US journalist pleads guilty to acting as an illegal agent for China

WASHINGTON — An American journalist who has lived in China since 2010 and worked for several state media organizations there pleaded guilty in a U.S. court Thursday to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, the Justice Department said. Thomas Pauken II is set to be sentenced Sept. 1 in a U.S. District … Read more

Trump administration floats tariffs on 60 trading partners — including China, U.K., EU — after forced labor probes

The Trump administration has unveiled proposed tariffs of 10% or more on dozens of countries accused of failing to crack down on forced labor, hitting some of the U.S.’s largest trading partners — as the administration tries to rebuild its system of global tariffs after the Supreme Court struck them down earlier this year. U.S. … Read more

Hegseth tones down warnings about China: “We respect their ambitions,” but “position hasn’t changed on Taiwan”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth toned down previous rhetoric calling China a threat in a visit to Singapore on Saturday, but told allies the region “has profound implications for U.S. security and prosperity.” As the U.S. has done for decades, Hegseth tried to straddle the line between not angering Chinese leaders and still not ostracizing Taiwan. … Read more

Blue Origin explosion could impact space race position against China

A giant Blue Origin rocket, taller than the Statue of Liberty, went up in a spectacular fireball on Thursday in Florida. It meant the loss of years of work and untold millions of dollars. The loss of a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket could also be a major setback in the space race with China. … Read more

China controls a metal that’s key for the Iran war, sending the U.S. on a global hunt for more

YEONGWOL COUNTY, South Korea — As the United States wages war on Iran, it is burning through stockpiles of advanced weapons and ammunition, including Tomahawk, Patriot and Precision Strike missiles. Replacing them will require a powerful metal, tungsten, whose production and refining is dominated by China — leading the U.S. to desperately search for it … Read more

China launches Shenzhou 23 spacecraft carrying 3 astronauts, including 1 set to remain in space for a year

China successfully launched another spacecraft Sunday that is set to carry three astronauts to its space station. One crew member aboard the Shenzhou 23 is expected to remain in space for one year, which would be among the world’s longest single stays in space. The spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in … Read more

Authorities investigate safety lapses after China coal mine blast kills at least 82

Authorities in northern China were investigating a coal mine operator with a focus on safety lapses, as rescuers searched for those missing in the country’s deadliest coal mine explosion in recent years that killed at least 82 people. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. An Associated … Read more

How bizarre fish ‘experiment’ videos from China hijacked the internet’s worst impulses

Of the hundreds of “LabGerm” videos posted and reposted to social media in recent weeks, most start out the same way: A pair of gloved hands appears against a white backdrop as an AI-generated voice narrates and upbeat music plays in the background. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles … Read more