China’s annual trade surplus surpassed $1 trillion for the first time last month, as a sharp drop in shipments to the U.S. was offset by surging exports to other major markets. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/08/economy/china-trade-surplus-rise/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #china
The Foreign Ministry has been focusing on visually appealing messages on social media posts, such as videos and illustrations, in its campaign to explain the country's stances on international affairs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/08/japan/politics/foreign-ministry-social-media/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #foreignministry #socialmedia #toshimitsumotegi #china
Hong Kong's legislative election drew the second-lowest turnout rate on record, with voters choosing candidates under Beijing's "patriots only" rules in the aftermath of the city's deadliest fire in decades. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/08/asia-pacific/politics/hong-kong-election-fire/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #hongkong #china #fires
Generational shifts are changing how people in Japan and the U.S. get news and perceive the world, with younger generations showing different attitudes, particularly toward China, compared with older generations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/07/japan/a-generational-shift-is-upon-us/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #foreignministry #china #us #sanaetakaichi #taiwan #chinajapanrelations
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that “free-riding” allies will “face consequences” if they fail to ramp up defense spending and assume more responsibilities for defending their regions. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/07/japan/hegseth-allies-japan-defense/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #us #usjapanrelations #defense #budgets #china #taiwan #petehegseth #pla
If the global order continues on its current trajectory, future history books might look back at this moment, an aging superpower governed by a democratically elected president surrounded by tech oligarchs, as a symbolic ending to the era of US dominance.
It’s hard to imagine a clearer display of our systemic failure.
China's national security office in Hong Kong warned foreign media on Saturday not to spread "false information" or "smear" government efforts to deal with the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/07/asia-pacific/china-warns-foreign-media-hong-kong-fire/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #hongkong #fires #china #media #censorship
Hong Kong voter turnout will be in focus in an election Sunday, with the city still grieving and traumatized after the worst fire in nearly 80 years that has seen authorities scramble to avoid a broader public backlash. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/07/asia-pacific/hong-kong-election-fire/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #hongkong #china #fires
China is betting its future on a massive, pragmatic AI revolution on the factory floor. It's leveraging scale, massive industrial base, and state support to automate its way out of demographic and economic threats, aiming to lock in its manufacturing dominance through technological supremacy.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-robots-china-manufacturing-89ae1b42
When Gallup surveyed who feels safe walking alone at night, China's 94% "yes" was notable. But the real story is buried in the demographics with men and women in China reported nearly identical levels of safety, separated by only two percentage points.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/695240/people-feel-safe-even-global-conflicts-rise.aspx
How I discovered a hidden microphone on a Chinese NanoKVM
https://telefoncek.si/2025/02/2025-02-10-hidden-microphone-on-nanokvm/
#HackerNews #hiddenmicrophone #NanoKVM #cybersecurity #China #techdiscovery #privacyconcerns
Homeowners at the complex destroyed in one of Hong Kong's deadliest fires were incorrectly told the contractor that authorities blame for the blaze had a clean safety record, documents show. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/06/asia-pacific/hong-kong-fire-safety-breaches-revolt/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #hongkong #china #fires #constructionindustry
The Japanese Embassy in China has issued a safety advisory ahead of next week's anniversary of "the Nanking Incident," or Nanjing Massacre, which it said is considered particularly sensitive. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/06/japan/politics/japan-china-nanking-massacre-advisory/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #history #china #chinajapanrelations #taiwan #sanaetakaichi #wwii
Japan must spend “far more” on defense and assume greater responsibility in Asia, the White House said in a new National Security Strategy that also lays out a vague plan for a “burden-sharing network.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/06/japan/politics/japan-us-national-security-strategy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #us #china #usjapanrelations #uschinarelations #taiwan #pla #defense #budgets #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said in a long-awaited new strategy document Friday that the United States will shift from its historic global role toward vigorously fighting migration. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/world/politics/trump-strategy-shift/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #donaldtrump #us #eu #europe #taiwan #china
Huge "regreening" efforts in China over the past few decades have activated the country's water cycle and moved water in ways that scientists are just now starting to understand.
China is deploying a large number of naval and coast guard vessels across East Asian waters, at one point more than 100, in the largest maritime show of force to date. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/04/asia-pacific/china-military-ships-maritime-force/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #china #taiwan #defense
The U.K. appears poised to approve China’s plan for a massive new embassy in London, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks to put spying fears aside and revive his plans for a diplomatic reset with Beijing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/04/world/politics/starmer-china-spying-fears/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #keirstarmer #espionage #china #uk
Cory Doctorow
boosted
Just read @pluralistic 's article on the Eurostack, and de-Americanization.
Here's a brief piece on the topic I wrote 12 years ago, that has aged well.
#foss #opensource #GNU #GNULinux #China #India #History #Tech #Software
French President Emmanuel Macron touched down on Wednesday in China, where he is expected to put pressure on his counterpart, Xi Jinping, to help secure a ceasefire in Ukraine and discuss trade relations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/03/world/macron-xi-china-ukraine/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #china #france #xijinping #emmanuelmacron #russiaukrainewar