International

Pelosi: a long history of provoking China over human rights

    by Paul HANDLEY Agence France Presse US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a long history of riling Beijing over democracy and human rights, whether by unveiling a banner on Tiananmen Square or in regular meetings with Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Pelosi, the United States’ most powerful lawmaker, stoked fresh tensions in US-China relations Tuesday when she flew into Taiwan, the highest-ranked elected US official to visit the island in 25 […]

North Korea gives Beijing ‘full support’ over Pelosi Taiwan visit

  Seoul, South Korea | AFP North Korea on Wednesday slammed what it called the United States’ “impudent interference” in China’s internal affairs over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s visit to Taiwan, state media reported. Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, landed in Taiwan late Tuesday, becoming the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Beijing has made clear that it regards her presence as a major provocation and has issued increasingly […]

US travelers warned of increased violence risk after Zawahiri killing

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US State Department Tuesday warned Americans traveling abroad they face an increased risk of violence after US forces killed Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. His death in a drone strike in Kabul over the weekend dealt the biggest blow to Al-Qaeda since the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011, prompting US President Joe Biden to declare that “justice had been delivered.” Following the strike, the State Department Tuesday urged […]

US Navy tweets photos of US warships’ passage in PHL seas ahead of Pelosi’s visit in Taiwan

  (Eagle News) — The US Navy released several photos of US warships passing in Philippine seas ahead of the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan. On Tuesday, August 2, in a tweet, the US Pacific Fleet, described as the “world’s largest fleet command,” posted several photos of the US warships’ passage in Philippine seas over the weekend. The US Navy, posted in a tweet, that at least three powerful US warships […]

China summons US ambassador over Pelosi’s Taiwan trip

Beijing, China | AFP China summoned the US ambassador in Beijing Tuesday to rebuke him over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “egregious” trip to Taiwan, state media reported. Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng voiced “strong protests” over Pelosi’s visit to the democratic self-governing island, which China considers part of its territory, during his talk with Ambassador Nicholas Burns. “The move is extremely egregious in nature and the consequences are extremely serious,” Xie was quoted as saying by […]

Pelosi lands in Taiwan, defying China threats

Taipei, Taiwan | AFP by Amber Wang with Ludovic Ehret in Beijing US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan late Tuesday, defying a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China that have sent tensions between the world’s two superpowers soaring. Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years and Beijing has made clear that it regards her presence as a major […]

China’s foreign ministry issues statement on Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan

  BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) — China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday issued a statement on Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region. Following is the full text of the statement: On 2 August, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the […]

US warships cruising near Taiwan as Pelosi visits; China to hold live-fire military drills near Taiwan Strait

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Several US warships were cruising in waters near Taiwan on Tuesday, US military officials said, amid Chinese anger over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to the island Beijing claims as its territory. As China announced it would hold live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait in response to Pelosi’s visit, the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan was operating in the Philippine Sea, […]

China has right to take measures to protect ‘sovereignty’: Moscow

  MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Moscow said Tuesday that ally China had every right to take measures to protect its sovereignty and called US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit a “clear provocation”. “The Chinese side has the right to take necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity over the Taiwan issue,” the Russian foreign ministry said. Moscow called Pelosi’s visit “a clear provocation” aimed at containing China. China’s military said it would […]

US House Speaker Pelosi in Taiwan, defying warnings from China

  US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday evening, defying days of increasingly stark warnings from China that have sent tensions between the world’s two superpowers soaring. Live television images showed the 82-year-old lawmaker, who flew in on a US military aircraft into Taipei’s Songshan Airport, being greeted on arrival by Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu. As soon as she landed in Taiwan, Pelosi tweeted that US was honoring its commitment to […]

China warns US will ‘pay the price’ if Pelosi visits Taiwan

Pelosi travelling on a military aircraft,”raises the stakes of miscalculation,” says US Nat’l Security Council coordinator John Kirby by Ludovic Ehret, with Patrick Lee in Kuala Lumpur and Amber Wang in Taipei Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China said Tuesday that the United States will “pay the price” if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan during her Asia trip. Pelosi was in Malaysia, the second stop in a tour that has sparked rage […]

China population to begin shrinking by 2025: officials

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s population will begin to shrink by 2025, officials have said, as family sizes grow smaller and citizens age. The world’s most-populous country has been grappling with a looming demographic crisis as it faces a rapidly ageing workforce, slowing economy and its weakest population growth in decades. And although officials relaxed the nation’s strict “one-child policy” in 2016 and last year allowed couples to have three children, the birth rate […]