China

Xinhua | English | News | Jan. 23, 2026 | Natural Disasters

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Qiaojia County in Yunnan Province, China, on Monday evening at 7:32 p.m., occurring at a depth of 10 kilometers. The quake damaged over 1,900 residential houses and eight school buildings, mostly causing minor cracks. No casualties or building collapses were reported.

The earthquake also caused significant infrastructure damage, including 466 slope collapses and rockfalls on roads, 483 road surface damages, and 19 mountain fissures that do not threaten residential safety or public transportation. Additionally, 544 water conservancy facilities, 270 production water cellars or pools, and 178 water supply pipeline locations were damaged.

Local authorities have relocated and accommodated 334 residents from 147 households, ensuring their basic needs such as food, water, heating, and shelter. Post-disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts are planned as the next step. The China Earthquake Administration activated a Level-III emergency response and sent teams to assist with relief efforts.

Peoples Daily | English | News | Jan. 23, 2026 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

A Chinese mainland spokesperson reiterated that recognizing the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, is essential for resuming dialogue and consultation mechanisms between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The 1992 Consensus clearly defines cross-Strait relations and serves as the political foundation for their development, as well as an anchor for peace and stability.

The 1992 Consensus was reached in 1992 between mainland China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), with authorization from both sides. The spokesperson accused recent Taiwan authorities of deliberately confusing the public about this historical interaction.

The spokesperson emphasized that when the 1992 Consensus is recognized and the one-China principle upheld, cross-Strait relations improve, benefiting Taiwan residents. Between 2008 and 2016, agreements signed based on the consensus brought tangible benefits to people on both sides, especially in Taiwan.

Since May 2016, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities have refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, adopted a secessionist stance, and actively undermined the political foundation for cross-Strait consultations. They have also obstructed and restricted exchanges and cooperation across the Strait.

China Daily | English | News | Jan. 23, 2026 | UndeterminedBizdev-Partnering

Chinese companies are shifting from a traditional overseas expansion model focused on exporting products and achieving scale to one emphasizing deep localization, digital integration, and service differentiation. This strategic shift aligns with China's growing outbound direct investment, which increased 6.9 percent year-on-year to $158.21 billion in the first 11 months of 2025, with non-financial investments covering 153 countries and regions. The key transformation lies in how Chinese firms operate abroad, moving toward "high-quality globalization" characterized by stronger operational depth, governance, and local integration.

In consumer sectors, experience gained in China's competitive domestic market, especially in digital execution and user engagement, is becoming a competitive advantage overseas. Trip.com Group exemplifies this by prioritizing service differentiation, offering 24-hour customer support in 35 languages with over 20,000 agents worldwide, which has driven triple-digit growth. Granular localization, such as tailoring services to local preferences like smart toilet features for Japanese users, has strengthened user stickiness and market performance.

Chinese brands are also leveraging digital technology to embed themselves into daily life abroad, moving beyond mere exposure to integrating within consumers' cultural contexts through coordinated data, technology, and content strategies. For example, Govee, a smart home brand, effectively used programmatic advertising in the U.S. to boost purchase intent and outperformed social media advertising in conversion rates. Despite these advances, challenges remain in brand recognition, as shown by Beijing Ultrapower Software, which relies heavily on overseas revenue but struggles with global brand awareness, with users often recognizing products without knowing the brand or country of origin.