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BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s internet censors removed on Friday virtually all references to reports of a rare protest in Beijing that involved banners denouncing President Xi Jinping and the country’s Covid policies. Beijing is on high alert against any disruption to a landmark Communist Party meeting that begins on Sunday, where Xi is expected to secure a historic third term. Incoming parcels and subway commuters have been subjected to additional security checks, and armies […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s GCHQ spy agency chief will warn Western countries Tuesday of the “huge threat” from China seeking to exploit its tech dominance to control its own citizens and gain influence abroad. Jeremy Fleming, the director of the cybersecurity agency, is set to tell a British defense studies body that the Chinese Communist Party views technologies such as satellite systems and digital currencies as a “tool to gain advantage”. In excerpts […]
by Amber WANG Agence France-Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan’s leader warned Beijing on Monday that the island would never give up its democratic way of life in a national day speech in which she drew parallels with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The self-ruled democracy’s 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion by China’s Communist Party, and Moscow’s war in Ukraine has deepened fears that Beijing might attempt something similar with the […]
Hong Kong, China | AFP | An Indonesian woman who suffered daily “torture” as a domestic worker in Hong Kong went to court Thursday to seek compensation from her employers over treatment that left her physically scarred and mentally traumatised. The abuse meted out to Kartika Puspitasari, 40, made headlines a decade ago and sparked protests over the treatment of foreign helpers in Hong Kong. Her employers, who were convicted and jailed, waged a two-year campaign […]
by Mathias CENA Agence France-Presse GINOWAN, Japan (AFP) — For decades, residents of Japan’s Okinawa have strongly opposed the US military bases that dot the region but a subtle shift is under way, driven by Chinese saber-rattling and economic challenges. The bases are often seen as a disproportionate burden for Japan’s sub-tropical southernmost region. Okinawa comprises 0.6 percent of the Japanese archipelago’s territory but contains 70 percent of the land used for US bases, and […]
CATO, Philippines (AFP) – Filipino fisherman Mariel Villamonte had spent years plying the turquoise waters of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea for snapper and grouper — until a Chinese coast guard vessel water cannoned his boat. That was in 2012, around the time China snatched control of the small ring of reefs from the Philippines, and he has not dared go back. “Their ships are made of steel, ours are made of wood,” […]
by Andrew BEATTY Agence France-Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — During Xi Jinping’s decade-long rule, China has built the world’s largest navy, revamped the globe’s biggest standing army, and amassed a nuclear and ballistic arsenal to trouble any foe. With China’s neighbors now rushing to keep pace, Xi’s next five-year term is likely to see a quickening Asia-Pacific arms race. From South Korea developing a blue-water navy to Australia buying nuclear-powered submarines, weapons shopping has surged […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – Solomon Islands said Tuesday it had objected to the first draft of a US-Pacific partnership declaration because it was “not comfortable” with some indirect references to China. The Solomons’ foreign minister, Jeremiah Manele, was quizzed by reporters in New Zealand about his country’s reported qualms over the joint statement, signed in Washington last week. “In the initial draft there were some references that we were not comfortable with,” the foreign […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) – Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas nailed 13 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists as the United States close in on an 11th title after setting up a women’s basketball World Cup semi-final against Canada Thursday. Guard Kelsey Plum added a game-high 17 points in a 88-55 pummelling of Serbia, with the three-time defending champions strong on both offence and defence. They will meet Canada in Sydney on Friday after the world […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced $810 million in new funding for Pacific Islands at a first-of-a-kind summit with their leaders in Washington, vowing a closer partnership with a strategic but sparsely populated region where China is making inroads. Addressing leaders of South Pacific states including 12 heads of state or government, Biden said he wanted to show an “enduring commitment,” adding, “The security of America, quite frankly, and […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan called Thursday for “constructive and stable” ties with China as the two sides marked 50 years since the normalization of relations, albeit with little public fanfare. Growing friction over China’s military might and regional saber-rattling has left ties between Beijing and Tokyo frosty, and there was no major diplomatic ceremony to mark the anniversary. Instead, messages from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping were read out […]
by Shaun Tandon and Sebastian Smith Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden’s administration on Wednesday rolled out the red carpet for Pacific Island leaders in the face of rising Chinese influence in the region and said it expected a united front, despite friction with one nation — the Solomon Islands. In a first-of-a-kind summit in Washington, the United States promised greater aid and diplomatic engagement on issues from maritime security to […]
