Xi renews call to boost grain output after trade war sharpens China’s food security push
President Xi Jinping has issued a mandate to expand grain production as China moves to shield its food supply from global volatility, calling for...
Be a potato: the lesson of the resilient staple resonates as 2026 approaches
As families and friends gather to bid farewell to a turbulent 2025, the unassuming potato will, no matter where you live, almost certainly find...
China mum jailed for accidentally killing daughter during ‘exorcism’ by pressing on chest
A mother in southern China has been handed a legal punishment after she accidentally killed her daughter while performing an “exorcism” ritual on her....
Low-income patients call for more help as steeper Hong Kong hospital fees loom
Hong Kong’s public hospitals will raise a range of charges from January 1, while anxious lower-income patients who face higher bills but do not...
Never Die — Or Else
China Insights delivers sharp, data-driven analysis of China’s politics, economy, and society. We connect the dots behind breaking headlines — from Beijing’s power shifts...
DOJ Sues Virginia Over In-State College Tuition for Illegal Immigrants
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) is challenging a Virginia law that allows in-state college tuition rates for students regardless of their immigration status, the...
Judge Blocks White House’s Attempt to Defund Consumer Watchdog Agency
A federal judge ruled on Dec. 30 that the White House cannot lapse its funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a watchdog...
Takaichi is shaping up as Japan’s Thatcher amid China feud. Can her popularity last?
Japan is no stranger to political volatility, often characterised by a rapid turnover of prime ministers, and when Sanae Takaichi took office in October,...
US Nato envoy casts doubt on Russian claim Ukraine attacked Putin residence
US ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker cast doubt on Tuesday on Russia’s accusation that Ukraine attacked President Vladimir Putin’s residence, saying he wants to...