https://www.scmp.com/rss/26441/feed Teddy Ng joined the Post’s China desk in 2011, focusing on foreign affairs. He is now deputy editor of the section. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chinese President Xi Jinping said it was “wishful” thinking to expect Beijing to compromise on Taiwan, in his first public comment since the island’s president Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. Xi made the remarks to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a meeting in Beijing on Thursday, when he also stressed that China was a good partner for Europe in handling global challenges. “[The] Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3216267/xi-jinping-says-wishful-thinking-expect-beijing-compromise-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3216267/xi-jinping-says-wishful-thinking-expect-beijing-compromise-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2023 02:46:45 +0000 China’s top diplomat has called for stronger economic ties and supply chains with New Zealand. Politburo member Wang Yi delivered the message in a meeting with New Zealand on Friday. “The two sides should make good use of the upgraded version of the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to promote the upgrading of economic and trade cooperation,” the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying. The two nations should “jointly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3214836/china-calls-tighter-trade-ties-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3214836/china-calls-tighter-trade-ties-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Mar 2023 10:00:14 +0000 Iran and Saudi Arabia’s resumption of diplomatic ties – in a deal brokered by Beijing – reflects China’s growing leverage and influence in the Middle East, observers said. The announcement by the two nations showed Beijing was expanding its economic engagement with the Middle East to focus more on security, at a time when US ties with the region were facing uncertainty, they said. Even though Beijing had stepped up its presence in the region over the past decade, the diplomatic community was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3213201/saudi-arabia-iran-and-how-chinese-brokered-deal-shows-beijings-mideast-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3213201/saudi-arabia-iran-and-how-chinese-brokered-deal-shows-beijings-mideast-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Mar 2023 14:30:11 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has directly accused the United States of leading other Western nations to suppress China’s development. Xi’s remarks are a rare example of a Chinese leader singling out Washington, and are the latest sign of frustration by the Chinese leadership about the state of China-US relations. “Western countries, led by the United States, have implemented all-round containment and suppression of China, which has brought unprecedented severe challenges to the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3212627/chinas-two-sessions-2023-xi-jinping-directly-accuses-us-leading-western-suppression-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3212627/chinas-two-sessions-2023-xi-jinping-directly-accuses-us-leading-western-suppression-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Mar 2023 06:30:15 +0000 China will increase its defence budget to boost combat readiness while also striving to maintain friendly overseas ties, its top legislative assembly heard on Sunday. Funding for the People’s Liberation Army will increase by 7.2 per cent to about 1.55 trillion yuan (US$224.3 billion), after a 7.1 per cent hike last year, according to the government budget tabled at the opening session of the annual National People’s Congress. While the defence spending was in line with analysts’ expectations,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3212421/china-two-sessions-pla-budget-set-top-us224-billion-focus-peaceful-foreign-policy-remains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3212421/china-two-sessions-pla-budget-set-top-us224-billion-focus-peaceful-foreign-policy-remains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Mar 2023 10:35:09 +0000 China will use legal means to counter the impact of foreign sanctions, according to a spokesman for the country’s legislature. Wang Chao, a spokesman for the National People’s Congress, said on Saturday that the parliament has already started working on foreign policy legislation. Beijing is focusing more on international legal studies to advance its interests internationally as it comes under increasing sanctions pressure from the United States and Europe. The US is reportedly working with its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3212362/chinas-two-sessions-2023-new-laws-counter-foreign-sanctions-planned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3212362/chinas-two-sessions-2023-new-laws-counter-foreign-sanctions-planned?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Mar 2023 10:01:48 +0000 Beijing accused the United States of presenting a “contradictory” assessment of the risk of a military conflict in Taiwan and said that if Taipei politicians continued to “collude with external forces”, they could push the island into a dangerous position. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said on Thursday that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was determined to block efforts promoting Taiwan independence. US assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs Ely Ratner... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3211395/beijing-decries-contradictory-us-remarks-about-taiwan-promises-speak-actions-against-separatist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3211395/beijing-decries-contradictory-us-remarks-about-taiwan-promises-speak-actions-against-separatist?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Feb 2023 07:12:45 +0000 China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, has called for speculation and misjudgment to be avoided after an “accidental incident” – the detection of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon over the United States – led to the postponement of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China. Wang, a member of the Communist Party Central Committee’s Politburo, told Blinken in a phone conversation late on Friday that both nations had communicated on how to handle the latest controversy in a calm and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3209082/chinas-top-diplomat-urges-us-avoid-misjudgment-after-blinken-postpones-visit-beijing-over-balloon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3209082/chinas-top-diplomat-urges-us-avoid-misjudgment-after-blinken-postpones-visit-beijing-over-balloon?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Feb 2023 03:15:30 +0000 China will maintain its presence in the South China Sea but will carefully weigh any further activity to avoid aggravating tensions with the Philippines – even as Manila allows Washington greater military access to its soil, according to analysts. The assessment follows an announcement by US and Philippine defence officials on Thursday that Manila will give US forces access to four more Philippine military bases “in strategic areas of the country”, taking the total to nine. China responded by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3208959/us-bases-deal-could-drag-philippines-troubled-waters-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3208959/us-bases-deal-could-drag-philippines-troubled-waters-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Feb 2023 04:30:07 +0000 China’s ambassador to the European Union has said that Beijing is committed to cooperation and dialogue with Brussels. Fu Cong made the remarks while presenting his credentials to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday, according to a statement by the Chinese diplomatic mission to the EU. Fu said China attached importance to its relations with the EU and would stick to friendly policies. He added that cooperation was the overall aim of Beijing’s policies towards the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3208188/chinas-eu-envoy-stresses-cooperation-while-presenting-credentials-ursula-von-der-leyen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3208188/chinas-eu-envoy-stresses-cooperation-while-presenting-credentials-ursula-von-der-leyen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jan 2023 07:01:02 +0000 Beijing has called on the United States to clear up its own debt issues before making accusations about Chinese lending in Africa, after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said China was a “barrier” to ending Zambia’s debt crisis. A statement released by the Chinese embassy in Zambia on Tuesday said the best prospect for debt issues outside America would be “the US Treasury Department solving the US’ own domestic debt problem”. “In fact, the biggest contribution that the US can make to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207865/beijing-tells-us-fix-own-debt-problems-after-yellen-calls-china-barrier-solving-zambia-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207865/beijing-tells-us-fix-own-debt-problems-after-yellen-calls-china-barrier-solving-zambia-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jan 2023 12:00:12 +0000 Southeast Asian nations welcome the greater involvement of the United States and China in the region to ensure that one does not become too dominant, according to a Tsinghua University report. The report released by the university’s Centre for International Security and Strategy on Friday said member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are seeing enhanced participation of the US economically and militarily, but that will not lessen their cooperation with China. The United States... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207614/southeast-asia-seeking-balance-between-us-and-china-region-report-concludes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207614/southeast-asia-seeking-balance-between-us-and-china-region-report-concludes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jan 2023 14:30:14 +0000 The foundation for the relationship between China and the European Union is still “very good”, the new Chinese envoy to Brussels has said, noting that neither side has sought to decouple even though Europe increasingly sees Beijing as a rival. Speaking to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN earlier this week, ambassador Fu Cong also called for the simultaneous dropping of mutual sanctions to revive the stalled China-EU investment pact. “Europe is divided on certain issues, especially if you judge it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207397/china-and-eu-ties-still-very-good-ground-chinese-envoy-says-call-drop-mutual-sanctions-revive-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207397/china-and-eu-ties-still-very-good-ground-chinese-envoy-says-call-drop-mutual-sanctions-revive-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jan 2023 12:30:09 +0000 Senior Chinese diplomats have called on Asian and European partners to remove Covid-19 restrictions targeting Chinese travellers, while Malaysia and Thailand earned praise for welcoming tourists. In a phone call on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Malaysian counterpart Zambry Abdul Kadir that China appreciated Malaysia’s stance on Beijing’s Covid-19 pandemic policy. “The Malaysian government and various sectors of the society hold objective and just views on China’s epidemic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207224/top-chinese-diplomats-urge-eu-asian-nations-drop-travel-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207224/top-chinese-diplomats-urge-eu-asian-nations-drop-travel-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jan 2023 08:30:09 +0000 China said on Saturday it had recorded almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths between December 8 and January 12, and the current wave has already peaked. It is the first time China has released a death toll since its abrupt pivot away from the zero-Covid policy last month. Jiao Yahui, director of the National Health Commission’s medical affairs department, said medical institutes had recorded 5,503 deaths as a result of respiratory failure triggered by Covid infection and 54,435 deaths of people... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3206839/china-records-more-60000-covid-related-deaths-after-abrupt-shift-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3206839/china-records-more-60000-covid-related-deaths-after-abrupt-shift-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Jan 2023 10:20:38 +0000 China has signalled to the United States that it is willing to cooperate on trade and climate change but will remain defiant on issues related to defence and security ahead of an anticipated trip to Beijing by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken is expected to visit Beijing in February to help reset China-US relations following years of rising tensions over the South China Sea, Taiwan, trade and human rights. The trip was agreed upon by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3206752/china-signals-desire-work-us-trade-and-climate-change-remains-defiant-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3206752/china-signals-desire-work-us-trade-and-climate-change-remains-defiant-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jan 2023 14:30:10 +0000 Goodbye centralised quarantine. The date when you can travel to China with less hassle has finally arrived. After three years of a zero-Covid mandate that meant China’s borders were effectively closed, foreigners arriving in the country from Sunday can now be less worried about the draconian virus control measures they have to go through. Authorities will also start issuing tourist and business visas to allow Chinese nationals to travel to Hong Kong as part of a gradual resumption of land border... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3206068/global-impact-china-takes-down-its-covid-19-barriers-xi-jinping-hails-light-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3206068/global-impact-china-takes-down-its-covid-19-barriers-xi-jinping-hails-light-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2023 06:00:17 +0000 China’s military has called for special measures to protect the health of soldiers and minimise disruptions to their training as Covid-19 infections surge across the country. In a commentary published on Friday, the state-run PLA Daily said the nation was in a new situation that required “proper coordination” between pandemic controls and making sure its soldiers are combat-ready. There should be no “one-size-fits-all” approach to containing the outbreaks and extreme measures should be avoided,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3203537/china-military-moves-protect-troops-covid-19-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3203537/china-military-moves-protect-troops-covid-19-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Dec 2022 06:30:09 +0000 China pledged to step up development aid and ramped up its efforts to promote the use of the Chinese yuan in energy markets as Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his trip to Saudi Arabia. Beijing also offered to train 1,500 police and cybersecurity officials as part of its efforts to expand security cooperation and to increase the Gulf states’ participation in Chinese space projects. As part of the visit, Xi attended two summits on Friday – one a gathering of the six-member Gulf... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3202831/china-pushes-boost-role-yuan-global-energy-markets-xi-jinping-wraps-saudi-arabia-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3202831/china-pushes-boost-role-yuan-global-energy-markets-xi-jinping-wraps-saudi-arabia-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Dec 2022 09:25:00 +0000 China and Saudi Arabia pledged to further expand their cooperation to areas such as technology, security and Iran in a joint declaration during President Xi Jinping’s visit to the kingdom. Friday’s declaration stressed the importance of continuing cooperation in “all fields” and deepening their relations within the framework of a comprehensive strategic partnership established in 2016. Xi and King Salman agreed to enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership to include a biannual meeting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3202656/china-saudi-ties-upgraded-xi-pledges-priority-status-riyadh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3202656/china-saudi-ties-upgraded-xi-pledges-priority-status-riyadh?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2022 04:00:16 +0000 European Union and Chinese leaders met on Thursday for their first face-to-face engagement since before the pandemic, covering a range of thorny economic and geopolitical issues, but pledging to cooperate on matters of global importance. In remarks released by Beijing after a three-hour meeting between Xi Jinping and European Council President Charles Michel, Xi said China would work to ensure supply chain stability and threw his support behind the EU’s mediation efforts over Russia’s invasion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3201673/china-eu-relations-xi-meets-european-council-president-pledges-supply-chain-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3201673/china-eu-relations-xi-meets-european-council-president-pledges-supply-chain-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:00:11 +0000 China is seeking to increase its influence over Arab nations, in particular Saudi Arabia, at a summit next month. There has been no announcement about which countries will attend the event and Beijing has not confirmed if President Xi Jinping will be present. The meeting, which will take place amid an ongoing spat between the Saudis and the United States over oil production, will be the first of its kind to be held in the kingdom. Chinese and Saudi officials have repeatedly pledged to pay high... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3201053/china-seeks-boost-ties-saudis-arab-summit-announced?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3201053/china-seeks-boost-ties-saudis-arab-summit-announced?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Nov 2022 15:00:24 +0000 Beijing has welcomed Moscow’s resumption of grain exports and opposition to the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, giving Russia support amid condemnation from the West. In a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China noted that Russia had reiterated its position that a nuclear war was “impossible and inadmissible”. “It is a rational and responsible position from Russia,” Wang said in the meeting on the G20 sidelines in Bali, according... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3199805/g20-china-endorses-russias-no-nuclear-pledge-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3199805/g20-china-endorses-russias-no-nuclear-pledge-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Nov 2022 12:00:09 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged France to maintain its independence in foreign relations and “respect mutual core interests” in the first face-to-face meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019. “At present, the world has entered a new period of turmoil and change. As … important forces in the multipolar world, China, France and Europe should adhere to the spirit of independence, openness and cooperation,” Xi said, as the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3199648/xi-calls-french-respect-and-cooperation-meeting-macron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3199648/xi-calls-french-respect-and-cooperation-meeting-macron?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Nov 2022 05:30:11 +0000 China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his US counterpart Antony Blinken that relations between the two sides need to “return to a normal track”, in a call on Monday, two weeks before a possible summit between their leaders in Bali, Indonesia. According to an official Chinese readout, Wang said Beijing’s major strategies, including its opening-up policy, would remain consistent after the 20th Communist Party congress, which concluded on October 22. It would be in the common interest of the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3197828/china-us-relations-wang-yi-blinken-discuss-how-manage-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3197828/china-us-relations-wang-yi-blinken-discuss-how-manage-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Oct 2022 04:40:32 +0000 China and the United States have exaggerated concerns over national security, and ties between the two nations could be severed if Washington pushes for closer ties with Taiwan, according to a member of a high-level Chinese think tank. In an interview published on Tuesday by the Carter Centre, Jia Qingguo, a professor of international studies at Peking University, said China and the US are edging closer to a cold war. “I feel that national security issues are overemphasised in both countries.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3197330/overblown-national-security-concerns-pushing-china-us-closer-cold-war-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3197330/overblown-national-security-concerns-pushing-china-us-closer-cold-war-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Oct 2022 21:00:09 +0000 China’s diplomats will maintain the “spirit of struggle” to defend the country’s sovereignty and keep its development on the right track, the country’s vice-minister for foreign affairs has said. Ma Zhaoxu cited the country’s response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August – including suspending cooperation in the fight against climate change – as an example of how Beijing opposes zero sum games and pressure tactics. Conflict brewing between pandas and wolves in China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3196623/chinese-diplomats-will-continue-struggle-protect-national-sovereignty-says-foreign-vice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3196623/chinese-diplomats-will-continue-struggle-protect-national-sovereignty-says-foreign-vice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2022 12:30:15 +0000 China’s top military brass have vowed to be on high alert and prepared for war as the nation faces mounting military confrontation with the United States. The remarks were delivered during panel discussions on the sidelines of the ongoing Communist Party congress in Beijing, where a new leadership line-up is being formed. Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe said China was running into “severe and grave national security conditions” and that it was important for the military to adhere to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3196462/chinas-top-military-brass-vow-be-high-alert-and-ready-war-amid-mounting-tension-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3196462/chinas-top-military-brass-vow-be-high-alert-and-ready-war-amid-mounting-tension-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Oct 2022 09:00:07 +0000 China has released a video of an anti-ballistic missile interception test as part of a drive to showcase its military abilities ahead of a major Communist Party gathering. The 23-second clip released on a social media account affiliated with the Chinese military on Friday evening did not identify the time and location of the test, but it referred to an announcement by the defence ministry in June that a missile test had been carried out. Chinese scientists plan supersonic missile that can fly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3195284/china-releases-anti-missile-test-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3195284/china-releases-anti-missile-test-video?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Oct 2022 07:30:10 +0000 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for the resumption of Sino-US cooperation in areas where it was suspended by Beijing following senior US lawmaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan in August. “As the United States works with the international community to tackle the great obstacles the world faces today, we welcome the cooperation of the People’s Republic of China in addressing global challenges in health, climate change, counternarcotics, and other areas where our... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3194505/blinken-urges-china-resume-cooperation-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3194505/blinken-urges-china-resume-cooperation-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Oct 2022 08:00:16 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned Washington against approaching Beijing from a “position of strength” and insisted the US has no right to intervene in how the Taiwan issue can be resolved. Wang delivered the messages to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken when they met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session on Friday, with both agreeing to continue communicating. Biden says US troops would defend Taiwan from attack by Beijing Tensions over Taiwan and Ukraine featured... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3193682/wang-yi-warns-us-not-approach-china-position-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3193682/wang-yi-warns-us-not-approach-china-position-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Sep 2022 10:00:26 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned that a major confrontation between China and the US is inevitable if Washington does not change its course in dealing with Beijing. In a speech outlining the development of China-US relations, Wang said Taiwan had become the biggest risk in their bilateral ties, and the imposition of any Western system on mainland China would be futile. China-US ties had reached their lowest point since normalisation in 1979, Wang said, despite both Chinese President... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3193525/us-must-alter-course-how-it-deals-china-or-face-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3193525/us-must-alter-course-how-it-deals-china-or-face-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Sep 2022 06:03:57 +0000 Beijing will continue to step up punishment for Taiwanese pro-independence forces, while stressing that peaceful reunification with the island is still the mainland’s top priority, officials in charge of Beijing’s Taiwan policies said on Wednesday. Forceful measures are needed to deter Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the United States from hollowing out the one-China principle, the officials said, adding that those measures would not affect the interests of other nations. “We... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3193294/beijing-toughen-punishment-taiwans-pro-independence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3193294/beijing-toughen-punishment-taiwans-pro-independence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Sep 2022 10:01:57 +0000 Taiwan must bolster its self-defence, rather than relying on support from the United States, to deal with increasing pressure from mainland China, a former US diplomat said. Douglas Paal, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as the de facto US embassy on the island, said the increase in defence spending the Taipei government recently announced was a good development. “It’s a good move in the right direction, but it has to be seen not as a cure to today’s challenges,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3190326/taiwan-must-boost-self-defence-cut-reliance-us-former-senior?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3190326/taiwan-must-boost-self-defence-cut-reliance-us-former-senior?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Aug 2022 12:00:18 +0000 China and Japan have agreed to hold more dialogues to manage their rising tensions despite a heated exchange between the senior officials on the subject of Taiwan. During a seven-hour meeting in Tianjin on Wednesday, Yang Jiechi, China’s foreign policy chief, told Japanese national security adviser Takeo Akiba that Taiwan was an inseparable part of China, while Akiba expressed concern about Beijing’s military exercises. State news agency Xinhua described the talks as candid, in-depth and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3189314/china-japan-relations-frank-diplomatic-exchange-both-sides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3189314/china-japan-relations-frank-diplomatic-exchange-both-sides?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Aug 2022 06:00:21 +0000 Beijing has announced sanctions against seven Taiwanese government officials and politicians, saying they are pushing a pro-independence agenda for the self-ruled island. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the Communist Party said on Tuesday those sanctioned and their family members would not be allowed to enter mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. And organisations they were affiliated with could not cooperate with mainland organisations or individuals. “Their affiliated companies and financial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3189027/beijing-sanctions-7-taiwanese-officials-bans-them-visiting-or?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3189027/beijing-sanctions-7-taiwanese-officials-bans-them-visiting-or?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Aug 2022 03:55:57 +0000 US-China relations are at their lowest point in half a century but worse may be in store before a reset seems possible, diplomatic observers said. This comes as tensions continue to escalate over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a violation of its sovereignty, with neither side wanting to be seen as backing down. Beijing, which repeatedly warned against the visit, has responded with severe condemnation and days of live-fire drills around Taiwan, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188793/pelosis-taiwan-visit-rocks-us-beijing-ties-worse-may-be-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188793/pelosis-taiwan-visit-rocks-us-beijing-ties-worse-may-be-store?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Aug 2022 14:30:12 +0000 Beijing announced sanctions on Friday against Lithuania’s deputy transport minister after she led a delegation to Taiwan this week. The Chinese foreign ministry said the trip earlier this week by Agne Vaiciukeviciute “trampled on the one-China principle, seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs and undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. “In response to the bad and provocative behaviour of Vaiciukeviciute, China decided to take sanctions against Vaiciukeviciute,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188748/china-sanctions-lithuanian-deputy-transport-minister-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188748/china-sanctions-lithuanian-deputy-transport-minister-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Aug 2022 13:22:43 +0000 China has urged South Korea not to let its US-made missile defence shield become a “stumbling block” in relations, as the two sides again clash over the THAAD system. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks late on Thursday after meetings with his South Korean and Nepalese counterparts in Qingdao, Shandong this week. Security differences over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system – installed in South Korea in 2017 – threaten to undermine efforts by Beijing and Seoul to improve... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188671/china-urges-south-korea-not-let-thaad-missile-shield-become?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188671/china-urges-south-korea-not-let-thaad-missile-shield-become?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Aug 2022 09:00:16 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned other nations not to follow the “political performance” of the United States on Taiwan. His latest remarks come as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended her trip to the self-ruled island last week and accused Beijing of using the visit as a “pretext” for more aggressive action, after it held days of large-scale military drills around Taiwan. Wang delivered his message during three separate meetings in recent days with his counterparts from Mongolia,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188506/beijing-warns-other-nations-not-follow-us-political?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188506/beijing-warns-other-nations-not-follow-us-political?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Aug 2022 06:00:21 +0000 The Chinese military has announced that it “successfully completed” various tasks in its recent drills around Taiwan, but warned it would continue regular combat drills against the island. In a short statement on Wednesday, Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command, said the command had recently organised a series of joint military operations in the waters and airspace around Taiwan. “It has successfully completed various tasks, and effectively tested the integrated joint combat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3188400/pla-announces-completion-taiwan-sea-and-air-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3188400/pla-announces-completion-taiwan-sea-and-air-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:44:54 +0000 Beijing has hit back at criticism from the United States that cancelling defence dialogues with Washington was irresponsible, with China saying the US was trying to shift blame. The Chinese defence ministry said in a statement on Monday that China was justified in cancelling the defence dialogues with the US because Washington had stirred up tensions across the Taiwan Strait. China announced the cancellation of the dialogues on Friday as retaliation for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188119/china-justified-cancelling-defence-talks-us-washington-pushing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188119/china-justified-cancelling-defence-talks-us-washington-pushing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Aug 2022 09:00:22 +0000 Mainland Chinese warships have pressed deep into Taiwan’s territorial waters for the first time as Beijing kept up military and diplomatic pressure on the island over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit. On Saturday, the third day of its unprecedented military drills around Taiwan, state news agency Xinhua released a photo taken the previous day showing a marine monitoring the coastline of Taiwan. While the People’s Liberation Army did not specify where it was taken, a white structure that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3187980/chinese-warships-and-jets-skirt-taiwanese-coastline-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3187980/chinese-warships-and-jets-skirt-taiwanese-coastline-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Aug 2022 15:29:18 +0000 The risk of accidental military conflict between China and the US has risen with Beijing’s suspension of defence dialogues in retaliation for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Continued talks between the two militaries was regarded as one of the key areas of engagement between the two countries as they locked horns over others such as trade and human rights. “There is a risk of accidental fire,” former Chinese military instructor Song Zhongping said. “China-US relations will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3187953/higher-risk-accidental-clash-china-suspends-us-defence-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3187953/higher-risk-accidental-clash-china-suspends-us-defence-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Aug 2022 12:00:16 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned the United States not to “stir up a bigger crisis” over Taiwan – in his latest attacks following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to the island which Beijing had repeatedly warned against. Wang blamed Washington for creating tensions, as the visit prompted Chinese live-fire drills on an unprecedented scale targeting Taiwan, to which the US responded by increasing deployment in the region. “The usual tactic of the US is that they first create the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3187951/chinese-foreign-minister-warns-us-not-provoke-bigger-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3187951/chinese-foreign-minister-warns-us-not-provoke-bigger-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Aug 2022 06:36:21 +0000 China has suspended cooperation with the United States in the fight against climate change as part of a range of measures in response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which also included sanctions on the House Speaker and her family. Regular dialogues between the world’s two most powerful armed forces have also been cancelled, making it harder for them to prevent accidental conflicts. Beijing also said it would stop cooperating in tackling the drugs trade, fighting crime and repatriating... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3187927/china-suspends-climate-change-cooperation-us-and-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3187927/china-suspends-climate-change-cooperation-us-and-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 15:56:21 +0000 More than 100 PLA warplanes including fighters and bombers were sent on a range of reconnaissance and support missions on Thursday, the first day of a massive exercise by Beijing around Taiwan, according to the Eastern Theatre Command. According to footage from state broadcaster CCTV, the aircraft included the People’s Liberation Army’s most advanced stealth fighter, the J-20, and the newly introduced aerial oil tanker, the Y-20U. In addition, more than 10 destroyers were sent in, blocking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3187636/mainland-drone-spotted-flying-over-taiwan-hours-after-pelosis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3187636/mainland-drone-spotted-flying-over-taiwan-hours-after-pelosis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Aug 2022 01:41:05 +0000 The Chinese army has dispatched an unknown number of Su-35 multi-role fighter jets across the Taiwan Strait as the plane believed to be carrying Nancy Pelosi approached Taiwan, mainland media reported. A social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV reported the deployment late on Tuesday. This came after the US Air Force jet that flew House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Malaysia headed east towards Borneo on Tuesday before taking a detour around the Philippines, skirting the South China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3187429/jet-carried-nancy-pelosi-malaysia-leaves-kuala-lumpur-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3187429/jet-carried-nancy-pelosi-malaysia-leaves-kuala-lumpur-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Aug 2022 08:28:11 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart Joe Biden that China remained staunchly committed to resisting “interference by external forces” in Taiwan, as tensions soar between the two powers over a possible trip to the self-governed island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question is consistent, and resolutely safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3186951/china-us-relations-xi-and-biden-move-calm-tensions-during?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3186951/china-us-relations-xi-and-biden-move-calm-tensions-during?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:13:16 +0000 A top Chinese leader in charge of Taiwan affairs said Beijing was still seeking peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but warned people on the island against relying on foreign powers to seek independence. The remarks by Wang Yang, who is ranked No 4 in the Communist Party hierarchy, came as concerns about a military conflict between China and the United States run high over a possible trip by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-ruled island. Wang told a seminar in Beijing on Tuesday that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3186733/beijing-says-it-seeks-peaceful-reunification-taiwan-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3186733/beijing-says-it-seeks-peaceful-reunification-taiwan-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2022 05:33:32 +0000