Taiwan Defends Coast Guard Actions After Two Chinese Fishermen Killed Near Kinmen
China
Xiaomi Seeks Incentives Amidst India's Clampdown on Chinese Firms
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German Chemical Giant BASF to Exit Xinjiang Ventures Amid Human Rights Abuse Allegations
"BASF, the German chemical conglomerate, announced its decision to divest from two joint ventures in Xinjiang, China, amidst rising concerns over alleged human rights abuses linked to its local partner, Xinjiang Markor Chemical Industry Co. -
Hackers From China, Iran and Russia Use ChatGPT to Boost Cyberattacks, Microsoft and OpenAI Warn
"Microsoft and OpenAI have disclosed how nation-state-backed hacking groups from Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China are harnessing the power of advanced AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to fortify their cyber-attack strategies.
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Beijing Rejects Takaichi’s Clarification, Says Japan ‘Absolutely Does Not Accept This’ on Taiwan Remarks
Tensions between China and Japan have intensified after Beijing rejected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's latest clarification regarding her earlier comments on Taiwan, insisting that Tokyo must fully retract what it calls "erroneous remarks." The exchange has added strain to a relationship already challenged by regional security concerns and the competing strategic interests of two major Asian powers. 
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China Imposes 13% Tax on Condoms as Births Fall to 9.54 Million, Sparking Public Backlash
China is preparing to impose a 13% value-added tax on contraceptives beginning in January, a sharp policy reversal for a country that once relied on aggressive birth-control campaigns to limit population growth. The move, announced through revisions to the nation's VAT Law, comes as Beijing attempts to counter a deepening demographic decline, with births falling to 9.54 million in 2024-China's third consecutive year of population shrinkage and nearly half the level recorded in 2016. 
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Japan’s Takaichi Reasserts 1972 Taiwan Policy as China Warns of Rising Regional Risk
Japan moved this week to temper rising friction with China over the Taiwan Strait, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi publicly reaffirmed that Tokyo's position on Taiwan remains rooted in the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique. The statement, delivered in parliament after weeks of heightened scrutiny from Beijing and domestic lawmakers, was framed as an attempt to reduce tensions sparked by her earlier suggestion that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could create a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. 
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China and Japan Trade Claims Over Diaoyu Islands Standoff as Coast Guards Confront Near Disputed Islands
China and Japan traded sharply conflicting accounts Tuesday over a maritime confrontation near the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, escalating already strained ties as both governments issued formal statements asserting territorial claims. The clash, involving coast-guard vessels and a Japanese fishing boat in the East China Sea, unfolded amid heightened diplomatic friction following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks suggesting Tokyo could consider military action if China attacked Taiwan. 
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Hong Kong Tai Po Fire Leaves 44 Dead, Nearly 300 Missing as Police Arrest Construction Executives
Hong Kong's deadliest residential fire in decades burned through a second day on Thursday, leaving at least 44 people dead, nearly 300 unaccounted for and three construction executives in police custody as authorities investigate whether unsafe renovation materials fueled the catastrophe. The blaze tore through the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, a dense northern district near the mainland border, engulfing seven of eight towers sheathed in bamboo scaffolding and green construction mesh. 
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Taiwan Unveils $40 Billion Defense Surge as Lai Warns 'There Is No Room for Compromise' With China
Taiwan moved to dramatically expand its military readiness on Wednesday, announcing a $40 billion supplemental defense package as President Lai Ching-te warned that "there is no room for compromise on national security" amid mounting pressure from China and increased expectations from the United States. The eight-year spending plan would boost Taiwan's capabilities in missiles, drones and air-defense systems at a moment when Beijing's military activity near the island continues to intensify. 
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Hong Kong High-Rise Inferno Kills at Least 36, With 279 Missing as Fire Exposes Scaffolding Risks
Hong Kong's deadliest urban fire in nearly three decades has killed at least 36 people and left 279 others missing, prompting a city-wide emergency mobilization as flames raced across high-rise residential towers wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and renovation mesh. The blaze, which erupted Wednesday afternoon in the Tai Po district, engulfed multiple blocks of the Wang Fuk Court housing estate, one of the territory's largest residential complexes. 
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Hong Kong High-Rise Inferno Kills 14 as Wind-Driven Flames Spread Across Seven Towers
A catastrophic fire ripped through a cluster of high-rise residential towers in Hong Kong's Tai Po district on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than a dozen others as firefighters struggled to contain a blaze that intensified after nightfall. Authorities raised the incident to a No. 5 alarm-the city's highest severity rating-after flames spread across bamboo scaffolding and green construction netting encasing much of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, home to nearly 2,000 apartments. 
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China Warns Japan of 'Disaster' as Missile Deployment Near Taiwan Triggers Flight Cancellations, Economic Retaliation
Tensions between China and Japan escalated sharply this week after Beijing condemned Tokyo's plan to deploy missile units to a remote island near Taiwan, warning that Japan's actions were designed to "create regional tension and provoke military confrontation." The criticism marks the latest development in what officials on both sides describe as the worst diplomatic rupture in years, deepening an already volatile strategic environment in East Asia. 
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Xi Tells Trump Taiwan’s 'Return to China' Is Core to Post-War Order in Tense Phone Call
U.S.-China relations returned to the forefront of global diplomacy after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call Monday that touched on Taiwan, trade policy and the Ukraine conflict, according to U.S. and Chinese officials. The call came amid heightened tensions in East Asia and renewed debate over Beijing's view that Taiwan's political future is inseparable from the post-World War II order. 
