Tag: China

Chinese threat to Taiwan ‘closer than most think’: top US admiral
24Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Chinese threat to Taiwan ‘closer than most think’: top US admiral

Admiral John Aquilino, who is chosen to be the next commander of US forces in the Pacific, on Tuesday said that China is amassing weapons and systems to militarily overwhelm Taiwan, an action it could be “poised to take” within the next six years.“My opinion is this problem is much closer to us than most think,” he said before the Senate Armed Services Committee, which was reviewing his nomination to lead the US military’s Indo-Pacific Command.He further stated that China considers establishing full control over Taiwan to be its “number one priority”.The current head of the command, Admiral Philip Davidson, told a hearing earlier this month that China could be prepared to take Taiwan, the self-governed democratic island that Beijing claims as its sovereign territory, by force within the ne...
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Over 200 China vessels massed at disputed reef in South China Sea: Philippines
23Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Over 200 China vessels massed at disputed reef in South China Sea: Philippines

Amid the ongoing tension due to China’s aggressiveness in the South China Sea, Phillippines on Monday said that over 200 Chinese vessels have massed at a reef in the west Philippine sea.In an announcement posted by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on its Facebook page, the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea said ships have “massed” at the Julian Felipe Reef, the official Philippine name for Whitsun Reef.Julian Felipe Reef is a large boomerang-shaped shallow coral reef 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan, and northeast of Pagkakaisa banks and reefs or the Union Reefs. The reef is claimed by China and the Philippines both.The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shared photos dated March 7 showing the ships lined up at the reef. Commodore Armand Balilo, t...
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Japan, US to conduct joint military drills near Senkaku Islands to counter China
22Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Japan, US to conduct joint military drills near Senkaku Islands to counter China

The United States and Japan have decided to conduct large-scale joint drills to protect the Senkaku Islands and counter China’s aggressiveness in the East China Sea.According to media reports, Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces would join the US Marines and Air Force in an exercise to defend the Japanese-administered Senkakus, which are claimed by China as Diaoyu.Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi stressed the need for joint drills during a TV program aired on Friday in local media. “We need to improve our capability through joint drills and demonstrate our presence,” he said.In February, China adopted a law allowing its coast guard to fire at foreign ships. Since then, Chinese coast guard ships have repeatedly sailed into Japanese waters near the islets.The drills come after...
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Taiwan protests against UN report for labeling it as ‘province of China’
22Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Taiwan protests against UN report for labeling it as ‘province of China’

A recent global happiness report issued by the United Nations (UN) is facing severe criticism from Taiwan for listing it as “province of China”.On March 20, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the UN released its World Happiness Report 2021, a global ranking of happiness levels across 149 countries. The report however has labeled Taiwan as a “province of China” since it is not a member of the UN.Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its dismay about the mislabeling in the World Happiness Report and stressed that Taiwan has its own government and sovereignty and has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).Taiwan’s representative office in New York said in a Twitter post that it has launched a protest demanding respect for the country’s sovereignty and...
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Chinese companies mum as international companies condemn Myanmar’s growing violence
21Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Chinese companies mum as international companies condemn Myanmar’s growing violence

Even though several multinational companies have publicly condemned the military coup in Myanmar, China has remained silent.According to media reports, Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) a Yangon-based rights group, has called for companies to sign a joint statement of concern for the coup, but companies from China are absent.A total of 216 companies have signed the statement yet there has been no participation from Chinese companies.This comes in the backdrop of several Chinese companies being the targets of arson attacks, which have increased public scrutiny over the stance of these companies on the coup. “China won’t allow its interests to be exposed to further aggression… If the authorities cannot deliver and the chaos continues to spread, China might be forced into taking ...
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EU approves sanctions on Chinese officials over rights abuses in Xinjiang: Report
18Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

EU approves sanctions on Chinese officials over rights abuses in Xinjiang: Report

Increasing China’s troubles, European Union (EU) officials have approved sanctions on Chinese officials, who are accused of human rights violations in the Xinjiang province.The penalties, which were approved at preparatory meetings for next week’s Foreign Affairs Council, will be formally adopted at a meeting of the bloc’s top diplomats on Monday.These will be the first sanctions against Beijing since an EU arms embargo in 1989 following the Tiananmen Square crackdown. The embargo is still in place.Across the world, China has been rebuked for cracking down on Uyghur Muslims by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities and sending members of the community to undergo some form of forcible re-education or indoctrination.Meanwhile, Beijing has vehemently d...
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UK to build more nuclear weapons to counter challenges posed by China
17Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

UK to build more nuclear weapons to counter challenges posed by China

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that his government will build more nuclear weapons and expand its presence in the fields of space and cyberspace to counter challenges posed by China.According to media reports, the British government wants to increase defense spending by 24 billion euros over the next four years, a large increase on the 42.2 billion euros spent in 2019-20.Describing Beijing as the ‘biggest state-based threat to the UK’s economic security, PM Johnson, in a review of British military and foreign policy on Tuesday, said: “China’s increasing power and international assertiveness is likely to be the most significant geopolitical factor of the 2020s.”After the report was released, Johnson in Parliament criticised China for its mass detention of Uyghur p...
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China to conduct trial of two Canadian nationals for alleged espionage
15Mar By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

China to conduct trial of two Canadian nationals for alleged espionage

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were prosecuted in China for suspected crimes undermining China's national security, will soon be tried, according to sources.The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokespersons have reiterated the status of both cases addressing Kovrig and Spavor and China's judicial authorities have released information about the cases.According to media reports, Canadian nationals Kovrig was accused of having used an ordinary passport and business visa to enter China to steal sensitive information and intelligence through contacts in China since 2017, while Spavor was accused of being a key source of intelligence for Kovrig.Another source has said that previously due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hearings for both cases have yet to commence, and the court will push forward ...
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Japan slams Beijing over electoral changes in Hong Kong
15Mar By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Japan slams Beijing over electoral changes in Hong Kong

Japan has expressed its concerns regarding China’s decision to change the electoral system in Hong Kong, saying that the resolution passed by China's National People's Congress to change the electoral system in Hong Kong is a major setback to the city's autonomy and that it "cannot overlook" the resolution."The decision this time will further undermine the confidence in the 'one country, two systems' framework, as provided for in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration," Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.The ministry said that Japan's concerns were growing due to the recent arrest and prosecution of a number of opposition politicians and activists.It also called on Beijing to hold elections in Hong Kong that were open to candidates "represen...
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US condemns Beijing’s move to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system
13Mar By Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

US condemns Beijing’s move to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system

After Beijing approved a resolution to drastically overhaul Hong Kong's electoral system to ensure only 'patriots' can rule the city, the United States publicly condemned China for its “continuing assaults on democratic institutions”."We condemn the People's Republic of China (PRC's) continuing assaults on democratic institutions in Hong Kong," US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said during a press briefing."The changes approved by the National People's Congress today, on March 11, are a direct attack on Hong Kong's autonomy, its freedom and democratic processes limiting political participation, reducing democratic representation, and stifling political debate in order to defy the clear will of people in Hong Kong and deny their voices in their own governance," he added.On Thurs...
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