Called “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress”, the ethnic minority law aims to forge national unity and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the Chinese ​Communist Party (CCP) at its core, a draft copy of the law showed.

It was passed at the closing session of the ​annual meeting of the National People’s Congress, China’s legislature, by 2,756 votes, with three opposing votes and three ⁠abstentions, according to a Reuters witness.

The law will come into force on July 1 this year, state media reported.

Officially, China has ​56 officially recognised ethnic groups, dominated by the Han Chinese, who account for more than 91% of the country’s 1.4 billion people.

China’s ethnic minority ​populations – including Tibetans, Mongols, Hui, Manchus, and Uyghurs – are concentrated in regions that together cover roughly half of the country’s land area, much of it rich in natural resources.

The law aims to promote integration across ethnic groups through education, housing, migration, community life, culture, tourism, and development policy, the law said.

It mandates ​that Mandarin is the basic language of instruction in schools and for government and official business.

In public settings, where Mandarin and minority ​languages are used together, Mandarin must be given “prominence in placement, order, and similar respects,” the draft said.

“The state respects and protects the learning and use ‌of minority ⁠languages and scripts,” it added.

Religious groups, religious schools, and religious venues must adhere “to the direction of the Sinicization of religion in China,” according to the draft.

The law also seeks to ban any interference with marriage choices based on ethnicity, custom, or religion, to enable more intermarriage between ethnic groups.

‘INTEGRATE WITH THE MAJORITY’

Allen Carlson, an associate professor of government at Cornell University and an expert on Chinese foreign policy, said ​the law underlined a move towards ​assimilation.

“The law makes it clearer ⁠than ever that in President Xi Jinping’s PRC non-Han peoples must do more to integrate themselves with the Han majority, and above all else be loyal to Beijing,” he said, referring to China by ​the initials for its official name.

Ethnic affairs are incorporated into China’s social governance system, with clauses that ​include anti-separatism, border ⁠security, risk prevention, and social stability.

Organisations and individuals outside China that carry out acts against the country “that undermine ethnic unity and progress or create ethnic separatism shall be pursued for legal liability in accordance with the law,” the draft said.

An editorial in state newspaper China Daily said that ⁠the law ​had followed a rigorous legislative process, been through multiple readings and consultations with ​lawmakers and representatives from ethnic minority communities.

“The law stresses the protection of cultural traditions and lifestyles of all ethnic groups… it is misleading to claim that ethnic minorities in ​China must choose between economic development and cultural preservation,” it said.

The Ghana Embassy in China will host a series of events culminating on March 6, 2026, to mark the country’s 69th Independence Anniversary, with Ace Liam’s artwork featured prominently.

As part of the celebrations, an art exhibition will showcase creative works by top Ghanaian artists, including Ace Liam and renowned artist Ibrahim Mahama, highlighting Ghana’s vibrant cultural heritage and fostering stronger cultural ties with China.

At just three years old, Ace Liam has already earned global acclaim for his innovative artistic talents. His participation in the Independence Day events underscores the role of young Ghanaian artists in promoting the nation’s rich culture on the international stage.

Ambassador Kojo Bonsu, speaking at a press event on February 5, 2026, emphasized Ghana’s commitment to deepening its relationship with China through cultural exchange and economic collaboration. The planned activities will also feature a business forum and a fashion show by Nineteen57, blending traditional and modern Ghanaian styles.

Ace Liam’s international journey began with his debut at the GUBA Awards in Barbados. In 2025, he received recognition at the UK Parliament House of Commons as a Global Child Prodigy in Arts and was named Kid Creator of the Year at the Creators Awards Ghana 2025.

His latest accolade, being featured in the 2026 Guinness World Records Book as a Young Achiever, marks him as the youngest achiever in the organization’s history. This special edition celebrates seven decades of global excellence, placing Ace Liam alongside icons like Simone Biles, Usain Bolt, and Dolly Parton.

Reflecting on this achievement, his mother and manager, Chantelle Kuukua Eghan, said: “Ace Liam being featured in the 2026 Guinness World Records Book is a dream come true. This is not just a win for him, but a win for all kids around the world.”

Ace Liam’s artistic journey began at six months old when his mother, a Ghanaian visual artist, introduced him to paints and a canvas.

His first piece, titled The Crawl, revealed a natural talent for colour, movement, and intuitive creativity. By his second birthday, he held his first exhibition at Ghana’s Museum of Science and Technology, where nine of his ten paintings were sold within three days.

Recognized as the youngest male artist by Guinness World Records in 2024, Ace Liam is known for energetic abstract compositions and fearless experimentation with colour and texture. His growing international acclaim has attracted collectors worldwide, including the former First Lady of Ghana.

As he prepares for his second international exhibition, Ace Liam’s story continues to inspire, showcasing the extraordinary possibilities that emerge when young talent is nurtured and celebrated.

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Under President Xi Jinping, an anti-corruption crackdown has swept through Chinese football in recent years, exposing the rotten state of the professional game.

Several top officials in the Chinese Football Association (CFA) have been brought down, while dozens of players have been banned for match-fixing and gambling.

Thursday’s statement did not specify when the most recently announced match-fixing took place, or how it worked.

The punishments were made after a “systematic review” and were needed “to enforce industry discipline, purify the football environment, and maintain fair competition”, the CFA wrote on its official social media account Thursday.

Li, a former Everton player who led the national team from 2019 to 2021, is already serving a 20-year prison sentence for bribery, after being sentenced in December 2024.

He is now banned from all football activities for life, alongside 72 others, the CFA statement said. Among them is Chen Xuyuan, former chairman of the CFA, who is already serving life in prison for accepting bribes worth $11 million.

Negative start to season

The football clubs that will be punished are similarly high-profile. Of the 16 clubs that competed in the 2025 season in the country’s top Chinese Super League (CSL), 11 will have points docked and be fined.

After relegations, this means that when the 2026 CSL season starts in March, nine teams will start with negative points totals.

Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and last season’s runners-up Shanghai Shenhua face the stiffest sanctions, with 10-point reductions and one-million-yuan ($144,000) fines.

Shanghai Port, champions for the last three seasons, will face a five-point reduction and a 400,000-yuan fine, the same punishment given to Beijing Guoan.

The CFA did not detail the club’s specific infractions, saying only that they related to “match-fixing, gambling, and bribery”, with their punishments “based on the amount, circumstances, nature, and social impact of the improper transactions involved”.

“We will always maintain a zero-tolerance deterrent and high-pressure punitive force, and investigate and deal with any violation of discipline or regulations in football as soon as they are discovered, without any leniency or tolerance,” the CFA said.

Many of China’s professional teams are already in financial trouble. Guangzhou FC, the most successful club in the CSL’s history, folded in 2025 after it failed to settle its debts in time for the new season.

President Xi is a football fan who has said he dreams of China hosting and winning the World Cup one day. China didn’t qualify for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer.

Sir Keir is seeking to strengthen trading and cultural ties between the two nations after years of acrimony.

But he has faced criticism from opponents at home over the risk posed by China to the UK’s national security and Xi Jinping’s human rights record.

The PM – who will meet President Xi on Thursday – said the trip will bring benefits to the UK and it was important to maintain a “strategic and consistent relationship” with the world’s second largest economy.

As he arrived at the airport in Beijing, Sir Keir was greeted by a delegation of Chinese government officials and presented with a bouquet of flowers. Union flags were seen flying in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

Addressing the 60 British business leaders accompanying him on the trip, the PM said: “On this delegation, you’re making history. You’re part of the change that we’re bringing about.

“We are resolute about being outward-looking, about taking opportunities, about building relationships…and always being absolutely focused on our national interest.”

For a UK prime minister, the politics of engaging with China is tricky.

China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang.

There has also been criticism over the treatment of Jimmy Lai – the Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon – who is facing a life sentence in prison.

In addition to China’s human rights record, there are concerns about the scale of its espionage activities in the UK, with the head of MI5 recently warning that Chinese state operatives presented a daily national security threat.

Sir Keir declined to be drawn on what he would seek to raise with Chinese leaders.

“In the past, on all the trips I’ve done, I’ve always raised issues that need to be raised, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself on the specifics until I’ve had the opportunity,” he told reporters travelling with him.

He added: “Part of the reason for engaging with China is so that issues where we disagree can be discussed, and the issues where we agree can be progressed, and so that’s the approach.”

Sir Keir will be hoping his visit – the first by a UK prime minister since Theresa May in 2018 – will mend relations with China, while keeping US President Donald Trump on side.

He has insisted the UK will not be forced to “choose between” China and the US, amid rising trade tensions between the two superpowers in recent years.

The UK would maintain “close ties” with the US on business, security and defence, he said, but added that “sticking your head in the sand and ignoring China… wouldn’t be sensible”.

The PM’s visit has attracted fierce criticism from his political opponents in the UK, particularly after the government gave the go-ahead to controversial plans for a Chinese mega-embassy in London.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she would not visit China “at this time” if she was prime minister.

“We should be talking more to those countries who are aligned with our interests, not the country that is doing everything it can to undermine our economy,” she told reporters.

“I think that that is what the prime minister should be talking about and he needs to show strength, not approving a super-embassy which many people think is going to become a spy hub.”

She had earlier said she was “worried about what he’s [Starmer] going to be doing when he gets to China”.

“He’s probably going to give away the Isle of Wight before he comes back. Let’s have an actual foreign policy, one that is rooted in realism and focusing on Britain’s national interest,” she added.

Sir Keir also faced criticism from the Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons, where deputy prime minister David Lammy stood in for him at his weekly question time session.

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Whilst the Chinese regime still holds British citizen Jimmy Lai captive in prison, and whilst the Chinese regime continues to hunt down pro-democracy protesters on the streets of Britain with bounties on their heads, the British prime minister has gone cap in hand to China to ask for a trade deal on the promise of a super-embassy from which the Chinese regime will continue to spy on us.”

Speaking during a farewell call from the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Tong Defa, on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in Accra, the Minister said the initiative aims to promote and strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

Madam Ofosu-Adjare also highlighted Ghana’s readiness to sign a Zero-Tariff Agreement with China, noting that trading in local currencies could help strengthen the Ghanaian cedi, given the volume of trade between the two nations.

She expressed appreciation to Ambassador Tong for his collaboration with the Ministry during his tenure and wished him well in his future assignments, adding that she is confident Ghana–China relations will continue to grow stronger.

In response, Ambassador Tong Defa commended the Minister for her efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation, noting that Chinese businesses have thrived in Ghana under President Mahama’s administration.

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The rate fell to 5.63 births per 1,000 people in 2025, beneath 2023’s low of 6.39 per 1,000, China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported on Monday. The drop suggests that a slight uptick in births in 2024 was an outlier rather than a reversal of an otherwise steady decline since 2016.

China’s economy grew 5% in 2025, officials also reported, in line with the government’s annual goal of “around 5%.”

The annual expansion was buoyed by a surge in Chinese exports that offset trade tensions with the US and weak consumption at home. China racked up a record $1.2 trillion-dollar trade surplus last year, despite US President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again trade war with the world’s second largest economy.

But the data also showed an economic slowdown in the fourth quarter, with the country recording only 4.5% growth from a year earlier – the slowest quarterly increase since the end of 2022.

Officials hailed the “remarkable stability” of the economy, with statistics bureau chief Kang Yi saying this was achieved despite a “complex and severe situation marked by rapid changes in the external environment and mounting domestic challenges.”

“In 2025, China’s economy withstood pressure and maintained steady progress, achieving new results in high-quality development,” Kang said in a press conference.

Despite the on-target annual economic growth, the birth figures deal a blow to Beijing’s efforts to reverse the impact of decades of stringent, state-enforced birth control under the now-abandoned “one-child” policy, and persuade more young people to have children.

With the 7.92 million babies born in China last year outpaced by 11.31 million deaths, the overall population dropped by 3.39 million, the data shows. The country’s headcount – still the world’s second-largest, behind India’s – stands at 1.4 billion for 2025.

China’s demographic challenge

China’s changing demographics are seen as a stark challenge by officials, as the country’s labor force shrinks and its population of pension-drawing retired adults grows.

Years of stringent population control under the “one-child” policy, which was scrapped in 2016, have accelerated trends seen in other countries like Japan and South Korea, where falling birth rates have been seen as a result of rising education levels, changing views on marriage, rapid urbanization, and the higher cost of raising kids.

The aging of China’s society deepened in 2025, with the population of those aged over 60 standing at 323 million and making up 23% of the population, up one percentage point from 2024, the data shows.

A staggering half of the country’s population could be over 60 by 2100, according to United Nations projections – a reality with potentially far-reaching implications, for not only China’s economy but also its ambitions to rival the United States as a military power.

Half of China’s population could be over 60 by 2100, according to the UN. Go Nakamura/REUTERS/REUTERS

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has evoked the need for “population security” and made the “development of a high-quality population” a national priority. He’s also overseen a push to automate and upgrade the country’s manufacturing powerhouse, replacing human with robotic labor.

China’s central government last year began offering annual cash bonuses to families with children under the age of three, amended rules to streamline marriage registration, and kicked off a scheme for free public preschool.

Those add to a raft of incentives local governments have tried in recent years to boost birth rates – from tax breaks and financial assistance for buying and renting homes, to cash handouts and extended maternity leave.

Declining births last year relative to 2024 may also have been linked to the Chinese zodiac, with 2025’s “Year of the Snake” considered less desirable for offspring than the previous “Year of the Dragon.”

Analysts expect more policies or incentives to support births and marriage in the year ahead. But many believe it will be impossible to stem the decline, especially as young people struggle to find jobs and eye the high costs of raising children, while women say the uneven burden of childrearing discourages them from starting or expanding families.

Fewer babies may also have a more immediate economic impact.

“Children are ‘super consumers.’ With births at such low levels, China’s domestic demand is likely to remain weak, leaving the economy increasingly dependent on exports,” Yi Fuxian, a demographic expert and senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US.

Economic headwinds

China’s on-target GDP of 5% shows the resilience of its economy during a year when tariffs on Chinese imports into the US briefly reached triple-digit figures.

But the growth masks deeper challenges for the domestic economy that policymakers are under pressure to address in the year ahead, analysts say.

Expansion slowed to 4.5% in the fourth quarter, the lowest rate on record since economic reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic. The figure was slightly above the 4.4% figure forecast by analysts polled by Reuters, enabling the data to nail the 5% growth target in a year where economic growth started strong and lost momentum.

But while Beijing sought to project an image of resilience, economists remain concerned about weak household spending amid deflationary pressure and an overreliance on exports to drive growth – particularly at a time when governments globally have grown more alarmed by widening trade imbalances.

Chinese manufacturers and exporters made an agile pivot in 2025 to drive their goods deeper into markets across the world, including in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America as their entry in the US market came under pressure from Trump’s levies. Those tariffs now stand at 20% imposed on top of pre-existing duties after a trade truce reached late last year.

Despite strong export-led momentum in the first half of 2025, the economy slowed in latter months, weighed down by tepid consumption growth, falling investment and plunging industrial profits.

In December, retail sales grew only 0.9%, compared with the 1.3% growth in November, highlighting the weakness in consumer spending.

Over the year, investment in housing, manufacturing and infrastructure slowed to a historic low, contracting 3.8%, according to the data released Monday – the first annual decline on record. Within that, real estate development declined by 17.2% amid a persistent property sector slum.

One bright spot for the economy was “strong AI & tech investments and robust financial market activities,” the Economist Intelligence Unit analysts said in a note Monday.

“Authorities did not rush a stimulus toward year-end because the 5% target was within reach, helped by strong exports,” they wrote.

Beijing on Wednesday reported the world’s largest-ever trade surplus – the value of goods and services sold overseas compared to its imports – at $1.19tn (£890bn).

It’s the first time China’s full-year trade surplus has exceeded $1tn, surpassing 2024’s record of $993bn.

China’s monthly export surpluses passed $100bn seven times last year – a sign that Trump’s tariff campaign has barely affected its overall trade with the rest of the world.

Trade with the US did weaken, but this was offset by a rise in Chinese exports elsewhere, especially to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Wang Jun, the deputy director of China’s customs, said during a press conference on Wednesday that the figures are “extraordinary and hard-won” given the “profound changes” and challenges in global trade.

He noted a rise in exports of green technology, artificial intelligence-related products and robotics.

The huge surplus can be explained by strong overseas demand for Chinese goods as trade with global partners, including South Asian countries and others in Africa and Europe, grew, as well as a weak domestic market.

China’s economy has been weighed down by a property crisis and rising debt, making businesses more hesitant to invest and consumers more cautious about spending.

As a result, there is less of a need to import goods, and imports rose by just 0.5%, according to the new figures.

Meanwhile, a weaker yuan, a strong supply of goods and inflation in Western countries have also made Chinese exports more attractive.

The results are a “mixed blessing” for Beijing, said trade policy analyst Deborah Elms from the Hinrich Foundation.

China has benefited from sales and from more jobs created by its business abroad, but its goods could face “greater scrutiny” in foreign markets under pressure to compete with its products, she said.

China’s success will likely continue in 2026 as Chinese goods and services become more deeply entrenched in global businesses, said Elms.

These latest figures will be seen in Beijing as a sign that China has customers all around the world, besides the US, but Wang warned that China faces an uncertain external environment.

Several countries have raised concerns that their markets are being flooded with low-priced Chinese products that they cannot compete with.

Businesses are also bracing for another year of turbulence and tariff tensions from the Trump administration.

In April last year, Trump caused turmoil in the global economy by announcing sweeping tariffs on goods from more than 90 countries. Some of the most severe tariffs were reserved for China, which exports more to the US than any other country.

An escalating war of words between the world’s two largest economies saw threats of blanket triple-digit tariffs.

At the time, trade experts saw this as a test of China’s reliance on the US market, which Beijing insisted was just one of many places that Chinese businesses could sell to.

Both sides managed to pause hostilities after a meeting between Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, avoiding a complete breakdown in trade relations.

Other, more moderate tariffs remain in place, which have severely dampened Chinese exports to the US.

The death sentence will be reduced to life in prison unless Gou commits further crimes during the reprieve.

The verdict was announced by the Intermediate People’s Court of Yancheng in East China’s Jiangsu Province. Gou was deprived of political rights for life, and had all personal property confiscated.

After the two-year reprieve period and the sentence is legally commuted to life imprisonment, Gou shall be subjected to lifelong imprisonment without commutation or parole. 

Through trial, it was found that from 2009 to 2024, Gou took advantage of his positions as vice mayor of Beijing municipal government, member of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC), deputy secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC, and the head of the General Administration of Sport of China, to provide assistance to relevant units and individuals in matters such as business operations and project approvals.

He illegally accepted assets and property equivalent to over 236 million yuan ($33.4 million). From 2012 to 2013, while serving as vice mayor of Beijing, Gou abused his power during the acquisition of related projects, causing significant losses to public property, as well as the interests of the state and the people.

The Intermediate People’s Court of Yancheng believes that Gou committed the crimes of bribery and abuse of power.

The amount of bribes he accepted was extraordinarily large, the circumstances of the crime were extremely serious, the social impact was especially vile, and his actions caused exceptionally severe losses to the interests of the state and the people.

According to the law, he should be sentenced to death for his crimes. For abusing his power, which caused significant losses to public property as well as to the interests of the state and the people, and given the particularly grave circumstances, he should also be punished in accordance with the law, with the sentences for multiple offenses to be combined.

Considering that some of Gou’s bribery offenses were attempted, that he truthfully confessed his crimes after being brought to justice, voluntarily disclosed some bribery facts not yet known to the investigative authorities, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, actively returned illicit gains, and that all bribes, illicit assets, and proceeds had been recovered, the death penalty for his bribery crimes will not be executed immediately.

Based on the facts and circumstances of Gou’s crimes, it was decided that after the two-year reprieve period expires and the sentence is legally commuted to life imprisonment, he shall be subjected to lifelong imprisonment without commutation or parole. 

In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), the President outlined a vision for a manufacturing-focused partnership, moving beyond traditional resource extraction and infrastructure funding.

President Mahama stated that Ghana’s goal is to transition from merely exporting raw commodities—such as cocoa, timber, and mineral ores—to exporting higher value-added, finished, or semi-finished products.

He emphasised that this strategy is vital for job creation, technology transfer, and stabilising Ghana’s economy by reducing its reliance on volatile global commodity prices.

President Mahama says Ghana wants Chinese industries to partner with Ghanaian businesses to process raw materials for export back to the Chinese market.

This shift aligns with Ghana’s long-term industrialisation agenda, which seeks to boost the manufacturing sector’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

During the interview, President Mahama took time to commend Beijing for its central role in driving development across the African continent, particularly through major infrastructure projects.

China has financed and executed numerous large-scale projects in Ghana, including hydroelectric dams, road networks, and port expansions, often through concessional loans and government-to-government agreements.

President Mahama described China as a true friend, emphasising that the partnership has enabled African countries to invest in important infrastructure and advance their development goals.

This partnership is seen by many African leaders as a necessary alternative to traditional Western development models, offering faster delivery of essential projects.

The interview also covered historical and international topics, including the lasting effects of slavery and colonialism.

The President used the platform to reiterate Ghana’s firm stance on recognising the transatlantic slave trade as the ultimate historical transgression.

He confirmed a major diplomatic effort planned for the next year:

He reiterated that Ghana will next year move a motion at the United Nations General Assembly asking the world to recognise the slave trade as the greatest crime against humanity.

This planned motion underscores Ghana’s historical importance as the “Gateway to Africa” and its role as a moral leader in seeking global acknowledgment and restorative justice for the horrors of the slave trade.

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Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Prof. Bokpin said the deal must be understood primarily from China’s perspective, not Ghana’s.

“China needed this more,” he said. “China wants to reduce its exposure to the US market and diversify. China has been doing this consistently.

“If you look at the expansion in terms of trade openness between China and Africa, you can see China is very strategic. They want to reduce their exposure to the US, and they need markets.”

He noted that even before the agreement, Chinese goods had already flooded the Ghanaian market. “Do you want it to get worse?” he asked. “Even with some level of tariffs, Chinese goods are all over the place.”

Prof. Bokpin criticised the government for failing to properly consult key stakeholders like the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce before agreeing to the deal.

“They are the big players, the ones doing the numbers,” he said. “You needed broad-based consultation to understand how they see it.”

He explained that while the agreement may appear mutually beneficial, it largely serves China’s long-term economic strategy.

“This is just an aspect of a bigger picture that China has for Africa,” he said. “Recently, a team of experts from China visited Ghana to identify investable projects—part of a broader agenda.”

Responding to host Evans Mensah’s question about whether Ghana had a choice, Prof. Bokpin said, “We don’t have an option. China is quite powerful as a trading partner and a development partner.

“Given what we have seen in the last 20 years with Paris Club creditors and the rise of non-Paris Club creditors, we don’t have many options.”

He argued that Africa lacks a coherent strategy for global trade engagement.

“Have we sat down to develop a strategy? Does Africa have a strategy to engage the rest of the world?” he asked.

“Having the African Continental Free Trade Area doesn’t mean we are taking advantage of it. It’s like saying that because Africa has more slots in the World Cup, it will win. It depends on how you prepare your players, who are your industrial sector actors and investors.”

Prof. Bokpin pointed to deep structural weaknesses that make Ghana uncompetitive even with tariff protection.

“Our economic orientation is not designed to favour exports. Everything we are doing here is import-driven,” he said.

“Look at our financial system—it supports imports, not production. The portion of private sector credit that goes to agriculture and manufacturing is small compared to what goes to services that fund trade.”

Source: Abubakar Ibrahim

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China’s President Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) in the port city of Tianjin. It is Modi’s first time in China in seven years.

Xi told Modi that China and India should be partners, not rivals, while Modi said there was now an “atmosphere of peace and stability” between them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also at the summit, attended by more than 20 world leaders, which this year has been overshadowed by trade wars with the US.

US President Donald Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods as punishment for Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, and Putin faces threats of sanctions for his ongoing war on Ukraine.

As the US-India relationship faces increasing headwinds, Modi is moving closer to Xi. Both countries are not only the most populous, but also have two of the largest economies in the world.

Modi announced that flights between India and China – suspended since deadly troop clashes on their shared Himalayan border in 2020 – would resume, without providing a timeline.

Xi said “both sides need to approach and handle our relationship from a strategic height and long-term perspective” and that “it is the right choice for both sides to be friends”.

The SCO summit itself is largely symbolic but will allow leaders to air common grievances and shared interests. It comes days before a massive military parade in Beijing that will mark 80 years since the end of World War Two.

There are 10 member states in the grouping – including Russia, Pakistan and Iran – and 16 dialogue partners and observers.

Putin, who is a close ally of China, arrived for a red carpet welcome in Tianjin on Sunday.

The SCO was created by China, Russia and four Central Asian countries in 2001 as a countermeasure to limit the influence of Western alliances such as NATO.

This year’s gathering is the largest since it was founded

For Tianjin, the summit has become a major event, with banners and billboards promoting it throughout the northern port city.

At night, tens of thousands of local spectators have been cramming into the riverside area to see a light show displayed on tower blocks while the gathering is taking place.

The streets have been heavily crowded, making it difficult for people to even move, especially on and around the historic Jiefang Bridge.

During the day, pedestrians are at times waited as roadblocks go up to allow the motorcades of visiting world leaders to pass by quickly.

Taxis and other hire car services have been suspended in the downtown area, but this has not dampened the enthusiasm of crowds of people wanting to be part of what has been described as a historic meeting.

However, police have advised Tianjin’s more than 13 million residents to avoid moving around the city if possible and to stick to shops near them to purchase any immediate necessities.

Source: BBC

The country’s birth rate has been falling, even after the ruling Communist Party abolished its controversial one-child policy almost a decade ago.

The handouts will help around 20 million families with the cost of raising children, according to state media.

Several provinces across China have piloted some form of payouts to encourage people to have more children as the world’s second largest economy faces a looming demographic crisis.

The scheme, which was announced on Monday, will offer parents a total of up to 10,800 yuan per child.

The policy will be applied retroactively from the start of this year, Beijing’s state broadcaster CCTV said.

Families with children born between 2022 and 2024 can also apply for partial subsidies.

The move follows efforts by local governments to boost birth rates in China.

In March, Hohhot – a city in the northern region of China – started offering residents up to 100,000 yuan per baby for couples with at least three children.

Shenyang, a city northeast of Beijing, offers 500 yuan a month to local families with a third child under three.

Last week, Beijing also urged local governments to draft plans for implementing free preschool education.

The country is among the world’s most expensive places to have children, in relative terms, according to a study by China-based YuWa Population Research Institute.

Raising a child to the age of 17 in China costs an average of $75,700, the study found.

In January, official figures showed that China’s population fell for a third year in a row in 2024.

China recorded 9.54 million babies born in 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

That marked a slight increase from the year before but the country’s overall population continued to shrink.

The country’s 1.4 billion population is also ageing fast, adding to Beijing’s demographic concerns.

BBC

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The officials tampered with the blood tests of students who were poisoned at Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui city, Gansu provincial authorities said in a report on Sunday.

City officials also accepted bribes from an investor in Peixin while neglecting food safety inspections across several pre-schools, the report said.

In an attempt to attract more students, Peixin chefs had used inedible paint to “enhance the look” of its meals, the report said.

Food samples were later found to contain lead 2,000 times in excess of the national safety limit.

Eight people were initially detained for their involvement in producing the toxic snacks. Six of them – including the kindergarten’s principal, cooks, and an investor – have been arrested, according to the report.

Ten other officials will face “formal accounting procedures” while another 17 people are under disciplinary investigation.

Authorities revealed on 8 July that 235 children from the privately-owned kindergarten were being treated in hospital for lead poisoning after eating steamed red date cakes and sausage corn buns.

As of Sunday, 234 of them have been discharged.

The Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention was ordered to test 267 students and staff at Peixin after some showed symptoms earlier this month, but officials “did not take the work seriously”.

The person in charge of the tests “seriously violated operating procedures, which distorted the results”, according to the report.

The report named several people under investigation and set out lead concentrations of various food samples, among other details.

It also accused staff at the Tianshui No. 2 People’s Hospital of “serious dereliction of duty” and described the institution’s management of the case as “chaotic”.

The Chinese internet paid keen attention to the report, with some commending what they see as transparent disclosure and others asking for perpetrators in this case to be held accountable.

In contrast to its chiding of provincial and city-level officials, the report said there was “quick response” from the central government, which convened an expert panel “at the earliest opportunity” to review any gaps in procedures.

On Monday, China published a set of national guidelines for the provision of meals on campuses. Among other things, it mandates that every new batch of food must be tested, and that rice, flour and cooking oil must be bought at centralised procurement points.

Authorities in Tianshui have also announced that children suffering from lead poisoning can receive free treatment at designated hospitals, and legal assistance will be made available to affected families.

Peixin will be temporarily managed by a state-owned kindergarten.

Source: BBC

In a post on his social media handles, Dr. Ato Forson disclosed that the mission involved meetings with China’s Ministry of Finance, China Exim Bank, and key financial and contractor creditors.

He noted that the discussions were constructive and represent significant progress toward finalising the debt restructuring process.

The Finance Minister described the engagements as a critical step in the government’s broader efforts to stabilise the economy, address the country’s debt challenges, and protect the wellbeing of citizens.

He indicated that the progress made in China strengthens Ghana’s position as it works to conclude this difficult chapter in the country’s economic history and move toward a more resilient, inclusive, and stable future.

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This milestone was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

The new tariff regime, which covers 100% of goods originating from Ghana, is expected to significantly boost trade volumes, stimulate job creation, and empower a new generation of Ghanaian entrepreneurs.

The development is particularly noteworthy as China remains Ghana’s leading trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding US$11 billion in 2024 alone. The tariff elimination opens new doors for Ghanaian producers to tap into the world’s second-largest consumer market.

Beyond trade, Mr Ablakwa revealed that bilateral discussions also focused on major industrial initiatives aligned with President Mahama’s vision for national transformation.

A central point of discussion was the exploitation of Ghana’s estimated 900 million tonnes of bauxite reserves to establish an integrated aluminium industry. The project is expected to be supported by modern rail infrastructure to facilitate the efficient transportation of raw materials and finished goods, marking a strategic shift from raw material exports to value-added industrialisation.

In another major breakthrough, Ghana and China have agreed to collaborate on the establishment of an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Ghana. This initiative is anchored on the country’s newly confirmed lithium deposits, with early estimates pointing to millions of tonnes of lithium oxide.

This move positions Ghana to play a key role in the global green energy transition, leveraging its mineral wealth to build a sustainable and technology-driven manufacturing base.

To formalise these collaborations, Mr Ablakwa confirmed that Ghana and China will soon sign a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to solidify cooperation across multiple sectors.

“President Mahama’s administration is firmly committed to leveraging diplomacy for the transformation of our dear country,” he stated, emphasising that the new agreements mark a bold pivot toward industrialisation and sustainable economic growth through international collaboration.

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US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the deal should result in restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets being resolved.

Both sides said they would now take the plan to their presidents, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, for approval.

The announcement came after two days of negotiations in London between top officials from Beijing and Washington.

Chinese exports of rare earth minerals, which are crucial for modern technology, were high on the agenda of the meetings.

Last month, Washington and Beijing agreed a temporary truce over trade tariffs but each country has since accused the other of breaching the deal.

The US has said China has been slow to release exports of rare earth metals and magnets which are essential for manufacturing everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.

Meanwhile, Washington has restricted China’s access to US goods such as semiconductors and other related technologies linked to artificial intelligence (AI).

“We have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus,” Lutnick told reporters.

“Once the presidents approve it, we will then seek to implement it,” he added.

The new round of negotiations followed a phone call between Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping last week which the US President described as a “very good talk”.

“The two sides have, in principle, reached a framework for implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state during the phone call on June 5th and the consensus reached at the Geneva meeting,” China’s Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang said.

When Trump announced sweeping tariffs on imports from a number of countries earlier this year, China was the hardest hit. Beijing responded with its own higher rates on US imports, and this triggered tit-for-tat increases that peaked at 145%.

In May, talks held in Switzerland led to a temporary truce that Trump called a “total reset”.

It brought US tariffs on Chinese products down to 30%, while Beijing slashed levies on US imports to 10% and promised to lift barriers on critical mineral exports. It gave both sides a 90-day deadline to try to reach a trade deal.

But the US and China have since claimed breaches on non-tariff pledges.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said China had failed to rollback restrictions on exports of rare earth magnets.

Beijing said US violations of the agreement included stopping sales of computer chip design software to Chinese companies, warning against using chips made by Chinese tech giant Huawei and cancelling visas for Chinese students.

Ahead of this week’s talks, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday that it had approved some applications for rare earth export licences, although it did not provide details of which countries were involved.

Trump said on Friday that Xi had agreed to restart trade in rare earth materials.

The country’s debt to China currently stands at US$6.1 billion.

Angola tops the list with a staggering US$46 billion owed to China, followed by Ethiopia (US$14.5 billion), Egypt (US$9.7 billion), Kenya (US$9.6 billion), and Nigeria (US$9.6 billion) in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions, respectively.

In the 6th to 10th positions are Zambia (US$9.5 billion), South Africa (US$6.9 billion), Sudan (US$6.3 billion), Ghana (US$6.1 billion), and Cameroon (US$5.9 billion).

The report from Boston University revealed that China’s financial engagement with Africa has grown significantly over the past two decades, largely through infrastructure-focused lending.

These loans have supported the construction of roads, railways, and power plants across the continent. However, the increasing reliance on Chinese credit has sparked concerns about debt sustainability, repayment risks, and the long-term economic autonomy of African nations.

The data covers loan agreements between China and African countries from 2000 to 2023.

A viral video, filmed inside what appears to be a clinic and posted to social media this month, shows a young woman asking an older woman: “Does every menstruating girl have to take off their trousers and show you before they can get a sick note?”

“Basically yes,” the older woman replies. “This is a school rule.”

Local media identified the video’s location as a clinic at the Gengdan Institute university college, which later said in a statement that its staff had “followed protocol”. But social media users have decried the encounter as a serious invasion of privacy.

Neither the student nor Gengdan Institute immediately responded to BBC News’ requests for comment.

Both the student’s video and the school’s statement appear to have been taken down, though screenshots and snippets have been recirculated online, including by state media.

On Douyin, China’s TikTok, a user claiming to be the student said her original account was suspended for 30 days for “pornographic content” after she posted the video.

In its statement dated 16 May, Gengdan Institute reportedly said the videos of the incident circulating online had been “distorted” – and that the institution had the right to pursue legal action against those who “maliciously spread untrue videos”.

The statement also said that the staff had followed the proper procedure during the encounter, such as “initiating clinical work after getting the student’s permission”, and did not use tools or conduct a physical examination.

In the video, the staff member did not reply when the student asked for written proof of the school regulation to check students’ menstrual status. She subsequently asked the student to go to a hospital instead.

On social media, the incident has triggered an outpouring of anger and sarcasm towards the school’s rules.

“My head hurts, should I open my skull and call it a day?” wrote one social media user.

“Let’s just take the sanitary pad out and paste it on the sick note,” another Weibo said.

A staff member at Gengdan Institute told local outlet Dute News that the school may have created the rule about proving menstruation in order to deter students from faking periods to get sick notes.

But that argument has rung hollow among social media users.

“If they’re worried about students using their periods as an excuse several times a month, why not simply make a record of it? It’s not that complicated,” one person wrote on Weibo.

State media has also waded into the debate.

“Menstruation is already an intimate topic for women. Rules like this will make students feel very uncomfortable, and even negatively impact students’ psychological wellbeing,” reads an opinion piece from China National Radio.

Gengdan Institute now joins a list of tertiary institutions across the country that have come under fire for what many see as overbearing and ham-fisted attempts at controlling their students.

Last year, some universities were criticised for banning the use of bed curtains in their dormitories. The curtains are often used by students for privacy in shared rooms, but school authorities said they were a fire and safety hazard.

Additionally, during the popular May Day holiday season last year, some universities issued strict guidelines for students who had planned to travel. These included avoiding solo trips, road trips, or cycling trips for safety – which many saw as the institutions overstepping their authority in students’ private lives.

On social media site Xiaohongshu, a user claiming to be a student at Gengdan Institute said “the school’s clinic deserves all the criticism it’s getting”.

“I heard from some older students that this kind of thing has been going on for a while. Some girls spoke up before, but nothing was done,” the user wrote.

“I’m glad it made the trending topics this time. People didn’t stay silent.”

The team comprising Barnabas Aggerh, Sean Safo-Antwi, Joseph Paul Amoah, and Ibrahim Fuseni clocked a time just 0.05 seconds behind second-placed Poland, narrowly missing the automatic qualification.

Great Britain & Northern Ireland took first place in the heat, followed by Poland and Ghana.

France delivered a disappointing performance, finishing fifth behind South Korea in fourth, while Colombia rounded out the group in sixth place.

Despite the setback, Ghana will have one more opportunity to qualify for the World Championships when they compete in Round 2 of the men’s 4x100m relay qualifiers on Sunday.

A Chinese official said there had been no trade talks with the US, despite suggestions otherwise from the Trump administration.

The trade war between the world’s two largest economies has been escalating, with China sending back Boeing planes it ordered from the US in its latest retaliation over tariffs.

But Trump has appeared to soften his stance on China, saying that the taxes he has so far imposed on Chinese imports would “come down substantially, but it won’t be zero”.

A trade war between China and the US is in full swing, with Trump imposing import taxes of up to 145% on Chinese goods coming into the US, and China hitting back with a 125% tax on American products.

In one of China’s strongest statements yet over the tariff war, Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong said the US should remove all “unilateral tariff measures” against China, “if it truly wanted” to solve the issue.

“The person who tied the bell must untie it,” he added.

Separately, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China and the US had “not conducted consultations or negotiations on tariffs, let alone reached an agreement”.

He added that reports to the contrary were “false”.

Trump previously said negotiations between the countries were “active” – but this was also contradicted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said on Wednesday they had not yet begun.

Bessent added that there was an opportunity for a “big deal” between the US and China on trade.

He has previously said he expected a de-escalation of the “unsustainable” trade war, and said the current situation was “not a joke”.

Trump said on Tuesday that he would be “very nice” in negotiations with Beijing in the hope of securing a trade deal.

But following China’s latest comments, he said on his Truth Social media platform “Boeing should default China for not taking the beautifully finished planes that China committed to purchase”.

“This is just a small example of what China has done to the USA, for years,” he added, before repeating accusations that synthetic opioid fentanyl “continues to pour into our country from China, through Mexico and Canada, killing hundreds of thousands of our people”.

The boss of plane manufacturer Boeing revealed China had sent back aircraft it had ordered from the US as part of its retaliation to tariffs.

Kelly Ortberg said this week that two planes had already been returned and another would follow due trade tensions between the two countries.

China held a roundtable on Wednesday to address the concerns of more than 80 foreign firms over the impact of US tariffs on their investments and operations in China, the commerce ministry said.

“It is hoped that foreign firms will turn crises into opportunities,” said Vice Commerce Minister Ling Ji.

Amidst the world today undergoing major changes unseen in a century and transformative shifts in the global economic governance system, China continues to deepen the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.

For China’s Africa policy and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, and advances institutional opening-up to jointly forge an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held on 5^th September 2024, President Xi Jinping announced that China would voluntarily and unilaterally open its market wider, and decided to give all LDCs (Least Developed Countries) having diplomatic relations with China, including 33 countries in Africa, zero-tariff treatment for 100% tariff lines.

This move marks China becoming the first G20 member to fully cover zero-tariff treatment for LDCs.

Previously, China has maintained zero-tariff on 98% products with tariff lines originating from 27 African LDCs, signed Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with 34 African countries, and signed the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with 21 African countries.

China has built up a multi-dimensional institutional framework covering market access, investment protection and tax coordination, thereby helping China-Africa economic and trade cooperation to improve quality and upgrade.

In 2024, the total trade volume between China and Africa reached 295.5 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 6.1%. Export of electric vehicles has grown substantially, reflecting China’s emphasis on cooperation with African countries in the areas of green energy.

It is expected that China-Africa trade volume will steadily increase to over 300 billion US dollars in 2025, and China-Africa economic and trade cooperation still has endless potential and bright prospects.

China has created favourable conditions for African countries’ high-quality products to enter the Chinese market more conveniently and quickly, further boosting Africa’s industrial development, promoting job growth and poverty reduction.

China has also established and expanded “green channels” for African agricultural products to be exported to China, facilitated the participation of African enterprises in large-scale exhibitions such as China’s Canton Fair, the International Import Expo and the International Supply Chain Expo.

Also, China will construct digital silk roads for African specialty products to connect to the world market.

Recently, certain country used tariff as a weapon to exert maximum pressure for its own selfish gains, which severely hurts the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, violates the WTO rules, sabotages the rules-based multilateral trading regime, and destabilizes the global economic order.

As a member of the Global South, China has always insisted on “joining hands” with each other instead of “letting go” of each other’s hands, “tearing down walls”, not to “erecting walls”, and firmly helping each other with African brothers including Ghana, to promote win-win cooperation with practical actions.

On 3^rd April, the Association of China (Ghana) Mining LBG was established in the presence of Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah and other senior officials, which is an important milestone in China-Ghana mining cooperation.

It will strongly support Ghana’s economic development and improve people’s livelihood. As the co-chair of the Official Creditor Committee for Ghana, China played an active coordinating role and worked constructively to facilitate the proper settlement of Ghana’s debt issue.

In the process of universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, China will work with Ghana to share the fruits of development for the benefit of both peoples.

The 4^th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo will be held in Changsha, Hunan Province, from 12^th to 15^th June.

By then, China will provide more cooperation opportunities for African state-owned and private sectors in areas including clean energy, energy conservation and environmental protection, traditional medicine, cross-border e-commerce, modern agricultural machinery and construction machinery.

I believe China will continue to promote the implementation of pragmatic initiatives such as tariff reduction and exemption, trade facilitation arrangements and trade exhibitions, proving with facts that China will always be Africa’s good friend, good partner and good brother.

The forward featured for his country at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Cameroon and won a total of 35 caps for the Panthers.

He had joined Chinese club Zhejiang FC, based in the city of Hangzhou, from Romanian outfit Rapid Bucharest in January.

Boupendza began his career in his homeland with CF Mounana and went on to have spells with sides in France, Portugal, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Gabon’s football federation (Fegafoot) announced the news of his death on social media.

“Boupendza is remembered as a great striker who made his mark during the [Afcon] in Cameroon,” the statement said.

“Fegafoot and the Gabonese football family offer their sincere condolences to his family.”

Gabon’s president-elect Gen Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was among those to pay tribute to Boupendza, describing him as “a talented centre-forward who brought honour to Gabonese football”.

US President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause on higher tariffs for dozens of countries but hikes levies on China to 125%

Earlier this month, the US president announced a “baseline” tariff of 10% on all countries, with higher rates for the “worst offenders”

He now says the higher rates will be paused for 90 days, and instead, the “reciprocal tariff” will be 10%

But he says the rate for China will rise again, to 125%, because of “the lack of respect that China has shown to the world’s markets”

Earlier on Wednesday, China announced an 84% tariff on US imports after Donald Trump imposed a 104% tariff on Chinese goods entering the US.

The world is ready to work with Trump – Lutnick

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says in a social media post that he was in the room when US President Donald Trump wrote the Truth Social post announcing the 90-day pause on most tariffs and increase to China’s tariff rate.

“Scott Bessent (head of the US treasury) and I sat with the President while he wrote one of the most extraordinary Truth posts of his Presidency,” Lutnick posted on X.

“The world is ready to work with President Trump to fix global trade, and China has chosen the opposite direction,” he says.

Mexico and Canada included in 10% tariffs

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Mexico and Canada are included in the 10% baseline tariffs imposed by the US, following Donald Trump’s announcement to pause higher tariffs for 90-days.

Markets soar after Trump announces tariffs pause

Financial markets have soared after President Trump announced a 90-day “pause” on the tariffs against countries who have not retaliated against the US.

As we’ve just reported, Donald Trump has raised tariffs against China to 125%, and also issued a 90 day pause to some tariffs.

Here’s his Truth Social statement in full:

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately.

“At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable

“Conversely, and based on the fact that more than 75 Countries have called Representatives of the United States, including the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and the USTR, to negotiate a solution to the subjects being discussed relative to Trade, Trade Barriers, Tariffs, Currency Manipulation, and Non Monetary Tariffs, and that these Countries have not, at my strong suggestion, retaliated in any way, shape, or form against the United States, I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Trump raises tariff on Chinese goods to 125%

Chinese goods imported to the US will carry tariffs of 125% effective immediately, Donald Trump says.

“At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realise that the days of ripping off the USA, and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable,” the US president writes on social media platform Truth Social.

Chinese goods imported to the US will carry tariffs of 125% effective immediately, Donald Trump says.

“At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realise that the days of ripping off the USA, and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable,” the US president writes on social media platform Truth Social.

Wall Street opened with mixed trading this morning, with both S&P 500 and Dow Jones down, we’re now seeing some slight changes as it reaches lunchtime in the US.

The trade in goods between the two economic powers added up to around $585bn (£429bn) last year.

Though the US imported far more from China ($440bn) than China imported from America ($145bn).

That left the US running a trade deficit with China – the difference between what it imports and exports – of $295bn in 2024. That’s a considerable trade deficit, equivalent to around 1% of the US economy.

But it’s less than the $1tn figure that Trump has repeatedly claimed this week.

Beijing announced the plan on 4 February, minutes after new US levies of 10% on all Chinese products came into effect.

On Sunday, Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports into the US, with a full announcement to come on Monday.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to the Super Bowl, he also said he was planning reciprocal tariffs on other nations – but did not specify which ones would be targeted.

China’s latest tariffs on US goods include a 15% border tax on imports of US coal and liquefied natural gas products. There is also a 10% tariff on American crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars.

Last week, Chinese authorities launched an anti-monopoly probe into technology giant Google, while PVH, the US owner of designer brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, was added to Beijing’s so-called “unreliable entity” list.

China has also imposed export controls on 25 rare metals, some of which are key components for many electrical products and military equipment.

Trump’s announcement over the weekend of plans to impose a 25% tax on the US’s steel and aluminium imports comes days after he reached deals with Canada and Mexico to avoid 25% tariffs that he had threatened on all goods from the countries.

He introduced similar measures during his first term as president, imposing 25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminium, but later granted several trading partners duty-free quotas – including Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

The European Union (EU) import taxes were not resolved until the Biden administration took over the White House.

There was no mention on Sunday of which countries, if any, would be granted similar exemptions if these new tariffs are implemented in the following days.

Trump’s intention to implement reciprocal tariffs would fulfil an election campaign pledge to levy tariffs at the same rates that are imposed on US goods.

He also said import taxes for vehicles remained on the table after reports he was considering exemptions to universal tariffs.

Trump has repeatedly complained that EU tariffs on imports of American cars are much higher than US levies.

Last week, Trump told the BBC tariffs on EU goods could happen “pretty soon” – but suggested a deal could be “worked out” with the UK.

The day after the latest US tariffs came into effect, Beijing accused Washington of making “unfounded and false allegations” about its role in the trade of the synthetic opioid fentanyl to justify the move.

In a complaint lodged with the World Trade Organization (WTO), China said the US import taxes were “discriminatory and protectionist” and violated trade rules.

But experts have warned China is unlikely to secure a ruling in its favour as the WTO panel that settles disputes remains unable to function.

Trump had been expected to speak to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in recent days but the US president has said he was in no hurry to hold talks.

“China is much better prepared [than during Trump’s first term],” said Scott Kennedy, an expert in Chinese business and economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“Although their economy cyclically has slowed down quite a bit, their technology capabilities are a lot greater than they were before and they have diversified their trade and investment with others”.

Some of the many measures brought in by Trump since he took office on 20 January have been subject to change.

On Friday, he suspended tariffs on small packages from China, which, along with the additional 10% tariffs, came into effect on 4 February.

The suspension will stay in place until “adequate systems are in place to fully and expediently process and collect tariff revenue”.

After the order ended duty-free treatment of shipments worth less than $800 (£645) the US Postal Service (USPS) and other agencies scrambled to comply.

USPS temporarily stopped accepting packages from China, only to U-turn a day later.

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In a statement, GHS noted the infection is currently spreading across China and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Given this, the Service has put heightened monitoring measures in place, emphasising public vigilance to mitigate potential risks.

The statement signed by the Director-General of GHS, Dr Patrick Kumah-Aboagye explained that the outbreak is not linked to a new virus, as with COVID-19.

However it aligns with the typical seasonal increase of hMPV-related respiratory infections during winter.

The statement revealed that weekly respiratory samples from all 16 regions of Ghana have not identified any unusual respiratory pathogens, including hMPV.

But to bolster readiness, the GHS has initiated various measures in collaboration with partners and in line with WHO guidelines.

These include enhanced surveillance of acute respiratory infections, expanded laboratory testing, continuous assessment of developments in the Northern Hemisphere and increased public education campaigns to raise awareness of preventive practices.

The general public have therefore been advised to adhere to practical preventive measures, such as practising proper respiratory hygiene, maintaining hand hygiene, avoiding touching the face, wearing face masks when necessary, seeking prompt medical care and adopting healthy dietary habits.

GHS further pledged its commitment to safeguarding the well-being of Ghanaians.

“The GHS assures the public that it is taking necessary steps to protect the health of Ghanaians and will provide regular updates on the situation,” the statement concluded.

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Videos on social media appear to show hospital units overrun with patients in face masks, and parents holding sick children in long lines in pediatric units.

There have also been unverified reports that crematoriums and funeral homes are being overwhelmed.

Local news reports have blamed a little-known virus called human metapneumovirus (HMPV) — which normally causes a mild cold-like illness — for the latest outbreak, though officials have yet to confirm this.

The situation is similar to winter 2022/23 when China was hit with a wave of mycoplasma pneumonia cases, a condition dubbed ‘white lung’, which is also normally mild.

That outbreak was blamed on children having low natural immunity due to the effects of China’s harsh lockdowns and school closure measures aimed at containing Covid.

But official reports from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that regular flu is leading the latest outbreak, with 30 percent of tests coming back positive for influenza and one in seven people hospitalized with a severe respiratory illness testing positive for it.

But the Chinese CDC warned that rates of multiple flu-like illnesses are on the rise.

In its latest report, for the week to December 29, data suggested that 7.2 per cent of outpatient visits to local hospitals in northern provinces were due to a flu-like illness.

This was up 12 per cent on the previous week, and above the levels for the same week every flu season since 2021.

Data for the southern part of the country suggested that 5.7 per cent of outpatient visits were due to flu-like illness.

This was up 21 per cent on the previous week, and also above the level’s for the same week in 2021 when 4.1 per cent of visits were due to flu-like illness. It was, however, below the levels in 2022 and 2023.

The dam, which will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest hydropower plant.

Chinese state media has described the development as “a safe project that prioritises ecological protection”, saying it will boost local prosperity and contribute to Beijing’s climate neutrality goals.

Human rights groups and experts, however, have raised concerns about the development’s knock-on effects.

Among them are fears that the construction of the dam – first announced in late 2020 – could displace local communities, as well as significantly alter the natural landscape and damage local ecosystems, which are among the richest and most diverse on the Tibetan Plateau.

China has built several dams in Tibetan areas – a contentious subject in a region tightly controlled by Beijing ever since it was annexed in the 1950s.

Activists have previously told the BBC that the dams are the latest example of Beijing’s exploitation of Tibetans and their land. Mainly Buddhist Tibet has seen waves of crackdowns over the years, in which thousands are believed to have been killed.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government rounded up hundreds of Tibetans who had been protesting against another hydropower dam. It ended in arrests and beatings, with some people seriously injured, the BBC learned through sources and verified footage.

They had been opposing plans to build the Gangtuo dam and hydropower plant, which would displace several villages and submerge ancient monasteries with sacred relics. Bejing, however, said it had relocated and compensated locals, and moved the ancient murals to safety.

In the case of the Yarlung Tsangpo dam, Chinese authorities have stressed that the project would not have a major environmental impact – but they have not indicated how many people it would displace. The Three Gorges hydropower dam required the resettlement of 1.4 million people.

Reports indicate that the colossal development would require at least four 20 km-long tunnels to be drilled through the Namcha Barwa mountain, diverting the flow of the Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibet’s longest river.

Experts and officials have also flagged concerns that the dam would empower China to control or divert the flow of the trans-border river, which flows south into India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and onwards into Bangladesh.

A 2020 report published by the Lowy Institute, an Australian-based think tank, noted that “control over these rivers [in the Tibetan Plateau] effectively gives China a chokehold on India’s economy”.

Shortly after China announced its plans for the Yarlung Tsangpo dam project in 2020, a senior Indian government official told Reuters that India’s government was exploring the development of a large hydropower dam and reservoir “to mitigate the adverse impact of the Chinese dam projects”.

China’s foreign ministry has previously responded to India’s concerns around the proposed dam, saying in 2020 that China has a “legitimate right” to dam the river and has considered downstream impacts.

China has constructed multiple hydropower stations along the course of the Yarlung Tsangpo over the past decade in a bid to harness the river’s power as a source of renewable energy. Flowing through the deepest canyon on Earth, one section of the river falls 2,000 metres within a short span of just 50 km, offering huge potential for generating hydropower.

The river’s dramatic topography, however, also poses major engineering challenges – and this latest dam is by far China’s largest and most ambitious to date.

The site of the development is located along an earthquake-prone tectonic plate boundary. Chinese researchers have also previously flagged concerns that such extensive excavation and construction in the steep and narrow gorge would increase the frequency of landslides.

“Earthquake-induced landslides and mud-rock flows are often uncontrollable and will also pose a huge threat to the project,” a senior engineer from Sichuan provincial geological bureau said in 2022.

The project could cost as much as a trillion yuan ($127bn; £109.3bn) according to estimates by the Chongyi Water Resources bureau.

Li Tie, 47, who played for the English Premier League Everton alongside Wayne Rooney in the early 2000s, is the biggest name to fall foul of a sweeping crackdown on rampant graft in China’s professional soccer league.

Despite leader Xi Jinping’s vision to turn China into a “world soccer superpower,” Chinese professional soccer has been mired with poor financial decision making, deep-rooted corruption and disappointing performance.

In 2022, after China’s national men’s team suffered a disappointing elimination in the preliminary stage of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the country’s anti-graft agency launched a far-reaching investigation into bribery and match-fixing in Chinese professional soccer.

Li was the first among about a dozen soccer officials ensnared in the crackdown. In March, Chen Xuyuan, the former head of China’s official soccer association, was sentenced to life in prison for corruption.

On Friday, Li was sentenced for multiple counts of bribery by a court in the city of Wuhan, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

During his trial in March, prosecutors accused Li of accepting more than 50 million yuan ($6.8 million) in bribes between 2019 and 2021, when he served as the head coach of China’s national team and national select team.

In exchange, he granted favors to certain players to be selected into the national team and helped certain clubs to win matches, according to prosecutors.

To become the head coach, Li and the club he was coaching at the time arranged bribes totaling 3 million yuan (US$412,800) to help him secure the role, the court heard.

Li was also accused of fixing matches for the two clubs he coached in Chinese leagues between 2015 and 2019, according to the prosecutors.

In a documentary about the soccer sector anti-corruption crackdown aired by CCTV in January – weeks before the trial, a remorseful Li said he “deeply regretted” taking the wrong path.

“When I was a player, I despised people who played fixed matches the most,” Li said during the show. But after becoming the head coach of a club, he realized it was a shortcut to improve his club’s ranking.

“Achieving success through such improper means actually made me increasingly shortsighted and eager for quick results,” he said. “It became a habit, and eventually, I even started to rely on it.”

China’s Communist Party-controlled courts have a conviction rate above 99 percent and it is not uncommon for state broadcasters to air confessions before trial in high profile cases.

Li is considered among the best Chinese players of his generation, and one of the most recognizable names in Chinese soccer.

In 2002, Li, along with star defender Sun Jihai of Manchester City, made history as the first Chinese players to play in the English Premier League, securing his status as a national sporting icon.

Li made 29 appearances for Everton during his debut season in England, as part of a memorable side that included a young Wayne Rooney and former Nigerian captain Joseph Yobo.

That year Li also represented China at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, the first and only appearance for the men’s team at the quadrennial tournament.

Following his successful first season, Li signed a three-year contract with Everton, but his time in the first team was marred by a series of Injuries and he returned to China in 2008 after a brief but unsuccessful spell with Sheffield United.

Many Chinese soccer fans had hoped that Li, once the pride of Chinese soccer, could lead the men’s national soccer team into the World Cup when he was appointed the head coach in January 2020.

But Li resigned barely two years later amid an outpouring of backlash from fans over the team’s lackluster performance in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

According to the Trade Statistics Report from the Ghana Statistical Service, United Arab Emirates (40.1%) led the destination of gold export followed by Switzerland (30.1%), South Africa (22.2%), and India (6.8%). Together they accounted for 99.2% of gold export from Ghana.

About a third of mineral fuels and oils were also exported to China (29.8%), nearly a quarter of cocoa to the Netherlands (22.2%), vegetable products to Vietnam (17.0%) and iron and steel to Burkina Faso (55.9%).

For five out of the 10 product classifications, China was the leading country of origin.

However, for mineral fuels and oils the main country of origin was the United Kingdom, closely followed by the United Arab Emirates.

Vegetable products were primarily imported from Burkina Faso.

Source: Myjoyonline

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Economists at the renowned US firm project that the US will outperform expectations while the euro area lags behind amid fresh tariffs anticipated from the Trump administration.

Worldwide Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is predicted to expand 2.7% next year on an annual average basis, just above the consensus forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg and matching the estimated growth in 2024.

US GDP is projected to increase 2.5% in 2025, well ahead of the consensus at 1.9%.

The euro area economy is expected to expand 0.8%, compared with the consensus of 1.2%.

China’s economy will however expand by 4.0%, whilst India will record 6.7% GDP growth rate.

“Global labor markets have rebalanced,” Goldman Sachs Research Chief Economist Jan Hatzius wrote in the team’s report, which is titled “Macro Outlook 2025: Tailwinds (Probably) Trump Tariffs.”

“Inflation has continued to trend down and is now within striking distance of central bank targets,” Hatzius said. “And most central banks are well into the process of cutting interest rates back to more normal levels.”

US, the world’s largest economy is expected to grow faster than other developed-market countries for the third year in a row. The re-election of US President Donald Trump is predicted to result in higher tariffs on China and on imported cars, much lower immigration, some fresh tax cuts, and regulatory easing.

“The biggest risk is a large across-the-board tariff, which would likely hit growth hard,” Hatzius added.

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A 62-year-old male driver, surnamed Fan, is alleged to have driven an SUV through a barrier and into Zhuhai Sports Centre in what local police described as a “serious and vicious attack”. Chinese media reported that many elderly people, as well as teenagers and children, were among the injured.

Fan was arrested while trying to flee, police said, and is currently in a coma as a result of self-inflicted wounds.

The incident took place despite heightened security in the city, which is hosting a major civil and military airshow.

Police have said initial investigations suggest the ramming attack was triggered by Fan’s dissatisfaction with the outcome of a property settlement following his divorce.

However, due to his coma, he is unable to be questioned by the authorities.

Most videos of the incident posted by eyewitnesses had been scrubbed off Chinese social media by internet censors by Tuesday morning, but some footage still circulating online showed many people lying on the ground and being attended to by paramedics and bystanders.

An eyewitness, Mr Chen, told Chinese news magazine Caixin that at least six groups of people had gathered at the stadium for their regular walks when the incident happened.

The groups use a designated walking path that traces the stadium’s perimeter.

Mr Chen said his group had just completed its third lap around the stadium when a car suddenly charged towards them at a high speed, “knocking down many people”.

“It drove in a loop, and people were hurt in all areas of the running track – east, south, west, and north,” another eyewitness told Caixin.

It is unclear whether the incident was linked to the high-profile Airshow China, which started on Tuesday at a venue just 40km (24 miles) away from the stadium. China is showcasing its latest warplanes and attack drones at the show, and top Russian official Sergei Shoigu is expected to attend.

Several entrances and exits to the sports centre have been closed during the airshow to facilitate “control”, the centre’s management said on Tuesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his deep concern over the incident, instructing authorities to make every effort to treat the injured and calling for the perpetrator to be severely punished.

In response, the central government dispatched a working group to help handle the incident.

Investigations into the case are ongoing.

China has seen a spate of violent attacks on members of the public in recent months.

In September, a man went on a stabbing spree at a supermarket in Shanghai, killing three people and injuring several others.

In that same month, a 10-year-old Japanese student died a day after he was stabbed near his school in southern China.

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The country plans to tackle tens of billions of dollars of local government debt to prevent it from being a drag on growth.

Trump won the US election on a platform that promised steep import taxes, including tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese-made goods.

His victory is now likely to hinder Xi Jinping’s plans to transform the country into a technology powerhouse – and further strain relations between the world’s two biggest economies.

A property slump, rising government debt and unemployment, and low consumption have slowed down Chinese growth since the pandemic.

So the stakes are higher than ever for the latest announcement from the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the executive body of China’s legislature.

During his first term in office Trump hit Chinese goods with tariffs of as much as 25%.

China analyst Bill Bishop says Trump should be taken at his word about his new tariff plans.

“I think we should believe that he means it when [he] talks about tariffs, that he sees China as having reneged on his trade deal, that he thinks China and Covid cost him the 2020 election”.

The pressure from Washington did not ease after Trump left the White House in 2021. The Biden administration kept the measures in place and in some cases widened them.

While the first wave of Trump tariffs were painful for China, the country is now in a much more vulnerable position.

The economy has been struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels of growth since abruptly abandoning its tight Covid restrictions two years ago.

Instead of delivering a widely expected fast-paced recovery, China became a regular source of disappointing economic news.

Even before Trump’s election victory and after China began rolling out measures to support its economy in September, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its annual growth target for the country.

The IMF now expects the Chinese economy to expand by 4.8% in 2024, at the lower end of Beijing’s “about 5%” target. Next year, it projects China’s annual growth rate will drop further to 4.5%.

The latest plan involves using an additional 6 trillion yuan ($840bn) from now until 2026 to bail out local governments which have piled up unsustainable levels of debt.

For decades, local governments have helped drive growth throughout the country by borrowing massive sums of money – much of which paid for infrastructure projects. But a downturn in the property industry has left some cities unable to pay their bills.

But the country’s leaders were not caught entirely off guard by the end to decades of super-fast growth.

Speaking in 2017, President Xi said his country planned to transition from “rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development.”

The term has since been used repeatedly by Chinese officials to describe a shift to an economy driven by advanced manufacturing and green industries.

But some economists say China cannot simply export itself out of trouble.

China risks falling into the type of decades-long stagnation that Japan endured after a stock and property bubble burst in the 1990s, Morgan Stanley Asia’s former chairman, Stephen Roach, says.

To avoid that fate, he says China should draw “on untapped consumer demand” and move away from “export and investment-led growth”.

That would not only encourage more sustainable growth but also lower “trade tensions and [China’s] vulnerability to external shocks,” he says.

This more robust economic model could help China fend off the kind of threats posed by Trump’s return to power.

New economy, old problems

But China, which has long been the world’s factory for low-cost goods, is trying to replicate that success with high-tech exports.

It is already a world leader in solar panels, electric vehicles (EVs) and lithium ion batteries.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) China now accounts for at least 80% of solar panel production. It is also the biggest maker of EVs and the batteries that power them.

The IEA said last year that China’s investments in clean energy accounted for a third of the world’s total, as the country continued to show “remarkable progress in adding renewable capacity.”

“For sure there is an overall effort to support high-tech manufacturing in China,” says David Lubin, a senior research fellow at London based-think tank, Chatham House.

“This has been very successful”, he adds.

Exports of electric vehicles, lithium ion batteries and solar panels jumped 30% in 2023, surpassing one trillion yuan ($139bn; £108bn) for the first time as China continued to strengthen its global dominance in each of those industries.

That export growth has helped soften the blow to China’s economy of the ongoing property crisis.

“China’s overcapacity will increase, there is not doubt about it. They have no other source of growth,” said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for the Asia Pacific region at investment bank Natixis.

But along with those increased exports, there has been a rise in resistance from Western countries, and not just the US.

Just last month, the European Union increased tariffs on Chinese-built EVs to as much as 45%.

“The problem right now is that large recipients of those goods including Europe and the US are increasingly reluctant to receive them,” said Katrina Ell, research director at Moody’s Analytics.

Today, as Trump is set to head back to the Oval Office with a pledge to hammer Chinese imports, Beijing will have to ask itself whether its latest measures to boost its slowing economy will be enough.

These minerals are essential for making advanced technology including smartphones, semiconductors, lithium batteries, laptops and electric vehicles. The list goes on.

China produces 60% of the world’s rare earth elements supply and processes 90% of it.

It gives the country unparalleled power – power it’s willing to use.

Since July last year, China has introduced export restrictions on three important critical minerals: gallium, germanium and antimony.

The US Geological Survey says China produces 98% of the world’s gallium and 60% of its germanium.

Both are used to make semiconductor chips, which power the world’s advanced technologies.

The export controls are the latest frontier in a trade battle between China and the West, and it’s heating up.

The US is attempting to block China from accessing its advanced technology and semiconductor chips.

Chim Lee, senior Asia analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit, says: “This is about how China is still feeling threatened.”

“It is using critical minerals to have stronger leverage in its trade negotiations with Western countries,” Mr Lee says.

“It is showing that it can, and it will retaliate.”

The mountains and mines of Yunnan Province

Yunnan province in southern China is known for its mountains, more than its mines.

But travel away from the main highways and you find valleys littered with small mines that process critical minerals.

We come across three of them only a short drive from each other on a rainy, misty day.

Even the closest village is called ‘Kuangshan Zhen’ or Mine Town.

Opposite a mine, we met a local farmer, Mr Tan. He tells us the mines are a national asset.

“It means a lot of economic revenue,” Mr Tan explains. “This mine produces lead, zinc and germanium. They are our country’s treasure.”

China is committed to protecting its treasure and says its export restrictions are “fair, justified and non-discriminatory” and not targeted at any one country.

The country’s latest export restriction is on antimony. It came into force in September.

China mines half the world’s supply of antimony, and it is a key ingredient for military applications including night vision goggles, flares and infrared sensors.

‘Potential price shocks’ to come

The northern British city of Durham feels far from the global competition to dominate resources.

But on the outskirts of the city a pioneering British company, called Pragmatic Semiconductor, is getting ready to expand its manufacturing hub of wafer-thin, flexible semiconductor chips.

Richard Price, Pragmatic Semiconductor’s co-founder and its chief technology officer, says: “As countries like China – but also other countries around the world – look at tariffs, protections and export controls, it will place shocks on the supply chain.”

“We’re likely to see potential price shocks.”

Across the world resource-rich countries are rushing to develop their own reserves of critical minerals.

But demand for these precious metals is surging and China has already raced ahead.

Ghana’s debt crisis naturally shone the spotlight on the country’s biggest creditors.

At one point, China, as the country’s largest bilateral (country-to-country) creditor was seen as a potential stumbling block. But as a proportion of Ghana’s total debt or even foreign debt, China’s ~$1.7 billion or so in loans were not that substantial, even though its consent was certainly needed for the overall debt restructuring to proceed.

Surely, it is the IMF?

The IMF’s outsized role in the country’s fiscal crisis resolution is hard to miss, and some may thus assume that it is the country’s largest lender. It is not. Certainly, its $2.3 billion in outstanding loans to Ghana are significant, but that is hardly its main source of influence, which comes instead from issuing “stamps of approval” for the government’s policies.

The commercial creditors are big but in pieces.

Readers who are aware that the country’s stock of Eurobond debt forms the largest proportion of its foreign liabilities overall might wonder if a Eurobond investor is the largest creditor to Ghana. No. Eurobond investors, and other private-sector/commercial lenders in general, are a very diverse and fragmented bunch.

BlackRock is believed by some to be Ghana’s largest Eurobond investor. Yet, even at the peak of its holdings in 2020, it carried roughly $630 million. By May 2023, it was reporting just a little over $1 million in holdings of Ghanaian Eurobonds. It appears to have sold most of its holdings over time.

As of July 2024, Franklin Templeton held more than $30 million of Ghanaian government debt, a steep fall from the $1 billion portfolio it held just a few years ago. The strange thing about Franklin Templeton is that it plunged very deep into Ghana’s cedi debt on the domestic fixed-income market, not just Eurobonds. It has thus been hit by both massive currency depreciation as well as “mark to market” losses as Ghana’s bonds lost favour in the secondary markets. No investor in the world has been as battered by Ghana’s fiscal crisis as Franklin Templeton, the price of overconfidence.

Ghana’s local banks and funds also hold government debt, both cedi- and forex-denominated. However, it is not one of these banks or funds that has the highest exposure to Ghana’s sovereign debt.

So, who then?

Who, then, is the largest lender in Ghana? Nominally speaking, it is the World Bank. Its overall commitment to the country is ~$3.9 billion (it has also lent to some regional facilities, of which Ghana is a beneficiary). However, due to various procedural matters, it takes quite a while for disbursements to flow. The actual funds lent, using the latest public records, is hence about $1.7 billion, lower than the IMF’s.

Very few Ghana watchers know that, as of last year, Deutsche Bank has risen through the ranks to join the likes of the World Bank, IMF, and China as an apex creditor to Ghana. Its roughly $3.5 billion infrastructure-heavy portfolio in Ghana appears to have seen more aggressive disbursements than those of the multilaterals like the World Bank, African Development Bank, and EBID.

Deutsche Bank’s lending commitment to Ghana is thus roughly double that of China and nearly equivalent to all the money Ghana has borrowed from countries richer than itself.

Mine, Deutsche Bank has been busy!

From funding the Kejetia market redevelopment (the largest such project in West Africa) and various roads to financing trauma hospitals and attempts to fix fast-growing Tamale’s water supply problems, Deutsche Bank’s bet on Ghana was once massive. Comparable to bets it is made in Angola, Morocco, and South Africa.

The German Bank only started to lend big to Ghana after the country started producing oil in 2010, though. Like a number of other commercial lenders exploring African opportunities with a new lens after the global financial crisis, Ghana’s combination of stability and commodity boom-driven growth was extremely attractive at the time.

What now after the default?

As the Ghanaian government turns its attention to restructuring its non-marketable commercial debt, essentially monies owed to international banks and other private creditors, the massive Deutsche Bank portfolio is a bulky reminder of the messy aftermath of the country’s default.

Very large parts of that portfolio are covered by rich government-owned political risk insurance entities, such as those in Sweden, the UK, and, tangentially, Brazil (a pan-African political risk insurer, ATIDI, also has a small exposure).

Because Deutsche Bank seeks to transfer its Ghana liabilities to these state-owned insurers, Ghana’s quest to close a debt restructuring agreement with the Paris Club of so-called “bilateral development partners” (basically, rich countries) has dragged out.

Whilst an Agreement in Principle was reached in January 2024, and the terms of an MOU finalised in June, it does not seem as if the actual signoff has been concluded. Once that is done, the country will need to close deals individually with the rich countries involved. Because of the credit insurance and guarantee issues, countries like the UK, Sweden, and China are insisting on painstaking detail on the exact mechanisms of any restructuring.

During previous debt relief programs like HIPC, Ghana was not as attractive to private creditors as it later became and, thus, political risk insurance did not have the consequence it has attained today.

Putting private financing of Ghana’s development in perspective

The so-called “development partners” – multilaterals like the World Bank and the IMF, rich countries, China, emerging powers like Saudi Arabia and Brazil, and major global foundations – have a much smaller budget collectively for global development than people think.

The money that a country like Ghana can borrow from such sources is a very small fraction of the investable capital in the world, theoretically speaking.

The flow of traditional global development money, often called “aid” or “development assistance”, is barely $220 billion a year. Meanwhile, global foreign direct investment, which is principally private sector driven, exceeds $1.3 trillion a year. Private market investment overall exceeds $24 trillion. In short, of the theoretical universe of investable capital, traditional development finance forms maybe 1%.

It follows, then, that for countries like Ghana to accelerate their development, they are going to need to excite private financiers, like Deutsche Bank. It is totally imperative given the current capital gaps. The country’s infrastructure financing deficit alone, till 2040, is more than $45 billion. That’s how much money Ghana needs to build enough roads, ports, power plants, sewage drains, etc. The UN has a slightly lower number of ~$38 billion, but only because it extends the horizon to 2047.

Yet, Ghana’s total foreign direct investment last year barely scratched $650 million. With loss of access to the international capital markets, the government’s ability to chip in has been ablated to almost nothing. All because Ghana has not been keeping its creditors and investors happy.

Why making international financiers happy in Ghana has been tough

One well-known problem in this regard is the country’s low efficiency of spending. The World Bank has long been interested in this topic, but so far not much seems to have changed on the ground.

How Ghana has thus far spent Deutsche Bank’s money is very illustrative of this challenge. For reason of space, we can look at two of the biggest items in the portfolio: Kejetia Market and a section of the Western Railway (between Takoradi and Huni Valley).

Kejetia Market

Of the ~$270 million approved for the market, reputedly West Africa’s largest, in 2015, Deutsche Bank accounts for almost $200 million, of which about $90 million is covered by guarantees (via risk insurance) provided by a UK government agency. A roughly similar amount was sought from Deutsche Bank and partners for phase two of the project in 2018.

Nearly 8250 small businesses, from grocers to fishmongers, were expected to benefit from phase one of the project. Phase two was expected to add over 172 square kilometers of additional business space to the complex, and support an extra 10,500 small businesses. The redevelopment effectively doubled the number of trading posts that could be accommodated in the area around the old, chaotic, market.

By the end of 2019, $3.8 million had been realised from leases to businesses accommodated in the phase one facility. The phase two expansion effort stalled due to right-of-access delays exacerbated in the wake of the pandemic, recommenced in 2022, then got paused during the debt crisis, and was only resuscitated this year.

So far, it has become amply clear that the project is a loss-maker. For two years running, the state owned electricity utility, ECG, has had to resort to cutting electricity to the entire market to get its bills paid. A failure to plan for individual metering of shops means that any such clampdown affects all traders, whether or not they are behind on their lease payments.

The municipal authorities of Kumasi also used a substantial portion of the market’s cash balance as security for a loan from a local lender, Fidelity Bank, to redevelop another market, which has itself become bogged down in construction delays and other issues. Future cashflow also appear to have been securitised in similar murky and opaque deals.

Furthermore, poor fire management has led to periodic outbreaks that have damaged significant sections of the facility. Low uptake of common area facilities has, moreover, stunted revenue potential, and the market currently cannot break even. Unsurprisingly, facility maintenance has degenerated.

To date, the market SPV has not been able to generate any reserves that can contribute to servicing the massive debt incurred in constructing the facility. The central government simply has to find the funds to pay off from somewhere else.

Western Railway

Ghana’s Western Railway line is a 339 kilometer stretch of rail mostly built during the colonial era.

A hundred-kilometer stretch from the country’s principal export-focused port, Takoradi, to Huni Valley in the South-West is Deutsche Bank’s single largest financial exposure to Ghana since it was approved in 2021.

More than $660 million has been committed to the project by the German Bank, and insured for political risk mainly by Swedish government-owned entities, and secondarily by an equivalent agency in South Africa.

Deutsche Bank recognises the project as situated within a grander masterplan. It must also have realised that without effective execution of complementary infrastructure within the plan, the 100-km stretch by itself would be considerably underutilised.

The bulk of the complementary components of the Western Line needed to fully exploit the Deutsche Bank – funded stretch was supposed to have been funded and built by a South African consortium, led by Thelo DB. In 2022, an agreement was finally inked to press forward with construction. Despite serious reservations in Ghana about the capacity of the consortium to deliver.

Thelo DB’s primary activity post-signing seems to be mainly in the department of issuing big announcements linking it to big projects across Africa and to big partners, like Deutsche Bahn, across the world.

Our probes show that the government’s lack of candour and seeming lack of straight-dealing scuttered an earlier plan for the much better known and financially better-grounded Transnet to move ahead with an earlier agreement. This was well before Transnet’s financial situation became untenable.

Should the complementary lines and infrastructure fail to come onstream, and cover at least the stretch to Dunkwa (with branch-lines to Awaso and Nyinahin), the 100km Takoradi to Huni Valley project would be seriously loss-making. Should the government somehow find the resources for rolling stock and to execute access infrastructure (for both the port feeder and the terminals) to serve customers, only the manganese mine at Nsuta is poised to come onboard in any meaningful way.

Nsuta can, however, only supply about 15% of the prospective medium-term optimal freight. Using the pricing per ton-km found in Ghana’s National Rail Masterplan, we can estimate freight revenue of about $24 million. The mines however expect pricing that should lead to revenues for the line operators of about $18 million, various factors considered.

At a generous 12% EBITDA margin, it would take decades before the operation can generate enough free cashflow to contribute meaningfully to paying off the loan.

One reason for this result is that the railway line is rather expensive, for a mostly rural affair. Using the Compass global cost guides as a benchmark, the rail line costs nearly thrice what one can get for an average high-speed rail in many parts of the world. Such high costs must be justified by solid revenue maximisation.

Conclusion

Summing up, it is clear that Ghana’s massive infrastructure gap does require the engagement of the likes of Deutsche Bank and other commercial/private sector funders willing to take the risk. However, without a considerable improvement in the government’s capacity to manage revenue-generating social infrastructure, there is a very high likelihood of bungling these projects and disappointing lenders.

The concern is not only with the returns realisable from such projects. Their suboptimal execution also leads to low multiplier effects on the rest of the economy. Without broad-based socio-economic growth being impacted positively by such projects, resulting in higher taxes and total factor productivity boosts, chronic sovereign debt defaults are inevitable.

Of course, private lenders learn from each others’ experiences so it is highly unlikely that the opportunities for chronic failure will continue into the future. Unless, somehow, Ghana discovers whatever Argentina has been drinking.

Source: IMANI Africa

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Dongmen village is up against Dangxiang village in the climax of this hyper-rowdy, very local competition.

This small, weekly, village football festival has become a viral sensation in China, as images have spread across social media of fans dressed in traditional ethnic costume, banging drums and cheering on the players who might be farmers, students or shopkeepers.

And these videos have inspired tens of thousands of people from across the country to experience it for themselves on any given weekend.

Watching the matches in the village league is free but it is quite a hike to get here, a three-hour drive into the mountains from the provincial capital Guiyang.

Yet millions of Chinese tourists have made the trek over the last 12 months, to soak up the atmosphere, boosting tourist industry revenue by nearly 75%, according to official figures quoted by state-run media.

The accommodation available is basically small hotels which are often fully booked when the big games are on.

It’s the ultimate underdog story.

This is an area which was one of the last parts of China to be officially declared free of “extreme poverty”.

Five years ago its average annual disposable income was just $1,350 in rural areas. Now, this newly organised league – only in its second year – has attracted so much fame it is transforming the place.

The players can’t quite believe it.

“We’re not professional footballers. We just love footy,” says Shen Yang.

“Even if there was no Village Super League, we’d play every week. Without football, I’d feel like life had lost its colour.”

Shen is a 32-year-old hospital maintenance worker who’s just come off an all-night shift, but, on the field, he is one of the main attacking weapons for Dongmen village.

He says his parents hated him playing football when he was a kid but now they’re total converts.

“They didn’t let me play. They threw away my trainers. But now they’ve set up a stall at the gate to the stadium selling ice creams,” he laughs.

Shen’s parents are not the only small business owners who have benefited from the economic boost this competition has brought to the area.

It is not as if everyone has suddenly become rich, but this sporting carnival has definitely brought earning opportunities for those running little family hotels, restaurants and street stalls.

Dong Yongheng, a player whose Zhongcheng village was in the final last year, is among those who have benefited from the tournament way beyond his experience on the pitch.

The former construction worker has turned footballing limelight into family business success.

The 35-year-old once worked in his auntie’s modest shop preparing rice rolls, a famous Rongjiang street snack.

Now he has opened his own, multi-story restaurant. It even has a shop attached to it selling his team’s football jerseys and other memorabilia.

“I think people like the authenticity of the village league,” he tells the BBC.

“It is really not because of our sporting skills. They like seeing a genuine performance, whether it is by our cheerleading ethnic singers or our players. Tourists love real and original things.”

The government says that more than 4,000 new businesses have registered in the region since the competition started last year, creating thousands of new jobs in the poor farming community.

That some fans dress up in traditional clothing to cheer on their village team has definitely given this tournament a unique flavour.

In the hours before the final, Pan Wenge’s silver headdress jingles and jangles as she speaks enthusiastically, preparing to cheer on Dongmen village.

“When we watch the game, it’s so exciting. We’re really nervous, you feel your heart pumping. And, when we win, we’re so happy. We sing and dance.”

But standing in Dongmen’s way is the younger, faster Dangxiang village team.

Their star striker, Lu Jinfu, the son of itinerant labourers, has just finished high school. With a shy smile he acknowledges the attention of local kids wanting to take selfies with him.

“When I started playing I didn’t expect it to be like this. I didn’t expect us to have such an amazing football atmosphere,” he says.

On the night, his team are indeed too good for Dongmen. Lu scores twice and, after the full-time whistle, the winning team spray each other with soft drinks in celebration.

But the losers don’t go home empty-handed.

“We won two pigs. That’s not bad,” Shen Yang says with a cheeky smile.

And, at their party afterwards, you would not think they were the runners-up.

There is much eating and drinking in an outdoor banquet down the main street of Dongmen village.

The players get hugs and kisses from their neighbours they refer to as “aunties”. Win, lose, or draw, they’re still seen as heroes.

And, after all, there is always next year.

The declaration was made during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday, as Akufo-Addo attended the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

President Xi highlighted Ghana’s long-standing diplomatic relationship with China, which dates back 64 years, making it the second sub-Saharan African nation to establish ties with the People’s Republic of China.

He praised the enduring friendship between the two nations, despite changes in the global landscape.

Xi expressed China’s readiness to build on this relationship by enhancing political trust and expanding cooperation across various sectors. He emphasized China’s commitment to being a reliable friend and partner to Ghana, collaborating on mutual development and supporting Ghana’s growth.

Xi also pledged to align China’s development strategies with Ghana and to continue providing assistance to the country. He outlined plans to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, energy, mineral resources, and infrastructure.

Additionally, he urged Ghana to maintain support for Chinese enterprises and citizens operating within the country.

In his remarks, President Akufo-Addo described China as Ghana’s most dependable ally over the past six decades.

He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the one-China policy and support for China’s stance on key international issues, including human rights.

President Akufo-Addo expressed gratitude for China’s ongoing investment and cooperation, which have played a crucial role in Ghana’s economic and social development.

He voiced a desire to deepen collaboration in key areas such as electricity, minerals, and renewable energy, and assured China of Ghana’s readiness to facilitate the activities of Chinese businesses.

President Akufo-Addo also praised President Xi’s 10-point partnership proposal aimed at advancing modernization between China and Africa, pledging Ghana’s commitment to implementing these initiatives and reinforcing their strong partnership.

Source: GraphicOnline

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It contributed the highest FDI of $211.89 million.

The USA followed with 14 projects, bringing in $26.39 million in FDI.

India contributed 13 projects and $77.93 million in FDI, while the Netherlands added nine projects with an FDI value of $21.86 million.

Turkey registered four projects with a significant FDI value of $173.27 million.

Mauritius remained largest source of investments from Sfrtica

Mauritius remained the leading source of investments in Ghana from the African continent in 2023.

Despite a 63% decline in the volume of investment deals, the investment value from Mauritius surged by approximately 891%, making it the only African country among the top investors in Ghana for the year. Notable Projects.

Notable investment projects in 2023 include Arsan Ghana Ltd, a Turkish company investing $156.05 million in affordable housing; Cimpor Ghana Limited, a Portuguese firm with a $53.42 million investment in calcined clay cement and SEC Minerals Ltd, a foreign-owned gold mining company with a $50 million investment.

Additionally, Bright Cement Ghana Ltd, a Chinese cement manufacturer, invested $40.65 million, while Fuxing Industries Ghana Ltd, also Chinese-owned, committed $38.87 million to steel structure manufacturing.

Source: JoyBusiness

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While Team USA is far ahead in the total medal rankings with 126 in Paris, it went into the last competition of the Games trailing China in the gold medal race by one. The Asian nation finished with 40 gold medals, and the US had 39 entering the final event – the women’s basketball gold medal game between Team USA and France.

Team USA would win that game in dramatic circumstances, leading to a tie in the gold medal standings.

“I saw the medal count beforehand. I thought that’s what we need, more pressure,” USA head coach Cheryl Reeve said after the game.

On the total medal standings, it’s not close. Team USA’s 126 gold, silver and bronze medals far exceeds China’s 91, the next closest nation.

Team USA had a chance to move past the Chinese in the gold standings on the final day. US teams and athletes competed for gold in women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s freestyle wrestling in the 76kg weight class, women’s weightlifting in the 81kg weight class and potentially women’s omnium in track cycling. American cyclist Jennifer Valente defended her title in the women’s omnium, ending the competition with 144 points, racking up the USA’s 39th gold medal.

China won gold on Sunday in the women’s weightlifting in the 81kg weight class when Li Wenwen defended her Olympic title from Tokyo, her country’s 40th gold medal of the Games.

The US volleyball team could not repeat its gold medal victory from Tokyo against Italy. The Italians had already guaranteed themselves their first ever medal in the sport.

In 2021, Team USA took the overall gold medal race by one, with 39 to China’s 38. It would have taken a strong day from American athletes to repeat the feat on Sunday.

However, Team USA as a whole has already easily surpassed those previous Summer Games’ total medal haul. The Americans won 113 medals in Tokyo.

In July 2015, Gyan signed a lucrative two-year deal with Shanghai SIPG, fetching him a weekly salary of £227,000.

In an interview on Wontumi Radio, the 39-year-old acknowledged the difficulty of his decision but emphasized that after consulting with his family, he was convinced it was the right move.

“It was a difficult decision for me, but I spoke to everyone around me, and we decided it was the best move for me”. Luckily, it turned out well for me, and we have managed to establish companies that are employing Ghanaians,” he added.

Gyan, who enjoyed a career spanning clubs like Liberty Professionals, Stade Rennes, Udinese, and Sunderland, also had spells with Kayserispor, North East United, and Legon Cities before retiring in June 2023.

He remains Ghana’s all-time leading goalscorer with 51 goals and holds the record for Africa’s highest goalscorer in World Cup history.

They found naturally occurring “few-layer graphene” for the first time, as state-run news agency Global Times reports, which could have major implications for humankind’s plans to make use of local resources once on the lunar surface.

The discovery could also offer new insights into the early geological evolution of the Moon. As the South China Morning Post reports, it may even upend a long-held theory that the Moon was formed after a small planet collided with the Earth and that much of its carbon came from this impact.

“The prevalent giant impact theory has been strongly supported by the notion of [a] carbon-depleted Moon derived from the early analysis of Apollo samples,” the team led by researchers from Jilin University wrote in their paper published in the journal National Science Review, as quoted by the SCMP.

However, the findings suggest the existence of a “carbon-capture process on the Moon,” leading to the “gradual accumulation of indigenous carbon” — a discovery that “may reinvent the understanding of chemical components… and the history of the Moon.”

No Impact

Using a form of non-destructive chemical analysis called “Raman spectroscopy,” the team confirmed the discovery of a type of few-layer graphene, which is graphene with anywhere between two and ten layers that can also be manufactured in a lab.

The researchers suggest the material may have formed as a result of solar wind battering the lunar surface and early volcanic eruptions.

The existence of pure “indigenous carbon” could challenge the long-held hypothesis that a small planet, roughly the size of Mars, collided with the Earth to form the Moon about 4.45 billion years ago.

However, the researchers admitted that meteorites may have still led to the formation of graphitic carbon on the Moon, as previous studies have suggested.

“Further in-depth property investigation of natural graphene would provide more information on the geologic evolution of the Moon,” the team concluded.

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The discounting comes as the U.S. tech giant seeks to defend its position in the high-end smartphone market, where it faces increasing competition from local rivals such as Huawei.

Running from May 20 to May 28, it is more substantial than the one Apple offered in February.

While the highest discount in the February campaign was 1,150 yuan, this time discounts are up to 2,300 yuan. The steepest discount applies to the 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max model, while other models also see significant price cuts.

For instance, the 128 GB version of the base iPhone 15 model has a discount of 1,400 yuan, according to Reuters’ checks on Monday.

The increased competitive pressure on Apple comes after Huawei last month introduced its new series of high-end smartphones, the Pura 70, following the launch of the Mate 60 last August.

Apple’s previous discounting effort in February appears to have helped the company mitigate a sales slowdown in China.

Apple’s shipments in China increased by 12% in March, according to Reuters’ calculations based on data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT). This marks a significant improvement from the first two months of 2024, when the company experienced a 37% slump in sales.

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The announcement from the Ministry of Commerce that Imports of polyoxymethylene copolymer -which is used in electronics and cars – is a signal that China will hit back in its trade disputes with the US and Europe.

The announcement comes as China’s trade rows with the US and the EU have deepened in recent months.

Less than a week ago, Washington sharply increased tariffs on Chinese goods, including electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels, and computer chips.

The new US moves also expanded on sweeping border taxes that were imposed on Chinese goods under the Trump administration.

In response, China’s commerce ministry said the new moves would “severely affect the atmosphere for bilateral cooperation”, and criticized what it characterized as the politicization of economic issues.

Ahead of the heavily-trailed White House announcement, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said it would “take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”.

Separately on Monday, China sanctioned three American defense firms over their sales of weapons to Taiwan, state media said.

The announcement that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Boeing Defense, Space & Security are barred from “import and export” business in China came as the self-ruled island inaugurated a new president.

Senior executives of all three companies are banned from entering, working, or living in China, the commerce ministry said.

Meanwhile, Europe has launched a series of probes into Chinese imports.

On Friday, the EU said it would launch an investigation into Chinese tinplate steel.

And last month, Brussels said it was probing two Chinese solar panel makers, that it says benefit from government subsidies.

The European Commission (EC), which oversees the EU’s trade policies, has also given itself a 4 July deadline to decide whether to impose measures against imports of Chinese-made EVs.

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Mr Wang acknowledged the China-US relationship was beginning to stabilise, but said it was still being tested by “negative factors”.

After meeting China’s President Xi Jinping, Mr Blinken stressed the need to “communicate clearly about our differences”.

This was to “minimise the risk of miscalculation and misunderstandings”.

Mr Blinken’s visit, his second to China in less than a year, forms part of a significant increase in dialogue and diplomacy – however frosty – between these rival powers as they attempt to put relations on an even keel after a period of immense tension last year.

Ties have been strained by China’s claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea, and US export bans on advanced tech. They were further damaged by a row over a spy balloon last February.

Then, just a few days ago, the US passed a law that would force Chinese-owned TikTok to sell the hugely popular video app or be banned in America.

Mr Blinken said TikTok had not come up in the talks with the Chinese leader, but a number of US concerns had.

Washington approved its latest aid package early this week which included military assistance to Taiwan. This drew sharp criticism from Beijing.

In Beijing, Mr Blinken reaffirmed US support for the “one-China policy” – a cornerstone of US-China relations under which the US recognises and has formal ties with China rather than Taiwan.

China claims self-governed Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control, but the island sees itself as distinct.

At a news conference after meeting Mr Xi, the US secretary of state went on to reiterate the US’s “ironclad” support for the Philippines in their dispute over the South China Sea.

He also said he had raised concerns about the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy, and human rights abuses in Tibet.

Addressing China’s role further afield, Mr Blinken said he had urged the Chinese president to stop sending supplies to Russia to be used in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and to discourage Iran and others from escalating tensions in the Middle East.

During a call earlier this month, US President Joe Biden and Mr Xi discussed avenues of co-operation, including efforts to combat climate change and narcotics.

But they clashed over the US’s support for Taiwan and trade restrictions on technology.

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The Shenzhen-based conglomerate, which has been a flashpoint in the escalating rivalry between Washington and Beijing, saw 70% year-on-year growth in its smartphone sales in China in the first quarter, while Apple’s sales declined by more than 19%, according to Counterpoint Research.

“Apple’s sales were subdued during the quarter as Huawei’s comeback has directly impacted Apple in the premium segment,” said Ivan Lam, senior research analyst at Counterpoint.

The iPhone maker, which led China’s smartphone market with a share of nearly 20% in the first quarter of 2023, has fallen to the third spot in the first three months of this year, according to Counterpoint. Its market share now stands at 15.7%, while Huawei’s has jumped to 15.5%, from 9.3% last year.

Huawei’s popular Mate 60 Pro smartphone made headlines last year when the US government sought more information about the model, which included a sophisticated processor. Its debut shocked industry experts who questioned how the company could acquire such a chip following sweeping efforts by the United States to restrict China’s access to foreign chip technology because of national security concerns.

Counterpoint’s data comes just days after another market research firm IDC said Apple’s global smartphone sales had tumbled 10% in the first quarter, mainly because of loss of momentum in China.

China is the largest market behind the United States for Apple, but the company is facing a challenging time in the world’s second-largest economy. Chinese consumers, who once would have considered Apple, are now turning to Chinese brands.

Overall smartphone sales in China grew 1.5% in the first quarter, according to Counterpoint. Local smartphone makers Vivo and Honor were the top two brands by market share.

“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” an Apple spokesperson told CNN on Friday. “The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns. These apps remain available for download on all other storefronts where they appear.”

The apps, both owned by Meta (META), were already blocked in China and not widely used. They could be accessed in the country only by using virtual private networks (VPNs) that can encrypt internet traffic and disguise the user’s online identity.

The removal of the apps by Apple (AAPL) represents a “further distancing between already separated tech universes” in the country and beyond, said Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijing-based investment advisory BDA China.

“It will cause inconvenience to consumers and businesses (in China) who deal with family, friends or customers overseas. Even if they use VPNs to access their existing WhatsApp apps, these over time will become obsolete and require updating,” he said.

Other popular Western social media apps including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and Messenger are still available on Apple’s China app store, according to a check by CNN.

The tech giant’s announcement comes against a backdrop of plunging iPhone sales in the world’s second-largest economy. Its smartphone sales tumbled a stunning 10% in the first quarter of this year, according to market research firm IDC.

The company has lost momentum in China as nationalism, a rough economy and increased competition have hurt Apple over the past several months.

The resurgence of Huawei and other Chinese brands, including Xiaomi and OPPO/OnePlus, will likely continue, according to IDC. Chinese consumers who once would have considered Apple are now turning to the country’s national brands.

Besides being a key production centre, China remains an important market for Apple, as it is the largest market behind the United States. The company continues to offer discounts in the country to help boost sales.

Its CEO Tim Cook visited Shanghai just last month to open the second-biggest Apple Store in the world.

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The country accounts for 7.0% of the share of Public and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG) external debt owed to China.

According to the World Bank, the lower exposure to multiple creditors has enabled Ghana and other debt-ravaged countries to reach or be close to reaching agreements with their external creditors.

“In January 2024, the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) reached an agreement in principle with the Government of Ghana on the terms of the treatment of official bilateral debt. Debt restructuring negotiations allowed the International Monetary Fund to conclude financing programmes and the World Bank to provide large positive net flows at highly concessional or grant terms”, it said.

The report continued that many low-income and lower-middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have accumulated debt burdens—as reflected by their high levels of public debt and increased debt service.

During the past decade, public debt increased rapidly, and the composition of PPG external debt shifted from bilateral creditors to private creditors and non–Paris Club governments.

Consequently, it said the larger share of debt owed to private creditors and non–Paris Club governments has not only complicated debt restructuring negotiations but also raised the debt service burden. High policy rates in advanced economies have also recently further increased interest payments on debts.

For instance, the shift in the composition of debt service from official to private creditors.

Again, interest payments owed by governments to private creditors account for almost 65% to 70% of total PPG external debt interest payments.

The bill in the House of Representatives would force the Chinese-owned app to sever ties with China or become unavailable in the US.

US officials have long expressed concern about TikTok, citing potential national security risks.

TikTok’s owners have repeatedly rejected that it poses any threat.

On Wednesday, the bill passed with bipartisan support from both sides of the political spectrum in the House.

Officially known as – Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act – it now heads to the Senate, where it is unclear if it has enough support to pass.

If it does, the White House has said that President Joe Biden will sign it into law.

Ahead of the vote, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin accused the US of “suppressing TikTok” despite the fact that it “never found evidence that TikTok threatens national security.”

“This kind of bullying behaviour that cannot win in fair competition disrupts companies’ normal business activity, damages the confidence of international investors in the investment environment, and damages the normal international economic and trade order,” Mr Wang added.

“In the end, this will inevitably come back to bite the United States itself.”

The move was similarly pilloried by Chinese media, with several newspapers featuring satirical cartoons ridiculing the US effort to ban the app.

One newspaper, the Global Times, accused the US of “ugly behaviour” and abusing “the concept of national security” to seize the app “by force”.

As is the case with other social media platforms, TikTok is banned in China. Users in the country use a similar app, Douyin, which is only available in China and subject to monitoring and censorship by the government.

TikTok is owned by a Beijing-based, Cayman Islands-registered firm, Byte Dance.

If the US bill becomes law, ByteDance would be required to sell TikTok within six months or face a ban from US app stores and web hosting platforms.

Last week, TikTok distributed a message to many of its American users, calling on them to call their representatives to prevent the government from stripping “170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free speech.”

This, in turn, prompted a letter from the House China Select Committee telling the company to stop “spreading false claims in its campaign to manipulate and mobilise American citizens on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party”.

TikTok has denied it has any links with China’s government and said it has restructured the company to keep US data in the US.

Former President Donald Trump unsuccessfully tried to ban the app in 2020.

Mr Trump, who on Tuesday passed the delegate threshold to clinch the Republican nomination to become its presidential candidate, is now against the ban, saying it would unfairly benefit Facebook.

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State media outlet Global Times accused the footballer and his club Inter Miami of “political motives” with the aim of “embarrassing” Hong Kong.

Messi remained on the bench throughout Sunday’s match in the Chinese Special Administrative Region, citing injury.

Wednesday’s game in Tokyo led some fans to question whether he’d been injured.

Some 38,000 fans at the Hong Kong Stadium booed and demanded refunds when Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham addressed the crowd at the end of Sunday’s match. They had paid up to HK$4,880 (£494; $624) to watch the 36-year-old Argentine superstar.

Just last year, Messi received a rock star welcome in Beijing when he played for his country in a friendly against Australia. Some 68,000 fans paid up to $680 for the chance to see him in action. He is also a spokesperson for big Chinese brands such as Huawei, Chery, Tencent, Mengniu, Chishui River Wine and J&T Express.

Kevin Yeung, Hong Kong’s secretary for culture, sports and tourism, said government officials were repeatedly told that Messi would play. But with 10 minutes left in the match, they were informed that a hamstring adductor injury would prevent him from playing.

“We immediately requested them to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing on the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy,” Yeung said.

“Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out.”

The territory’s chief executive John Lee said he was extremely disappointed by Messi’s absence and called for an explanation from match organisers.

Other officials like Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip also reacted with fury, claiming that “Hong Kong people hate Messi, Inter-Miami, and the black hand behind them” for the “deliberate and calculated snub”.

“Messi should never be allowed to return to Hong Kong. His lies and hypocrisy are disgusting,” she added.

Match organiser Tatler Asia said in a statement that Messi had been contracted to play, unless injured. It added that it was withdrawing its application for a HK$16m government grant. The match had been designated as a major sporting event, which enabled the organisers to access government funding.

On the same day as the Japan friendly, Messi said that he “regretted” being unable to play in Hong Kong due to a “swollen and painful” groin injury. “I hope that one day we will have the opportunity to come back and give our best to our fans and friends in Hong Kong,” he told a televised news conference.

His post on Chinese social media network Weibo explaining why he hadn’t been able to play in Hong Kong has so far attracted some 142,000 comments. While some were supportive, many reacted angrily, with some calling the Argentine a “conman” and “garbage”. Others accused the Argentine of only wanting to make money off Chinese fans, while pandering to the Japanese.

“No need to apologise, just don’t come to China again. Just because you play football well does not mean you are a good person,” one netizen said.