Tag: china

China, Philippines agree to talk more on South China Sea flare-ups

BEIJING, Jan 18, 2024 (AFP) – Chinese and Philippine officials have agreed on the need for closer dialogue to deal with “maritime emergencies” in the South China Sea, including in the hotly contested Second Thomas Shoal, Beijing said. Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the waterway, but relations sharply deteriorated recently over a series of incidents involving vessels from both countries. Confrontations were among their most intense around the […]

24 Chinese warplanes around Taiwan in first show of force since poll

TAIPEI, Jan 18, 2024 (AFP) – More than 20 Chinese warplanes were detected around Taiwan, with 11 crossing a sensitive median line separating the self-ruled island from China, Taipei’s defence ministry said Thursday, the first significant show of force since the weekend’s presidential election. The ministry, which releases data daily on the Chinese military presence around Taiwan, said Thursday that 24 warplanes and 5 ships had been detected in the 24 hours leading up to […]

Philippines to upgrade outposts in disputed South China Sea

MANILA, Jan 15, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines will upgrade outposts in waters off its coast and acquire more ships, its military chief said Monday, as the country seeks to push back against China’s growing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea. Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the waterway, but relations sharply deteriorated recently over a series of incidents involving vessels from both countries. Philippine military chief General […]

Maldives tells India to withdraw troops by March as row deepens

MALÉ, Maldives, Jan 14, 2024 (AFP) – The Maldivian president told India Sunday to withdraw its nearly 100 troops by March 15, a day after returning from China where he signed a raft of deals. New Delhi considers the Indian Ocean archipelago to be within its sphere of influence, but the Maldives has shifted into the orbit of China — its largest external creditor. The March deadline was set during talks with Indian officials in […]

China says ‘reunification’ with Taiwan remains ‘inevitable’ after vote

BEIJING, Jan 13, 2024 (AFP) – China said “reunification” with Taiwan remained “inevitable” after president-elect Lai Ching-te won Saturday’s pivotal election on the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. Lai, branded by China as a threat to peace, won an unprecedented third consecutive term for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after he pitched himself as the defender of the island’s democratic way of life. In a statement issued after Lai emerged as […]

Taiwan tells China to ‘face reality’ after election

By Amber Wang and Damon Wake TAIPEI, Jan 14, 2024 (AFP) – Taiwan on Sunday told China to “face reality” and respect its election result, after voters defied Beijing’s warnings and chose pro-sovereignty candidate Lai Ching-te as president. Voters spurned Beijing’s repeated calls not to vote for Lai, delivering a comfortable victory for a man China’s ruling Communist Party sees as a dangerous separatist. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has never renounced […]

China calls Taiwan poll frontrunner a ‘severe danger’ days from crucial vote

By Dene CHEN, Xinqi SU TAIPEI, Jan 11, 2024 (AFP) – China warned Taiwan’s voters Thursday to make the correct choice in the island’s weekend elections, describing the presidential frontrunner as a “severe danger” who would threaten peace by following the “evil path” of independence. Democratic Taiwan is two days from a pivotal election that is being watched from Beijing to Washington because the next president will determine the island’s future relations with an increasingly […]

Tesla to recall 1.6 mn cars in China to fix steering software: regulator

BEIJING, Jan 5, 2024 (AFP) – Tesla is recalling more than 1.6 million electric vehicles in China, the country’s market regulator said Friday, owing to software issues that could pose safety risks while driving. The recall — sparked by the discovery of problems with assisted driving functions and door-locking systems — will be conducted through remote ‘over-the-air’ (OTA) updates to the cars’ software. China is a vital component in US-based Tesla’s global layout, both as […]

China calls for ‘restraint’ from all parties after N. Korea shelling

BEIJING, Jan 5, 2024 (AFP) – China called Friday for “restraint” from all sides after Seoul said North Korea had fired an artillery barrage near two South Korean islands. “Under the current situation, we hope that all relevant parties maintain calm and restraint, refrain from taking actions that aggravate tensions, avoid further escalation of the situation, and create conditions for the resumption of meaningful dialogue,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters. Hours after the […]

China slams ‘provocative’ US moves in South China Sea as both sides conduct drills

BEIJING, Jan 4, 2024 (AFP) – China on Thursday slammed what it called “provocative” moves by the United States and its ally the Philippines in the South China Sea, as both sides held drills in the disputed waters. Warships from China and the US conducted rival exercises in the sea this week amid heightened tensions involving US ally the Philippines. Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command Wednesday said a two-day deployment of its […]

Beijing condemns Myanmar border clashes that caused Chinese casualties

BEIJING, Jan 4, 2024 (AFP) – Beijing on Thursday voiced “strong dissatisfaction” that fighting in neighbouring Myanmar had caused Chinese casualties and said it would take “all necessary measures” to protect its citizens, following reports an artillery shell had exploded across the border. Armed conflict has raged in Myanmar’s northern Shan state since October, when an alliance of ethnic minority groups launched an offensive against the military junta. Several Chinese media outlets reported on Wednesday […]

China holds navy, air patrols in South China Sea

BEIJING, Jan 4, 2024 (AFP) – Chinese and US warships were in the South China Sea on Thursday, conducting rival exercises in the disputed waters amid heightened tensions involving US ally the Philippines. Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command a day before said a two-day deployment of its navy and air force, scheduled to end today, was carrying out “routine patrols” in the sea. It did not mention where exactly the patrols took […]