Biden: ‘We seek competition, not conflict’ with China

President Joe Biden warned Beijing against violating U.S. sovereignty in a speech on Tuesday that called for unity between Democrats and Republicans in what he termed America’s “competition, not conflict” with China. In a State of the Union speech that had all the trappings of a campaign launch for the 2024 presidential vote and mostly focussed on his domestic agenda, Biden touted the successes of his administration’s CHIPS Act. The law to reduce dependence on technology from China was creating “hundreds of thousands of jobs” by boosting U.S. semiconductor research,…

For a President Who Spends His Days Confronting Russia and China, a Domestic Focus

WASHINGTON — When President Biden delivered his State of the Union address a year ago, war had broken out in Europe just days before and it appeared inevitable that Vladimir V. Putin would quickly take control of Ukraine. China, the Pentagon kept repeating, was America’s “pacing” challenge, a long-term technological and financial competitor, but not likely not to pose an imminent challenge to Taiwan or the United States. On Tuesday night Mr. Biden faced a changed world. Simultaneously managing an aggressive Russia and a risk-taking China may prove the greatest…

Former president’s speech vanishes from Vietnam news sites

Vietnam’s state-controlled news sites have been removing comments by the former president, denying that his family were involved in a ‘bribes for contracts’ COVID scandal. Nguyen Xuan Phuc was forced to step down last month and removed from the Politburo to take responsibility for corruption cases that happened during his term in office. On Feb. 4, he spoke at a ceremony to pass the acting presidency to Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan. Phuc tried to scotch rumors his family were connected to disgraced healthcare company Viet A, whose chief…

Australian coal shipment to arrive at Chinese port as unofficial import ban ends

Australian coal cargoes are scheduled to start arriving at Chinese ports on Wednesday, unwinding an unofficial ban imposed amid fraying bilateral relations two-and-a-half years ago. The resumption of the bilateral coal trade marks a significant improvement in relations, which hit a low point at the start of the pandemic after Australia pushed for an independent investigation into the origins of Covid-19, angering Beijing officials. China imposed official and unofficial sanctions on a range of Australian products, including wine, lobsters, timber and barley. It left more valuable commodities such as iron…

After Spy Balloon Clash, U.S.-China Tensions Loom Over Biden’s Speech

While Russia’s war in Ukraine presents a more urgent day-to-day foreign policy issue for President Biden and his aides, they have said repeatedly that China is the greatest long-term challenger to American power — even as the two countries maintain robust trade ties. The spy balloon episode that unfolded in the skies above the United States last week and a resulting surge in diplomatic tensions have underscored that. Many of the Democratic and Republican lawmakers who will be in the chamber when Mr. Biden delivers his State of the Union…

No New Variants Since China Ended Zero-COVID, Study Finds

Paris —  No new variants of COVID-19 emerged in Beijing in the weeks after China ended its zero-COVID policy late last year, a new study said on Wednesday. China saw an explosion of infections after it started to lift its strict pandemic measures in early December, sparking fears the world’s most populous country could become a fertile breeding ground for new, more transmissible or severe strains. More than a dozen countries promptly imposed fresh restrictions on travelers from China, also citing a lack of transparency about the scale of the…

Scientists seek public help to keep track of butterflies across Hong Kong and southern China

The team has been tagging butterflies using small stickers with an individualised code and a link to the reporting website since December 2021. Between October and December last year, the researchers marked nearly 2,200 butterflies. The scientists say the small stickers do not impede the insects’ ability to fly because they are not as fragile as they appear, but they said members of the public should not try to catch butterflies themselves. Advertisement Instead they want people to visit the website to report when and where a butterfly was spotted…

‘Hot air’: Marjorie Taylor Greene in State of the Union balloon stunt

Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared to tee up a State of the Union stunt on Tuesday, patrolling the halls of Congress with a large white balloon in reference to Republican criticism of Joe Biden over his handling of a flight over US territory by a Chinese surveillance dirigible. “Just an innocent white balloon everybody,” the Georgia extremist said, hours before Biden’s address to Congress, attempting to keep aloft the balloon saga which ended when it was shot down off the Carolinas on Saturday. Greene did not discuss the Pentagon disclosure that…

‘We just want to live in a normal world’: China’s young protesters speak out, and disappear

Cao Zhixin was an ordinary young woman with no political ambition, but a fateful decision to take to the streets one night last year has inadvertently turned her into the face of resistance in China. “She was just a girl who was keen on books, she didn’t have great ambitions,” says a close friend who spoke to the Guardian but requested anonymity for fear of reprisals. “She said all she wanted was a husband, kids and a warm bed.” But on the night of 27 November, driven by anger over…

US lawmakers urged to boost American alliances and trade blocs after Chinese balloon row

“The actions of the Chinese Communist Party last week serve as a clarifying moment,” said Republican congressman Patrick McHenry, the committee’s chairman, in his opening remarks at the hearing. [embedded content] “China is not an ally or a strategic partner. They are our competitor and pose the single greatest threat to America’s global standing,” McHenry of North Carolina added. Advertisement Democratic congressman David Scott criticised US President Joe Biden’s decision not to shoot the Chinese balloon down earlier. The Georgia congressman framed the delay as a mistake that gave leeway…