Day: December 3, 2025

Chile has recently taken a decisive step toward nationalizing its lithium industry, signing a joint venture agreement between the state-owned Codelco and local lithium giant SQM. This move directly impacted Tianqi Lithium, a major Chinese company under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which had invested heavily in Chile’s lithium sector. This marks a significant setback for China in the global race for dominance over critical resources like lithium.

President Trump signs new Taiwan legislation into law. The Taiwanese are ecstatic; the Chinese Communist Party—not so much.French President Emmanuel Macron is kicking off a three-day visit to China. This time, the president of the European Union isn’t joining him. What’s top of mind for Macron?To pressure Russia and help end the war in Ukraine, Europe says it will phase out Russian gas imports.The Trump administration prepares military strikes inside Venezuela. It’s America’s own backyard—but what role is China playing there? If Maduro falls, what would it mean for the Chinese regime?Prosecutors accuse Linda Sun of betraying the state of New York and advancing Beijing’s agenda. We have the latest on the case against Governor Hochul’s former aide.Taiwan Cheers Trump’s New Law, China ProtestsEvery Nation Has the Right to Recognize Taiwan: FisherMacron Kicks Off China Visit, von der Leyen AbsentEurope to Phase Out Russian Gas Imports by 2027What Would Toppling Maduro Mean for China?Prosecutors: Millions Flowed Into Sun’s Husband’s AccountsWhat’s at Stake in the AI Race Between U.S., ChinaHong Kong Fire Survivors Return to Collect Belongings

In today’s show: US President Donald Trump Signs Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act Into Law Opposition Lawmakers in Taiwan Halt US$40B Defense Budget Bill Review Taiwan Foreign Minister ‘Looks Forward’ To Diplomatic Ties With Honduras Hong Kong Fire Death Toll Rises to 156 With Dozens Still Missing Analysis: How Will the Hong Kong Fire Test Beijing’s Authority? Russian Strikes on Ukraine Continue As US Delegation Meets With Putin Tokyo Electron Charged in TSMC Trade Secrets Case Audrey Tang Named ‘Right Livelihood’ Laureate for Digital Advocacy Work📹 Anchor: Yvonne Yang#TaiwanPlus #TaiwanPlusNews #TaiwanNews-

Beijing has been hiding its economic doom but October was the breaking point when the numbers started to show that the economic free fall has begun. In this episode, we dive deep into the fiscal crisis, the sudden collapse in government spending, the 15.5% plunge in fixed-asset investment, the –42.2% financing freeze, the property market’s double-digit crash, and the sharp reversal in exports. These aren’t predictions — they’re the CCP’s own official numbers, already massaged and sanitized. If even the “polished” data is flashing red, the real situation is far worse.

Chinese and Japanese vessels are facing off in disputed waters near Taiwan, as China cancels 40 percent of scheduled flights to Japan. Tensions between two of Asia’s biggest economies are rising fast. Marine Col. Grant Newsham joins us to unpack what this means for the region:”The Chinese are constantly testing, constantly probing, to see what the Japanese will do to defend themselves, and, as importantly, what the Americans will do to step in to help the Japanese,” he says. “[One possibility is] a standing headquarters where Japanese and American forces and officers conduct the necessary patrols and exercises, ready to defend the area, and, if necessary, to push back, or even to shoot back, if fired upon. We don’t have that. Amazingly enough, the Japanese seem to be wanting to do it themselves, and it doesn’t appear the Americans have actually talked to the Japanese and said, ‘Look, let’s do this together.'”The poor quality of Chinese goods is also back in the spotlight after a devastating fire in Hong Kong. Counterfeit goods cost one Chinese businessman millions of dollars in losses. He shares his firsthand experience: “These counterfeit goods aren’t just made by one company—they’re part of a nationwide, systematic problem.”FBI Director Kash Patel tells The Epoch Times that fentanyl traffickers are struggling as critical precursors from China dry up. But will the Chinese regime honor its side of the fentanyl deal with America?00:00 Intro00:22 Japan Expels 2 Chinese Ships From Disputed Waters01:36 China Cuts 40 Percent of December Flights to Japan03:28 Newsham on China–Japan Tensions and the Senkaku Islands04:09 Beijing Escalates Claims Over Japan’s Senkaku Islands05:12 China Risks Clash While Escalating Tensions With Japan07:09 Lack of Joint Defense Leaves Senkaku Islands Exposed10:10 China Eyes Senkaku to Secure Taiwan Flank11:50 Hong Kong Vows Reform After Fire Kills 15615:06 Fake Goods Are a ‘State-Backed’ Industry in China17:06 Patel: Cartels ‘Scrambling’ After China Fentanyl Cutoff

What really fueled the deadly Hong Kong fire? In this investigation, we break down how a tragedy that should never have happened became inevitable after years of political pressure and mainland-style governance. From substandard safety nets and banned building materials to ignored warnings, collapsed oversight, and the Greater Bay Area integration project, this wasn’t an accident — it was the result of a system that put politics above safety. We examine the contractors, the regulators, the standards that quietly shifted, and the hidden forces behind Hong Kong’s worst disaster in years. This is the story Hong Kong officials don’t want to talk about.

On November 30, the Philippine Coast Guard’s 300-ton patrol vessel BRP Cabra successfully pushed a Chinese Coast Guard ship out of contested waters in the South China Sea. At the same time, Philippine forces tracked two larger 3,000-ton Chinese coast guard vessels on radar and kept all three Chinese ships nearly 100 nautical miles beyond the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to break down China’s escalating threats toward Japan, rising tensions over Taiwan and mounting backlash in Hong Kong as Beijing tightens control.

China Update provides the most up to date political, economic, and geopolitical news and analysis on China. Videos are based on hundreds of articles, think tank reports, government statements and other resources in English and Chinese. China Update is fully independent and I make the videos.X (Formerly Twitter): / tonychinaupdate Channel email: [email protected]:00 Introduction00:11 Chinese Economy I: Housing Data Pulled02:38 Japan-China Tensions Update07:00 Chinese Economy II: Factory Numbers09:04 VW Goes Full Made In China

In this episode of Monetary Matters, Jack sits down with Michael Pettis, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, to deconstruct the massive economic imbalances between China and the rest of the world.For decades, the global economy has relied on a specific mechanism: China suppresses domestic consumption to subsidize manufacturing, and the US runs massive deficits to absorb that excess supply. Pettis argues this model has reached its limit. They discuss the concept of “economic involution,” why China’s shift from real estate bubbles to manufacturing bubbles is dangerous for Europe and the US, and why the current tariff regimes are merely shifting trade routes rather than solving the problem. If you want to understand why the trade deficit keeps growing despite political intervention, and what a “Great Rebalancing” actually looks like, this is a must-listen. Recorded on November 24, 2025.