Carbon-heavy development in countries part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative could render the Paris climate goals unreachable, according to a new analysis on the gargantuan global infrastructure project released Monday.The massive network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks spanning Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe will see trillions invested in new infrastructure across 126 countries. While the Chinese state is putting up a significant part of the cash, the proj

The escalating trade war between the United States (US) and China has sometimes been characterised as what game theorists would call a prisoner’s dilemma. A prisoner might benefit by informing on another, but only if the second prisoner does not also betray the first. If both inform, both lose; the best outcome occurs when both remain silent.

Beijing told visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that its position on the South China Sea was not up for negotiation, a spokesman for the leader said Friday.China claims most of the contested sea, including waters close to Philippine shores, and has rejected a United Nations (UN)-backed international tribunal ruling that said its assertion to the Sea is without legal basis.Duterte is under growing pressure at home to challenge China – after largely setting aside the standoff for yea

Half a million Cambodian farmers could possibly be looking at empty rice bowls if the European Union (EU) pushes through with the withdrawal of its Everything But Arms (EBA) trade preference.While the garment and footwear sectors stand to lose the most if the EBA trade scheme – which gives 49 of the world’s least developed countries tax-free access to vital EU markets for all exports except for arms and ammunition – is removed, Cambodia’s rice industry could be staring at tough times

President Donald Trump doubled down Sunday on his hard line against China after sowing confusion with statements that he might be willing to soften a trade war G7 partners fear threatens the world economy.At the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, Trump announced a major trade deal with Japan and promised more of the same with Britain, once Brexit is done.But the positives were overshadowed by a mix-up over his apparent expression of regret for the latest escalation in the US-China dispute."I

While at first glance the news that China has asked the Philippines to ban online gambling may seem like just another sign of its growing involvement in the region, a quick scan of regional newspapers soon makes it obvious that the Asian superpower needs all the help it can get to battle its own gambling problem.Gambling is illegal in China, except in Macau, and gambling businesses are increasingly targeting the mainland China market by opening up shop in Southeast Asia.

China announced Friday it will hit United States (US) soybeans, lobsters, peanut butter and other imports worth US$75 billion with new tariffs in retaliation for Washington's planned duty hikes, further intensifying the bruising trade war between the world's top two economies.The punitive tariffs of five to 10 percent will apply to 5,078 items from the US, starting 1 September and 15 December, China's state council tariff office said.Beijing also announced it will reimpose a 25

Google on Thursday said it disabled a series of YouTube channels that appeared to be part of a coordinated influence campaign against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.The announcement by YouTube's parent company came after Twitter and Facebook accused the Chinese government of backing a social media campaign to discredit Hong Kong's protest movement and sow political discord in the city.Google disabled 210 YouTube channels that it found behaved in a coordinated manner while uploa

His weathered face breaks out in a big grin as Keman explains how sifting through rubbish paid for his children's education, one of many in his Indonesian hometown basking in a waste-picking boom.Governments around the world are grappling with how to tackle the scourge of single-use plastic, but for the people of Bangun, trash equals cash. Around two-thirds of the town's residents eke out a living sorting and selling discarded plastic bottles, wrappers and cups back to loca

Twitter and Facebook said Monday they had uncovered a campaign by China to use the social media platforms against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong."We are disclosing a significant state-backed information operation focused on the situation in Hong Kong, specifically the protest movement and their calls for political change," Twitter said in an online post.Facebook said a tip from Twitter led to the removal of pages, groups and accounts originating in China and involved in "c