supplied through an irrigation system.
The technique, known as “straw checkerboards,” is a simple yet widely used method to stabilize sand dunes against the wind and help plants take root by using water supplied through an irrigation system.
torsdag 9. juli 2026
Trump resort rises on Vietnam graveyard as US links grow
Vietnam is digging up a graveyard so a sprawling Trump International golf resort with plush residences can be built along the Red River, while “the highest Starbucks coffeehouse in Asia” has opened on Vietnam’s tallest mountain peak near Sapa.
Trillionaire Elon Musk, meanwhile, received a Starlink satellite operating license in February to expand Vietnam’s highly censored internet. And Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC last year that for US sales of “Mac and iPad and AirPods and the (Apple) watch, almost all of the country of origin is Vietnam.”
Hanoi’s eager embrace of American capitalism spotlights how vastly US-Vietnam relations have changed since their grueling war ended with a communist victory in 1975. Hanoi favors close ties with Washington to balance its economic vulnerability with China, its giant trading partner across Vietnam’s northern frontier.
Trillionaire Elon Musk, meanwhile, received a Starlink satellite operating license in February to expand Vietnam’s highly censored internet. And Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC last year that for US sales of “Mac and iPad and AirPods and the (Apple) watch, almost all of the country of origin is Vietnam.”
Hanoi’s eager embrace of American capitalism spotlights how vastly US-Vietnam relations have changed since their grueling war ended with a communist victory in 1975. Hanoi favors close ties with Washington to balance its economic vulnerability with China, its giant trading partner across Vietnam’s northern frontier.
Compasses, not maps: China is building a different type of AI
Every few months, another Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) breakthrough makes global headlines. A Chinese AI model closes in on American rivals, a Chinese research team tops a benchmark, a Chinese factory gets smarter, a city more connected, a supply chain more predictive.
The usual explanations follow: China has more engineers, more factories, more state support, more data. While often true, they miss something deeper. China is not simply building bigger AI systems than America. From digital twins and smart cities to predictive logistics and intelligent manufacturing, it is increasingly building systems designed less for chatting than for coordinating, less for imitation than for management.
The usual explanations follow: China has more engineers, more factories, more state support, more data. While often true, they miss something deeper. China is not simply building bigger AI systems than America. From digital twins and smart cities to predictive logistics and intelligent manufacturing, it is increasingly building systems designed less for chatting than for coordinating, less for imitation than for management.
No, China did not manage to avoid a crash
Back in the 2010s, a lot of people marveled at China’s seemingly recession-proof economy. Throughout the global financial crisis of 2008 and the Chinese stock market crash and capital flight of 2015, the country never recorded a single quarter of negative economic growth. Here’s what I wrote back in 2019:
«China’s government seems to have developed a highly effective new form of economic stabilization. Its extensive control of the financial system allows it to turn on a flood of bank loans when the economy looks weak, and restrain credit when the danger has passed.
China’s avoidance of recession in at least the past three decades suggests that this form of credit-based stabilization is more effective than traditional, more indirect stimulation of the economy through government deficits and central bank monetary easing…»
«China’s government seems to have developed a highly effective new form of economic stabilization. Its extensive control of the financial system allows it to turn on a flood of bank loans when the economy looks weak, and restrain credit when the danger has passed.
China’s avoidance of recession in at least the past three decades suggests that this form of credit-based stabilization is more effective than traditional, more indirect stimulation of the economy through government deficits and central bank monetary easing…»
What’s at stake in Philippines’ vice-president impeachment trial
The impeachment trial of the Philippines' popular vice-president, Sara Duterte, has started, in a case that will determine whether she can run for the top job in 2028. She is accused of misusing public funds and threatening to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated. If convicted, she will be removed as vice-president and barred from running in any upcoming elections.
She has dismissed the case as political harassment, with some analysts suggesting that the trial is a bid to block her presidential ambitions. The 48-year-old is the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is himself being detained at The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.
She has dismissed the case as political harassment, with some analysts suggesting that the trial is a bid to block her presidential ambitions. The 48-year-old is the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is himself being detained at The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.
China official who received $325m worth of bribes sentenced to death
A court in eastern China has sentenced a former city official to death for taking more than 2.2bn yuan ($325m; £243m) in bribes over 30 years. Yang Youlin, who served in various positions in Nanjing city from 1993 to 2023, was also convicted of embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering, with his ill-gotten gains amounting to one of the highest in recent years.
The 69-year-old exploited his roles to help others secure engineering contracts, land transfers and financing, in exchange for money and valuables, said state media. Yang was investigated as part of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown which has cut through military ranks and high-level banking, among other sectors.
The 69-year-old exploited his roles to help others secure engineering contracts, land transfers and financing, in exchange for money and valuables, said state media. Yang was investigated as part of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown which has cut through military ranks and high-level banking, among other sectors.
søndag 5. juli 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: A Tibetan Rush-Hour Drama on New York's First Avenue
A rush-hour drama on First Avenue in New York: A man stops outside the UN headquarters, sets himself on fire and turns into a human torch. Police and emergency services are called, but arrive too late. Hours later, the man is pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.
It happened three days ago. The man was identified as Lobsang Palden, 52, a prominent Tibetan independence activist who had lived in the United States for more than twenty years. In recent years he had worked as an Uber driver. His self-immolation is the first ever by a Tibetan on American soil. Will there be more? The incident has attracted international attention and stirred anxiety in the Tibetan exile community.
Before taking the fatal step, Palden streamed a live video on Facebook in which he urged his compatriots to stand together in the struggle for Tibetan independence. His sacrifice was intended as a response to China’s implementation, on July 1, of a new law on “ethnic unity and progress.” China officially recognises 55 ethnic minorities. They make up only nine percent of the population, while the dominant Han Chinese take the rest of the “cake.”
Before taking the fatal step, Palden streamed a live video on Facebook in which he urged his compatriots to stand together in the struggle for Tibetan independence. His sacrifice was intended as a response to China’s implementation, on July 1, of a new law on “ethnic unity and progress.” China officially recognises 55 ethnic minorities. They make up only nine percent of the population, while the dominant Han Chinese take the rest of the “cake.”
China’s military promotes 2 new generals after anti-corruption purge thins ranks
China’s military promoted two officers to the rank of general in what may be a precursor to a reorganization at the top following the removal of several of its leaders in a long-running anti-corruption drive.
The shake-up is believed to be part of an effort to reform the military and ensure its loyalty to China’s ruling Communist Party and the nation’s leader, Xi Jinping. It comes as Xi seeks to accelerate the modernization of the armed forces to stake out and defend China’s interests in the Pacific, including Taiwan and other territorial claims.
Xi, who is also head of the military, presented orders promoting Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to generals at a ceremony Friday. Zhang was also named the head of the division investigating corruption at the Central Military Commission, the military’s top body.
The shake-up is believed to be part of an effort to reform the military and ensure its loyalty to China’s ruling Communist Party and the nation’s leader, Xi Jinping. It comes as Xi seeks to accelerate the modernization of the armed forces to stake out and defend China’s interests in the Pacific, including Taiwan and other territorial claims.
Xi, who is also head of the military, presented orders promoting Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang to generals at a ceremony Friday. Zhang was also named the head of the division investigating corruption at the Central Military Commission, the military’s top body.
China's tech rise reshapes the global space race
Lai Kai-ying, the first female Chinese civilian to reach outer space, is currently on board China's crewed Tiangong space station, where she orbits the Earth 16 times a day, alongside two other Chinese astronauts. Tiangong is a unique microgravity laboratory for scientific experiments, designed to provide new insights into humanity's future.
Today, aviation and spaceflight are once again shaped by ideological rivalry, echoing the mid-20th-century space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, however, Washington's primary competitor is no longer Moscow, but Beijing.
US space agency NASA intends to retire its landmark research outpost, the International Space Station (ISS), by 2032. When that happens, China will be the only country operating a permanently crewed orbital station.
Today, aviation and spaceflight are once again shaped by ideological rivalry, echoing the mid-20th-century space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, however, Washington's primary competitor is no longer Moscow, but Beijing.
US space agency NASA intends to retire its landmark research outpost, the International Space Station (ISS), by 2032. When that happens, China will be the only country operating a permanently crewed orbital station.
EU targets Chinese imports amid trade talks
Every day, around 16 million small, low-value packages arrive in the EU, 91% of which come from China. Many of those parcels contain items that European shoppers order from cheap Chinese online shoppingplatforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress. Until now, parcels valued at less than €150 ($171) were exempt from customs duties.
However, the EU this week ended that exemption and imposed a €3 levy on low-value imports in a move to curb what it sees as unfair competition, and to keep products that do not meet the bloc's safety standards out of the European market.
"Temu and Shein often fail to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, introduce unsafe products into our market that may pose health risks, and are driving many domestic retailers to the brink of ruin," said Alexander von Preen, president of the German Retail Association (HDE).
However, the EU this week ended that exemption and imposed a €3 levy on low-value imports in a move to curb what it sees as unfair competition, and to keep products that do not meet the bloc's safety standards out of the European market.
"Temu and Shein often fail to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, introduce unsafe products into our market that may pose health risks, and are driving many domestic retailers to the brink of ruin," said Alexander von Preen, president of the German Retail Association (HDE).
China releases underground church pastor after months in detention
The founder of a prominent underground church in China has been released after months in detention, his family and a Christian rights group said. ChinaAid said Pastor Jin Mingri, also known by his English name Ezra Jin, landed in Los Angeles on July 4 after being held in detention centres in the southern Chinese city of Beihai since October.“ ChinaAid welcomes with profound gratitude the release of imprisoned Chinese house church pastor Ezra Jin, who arrived safely in Los Angeles on July 4, 2026,” the group said in a statement on Sunday.
Jin founded Zion Church in Beijing in 2007 and became one of the most recognisable figures in China’s underground Christian movement. The Zion Church is among the largest underground or house churches in China that are unregistered with authorities. They defy a requirement that believers worship only in registered congregations.
Jin founded Zion Church in Beijing in 2007 and became one of the most recognisable figures in China’s underground Christian movement. The Zion Church is among the largest underground or house churches in China that are unregistered with authorities. They defy a requirement that believers worship only in registered congregations.
O Tsinghua – the long and winding road leads me to your door
“Do you have a plan B?” asked a family friend. Stupidly, we did not. Han Feizi Junior would be the second student from his mucky muck international school in Hong Kong to attend Tsinghua University. As bilingual as this school claims to be, English was still the default language and its graduates were funneled to the usual suspects – Ivy-plus, Oxbridge, near peers and wannabes. Chinese universities were not popular. Not even Tsinghua. Perhaps especially not Tsinghua.
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