Kinaforum

tirsdag 13. januar 2026

World Has New Lowest Birth Rate

Taiwan has overtaken South Korea to record the world’s lowest birth rate, according to newly released government data.

Roughly two-thirds of the world’s population now lives in regions where total fertility rates, births expected per woman, are below the 2.1 threshold needed for natural population replacement, per the United Nations. Longer life spans, rising living costs and shifting attitudes toward family have led younger generations to delay or opt out of having children.

East Asia is home to some of the lowest birth rates globally. The trend, coupled with rapidly aging populations, strains pension systems and threatens to drag on the some of the world’s largest economies.

Leaders of South Korea and Japan agree to improve cooperation

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed Tuesday to step up cooperation in areas including economic security, defense and searching for the remains of Korean forced laborers.

The two neighbors are both longtime U.S. allies, but their relations have frequently been strained by issues including disputes over their wartime history. “I believe cooperation between Korea and Japan is now more important than ever and anything else, as we have to continue moving forward to a new, better future amid this complex, unstable international order,” Lee said at the outset of the summit.

During a joint news conference after the talks, the leaders said they had agreed to cooperate in areas including supply chains, artificial intelligence, measures against transnational crime and carrying out DNA analysis on remains that may belong to Korean forced laborers found last year at a former Japanese undersea mine.

China Issues New Greenland Warning to Trump Administration

China warned the United States on Monday not to use other countries as a “pretext” for its ambitions in Greenland, saying its activities in the Arctic comply with international law and aim to promote peace and stability.

The statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning came after President Donald Trump renewed his push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Washington must “take Greenland” to prevent Russia or China from gaining control, adding he would prefer to “make a deal” but insisted, “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”

How Chinese Agents Posed as American Media

The findings suggest influence operations are increasingly blending with private-sector marketing tactics, creating a murky ecosystem that amplifies Beijing’s messaging while masquerading as legitimate journalism.

Such campaigns risk eroding trust in global media and complicate efforts to counter disinformation, as they exploit both Western platforms and Chinese social media to give fabricated stories an air of credibility.

Graphika a New York-based company that leverages artificial intelligence to analyze online communities, identified 43 domains and 37 subdomains spoofing outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal. These sites hosted ads, Chinese state media content and messaging favorable to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), often copied directly from real news sites to appear authentic.

Iran protest death toll mounts as Trump announces tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran

President Donald Trump said countries that do business with Iran will face a 25% tariff amid the country’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. His move piles further pressure on Tehran after he floated US military intervention to “rescue” protesters.

Some users of some landline and mobile phones have been able to call abroad for the first time more than four days after the government shut down comms. But internet access remains cut off. Iran said it’s ready to talk with the US but “prepared for war.” But the White House said Iran’s private messagesdiffer from public ones. Iran’s foreign minister has communicatedwith US envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days, a source said.

Greenland’s harsh environment and lack of infrastructure have prevented rare earth mining

Greenland’s harsh environment, lack of key infrastructure and difficult geology have so far prevented anyone from building a mine to extract the sought-after rare earth elements that many high-tech products require. Even if President Donald Trump prevails in his effort to take control of the Arctic island, those challenges won’t go away.

Trump has prioritized breaking China’s stranglehold on the global supply of rare earths ever since the world’s number two economy sharply restricted who could buy them after the United States imposed widespread tariffs last spring. The Trump administration has invested hundreds of millions of dollars and even taken stakes in several companies. Now the president is again pitching the idea that wresting control of Greenland away from Denmark could solve the problem.

China and EU agree on steps to resolve EV imports dispute

China and the European Union said Monday they have agreed on steps toward resolving their dispute over the bloc’s imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles. A “guidance document” released by the EU on Monday gives instructions for Chinese EV manufacturers on making price offers for battery EVs, including minimum import prices and other details. The EU had imposed tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese EV imports in 2024 following an anti-subsidy investigation.

The EU said that minimum import prices must be set at a level “appropriate to remove the injurious effects of the subsidization.” Chinese EV manufacturers’ plans for investments within the EU will also be considered, it said.

“The European market is open to electric vehicles from all around the world, provided that they have come here according to that level playing field,” said European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill. “If those conditions are met, then we can look at price undertakings in a serious way.”

India and China Woo Neighbors With Naval Power

India is set to deploy naval vessels for training in Southeast Asia, following a similar move by its military rival, China, as both powers strengthen ties with regional nations. India's Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that four ships assigned to the First Training Squadron will be sent on a long-range mission as part of an officers' training course, during which they are scheduled to visit Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

As part of efforts to sustain its military presence overseas, China, which operates the world's largest navy, deployed three vessels for "far-sea comprehensive training" from November 15 to December 22, making port calls in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

China Stages Naval War Game With BRICS Allies

China and its allies in BRICS—a group the East Asian power formed with 10 other countries, including Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa—staged a naval exercise on Friday to enhance their ability to safeguard trade routes and economic activities at sea.

The multilateral drill, code-named "Will for Peace 2026" and scheduled to conclude on January 16, was led by China and conducted in South African waters. It focuses on joint maritime safety operations, interoperability drills and maritime protection serials.

The Chinese military said the war game aims to further deepen cooperation among participating nations and enhance their ability to tackle maritime threats jointly.

China Reacts to Trump’s Subtle Warning to Xi

China's Foreign Ministry has responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that he'd be "very unhappy" if Beijing attacked Taiwan.

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. How to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese ourselves," ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a Friday news conference. "This is China's internal affair that brooks no external interference."

Taiwan's government, officially the Republic of China, fled the Chinese mainland after its defeat by communist forces in 1949 and functions as a sovereign state with its own elected government, military and diplomatic relations.

How China Is Using AI To Win Future Wars

China is accelerating its push to integrate artificial intelligence into military operations, aiming to gain a decisive edge over the United States in the event of a future Pacific conflict with its strategic rival—such as over Taiwan. U.S. officials warn that Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to be capable of moving against the island democracy by 2027.

Analysts say Beijing aims to boost the PLA’s capabilities, using AI to enhance battlefield awareness and decision-making, while leveraging advances from civilian sectors into military applications through its well-established civil-military fusion pipeline.

Experts caution that achievements such as drone swarms could gradually erode U.S. naval and air dominance in the region.

Torbjørn Færøvik: How Presidents Fall - Elections, Illness, and the Constitution

My dear neighbor says she’s burning to throw a sponge cake in Donald Trump’s face. I warn her against doing so. She makes the best sponge cakes imaginable, with loads of cream and fresh strawberries on top. And he doesn’t deserve that. Give the cake to me instead!

Earlier I wrote about the possibility of sending Trump to where the pepper grows. But do we really wish India and Indonesia such harm? Surely we can show at least a little mercy, even in difficult times.

So what options do we have—or more precisely, what options do Americans have—to remove Trump?

Les mer

How Will China’s New Export Controls Impact Japan?

Tensions between China and Japan have entered a new and more volatile phase following Beijing’s decision to impose export controls on certain dual-use goods destined for Japan.

On January 6, China prohibited dual-use goods, including some rare earth elements, from being exported to Japan with immediate effect, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce. Duel-use goods are technologies, products, or software with both military and civilian uses. They include advanced materials, precision machinery, semiconductors, and chemical components that are essential to modern economies but can also enhance military capabilities.

By restricting such exports to Japan, China is signaling its willingness to weaponize its dominant position in certain supply chains. This is particularly significant given the deep economic interdependence between the two countries: China is Japan’s largest trading partner, and Japanese firms remain deeply embedded in Chinese manufacturing and technology ecosystems.

Britain is in talks with NATO to counter Russia and China in the Arctic

Britain is discussing with NATO allies how it can help beef up security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said Sunday. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks are “business as usual” rather than a response to recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to take over Greenland.

Trump said Friday that he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous region of NATO ally Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from taking it over. “We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not,” Trump said Friday.

Greenland, with a population of around 57,000, is defended by Denmark, whose military is dwarfed by that of the U.S., which has a military base on the island. Denmark’s prime minister has warned that a takeover would threaten NATO. The U.K. agrees with Trump that Russia and China are increasingly becoming more competitive in the Arctic Circle, Alexander said.

Myanmar: Second phase of vote opens in junta-run election

The second phase of a military-run election in Myanmar began on Sunday.The general election is the first to be held in Myanmar in five years after the country's powerful army — known as The Tatmadaw — grabbed power in 2021. The coup deposed the government of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been in prison ever since.

Democracy watchdogs, as well as the US, EU and other Western powers, has dismissed the election — which is being held in the shadow of a brutal civil war — as a sham designed to entrench the military's rule under General Min Aung Hlaing.

For Germany and India, forging closer ties won't be easy

Top German politicians have a new favorite travel destination: India. Following the recent visit by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heading to New Delhi on Sunday with a larger delegation.

The reasons for Germany's heightened interest in the world's most populous country (India has about 1.45 billion people) are both economic and geopolitical: According to a prognosis from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development , the Indian economy will grow significantly more than China's this year. Germany, meanwhile, has been stuck in recession for almost three years.

Germany is also desperately looking for skilled workers — and is finding more and more of them in India. Meanwhile, Indians have become the largest group of foreign students at German universities.

Taiwan conflict ‘catastrophic’ for China: US report

Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios.

The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops.

Trump Gives China a Propaganda Win in Latin America

The Trump administration's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife after a lightning raid early Saturday morning and its ensuing push to assert control over the country is a reminder of Washington’s determination to assert its interests in its hemisphere while serving to sideline its Chinese rival—at least for now—one analyst says.

Since the attack, which Venezuelan officials say killed at least 80 people, including civilians, President Donald Trump has threatened further action if the new acting leader, Maduro’s former No. 2 Delcy Rodriguez, does not cooperate with a range of U.S. priorities, including building out oil infrastructure.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials have also made it clear U.S. officials insist the move is not about seizing Venezuela’s vast petroleum reserves but about keeping the country free from the control of U.S. adversaries, including longtime Venezuelan partners such as China, Russia and Iran.