Donald Trump has said he wants Chinese leader Xi Jinping to release Jimmy Lai as he voiced sadness over the Hong Kong media mogul’s conviction on national security charges. “I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release,” Trump told reporters on Monday, without specifying when he asked Xi. “He’s an older man, and he’s not well. So I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens.” The US president had said before he returned to the White House that…
Tag: Xi Jinping
I’m a Chinese pro-democracy activist. Here’s how to find courage to oppose Trump | Yaqiu Wang
In the eleven months since Donald Trump took office – during which he has unleashed unprecedented assaults on the checks and balances of American democracy – there has been a wave of warnings and advice from activists, writers and scholars who have either fought against authoritarian regimes or studied them closely. A common thread runs through much of their guidance: Americans, especially those in positions of power, must find the courage to stand up for what is right, even when doing so carries personal risk. Yet few have addressed the…
I’m a Chinese pro-democracy activist. Here’s how to find courage to oppose Trump | Yaqiu Wang
While acting on your moral convictions can be risky, it can also feel profoundly good In the eleven months since Donald Trump took office – during which he has unleashed unprecedented assaults on the checks and balances of American democracy – there has been a wave of warnings and advice from activists, writers and scholars who have either fought against authoritarian regimes or studied them closely. A common thread runs through much of their guidance: Americans, especially those in positions of power, must find the courage to stand up for…
Overmatched: Why the U.S. Military Must Reinvent Itself
Opinion The Editorial Board By The Editorial BoardThe editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom. This is the first installment in a series from the editorial board on why the U.S. military needs to reinvent itself. NYT
China is bearing down on Taiwan – enabled by Trump’s weakness and vacillation | Simon Tisdall
Sheer ignorance, fed by malign intent, historical prejudice and mutual misunderstanding, is often the crucial spark that ignites simmering international conflicts. If Adolf Hitler, remarkably ignorant of the US, had grasped the true extent of American industrial might, would he still have fatefully declared war on Washington in 1941? When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, it evidently had no idea what it was getting into. Humiliating defeat contributed greatly to its subsequent disintegration. In 1990, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait, convinced he had a green light from the…
China’s Xi Jinping raises future of Taiwan in call with Donald Trump
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told Donald Trump that Beijing’s claims to Taiwan remain unchanged, in a phone call that came amid rising tensions over the self-governing island. Xi told Trump on Monday that Taiwan’s return to China was an “integral part of the postwar international order” forged in the joint US-China fight against “fascism and militarism”, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary. Taiwan’s democratically elected government strongly rejects China’s stance. The…
From the archive: ‘We are so divided now’: how China controls thought and speech beyond its borders – podcast
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: the arrest of a Tibetan New York city cop on spying charges plays into the community’s long-held suspicions that the People’s Republic is watching them By Lauren Hilgers. Read by Emily Woo Zeller The Guardian
Xi Jinping cracks joke about spying with phones given to South Korean president
It would take someone with nerves of steel to joke about the security of Chinese smartphones in front of Xi Jinping. Step forward the South Korean president, Lee Jae Myung, who, after being given a pair of smartphones by the Chinese leader before their state banquet at the weekend, wondered out loud if the devices were secure. Xi, who is not known for public displays of humour, laughed and smiled as Lee’s quip was translated into Chinese, before displaying some sharp wit of his own. Pointing at the phones, he…
‘Americans are democracy’s equivalent of second-generation wealth’: a Chinese journalist on the US under Trump – podcast
Once a stalwart of Hong Kong’s journalism scene, Wang Jian has found a new audience on YouTube, dissecting global politics and US-China relations since the pandemic. To his fans, he’s part newscaster, part professor, part friend By Lauren Hilgers. Read by G Cheng The Guardian
Xi Jinping’s moment and whirlwind diplomatic tours: key takeaways from the Apec summit in South Korea
1. After Trump went awol, this was Xi’s moment Having dominated the headlines for several days during visits to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, Donald Trump flew back to Washington on the eve of the Apec summit in Gyeongju, leaving his treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, to do his bidding. Whether by accident or design, Trump’s absence allowed Xi to fill the void and position himself as a unifying voice and champion of the region’s economic interests, and an alternative to “America first” protectionism. While Trump – who was showered with…