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China plans to complete a new-generation geologic map of Mars by the end of 2028, with the goal of reconstructing the planet’s watery past and developing a Chinese system for dividing Martian geologic time. Hou Zengqian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist of China’s Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission, announced the plan Monday at a symposium held at the Institute of Geology under the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. China’s Zhurong rover, which landed on Mars in 2021 as part of the Tianwen-1 mission, has provided new evidence about the planet’s history of water. The findings suggest that a vast ancient ocean still existed about 3.5 billion years ago, while short-lived floods may have occurred around 1.6 billion years ago. These findings, which help fill gaps in understanding how Mars’ ancient climate changed, will be included in the new geologic map. The map will also introduce a Chinese system for dividing Martian geologic time. Mars is currently divided into the Noachian, Hesperian and Amazonian periods, based mainly on the density of visible impact craters rather than specific dates. China hopes its proposed system will eventually gain international acceptance, Hou said. The project will mainly use data from Tianwen-1, along with information from Mars probes operated by the United States and the European Space Agency. Researchers will combine orbital and surface data, including images, spectral readings, radar, gravity and magnetic measurements, to create a global database covering multiple physical features of Mars. Artificial intelligence will play a central role in analyzing the data. Geological expertise will be incorporated into large AI models through rule-based systems to make their results easier to explain. Multi-scale analysis will also help researchers identify features ranging from individual minerals to large tectonic units. The project is expected to produce a 1:5 million-scale global geologic map of Mars, a 1:50,000-scale map of the rover landing area and several thematic atlases by the end of 2028. It will also produce what researchers describe as the world’s first intelligent geologic map of Mars and serve as a model for future geological mapping of the moon, Venus and asteroids. Yang Zhiming, director of the Institute of Geology, said geological mapping has been a major focus of the institute for 70 years. Its work has expanded from regional and national maps to the moon and now Mars. Such mapping, Yang said, provides scientific support for China’s planetary exploration program in deciding where to go, what to study and why.

China, which has the world’s largest high-speed railway network, opened four major high-speed rail sections to passengers Monday, improving connections between several regions and making travel faster and more convenient. The new sections link Xiong’an in Hebei Province with Shangqiu in Henan Province, Xi’an with Ankang in Shaanxi Province, Yichang with Xingshan in Hubei Province, and Harbin with Yichun in Heilongjiang Province. Covering northern, northwestern, central and northeastern China, the new rail links are expected to improve regional connectivity, support tourism and contribute to local economic growth. In northern China, the 552-km Xiong’an-Shangqiu railway passes through several cities and areas in Hebei, Shandong and Henan provinces before reaching Shangqiu. Han Yong, deputy director of the passenger transport center of China Railway Beijing Group Co., Ltd., said the fastest train journey between Xiong’an and Shangqiu will take about 2 hours and 27 minutes. The new route is expected to strengthen links between Xiong’an New Area and major markets in northern and central China, he said. In northwest China, the 171-km Xi’an-Ankang section crosses the Qinling Mountains. Engineers had to deal with difficult geological conditions while taking measures to protect the environment. With trains designed to travel at up to 350 km per hour, the line reduces travel time between Xi’an and Ankang to about 45 minutes. The Yichang-Xingshan section in central China also passes through mountainous terrain. The railway crosses the Daba Mountains through a 16.9-km deep-buried tunnel and over a major high bridge. China Railway Wuhan Bureau Group Co., Ltd., which operates the line, said the railway connects two major high-speed routes — the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu high-speed railway along the Yangtze River and the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed railway. The connection is expected to support economic development along the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In northeastern China, the 318-km Harbin-Yichun section is the northernmost high-speed railway built in the country. Yichun West Station, the line’s terminal station, is located at about 47 degrees north latitude. Shi Qinwei, head of the station project at China Railway Construction Group Co., Ltd., said it is China’s first high-speed railway station built in a permafrost region. The railway connects Harbin, a popular winter tourism destination, with Yichun, known for its forests and summer tourism. It cuts travel time between the two cities from about seven hours to around two hours. The line also extends China’s high-speed railway network farther into its northern regions. Opening just before the National Day holiday, the new railways are expected to increase tourist travel between major cities and attractions along the routes, including the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang and the forests of Yichun. China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. expects about 284 million passenger trips during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday period from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. China has continued to expand and improve its high-speed rail network to meet growing travel demand and support economic activity. By the end of 2025, the country had 165,000 km of operational railway lines, including more than 50,000 km of high-speed rail. Railway fixed-asset investment reached 511.8 billion yuan, or about $75.9 billion, during the first eight months of the year, up 1.5% from the same period a year earlier, according to China State Railway Group. Under national development plans, China aims to expand its high-speed rail network to 70,000 km by 2035. The planned network will include eight north-south lines and eight east-west lines, connecting major cities, urban clusters and important economic regions across the country.

China has canceled most of the overseas coal power projects it had planned when President Xi Jinping pledged in 2021 to stop funding such projects, but loopholes are allowing Chinese companies to continue investing in coal abroad, according to a new report. Xi made the pledge at the U.N. General Assembly in 2021 as part of efforts to tackle climate change. Five years later, global efforts to reduce coal use remain slow, while climate commitments are falling behind schedule. The report, released this week by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and People of Asia for Climate Solutions (PACS), found that China has canceled 67% of the coal power capacity it planned to build overseas in 2021. The canceled projects totaled 61.5 gigawatts of capacity and are estimated to have prevented 6.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions over their lifetime. Experts, however, said China's pledge does not prevent private Chinese companies from investing in overseas coal projects. “Coal expansion hasn't stopped because of the nature of the pledge itself, which still allows private Chinese companies to invest overseas,” said Syahdiva Moezbar, an industry analyst with CREA in Jakarta. Southeast Asia remains heavily dependent on coalChina plays a major role in infrastructure financing across the Global South and is also the world's leading producer of electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines. Experts say its policies therefore have a major impact on the global shift toward renewable energy. China was the world's largest overseas coal financier before Xi made his 2021 pledge. “This marked the first time Beijing was willing to extend its emerging climate ambition beyond its borders,” said Li Shuo, director of the Asia Society Policy Institute's China Climate Hub. China is also the world's largest annual emitter of carbon dioxide, although the United States remains the largest historical emitter. While China's coal consumption is slowly declining, it continues to lead the world in developing new domestic coal infrastructure. At the same time, China has become a global leader in clean energy. It dominates the electric vehicle market and is the world's largest producer of solar panels and wind turbines. Li said China's rapid growth in clean energy, both domestically and overseas, should encourage Beijing to give greater priority to renewable energy in its international energy strategy. Private projects create a loopholeIndonesia has emerged as the biggest destination for continued Chinese investment in coal power, with 17.1 gigawatts of China-backed capacity still planned, according to the report. Vietnam and Pakistan follow, with less than 4 gigawatts each in planned projects. In Indonesia, Chinese companies have helped finance coal plants that supply power directly to heavy industries such as nickel and aluminum smelters instead of the national electricity grid. These facilities are known as “captive coal” plants. “When commercial interests take precedence over China's broader green development commitments and the world's climate security, the benefits of China's remarkable clean-energy leadership are undermined,” said Xiaojun Wang, executive director of PACS. Energy security revives coal demandThe transition away from coal has become more difficult following energy shocks linked to the Russia-Ukraine war and the war in Iran. Southeast Asia, which has traditionally relied heavily on fossil fuel imports from the Middle East, was particularly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The region accounts for about one-fifth of global energy demand growth and has increased coal use to cope with energy shortages. The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam all increased coal use during the Iran-related energy crisis. At the same time, countries across the region are expanding rooftop solar, encouraging electric vehicle use and exploring nuclear power. The International Energy Agency estimates that Southeast Asia will account for nearly 20% of global energy demand growth through 2035. It said the crisis is prompting countries to reconsider their energy policies and investments while placing greater emphasis on energy security. “The growing desire among countries in Southeast Asia to secure reliable energy supplies could bring about another round of coal fever,” Li said, adding that this would continue to test China's commitment to its coal moratorium. Li described the energy transition as “a two-party tango,” saying both China and the countries receiving its investments need to remain committed to reducing coal use. Five years after Xi's pledge, he said, “this saga is far from over.” Xi did not attend the U.N. General Assembly this week and instead met with U.S. President Donald Trump. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng represented China in New York and is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Saturday.

China has introduced new border control rules that allow authorities to stop citizens from leaving the country if they engage in illegal activities that threaten national or industrial security. The rules, which took effect Tuesday as part of a wider overhaul of border regulations, come amid growing government concerns over the transfer of advanced technology as competition with the United States intensifies in artificial intelligence and other emerging fields. The regulation says its main purpose is to protect China's sovereignty, security and development interests. Under the new rules, Chinese citizens who engage in illegal or criminal activities overseas that threaten national security could be barred from leaving the country again for six months to three years after returning. People who violate regulations governing technology imports or exports could also face travel restrictions if their actions are considered a threat to industrial or technological security. Authorities may also choose not to notify the individuals concerned if they believe notification could affect national security or interfere with a criminal investigation. The broad wording of the rules has raised concerns among experts about the amount of discretion officials may have in deciding which activities and individuals are covered. “Given how broadly national security is defined nowadays, one could easily find themselves subject to bans without even these basic procedural protections promised in the text,” said Mark Jia, a law professor at Georgetown University. Consultancy Trivium said the regulations were another sign of China's determination to prevent the transfer of key technologies and technical knowledge. In April, China unexpectedly blocked technology company Meta from acquiring artificial intelligence startup Manus after the proposed deal reportedly raised government concerns about the transfer of advanced technology. Manus is a Singapore-based company with Chinese roots. The new border rules also contain provisions affecting foreigners. Authorities can bar foreign nationals from entering China for one to five years if they provide false information in visa applications or at ports of entry. The regulations also aim to protect Chinese citizens from being tricked into traveling overseas and then forced to take part in illegal gambling or online and telephone scam operations, which have remained a persistent problem in recent years. The Cyberspace Administration of China, which oversees online discussions, sought to ease concerns that the new measures would make international travel more difficult. In an online post last week, the agency said the rules target people involved in illegal cross-border activities rather than ordinary citizens who have legitimate reasons to travel abroad.

Digital technology, artificial intelligence and smart agricultural machinery are transforming farming across northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, one of the country's most important grain-producing regions. For 16 consecutive years, Heilongjiang has ranked first in China in total grain production. Its farming sector is already highly mechanized, with the mechanization rate for plowing, planting and harvesting reaching 99.28 percent. Now, the province is moving toward smarter farming, using AI, drones, remote sensing and advanced machinery to help farmers monitor crops, improve efficiency and make more informed decisions. The shift is part of China's broader efforts to strengthen food security and modernize rural areas. Digital technology changes farming At Beidahuang Information Company in Harbin, a large digital map tracks around 48 million mu, or about 3.2 million hectares, of farmland. The system receives real-time information on soil conditions, crop growth and agricultural machinery. Satellite technology, the Internet of Things and AI are increasingly being used throughout the farming process, from planting to harvesting. Wang Hao, deputy general manager of the company's market operation center, said technology has made it possible to monitor much larger areas in less time. Previously, a farmer could inspect about 200 mu of farmland in a day on foot. With drones and remote sensing, crop conditions across vast areas can now be updated every five days, he said. The data helps farmers make decisions on fertilization, pest control and other farm activities. The company has developed more than 60 digital systems for agricultural management. Its AI model for cold-region crops uses information on soil, weather and crop growth to help create planting plans and recommend appropriate fertilizer use. The company's agricultural service app has also helped improve efficiency and reduce management costs, with online transactions through the platform exceeding 100 billion yuan, or about $14.74 billion. However, Wang said large-scale adoption of smart agriculture still faces challenges, including limited data, differences in local farming conditions and the need to test AI systems in different environments. Smart machines enter the fields Smart agricultural equipment is also becoming increasingly common in Heilongjiang. At one farming base, a four-wheel laser weeding robot moves through crop rows using cameras and sensors to identify weeds. The system then uses lasers to remove the unwanted plants without damaging crops. Li Yongwei, deputy general manager of Harbin Huagong Zhiyun Technology Co., Ltd., said traditional weeding often depends on manual labor or chemicals, both of which can be costly or harmful to the environment. He said the laser technology can remove more than 95 percent of weeds while keeping crop damage below 0.1 percent. It can also reduce weeding costs by up to 70 percent compared with manual work. Agricultural machinery is also becoming more advanced. At Heilongjiang Dewo Technology Development Co., Ltd., electric-drive precision seeders allow farmers to monitor and adjust air pressure and seed spacing in real time through smart terminals. According to the company, the machines can operate about 50 percent faster than traditional mechanical seeders while reducing seed damage. Dewo now accounts for more than 60 percent of China's high-end electric-drive seeder market and has begun exporting its equipment overseas. The company has supplied potato farming machinery to countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Peru and Zimbabwe, while also exporting seeders to the Republic of Korea. Push for intelligent farming Heilongjiang recorded its 22nd consecutive bumper harvest in 2025, producing a record 82 million tonnes of grain. The province also had around 676,000 intelligent agricultural machines, the highest number in China. The provincial government plans to further expand the use of agricultural robots, smart farming equipment and other advanced technologies during China's 15th Five-Year Plan period from 2026 to 2030. Construction also began in August on a national pilot base for AI applications in crop farming, aimed at solving technological challenges and developing AI systems that can be used on a larger scale. The move reflects China's wider push to modernize agriculture through better farmland, improved seeds, advanced machinery and new farming methods. China is also expanding the use of drones, IoT technology and robots in rural areas as part of efforts to improve agricultural productivity and support rural development. Hu Jinyou, a professor at China Agricultural University, said relying only on manual labor and traditional farming methods is no longer practical. Although smart agriculture still needs further improvement, he said the deeper integration of AI and farming is an irreversible trend, with a new generation of educated farmers expected to make digital farm management increasingly common.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on China and the United States to overcome their differences ahead of an expected summit next month between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Wang made the remarks during a meeting with US Ambassador to China David Perdue on Wednesday, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV. He urged both sides to focus on areas of cooperation, properly manage their differences, reduce interference and clear obstacles to high-level exchanges between the two countries. China-US relations still face "various risks and challenges," Wang said, according to CCTV. Trump and Xi met in Beijing in May and agreed to keep bilateral ties stable and maintain a fragile trade truce. Trump invited Xi to visit the United States for a meeting on Sept 24, although the exact date of the Chinese president's visit has yet to be confirmed. Despite the agreement, Washington and Beijing have continued taking targeted economic measures against each other. The United States has banned imports of newly manufactured Chinese humanoid robots, while China has restricted American entities involved in trade and other activities in the country. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing Thursday that the two countries were continuing discussions on the leaders' planned meeting "within the year." Tensions between the world's two largest economies rose sharply after Trump returned to the White House last year. At one point, the US said tariffs on Chinese goods could reach 145%, although the rates were later reduced significantly. Tensions have eased in recent months, and the two leaders reached several agreements during their May meeting, including plans to establish trade and investment boards between the countries. However, the Trump administration has been considering an additional 7.5% tariff on Chinese goods following a US investigation into excess industrial capacity and production in 16 economies. No final decision has been announced. The US also said last month that it would impose a 12.5% tariff on China following an investigation into forced labour involving 60 economies. China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday that Beijing "firmly opposes" the US investigation into excess capacity, accusing Washington of "politicizing economic and trade issues." The ministry said China would closely monitor developments and "reserves the right to take all necessary measures" if required. Last month, China also rejected Western criticism over its industrial overcapacity in a report titled "China's Position on the So-called Excess Capacity Issue," saying Beijing had never sought to maintain a large trade surplus.

As artificial intelligence rapidly changes China's job market, workers are increasingly worried about being replaced, while others are learning to use AI to find new opportunities. Computer programmer Fei Zhaojun experienced the change firsthand. His boss recently asked whether AI could soon replace human programmers. Two weeks later, Fei and about 160 colleagues lost their jobs at a Beijing company. The 40-year-old had once doubted that AI could handle programming properly. But he now believes many mid-level coding jobs can be replaced. "Even if it is a disaster that leads to replacing all humans, at this stage, you just have to use it as everyone else is using it," Fei said. He is currently taking a career break and making short vlog-style videos about ordinary people's lives while deciding what to do next. China is among the world's leading adopters of AI, with strong government support encouraging businesses and workers to use AI tools and robots. Shujing He, a Beijing-based senior analyst at research and advisory firm Plenum, said there appears to be less opposition to AI in China than in some other countries. "Individuals who worry about being replaced, as well as those who have already left traditional workplaces, are often eager to experiment with AI-enabled businesses and independent ventures," she said. AI changes traditional jobsPart-time translator Du Qinchun in Chengdu has been helping train an AI translation model. The work has temporarily brought him more opportunities, but he said wages in the translation industry have fallen by more than half compared with several years ago. The spread of AI translation tools has also reduced interest in foreign-language university programs. According to market research firm IDC, the share of Chinese industrial companies using AI models and AI "agents" rose to 47.5% last year from 9.6% in 2024. AI and robotics are also moving into physical jobs. Humanoid robots are being tested for tasks such as sorting parcels, directing traffic and making coffee. Food delivery robots are spreading in some parts of the country, raising concerns about the future of millions of delivery workers. Generative AI is also increasingly being used in China's short-drama industry for writing, production and distribution. Chinese media reports said the number of live-action short and vertical video series fell by about 75% in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year. Plenum analyst He said jobs requiring specialized training are becoming easier to perform with AI, particularly in software development and multimedia production. The International Labour Organization has also warned that women may face greater job risks from AI because they are more likely to work in roles that can be automated and remain underrepresented in science and technology. AI brings both risks and opportunitiesChina's government is promoting its "AI Plus" initiative and a five-year plan through 2030 to expand AI across industries as the country competes with the United States in technology. Zilan Qian, a research associate at Oxford China Policy Lab, said China's strong government support could allow AI to spread across different sectors faster than in many other countries. The rapid adoption comes as China's economy faces other challenges. Consumer spending has remained weak partly because people are worried about job security, while a long-running housing downturn has reduced household wealth. Cornell University economics professor Eswar Prasad said China's technology sector could increase productivity but may not create enough new jobs. "AI is likely to lift productivity across the board but could have a severe disruptive effect on employment," he said, warning that this could worsen employment problems and affect social stability. China's overall urban unemployment rate is around 5%, while unemployment among people aged 16 to 24, excluding students, is about three times higher. However, some experts believe AI could become useful as China's workforce shrinks. The country's population is aging rapidly, and by 2050 there are expected to be fewer than two working-age adults for every retiree. "Automation could partially offset a shrinking workforce rather than being purely a threat to it," said Xuenan Cao, a professor at San Francisco Bay University. Workers find new ways to adaptSome Chinese workers are already using AI to build new careers. Wang Zhicheng, 32, previously worked as a scriptwriter for a company producing 3D educational videos for children. He regularly used AI for brainstorming and fact-checking. After the company laid off about half of its 13 scriptwriters, Wang resigned and began working independently, producing illustrated children's books. He said AI can save time but its output is sometimes repetitive, formulaic and inconsistent. "You can treat AI as a tool just like (Microsoft) Word," Wang said. "Humans are still the decision makers on which one to pick or pursue among all that AI generates." For high school chemistry teacher Yang Zheng, AI is less of a threat and more of a useful classroom tool. The 29-year-old said students can use AI to get immediate answers and ask follow-up questions, although the technology sometimes makes mistakes. "It is a good thing for students as it generates in real-time so that students can ask follow-up questions," Yang said. "It often gets things wrong, but it improves over time."

Indonesia and China on Friday discussed expanding defense cooperation and strengthening food and energy security as senior officials from the two countries held talks in Jakarta. Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said the two sides wanted their new bilateral dialogue to produce progress in key areas, including politics, the economy, security, maritime affairs and people-to-people ties. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Indonesia and China also agreed to improve coordination on development and security issues to support the modernization of both countries. "We will jointly oppose unilateral bullying and power politics," Wang said in a joint statement. He also called for vigilance against efforts to challenge the outcome of World War II and urged both countries to defend international fairness and the legitimate interests of developing nations. Sugiono said the talks covered ways to improve food, energy and mineral security by developing industries that can strengthen national resilience. Future cooperation could include artificial intelligence, joint development of communications satellites and other advanced technologies, he said. The two countries also agreed to promote trade by exploring new markets and expanding access for Indonesia's key export products, Sugiono said. Wang said the new bilateral dialogue would "send a clear signal to the world of solidarity and cooperation between our two major emerging-market countries." The defense ministers of the two countries also held separate talks on expanding military cooperation, including defense equipment, personnel exchanges and cooperation between their defense industries. Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said Jakarta had invited Chinese armed forces to take part in joint exercises, including the Heping Garuda exercise. Indonesia's economic ties with China have grown rapidly in recent years, with bilateral trade reaching about $167 billion in 2025. China is Indonesia's largest trading partner and has invested billions of dollars in major infrastructure projects, including the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway and the Cirata floating solar power project in West Java, Southeast Asia's largest floating solar facility. The projects have faced disagreements over costs and timelines, but China has remained committed to them as part of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative to develop infrastructure across the region.

Li Chen-hsiu faced questions about her nationality, identity and loyalty to Taiwan just a day after taking her oath as a member of Taiwan's Legislature. Li, who was born in China and became a Taiwanese citizen through marriage, is known as a “mainland spouse.” She is among around 369,000 Chinese-born people in Taiwan whose status has come under greater scrutiny as tensions with China continue to rise. For two months, Li was the only China-born lawmaker in Taiwan who had moved to the island through marriage before she was forced to leave the legislature. “It’s only because of Taiwan, which has this free and democratic system, and the Taiwan People’s Party, which was willing to give a political newcomer a chance, that I could have this opportunity,” she told The Associated Press in July. But growing fears of a possible Chinese military attack have made life more difficult for mainland spouses. The group includes people from different generations and backgrounds, ranging from women who married former Chinese soldiers to younger and more educated people who married Taiwanese citizens after cross-strait travel restrictions eased. Decades of tensionChina and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949, when the Nationalist government fled to the island. The two sides cut off most contact for decades until Taiwan allowed residents to visit relatives in China in 1987. Tensions have risen again since 2016, when independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen took office and Beijing ended official communication with Taipei. China now regularly sends military aircraft and naval vessels near Taiwan and has increased efforts to isolate the island diplomatically. Beijing has also kept Taiwan out of international organisations and used disinformation campaigns against it. The growing threat has intensified debate over who can be trusted in Taiwan. A New Taipei court on Tuesday sentenced Hsu Chun-ying, head of an organisation that supports mainland spouses, to seven years in prison for allegedly working for Beijing to spy on Taiwan and interfere in its politics. Older generation came to Taiwan after marriageMi Zhengrong, 72, is among the older generation of mainland spouses. She met her first husband through relatives in China's Hubei province. He was a former soldier who had fled to Taiwan during the civil war. After cross-strait visits were allowed, some veterans returned to China and married women there before bringing them to Taiwan. Mi married her husband and lived with him in China before they moved to Taiwan in 2002 because he missed the island. He died after 12 years of marriage. Mi later married a neighbour in Taiwan and cared for him for nearly a decade after he became paralysed. She is now seeking his military pension, but he died 13 days before their marriage reached the 10-year requirement. Although the military initially granted her the pension, it later withdrew it after finding that the couple had been married for less than 10 years. Mi now survives on about 10,000 New Taiwan dollars ($330) a month, with around one-third going toward rent. Despite her difficulties, she said she wants to remain in Taiwan. “How many of us want to go back?” she said. “No one wants to go back.” Taiwan had previously introduced measures to help mainland spouses integrate, including reducing the waiting period for citizenship and allowing them to work. But authorities have recently begun tightening those policies. Last spring, Taiwan deported three Chinese-born women who had used social media to advocate reunification with China by force. The Mainland Affairs Council said they posed repeated threats to Taiwan's national security and social stability. Immigration authorities have also asked around 12,000 mainland spouses who already hold Taiwanese citizenship to prove they had cancelled their household registrations in China. Those who fail to provide the documents could lose their Taiwanese citizenship. Li's case sparks debateLi entered the legislature in February with the Taiwan People's Party but quickly faced strong opposition. Taiwan's interior minister said she could not serve because she had not provided documents showing she had given up her Chinese citizenship. The Mainland Affairs Council also said she failed to provide proof on time that she had held only one nationality for the previous 10 years. Li argued that she had been a Taiwanese citizen since 1999 and had cancelled her Chinese household registration that year, which she said fulfilled the requirements. The dispute remained unresolved until April, when her party expelled her. The government subsequently tightened requirements for Chinese-born lawmakers. A spokesperson for the Mainland Affairs Council said the decision was based on legal requirements, not politics. Some legal experts, however, accused the government of applying the rules selectively. Bruce Liao, a law professor and immigration law expert at National Chengchi University, said some laws were being interpreted in a distorted way. Others defended the government's approach as necessary for national security. Yen-Tu Su, a researcher at Academia Sinica, said the government has a strong interest in protecting the country and should have some authority to determine whether a foreign-born resident poses a threat to public safety. Different rules for Chinese-born spousesEven before the latest controversy, Chinese-born spouses faced different rules from spouses from other countries. Mainland spouses can apply for Taiwanese citizenship after six years, compared with four years for foreign spouses. They must also hold Taiwanese citizenship for 10 years before applying for government jobs, while foreign spouses can apply for most lower-level government positions soon after becoming citizens. The different treatment is largely linked to concerns over loyalty and China's security threats. Shangguanluan, a Chinese writer and activist who moved to Taiwan with her Taiwanese husband in 2021, said she often faces questions about whether she is working for China's Communist Party or could be a spy. She acknowledged that Beijing actively seeks information but said mainland spouses are unlikely to be its most valuable targets. “If they want some core secrets,” she said, they are more likely to target people with direct access to sensitive information, such as defence officials, technology experts, academics or senior business figures. “There’s no room for ‘mainland spouses’” among the most valuable targets for such information, she said.

Tropical Storm Dolphin brought heavy rain to parts of eastern China on Monday, triggering flooding in some areas after the storm made landfall as a typhoon a day earlier. Authorities warned of possible severe flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas. Dolphin had maximum sustained winds of 65 kph (40 mph) on Monday morning and was weakening, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said. China's Meteorological Administration said the storm was moving northwest at 15 to 20 kph (9 to 12 mph) and was expected to weaken further before disappearing. Dolphin made landfall Sunday evening in Taizhou in Zhejiang province with winds of up to 151 kph (93 mph). Before reaching China, it brought heavy rain to northern Taiwan over the weekend. China's state broadcaster CCTV reported that authorities in Yueqing, a city in Zhejiang, searched flooded homes for people who might be trapped and cleared fallen branches from roads. Ahead of the storm, more than 300,000 people were moved to safer areas as a precaution. Shanghai's two airports also canceled more than 1,300 flights. Death toll rises in the PhilippinesAlthough Dolphin did not make landfall in the Philippines, it strengthened seasonal monsoon rains that caused flooding and landslides across northern Luzon. A landslide buried three houses in the northern mountain city of Baguio on Sunday night, killing five people, while at least five others remained missing, officials said. Rescue teams continued searching for the missing on Monday despite intermittent rain. Three people were rescued alive and taken to hospital, according to Baguio authorities. The latest deaths raised the toll from nearly a week of heavy rain, flooding and a tropical storm in northern Luzon to 15, the government's Office of Civil Defense said. More than 1 million people have been affected by the heavy monsoon rains and flooding, including around 98,000 who were forced to leave their homes. About 58,000 displaced people were staying at around 642 government-run emergency shelters, said Laurence Mina of the Office of Civil Defense. Another storm heads toward JapanMeanwhile, Tropical Storm Chan-hom was moving toward Japan's Pacific coast. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 83 kph (51 mph) on Monday morning and was expected to strengthen slightly before making landfall between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.