Previously, I put forward the argument that Hong Kong’s relevance in China’s opening up lies less in guarding its gateway role and more in developing new forms of partnership. Since then, Hainan has set up distinct island-wide customs operations from December 18. This is a turning point – one that invites Hong Kong to think…
There was little hope for progress at the start of this year’s UN climate summit. The annual conference opened amid strong divisions over the future of fossil fuels, stalled climate finance pledges and the notable absence of one of the world’s largest emitters — the US. Ultimately the talks did yield some progress, though they’ll…
Imports of finished and unfinished permanent magnets, which are largely made of rare-earth metals, fell to 16,281 tonnes during the April to September period, registering a 56% drop from a year earlier, according to the ministry of commerce data. That’s the steepest fall in a six-month period in the last seven years. In the financial…
The Nexperia factory in Dongguan, in the heart of southern China’s Pearl River Delta, has long been a poster child for successful globalisation. Since its launch in 2000, the plant, which covers an area the size of 10 football fields, has operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, non-stop. Following its most recent…
The Nexperia factory in Dongguan, in the heart of southern China’s Pearl River Delta, has long been a poster child for successful globalisation. Since its launch in 2000, the plant, which covers an area the size of 10 football fields, has operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, non-stop. Following its most recent…
Subscribe to The Frayed Edge by Sarah Kent, a weekly newsletter on how to build a cleaner, fairer fashion system. Happy Friday. It’s going to be the last working one for me for a little while; this is my final dispatch before heading out on maternity leave for the next few months. For regular readers,…
On Monday, the UN’s annual COP climate summit kicks off in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Belém, Brazil; a lush setting that underscores what’s at stake if climate action fails to accelerate in a world growing hotter by the year. The event marks a decade since world leaders reached an historic agreement in…
Congressional leaders are pressing federal agencies to provide more information on their plans to compete with China on a range of tech and cybersecurity issues, including a strategy for promoting American 6G telecommunications infrastructure and limiting Chinese tech in US supply chains. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., ranking member on the House Select Committee on the…
US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have wrapped up a summit in South Korea with a deal to keep Chinese rare earth exports flowing. Refined tellurium is displayed at the Rio Tinto Kennecott refinery, May 11, 2022, in Magna, Utah. (AP) Here are some basic facts about these obscure elements making…
VENICE, Italy — As sustainability faces disruption and political backlash globally, fashion finds itself questioning how to move the needle forward after a decade of quantum leap efforts. Against a dampened economy and geopolitical turmoil, the stakes are higher than ever. Global supply chains, including Italy’s, are under pressure — and increasingly under scrutiny. Policymakers…