In early 2021, the consensus forecast for Chinese gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year among 25 major global banks and other professional forecasters was 8.3 percent. In contrast, the Chinese government’s own growth target was around six percent, lower than the best guesses of 24 out of the 25 institutional forecasters. Did the government know something that outsiders had missed?

ASEAN Member States (AMS) need to step up their game on energy storage development. As the 6th ASEAN Energy Outlook foretells, ASEAN’s Total Final Energy Consumption (TFEC) projects to increase by 38 percent by 2025 and 146 percent by 2040, from 375 Mtoe in 2017 to 922 million or mega tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2040. ASEAN’s top priority in facing this situation is to supply the growing demand with clean and sustainable energy.

As more developed countries begin to feel as though they have made it to the other side of the COVID-19 crisis, two striking realities are coming into view. First, one can clearly see just how vulnerable many developing countries still are to rapidly escalating outbreaks of the type we are witnessing in India. The results of failing to distribute the most effective vaccines equitably and strategically are being laid bare.

China has announced that it will allow each couple to have up to three children, marking the end of a strict two-child policy.The change was approved by President Xi Jinping in a politburo meeting, state media outlet Xinhua said.It comes after a census published every 10 years showed that China's population grew at its slowest pace in decades.This added pressure on Beijing to boost measures for couples to have more babies and avert a population decline.Shrinking populations are problemat

China’s recently released population census confirms the persistence of the country’s alarming excess of males relative to the global norm. This numerical imbalance from birth onward has several significant economic implications – and not only for China. Because women live longer than men on average, most countries’ populations have more females than males. In the United States (US), for example, there were 96 males per 100 females in 2020.

The transition from Trump to Joe Biden has been like going from a daily crack pipe, to a small bottle of low-alcohol beer once a week.The daily White House briefings now are a snooze fest. There are no fights, no name-calling.No middle of the night Twitter storms, no payments to porn stars, no rollicking MAGA rallies.So, does all this mean it's been a boring presidency? Absolutely not. This is a far more interesting presidency - so far - than I think any of us had imagined.

Human beings are creatures of habit. We tend to envisage a future much the same as the past, so we cling to familiar tools, approaches, and perspectives, even as the world changes.

As part of on-going efforts and measures to combat corruption, it’s vital that Malaysia’s anti-corruption laws are constantly updated, improved and reformed – over time.

China is a tough country to comprehend – even for most Chinese. But much of what makes China enigmatic – its long history, vast and varied territory, huge and diverse population, complex politics, and massive, dynamic economy – also makes understanding the country important. For better or worse, what happens in China affects everyone. Western observers tend to struggle the most in deciphering China.

The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines is giving the world hope of ending the pandemic, but many countries remain consumed by the virus’s spread. So, as we wait for widespread availability and distribution of the vaccines, preventive health measures such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand-washing will remain critical to containing the disease. For some, following this guidance is not feasible.