https://www.scmp.com/rss/316656/feed Leaders from the 21 member-nations of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) met in the Chinese capital for two days of talks on November 10 and 11, 2014. The summit is the biggest event to date hosted by Chinese president Xi Jinping after he took over the Chinese presidency in March 2013, as Beijing seeks to consolidate its status as a regional leader and economic giant. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com When Xi Jinping and Barack Obama this month announced a visa deal to make it easier for Chinese and Americans to travel between the two countries, the leaders probably had businessmen and students in mind. While both these groups will gain, the relaxed policies are likely to bring other benefits that may not be immediately apparent but will help foster better understanding between the sides over the long term. Take my parents. They are visiting the United States for the first time and I've... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1647132/visa-deal-help-bridge-us-china-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1647132/visa-deal-help-bridge-us-china-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2014 21:00:15 +0000 Stephen Schwarzman, one of the most powerful dealmakers on Wall Street, says one thing that could help to improve Sino-US relations, in particular among the general public, is to make it easier for more people to travel to each country. President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama made the right moves this month on both climate change and easing visa restrictions for both sides, Schwarzman said at the New York headquarters of Blackstone Group, the buyout fund he co-founded in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1645375/easing-visa-rules-helps-build-trust-between-china-and-us-says-blackstone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1645375/easing-visa-rules-helps-build-trust-between-china-and-us-says-blackstone?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2014 06:46:54 +0000 A picture is worth a thousand words, the saying goes. The "family photos" of state leaders attending last week's whirlwind of regional summits certainly offered clues to the power plays behind the scenes and to the hierarchy of nations. In the space of six days, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders' summit was held in Beijing, the Asean meetings in Myanmar and the Group of 20 summit in Australia. Experts say that while organisers of the summits usually have a set of loose... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1644079/leader-pack-supporting-act-how-leaders-line-summits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1644079/leader-pack-supporting-act-how-leaders-line-summits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2014 20:11:58 +0000 Unexpected twists in Sino-US relations were the highlight of last week's Apec summit in Beijing. Ties between the two nations warmed during the meeting as the two heads of state, Barack Obama and Xi Jinping, held candid talks. The good news kept coming: China and the US agreed to clear tariff barriers for hi-tech products; there was a breakthrough in their 17-year negotiations on an IT agreement; and they committed to reducing greenhouse gases over the next 15 to 20 years. They also said they... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1643648/apec-agreements-help-warm-worlds-most-important-bilateral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1643648/apec-agreements-help-warm-worlds-most-important-bilateral?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2014 04:00:45 +0000 More than 400,000 officials across several provinces were involved in this month's huge mission to cut smog and ensure there were blue skies over Beijing for the Apec summit. Revealing new details yesterday of the efforts, the China Environmental News, a newspaper under the control of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said President Xi Jinping , Premier Li Keqiang and Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli took a direct role in leading the clean-up. Xi and Li issued numerous written instructions on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1642445/how-leaders-and-army-staff-turned-beijings-grey-apec-blue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1642445/how-leaders-and-army-staff-turned-beijings-grey-apec-blue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2014 20:15:15 +0000 Just two weeks after Xi Jinping came to power this month two years ago, he took six new members of the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee to the National Museum next to Tiananmen Square and said for the first time that the greatest "Chinese dream" was to "realise the great renewal of the Chinese nation". He has repeated the slogan in key speeches since then, although he has been short on specifics on making the dream a reality. Understandably, this has led to worries over what it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1641627/towards-new-order-xi-jinping-touts-asia-pacific-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1641627/towards-new-order-xi-jinping-touts-asia-pacific-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2014 22:15:45 +0000 US President Barack Obama, whose popularity at home is sinking, looked outwards instead last week to strike two major deals with China - co-operation on climate change and visa extensions for mainland citizens. The two agreements have long-term implications for US-China relations. The visa deal will have an immediate and direct impact on millions of mainlanders. It is a bit personal for me and my family, too. When Obama announced in Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1641527/chinese-passport-holders-gain-us-visa-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1641527/chinese-passport-holders-gain-us-visa-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2014 21:15:00 +0000 Amid crises over Ukraine and the Middle East, the world can be forgiven for failing to appreciate the full significance of China's plan to create a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific. This was endorsed in Beijing by all 21 economies represented in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Against the background of the Asean-China Free Trade Area, America's pivot to Asia and Trans-Pacific Partnership, and Russia's recent energy tilt towards China, the broad-based support for the Apec... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1639884/apec-rivalry-only-part-broader-sino-us-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1639884/apec-rivalry-only-part-broader-sino-us-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2014 20:48:12 +0000 Beijing's stunning but temporary clear skies finally gave way to choking smog yesterday, despite President Xi Jinping's pledge to preserve "Apec blue" - the term Beijingers coined to describe the impact of short-term curbs on air pollution. The capital's official average air-quality index (AQI) stood at 201 at 5pm yesterday, while the reading released by the US embassy reached 296, officially described as "very unhealthy" bordering on "hazardous". Beijing enjoyed "excellent" or "good" air... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1640956/smoggy-skies-replace-apec-blue-beijing-after-pollution-curbs-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1640956/smoggy-skies-replace-apec-blue-beijing-after-pollution-curbs-end?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2014 23:00:30 +0000 1. China Daily The rich harvest from the Apec meeting, which [President] Xi [Jinping] fittingly described as fruitful, indicates that the now 25-year-old Apec is a lot more than just a showpiece. The strategic consensus on building an integrated, innovative and interconnected Asia-Pacific, the road map for the realisation of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific [FTAAP], along with the strategic blueprint for promoting global value chains, show that Apec has grown to be a worthy partnership... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1640896/how-they-see-it-november-16-2014?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1640896/how-they-see-it-november-16-2014?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2014 22:16:15 +0000 Beijing has often made headlines because of its pollution or traffic congestion. The government's scrambling effort to prevent such an embarrassing scenario occurring when leaders of 21 economies gathered for the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was the talk of the town last week. For Chinese leaders, the meeting was the most important showcase for showcasing its the nation and its rising diplomatic prowess since Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Desperate that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1640822/nation-counting-cost-beijings-expensive-apec-makeover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1640822/nation-counting-cost-beijings-expensive-apec-makeover?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2014 22:16:15 +0000 The leaders of China and Japan have had several high-level exchanges over the past week since breaking a two-year diplomatic stalemate. The latest encounter came on Wednesday when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a brief chat with Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Myanmar. That conversation came after a half-hour meeting, which China said was at the request of Tokyo, between Abe and President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday during... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1640214/china-and-japan-must-work-hard-restoring-ties-they-both-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1640214/china-and-japan-must-work-hard-restoring-ties-they-both-need?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2014 20:04:39 +0000 In their final communiqué at this week's summit in Beijing, Apec's 21 members agreed on a two-year study to look into the feasibility of establishing a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific. The move has been welcomed by President Xi Jinping as a "historic" decision. The idea of an Asia-Pacific free trade area has been debated since at least 2004, but assumed new importance for Beijing after Washington began to champion the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). According to Xi, the free trade area will... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1638963/chinas-proposed-free-trade-pact-puts-pressure-us-conclude?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1638963/chinas-proposed-free-trade-pact-puts-pressure-us-conclude?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2014 09:45:45 +0000 The world’s outlook for reaching a global climate deal next year brightened on Wednesday as China and the US - the top two polluters - presented a joint plan to reduce emissions of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that are blamed for warming the planet. The unexpected move was praised worldwide as a historic step in the fight against climate change, though some analysts said the targets aren’t ambitious enough to prevent global warming from reaching dangerous levels. The announcements from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1638693/what-us-china-climate-deal-means-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1638693/what-us-china-climate-deal-means-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2014 03:00:15 +0000 The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Beijing presented China, as host, with an opportunity to assert regional economic leadership. The outcome - endorsement by all 22 Apec economies to create a Chinese-led Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) - represented a diplomatic achievement for China in the face of American lobbying to downplay the idea. The FTAAP is seen as a counter to the 12-nation US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership, a plan that may gather momentum as a result of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1638365/new-world-order-takes-shape-china-rises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1638365/new-world-order-takes-shape-china-rises?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 21:15:45 +0000 China and the United States sealed two military reporting deals to ward off threats from miscommunication as the two countries' defence forces rub up against each other in the Asia-Pacific region. The military agreements were reached during a meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama in Beijing yesterday. Xi said the US and Chinese defence departments agreed to establish a mutual reporting mechanism on major military operations and a code of safe conduct on naval and air... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638450/xi-and-obama-agree-deals-avoid-risk-military-misunderstanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638450/xi-and-obama-agree-deals-avoid-risk-military-misunderstanding?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:47:21 +0000 Despite efforts to play down their differences, areas of disagreement between the world's two most powerful nations were still evident. In two days of marathon talks, President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama both pushed their own agendas. Obama pressed Xi on human rights and the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, while Xi repeatedly reminded his guest that Americans should treat China as an equal. Speaking to reporters at a joint news conference after their bilateral summit,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638448/differences-between-china-us-evident-despite-agreement-some-areas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638448/differences-between-china-us-evident-despite-agreement-some-areas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:45:15 +0000 President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama reached consensus on a wide range of issues that the two leaders hope will contribute to a reshaping of bilateral relations. Here are the major points they announced:   Climate change China's CO {-2} emissions will peak around 2030 and it will increase the non-fossil fuel share of energy generation to 20 per cent about the same time. China will actively expand the nuclear, wind, solar and other renewable energy sectors. The United States... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638451/chinese-president-xi-jinping-and-barack-obama-agree-raft-measures-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638451/chinese-president-xi-jinping-and-barack-obama-agree-raft-measures-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:45:15 +0000 Environmental complaints dropped by nearly 30 per cent ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, data from Beijing’s City Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau showed. From November 3 to 9, 6691 environmental complaints were lodged with the bureau – down 29 per cent from a week earlier. The drop in figures reflects a series of harsh environmental curbs imposed by Beijing to engineer a few smog-free days as international leaders and dignitaries attend the two-day Apec... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1638257/environmental-complaints-beijing-dropped-during-apec-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1638257/environmental-complaints-beijing-dropped-during-apec-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 10:15:00 +0000 US President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping sought to play down points of tension between their two nations on Wednesday, unveiling a flurry of agreements on climate change, military cooperation and trade, while casting their own burgeoning relationship as candid and productive. Yet areas of discord between the world’s largest economies still bubbled to the surface. Obama pressed Xi on human rights and the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, while Xi repeatedly reminded his American... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638127/us-and-china-have-common-understanding-says-obama-rare-news-conference-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638127/us-and-china-have-common-understanding-says-obama-rare-news-conference-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 05:30:45 +0000 The US Senate’s Republican leader on Tuesday slammed President Barack Obama’s proposed greenhouse gas reductions as an “unrealistic plan.” “This unrealistic plan, that the President would dump on his successor, would ensure higher utility rates and far fewer jobs,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said of Obama’s proposals announced in Beijing. The United States set a goal to cut its own emissions of the gases blamed for climate change by 26-28 per cent from 2005 levels by 2025. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1638103/us-republican-leader-slams-climate-target-agreement-unrealistic-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1638103/us-republican-leader-slams-climate-target-agreement-unrealistic-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 04:45:45 +0000 A popular air quality mobile application has been ordered to remove readings for Beijing, the developer said. China Air Quality Index, an Android and iOS app which provides readings for more than 190 cities, removed the data for the capital this week, replacing it with a message saying the government had ordered its censorship. “We cannot continue to show air quality data released by the US embassy in our software,” developer Fresh-Ideas Studio told Agence France-Presse. “We hope you can... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638076/china-censors-beijing-air-quality-app-during-apec-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638076/china-censors-beijing-air-quality-app-during-apec-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 04:15:30 +0000 Relations between China and the United States will remain uneasy for the foreseeable future – because mistrust still exists between the world’s two major powers, state media said on Wednesday. An editorial published in the Global Times said China and the US were still struggling to understand each other and accused Washington of backing the Hong Kong protests and encouraging an “anti-China mentality” in the region. It added the two countries could not avoid friction because they both “insist on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638078/china-and-us-relationship-will-continue-be-dogged-mistrust-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638078/china-and-us-relationship-will-continue-be-dogged-mistrust-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 04:15:15 +0000 Thirteen years after China first hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the region's leaders were again gathered in the country. From the painstaking measures adopted to ensure security and reduce pollution, among others, it was clear the Chinese government was determined to make a success of the meetings. After all, this was a chance for the new Chinese leadership to burnish the country's status today as a "responsible major power". The Asia-Pacific region has undergone sweeping... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1638062/china-must-continue-open-realise-its-apec-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1638062/china-must-continue-open-realise-its-apec-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 04:00:00 +0000 President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama yesterday unveiled a flurry of agreements on climate change, trade, defence and international security as the two leaders sought to set aside their differences and redefine the relationship through cooperation. Among the agreements announced in Beijing was a ground-breaking commitment for both countries to cut greenhouse emissions. It was hailed by climate change experts and officials as a "historic pact", although some conservative... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638069/china-agrees-co2-peak-2030-us-cut-emissions-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1638069/china-agrees-co2-peak-2030-us-cut-emissions-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 03:45:30 +0000 President Xi Jinping is holding talks with his United States counterpart, Barack Obama, after having a private dinner on Tuesday night. The two presidents will exchange views on the Sino-US relationship, and other international and regional issues, state-run Xinhua reported. Xi hosted a private dinner for Obama and walked him through the imperial gardens of Zhongnanhai on Tuesday night, the residence of China’s top leaders since the Qing dynasty. Xi called on the two nations to deepen... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637998/xi-and-obama-exchanging-views-sino-us-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637998/xi-and-obama-exchanging-views-sino-us-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 02:30:15 +0000 Last week's joint ministerial statement emerging from the Beijing Apec meetings finessed but did not resolve big-power trade tensions. Festering disagreement has characterised Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation-based trade discussions between the United States and China all year over the architecture for trade co-operation. At the root of the problem is the configuration of country groupings coalescing around a number of prospective "mega" trade deals. These budding agreements are even more... https://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1637967/beijing-must-take-different-route-us-realise-ftaap-goals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1637967/beijing-must-take-different-route-us-realise-ftaap-goals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 01:15:30 +0000 Hong Kong fully supports the formation of a regional free-trade agreement to strengthen economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said on Tuesday during the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum (Apec) summit. Leung said Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) would be a major instrument to further Apec’s regional economic integration agenda. “We endorse the Beijing Roadmap for Apec’s Contribution to the Realisation of the FTAAP,” Leung said during... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1637930/cy-leung-vows-full-support-beijings-apec-free-trade-zone-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1637930/cy-leung-vows-full-support-beijings-apec-free-trade-zone-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 23:27:39 +0000 It was a warm gesture on a chilly night when Vladimir Putin wrapped a shawl around the wife of Xi Jinping while the Chinese president chatted with Barack Obama. But that seemed too much for the Chinese authorities. The incident at a performance linked to this week's Asia-Pacific summit was originally broadcast on state broadcaster CCTV and spread online as a forwarded video. But it was soon scrubbed clean from the Chinese internet, reflecting the intense control authorities exert over any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637725/vladimir-putins-gallantry-raises-chinese-censors-eyebrows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637725/vladimir-putins-gallantry-raises-chinese-censors-eyebrows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:30:15 +0000 Terrorist groups such as the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) should not be allowed to establish a safe haven in ungoverned areas along China's periphery, US President Barack Obama told China's state media. In the written interview with Xinhua, Obama urged the two nations to increase cooperation against global terrorism, especially "in stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and cracking down on terrorist funding networks". Beijing regularly blames ETIM for masterminding a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637723/obama-warns-etim-threat-calls-anti-terror-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637723/obama-warns-etim-threat-calls-anti-terror-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:30:15 +0000 The US has reached an agreement with China to progress on eliminating tariffs of US$1 trillion in global sales of information and technology products. The agreement, reached during marathon negotiations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, creates a pathway for a final deal by as soon as December, one that would mark the first major cuts to tariffs at the World Trade Organisation in 17 years. "This is encouraging news not just for the US-China trade relationship, it shows... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637720/sino-us-breakthrough-tech-tariff-cuts-affects-us1-trillion-goods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637720/sino-us-breakthrough-tech-tariff-cuts-affects-us1-trillion-goods?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:30:15 +0000 Talks between Asia's two biggest economies on setting up a maritime communication mechanism to avert accidental conflict in the East China Sea will begin soon, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday in Beijing. Speaking a day after his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since both took power two years ago, Abe said the neighbours were "inseparably bound" and should bear responsibility for the region's peace and prosperity. "Countries sharing borders will encounter various... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637816/japanese-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-urges-further-dialogue-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637816/japanese-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-urges-further-dialogue-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:30:15 +0000 China upped the ante in its bid to be the Asia-Pacific's economic leader when President Xi Jinping unveiled a plan for a Chinese-led regional free-trade framework to visiting foreign leaders yesterday. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit ended with all 21 Apec economies endorsing China's plan to create a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). It was the first major international gathering held in China since Xi took power in late 2012. Addressing leaders including US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637765/xi-jinping-unveils-chinas-plan-asia-pacific-wide-free-trade-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637765/xi-jinping-unveils-chinas-plan-asia-pacific-wide-free-trade-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 15:30:15 +0000 The clothing worn by leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ceremony on Monday night sought to reflect a rapidly growing superpower that seeks to innovate while preserving tradition, designers say. Following the Apec tradition of donning locally designed clothing reflecting local culture, Apec state leaders and their companions wore Chinese suits and dresses in Beijing. The men showed up in outfits with jacquard brocade, decorative patterns that reflect the waves of the sea, stand-up... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1637696/leaders-step-out-their-chinese-style-costumes-during-apec-summit-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1637696/leaders-step-out-their-chinese-style-costumes-during-apec-summit-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 14:30:00 +0000 The meeting between President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday has helped ease tensions between Beijing and Tokyo according to state media – but a series of editorials warned China would not soften its stance on “key issues”. The two leaders had brought bilateral ties, which have suffered “serious difficulties”, back to the “path of improvement”, Xinhua said, noting Xi and Abe had sized the “opportunity” of meeting at Apec. The news agency added that by greeting Abe,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637296/xi-and-abe-handshake-ease-tensions-challenges-remain-state-media-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637296/xi-and-abe-handshake-ease-tensions-challenges-remain-state-media-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 05:30:45 +0000 China will contribute US$10 million to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation to support its institutional development and capacity building, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday. Xi made the announcement after welcoming the leaders of the 20 other Apec nations to the Yanqi Lake compound on the outskirts of the capital as the 22nd summit got down to business. In a bid to boost developing countries in Apec, Xi also said China will provide 1,500 apprenticeship positions to help their capability in... https://www.scmp.com/article/1637245/china-gives-us10-million-apec-and-pledges-support-regions-developing-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1637245/china-gives-us10-million-apec-and-pledges-support-regions-developing-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 03:45:00 +0000 The nights are freezing for villagers near the site of an Asia-Pacific summit on the outskirts of Beijing, where authorities have banned wood fires to curb pollution and help ensure blue skies for the leaders instead of the usual grey smog. “I now sleep under three quilts at night,” said a man who gave only his surname, Bai, as is typical of many Chinese when speaking to journalists. “There cannot be any smoke, and we cannot heat our brick beds,” said Bai, 68. Traditional raised sleeping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637246/beijing-villages-lose-heat-keep-apec-skies-blue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637246/beijing-villages-lose-heat-keep-apec-skies-blue?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 03:42:24 +0000 President Xi Jinping has been checking Beijing’s pollution first thing every morning, he told world leaders yesterday, after authorities pulled out all the stops to avoid the city’s notorious smog during a summit. The capital is periodically hit by choking, acrid haze with particulate levels soaring far beyond recommended limits. Public anger is mounting over the issue, tourists are staying away and the Communist government is increasingly embarrassed. For the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637201/blue-sky-thinking-xi-jinping-tells-apec-leaders-he-checks-pollution-every?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1637201/blue-sky-thinking-xi-jinping-tells-apec-leaders-he-checks-pollution-every?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2014 01:22:15 +0000 China rolled out a hi-tech red carpet as foreign heads of state gathered last night at the Water Cube, the famed swimming venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, for a gala dinner on the eve of the Apec Economic Leaders' meeting. The roads outside the stadium lit up gradually as the diplomatic vehicles approached. With the exception of US President Barack Obama, who rode in his armoured Cadillac, most state leaders arrived in a chauffeured Red Flag limousine, China's signature vehicle. They were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636917/apec-leaders-treated-colourful-spectacle-beijing-plays-host?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636917/apec-leaders-treated-colourful-spectacle-beijing-plays-host?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:00:45 +0000 The time is ripe for a Washington-backed free-trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), to make a breakthrough, said Myron Brilliant, head of international affairs for the US Chamber of Commerce. Brilliant made the comments on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, just as leaders of countries involved in the TPP talks admitted it was unlikely that a deal could be reached by the end of the year, as originally proposed by Washington. The United States and 11... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636916/us-official-says-apec-forum-chance-further-trade-deal-shuns-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636916/us-official-says-apec-forum-chance-further-trade-deal-shuns-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:00:45 +0000 The sprawling mansion in the elegant hills on Mexico City's western edge is said to be worth US$7 million. Its floors and walls are white marble, it is equipped with spas and pools, and it boasts coloured lighting that allows rooms to be flooded in orange or purple or pink. Who lives in this palace of pricey if questionable taste, dubbed the White House? According to a new report, none other than President Enrique Pena Nieto and his soap-star wife, who arrived in Beijing yesterday for the Apec... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636918/mystery-mexicos-president-luxury-mansion-and-cancelled-us37b-bullet-train?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636918/mystery-mexicos-president-luxury-mansion-and-cancelled-us37b-bullet-train?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:00:45 +0000 US President Barack Obama has announced a deal to extend visas for Chinese visitors to the United States for up to a decade, insisting he wants China "to do well" despite simmering tensions between the world's two largest economies. "The United States welcomes the rise of a prosperous, peaceful and stable China," Obama said in a speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing yesterday. Under the visa agreement, US and Chinese citizens will be able to obtain business and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636940/obama-announces-new-visa-deal-bid-improve-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636940/obama-announces-new-visa-deal-bid-improve-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:00:45 +0000 Australia is considering an extradition treaty with China to assist Beijing in repatriating corrupt officials, a report said, as Asia-Pacific ministers backed attempts to deepen anti-graft efforts. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told the Australian Financial Review that the treaty would be part of a declaration against corruption to be signed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in Beijing. "China has requested one and it's under consideration, with a number of other... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636931/australia-considers-anti-corruption-extradition-treaty-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636931/australia-considers-anti-corruption-extradition-treaty-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:00:45 +0000 Russia and China intend to increase the amount of trade settled in yuan, President Vladimir Putin said yesterday in remarks that would be welcomed by Chinese authorities who want the currency to be used more widely around the world. Speaking at an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, Putin also ruled out capital controls for Russia and vowed to keep its foreign debt level below 15 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). "As part of our cooperation with this country [China], we... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636891/china-and-russia-settle-more-trade-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636891/china-and-russia-settle-more-trade-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:58:45 +0000 Three years after US President Barack Obama vowed to shift his focus toward Asia in response to China's growing power, the advisers behind that policy are gone. So is their expertise. Instead of Timothy Geithner - the former treasury secretary who had studied Putonghua as a college student in Beijing and was seen by anti-corruption tsar Wang Qishan as a family friend - Obama has budget expert Jack Lew heading the department. While the previous secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton stressed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636890/lack-china-expertise-puts-obama-administration-back-foot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636890/lack-china-expertise-puts-obama-administration-back-foot?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:58:45 +0000 China and Vietnam have agreed to handle maritime disputes through dialogue, Chinese state media reported on Monday, months after ties between the two countries hit a three-decade low in a row over a Chinese oil rig in disputed waters. The two Communist neighbours must respect each other and focus on long-term interests, President Xi Jinping said, according to the official Xinhua news agency. "Sino-Vietnamese relations have been advancing continuously since the two nations established diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636436/china-and-vietnam-agree-handle-maritime-issues-through-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636436/china-and-vietnam-agree-handle-maritime-issues-through-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 06:30:30 +0000 China and South Korea signed an outline free-trade agreement that it is hoped will remove tariffs on more than 90 per cent of goods sold between the two countries over the next two decades. The announcement came after talks between President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Beijing. The two nations started the trade talks in May 2012. Xi said the establishment of the China-South Korea free trade deal was of "landmark importance and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636399/beijing-and-seoul-wrap-free-trade-talks-remove-tariffs-goods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636399/beijing-and-seoul-wrap-free-trade-talks-remove-tariffs-goods?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 05:30:00 +0000 His influence at home quickly fading, President Barack Obama is looking east to China, the opening stop of a three-country tour that will test his ability to play a commanding role on the world stage during his final two years in office. Once treated like a global superstar, Obama arrived Monday in Beijing under far different circumstances, with his most powerful days behind him. At home, Republicans are still rejoicing at having pummeled Obama’s political party in the midterm elections,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636383/tough-china-trip-obama-he-tests-global-clout-post-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636383/tough-china-trip-obama-he-tests-global-clout-post-election?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 04:45:00 +0000 President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held their first meeting in two years in Beijing, making a symbolic move to break the ice between the world's second and third-largest economies. The two leaders met for about half an hour on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit that concludes today. Many observers said it was an important first step to contain escalating tensions between the two sides. The bilateral relationship - crucial to the region's... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636356/leaders-china-japan-hold-ice-breaking-meeting-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636356/leaders-china-japan-hold-ice-breaking-meeting-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2014 04:05:27 +0000 President Xi Jinping will welcome US President Barack Obama for his first trip to Beijing since 2009 with all the pomp of a state visit today. Fireworks will later open a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders. In truth, the two presidents have little to celebrate over their two countries' often strained ties. In the 18 months since Obama and Xi first met at California's Sunnylands resort, where they ate a meal by celebrity chef Bobby Flay and raised a toast of Chinese liquor, China and the US have... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636011/sino-us-tension-amid-apec-summit-pomp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1636011/sino-us-tension-amid-apec-summit-pomp?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2014 22:15:30 +0000