Country steps up efforts to control a surge in coronavirus cases as it tries to maintain its zero Covid policy. Major cities such as Shenzhen and Changchun have been locked down as Covid cases hit a two-year high. Nearly 90% of new infections are in Jilin province, while tens of millions of people across the country remain confined to their homes The Guardian
Day: March 16, 2022
Exports to Russia Blocked by U.S. and Its Allies
WASHINGTON — The United States, in partnership with its allies, has hit Russia with some of the most sweeping export restrictions ever imposed, barring companies across the world from sending advanced technology in order to penalize President Vladimir V. Putin for his invasion of Ukraine. The restrictions are aimed at cutting off the flow of semiconductors, aircraft components and other technologies that are crucial to Russia’s defense, maritime and aerospace industries, in a bid to cripple Mr. Putin’s ability to wage war. But the extent to which the measures hinder…
How close are China and Russia and where does Beijing stand on Ukraine?
How close are China and Russia? Under the rule of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin China and Russia have becoming increasingly isolated from the west – and closer to each other. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came just days after Xi and Putin cemented a significant partnership on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics – the first in-person, bilateral meeting Xi had attended since the pandemic began. A joint statement from the two leaders said the bonds between the two countries had “no limits” and there were “no ‘forbidden’ areas…
What Would China’s Mediation in the Ukraine Crisis Look Like?
Advertisement China’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war has been following its script of a responsible great power, as I wrote recently in an article interpreting China’s views and actions on the conflict. China’s level of mediation activity is unprecedented in its recent diplomatic history, marked by frequent phone calls and online meetings between President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and their counterparts in Russia, Ukraine, and Europe. As we watch the devastating situation in Ukraine and hope for an end to the tragedy soon, there naturally comes the question…
Genshin Impact, Smash Hit From China, Beats Japan at Its Own Game
TOKYO — Genshin Impact, one of the world’s hottest mobile video games, has all the characteristics of a Japanese invention: giant robots; human-size swords; characters with huge eyes and spiky, rainbow-colored hair; and a puzzling fixation on women in maid outfits. There’s just one catch: It’s Chinese. Released in late 2020, the game is the first bona fide international smash hit for China’s video game industry. In its first year on the market, it raked in $2 billion, a record for mobile games, according to Sensor Tower, a firm that…
‘I’m on the frontline in Mariupol’: the Chinese reporter embedded with Russian troops
In a flak jacket and helmet, the Chinese reporter Lu Yuguang stands on the side of a road as a Russian tank roars past. “I’m on the frontline in Mariupol,” he says into the microphone. He then interviews a Russian soldier who says he’s not nervous as he’s been “fighting for eight years”. In another shot, Lu talks with a group of Russian soldiers in the back of a military vehicle. The dispatches are unusual for their extraordinary access – Lu, a veteran war reporter for a Chinese news outlet,…