How China Is Remaking Its Vast Western Frontier China is undertaking a vast effort to reshape its western frontier, transforming Xinjiang and Tibet from remote borderlands into strategic hubs for industry, energy, tourism and trade, according to a new lengthy report from Financial Times . Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing is pouring investment into highways, railways, renewable energy projects, ...
How China Is Remaking Its Vast Western Frontier China is undertaking a vast effort to reshape its western frontier, transforming Xinjiang and Tibet from remote borderlands into strategic hubs for industry, energy, tourism and trade, according to a new lengthy report from Financial Times . Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing is pouring investment into highways, railways, renewable energy projects, manufacturing bases and tourism infrastructure across a region that covers nearly a third of China’s territory. Officials see the west not as a distant hinterland but as a frontline for economic growth, national security and connectivity with Eurasia. Xinjiang The strategy serves several goals. It aims to integrate Xinjiang and Tibet more deeply into China’s economy, strengthen border security, expand access to critical resources and energy, and make western China a more important link in global supply chains. Analysts say this could also reduce the effectiveness of future Western sanctions by increasing the regions’ economic importance. The transformation is most visible in Xinjiang. Tourism has surged, with record visitor numbers drawn to ski resorts, scenic villages and newly built infrastructure. International hotel chains are rapidly expanding in the region, while exports, manufacturing and state-backed investment continue to grow. For many Chinese visitors, Xinjiang is increasingly marketed as a safe and attractive destination rather than a politically sensitive region. Yet the economic boom has not been accompanied by a rollback of state control. Human rights groups say the surveillance systems, security apparatus and policies that followed the mass detention of Uyghurs remain firmly in place. Critics argue Beijing is pairing economic incentives with continued social control and cultural assimilation. The FT writes that Tibet is undergoing a similar transformation. Massive hydropower projects, transmission networks and mineral extraction plans are positioning the reg...
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his government is considering passing a supplemental budget to help the public cope with the oil crisis, as he urged the Senate to return to work. Marcos said the country may need legislations, including one providing for extra funding. “We were thinking there might be a supplemental budget,” Marcos told reporters Wednesday, citing discussions in a co...
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his government is considering passing a supplemental budget to help the public cope with the oil crisis, as he urged the Senate to return to work. Marcos said the country may need legislations, including one providing for extra funding. “We were thinking there might be a supplemental budget,” Marcos told reporters Wednesday, citing discussions in a committee formed to craft ways to mitigate the economic impact of the Iran war. He didn’t give details on how much the additional budget will and how it’s going to be funded and spent. The Southeast Asian nation is mulling additional funds to respond to the oil shock as it faces its worst economic crisis since the pandemic. The energy crunch has caused inflation to surge in the country that’s heavily dependent on imported oil. Sought for comment on the two-day impasse at the Senate, Marcos told senators to “get back to work.” “All these events that we have been witnessing has thrown the Senate and its leadership...into disarray. It has discredited the leadership and it has stopped the essential business of legislation in government,” Marcos said. Read More: Senate Impasse Deepens Political Uncertainty in Philippines Lawmakers at the 24-member upper chamber have been locked in a bitter feud over the last few weeks due to several issues, including the senate leadership, parliamentary rules and the arrest orders for some colleagues. Last month, allies of Vice President Sara Duterte , Marcos’ top critic, took over the Senate majority. “The legislature is now in disarray,” Marcos said. “That’s exactly the opposite of what we’re trying to do achieve. We’re trying to achieve some form of stability so that people can get on with their lives.” “We cannot do that if the legislature decides to stay at home and have a vacation,” the president said.
Shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) pulled back on Tuesday after the technology colossus announced a huge equity offering. Image source: The Motley Fool. Investors' enthusiasm for Alphabet's artificial intelligence ( AI ) initiatives has propelled its stock price to more than double over the past year. Today, however, shareholders were reminded that the search king's AI investments c...
Shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) pulled back on Tuesday after the technology colossus announced a huge equity offering. Image source: The Motley Fool. Investors' enthusiasm for Alphabet's artificial intelligence ( AI ) initiatives has propelled its stock price to more than double over the past year. Today, however, shareholders were reminded that the search king's AI investments come at a cost. Continue reading
Donny DBM/iStock via Getty Images Amidst heightened volatility caused by the conflict in the Middle East, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index finished the first quarter of 2026 down -0.17%. Leading markets included oil and commodity rich nations, such as Brazil +19.10% and Peru +20.79% in Latin America, and Saudi Arabia +9.23% in the Middle East, which rose on higher commodities prices. Taiwan (+9.09%...
Donny DBM/iStock via Getty Images Amidst heightened volatility caused by the conflict in the Middle East, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index finished the first quarter of 2026 down -0.17%. Leading markets included oil and commodity rich nations, such as Brazil +19.10% and Peru +20.79% in Latin America, and Saudi Arabia +9.23% in the Middle East, which rose on higher commodities prices. Taiwan (+9.09%) and South Korea (+16.54%) gained on the back of large cap semiconductor and technology companies that benefited from continued artificial intelligence related investment and a cyclical recovery in memory and advanced logic chips. Meanwhile, economies heavily reliant on energy imports, such as India and Indonesia, saw their markets down 18.13% and 20.68%, respectively. China was also one of the bottom-performing markets, declining 8.94% on continued slow consumption growth and a weak real estate sector. The Active M Emerging Markets Equity Fund outperformed as a result of strong stock selection across a number of sectors with the largest value added coming through holdings in the consumer discretionary, communications services, information technology, materials and financials sectors. Performance was most challenged in the real estate sector, as an overweight and weak stock selection was a drag on returns. By country, the Fund added value in South Korea, Mexico, Peru and Turkey, as well as through an underweight to China and India. Conversely, an underweight to Taiwan and overweight to Indonesia proved detrimental, while holdings in Taiwan, China and India detracted from returns. Each of the Fund's sub-advisers outperformed the Fund's benchmark in the quarter. References MSCI Emerging Markets® Index is a free float-adjusted, market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. The index is calculated net of foreign tax withholdings. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Northern Funds Active M Emergi...