Pandas, pingpong and ancient canals: President Xi’s hosting style says a lot about Chinese diplomacy

By Xianda Huang, Ph.D. Student in Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles

When French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to China in early December for his fourth state visit, the itinerary began with the expected formalities. There was a red carpet reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and high-level talks with President Xi Jinping on trade, technology and Ukraine.

But the defining image of this diplomatic trip did not take place in the capital. Rather, it occurred more than 1,000…

Read complete article

~	Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai Convicted on Bogus National Security Charges

~	Australia's under 16 social media ban under microscope at home and abroad

~	Science has always been marketed, from 18th-century coffeehouse demos of Newton’s ideas to today’s TikTok explainers

~	2025’s extreme weather had the jet stream’s fingerprints all over it, from flash floods to hurricanes

~	Coup contagion? A rash of African power grabs suggests copycats are taking note of others’ success

~	How are dark matter and antimatter different?

~	From civil disobedience to networked whistleblowing: What national security truth-tellers reveal in an age of crackdowns

~	Best way for employers to support employees with chronic mental illness is by offering flexibility

~	How the NIH became the backbone of American medical research and a major driver of innovation and economic growth

~	Getting peace right: Why justice needs to be baked into ceasefire agreements – including Ukraine’s