https://www.scmp.com/rss/331035/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China’s national legislature has approved a resolution to drastically overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure only “patriots” can rule the city, in a sweeping move critics fear will further quash opposition voices. The National People’s Congress (NPC) passed the resolution on Thursday afternoon by a near-unanimous vote, paving the way for the biggest shake-up to the city’s electoral system since its return to China in 1997. Delegates voted 2,895 in favour of the proposal, which will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3124990/chinas-npc-approves-sweeping-changes-hong-kong-electoral-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3124990/chinas-npc-approves-sweeping-changes-hong-kong-electoral-system?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Mar 2021 07:16:32 +0000 China has drawn a line in the sand on its relations with the United States, saying there is no room for compromise on Hong Kong and Taiwan but other issues are up for discussion and cooperation. In his annual media conference on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi outlined Beijing’s core concerns for the development of China-US relations, saying Beijing was willing to work with Washington on various issues, including pandemic control, economic recovery and climate change. But he stressed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3124452/dont-cross-hong-kong-taiwan-red-lines-china-tells-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3124452/dont-cross-hong-kong-taiwan-red-lines-china-tells-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Mar 2021 15:55:14 +0000 China has advanced plans to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, bringing national targets in line with global climate commitments made last year. In the draft of the 14th five-year plan released on Friday, Beijing said the share of non-fossil fuels in the country’s primary energy consumption would increase to 20 per cent by 2025, from 15.3 per cent in 2020. Energy analysts said this target matched expectations following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s announcement last year that non-fossil fuels... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3124377/china-aims-greener-energy-mix-higher-non-fossil-fuel-target?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3124377/china-aims-greener-energy-mix-higher-non-fossil-fuel-target?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Mar 2021 01:00:19 +0000 China’s increased defence spending, outsize ambition and growing coordination of civilian and military technologies and capabilities represent a potential threat to American interests and operations in the Pacific, according to US analysts. “The US cannot afford to take its focus off maintaining parity or a lead on China,” said Larry Wortzel, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council. “The US must work with allies to ensure they are capable of meeting the challenges and potential... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3124351/china-us-rivalry-washington-must-keep-pace-beijing-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3124351/china-us-rivalry-washington-must-keep-pace-beijing-military?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Mar 2021 23:51:04 +0000 A top official of China’s legislature said the country will firmly defend its interests if the US seeks to contain it, and hinted it will not reduce military spending in the coming year despite the Covid-19 outbreak. Zhang Yesui, a spokesman for the National People’s Congress Foreign Affairs Committee, met the press on Thursday evening in Beijing to announce the agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session and took questions from reporters. “If the US insists on a Cold War thinking, and carries... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3085536/if-us-seeks-contain-china-country-will-firmly-defend-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3085536/if-us-seeks-contain-china-country-will-firmly-defend-its?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2020 17:24:51 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has offered an olive branch to the European Union by saying Beijing will not undermine the bloc’s interests if it reaches a trade deal with the United States. The EU, China’s largest trading partner, released a paper on Tuesday which for the first time labelled China an “economic competitor” and “a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance”. But during the premier’s annual press conference on Friday, Li said: “China’s trade conflict with US is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3001922/chinese-premier-li-keqiang-seeks-assure-eu-it-wont-undermine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3001922/chinese-premier-li-keqiang-seeks-assure-eu-it-wont-undermine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2019 15:00:10 +0000 China has pledged to create more than 11 million new jobs this year – equivalent to the population of Belgium and more than that of Hong Kong – as it tries to ensure social stability amid an economic slowdown and rising tensions with foreign countries. Wrapping up the annual legislative sessions on Friday, Premier Li Keqiang said Beijing was aware of the downward pressure from the economy, with GDP growth slowing to 6.6 per cent last year – its weakest pace since 1990. But he ruled out any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001936/li-keqiang-says-its-time-chinese-government-turn-blade-inward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001936/li-keqiang-says-its-time-chinese-government-turn-blade-inward?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2019 14:00:04 +0000 It was what you’d expect from any professional reporter at one of China’s most high-profile press events. Hundreds of reporters – many of them dressed in red – raising their hands and waving in the hope of catching Premier Li Keqiang’s attention. Except this was China, where everything is carefully arranged and managed. Even though this was my first time attending the presser, I quickly realised that it was pointless to keep raising my hand as all of the questions and answers had been pre-chosen... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001938/chinas-two-weeks-schmoozing-and-snoozing-end-not-bang-whimper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001938/chinas-two-weeks-schmoozing-and-snoozing-end-not-bang-whimper?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2019 13:29:13 +0000 Approval among top legislators of China’s highest court appears to have fallen after it was hit by a major scandal that involved a senior judge and the loss of legal papers in a high-profile case. In all, 156 delegates to the National People’s Congress voted on Friday not to approve the annual report submitted by the Supreme People’s Court, up from 138 last year. A majority of 2,725 approved the report while there were 67 abstentions. Approval rates for such reports at the congress – China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001923/chinas-supreme-court-stung-disappointment-people-congress-has?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001923/chinas-supreme-court-stung-disappointment-people-congress-has?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2019 11:51:22 +0000 Premier Li Keqiang on Friday said economic decoupling from the United States was “not realistic”, while refuting claims that Beijing would ever require Chinese tech companies to spy on foreign governments or individuals. During a news conference in Beijing at the end of the annual legislative meetings, Li admitted relations between China and the US had recently seen “twists and turns”, particularly over trade, but said he hoped ongoing negotiations to resolve the tariff war would deliver... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3001910/li-keqiang-says-decoupling-us-not-realistic-denies-china-would?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3001910/li-keqiang-says-decoupling-us-not-realistic-denies-china-would?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2019 10:12:14 +0000 Premier Li Keqiang is expected to address questions ranging from foreign investments to structural reforms at a press conference to mark the end of the annual gathering of China’s parliament today. In the course of the just-concluded two-week session, the National People’s Congress passed a law protecting foreign investment in China, and several proposals to fend off an economic downturn. But uncertainty persists. The foreign investment law has been criticised as vague, and the prospects of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001784/all-eyes-chinese-premier-word-trade-talk-annual-presser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001784/all-eyes-chinese-premier-word-trade-talk-annual-presser?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2019 02:19:18 +0000 China is stepping up its efforts to develop new weaponry ranging from guns to fighter jets to challenge US dominance, according to Chinese military officials. The effort is in line with Beijing’s drive to modernise its military and improve combat readiness as the armed forces prepare for a high-profile show of strength later this year in a parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic. “We are now more focused on boosting indigenous research and development... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3001738/china-stepping-efforts-develop-military-technology-challenge-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3001738/china-stepping-efforts-develop-military-technology-challenge-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2019 15:00:06 +0000 With just one year left to turn the economically troubled southern island province of Hainan – known as China’s Hawaii – into a world-class free trade zone, its officials have been busy during Beijing’s 11-day National People’s Congress, the country’s annual rubber-stamp parliamentary sessions. “We are doing three days’ work in one day for the opportunities [arising from the free trade zone plan],” Liu Cigui, Hainan’s Communist Party boss, said in a provincial panel meeting last week which was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001563/china-dream-hainan-island-hi-tech-paradise-remains-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001563/china-dream-hainan-island-hi-tech-paradise-remains-work?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2019 00:02:18 +0000 China’s biggest political advisory body has been told to stick to the directives of the Communist Party to confront risks and tasks Beijing called “unprecedented”. “[We] should treat studying the political thoughts of Xi Jinping as the most important task of all, and consolidate the self-confidence in our political system,” Wang Yang, head of the China People’s Political Consultative Conference, said at the closing ceremony of the body’s annual session on Wednesday. “[We] must unite our thoughts... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001545/wang-yang-top-chinese-adviser-urges-faith-partys-judgment-face?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001545/wang-yang-top-chinese-adviser-urges-faith-partys-judgment-face?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:30:09 +0000 China’s top official in Xinjiang on Tuesday said the “vocational training centres” in the far western border region could eventually be phased out, as Beijing comes under growing international pressure over the mass detention camps. “Generally speaking, we will have fewer and fewer people at these centres and if one day the society no longer needs them, then these training centres will gradually disappear,” Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xinjiang government, said during a panel session at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001415/china-says-it-will-eventually-phase-out-vocational-training?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001415/china-says-it-will-eventually-phase-out-vocational-training?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2019 16:54:08 +0000 China’s top judge said the nation’s courts handled more intellectual property rights cases last year – a key area of tension in trade relations between Washington and Beijing. Zhou Qiang, chief justice of the Supreme People’s Court, said in his work report delivered at the annual legislative sessions on Tuesday that 288,000 first instance IP-related cases had been concluded in 2018 – up 41.8 per cent from a year ago. It was the second consecutive year the number of IPR cases processed by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001407/jump-number-intellectual-property-cases-handled-chinas-courts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3001407/jump-number-intellectual-property-cases-handled-chinas-courts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:00:08 +0000 Beijing will tighten the military and diplomatic squeeze on Taiwan if the island’s independence-leaning government refuses to acknowledge the one-China principle, a government adviser warned on Tuesday. Li Yihu, a National People’s Congress delegate and head of Peking University’s Institute of Taiwan Studies, said on the sidelines of the annual legislative gathering in Beijing, that the island’s President Tsai Ing-wen was deluded and would only lead the island down a dead-end and intensify... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3001392/beijing-will-increase-pressure-taiwan-if-it-rejects-one-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3001392/beijing-will-increase-pressure-taiwan-if-it-rejects-one-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:30:04 +0000 Chinese officials will be obliged to protect commercially confidential information they obtain from overseas businesses, according to the latest draft of China’s new foreign investment law. Delegates to the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing were presented with the new version on Tuesday, after last week’s version received a lukewarm response from foreign businesses and academics in China. Provisions have been added to the legislation which make clear that government employees must keep... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3001393/we-will-keep-your-secrets-china-promises-foreign-companies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3001393/we-will-keep-your-secrets-china-promises-foreign-companies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2019 12:55:07 +0000 The head of China’s largest influenza vaccine supplier has urged mainland parents not to rush to Hong Kong for shots, claiming they might not be as safe as people expect. An Kang, a National People’s Congress deputy and chairman of Hualan Biological Engineering – which supplied 80 per cent of flu vaccines on the mainland last winter – said there was no significant difference between domestic products and overseas brands. Jiao Hong, head of the National Medical Products Administration, China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2189588/chinese-parents-told-vaccines-generally-safe-after-scandals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2189588/chinese-parents-told-vaccines-generally-safe-after-scandals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:37:56 +0000 China’s spending on science and research funding is set to continue rising to 2.5 per cent of its GDP this year, as the nation seeks to catch up on the technology front amid an economic downturn. The funding target was revealed in a meeting of the country’s peak advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, on Sunday. It means China will reach its budget goal for research and development a year ahead of schedule, though scientists say they still do not get enough funding... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2189427/chinas-funding-science-and-research-reach-25-cent-gdp-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2189427/chinas-funding-science-and-research-reach-25-cent-gdp-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Mar 2019 14:03:33 +0000 China’s central bank vice-governor has some advice for Chinese men thinking of popping the question: make sure you have a clean credit record. That’s because more Chinese mothers are asking for financial details before they give permission for their daughters to get married, according to Chen Yulu. “Now, future mothers-in-law will just say, ‘Show me your PBOC credit record’,” Chen said on the sidelines of the annual legislative sessions in Beijing on Sunday. He said this was one example of how... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2189423/chinese-central-bank-gives-advice-how-win-over-future-mother-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2189423/chinese-central-bank-gives-advice-how-win-over-future-mother-law?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Mar 2019 13:30:53 +0000 China has made a clear effort over the last four years to maintain a stable exchange rate in the face of sustained downward pressure on the yuan, People’s Bank of China governor Yi Gang said on Sunday. Yi also said there remains room to cut banks’ reserve requirement ratio, though that room is smaller than it was in the past. “Since the beginning of 2015, the [yuan] has been facing depreciation pressure from various external and domestic factors,” Yi said during the National People’s Congress... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2189399/china-has-made-clear-effort-keep-yuan-exchange-rate-stable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2189399/china-has-made-clear-effort-keep-yuan-exchange-rate-stable?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Mar 2019 08:23:08 +0000 China might allow a return of some shadow banking operations as long as their lending “benefits the real economy” and does not support speculation, according to a senior banking regulator. The move could relieve some, if not most, of the funding squeeze facing smaller private firms but would also be an step back from the government’s deleveraging campaign to reduce debt and risky lending to help stabilise growth. “We need to have an accurate understanding of shadow banking. For those... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2189394/china-mulls-reprieve-some-shadow-bankers-stop-fall-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2189394/china-mulls-reprieve-some-shadow-bankers-stop-fall-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Mar 2019 08:05:30 +0000 Beijing is drafting a law to underpin an ambitious campaign to revitalise its rural areas – part of President Xi Jinping’s plan to make China a strong modern country by 2050. The campaign, initiated by Xi when he started his second term in 2017, marks a shift in focus for the ruling Communist Party – prioritising the country’s rural areas over the urban development that has fuelled breakneck economic growth for decades. Xi’s vision is for rural areas that have prosperous industries and farmers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2189358/china-plans-law-make-reviving-rural-areas-priority-modernisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2189358/china-plans-law-make-reviving-rural-areas-priority-modernisation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2019 23:03:53 +0000 Chinese scientists are appealing for a bigger say over research funding as they buckle under a rigid and bureaucratic application system. The appeal from delegates to the country’s peak advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, comes as the central government prepares to launch a pilot project that will give research teams greater flexibility in the way funds are used. Despite slowing economic growth, the central government also plans to increase the budget for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2189339/tied-red-tape-chinese-scientists-seek-bigger-say-over-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2189339/tied-red-tape-chinese-scientists-seek-bigger-say-over-research?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2019 16:08:21 +0000 China’s state assets oversight agency denied there is a “systematic arrangement for extra subsidies” for central government-owned firms and called for more cooperation with foreign companies, amid growing criticism from the US and Europe over unfair competition. “State-owned enterprises are independent market players. They are self-operated, self-financed, self-sustained, self-disciplined and self-developed,” Xiao Yaqing, chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2189348/china-says-state-owned-enterprises-are-independent-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2189348/china-says-state-owned-enterprises-are-independent-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2019 13:01:09 +0000 China has blamed multinational lenders for the heavy debts held by Pakistan and its other belt and road partners in its latest defence of the project. Qian Keming, vice-minister of commerce, said the trade and infrastructure strategy was not a “one-way street”, joining other top politicians at China’s “two sessions” meetings to double down on the controversial scheme. “Historically, the international debt problem is an old problem. While some countries’ debts have risen, this is the result of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189336/china-says-multinational-lenders-are-blame-debts-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189336/china-says-multinational-lenders-are-blame-debts-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2019 09:21:44 +0000 Trade talks in Washington last month were so intense that Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had to skip the usual formal lunch one day and dine in on takeaway, a Chinese official has revealed for the first time. Vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen, a member of the Chinese delegation, said on Saturday that both sides pressed on with the negotiations for four days – through the weekend, heavy snow and a US government shutdown. In a gesture of goodwill and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189317/hamburger-and-stir-fry-diplomacy-how-china-and-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189317/hamburger-and-stir-fry-diplomacy-how-china-and-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2019 04:57:39 +0000 Sitting on the stone bed of his decades-old house in a remote village in Hebei province, Zhang Liansuo explains why he has no hope that his family will ever be able to escape poverty. Despite the country’s ongoing campaign to eliminate poverty, the farmer explained that so far all he has received is a bottle of cooking oil, 10kg of flour “and nothing else”. His home village of Xiaoguancheng the depth of the Taihang mountains is just three hours’ drive from Beijing. But despite the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2189274/meet-chinese-villagers-who-fear-they-can-never-escape-poverty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2189274/meet-chinese-villagers-who-fear-they-can-never-escape-poverty?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2019 00:33:12 +0000 China’s foreign minister on Friday warned against extending punitive measures on Venezuela as it confronted a deep political crisis and as the United States pushed to expand its own sanctions on the South American country. On the sidelines of China’s annual legislative meetings, Wang Yi stressed the importance of not interfering in Venezuela’s domestic affairs, an apparent reference to efforts by US President Donald Trump’s administration to remove Nicolas Maduro and install opposition leader... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189270/china-warns-more-sanctions-against-venezuela-will-only-bring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189270/china-warns-more-sanctions-against-venezuela-will-only-bring?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2019 15:00:42 +0000 China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Europe to stay “independent” in its dealings with China and called for strong ties in the face of increased US pressure. Wang’s comments on Friday follow a backlash over reports that Italy was planning to sign up for Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative and a push for a more unified EU approach when dealing with China. “We believe that as one of the major forces in the world, Europe will proceed from its own fundamental and long-term interests. [Europe]... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189271/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-urges-eu-stay-independent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189271/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-urges-eu-stay-independent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2019 14:04:30 +0000 China will continue to push forward its plans for the “Belt and Road Initiative” despite the increasing international criticism the scheme is facing, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. At a press conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session in Beijing, Wang also dismissed complaints that the intercontinental infrastructure scheme is a debt trap that will force other countries to become reliant on China. The scheme attracted further controversy this week following reports... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189256/china-will-not-buckle-face-belt-and-road-criticism-says-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189256/china-will-not-buckle-face-belt-and-road-criticism-says-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2019 13:03:45 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi fielded nearly 20 questions on a wide range of topics during his annual press conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress on Friday, including China’s relations with major powers and neighbouring countries, and diplomacy in a rapidly changing world order filled with growing tensions and uncertainties. In the two-hour briefing, Wang tried to put a positive spin on China’s deteriorating ties with the United States amid the protracted trade war and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189174/chinas-foreign-minister-wang-yi-calls-cooperation-amid-growing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189174/chinas-foreign-minister-wang-yi-calls-cooperation-amid-growing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2019 06:19:57 +0000 China has for the first time thrown its weight behind tech giant Huawei’s legal action against the United States, and called upon Chinese companies not to act like “silent lambs”. Friday’s statement by Foreign Minister Wang Yi was a departure from Beijing’s largely conciliatory stance as he stressed the importance of “cooperation” and a “positive outlook” for China-US relations. Wang made the remarks as negotiators for the sides closed on a deal to end a long-running dispute over trade tariffs.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189136/beijing-backs-huawei-legal-fight-against-us-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189136/beijing-backs-huawei-legal-fight-against-us-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2019 03:30:00 +0000 An eminent Chinese professor has warned that an “over-promoted” programme to lure hi-tech talent home is fuelling foreign suspicions about international students’ ties to the Chinese government. Wei Yingjie, a cardiovascular health specialist at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said during the annual gathering of the political elite known as the “two sessions” that China should also stop sending university outreach groups to US campuses. The Thousand Talents Plan is a high-profile,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189083/chinas-thousand-talents-plan-fuels-us-suspicions-about-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2189083/chinas-thousand-talents-plan-fuels-us-suspicions-about-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Mar 2019 15:01:24 +0000 China’s trade war with the US is hurting its campaign to alleviate poverty but the government is confident of meeting its targets on schedule, said the country’s top anti-poverty official. “It would not be factual if I said that the trade war has no impact [on China’s poverty alleviation campaign],” Liu Yongfu, director of State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation, said at a news conference held on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress, one of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2189093/trade-war-us-hindering-chinas-efforts-combat-poverty-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2189093/trade-war-us-hindering-chinas-efforts-combat-poverty-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Mar 2019 13:49:19 +0000 China’s modest defence budget increase this year shows that modernising the military will remain a top priority for Beijing amid a slowing economy and the trade war with America, analysts say. Military funding will rise to 1.18 trillion yuan (US$175.98 billion) in 2019, up by 7.5 per cent from last year, according to the budget report released on Tuesday at the opening of the National People’s Congress in Beijing. Although that is less than the 8.1 per cent defence spending increase in 2018, it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/2188771/modernising-military-remains-top-priority-china-boosts-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/2188771/modernising-military-remains-top-priority-china-boosts-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2019 15:02:27 +0000 In delivering his 2019 government work report to the National People’s Congress in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the country would “work faster to make China strong in manufacturing” – this despite there being no mention of “Made in China 2025” in the government work report for the first time in three years. “Made in China 2025” (MIC2025), the Beijing blueprint for tech supremacy that has aroused suspicion in the US and Europe, was not cited at all in China’s 2019... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/2188732/beijing-increase-support-manufacturing-upgrade-even-though-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/2188732/beijing-increase-support-manufacturing-upgrade-even-though-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2019 15:02:26 +0000 The Chinese government has unveiled a range of commitments to improve the quality of life for the general public as it tries to head off potential social unrest spawned by slowing economic growth at home and geopolitical tensions abroad. In his annual work report to the National People’s Congress on Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged to improve job security, reform the medical system, cut mobile internet rates and expand childcare. The work report is a top-level policy blueprint that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2188745/jobs-jobs-jobs-china-focuses-quality-life-trade-war-and-lower?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2188745/jobs-jobs-jobs-china-focuses-quality-life-trade-war-and-lower?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2019 13:00:41 +0000 China’s cut in the value-added tax rate provided an immediate boost to corporate confidence amid the slowing economy, but exporters said that they still need more help from the government to offset their lack of access to credit and the effects of the continuing US-China trade war. The government is redoubling its efforts to this year to stabilise the economy, but is relying on fiscal policy, rather than monetary stimulus, to boost growth. Tax cuts are one of the most powerful weapons Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2188734/china-businesses-offer-mixed-reaction-vat-cut-exporters-still?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2188734/china-businesses-offer-mixed-reaction-vat-cut-exporters-still?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:45:29 +0000 It may not be a contest to everyone’s tastes – rising before dawn to stand in line for hours in Beijing’s smog and cold, and all for the prize of the rather dry-sounding annual government work report. But for the handful of journalists huddled at the gate before the Great Hall of the People, professional pride was at stake as they vied to be the first to publish the key facts and figures. The big news wires had arrived first, at around midnight, and as more journalists arrived they began to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2188738/inside-beijing-hack-packs-race-news?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2188738/inside-beijing-hack-packs-race-news?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:40:21 +0000 China and the United States are “certain” to reach an agreement on opening up the financial sector, China’s top banking regulator said on Tuesday. Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, said the two sides were moving to resolve their concerns and disagreements in their trade talks. “I can say with certainty that, on the opening up of the finance sector, China and the US can achieve a complete agreement,” Guo said in response to a question by the South... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2188670/china-and-us-certain-reach-deal-opening-financial-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2188670/china-and-us-certain-reach-deal-opening-financial-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2019 05:08:32 +0000 China on Tuesday set its economic growth target of 6.0 to 6.5 per cent for 2019, down from last year’s target of “about 6.5 per cent.” The figure was revealed in the government work report to be delivered by Premier Li Keqiang as the National People’s Congress opens. A separate report will announce the targeted defence budget. This annual gathering of China’s political elite comes a year after President Xi Jinping amended the constitution to remove a presidential term limit and ahead of the 70th... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2188624/china-sets-2019-gdp-target-6-65-cent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2188624/china-sets-2019-gdp-target-6-65-cent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2019 00:53:15 +0000 China has sought to defend its ailing “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) from mounting international criticism ahead of an important summit in April to fine-tune the multibillion-dollar infrastructure investment programme. National People’s Congress spokesman and former foreign affairs vice-minister Zhang Yesui refuted concerns that the project, estimated to be worth US$900 billion, lacks transparency and creates debt traps for participants, especially developing countries. “China attaches great... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2188577/china-defends-belt-and-road-strategy-against-debt-trap-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2188577/china-defends-belt-and-road-strategy-against-debt-trap-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2019 16:03:32 +0000 China’s new foreign investment law – to be passed during the annual legislative session that opens on Tuesday – will also apply to investors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the 11-day National People’s Congress, clarified on Monday that the new legislation would cover investments from the three places – something that was not explicitly stated in the draft bill that has been out for consultation since December. The legislation is expected to be tabled on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2188608/chinas-foreign-investment-law-will-apply-hong-kong-macau-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2188608/chinas-foreign-investment-law-will-apply-hong-kong-macau-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2019 15:01:20 +0000 China is cautiously optimistic about reaching a trade war deal with the US, but it is prepared to retaliate if Washington returns to tariffs after the Xi Jinping-Donald Trump meeting expected this month, analysts said. They made that assessment after a senior Chinese diplomat called on China and the United States to strike a trade deal and avoid a confrontation he said his country did not want, but will respond to if necessary. Zhang Yesui, a spokesman for the National People’s Congress and a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2188517/china-wants-trade-deal-will-defend-its-interests-if-necessary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2188517/china-wants-trade-deal-will-defend-its-interests-if-necessary?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2019 07:33:18 +0000 China is expected to announce single-digit growth in its defence budget for the coming year – the fourth year in a row of increases in single figures, the spokesman of the country’s top legislative body revealed on Monday. Zhang Yesui, spokesman of the National People’s Congress, did not disclose the total figure, but added that the rise in China’s defence spending had slowed from its previous double-digit growth to a single-digit increase since 2016. “Whether a country would pose a military... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/2188513/chinas-military-spending-set-single-digit-rise-coming-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/2188513/chinas-military-spending-set-single-digit-rise-coming-year?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2019 06:12:30 +0000 The Chinese government needs to improve its fiscal and industry policies to protect domestic producers expected to be squeezed by higher imports of US agricultural products, according to agribusiness tycoon Liu Yonghao. “More imports of soybeans and corn will help reduce the cost of raising livestock, but Chinese farmers, and the animal feed industry in China will definitely be under pressure,” Liu said on the sidelines of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on Sunday.... https://www.scmp.com/business/investor-relations/article/2188436/chinese-farmers-need-lifeline-ride-out-wave-us-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/investor-relations/article/2188436/chinese-farmers-need-lifeline-ride-out-wave-us-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2019 16:09:15 +0000 The leaders of two of China’s largest internet companies have proposed ethical rules on artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies to help guide the development of these fast-moving industries. Baidu chief executive Robin Li Yanhong and Tencent boss Pony Ma Huateng submitted separate proposals to China’s annual gathering of its legislative and political advisory bodies, known as the “two sessions”, which kicked off in Beijing on Sunday. “China’s innovation driven development strategy,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2188449/chinas-tech-billionaires-back-ethical-rules-guide-development-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2188449/chinas-tech-billionaires-back-ethical-rules-guide-development-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2019 15:38:33 +0000 The trade war with the US was the elephant in the room as the annual gathering of China’s political advisers began in Beijing on Sunday. And while it was not directly mentioned in the advisory body’s official work report, the potential impact of trade tensions on the nation’s development could be found reading between the lines, and on the sidelines, of the meeting. Addressing more than 2,000 representatives of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Wang Yang – chairman... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2188441/trade-war-us-elephant-room-chinas-political-advisers-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2188441/trade-war-us-elephant-room-chinas-political-advisers-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2019 13:49:42 +0000