Behind Hong Kong's skyline, thousands of old towers face rising risks
By Ning Pan and Bang Xiao
Hong Kong's worst fire in decades exposed long-standing weaknesses in its aging residential blocks. The question haunting the city is whether the disaster could happen again.
#DisastersAccidentsandEmergencyIncidents #Fires #ConstructionandRealEstateIndustry #AccidentsandEmergencyIncidents #NingPan #BangXiao
Hongkongers built their own SOS map as seven towers burned
By Xiaoning Mo and Bang Xiao
When a fatal fire tore through seven high-rise towers in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, thousands of families were glued to a single webpage that offered updates far more quickly than official government briefings.
#Fires #HumanInterest #CommunityandSociety #SocialMedia #WorldPolitics #XiaoningMo #BangXiao
China's confrontation with Japan undermines its own economic interests
By Bang Xiao
China's escalating confrontation with Japan is colliding directly with its attempt to join one of the world's most demanding trade agreements.
Trump claimed victory in Busan — but Xi was writing the script
By Bang Xiao
Donald Trump's gains are immediate and personal while Xi Jinping's are quiet, reversible, and strategic
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-02/donald-trump-xi-jinping-meeting-busan-trade-taiwan/105957454
China's factories keep running — and its influence keeps growing
By Bang Xiao
For Australia and the US, the Pacific is no longer a comfortable backyard — it's a battleground of credibility.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-19/china-economy-pacific-australia-united-states/105884758
'To eat bitterness': In the Pacific, there is 'old' Chinese and 'new' Chinese
By Bang Xiao, Chrisnrita Aumanu-Leong, Marian Kupu, Nick Sas, Jarrod Fankhauser, and Sean Mantesso
China's presence in the Pacific is often viewed in the context of geopolitical tension and rivalry. But Chinese people have been in the region for generations — these are their stories.
#WorldPolitics #History #ForeignAffairs #Immigration #HumanInterest #BangXiao #ChrisnritaAumanuLeong #MarianKupu #NickSas #JarrodFankhauser # #SeanMantesso
Xi and Putin overheard talking about organ transplants and immortality
By Iris Zhao and Bang Xiao
Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have been caught on a hot mic talking about the potential of medicine to extend human life spans and "perhaps even achieve immortality".
China wants to win hearts, starting with Australia’s youth
By Bang Xiao
Beijing is launching a charm offensive aimed at the younger generation of Australians — because shaping minds today means shaping alliances tomorrow.
