Lionel Barber is former editor of the Financial Times. He is author of "The Powerful and the Damned: Private Diaries in Turbulent Times."

In the pantheon of China's leaders, Qin Shi Huang stands tallest as the man who unified the country by language and territory.

Although his empire lasted only briefly from 221 to 206 B.C., the Qin Dynasty left a lasting heritage including common national standards and measures, the terra-cotta warriors and the Great Wall of China.

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TOKYO/BANGKOK -- Political parties started by young in Southeast Asian countries in recent years are hoping that discontent with the status quo will help them grow and get a chance to change politics as usual.

Support for youth-led parties in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia might get some boost from unhappiness with the response of the countries' governments to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has battered the region.

Unlike long-standing ruling or dominant parties, the newer ones are building digital-first, nonhierarchical platforms aimed

BEIJING -- As the annual conclave of Chinese Communist Party heavyweights in Beidaihe draws near, speculation is swirling over President Xi Jinping's plans for top appointments going into his expected third term -- and about whether Xi will even attend the gathering at all.

Every year around August, current and retired party leaders congregate at the seaside resort to discuss policy and high-level appointments, in a tradition dating to the days of Mao Zedong. The meeting is cloaked in secrecy, with no details about the schedule or agenda

TOKYO -- The Tokyo Olympics have finally opened after a long journey filled with controversy, and an unprecedented one-year postponement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proceedings officially began with Friday's opening ceremony at the National Stadium , a mostly subdued affair mixed with joyous moments like a high-tech drone show, and capped by tennis star Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron.

We're tracking the latest medal count .

Here are the latest developments:

Monday, July 26

5:20

SHANGHAI -- Shares of Chinese private education companies plunged further on Monday, as investors digested curbs on their operations announced by Beijing over the weekend.

Education stocks led the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in declines, with New Oriental Education & Technology Group sinking 47%, Scholar Education Group dropping 45.5%, China Beststudy Education Group down 42.5% and Koolearn Technology Holding tumbling 33.4%.

The new rules "will likely mean the end of these companies as they are currently structured,

HONG KONG -- Investors are fleeing from China Evergrande Group despite surprise talk from the world's most indebted developer about a special dividend this week, as well as louder chatter about asset sales and debt reduction.

It simply has not been enough, though, to quiet worries about whether billionaire Chairman Xu Jiayin's luck may finally be running out.

Just in the last week, a court froze a 132 million yuan ($20.4 million) bank deposit at the request of creditor China Guangfa

Ariel Tan is deputy head of policy studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Joseph Chinyong Liow is Tan Kah Kee Chair Professor of Comparative and International Politics and Dean at the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Nanyang Technological University.

Malaysia is a resource-rich upper-middle-income country that boasts one of the best health care systems in Southeast Asia.

Yet, it is struggling to contain a resurgent COVID pandemic despite having implemented three national lockdowns and introduced eight stimulus packages totaling 53

HO CHI MINH CITY -- Vietnam has moved to delay an online tax that is facing resistance from e-commerce companies just days before it was supposed to take effect as the country grapples with a worsening COVID-19 outbreak.

"The Finance Ministry is submitting to the government the postponement of the implementation of Circular 40 on taxes to create more convenience for taxpayers," the ministry said on its website on Sunday night. The circular would require businesses like Shopee, the e-commerce unit of Singapore's

TOKYO -- The Tokyo Olympics have finally opened after a long journey filled with controversy, and an unprecedented one-year postponement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proceedings officially began with Friday's opening ceremony at the National Stadium , a mostly subdued affair mixed with joyous moments like a high-tech drone show, and capped by tennis star Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron.

Key events to watch on Monday, July 26 (Tokyo time)

Tennis (second round)

• 11 a.m