Asia

The New Italy-China Circular Economy Forum Accelerates Cooperation

The New Italy-China Circular Economy Forum Accelerates Cooperation

There is one thing that every European company today seems to prioritise: establishing new ties with the Chinese superpower. At the start of 2026, President Xi Jinping reached a series of important ...

Putin in China: the friendship is solid, but the pipeline remains on hold

Putin in China: the friendship is solid, but the pipeline remains on hold

The timing couldn’t have been better. Although Vladimir Putin’s visit to China had been planned for some time, the fact that it took place on May 20, just six days after Donald Trum...

Understanding contemporary China: the interviews of RM62

Understanding contemporary China: the interviews of RM62

In the 62nd issue of Renewable Matter, we invited three experts to the Think Tank roundtable discussion to offer us an in-depth perspective on some of the key issues facing present-day China, s...

Under the Same Sky

Under the Same Sky

The first Chinese character I ever learnt to write was tiān 天, which means “sky” or “heaven”. Perhaps because it’s easy to remember. It is made up of the charac...

Ecological Civilization as Ideology

Ecological Civilization as Ideology

The maturation of domestic environmental policies, programs and institutional capacity has contributed to the emergence of an ideology of Chinese global environmentalism that China has begun to depl...

The Chinese Century

The Chinese Century

Back in the day, when you wanted to glimpse into the future, you’d head to San Francisco or Las Vegas. Today, you travel to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chengdu or Hangzhou. Robotics, AI, renewable en...

Trump-Xi: A summit of ambiguities - one meeting, two interpretations

Trump-Xi: A summit of ambiguities - one meeting, two interpretations

Maybe it was the visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, a symbol of good harvest and prosperity in the Chinese imperial tradition. Or perhaps it was simply the international situation and economi...

Asia-Pacific carbon markets: Indonesia, China, India – where Article 6 will be shaped

Asia-Pacific carbon markets: Indonesia, China, India – where Article 6 will be shaped

This article is part of the thematic channel The Carbon Observer: subscribe to the newsletter Anshari Rahman knows Article 6 from both sides of the table: he helped shape the rules as Sin...

What lies behind the rush for Indonesian nickel

What lies behind the rush for Indonesian nickel

On 18 February 2026, a landslide occurred inside the Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in Indonesia, one of the world’s major nickel mining hubs. One employee was killed by the collapse in a tai...

China's five-year plan sets lower growth targets and reduces climate ambitions

China's five-year plan sets lower growth targets and reduces climate ambitions

On 4 and 5 March, Beijing has begun the Two Sessions, or Lianghui (两会), the key event in the Chinese political calendar, eagerly awaited this year for the official unveiling of the 15th Five-Yea...

China, Iranian oil (and Venezuelan oil)

China, Iranian oil (and Venezuelan oil)

“The international community should make clear and unequivocal voice in opposing the regression of the world to the law of the jungle.” This was how Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi resp...

Shaping Article 6 from a National Perspective: Singapore’s Carbon Tax

Shaping Article 6 from a National Perspective: Singapore’s Carbon Tax

This article is part of the thematic channel The Carbon Observer. Subscribe to the newsletter or update your preferences. Singapore has emerged as a leader in recent carbon diplomacy efforts under ...

China, a five-year plan for space

China, a five-year plan for space

In a video released in November by the CGTN network, five taikonauts (from taikong: space in Chinese) are seen roasting chicken wings on board a space station. “This is the first time in ...

Critical Raw Materials, the complex European challenge

Critical Raw Materials, the complex European challenge

Strategic critical raw materials are the Achilles heel of European industrial recovery. Commonly known by the acronym CRM, they are essential for the EU's competitiveness, as well as for clean energ...

Attack on Venezuela: how did China react?

Attack on Venezuela: how did China react?

“It was a friendly meeting, reaffirming the strong bonds of friendship between China and Venezuela. In good and bad times!” The last words posted on Nicolas Maduro's social media profile...

Gen-Z, tariffs and elections: 2025 seen through Asia

Gen-Z, tariffs and elections: 2025 seen through Asia

While, contrary to popular belief, the famous Chinese anathema ‘May you live in interesting times’ is not Chinese at all, 2025 has certainly been a decidedly “interesting” ye...

RESourceEU, 3 billions for Made in Europe critical minerals

RESourceEU, 3 billions for Made in Europe critical minerals

Three billion euros towards diversifying the supply of critical materials such as rare earths, cobalt and lithium: this is what the European Commission will be putting on the table over the next 12 ...

Transition and international trade: China’s role at COP30

Transition and international trade: China’s role at COP30

From Belém - At COP30 in Belém, global trade was for the first time explicitly included in climate negotiations. It was inevitable: the transition is no longer just a matter of climate...

Building a Net-Zero Nation: A Look at the Current State of Malaysia's Greenest Structures

Building a Net-Zero Nation: A Look at the Current State of Malaysia's Greenest Structures

As Malaysia charts its course towards an ambitious net-zero emissions target by 2050, the nation's buildings have been thrust into the spotlight. Accounting for over half of the country's electricit...

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping: 100 minutes for a truce

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping: 100 minutes for a truce

“Amazing.” That's how Donald Trump, aboard Air Force One on his way back home from his Asian tour, defined the highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which took pl...