A voice from China comments on three attention-grabbing cases involving fellow Chinese abroad caught up in extremely serious transnational crimes related to fraud, drugs, and human trafficking. “In our textbooks, the Opium War of two centuries ago is presented as a national tragedy,” so why when “we are rich and strong,” are we “installing slot machines in the poorest areas of Africa”?
Nepal's anti-corruption commission has indicted 55 former politicians and officials and the state-owned China CAMC Engineering of inflating the costs of Pokhara International Airport, built with a Chinese loan as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, but currently without regular international flights. The investigation is testing the new caretaker government, which does not want to jeopardise ties with Beijing.
Yesterday's episcopal ordination in Henan is opening new wounds rather than healing old ones. The underground bishop whose resignation Rome accepted is still under strict surveillance, unable to attend "his" ceremony, and not even his family can see him. A priest commented: Beijing is violating “the spirit of the Agreement.” “This is not the first time” that the Church “finds herself forced into silence, humiliation”. Ultimately, she “is not sustained by power, but by faith”.
In the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang, the episcopal ordination of Bishop Li Jainlin took place this morning, the second bishop elected during the recent sede vacante. The appointment was approved by Leo XIV in accordance with the Sino-Vatican accord, following the "resignation" of underground bishop Zhang Weizhu (who was arrested several times for refusing to join official bodies). Meanwhile, in Xuchang, the faithful found their church padlocked for allowing minors to enter it.
Visitors from China will be able to use payment apps, making transactions easier. Soon, Thai nationals will also benefit from this technology in China. The system, increasingly used across ASEAN, serves not only to exchange money but also to strengthen trust, convenience, and a shared commitment to a more seamless financial future.
After two attacks that left five dead and five wounded, the Chinese embassy in Dushanbe ordered evacuations from the border areas. The Tajik government and the Taliban have said they will cooperate with China amid growing fears that fighters from the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) are behind the attacks (which have not yet been claimed). Instability threatens regional cooperation and China's Belt and Road Initiative projects.
