Tag: East Asia

China’s President Xi begins state visit to France

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China’s President Xi Jinping is on a rare state visit to France, which started with trilateral talks with French President Emanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Ahead of Xi’s visit, both von der Leyen and Macron indicated the meetings would focus on establishing fair trade between the European Union and China. Both leaders have complained of overproduction by China’s subsidized industries, allowing them to flood European markets with cheap goods. France currently holds the revolving presidency of the European Council, defined as the EU institution that…

Nothing off the table in US response to China overcapacity, Yellen says

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washington —  The Biden administration is not taking any options off the table to respond to China’s excess industrial capacity, which is a top concern for the U.S. and its allies, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters on Thursday. China exporting its way to full employment is not acceptable to the rest of the world, Yellen said in a Reuters Next interview in Washington. Yellen said that during her trip to China earlier this month, she was “successful” in raising U.S. concerns with Chinese officials about Beijing flooding global…

Blinken kicks off direct engagement with China ahead of tough talks

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State Department —  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the necessity for “direct” and “sustained engagement” between the United States and China during his first official meeting in Shanghai, a city home to more than 1,000 U.S. companies. Thursday morning, Blinken held talks with Chen Jining, Chinese Communist Party Secretary for Shanghai. Chen is the highest-ranking local official and is a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. Blinken said he would lay out “our differences, which are real” but seek to “work through them” as well…

Popular Indian payment system faces restrictions due to China connections

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Paytm, a popular payment app in India, faces government restrictions on business because of its Chinese connections, local media say. India is ramping up scrutiny and restrictions on other Chinese tech companies, too, amid concerns about security and geopolitics. Henry Wilkins has the story from Mumbai. Voice of America

Facing repression in China, Muslims seek freedom in NYC

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In a dramatic surge, U.S. border patrol authorities detained more than 24,000 Chinese citizens crossing the southern border in fiscal year 2023, a 12-fold increase from the previous year. Many come seeking asylum, and among those that do, a small group of China’s ethnic Hui Muslims stands out. Aron Ranen brings us the story from the Big Apple. Voice of America

EU launches investigation into Chinese medical device market

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The European Commission launched a probe into China’s public procurement of medical devices on Wednesday, the latest in a series of moves that ratchet up trade tensions ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe next month. The investigation – which Beijing swiftly criticized – is meant to determine if European suppliers of devices ranging from needles and orthopedic appliances to complex scanners have been granted fair access in China. If it concludes that they have not, it could lead to the bloc placing restrictions on Chinese medical device companies…

Taiwan President-elect: US military aid package strengthens deterrence against authoritarianism 

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Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te says the U.S. House of Representatives passage over the weekend of an $8 billion military aid package to counter China’s influence will “strengthen deterrence against authoritarianism” and “boost confidence in the region.” The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $95 billion joint aid bill Saturday that included money for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. That bill is set to be voted on in the U.S. Senate Tuesday. In addition to the $8 billion for Taiwan, another $1.9 billion in the bill is allocated to replenishing U.S. weapons…

Amid China tensions, India delivers supersonic cruise missiles to Philippines 

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New Delhi —  India has begun delivery of supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as the two countries tighten defense and strategic ties amid rising tensions between the East Asian nation and China over maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The BrahMos missiles are being acquired by the Philippines under a $ 375 million deal signed in 2022. “Now we are also exporting BrahMos missiles. The first batch of this missile is going to the Philippines today,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday at an election rally. India…

German prosecutors accuse aide to European lawmaker of spying for China

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German prosecutors said Tuesday that an aide to a German lawmaker in the European Parliament had been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Prosecutors identified the man only as Jian G., in line with German privacy laws, and said he repeatedly passed information about European Parliament negotiations to a Chinese intelligence service. The man also spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany, prosecutors said. China’s foreign ministry said Tuesday the allegation is an attempt to “smear and suppress China and to destroy the atmosphere of cooperation between China and…