Chinese President Xi Jinping appoints new military anti-corruption chief

Zhang Shuguang, who was promoted to the rank of full general, will take over as head of the PLA’s top graft-busting body

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The promotions were announced at a ceremony in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping has named a new head of the military’s anti-corruption body.

Zhang Shuguang , who was promoted from the rank of lieutenant general to full general, was named

India-Bangladesh ties ease with visa restart amid China concerns

Indian cargo trucks wait in a queue as they return to India after unloading goods at the Bhomra Land Customs Station in Satkhira along the Bangladesh-India border, in June. Photo: AFP

India ’s decision to resume tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals marks the clearest sign yet of a thaw in strained ties, but analysts say the deeper test will be whether trade links can be rebuilt while Dhaka courts Chinese investment near India’s sensitive eastern flank.

India began accepting tourist visa applications from Bangladeshis on Sunday, nearly two years after services were suspended in the fallout from violent protests that forced former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power and sent


Will China’s Fujian be first carrier to carry anti-torpedo system to beat Western subs?

China’s Fujian aircraft carrier is likely to be the world’s first carrier equipped with an anti-torpedo torpedo (ATT) system, which would represent a world-leading hard-kill capability, a Chinese military magazine claims.
Commissioned in November, the Fujian is the third carrier – and the first entirely designed in China – for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy . One of its distinguishing features is a six-tube 324mm lightweight torpedo launcher in place of the 12

70% of Chinese people take naps daily, continuing an ancient medical tradition

China's deep-rooted nap culture has evolved over thousands of years—transforming from an ancient medical philosophy into a daily lifestyle ritual. Photo: Sohu

China is a country that boasts daily naps despite its stressful work rhythm. In fact, such breaks are a traditional practice dating back thousands of years.

According to a survey by the China Sleep Research Society published in March, 72 per cent of Chinese people like an afternoon nap lasting at least 30 minutes.

The benefits of afternoon naps have been documented in China’s earliest medicine text Huangdi Neijing , or the Inner Canon of the Yellow

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China’s BYD surpasses Tesla to regain lead in global EV race

The BYD logo at a dealership in Beijing on June 9. Photo: EPA

China’s electric vehicle (EV) king BYD has leapfrogged once more over Tesla to become the world’s largest battery-powered car manufacturer, spurred by its surging overseas shipments , despite posting an 8.2 per cent year-on-year drop in deliveries.

As BYD gained the upper hand in the race against the US carmaker, it is the latest signal that China’s prowess in EVs is increasingly recognised by consumers around the


US touts regional ‘balance’ in missile sale to Singapore. What does it mean?

This Week in Asia Politics

The latest deal sheds light on distinct strategies in a broader American policy of ‘distributed deterrence’, analysts say

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A model of a Hellfire missile attached under the wing of an MQ-9 Reaper military drone during a demonstration in Chateaubernard, France. Photo: AFP

Washington has recently approved a proposed US$22.3 million sale of additional Hellfire missiles to Singapore , with the US State Department declaring that the transfer and associated arms support “will not alter the

Court awards HK$251,000 to family of late helper sacked during cancer battle

A Hong Kong court has awarded more than HK$251,000 (US$32,000) to the family of a domestic helper who was dismissed by her employer in 2019 after being diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer and later died.

The years-long legal battle involving the late helper, Baby Jane Allas, came to an end on Friday when the District Court ordered her former employer, Jamil Bushra, to pay damages. Bushra had fired Allas in February 2


Chinese police uncover link between investment and attacks on citizens in Africa

Chinese projects, firms and workers in Africa more vulnerable to security threats in regions where armed conflict, social tensions thrive

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Passengers get off a train at a station on the Chinese-built Lagos-Ibadan Railway in Nigeria. Photo: Xinhua

Attacks on Chinese citizens and businesses in sub-Saharan Africa tend to increase in the years following a rise in Chinese investment, according to a new study by researchers at the School of Overseas Security and Protection at the Chinese People’s Police University.

However, the authors stressed that the findings should


Hong Kong moves antenatal care to public hospitals in reform push

Expectant mothers in Hong Kong requiring government antenatal services will only need to visit public hospitals, rather than maternal and child health centres, under a change taking effect on Monday.

Health authorities announced on Friday that antenatal services currently provided by maternal and child health centres, managed by the Department of Health, will be transferred to public hospitals under the Hospital Authority.

“After the service integration, the obstetrics department of the Hospital Authority will provide one-stop antenatal services to all pregnant women planning to give birth in public hospitals,


China-EU trade, Xi touts ‘global influence’, Nato summit

China told the European Union that it is willing to increase purchases of EU goods to help pare a massive trade gap, potentially easing the risk of a trade war.Commerce Minister Wang Wentao suggested that China is open to purchase agreements covering European goods in trade talks this week with EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people briefed on the discussions. Lower tariffs on EU imports were also discussed (see trade talks joint...