China virus death toll passes 560

Germany, the Czech Republic and the UK are the latest countries to confirm cases of the omicron variant. The new strain that was first detected in South Africa has prompted governments around the world to re-introduce travel restrictions.

China's post-COVID recovery has been hurt by Beijing's crackdown on real estate and tech giants. Strong exports have, until now, saved the economy but what happens when global demand for Chinese goods slows?

The vaccine-maker's CEO says existing COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against omicron. Meanwhile, Japan detected its first case of the variant. Follow DW for the latest.

East Africa has been ramping up efforts to expose its citizens to Chinese culture - particularly through language. In Kenya Mandarin is offered as a selective language in the national curriculum, while in Uganda it’s now a compulsory subject in some schools. But is this simply an exchange of cultures, or is there more to it?

Chinese real estate giant Evergrande, saddled with around $300 billion in debt, has been struggling to meet interest payments on its loans. If it collapses, some of its partner firms could be driven to bankruptcy, prospective homebuyers could lose deposits and some banks would lend less money, which would lead to a credit crunch in the world's second-biggest economy. Property developers in China have in fact created an oversupply: there is enough empty property in the country to house more than 90 million people. FRANCE 24's team reports.

The EU Commission on Wednesday (1 December) unveiled its plan to invest €300bn by 2027 in global infrastructure in digital and climate projects - as an alternative to China's Belt and Road initiative.

The governing body of women's tennis took the decision after Peng made an allegation of sexual abuse against a Chinese official. WTA chairman Steve Simon said he worried about player safety at tournaments in China.

Since September, the name Evergrande has caused panic on stock exchanges around the world. Paralysed by $300 billion in debt (€260 billion), or the equivalent of 2 percent of Chinese GDP, the country's second-largest real estate developer is now threatening Chinese growth. Evergrande has more than 1,300 construction projects across China, as well as financial products, electric cars, livestock, bottled water and even a football club.

The EU and China have pledged to boost funding of green investment projects in ASEAN. But will these erstwhile partners, whose relations have soured over the past year, be able to work side by side?

July 12 marks the fifth anniversary of a landmark ruling by the independent Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague that rejected China's claims to contested islands in the South China Sea. Despite the 2016 ruling, Beijing has deployed forces to prevent fishers from the Philippines from accessing the waters.

A new report by Amnesty International details China's systematic persecution of the Uyghur minority. It shows how Beijing has carried out a campaign of repression against the predominantly Muslim minority, incarcerating millions in so-called "reeducation" camps. Will this report finally make the international community act? Phil Gayle asked Joanne Mariner from Amnesty International.

It has become a major preoccupation of many governments across the globe; how to build a productive diplomatic relationship with China. This particularly as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to ratchet upwards with Beijing's Winter Olympic Games in February now facing an American diplomatic boycott. Annette Young talks to Canadian-Chinese journalist and author, Joanna Chiu, whose new book 'China Unbound' argues how democracies have effectively enabled Beijing's campaign to increase its global influence. She speaks about the diplomatic toolkit required to ensure a healthy and robust relationship with China.