03a China

China Loses Trillions as Faith in AI falters

pgnewser October 29, 2026 0

The Chinese STAR 50 Index has lost trillions of dollars in value in recent months thanks mostly to lost faith in AI. The total value of AI stocks accounts for 40% of the market. The AI machines being built aren’t making money off their domestic market, a problem the U.S. might be facing soon as well.

Chinese markets lose trillions as race for AI supremacy with US takes its toll | China– www.theguardian.com
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Trillions of dollars have been wiped from China’s stock markets in recent months amid increasing anxiety about the future of artificial intelligence, as Beijing races against the United States for dominance in the sector.

The STAR 50 Index, which tracks technology and innovation companies on the Shanghai stock exchange, has plunged 40% since June. Other indexes of major companies dropped by about 20% over the same time period.

The precipitous drop has wiped out $2.4tn from the Chinese stock market since May, according to Bloomberg.

AI stocks account for over 40% of the stock market value in China and Hong Kong, according to Goldman Sachs, meaning that any dent in value will send shockwaves across the whole domestic market.

U.S. Japan Military Drills Disrupted by Chinese and Russian Spy Planes

pgnewser October 29, 2026 0

While the U.S. and Japan were engaged in military drills in the Indo Pacific, China and Russia sent spy planes to disrupt the action. Japanese fighters were scrambled to escort the spy planes out of the region. The drills involve thousands of troops, hundreds of aircraft, and dozens of naval vessels.

China, Russia Send Spy Planes Amid Massive US-Led Military Drills; Japan Scrambles Fighter Jets
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Japan has scrambled fighter aircraft after Chinese and Russian intelligence planes conducted five flights near the country between October 20 and 23. The activity involved three Chinese Y-9 aircraft and two Russian Il-20 reconnaissance planes, according to Japan’s Joint Staff. The missions coincided with Keen Sword 2027, a major Japan-US military exercise running until October 29. With thousands of troops, hundreds of aircraft and dozens of vessels involved, the developments highlight heightened military activity across the Indo-Pacific. No Japanese airspace violations were reported.#China #Russia #Japan #SpyPlanes #MilitaryAircraft #KeenSword2027 #USJapanAlliance #IndoPacific #MilitaryNews #Geopolitics #Y9 #IL20 #JapanAirSelfDefenseForce #BreakingNewsRead Less

China Wins in U.S. Court

pgnewser October 29, 2026 0

A Federal judge has decided the Pentagon does not have a right to block firms from having defense contracts that lobby for Alibaba. The company rewarded in the ruling is a CCP-controlled and supporting enterprise. This ruling allows the CCP to continue to infiltrate American military procurement infrastructures.

China’s Alibaba wins court ruling over Pentagon ban that made the company fire dozens of American lobby firms
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A US federal judge has ruled that the government cannot block companies from getting Pentagon contracts simply because they work with firms that lobby for Alibaba, reports Reuters. The Chinese company sued the US government in June this year after the Pentagon added the Chinese company to a list of firms accused of helping China’s military. The list also included search engine company Baidu, electric vehicle maker BYD and other Chinese technology and manufacturing firms.

What the ruling means for Alibaba

The court’s decision allows Alibaba to continue working with Washington lobbyists who also represent companies that do business with the Pentagon. As per the report, this could help the Chinese company fight its inclusion on the US military-related list.Alibaba reportedly dropped dozens of lobbyists after the Pentagon named it in June. The company has challenged the decision, arguing that there is no evidence to support the claim that it has links to China’s military.Being on the list does not bring direct sanctions, but it can affect a company’s ability to secure Pentagon contracts.

Arctic shipping: China and Russia expand grip, can Europe fight back?– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser October 28, 2026 0

Arctic shipping: China and Russia expand grip, can Europe fight back?– www.cnbc.com
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The icebreaker Tor (right) at the port of Sabetta in the Kara Sea shoreline on the Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic circle, some 2450 km of Moscow.

Kirill Kudryavtesev | AFP | Getty Images

China and Russia are tightening their grip on Arctic shipping routes, turning the rapidly warming region into a new geopolitical battleground with Europe.

Moscow and Beijing last week have agreed to expand freight traffic along Arctic shipping corridors, increase services between their ports and deepen cooperation on building polar vessels.

The agreement came after the EU unveiled a new Arctic strategy aimed at countering growing Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

Although the competing moves underscore how the once-remote region is turning into a strategic prize, analysts said that Europe’s ability to challenge the emerging China-Russia partnership remains limited, given Moscow’s control over the main shipping corridor and Beijing’s growing commercial clout.

Europe cannot realistically challenge Chinese and Russian dominance of Arctic shipping in any meaningful timeframe.

Alicia Garcia-Herrero

APAC & MEA Chief Economist, Natixis CIB

Confucius Institutes Declared CCP Fronts

pgnewser October 26, 2026 0

The U.S. Department of War has declared China’s “cultural outreach” centers in progressive-run U.S. universities security threats.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared, “These Chinese government-backed propaganda cultural programs had infiltrated our nation’s universities in almost every state. Now, thankfully, Congress banned them a few years ago, these Confucius Institutes. 
But they came back disguised in new forms, just like DEI does. Just call it a different name. Well, the Department of War has taken action to stop this as well.”

War Department Designates CCP-Tied Confucius Institutes As Security Threats – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
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After years of exposés on the Chinese government influence operations through the Confucius Institutes, the Department of War is finally taking action to recognize that not every type of warfare involves weapons and soldiers.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned on October 23 that while federal scrutiny spurred closures of Confucius Institutes in colleges and universities across the country that were acting as influence covers and intellectual property thieves for the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP didn’t give up that easily.

Hegseth explained that just as domestic race- and sex-obsessed ideology is difficult to kill, so foreign propaganda operations are difficult to crush permanently. “When I took office, one thing we knew was that the cancer of DEI, it was gonna be difficult to kill here in the Department of War. You see, instead of complying, promoters of this ideology just tried to rebrand it and thought they would be safe. Now, we were onto it, not gonna let that happen on our watch,” he said.

The secretary proudly declared, “We ripped it out of the Department of War, root and branch. We are gender-neutral, color-blind, and merit-based. Now, today, in a similar example, I want to tell you about Confucius Institutes.”

Kim Jong Un makes surprise China trip after death rumours | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser October 26, 2026 0

Kim Jong Un makes surprise China trip after death rumours | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has made a surprise trip to China, appearing in public after speculation about his health and whereabouts, as he moves to strengthen ties with Beijing. Mr Kim was pictured smiling and meeting Chinese officials during the visit, which saw him praise President Xi Jinping’s leadership and vow to deepen cooperation between the two communist states.

The North Korean leader travelled across a newly opened bridge linking the two countries before visiting the Chinese border city of Dandong, a vital gateway for trade with his isolated regime. His trip comes as Pyongyang seeks to expand economic ties with its biggest international backer while presenting a united front against the US.

Mr Kim arrived in Dandong on Saturday, October 24, and visited a war memorial commemorating China’s support for North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War.

He also met senior Chinese officials, including foreign minister Wang Yi, and toured a bus factory before receiving a formal send-off at the new four-lane bridge across the Yalu River.

However, Mr Kim did not meet Mr Xi in person during the visit, although the two leaders exchanged greetings through officials.

The North Korean leader thanked the Chinese president for paying special attention to his trip, according to state media reports.

Mr Kim described the relationship between the two countries as an “invincible” friendship “forged at the cost of blood”.

He added that North Koreans would “forever remember the glorious years of fighting alongside the Chinese people” and pass down “generational gratitude” to those who had helped the country’s revolution.

Beyond the AI Race: China’s Bid to Shape Global Rules

pgnewser October 26, 2026 0

Beyond the AI Race: China’s Bid to Shape Global Rules– www.orfonline.org
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In September 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping met United States (US) President Donald Trump in Washington, where discussions on global AI governance were central to their agenda, although the two leaders held opposing positions. Ahead of the summit, the two sides formalised a “USA-China AI Dialogues” track built around an incident hotline. Trump, however, made it clear that Washington rejects any attempt to construct a “globalist” scheme to govern the technology. Xi called on both countries to jointly guard against AI misuse and keep it under human control.

On 16 July 2026, 35 states signed the founding agreement for the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), a China-headquartered body established outside the Western-led AI governance architecture, with no leading Western democracy among its signatories.

Beijing, therefore, while speaking of multilateral governance in Washington, is also building a separate institutional architecture through WAICO on its own terms and with its own membership criteria. Together, these developments suggest a strategy aimed less at restraining AI and more at deciding who writes the rules for its governance.

Chinese scientists discover “D-rex,” a giant fungus with roots stretching back 65 million years– www.sciencedaily.com

pgnewser October 26, 2026 0

Chinese scientists discover “D-rex,” a giant fungus with roots stretching back 65 million years– www.sciencedaily.com
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Scientists exploring the forests of Yunnan, China, have discovered an extraordinary giant fungus that is challenging previous assumptions about how large certain fungi can grow. The newly identified species, Dianjunus rex, produces upright reproductive structures that can reach 50 cm (20 inches) in height and weigh as much as 2.2 kg (4.9 pounds). These are the largest known fruiting bodies among fungi belonging to the phylum Ascomycota.

“This remarkable species represents a new fungal family, Dianjunaceae, and provides a rare window into the evolution of extreme fungal body forms,” said Dr Indunil C Senanayake, an associate professor at the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species of the Kunming Institute of Botany in China and corresponding author of the study, published in Frontiers in Fungal Biology.

“The discovery illustrates how much fungus biodiversity remains to be discovered in East Asian forests.”

A Giant Fungus Hidden in China’s Forests

Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany encountered the unusual fungus while surveying several forest environments in Yunnan. Their fieldwork included temperate coniferous forests near Damaidi and Yipinglang, along with tropical rainforest near Nanbang.

China’s Temu may have funneled your data to the CCP– www.americanthinker.com

pgnewser October 22, 2026 0

China’s Temu may have funneled your data to the CCP– www.americanthinker.com
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If you’re like me, you constantly see ads for Temu products. They promise things that are stylish, clever, useful, cute, or whatever it is you’re looking for, and they’re all so very cheap. But while you’re buying their product, it turns out that this Chinese company may well be harvesting your information and laundering it to the CCP. Now, though, at least in Texas, Temu can’t do that anymore.

Temu was unknown a few years ago, so it’s worth looking at its history to understand how it suddenly became so ubiquitous. It all started in 2015, when Colin Huang, a Chinese- and American-educated tech guy who also worked at Google, founded Pinduoduo, an e-commerce business he later rebranded as PDD Holdings. It is now one of China’s largest online shopping businesses.

While PDD is a publicly traded company, and Huang (no longer in leadership but still holding significant equity) is not a member of the Chinese government, that doesn’t mean PDD has no government ties. PDD has significant ties to the CCP because several former CCP officials are (or have been) among PDD’s top executives. Moreover, like all China-based companies, it must comply with CCP intelligence agencies when directed under the National Intelligence Law.

In September 2022, PDD launched Temu, a global version of the Chinese company. Its purpose is to connect consumers directly with inexpensive, usually Chinese-made merchandise. It grew at a near-exponential rate thanks to low prices, a huge advertising budget, cute games that drove bargains, cheap international shipping via a loophole Trump finally closed, and piggybacking on PDD’s supply chains.

U.S. Axes DeepSeek, China Threatens Counteraction

pgnewser October 21, 2026 0

The U.S. has announced a ban on China’s DeepSeek AI from U.S. government systems, citing security risks. China has responded by threatening consequences if the U.S. doesn’t reverse this decision. DeepSeek models “present multiple threat pathways,” according to a notice published by the U.S. Federal Register.

US removes DeepSeek from government systems; China says it will not stand idly by– www.digitaltoday.co.kr
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China pushed back and signalled possible countermeasures after the United States banned the use of products from Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek in federal civilian agencies’ IT systems.

AP and Bloomberg reported on Oct. 21 that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security notified federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek technology from their IT systems. The move follows an order issued in late July and also bans new procurement of the related products and services.

A notice published in the U.S. Federal Register said DeepSeek models “present multiple threat pathways”. It cited concerns that because DeepSeek servers are in China, Chinese authorities could gain access to private-sector infrastructure and sensitive U.S. data. DeepSeek’s open-source models are widely used in many countries including the United States, and are mostly provided for free.

Asked about the matter, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning (마오닝) said China would “resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests” of Chinese companies. She added that China consistently opposes the excessive expansion of the concept of national security.

China’s commerce ministry also expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the U.S. move. It said the United States ignored an agreement between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump and overlooked the overall state of China-U.S. economic and trade relations. It added that the United States was trying to contain China by imposing discriminatory restrictions under the pretext of national security, and said China would take all necessary measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests.

China Stalks U.S. Ships in Taiwan Strait

pgnewser October 21, 2026 0

The Chinese have sent ships to shadow U.S. ships on patrol in the Taiwan Strait. While the Chinese have done this before, these shadowing operations have recently increased, along with their presence in the Philippine Sea. The U.S. and Taiwan have met this increased activity with their own increased activity in response.

China Sends Navy After US Warship As Separate Maritime Standoff Erupts Near Taiwan– dailycaller.com
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Things are continuing to heat up in the Taiwan Strait as naval confrontations become more frequent and aggressive, though the first shot has not yet been fired.

China dispatched naval forces to shadow an American warship near a disputed South China Sea shoal Tuesday as Taiwan confronted a Chinese Coast Guard vessel accused of entering restricted waters with its tracking system disabled, according to the Chinese military and Taiwan Coast Guard. The incidents underscore the growing risk of military confrontations in the region, where Chinese forces are increasingly challenging American and allied vessels.

The USS Charleston, an Independence-class littoral combat ship, entered waters near Sabina Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands early Tuesday, prompting Chinese naval forces to track and monitor the vessel, according to the PLA Southern Theater Command Navy.

“Taiwan has been getting its act together on defense at last, fielding capabilities designed to deny an invasion fleet (or a blockade fleet) access to the island across the Taiwan Strait,” James R. Holmes, the J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “No access, no Chinese victory, and Taiwan stands. Beijing has been so domineering that it has united the countries along the first island chain against it, including ourselves since we are a resident power in the Western Pacific.”

Georgia shows what could follow Serbia’s election– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser October 21, 2026 0

Georgia shows what could follow Serbia’s election– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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On Oct. 25, Aleksandar Vucic’s ruling coalition will face Serbia’s student protest movement and established opposition parties at the ballot box. Vucic, who resigned as president in September to seek the premiership, wants to extend his Serbian Progressive Party’s 14-year hold on power. The danger extends beyond whether his party manipulates the vote. His government could portray protests against the result as a Western plot, crack down on opponents, and accelerate state capture.

Georgia offers a preview of what could follow Serbia’s election. The ruling parties in both countries have spent years weakening institutions, intimidating critics, and tilting elections toward incumbents. The useful comparison is what happened after Georgia’s contested October 2024 vote. Georgian Dream turned an electoral dispute into an opportunity to narrow the space for opposition, watchdogs, and protest. Vucic has the tools to attempt something similar.

In Georgia, manipulation began well before Election Day. Georgian Dream passed a foreign-influence law targeting foreign-funded organizations and media. Election observers documented pressure on public employees, misuse of state resources, and compromised ballot secrecy in roughly a quarter of polling-station observations. More than 1,200 complaints followed the vote, but the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights found that many lacked effective remedies. Georgian Dream retained power, opposition parties rejected the results and boycotted parliament.

Georgian Dream intensified its crackdown after the election. Police violently dispersed protests and detained more than 500 demonstrators. Authorities also jailed opposition leaders and froze civil society groups’ bank accounts. Georgian Dream suspended its pursuit of EU accession talks until 2028, enacted tougher foreign-agent restrictions carrying prison sentences of up to five years, and required government approval for foreign grants. It also moved to ban five opposition parties through the Constitutional Court.

US Bars Government Agencies From Using China’s DeepSeek– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser October 20, 2026 0

US Bars Government Agencies From Using China’s DeepSeek– www.ndtv.com
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The US government on Monday ordered its agencies to stop using artificial intelligence tools from Chinese startup DeepSeek, as the countries race for dominance in the fast-moving sector.

A notice from the Department of Homeland Security announced the ban on products developed by DeepSeek — and tools created using DeepSeek by third parties — saying they must be removed from IT devices.

The department can issue direction to civilian agencies, but not the military or intelligence services. Washington’s Department of Defense did not respond to an AFP request for comment.

“DeepSeek’s models present multiple threat vectors,” said a document attached to Monday’s notice.

Use of DeepSeek AI tools “may result in the transfer of sensitive data to (China) if used by US government employees or vendors,” the department warned.

China looks like it’s dumping Treasury debt but may actually be stashing it in Canada and Belgium– fortune.com

pgnewser October 19, 2026 0

China looks like it’s dumping Treasury debt but may actually be stashing it in Canada and Belgium– fortune.com
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China was once the top holder of U.S. Treasuries but has been shedding its massive stockpile for years, fueling fears of de-dollarization, but official data may not fully capture Beijing’s actual portfolio.

The decline began in earnest around 2021, but as recently as April 2022, China still held $1 trillion in Treasury securities. U.S. data on Friday show that’s been whittled down to just $591 billion as of August, the lowest in 18 years and down from $700 billion a year earlier.

But the data is collected primarily from U.S.-based custodians and broker-dealers, according to the Treasury Department, which adds that U.S. securities held in overseas custody accounts may not be attributed to the actual owners.

As a result, China watchers have long been skeptical of a wholesale dumping of U.S. assets, pointing to suspicious jumps in Treasury holdings elsewhere that coincide with the steep Chinese drop.