Kampala is abandoning its Chinese partners and turning to Turkey to build a standard gauge railway that will connect to neighboring Kenya. East Africa is keen on improving its railway network as part of integration.

China has just recorded its first population decline in 60 years. With the birthrate expected to fall further over the next decade, the consequences for Beijing's economic ambitions could be huge.

It is the first Lunar New Year celebration since China's communist leadership lifted the country's strict measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Is the luxury sector recession-proof? Sales at high-end brands plunged at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they've since rebounded sharply, even as inflation soars and economic growth slows. Now many fashion houses are hoping that China's reopening will be another boost to their business.

Japanese citizens will once again be able to get Chinese visas, Beijing said, reversing a previous ban over COVID testing China had slammed as "discriminatory."

Russia has started selling its growing reserves of the Chinese currency to fill a budget deficit caused by falling oil and gas revenues and the costs of war. For how long will the yuan shore up Putin's ailing economy?

We look at the Pakistani press reaction to the deadly suicide bombing in Peshawar that claimed at least 80 lives. Also, the US is close to securing military bases in the Philippines, as a war with China is predicted for the near future. In other news, Boris Johnson is called a liar by the Kremlin.

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, first signed in 2014, allows for US troops to set up temporarily at Philippine military bases to thwart Chinese ambitions.

The US, Japan, New Zealand and Australia shared concerns a security pact signed by China and the Solomon Islands, which could increase China's influence on one of the Pacific Islands closest to Australia.

China has maintained a "strategic partnership" with Ukraine for years, but as Beijing and Moscow deepen ties amid the ongoing war, Kyiv is wondering what this partnership is worth.

This week, tensions between the US and China spiked further after an alleged spy balloon was shot down by Washington. Beijing later said it would firmly defend its interests after President Joe Biden vowed to protect the sovereignty of the United States. China continues to insist the balloon was for civilian purposes and had veered off course.

In November 2022, thousands of young Chinese people took to the streets to protest repeated Covid-19 lockdowns, constant PCR tests and to demand greater freedom. The movement was stifled in a few days and authorities abandoned their strict zero-Covid policy. But if China's youth took the risk to voice their anger, it's because their frustration goes well beyond Covid rules. FRANCE 24's Lou Kisiela, Antoine Morel and Yan Chen report.