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China’s sixth UN peacekeeping helicopter rotation finished a nine-day induction in Abyei led by UNISFA instructors, marking the unit’s first comprehensive training. The exercise aims to professionalize the detachment, improve interoperability with UN forces, and advance Beijing’s role in peacekeeping operations.

Soldiers from a PLA brigade have visited the parents of Shen Liangliang — killed in a 2016 Mali peacekeeping attack and named a People’s Hero in 2019 — every year for ten years, delivering signed flags, albums and domestic comforts. The ritual illustrates how the Chinese military institutionalises care for martyrs’ families to sustain morale, manage risk from overseas deployments, and project a narrative of sacrifice and responsibility.

Benjamin Netanyahu made a rapid, high-stakes visit to Washington to press President Trump to insist that U.S. talks with Iran include limits on ballistic missiles and Tehran’s support for proxy militias, not just nuclear restrictions. The move reflects Israeli anxiety about being sidelined in negotiations and risks complicating an already delicate diplomatic process with Iran.

U.S. and U.K. forces used F‑35Bs to simulate Chinese fifth‑generation fighters during a Red Flag exercise at Nellis, part of a broader effort by the reactivated 65th “Invaders” squadron to model J‑20/J‑35 tactics. The practice underscores Washington’s shift to China‑focused high‑end training while highlighting the limits of surrogate aircraft in fully reproducing adversary capabilities.

A Southern Theater Air Force brigade completed continuous day‑to‑night flight drills incorporating multiple aircraft types, complex weather effects and night intercept missions. The exercise tested instrument and night‑vision capabilities, maintenance turnarounds and data‑driven debriefs to enhance all‑hours operational readiness.

Zhang Jin, founder of Cedar Holdings and once Guangzhou’s richest man, is on trial for alleged fundraising fraud and related offences after the company’s wealth‑management products blew up into an estimated 20 billion yuan exposure affecting about 6,800 investors. The collapse highlights systemic risks in China’s supply‑chain finance and shadow‑banking practices, and will test regulators’ appetite for asset recovery and punishment of high‑profile private firms.

A Chinese delivery app, UU Paotui, briefly offered a 999‑yuan service in which riders would perform three kowtows on behalf of customers, provoking public outrage and rapid removal. The incident highlights the commercialisation of intimate, symbolic labour in the gig economy and the reputational and regulatory risks that follow when platforms monetise cultural practices.

President Trump’s January 30 nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed chair jolted markets, sending the dollar higher, Treasury yields up and precious metals into steep declines. Warsh’s public scepticism of prolonged quantitative easing and his preference for shrinking the Fed’s balance sheet prompted investors to reprice liquidity and risk, with implications for global capital flows and asset valuations.

The People’s Bank of China has reaffirmed a policy of moderate monetary easing, combining new measures with existing tools to support growth and a gradual rebound in prices. The bank is steering credit toward technology, small firms, green projects and consumption while monitoring liquidity through a wider lens that merges deposits and managed assets.

China’s A‑shares historically show a strong probability of rising in the first five to ten trading days after the Lunar New Year, prompting many analysts to recommend carrying a partial equity position through the holiday. Reduced pre‑holiday volumes and sector rotation toward defensive and consumer names temper the optimism, and the long market shutdown raises the risk of gap moves from unforeseen headlines.

President Trump said he may send another U.S. carrier strike group to the Middle East if talks with Iran fail, while a carrier strike group centered on the Abraham Lincoln is already in the CENTCOM area. Iranian officials denounced Israeli attempts to pull the U.S. into conflict but said talks with Washington have made progress and could expand beyond the nuclear file if negotiations succeed.

Li Yapeng’s livestreaming revival has delivered blockbuster sales and renewed public attention, but emerging corporate and hospital debts complicate the picture. A shareholder firm tied to him owes about RMB 6.34 million in land use tax, and Yanran Hospital faces a court‑ordered rent liability that donations cannot easily cover under Chinese fundraising rules.

At a Stanford Business School interview, Alibaba chairman Joseph Tsai revealed Jack Ma once removed him from an operations role early in Alibaba's history and described the company's renewed strategic focus: concentrate on e-commerce, expand AI and cloud (with an eye toward GPU demand), and deprioritize non-core assets. He framed these choices as pragmatic responses to market realities and the need for clear priorities.

China’s 2026 Spring Festival Gala has pivoted from traditional sponsors such as baijiu brands toward AI assistants, robots and internet platforms. ByteDance’s Doubao and several robotics firms are using the national broadcast to seed user growth and investor interest, but the technology and commercialization behind the spectacle remain nascent.

Sam’s Club in China faces a credibility test as a series of product and delivery mishaps have turned routine membership renewals into a calculated choice for many customers. The incidents expose vulnerabilities in last-mile delivery, high-touch food processing and product curation, forcing members to weigh emotional cost against savings.

China has formally established a Hainan New Area of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Wenchang, creating a consolidated local structure for R&D, assembly, testing and launch services. The move leverages Hainan's low latitude and free‑trade policies to accelerate China's aerospace industrialisation and improve its launch capacity for both commercial and dual‑use missions.

The FCC has authorised Amazon to add 4,500 satellites, bringing its Kuiper/Leo constellation to about 7,700 craft and positioning the company to start commercial LEO internet service later this year. Amazon is accelerating launches through multiple providers, seeking deadline relief from the FCC, and entering a scaling race with SpaceX, whose far larger satellite ambitions could reshape launch economics and orbital governance.

UU Paotui removed a contested “proxy New‑Year visit” service after social‑media backlash, pledged triple refunds for unfulfilled orders and launched a charity campaign to mend its image. The incident underscores the cultural sensitivity and reputational risks Chinese platforms face when monetising intimate, ritualised services.

xAI co‑founder Jimmy Ba announced he will leave the company, thanking Elon Musk and saying he will remain close to the team. He warned that 2026 will be an exceptionally consequential year for global development, underscoring the high stakes facing AI companies.

SMIC expects its monthly capacity to rise by about 40,000 12‑inch wafer equivalents by the end of 2026 over last year, but warns that early equipment purchases may not immediately translate into full production. Heavy capital spending will lift depreciation by around 30% year‑on‑year in 2026, squeezing margins unless utilization and cost efficiency improve.