The Latest Breaking News from China

After Beijing bubble bursts, can the IOC save the Olympics?

The cordoned-off Olympic bubble that folds up when the closing ceremony ends has produced its usual collage of amazing athletes doing great things

The Independent UK · Feb 20, 2022

Chinese laser incident feeds into national security debate

Tensions between Australia and China have increased further, after the Chinese shone a laser at a RAAF surveillance aircraft that was observing Chinese naval activity in Australia’s exclusive economic zone.

The Conversation · Feb 20, 2022

Curtain falls on Beijing Olympics stalked by politics, doping scandal

Beijing handed the Olympic flag to Milan-Cortina on Sunday after a Games that will be remembered for the extremes of its anti-COVID-19 measures and outrage over the doping scandal that enveloped 15-year-old Russian skating sensation Kamila Valieva.

France 24 · Feb 20, 2022

Losing Afghanistan; The Naked Don’t Fear the Water reviews – fickle allies and personal tragedies

Six months on from the fall of Kabul, a collection of essays unpicks the catastrophic mess the west has left behind in Afghanistan, while the story of one young man’s perilous escape cannot fail to move

The Guardian - UK · Feb 20, 2022

China's digital currency push faces uphill battle

BEIJING -- At Beijing Winter Games venues, China's digital currency has been designated as an official payment method.

The Japan News/Yomiuri · Feb 20, 2022

Taiwan premier wants athlete punished for wearing China suit

Taiwan’s premier has called for a Taiwanese speed skater to be punished for wearing a suit from rival China’s team ahead of the Beijing Olympics

The Independent UK · Feb 20, 2022

Explainer: what was the Chinese laser attack about and why does it matter?

Just after midnight last Thursday, a transiting Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) vessel shone a military-grade laser at an Australian air force plane conducting coastal maritime surveillance.

The Conversation · Feb 20, 2022

All political parties should heed ASIO warnings about weaponising national security, James Paterson says

The chair of parliament's intelligence committee, James Paterson, says all MPs should heed the head of ASIO's warnings against weaponising national security and intelligence matters.

ABC News · Feb 20, 2022

Mainland China reports 195 new COVID-19 cases vs 137 a day earlier

China reported 195 new COVID-19 cases in the mainland for Feb. 19, up from 137 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Sunday.

Reuters · Feb 20, 2022

China to turn steel-mill Olympic ski jump into giant water slide

The Shougang Big Air ski jump, built on the site of a decommissioned steel mill, has been the most talked-about venue of the Winter Olympics. While there’s been praise, it has also been criticized as dystopian and dreary. Beijing hopes not to add white elephant to that list as well.

Tribune News Service · Feb 20, 2022