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China Plans Italy-Sized No-Fly Zone Around Beijing — 17hChina will establish a permanent no-fly zone the size of Italy around Beijing from September 20, a 600-km zone of over 280,000 sq km holding about 100 million people.

Dana Whitfield They must have serious reasons to lock down 280,000 square kilometers like this, but the daily impact on logistics and local economies will be enormous.

Beijing Plans Citywide Drone Ownership Ban — 5dBeijing bans drone possession and storage citywide from Nov. 15, with fines and confiscation, after a June crash killed a pilot and injured 13.

Tom Gallagher The subsidies for turning in drones are a reasonable step to ease the transition for current owners before November.

US Acknowledges Undisclosed On-Orbit Weapons — 3dChina condemned the United States for deploying on‑orbit space weapons, urging Washington to halt preparations for space warfare and to uphold global strategic stability. Beijing reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful space use and warned against weaponising outer space or triggering an arms race, a view echoed as the US, and its allies, pursue space security capabilities.

Beijing Rejects Anthropic Chief’s Calls to Curb AI — 3dGuo Jiakun rejected Amodei, Altman and Musk AI slowdown calls Monday; Trump said whoever wins AI, wins; SoftBank fell 10%-11% with Trump-Xi AI talks set for Sept. 24.

Chris Dalton Beijing is correct that export bans will fail and real progress needs joint rules instead.

Air Force confirms US space-control weapons now operating in orbit — 2dAir Force Secretary Troy Meink confirms deployed space-control weapons at a Maryland conference, drawing Beijing and Moscow protests while withholding the details that keep deterrence intact.

Priya Raman Deterrence works best when adversaries know we have the edge but can't predict exactly how we'll use it.

Huawei to Launch 960DT and Ascend 960PR AI Chips in 2027 — 1dHuawei plans to launch two AI chips, the 960DT in Q1 2027 and the Ascend 960PR in Q3 2027, while leveraging its UnifiedBus interconnect to link thousands of chips into large, single-system AI computing arrays as it seeks to challenge Nvidia amid US export controls aimed at China. The announcements and demonstrations at events abroad underscore Beijing’s push for domestic AI autonomy and higher-powered data-center architectures.

Sam Okafor Huawei's plan to scale thousands of chips together could finally give them a real shot at competing with Nvidia's dominance.

China new-home prices fall for third straight month — 3dChina’s housing market stayed weak in August as new home prices fell 0.1% month over month and 3.0% year over year, though tier-1 cities showed signs of stabilization with Shanghai posting a year-on-year gain and Beijing’s declines narrowing. In addition, Guangzhou logged a 1.9% year-over-year drop, underscoring a broad downturn despite pockets of resilience in high-end demand.

Nicole Hardy It's good to see Shanghai posting a yearly gain, but the national figures prove the housing weakness isn't over yet.

China Urges Restraint Amid Yemen, Red Sea Escalation — 4dChina is pressing Iran, the U.S. and all involved parties to exercise restraint, revive negotiations, and safeguard global energy routes such as the Strait of Hormuz while reaffirming its readiness to mediate and uphold shipping security in the Red Sea and Yemen. Beijing condemnation of attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties in Yemen underscores a push for diplomacy over conflict, urging all sides to resolve disputes politically and de-escalate quickly.

Taiwan Vice President Makes Secret Trip to Italy Democracy Conference — Sep 11, 2026Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim arrived in Italy, accompanied by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, to attend the Ventotene Conference for Freedom and Democracy; the trip, kept secret due to Chinese threats, signals Taiwan’s push to engage with Europe despite lacking formal diplomatic ties. The three‑day conference features activists such as Yulia Navalnaya and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, highlighting Taiwan’s effort to broaden international support and demonstrate democratic solidarity amid Beijing’s pressure.

Nicole Hardy Taiwan's quiet outreach to Europe like this is smart and necessary given Beijing's bullying.

New Yalu River Bridge Nears Opening After Decade — Sep 9, 2026The New Yalu River Bridge linking Sinuiju, North Korea, and Dandong, China, is nearing opening after more than a decade of delays, with North Korea’s customs facilities reportedly complete and satellite imagery showing readiness. If opened, the bridge would become the main road cargo crossing between China and North Korea, boosting cross-border trade and signaling a thaw in Beijing-Pyongyang ties amid North Korea’s evolving relations with Russia.

U.S. officials accuse COSCO of hidden spying equipment as China denies claims — Sep 1, 2026U.S. officials allege that COSCO uses concealed, sophisticated signals-intelligence equipment on its merchant ships to monitor military communications, encryption developments, and key maritime routes across Europe, North America, and Asia, citing a decades-long Beijing partnership. China and COSCO deny the spying claims, while the allegations surface as Washington discusses security and trade with Beijing ahead of a Trump-Xi summit and amid Pentagon listings tying COSCO to China’s military.

Sam Okafor If COSCO ships are docking at our ports for decades, basic due diligence should've caught this way earlier than now.

U.S. Agencies Accuse Six Chinese Firms of AI Copying — Sep 8, 2026U.S. cyber and law-enforcement officials accuse Chinese AI companies, including Alibaba and DeepSeek, of industrial-scale distillation—illicitly using outputs from American models to train their own—likely with Chinese government awareness. The allegations come as the United States prepares for Xi Jinping’s visit and planned AI-safety talks, underscoring ongoing tech-tied tensions between Washington and Beijing.

China Buys 1M Tons U.S. Soybeans — Sep 10, 2026China has bought about 1 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans this week as part of a continued ramp-up ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, with shipments slated for December–February and USDA data showing additional sales to China and other destinations; Beijing’s 25 million-ton annual commitment through 2028 remains a focal point for traders and farmers. Industry voices say China’s renewed demand, alongside buyers like Mexico, supports exports in 2026, though questions about enforcement of commitments and potential tariff risks linger for the sector.

Nicole Hardy Mexico buying more helps too but the tariff uncertainty still makes long term planning tough for exporters.

Small Plane Slams Into Beijing’s Tallest Skyscraper — Jun 26, 2026The tallest building in Beijing was struck by a plane Friday — spewing debris all over the Chinese capital's streets, multiple sources reported.

China unveils $50 billion recapitalization plan for banks and insurers, splitting analysts — Sep 7, 2026Beijing unveiled a 360 billion yuan recapitalization package—about $50 billion—to bolster China’s banks and insurers, including ICBC, Agricultural Bank of China, Life Insurance and Taiping, to sustain lending and strengthen resilience as growth slows. The move constitutes a major, multi-sector boost aimed at stabilizing credit and the real economy amid real estate stress and global uncertainty.

Tom Gallagher Propping up banks so they keep lending sounds good on paper, but if real estate stays frozen, where does that credit actually go?

Philippines warns China may exploit US-South Korea drill cuts — Sep 7, 2026Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro warns that Beijing could exploit cuts to US-South Korea drills to reassert itself in the Indo-Pacific, while Manila has received definite assurances that US commitments to the Philippines remain unchanged. He also notes Manila’s expanding security ties with the US and other partners as tensions in the region persist and cautions about China’s use of influence operations.

Rachel Meyers Manila is smart to diversify partners instead of relying on one ally, spreads the risk around.

Hong Kong Jails Three Tiananmen Vigil LeadersPolitics — Sep 9, 2026Hong Kong court sentences three Tiananmen vigil organizers to prison under the national security law, with Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung each getting seven-year terms (Chow 7 years and 3 months) and Albert Ho five years two months after pleading guilty. Rights groups condemn the rulings as a crackdown on freedom of expression, noting the annual vigils have been effectively outlawed since 2020 as Beijing broadened security controls over Hong Kong.

Washington Has A Better Hand In Africa. But Will It Play It Against Beijing? — May 17, 2026When President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping sat down in Beijing this week, most of the world was watching for signals about tariffs, Taiwan and technology. Fair enough. But if you want to understand where the…

Tempers Flare During Trump’s Beijing Visit — May 14, 2026President Donald Trump’s high-profile trip to Beijing turned tense behind closed doors Thursday as clashes repeatedly broke out between American officials and Chinese authorities during events with Chinese President Xi…

Trump Locks In China Trade Deal, Keeps Pressure On Beijing — Jun 27, 2025The Trump administration has finalized its trade deal with China, but isn’t lifting countermeasures just yet, Bloomberg News reported Thursday evening. The agreement cements commitments from Beijing to export rare earth…

Beijing’s Military Shadow Looms Large Over Key Taiwan Tech Conference — Jun 8, 2026Chinese aircraft and ships prompted a response from Taiwan as a major tech convention unfolded on the island. Beijing’s naval vessels and aircraft cast a long shadow over each day of the COMPUTEX Taipei conference, with…

Twitter Takes Down Beijing-Backed Influence Operation Pushing Coronavirus MessagesReporting — Jun 11, 2020Twitter on Thursday said it removed more than 170,000 accounts tied to a Beijing-backed influence operation that deceptively spread messages favorable to the Chinese government, including about the coronavirus. The…

China Admits Trump Tariffs Taking A Toll On Its Economy — Aug 15, 2025China’s economy showed signs of weakening in July, with Beijing openly acknowledging that U.S. tariffs are taking a toll, multiple outlets reported Friday. Official data from Beijing released Friday showed industrial…

Beijing Humanoid Games Highlight Robot Speed and Reliability — Aug 22, 2026Honor’s Lightning humanoid robot ran 100 metres in 9.32 seconds, shaving 0.26 seconds off Usain Bolt’s human world record and signaling rapid advances in robotics ahead of the World Humanoid Robot Games. The feat underscores China’s push to develop humanoid AI and robotics for manufacturing, logistics and other applications, with Lightning previously winning a Beijing half marathon and now shown at heightened speed and capability.