76 m. ago Chinese sanctions will cost a South Korean shipbuilder but could boost US ties

China’s sanctions on Hanwha Ocean will drive up the firm’s costs in the medium term but may also end up boosting South Korean ties with the US over the long term as Washington seeks to expand naval shipbuilding capacity, analysts said. Last week, the Chinese commerce ministry announced it had imposed sanctions on five US-based affiliates of Hanwha Ocean, one of South Korea’s largest shipbuilding companies. The ministry alleged that Hanwha had supported Washington’s investigation into Chinese...

Politics

2 h. ago China, South Korea eye ‘symbolic restart’ for ties during Xi’s visit: experts

For the first time in more than a decade, Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit South Korea next week, travelling to the historic city of Gyeongju for talks with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung as well as to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit. While the trip carries limited expectations for immediate breakthroughs, it is seen as a carefully calibrated step towards resetting strained China-South Korea ties, according to experts. Xi’s last visit in 2014, at the...

Politics

6 h. ago US senators call on Trump to show support for Jimmy Lai in meeting with Xi

A bipartisan group of 38 US senators is urging President Donald Trump to use his expected summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea next week to secure the release of former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the latest in the US Congress’s efforts to get human rights on the agenda of the high-stakes meeting. In a letter released on Friday, the lawmakers described Lai as a political prisoner and said the case for his release was “more dire than ever” due to his worsening...

Politics

12 h. ago Trump turns up the heat with probe into China’s compliance with 2020 trade deal

In a move that piles up further US leverage in advance of next week’s planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the US Trade Representative announced an investigation on Friday into Beijing’s compliance with the Phase One Trade Agreement. The latest tit-for-tat salvo comes as the two economic giants amass threats that, if carried through, could cripple the global economy. “The initiation of this investigation underscores the Trump administration’s...

Politics

15 h. ago Beijing's assistance in wars: Myanmar junta ousted rebels from cities in three weeks thanks to Chinese weaponry

Beijing's assistance in wars: Myanmar junta ousted rebels from cities in three weeks thanks to Chinese weaponry  Українські Національні Новини

Events

19 h. ago China can learn US lessons to unleash military power of civilian tech, researcher says

China can learn from the United States when it comes to applying civilian innovations to the military, a Chinese geopolitical expert has said. In an article last week, Gu Jianyi, a researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said China could consider developing a new industrial ecosystem inspired by successful US firms such as SpaceX, Palantir and Anduril. Such an ecosystem would be defined by Silicon Valley-style innovation, software-centric design, agile development and civil-military...

Events

36 h. ago US lawmakers urge Trump to press Xi on American detainees, exit bans

A group of US Republican lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping at an expected summit next week about Americans they view as unjustly detained or barred from leaving China, framing Beijing’s use of exit bans and detention as “tools” to gain leverage. In a letter released on Thursday, three Republicans – Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Representatives Chris Smith of New Jersey and John Moolenaar of Michigan – highlighted the cases of two Americans,...

Politics

42 h. ago China’s global goal for yuan boosted by Ethiopian hopes for loan currency swap

Ethiopia’s plan to convert its dollar-denominated Chinese loans to yuan is a “savvy financial arbitrage play” in the view of some analysts, while others warned that the move could “complicate” negotiations with bondholders over the 2023 Eurobond default. Eyob Tekalign, governor of the Ethiopian central bank, confirmed last week that Addis Ababa had initiated talks with Chinese lenders, including the Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank) and the People’s Bank of China, to swap part of its...

Politics

45 h. ago US, Chinese top trade negotiators to hold talks in Malaysia this weekend

US, Chinese top trade negotiators to hold talks in Malaysia this weekend  Anadolu Ajansı

Politics

64 h. ago Chinese Threat Actors Exploit ToolShell SharePoint Flaw Weeks After Microsoft's July Patch

Chinese Threat Actors Exploit ToolShell SharePoint Flaw Weeks After Microsoft's July Patch  The Hacker News

Events

68 h. ago Can the Philippines regain its tourism edge with revival of China e

The Philippines will revive its electronic visa programme for Chinese tourists next month, nearly two years after its abrupt suspension, as part of a broader push to boost lagging visitor arrivals and regain lost ground in the regional tourism race. The Philippine embassy in Beijing confirmed in a statement issued on October 15 that Chinese citizens – including those from Hong Kong and Macau – would again be able to apply for short-stay e-visas online for up to 14 days of travel for tourism or...

Politics

3 d. ago Commentary: Chinese consumer behaviour during Golden Week was exactly what Beijing hoped to avoid

Commentary: Chinese consumer behaviour during Golden Week was exactly what Beijing hoped to avoid  CNA

Politics

4 d. ago Chinese coastguard patrols reefs controlled by Vietnam in South China Sea

The Chinese coastguard patrolled around disputed sites controlled by Vietnam in the South China Sea last week, vessel tracking information shows. Three patrol ships left a Chinese base on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands on Thursday and circled around a series of land features – some of which Vietnam has built facilities on – before returning to the reef on Saturday, according to Automatic Identification System data. The purpose of the patrol by the coastguard vessels – identified by the...

Politics

5 d. ago Myanmar junta raids scam hub powered by Elon Musk’s Starlink

Myanmar’s junta raided one of the country’s most notorious internet scam centres and seized Starlink devices, it said on Monday, after an investigation had revealed an explosion in their use in the billion-dollar black market. Internet sweat shops where workers scam unsuspecting foreigners with business or romance schemes have thrived in war-ravaged Myanmar’s lawless border regions since the coronavirus pandemic. A transnational push by Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities starting in February...

Politics

7 d. ago Top US and China trade envoys set for talks after ‘constructive’ video call

China and the United States are set to hold fresh trade talks next week, following a video call between Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Saturday morning Beijing time. “Vice-Premier He Lifeng and I engaged in frank and detailed discussions regarding trade between the United States and China,” Bessent wrote on social media after their call. “We will meet in person next week to continue our discussions.” In its readout, China described He’s discussions with...

Politics

7 d. ago Trump confirms Xi meeting, retreats on 100% tariffs: ‘not sustainable’

In a turnaround from the tough stance he took a week ago, US President Donald Trump said Friday that he planned to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in two weeks and suggested that imposing an additional 100 per cent tariff on all Chinese goods appeared unworkable. But he also blamed China for the latest stand-off in trade talks. The mercurial president called into question his planned sit-down with Xi seven days ago and threatened the draconian tariff increase in addition to...

Politics

1 week ago South Korea’s PPP slammed for targeting Chinese nationals via ‘xenophobic’ bill

South Korea’s conservative opposition party is facing mounting backlash over a proposed bill that aims to tighten restrictions on Chinese nationals, with critics accusing it of stoking xenophobia to galvanise support ahead of next year’s local elections. The People Power Party (PPP) has unveiled legislation – dubbed the “Three Shopping Prevention Law” – targeted at Chinese citizens, claiming that they had been abusing the country’s national health insurance system and making speculative property...

Events

2 w. ago 1.4 million mainland Chinese passenger trips made to Hong Kong over ‘golden week’

More than 1.4 million mainland Chinese passenger trips were made to Hong Kong during the National Day “golden week” holiday, official data has shown, but the number still fell short of the city government’s expectations of nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels of 1.52 million. While Hong Kong retailers and caterers reported business growth of up to 20 per cent year on year during the break, a sector representative said on Thursday that tourists’ spending power had remained weak. According to the...

Politics

2 w. ago Japan’s visa plans for Chinese visitors hit by overtourism fears, political tilt

Tokyo is facing growing calls from regional tourism sectors to relax visa rules for Chinese travellers, but rising political wariness towards foreign arrivals and public frustration over overtourism are keeping the plan on ice, despite its economic promise. A long-anticipated proposal to grant 10-year multiple-entry visas to high-income Chinese tourists, extend group tour stays from 15 to 30 days, and ease paperwork for elderly travellers has yet to be implemented. As the roll-out was expected...

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese premier to visit North Korea for ruling party celebrations this week

Chinese premier to visit North Korea for ruling party celebrations this week  NK News

Politics