China’s Rise Relied on the West. Xi Jinping Is Turning Away.

In late 1978, China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping set in motion two major policy shifts that would change China and the world order in the decades to come. At a Communist Party meeting in December of that year, the leadership declared that China would turn its focus from political struggle to economic development. Within days, China and the United States announced that they would establish diplomatic relations. These two events marked the end of China as a hermit country where one billion people lived in extreme poverty and the start…

Philippines, China in talks over sea dispute, base access for US forces

China batted on Thursday for friendly negotiations to settle simmering differences, including over the South China Sea and greater access for U.S. troops to Philippine bases, as Manila and Beijing began two days of talks to assess their relationship. The so-called bilateral “consultative” talks, which have taken place every year since 2016, are the first under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He has rekindled Manila’s traditionally warm ties with the United States that chilled under his more China-friendly predecessor, and promised Filipinos that he would not abandon “even one square…

Study Shows Sharp Decline of Australian Shallow Reef Species

Sydney —  An Australian study published Thursday found that up to 138 shallow-water reef species that have suffered sharp declines in the past 10 years now qualify as endangered or critically endangered. The Reef Life Survey found that larger fish have shown a greater decline than smaller varieties — most likely because of a combination of overfishing and climate change. Pollution and development are also factors. In what the survey’s authors say is a clear sign of global warming, population declines are disproportionately affecting marine species in cooler conditions off…

Congress to grill TikTok CEO over data privacy concerns and safety of users

The chief executive of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, is set to face a grilling from US lawmakers on Thursday as the political storm surrounding the China-owned social media platform intensifies with the Biden administration threatening to ban the app entirely in the US.g TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has long faced criticisms over the data it holds on US users – data that lawmakers fear could fall into the hands of the Chinese government. While the platform has repeatedly denied those claims, stating it stores US…

TV tonight: Taiwan’s battle with China to hold on to independence

Inside Taiwan: Standing Up to China 9pm, BBC Two Jane Corbin’s densely packed documentary investigates the precarious situation in Taiwan. President Xi Jinping’s government is accused of misinformation in its campaign to reunify the island with China, while Taiwan’s first female head of state, Tsai Ing-wen – overwhelmingly voted for by young people – faces a big battle to retain independence. Interviewees include a pro-Beijing campaigner and former gang leader, who shares footage of his party members battling pro-independence students. Hollie Richardson Dragons’ Den 8pm, BBC One How do you…

British MPs call for ‘as much help as possible’ for Taiwan to defend against China

A British parliamentary delegation to Taiwan has called for the UK government to give “as much help as possible” to Taiwan to defend itself against China. The visit by the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group to Taiwan this week included a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen, and discussions of British defence exports which supply Taiwan’s submarine program. Bob Stewart, Conservative MP and leader of the delegation, said on Wednesday that Taiwan was “on the front line of democracy, and autocracy”. Stewart confirmed the group discussed the UK supply of equipment to…

China claims it drove away US warship after it ‘illegally’ entered part of South China Sea

China’s military has claimed it monitored and drove away a US destroyer that had “illegally” entered waters around the contested Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. In a statement on Thursday, the military said the guided-missile destroyer USS Milius illegally intruded into China’s territorial waters, without the approval of the government, undermining peace and stability in the busy waterway. “The theatre forces will maintain a high state of alert at all times and take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and peace and stability in…

US tech rules bar UAE moon rover from China’s Chang’e 7 mission: sources

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, which is developing the moon rover, has been approached for comment. John Logsdon, professor emeritus of space policy at George Washington University, said ITAR mainly consists of a list of defence and military-related technologies which cannot be exported without a licence from the State Department. “There are a few exceptions for close US allies,” he said. 03:23 China to train international astronauts for future trips to space station Logsdon said the manufacturer of any US technology subject to ITAR incorporated into the Rashid-2 rover…

China, Cambodia kick off Golden Dragon 2023 joint drills

Military exercises between Cambodia and China got underway in central Cambodia on Thursday after the two nations staged their first-ever joint naval drills last Sunday, local media said. The Golden Dragon 2023 exercises officially kicked off with 257 Chinese and 583 Cambodian troops participating, the Khmer Times reported, citing Maj. Gen. Thong Solimo, spokesman for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF). The exercise, which runs for two weeks, will focus on security operations during major events and humanitarian relief, it said. Meanwhile on March 19, a Chinese warship – the…