King Maha Vajiralongkorn is the first Thai monarch to visit China since the two countries established diplomatic relations half a century ago. His trip was the most high-profile signal yet that Thailand, which has long struck a careful balance between China and America, is leaning ever closer towards its northern neighbour.

The Department of Homeland Security says this year has seen an "unprecedented" presence of Chinese military and research vessels in the U.S. Arctic region.

China's central bank reaffirmed its tough stance on virtual currencies on Saturday, warning of a resurgence in speculation and vowing to crack down on illegal activities involving stablecoins.

China took a veiled swipe at the US for plans to change nuclear policies and warned that maintaining large arsenals increases the risk of conflict, after Washington said it would match its rivals by resuming atomic weapons tests.

China is rapidly replacing its aging diesel trucks with electric models, signaling a major shift in the world’s largest vehicle market

Vanguard launches an exchange-traded fund to help investors access emerging markets like Brazil, India and Taiwan while avoiding China's risk and volatility.

In medicine, meanwhile, China has turned itself from a copycat maker of generics into the world’s second-largest developer of new drugs, including those tackling cancer. Western rivals are licensing its firms’ wares.

Chinese action against Taiwan would be an “act of war that sparks a global crisis”, said The Wall Street Journal. “It would provoke a military response by Taiwan, force President Trump to decide whether the US military should help defend the island, disrupt global trade and impel European nations to impose punishing sanctions on Beijing.”

Kenya and two Chinese state firms launched construction of a $1.5 billion highway expansion on Friday, marking Beijing's return to major infrastructure development in the East African economy after a years-long hiatus.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. has raised its recommendation for China’s stocks to “overweight,” stating that the prospect of large gains next year now outweighs the risk of significant losses.