Tag: china

Opposition lawmakers seek Senate probe into plan to air Chinese programs on PTV-4

(Eagle News) — Opposition senators are seeking a Senate inquiry into the “propriety” of the plan to air of Chinese programs on state-run television station PTV 4 starting August. In filing Senate Resolution No. 780, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Bam Aquino, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan, and Antonio Trillanes IV said the airing of such shows in the network “poses a danger of spreading Chinese propaganda sanctioned by our government..” “Airing of Chinese […]

US hits Chinese firm Sinovel with $1.5 mn fine for stealing technology

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A US court on Friday imposed the maximum fine of $1.5 million of Chinese firm Sinovel for stealing trade secrets from an American company producing wind turbines, the Justice Department said. The decision comes on the day Washington unleashed 25 percent import tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese products to punish the country for what President Donald Trump has said is the rampant theft of American technology. After being charged […]

China counterpunches against US in growing trade war

by Douglas Gillison / with Ryan MCMORROW in Beijing Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – China on Friday struck back against US President Donald Trump’s trade offensive, intensifying the expanding and unpredictable dispute between the world’s two largest economies. Late Friday, China announced it was expanding its existing complaint against the United States at the World Trade Organization, hours after the countries slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on billions of dollars of cross-border trade. Beijing called the […]

China court ‘bans sales’ of chips from US firm Micron

SHANGHAI, China (AFP)–A Chinese technology firm embroiled in a patent dispute with US chip giant Micron said Wednesday that a court had ruled in its favour and ordered an immediate halt of several Micron products in China. According to the state-owned Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co, a court in the southeastern city of Fuzhou has ruled that Micron must stop sales of more than a dozen solid-state drives, memory sticks and chips. The court ruling […]

US lets ZTE resume some activity

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – The United States has temporarily allowed Chinese telecoms company ZTE to resume some activities while it works to meet conditions set by Washington in a politically charged settlement reached last month. In a Federal Register notice released Tuesday, the Commerce Department gave ZTE until August 1 to continue supporting its existing US equipment and networks, lifting some restrictions put in place in April that had brought the company to the […]

China stocks open down after weak data

SHANGAI, China (AFP)–Chinese stocks opened slightly lower on Monday following data showing a drop in Chinese factory activity and ahead of the expected imposition of US tariffs later in the week. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.21 percent, or 5.84 points, to 2,841.58, while the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, edged down 0.09 percent, or 1.40 points, to 1,606.22. Hong Kong markets are closed for a public holiday. © […]

Thousands march in Hong Kong as restrictions grow

Protesters marched through central Hong Kong on Sunday in one of the city’s major annual pro-democracy rallies as organisers said the event was coming under unprecedented pressure from authorities. Beijing has become increasingly intolerant of signs of dissent in semi-autonomous Hong Kong since massive pro-democracy rallies in 2014 brought parts of the city to a standstill and led to the emergence of activists demanding independence from China. Hong Kong has rights unseen on the mainland, […]

US trade war upends China’s economic balancing act

  by Julien Girault © Agence France-Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s government is facing a multi-front battle to defend its economy, fighting to reduce its debt mountain while the yuan and local stock markets tumble in the face of a US trade conflict. With the Trump administration preparing to roll out tariffs on some $34 billion of Chinese imports next week, the Shanghai Stock Exchange is taking a nosedive — down some eight percent in […]

Xi refuses to budge on South China Sea in talks with US defense chief

by Paul Handley © Agence France-Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping stiffly defended his country’s claim to disputed islands in the South China Sea after US Defense Secretary James Mattis questioned the militarization of the region in a day of meetings in Beijing Wednesday with top officials. The two sides held firm to their stances on a hot-button issue which has added to broader tensions between the rival superpowers, but US officials said […]

US defence chief visits China as tensions simmer

  by Paul Handley © Agence France-Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) – US Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in Beijing on his first ever visit to China on Tuesday, aiming to find room for military cooperation as security tensions between the two superpowers edge higher. With Washington and Beijing locked in an escalating trade war, and the Pentagon alarmed over China’s placement of weapons on disputed islands in the South China Sea, Mattis said he would seek […]

Mnuchin rebuts reports on new China investmernt restrictions

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday denounced media reports detailing plans to impose restrictions on Chinese investment in US companies and on tech exports to China. The reports were widely cited Monday as helping to spark a global stocks selloff, with investors increasingly gloomy about the prospects of de-escalation in the emerging US-China trade war. The White House in late May announced plans to impose steep tariffs on Chinese […]

Mattis visits China amid Korea talks, strategic tensions

by Paul HANDLEY Agence France-Presse EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, United States (AFP)–US Secretary of Defense James Mattis will make his first visit to China this week amid rising tensions between the two countries but also a deep need for Beijing’s support in nuclear talks with North Korea. Mattis told reporters Sunday he wants to “take measure” of China’s strategic ambitions after it positioned weaponry on disputed islets in the South China Sea and is seeking […]