https://www.scmp.com/rss/500512/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press A New York businesswoman was sentenced on Friday to nine years in federal prison over a financial scheme that ripped off more than US$30 million from foreign investors and funnelled some of the stolen money into American political campaigns, including a fundraiser for US President Donald Trump. Sherry Xue Li was also ordered to forfeit US$31.5 million, as well as property at three locations, and to make restitution to her victims. The 54-year-old Oyster Bay resident, who has been detained since... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344944/sherry-xue-jailed-funnelling-chinese-investor-funds-trump-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344944/sherry-xue-jailed-funnelling-chinese-investor-funds-trump-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:03:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A California man has been sentenced to four years in prison for acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government while working as a campaign adviser for a local politician. Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, was sentenced on Monday in federal court in Los Angeles after pleading guilty last year in a deal with prosecutors. Under the agreement, Sun acknowledged acting as a foreign agent on behalf of the People’s Republic of China from 2022 to 2024 without notifying the US attorney general as required by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343115/yaoning-sun-gets-4-years-prison-acting-beijings-agent-california-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343115/yaoning-sun-gets-4-years-prison-acting-beijings-agent-california-election?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:14:31 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier A mistrial was declared on Monday in the closely watched case of a former senior New York official charged with acting as a Chinese agent after the jury was unable to reach a verdict. The jury remained deadlocked on all 19 counts after several days of deliberation in the case of Linda Sun, a former aide to New York governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo, on charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (Fara). She and her husband and co-defendant Chris Hu were also charged with... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3337399/mistrial-case-ex-top-aide-new-york-governor-charged-working-china-agent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3337399/mistrial-case-ex-top-aide-new-york-governor-charged-working-china-agent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 22:13:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A former aide to two New York governors went on trial on Wednesday on charges she sold her influence to the Chinese government and illegally profited from the state’s bulk purchase of face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were arrested last year during a US crackdown on alleged Chinese secret agents. They were charged again in June as part of the government’s efforts to root out pandemic fraud. “Linda Sun was for sale,” prosecutor Amanda Shami told jurors... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332560/ex-ny-governors-aide-linda-sun-trial-acting-chinese-agent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332560/ex-ny-governors-aide-linda-sun-trial-acting-chinese-agent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 22:59:55 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A US federal appeal court has paved the way for Florida to enforce a law restricting real estate purchases by Chinese citizens, rejecting arguments that it conflicts with federal law or is discriminatory. The 2-1 ruling by the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Tuesday could embolden other states to enact similar laws, which critics say mirror early 20th century “alien land” laws that restricted property ownership by Chinese and Japanese nationals. Six states are currently... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3331544/us-court-says-florida-can-ban-chinese-citizens-buying-property?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3331544/us-court-says-florida-can-ban-chinese-citizens-buying-property?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:23:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A California man has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government in Southern California while working as a campaign adviser for a local politician. Sun Yaoning, also known as Mike Sun, is expected to appear in court in Los Angeles on Monday to enter his plea under a deal with federal prosecutors, according to a copy of the agreement available in online court records. It was signed by Sun, his lawyer and a prosecutor earlier this month. If the plea is accepted... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329854/california-man-sun-yaoning-plead-guilty-acting-agent-chinas-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329854/california-man-sun-yaoning-plead-guilty-acting-agent-chinas-government?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:52:43 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier A former top New York official earlier charged with acting as a Chinese agent was handed a second federal indictment alleging she received kickbacks for steering some US$35 million worth of healthcare contracts to favoured suppliers during the coronavirus pandemic, federal prosecutors said on Thursday. The new charges against Linda Sun, 41 – once an aide to New York governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo – and against her husband and co-defendant, Chris Hu, 40, included wire fraud, bribery, tax... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3316006/ex-new-york-official-facing-chinese-agent-charge-indicted-us35-million-kickbacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3316006/ex-new-york-official-facing-chinese-agent-charge-indicted-us35-million-kickbacks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 21:56:33 +0000 The US government has imposed a sweeping ban prohibiting American diplomats, their families and security-cleared contractors in China from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens, Associated Press has reported. The policy applies to staff at the US embassy in Beijing and consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang and Wuhan, as well as the consulate in Hong Kong. US personnel stationed outside China or those already in pre-existing relationships with Chinese citizens... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305075/us-china-decoupling-washington-bans-diplomats-and-staff-romance-and-sex-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305075/us-china-decoupling-washington-bans-diplomats-and-staff-romance-and-sex-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Apr 2025 09:11:58 +0000 Elise Stefanik, US President Donald Trump’s choice to serve as America’s top envoy to the United Nations, has vowed to counter China’s ascendant influence and “significant inroads” at the intergovernmental body. At her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday to serve as US ambassador to the UN, the Republican congresswoman from New York outlined plans to push back against what she described as China’s systematic efforts to expand its presence in UN agencies and gain support among developing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295716/elise-stefanik-trumps-un-ambassador-pick-vows-counter-chinas-significant-inroads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295716/elise-stefanik-trumps-un-ambassador-pick-vows-counter-chinas-significant-inroads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 22:30:11 +0000 A Chinese national was arrested Thursday on charges of acting as an illegal agent for Beijing when serving as the campaign manager for an unnamed politician elected to a city council in Southern California two years ago. The arrest of Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, came at a time of rising concerns that the Chinese government has cultivated a network of operatives to influence local elections in the US to install politicians who are friendly to Beijing and can help promote Chinese interests. According... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3291626/chinese-national-charged-acting-beijings-agent-local-california-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3291626/chinese-national-charged-acting-beijings-agent-local-california-election?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2024 23:34:06 +0000 Democratic US Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin narrowly won a fiercely contested race in Michigan, edging out her Republican opponent Mike Rogers on Wednesday in a contest where depicting China as a threat to the state proved pivotal. While Slotkin managed to prevail by a mere 18,000 votes, Democrats lost the US House seat she vacated. Republican candidate Tom Barrett, who hammered Democrat Curtis Hertel over alleged ties to China, flipped the seat by nearly 17,000 votes. Political observers in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3285510/unease-over-china-proves-pivotal-us-election-races-michigan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3285510/unease-over-china-proves-pivotal-us-election-races-michigan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Nov 2024 01:10:42 +0000 Russia, China and Iran are intent on fanning narratives to divide Americans ahead of the November 5 US elections and may consider fomenting violence after voters go to the polls, US intelligence officials said on Tuesday. The officials, briefing reporters on US election security, said foreign actors could consider physical threats and violence, and are highly likely to conduct disinformation operations to create uncertainty and undermine the election process. “Foreign actors, particularly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3283438/russia-china-and-iran-could-stoke-post-election-violence-us-intelligence-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3283438/russia-china-and-iran-could-stoke-post-election-violence-us-intelligence-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2024 18:36:53 +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... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3281919/2024-us-congressional-races-what-expect-and-how-china-plays-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3281919/2024-us-congressional-races-what-expect-and-how-china-plays-role?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:25:35 +0000 We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Harris-Trump debate: tough talk on China but little substance in first US presidential debate Kamala Harris was widely seen as having come out on top in her first presidential debate with Donald Trump, where both candidates traded blows on who would take a tougher approach towards... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3280879/harris-trump-debate-alleged-chinese-agent-tech-innovation-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3280879/harris-trump-debate-alleged-chinese-agent-tech-innovation-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:00:09 +0000 The Republican-led US House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to advance legislation that could close Hong Kong’s diplomatic offices in the country and significantly curb Sino-American academic exchange. The two bills were passed as part of ‘China week’, a House Republican-led effort to advance mainland-related legislation. More than a dozen bills targeting Beijing’s economic, political and technological influence passed on Monday. All bills that pass the House must also clear the full Senate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3278013/hong-kong-trade-offices-are-targeted-bill-passed-us-house-representatives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3278013/hong-kong-trade-offices-are-targeted-bill-passed-us-house-representatives?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:15:07 +0000 A group of US politicians and community leaders on Wednesday launched ‘Chinese-Americans for Harris-Walz’, the latest in a cascade of affinity groups supporting 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. “What we have on the ticket are two dragons,” said US Trade Representative Katherine Tai at the two-hour Zoom launch event, noting that both Harris and Walz were born in the lunar year of the dragon. Tai spoke about the particular challenges experienced... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3277389/us-2024-election-chinese-americans-launch-group-backing-kamala-harris-and-tim-walz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3277389/us-2024-election-chinese-americans-launch-group-backing-kamala-harris-and-tim-walz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Sep 2024 17:50:15 +0000 Governor Kathy Hochul of New York said on Wednesday that she had called for the expulsion of China’s New York-based consul general, Huang Ping, after her former aide was criminally charged in a US court as an agent for Beijing. “I have conveyed my desire to have the consul general from the People’s Republic of China and the New York mission expelled, and I’ve been informed that the consul general is no longer in the New York mission,” Hochul, the state’s top official, said. The governor also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3277238/us-expels-chinas-consul-general-new-york-over-beijing-agent-charge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3277238/us-expels-chinas-consul-general-new-york-over-beijing-agent-charge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2024 18:49:31 +0000 A former top aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul has been charged with acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government and laundering millions of dollars for China, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said on Tuesday in an indictment that also accused several officials in Beijing’s New York City consulate as co-conspirators. Prosecutors said Linda Sun, a naturalised US citizen born in China, was arrested in the morning at her home in Long Island and pleaded not guilty in US District... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3277086/linda-sun-ex-aide-new-york-governor-hochul-charged-acting-chinese-agent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3277086/linda-sun-ex-aide-new-york-governor-hochul-charged-acting-chinese-agent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2024 16:49:33 +0000 Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz opted not to address criticisms of his long personal history with China as he accepted his party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday. Instead, the Minnesota governor spent his concise 20-minute remarks pushing the party’s slogan of freedom and support for the middle class and lashing out at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as “weird” and “dangerous”. Walz emphasised that although Trump and his Ohio... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275440/harris-vp-pick-tim-walz-rallies-democrats-punchy-speech-sidesteps-china-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275440/harris-vp-pick-tim-walz-rallies-democrats-punchy-speech-sidesteps-china-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 06:27:29 +0000 US Republicans on Friday formally launched a probe of Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, targeting his personal history with China and seizing on what they perceive as a crucial political vulnerability in the 2024 race for the White House. In announcing the investigation, James Comer, chair of the US House Oversight committee, cited reports highlighting the Minnesota governor’s “long-standing connections to Chinese Communist Party entities and officials”. The Kentucky Republican... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3274850/china-ties-probe-tim-walz-democratic-vp-candidate-formally-launched-us-house-panel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3274850/china-ties-probe-tim-walz-democratic-vp-candidate-formally-launched-us-house-panel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2024 22:00:30 +0000 The United States presidential election debate got the internet buzzing over the weekend, but the reaction in China was relatively moderate. There were comments by state media but almost all were carefully balanced in their tone to make sure that they did not appear to favour Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Instead, most framed the debate as a debacle reflecting the weaknesses of US democracy. The state news agency Xinhua said the debate exposed the shortcomings of both candidates while another... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3268914/why-china-happy-stay-sidelines-us-presidential-contest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3268914/why-china-happy-stay-sidelines-us-presidential-contest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2024 13:41:53 +0000 A Chinese billionaire was sentenced to seven months in prison on Thursday by a federal court in New York for making shadow political donations as well as committing immigration fraud and using false identification. Qin Hui – whom Forbes magazine said was worth US$1.8 billion in 2018 and who operated a now defunct Hong Kong-based entertainment entity called SMI Culture – pleaded guilty to the charges in March. The tycoon will receive credit for the seven months he spent in jail following his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3262099/chinese-billionaire-sentenced-7-months-us-federal-court-illegal-political-donations-and-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3262099/chinese-billionaire-sentenced-7-months-us-federal-court-illegal-political-donations-and-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2024 22:55:27 +0000 TikTok is one of the biggest stories in business and geopolitics. US President Joe Biden has just signed a law that will ban the massively popular app in nine months if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not sell it to a non-Chinese entity. TikTok, for its part, has called the law “political theatre”, and it is probably right: there is always some theatrics in politics, and bashing China is one of the most popular shows in town. Almost no other issue can unite the two major parties. But, given... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3261634/how-tiktoks-arrogance-sealed-its-fate-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3261634/how-tiktoks-arrogance-sealed-its-fate-america?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2024 10:30:14 +0000 The current wave of anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States has been building for years. It started when US policymakers raised national security concerns about Huawei. China’s national technology champion, the market leader in developing new 5G telecommunications equipment, was accused of deploying digital back doors that could enable Chinese espionage and cyberattacks. But Huawei was just the start. The US has since spiralled into a full-blown outbreak of Sinophobia – a strong word that I... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3257028/sinophobia-us-rails-and-blocking-paths-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3257028/sinophobia-us-rails-and-blocking-paths-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:30:12 +0000 The US Defence Department has a big budget, lots of fancy equipment and impressive capabilities, but if it does not drastically increase its ability to incorporate technology, make decisions faster and spend in the right places, it will lose any future war with China, witnesses at two congressional committees testified on Tuesday. The warnings came as Republicans and Democrats engage in fierce partisan bickering over defence, intelligence and social welfare budgets, amounts and priorities, even... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3255152/pentagon-needs-become-more-nimble-counter-china-threat-us-lawmakers-are-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3255152/pentagon-needs-become-more-nimble-counter-china-threat-us-lawmakers-are-told?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:49:39 +0000 Businesses tied to former US president Donald Trump accepted over US$5.5 million from China’s government and its state-owned entities during his time in office, according to a congressional Democratic staff report released on Thursday. Titled “White House for Sale”, the sweeping 156-page report from the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability named the Chinese embassy in Washington as one of the entities that spent money at a Trump-owned property from 2017 to 2020. It also named Hainan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3247325/donald-trump-during-presidency-reaped-us55-million-china-and-state-entities-house-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3247325/donald-trump-during-presidency-reaped-us55-million-china-and-state-entities-house-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jan 2024 17:21:03 +0000 Brian Wang, an associate professor at the University of Florida, was frustrated when application season approached and he and his colleagues could not make offers to postgraduates or postdoctoral candidates from China under a new state law. The law, which came into effect in July, prohibits public higher education institutions in the state from collaborating in academia or research with anyone from seven “foreign countries of concern”, including China. Faculty members at the university started a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3245714/china-us-relations-can-people-people-cooperation-resume-if-trump-decree-still-stymies-student?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3245714/china-us-relations-can-people-people-cooperation-resume-if-trump-decree-still-stymies-student?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:00:10 +0000 Leading House Democrats are urging the US government’s chief audit agency to ensure that ongoing efforts to investigate allegations of Chinese and foreign influence in federally funded research are “free from bias”. The call is the latest development affecting the delicate balance the US government seeks to strike between protecting national security and preserving a culture of open research collaboration. “Contributions from US scientists of diverse backgrounds and foreign researchers have made... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3244734/top-us-government-audit-agency-urged-ensure-china-influence-probes-are-kept-free-bias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3244734/top-us-government-audit-agency-urged-ensure-china-influence-probes-are-kept-free-bias?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2023 23:00:53 +0000 Beijing’s efforts to shape policy in the US drew heavier-than-usual scrutiny in Washington this week, with several congressional hearings and think-tank discussions keeping lawmakers busy even as they try to avoid a looming federal government shutdown. The US State Department’s Global Engagement Centre (GEC) covered much of the same territory, releasing a special report on Thursday focusing on the alleged damage that Chinese influence operations inflict on America’s reputation overseas. Titled... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3236197/us-intensifies-scrutiny-chinas-bid-hold-sway-over-domestic-policy-threat-our-lifetime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3236197/us-intensifies-scrutiny-chinas-bid-hold-sway-over-domestic-policy-threat-our-lifetime?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2023 22:20:25 +0000 Microsoft researchers said they found what they believe is a network of fake, Chinese-controlled social media accounts seeking to influence US voters by using artificial intelligence. The Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement that accusations of China using AI to create fake social media accounts were “full of prejudice and malicious speculation” and that China advocates for the safe use of AI. In a new research report, Microsoft said the social media accounts were part of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3233795/china-suspected-using-ai-social-media-sway-us-voters-microsoft-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3233795/china-suspected-using-ai-social-media-sway-us-voters-microsoft-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Sep 2023 20:04:02 +0000 Guatemalans voted on Sunday in a presidential run-off marked by the harassment of a surprise front runner, who has fired up voters with his promises to end the rot of corruption. The race pits reformist outsider Bernardo Arevalo against former first lady Sandra Torres, both social democrats, meaning Guatemala will have its first leftist leader in over a decade. Polling stations opened at 7am local time and voting was to end at 6pm with first results expected later in the evening. The Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3231727/polls-open-tense-guatemala-presidential-run-fears-interference-amid-promises-end-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3231727/polls-open-tense-guatemala-presidential-run-fears-interference-amid-promises-end-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Aug 2023 18:52:28 +0000 Now that US Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the financial dealings of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden, we should expect to see details of the younger Biden’s transactions with Chinese companies pulled back into the headlines. Starting in 2017 and over the course of about 14 months, the Shanghai-based energy conglomerate CEFC China Energy and its executives paid US$4.8 million to entities controlled by or somehow connected to Hunter Biden.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230989/hunter-biden-investigation-can-be-start-crackdown-white-house-influence-peddling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230989/hunter-biden-investigation-can-be-start-crackdown-white-house-influence-peddling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Aug 2023 17:00:12 +0000 Florida governor and presumptive US presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on Monday signed legislation that would ban the use of TikTok and other Chinese apps on school and government servers and limit land purchases by citizens from China, the latest moves by state authorities aimed at countering perceived threats from Beijing. The three China-related bills that DeSantis signed, passed with bipartisan support by the Republican-controlled legislature, also include one that prohibits universities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3219861/floridas-ron-desantis-signs-bills-limiting-chinese-land-ownership-tiktok-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3219861/floridas-ron-desantis-signs-bills-limiting-chinese-land-ownership-tiktok-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 May 2023 21:59:56 +0000 The leaders of a new House select committee on China defended Democratic congresswomen Judy Chu, saying it was abhorrent and unacceptable for a Republican lawmaker to question her loyalty to the United States based on her Chinese heritage. “One of my colleagues, unfortunately, attacked Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American congresswoman in the United States Congress, saying that somehow she’s not loyal to the United States. I find that offensive as an Asian-American myself,” said congressman Raja... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3211642/leaders-house-china-panel-defend-congresswoman-judy-chu-after-question-her-loyalty-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3211642/leaders-house-china-panel-defend-congresswoman-judy-chu-after-question-her-loyalty-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Feb 2023 04:13:53 +0000 Casino magnate Steve Wynn cannot be ordered to register with the US Department of Justice as a foreign agent of China, a federal judge in Washington said on Wednesday. The Justice Department in May sued for a court order forcing Wynn, the former CEO of Wynn Casinos, to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Officials alleged that Wynn lobbied then US President Donald Trump on China’s behalf in 2017. Wynn’s lawyers denied that he was ever an agent of the Chinese government. US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3195759/casino-tycoon-steve-wynn-defeats-us-lawsuit-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3195759/casino-tycoon-steve-wynn-defeats-us-lawsuit-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2022 18:22:51 +0000 The founder and CEO of a software company targeted by election deniers was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of stealing data on hundreds of Los Angeles County poll workers. Konnech Corporation’s Eugene Yu, 51, was arrested in Meridian Township in Michigan and held on suspicion of theft of personal identifying information, while computer hard drives and other “digital evidence” were seized by investigators from the county district attorney’s office, according to the office. Local prosecutors will... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3194856/eugene-yu-ceo-election-software-firm-held-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3194856/eugene-yu-ceo-election-software-firm-held-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Oct 2022 03:15:47 +0000 Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it disrupted the first known China-based influence operation focused on targeting users in the United States with political content ahead of the midterm elections in November. The network maintained fake accounts across Meta’s social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as competitor service Twitter, but was small and did not attract much of a following, Meta said in a report summarising its findings. Still, the report noted, the discovery was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3194043/meta-busts-china-based-facebook-network-targeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3194043/meta-busts-china-based-facebook-network-targeting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:56:17 +0000 Two New York residents originally from China have been arrested in a US$27 million scheme to defraud foreign donors in exchange for green cards and access to former president Donald Trump, federal prosecutors announced on Monday. Sherry Xue Li and Lianbo “Mike” Wang, both naturalised US citizens, were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the United States by obstructing the Federal Election Commission’s administration of campaign finance laws... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3185735/new-york-duo-sherry-li-and-lianbo-wang-charged-funnelling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3185735/new-york-duo-sherry-li-and-lianbo-wang-charged-funnelling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jul 2022 19:30:03 +0000 US Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu and her father Arthur Liu – a former political refugee – were among those targeted in a spying operation that the US Justice Department alleges was ordered by the Chinese government, the elder Liu said. Arthur Liu said he had been contacted by the FBI last October, and warned about the scheme just as his 16-year-old daughter was preparing for the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February. He said he did not tell his daughter about the issue so as not to scare her... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3170844/olympian-alysa-liu-and-father-targeted-chinese-spy-operation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3170844/olympian-alysa-liu-and-father-targeted-chinese-spy-operation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Mar 2022 10:31:00 +0000 United States prosecutors unveiled charges against a Chinese national on Wednesday over an alleged scheme backed by Beijing to pressure a former pro-democracy protester out of running for Congress. The indictment, brought in a federal court in New York with assistance from counter-intelligence officials, accused Chinese national Qiming Lin of plotting to fabricate derogatory information about the victim, and even have him physically assaulted. Prosecutors did not name the target of those... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3170730/china-harassed-tiananmen-square-dissident-running?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3170730/china-harassed-tiananmen-square-dissident-running?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:08:33 +0000 The Hong Kong Legislative Council’s sole seat for the real estate and construction sector will be contested for the first time in 17 years, with two candidates vying to reflect the interests of the city’s powerful property tycoons. Shamed by state media for hoarding land and blamed for the city’s sky-high home prices, the tycoons have seen their influence diminished under Beijing’s overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system. In the first of a four-part series on this month’s election, the Post... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3158535/beijing-media-wrong-blame-hong-kong-property-tycoons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3158535/beijing-media-wrong-blame-hong-kong-property-tycoons?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:00:27 +0000 A new US intelligence report published on Tuesday said that China did not interfere in the 2020 presidential election, but blamed Russia and to a lesser extent Iran for state-sponsored interference in the race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. “We assess that China did not deploy interference efforts and considered but did not deploy influence efforts intended to change the outcome of the US presidential election,” the unclassified report from the National Intelligence Council said. “China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3125713/russia-not-china-tried-influence-2020-election-says-us-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3125713/russia-not-china-tried-influence-2020-election-says-us-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Mar 2021 19:41:29 +0000 US President Donald Trump’s spy chief is considering holding up a report to Congress on foreign efforts to sway the November 3 election, arguing that China should be cited more prominently for its attempts to influence American voters, according to people familiar with the matter. The disagreement that is dividing US intelligence officials and analysts has prompted Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to weigh withholding his certification of the report that is supposed to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3114261/trump-spy-chief-john-ratcliffe-stirs-dispute-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3114261/trump-spy-chief-john-ratcliffe-stirs-dispute-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Dec 2020 23:03:25 +0000 US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday defended a member of her Democratic caucus who had links to a suspected Chinese spy, arguing that Republicans were notified about the suspected espionage effort at the same time as the lawmaker at the centre of the scandal, and that he cut connections as soon as all parties were informed. Pelosi characterised herself as a long-time China hawk in pushing back against attempts to shame her for supporting Representative Eric Swalwell’s seat on the House... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3113467/nancy-pelosi-defends-colleague-eric-swalwell-amid-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3113467/nancy-pelosi-defends-colleague-eric-swalwell-amid-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Dec 2020 22:22:32 +0000 The US government is planning a major new Mandarin-language initiative in an effort to bolster its global reputation at a time of Chinese ascendancy and eroding American soft power. Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) are joining forces on a new network called Global Mandarin, according to internal memos, job placement advertisements and interviews with people close to Washington’s information arms. Its annual budget would be between $5 million and $10 million, potentially rising in... https://www.scmp.com/politics/us-china-relations-washington-boost-soft-power-chinese-network-global-mandarin/article/3039204?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/us-china-relations-washington-boost-soft-power-chinese-network-global-mandarin/article/3039204?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Nov 2019 11:56:48 +0000 Someday, perhaps soon, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump will sign an agreement resolving the US-China trade war. But the trade dispute has exposed more fundamental cleavages between China and the community of democratic nations. The most important clashes between China and the West concern not soybean exports nor the protection of patents, but free expression and open inquiry. Nowhere are those clashes taking place more vigorously than on university campuses. Consider the case of Nathan Law, the Hong... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/why-universities-must-push-back-against-chinese-government-influence/article/3037658?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/why-universities-must-push-back-against-chinese-government-influence/article/3037658?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2019 09:31:49 +0000 A Chinese businesswoman convicted of bluffing her way into US President Donald Trump’s private Florida club in a grey evening gown on a spring afternoon will soon learn how long she is going to prison. Zhang Yujing, arrested for trespassing on March 30, was found guilty by a federal jury in September of entering a restricted area at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach and lying to US Secret Service agents about it. Now, federal prosecutors would like to send the 33-year-old woman to prison for 1½ years,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3037460/chinese-mar-lago-intruder-zhang-yujing-should-be-jailed-1-1/2-years-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3037460/chinese-mar-lago-intruder-zhang-yujing-should-be-jailed-1-1/2-years-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2019 19:39:44 +0000 Hunter Biden, the son of former vice-president and 2020 US presidential hopeful Joe Biden, said his service on a Ukraine gas company board was proper but may have been a bad idea in hindsight. “In retrospect, I think that it was poor judgment on my part,” Hunter Biden said in an ABC News interview aired on Tuesday, in his first public comment since he became the target of allegations from US President Donald Trump. “Did I do anything improper? No, not in any way, not in any way... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3033102/under-attack-donald-trump-hunter-biden-says-serving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3033102/under-attack-donald-trump-hunter-biden-says-serving?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2019 17:27:13 +0000 The former US national security adviser, John Bolton, was reportedly so alarmed at a backchannel effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate Donald Trump’s political rivals that he told a senior aide to report it to White House lawyers. The revelation of Bolton’s involvement in the effort to block a shadow foreign policy aimed at Trump’s political benefit emerged from congressional testimony given by his former aide, Fiona Hill, the former top Russia expert in the White House. Hill, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3032947/ukraine-probe-john-bolton-was-so-alarmed-rudy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3032947/ukraine-probe-john-bolton-was-so-alarmed-rudy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2019 04:48:03 +0000 The Chinese private equity firm at the centre of a controversy concerning director and shareholder Hunter Biden is a small entry in China's private equity industry, focused solely on the domestic market after it was blocked from investing abroad by Beijing’s capital account controls, according to corporate filings and government registry information. BHR (Shanghai) Equity Investment Fund Management Company has grabbed global media attention for its links with Hunter Biden, the son of former... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3032806/hunter-bidens-china-investment-firm-small-fish-chinas-private?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3032806/hunter-bidens-china-investment-firm-small-fish-chinas-private?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 06:59:18 +0000