Dear reader,

Day became night in the northeastern city of Harbin on Sunday as a rare collision of violent weather conditions stirred up walls of sand “metres high”. A cold vortex from the west crashed into a warm mass in the east, leaving a dense trail of dust and debris in its wake. The storm plunged the city into darkness and was a sudden short, sharp reminder of the volatility that can spell disaster. After months of intense geopolitics, China is facing extreme geophysics, forces that a season of summitry won’t overcome.

Click here to dive into our features on Xinjiang, China’s new energy hub. 

The Big Picture

Hot water  
China is furious about maritime boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines.

• Why it matters: the talks cover an area east of Taiwan
• Also, decisions over the area could complicate Beijing’s blue-water ambitions
• Meanwhile, how are Tokyo and Manila stepping up their security alliance against China?
• And, how could Beijing respond militarily and economically?

Elephants in the room
China and the United States dial down the rhetoric at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s major security conference.

• Why it matters: confrontation is out but concerns about China’s military build-up remain 
• So, has China advanced its fighter jet engines and does the PL-16 missile stack up?
• And, in the era of drones and missiles, why do big powers still want aircraft carriers?
• Meanwhile, why must the US look to allies to narrow the shipbuilding gap with China?

Plus...

Guo Songfen is remembered as a pioneering designer of Chinese supersonic fighter jets

Long time, no see … Tianya, once the most popular internet forum for intellectuals, resumes operation

Direct Quote

“Whatever we do, the first thing we think about is whether it could cause trouble.”

A township official talks about red tape and bureaucracy, a chronic problem in local government.