The Point with Liu Xin

As Americans decide who will be their next president, China, like many others around the world, is watching the results closely, trying to gauge the impacts from either a Trump or Harris presidency when the dust settles. What will be some key differences between their trade policies in regards to China? Which would impact China more, both in the short-term and in the long-run? Or will it make any real difference?

Protectionism disguised as "fair trade". That's how China calls the European Commission's decision on Oct. 30 to impose additional tariffs as high as 35.3% against Chinese-made EVs. The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU also expressed profound disappointment in the decision, viewing it as arbitrary, while German carmakers have called it "a step backwards for free global trade and thus for prosperity, job preservation and growth in Europe". Will this help save the European car industry? How will China respond? How will it impact bilateral trade and relations?

Even in our world today, one in ten people globally and as many as one in five in Africa still face hunger. A report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and four other UN bodies revealed that last year, an estimated 30% of the global population – 2.3 billion people – faced moderate or severe food insecurity. How secure or insecure is the world in terms of food? What kind of innovative efforts should be taken to leverage greater finance for food security? What actions are necessary to continue the fight against hunger and poverty?

At Thursday's BRICS Plus leaders' dialogue in Kazan, Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted the crucial role of BRICS-Plus nations in advancing global peace, security, and growth for the Global South. The summit issued the 33-page Kazan Declaration, outlining the common stance, values and aspirations of the group. What messages can we take away from the president's speech in Kazan and the landmark Declaration? How will the BRICS grouping shape our future?

As the 16th BRICS Summit is currently taking place in Kazan, Russia, some in the West are getting nervous. It is the first summit since the group expanded earlier this year to welcome five new members. What's at the top of the summit's agenda? How will the diverse group achieve unity to deliver concrete results? Is BRICS the anti-West Leviathan it's portrayed to be?

During the past few weeks, China has announced a raft of policies to bolster the economy, as part of its sweeping efforts to deepen reform and opening up. Various government departments at the highest level have been taking bold steps to boost capital markets and shore up the real estate sector. And the markets have been very reactive. What key measures have been announced? How significant will these policies be? What do they say about the fundamentals and the direction of China's economy?

In a major address on Thursday, Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te peddled for "Taiwan independence." He said that the PRC had no right to represent Taiwan and expressed his commitment to "resist annexation or encroachment upon the island's sovereignty." Is he upping the ante before the U.S. elections? Do people in Taiwan know about his endgame and its consequences?

One year on, Israel is expanding its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has already killed some 42,000 people and wounded nearly 100,000 more. It has stepped up attacks in Lebanon and other neighboring countries, inflicting greater civilian casualties and sparking fears of a full-blown regional war with its old foe Iran. Why has this conflict escalated so quickly as it enters its second year? What might happen next? Why does the prospect of peace appear ever more elusive?

"Is China an Enemy Fabricated through Propaganda?" That's the title of a new book by Albert Ettinger, a French-speaking Luxembourgois author who has devoted decades as a historian on Xizang (Tibet), and other China related issues. His book on Xizang titled "Free Tibet? Power, Society and Ideology in Old Tibet" challenges the so-called Western experts on the issue and the politically correct narratives. Despite having been a lone voice for years, he continues to speak up and dig deeper into how Western mainstream narratives have been portraying China as the bogeyman.

Is China a terrible place to live? Nobody seems to have told those from abroad who now call it home, not to mention the millions who are flocking here to experience China for themselves. In this special edition of The Point, we tell the stories of three foreign nationals living in different parts of China. Why did they move here? What have been their experiences? How have they adapted to living and working in a place far from their home countries?