Explainers: Politics - South China Morning Post

What are US recess appointments and why has Donald Trump suggested using them?

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 18:44:02 +0000

Following his election on November 5, US president-elect Donald Trump has moved quickly to nominate candidates for top spots in his administration, a notable contrast with the start of his first term in 2017, when – in keeping with other new presidents – it took weeks to name and seat his preferred lieutenants. Under US law, cabinet heads and other top picks must be confirmed by the Senate. The authors of the US Constitution established the system to provide a check on executive power amid...

China’s top 5 weapons systems, from stealth fighters to anti-ballistic missiles

Lau Ka Kuen,Joe Lo,Yi Zhe Ang — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 03:30:09 +0000

US presidential election: what is the ‘Blue Wall’ and how can it be breached?

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:42:00 +0000

America’s 2024 general election has many quirks like divergent voting processes, the outsize influence of “swing states” and uncertainties about how congressional results will affect the next president’s ability to govern. In the last of a four-part series, the South China Morning Post looks at the much-vaunted “Blue Wall”: what it is, what it means and why it’s important. With mere days to go until the US presidential election on Tuesday, millions worldwide are trying to navigate the sometimes...

The heated US-China cable competition under the seas

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 19:15:52 +0000

Last week, eight US senators urged President Joe Biden to order a security review of the global network of undersea communications cables, citing the “threat of sabotage” by Russia – and China. It was just the latest expression of US concern over China’s potential espionage in handling network traffic, an accusation Beijing has repeatedly rejected. Usually running along the bed of the world’s seas, undersea cables are the backbone of the global internet for daily communications. About 95 per...

2024 US congressional races: what to expect and how China plays a role

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:25:35 +0000

(Editor’s note: This report has been updated in light of race ratings finalised on November 1, including the shift of the Pennsylvania Senate race from “lean Democrat” to “toss up”.) America’s 2024 general election has many quirks like divergent voting processes, the outsize influence of “swing states” and uncertainties about how congressional results will affect the next president’s ability to govern. In the third of a four-part series, the South China Morning Post takes a closer look at the...

How do US ‘swing states’ decide presidential elections?

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:19:23 +0000

America’s 2024 general election has many quirks like divergent voting processes, the outsize influence of “swing states” and uncertainties about how congressional results will affect the next president’s ability to govern. In the second of a four-part series, the South China Morning Post takes a closer look at which party each of the swing states backed in recent elections and what issues motivated voters. The United States calls itself the world’s oldest democracy, but the popular vote does not...

How are votes counted in the US presidential election?

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:08:58 +0000

(Editor’s note: This report has been updated to remove from the “other issues” section a rule that would have required Georgia election officials to hand-count ballots but was blocked in court. The section now contains a new development about North Carolina.) America’s 2024 general election has many quirks like divergent voting processes, the outsize influence of “swing states” and uncertainties about how congressional results will affect the next president’s ability to govern. In the first of a...

Euro 2024: England’s football fortunes add sporting drama to UK election, but is Rishi Sunak taking a risk?

Fri, 24 May 2024 15:00:08 +0000

Does British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak risk scoring an own goal by calling an election during the 2024 European Championship football tournament in July? Sunak, himself a football fan, might be hoping for a boost to his struggling campaign if England do well, although whether there really is a link between sport and elections is disputed by experts. Given the national team’s habit of morale-busting defeats in major tournaments, the chance of another hit to the English psyche appears just as...

How China’s third plenums have reshaped its economy – and what to expect this year

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 08:00:38 +0000

The Central Committee of China’s Communist Party will hold its third plenum in July, a long-anticipated meeting where the country’s leaders are expected to release a plan for reform that will chart a sustainable growth path and address economic difficulties. As this year’s iteration approaches, the Post is looking at why this meeting has mattered historically and what is expected this year given the current situation and the challenges the country faces. What is the third plenum? China’s ruling...

Why does Taiwan matter so much to both mainland China and the US?

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 08:00:09 +0000

As many as 19.3 million voters in Taiwan will elect a new president on January 13. Their vote will not only decide the self-ruled island’s policy with Beijing for years to come, but also geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific region and US-China relations. Washington views Taiwan as a bastion of democracy next to autocratic mainland China and a strategic foothold for a peaceful Asia-Pacific. Though, like most other countries, it does not see the island as an independent state. Beijing sees Taiwan as...

Sri Lanka policeman sacked for playing piano while president fled: ‘He was our Nero’ he said of ex-leader

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:59:08 +0000

Sri Lanka’s police force said on Friday that it had sacked an officer who entertained protesters with an impromptu piano performance after they stormed the island nation’s presidential compound last year. Constable Dayaratne was deployed to help protect the colonial-era residence on the day it was taken over by protesters who forced then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country. Instead, he sat at a grand piano in the compound and played a song to the crowd streaming through its...

Not just Trump: these leaders also got into legal trouble

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 04:52:01 +0000

Former US president Donald Trump appeared in a Washington courtroom last week on his third set of criminal charges since leaving office, an unprecedented event in the US but one that brings the nation in line with the rest of the world. Despite protests from Trump allies that prosecutions of politicians are a hallmark of underdeveloped “banana republics”, they’ve also happened in advanced democracies such as France and Germany. Here’s a look. Europe Former French president Nicolas...

Israeli PM Netanyahu rushed to hospital with probable dehydration, office says

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 15:32:59 +0000

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was admitted to hospital on Saturday with dizziness from apparent dehydration but was in good condition, his office said, and there were no indications of a potential handover of power. The 73-year-old, who is Israel’s longest-serving leader, had been on holiday at the Sea of Galilee on Friday during a heatwave, his office’s statement said. On Saturday, he was taken to Sheba Hospital in the town of Tel Hashomer, close to his private residence in coastal...

What is China’s youth unemployment rate, which hit a record high in April, and why does it cover ages 16 to 24?

Thu, 18 May 2023 15:00:09 +0000

What is China’s youth unemployment rate? China’s youth unemployment rate refers to the percentage of unemployed people who are between the ages of 16 and 24 with the “ability” and “willingness” to work. It is a key indicator for Beijing to gauge social stability and economic growth. China’s youth unemployment rate hit a record high of 20.4 per cent in April, after rising from 19.6 per cent in March.