This week, figures of economic growth for the first half of the year were released and the strength of China's economy beat expectations. GDP grew by 5.3%, foreign trade in goods increased by 2.7%, hitting a record high, while exports soared by over 7%. But Reuters reports a slowing economy instead. Why is Reuters painting black as white? Why has China not suffered from the second trade war launched by the U.S.? What's behind China's impressive growth picture?

A recent report by the UN Population Fund reveals that the real fertility crisis facing the world is not underpopulation, but a crisis of reproductive agency. The report finds that one in five people around the world are unable to have the number of children they would want. This isn't due to a lack of desire for parenthood, but rather to the soaring costs of raising children, job insecurity, housing challenges, concerns over the state of the world, and the lack of a suitable partner. Why are so many young people unable to fulfill their family goals? How to empower young people to make informed, responsible decisions about the number, timing, and spacing of their children?

The 17th BRICS Summit is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is attending the summit. This is the first summit after Indonesia joined as the 11th member in January, and Vietnam joined the cooperation mechanism as the tenth partner nation in June. How significant is this year's summit? How committed is China to the BRICS? What does the group's growing attraction mean for the long-underrepresented Global South?

The number of foreign visitors coming into China is skyrocketing: During the first half of the year, Beijing saw a year-on-year increase of 37%. Shanghai's Pudong International Airport alone saw a surge of 46% in foreign visits. What's fueling this rush in traveling to China? What can we expect going forward? What remain to be done to make China more accessible?

Last October, Hong Kong was once again ranked the world's freest economy. In June, the city's global competitiveness rose to the third place — the first time since 2019, according to international rankings. In the face of persistent narratives predicting Hong Kong's decline, what has the National Security Law actually brought to the city? What role has the law played in safeguarding "One Country, Two Systems"? What are the future challenges regarding the city's governance?

Are Chinese students still welcome in the United States? And what about vice versa? What is the situation like for foreign exchange students on both sides of the Pacific? How are the political ups and downs impacting wider people-to-people exchanges? Will things ever return to the way they once were?

The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, often called Summer Davos, is taking place in Tianjin, a major coastal city in northern China. Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the Opening Plenary and delivered an address. The President of Ecuador, Prime Ministers of Singapore, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal, and Vietnam are attending, together with 1,700 representatives from over 90 countries and regions. As China contributes around 30% of global growth annually, what opportunities will deeper global engagement with its market and innovation ecosystem bring? Why has AI become the buzzword throughout the meeting?

The U.S. launched air strikes on Iran's key nuclear facilities over the weekend. What triggered President Trump to give the go-ahead? How will Iran respond? In what ways would the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz affect the world?