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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…

China warns nations against ‘appeasing’ US in trade deals

China has warned countries against appeasing the US in trade talks over President Donald Trump’s tariffs. A Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson made the comments in response to reports that Washington plans to put pressure on governments to restrict trade with Beijing in exchange for exemptions to US import taxes. The Trump administration has started talks with trading partners over tariffs, with a Japanese delegation visiting Washington last week and South Korea is set to start negotiations this week. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed hefty…

US and Philippine forces to conduct ‘full battle test’ in South China Sea

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world US and Philippine forces are to conduct their first “full battle test” for fighting together in flashpoints such as Taiwan or the South China Sea, in a reflection of Washington’s rapidly deepening military engagement with its oldest Asian ally. This year’s Balikatan exercises, the two countries’ main bilateral annual drill starting on Monday, will combine elements practised over the past two years — such as targeting enemy ships…