Tag: USA

California Governor Newsom Meets China’s President Xi

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BEIJING —  California Governor Gavin Newsom met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday to discuss climate change, raising hopes that China and the United States can find common ground ahead of an APEC summit and COP28 climate meeting next month. Xi and U.S President Joe Biden are expected to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November, although the meeting has not been confirmed. Newsom told reporters after the meeting that he had an opportunity to focus more deeply and substantively on the issue of climate…

China Calls US Disruptor of Peace in Response Military Buildup Report

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BANGKOK —  China said the United States is the “biggest disruptor of regional peace and stability” in the world in a scathing response Wednesday to a Pentagon report released Oct. 19 on China’s growing military buildup. The annual report that is required by Congress is one way the Pentagon measures the military capabilities of China, which the U.S. government sees as its key threat in the Asia-Pacific region and America’s primary long-term security challenge. The statement China’s Ministry of Defense issued in response called the Pentagon report’s findings false and…

US to Push China for a ‘More Constructive Approach’ Amid Israel-Hamas War

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State Department —  Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Washington late Thursday, a trip seen as paving the way for further high-level meetings between the United States and China. His visit comes as U.S. officials want to “push the Chinese to take a more constructive approach” amid Israel’s war with Hamas militants and as Russia continues its war on Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will host Wang Oct. 26-28. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will also hold talks with Wang, according to two senior administration…

California Governor to Visit China Amid Efforts to Stabilize Bilateral Ties

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TAIPEI, TAIWAN —  U.S. state of California Governor Gavin Newsom begins his weeklong visit to China Monday, traveling to six Chinese cities and meeting national and provincial officials to talk about climate policies and potential partnerships. “California and China hold the keys to solving the climate crisis,” Newsom said in a statement released by his office on October 18. “As two of the world’s largest economies, our partnership is essential to delivering climate action for our communities and beyond.” Some analysts say Newsom’s trip is a continuation of California’s longstanding…

African Leaders Hear China’s Xi Outline ‘BRI 2.0’ 

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johannesburg —  China and the U.S. presented competing visions for development in Africa this week as several leaders from the continent attended Beijing’s Belt and Road Forum marking the 10-year anniversary of the global infrastructure initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to connect the world through trade by investing billions of dollars in land and sea infrastructure projects, has broadened over the last decade. “Belt and Road cooperation has expanded from physical connectivity to institutional connectivity,” said China’s President Xi Jinping in a speech at the opening ceremony…

China, US Swap Trade Sanctions on Semiconductors, Graphite 

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The Chinese government announced Friday that it would tighten export controls on graphite, a material essential to the construction of batteries used in electric cars and other green energy systems and of which China is the world’s preeminent supplier. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce described the new restrictions as “conducive to ensuring the security and stability of the global supply chain and industrial chain, and conducive to better safeguarding national security and interests.” The move came days after the Biden administration announced that the United States would widen the list…

China’s Hamas Stance: Key Divide Ahead of Top Diplomat’s Washington Visit

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WASHINGTON —  China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, is expected to visit Washington this month on a highly anticipated trip that comes as U.S. officials urge Beijing to help prevent fighting in the Middle East from spreading. China’s leader Xi Jinping broke nearly two weeks of silence on events in Israel on Thursday, saying he supports an immediate cease-fire and establishing “an independent state of Palestine” as the best way out of the conflict. Beijing’s position has drawn the ire of Israeli officials, who insist Tel Aviv has a right to…

Mideast, Fentanyl Top US Agenda as China’s Top Diplomat to Visit Washington

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s planned visit to Washington this month is viewed as paving the way for further high-level meetings between the United States and China. It comes as Washington urges Beijing to use its lines of communication with countries in the Middle East to prevent a military escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Washington also is calling for Beijing’s cooperation to stop the flow of precursor chemicals that are fueling the fentanyl crisis. VOA State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching has more. Voice of America

San Francisco Police Release Details of Chinese National Shot Dead at Consulate

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San Francisco Police have released bodycam video and other information regarding an incident at the Chinese consulate earlier this month. On October 9, a Chinese national crashed his car into the consulate, scuffled with police, and threatened them with a knife before he was shot and killed. In a virtual “town hall” meeting late Thursday, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott and Acting Police Commander Mark Im provided details of the incident. As part of its transparency policy, the SFPD provides the public with information regarding any officer involved a…