Le Journal

Indonesia begins its tenure as president of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) this month under a cloud of contradiction, with officials hailing the prestige of the largely ceremonial role even as activists raise uncomfortable questions about the country’s own rights record. The 47-member body, a subsidiary of the UN General Assembly, has a mandate to promote and protect human rights globally. Indonesia’s ambassador was elected president on January 8 after being put forward as the Asia‑Pacific...

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In Hangzhou, one office building now houses around 10 hotels, alongside restaurants, photography studios and second-hand luxury stores. In some Chinese cities, the practice of multiple hotel brands co-leasing separate floors within a single building has become more prevalent, fuelled by interest from both property owners and hotel operators. In Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang province, a building at West Lake-adjacent Yongjin Plaza now houses some 10 hotels. These include Home Inn and Home Inn Plus – part of the economy chain under Shanghai-headquartered BTG Hotel (Group) – as well as a mix of smaller, lesser-known hotel brands and hostels. They lease different floors alongside diverse businesses like restaurants, photography studios and second-hand luxury stores. Three of the hotels share a ground-floor reception area. “Hotel operators are seeking lower-cost, well-located space, and office landlords are looking to reduce vacancy,” said James Macdonald, head of research for China at Savills, a property consultancy. “This trend is most common in grade B office assets in good locations, especially slightly older buildings where leasing to traditional office tenants has become more challenging.”

Many around the world will recall the striking image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing side by side at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in September.