Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s decision to place the country’s top-ranking general under investigation is a stunning move that leaves Xi virtually alone at the top of the military hierarchy – raising deep questions about the implications for the world’s largest armed forces,

Prime Minister Keir Starmer hopes to boost his country’s lagging economy with a trip to Beijing. But he must carefully navigate between two superpowers.

(Corrects by clarifying that Finland-China talks on undersea cable incidents in bullet 3 were in 2024, and distinguishes in the last three paragraphs between 2024 and 2026 talks) By Colleen Howe BEIJING,

The world's second-largest economy is sticking to its calls for global cooperation, which didn't stand out as much as other high-profile speeches at Davos.

Bribery allegations have also been leveled against Gen. Zhang Youxia, whose downfall carries implications for the country’s military readiness.

A combat veteran, Zhang Youxia was once seen as the most trusted man in Xi Jinping’s military. Now he has been accused of disloyalty to Mr. Xi.

His decision to go home early may seem nothing new. When the global financial crisis devastated China’s export sector in 2008, migrants returned to their rural homes en masse. The countryside was a safety valve: workers had negligible welfare support but could farm small plots of land until the economy roared back, as it did after massive stimulus.

China's industrial profits rose 0.6% in 2025 from a year earlier, snapping three consecutive years of declines, as Beijing sought to rein in excessive price competition.