https://www.scmp.com/rss/519140/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te is planning a US “stopover” trip in August that could take him to New York and Texas en route to South America, sources said, a move that is bound to anger Beijing. On Monday, Paraguayan President Santiago Pena confirmed that Lai would visit his country next month. Paraguay is the only country in South America and one of only 12 worldwide to recognise the self-governing island, down from 22 a decade ago. Analysts said Lai might add Guatemala and Belize, two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318239/taiwanese-leader-said-be-planning-us-stopover-thats-set-anger-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318239/taiwanese-leader-said-be-planning-us-stopover-thats-set-anger-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 05:00:47 +0000 Deadly Hurricane Beryl powered towards Mexico on Thursday, after battering Jamaica’s southern coast with devastating winds and sea surge. The Category 4 storm has left a trail of destruction in its path across the Caribbean, killing at least seven people as it has strengthened rapidly. Beryl was pulling away from Jamaica late Wednesday and was expected to pass just south of the Cayman Islands overnight, before moving onwards to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC)... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3269092/hurricane-beryl-hammers-jamaica-path-caymans-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3269092/hurricane-beryl-hammers-jamaica-path-caymans-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jul 2024 23:42:56 +0000 The Yemeni Houthi group said on Sunday its forces had attacked two ships in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The first ship, Transworld Navigator, had been targeted in the Red Sea using “an uncrewed surface boat” which led to a direct hit against the ship, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said. The second vessel, Stolt Sequoia, was attacked in the Indian Ocean with a number of cruise missiles, he said. He said the ships belonged to companies that “violated the ban on entering the ports of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267783/yemen-houthis-claim-attacks-2-ships-red-sea-and-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3267783/yemen-houthis-claim-attacks-2-ships-red-sea-and-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 05:34:05 +0000 A bulk carrier sank days after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels believed to have killed one mariner on board, authorities said early Wednesday, the second-such ship to be sunk in the rebel campaign. The sinking of the MV Tutor in the Red Sea marks what appears to be a new escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis in their campaign targeting shipping through the vital maritime corridor over the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The attack comes despite a months-long US-led campaign... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3267176/cargo-ship-mv-tutor-sinks-red-sea-days-after-houthi-drone-boat-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3267176/cargo-ship-mv-tutor-sinks-red-sea-days-after-houthi-drone-boat-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 04:32:45 +0000 David Frazier David Frazier For the Chinese-speaking world, Teresa Teng Li-chun’s untimely death on May 8, 1995, at the height of her fame, aged just 42, could perhaps be compared to the deaths of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana; in that they were deaths that not only shocked millions of admirers, but sparked endless waves of conspiracy theories. Some of the more bizarre theories surrounding Teng’s passing allege that she was assassinated by the CIA to prevent East Asian unification, or faked her death and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3261192/what-butler-saw-teresa-tengs-death-chiang-mai-thailand-and-how-she-found-love-there?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3261192/what-butler-saw-teresa-tengs-death-chiang-mai-thailand-and-how-she-found-love-there?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 May 2024 23:45:12 +0000 President Gustavo Petro said that Colombia will sever diplomatic ties with Israel, whose government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he described as “genocidal” in its war in Gaza. “Tomorrow (Thursday) diplomatic relations with the state of Israel will be severed … for having a government, for having a president that is genocidal,” Petro, a harsh critic of the devastating war against Hamas, told a May Day rally in Bogota on Wednesday. Netanyahu is Israel’s head of government, while the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3261132/colombia-cut-diplomatic-ties-israel-over-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3261132/colombia-cut-diplomatic-ties-israel-over-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 May 2024 03:51:58 +0000 Authorities in Beijing have revealed that a Chinese scientist who was convicted in 2015 of selling state secrets to foreign spy agencies was executed in 2016, one of several “shocking” spy cases. The death sentence and execution were disclosed in a new documentary produced by the Ministry of State Security, China’s top counter-espionage agency, which profiled 10 prominent spy cases from the past. The documentary – Led by Innovation, National Security Sharpens the Sword – which was aired on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3259038/china-reveals-it-executed-scientist-spying-2016-documentary-about-shocking-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3259038/china-reveals-it-executed-scientist-spying-2016-documentary-about-shocking-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 08:33:44 +0000 She is Fulton County, Georgia’s first female district attorney, and as she stepped into her role in 2021, her life changed when Donald Trump asked then Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to help him “find 11,780 votes”, in an effort to overturn the US election results. The next day, the call was leaked to the media, and on her first day in office, Willis walked into a case that would dominate her life for the next few years. From taking on Trump to details about her private life being... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3257516/meet-fani-willis-prosecuting-trump-her-love-life-spotlight-fulton-county-georgias-first-female-da?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3257516/meet-fani-willis-prosecuting-trump-her-love-life-spotlight-fulton-county-georgias-first-female-da?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Apr 2024 10:00:27 +0000 Ian Lloyd Neubauer Ian Lloyd Neubauer In India, a rape takes place every 15 minutes, according to government figures. It is so common that many cases go unreported and few make the news. But when a Brazilian-Spanish influencer was gang-raped in India earlier this month while camping during a motorbike trip, it ignited public outrage and debate on social media not seen on the subcontinent since the New Delhi bus gang-rape of 2012, and made headlines around the world. Indian police – known for their inaction over, and even involvement... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3255764/travel-influencer-couple-horror-india-gang-rape-and-taliban-interrogation-during-epic-6-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3255764/travel-influencer-couple-horror-india-gang-rape-and-taliban-interrogation-during-epic-6-year?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Mar 2024 23:15:09 +0000 A vibrant fishing industry, some of the world’s largest coral reefs, desalination plants supplying millions with drinking water. They’re all at risk from large amounts of fertiliser and oil spilled into the Red Sea by the sinking of a cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Officials on Saturday said the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged vessel reportedly carrying 22,000 metric tons of toxic fertiliser, sunk after taking on water in the February 18 attack. Even before plunging to the ocean’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3253971/red-sea-faces-environmental-disaster-cargo-ship-sinking-leads-oil-spill-fertiliser-leak-after-houthi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3253971/red-sea-faces-environmental-disaster-cargo-ship-sinking-leads-oil-spill-fertiliser-leak-after-houthi?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2024 02:35:07 +0000 A missile attack by Houthi rebels on a Belize-flagged ship has dashed hopes for an end to the shipping logjam between Asia and Europe just as freight rates were stabilising, with retail consumers expected to bear higher costs. The disruption to global trade is starting to percolate to retailers as spare part inventories sourced by Western manufacturers from Asia have started thinning. This has led to inflation worries resurfacing and clouded hopes that central banks would cut interest rates... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3252638/red-sea-shipping-crisis-set-persist-and-fuel-inflation-fears-after-latest-houthi-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3252638/red-sea-shipping-crisis-set-persist-and-fuel-inflation-fears-after-latest-houthi-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:30:10 +0000 Despite a month of US-led air strikes, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks. This week, they seriously damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The continued assaults by the Houthis on shipping through the crucial Red Sea corridor – the Bab el-Mandeb Strait – against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip underscore the challenges in trying to stop the guerilla-style attacks... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3252651/attacks-ships-and-us-drones-show-houthis-can-still-fight-despite-us-led-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3252651/attacks-ships-and-us-drones-show-houthis-can-still-fight-despite-us-led-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 04:29:02 +0000 A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels damaged a Belize-flagged ship travelling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, forcing the crew to abandon the ship, authorities said Monday. The attack on the ship came as the US military acknowledged conducting new air strikes targeting the rebels, including one that targeted the first Houthi underwater drone seen since the rebels’ began launching their attacks on shipping in November. The ship targeted in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3252425/crew-abandon-rubymar-cargo-ship-after-houthi-rebel-missile-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3252425/crew-abandon-rubymar-cargo-ship-after-houthi-rebel-missile-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Feb 2024 08:04:59 +0000 Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis entered the witness box on Thursday and forcefully pushed back against what she described as “lies” about her romantic relationship with a special prosecutor during an extraordinary hearing over misconduct allegations that threaten to upend one of four criminal cases against Donald Trump. A visibly upset Willis, who originally fought not to testify, agreed to speak after a previous witness said her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade began... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3252123/trump-prosecutor-fani-willis-testifies-relationship-she-fights-disqualification-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3252123/trump-prosecutor-fani-willis-testifies-relationship-she-fights-disqualification-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Feb 2024 22:31:20 +0000 China will support Jamaica to play a bigger role in world affairs, Foreign Minister Wang Yi has pledged, as the two countries aim to strengthen strategic alignment. The message from China’s top diplomat came as he wrapped up a six-nation tour with a visit to the Caribbean country. Meeting Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness in the capital Kingston on Saturday, Wang said China looked forward to expanding cooperation in trade, investment, new energy, agriculture, digital economy and the “blue... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249235/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-vows-help-jamaica-play-bigger-role-world-stage-hails-one-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249235/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-vows-help-jamaica-play-bigger-role-world-stage-hails-one-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jan 2024 11:00:13 +0000 Jeffrey Wright has played painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, activist Martin Luther King Jr. and singer and musician Muddy Waters. He’s played military general Colin Powell, a Dominican drug kingpin, Batman’s Commissioner Gordon and a long-time inmate nearing release. He’s played a former slave, James Bond’s Felix Leiter, the nurse Belize in Angels in America and an android-human in Westworld. In an array of roles both small and large over more than two decades, Wright has been among the most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3245819/jeffrey-wright-chameleon-actor-seeing-something-himself-his-american-fiction-character?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3245819/jeffrey-wright-chameleon-actor-seeing-something-himself-his-american-fiction-character?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Dec 2023 20:15:10 +0000 The disease nicknamed “yuppie flu” – chronic fatigue syndrome – affects more American adults than previous studies have suggested: 3.3 million, according to US health officials’ first nationally representative estimate. The report from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests the number is likely boosted by some patients with long Covid. The condition, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME, clearly “is not a rare illness”, said the CDC’s Dr Elizabeth Unger, one... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3245026/tired-exhausted-you-could-have-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-its-more-common-past-studies-suggest-getting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3245026/tired-exhausted-you-could-have-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-its-more-common-past-studies-suggest-getting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 11:15:15 +0000 US and Taiwanese officials have redoubled efforts to secure Taipei’s participation in the World Health Assembly and other multilateral bodies, following an unsuccessful bid to join the UN forum earlier this year. Without identifying which officials are taking part or what the efforts entail, the US State Department on Wednesday said that the meeting – organised by the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy on the self-ruled island, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3244995/us-and-taiwan-keep-pressing-taipeis-inclusion-wha-and-other-international-bodies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3244995/us-and-taiwan-keep-pressing-taipeis-inclusion-wha-and-other-international-bodies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Dec 2023 21:00:22 +0000 Britain’s King Charles arrived in Kenya on Monday for his first visit as monarch to a Commonwealth nation, where he faces widespread calls for an apology for abuses committed during colonial rule. The palace says Charles, who is travelling with Queen Camilla, is expected to tackle “the more painful aspects” of Britain’s historic relationship with Kenya during the four-day state visit. This will include the “Emergency” of 1952-1960, when colonial authorities imposed a state of emergency in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3239735/king-charles-heads-kenya-calls-colonial-apology-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3239735/king-charles-heads-kenya-calls-colonial-apology-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 14:52:14 +0000 Taiwan has withdrawn from the Central American Parliament after the six-member body voted to oust Taipei so that Beijing can take its place as a permanent observer. The parliament, known as Parlacen, voted on the proposal to revoke Taiwan’s observer status – which it had held since 1999 – during a meeting in the Nicaraguan capital Managua on Monday. There were 73 in favour, 32 against and nine abstained from the vote. Parlacen comprises Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, the Dominican... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231933/taiwan-withdraws-central-american-parliament-after-vote-favour-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231933/taiwan-withdraws-central-american-parliament-after-vote-favour-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:00:14 +0000 The People’s Liberation Army response over the weekend to Taiwan’s vice-president visiting the United States was more restrained than after the island’s leader met senior US officials, according to analysts. Large-scale live-fire war games were held around the self-ruled island in August 2022 and in April in protest at official contact between President Tsai Ing-wen and US House speakers. Beijing was again angered last week when William Lai Ching-te, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3231820/pla-drills-around-taiwan-after-william-lais-us-trip-seen-more-restrained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3231820/pla-drills-around-taiwan-after-william-lais-us-trip-seen-more-restrained?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 14:00:10 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Guatemala can best serve its own interests by switching recognition from Taipei to Beijing, China’s foreign ministry said on Monday after the presidential victory of a candidate who has previously said he favours closer commercial ties with mainland China. But Bernardo Arevalo, who was elected on an anti-corruption ticket on Sunday in a result that came as a shock to many observers, has previously said he has no plans to ditch Taiwan. Taiwan has paid US$900,000 for ally Guatemala to lobby US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231835/guatemala-urged-ditch-taiwan-after-presidential-race-won-candidate-who-called-stronger-trade-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231835/guatemala-urged-ditch-taiwan-after-presidential-race-won-candidate-who-called-stronger-trade-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 13:29:52 +0000 Minnie Chan Minnie Chan Taiwanese Vice-President William Lai Ching-te will stop in the US when he attends the inauguration of Paraguayan President Santiago Pena next week, Taiwan’s Presidential Office announced on Wednesday. Lai will transit through New York on his way to Paraguay – one of the island’s last remaining allies – and stop in San Francisco on his way home, said Alexander Yui Tah-ray, Taiwan’s foreign vice-minister. Lai, who will represent the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in the island’s presidential... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229763/taiwanese-presidential-hopeful-william-lai-stop-us-during-paraguay-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229763/taiwanese-presidential-hopeful-william-lai-stop-us-during-paraguay-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:22:08 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan is facing a new diplomatic challenge, with a move to revoke its permanent observer status at the Central American Parliament to make way for Beijing. The proposal – made by Nicaragua – comes as Taipei is keeping a wary eye on next month’s presidential run-off in Guatemala, where a contender has promised closer ties with Beijing if elected. Taiwan’s diplomatic presence in Central America could be largely wiped out if it loses both observer status in the regional body and formal recognition... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228497/taiwan-may-be-about-lose-more-diplomatic-ground-beijing-central-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228497/taiwan-may-be-about-lose-more-diplomatic-ground-beijing-central-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jul 2023 04:00:10 +0000 Beijing has lodged a formal protest with Washington over a planned visit to the United States next month by Taiwanese presidential hopeful and vice-president William Lai Ching-te, vowing “strong and resolute” action in response. When asked on Monday about the planned stopover by Lai, the candidate of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing has made “solemn representations” to the US. “China firmly opposes any form of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228025/chinese-foreign-ministry-lodges-formal-protest-us-over-planned-visit-taiwanese-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3228025/chinese-foreign-ministry-lodges-formal-protest-us-over-planned-visit-taiwanese-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jul 2023 12:55:15 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan is keeping a wary eye on the upcoming presidential run-off in Guatemala, after losing Honduras – another long-time Central American ally – to Beijing some three months ago. Guatemala is among a handful of countries that still maintain diplomatic ties with Taipei, in a relationship going back decades. But a victory for the pro-Beijing hopeful might well change that. Presidential elections were held in Guatemala on June 25. However, none of the 22 candidates managed to cross the 50 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3226816/taiwan-keeps-close-watch-guatemala-presidential-run-after-losing-honduras-beijing-march?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3226816/taiwan-keeps-close-watch-guatemala-presidential-run-after-losing-honduras-beijing-march?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:00:19 +0000 Beijing’s promises of free-trade deals and infrastructure cooperation are likely to be a bigger lure for Taipei’s remaining diplomatic allies in Latin America than those in the Pacific, according to analysts. The assessment follows Honduran President Xiomara Castro’s red carpet treatment in Beijing last week, her first trip to the mainland China since her country switched diplomatic ties from Taipei in March. During their meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the “historic decisiveness”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3224453/why-beijings-trade-deals-tempt-taipeis-allies-latin-america-not-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3224453/why-beijings-trade-deals-tempt-taipeis-allies-latin-america-not-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jun 2023 12:00:19 +0000 Millions of Britons gathered in a rain-soaked central London on Saturday to commemorate the coronation of King Charles as part of a long weekend of celebrations and pageantry across the country to mark the formal beginning of his reign. King Charles ascended to the throne in September following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth at age 96, but his coronation was scheduled for months later as tradition dictates an “appropriate period of time” passes following a monarch’s death. At 74, he is... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219651/britain-marks-coronation-king-charles-rainy-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219651/britain-marks-coronation-king-charles-rainy-london?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 May 2023 14:43:12 +0000 Charles III will be crowned king on Saturday in a solemn Christian ceremony steeped in 1,000 years of history and tradition, but adapted to reflect 21st-century Britain. St Edward’s Crown – a solid gold, sacred symbol of the monarch’s authority used only once in their reign – will be placed on Charles’s head at 12pm (local time) to cries of “God Save the King”. Trumpet fanfares will sound through London’s Westminster Abbey and ceremonial gun salutes will blast out across land and sea to mark the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219612/king-charles-coronation-uk-monarch-finally-get-his-crown-tradition-steeped-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219612/king-charles-coronation-uk-monarch-finally-get-his-crown-tradition-steeped-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 May 2023 04:21:18 +0000 It was a changing of the guard unprecedented in British history. No monarch had sat on the throne longer than Queen Elizabeth, and no heir had spent more time in waiting than King Charles. The death of Charles’ “darling Mama”, as he put it shortly after her passing in September, jolted a nation already consumed by crisis. That autumn, the economy was pounded by Brexit, the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, not to mention a new prime minister whose government wouldn’t last much longer than... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219477/king-charles-coronation-rising-popularity-cant-mask-british-monarchys-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219477/king-charles-coronation-rising-popularity-cant-mask-british-monarchys-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 05:20:26 +0000 Jamaica and Belize are looking at ditching King Charles as their head of state and becoming republics, leading politicians from both countries said Thursday ahead of his coronation. The comments come just before the monarch, who ascended the throne when his mother Queen Elizabeth died last September, is formally crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Jamaica and Belize are former British colonies in the Caribbean that have been independent nations for decades. But, like 12 other... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219459/king-charles-coronation-jamaica-belize-eye-ditching-uk-monarchy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3219459/king-charles-coronation-jamaica-belize-eye-ditching-uk-monarchy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 04:15:41 +0000 American lawmakers and Taipei are pushing for Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen to attend this year’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit despite objections from Beijing. In a letter sent to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, 21 House Republicans urged the State Department to invite Tsai to this year’s summit, expected to be held in San Francisco on November 12. Taiwan, which joined Apec in 1991 under the name “Chinese Taipei”, has not been able to send its leader to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3217756/us-lawmakers-push-taiwanese-president-tsai-ing-wen-attend-apec-summit-despite-objections-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3217756/us-lawmakers-push-taiwanese-president-tsai-ing-wen-attend-apec-summit-despite-objections-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2023 11:00:13 +0000 The Taiwanese military said it remained on high alert as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continued combat training of its air and naval forces near Taiwan despite the end of high-profile war games simulating a precision strike on the island. It also said it was closely monitoring a plan by mainland authorities to impose a no-fly zone just north of the island on Sunday. Two days after the PLA ended three days of military drills targeting Taiwan, at least 35 PLA warplanes were detected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3216838/taiwan-high-alert-after-beijing-continues-combat-training-and-plans-no-fly-zone-near-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3216838/taiwan-high-alert-after-beijing-continues-combat-training-and-plans-no-fly-zone-near-island?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Apr 2023 13:04:26 +0000 People’s Liberation Army warships are lingering in waters close to Taiwan and dozens of warplanes have approached the island since the mainland Chinese military announced the end of a three-day high-profile exercise targeting the island, the Taiwanese military said on Tuesday. The island’s defence ministry said it had detected nine PLA warships and 26 warplanes around the self-ruled island between 6am and 11am on Tuesday – hours after the PLA declared the end of its live-fire drills. “As of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3216652/beijings-warships-remain-close-taiwan-and-warplane-sorties-continue-despite-pla-declaring-end-3-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3216652/beijings-warships-remain-close-taiwan-and-warplane-sorties-continue-despite-pla-declaring-end-3-day?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Apr 2023 06:59:57 +0000 Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala and Belize late last month. The main purpose of her trip was not so much for these two Central American countries that still maintain formal official relations with Taiwan, but for an informal transit through New York and Los Angeles. Short of a direct visit to the United States and away from landing in Washington, Tsai’s seventh transit through the US since 2016 has nevertheless aroused great concern from the Chinese government. On Wednesday, she met... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3216296/tsais-visit-underlines-increasingly-formal-relationship-between-us-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3216296/tsais-visit-underlines-increasingly-formal-relationship-between-us-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2023 17:00:12 +0000 Against a backdrop of escalating cross-strait tensions, Taiwan’s former president, Ma Ying-jeou, has finished a 12-day tour of mainland China with a warning that the current government in Taipei is risking the island’s future. “I am deeply worried about the current situation. The authorities have continued to put Taiwan’s future in jeopardy,” Ma said on Friday after landing in Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport. “It is your choice to choose between peace and war for our future.” Beijing,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3216347/ex-taiwan-leader-ma-ying-jeou-finishes-tour-mainland-china-warning-island-must-choose-between-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3216347/ex-taiwan-leader-ma-ying-jeou-finishes-tour-mainland-china-warning-island-must-choose-between-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2023 11:13:37 +0000 US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, marking the highest-profile gathering of an American official and the self-ruled island’s leader since McCarthy’s predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, met Tsai in Taipei eight months ago. McCarthy, meeting Tsai at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, was joined by a bipartisan group of 17 other lawmakers including Pete Aguilar of California, the third-ranking House leader in the Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3216119/us-house-speaker-meets-taiwanese-president-california?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3216119/us-house-speaker-meets-taiwanese-president-california?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Apr 2023 18:30:54 +0000 Taiwan’s former president Ma Ying-jeou visited a deep water port in Shanghai on the last leg of his historic mainland trip, as the Chinese navy launched patrols near the self-ruled island. The “joint cruise and patrol operation” in the Taiwan Strait came as the island’s current leader, Tsai Ing-wen, prepared to meet the US House speaker on her second American stopover in less than a week. Ma, who is visiting the mainland in a personal capacity, flew into Shanghai from Chongqing on Wednesday and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3216097/former-taiwanese-leader-ma-ying-jeou-shanghai-pla-navy-launches-strait-patrols?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3216097/former-taiwanese-leader-ma-ying-jeou-shanghai-pla-navy-launches-strait-patrols?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Apr 2023 10:51:23 +0000 A joint cruise and patrol operation has begun in the northern and central parts of the Taiwan Strait, the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration said on Wednesday morning, as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is set to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The administration in the southeastern province made the announcement on its social media account, without providing details. It came after the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said on Sunday that the PLA Navy had... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3216046/mainland-china-announces-taiwan-strait-drills-tsai-ing-wen-prepares-meet-us-house-speaker-kevin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3216046/mainland-china-announces-taiwan-strait-drills-tsai-ing-wen-prepares-meet-us-house-speaker-kevin?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Apr 2023 05:02:59 +0000 Beijing has hit out at Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s “sneaky transit” in the United States after the island’s government confirmed a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would go ahead on Wednesday. The two will meet at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley near Los Angeles on Wednesday, with a bipartisan group of lawmakers also attending, McCarthy’s office announced on Monday. The meeting will be the first time a Taiwanese leader has met a House speaker, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3215992/beijing-condemns-taiwanese-president-tsai-ing-wens-sneaky-transit-us-and-warns-resolute-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3215992/beijing-condemns-taiwanese-president-tsai-ing-wens-sneaky-transit-us-and-warns-resolute-response?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Apr 2023 13:00:18 +0000 US Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House speaker, will host a bipartisan meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, his office announced on Monday. They will be joined by other members of Congress at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, near Los Angeles, the office said. Tsai’s trip to Los Angeles is part of her way back to Taiwan after a three-day visit to Belize that began on Sunday. The Taiwanese leader started her tour in New York on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215894/us-house-speaker-meet-taiwanese-president-california-wednesday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215894/us-house-speaker-meet-taiwanese-president-california-wednesday?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Apr 2023 20:15:32 +0000 The Chinese navy sent three warships for live-fire drills in the East China Sea in the countdown to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s expected meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy this week. The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command said on Sunday that the frigate Xiangtan, guided-missile destroyer Taiyuan, and destroyer Taizhou conducted a combat drill in the waters “recently”. It did not say when or where the exercises took place but footage and photos posted online show the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3215876/pla-navy-stages-live-fire-drill-taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-transits-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3215876/pla-navy-stages-live-fire-drill-taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-transits-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Apr 2023 12:53:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and her Guatemalan counterpart, Alejandro Giammattei, on Saturday took in the jungle ruins of a Mayan civilisation citadel where they observed an ancient ritual before a massive stone pyramid known as El Gran Jaguar. The two shook hands there and vowed to maintain strong ties in the face of a diplomatic offensive by mainland China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification. The assembled dignitaries “witness today the strengthening of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215710/mayan-ruins-taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-and-guatemalas-alejandro-giammattei-reaffirm-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215710/mayan-ruins-taiwans-tsai-ing-wen-and-guatemalas-alejandro-giammattei-reaffirm-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Apr 2023 22:19:16 +0000 Two Taiwanese leaders were heading in opposite directions this week in moves that will have a bearing on local politics, cross-strait ties and US-China relations. As incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen visited Central America with crucial stopovers in the United States, former President Ma Ying-jeou made a landmark journey to mainland China. Tsai and Ma come from the two dominant parties in Taiwanese politics, which represent diverging views on how to chart the self-ruled island’s future. Their... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3215569/taiwanese-leaders-duelling-trips-offer-lessons-age-great-power-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3215569/taiwanese-leaders-duelling-trips-offer-lessons-age-great-power-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Apr 2023 02:00:18 +0000 Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has used her transit stay in the United States to seek support for the island’s bid to join international organisations, saying the democratic world should not allow the continued exclusion of Taipei from those bodies. Tsai also said all democratic countries should unite to counter authoritarianism and the island would continue to work with the US and like-minded countries to secure its future. Tsai made the comments after accepting a global leadership award from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215555/back-taiwans-bid-join-global-groups-tsai-ing-wen-urges-democratic-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215555/back-taiwans-bid-join-global-groups-tsai-ing-wen-urges-democratic-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2023 11:00:23 +0000 Nearly half of adults in the United States – or 47 per cent – say tensions between Beijing and Taiwan are a very serious problem for the US, according to a poll by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre. The survey was conducted last week, ahead of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s 10-day international trip to the island’s diplomatic allies Guatemala and Belize, with stopovers in New York and Los Angeles. An expected meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has not been confirmed. Tsai... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215545/nearly-half-americans-see-beijing-taiwan-tensions-serious-problem-us-poll-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215545/nearly-half-americans-see-beijing-taiwan-tensions-serious-problem-us-poll-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2023 10:00:24 +0000 American officials’ “frequent, clear and candid” dialogues with counterparts in Beijing on Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit should help temper mainland China’s response, a senior State Department diplomat said on Thursday. Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, also expected a “smooth and successful” transit of the United States by the island’s leader. He made the comment after Tsai landed in New York on Wednesday local time. She is expected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215477/us-and-china-frequent-clear-and-candid-dialogues-taiwan-leaders-visit-american-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215477/us-and-china-frequent-clear-and-candid-dialogues-taiwan-leaders-visit-american-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2023 19:16:31 +0000 Beijing is not expected to react to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s stop in the United States on the same scale as last year’s unprecedented war games, the island’s security chief has said. Tsai landed in New York on Wednesday US time. She is expected to stay two nights before heading to Guatemala on Saturday as part of a trip that will also see her visit Belize, another Central American ally. Beijing has repeatedly warned her against meeting US leaders while in America and said it would... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215402/taiwan-not-expecting-beijing-react-same-scale-last-years-nancy-pelosi-visit-if-president-tsai-ing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215402/taiwan-not-expecting-beijing-react-same-scale-last-years-nancy-pelosi-visit-if-president-tsai-ing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2023 11:30:11 +0000 Beijing has warned that it will “resolutely hit back” if a planned meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy goes ahead during her transit through the United States. Chinese officials also pressured Tsai over what they said was a plan to use her US transit to seek independence for the self-governing island. The meeting with McCarthy was to take place during Tsai’s expected stopover in Los Angeles. Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the mainland State... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215242/beijing-will-resolutely-hit-back-if-taiwanese-president-tsai-ing-wen-meets-us-house-speaker-kevin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215242/beijing-will-resolutely-hit-back-if-taiwanese-president-tsai-ing-wen-meets-us-house-speaker-kevin?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2023 08:08:13 +0000 A visit last week by the head of the US State Department’s new “China House” unit suggests Beijing is taking a more cautious approach to dealing with Washington, but observers say a diplomatic breakthrough is unlikely. Rick Waters – who is also the deputy assistant secretary of state for China, Taiwan and Mongolia – was in Hong Kong between Monday and Wednesday last week, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. Waters then flew to Shanghai and Beijing, where he met counterparts from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215033/senior-us-officials-china-trip-seen-beneficial-no-ice-breaker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3215033/senior-us-officials-china-trip-seen-beneficial-no-ice-breaker?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2023 14:21:27 +0000