Lithuania builds world’s biggest ultra-fast laser factory amid China tensions

South China Morning Post - Nov 5, 2026

Amid tensions with China, a small European country is anchoring itself at the centre of the global semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) hardware supply chain as a laser powerhouse. The latest sign of Lithuania’s growing footprint in the sector came last month, when laser maker Litilit launched a new factory in the capital, Vilnius. The company’s expansion unfolds as the Baltic nation of fewer than 3 million people navigates fraught ties with Beijing, which has targeted Lithuania with a...

Read full article
More News
Senior official urges efforts to carry out CPC plenum principles
Nov 5, 2026
Senior official urges efforts to carry out CPC plenum principles

China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Wednesday urged members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles from the just-concluded Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Chinese scientists envision the first road on the moon
Nov 5, 2026
Chinese scientists envision the first road on the moon

Chinese scientists envision the first road on the moon

Star mathematician Ma Xiao leaves the US for China – and a career pivot to AI
Nov 5, 2026
Star mathematician Ma Xiao leaves the US for China – and a career pivot to AI

Two years ago, Chinese mathematician Ma Xiao helped crack a century-old puzzle known as Hilbert’s sixth problem. The problem – which has baffled generations of mathematical physicists – centres on an elusive bridge connecting the chaotic frenzy of microscopic atoms with the predictable laws of fluid motion. The breakthrough, published in the Annals of Mathematics, helped propel Ma’s collaborator Deng Yu to the 2026 Fields Medal – the discipline’s highest honour – and secured Ma a coveted faculty...

China issues plan to advance comprehensive resource conservation
Nov 5, 2026
China issues plan to advance comprehensive resource conservation

China has issued an action plan to promote resource conservation and efficient use of resources, safeguard national resource security and accelerate the green transition of its economy and society, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said Wednesday.

European left-wing figures highlight CPC's commitment to self-reform
Nov 5, 2026
European left-wing figures highlight CPC's commitment to self-reform

European left-wing political figures have highlighted the importance of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) commitment to self-reform, saying its experience in maintaining Party discipline and putting people first offers valuable lessons for left-wing parties in Europe.

What’s the message for China as Japan weighs US$500 billion defence surge?
Nov 4, 2026
What’s the message for China as Japan weighs US$500 billion defence surge?

China could face a substantially more capable Japanese military over the coming years as Tokyo considers nearly doubling its five-year defence spending to as much as 80 trillion yen (US$508 billion), according to media reports in Japan. Observers said such a build-up could strengthen Japan’s ability to deter or respond to People’s Liberation Army operations around Taiwan and the East China Sea, as well as withstand attacks and sustain prolonged operations in a regional conflict. The reported...

Data centre dissent: why American voters aren’t buying Trump’s China AI pitch
Nov 4, 2026
Data centre dissent: why American voters aren’t buying Trump’s China AI pitch

Strong voter backlash in the US midterm elections against AI infrastructure projects, including data centres, indicates that framing the domestic buildout as key to competing with China failed to convince Americans and underscores the need to address local concerns, according to analysts. “The argument that we need to build more data centres to win in AI against China no longer seems to have the kind of resonance it did before, if it ever did, frankly,” said Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings...

China, US defence officials agree to improve ‘communication’ to reduce risks
Nov 4, 2026
China, US defence officials agree to improve ‘communication’ to reduce risks

US and Chinese defence officials met in Washington for the first meeting of a Crisis Communications and Prevention Working Group established under an agreement announced in September when leaders of the two nations met. The two sides agreed on the importance of “advancing practical communication measures” to reduce risks between the US and China, according to a Pentagon read-out of the meeting released on Tuesday. The delegates also discussed “additional channels” to promote “effective” crisis...

Asian-American voters, younger turnout fuel blue wave for Democrats in midterms
Nov 4, 2026
Asian-American voters, younger turnout fuel blue wave for Democrats in midterms

Democrats scored a sweeping victory in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Asian-Americans and other voters of colour playing a key role, according to a new voter poll released on Wednesday. The 2026 Midterm Election Voter Poll surveyed 10,141 voters, including 2,130 Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters, between October 20 and November 3. It offers insights into voting trends across racial groups. Taeku Lee, a Harvard professor of government and a researcher for the poll, said...

5 takeaways from US midterms as Democrats sweep Congress and Trump faces Iran reckoning
Nov 4, 2026
5 takeaways from US midterms as Democrats sweep Congress and Trump faces Iran reckoning

A Democratic victory that reached from Texas to Kansas changed the terms of Donald Trump’s final two years in office. When the new US Congress convenes in January, Democrats will control both chambers. They can block his legislation, challenge spending on the war in Iran and scrutinise the deals he strikes with Beijing. The day after his party lost control of Congress, Trump invited reporters to the construction site of his new White House ballroom to watch workers raise the final steel...

Chinese scientists make a toothbrush that uses mild electric shocks to reduce plaque
Nov 4, 2026
Chinese scientists make a toothbrush that uses mild electric shocks to reduce plaque

No matter how thoroughly you brush your teeth in the morning and evening, the battle against bacteria is almost certain to be lost. Within a few hours of brushing, it will return in force and rebuild a solid defence line on the surface of your teeth. From ancient times to now, humanity has essentially had only one way of dealing with it, whether it was using twigs and sticks or the first bristled toothbrushes, which date back to 10th century China. But even today’s most advanced electric brushes...

Who won in China? In the US midterms, Susan Collins and the local firefighters
Nov 4, 2026
Who won in China? In the US midterms, Susan Collins and the local firefighters

Republican Senator Susan Collins won in China on Tuesday. So did the volunteer firefighters. Voters in several small American communities with China in their names cast ballots in Tuesday’s US midterm elections. Their local contests had little to do with Beijing and a great deal to do with fire engines, budgets and paving. In China, a lakeside town in northeastern Maine, Collins outpolled Democrat Troy Jackson by 1,333 votes to 871, according to the town’s general election return. Statewide,...

Recommended
Copyright © 2015 - 2026 The Financial Capital.

All Rights Reserved.

Subscribe Now!

About Us

The Financial Capital is your independent source for finance information and advice. We provide insights and offer advice from financial experts so you can make the best decisions.