Year: 2023

Kim Tells North Korea to Prepare for War He Says Is Inevitable

Media Library

SEOUL, South Korea —  North Korea vowed to launch three new spy satellites, build military drones, and boost its nuclear arsenal in 2024 as leader Kim Jong Un said U.S. policy is making war inevitable, state media reported Sunday. Kim lashed out at Washington in lengthy remarks at the end of five days of ruling party meetings that set economic, military and foreign policy goals for the coming year. “Because of reckless moves by the enemies to invade us, it is a fait accompli that a war can break out…

China Eases Visa Requirements for US Travelers to Boost Tourism

Media Library

China will ease visa restrictions for people visiting from the United States, the country’s latest effort to attract foreign travelers since reopening its borders earlier this year. Starting January 1, American tourists will no longer need to submit round-trip air tickets, proof of hotel reservations, itineraries or invitations to China, according to a notice posted online Friday by the Chinese Embassy in Washington. The simplified application process is intended to “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States,” the notice said. The move comes as China has struggled…

China Expels 9 Army Officials From Parliament

Media Library

beijing, china —  China has expelled nine military officials from its parliament, including four generals of the army’s strategic missile unit, in a sweeping reshuffle following the appointment of a new defense minister. The decision, announced late Friday by the state news agency Xinhua, came after a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party. No explanation was given for the officials’ removal. Their removal is one of a series of high-level restructuring moves in the military establishment since defense minister Li Shangfu was abruptly sacked in October…

China-India trade tensions may continue in 2024, but Beijing doesn’t want to rock the boat

Media Library

India’s imports of Chinese laser machinery totalled US$174.57 million in 2022, according to the Post’s calculations using data from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 4 things to ponder as India overtakes China as most populous nation And India had imported US$167.93 million worth of Chinese laser machinery in the first 10 months of 2023, up from US$147 million a year earlier, the data showed. Since September, India has launched a spate of anti-dumping investigations into made-in-China products, including vacuum-insulated flasks, tempered glass, unframed glass mirrors and retractable drawer sliders.…

Back to ‘black box’? As China tightens access to court records, legal experts fear for future of judicial transparency

Media Library

The debate generated so much heat that Xu’s sentence was reduced to seven years with a fine of 300,000 yuan on appeal, and authorities eventually punished officials who were previously untouched in the scandal. The case was one of several in the past decade in which Chinese members of the public used the transparency in the country’s judicial system to openly debate matters in public life that could appear unflattering to Beijing. China to cut back access to court rulings, sparking transparency concerns But starting next year, things are likely…

ASEAN Foreign Ministers Express Concern Over South China Sea Tensions

Media Library

MANILA, Philippines —  Foreign ministers of Southeast Asia’s regional bloc ASEAN on Saturday expressed their concern over growing tensions in the South China Sea which they said could threaten regional peace and urged for peaceful dialogue among parties. “We closely follow with concern the recent developments in the South China Sea that may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region,” the bloc’s top diplomats said in a statement. The statement came as China and the Philippines have traded accusations in recent months over a series of maritime run-ins and…

Taiwan’s Presidential Candidates Emphasize Peace With Beijing

Media Library

TAIPEI, TAIWAN —  Taiwan’s presidential candidates expressed desire for peaceful relations with Beijing, which has described the January 13 elections on the self-ruled island as a choice between war and peace and stepped up harassment of the territory it claims as its own. Lai Ching-te, the front-runner and currently Taiwan’s vice president from the ruling Democratic People’s Party, said in a televised debate Saturday that he was open to communicating with the government in Beijing, which has refused to talk with him or President Tsai Ing-wen. Beijing favors the candidate…

Ethnic armies’ ‘Operation 1027’ put Myanmar junta on defensive in 2023

Media Library

Myanmar’s ethnic armed organizations and other resistance groups made significant gains against the country’s military dictatorship in 2023. “Operation 1027,” launched by the Three Brotherhood Alliance in northern Shan state in October, was a surprising success. Along with the efforts of local People’s Defense Forces, or PDFs, and ethnic armed groups in Kayah, Kayin, Chin and Kachin states, anti-junta forces put the ruling military junta on the defensive.  The junta lost hundreds of outposts as rebel forces captured towns and several key border crossings in November and December, suggesting the…

President Xi Jinping urges China’s diplomats to ‘defy strong powers’ posing ‘special challenges’ to national interests

Media Library

It also comes a day after top Communist Party leaders, officials and diplomats attending a foreign policy meeting in Beijing vowed to further raise China’s “international influence, appeal and power”, and stand firm against “bullying” and “hegemonism” from the West. 03:23 Xi Jinping says Vietnam is a ‘diplomatic priority’ as Chinese leader seeks closer bilateral ties Xi Jinping says Vietnam is a ‘diplomatic priority’ as Chinese leader seeks closer bilateral ties Addressing the Central Conference on Foreign Affairs Work that concluded on Thursday, Xi had urged Chinese diplomats and cadres…

The world in 2024: Guardian writers on what to look out for

Media Library

The year 2024 will be a critical one. The future of Gaza and the West Bank may hinge in part on whether Donald Trump returns to the White House – as may the outcome of the war in Ukraine. China will be locked in a race against time as its population ages. And the natural world will reach a new series of tipping points. But there are some reasons for cautious optimism. With so much happening, it can be hard to know where to look. Here Guardian correspondents offer their…