Yu-Chen Li

Taiwan conducted a civil-defense drill in Taipei involving air-raid alerts, evacuations to shelters and, for the first time, sharply reduced internet speeds to simulate a coordinated attack. The exercise reflects growing concern over China’s threat across the Taiwan Strait, with Guardian researcher Yu-chen Li explaining the implications from the ground.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey will open across most of China’s roughly 800 IMAX screens as Hollywood seeks to regain momentum in a market increasingly dominated by domestic films. Early indicators are strong, including sold-out previews, a high-profile Beijing premiere and top rankings on Maoyan, while Nolan’s established popularity in China may help the film overcome its demanding subject matter. Analysts disagree over its likely box office, forecasting roughly 300m to 800m yuan. The release comes as China’s cinemas face economic pressure, closures and weaker domestic blockbusters, making commercially reliable American films valuable despite ongoing US-China tensions and tighter controls on Hollywood imports.

Thousands of people have been evacuated across Beijing as the remnants of Typhoon Dolphin bring torrential rain, flooding and landslide risks to northern and central China. Authorities closed tourist sites, relocated elderly residents and people in high-risk areas, suspended transport and issued severe weather warnings. Henan province raised its alert to the highest level, with rainfall of up to 350mm forecast, while officials in Hebei deployed emergency teams and communications equipment. The storm has weakened since making landfall in Zhejiang but remains highly disruptive, amid broader concerns that climate change and El Niño are contributing to more intense weather events.

Typhoon Dolphin prompted the evacuation of more than one million people across eastern China, including over 900,000 in Wenzhou and 215,600 in Shanghai. Shanghai experienced its highest 24-hour rainfall in more than 150 years, while authorities warned that continued heavy rain could cause widespread flooding and landslides across eastern and central China. The storm disrupted flights and public transport, produced record heat in Hong Kong, cancelled flights and ferry services in Taiwan, damaged infrastructure in Japan, and worsened monsoon flooding in the Philippines. Scientists linked the increasing likelihood of extreme weather, including stronger typhoons, to global warming.

China’s rapid rollout of artificial intelligence is intensifying fears of job displacement in an already fragile labor market. In Wuhan, Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis have reduced taxi drivers’ earnings and prompted protests, while AI-generated digital performers are cutting work and rates for film-industry professionals such as cinematographer Tian Zemin. The government is beginning to acknowledge the employment and ethical risks, shifting from an overwhelmingly pro-development stance toward a greater emphasis on job creation and people-first policies. Analysts say Beijing may be better positioned than the US to manage AI-related losses through regulation, but affected workers fear protections and retraining will arrive too late.

Raids on two Hong Kong independent bookstores and the arrests of five people over allegedly seditious publications have triggered widespread Taiwanese support for bookstore workers, including a viral “I am a bookstore employee” slogan. Sales of Emily Feng’s book on Xi Jinping’s ideological control surged in Taiwan, prompting its publisher to reprint 10,000 copies. The crackdown has renewed concerns about Hong Kong’s shrinking freedoms and Taiwan’s role as the last Chinese-speaking society where such books can be openly accessed, while also highlighting the gap between Taiwanese politicians’ rhetorical support for Hong Kong and their limited practical assistance.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping in Pennsylvania while he was working as an Amazon courier. Wu entered the United States legally in 2019 and has awaited a decision on his asylum application since 2020 after fleeing a crackdown on lawyers and activists in China. Friends and human rights advocates fear deportation could expose him to imprisonment and persecution, while his immigration hearing is scheduled for 27 July. The arrest has also heightened anxiety among Chinese dissidents living in the United States.

Undercover footage from Laos shows tourist-facing shops and guarded cultural centres concealing illegal sales of pangolin scales, bear bile, tiger bones, rhino horn, ivory and other wildlife products. The trade is being fuelled by rising Chinese tourism, including low-cost tours enabled by the Laos-China railway and wider Belt and Road infrastructure. Tourists were reportedly pressured to buy products through claims that they were legal and medicinally beneficial, despite international prohibitions and a lack of scientific evidence. Conservationists say the trade is driving pangolins toward extinction, while rescue centres in Vientiane are encountering increasing numbers of trafficked animals.

Xi Jinping has hosted at least 17 world leaders in 2026, including leaders from major powers, middle powers and authoritarian or Global South countries. The visits allow Beijing to expand economic and diplomatic ties, promote a multipolar alternative to the US-led order and present China as a source of stability, particularly as confidence in Washington declines. China has welcomed controversial figures such as Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing while emphasizing non-interference, and has avoided difficult issues with North Korea, including its nuclear programme. Despite its expanding diplomatic calendar and role in brokering the 2023 Saudi-Iran détente, China’s ability to resolve major crises remains limited, particularly regarding Iran and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Taiwan’s first civilian drone-training programme, run by the civil-defence NGO Kuma Academy, is attracting people of varied ages who want practical skills in case of a Chinese invasion or other crisis. Inspired by Ukraine’s extensive use of drones, the programme teaches manual operation of lightweight, Taiwanese-made drones without GPS or autonomous functions, partly to prepare for electronic jamming. The training forms part of a broader expansion of emergency preparedness across Taiwan, while domestic drone production remains politically contested and Taiwan continues to depend heavily on US weapons for major defence systems.

Female activists in China are working covertly to identify and support women with disabilities and others who have been trafficked, abused or forced into marriage. The 2022 case of Xiao Huamei, known as the “chained woman,” prompted greater public attention and helped galvanize a new generation of feminist activism. Although the government says trafficking has declined and has introduced an anti-trafficking plan, activists point to opaque data, weak protections for forced-marriage victims, underreporting and the suppression of independent investigations. Activist groups such as Free Nora have documented continuing failures but face censorship and intimidation, leaving volunteers like Xiaocao focused on case-by-case assistance rather than systemic reform.

Jessie J’s return to China after announcing she was cancer-free highlights how the country has become an increasingly valuable but more competitive market for Western musicians. Her 2018 victory on the television competition Singer helped establish her popularity with Chinese audiences, who strongly value melody and vocal ability. Westlife has built a similarly durable following by repeatedly touring China and performing in Mandarin, while artists such as Charli xcx, Ye and Katy Perry have pursued opportunities there with varying degrees of success. The post-Covid domestic boom has raised expectations for foreign acts, while censorship rules and sensitivity over political issues remain important constraints. International concerts can nevertheless generate substantial tourism revenue as China seeks to attract global entertainment and stimulate consumer spending.

China’s past one-child policy subjected many women to forced abortions, sterilizations, fines and other coercive measures, with particularly severe enforcement reported in parts of Shandong in 1991. Although the policy ended a decade ago, its legacy continues to shape family expectations and perceptions of reproductive rights. As China now faces a record-low birth rate, the government is encouraging larger families through subsidies and tax breaks, but many women are resisting renewed pressure because of childcare costs, economic insecurity and changing social attitudes. Younger women increasingly say they do not want children, reflecting both modern constraints and the long-term impact of state population control.

Economic slowdown, declining female labor-force participation and government promotion of traditional family roles are making life more difficult for women in China. In Chengdu, however, feminist bookstores, women-only bars and social networks are creating spaces for solidarity, safety and empowerment. Organizers carefully avoid overt political activism or language that authorities could label as promoting “gender antagonism,” notifying police about events and emphasizing practical benefits. The approach represents a strategic adaptation to increased censorship and scrutiny rather than an abandonment of feminist goals.

A 24-megawatt underwater datacentre has begun operating 10km off Shanghai, powered by a nearby offshore windfarm. The Shanghai Lingang project, developed by HiCloud Technology and China Communications Construction, uses seawater for natural cooling and reportedly consumes more than one-fifth less power than a comparable land-based facility while reducing freshwater demand. The project reflects China’s push to expand AI infrastructure with cleaner energy, following a 1.6bn yuan investment. Experts note potential risks to marine ecosystems from sediment disturbance and localised seawater warming, but consider them likely manageable with monitoring.

China’s film censorship regime has tightened, requiring official “dragon seal” approval for domestic release and, since 2016, overseas submissions. Independent filmmaker Nan Xin’s film Go Fishing was denied approval for failing to align with core socialist values, reflecting the shrinking space for socially critical cinema and the crackdown on independent film festivals. Despite these restrictions, Nan runs inexpensive, hands-on workshops in Henan, where young filmmakers continue making short films and focusing on personal stories, relationships and mental health. More experienced filmmakers warn that censorship becomes far more restrictive when creators move from shorts to feature films, but students remain determined to develop their craft and test the boundaries.

The World Meteorological Organization estimates an 80% chance that El Niño will form before September and a 90% chance before November, potentially bringing higher global temperatures and more extreme weather. India could face an intensified heatwave, a delayed and weaker monsoon, crop losses, food insecurity and a severe water crisis in Mumbai. China is preparing for heavier rainfall, flooding and heat, while authorities have urged residents in vulnerable areas to stockpile emergency supplies. Across Southeast Asia, prolonged heat and drought could damage rice and palm-oil production, strain power and water systems, worsen disease and air pollution, and disrupt tourism. Experts warn that human-driven climate change may amplify the event’s effects.

Hong Kong performance artist Sanmu Chen was stopped and searched by plainclothes police after trying to commemorate victims of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown with a 6.4-metre red thread. Another artist, Chan Mei-tung, was also intercepted. Public vigils in Hong Kong have been banned since Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020, prompting commemorations to shift to Taiwan, where turnout this year fell to about 200 amid heavy rain. Activists argued that preserving the historical record remains essential as Hong Kong and mainland China restrict public discussion of the massacre; authorities maintain that the security law protects stability while respecting human rights.

As censorship of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown intensifies under Xi Jinping, activists and archivists outside China are working to preserve photographs, diaries, documentaries and other evidence. The China Unofficial Archives has collected material documenting both the violence and the protests' earlier atmosphere of hope, despite hacking, harassment and Chinese state blocking. Li Rui's diaries, held at Stanford's Hoover Institution after a California court ruling, remain another important record of the massacre. Former student leader Zhou Fengsuo says expanding digital access and continuing discoveries make him more confident that the memory of Tiananmen will endure.

Chinese dissident Dong Guangping, 68, was detained by South Korean authorities after traveling for more than 30 hours from China’s Shandong province in a small motorized rubber boat. A former police officer and critic of the Chinese government, Dong has been jailed for activism linked to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and previously attempted to flee through Thailand and Vietnam. South Korea’s coastguard requested an arrest warrant for illegal entry, while Dong is reportedly seeking eventual resettlement in Canada, where his family lives.

Experts dispute the Trump administration’s claim that a pause in a proposed $14bn arms package for Taiwan is needed to preserve munitions for the Iran war. They argue that the sales would take years to deliver and therefore are unlikely to be affected by current fighting or stockpile pressures. The uncertainty instead appears linked to Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping and his suggestion that Taiwan arms sales could become a bargaining chip in negotiations with Beijing. Analysts warn that prolonged delays would weaken Taipei’s confidence in Washington, while approval within the coming weeks would largely resolve the uncertainty.

The United States has paused approval of a $14bn weapons package for Taiwan while ensuring sufficient munitions for its war against Iran, according to acting navy secretary Hung Cao. Taiwan says it has received no indication that the sale will be altered, but the delay adds to concerns following Donald Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that arms packages could serve as a negotiating tool with China. Beijing opposes US arms sales to Taiwan and has warned of possible conflict over the issue, while Washington remains strategically ambiguous about defending Taiwan but is obligated under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide defensive equipment. Trump’s reported plans to speak with Taiwan’s president further risk provoking China.

Authorities in Xingyi, Guizhou, demolished Chen Tianming’s improvised 10-storey home after years of disputes over building permits, safety, and redevelopment plans. The structure had become a tourist attraction resembling the whimsical worlds associated with Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. Officials reduced it to the original single-storey bungalow, escorted Chen and his parents away, and detained Chen during the demolition. Chen says he is seeking legal help to have the forced demolition declared illegal and potentially restore the structure.

Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing for a state visit four days after Donald Trump’s departure, highlighting China’s growing role as a hub for major-power diplomacy and the close relationship between Putin and Xi Jinping. The visit is expected to produce agreements on energy, trade and a proposed multipolar world order, including possible progress on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. However, Russia’s battlefield stagnation in Ukraine, economic strain and dependence on Chinese markets have made the partnership increasingly unequal. China’s continued economic support for Russia and alleged provision of dual-use goods remain sources of western criticism, while Beijing appears keen to preserve ties with Moscow without becoming overly dependent on Russian energy.