https://www.scmp.com/rss/308368/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed on Wednesday that ­preparations were under way for the first summit meeting between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump, despite lingering ­uncertainties over a host of ­hot-button issues. The confirmation on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress came as the US State Department said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was also likely to meet Xi and discuss ways to “quickly establish direct communication between the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2077204/top-sino-us-push-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2077204/top-sino-us-push-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Mar 2017 15:45:15 +0000 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in Beijing to critical issues affecting Sino-US relations in the next four years, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday. “He is going to talk about substance. He is going to talk about the issues, begin charting for a relationship between the US and China for the next four years,” Danny Russel, the top East Asia diplomat at the US State Department said in his last media briefing as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2076967/tillerson-meet-chinese-president-xi-jinping-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2076967/tillerson-meet-chinese-president-xi-jinping-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Mar 2017 00:15:00 +0000 China and the US have reached an agreement on testing their responses to cybersecurity threats following the conclusion of high-level talks in Washington, the US Department of Justice has said. The drill was one of five specific outcomes of the two-day meeting attended by Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun and US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, according to the department. Experts cautioned however the agreement was only the start... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1886437/china-and-us-test-cyberthreat-defences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1886437/china-and-us-test-cyberthreat-defences?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Dec 2015 07:30:15 +0000 Ma Ying-jeou sat to the right of Xi Jinping, with Wang Huning , the Communist Party’s chief adviser, on Ma’s right. In the roughly hour-long dinner in the State Room of Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel, the two leaders and 12 officials from both sides sat down to a shared round table. Seven dishes were served, starting with two appetisers: suckling pig with gold leaf and sliced abalone with cucumber. The five main dishes that followed included Hunan-style stir-fried lobster with garlic, coral... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1876648/presidents-enjoy-spirited-parting-dinner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1876648/presidents-enjoy-spirited-parting-dinner?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Nov 2015 15:45:15 +0000 The chairwoman of Taiwan’s opposition Democratic Progressive Party, Dr Tsai Ing-wen, who is leading opinion polls to be the island’s next leader in January’s presidential election, is unlikely to be “boxed in” by pledges made by the island's incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou following his historic meeting with President Xi Jinping on Saturday . Ma said on Thursday and at a press conference after the meeting in Singapore that a path had been opened for his successor – no matter if that person was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1876655/expected-next-leader-taiwan-wont-be-boxed-summit-tactic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1876655/expected-next-leader-taiwan-wont-be-boxed-summit-tactic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Nov 2015 15:30:15 +0000 Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, was the first choice of Taiwan as a venue for the historic summit between the island’s President Ma Ying-jeou and Xi Jinping, according to a Taiwanese official. The two sides leaders will meet on Saturday in Singapore. Andrew Hsia Li-yan, chairman of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, told a press conference that the talks where suggested by Zhang Zhijun, the director of the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office when the two met last month. Hsia said he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1875872/manila-was-taiwans-first-choice-venue-historic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1875872/manila-was-taiwans-first-choice-venue-historic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Nov 2015 03:30:30 +0000 President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou will hold a meeting in Singapore on Saturday to discuss cross-strait issues -  the first such meeting of their leaders since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949. The state-run news agency Xinhua said the meeting would be a "pragmatic arrangement" and "in accordance with the One-China principle". Here we take a look at the significance of their meeting. READ MORE: Presidents of mainland China and Taiwan to have first official meeting since 1949: Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1875591/civil-war-civil-greetings-why-president-xi-jinpings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1875591/civil-war-civil-greetings-why-president-xi-jinpings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Nov 2015 07:45:15 +0000 Two dozen senior mainland police officers have been punished for violating the law and party discipline, with some expelled from the Communist Party and facing prosecution, the Public Security Ministry said yesterday. One officer, Zhang Genheng, former head of the police border protection force in the restive far western Xinjiang region, was investigated for abusing his position. Zhang accepted bribes in exchange for promoting and recruiting police officers, the ministry said in a statement... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1875476/two-dozen-senior-chinese-police-officers-punished-some-expelled-sweeping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1875476/two-dozen-senior-chinese-police-officers-punished-some-expelled-sweeping?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Nov 2015 21:25:13 +0000 The Communist Party has vowed to completely ban logging in natural forests for commercial purposes in the next five years. In March, authorities announced plans to outlaw commercial logging in certain key zones around the country after the ban was piloted in Heilongjiang province last April. The 13th five-year plan will now extend the ban nationwide, according to a communiqué on the party's recent policymaking session in Beijing was released by Xinhua yesterday afternoon. READ MORE: China's new... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1875479/china-ban-all-logging-forests-distinctly-green-new-five?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1875479/china-ban-all-logging-forests-distinctly-green-new-five?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Nov 2015 17:00:45 +0000 Many Chinese couples may have stayed up a little later than usual on Thursday night to 'consider' the nation’s plan to end its one-child policy. One social media post said: “Dear boss, can I come in a bit late tomorrow because I have to study the fifth plenum’s decision with my wife tonight, which could go on a bit late? Your anxious staff, Oct, 29.” Funny comments like these appeared across China’s social media network after Beijing announced it would abolish its controversial one-child policy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1874095/baby-minded-chinese-couples-stay-wee-hours-consider-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1874095/baby-minded-chinese-couples-stay-wee-hours-consider-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Oct 2015 07:45:45 +0000 German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on her visit to Beijing on Thursday that Germany was prepared for competition from other European economies seeking greater business engagement with China. "We welcome competition that is conducive to the promotion of business," Merkel said, adding she was very happy to know President Xi Jinping had a fruitful visit to Britain. "In Germany, we don't have a Queen," she said, to laughter. CCTV called Merkel, who is on her eighth visit to China, the country's... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1873972/germany-ready-vie-other-eu-countries-business-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1873972/germany-ready-vie-other-eu-countries-business-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Oct 2015 16:17:09 +0000 Beijing had never claimed it would "defend to the death any concrete" target for growth, Premier Li Keqiang said ahead of a Communist Party meeting that starts on Monday to set social and economic goals for the next five years. The growth in China's economy was a "hard-won achievement" and showed it was capable of overcoming hurdles, Li told the Central Party School in remarks published by state media on Saturday. Data last week showed the world's second-largest economy had grown 6.9 per cent in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/1872061/chinas-economic-growth-target-was-never-set-stone-premier-li?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/1872061/chinas-economic-growth-target-was-never-set-stone-premier-li?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Oct 2015 16:00:15 +0000 A diplomat and her husband from China's general consulate in Cebu City in the central Philippines have been detained over a shooting that left two diplomats dead and the consul general injured early yesterday afternoon. The consul general, Song Ronghua, 53, was sent to hospital and remains in a stable condition. Song only took up the position in Cebu last month. Previously, he was spokesman for the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong from 2005 to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1870707/chinese-diplomat-and-husband-detained-cebu-police-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1870707/chinese-diplomat-and-husband-detained-cebu-police-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Oct 2015 16:00:45 +0000 China’s envoy to Cebu in the Philippines is being treated in a local hospital after he was shot while eating lunch with staff members at a popular restaurant on Wednesday afternoon, sources close to the consulate general and the police say. Song Ronghua was attending a birthday lunch at the Lighthouse Restaurant downtown when the shooting occurred at around 1.30pm. The consulate’s No 2 Sun Shen and finance officer Li Hui were both hit – Sun in the neck and Li in the head, the Philippine Daily... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1870379/chinas-envoy-cebu-shot-while-eating-lunch-local?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1870379/chinas-envoy-cebu-shot-while-eating-lunch-local?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Oct 2015 10:00:45 +0000 China's Ministry of Public Security is to take over an investigation into a journalist whose articles exposed a controversial qigong master's unlawful acts, according to state media. Liu Wei, 37, deputy director of the investigative division of The Southern Metropolis News, had been detained by Jiangxi police on October 8 on suspicion of illegally obtaining state secrets. READ MORE: Murder victim linked to China’s ‘Rasputin’ was ‘chopped into pieces, dumped in lake’ Liu's articles had revealed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1869844/chinas-public-security-ministry-steps-handle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1869844/chinas-public-security-ministry-steps-handle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Oct 2015 15:45:45 +0000 The detention of respected investigative reporter Liu Wei on suspicion of allegedly illegally obtaining state secrets has sparked concerns among mainland journalists over their work responsibilities and safety. Liu, 37, deputy director of the Guangdong-based Southern Metropolis News, was detained by police in the city of Pingxiang, in Jiangxi province, on October 8, his newspaper confirmed on Friday night. He reportedly "disappeared" at Chengdu airport, in Sichuan province. His newspaper said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1869018/fears-chinese-crackdown-after-journalist-held-suspicion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1869018/fears-chinese-crackdown-after-journalist-held-suspicion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Oct 2015 20:00:00 +0000 Stephen Orlins, 65, first worked on US-Sino ties in 1977. The Harvard law graduate and former diplomat and Hong Kong banker with Lehman Brothers Asia heads the non-profit National Committee on United States-China Relations. He co-hosted last month's dinner for President Xi Jinpingin Seattle before his US state visit in Washington. He spoke to KEIRA LU HUANG. Read more: Anyone for table tennis? Five decades of major milestones in China’s diplomatic ties with US What was it like when you first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1868975/qa-president-xi-jinpings-us-state-visit-was-enormous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1868975/qa-president-xi-jinpings-us-state-visit-was-enormous?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Oct 2015 20:00:00 +0000 A 13-year-old Chinese boy escaped after being kidnapped – despite having his hands and feet tied up and a plastic bag placed over his head – using skills he had learnt watching gangster films, mainland media reports. The boy, identified only by his surname, Yi, from the rural village of Fuxin near the city of Deyang, in Sichuan province, was kidnapped while walking along the street by himself on September 24, local news website Scol.com.cn reported on Friday. Yi was then taken to a nearby... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1868364/kidnapped-chinese-boy-13-hops-freedom-using-skills-he-learnt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1868364/kidnapped-chinese-boy-13-hops-freedom-using-skills-he-learnt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2015 07:45:30 +0000 A new survey has found that China has more than 100 million registered pets, which means that about one in every 13 mainland people keeps such animals, mainland media reports. More than 10 per cent of all Chinese pets are found in Guangdong, making the southern province the biggest base for such animals, the New Express reported on Friday. The survey, which studied current numbers and also forecast pet levels in China from 2014 and 2019 and found that 80 per cent of all mainland pets are dogs... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1868362/new-survey-chinas-100-million-registered-pets-finds-one-13?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1868362/new-survey-chinas-100-million-registered-pets-finds-one-13?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2015 07:30:45 +0000 A former senior official at China's top graft-busting agency has been given the highest Communist Party job in state security, mainland media confirmed yesterday, signalling the agency is expanding its power. Hebei -based Yanzhao Metropolis Daily confirmed the move on Thursday when it reported that Chen Wenqing , 55, a former deputy chief of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, toured the Xibaipo Memorial Museum on September 22 in his capacity as party chief of the Ministry of State... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1865395/graft-buster-named-head-chinas-spy-agency-anti?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1865395/graft-buster-named-head-chinas-spy-agency-anti?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2015 15:27:44 +0000 A picturesque Chinese town at the foothills of the Himalayas is becoming famous not just for its Unesco World Heritage status but for its thriving “hook-up culture” for singles taking a break from the city. During the “golden week” national holiday, a special type of tourist industry thrived in the cosy pubs and cafes of quaint Lijiang, in southwestern Yunnan province, a Shanghai-based news portal reported. Many women paired up with bars across town to bring them customers, mostly men, to buy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1864892/national-holiday-proves-especially-golden-hook-girls-quaint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1864892/national-holiday-proves-especially-golden-hook-girls-quaint?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2015 08:30:00 +0000 A man from the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan who has made a living off his resemblance to US President Barack Obama since 2012 has a new job – as the face of a plastic surgery clinic in Guangzhou. After working for a decade in coastal Guangdong province as waiter, factory worker and security guard, 28-year-old Xiao Jiguo landed an acting career after appearing as Obama on a mainland reality show in 2012. His physical resemblance to the 44th US president sealed his fate as a comedy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1864881/yes-he-can-sichuans-answer-barack-obama-cashes-his-moment-sun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1864881/yes-he-can-sichuans-answer-barack-obama-cashes-his-moment-sun?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2015 08:15:15 +0000 North China, including the capital city Beijing, continued to be smog alert on Wednesday, the last day of a week-long National Day “golden week” holiday. The National Meteorological Centre first issued a yellow alert – the seond-lowest on a four-colour scale – on Tuesday and said that smog that blanketed Beijing, Tianjin and other northern cities since Monday “may persist” until Wednesday night, when an expected cold front would clear the air. Meanwhile, the Beijing Times reported on Wednesday... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1864882/cities-north-china-blanketed-smog-final-days-national-golden-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1864882/cities-north-china-blanketed-smog-final-days-national-golden-week?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2015 06:45:45 +0000 China has pledged a series of support measures for global peacekeeping missions, in the latest sign that Beijing is extending its military diplomacy. President Xi Jinping told the UN General Assembly on Monday that Beijing would contribute 8,000 troops to a UN peacekeeping standby force, as well as US$1.1 billion to a China-UN peace fund and military assistance for African Union peacekeeping missions. Xi's pledges come as China tries to cultivate its image as a responsible international player... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1862585/chinas-us11b-peacekeeping-play-global-prestige?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1862585/chinas-us11b-peacekeeping-play-global-prestige?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:17:05 +0000 Watch: Xi says China "will never pursue hegemony" China will contribute 8,000 troops to a United Nations peacekeeping standby force, China’s President Xi Jinping told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, a move that could make it one of the largest players in UN peacekeeping efforts. Xi’s pledge comes as China attempts to show it is a responsible international player amid concern over its continuing military build up and territorial disputes with Asian neighbours. China will also for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1862255/chinese-president-xi-jinping-makes-us1-billion-pledge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1862255/chinese-president-xi-jinping-makes-us1-billion-pledge?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2015 16:45:45 +0000 Beijing on Monday hit back at US politicians and rights activists who denounced China's women's rights record, calling some remarks "groundless". A Chinese newspaper compared the United States' presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton to rival candidate Donald Trump after she sent out a tweet saying it was "shameless" for President Xi Jinping to preside over a UN conference on gender equality because of China's detention of women, including five who were held for 37 days this year over their plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1862193/let-chinese-women-judge-themselves-china-hits-back-criticism-against-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1862193/let-chinese-women-judge-themselves-china-hits-back-criticism-against-its?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2015 15:29:10 +0000 Beijing has pledged billions in aid and debt forgiveness for the world’s poorest nations as President Xi Jinping continues his overseas push to present China as a global power. In his first address to the United Nations in New York, Xi said Beijing would set up a development fund with an initial pledge of US$2 billion to help developing countries realise a wide-ranging, “post-2015” global sustainable development agenda. “China will continue to increase investment in the least-developed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1861926/chinas-xi-jinping-pledges-us2-billion-aid-lift-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1861926/chinas-xi-jinping-pledges-us2-billion-aid-lift-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2015 14:45:45 +0000 First it was Pope Francis, then it was John Boehner taking up US media attention during President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States last week. On Friday morning, just as US President Barack Obama was welcoming Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan to Washington DC, House Speaker Boehner announced that he was resigning from Congress. News networks that were expected to broadcast live a joint press conference by the two presidents at the White House switched to airing Boehner’s resignation speech.  At... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1861591/xis-trip-overshadowed-again-us-house-speaker-john-boehner-steps-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1861591/xis-trip-overshadowed-again-us-house-speaker-john-boehner-steps-down?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2015 08:00:00 +0000 The leaders of China and the United States agreed on Friday to take new steps to address cyberspying, vowing that neither country’s government would conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property. The two nations also agreed to step up cooperation on combating transnational crime, and on repatriation of fugitives, following the talks between US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Speaking to reporters after the talks, Obama said the two nations had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1861563/i-indicated-it-has-stop-obama-gets-tough-cyberspying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1861563/i-indicated-it-has-stop-obama-gets-tough-cyberspying?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2015 17:00:30 +0000 US President Barack Obama yesterday said he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping must address their differences "candidly", specifically raising the importance of protecting human rights. "Even as our nations cooperate, I believe - and I know you agree - that we must address our differences candidly," Obama said as he welcomed Xi to the White House. "The United States will always speak out on behalf of fundamental truths. We believe nations are more successful … when our companies compete on a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1861551/china-us-address-differences-candidly-barack-obama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1861551/china-us-address-differences-candidly-barack-obama?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2015 15:45:00 +0000 President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart President Barack Obama took advantage of some “private time” together for some “real exchange” during a working dinner in Washington on Thursday night (Friday morning HK time) – soon after the Chinese leader arrived in the US capital. READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Xi Jinping's US visit The dinner at Blair House, a guest residence just a short walk from the White House – with limited seating that can accommodate only Xi and Obama and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1861287/sensitive-issues-menu-us-and-chinese-presidents-barack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1861287/sensitive-issues-menu-us-and-chinese-presidents-barack?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2015 03:45:15 +0000 China must give adequate details if it wants Washington to repatriate fugitives to China, according to a US official responsible for Asian affairs. Daniel Kritenbrink, senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, said on Thursday that any time the Chinese authorities raised concerns about a legal case they must do so through a formal procedure. "Any actions that we take … have to be done in strict accordance to American law and our Chinese friends also have to give us... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1861252/china-must-give-details-washington-act-fugitives-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1861252/china-must-give-details-washington-act-fugitives-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2015 17:45:00 +0000 The president and a vice-president of People.cn – the website of People’s Daily – have been taken away by Henan prosecutors for alleged bribery, state media reported on Friday. Several mainland media outlets reported the news last night but their stories were quickly removed. The president Liao Hong, 52, helped to launch the website in 1997, according to his public profile. He joined the newspaper after graduating from Beijing University of Technology 30.years ago. He was detained along with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1853302/president-and-vice-president-chinese-communist-partys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1853302/president-and-vice-president-chinese-communist-partys?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:45:15 +0000 The Communist Party's top leadership was infuriated with the Tianjin government's attempts to underplay the death toll of the twin blasts that rocked the port city more than two weeks ago, and which has now risen to 145, the South China Morning Post has learned. The revelation came as prosecutors yesterday criminally detained 11 senior officials and port executives for alleged negligence in connection with the disaster. Hours after the explosions struck a warehouse storing hazardous chemicals on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1852945/chinas-leadership-infuriated-tianjin-governments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1852945/chinas-leadership-infuriated-tianjin-governments?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2015 01:30:00 +0000 Convicts who fought for the country in the second world war are expected to be among the inmates freed from jail as the national legislature prepares to grant amnesties to mark the 70th anniversary of the conflict's end. But those convicted of corruption will stay behind bars. The legislature is also deliberating a draft amendment to prevent inmates given suspended death sentences for graft from applying for parole after their penalty is commuted to life in jail, according to mainland... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1852163/china-grant-prisoner-amnesties-mark-70th-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1852163/china-grant-prisoner-amnesties-mark-70th-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2015 11:15:00 +0000 The elder brother of former Chinese presidential aide Ling Jihua, who faces corruption charges, has also been expelled from the Communist Party for alleged graft. Ling Zhengce, 63, took bribes in return for helping businesses, including his relatives', and for handing out promotions, the government’s main anti-corruption agency said in a statement on Friday. The elder Ling was the former vice chairman of Shanxi province’s political advisory body. His younger brother, Ling Jihua, was a former... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1851414/chinese-ex-presidential-aides-brother-also-expelled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1851414/chinese-ex-presidential-aides-brother-also-expelled?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2015 06:45:45 +0000 President Xi Jinping's wide-ranging reform push, covering everything from politics to the military, has come up against "unimaginably" fierce resistance, according to a tersely worded commentary carried by state media on Thursday. In unusually strong language, the article said the reforms were at a critical stage and had encountered immense difficulties, affecting the interests of various groups. "The in-depth reform touches the basic issue of reconfiguring the lifeblood of this enormous economy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1851314/xi-jinpings-reforms-encountering-fierce-resistance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1851314/xi-jinpings-reforms-encountering-fierce-resistance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2015 16:00:15 +0000 Ceremonies have been held in Tianjin to mourn those killed in last week’s warehouse explosions. The commemorations began at 9am on Tuesday at several sites in the city, including a park in the Binhai district, at the Teda Hospital where many of the injured are receiving treatment, and at a temporary shelter based at a school. It is traditional in Chinese culture to mourn the dead on the seventh day after their death. The number of people confirmed to have been killed after last Wednesday... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850396/tianjin-mourns-victims-warehouse-blasts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850396/tianjin-mourns-victims-warehouse-blasts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2015 03:30:15 +0000 It was hard to get a true sense of the deadly blasts in Tianjin until I set foot in ground zero. Early Monday afternoon, the local government sent six Toyota Coaster buses to drive journalists to the heavily guarded blast zone for the first time. It was the opportunity we'd been waiting for, although many of us had sneaked into the area before. "We always planned to bring you here. Today it's just the right time," a local official said. Perhaps the sight of Premier Li Keqiang visiting the site... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850368/visiting-dead-heart-tianjins-catastrophe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850368/visiting-dead-heart-tianjins-catastrophe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2015 16:00:45 +0000 If it was not for the deadly blast that severely damaged the first flat he bought, Mr Lu, an entrepreneur in his 30s, never would have thought he would be standing among protesters petitioning the government. "We can't stand this anymore. I have a home but can't go back. I have a three-year-old daughter who was scared to death when the blast happened," said Lu yesterday, outside the venue for the daily press conference on relief efforts. "But the government hasn't helped us at all." Read... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850354/proud-homeowner-front-line-protests-over-flats-damaged-tianjin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850354/proud-homeowner-front-line-protests-over-flats-damaged-tianjin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2015 15:45:00 +0000 The Communist Party’s official newspaper in China has sought to reassure the public that there will be no cover-up over the causes of the massive explosions at a dangerous goods warehouse in Tianjin as the number of people known to have died in the disaster rose to 114. People's Daily said in an editorial there was no doubt that the central government would carry out a thorough investigation into the blasts last Wednesday and that anybody guilty of wrongdoing would be held to account. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850117/therell-be-no-cover-over-tianjin-blasts-says-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850117/therell-be-no-cover-over-tianjin-blasts-says-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2015 03:30:00 +0000 Chinese officials confirmed on Sunday that hundreds of tonnes of highly poisonous cyanide were being stored at a warehouse in the port city of Tianjin  when it was hit by explosions last week, as authorities vowed to investigate whether any officials were guilty of dereliction of duty. The developments came as the death toll from the disaster, which has crippled one of the world’s busiest ports, rose to 112 dead and 95 still missing – 85 of them firefighters who  responded to the initial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850084/public-anger-grows-china-confirms-hundreds-tonnes-cyanide-were?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850084/public-anger-grows-china-confirms-hundreds-tonnes-cyanide-were?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2015 16:30:00 +0000 The families of dozens of missing contract firefighters on Sunday staged a demonstration in the wake of the deadly blasts that rocked the port city of Tianjin, after growing frustrated with days of silence from officials. About 50 relatives from Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong marched in scorching heat to the district government office at around 10am. Several people blocked three lanes from the Tianjin Port Hospital to the government office, displaying a banner saying, "return our sons, give our... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850022/forget-them-not-relatives-protest-over-contract-firemen-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1850022/forget-them-not-relatives-protest-over-contract-firemen-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2015 15:45:45 +0000 Wei county, an underdeveloped rural area in Hebei province, had never received much attention until yesterday when more than 50 heartbroken relatives of firemen tried to force their way into a press conference about the huge explosions at a dangerous materials warehouse in Tianjin. "I need an explanation. I need to find out where my son is," said Wang Xiurong. Wang is the mother of a fireman from the No.5 team of the Tianjin Port Group fire department. It along with No. 4 team was among the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1849879/forgotten-heroes-firemen-tianjin-port-group?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1849879/forgotten-heroes-firemen-tianjin-port-group?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2015 20:22:03 +0000 Firefighters continued to battle flash fires in Tianjin late Saturday night, three days after two massive explosions rocked one of mainland China’s biggest ports claiming the lives of at least 112 people.  Chemical experts have also located amounts of potentially deadly sodium cyanide scattered across the blast site, which they believe came from a stockpile of 700 tonnes of the toxic chemical stored in the warehouse at the epicentre of last week’s blasts. A report in the official Science and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1849894/chemical-levels-above-safe-limit-site-tianjin-warehouse-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1849894/chemical-levels-above-safe-limit-site-tianjin-warehouse-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2015 17:15:30 +0000 Miracles are seized upon in catastrophes as they inject hope into overwhelming despair, as happened yesterday morning when a firefighter was found alive about 30 hours after the blasts in Tianjin. Zhou Ti, 19, was found at 7.05am on Friday morning at the scene of the blasts, city government officials said at a news briefing. Rescuers found Zhou about 20 metres from the blast point lying on the ground with his eyes closed, but slight movement in his throat indicated he was still alive. Three dead... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1849441/fireman-found-alive-after-going-missing-scene-massive-tianjin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1849441/fireman-found-alive-after-going-missing-scene-massive-tianjin?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2015 04:30:45 +0000 Eighteen hours after the devastating blasts at a dangerous-goods warehouse that have killed at least 56 people in Tianjin , Ma Yingbo and his pregnant wife sat at the gate of their apartment complex. They had packed three bags and were waiting for a friend to pick them up. "It's all empty now," said Ma, as a curtain fluttered out of a broken window behind him. "I don't know when we can move back. I don't know what to expect, but we cannot live here now. My wife is pregnant and we don't know... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1849402/down-and-out-homeless-tianjins-disaster-zone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1849402/down-and-out-homeless-tianjins-disaster-zone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2015 23:00:30 +0000 Another former associate of China's ex-presidential aide Ling Jihua who once worked in the heart of the Communist Party's machine will face prosecution for corruption and leaking party and state secrets, the top anti-graft agency said on Wednesday. Former National Tourism Administration deputy chief Huo Ke, 54, had been expelled from the party, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said, adding that it had handed over evidence to prosecutors for further investigation. Huo was also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1848886/another-top-communist-party-cadre-accused-leaking-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1848886/another-top-communist-party-cadre-accused-leaking-state?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2015 06:45:45 +0000 A Chinese man who was freed on Tuesday after spending 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit has told his story of his life behind bars to mainland media, including how he was tortured by police and his attempt to commit suicide. Yang Ming, 50, from the southwest province of Guizhou, was accused in 1995 of murdering his girlfriend but insisted he was innocent when the case when to trial. The court said he strangled her, and gave him a suspended death sentence, which on the mainland is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1848850/chinese-man-falsely-jailed-20-years-murder-refused?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1848850/chinese-man-falsely-jailed-20-years-murder-refused?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2015 04:15:00 +0000 A large piece of land near west Beijing's scenic Yuyuantan Park that was ostensibly a site for military research and development was instead developed by disgraced former PLA deputy logistics chief Gu Junshan into one of the capital's most expensive luxury residential projects. The revelation, by mainland financial news portal Caixin, comes after a military court on Monday announced that Gu, 58, had been given a suspended death sentence with a two-year reprieve for corruption and abuse of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1848764/house-gu-built-record-setting-luxury-homes-developed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1848764/house-gu-built-record-setting-luxury-homes-developed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:30:00 +0000