2024 was the warmest year for China since nationwide records began just over 60 years ago. The national average temperature last year was 10.92 degrees Celsius, more than one degree higher than in 2023, according to the China Meteorological Administration’s service portal on Wednesday. It is the second year in a row in which new […]
It is well known that electromagnetic waves can be emitted or received with the help of “sky threads” (commonly known as “antennas” in English). The Chinese word is made up of the characters 天 tiān “sky, day” and 线 xiàn “wire, line, thread, beam.” Incidentally, the English word is related to the Latin tendere or […]
The European Union has initiated anti-dumping proceedings against valine imports from China. The amino acid is used in animal feed, for example. The request was filed by the French chemical company Eurolysine SAS, which accuses Chinese importers of price distortions, among other things.The company refers to a working document from the EU Directorate-General for Trade […]
Maybe it’s because the dragon is omnipresent in Chinese culture? In any case, water in China does not flow from a tap, but from a “dragon’s head” (literally 龙头 lóngtóu, sometimes also 水龙头 shuǐlóngtóu, “water dragon’s head”). The next time you wash your hands, you might see the “tap“ in a new light.Want more? Visit […]
A suspected case of espionage involving the royal family is making headlines in the UK: Businessman Yang Tengbo is said to have established close links with Prince Andrew on behalf of the United Front in order to strengthen China’s influence in London. Yang, a 50-year-old Chinese citizen who has already been banned from entering the […]
The EU Commission has stepped up its crackdown on TikTok and initiated formal investigation proceedings against the platform for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The investigation focuses on TikTok’s obligation to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks related to the integrity of elections.TikTok is a subsidiary of the Chinese tech group ByteDance, […]
The Chancellor’s party, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), seeks a “robust” dialog with Beijing. Its partner, the Green Party, sees China increasingly as a rival. The CDU/CSU promises to set up a network of independent China experts. This was revealed in the draft election manifestos for the 2025 Bundestag elections, officially presented by the SPD, […]
For the first time, the EU plans to sanction six Chinese and Hong Kong companies as well as one Chinese citizen for supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The companies now face asset freezes and the individual a visa ban. The decision is part of the 15th EU sanctions package against Russia. It is almost […]
Which object does the character 丁 resemble? A nail? An umbrella? Or a coat hanger? A thong! This visual similarity is at least alluded to by the Chinese name for this tiny piece of underwear, which is 丁字裤 dīngzìkù, literally “character ‘thing’ pants.” In fact, “dīngzìkù” is not the only Chinese word that implies a […]
