China

Xinhua | English | News | Jan. 22, 2026 | Natural Disasters

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Qiaojia County in Yunnan Province on the evening of January 20, 2026, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The quake damaged 1,540 houses, mostly with minor cracks in production facilities and auxiliary structures, and caused extensive but non-fatal structural impacts such as the collapse of a water storage tower and leakage in water cellars. Nearly 300 residents from 129 households were evacuated to temporary shelters, with no casualties or complete building collapses reported.

Local authorities have conducted inspections of 63,000 residential houses, confirming the safety of main structures in affected areas. Roads sustained some damage, and minor geological disruptions, including 19 mountain cracks and 262 minor rockfalls, were also identified. Relief efforts are proceeding in an orderly manner, with emergency inspections continuing to complete the disaster impact assessment.

The Yunnan Provincial Department of Finance allocated 5 million yuan (approximately 714,224 U.S. dollars) in emergency funds to support Zhaotong city for disaster response, hazard elimination, secondary disaster prevention, reconstruction, and assistance to affected residents. The China Earthquake Administration has initiated a Level-III emergency response and dispatched teams to assist local relief operations.

Global Times | English | News | Jan. 22, 2026 | Terrorism

On January 19, 2026, an explosion occurred near an Afghan-Chinese Muslim restaurant in Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw area, killing seven people and injuring several others, including one Chinese national who died and five Chinese citizens who were wounded. The cause of the blast is under investigation, with the Afghan branch of ISIL claiming responsibility for the attack, identifying it as a suicide bombing. Afghan authorities had not officially classified the incident as a terrorist attack at the time of reporting.

China condemned all forms of terrorism and expressed deep condolences for the casualties, urging Afghanistan to protect Chinese nationals and projects, thoroughly investigate the attack, and bring perpetrators to justice. The Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan visited the injured and urged Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Afghanistan, citing a complex and severe security situation. It also called on Chinese nationals and enterprises in Afghanistan to enhance vigilance, strengthen security, and withdraw from high-risk areas.

The explosion took place in the commercially significant and usually safe Shahr-e-Naw district, an area that hosts offices, shopping complexes, and embassies. Despite a decrease in attacks since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, ISIL affiliates remain active and sporadically carry out violent incidents in Afghanistan. Emergency services quickly secured the blast site to collect evidence and began treatment of the wounded at local hospitals.

南部战区新闻发言人发表谈话

Xinhua | Local Language | News | Jan. 22, 2026 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson for the PLA Southern Theater Command, reported that on January 20, a Philippine government aircraft entered the airspace over China's Huangyan Island without Chinese government approval. The PLA Southern Theater Command responded by deploying naval and air forces to warn and drive the aircraft away in accordance with laws and regulations.

The spokesperson emphasized that the Philippine actions seriously infringed on China's sovereignty and violated relevant Chinese and international laws. Huangyan Island is stated to be China's inherent territory. China issued a warning to the Philippines to immediately cease infringement, provocations, and irresponsible hype.