This Month
- Opinion
- Inside China
China’s staggering manufacturing muscle needs to be seen to be believed
Since Trump was last in office, Beijing has doubled down on its efforts to gain global supremacy in electric cars, robots and rare materials. America could be toast if it doesn’t respond.
- Thomas Friedman
- Opinion
- Global economy
Inflation risk crashes into political risk
Market tantrums and the fall in the Australian dollar in response to the US Fed show that next year is likely to be even more volatile.
- Jennifer Hewett
How China won over Prince Andrew and infiltrated the palace
Publicly shamed over his links to Jeffrey Epstein and with no official role to speak of, the Duke had few places to turn.
- Victoria Ward and Robert Mendick
- Updated
- Royal family
‘Chinese spy’ linked to Prince Andrew denies allegations
Businessman Yang Tengbo was described as the Duke of York’s “close confidant” and was banned from entering Britain on security grounds.
- Updated
- Sam Tobin and Michael Holden
- Analysis
- China’s Great Slowdown
China’s ‘bazooka’ stimulus will have to wait - again
Beijing says “vigorous” efforts to boost domestic consumption are the country’s top economic priority, but details are once again lacking.
- Updated
- Jessica Sier
How Assad hoodwinked a naive West
Bashar al-Assad, Putin, Gaddafi – the free world too often gets its hopes up about despots.
- Janan Ganesh
How Shanghai’s ambition to be the ‘future of finance’ fell apart
The port city was meant to be China’s answer to New York, but trade tensions and changing domestic priorities have taken a toll.
- Thomas Hale and Cheng Leng
End of sanctions as China lifts bans on beef
China has removed sanctions from two Australian abattoirs, bringing to an end an avalanche of tariffs and de facto bans that began four years ago.
- Phillip Coorey
China to crack down on violent lone-wolf attacks over economic woes
A spate of deadly attacks has put pressure on officials to expand surveillance to prevent violent forces from destabilising an anxious society.
- Jing Li and Daniela Wei
November
China releases three Americans imprisoned for years
A diplomatic agreement was reached with China, the White House said. It was not yet clear whether the US sent home any Chinese citizens.
- Eric Tucker, Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee
China’s defence minister under investigation for corruption
US officials say the probe is part of a wider operation to uncover graft in the People’s Liberation Army.
- Demetri Sevastopulo
- Analysis
- Trump's White House
The big split on China at the heart of Trump’s new team
Donald Trump and JD Vance have assembled a team of strident China hawks, hellbent on countering the rise of Beijing, but is it all for show?
- James Curran
- Opinion
- Canberra Observed
Albanese weighed down abroad by parlous state of world
It hasn’t hurt for the prime minister to witness first hand the changing global forces, more so as countries preposition for Trump’s second coming.
- Phillip Coorey
Why Donald Trump wants to ‘un-unite’ China and Russia
This week on The Fin podcast, Geoff Raby talks about what Trump’s second term could mean for Australia and why China and Russia are less close than you might think.
Former publisher Jimmy Lai testifies in HK national security trial
The founder of the now shut down Apple Daily pro-democracy newspaper was arrested in 2020 during a crackdown on mass protests that rocked Hong Kong.
- Kanis Leung
G20 goes soft on Russia as Putin threatens to use nuclear weapons
The G20 has ended with a whimper with watered-down statements on Russia, climate change and the Middle East.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- The AFR View
China should practise what it preaches on free trade
The best way Beijing can persuade the US it is playing fair is to open up its domestic market so America can share in its success.
- The AFR View
- Opinion
- China relations
Xi got his message across, but calls to oppose protectionism are a bit rich
Australia is right to rail against Donald Trump’s tariffs, but we should also make our voice heard on Xi Jinping’s “China First” policies.
- Richard McGregor
Albanese lays out his red line after Xi demands more access for China
Xi Jinping has rekindled a key demand that Australia provide greater foreign investment access to Chinese interests in return for increased trade.
- Updated
- Phillip Coorey
Australia and allies lift pressure on G20 and Trump over Ukraine
Anthony Albanese says conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are key drivers of hunger, poverty, high inflation and rises in energy prices, and world leaders should acknowledge this.
- Phillip Coorey