‘Irreparable mess’: China and France dissolve 19-year scientific partnership in Shanghai
Institut Pasteur of Shanghai renamed the Shanghai Institute of Immunology and Infection as scientific collaboration ends
Students and researchers in the dark about what the demise of the partnership will mean for the future

The French scientific research centre first partnered with CAS back in 2004. But in March this year, it announced the termination of that alliance, saying: “The Institut Pasteur decided in December 2022 to suspend its partnership agreement with the Chinese Academy of Sciences regarding the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai.” At the time, it indicated the name of the organisation would also change as a result.

Speculation has since arisen over the move, with some suggesting it may be another indication of China’s “decoupling” in the field of science and technology from Western countries. But others have argued it could be an individual case as the Chinese government continues to encourage international scientific collaboration.

The Foxconn facility in India, which produces iPhones, has been under the scanner after reports of poor working conditions surfaced on the internet. The workers of the Foxconn plant in Chennai's Sriperumbudur protested against the poor working conditions including crowded dormitories, toilets without water and stale food infested with worms. Now, Apple is sending a team of auditors to investigate the iPhone facility in Sriperumbudar.

A record number of US fashion companies no longer list China as their top supplier, the result of growing diplomatic uncertainty and concerns about forced labor.
 
About 61% of apparel retail CEOs haves stopped using China as their primary supplier, up from 30% before the pandemic, according to a new survey by the US Fashion Industry Association and Sheng Lu, an associate professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware.
 
Almost 80% plan to reduce their sourcing from China over the next two years. Those companies are primarily leaving China for Vietnam, Bangladesh and India, which have relatively large-scale production capacity and stable economic and political situations, according to the report.

Measured in value, US apparel imports from China fell to 18.3% in the first five months of this year, compared with 30% in 2019, the USFIA report found. China accounted for just 10% of cotton imports to the US, the lowest level since 2017.
 
Meanwhile, US apparel imports from the five largest Asian suppliers other than China — Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India and Cambodia — reached a new high of 44.3% over that same period.

In a recent research report, Standard Chartered Bank has said that it predicts India's per capita income is poised to experience significant growth, soaring by nearly 70 per cent to reach $4,000 by fiscal 2030, up from $2,450 in fiscal 2023.  
 
This surge is expected to help the country achieve the status of a middle-income economy, boasting a GDP of $6 trillion. Notably, over half of this GDP will be fuelled by household consumption.

According to Standard Chartered Bank's projections, the foremost driver of growth will be external trade, which is estimated to nearly double to $2.1 trillion by 2030, up from $1.2 trillion in fiscal 2023 when the GDP stood at $3.5 trillion. Assuming a consistent 10 per cent annual growth in nominal GDP, the report anticipates an impressive surge in external trade.

SBI economists say India to be 3rd largest economy by 2027, advance estimate by 2 yrs

"The path taken by India since 2014 reveals that India is likely to get the tag of the third largest economy in 2027 (or FY28) based on actual GDP data as on March 2023, a movement of 7 places upwards since 2014, when India was ranked 10th and two years earlier than our previous forecast of 2029," the economists said in the note.

Sundar Pichai est diplômé en 1993 de l'Institut indien de technologie de Kharagpur, où il a étudié le fonctionnement et l'ingénierie des ressources primaires tels que le sels d'aluminium. Par la suite il obtient un master en « engineering and materials » à l'université Stanford, et un MBA à la Wharton School de l'université de Pennsylvanie.

Il travaille ensuite pour le constructeur de semi-conducteurs Applied Materials, et en tant que consultant en management pour McKinsey.
 
Il rejoint Google en 2004 en tant que vice-président pour le management produit, et dirige iGoogle, Google Toolbar, Google Desktop Search, Google Gadgets, Google Pack et Gears.

Two U.S. Navy sailors have been arrested on charges of handing over sensitive national security material to China, U.S. officials said Thursday.
 
Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, was charged with conspiracy and bribetaking in connection with taking nearly $15,000 in exchange for photographs and videos of sensitive U.S. military information, the officials said. U.S. Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, whose age was not disclosed, was charged with conspiring to send national defense information to China in exchange for thousands of dollars.
 
Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen told reporters in San Diego that, because of the men's actions, “sensitive military info ended up in the hands of the People’s Republic of China.”
 
Zhao is accused of sending his Chinese handler plans for U.S. military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system on a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan and security details for U.S. naval facilities in Ventura County and San Clemente Island outside Los Angeles, according to U.S. officials.
 
Wei is accused of disclosing information about the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship where he served, as well as other American warships, including dozens of technical manuals laying out the Essex's weapons, power structure and operations.

Philippines hits out at criticism of expanded US bases: ‘not any other countries’ business’

The Philippines has hit out at criticism of its decision to expand the number of US-managed military bases in the country, saying no party has the right to interfere in Manila’s national interest.
Under the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in April gave the United States access to four additional sites near the Taiwan Strait and the disputed South China Sea, bringing the number of military installations Washington can use in the archipelago to nine.

“This is Philippine territory, and it is our business what we do here just as long as it is for Philippine interest,” said Teodoro, who was appointed as defence chief in June. “Here, the United States and we converge in our intended use for this, and it is not any other countries’ business to question what we do here.”
China has said the move was “stoking the fire” of regional tension.

Beijing’s maritime aggression in the resource-rich waterway has also prompted Manila to deepen ties with the US, its long-time security ally, with both sides conducting joint military drills in recent months.

In a veiled swipe at China, Teodoro said it was a “geographical accident” that some of the chosen bases were located near Taiwan and if other people were “paranoid” about it, it was their problem.

Japan Affirms Plans for Deeper Regional Ties to Counter China
In a defense white paper, Tokyo presents its case for engagement with allies to respond to threats posed by China and by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China is the “greatest strategic challenge.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a “serious violation of international law.” North Korea is an “imminent threat.” And Japan needs to “fundamentally” strengthen its military and work more closely with countries like South Korea to preserve regional stability.

Over the last year, Tokyo has taken steps to reduce its vulnerability to, and dependence on, China. Those have included cooperation with the United States on industrial policies intended to reduce reliance on raw materials and finished goods from its neighbor.

But Japan’s diplomatic reach has extended well beyond the Asia Pacific. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has sought deeper involvement by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in East Asia as he seeks to counter China’s regional influence.
 
In July, Mr. Kishida announced agreements to cooperate with NATO on cybersecurity and space policy that he said would elevate the relationship to “new heights.” A joint statement with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern about growing military cooperation between China and Russia, including joint exercises near Japan.