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Maduro’s Sorbonne-educated successor is talking up an era of ‘reform and opening up’ modelled on China’s post-Mao boom
After years of political and social upheaval, hunger and despair, the Great Helmsman departs and is replaced by a francophile economic reformer who catapults a traumatised country into a new era of prosperity and growth.
That is what happened in China half a century ago when Deng Xiaoping became paramount leader after Chairman Mao Zedong’s 1976 death and set in motion one of history’s biggest economic booms.

Planet closer to destruction as Russia, China and US become more aggressive and nationalistic, says advocacy group
Earth is closer than it has ever been to destruction as Russia, China, the US and other countries become “increasingly aggressive, adversarial, and nationalistic”, a science-oriented advocacy group said on Tuesday as it advanced its Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds until midnight.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist members had an initial demonstration on Friday and then announced their results on Tuesday.

Vow to bring ‘stability and clarity’ to the UK’s approach to Beijing on first visit by a British prime minister in eight years will be sorely tested
Keir Starmer has travelled to China with a vow to bring “stability and clarity” to the UK’s approach to Beijing after years of what he described as “inconsistency” under the Tories, but a series of issues may get in the way of his efforts to improve relations with the economic powerhouse.

PM promises ‘stability and clarity’ in approach on first visit to Beijing by UK leader in eight years

Keir Starmer has said the UK government will remain “clear-eyed and realistic” on the national security threat posed by China as he travelled to Beijing in an effort to improve relations with the economic powerhouse.
The prime minister promised “stability and clarity” in his approach to Beijing after years of what he described as “inconsistency” under the Tories, as western powers in their search for economic stability amid concerns the US may no longer be a reliable partner.

Experts say business with China is always a double-edged sword let alone when its overheated economy can offer only marginal gains

Keir Starmer’s trip to China is billed as an attempt to revitalise diplomatic relations but eight years after Theresa May paved the way for a never-materialised “ambitious” post-Brexit deal, the prospect of the prime minister landing any meaningful trade deal is slim, experts have warned.
The visit to Beijing, involving a delegation of British companies led by Starmer, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and the business secretary, Peter Kyle, is the first since May’s 2018 visit, and will revolve around joint trade and investment efforts.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes to boost his country’s lagging economy with a trip to Beijing. But he must carefully navigate between two superpowers.

Hundreds at zoo in Tokyo say farewell to Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao, as China ends ‘panda diplomacy’ with Japan
Hundreds of people have gathered to say farewell to two popular pandas departing Tokyo for China, leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years, as ties between the Asian neighbours fray.
Panda twins Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were transported by truck out of Ueno zoological gardens, their birthplace, disappointing many Japanese fans who have grown attached to the furry four-year-olds.

Does Britain have any leverage over human rights or security concerns or is it a decaying nation that cannot risk trade relations?
This week, Keir Starmer will reportedly . This will be the first trip of this kind by a British prime minister since Theresa May’s three-day in 2018. Since then, relations between London and Beijing have become increasingly fraught, caught between growing and deep economic interdependence. Allegations of espionage and influence operations have sharpened political and public suspicion in the UK, even as and supply chains on which the country depends make disengagement unrealistic. As fierce debate about the recent has shown, there are strong opinions about how to best manage relations with Beijing – as well as what, precisely, constitutes a threat and what is an opportunity. The result is an uneasy balancing act in which caution and cooperation coexist, often uncomfortably.
These security concerns are grounded in recent experience. In December, the Foreign Office disclosed it had been the target of a two months earlier that was suspected to be the work of a Chinese group known as Storm 1849. This followed investigations into alleged espionage involving and repeated warnings from security agencies about technology transfer and data exposure in sensitive industries.
Peter Frankopan is professor of global history at the University of Oxford. His most recent book is The Earth Transformed: an Untold History.

The ousting of China’s most senior general has set off fevered speculation.

Asian American New Yorkers turned pandemic-era violence, organizing, and redistricting into lasting political power, reshaping city politics and coalition dynamics.

Zhang Youxia had been seen as a close ally of China's leader, Xi Jinping.

As Japan and China feud, an animal long used in Chinese diplomacy has been summoned back home.