KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AFP) – Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told an audience in Taiwan on Tuesday that the era of “blind engagement” with China is ending, and that Beijing’s increasingly aggressive behavior has brought like-minded nations closer together. One of former president Donald Trump’s most hawkish advisers on China, Pompeo is the latest in a recent spate of Western politicians to visit Taiwan, often angering Beijing. Pompeo’s visit comes ahead of a major […]
Tag: china
Blinken urges Pakistan to seek China debt relief after floods
by Shaun Tandon Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Monday on Pakistan to seek debt relief from its close partner China as floods devastate the South Asian country. Blinken promised strong US support for Pakistan as it dries out from the floods, which have submerged one-third of the country, an area the size of the United Kingdom. “We send a simple message. We are here for Pakistan, […]
US, China top diplomats to meet on high tensions on Taiwan
by Shaun Tandon and Nicolas Revise Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The top US and Chinese diplomats meet Friday in New York as soaring tensions show signs of easing, but Beijing issued a new warning against support for Taiwan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are set to meet on the sidelines of the annual United Nations summit, their first encounter since extensive talks in July […]
PBBM meets with Biden to strengthen PHL-US ties; topics discussed include South China Sea issue
Biden says respect for int’l waterways also tackled with China’s President Xi (Eagle News) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr met with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, September 22, where the two leaders discussed about further deepening the relations between the Philippines and the United States, including on the issue of the South China Sea. Biden, at the start of the meeting, admitted that there had been times that the relations between the Philippines […]
US, China top diplomats to meet on high tensions on Taiwan
by Shaun Tandon and Nicolas Revise Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The top US and Chinese diplomats meet Friday in New York as soaring tensions show signs of easing, but Beijing issued a new warning against support for Taiwan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are set to meet on the sidelines of the annual United Nations summit, their first encounter since extensive talks in July in […]
China’s former justice minister faces life in prison for bribery
BEIJING, China (AFP) – China’s former justice minister faces life in prison after a court handed him a suspended death sentence on Thursday for taking bribes and “bending the law”. Fu Zhenghua’s death sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment after a two-year reprieve, the Intermediate People’s Court in the city of Changchun said in a statement. The high-profile sentencing — part of a sweeping anti-graft campaign — comes just three weeks before a key […]
China calls for ‘ceasefire through dialogue’ following Putin address on Ukraine
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China called Wednesday for a “ceasefire through dialogue and consultation” following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address on Ukraine, in which he announced a partial military mobilisation. “We call on the relevant parties to realise a ceasefire through dialogue and consultation, and find a solution that accommodates the legitimate security concerns of all parties as soon as possible,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular press briefing. Putin announced the […]
Biden says ‘yes,’ US forces would help defend Taiwan against China
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that US forces would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, while the White House said Washington’s policy was unchanged. Asked by the CBS “60 Minutes” program whether US troops would defend Taiwan, Biden said “yes,” if it were “an unprecedented attack.” This was not the first time that Biden has declared US forces would take part in a war between China and Taiwan, with […]
China records first monkeypox case
BEIJING, China (AFP) – China recorded its first case of monkeypox on Friday in a person who had recently entered the country, officials said. Health authorities in the southwestern city of Chongqing said the person displayed symptoms while undergoing quarantine for Covid-19. Under China’s zero-Covid policy, people entering the country must typically complete between one and two weeks of isolation on arrival. The monkeypox patient was diagnosed after developing symptoms including a skin rash, the […]
China’s President Xi Jinping calls for ‘international order in a more just and rational direction’
Samarkand, Uzbekistan (AFP) China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday called for regional countries to reshape the international order at a summit in Uzbekistan touted as a challenge to Western global influence. Leaders should “work together to promote the development of the international order in a more just and rational direction”, Xi said at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation including the leaders of Russia, Iran and central Asian countries. The SCO — made up […]
Major fire in skyscraper in China’s Changsha city: state media
Beijing, China (AFP) A major fire broke out in a skyscraper in the central Chinese city of Changsha, state media reported Friday, adding that the number of casualties was “currently unknown”. “Thick smoke is spewing from the site, and several dozen floors are burning ferociously,” state broadcaster CCTV reported. “Firefighters have begun work to extinguish the flames and conduct rescues at the scene,” it added. The blaze consumed a tall building that housed an office […]
Taiwan warns Russia, China ties ‘harm’ international peace
by Amber WANG Agence France-Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan said on Friday ties between Russia and China were a threat to global peace and that the international community must resist the “expansion of authoritarianism”. Russia’s Vladimir Putin met Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for their first face-to-face talks since the start of the conflict in Ukraine on Thursday, hailing their strategic ties in defiance of the West. In the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Xi told […]





