US asks China to stop Iran from closing Strait of Hormuz
"Any disruption to the supply of oil would have profound consequences for the economy. China in particular is the world's largest buyer of Iranian oil and has a close relationship with Tehran."
--- Well, yeah, it's in China's interest to keep the Strait open, unless - of course - Iran decides to close the Strait only for tankers not going to China.
""I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them [Iran] about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil," Rubio had said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
"If they [close the Straits]... it will be economic suicide for them.""
--- If it is, then why would you need to encourage 'them'?
China’s support for Tehran grows more restrained as U.S. enters war between Israel and Iran
"Beijing has largely avoided “direct condemnation of Israel while remaining diplomatically aligned with Iran,”"
--- Hmm ...: China ‘condemns’ Israel as it looks to show itself as a potential peace broker
"Robin Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said “China will be happy to see a big spike in oil prices if that destabilizes the U.S. and Europe.”
Echoing that view, Andrew Bishop, global head of policy research at Signum Global Advisors, said: “China may not be that irate at paying more for oil from other sources, if it means the U.S. suffers even more.”"
--- Meh... I doubt that China can afford much higher oil prices, considering the economic mess it is in.
China's research ships used for intel operations
"Chinese survey vessels conduct oceanographic research, resource mapping and data collection — all activities that ostensibly serve civilian purposes but can also bolster military operations.
These dual-use capabilities provide valuable intelligence for submarine routing, undersea cable monitoring, and acoustic sensor deployment.
[...] China's survey operations are a textbook example of gray-zone tactics: leveraging dual-use platforms, exploiting legal ambiguity, and conducting intelligence operations under a veneer of scientific legitimacy."
--- Not really news, just more evidence that Chinese 'scientists' are not just interested in science. They are required so by law, anyway.
DeepSeek aids China's military and evaded export controls, US official says
"Chinese law requires companies operating in China to provide data to the government when requested. But the suggestion that DeepSeek is already doing so is likely to raise privacy and other concerns for the firm's tens of millions of daily global users."
--- Phhh... Whoever trusts Chinese companies to handle his or her data is a moron, anyway.
"The company is also referenced more than 150 times in procurement records for China's People's Liberation Army and other entities affiliated with the Chinese defense industrial base"
--- If you needed evidence ...
China says Taiwan president spreading 'heresy' with sovereignty speech
"China on Monday accused Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te of "heresy", hostility and provocation, after a speech in which he said the island is "of course" a country and there is historical evidence and legal proof to back this up.
Beijing says democratically-governed Taiwan is "sacred" Chinese territory that has belonged to China since ancient times"
--- Goes to show again how religious communism actually is.
More effective than pandas: Beijing taps global youth influencers to promote ‘cooler China’
"As part of efforts to rebrand itself on the world stage, Beijing is inviting young global influencers on an all-expenses-paid 10-day trip to China this July. There, they will collaborate with local content creators, immerse themselves in Chinese culture, and showcase the “real China” to their followers.
Recruiting influencers from around the world - able to engage audiences in more authentic ways - may do more for China’s soft power campaign than diplomats, or even cuddly pandas, say analysts."
--- Yep, particularly the moronic TikTok viewers seem to be susceptible.
China warns of more floods as extreme storms hit world's No.2 economy
--- China Uncensored: "CHINA HAS NO FUTURE"
--- China Uncensored: "China Is Eating Itself Alive"
Nach Trumps Iran-Angriff lässt ein Satz im chinesischen Staats-TV aufhorchen
"Allerdings hat Trump womöglich Peking nicht in seine Kalkulationen einbezogen. Denn die Volksrepublik könnte einen vollen Einstieg der USA in einen Krieg im Nahen Osten nutzen, um ihre Stellung in Asien auszubauen. Berater Trumps hatten ihm ja geraten, die US-Armee sowohl aus dem Nahen Osten als auch aus der Ukraine abzuziehen, um mehr Spielraum im Kampf gegen China in Asien zu haben. Doch Trump hat einen wichtigen Flugzeugträger aus dem Südchinesischen Meer bereits Richtung Persischer Golf abgezogen und damit einen Schauplatz für Peking freigeräumt."
--- Dumm, aber vermutlich nicht kritisch. Denke nicht, daß China schon bereit für eine Taiwaninvasion ist.
