https://www.scmp.com/rss/322292/feed Catherine Wong is a reporter with the South China Morning Post in Beijing, where she focuses on China’s diplomacy and defence policy. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Before it became China’s “outdoor barbecue capital” for budget-conscious young Chinese travellers, Zibo was a little-known, rusting industrial centre struggling to keep up with the country’s rapidly changing economy. The deeply indebted city in the eastern province of Shandong had been hammered by a drop in demand in its chemical industry, the mainstay of its economy. It has also struggled to retain its younger generations, who head out of the city for better opportunities elsewhere. Then this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3221156/chinas-barbecue-boomtown-how-zibo-fanned-its-fortunes-food-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3221156/chinas-barbecue-boomtown-how-zibo-fanned-its-fortunes-food-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 May 2023 03:00:10 +0000 After graduating from university at the height of the pandemic in 2021, Lu Zi landed an enviable job with an e-commerce giant. A year later, she had given it all up and was living at a Buddhist temple in eastern China. Like many of her peers, Lu was ambitious and spent her university years planning for her career – with a degree in Chinese, she saw a future in e-commerce. But 12 months into her first job she needed a break and decided to volunteer at the temple in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. Lu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3215548/anxious-and-stressed-about-their-careers-young-chinese-are-flocking-temples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3215548/anxious-and-stressed-about-their-careers-young-chinese-are-flocking-temples?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Apr 2023 03:00:11 +0000 The Chinese science fiction film The Wandering Earth – about Chinese heroes saving the planet from an exploding sun – was a smash hit on the Chinese mainland when it was released in 2019, taking over 4.6 billion yuan (US$675 million) at the box office. Four years later, The Wandering Earth II, a prequel featuring Hong Kong actor Andy Lau Tak-wah, has been received with similar enthusiasm, raking in more than 3.5 billion yuan in the 20 days after its release. Its director, Frant Gwo, said its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3209865/wandering-earth-ii-blockbuster-prequel-shows-how-chinas-tech-progress-has-bolstered-its-sci-fi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3209865/wandering-earth-ii-blockbuster-prequel-shows-how-chinas-tech-progress-has-bolstered-its-sci-fi?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Feb 2023 06:00:18 +0000 After China abandoned almost three years of stringent Covid-19 containment measures that had isolated the country and severely limited the movement of its people, the tourism industry has begun lurching back to life. It is expected to be a long road to recovery. Over the New Year holiday that ended on Monday, domestic travel saw a mild recovery, but remained well below pre-pandemic levels. About 52.7 million trips were recorded across the country, an increase of 0.44 per cent from the same... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3205587/covid-gloom-lingers-chinas-tourism-industry-faces-long-road-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3205587/covid-gloom-lingers-chinas-tourism-industry-faces-long-road-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jan 2023 09:00:14 +0000 When Beijing resident Li Yang returned to her home province of Henan during the National Day holiday in early October, she did not expect the short trip would turn into more than a month of exile – with no end in sight. The 29-year-old has been unable to return to Beijing, because the city’s health code app says she has been in an area affected by a coronavirus outbreak. She missed an important exam for professional qualifications as a result and said she feared for her job. “If I continue to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3200095/coronavirus-pop-window-beijing-health-code-app-scuttles-return-plans-holds-medical-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3200095/coronavirus-pop-window-beijing-health-code-app-scuttles-return-plans-holds-medical-care?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Nov 2022 08:00:10 +0000 Wang Shuxin is one of many young Chinese seeking to revive traditional aesthetics and reflect their patriotism through their shopping choices. The 20-year-old will mix a Tang-period-style embroidered top with jeans when attending university lectures, don a Ming-period-style dress when hanging out with friends on weekends, and regularly shares her shopping tips and purchases of Hanfu – outfits inspired by the ensembles worn by ancient Han Chinese – on social media. ‘Cultural power not a suit and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3198984/china-chic-trend-builds-young-peoples-patriotism-cultural-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3198984/china-chic-trend-builds-young-peoples-patriotism-cultural-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Nov 2022 08:00:08 +0000 China has sent a new batch of food supplies to Afghanistan as the country struggles with an economic and humanitarian crisis. China’s ambassador to Kabul Wang Yu said on Twitter on Sunday that a train loaded with 500 tonnes of wheat, sugar, cooking oil and potato processing equipment had left Xinjiang, and another train carrying wheat would leave early this month. Earlier, China trucked in 848 tonnes of rice and wheat to southern Kandahar and Helmand provinces and the Western Farah and Ghar... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3165520/more-chinese-food-aid-bound-distressed-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3165520/more-chinese-food-aid-bound-distressed-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:19:34 +0000 Beijing reported more than 20 new Covid-19 cases over the weekend with just days to go until the start of the Winter Olympics. According to the city’s health commission, 23 new symptomatic cases were reported in the capital on the weekend, including three on Sunday, taking the total to 108 since the outbreak began two weeks ago. No new asymptomatic cases were reported. Authorities have locked down housing compounds in Fengtai district and the Anzhenli neighbourhood in Chaoyang district over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3165438/beijing-housing-compounds-lockdown-more-covid-19-cases-surface?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3165438/beijing-housing-compounds-lockdown-more-covid-19-cases-surface?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jan 2022 11:05:28 +0000 China on Friday said it welcomed a possible visit to the country’s far western region of Xinjiang by the United Nations’ rights chief but stopped short of confirming dates for the visit. The South China Morning Post reported on Thursday that China had agreed to host a visit to Xinjiang by UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet in the first half of the year after the Beijing Winter Olympics. Asked about the visit on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3165158/china-confirms-xinjiang-visit-talks-un-human-rights-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3165158/china-confirms-xinjiang-visit-talks-un-human-rights-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jan 2022 11:30:19 +0000 China has agreed to host a visit to Xinjiang by UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet “in the first half of the year after the Beijing Winter Olympics”, according to people familiar with the situation. The UN’s top human rights official has been negotiating with Beijing since September 2018 for a visit to Xinjiang, where some 1 million Uygurs are alleged to have been held in mass detention camps. Sources said Bachelet recently secured Beijing’s approval for a visit to the region sometime after the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164980/china-says-un-human-rights-chief-can-visit-xinjiang-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164980/china-says-un-human-rights-chief-can-visit-xinjiang-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:00:32 +0000 Two Chinese military aircraft carrying emergency supplies arrived in Tonga on Thursday morning, a foreign ministry spokesman said, after a volcanic eruption and tsunami devastated the Pacific nation. China has also sent naval vessels with supplies for disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction, according to an earlier briefing by defence spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian. He said the supplies being delivered included food, drinking water, water purifiers, tents, prefab houses, tractors and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164988/chinese-military-planes-deliver-emergency-supplies-tsunami-hit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164988/chinese-military-planes-deliver-emergency-supplies-tsunami-hit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jan 2022 12:46:40 +0000 China has protested against a US move to pull out consular staff and their families to avoid pandemic control measures in the zero-Covid nation, saying US diplomats risk leaving the “safest country in world”. This comes after the US embassy in Beijing sent a departure request to Washington for a formal sign- off, as China ramps up Covid-19 containment protocols ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics starting on February 4. Highlighting China’s efficient control of the pandemic, the Chinese foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164802/coronavirus-us-diplomats-wanting-out-china-risk-leaving-safest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164802/coronavirus-us-diplomats-wanting-out-china-risk-leaving-safest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:23:28 +0000 China on Monday dismissed a report suggesting President Xi Jinping may have asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin not to invade Ukraine during the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. As tension escalates between Moscow and the West amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the attitude of Russia’s giant neighbour and close partner has come under scrutiny. A report by Bloomberg, quoting an anonymous diplomat, said it was possible Xi had asked Putin during their recent call not to invade... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164563/sheer-fiction-china-denies-xi-asked-putin-not-invade-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164563/sheer-fiction-china-denies-xi-asked-putin-not-invade-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jan 2022 13:30:15 +0000 China hit out at the United States and Japan on Friday after the two nations sounded alarm over China’s growing nuclear capabilities. In a statement on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on Thursday, the two countries called on China to increase transparency and reduce nuclear risks. “Noting the People’s Republic of China’s ongoing increase in its nuclear capabilities, Japan and the United States request [China] to contribute to arrangements that reduce nuclear risks,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164302/china-hits-back-us-japan-over-nuclear-transparency-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164302/china-hits-back-us-japan-over-nuclear-transparency-call?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jan 2022 13:17:21 +0000 China and the US are in talks to prepare for a potential crunch meeting between Chinese top diplomat Yang Jiechi and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan on core national security concerns. But the two sides remain deeply divided on protocol and agenda items, according to sources familiar with the matter. If it goes ahead, it will be their first face-to-face meeting of the year. Yang and Sullivan last met in October in Zurich, which paved the way for the virtual presidential summit... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164030/china-us-relations-diplomats-pave-way-yang-jiechi-jake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164030/china-us-relations-diplomats-pave-way-yang-jiechi-jake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jan 2022 22:00:12 +0000 China has agreed to grant visas to 46 US officials for next month’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, and reiterated its call for Washington to stop politicising the event, a source said. The South China Morning Post reported last month that the US government had submitted three-month applications for 18 people for the Games, just weeks after the White House confirmed it would carry out a diplomatic boycott of the event. A source familiar with the situation said that the list had expanded to 46... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3163850/china-will-issue-visas-us-olympic-delegation-despite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3163850/china-will-issue-visas-us-olympic-delegation-despite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jan 2022 22:00:18 +0000 China and Iran announced plans for cooperation in areas such as energy and infrastructure on Friday as they officially launched a 25-year cooperation agreement. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also told his visiting Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian in the eastern city of Wuxi that Beijing continued to back efforts to revive a 2015 nuclear deal that the United States withdrew from in 2018. Denmark accuses China, Russia and Iran of espionage threat The landmark China-Iran comprehensive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3163528/china-and-iran-seek-boost-infrastructure-and-energy-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3163528/china-and-iran-seek-boost-infrastructure-and-energy-links?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jan 2022 12:00:17 +0000 As France takes over the EU’s rotating presidency, it should lead the European Union towards “correct understanding” and practical cooperation with China, senior Chinese officials said. That message was delivered to Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counsellor to French President Emmanuel Macron, during talks with several top Chinese officials in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi on Thursday. The meetings comes after Macron reportedly pushed for brisk EU resistance against Beijing amid its escalating... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3163414/china-approaches-france-way-better-relations-eu-amid-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3163414/china-approaches-france-way-better-relations-eu-amid-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jan 2022 09:00:22 +0000 The United States will step up economic engagement with countries in Asia in 2022, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said this week. Campbell, a key official shaping the Biden administration’s Asia policy, said that Washington would push for a more comprehensive approach in its Asian engagements in the coming year amid its continuing rivalry with China. “That’s an area where the United States, indeed, needs to step up its game,” Campbell said on Thursday at a virtual event... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3162625/white-house-official-says-us-will-increase-economic-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3162625/white-house-official-says-us-will-increase-economic-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jan 2022 18:05:22 +0000 China said it “fully understands” North Korea’s decision to miss next month’s Beijing Winter Olympics, after Pyongyang blamed its inability to attend on the Covid-19 pandemic and “hostile forces” led by the US intent on preventing the “successful opening” of the Games. North Korea was already barred from the Beijing Games, as the International Olympic Committee in September suspended the country until the end of 2022 for failing to send a team to the Tokyo Olympics, citing the pandemic. On... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3162607/beijing-winter-olympics-china-fully-understands-why-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3162607/beijing-winter-olympics-china-fully-understands-why-north?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jan 2022 13:10:20 +0000 Beijing said other countries should not “stir up trouble”, a day before Japan and Australia sign a defence treaty amid concerns over China’s influence in the region. The Reciprocal Access Agreement will for the first time set out a framework for the two countries’ defence forces to cooperate with each other in addressing their “shared strategic security challenges”, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement on Wednesday. The pact will be signed during a virtual summit on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3162268/australia-and-japan-are-about-sign-defence-pact-china-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3162268/australia-and-japan-are-about-sign-defence-pact-china-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jan 2022 13:00:15 +0000 Zhang Ming, until recently China’s ambassador to the European Union, is the new secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, one of the world’s largest political and economic groupings. The appointment makes Zhang the first Chinese head of the group since veteran diplomat Zhang Deguang left office in 2006. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin confirmed the appointment on Wednesday, describing Zhang as an experienced diplomat who was capable of pushing the development of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3162223/chinas-outgoing-eu-envoy-lead-shanghai-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3162223/chinas-outgoing-eu-envoy-lead-shanghai-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:01:16 +0000 The Chinese and American militaries resumed maritime safety talks earlier this month, during which China urged the US to stop sending ships and aircraft to the South China Sea, a Chinese military spokesman said on Thursday. Representatives from the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) navy and air force had a three-day virtual meeting with counterparts from the US Indo-Pacific Command, US Pacific Fleet and US Pacific Air Forces related to the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161614/chinese-us-militaries-resume-maritime-safety-talks-after-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161614/chinese-us-militaries-resume-maritime-safety-talks-after-last?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Dec 2021 15:00:28 +0000 The US will send officials to China to provide “consular and diplomatic security services” for American athletes, according to the US State Department, which said the move did not constitute official or diplomatic representation at the Beijing Winter Olympics. A State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday the Biden administration’s position was unchanged after China confirmed it had received visa applications from US officials planning to visit during the Games, which start on February... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161250/bidens-diplomatic-boycott-stands-despite-asking-send-18?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161250/bidens-diplomatic-boycott-stands-despite-asking-send-18?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Dec 2021 09:08:19 +0000 China has confirmed visa applications from US officials planning to visit during the Beijing Winter Olympics, which start February 4. The South China Morning Post reported last week that the US government had recently submitted three-month visa applications for 18 people to provide “security support operations” at the Games, just weeks after President Joe Biden indicated he was considering a boycott. Most of the personnel appeared to be mid-to lower-ranking State Department officials, a source... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161188/us-wants-china-visas-18-officials-attend-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161188/us-wants-china-visas-18-officials-attend-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Dec 2021 14:00:22 +0000 A group of US officials have applied for visas as part of a delegation to China to provide security support during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics after Washington announced it would conduct a diplomatic boycott of the Games, according to sources. The US government recently submitted to China an application for three-month visas with a list of 18 names to attend the Games to provide “security support operations”, according to two sources and a document reviewed by the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3160999/us-applies-china-18-officials-attend-winter-olympics-after-joe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3160999/us-applies-china-18-officials-attend-winter-olympics-after-joe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Dec 2021 14:30:22 +0000 A senior US official has again stressed the need for China to agree to arms control talks with the United States, amid increasing concern in Washington over Beijing’s expanding nuclear arsenal. Thomas Countryman, senior adviser to the State Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, made the remarks in a briefing on Friday. It came after a senior State Department official on Thursday said he was “optimistic” the two countries could launch the process soon, according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3160166/us-again-calls-arms-control-talks-china-amid-concern-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3160166/us-again-calls-arms-control-talks-china-amid-concern-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Dec 2021 13:30:31 +0000 Lu Kang, a rising star in the new generation of Chinese diplomats, is slated to become China’s ambassador to Indonesia, according to sources familiar with the situation. The former foreign ministry spokesman recently stepped down as head of the ministry’s department for North American affairs after 2½ years in the job. He is expected to take up the posting to Indonesia soon Lu, 53, a stern-faced diplomat with a buzz cut, became known for his terse yet firm responses to challenging questions when... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3159835/former-chinese-foreign-ministry-spokesman-lu-kang-set-be-named?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3159835/former-chinese-foreign-ministry-spokesman-lu-kang-set-be-named?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Dec 2021 00:00:23 +0000 Chinese foreign policy experts are divided over whether Joe Biden’s approach to China is more predictable or conciliatory than that of Donald Trump, but they are united in predicting a rocky year ahead for relations, with Taiwan the biggest likely flashpoint. A panel of experts at a forum last Sunday noted that US-China relations had shown signs of limited improvement following last month’s virtual summit between the two nations’ presidents. But goodwill was short-lived, with tensions rising... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3159344/taiwan-tariffs-boycotts-chinese-scholars-expect-more-strife-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3159344/taiwan-tariffs-boycotts-chinese-scholars-expect-more-strife-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Dec 2021 13:00:10 +0000 Catherine Wong,Lawrence Chung Catherine Wong,Lawrence Chung China’s senior diplomat hit back at the United States on Friday over pressure on Central American nations not to switch recognition from Taipei to Beijing, saying more countries would make the change. Foreign Minister Wang Yi took aim at Washington after Beijing established formal ties with Managua. In a meeting with his Nicaraguan counterpart Denis Moncada in Tianjin, Wang said few countries remained allies of Taiwan because of the island’s “money diplomacy” and pressure from the US. Wang said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3159140/taiwan-loses-another-ally-nicaragua-switching-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3159140/taiwan-loses-another-ally-nicaragua-switching-ties-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Dec 2021 01:30:25 +0000 The carefully developed goodwill between China and Japan is at risk, with Beijing threatening to “reconsider” bilateral relations with Tokyo over former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s recent comments in support of Taiwan. Already tense ties between the two Asian neighbours are being further challenged after Abe said last week that neither his country nor the United States could stand by if mainland China attacked Taiwan, and that an emergency for the island would also be an emergency for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3158950/china-japan-tension-abes-comments-taiwan-prompt-beijing-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3158950/china-japan-tension-abes-comments-taiwan-prompt-beijing-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Dec 2021 02:00:19 +0000 China is expected to join a US-led tug of war with oil producers in a rare example of cooperation between the two countries. The political impact of rising energy costs and inflation has prompted US President Joe Biden to reach out to other countries to coordinate a release of strategic reserves. China calls for ‘coordinated action’ to tackle global energy crunch Biden announced last month that the US would start releasing 50 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve next month, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3158472/how-rising-oil-prices-could-open-rare-window-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3158472/how-rising-oil-prices-could-open-rare-window-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Dec 2021 14:00:29 +0000 China and the US are preparing for a meeting between their top military officials amid rising tensions over Taiwan and an arms race over the most lethal hypersonic weapons. Following last month’s virtual call between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, the two militaries have been in touch to discuss the possibility of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin holding talks with Xu Qiliang, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe, according to people familiar... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3158072/china-us-set-meeting-top-military-officials-amid-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3158072/china-us-set-meeting-top-military-officials-amid-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:00:19 +0000 China will not scale back its investment in Africa, a Chinese diplomat said before a ministerial forum with the continent next week. Beijing has become one of Africa’s largest creditors in recent years, lending hundreds of billions of dollars to governments to finance the bulk of their infrastructure. Africa is also home to a third of the countries that have signed up to China’s transcontinental infrastructure strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative. But China’s dwindling appetite for large-scale... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3157549/china-still-committed-africa-despite-covid-19-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3157549/china-still-committed-africa-despite-covid-19-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Nov 2021 11:55:20 +0000 China has urged the United States to stop further official contacts with Taiwanese officials, after representatives from Washington and Taipei held their second annual economic dialogue earlier this week. The call was made by Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Wednesday, following the two sides’ five-hour virtual discussion, which focused on such issues as supply chain resilience, digital economy, science and technology and 5G network security, as well as Beijing’s economic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3157268/us-china-tech-war-beijing-calls-washington-stop-further-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3157268/us-china-tech-war-beijing-calls-washington-stop-further-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2021 15:00:22 +0000 Beijing will release more names of those it views as criminally liable for supporting “Taiwan independence”, as part of its declared mission to ratchet up pressure on such enterprises and individuals. This comes after the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing earlier this month released a blacklist of entities deemed “stubbornly pro-Taiwan independence”, spelling out for the first time the punishment it vowed to impose on them. Also in a first, the November 12 blacklist mentioned three top Taiwanese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3157229/more-taiwan-names-beijing-blacklist-be-released-real-regret?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3157229/more-taiwan-names-beijing-blacklist-be-released-real-regret?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2021 13:00:28 +0000 Lithuania should not entangle itself in great power rivalries, Beijing said, a day after announcing a downgrade in diplomatic relations over Taipei’s representation in the Baltic state. Lithuania had been “instigated by some great power”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday in a veiled reference to the United States, as he called on Vilnius to “correct its mistakes”. This came after the ministry on Sunday announced that it had downgraded diplomatic relations with Lithuania to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3156993/china-warns-lithuania-keep-away-great-power-rivalry-taiwanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3156993/china-warns-lithuania-keep-away-great-power-rivalry-taiwanese?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Nov 2021 13:40:01 +0000 China has formally downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania after the opening of a de facto embassy by Taiwan in the Baltic state, the foreign ministry announced on Sunday. Beijing reduced its presence in Vilnius from the level of ambassador to charge d’affaires, just days after Taipei formally opened an office in Lithuania using the name Taiwan, a departure from its usual diplomatic practice, which Beijing said violated the one-China policy. Other Taiwan representative offices in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3156834/china-downgrades-ties-lithuania-after-taiwan-opens-de-facto?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3156834/china-downgrades-ties-lithuania-after-taiwan-opens-de-facto?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Nov 2021 05:09:21 +0000 The recent virtual summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping has not dispelled concerns among Indo-Pacific countries that tensions between the US and China will continue to rise. The three-hour discussion ended on a more optimistic note than many observers expected, with the Chinese foreign ministry saying Xi had told his US counterpart that the most important task for the two countries in the coming 50 years was to “find the right way to get along”. Meanwhile, Biden “underscored that the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3156575/xi-biden-summit-upbeat-tone-not-enough-ease-southeast-asias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3156575/xi-biden-summit-upbeat-tone-not-enough-ease-southeast-asias?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Nov 2021 21:00:13 +0000 The United States has asked China to release oil reserves to help stabilise soaring international crude oil prices as part of ongoing discussions on economic cooperation between the two countries. The US wants China to join it in releasing crude oil reserves and the issue was raised during the virtual meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The issue was also broached during a phone conversation between... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3156290/us-asks-china-release-oil-reserves-part-discussions-economic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3156290/us-asks-china-release-oil-reserves-part-discussions-economic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Nov 2021 22:00:11 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden are expected to use a limited window of opportunity to ease tensions when they hold their virtual summit next week. In what is expected to be their most extensive meeting since Biden took office, both sides have indicated their hope to use direct engagement between the two top leaders to stabilise ties amid their two countries’ intense rivalry across a broad range of areas from geopolitics to trade. Neither side expects any specific... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3155975/xi-jinping-set-raise-taiwan-and-beijing-winter-olympic-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3155975/xi-jinping-set-raise-taiwan-and-beijing-winter-olympic-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Nov 2021 14:30:28 +0000 China “stands ready to work with the United States” to bring relations back on the right track, President Xi Jinping has said, days ahead of a scheduled virtual meeting with US counterpart Joe Biden. This comes as the two nations seek to reopen lines of communication to ease acrimony and reset bilateral ties, amid continued sparring over Taiwan and US concerns about Beijing’s nuclear arsenal. In a congratulatory letter to the National Committee on US-China Relations, Xi said China “stands ready... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3155568/china-ready-help-bring-us-relations-back-right-track-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3155568/china-ready-help-bring-us-relations-back-right-track-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Nov 2021 14:36:21 +0000 China welcomes Iran’s decision to return to talks on a nuclear agreement but the US must take remedial action first, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Saturday, Wang said Tehran’s decision showed its “positive attitude on resuming compliance with the deal”. “The US, which unilaterally withdrew from the [agreement], should take steps to rectify its policies first,” a foreign ministry statement quoted Wang as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3155189/us-must-make-first-move-iran-nuclear-deal-china-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3155189/us-must-make-first-move-iran-nuclear-deal-china-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Nov 2021 13:00:20 +0000 The climate phenomenon known as La Niña brought early snow amid plunging temperatures across northern China on the weekend as the country struggles with the worst energy crisis in a decade. Large parts of the country, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Inner Mongolia, experienced this winter’s first significant snowfall and rain on Saturday, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said in a notice on Sunday. The national weather service said northeastern provinces were likely to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3155173/first-winter-snow-northern-china-threatens-deepen-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3155173/first-winter-snow-northern-china-threatens-deepen-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Nov 2021 07:48:36 +0000 China’s education ministry has warned of what it called a rise in “harassment and interrogations” of Chinese students in the United States, in a notice issued on Tuesday. The ministry said US Customs and Border Protection had launched a campaign in August that stepped up scrutiny of Chinese studying in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – in the country. Many of them, in the US on F1 student visas, had been harassed, interrogated and deported without a valid... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3154698/chinese-students-being-harassed-and-interrogated-us-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3154698/chinese-students-being-harassed-and-interrogated-us-education?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Nov 2021 09:00:27 +0000 Beijing said a US probe into an incident involving a nuclear-powered submarine in the South China Sea last month did not ease concerns over America’s military activities in the region, and that Washington had failed to disclose exactly where it happened and what the vessel was doing there. The US Navy on Monday said the Seawolf-class submarine USS Connecticut “grounded on an uncharted seamount while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region”, but did not say what caused the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3154587/south-china-sea-beijing-says-irresponsible-us-hasnt-clearly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3154587/south-china-sea-beijing-says-irresponsible-us-hasnt-clearly?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Nov 2021 12:30:11 +0000 China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has again urged the US to ease sanctions against the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to help the country overcome a looming humanitarian crisis. He was speaking during the first high-level meeting with the Afghan interim government in Qatar on Monday. It was Wang’s first meeting with acting deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar since July, when the Taliban leader visited Tianjin in northern China shortly before the takeover of Kabul. Wang, who is also a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3153744/china-steps-engagement-afghan-taliban-leaders-qatar-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3153744/china-steps-engagement-afghan-taliban-leaders-qatar-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Oct 2021 09:13:01 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with a delegation of the interim Afghan Taliban government during his visit to Qatar this week, in the first high-level engagement since the militant group took power in Kabul two months ago. Wang, who will be in Doha on Monday and Tuesday, will raise “the situation in Afghanistan and issues of mutual concern” during the meeting, a foreign ministry spokesman said. This will be the first high-level engagement between China and the Taliban since the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3153646/chinas-foreign-minister-wang-yi-meet-afghan-taliban-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3153646/chinas-foreign-minister-wang-yi-meet-afghan-taliban-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Oct 2021 14:36:30 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping said international rules and order should not be dictated by a single power or one bloc in a speech on Monday to mark five decades since China’s seat at the United Nations was transferred from Taipei to Beijing. Xi took a veiled swipe at American predominance over world order while also calling for peaceful coexistence in his speech at a conference in Beijing to mark the 50th anniversary of the “restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3153569/chinas-50-years-un-xi-jinping-says-international-rules-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3153569/chinas-50-years-un-xi-jinping-says-international-rules-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Oct 2021 05:34:51 +0000 China said Singapore “welcomes and supports” its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) following a phone call between the two nations’ leaders. The Chinese foreign ministry said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had told President Xi Jinping that the move would be “conducive to regional prosperity and development” during Friday’s conversation. Beijing officially applied to join the trade pact in a bid to boost its economic clout in the region... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3152609/china-says-singapore-welcomes-its-bid-join-comprehensive-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3152609/china-says-singapore-welcomes-its-bid-join-comprehensive-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Oct 2021 10:44:01 +0000