The global infrastructure plan announced by G7 leaders aims to offer developing nations a credible alternative to China's much-criticised Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – but it faces major hurdles on the ground, especially if Beijing's hiccups are any indication. United States (US) President Joe Biden was able to convince the G7 to sign onto the initiative, drawing allies into Washington's strategic rivalry with Beijing, under a plan titled, "Build Back Better Wo

President Joe Biden will draw "red lines" for President Vladimir Putin at a tense Geneva summit on Wednesday, where ghosts of the Cold War will hover over modern-day United States (US) concerns that Russia has become a rogue, authoritarian state.The setting – a sumptuous villa overlooking Lake Geneva – may be picturesque, but a gruelling diplomatic face-off awaits.Up to five hours of talks are planned, starting at around 1:00 pm (1100 GMT), with no break for meals.

The Chinese scientist at the centre of theories that the coronavirus pandemic originated with a leak from her specialised lab in the city of Wuhan has denied her institution was to blame for the health disaster."How on earth can I offer up evidence for something where there is no evidence?" Dr Shi Zhengli told the New York Times in rare comments to the media. "I don't know how the world has come to this, constantly pouring filth on an innocent scientist," she

G7 leaders on Sunday vowed to start delivering one billion doses of COVID vaccines and to step up action on climate change, in a United States (US)-led summit call to arms that also took on China and Russia.In a final communique issued at their first physical summit in nearly two years, the leaders of the elite club largely hewed to US President Joe Biden's push to regain the West's cohesion after Donald Trump's tumultuous tenure."We will harness the power of democracy, fr

What if China were to cut off the United States (US) and Europe from access to rare minerals that are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines and drones?At a time of frequent geopolitical friction among the three powers, Washington and Brussels want to avoid this scenario by investing in the market for 17 minerals with unique properties that today are largely extracted and refined in China."The expected exponential growth in demand for minerals that are linked to clean energy is pu

Human beings approaching 100 normally think about death. But political parties celebrating their centennial, as the Communist Party of China (CPC) will on 1 July, are obsessed with immortality. Such optimism seems odd for parties that rule dictatorships, because their longevity record does not inspire confidence. The fact that no other such party in modern times has survived for a century should give China’s leaders cause for worry, not celebration.

The United States (US) and China clashed in rare talks Friday as President Joe Biden made his international debut at the G7 summit, with his administration pressing Beijing on COVID, Taiwan and human rights.Secretary of State Antony Blinken, joining Biden at the summit of industrial democracies in England, spoke by telephone with senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi – their first talks since a heated in-person encounter in Alaska in March.As Biden used his first presidential trip abroad to unv

United States (US) President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked executive orders from his predecessor Donald Trump seeking to ban Chinese-owned mobile apps TikTok and WeChat over national security concerns, the White House said.A statement said that instead of banning the popular apps, the Biden administration would carry out a "criteria-based decision framework and rigorous, evidence-based analysis to address the risks" from internet applications controlled by foreign entities.Trump ha

China has approved the emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine for those as young as three, the drugmaker confirmed Tuesday, making it the first country to offer jabs to young children.Since the coronavirus first emerged in central China, Beijing has mostly managed to bring the country's outbreak under control, and has administered over 777 million vaccine doses after a sluggish start.A spokesperson for Sinovac said that its vaccine had been approved for use on children."In recent days,

Since last July, a little-known automaker in China’s southwest has dominated the world’s largest electric car market, outselling bigger players and even Tesla Inc. almost every month with a tiny, bare-bones electric vehicle (EV) that starts at just US$4,500.The Hongguang Mini is the brainchild of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., a joint venture (JV) between SAIC Motor Corp.