Day: January 12, 2024

‘Gold bars and Moutai’: TV series spotlights China’s corrupt officials

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China’s football stars had expected to be put through their paces on the training pitch this week as they prepared for the Asian Cup in Qatar. Instead, their practice regime included compulsory viewing of a state media television programme that featured their former coach and other senior sporting officials repenting for match fixing, bribing opponents and accepting cash for spots in the national team. The football exposé concluded a four-part CCTV series on China’s anti-corruption campaign that aired on prime time this week to the country’s 1.4bn people, laying out…

Millions of Voters Head to Polls as Taiwan Election Gets Under Way

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Miaoli, Taiwan —  Following weeks of intense campaigning and numerous rallies, more than 19 million voters across Taiwan headed to the polls on Saturday to determine who will be the next president to lead the democratic island amid heightened tension across the Taiwan Strait. While Taiwan’s presidential election is traditionally a referendum on its relationship with China, a wider range of issues are on the agenda, including social and economic issues such as residential justice and low-wage problems for young people. This situation makes determining which candidate has the better…

Polls open in Taiwan’s pivotal presidential election

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Voters began casting ballots Saturday in Taiwan’s presidential election that will shape its future relationship with China and stance on independence as well as stability. Polls opened at 8:00 a.m. at nearly 18,000 locations, from the island’s south to its capital Taipei and will close at 4 p.m with votes immediately counted and reported to the election authorities soon after. The result for Saturday’s election should be clear by late evening when the losers concede and the winner gives a victory speech. At stake is the peace and stability of…

‘The Taiwan card’: island’s growing strategic value is testing Beijing’s diplomacy tactics

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“There has been a clear trend that the Taiwan issue has become more internationalised,” said Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of international relations and director of the China Institute at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. Taiwan has done a great public relations job in selling its democracy vis-à-vis an authoritarian ChinaZhiqun Zhu, international relations expert Beijing has often touted its success in persuading nine countries to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan – most recently Honduras in March last year – since the island’s outgoing president, Tsai Ing-wen, took power in 2016. Thanks…

South Korea’s dog meat ban a signal to China to follow suit

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On January 9, South Korea’s National Assembly adopted a special bill outlawing the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption. The vote was historic. It started a three-year grace period for South Korea’s dog farmers, slaughter operators and dog meat restaurant owners to transition to alternative livelihoods with government compensation and assistance. When the law takes effect in 2027, acts that violate it could result in a jail term of up to three years and a fine of 30 million won (US$23,000). The adoption of the bill was…

Taiwan votes in pivotal election as China looms large

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Taiwanese headed to the polls on Saturday morning to pick a new president and parliament in a pivotal election that could influence China’s approach to its democratic neighbour. The eighth national vote since the country of 23.5mn first held free and direct presidential elections in 1996 has been overshadowed by threats from Beijing. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and refuses to renounce the use of force to…

Mexico Unseats China as Top Importer to US

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After 17 years as the top source of imported goods in the United States, China will likely move into second place for 2023, ceding the first position to Mexico, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department this week. The shift is the result of a yearslong trend that has seen a gradual decline in China’s share of the U.S. import market, driven primarily by continued U.S. tariffs on a broad array of Chinese goods. However, other contributing factors include a broader reshuffling of global supply chains in the…

Number of South Korean Students in China Plummets

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Seoul —  South Korea’s government recently revealed new data that shows the number of Koreans studying in China has dropped dramatically in the past six years, shrinking by nearly 60,000 students. South Korean students and observers tell VOA’s Mandarin Service that strict COVID controls during the pandemic, fewer Korean companies operating in China as the world’s second-largest economy slows and growing anti-China sentiment at home are among some of the factors feeding the decline. Late last month, South Korea’s Ministry of Education said the total number of students studying in…

Top China envoy and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet in Washington ahead of Taiwan elections

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A top Chinese Communist Party envoy met senior US officials at the State Department in Washington, hours before voters in Taiwan elect their next leader and government as the two sides seek to restore dialogue and stabilise ties. Liu Jianchao, who leads the CCP’s diplomatic arm, joined US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in closed-door discussions on Friday morning as part of his ongoing American visit to promote what he described as “common understanding” on contentious issues. Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the US, also attended the meeting, as did…