https://www.scmp.com/rss/323750/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to Donald Trump ­congratulating him on becoming the United States president, the foreign ministry said on Monday, as it warned Washington to abide by the one-China policy. Trump’s pledge last week to put “America first” has fanned fears that the US will take an isolationist path, leaving China to fill the vacuum. A senior Chinese diplomat said yesterday that China did not want to assume the mantle of world leadership but could be forced to take on that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2064723/china-congratulates-trump-and-warns-tread-carefully?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2064723/china-congratulates-trump-and-warns-tread-carefully?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jan 2017 15:30:30 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping will head up a new committee to champion integration of civilian and military investment and technology. The Politburo announced the committee’s formation on Sunday after a meeting chaired by Xi. The creation of the committee comes as China is expanding its military hardware aggressively and hoping to better tap into innovation, investment and production capacity in the civilian sector. The body will coordinate and decide on major integration issues and report to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2064461/chinese-president-takes-new-role-spearhead-civilian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2064461/chinese-president-takes-new-role-spearhead-civilian?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jan 2017 17:01:55 +0000 Beijing should brace itself for confrontation with Washington and greater complexity in regional security after Donald Trump pledged to put “America first” during his inaugural address, Chinese and regional observers said. Pundits were closely following Trump’s first speech as president for signs of potential conflict between China and the US, although mainland state media struck a moderate tone in its coverage, suggesting the two nations could cooperate on a wide range of areas. In his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2064196/china-must-prepare-worst-dealings-us-under-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2064196/china-must-prepare-worst-dealings-us-under-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jan 2017 02:00:00 +0000 Since Peng Liyuan wowed the world with her elegant style during her maiden trip to Moscow as China’s first lady in 2013, her stylish dress sense has been hailed by the world’s media, which constantly compared her with her US counterpart, Michelle Obama, who has been feted as a fashion icon. In the future, Peng is likely to find herself standing beside a US first lady with a very different style. China’s first lady Peng Liyuan’s fashion style has made her a global sensation When she enters the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2063248/how-will-melania-trumps-fashion-sense-shape-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2063248/how-will-melania-trumps-fashion-sense-shape-against?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jan 2017 06:45:00 +0000 Britain is expected to speed up negotiations on free-trade agreements with nations including China to alleviate anxiety over its economy and gain more leverage in Europe after leaving the European Union, observers said. British Prime Minister Theresa May vowed on Tuesday that the country would leave the EU’s ­single market to restrict immigration in a “hard exit” from the bloc, triggering dismay among those who fear the impact it will have on Britain’s economy. In Beijing, foreign ministry... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2063316/brexit-bringing-beijing-and-london-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2063316/brexit-bringing-beijing-and-london-together?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:45:45 +0000 Donald Trump’s surprising meeting with Jack Ma, chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba, has triggered concerns about a new “business-to-business” approach on the diplomatic front lines. As Trump would be the first US president with a career spent exclusively in business, it was likely that he would pay more attention to personal connections and contacts – on top of established diplomatic channels – to deal with international economic issues, including Sino-US ones, analysts said. Since Trump won... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2062372/donald-trumps-meeting-jack-ma-suggests-new-wave-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2062372/donald-trumps-meeting-jack-ma-suggests-new-wave-business?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jan 2017 02:32:39 +0000 Beijing hit back at US president-elect Donald Trump on the weekend, saying the one-China principle is non-negotiable. Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said late on Saturday that the one-China principle was the political foundation for Sino-US ties.“It’s not negotiable. We urge relevant parties in the United States to recognise the high sensitivity of Taiwan issues, and to stick to the promise made by both political parties in the US over the years,” he said. Lu called on the US to properly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2062312/beijing-hits-back-trump-one-china-principle-non?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2062312/beijing-hits-back-trump-one-china-principle-non?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jan 2017 05:45:45 +0000 World-famous Chinese artist Liu Bolin has a special admirer – the man who will shape America’s trade policy with China for the next four years. US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, private equity billionaire Wilbur Ross, may have backed calls to get tough on Chinese trade practices, but he’s also an avid collector of contemporary Chinese art, and even participated in one of Liu’s projects in New York. “He came around 9 in the morning,” Liu said, recalling the day... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2060890/wheres-wilbur-trumps-commerce-secretary-chinese-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2060890/wheres-wilbur-trumps-commerce-secretary-chinese-art?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jan 2017 01:30:00 +0000 A Chinese man who was sold by his own mother as a child has been reunited with his father after 13 years, a newspaper reported. Li Risheng managed to pinpoint the city where he grew up years later after eating a signature dish from his hometown, the Guangzhou Daily reported. Li was sold by his mother and two accomplices at the age of seven, but had few memories of where he came from. Human trafficking victim wins case against Hong Kong authorities “It was a rainy day, two of my mum’s friends... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060809/chinese-man-sold-mother-child-reunited-his-father?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060809/chinese-man-sold-mother-child-reunited-his-father?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2017 04:15:10 +0000 The owner of a luxury car in southwestern China has been fined 500 yuan (HK$560) for illegally replacing his vehicle’s bonnet ornament with a model of a cartoon panda made of plasticine, mainland media reported. Zhang Lin claimed to have made the model for his 7 million yuan Bentley Mulsanne to woo a woman whose online food company used a panda as the logo for one of her products, the Chongqing Evening News reported. Traffic police in Chongqing issued Zhang with a motoring ticket on Monday... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060801/chinese-romeo-fails-impress-police-he-puts-plasticine-panda-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060801/chinese-romeo-fails-impress-police-he-puts-plasticine-panda-his?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2017 03:36:40 +0000 A travel journal posted online with personal experiences of avoiding fake tourist attractions in Xian such as a false terracotta warrior site has gone viral among China’s online community. Using the alias “Vigor Mianmian Bear”, the writer describes vividly how to dodge the tourist traps of fake places of interests, the Southern Metropolis reported. State media including CCTV had previously exposed the chaotic management of Xian’s tourism industry. A fake terracotta warrior site called the “Hall... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060568/chinese-blogger-describes-how-avoid-sham-tourist-sites-xian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060568/chinese-blogger-describes-how-avoid-sham-tourist-sites-xian?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2017 09:44:50 +0000 A bronze statue is to be unveiled in Hangzhou’s city library to commemorate a rubbish collector in the city. Wei Sihao became an online celebrity in 2014, Worker’s Daily reported. He was as a frequent library visitor who always washed his hands before reading any books. Wei was hit by a taxi in Hangzhou in November 2015, and died the following month. After Wei died, it was discovered he was a retired high school teacher. Chinese university students queue for hours for library study space It was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060540/chinese-library-installs-statue-deceased-regular-patron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060540/chinese-library-installs-statue-deceased-regular-patron?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2017 07:42:33 +0000 A doctor in Lianyungang used a condom to protect a patient from injury after the man swallowed a beer bottle top while drinking with friends. The man, identified only by his surname Liu, arrived a No 1 Lianyungang Hospital at around 10pm on Friday after drinking with friends, the Yangzi Evening News reported. He told medical staff at the accident and emergency department that he accidentally swallowed a beer bottle cap while drinking too fast. After giving Liu an X-ray and confirming the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060531/chinese-doctor-uses-condom-perform-safe-surgery-patient-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060531/chinese-doctor-uses-condom-perform-safe-surgery-patient-who?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2017 07:23:25 +0000 Beijing and northern China are again facing severe smog this winter – raising questions about how to best protect and improve the environment. MA TIANJIE, Beijing managing editor of China Dialogue, a non-profit organisation specialising in raising awareness of environmental issues through its website, talks to WEI QI about his work. What is the main role for China Dialogue? I worked for many years at the environmental NGO Greenpeace. I moved on to join China Dialogue, which is a non-profit... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060203/getting-green-message-across-hostile-environment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2060203/getting-green-message-across-hostile-environment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jan 2017 08:39:30 +0000 Artificial intelligence has scored another milestone victory over humans, after Google-controlled AI developer DeepMind revealed the identity behind a recent secret online winner in the world of Go. Speculations were put to rest by the confirmation posted on Twitter by DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis on Thursday that a 60-time winner with the online alias of “Master” is an improved version of AlphaGo. Excited to share an update on #AlphaGo! pic.twitter.com/IT5HGBmYDr — Demis Hassabis... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2059568/winning-online-go-master-revealed-be-ai-programme-deepmind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/2059568/winning-online-go-master-revealed-be-ai-programme-deepmind?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jan 2017 05:30:45 +0000 What do we breathe into our lungs when we take a breath of smog? With residents across northern China battling severe smog in recent weeks, a Beijing-based professor decided to take a closer look at what people have been facing. Liu Yong examined smog particles collected on facial mask filters during the recent periods of severe air pollution and then photographed them under a microscope that enlarged the images by up to 2,000 times. Smog levels in Beijing off the charts He said he wanted to use... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2059199/what-goes-our-lungs-when-we-breathe-chinas-severe-smog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2059199/what-goes-our-lungs-when-we-breathe-chinas-severe-smog?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jan 2017 03:30:15 +0000 US president-elect Donald Trump has fired yet another salvo at China through Twitter, this time accusing Beijing of refusing to help contain North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. After North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a New Year’s Day address that Pyongyang had reached the “final stages” of testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach American soil, Trump tweeted on Monday: “It won’t happen!” North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2058835/donald-trump-slams-china-not-helping-contain-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2058835/donald-trump-slams-china-not-helping-contain-north?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jan 2017 02:32:44 +0000 Hong Kong and the mainland should team up in the fight against fugitive officials and stop the city becoming a refuge for fleeing cadres, according to a senior mainland anti-corruption official. Hong Kong-based pro-establishment magazine Bauhinia quoted Liu Jianchao, head of the Central Commission for Discipline ­Inspection’s international cooperation department, as saying Beijing was determined to crack down on corruption. Liu vowed to stop Hong Kong from becoming a “haven for the corrupt and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2058286/dont-let-hong-kong-become-haven-corrupt-mainland-graft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2058286/dont-let-hong-kong-become-haven-corrupt-mainland-graft?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:20:53 +0000 Beijing on Wednesday warned that ­attempts by Taiwan to resist unification with the mainland would be in vain, as Hong Kong’s localist lawmakers confirmed they would attend a political forum in Taipei next month. Beijing had issued its warning to the self-ruled island as the People’s Liberation Army’s aircraft carrier conducted drills off the Taiwanese coast. Beijing is facing a host of threats to its status quo as the ­independence-leaning leadership of Taiwan grows more vocal, protesters in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2057744/reunification-inevitable-beijing-warns-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2057744/reunification-inevitable-beijing-warns-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2016 15:52:19 +0000 China and the United States could head down the slippery slope ­towards ideological confrontation after US President Barack ­Obama quietly signed an “anti-propaganda bill” into law, mainland observers said. China is mentioned just once in the 1,623-word Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act, but observers said it could become a tool to counter Beijing. The legislation was signed as part of the National Defence ­Authorisation Act of 2017 shortly before Christmas. Deputy director reshuffle... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2057492/us-anti-propaganda-law-may-set-stage-war-ideas-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2057492/us-anti-propaganda-law-may-set-stage-war-ideas-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Dec 2016 15:15:45 +0000 This week marks a climax of China’s chequebook diplomacy as it used its economic clout to achieve breakthroughs in relations with three countries, Norway, Mongolia and the small West African country Sao Tome and Principe. However, continuing to gain political concessions through expanding outbound investment may not be sustainable, experts warned. On Monday, China and Norway set aside their squabble over a Nobel Peace Prize awarded to prominent dissident Liu Xiaobo to restore full ties and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2056877/chinas-chequebook-diplomacy-sustainable-long-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2056877/chinas-chequebook-diplomacy-sustainable-long-term?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Dec 2016 08:05:56 +0000 China and the United Kingdom have vowed to continue their “golden era” ties, one of the diplomatic legacies of former prime minister David Cameron, despite uncertainties over the Brexit process and discord about Hong Kong. Sino-UK ‘golden age’ is losing its shine in British people’s eyes State Councillor Yang Jiechi, the most senior diplomatic adviser to President Xi Jinping, attended the eighth China-UK Strategic Dialogue in London and talked with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Yang also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2056342/china-uk-vow-keep-golden-era-ties-despite-differences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2056342/china-uk-vow-keep-golden-era-ties-despite-differences?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Dec 2016 08:15:15 +0000 China has returned a US underwater drone taken last week by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. Observers said the incident might have been resolved in only a few days but it raised concerns in the region about the security ­implications of China’s rising military might. The defence ministry said the handover of the underwater drone took place in the South China Sea “after friendly negotiations between China and the United States”. US gets drone... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2056005/china-says-it-has-handed-over-us-drone-taken-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2056005/china-says-it-has-handed-over-us-drone-taken-south?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Dec 2016 05:15:30 +0000 Norway and China have resumed diplomatic relations and negotiations on a free-trade agreement, ending a six-year diplomatic freeze caused by the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident. Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende told the South China Morning Post that officials from the two nations spent three years in talks to put their relations back on track. “Three years is a long time, but when we had rebuilt trust fully then we can go public today,” he said, following a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2055782/norway-china-restart-diplomatic-ties-after-row-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2055782/norway-china-restart-diplomatic-ties-after-row-over?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Dec 2016 09:30:30 +0000