Some facial expressions say more than a thousand words. A smile creates a good mood and positive reactions in East and West alike. But what does it look like when facial expressions are transferred to the digital world in the form of emoticons or emojis? Whether it’s WhatsApp or WeChat, Europeans and Chinese alike enjoy […]
European clothing manufacturers are speaking out against cotton from Xinjiang and, as a result, are facing a boycott of the Chinese market – with a loud drumbeat from the government. Canberra stands up to Beijing and refuses to interfere in national affairs, whereupon several Australian industries are hit by import duties, import boycotts, and massive […]
The Bundestag Committee on Development has refused to discontinue the credit line for China granted by the World Bank Group until 2025 as soon as possible. A corresponding motion by the FDP parliamentary group was rejected yesterday, the committee announced. Specifically, it was about a loan package granted by the World Bank to China in […]
Automotive supplier Bosch will build fuel cells for the Chinese market together with commercial vehicle manufacturer Qingling Motors. The joint venture Bosch Hydrogen Powertrain Systems in Chongqing will develop, assemble, and market fuel cell systems for the Chinese market, the company announced yesterday. According to the company’s announcement, the aim is to supply fuel cell […]
“If we have to defend ourselves to the last day, we will defend ourselves to the last day,” Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warned Beijing last week. Wu accused China of relying on both reconciliation attempts and military intimidation – sending “contradictory signals”. The inhabitants of Taiwan are not only used to rhetorical saber-rattling around […]
Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), together with an Uyghur woman, have filed a complaint in France against four multinational clothing companies. Specifically, the complaint concerns Inditex (owner of the brands Zara, Bershka, among others), Uniqlo, SMCP (Sandro, Maje, among others), and the sports shoe manufacturer Skechers. They allegedly profited from forced labor of the Muslim minority […]
Watch out, character bullets cross! At least on Chinese video platforms. Here, it is not uncommon for viewers’ comments to fly across the screen as “line projectiles“. Dànmù 弹幕 is the name of this interactive phenomenon – a neologism made up of 弹 dàn “projectile” and 幕 mù as in 字幕 zìmù “subtitle” or 屏幕 […]
The environment ministers of the BASIC countries have expressed concerns about a “unilateral CO2 border adjustment”. This is a trade barrier, the environment ministers of Brazil, South Africa, India, and China said in a joint statement.Adjustments for carbon offsets are discriminatory and against the principles of the CBDR-RC (Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities) […]
Hong Kong activist and former opposition MP Nathan Law has been granted political asylum in the UK. After four months, his application has been approved, the 27-year-old wrote on Twitter. “The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote on the announcement of Law’s […]
The European Parliament wants to subject Czech MEP and former chairman of the informal club of China-friendly EU parliamentarians, Jan Zahradil, to a formal investigation, according to a media report. The background to the investigation is a lack of clarity over the sponsorship of a meeting of the China Club by the Chinese EU mission […]