https://www.scmp.com/rss/322885/feed Sarah Zheng joined the Post as a reporter in 2016. She graduated from Tufts University with a degree in international relations and film and media studies. She reports on China's foreign policy. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A French senate delegation will visit Taiwan next week despite repeated objections from Beijing, including warnings by the Chinese ambassador to France that the trip would “needlessly disrupt” relations between their countries. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Thursday said Beijing was “firmly opposed” to any official exchanges or contact between individual French senators and the authorities in Taiwan, a democratic island that Beijing claims as its own. French Senator Alain... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150872/beijing-urges-french-senators-consider-china-relationship-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150872/beijing-urges-french-senators-consider-china-relationship-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Oct 2021 08:00:17 +0000 The US and Chinese militaries have concluded two days of high-level talks, with China calling on the US to resolve “serious issues” to improve defence ties. The talks were held by video conference on Tuesday and Wednesday, and involved Michael Chase, US deputy assistant secretary of defence for China, and Huang Xueping, deputy director for the Chinese military’s Office for International Military Cooperation. They are the second round of high-level defence discussions since Joe Biden entered the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150661/us-chinese-militaries-hold-2-days-talks-stress-need-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150661/us-chinese-militaries-hold-2-days-talks-stress-need-more?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Sep 2021 03:03:46 +0000 China’s new ambassador to Britain called for “candid” communication to fix the lack of trust between the nations, weeks after he was barred from the country’s parliament amid strained relations over Beijing’s actions in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. In a virtual address on Tuesday, Zheng Zeguang said while there had been “some setbacks” in the relationship in recent years, both sides needed to step up communication and coordination on areas such as trade and investment, Covid-19 and climate change to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150559/much-misperception-chinas-ambassador-uk-urges-candid-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150559/much-misperception-chinas-ambassador-uk-urges-candid-dialogue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Sep 2021 09:00:15 +0000 China’s development financing has more than doubled that of the United States or any other major power, but if it wants to remain competitive its belt and road projects must address key concerns relating to debt and implementation, a new report said. The extensive analysis published by AidData, a research lab at William & Mary college, on Wednesday showed that China spent an average US$85.4 billion a year in the five years after the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched in 2013, far... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150466/chinas-development-finance-more-double-us-issues-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150466/chinas-development-finance-more-double-us-issues-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Sep 2021 04:01:21 +0000 Two US citizens returned home at the weekend after three years of being barred from leaving China, coinciding with a deal to resolve Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou’s US fraud case. The American siblings, Victor and Cynthia Liu, landed back in the United States on Sunday after flying from Shanghai on Saturday, ending a three-year limbo imposed by an “exit ban” from the Chinese authorities. Neither Liu sibling had been accused of wrongdoing, but they were prevented from leaving China in June... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150392/us-siblings-victor-and-cynthia-liu-finally-leave-china-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150392/us-siblings-victor-and-cynthia-liu-finally-leave-china-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Sep 2021 06:46:54 +0000 China would be more amenable to a summit with the United States and a potential visit by the US commerce secretary, Chinese analysts said, as the Biden administration works through Beijing’s list of demands – including dropping the extradition request for Meng Wanzhou. The release of the Huawei Technologies chief financial officer last week was the highlight of latest signs of goodwill from Washington that have raised expectations for the possibility of virtual talks between presidents Joe Biden... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150302/us-china-relations-meng-wanzhous-return-clears-one-roadblock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150302/us-china-relations-meng-wanzhous-return-clears-one-roadblock?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Sep 2021 10:59:59 +0000 The trade war between the United States and China failed to prompt American businesses to leave the Chinese market, with costs from tariffs instead passed along to consumers, new research found. In a paper published on the preprint platform SSRN this month, researchers Samantha Vortherms and Jiakun Jack Zhang argued that US tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese products – launched in mid-2018 to bring US companies home – hurt the US economy and did not successfully pressure China to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3149792/us-china-trade-war-did-not-bring-american-firms-home-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3149792/us-china-trade-war-did-not-bring-american-firms-home-research?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Sep 2021 21:00:19 +0000 As the US deepens its security focus on the Indo-Pacific region, it has focused on keeping its edge underwater over rivals such as China. This includes its plans to share nuclear-powered submarine technology with Australia as part of a new trilateral defence partnership that also includes Britain. Analysts said the US Navy was still well ahead of China in undersea warfare, but that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has spent billions in recent years to narrow the gap. According to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3149704/china-vs-us-beneath-surface-submarine-technology-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3149704/china-vs-us-beneath-surface-submarine-technology-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 12:30:26 +0000 China moved closer to cracking the top 10 in the latest Global Innovation Index, with outstanding marks in hi-tech exports and patents. However, its overall score was held back by weaknesses in the institutional and regulatory environments. Hong Kong, meanwhile, slipped in the annual ranking, published by the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo). China jumped two places from last year to 12th among the 132 economies graded according to innovation capabilities by Wipo.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3149592/china-edges-closer-top-10-global-list-most-innovative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3149592/china-edges-closer-top-10-global-list-most-innovative?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:00:19 +0000 China is unlikely to be accepted into a Pacific Rim trade deal in the short term, but its application seeks to position it as embracing cooperation and opening up, analysts said. Beijing’s attempt to join the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) may be a tough sell for members with which it has strained relations, such as Australia, Japan and Canada, but experts said it signalled to the region that China was a willing strategic partner, and to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3149470/beijings-bid-join-cptpp-may-fail-yet-also-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3149470/beijings-bid-join-cptpp-may-fail-yet-also-succeed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Sep 2021 15:00:15 +0000 Covid-19 cases climbed again in Fujian, China’s southeastern province battling the country’s latest outbreak of the pandemic, as local authorities stepped up travel restrictions and suspended mass activities ahead of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. China as a whole recorded 66 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, with all 43 of the locally transmitted cases found in Fujian – 39 in Xiamen and the rest in Putian – bringing the number of total infections in the province since September 10 to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3149303/chinas-delta-variant-outbreak-covid-19-cases-rise-again-fujian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3149303/chinas-delta-variant-outbreak-covid-19-cases-rise-again-fujian?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Sep 2021 04:51:59 +0000 President Xi Jinping officially opened the National Games of China in the northwestern city of Xian, in a key test of the country’s Covid-19 defences in the countdown to next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. A colourful opening ceremony on Wednesday, replete with performances highlighting the ancient host city in front of a packed stadium of masked spectators, emphasised Beijing’s aims for national rejuvenation and to become a major sporting power by 2050. One of the first major sporting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3148899/chinas-rejuvenation-fore-president-xi-jinping-opens-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3148899/chinas-rejuvenation-fore-president-xi-jinping-opens-national?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:28:15 +0000 President Xi Jinping officially opened the National Games of China in the northwestern city of Xian, in a key test of the country’s Covid-19 defences in the countdown to next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. Held in their present form since 1959, the four-yearly games feature almost all the same sporting events as the Summer Olympics. China’s domestic version, in which athletes are competing for their provinces in 35 sports, is expected to continue until September 27. Stadium full The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3148878/chinas-national-games-live-updates-opening-ceremony-xian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3148878/chinas-national-games-live-updates-opening-ceremony-xian?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Sep 2021 11:57:15 +0000 The countdown has begun and the signs are everywhere. In Xian, the ancient Silk Road city in northwestern China, just days remain until the start of the National Games, an Olympics-style sporting event being held in Shaanxi province for the first time. There are reminders every few steps in the city, from the sides of buses and taxis to slogans on banners in the middle of main roads, and on television screens. “Because of you, the National Games will be more brilliant; because of me, Xian will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3148601/covid-or-no-covid-let-national-games-begin-chinas-ancient-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3148601/covid-or-no-covid-let-national-games-begin-chinas-ancient-city?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Sep 2021 01:00:26 +0000 China is not taking any chances with Covid-19 as it prepares for the National Games – a critical test for next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. The host city Xian, capital of the northwestern province of Shaanxi, has enacted stringent restrictions as it gears up to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators for the games, the domestic equivalent of the Summer Olympics, which officially start on Wednesday and run until September 27. Held once every four years, the games will be one of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3148468/chinas-national-games-pose-key-test-covid-19-controls-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3148468/chinas-national-games-pose-key-test-covid-19-controls-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Sep 2021 00:00:12 +0000 Two British naval patrol vessels will sail to the Indo-Pacific on what could be a five-year mission, as Britain turns more of its attention to the region amid strained relations with China. The HMS Tamar and HMS Spey, two of the navy’s new offshore patrol vessels, were scheduled to set sail from Portsmouth in southern England on Tuesday towards the Indo-Pacific for “perhaps five years or more”, the Royal Navy said. The vessels are aimed at protecting Britain’s interests, “safeguarding... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3147865/britain-sends-navy-patrol-boats-indo-pacific-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3147865/britain-sends-navy-patrol-boats-indo-pacific-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:00:26 +0000 China’s embassy in Guinea issued security warnings to its nationals in the West African country after special forces claimed to have seized power over the government in an apparent coup. The Chinese mission called on its citizens in the country to be vigilant after gunfire broke out in the capital Conakry early on Sunday and soldiers claimed on state television they would rewrite the constitution and dissolve the government. “The Chinese embassy once again reminds Chinese citizens in Guinea to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3147697/embassy-guinea-urges-chinese-stay-calm-and-alert-after-elite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3147697/embassy-guinea-urges-chinese-stay-calm-and-alert-after-elite?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Sep 2021 06:00:12 +0000 The American Chamber of Commerce in southwestern China has abruptly suspended operations, the organisation representing US businesses in the region said. In a message to its members, the group said it would stop operations from Monday and “no longer carry out any activities” under its name, AmCham Southwest, “in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China”. Benjamin Wang, chairman of AmCham Southwest, said in a message to the South China Morning Post on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3147063/amcham-southwest-china-suspends-operations-48-hours-notice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3147063/amcham-southwest-china-suspends-operations-48-hours-notice?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Aug 2021 12:11:31 +0000 China and the United States are expected to discuss cutting carbon emissions and fossil fuel projects during a visit by US climate envoy John Kerry, who is due to arrive in Tianjin on Tuesday night. Kerry will stay in the northeastern city until Friday, meeting his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua for a follow-up to their talks in Shanghai in April. The former secretary of state will head to Tianjin after climate talks in Tokyo earlier in the day, including with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3147029/china-may-make-new-pledges-talks-visiting-us-climate-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3147029/china-may-make-new-pledges-talks-visiting-us-climate-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Aug 2021 10:00:19 +0000 Cooperation between China and the US on Afghanistan and moves to improve ties between Beijing and Washington may be complicated by Beijing’s list of demands on Washington, analysts say. In a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the United States to “stop blindly smearing and attacking China” and to repair relations between the two countries, the Chinese foreign ministry said. “The Chinese side will consider how to engage with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146905/will-chinas-demands-us-block-cooperation-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146905/will-chinas-demands-us-block-cooperation-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Aug 2021 13:30:27 +0000 A Hong Kong newspaper has been forced to register its US subsidiaries as foreign agents, based on a Department of Justice assessment of its overseas ties. The order means Sing Tao, which is viewed as a pro-Beijing outlet, is the first Hong Kong media outlet to register as a foreign agent in the US. Filings to the Department of Justice this week declared that it was owned by the Hong Kong-listed Sing Tao News Corporation, and that its parent company’s stock was owned by individuals and entities... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146478/hong-kong-newspaper-sing-tao-forced-register-us-arm-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146478/hong-kong-newspaper-sing-tao-forced-register-us-arm-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Aug 2021 10:00:09 +0000 China stepped up its pre-emptive defence against a forthcoming US intelligence report on Covid-19’s origins, and accused US media of rejecting its attempts to counter the theory that the coronavirus could have spread from a Chinese lab. Beijing’s embassy in the US on Wednesday released a commentary – after saying US media outlets declined to publish it – that rejected the idea that Covid-19 could have leaked from a laboratory in China, reasoning that scientific consensus was that it originated... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146435/chinese-embassy-steps-beijings-protests-us-covid-19-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146435/chinese-embassy-steps-beijings-protests-us-covid-19-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Aug 2021 05:06:29 +0000 China said it would step up digital cooperation and investments in Africa, as Beijing seeks to deepen its influence on the continent alongside its pledges for trade, infrastructure and Covid-19 vaccines. At a time when the US is also seeking to reinvigorate its trade and investment with Africa, assistant foreign minister Deng Li told a virtual forum on Tuesday that China would boost its partnership with African nations in areas such as the digital economy, smart cities and 5G networks. “China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146325/china-seeks-expand-influence-africa-more-digital-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146325/china-seeks-expand-influence-africa-more-digital-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Aug 2021 11:00:26 +0000 China kicked off a series of naval exercises on Tuesday, ahead of a high-profile joint drill between the US and other members of the strategic Quad alliance off the coast of Guam. Chinese forces are conducting live ammunition training near the southern province of Guangdong in the South China Sea, and off the northeast coast near Liaoning in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Strait, according to Maritime Safety Administration notices warning against entry to the waters. The drills will run until Thursday... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3146192/china-holds-naval-drills-ahead-us-led-quad-exercise-coast-guam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3146192/china-holds-naval-drills-ahead-us-led-quad-exercise-coast-guam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Aug 2021 13:30:17 +0000 The United States has resumed granting visas to Chinese students before the coming autumn semester after the Covid-19 pandemic caused a lull in visa approvals. Official data from the US State Department shows that the US began to increase its visa approvals for Chinese students in earnest in May, with its latest numbers of F1 visas – the most common type of student visa – reaching similar levels for those granted before the Covid-19 outbreak in late 2019. The US granted 33,896 F1 visas to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146068/us-gets-back-granting-visas-chinese-students-numbers-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3146068/us-gets-back-granting-visas-chinese-students-numbers-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Aug 2021 22:00:24 +0000 A primary school head teacher in central China has been detained on suspicion of child molestation, after multiple women reported him to the police. Police in Gongan county, Hubei province, said late on Saturday that a 67-year-old man, identified only by his surname Liang, had been detained and that the case would be investigated further. Those found guilty of child molestation can face up to 15 years in prison. The case was brought to light when a former pupil at the school shared her account... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3145932/chinese-primary-school-head-teacher-detained-after-former?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3145932/chinese-primary-school-head-teacher-detained-after-former?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Aug 2021 07:00:24 +0000 China has stepped up defences on its border with Afghanistan to guard against potential terrorist threats, given the turmoil after Kabul’s sudden fall to the Taliban. But the narrow Afghan-Chinese frontier is not the only entry point, with less reinforced borders between Afghanistan and its other neighbours, such as Tajikistan, representing a challenge for the region’s security alliances. There are growing concerns for the Chinese government that instability in landlocked Afghanistan following... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3145830/china-weighs-how-best-bolt-back-door-terrorists-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3145830/china-weighs-how-best-bolt-back-door-terrorists-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Aug 2021 14:00:22 +0000 Top diplomats from the United States, China, Russia and several other nations have held urgent talks on Afghanistan’s uncertain future after Kabul fell to the Taliban, with Beijing calling for a “soft landing” from the turbulent end to the nearly 20-year war. In a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing was ready to work with America to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a humanitarian disaster or a hotbed for terrorism,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3145387/fall-kabul-sends-big-players-us-china-russia-diplomatic-flurry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3145387/fall-kabul-sends-big-players-us-china-russia-diplomatic-flurry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Aug 2021 14:32:01 +0000 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken picked up the phone on Monday to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for a discussion on how the two countries could work together to achieve a “soft landing” for Afghanistan. He was told Beijing was willing, but Washington would need to step back the pressure on its greatest rival, according to China’s state media. Wang earlier had spoken to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, with both sides agreeing that Beijing and Moscow should step up their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3145279/china-willing-work-us-afghanistan-calls-easing-other-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3145279/china-willing-work-us-afghanistan-calls-easing-other-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Aug 2021 02:34:04 +0000 After two decades of the United States’ costly and bloody efforts to support the Afghan government, the Taliban has retaken control of the country in stunning fashion, posing new risks – and opportunities – for neighbouring China. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday that China “respects the wishes and choices of the Afghan people”, and hoped the Taliban’s declarations that it would transition the country under an “open, inclusive Islamic government” and ensure the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3145142/china-russia-embassies-stay-put-afghanistan-us-and-allies-flee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3145142/china-russia-embassies-stay-put-afghanistan-us-and-allies-flee?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Aug 2021 03:03:16 +0000 Pakistan has blamed India and Afghanistan for a bus blast last month that killed nine Chinese nationals, prompting a call by Beijing that no one should use terrorism for geopolitical gains. Releasing a report on an investigation into the attack, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said that an umbrella group of militants under the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was responsible for the deadly violence, and there was a “clear nexus” with Indian and Afghan intelligence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144956/pakistan-blames-indian-and-afghan-spy-agencies-bus-blast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144956/pakistan-blames-indian-and-afghan-spy-agencies-bus-blast?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Aug 2021 10:00:08 +0000 The No 2 US diplomat met with Beijing’s new envoy in Washington on Thursday as the two sides reviewed a recent meeting and discussed future contacts. The meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and China’s new ambassador Qin Gang, who arrived in Washington in late July, followed months of posturing, tension and accusations between the two giants. “The deputy secretary reviewed issues from her meetings with PRC officials in Tianjin last month and expressed the United States’... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144832/us-china-relations-envoys-aim-build-shermans-tianjin-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144832/us-china-relations-envoys-aim-build-shermans-tianjin-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Aug 2021 15:00:16 +0000 China promised to expose the US’ “ugly intentions” over claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, accusing the US of hypocrisy as it went on the offensive in its public relations campaign against Washington on Thursday. Xinjiang’s government shifted from a focus on arguing against allegations of forced labour and mass detention of Uygurs and other ethnic minorities in the region, to instead emphasise the US’ own human rights issues such as racial discrimination and mass surveillance. Xu... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144817/china-fires-back-shameless-us-over-xinjiang-human-rights-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144817/china-fires-back-shameless-us-over-xinjiang-human-rights-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Aug 2021 11:30:14 +0000 A Chinese court has sentenced Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage, five months after a closed hearing in a case that helped plunge China-Canada relations to their lowest point in decades. Spavor was found guilty of “spying and illegal provision of state secrets abroad” by the Liaoning court on Wednesday, and will also be fined 50,000 yuan (US$7,700) and deported. He has 10 days to appeal. Canada’s ambassador Dominic Barton said he interpreted the inclusion of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144606/chinese-court-sentences-canadian-michael-spavor-11-years-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144606/chinese-court-sentences-canadian-michael-spavor-11-years-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Aug 2021 02:43:33 +0000 United States retailer associations have argued that US tariffs on Chinese products are hurting business, in the latest call on President Joe Biden’s administration by domestic business groups to resume trade talks with China. Seven trade groups – including the National Retail Federation (NRF), the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), the Consumer Technology Association and the Toy Association – filed a brief to the US Court of International Trade on Monday to support businesses and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144489/china-us-trade-war-american-retailers-claim-tariffs-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144489/china-us-trade-war-american-retailers-claim-tariffs-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Aug 2021 13:00:08 +0000 A Chinese court has upheld the death penalty handed to Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, rejecting his appeal against the sentence after he was convicted of drug smuggling in 2018. The Liaoning Higher People’s Court in northeastern China said on Tuesday that it had rejected the appeal on the basis that Schellenberg’s crime of smuggling methamphetamine constituted a grave danger to society. China has a zero-tolerance attitude towards drug smuggling and punishes severely those convicted of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144496/china-rejects-canadian-robert-lloyd-schellenbergs-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144496/china-rejects-canadian-robert-lloyd-schellenbergs-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Aug 2021 07:15:43 +0000 A group of Chinese think tanks have accused the United States of being the worst in the world at handling the pandemic and revived Covid-19 origin conspiracy theories as Beijing tries to shift the focus of the hunt for the disease’s origins beyond China. In a joint report released on Monday, the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University, the Taihe Institute and the Intellisia Institute said they aimed to reveal “the truth about America’s fight against Covid-19”. The document... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144400/us-leads-world-pandemic-failure-chinese-report-takes-aim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144400/us-leads-world-pandemic-failure-chinese-report-takes-aim?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Aug 2021 13:00:15 +0000 Some of the world’s most advanced warships, such as aircraft carriers, and submarines – and possibly China’s carrier killer missiles – will be just some of the firepower deployed in the western Pacific Ocean this month as the United States, China, India, Britain and other nations run mass naval exercises in the area. The US wants to bolster support among its allies and improve capability to carry out combined operations in the region, while China wants to assert its presence in the disputed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144116/us-china-rivalry-puts-pacific-centre-stage-worlds-navies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144116/us-china-rivalry-puts-pacific-centre-stage-worlds-navies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 04:00:19 +0000 With 11 billion more doses of vaccines needed to inoculate 70 per cent of the world’s population against Covid-19, Beijing is positioning itself as a leader in tackling the widening gap in distribution between richer and poorer countries. The UN’s secretary general Antonio Guterres gave the latest estimate on the world’s vaccination requirements on Thursday, at an international vaccine forum hosted by China and attended by more than 20 other countries, including Thailand, South Africa, Brazil,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144052/china-takes-lead-international-forum-tackling-covid-19-vaccine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3144052/china-takes-lead-international-forum-tackling-covid-19-vaccine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Aug 2021 04:33:25 +0000 China and the US have been at loggerheads on almost all fronts, but with tensions continuing into the Joe Biden presidency, where is the relationship heading? After US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman’s visit to Tianjin last week, and the Washington debut of China’s new envoy to the US Qin Gang, this series aims to check the temperature of bilateral relations. In this article, Sarah Zheng looks into how the US sees Beijing’s efforts to build up its own world order. Democrats and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143778/china-us-relations-beijing-working-long-game-replace-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143778/china-us-relations-beijing-working-long-game-replace-america?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 21:00:24 +0000 The US has launched a large-scale, all-domain military exercise in the Indo-Pacific region with Britain, Australia and Japan – the first of its kind in more than four decades amid growing tensions with China. The US Indo-Pacific Command exercise, which began on Monday and will run until August 27, involves the first large-scale naval and amphibious drills since America’s Ocean Venture exercises in 1981 with allies including the Nato nations during a new height in the Cold War. It will signal to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143818/us-launches-huge-indo-pacific-drill-whats-message-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143818/us-launches-huge-indo-pacific-drill-whats-message-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 13:30:07 +0000 Chinese cyberespionage groups have been targeting major telecoms providers across Southeast Asia, according to a new report, following accusations from the US and other countries that China hacked into Microsoft Exchange email servers. Boston-based security firm Cybereason said in a report on Tuesday that it had identified three clusters of intrusions into the region’s telecoms industry since at least 2017, with links to threat actors that were “suspected to be operating on behalf of Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143676/chinese-hackers-targeted-telecoms-firms-southeast-asia-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143676/chinese-hackers-targeted-telecoms-firms-southeast-asia-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 13:30:06 +0000 The shutdown of a nuclear reactor at a power plant in southern China could signal extra caution over a cutting-edge system that its developers plan to roll out in other countries, according to industry analysts. China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), which owns 70 per cent of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant, said on Friday it had closed one of the plant’s reactors for maintenance work to repair damaged fuel rods. The decision came one week after French energy conglomerate Électricité de France... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3143333/chinese-nuclear-reactor-shutdown-may-be-sign-caution-over-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3143333/chinese-nuclear-reactor-shutdown-may-be-sign-caution-over-new?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 13:00:23 +0000 The spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of Covid-19 shows no signs of slowing down in China as a case emerged in the flood-hit city of Zhengzhou. The National Health Commission reported a total of 55 daily cases from Friday, including 25 imported cases and 30 local ones, with the local transmissions mostly in the provinces of Jiangsu and Hunan. Of the 19 new cases in Jiangsu, six were confirmed in the provincial capital Nanjing – where the current cluster originated – and 10 were in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3143309/covid-19-reaches-flood-hit-city-zhengzhou-virus-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3143309/covid-19-reaches-flood-hit-city-zhengzhou-virus-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 07:19:41 +0000 The European Union is considering a review of its strategy towards China in the coming months, with growing cracks in the relationship since the suspension of their landmark investment deal over human rights and accusations of Chinese involvement in cyberattacks. Josep Borrell, the 27-member bloc’s foreign policy chief, told the El País newspaper the European Commission would present a report to the European Council at the end of the summer that analysed the relationship with China “to see if it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143116/eu-foreign-policy-chief-flags-review-china-strategy-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143116/eu-foreign-policy-chief-flags-review-china-strategy-months?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jul 2021 04:13:12 +0000 The detention of a Uygur man in Morocco on an Interpol red notice issued by Beijing threatens to spark another row over international extradition rules. Yidiresi Aishan, 33, who has been based in Turkey since 2012, was detained on arrival in Casablanca on July 19 and is being held at the Tiflet Detention Centre, according to Ilyas Dogan, a Turkish human rights lawyer retained by Aishan’s family. US congressman Chris Smith, the co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143067/china-risks-international-extradition-row-over-case-uygur-man?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3143067/china-risks-international-extradition-row-over-case-uygur-man?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jul 2021 15:00:14 +0000 Beijing’s hardline stance during senior-level talks with the US may seek to set constraints on American actions in the region, analysts say, but will not change how other countries are working with Washington or pushing back on sensitive issues such as Taiwan. In a meeting with US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman in Tianjin on Monday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi laid out “basic demands” for the US not to challenge the Chinese system, not to disrupt China’s developmental practices and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3142926/chinas-demands-taiwan-regional-issues-seek-constrain-us-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3142926/chinas-demands-taiwan-regional-issues-seek-constrain-us-action?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jul 2021 03:00:29 +0000 Beijing’s move to set out demands for Washington in their latest talks suggests it is taking a more pragmatic approach to handling tense relations with its rival, according to analysts. They say it could be a starting point to improve the fraught relationship, but it could also lead to more conflict if the demands go unmet. Chinese foreign vice-minister Xie Feng said two lists were given to visiting US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman in Tianjin on Monday. One sets out “wrongdoings” that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3142757/chinas-demands-us-starting-point-ease-tensions-or-path-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3142757/chinas-demands-us-starting-point-ease-tensions-or-path-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jul 2021 15:00:29 +0000 China’s new ambassador to the US Qin Gang is heading to Washington, ending speculation over who will be handed the difficult task of trying to ease fractious relations between the powers. Qin, currently foreign vice-minister, will leave for the US on Tuesday afternoon from Shanghai, where he has spent the past several days meeting American business executives, a source familiar with the situation said. They included representatives from the American Chamber of Commerce, Disney, Honeywell and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3142593/chinas-new-envoy-qin-gang-goes-washington-career-diplomat-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3142593/chinas-new-envoy-qin-gang-goes-washington-career-diplomat-no?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jul 2021 04:00:24 +0000 China has for the first time given the US a list of red lines and remedial action it must take to repair relations, including lifting sanctions and dropping its extradition request for Huawei financial chief Meng Wanzhou. Chinese foreign vice-minister Xie Feng told US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman on Monday morning that US-China relations had reached a “stalemate” and faced “serious consequences”, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. “The foundational reason is that some... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3142494/us-china-relations-washington-blamed-rising-tensions-sherman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3142494/us-china-relations-washington-blamed-rising-tensions-sherman?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jul 2021 02:18:01 +0000