Few ideas in global finance generate as much anxiety as de-dollarization. To some Western observers, any attempt to reduce reliance on the US dollar is automatically framed as a political challenge to American power. Yet for much of the developing world, the conversation is far less ideological and far more practical. The push to diversify global payment systems and promote the use of local currencies is not about confrontation; it is a response to economic realities that many countries have lived with for decades. The dominance of the dollar has…
the Hong Kong Globe
On a rainy Friday afternoon reminiscent of British drizzling weather, the Global Times reporters caught up with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was visiting Shanghai, at around 4:30 pm on Friday in the city’s iconic scenic spot, the Yuyuan Garden. Yuyuan Garden, a classical garden that ranks as one of the must-see attractions in Huangpu district, Shanghai, was among the major stops of Starmer’s Shanghai visit. Starmer arrived in Shanghai on Friday’s afternoon to continue his four-day trip to China and Shanghai is his second stop of the trip. …
China has executed 11 members of a notorious mafia family that ran scam centres in Myanmar along its north-eastern border, state media report. The Ming family members were sentenced in September for various crimes including homicide, illegal detention, fraud and operating gambling dens by a court in China’s Zhejiang province. The Mings were one of many clans that ran the town of Laukkaing, transforming an impoverished backwater town into a flashy hub of casinos and red-light districts. Their scam empire came crashing down in 2023, when they were detained and…
Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed on Thursday in Beijing that the two countries should develop a long-term, stable comprehensive strategic partnership, Xinhua News Agency reported. According to China Central Television, noting that the Year of the Horse is just around the corner, Xi said that he believes Starmer’s visit will be a success and the cooperation between the two countries will “Yi Ma Dang Xian,” which literally means “a horse charging ahead” or is commonly used to mean “taking the lead.” Xi said…
Earlier this year, Xin Minghua, a devoted fan of the “Ne Zha” animated films, journeyed all the way from East China’s Shanghai to the country’s southwestern Sichuan province, just to visit Nezha Palace, a site dedicated to the legendary mythological figure. “We heard there was a Nezha Palace here and thought it was interesting, so we came to see it for ourselves,” Xin said. Visitor numbers at the Cuiping Hill scenic area in Yibin, where the palace was built in 1991, have surged since these movies became major hits, with…
As news emerged that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer would lead a significant delegation to China, the narratives in Western media surrounding this potential visit have become both complex and divergent. Some outlets sensationalized the situation, claiming that “ignoring security threats, Starmer caves to China on mega-embassy,” while others argued that the prime minister “has to play it tough in China.” In contrast, there are voices emphasizing a pragmatic cooperation agenda, highlighting key initiatives such as the potential revival of a “golden era” business dialogue between the UK and China.…
Former US president Joe Biden joined two former US presidents – Barack Obama and Bill Clinton – in denouncing the law enforcement actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota where ICE agents shot and killed a second resident this month. “What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans. We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street. We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights. We are…
As we just entered a new year, I think Hong Kong now has a golden opportunity to think afresh and reinvent itself. Rather than regretting the events of the very difficult days in 2019-20, Hong Kong should embrace a very different and new kind of future, based on “one country, two systems.” I would like to make seven propositions concerning Hong Kong’s future. First, it must be based on deep integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The dynamism of the Guangdong Province and its cities represents a…
On Monday, Yan Junjie, born in 1989, walked into a conference room in Beijing. At 37, he was likely the youngest entrepreneur at a symposium chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang to solicit opinions on the draft government work report and the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). Who is this young man, and why does his voice matter to China’s economic strategy? Yan is the founder and CEO of MiniMax, an AI startup that became China’s second “AI tiger” to go public on January 9. The company achieved in four years…
Australia has joined a growing chorus of anger – from France, the UK and Denmark, among others – over comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting NATO allies had stayed ‘a little bit off the front lines’ during the war in Afghanistan. Trumps’s remarks before the weekend have drawn sharp rebukes from European partners and forced a partial retreat from the White House. The backlash was swift and wide-ranging, stretching from Paris to Canberra, and comes just as tensions over Greenland had begun to ease. For many US allies, the…