China announces plans to cover childbirth related costs in bid to boost birth rates
China has announced plans to fully cover childbirth-related costs for families as authorities move to incentivise young couples to have more children....
China confirmed on Monday that it will host a high-level summit with the European Union in Beijing this week to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations. The summit aims to address ongoing trade disputes amid global trade uncertainties.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa are scheduled to visit China on Thursday, where they will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as announced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
China's Premier Li Qiang will co-chair the 25th China-EU summit alongside the EU leaders on the same day.
The meeting comes as global trade tensions rise, with China seeking to strengthen economic and political ties with the EU to mitigate risks in its relationship with the United States.
EU-China relations have been strained since 2021, when Brussels imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang, leading to retaliatory sanctions from Beijing that halted much of their bilateral exchanges.
Trade disputes between the two sides have also been contentious in recent years, particularly concerning Chinese electric vehicles, European brandy and pork, government procurement of medical devices, and rare earths.
The summit is seen as crucial for addressing these issues, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, who expressed hope for cooperation between the two parties.
"China believes that after 50 years of development, China-EU relations are mature and stable, though facing challenges," he said.
In a recent speech, von der Leyen acknowledged China's economic achievements but criticized the country for flooding global markets with excess capacity, restricting access to its market, and effectively supporting Russia's war economy.
The EU, which views China as both a partner for cooperation and an economic competitor, has emphasized the importance of improving relations amid global trade uncertainties. Following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of new tariffs in April, von der Leyen told Premier Li in a phone call that the EU and China share the responsibility to support a fair, free, and reformed global trading system.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Syria has arrested five people suspected of having links to a deadly attack on a joint U.S.–Syrian convoy in the central town of Palmyra on Saturday, the country’s Interior Ministry said.
The head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, the foreign spy service known as MI6, has warned that Russia "remains an aggressive and expansionist threat", vowing sustained support for Ukraine and calling for greater use of technology to protect UK security.
Odesa residents remained without power for a third straight day on Monday (15 December) after a Russian missile and drone strike crippled the power grid on Saturday (13 December).
Fighting along the Thailand–Cambodia border has entered a fifth consecutive day, despite U.S. President Donald Trump claiming he had brokered a ceasefire between the two sides.
World leaders have expressed condolences and solidarity after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting during Hanukkah celebrations at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday (14 December).
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