The Australian government says it wants to help Taiwan decarbonise its economy, flagging this as the next area of cooperation with the democratically ruled island, amid ongoing tensions with China. The trade minister, Dan Tehan, said he saw “real opportunities” to deepen energy ties with Taiwan, while arguing there was bipartisan recognition in Australia of “the greater assertiveness that we’re seeing from China”. Tehan also confirmed he had been aware of the former prime minister Tony Abbott’s plan to travel to Taiwan prior to his departure, but reiterated that “all…
Month: October 2021
China passes law to reduce ‘twin pressures’ of homework and tutoring on children
China has passed a law to reduce the “twin pressures” of homework and off-site tutoring on children. The official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday the new law, which has not been published in full, makes local governments responsible for ensuring that the twin pressures are reduced and asks parents to arrange their children’s time to account for reasonable rest and exercise, thereby reducing pressure and avoiding internet overuse. The law will come into force on January 1 next year. China’s education system requires students to take exams from an…
She Is Breaking Glass Ceilings in Space, but Facing Sexism on Earth
Col. Wang Yaping is a pilot in the People’s Liberation Army’s Air Force. She is a space veteran, now making her second trip into orbit. She is set in the coming weeks to be the first Chinese woman to walk in space as China’s space station glides around Earth at 17,100 miles per hour. And yet, as she began a six-month mission last week at the core of China’s ambitious space program, official and news media attention fixated as much on the comparative physiology of men and women, menstruation cycles,…
Biden Said the U.S. Would Protect Taiwan. But It’s Not That Clear-Cut.
WASHINGTON — American presidents have spent decades trying to sidestep the question of how forcefully the United States would come to the aid of Taiwan if China invaded it or, more likely, tried to slowly strangle the island in an effort to force it back under the control of the mainland. The American policy — called “strategic ambiguity” because it leaves vague exactly how the United States would react — does not lend itself to a tough-sounding response. So the White House was quick to declare that American policy had…
China’s test of a hypersonic missile worries America
Oct 23rd 2021 IN LATE JULY a Chinese Long March rocket streaked into space, much like the dozens that took off last year. But having begun to orbit the Earth, this rocket’s payload then lurched downwards, glided through the upper atmosphere and finally crashed to the ground. American officials were stunned, says the Financial Times, which recently broke news that this had been a test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic glider (China denies it). China conducted another such experiment a couple of weeks later, says the newspaper. Listen to this story…
Is China in Big Trouble?
These are scary times in America, with one of our major parties careening into authoritarianism and the other having difficulty moving forward thanks to two uncooperative senators. Most of what I write, inevitably, focuses on the troubled prospects for our republic. But everyone needs a break. So today I want to talk about a happier topic: The risks of an economic crisis in China. OK, not exactly happier. But a change in subject, anyway. Warnings about the Chinese economy aren’t new — but until now the worriers, myself included, have…
China Evergrande Makes Payment to Dodge Default, Media Says
HONG KONG — China Evergrande, the troubled property giant that is teetering on the edge of collapse, appears to have bought itself a little more time. On Friday, the world’s most indebted property developer made an $83.5 million interest payment to bondholders, according to Securities Times, an official newspaper. The outlet, which is backed by People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s official newspaper, didn’t offer further details. The payment came with just one day left on a 30-day grace period to avoid a default. The company gripped global financial markets a…
Red Flag River and China’s Downstream Neighbors
Advertisement The Red Flag River Water Diversion Project Proposal (Red Flag River) is a new enormous inter-basin water diversion proposal in China. It is not an official project and has not received approval from the Chinese government; however, since the semi-official release of the proposal in November 2017 by the S4679 Research Group, it has attracted plenty of attention. The proposal aims to annually divert 60 billion cubic meters of water from the major rivers of the ecologically fragile Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, including three transnational rivers (Mekong, Salween, and Brahmaputra), to…
China’s ‘piano prince’ Li Yundi detained for allegedly hiring sex worker
Chinese police have detained a prominent concert pianist and reality TV personality, Li Yundi, dubbed the “piano prince”, on allegations of hiring a sex worker. The charges were revealed by Beijing police in posts on a Chinese social media network that read more like a trailer for a TV show than an official law enforcement notice. A first message said a 39-year-old man had been detained and a suspect placed in administrative detention, with only part of Li’s name, a standard practice to protect anonymity. A second post had a…
U.S. Warns of Efforts by China to Collect Genetic Data
BETHESDA, Md. — Chinese firms are collecting genetic data from around the world, part of an effort by the Chinese government and companies to develop the world’s largest bio-database, American intelligence officials reported on Friday. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center said in a new paper that the United States needs to better secure critical technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors and other technologies related to the so-called bioeconomy. China and other countries are trying to dominate these technologies, and are using both legal and illegal means to acquire…