Month: January 2024

Uncertainties Remain With Renegotiated Chinese Mining Deal in DRC

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Kinshasa, Congo —  Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has promised to use $7 billion from a renegotiated Chinese mining deal to build roads and infrastructure but his critics say the new agreement lacks transparency and is unfavorable towards Congo. In a surprise announcement last weekend, Tshisekedi said that talks between his government and a consortium of Chinese investors over rebalancing the so-called Sicomines mining agreement would bring in $7 billion to the Congolese treasury. The sum represents a huge and possibly transformative opportunity in the impoverished central African…

EU suspends WTO dispute with China over alleged economic coercion of Lithuania

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The long-running dispute emerged after the tiny Baltic nation hosted a controversially named Taiwanese office in its capital city Vilnius. Subsequently, Lithuanian companies found the country had been wiped from China’s customs system. The country’s exports to China were almost eviscerated, with Brussels saying it had evidence of a refusal to clear Lithuanian goods at customs and a rejection of applications from Lithuania. It also claimed to have evidence of China pressuring companies operating from other EU member states to remove Lithuanian inputs from their supply chains when exporting to…

US Senators Express Concern Over North Korea-Russia Cooperation

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A bipartisan group of U.S. senators expressed growing concern Friday about military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, saying it places new emphasis on the need for continued U.S. support for Ukraine. In comments made separately to VOA’s Korean Service reporter Joeun Lee, the lawmakers said the North Korean-Russian cooperation could help both nations advance their military capabilities. “I am concerned that North Korean artillery has come to Russia’s aid at a critical time, and North Korean ballistic missiles are helping Russia carry out savage attacks on civilian centers across…

Has surprising US economic growth strengthened Washington’s hand in China negotiations?

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After President Xi Jinping visited the US in November, both countries resumed cooperation on issues including curbing the spread of fentanyl, as well as military-to-military communication. 12:56 Fighting fentanyl: the drug from China destroying American lives Fighting fentanyl: the drug from China destroying American lives The two sides have also held meetings of financial and economic working groups, which were launched in September after a visit to Beijing by US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, with the aim of fostering regular communication. But Liang Yan, professor and chair of…

Why China is wary of opening up Afghanistan’s new road to Xinjiang

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The project – priced at more than 3.7 million afghanis (US$5.07 million) – was conceived by the US-backed former government as a way to attract Chinese investment in the country’s untapped mining resources. Construction began in May 2021 on the 50km (31-mile) Little Pamir Road in Badakhshan province but was soon suspended. Three months later, the Taliban retook control of the country. 06:40 How 2 years of Taliban rule have transformed Afghanistan back to the past How 2 years of Taliban rule have transformed Afghanistan back to the past The…

China’s Preference for Hard Power Is Creating Major Headaches for Beijing

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The Taiwanese presidential election on January 13, won by Vice President Lai Ching-te (or William Lai) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was hardly welcomed by China. The Chinese government had actively opposed the DPP. It has been accused, not for the first time, of electoral interference in favor of its preferred candidates.  After the election, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “Whatever changes take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will…

When Will Cross-Strait Tourism Return to Normal?

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Tourism between China and Taiwan has declined sharply under Taiwan’s outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen due to travel restrictions imposed by both sides. After years of disruption, many people are hoping that cross-strait tourism will soon return to normal. A study of what is motivating Taipei and Beijing to maintain their respective travel restrictions, and a look at China’s recent history of limiting tourism to Taiwan, indicate that it could be quite some time before bilateral tourism numbers rebound to past highs.  Tourist travel between China and Taiwan has been severely…

China says UK businessman imprisoned for ‘providing intelligence’

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Chinese politics & policy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Beijing has said that a British consultant who disappeared from public view five years ago was convicted in 2022 of “illegally providing intelligence” to overseas parties. Asked about the case on Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed a Beijing court sentenced Ian Stones to a five-year prison term in August 2022. Stones lost an appeal in September last year. “Chinese courts strictly adjudicate cases in accordance with the…

Mainland Chinese journalist Wang Zhian banned from Taiwan after mocking disabled DPP candidate

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Beijing sees ‘hope and opportunity’ in DPP’s weak Taiwan election result Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency said on Wednesday that the ban was imposed because Wang entered Taiwan on a tourist visa, but his participation in the show did not correspond with the purpose of the trip. For years, Taiwanese authorities turned a blind eye to mainland Chinese reporters, especially independent ones, who travelled to the island for news coverage. Wang also visited the island in October and took part in Taiwanese television and online programmes, without any consequences after the…

Chinese Premier Li Qiang steps up prep for maiden work report that could seek to restore private-sector confidence

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The world’s second-largest economy is widely expected to again aim to achieve GDP growth of around 5 per cent for this year, after having posted 5.2 per cent year-on-year growth in 2023. During a symposium on Wednesday to solicit opinions on the drafting of the annual work report, Li and Executive Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang heard policy recommendations from minor political parties and the semi-official All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. The suggestions covered macroeconomic management, scientific and technological innovation, the nurturing of emerging industries, reinvigorating market dynamism and promoting green…