Category Archives: China

Secret group of US military trainers has been in Taiwan for at least a year

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Small contingent of US special forces and marines training local forces in latest sign of rising US-China tensions

The US has been secretly maintaining a small contingent of military trainers in Taiwan for at least a year, according to a new report, the latest sign of the rising stakes in US-China rivalry.

About two dozen US special forces soldiers and an unspecified number of marines are now training Taiwanese forces, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The trainers were first sent to Taiwan by the Trump administration but their presence had not been reported until now.

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Hong Kong plans megacourt to deal with protest arrests backlog

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City’s leader announces initiative as thousands still await trial, and also reveals project for new metropolis

Hong Kong will build a new megacourt to address a shortage of space as it works through a backlog of the thousands arrested during the 2019 mass protests, and the more than 150 arrested under the national security law.

The city’s leader, Carrie Lam, announced the initiative on Wednesday in a policy address, which also included plans for a new metropolis on the border with mainland China and further tightening of national security laws.

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‘Instead I am the criminal’: China’s MeToo figure speaks out after case fails

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Even if her appeal against sexual harassment verdict is unsuccessful, Xianzi is proud that more women now feel they can share their experiences

Sitting inside a Beijing courthouse late at night last month, Zhou Xiaoxuan and her lawyers came to a quick decision. Their years-long effort to seek justice for her alleged sexual harassment by one of the country’s most popular celebrities was clearly not going to go their way. In a short statement the court ruled she had tendered insufficient evidence.

On Weibo she wrote to her supporters with a list of criticisms of the judgment and process. “Failure is not shameful, and I am honoured to have stood with you together in the past three years … Thank you very much, everyone, I will definitely appeal.”

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Joe Biden and Xi Jinping to hold virtual meeting this year – White House

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Biden administration announces plan after meeting between US national security adviser and China’s top diplomat

The US president, Joe Biden, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are planning to meet by video link before the end of the year, a senior US official said on Wednesday.

There is an “agreement in principle” for the “virtual bilateral”, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

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‘We’ll abide by the Taiwan agreement’ says Biden after Xi call – video

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Joe Biden says he has spoken to the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, about Taiwan and they have agreed to abide by the Taiwan agreement.

Beijing sent about 150 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence zone over four days beginning on Friday, the same day China marked a key patriotic holiday, in a record escalation of its grey-zone military activity directed towards the island

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China could mount full scale invasion of Taiwan by 2025, island’s defence minister says

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Comments come as Biden and Xi agree to stick to Taiwan agreements amid rising tension in the Indo-Pacific

China will be capable of mounting a full scale invasion of Taiwan by 2025, the island’s defence minister Chiu Kuo-cheng has said, describing current tensions as the worst in 40 years.

Speaking to the China Times on Wednesday, Chiu said China was capable now, but would be completely prepared to launch an invasion in three years.

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Huawei hopes US decision on Meng Wanzhou heralds new era in relations

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US justice department suspended fraud charges against chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant

The Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei hopes that the US justice department’s decision to abandon its efforts to extradite Meng Wanzhou may mark the starting point in a new era in relations between the company, China and the US government.

Meng, the firm’s chief financial officer and daughter of its founder, was freed last month after three years of house arrest in Canada following an agreement with the justice department to suspend fraud charges against her.

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Taiwan must be on alert against ‘over-the-top’ China, says premier – video

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Taiwan needs to be on alert for China's 'over-the-top' military activities which are violating regional peace, Premier Su Tseng-chang has said after incursions by Chinese warplanes into Taiwan's air defence zone. China has sent nearly 150 planes into the zone in the first four days of October, in what mainland figures and media have labelled a demonstration of strength but which world governments have condemned as an act of intimidation

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Tony Abbott arrives in Taiwan to address regional forum amid rising tensions with China

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Former Australian prime minister, who has said China is ‘asserting itself aggressively’, will meet Taiwanese president and foreign minister

Australia’s former prime minister, Tony Abbott, has jetted into Taiwan to speak at a regional forum as tensions with China escalate following recent air incursions.

Abbott is in Taiwan to deliver a keynote speech at the Yushan forum – an Asian-regional dialogue conference organised by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation.

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Taiwan and China: line that Biden must tread is finer than ever

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Analysis: the fallout from a conflict triggered by miscalculation or accident could be catastrophic

A surge of Chinese aerial sorties over the sea separating mainland China and Taiwan has served as a reminder that the strait has the potential to be one of the most dangerous places on Earth.

According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) made a total of 149 sorties in four days over the southern section of the Taiwan Strait, including flights by a dozen bombers and many jet fighters.

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Taiwan president warns of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if island falls to China

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Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan will ‘do whatever it takes to defend itself’ against an increasingly assertive Beijing

Taiwan is committed to defending its democracy against an increasingly aggressive China, the island’s president has vowed, warning of “catastrophic consequences” for the region should it fall.

The comments from Tsai Ing-wen, in an essay published on Tuesday, came amid record-breaking incursions by Chinese warplanes into its air defence zone. On Tuesday Taiwan’s premier, Su Tseng-chang, said the “over the top” activity violated regional peace, and Taiwan needed to be on alert.

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Australia warns China against ‘threat or use of force’ following Taiwan air incursions

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Canberra weighs into dispute saying it wants ‘an Indo-Pacific region that is secure, prosperous and based on the rule of law’

The Australian government has raised concerns about China’s increased incursions into Taiwan’s air defence zone and warned against “the threat or use of force”.

Taiwan has said Beijing sent nearly 150 fighter jets and bombers into its air defence zone over four consecutive days, prompting the US to describe the incursions as “provocative” and “destabilising”. Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, described the activity as “threatening”.

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Taiwan reports record Chinese incursions into its air defence zone

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Defence ministry says it detected at least 56 flights hours after US urged Beijing to cease ‘provocative’ activity

China sent a record number of military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defence zone on Monday, the fourth consecutive day of such air incursions by Beijing amid growing fears of further escalation.

Taiwan’s ministry of defence said it had detected at least 52 flights during daylight hours on Monday, including 36 fighter jets, 12 H-6 bombers, two transport aircraft and two surveillance aircraft. Late on Monday it reported another four fighter jets crossing into the zone after dark.

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Chinese planes fly over Taiwan defence zone in second day of record show of force

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Taipei says 39 Chinese fighter jets crossed into its defence zone in two sorties, following a 38-plane incursion on Friday

China has for the second day in a row flown more than 30 military planes towards Taiwan in yet another record show of force.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said 39 aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in two sorties on Saturday, one during the day and one at night. That followed a similar pattern on Friday, when 38 planes flew into the area south of the self-governing island.

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China flies record 38 planes over Taiwan defence zone in national day show of force

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Taipei says Chinese jets and bombers crossed zone as Beijing marked the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic

A record 38 Chinese military jets crossed into Taiwan’s defence zone as Beijing marked the founding of the People’s Republic of China, officials in Taipei have said.

The show of force on China’s national day on Friday near the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, came in the same week it accused Britain of sending a warship into the Taiwan strait with “evil intentions”.

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‘I’m overjoyed’: Canadian Michael Spavor speaks out after China release

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Businessman Spavor reunites with family after his release last week from detention along with former diplomat

Canadian citizen Michael Spavor has expressed joy at being reunited with his family after being released from jail in China last week.

“I’m overjoyed to be finally reunited with my family. It’s humbling as I begin to understand the continued support that we’ve received from Canadians and those around the world, thank you,” Spavor said on Friday in a first statement since his release.

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NZ opposition leader says US and UK ‘left door open’ for China in Indo-Pacific

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Judith Collins criticises America as ‘foolish’ for walking away from free trade agreements

New Zealand’s opposition leader has hit out at the US and UK over China, saying their failure to adopt free trade agreements was “foolish” and increased Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

“If any criticism comes to New Zealand, as it often does about this close relationship with China and trade, my answer to everybody – whether they’re the US or UK – is: ‘So where’s our free trade agreement?’,” Judith Collins, leader of the centre-right National party, said in an interview with the Guardian on Friday.

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China orders energy firms to secure winter fuel supplies at all costs

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World’s second biggest economy is grappling with power cuts that have affected industrial output

China’s central government officials have ordered the top state-owned energy companies to secure fuel supplies for winter at all costs as the country battles a power crisis that threatens to hit growth in the world’s second biggest economy.

The vice-premier, Han Zheng, has told energy companies to make sure there is enough fuel to keep the country running and made it clear that Beijing would not tolerate blackouts, according to a report by Bloomberg.

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China owed $385bn – including ‘hidden debt’ from poorer nations, says report

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AidData finds 42 low-to-middle income countries with ‘belt and road’ exposure exceeding 10% of GDP

Researchers have identified debts of at least $385bn (£286bn) owed by 165 countries to China for “Belt and road initiative” (BRI) projects, with loans systematically underreported to international bodies such as the World Bank.

The four-year study by US-based research lab AidData said the debt burdens were kept off the public balance sheets through the use of special purpose and semi-private loans, and were “substantially larger than research institutions, credit rating agencies, or intergovernmental organisations with surveillance responsibilities previously understood”.

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Tony Abbott says China tensions should not prevent Taiwan joining trade pact

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The former PM calls on the Australian government to urge the US to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership and backs the UK to join

The former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott says the government should not allow a fear of inflaming tensions with China get in the way of accepting Taiwan’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.

Abbott also called on the Australian government to urge the US to “reconsider their aloofness from the TPP, which was originally their own idea”.

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