Tag: East Asia

US Navy flies aircraft through Taiwan Strait a day after US-China defense talks

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TAIPEI, Taiwan —  The U.S. 7th Fleet said a Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since Nov. 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” the release said. Although the critical…

Chinese security presence in the Pacific comes into focus ahead of major political events   

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Taipei, Taiwan —  China’s growing security presence in the Pacific will be scrutinized this week as the Solomon Islands holds its national election on Wednesday. While the Pacific island nation has been plagued by a slew of domestic issues such as youth unemployment and weakening health and education systems, some analysts say the election is a “de-facto referendum” on its relationship with China. “The results will determine whether the Solomon Islands continues growing its relationship with China or changes course in favor of a different approach,” Parker Novak, a nonresident…

China’s economy grew 5.3% in first quarter, beating expectations

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HONG KONG —  China’s economy expanded at a faster than expected pace in the first three months of the year, helped by policies aimed at stimulating growth and stronger demand, the government said Tuesday. The world’s second-largest economy expanded at a 5.3% annual pace in January-March, beating analysts’ forecasts of about 4.8%, official data show. Compared to the previous quarter, the economy grew 1.6%. China’s economy has struggled to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a slowdown in demand and a property crisis weighing on its growth. The better-than-expected…

Philippines says it will not grant US access to more bases

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The Philippines says it has no plans to give the United States more access to military bases in the Southeast Asian country, putting a cap on the current total number of nine sites. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told foreign correspondents in Manila Monday that the country’s decision last year to increase the number of sites agreed upon under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA was a response to aggressive actions by China in the South China Sea. China has accused the Philippines of triggering confrontations by encroaching into…

China, health system top issues as Solomon Islands holds national election

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SYDNEY —  The Solomon Islands holds a national election on Wednesday, the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a security pact with China that prompted concern from the United States and South Pacific neighbors. Sogavare has pledged closer ties with China, which has built infrastructure since Solomon Islands switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019, while opposition parties favor ties with Western aid donors including Australia, and pledge to fix a broken health system. The national election was delayed from 2023, after Sogavare said he wanted to…

China ‘deeply concerned’ after Iran strikes, online commenters largely oppose Israel

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Washington —  China’s foreign ministry Sunday said it is “deeply concerned” about escalating tensions in the Middle East. Hours after Iran launched more than 320 warheads towards Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on Tehran’s embassy in Damascus, China’s foreign ministry published a statement calling for the immediate implementation of a U.N. ceasefire resolution. “China expresses deep concern over the current escalation and calls on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations. The ongoing situation is the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict.” China…

Germany’s Scholz arrives in China on a visit marked by trade tensions, Ukraine conflict

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BEIJING —  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in China on Sunday on a visit focused on the increasingly tense economic relationship between the sides and differences over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Scholz’s first destination was the industrial hub of Chongqing, where he and his delegation of ministers and business leaders were to visit a partially German-funded company and other sites in the vast city, which is a production base for China’s auto and other industries. Scholz is also scheduled to visit the financial hub of Shanghai during his three-day visit,…

US, Beijing aim to boost number of American students in China

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WASHINGTON —  Stephen Garrett, a 27-year-old graduate student, always thought he would study in China, but the country’s restrictive COVID-19 policies made it nearly impossible and now he sees interest among fellow scholars wane even after China reopened. Common concerns, he said, include restrictions on academic freedom and the risk of being stranded in China. These days, only about 700 American students are studying at Chinese universities, down from a peak of close to 25,000 a decade ago, while there are nearly 300,000 Chinese students at U.S. schools. Some young…

US: China strengthens Russian war machine with surging equipment sales

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WASHINGTON —  China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in its war against Ukraine, according to a U.S. assessment. Two senior Biden administration officials, who discussed the sensitive findings Friday on the condition of anonymity, said that in 2023 about 90% of Russia’s microelectronics came from China. Russia has used those to make missiles, tanks and aircraft. Nearly 70% of Russia’s approximately $900 million in machine tool imports…

President Biden continues group diplomacy strategy

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U.S. President Joe Biden this week welcomed the prime minister of Japan and the president of the Philippines to the White House to discuss security in the Indo-Pacific region. VOA Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti compares Biden’s security policies with those of his 2024 presidential opponent Donald Trump. Voice of America