TAIPEI, Taiwan – Beijing accused the United States of “pressuring other countries” to curb trade, following media reports that the Trump administration will use tariff relief as leverage to push nations to scale back their economic ties with China. More than 70 countries have expressed interest in negotiating trade deals, according to the U.S., after U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month announced a 90-day pause on his “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from dozens of countries. “China firmly opposes any party striking a deal at the expense of China’s interests,”…
Month: April 2025
China, Philippines in Scarborough Shoal naval encounter ahead of US joint drills
Advertisement The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command said on Sunday night that the BRP Apolinario Mabini, a Jacinto-class patrol vessel in the Philippine Navy, was challenged near Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by Beijing and Manila, earlier that day. The shoal, which is known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, has been in Beijing’s actual control since 2012. Command spokesman Senior Colonel Zhao Zhiwei said the Philippine frigate “illegally entered China’s territorial waters of Huangyan Island” without the approval of the Chinese government. “[We]…
China sanctions US Congress members, officials and others who ‘behaved badly’ on Hong Kong
China will impose sanctions on members of the United States Congress, officials and heads of non-governmental organisations “who have behaved badly” on Hong Kong-related issues. Advertisement “The United States has imposed unlawful, unilateral and indiscriminate sanctions against the offices of the Central Government of China in Hong Kong and six officials of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), thereby seriously interfering in the affairs of Hong Kong and China’s internal affairs, in grave violation of the principles of international law and the basic norms of international…
China pulls back from US private equity investments
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Private equity myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Chinese state-backed funds are cutting off new investment in US private equity, according to several people familiar with the situation, in the latest salvo of Donald Trump’s trade war. State-backed funds have been pulling back from investing in the funds of US-headquartered private capital firms in recent weeks, according to seven private equity executives with knowledge of the matter. The moves come in response to pressure from the Chinese government,…
5 jobs for a jobseeker: in China, PhD graduates may have far more opportunities than US
Advertisement A survey published at the end of March found the supply of postdoctoral positions at Chinese universities “far exceeds” the number of young researchers looking for a job. The findings were reached after an analysis of more than 24,000 university job postings and a similarly sized sample of jobseekers from channels such as the Chinese Ministry of Education and online recruitment platforms. According to the statistics, for every five postdoctoral early career research vacancies, there was on average just one jobseeker. Of all recruitment groups, the study found the…
Vietnam court cuts fraudster’s life sentence to 30 years
BANGKOK – An appeals court in Ho Chi Minh City has reduced the life sentence of Vietnam’s biggest corporate fraudster to 30 years in prison after she paid millions of dollars in compensation to buyers of bogus bonds, state media reported Monday. Truong My Lan, the 68-year old chairwoman of property company Van Thinh Phat, was separately sentenced to death in April last year for embezzling US$27 billion from Saigon Commercial Bank in which she held a more-than-90% stake. Her appeal against the death penalty was rejected in December, but…
Women protesters attack Chinese-run mine in Guinea Bissau
Women protesters in Guinea-Bissau on Sunday attacked a Chinese-run site in the northwest of the country mining zircon, setting fire to equipment, the interior minister and witnesses said. Advertisement One protester said they had acted after the authorities failed to respond to their complaints that the activity was damaging their farms and ruining the local environment. Several women and a village leader were arrested following the protest at Nhiquin, near the resort town of Valera not far from the border with Senegal, witnesses said. They said several hundred women were…
Vietnam agrees to buy US F-16 fighters, defense website says
Updated April 21, 2025, 03:40 a.m. EDT BANGKOK – Vietnam has reached an agreement with the United States to buy F-16 fighter jets, a defense website said, citing industry representatives and a former U.S. government official. Hanoi will acquire at least 24 of the Lockheed Martin single-engine fighters which, combined with other U.S. military ware, could add up to the biggest ever defense deal between two countries, 19FortyFive said Saturday. It is likely Hanoi will opt for the F-16 V model, which Lockheed calls the most advanced fourth-generation fighter, the…
Beijing warns countries not to act against China in trade deals with US
Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world Beijing has warned it will retaliate against countries that negotiate trade deals with the US “at the expense of China’s interests”, fuelling global tensions as the world’s two economic superpowers face off over tariffs. The statement by the commerce ministry, which was responding to reports that US President Donald Trump’s administration planned to use trade talks with multiple countries to try to isolate China, called on them to…
North Korea continues to pursue covert biological weapons program: US report
TAIPEI, Taiwan – North Korea continues to maintain a covert biological weapons program in violation of international treaties, according to a newly released U.S. government report. Biological weapons use pathogens such as bacteria or viruses to sicken or kill. Their invisible nature and devastating potential make them one of the most insidious forms of weaponry. “The United States assesses that the DPRK has a dedicated, national-level offensive [biological weapons] program,” the State Department said in its 2025 report on global compliance with arms control and disarmament agreements. The Democratic People’s…