Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker 2026
US allies are shifting their focus to Beijing as Donald Trump doubles down on his tariff threats. After fresh US warnings, the year has...
India and EU sign trade deal
India and the EU have signed a free trade agreement after years of negotiating; over 90% of goods are set to move tariff free. ...
China’s Xi Jinping says major powers must set example amid world’s ‘risks and challenges’
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that major powers must set an example as the world faced “multiple risks and challenges”, during a meeting with...
China’s Baidu merges key app businesses to drive consumer AI push
Baidu has merged two of its consumer app businesses into a new artificial intelligence-focused unit, stepping up its push into China’s fast-evolving and fiercely...
Singapore jails, canes 6 Indonesians after illegal re-entry on sinking boat
Six men who had been sent back to Indonesia after immigration breaches tried to re-enter Singapore illegally on a sampan, but were caught when...
Malaysia clarifies cash aid rules for frequent commuters to Singapore
A Malaysian minister has clarified rules surrounding eligibility to receive cash aid from the government amid reports applications were “cancelled” for locals who frequently...
How Hangzhou’s tech ecosystem nurtures dragons and rockets
Hangzhou’s space industry got off to a flying start in 2026. On January 7, China’s leading private rocket firm Space Epoch broke ground on...
Hong Kong’s MTR Corp raises record A$2 billion in first Australian dollar green bond sale
Hong Kong’s rail giant has sold its first-ever Australian dollar-denominated green bonds for a record A$2 billion (US$1.4 billion) to fund environmentally friendly projects,...
Alibaba’s Qwen-3 becomes world’s first AI model to operate in orbit
Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen-3 became the world’s first general-purpose artificial intelligence model to be uploaded and operated in orbit, marking a milestone in China’s bid...