Chinese and Philippine Maritime Forces Clash With Sticks and Oars Near Disputed Shoal in South China Sea

US Central Command said on Tuesday that its forces boarded and then released a commercial ship in the Arabian Sea, as the US continues to enforce the blockade on Iranian ports, the main impediment to US-Iran peace talks. “Earlier today in the Arabian Sea, US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/V Blue […]

Iran To Deepen Ties With 'Principal Strategic Partner' China: Ghalibaf Via The Cradle Iranian Parliament Speaker and special representative for China affairs, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, held the first joint meeting with key economic officials on Wednesday to align Tehran's economic strategy toward Beijing. The session in Tehran included the ministers of economy, oil, and industry, alongside the central bank governor and the head of the Plan and Budget Organization. The assembly focused on establishing a unified government approach to elevate bilateral relations and coordinate the administration's economic priorities. During the proceedings, officials evaluated...

The Great Retreat: Beijing's Digital Currency Ambitions Are Faltering Authored by James Gorrie via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), For years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has positioned the digital yuan (e-CNY) as the ultimate weapon of financial totalitarianism. It was intended to be the crowning achievement of the surveillance state. With a programmable, traceable digital currency, Beijing thought it would finally break the back of private payment giants like Alipay and WeChat Pay. Signage of the Chinese digital currency is seen near a coffee store in the New Actuation Fintech Center...