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Researcher & writer based in Hong Kong. Former academic. Longform articles archived at https://lauraruggeri.substack.com and https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com. Email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
CHINA - Shipments abroad rose 4.4% year on year in August, the weakest pace in half a year, but still an expansion at a time when tariffs, political tensions and slowing global demand should be pulling them down. Plenty of countries could only dream of 4% export growth in this environment. And China is achieving it under the weight of an unpredictable trade war with the United States.
That resilience is striking. Exports to the US collapsed 33% in August, the predictable consequence of Washington’s tariff hikes. Yet China’s overall trade kept expanding because exporters are selling more to the rest of the world.
Shipments to Southeast Asia surged more than 22%, while exports to the EU grew 10%. China’s trade surplus widened to over US$102 billion last month, higher than July’s $98 billion.
The pattern is unmistakable: despite losing ground in the US, China is expanding elsewhere, including in the Global South.
This isn’t simply an accident of arithmetic. Since tariffs exploded in April, exporters have been forced to reconfigure their supply chains and open new markets. ASEAN has already overtaken both the EU and US as China’s largest trading partner, and the August numbers show the relationship is deepening. From electronics and machinery to intermediate goods, Southeast Asia is now the key growth outlet for Chinese exports.
To be sure, some of this is rerouting, as companies redirect goods through Vietnam or Malaysia and then onto other destinations to skirt tariffs.
Yet much of it is meeting genuine underlying demand. Regional economies are integrating with China at a pace that tariffs in Washington cannot slow.
For Beijing, this shift is both economic and strategic, giving it greater influence across Asia and reducing its dependence on the US consumer market. (Source: Asia Times) @LauraRuHK
Donald Trump gave the green light for the Israeli strike in Qatar, a senior Israeli official tells Channel 12.
🔺Israel conducted an airstrike in Doha targeting Hamas leaders, involving 15 aircraft and over 10 munitions were used on a single target, Israeli media report. Qatar has strongly condemned the attack. “The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
“This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar. The ministry affirms that the security forces, civil defense, and relevant authorities immediately began addressing the incident and taking necessary measures to contain its repercussions and ensure the safety of the residents and surrounding areas,” he added.
“While the State of Qatar strongly condemns this assault, it confirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty. Investigations are underway at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they are available,” the statement concluded. 🔺Iran FM spox Baghaei calls Israeli strike on Qatar “criminal, extremely dangerous & a blatant violation” of international law, Qatar's sovereignty & UN Charter. Warns international inaction on Zionist regime’s crimes in Palestine & West Asia threatens all. @LauraRuHK
US playbook - If provoking a direct clash between China and India proves impossible, ignite tensions in the country between them, Nepal. @LauraRuHK
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NEPAL - The Nepalese government, following mass protests, lifted the ban on social media platforms that did not register with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, Reddit and LinkedIn. The prime minister Sharma Oli explained that the government will create a special committee to investigate the events that led to the riots and provide recommendations to prevent new protests.
As a result of clashes with the police, 19 protesters were killed and more than 300 were injured.
The death of protesters caused the resignation of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Nepal, Ramesh Lekhak. ▪️Who stands to benefit from chaos in the country? Nepal’s deepening ties with China, its largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) source since 2015, its inclusion in the Belt&Road Initiative (BRI) combined with its delicate balance with India, make maintaining the status quo more advantageous for all regional players.
The US on the other hand has a long history of sowing chaos through colour revolutions. Nepal’s strategic location makes it a potential pressure point in the US-China rivalry. A pro-Western or less China-friendly government could limit BRI expansion and curb Nepal’s SCO ambitions. The U.S. has funded programs in Nepal (e.g., USAID, $500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation grant) to counter Chinese influence and hundreds of Western NGOs are active in the country.
🔺Nepal is a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and prime minister Oli recently attended the 2025 Tianjin summit.
🔺Nepal joined BRI in 2017. Key projects include the Pokhara and Gautam Buddha International Airports, built with Chinese funding, the Kathmandu-Lhasa cross-border railway, part of the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, that will link Nepal directly to China's rail system.
China invests heavily in hydropower (vital for Nepal's energy needs) and telecommunications, with Chinese firms like Huawei expanding 5G networks.
@LauraRuHK
European Council President Antonio Costa has called for tougher secondary sanctions against countries that buy gas and oil from Russia.
The EU may propose an official package of sanctions against Russia before the end of this week, Politico reports, citing two diplomats.
The EU is considering imposing measures against Kazakhstan due to its alleged circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed sources. EU officials are also discussing possible sanctions against China for purchases of Russian oil and gas, the Financial Times reports. @LauraRuHK
Russian troops launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine at night, hitting military facilities and logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For the first time during the conflict they struck the government building in Kiev. @LauraRuHK
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SERBIA - At the protests in Novi Sad on Friday night, 13 police officers were injured, according to Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.
"Thirteen police officers were injured. Over the past few weeks, as demonstrations have turned violent and become increasingly aggressive toward the police more than 150 officers have been injured," he said.
"Forty-two individuals have been detained, eighteen police vehicles were damaged, and one officer had their service pistol taken," said the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
▪️On Friday, the "Serbia, Can You Hear Us?" demonstration attracted several thousand people who gathered in front of the Faculty of Philosophy, where a police cordon was established. Clashes erupted shortly thereafter. The President of the Assembly (Parliament) of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, pointed to the "hypocritical" presence of members of the European Parliament at a protest that descended into riots. "It is especially hypocritical that the European MP Rasmus Nordqvist from Denmark, as well as Voula Cetsi from Greece, the co-chair of the "European Green Party", are present this evening in Novi Sad at violent protests. These are people who lecture us every day about the rule of law and democracy - yet here they are, attending an unreported, illegal gathering which, in their own countries, would not be permitted. They are not only supporting but also participating in illegal gatherings in Serbia! They speak about the rule of law while promoting anarchy", she wrote on the social network X.
▪️August 1, marked nine months since the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station that killed 16 people, mass protests erupted in response to the tragedy.
The Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office, in collaboration with the police, detained 12 individuals, including former Minister of Construction and Infrastructure Tomislav Momirović, in connection with the incident. The suspects face charges of causing $115.5 million in damages to the Serbian budget through an agreement for the station’s reconstruction. Protesting students and opposition supporters have disrupted operations at numerous universities and blocked roads and transport hubs almost daily. Their demands include full disclosure of documentation related to the station’s reconstruction, investigation and prosecution of involved officials, and the release of those detained during the protests. The government has released thousands of documents related to the station’s reconstruction into the public domain. While the country’s leadership has called for dialogue with opposition forces, these invitations have gone unanswered. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK
On August 29, 2025, UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that Japan will send its F-15J fighter jets to Europe for the first time in the coming weeks, with deployments planned for the United Kingdom as part of a new arrangement between Tokyo and London. This deployment marks the first occasion that Japanese Air Forces will operate in Europe. ▪️Healey remarked that Japan is “the UK’s closest security ally in Asia”, and noted that the military partnership between the two nations would be strengthened even further in the near future. The UK Defence Secretary referred to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – a joint project between the UK, Italy, and Japan – as an example of the partnership, alongside the recent fielding of F-35Bs aboard the Japanese ship Kaga (DDH-184), the first time in history that British jets have flown from a Japanese deck. ▪️The European deployment demonstrates that Japan is expanding the operational use of its existing platforms beyond regional defence. It also underlines the broader integration of Japan into Euro-Atlantic security networks, in parallel with NATO cooperation, joint maritime deployments, cyber defence activities, and emerging collaboration in space and quantum technologies. @LauraRuHK
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The global loss of confidence in the US, in one chart. @LauraRuHK
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has shaken hands with South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik during the parade in honor of the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II in Beijing, Newsis reports citing the office of the speaker.
Woo Won-shik has also had brief conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Newsis adds. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK
The leaders of 26 countries, and many more foreign representatives, joined Xi Jinping to mark the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Revisionist powers stayed away, as expected. @LauraRuHK
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At the SCO summit, China introduced its Global Governance Initiative (GGI), an idea that resonates deeply with the Global Majority. Beijing doesn't mention enforcement (no equivalent of NATO's Art.5) believing that a critical mass of equal partners would serve as a major deterrent. In short, isolate the bullies! For your reference, here is the text.
https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xw/wjbxw/202509/t20250901_11699912.html
China will introduce a visa-free regime for Russian citizens. From September 15, Russians can stay in the country for up to 30 days- Chinese Foreign Ministry. @LauraRuHK
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Tokyo is laying groundwork for new territorial claims against Moscow, Nikolay Patrushev, Russian presidential aide and Maritime Board chairman, said, commenting on the top Japanese diplomat's assertion that Russia had attacked Japan in 1945 and occupied the Kuril Islands.
"Japan is laying the basis for new territorial claims, particularly to the seas surrounding Russia, which directly affects Russia’s national security interests," he pointed out in an interview with the aif.ru media outlet, dedicated to Victory Day over militarist Japan and the end of World War II.
Earlier, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya accused the Soviet Union of violating the neutrality pact that existed between the two countries by joining the war against Japan on August 9, 1945. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Press TV's Abubaker Abed says the airstrikes in Doha were a coordinated US-Israeli attack that sends a clear message: Israel does NOT want a deal!
@PressTV
Meet Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, the potential successor to Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who resigned earlier today amid violent riots. Balen, a 34-year-old rapper, won the Kathmandu mayoral election in 2022 and, surprise surprise, gets on very well with the US ambassador. He supported the anti-government protests and is regarded as the activists' favourite choice for the post of prime minister. @LauraRuHK 👉https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvwXcDHbTVM
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❗️Nepalese Prime Minister Sharma Oli has resigned, Reuters reported, citing his aide. /channel/LauraRuHK/10474
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The first stage of Russian gas supplies to Iran will start in a few months, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali said, adding that a delegation from Russia will arrive in Tehran soon to discuss the price issue.
“Russian energy officials will visit Tehran next week to finalize talks on Russian gas imports,” he said. All issues except the price have already been resolved, the diplomat noted.
The first stage will start “in a few months, but the second and third will require infrastructure,” he said. “And it has been decided that Russia will invest in the creation of infrastructure,” Jalali added.
Carrying out a genocide takes its toll on mental health. As more and more child murderers break down, the Zionist entity is ramping up R&R programs for its soldiers. Some of them have been spotted in Italy's Marche region, mixing with sunbathers on the beach. The question is: is there an official agreement between Israel and Italy to host IDF deranged soldiers? The authors of the article report that Italy's General Investigations and Special Operations Division, known by its acronym DIGOS, is tasked with providing surveillance to these war criminals. @LauraRuHK https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2025/09/07/soldati-idf-nelle-marc-he-per-smaltire-lo-stress/8118151/
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Anduril, the AI-powered defense startup backed by Palantir's Peter Thiel, best known for its relatively cheap drones and autonomous lookout towers that track targets using radar and cameras, established an office in Taiwan in August. The facility will provide engineering, supply chain support and programme execution.
Under the US Foreign Military Sales contract signed last year, Anduril will supply 1,000 Altius-600M attack drones to Taiwan. It sent the first batch earlier in August, as company founder Palmer Luckey visited the island. Taiwan's top weapons developer, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) in July signed a memorandum of understanding with Anduril, maker of the Altius 600M anti-armour drone, covering joint work on its Lattice AI-enabled command-and-control platform and other uncrewed systems. Anduril has benefitted from military tactics deployed in the Ukraine conflict, where drones have accounted for more than two thirds of battlefield casualties and have been used to hit oil depots and logistics hubs hundreds of kilometres behind the front. Taiwan is pursuing a ‘high-low mix’: pairing expensive cruise missiles with a swarm of low-cost, long-range drones which aim to overwhelm air defences.
Taiwan is moving to expand its long-range strike abilities with a new class of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
This comes as Washington deepens cooperation with Taipei on drones and emerging technologies. @LauraRuHK For more details 👉 https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3324528/could-taiwans-new-high-low-attack-drone-strategy-counter-mainland-chinas-arsenal?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage
Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on Friday, renaming the Department of Defense as the "Department of War."
"I think it's a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now," Trump said. "We have the strongest military in the world, we have the greatest equipment in the world... every element of the military we make the best, by far." Trump had previously stated that Department of War sounded better and stronger than Department of Defense. "We want defense, but we want offense, too. ”
The Executive Order authorizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use the title “Secretary of War” in official correspondence and public communications. Speaking at the signing, Hegseth said: "This name change isn't just about renaming, it's about restoring. Words matter.... it's restoring the warrior ethos. Restoring victory and clarity as an end state. Restoring intentionality to the use of force."
The Defense Secretary went on to say that the War Department is "going to go on offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct."▪️In How to Do Things with Words (1962) J. L. Austin outlined his theory of speech acts pointing out that language can perform actions rather than merely convey information: "Saying something will often, or even normally, produce certain consequential effects upon the feelings, thoughts, or actions of the audience, or of the speaker, or of other persons: and it may be done with the design, intention, or purpose of producing them." Performative utterances differ from constative ones, which can be evaluated as true or false, because they do not purport to state facts but aim to evince emotion or to prescribe or otherwise influence conduct. Austin categorizes speech acts into locutionary (the act of saying something), illocutionary (the intended force, like promising), and perlocutionary (the effect on the listener.)
As Non-Western states (the Global Majority) are asserting their right to set agendas, to create institutions and to act together, refuse to submit to the fading hegemon's political logic, follow their own calculations of interest, and are shifting away from the West, Washington is increasingly resorting to perlocutionary speech acts to produce the illusion of power. @LauraRuHK
As many subscribers to this channel already know, I left Italy for China nearly 30 years ago, which means I am now a foreigner in both countries. When i am in Europe people often ask me what is like to live in an Asian country and whether i ever experienced what they call a 'culture shock'. They are invariably surprised when i reply that in recent years i am more likely to experience a sense of alienation when i travel West. The main source of unease, bordering on alienation, are human relations. I have struggled to pinpoint exactly why these interactions feel so challenging, but I believe a key factor is the Western norm of overpromising and underdelivering, amplified by cultural, social, and technological influences.
In Western societies, people often overestimate their ability to deliver due to an optimistic bias about their capabilities. To gain approval or trust, they project idealized versions of themselves, making bold promises they can’t fulfill. This blurring of aspiration and reality stems from cultural emphasis on individualism, self-promotion, and personal achievement, which encourages exaggerated claims and unrealistic plans.
In Asia, people tend to prioritize group harmony and modesty, which may discourage the crassest forms of self-promotion and bold claims.
Western economies, driven by consumerism, rely heavily on aggressive marketing, advertising and PR, which normalize exaggerated promises.
While social media is global, people in the West are more likely to use digital platforms for self-promotion and indulge in narcissistic behaviors as individuals seek validation. While narcissism exists globally, by prioritizing group identity collectivist cultures curb self-aggrandizement and overpromising.
When i am in Europe frustration is a daily experience. For example, you call an acquaintance you haven’t seen in a while, suggesting a simple coffee meetup. They propose dinner instead, only to cancel at the last minute. You try again with coffee, thinking it’s a low-commitment option, but they double down and invite you to a party they claim to be hosting the next evening—then vanish. Or you suggest a morning walk in the city park with a friend, who counters with an elaborate plan for a train trip and a four-hour mountain hike. You prepare, packing nuts, sandwiches, and a hiking pole, only for them to cancel, leaving you with a useless train ticket and a sense of wasted effort.
Repeated underdelivery and unmet promises trigger distrust. Now, if you move from the personal to the political, from human to international relations, the scenario doesn't change.
Whether in a friendship, a boardroom, a campaign speech, or a diplomatic summit, unmet promises create a ripple effect of distrust, which erode social bonds and weaken societal cohesion.
Once you destroy the web of mutual trust and cooperation that holds societies together what you are left with is dysfunctional, both at the micro and macro level.
@LauraRuHK
The Sun has come up with a new expression that deserves to become as infamous as "but at what cost?", the default line used by Western media whenever they cannot ignore some Chinese success, breakthrough or development milestone. After reviewing the impressive display of China's weaponry at the V-Day parade, The Sun asks, "but is all as it seems?" 😂 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/36548465/china-hypersonic-weapons-parade-nuke/
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Ukrainian citizen Mikhail Stselnikov, suspected of killing ukronazi Andriy Parubiy, stressed that he shot Parubiy on his own initiative.
Stselnikov said that he wants to be sentenced and exchanged for a prisoner of war in order to be able to go to Russia to find his son's body.
His son worked in the IT sector in Lvov and went MIA in May 2023. /channel/LauraRuHK/10432
Video clips of the V-Day Parade held today in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory over the Axis, imperialist Japan and the end of World War II can be found here. You can select those that pick your interest, be it women marching, impeccable uniforms, new combat drones or nuclear missiles. https://tv.cctv.com/2025/09/03/VIDECy2A0lgKoXEXyTCdZqm9250903.shtml?spm=C55953877151.PjvMkmVd9ZhX.0.0
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RUSSIA➡️MONGOLIA➡️CHINA - A legally binding memorandum has been signed on the construction of the Power of Siberia-2 and the Soyuz Vostok transit gas pipeline through Mongolia, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said. He explained why it took so long to sign the agreement on the Power of Siberia-2 project:
"You know, a project like this could not be resolved quickly. It will be the largest, most ambitious and most capital-intensive gas project in the world."
@LauraRuHK
Jack Poulson revealed that a $2 million contract between the U.S. branch of the Israeli spyware vendor Paragon Solutions and the cyber division of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations was quietly reenabled on Saturday, according to an official U.S. Government public procurement notice. ▪️Paragon — which was founded by Ehud Schneorson, a former commander of Israel’s signals intelligence agency, Unit 8200 — had been acquired by the Boca Raton-based private equity firm AE Industrial Partners. As a result, Paragon was merged into the Virginia-based cyber intelligence firm REDLattice.
Now that Paragon is American-owned, the Trump administration has quietly lifted the stop work order of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s procurement of the firm’s spyware. ▪️Both Paragon Solutions and REDLattice have long had close ties to U.S. intelligence. The CIA’s former assistant director for Korea, John Finbarr Fleming, became executive chairman of Paragon’s U.S. branch in January 2024 — long before the public announcement of the company’s acquisition — according to his LinkedIn profile.
Andrew G. Boyd, who from early 2020 into mid-2023 led the CIA’s primary offensive cyber arm, the Center for Cyber Intelligence, joined the board of REDLattice circa October 2023. Former U.S. Army chief of staff James McConville had similarly joined REDLattice’s board two months prior.
Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), the U.S. military’s premier counter-terrorism and direct action unit, which works closely with the CIA, has disclosed spending more than $11 million acquiring REDLattice’s products, including $6 million on July 18. https://substack.com/home/post/p-172515924
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that the China-Russia relationship has become an example of major-country ties, featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Xi made the remarks while holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025, as well as commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
China is ready to strengthen high-level exchanges with Russia, support each other's development and revitalization, coordinate positions on issues involving the two countries' core interests and major concerns in a timely manner, and advance bilateral relations for greater development, Xi said.
The two sides should leverage major projects to steer their cooperation, develop exemplary cooperation projects, and promote deep-level integration of interests, he noted, calling for enhanced resilience and understanding in cooperation and all-out efforts to consolidate the overall cooperation.
The two countries' heads of state attending each other's commemorations marking the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War fully demonstrates their responsibility as major victorious nations of World War II and permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Xi said. It also displays their firm resolve to defend the victorious outcomes of WWII and safeguard a correct historical perspective on WWII, he noted.
China and Russia should further enhance coordination on multilateral platforms including the UN, the SCO, BRICS and G20, and jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. (Source: Xinhua) @LauraRuHK
In Indonesia agents provocateurs have hijacked a social protest in the hope of turning it into a colour revolution. Demonstrators have torched government buildings, some people have looted politicians’ houses and burned vehicles. ▪️The outbreak of violence has prompted the president Prabowo Subianto to cancel a planned trip to Tianjin where he was due to attend the SCO summit. ▪️Indonesian security services know who is behind this attempt to destabilize the country and interfere with its current, multipolar course. ▪️Indonesia was the first Southeast Asian country to join BRICS, has been cooperating with China in the Belt and Road Initiative, enhanced its ties with Russia and the Global South. @LauraRuHK
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