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As the United States undergoes a strategic shift in its global priorities, experts in China are pushing Beijing’s vision for a new world order – but they say the country must improve its messaging.Leading political scientist and government adviser Zheng Yongnian said China had two guiding principles: maintaining its agency while engaging with the world; and extending the ladder it climbed to help other nations ascend.Zheng made the remarks on Tuesday at the International Forum on Mutual Learning Among Civilisations, hosted by the Macau government.In an interview on the sidelines of the forum, Zheng said modernisation had often been misunderstood…

ISLAMABAD: The country’s textile exports have shown dismal performance during the first five months (July-November) 2025-26) as compared to the corresponding period of FY 2024-25. According to Pakistan Textile Council’s (PTC) monthly report of the country’s textile and apparel exports, the textile sector remained the dominant contributor, with exports reaching USD 7.84 billion, representing a 2.8 percent growth over FY25 and accounting for approximately 61 percent of Pakistan’s total exports. However, textile exports in November 2025 posted a 2.7 percent year-on-year decline, alongside an 11.7 percent month-on-month decrease. Within textile and apparel exports, performance varied across product categories. Trend analysis…

China is gaining a solid reputation as a pharmaceutical innovation hub, shifting from a copycat drug maker to one whose infrastructure and research and development capabilities rival global pharmaceutical behemoths, according to a global consultancy.US-based SAI MedPartners and its unit Idea Pharma recently launched a new index with the aim of highlighting Chinese drug makers and recognising their shift from generics to “true” innovation.The consultancy released the China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Invention Index (CPIII) on December 7 as a stand-alone ranking for the first time, after 14 years of publishing a global pharmaceutical innovation index.“Companies in China are also more…

More than a year after former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law, the country’s top court has announced changes to how politically explosive cases are handled, as public anger over delays and alleged bias continues to mount.The Supreme Court said it would revamp procedures for high-stakes national security trials, including cases stemming from Yoon’s December 2024 martial law bid, in what it described as an effort to ensure swift and fair proceedings and restore confidence in the justice system.Legal analysts say the clash reflects a deeper struggle over how South Korea’s judiciary should handle politically…

China’s energy storage firms, battered by a three-year price war, have been jolted by lithium battery maker Deegares, which has announced plans to raise prices by 15 per cent, a move that is sparking debate over whether the sector could be the first to break free from the “involution” cycle.Rising lithium costs were the immediate trigger, with at least three other battery makers reported in recent weeks to be planning similar increases. Prices of the metal, crucial to rechargeable batteries, have rebounded about 70 per cent from this year’s trough, boosted by a global investment boom in artificial intelligence and…

China is expected to remain the world’s biggest buyer of semiconductor manufacturing equipment through 2027, as domestic chipmakers keep expanding capacity under Beijing’s push for greater tech self-sufficiency, according to a new industry report.Sustained investment across both mature-node and leading-edge processes would keep China the largest market for chipmaking tools until at least 2027, industry association SEMI said.Even so, the association expects the pace to ease, with sales beginning a gradual decline in 2026.Taiwan and South Korea were forecast to hold on to second and third place, respectively, for equipment spending through 2027.SEMI said Taiwan’s strong 2025 investment outlook was…

The US State Department’s approval this week of a US$11.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan – reportedly the largest in the island’s history – dovetails with Taipei’s effort to show US President Donald Trump it is doing more to defend itself, even as it shifts towards a less conventional “porcupine” strategy, analysts said.“These are asymmetric weapons that are focused on bolstering the capability of Taiwan’s military to prevent a PLA invasion,” said Bonnie Glaser, vice-president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, referring to the People’s Liberation Army.“One of Trump’s priorities is to avoid getting the US embroiled…

China is estimated to have secured more than half of the 12 million tonnes of soybeans that Washington says Beijing committed to purchase by early 2026, based on US government data and market conventions that analysts say usually indicate China, though little has been shipped so far, heightening concerns over potential cancellations.While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially documented nearly four million tonnes in sales explicitly to China, three million tonnes currently sit in the “unknown destinations” category. The practice of initial “unknown” bookings, later routed to China, is a long-standing pattern in the soybean trade, often used…

It appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi just over a week ago passed with surprisingly little attention from many geopolitical observers. This is striking, because the visit represents one of the most significant recalibrations of India–Russia relations in years, combining expanded defense cooperation, energy assurances, and strong diplomatic symbolism at a time when global alignments are shifting at an unprecedented pace.   At the heart of the visit was the ratification of the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support agreement (RELOS), a deal that quietly expands military cooperation between India and Russia to include…

The United States on Thursday underscored its maritime security partnership with Panama, as a high-stakes dispute involving China, US investors and a Hong Kong conglomerate continues to cloud the future ownership of key ports at the Panama Canal.US Ambassador Kevin Cabrera boarded the US Coast Guard cutter Alert during a port visit in Panama City, praising joint operations ranging from counter-narcotics missions to search-and-rescue efforts carried out with Panama’s Ministry of Public Security.In a post on social media, Cabrera said the cooperation reflects Washington’s commitment, under US President Donald Trump’s leadership, to working with regional partners to promote security and…