The Point with Liu Xin

Norbu Dramdu is the Founder of Dreamer Education, a private institute for kids from kindergarten to high school in Lhasa. Being a passionate dreamer himself, he's been devoted to helping children in the region realize their dreams. What is his story? What fuels his passion? And what do his students say about him?

First rare earths, now energy imports from Russia? The U.S. seems to be sending mixed signals about its sincerity in trade talks with China. On July 29, 2025, the two sides wrapped up their two-day talks in Stockholm, Sweden, before the U.S. talked of imposing potential punitive tariffs of up to 500% on those who import energy from Russia. What's really going on? What progress have the latest Stoc...

China's first-ever International Advanced Air Mobility Expo is taking place in Shanghai, showcasing the latest advancements in the industry from home and abroad. Why is China placing such importance on this emerging sector? What changes will the low-altitude economy bring to our daily lives? Will this sector be the next competing ground for major powers such as China, the US and European countries...

On July 15, US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose over 10% tariffs on smaller countries, including many in Africa and the Caribbean. In sharp contrast, China reiterated just days ago that it will expand zero-tariff treatment to all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China. This is on top of the list of 43 least-developed countries that already enjoy this policy with Chi...

This week, figures of economic growth for the first half of the year were released and the strength of China's economy beat expectations. GDP grew by 5.3%, foreign trade in goods increased by 2.7%, hitting a record high, while exports soared by over 7%. But Reuters reports a slowing economy instead. Why is Reuters painting black as white? Why has China not suffered from the second trade war launch...

A recent report by the UN Population Fund reveals that the real fertility crisis facing the world is not underpopulation, but a crisis of reproductive agency. The report finds that one in five people around the world are unable to have the number of children they would want. This isn't due to a lack of desire for parenthood, but rather to the soaring costs of raising children, job insecurity, hous...

The 17th BRICS Summit is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is attending the summit. This is the first summit after Indonesia joined as the 11th member in January, and Vietnam joined the cooperation mechanism as the tenth partner nation in June. How significant is this year's summit? How committed is China to the BRICS? What does the group's growing attraction mean fo...

The number of foreign visitors coming into China is skyrocketing: During the first half of the year, Beijing saw a year-on-year increase of 37%. Shanghai's Pudong International Airport alone saw a surge of 46% in foreign visits. What's fueling this rush in traveling to China? What can we expect going forward? What remain to be done to make China more accessible?

Last October, Hong Kong was once again ranked the world's freest economy. In June, the city's global competitiveness rose to the third place — the first time since 2019, according to international rankings. In the face of persistent narratives predicting Hong Kong's decline, what has the National Security Law actually brought to the city? What role has the law played in safeguarding "One Country,...

Are Chinese students still welcome in the United States? And what about vice versa? What is the situation like for foreign exchange students on both sides of the Pacific? How are the political ups and downs impacting wider people-to-people exchanges? Will things ever return to the way they once were?

The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, often called Summer Davos, is taking place in Tianjin, a major coastal city in northern China. Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the Opening Plenary and delivered an address. The President of Ecuador, Prime Ministers of Singapore, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal, and Vietnam are attending, together with 1,700 representatives from over 90 countrie...

The U.S. launched air strikes on Iran's key nuclear facilities over the weekend. What triggered President Trump to give the go-ahead? How will Iran respond? In what ways would the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz affect the world?

Have you noticed there has been more talk about a certain United Nations resolution numbered 2758? In the Taiwan press, it felt relentless. Resolution 2758 was passed at the 26th session of the UN General Assembly on Oct. 25, 1971. The resolution set the foundation of the UN position concerning Taiwan. What triggered this latest wave of media attention? What's their argument?

From Monday to Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, at the invitation of the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In the land of the Great Steppe, President Xi and his counterparts of five Central Asian countries are expected to further cement China-Central Asia cooperation. Exchanges between China and Central Asia da...

Bilateral trade between China and the EU last year reached US$786 billion with investment rising to US$260 billion. Yet friction remains as the EU has moved to curb the access of Chinese medical device makers to public procurement contracts and imposed high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. This comes after the EU designated China as "a partner for cooperation, an economic competitor, and a sy...

A framework was reached in principle for implementing the consensus reached between the two presidents over a recent phone call and the trade deal reached last month in Geneva. That appears to be the outcome of the latest round of talks between the world's two largest economies in London. Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping used the metaphor of "recalibrating the direction of the giant ship of C...

China has been strengthening its maritime legislation framework for decades, building a robust set of domestic laws to provide a legal basis for its rights over relevant waters. How can international and domestic rule of law help bring peace in the South China Sea? Can we expect more cooperation to emerge between the claimant countries involved? As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the estab...

On June 5th, the presidents of the world's two largest economies spoke on the phone. Both sides discussed trade issues, especially how to advance the agreement reached in Geneva on May 12th. The call also came amid repeated U.S. accusations that China has not followed through on its promises to relax controls over rare earths, minerals that are essential for hi-tech products. What did the two pres...

China extends visa-free entry to five Latin American and four Gulf countries, bringing the total to 47. Why the addition of Latin American and Gulf countries this time? What are the expectations from these regions, and what ripple effects could this policy have on business, trade, and tourism ties between China and these countries?

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will "aggressively revoke" visas from Chinese students, "including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." In his announcement on China, Rubio said the government will also "revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications" from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. Th...

The ASEAN-GCC-China Summit is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit under the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability". As this year's ASEAN chair, Malaysia has highlighted its goal of forging and expanding economic partnerships beyond its borders as one of its main priorities. What drives the three parties to embrace each other? What's...

On May 12th, the Bureau of Industry and Security under the U.S. Commerce Department issued “guidance", stating that using Huawei's most advanced AI chips "anywhere in the world" may violate U.S. export controls. China immediately condemned the move, vowing to take resolute measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. Days later, the U.S. removed the line about "any...

U.S. buyers jumped on the phone to call their Chinese suppliers as soon as news reached them from Geneva. Demand for goods from China was so high that it led to a shipping container shortage, a sharp reversal from the situation just days ago. Following the high-stakes meetings in Geneva, tariffs came down significantly, and a 90-day pause was set while the two sides are expected to conduct high-le...

The Cannes Film Festival is set to screen two Xizang-related films peddling separatism under the guise of spirituality and ethics. Are these films what they claim to be? Who are the people behind these productions? Have they actually been to Xizang, also known as Tibet, and seen it with their own eyes? What do those who live in Xizang today say about their lives, those who have no voice in the sta...

On May 7, China unveiled a 10-point policy package aimed at enhancing market confidence, boosting long-term liquidity and supporting innovation-driven growth. The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, cut its policy rate and reduced the reserve requirement ratio. Additional measures were announced to shore up technological innovation, consumer services and businesses impacted by U.S....