Category Archives: China

Hu Jintao argued about official papers before being escorted out of congress

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Footage shows former Chinese president involved in apparent disagreement over documents

China’s former leader Hu Jintao was arguing about official papers, moments before he was escorted off the stage at a key Communist party meeting in Beijing, new footage shows.

Hu’s apparently reluctant departure from the stage at the 20th congress of the Chinese Communist party (CCP) was a rare moment of unscripted drama at what was otherwise a carefully choreographed week of political theatre.

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Xi Jinping’s party purge prompts fears of greater Taiwan invasion risk

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Observers wonder whether there is anyone left in CCP to stop Chinese president making a rash move

Xi Jinping’s purging of political rivals and elevation of loyalists to the top ranks of the Chinese Communist party has raised fears that his now unfettered and unquestionable power could increase the risk of an attack on Taiwan.

Beijing has pledged to annex Taiwan under a disputed claim that it is a Chinese province, and in recent years has increased its military activity and other forms of harassment and coercion. No timeline has been set, but senior defence figures have said China could be capable of invasion as early as 2027. Others point to Xi’s pledge of “national rejuvenation” by 2047 – the centenary of the People’s Republic of China – as a potential goal.

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Two Chinese spies charged with trying to obstruct US Huawei investigation, Garland says – as it happened

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Republican senator Ted Cruz was a vociferous objector to the 2020 election, but ended up hiding in a supply closet when insurrectionists stormed the Capitol on January 6, as Ramon Antonio Vargas reports:

As a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol during the January 6 attack in a desperate attempt to keep him in the Oval Office, Ted Cruz hid in a closet next to a stack of chairs, but he never thought twice about continuing to sow doubt about the former president’s electoral defeat, the Republican senator from Texas has revealed.

Tight Senate margins and a Democratic president would make it impossible for GOP leaders to deliver on the party’s most hardline fiscal wishes, at least with President Joe Biden still in office. The disappointment would surely prompt blowback from right-leaning Republicans already known as the sharpest thorns in the party’s side.

“Spare me if you’re a Republican who puts on your frigging campaign website, ‘Trust me, I will vote for a balanced budget amendment, and I believe we should balance the budget like every family in America.’ No shit,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the pro-Trump Freedom Caucus, said in an interview.

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Chinese spy duo charged in Huawei case as US condemns ‘egregious’ interference

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Pair allegedly tried to bribe top US official as attorney general says DoJ ‘will not tolerate attempts to undermine the rule of law’

Two Chinese intelligence officers tried to bribe a US law enforcement official as part of an effort to obtain inside information about a criminal case against the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, federal prosecutors alleged in an indictment unsealed on Monday.

The announcement of charges against the two alleged agents came as attorney general Merrick Garland detailed two other cases in which Chinese intelligence operatives harassed dissidents inside the United States and pressured US academics to work for them.

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Almost half of Australians support sending military to help defend Taiwan, poll suggests

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YouGov survey finds people in Australia more likely to favour sending troops than people in Japan and US

Almost half of Australians believe the country should send troops to help defend Taiwan against China if required, a much higher percentage of the population than in the US or Japan, a new survey suggests.

About a third of the public in the US and Japan agreed with sending military forces to respond to such a crisis, according to polling commissioned by the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

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China’s leader Xi Jinping secures third term and stacks inner circle with loyalists

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Xi unveiled as general secretary of ruling Communist Party, tilting China back towards one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among elite

Xi Jinping has been confirmed as leader of China for a precedent-breaking third term, after a week-long political meeting eliminated key rivals and strengthened his political power.

The 20th Party Congress, the most important meeting of the ruling Chinese Communist party five-year political cycle, saw about 2,400 delegates gather in Beijing to rubber-stamp major reshuffles and constitutional changes before its official close on Saturday.

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Sharp fall in China’s global standing as poll shows backing for Taiwan defence

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Survey finds pro-China sentiment has collapsed in many nations while positive opinion of US has rebounded

China’s reputation has deteriorated rapidly over the last four years, particularly in the west, and a large share of global opinion would back some form of international help for Taiwan if Beijing tries to take the island by force, according to a survey.

It comes as Xi Jinping warned of “dangerous storms” on the horizon as he was confirmed on Sunday as Chinese leader for a precedent-breaking third term, and as Washington warns that Beijing is accelerating plans to annex the island.

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Xi Jinping chooses ‘yes’ men over economic growth in politburo purge

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China’s president doubles down on ruling for life, excluding potential future leaders or factional rivals

Xi Jinping has stacked the senior Chinese Communist party ranks with loyalists, showing China’s ever more powerful leader favours loyalty over merit – and wants rule insulated from criticism or questioning.

The appointments, which were revealed on Sunday, have raised concerns that Xi has surrounded himself with “yes men” as he leads China through what he called the “choppy waters” of the future, some of which are of his own making. The country is facing domestic economic troubles and worsening global tensions as Xi doubles down on threats to annex Taiwan.

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Who’s who in Xi Jinping’s China as leader cements power

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An introduction to loyal Xi acolytes on politburo standing committee who will now shape Xi’s vision for China

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, claimed his third term in power this weekend, and swept men from rival factions out of the politburo standing committee, the seven-strong nucleus of political power in China.

It is now packed with men – there has never been a woman on the PSC – who are loyal Xi acolytes, in what one analyst described as “maximum Xi”.

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In Mao’s footsteps: Xi Jinping puts himself at core of China’s government

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President would normally step down now after 10 years as leader, but he has abolished term limits and promoted his allies

Xi Jinping has eliminated key rivals from China’s leadership and consolidated his grip on the country on the final day of a Communist party meeting at which former president Hu Jintao was led away unexpectedly from the main stage. Hu’s departure was a rare moment of unscripted drama in what is usually carefully choreographed political theatre.

The closing session of the 20th congress of the Chinese Communist party (CCP) ended a weekend of triumph for Xi that makes him China’s most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong. He has swept away the last norms of a political order built since Mao’s death to prevent a return to the worst excesses of rule by a single autocrat.

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Hu Jintao ‘not feeling well’ when he left China congress, says state media

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Xinhua news agency says former Chinese president was led from political gathering to ‘rest’ amid mystery around his departure

Former Chinese president Hu Jintao was “not feeling well” when he was escorted out of the closing ceremony of a congress of the ruling Communist party on Saturday, according to state media.

China’s official news agency Xinhua said in a tweet late on Saturday: “Xinhuanet reporter Liu Jiawen has learned that Hu Jintao insisted on attending the closing session of the party’s 20th national congress, despite the fact that he has been taking time to recuperate recently.”

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Former Chinese president Hu Jintao unexpectedly led out of party congress

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A frail-looking Hu seemed reluctant to leave the front row in Beijing’s Great Hall, with no explanation given for his departure

China’s former leader Hu Jintao was escorted from the closing session of a key Communist party meeting in Beijing, a rare moment of unscripted drama in what is usually carefully choreographed political theatre.

Hu, who is 79, and stepped down as head of the party 10 years ago, seemed confused and reluctant to leave his seat on stage at the Great Hall of the People.

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Xi Jinping tightens grip on power as China’s Communist party elevates his status

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Party amends constitution to enshrine Xi at its core and his political thought as its underpinning ideology

China’s president, Xi Jinping, has strengthened his power as leader and elevated his status within Communist party (CCP) history, with major political resolutions announced on the final day of a key political meeting.

On Saturday, the CCP congress approved amendments to its constitution, including the “Two Establishes” and “Two Safeguards”, aimed at enshrining Xi as at the core of the party and his political thought as its underpinning ideology.

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US charges seven over alleged Beijing plot to forcibly repatriate ‘elite’ Chinese

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US attorney in New York criticises ‘outrageous violations of national sovereignty’ and alleges campaign of harassment against US resident

The United States has charged seven Chinese nationals it accuses of waging a surveillance and harassment campaign against a US resident and his family as part of a bid by Beijing to forcibly repatriate one of them back to China.

The eight-count indictment, unsealed on Thursday in a US district court in Brooklyn, New York, is the latest case by the justice department targeting China’s global overseas campaign, known as “Operation Fox Hunt”.

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Ministers urged to expel China diplomat over Manchester protest violence

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UK government facing growing criticism for ‘weak’ response to attack on democracy campaigner

British ministers have been urged immediately to expel a senior Chinese diplomat who admitted being involved in violence against protesters in Manchester, as the government faced growing criticism over its “weak and supine” response.

Zheng Xiyuan, the Chinese consul general, said it was his “duty” to grab the hair of a pro-democracy campaigner who was badly injured after being dragged inside the consulate grounds on Sunday.

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China using influencers to whitewash human rights abuses, report finds

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Social media videos by people from the Uyghur community are part of a sophisticated propaganda campaign, thinktank says

The Chinese Communist party is using social media influencers from troubled regions like Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia to whitewash human rights abuses through an increasingly sophisticated propaganda campaign, a report has claimed.

The report published on Thursday by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), described the videos by “frontier influencers” as a growing part of Beijing’s “propaganda arsenal”.

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Protester condemns ‘barbaric’ attack in Manchester outside China consulate

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Bob Chan backs calls for UK government to expel any Chinese officials involved in peaceful protest

A pro-democracy protester who appeared to be beaten up by men from China’s consulate in Manchester has condemned the attack as “barbaric” and backed calls for the UK government to expel any Chinese officials involved.

Speaking for the first time since the incident, which was captured on video, Bob Chan said: “I’m shocked and hurt by this unprovoked attack,” adding he had been taking part in a “peaceful protest”.

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Hong Kong leader aims to attract talent but vows further crackdown

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John Lee pledges to enact anti-subversion law while emphasising need to alleviate brain drain

Hong Kong’s new leader has pledged to enact an anti-subversion law, tighten up cybersecurity and crack down on false information and crowdfunding activities, after China’s Xi Jinping issued calls to reinforce national security.

In his first policy address since becoming the city’s chief executive in July, John Lee also emphasised the need to “proactively trawl the world for talents” to help alleviate a brain drain, acknowledging that the local workforce had shrunk by about 140,000 in the last two years, after a national security law came to force.

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Australia and Japan to share intelligence on China in security deal, ambassador says

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In interview with Guardian Australia, Shingo Yamagami also hints Australia is likely to be invited to G7 summit in Hiroshima

Japan and Australia will share intelligence assessments about China’s military buildup and intentions under a security deal to be signed by the two prime ministers this weekend.

Japan’s ambassador, Shingo Yamagami, also hinted that Australia was likely to be invited to the G7 summit in Hiroshima next year, saying its participation would be a “natural” step at a time of worsening tensions in the region.

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Hong Kong launches $3.8bn fund to attract foreign businesses back

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Chief executive says territory will ‘trawl world for talent’ after lockdowns and political unrest cause brain drain

Hong Kong has unveiled a HK$30bn ($3.8bn) co-investment fund to attract overseas businesses back to the city after an exodus of talent prompted by strict lockdowns and a tumultuous political climate.

A raft of measures to address the brain drain were announced by Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, in his first policy address on Wednesday – although his plans have largely failed to reassure investors.

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