Month: August 2021

6 Reasons China, Not Just Taliban, Benefits From US Afghan Exit

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The U.S. abandonment of Afghanistan presents an opportunity for China, but one that the communist regime likely will take cautiously.  Beyond Afghanistan, a major Chinese propaganda organ already has used the U.S. defeat there to warn Taiwan (which the communist regime claims as part of China) and potentially other countries.  China’s diplomats met late last month with Taliban leaders before the U.S. exit. Although Beijing is about 3,400 miles from Kabul, the two countries share a 50-mile border and China is expected to give early diplomatic recognition to a Taliban…

China cautions Japan against holding party-led security talks with Taiwan

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China has told Japan to be “especially cautious” in its relations with Taiwan, following reports of a planned party-level security dialogue between Tokyo and Taipei. China opposes all exchanges between Taiwan and any country with diplomatic relations with Beijing, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a regular press conference in Beijing. “The Taiwan question concerns the political foundations of China-Japan relations,” she said, adding: “Japan must and should be especially cautious with its words and actions, given historic crimes committed against the Chinese people in relation to the…

China pushes adoption of language, cultural symbols in Tibet

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BEIJING (AP) — A top Chinese official said Thursday that “all-round efforts” are needed to ensure Tibetans speak standard spoken and written Chinese and share the “cultural symbols and images of the Chinese nation.” Wang Yang made the remarks before a handpicked audience in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the home of Tibet’s traditional Buddhist leaders, at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese invasion of the vast Himalayan region. China’s ruling Communist Party says it “peacefully liberated” Tibetan peasants from an oppressive theocracy and restored…

China Threat? Former French Diplomat Says No

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Is China a threat? Not by nature, but perhaps by reaction, said former French diplomat Lionel Vairon at the launch of the English version of his book, “China Threat?” last Thursday at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He believes that the fear of a rising China results from the inability of Western countries to recognize China’s legitimate national interests. China will become problematic only if dominant powers attempt to contain it and deny its place in the international society. Former French Diplomat Lionel Vairon (Second To Right)…

In Sierra Leone, a Chinese port-building plan raises ire

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Aug 19th 2021 BLACK JOHNSON, SIERRA LEONE TITO GBANDEWA sweeps a hand across a beach in Sierra Leone that many call one of the most beautiful in west Africa. The bark of nearby trees can cure a child’s cough, locals say. The nectar of its palms comes “from God to man”. In the distance, a boy fishes for grouper; children play in the surf. If the government has its way, all this will be gone, says Mr Gbandewa, who runs a small resort on the beach. In its place will…

China’s Political Calculations and Potential Options in Afghanistan

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Advertisement The Afghan government backed by the United States collapsed after losing its military protection, and the speed was jaw-dropping. While international political stakeholders have rushed to respond, China seems to have made arrangements earlier than other countries. Still, its future options in Afghanistan are under scrutiny. In July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Taliban representatives in Tianjin. This was an important event following the direct talks between the U.S. and the Taliban in 2018, as it greatly enhanced the Taliban’s international standing and signaled that the group…

Huarong Asset Management, China’s Biggest ‘Bad Bank,’ Will Get a Rescue

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China has promised to teach its most indebted companies a lesson. Just not yet. Huarong Asset Management, the financial conglomerate that was once a poster child for China’s corporate excess, said Wednesday night that it would get financial assistance from a group of state-backed companies after months of silence about its future. The company also said it had made a $16 billion loss in 2020. Citic Group and China Cinda Asset Management were among the five state-owned firms that will make a strategic investment, Huarong said without providing more details…

Hong Kong Police Arrest University Students for ‘Advocating Terrorism’

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HONG KONG — Four student union leaders at the University of Hong Kong were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of “advocating terrorism” after they had held a moment of silence for a man who stabbed a police officer and then killed himself. The arrests, by the new national security police in Hong Kong, represented the latest crackdown on opposing voices as the Chinese territory tries to snuff out any sign of the dissent that flared during the 2019 protest movement. University students were among the most determined and vocal protesters…

Major UN biodiversity summit delayed for third time due to pandemic

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A key United Nations biodiversity summit has been delayed for a third time due to the pandemic, the Chinese environment ministry has announced, as environmentalists pledged the delay would “not mean taking our foot off the pedal”. In a statement, the Chinese ministry of ecology and environment confirmed that Cop15, the biggest biodiversity summit in a decade, would be delayed, and that negotiations for this decade’s targets will be split into two phases so that governments can meet face-to-face in Kunming, China, in the first half of 2022. The talks…