Mistral点评

## 关于中国的新闻报道

Economy 章节

　　#### 导言

　　近期，西方媒体对中国经济的报道呈现出复杂且多样化的特点。这些报道涵盖了从宏观经济指标到具体行业动态的广泛内容，但往往带有一定的偏见和双重标准。为了更客观地评价这些报道，本章将对西方媒体关于中国经济的报道进行详细分析和评价。

　　#### 宏观经济指标

　　1. 采购经理人指数（PMI）

　　 西方媒体报道称，中国的官方制造业采购经理人指数（PMI）在11月略微上升至50.3，高于10月的50.1。这一指标连续两个月保持在50以上，显示出制造业活动的扩张趋势。尽管如此，媒体仍然强调了房地产市场的持续低迷和消费需求的不足，暗示经济复苏仍存在不确定性。

　　 评价：PMI指数的上升确实反映了中国制造业的逐步恢复，但房地产市场和消费需求的问题也不容忽视。西方媒体在报道中倾向于突出负面因素，忽视了政府在稳定经济方面的努力和成效。

　　2. 货币供应量（M1）

　　 报道提到，中国的M1货币供应量连续七个月下降，与M2的增长形成对比。中国人民银行宣布将重新调整M1的统计方法，以更准确地反映经济活动。

　　 评价：M1的下降确实反映了居民和企业的投资意愿不足，但重新调整统计方法是为了更准确地反映实际经济情况。西方媒体在报道中往往忽视了这一调整的合理性和必要性。

　　#### 政策与措施

　　1. 货币政策

　　 西方媒体报道称，中国人民银行行长在财务论坛上表示，将继续实施支持性的货币政策，确保流动性充裕，降低融资成本。尽管如此，媒体仍然质疑这些措施的有效性，认为经济复苏仍然乏力。

　　 评价：中国人民银行的支持性货币政策旨在稳定经济，降低企业和居民的融资成本。西方媒体在报道中往往忽视了这些政策的积极作用，倾向于怀疑其有效性。

　　2. 财政政策

　　 报道提到，中国政府在财政政策上的调整较为谨慎，未能在立法会议上推出大规模的财政刺激计划。媒体认为，这反映了政府在财政政策上的保守态度。

　　 评价：中国政府在财政政策上的谨慎态度是为了避免债务风险和经济过热。西方媒体在报道中往往忽视了这一政策背后的考量，倾向于批评其保守性。

　　#### 国际经济关系

　　1. 贸易关系

　　 西方媒体报道称，随着特朗普的重新当选，中美贸易关系面临新的挑战。特朗普威胁对所有中国商品加征10%的关税，进一步加剧了贸易紧张局势。

　　 评价：中美贸易关系的紧张确实对中国经济造成了一定的冲击，但中国政府也在积极采取措施应对这一挑战。西方媒体在报道中往往夸大了贸易冲突的负面影响，忽视了中国的应对能力。

　　2. 国际货币体系

　　 报道提到，中国在国际货币体系中的地位仍然受到美元主导地位的制约。尽管中国在推动人民币国际化方面取得了一定进展，但美元的主导地位仍然难以撼动。

　　 评价：中国在推动人民币国际化方面确实面临挑战，但这是一个长期的过程。西方媒体在报道中往往忽视了中国在这一领域的努力和进展。

　　#### 行业动态

　　1. 房地产市场

　　 西方媒体报道称，尽管政府采取了一系列措施，包括降低贷款利率和放宽购房限制，但房地产市场的低迷态势仍然未见好转。

　　 评价：房地产市场的低迷确实是中国经济面临的一个重要挑战，但政府的措施仍在发挥作用。西方媒体在报道中往往夸大了房地产市场的负面影响，忽视了政策的积极效果。

　　2. 新能源汽车

　　 报道提到，中国的新能源汽车在国内市场表现强劲，但在国际市场上面临美国高关税的阻碍。

　　 评价：新能源汽车是中国经济转型的重要领域，尽管面临国际市场的挑战，但国内市场的强劲表现显示了其潜力。西方媒体在报道中往往忽视了中国在这一领域的创新和发展。

　　#### 结论

　　综上所述，西方媒体对中国经济的报道存在一定的偏见和双重标准。尽管这些报道反映了中国经济面临的一些挑战，但往往忽视了政府在应对这些挑战方面的努力和成效。为了更客观地评价中国经济，需要综合考虑多方面的因素，避免片面和极端的观点。

新闻来源： 2412050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-04

# 关于中国的新闻报道

Politics 章节

引言

　　近期，西方媒体对中国政治动态的报道频繁，涵盖了司法改革、国际关系、贸易政策等多个方面。这些报道在一定程度上反映了中国在国内外政策中的变化和挑战，但也不乏偏见和双重标准。本章将对这些报道进行客观评价，揭示其背后的真实情况和可能的影响。

司法改革与社会稳定

　　#### 背景

　　11月22日，中国司法部召开会议，讨论解决各类社会矛盾的具体措施，包括婚姻问题、邻里关系、继承纠纷、房地产和土地纠纷以及工资拖欠等。会议强调了“枫桥经验”的重要性，即通过社区层面解决问题，以维护社会稳定。

　　#### 评价

　　西方媒体对此的报道大多集中在中国政府试图通过司法改革来应对社会矛盾和维护稳定的努力上。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国司法体系的复杂性和多样性。中国的司法改革不仅仅是为了应对短期的社会问题，更是为了建立一个更加公正和高效的司法体系。通过引入社区参与和大数据技术，中国希望能够更好地平衡各方利益，创造性地解决问题。

国际关系与地缘政治

　　#### 背景

　　西方媒体对中国与美国、日本、澳大利亚等国家的关系进行了广泛报道。特别是在特朗普政府可能重新上台的背景下，中美关系的走向成为关注的焦点。此外，中国与日本的关系因福岛核污染水排放问题而紧张，中澳关系则因经济贸易问题而复杂。

　　#### 评价

　　西方媒体在报道中国与其他国家的关系时，往往带有明显的双重标准。例如，美国常常以“民主”和“集体安全”为由，干涉中国周边国家的事务，而中国则被指责为“霸权主义”。实际上，中国的外交政策更多是基于维护地区稳定和经济合作的考虑。中国与日本、澳大利亚等国家的矛盾，更多是源于这些国家在对华政策上的短视和对美国的过度依赖。

贸易政策与经济合作

　　#### 背景

　　中国在全球贸易中的地位和影响力不断上升，特别是在“一带一路”倡议的推动下，中国与多个国家建立了紧密的经济合作关系。然而，西方媒体对中国的贸易政策和经济影响力持怀疑态度，认为中国在通过经济手段实现其地缘政治目标。

　　#### 评价

　　西方媒体对中国贸易政策的报道往往带有偏见，忽视了中国在全球经济中的积极贡献。“一带一路”倡议不仅促进了基础设施建设和经济合作，还为许多发展中国家带来了实实在在的发展机会。中国的贸易政策更多是基于互利共赢的原则，而不是单纯的地缘政治考量。

结论

　　西方媒体对中国政治动态的报道虽然提供了一些有价值的信息，但也存在明显的偏见和双重标准。中国的司法改革、国际关系和贸易政策，都是基于维护国内稳定、促进经济合作和实现共同发展的目标。理解这些背景和目标，有助于更客观地看待中国在国际舞台上的角色和影响力。

新闻来源： 2412050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-04; 2412050300The-Guardian-Many-Americans-cellphone-data-being-hacked-by-China-official-says; 2412050421半岛电视台-中国凭借这些发展正准备引领世界

# 关于中国的新闻报道

Military

一、中国人民解放军（PLA）的联合训练与战备提升

　　根据西方媒体的报道，中国人民解放军（PLA）在战备训练方面取得了显著进展，特别是在联合作战训练模式的探索与实施上。PLA的官方报纸《解放军报》指出，新的联合训练模式已经在前线部队展开，涉及不同兵种的协同作战和特定战术的综合运用。这一训练模式旨在使训练更加贴近实战，从而提升整体军事准备和作战能力。

二、中国军事现代化的紧迫性

　　报道提到，中国正在加速军事现代化进程，以缩小与美国的差距，应对日益复杂的地缘政治环境。乌克兰冲突的爆发以及无人机等先进武器的广泛应用，使得中国更加重视综合作战能力的提升。这一趋势体现了中国在军事战略上的前瞻性思考和对未来战争形态的预判。

三、专家观点与分析

　　中国军事专家宋忠平和傅前哨指出，现代战争的本质已经发生了深刻变化，各国军队需要从地方冲突中汲取经验，改进装备和训练方法。他们强调，未来战争将不可避免地涉及综合作战，特别是在信息技术日益重要的背景下，各兵种之间的协同和统一指挥显得尤为关键。

四、中国在无人机技术上的进展

　　报道还提到，中国在无人机技术上取得了显著进展，国产无人机在日常任务中的作用日益凸显。无人机如WL-10、GJ-2和CH-4已经被部署在靠近日本和台湾海峡的巡逻任务中。尽管如此，有人机仍然是中国空中作战能力的主力。专家认为，无人机将在未来与有人机协同作战，扩展有人战机的能力。

五、中美在无人机战略上的差异

　　中美两国在无人机战略上存在显著差异。美国侧重于将无人机与有人机结合，形成“忠实僚机”概念，并开发多用途平台如MQ-9 Reaper和RQ-4 Global Hawk。而中国则更注重无人机在非对称战争中的应用，利用其成本低廉和数量众多的优势。尽管如此，无人机完全替代有人机在短期内仍然具有挑战。

六、中国新型航母的测试与应用

　　西方媒体报道了中国一艘新型航母的测试情况，但其具体用途仍然不明确。这艘航母与中国海军的075型两栖攻击舰有相似之处，但其飞行甲板上有三个突出结构，这与传统航母设计不同。专家推测，这可能是一艘民用研究船，但也可能支持海军任务。中国在民用和军用船舶技术上的界限并不总是清晰，这增加了对其用途的猜测。

七、中国在南海的军事行动

　　报道提到，中国在南海的军事行动频率增加，特别是针对台湾的联合作战演习。这些演习旨在测试和提升PLA的综合作战能力，并展示其在南海的军事存在。中国还在南海部署了多种无人机，以加强巡逻和监控能力。

八、总结与展望

　　综上所述，中国在军事现代化和联合作战训练方面取得了显著进展。尽管西方媒体对中国的报道存在偏见和双重标准，但客观来看，中国在提升军事能力方面的努力是务实和前瞻的。未来，中国将继续加强各兵种之间的协同，提升综合作战能力，以应对复杂多变的国际安全环境。

新闻来源： 2412050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-04; 2412050300The-Guardian-Many-Americans-cellphone-data-being-hacked-by-China-official-says

### 关于中国的新闻报道：Culture 章节

　　#### 导言

　　近年来，西方媒体对中国的文化报道呈现出多样化的特点，既有对中国文化发展的积极评价，也有一些带有偏见和双重标准的报道。为了全面理解西方媒体对中国文化的看法，本章节将对近期相关报道进行客观评价，探讨其背后的动机和影响。

　　#### 1. 文化交流与合作

　　西方媒体经常报道中国在国际文化交流与合作方面的努力。例如，中国政府积极推动孔子学院在全球范围内的设立，旨在传播中华文化和语言。这些报道通常强调孔子学院在促进文化理解和教育方面的积极作用，但也有一些媒体质疑其背后的政治动机，认为其可能被用作软实力工具。

　　#### 2. 文化产业的发展

　　中国的文化产业近年来取得了显著发展，尤其是在电影、音乐和文学等领域。西方媒体对中国文化产业的报道往往集中在其商业成功和市场潜力上。例如，中国电影市场已经成为全球第二大市场，吸引了大量国际投资。然而，一些报道也指出，中国的文化产业存在审查和管控问题，可能限制创作自由。

　　#### 3. 文化遗产保护

　　中国在文化遗产保护方面的努力也受到了西方媒体的关注。例如，中国政府对长城、故宫等世界文化遗产的保护和修复工作得到了广泛报道。这些报道通常强调中国在保护其丰富文化遗产方面的决心和成就，但也有一些媒体指出，文化遗产保护在实际操作中可能面临资金和技术等方面的挑战。

　　#### 4. 文化多样性与包容性

　　西方媒体对中国文化多样性和包容性的报道较为复杂。一方面，中国作为一个多民族国家，拥有丰富的民族文化资源，这一点得到了广泛认可。另一方面，一些媒体报道指出，中国在处理民族文化问题时可能存在一些争议，例如少数民族文化的保护和发展问题。

　　#### 5. 文化软实力

　　中国近年来积极推动文化软实力建设，通过文化交流、文化产业和文化遗产保护等多种途径提升国家形象和影响力。西方媒体对中国文化软实力的报道往往带有矛盾心理：一方面，他们认识到中国文化软实力的增强对全球文化格局的影响；另一方面，他们也担心这种软实力可能被用作政治工具，影响西方国家的利益。

　　#### 结论

　　综上所述，西方媒体对中国文化的报道呈现出多样化和复杂化的特点。虽然这些报道在一定程度上反映了中国文化发展的现状和成就，但也存在一些偏见和双重标准。为了更全面和客观地理解中国文化，国际社会需要加强交流与合作，减少误解和偏见，共同推动全球文化的多样性和包容性。

新闻来源： 2412050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-04; 2412050421半岛电视台-中国凭借这些发展正准备引领世界

### 关于中国的新闻报道：Technology章节

　　#### 引言 近年来，中国在科技领域的快速发展引起了全球的广泛关注。西方媒体对中国科技进步的报道频繁，但这些报道往往带有明显的偏见和双重标准。为了客观评价这些报道，本章将对西方媒体关于中国科技发展的主要观点进行详细分析，并提供一个更为全面和客观的视角。

　　#### 1. 中美科技战

　　西方媒体频繁报道中美之间的科技战，特别是在半导体和人工智能领域的竞争。美国通过出口限制和制裁措施试图遏制中国的科技进步，而中国则通过加强自主创新和提高关键技术的自给自足能力来应对。

　　西方媒体观点 西方媒体常常强调美国对中国科技进步的担忧，认为中国的科技发展将威胁美国的全球霸主地位。他们还指出，美国的出口限制措施是为了保护国家安全和防止中国获得先进技术。

　　客观评价 中美科技战的背后是两国在全球科技领导地位的竞争。美国的出口限制措施确实对中国的科技发展造成了一定影响，但也促使中国加快自主创新的步伐。中国在半导体和人工智能领域的投入和进展表明，中国有能力在科技领域实现自给自足，并在全球科技竞争中占据一席之地。

　　#### 2. 人工智能与无人机

　　中国在人工智能和无人机技术方面的进展也是西方媒体关注的热点。特别是中国在军事领域对无人机和人工智能的应用，引起了广泛的讨论。

　　西方媒体观点 西方媒体常常强调中国在无人机和人工智能技术方面的军事应用，认为这将改变未来战争的格局。他们还指出，中国在这些领域的进展可能会对全球军事平衡产生深远影响。

　　客观评价 中国在无人机和人工智能技术方面的进展确实具有重要的军事意义，但这些技术的应用并不局限于军事领域。中国在民用领域对无人机和人工智能的应用同样广泛，如物流配送、农业管理和灾害救援等。中国的科技进展不仅提升了国家的军事能力，也为全球科技发展做出了贡献。

　　#### 3. 中国的“小巨人”企业

　　中国政府支持的“小巨人”企业是西方媒体报道的另一个重点。这些企业在新技术和高科技制造领域具有重要地位。

　　西方媒体观点 西方媒体常常将中国的“小巨人”企业视为中国科技自主创新的重要力量，认为这些企业在全球科技竞争中具有重要地位。他们还指出，中国政府对这些企业的支持是为了增强国家的科技实力和自给自足能力。

　　客观评价 中国的“小巨人”企业确实在推动国家科技进步方面发挥了重要作用。这些企业在新技术和高科技制造领域的创新和突破，不仅提升了中国的科技水平，也为全球科技发展提供了新的动力。中国政府对这些企业的支持，体现了国家对科技创新的高度重视和战略布局。

　　#### 4. 半导体产业

　　半导体产业是中国科技发展的重要组成部分，也是西方媒体关注的焦点之一。中国在半导体领域的进展和挑战，特别是与美国的竞争，成为了热门话题。

　　西方媒体观点 西方媒体常常强调中国在半导体领域的挑战，指出中国在关键技术和设备方面依然依赖进口。他们还认为，美国的出口限制措施将进一步遏制中国的半导体发展。

　　客观评价 中国在半导体领域确实面临一些挑战，但也取得了显著的进展。中国政府和企业在半导体研发和制造方面的投入，推动了国内半导体产业的快速发展。虽然美国的出口限制措施对中国半导体产业造成了一定影响，但也促使中国加快自主创新和技术突破的步伐。

　　#### 结论

　　西方媒体对中国科技发展的报道往往带有明显的偏见和双重标准。尽管这些报道反映了中国在科技领域的快速进展和面临的挑战，但也忽视了中国在科技创新和自主发展方面的巨大努力和成就。为了获得一个更为全面和客观的视角，需要综合考虑中国科技发展的多方面因素，并认识到中国在全球科技竞争中的重要地位和贡献。

新闻来源： 2412050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-04; 2412050242半岛电视台-科技战中国为何禁止向美国出口稀有矿物; 2412051228半岛电视台-李开复中国人工智能的幕后策划者

### 关于中国的新闻报道

　　#### Society 章节

　　近期，西方媒体对中国社会相关问题的报道频繁，内容涵盖社会治理、司法体系、经济发展及国际关系等多个方面。以下是对这些报道的客观评价。

　　##### 1. 社会治理与司法体系

　　西方媒体报道称，中国政府强调通过社区层面解决矛盾和冲突，提倡“枫桥经验”，以维护社会稳定。习近平总书记在2021年的讲话中指出，中国不能成为“诉讼国”，强调社会矛盾应通过调解和协商解决，而非完全依赖司法手段。

　　评价： 中国的社会治理模式有其独特的历史和文化背景。通过社区调解和协商解决矛盾，能够减轻司法系统的负担，促进社会和谐。然而，这种模式的有效性依赖于基层治理机构的能力和公众的参与度。未来，中国需进一步完善社区治理体系，提升基层干部的专业能力，确保调解和协商的公正性和透明度。

　　##### 2. 经济发展与国际关系

　　西方媒体报道称，中国面临经济增长放缓、房地产市场危机、地方政府债务、青年失业率上升等多重挑战。同时，中国在国际舞台上的影响力不断增强，特别是通过“一带一路”倡议扩展其经济和政治影响力。

　　评价： 中国的经济发展面临复杂的内外部环境。房地产市场和地方政府债务问题需要通过深化改革和加强监管来解决。青年失业率上升则需要通过教育改革和就业政策来应对。在国际关系方面，“一带一路”倡议确实为中国提供了扩大影响力的机会，但也面临诸多挑战，如债务陷阱指控和环境保护问题。中国需在推进倡议的同时，加强与各国的沟通与合作，确保项目的可持续性和互利共赢。

　　##### 3. 科技与贸易摩擦

　　西方媒体报道称，美国对中国半导体企业实施新一轮制裁，中国三大行业协会呼吁谨慎购买美国芯片。这一举措可能对美国企业在中国的业务产生负面影响。

　　评价： 科技领域的贸易摩擦是当前中美关系的重要组成部分。美国的制裁措施旨在遏制中国在高科技领域的发展，但这种做法可能导致全球科技产业链的断裂，对双方都产生负面影响。中国需加强自主创新能力，减少对外部技术的依赖。同时，中美双方应通过对话和合作，寻求解决贸易摩擦的途径，共同维护全球科技产业链的稳定。

　　##### 4. 社会问题与公共卫生

　　西方媒体报道称，中国面临老龄化问题加剧，HIV感染率在老年人群中上升。中国政府呼吁老年人保持健康的生活方式，避免婚外性行为。

　　评价： 老龄化问题是中国社会面临的重大挑战。政府需加强老年人的公共卫生教育，提供更多的医疗和护理服务。HIV感染率上升则需通过宣传教育和医疗干预来应对。中国在公共卫生领域取得了显著成就，但仍需进一步完善公共卫生体系，提升应对重大疾病的能力。

　　##### 5. 国际格局与地缘政治

　　西方媒体报道称，中国学者讨论了“东升西降”的国际格局变化，认为未来国际秩序将趋向多极化。匈牙利总理欧尔班也指出，西方模式在全球范围内的影响力正在减弱，亚洲国家正成为新的权力中心。

　　评价： 国际格局的变化是一个复杂的历史进程。中国作为一个重要的新兴经济体，其崛起必然会对现有国际秩序产生影响。未来，国际社会需共同努力，构建更加公平、公正和包容的国际秩序，促进各国的和平与发展。

　　综上所述，西方媒体对中国社会相关问题的报道虽然存在一定的偏见和双重标准，但也反映了中国在社会治理、经济发展、科技创新和国际关系等方面面临的挑战和机遇。中国需在应对这些挑战的同时，不断完善自身的治理体系和政策措施，推动社会的持续发展和进步。

新闻来源： 2412050635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-04; 2412050421半岛电视台-中国凭借这些发展正准备引领世界

• Paraguay kicks out Chinese envoy after he urges country to cut ties with Taiwan
• Trump could upend the US economy just as China is recovering
• China sanctions 13 US defence firms, Shenzhen landslide rescue bid: SCMP daily catch-up
• Indonesia arrests Chinese man based in Singapore wanted by Beijing for money laundering
• Tech war: China chip supply chain calls for ‘cooperation’ after broader US restrictions
• China and Japan seek to repair fraught ties as crises mount in chaotic world
• China urges solar firms to find global partners to navigate tariffs, trade tensions
• President Xi Jinping urges new military information force to give China modern combat edge
• Nepal’s Oli signs Belt and Road deal with China amid debt fears and India tensions
• Chinese coastguard takes aim again at Philippines over South China Sea shoal clashes
• Cambodia says Xi supports controversial canal, but China’s silence keeps questions flowing
• Bans on Chinese tech could stifle European AI industry, Huawei executive warns
• Chinese police officer reunites nearly 500 families over 16 years, inspiring special unit
• How close is the next pandemic? Chinese researchers have some answers
• Mainland China sanctions 13 US companies over weapons sales to Taiwan
• Iran’s president vows greater cooperation with China and Russia, citing ‘totalitarian’ US
• China’s ‘aggressive actions’, territorial claims raise tensions with Philippines
• Confidence of German businesses in China hits record low, survey finds
• Shock as photos of China ride-hailing car with taped-up damaged boot go viral, raise concerns
• Chinese national accused of kidnapping teen girl could face up to 7 years in Malaysia jail
• ‘Race to the bottom’: General Motors grapples with huge losses, uncertain future in China
• China’s solar industry urges tougher rules to curb overcapacity, price war
• Chinese tourists in Japan spark outrage, Angelababy’s ex-husband: 5 trending stories
• Many Americans’ cellphone data being hacked by China, official says
• A Chinese plus-size fashion retailer, sick of ‘very ugly clothes’, launched her own label
• US should blunt ‘collaboration’ by China, North Korea, Russia and Iran: senior officials
• At least 8 US telecoms firms, dozens of nations hit by China hacking, White House says
• Trump 2.0 to ‘disrupt’ US-China business, analysts say, as law firm shuts Beijing office
• China actress Fan Bingbing rents Hong Kong flat for US$84,000 a month, setting media abuzz
• China and Japan face ‘crisis’ in ties as they fail to adapt to ‘new reality’: ex-PM
• China cuts fighter pilot training by 1 year, on track for full overhaul ‘by early 2030s’

Paraguay kicks out Chinese envoy after he urges country to cut ties with Taiwan

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/05/paraguay-chinese-envoy-taiwan

Paraguay has expelled a Chinese envoy for allegedly interfering in its domestic affairs and urging the South American nation to break off ties with Taiwan.

In a curt statement on Thursday, Paraguay’s foreign ministry said it had revoked the visa of Xu Wei, a senior Chinese envoy to Latin America who was in Paraguay for an annual Unesco meeting, declaring him persona non grata “over interference in internal affairs”. The Chinese diplomat was given 24 hours to leave the country.

The day before, Xu skipped the Unesco session and instead turned up at Congress in the capital of Asunción, where he caused a diplomatic stir by calling on Paraguay to ditch Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island of 23 million people that China claims as its territory.

Paraguay is the only nation in South America and one of just 12 worldwide that recognizes Taiwan as a country. The Paraguayan government has stayed firm in its commitment – even as Beijing ramps up its lobbying of foreign counterparts to stop recognizing the island.

In recent years, four countries in Latin America – Honduras, Panama, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador – have cut ties with Taiwan in favor of Beijing, whose one-China principle forces countries to choose between having full diplomatic relations with China or Taiwan.

From the halls of the futuristic Congress building in Asunción that Taiwan helped fund, Xu stressed Beijing’s interest in establishing relations with Paraguay, but said the onus was on officials in Paraguay to make the first move.

“It is either China or Taiwan,” he said. “I recommend that the government of Paraguay make a correct decision as soon as possible.”

Addressing lawmakers, Xu dangled the prospect of expanded trade with Beijing among “thousands of other advantages”. Some members of the Paraguayan Congress, citing farmers’ struggles to export soybeans and beef to China, have argued that the nation stands to benefit from a diplomatic flip in the long run.

China’s trade with South America has grown exponentially in recent years, reaching nearly $500bn as of 2023, according to data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

On Wednesday, the Taiwanese embassy in Paraguay lashed out at China on the social media platform X, calling Xu an “infiltrator” who seeks “to undermine the firm friendship between Paraguay and Taiwan” that dates back to 1957.

Trump could upend the US economy just as China is recovering

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3289313/trump-could-upend-us-economy-just-china-recovering?utm_source=rss_feed

In my research, I have found that market narratives inspire periodic, cyclical and seasonal regularities in asset prices at certain times, such as the January and October effects.

The end of the year is typically a time when investors review markets afresh and discard old narratives for new ones. It is a time for the Harris Law of Quarterly Reversals to come into its own. It describes how markets often change course at the end of a financial quarter – sometimes up, sometimes down or sometimes not at all.

The last few months have spawned new narratives that may trigger a change of course – the biggest one being Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. The world has been watching how Trump behaves in the political arena for at least nine years now. He is well known and nothing he says or does should be a surprise. He is an isolationist, vain and right-wing bully who announces policy on social media.

World leaders are already playing to his preening ego. Trump 2.0 will be unbounded by the key checks and balances of the republic since Republicans control the executive and the legislature and there is a conservative majority in the Supreme Court. That lack of control is his weakness.

His TV cabinet – several of his nominees are former television hosts – might as well be “all the president’s yes men”, chosen for their loyalty and not their competence. Few have the specialist knowledge or skills needed to run their departments, some of which Trump wants to dismantle.

Trump will almost certainly replace Jerome Powell as chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board and nominate a candidate who, like him and his Treasury secretary nominee – a hedge fund manager – will try to force down short-term interest rates.

Trump’s habit of slashing taxes before figuring out how to cut spending raises the spectre of the kinds of policies implemented under former UK prime minister Liz Truss, who drove up long-term interest rates by disturbing the bond vigilantes fearing an impending debt mountain.

Trumps’ answer to tax cuts seems to be empowering “first buddy” Elon Musk to cut the public budget. That will obviously be detrimental to millions of voters but the incoming administration is full of one-move chess players, oblivious to the law of unintended consequences.

Musk will find – as with his takeover of Twitter, now known as X – that it is a lot easier to destroy than rebuild. This is a paradox reminiscent of the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme. The system is broken in the interests of “reform”, but all the king’s horses and all the king’s men will probably be unable to put it back together before they are out of office and have rebranded as Ivy League professors or private equity partners.

Of course, there are kernels of truth in many of Trump’s policies – like a broken clock which is right twice a day. Like many countries, the US is bloated and full of vested interests.

The influence Big Business has on regulations should be tackled and other Nato members should look to their own defences. Yet all that is overshadowed by weak proposals to deal with other problems, such as policies on immigration and tariffs which are directly inflationary.

In contrast to the chaos of Trumponomics, the Chinese economy is likely to stabilise and recover in 2025. The direction that Chinese authorities are taking is clear: do whatever it takes to reflate the domestic economy. That is the priority. The trade war comes a very distant second because the export economy adds relatively little to economic growth.

The current market narrative somehow overlooks the roughly US$1.4 trillion worth of pledged support measures – less than 10 per cent of a US$18 trillion economy – and considers the proposals insufficient. Not much so far seems to have happened but this ignores the J-curve effect; economic support takes time to act. Green shoots are already appearing, such as in this week’s better manufacturing numbers.

However, in the past five years, the US’ S&P 500 has outperformed the Shanghai Composite Index, including by 20 per cent in the last year alone. In 2024, US equities have added US$11 trillion in value, and there have been at least 55 all-time highs in the S&P 500.

The bulls are on a rampage. The US economy, its earnings and jobs numbers still look good but Trumponomics endangers those prospects as China is finally recovering.

Financial economists, like myself, make their calls early because it takes a while for the market to appreciate that the status quo has changed. However, we cannot determine the timing of events that might trigger an outperformance of Chinese markets against US markets over the next 12 months.

Will the trigger for a great pivot from the US to the China markets follow the Harris Law of Quarterly Reversals and begin on January 1 as it did in 2022, or during the end of March or end June?

Long-term investors will look through the unpredictable nature of news events arriving in the market and invest for 2025. However, whether investors actually make money from the great pivot depends on whether the global economy holds up. If markets go into “risk off mode” into the new year then we all lose money – just less in China.

China sanctions 13 US defence firms, Shenzhen landslide rescue bid: SCMP daily catch-up

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3289539/china-sanctions-13-us-defence-firms-shenzhen-landslide-rescue-bid-scmp-daily-catch?utm_source=rss_feed

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China and economy stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

Mainland China has slapped sanctions on 13 US defence companies, along with executives of other firms, over arms sales to Taiwan.

A catastrophic landslide at a construction site alongside a high-speed railway line in China’s southern tech hub of Shenzhen late on Wednesday night has left 13 people missing.

China’s military has trimmed at least a year off its fighter pilot training programmes, with one US source predicting that the PLA will have “completely modernised” its pilot instruction system by the early 2030s.

Washington’s bureaucrats are bracing for Donald Trump’s onslaught as he prepares to overhaul foreign policy and slash the federal workforce while tackling the nation’s US$1.83 trillion deficit.

Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle said foreign athletes at the Paris Olympics “acted like they didn’t care about medals” but had a “breakdown” when they saw Chinese rivals atop the podium.

New evidence has emerged from research in China that the world could be on the brink of another pandemic as cases of bird flu surface across some regions in poultry, cattle and humans.

The confidence of German businesses operating in China has plummeted to a historic low, according to the results of a survey released by the German Chamber of Commerce in China on Wednesday, driven by intensifying competition from local manufacturers and slowing economic growth.

Indonesia arrests Chinese man based in Singapore wanted by Beijing for money laundering

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3289564/indonesia-arrests-chinese-man-based-singapore-wanted-beijing-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed

Indonesian authorities have arrested a Chinese man sought by Beijing for allegedly helping transfer and laundering almost US$18 million from a criminal online gambling group in China, officials said on Thursday.

Yan Zhenxing was detained on Monday by immigration officers at a cross-border ferry terminal on Batam island, next to Singapore.

Yuldi Yusman, the Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement, said Yan was arrested following an Interpol red notice for him. The notices request law enforcement agencies worldwide to detain or arrest a suspect wanted by a specific country.

Yusman said Yan, a permanent resident of Singapore, was arriving in Batam for a holiday with his family when he was detained.

Indonesian authorities brought the suspect, wearing a detainee’s orange shirt and a face mask, to a news conference on Thursday in the capital of Jakarta. The suspect did not make any statements and was not asked any questions.

Yusman said that Yan was named as a suspect by police in China’s Inner Mongolia region who allege he was involved in transferring and laundering more than 130 million yuan (US$17.8 million) from a criminal online gambling group.

He said Yan was handed to Indonesia’s National Central Bureau Interpol in Jakarta on Thursday and a decision to deport or to extradite him to China will take some time.

The arrest came just two months after immigration officers on the tourist island of Bali arrested a Chinese suspect sought by Beijing who allegedly helped to run investment scams that brought in over US$14 billion from clients in China.

“We are committed to protecting Indonesia’s territory from the arrival of foreign nationals who are not useful and threaten national stability,” Yusman said.

Indonesia, an archipelago nation on the crossroads between Asia and the South Pacific, is attractive to local, regional and global organised crime because of its geographical location.

Last month, authorities in Bali arrested Hector Aldwin Pantollana, a Filipino fugitive accused of helping scam over US$67 million out of clients in the Philippines.

Another Filipino, Alice Guo, a fugitive former mayor accused of having links to Chinese criminal syndicates, was arrested near Jakarta in September. She has since been deported to the Philippines.

In June, Chaowalit Thongduang, one of Thailand’s most wanted fugitives, was escorted back to Thailand on a Thai air force plane after being arrested in Bali following months on the run over allegations he was involved in several killings and drug trafficking.

Tech war: China chip supply chain calls for ‘cooperation’ after broader US restrictions

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3289531/tech-war-china-chip-supply-chain-calls-cooperation-after-broader-us-restrictions?utm_source=rss_feed

Delegates at a Chinese semiconductor conference in Shanghai have called for “global cooperation”, sending a conciliatory message at a time when Washington and Beijing are intensifying a chip war.

At the Global Semiconductor Market Summit on Thursday, one of China’s first major chip industry gatherings since the Biden administration imposed new export restrictions, speakers largely avoided commenting on the issue, preferring to highlight the value of “global cooperation”.

Yang Songqiang, deputy secretary general of the World Integrated Circuit Association (WICA), a newly formed group that hosted the summit, said under current circumstances it was “more important than ever” to continue global cooperation in the semiconductor industry.

Ouyang Zhongcan, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a top state research agency, said that “trade frictions” have caused serious disruptions to the chip industry. “These changes in the business environment not only raise operational costs for companies but also hinder communication and collaboration,” Ouyang said.

Another academic, Wu Hanming from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said it was still important to build up “an ecosystem that is inclusive, open, and mutually beneficial” for the global chip industry.

Wang Xiangdong, chairman of Hefei Kaiyue Semiconductor, which is developing domestic alternatives for lithography systems, said a key bottleneck for China was the lack of access to advanced lithography machines, in particular extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) from Dutch supplier ASML, and Argon Fluoride (ArF) systems, due to US export controls.

Wang said the restrictions pose significant challenges to the development and mass production of chips at nodes below 7-nanometre. Hefei Kaiyue is working on high-capacity coaters and developers designed to meet ASML’s next-generation lithography machine requirements.

The comments come after the US Commerce Department, which oversees export controls, added 140 Chinese chip-related organisations to a trade blacklist and placed additional restrictions on China’s access to semiconductor manufacturing tools. The moves marked a major escalation by Washington in its efforts to curb China’s ability to use American semiconductor technology for military purposes.

In response, China’s state-backed industrial bodies, including the China Semiconductor Industry Association, have called on their respective members to shun chips from US suppliers, saying they are “no longer safe, no longer reliable”.

While few delegates were willing to speak publicly about the geopolitical tensions, it was clear that the “chip war” cast a shadow over the event. A speaker from Kingstone Semiconductor, one of the 140 companies added to the US entity list this week, did not show up, despite being on the schedule for the Thursday morning session of the conference.

WICA issued a report that forecast 17 per cent year on year growth in the global integrated circuit (IC) market this year, with revenues reaching US$620.2 billion.

In the same period, China’s IC market is forecast to grow 20.1 per cent year on year to US$186.5 billion, representing 30.1 per cent of global market share.

Mainland China is expected to maintain its position as the world’s largest IC market due to its huge electronics manufacturing base, according to WICA.

---

China and Japan seek to repair fraught ties as crises mount in chaotic world

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3289540/china-and-japan-seek-repair-fraught-ties-crises-mount-chaotic-world?utm_source=rss_feed

China and Japan need to move past their political disputes and strengthen economic ties to deal with an increasingly chaotic global order, officials from both countries urged at a key summit on Thursday.

Relations between the Asian powers have become increasingly strained in recent years, aggravated by Japan’s move to assist US efforts to curb chip exports to China and the brutal knife attacks targeting Japanese residents in China in June and September.

But there were signs of a renewed desire to reset ties at the annual Tokyo-Beijing Forum, as attendees from both sides stressed the need for greater cooperation.

“The multilateral free-trade system is collapsing, and multiple crises – including global warming and food and energy security – are also getting nearer, day by day,” said Wu Jianghao, China’s ambassador to Japan.

China and Japan need to work more closely together in several fields to deal with this growing uncertainty, “particularly in how to make proper use of AI”, Wu said.

Lou Jiwei, China’s finance minister from 2013-16, said China and Japan need to cooperate to protect themselves amid the global economic uncertainty unleashed by the re-election of Donald Trump as US president.

“Our efforts now should go to at least ensuring free trade between China and Japan, and then we can think about global free trade,” Lou said.

China is Japan’s largest trading partner and one of the top investment destinations for Japanese firms, while Japan is China’s second-largest export destination and a key source of imports.

Last year, total trade between the two countries was US$318 billion, with a small surplus for Japan, according to Chinese government data.

In November, China granted Japanese travellers permission to stay in the country for up to 30 days without a visa as part of a wider campaign to boost inbound tourism flows.

Lou also said the two countries have much to learn from each other when it comes to fighting climate change – noting China’s strength in solar power and Japan’s in hydrogen energy – and dealing with their respective ageing populations.

“It took China just 20 years to become an aged society, but for Japan, this process was 50 years,” Lou said. “We’re ageing much more rapidly.”

Yi Gang, the former governor of China’s central bank, called for more Sino-Japanese partnerships in areas including the digital economy, green finance and blockchain infrastructure.

Japanese attendees at the forum also called for closer cooperation, with Toru Nakashima, president and CEO of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, stressing that businesses were facing greater risks due to rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.

“It is important [for China and Japan] to work together in areas where we can cooperate on a global scale, such as environmental issues and decarbonisation issues that we can both address, and to firmly build a relationship of trust at the roots,” he said.

But any reset in relations will face serious obstacles at a time when business ties between the neighbours have deteriorated due to a mix of economic and political factors.

Over the past few years, Japanese investment in China has fallen, and Tokyo has aligned itself with Washington’s push to restrict Beijing’s access to cutting-edge chipmaking equipment.

Meanwhile, political tensions have risen following Japan’s decision to release waste water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and in the wake of this year’s attacks on Japanese citizens.

Ken Saito, Japan’s former minister of economy, trade and industry, said the recent slump in foreign investment in China and the worsening performance of Japanese firms operating in the country reflected a gloomy economic outlook for China.

The recent decline in investment in China is “not only due to economic cycle problems, but also structural problems”, as well as foreign companies’ lack of trust in China’s political system, he said.

Saito also pointed to foreign businesses’ rising concerns about China’s deteriorating public safety and the unclear implementation of its counter-espionage law.

“The precondition of free trade is mutual trust between the two nations. And the starting point is the building of mutual trust among state leaders,” he said.

Both the Chinese and Japanese publics appear pessimistic about the prospects for improved relations between the two countries, according to the annual Japan-China joint public opinion poll jointly conducted by The Genron NPO and China International Publishing Group, then released on Monday as part of the forum.

The poll recorded the sharpest fall in Chinese support for cooperation with Japan since the annual survey was first conducted 20 years ago.

---

China urges solar firms to find global partners to navigate tariffs, trade tensions

https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3289519/china-urges-solar-firms-find-global-partners-navigate-tariffs-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers should tie-up with foreign companies to navigate geopolitical and trade challenges to maintain the country’s grip on the sector and boost revenues after exports fell 35 per cent this year, a Ministry of Commerce official told industry representatives.

Gu Yu, deputy director of the ministry’s Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau, urged PV makers to seek cooperation with local companies in the Belt and Road Initiative countries and explore opportunities through investments in solar power projects. The bureau’s main function is to provide trade solutions to companies overseas and conduct anti-dumping investigation on imports.

“The world’s clean energy transition should not only be a China story, it should also be a global story with different countries joining hands,” Gu said in a speech at China’s annual solar industry conference on Thursday in Yibin, in southwestern Sichuan province.

Gu’s appeal comes after the US last week announced a new round of tariffs on solar panel imports from four Southeast Asian countries – Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam – over dumping allegations.

The move will have a significant impact on Chinese manufacturers, which have already been hit with higher tariffs from the US and the European Union this year. Many companies consider Southeast Asia a haven to transfer production capacity overseas in an attempt to bypass tariffs on direct imports from China.

The nation’s PV makers are also struggling with excess capacity and a debilitating price war that has triggered a wave of mergers and bankruptcies. Industry executives on Wednesday called on the government to implement rules similar to those for the steel and cement industries to stem a slide in the sector.

Last month, the Brazilian government raised the import duty on solar modules to 25 per cent from 9.6 per cent. India also announced a non-tariff barrier this year to restrict imported solar modules in an effort to improve self-reliance.

US president-elect Donald Trump said that he would levy a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian and Mexican imports, as well as additional duties of 10 per cent on Chinese goods, on his first day in office.

The situation for China’s solar PV industry is becoming increasingly hostile, Gu said. “Geopolitical conflicts, protectionism and the efforts of some countries to decouple from China are impacting the operation of global supply chains and trade systems.”

China, which dominates over 80 per cent of the global solar panel supply chain, saw exports plummet 35 per cent to US$28.14 billion in the first 10 months of 2024 from a year earlier, Wang Bohua, honorary chairman of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA), said on Thursday.

Faced with geopolitical and trade uncertainties, Chinese solar companies have been shifting their expansion focus to the Middle East and the US. Chinese PV makers announced 12 overseas projects in the first 11 months of the year, of which five are in the Middle East and three in the US, according to the CPIA.

Solar firms should increase investments in research and development to improve Chinese products’ global competitiveness, Gu said.

They should also avoid “vicious competition and improve environmental, social, and governance performance to add to China’s contributions and solutions to address the climate change crisis”, he said.

President Xi Jinping urges new military information force to give China modern combat edge

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3289557/president-xi-jinping-urges-new-military-information-force-give-china-modern-combat-edge?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the country’s new information force to boost its build-up in capacity to counter the challenges of modern warfare.

Xi’s inspection of the Information Support Force on Wednesday coincided with the force’s first party representative meeting, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Xi, who is head of China’s Central Military Commission, urged an all-out effort to build a strong and modern information support force to allow a “leapfrog” in development of the PLA’s network information system.

“The form of warfare has evolved rapidly, along with the swift unfolding of a new round of technology and military revolution. The network information system has gained unprecedented prominence in modern warfare,” Xi said.

The Information Support Force was inaugurated in April amid military reform to boost capacity in information gathering, sharing and support of other units. It has taken over some of the functions of the Strategic Support Force which was established in 2015 and disbanded in April.

China has pushed to modernise its military in recent years to strengthen integrated operations with the hefty use of information and smart technologies. Network information is expected to improve the efficiency of the command, intelligence, fire strike and logistics support for the military.

The Information Support Force must be fully aware of the “extreme importance” of building a network information system to accelerate capacity build-up and support for battle readiness, Xi said.

He listed network platform construction, the integration of data, network protection and innovation in command modes and combat patterns as priorities.

In traditional wars, commanders spend 85 per cent of their time dealing with massive information using manual methods, leaving only 15 per cent of the time for operational decisions, according to a PLA Daily report last year.

But by using network information in the combat command system, commanders could now use 85 per cent of their time making decisions, significantly improving command efficiency, it said.

Nepal’s Oli signs Belt and Road deal with China amid debt fears and India tensions

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3289559/nepals-oli-signs-belt-and-road-deal-china-amid-debt-fears-and-india-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed

Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s visit to China has set the stage for a renewed infrastructure cooperation push under the Belt and Road Initiative, a move seen as pivotal for Nepal’s economic goals but fraught with government coalition tensions over debt fears and risk of political fallout with its traditional ally, India.

During his four-day trip to Beijing, Oli met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, signed a framework deal under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and secured 300 million yuan (US$41 million) in financial assistance.

China and Nepal initially signed a belt and road deal in 2017, but no projects have been planned or implemented since. Analysts say the new agreement will reinvigorate projects, which could include road upgrades and transport corridors.

Oli also met with Premier Li Qiang and signed nine deals, including Beijing’s support for the construction of a tunnel between Kathmandu and the Chinese border, according to Nepal’s foreign ministry.

This was Oli’s first foreign trip after being sworn in for his fourth term as prime minister in July. Traditionally, Nepalese leaders visit New Delhi first; however, this trip marks a departure from that norm.

Experts suggest that this shift reflects rising tensions between Nepal and historically its closest partner, India, which perceives Oli as being pro-China and did not formally invite him for a visit.

Oli’s trip also came as concerns of debt from China sparked debates within his coalition government. The Nepali Congress Party – his main ally in the alliance – had opposed any agreements with China on projects funded by loans and argued it should instead focus on receiving grants.

Oli’s own party, the CPN-UML, has said it was open to Chinese loans because of its urgent infrastructure needs. But Oli last week agreed to avoid signing any loan-related agreements with Beijing, a move analysts say was important in maintaining “political stability” in Kathmandu.

The signing of the Belt and Road framework, originally set for Tuesday, was delayed due to disagreements over terminology, according to a report by The Kathmandu Post.

Nepal wanted to include the word “grant” to avoid implications of a loan, a financing method favoured by Beijing for its belt and road investments. Ultimately, the framework was signed on Wednesday, with both parties agreeing to “aid help financing.”

According to Amish Raj Mulmi, an analyst and author of All Roads Lead North: Nepal’s Turn to China, using the term “aid-help financing is a win-win for both sides in terms of semantics”.

“For Nepal, it will mean grants and concessional aid financing as it receives them from other multilateral institutions, as well as leaving the option of a concessional loan if required.

“For China, the term is broad enough to include its development financing as well as its grants to Nepal,” he said.

China previously loaned Nepal some US$216 million to construct an international airport in Pokhara, which began operating last year. While both sides agreed on cash help of US$41 million, analysts note that Nepal was hoping for a waiver on the loan Beijing extended for the airport, but no such announcement has been made.

The airport – which China has claimed to be a successful Belt and Road project – has faced significant challenges due to a lack of international flights, primarily because India refuses to let planes use its airspace.

“I think the non-operationalisation of the Pokhara airport in particular – which is financed by China EXIM Bank – is a key reason why there are concerns over future loans from China,” said Mulmi.

While it is unclear if the airport formed a part of the discussions, Mulmi highlighted that the joint statement suggests Beijing will “support and encourage” its planes to fly to Pokhara. Currently, no Chinese airlines are flying there, he added,

According to Srikanth Kondapalli, dean of the School of International Studies and a professor of China studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, the Pokhara airport has been a “disaster” for Nepal because of its inability to handle international flights.

He emphasised the importance of Oli reaching a political consensus with his coalition government to “maintain stability” and fulfil his commitments to political partners during his visit to Beijing. Failing to achieve this could expose him to financial and political challenges similar to those faced by several South Asian neighbours.

“For the coalition government, there are several concerns with debt to China in terms of the situation for Nepal’s neighbours, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and even in Pakistan,” Kondapalli said.

For instance, Sri Lanka, a major recipient of Belt and Road loans for transport and power projects, defaulted on its foreign debt in May 2022, highlighting the risks of unsustainable borrowing.

Despite not visiting India on his first foreign trip, Oli did meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit in New York in September. In August, Oli formally invited Modi to visit Nepal.

Kondapilli says Nepal seeks to balance its relationships with India and China to avoid excessive dependence on either.

“This trip signals that Nepal wants to balance India, but its balancing capacity is very low,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mulmi said that Oli’s coalition has done a “reasonably good job at managing ties with Nepal’s neighbours”, given the constraints of a coalition government and geopolitical pressures on Nepal.

“I’d argue both countries’ [India and Nepal] diplomacy is mature enough that both can focus on the larger bilateral relations without getting affected by the political aspects of the relationship.”

A key takeaway from the trip that should not be overlooked is the wording used in the joint statement between Nepal and China, which features some assertive positions that may be perceived as a victory for China.

This includes Nepal’s support for mainland China’s “national reunification” and opposition to Taiwan independence, and the use of “Xizang” in place of Tibet.

“While Nepal has previously stated it is against Taiwan independence, I believe this is the first time both support for [mainland] China’s national reunification as well as the Sinicised term for Tibet, which China has recently been advocating for, has been used in a joint statement with Nepal,” Mulmi said

Additional reporting by Reuters

Chinese coastguard takes aim again at Philippines over South China Sea shoal clashes

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289558/chinese-coastguard-takes-aim-again-philippines-over-south-china-sea-shoal-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed

The Chinese coastguard has again lashed out at its Philippine counterpart, accusing it misleading the international community over a confrontation in the South China Sea on Wednesday.

“Despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from China, the Philippines insisted on sending four coastguard ships, six official ships, and several unidentified ships to intrude into China’s Huangyan Island territorial waters and nearby waters such as Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands,” China Coast Guard spokesman Liu Dejun said on Thursday, using the Chinese terms for Scarborough Shoal, Sabina Shoal and the Spratly Islands.

“During this period, Philippine ships approached and deliberately collided with Chinese coastguard ships in the waters of Huangyan Island and Xianbin Reef many times, causing collisions, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines.”

The Philippines also claims the maritime features, referring to them as Panatag and Escoda shoals.

The accusations were on top of a statement on Wednesday that accused four Philippine vessels of trying to “intrude” into Scarborough Shoal and of coming “dangerously close to the normal law enforcement and inspection vessels of China’s coastguard”.

The Chinese ships “took necessary control measures against Philippine ships” and their operations were “professional, standardised, legitimate and legal”, the Chinese maritime authority said.

The Philippine Coast Guard had accused Chinese coastguard vessels and two navy ships of “aggressive actions” against its ships, which it said were conducting a “routine maritime patrol” to support Filipino fishermen in the waters.

But, the Chinese agency said, “the Philippines reversed right and wrong, blamed others, and spread false information in an attempt to mislead international cognition”.

It urged the Philippines to “immediately stop” its infringements and provocations.

“The China Coast Guard is on full alert and ready to continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in the waters under China’s jurisdiction in accordance with the law, resolutely safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and maintain regional maritime security and order.”

The confrontation is one of a series between the two countries in the South China Sea over territorial disputes and maritime rights.

Earlier last month, the Philippines passed the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act and the Maritime Zones Act, which assert and reinforce the Philippines’ maritime boundaries, prompting protests from China as a breach of its own territory and maritime rights.

Within days, Beijing published a set of geographic coordinates for 16 base points around the feature, marking it as part of national territory and sea territories – the first time it has done so for areas of the sea claimed by Manila.

---

Cambodia says Xi supports controversial canal, but China’s silence keeps questions flowing

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3289520/cambodia-says-xi-supports-controversial-canal-chinas-silence-keeps-questions-flowing?utm_source=rss_feed

The veil of uncertainty surrounding a massive canal project in Cambodia was lifted ever so slightly this week – while also fuelling fresh speculation – as the Southeast Asian nation’s former prime minister, Hun Sen, wrapped up a three-day visit to China.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Wednesday, the Cambodian government said Hun Sen “expressed his gratitude” to President Xi Jinping for “supporting the Funan Techo Canal project” when they met on Tuesday.

“This project allows Cambodia to be independent in the water-transport sector and provides significant economic benefits,” the statement said, without providing further details.

After breaking ground in August with a high-profile ceremony on the 72nd birthday of Hun Sen – the longest-serving head of government in Cambodia’s history – the US$1.7 billion waterway’s progress became shrouded in doubt last month when Reuters reported that Beijing had expressed misgivings about the project and had not made definitive commitments to its funding.

In Beijing’s statement following Xi and Hun Sen’s meeting, however, the canal was not mentioned, let alone Xi’s support for it. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately reply to a faxed query from the Post.

The Chinese statement said “the two sides must firmly support each other and consolidate their ironclad friendship”.

Cambodian officials have called the 180km (112-mile) canal that expands an existing waterway an opportunity to “breathe through our own noses”, as it will give the country an outlet to the sea so cargo shipping from the upstream Mekong River does not always have to go through Vietnamese ports, thereby reducing Cambodia’s economic dependence on Vietnam.

A lack of economic viability, coupled with abundant geopolitical risks – including concerns from countries such as Vietnam – may explain Beijing’s hesitation, according to Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Centre’s Southeast Asia Programme in Washington.

“To date, no significant financing from a Chinese institution or any other lender has been issued to construct the canal,” Eyler said.

“Investors are not signing up to finance the canal due to its low economic viability and long list of unknown costs related to the long-term maintenance and environmental impact,” he added.

The project was originally said to be constructed under the collaborative build-operate-transfer model that would see the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) develop the canal and cover its costs under an agreement with the Cambodian government, and in exchange obtaining a multi-decade concession.

But in June, the Cambodian government said that the canal was no longer a predominantly foreign-invested project and was primarily owned by Cambodian companies, holding a 51 per cent stake, and that funding for its development came from Cambodian state-owned enterprises, local private businesses and the CRBC.

The CRBC already owns and operates an expressway that runs parallel to the canal, and that expressway is not generating expected levels of income, Eyler said.

“Why would CRBC build another underperforming project that would compete with its existing underperforming project?”

“China’s state-owned enterprises are under increasing pressure to invest their efforts in economically viable projects, given China’s worsening macroeconomic position,” he added. “I think it’s unlikely that another major investor will come in and save the Funan Techo Canal, but ultimately we will have to keep watching.”

The Cambodian government still has sufficient funds to continue the project, even without Chinese money, said Sokvy Rim, a research fellow with the Cambodian Centre for Regional Studies.

“Given the political significance of the canal, the Cambodian government will use anything at its disposal for the project to move forward,” Rim said.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian government has yet to provide a feasibility study on the canal project to the Mekong River Commission (MRC), which is an inter-governmental organisation that works directly with Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to jointly manage the shared water resources and the sustainable development of the Mekong River.

“The MRC secretariat has received, as part of the notification, basic information and features of the project,” the MRC told the Post by email. “We expect that further details, including the feasibility-study report and other relevant reports, will be provided as part of the ongoing collaboration and in line with our established procedures.”

Cambodia has informed the commission that the canal’s construction was expected to prevent significant impacts on the water-flow volume of the Mekong River system. However, the MRC said it required more detailed information and studies to further understand and verify this initial assessment.

“China is seeking to make good and forge new cooperation with the MRC, so perhaps deep involvement in a problematic Mekong project like the Funan Techo Canal is not desirable for China at this moment,” Eyler said.

Bans on Chinese tech could stifle European AI industry, Huawei executive warns

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289530/bans-chinese-tech-could-stifle-european-ai-industry-huawei-executive-warns?utm_source=rss_feed

A Europe-based Huawei executive has decried policies to block the Chinese tech company’s entry into certain markets and warned that this could limit the development of the European artificial intelligence industry.

Tony Jin Yong, Huawei’s vice-president for Europe, said he was puzzled by measures to form “exclusive groups” among “like-minded countries”, though he did not name specific countries or groups.

“We are very confused, as this approach limits cooperation by focusing on the country of origin [of tech companies],” Jin said.

The Shenzhen-based technology firm has been viewed with suspicion and faced sanctions in European countries in recent years because of perceived national security risks. Several EU member countries have banned Huawei components from their 5G networks.

The firm has also been sanctioned by the US, whose intelligence officials see it as an extension of China’s military – a claim both Huawei and Beijing have denied. The US has added Huawei to its Entity List, requiring the company to get government approval to buy American technology and barring US firms from buying Huawei equipment with government funds.

“We disagree with using the political stance to block certain companies from the market,” Jin said.

He added that “this not only harms global collaboration, but also limits the potential of Europe’s AI industries”.

Jin made the remarks on Wednesday at a round table discussion about global AI governance and China-Europe cooperation at the state-backed think tank Centre for China and Globalisation in Beijing.

Huawei is one of several Chinese tech companies to unveil its own AI model since ChatGPT took the world by storm two years ago. The firm has expanded its global footprint with data centres meant to cater to the explosive demand of generative AI.

Jin said China and Europe could have “great potential” if they collaborate, as AI development relies heavily on international cooperation and innovation, “as well as providing equal rights, equal opportunities, equal rules for all countries and companies”.

Prospects for AI collaboration between China and Europe appear promising but could be complicated by geopolitics.

“AI can be, and hopefully will be, an important topic of engagement between Europe and China, considering both parties’ interest and contributions on the matter,” said French ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary, who spoke at the event.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to France in May. While there, he and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to deepen cooperation in AI global governance.

Beijing views AI as a potential game-changer for its sluggish post-pandemic economy, which has been saddled by factors including a property crisis, an ageing population and declining foreign investment.

Another panellist, Marc Horn, China president at pharmaceutical giant Merck, said he believed combining China’s strength in technology and the EU’s focus on AI regulation and ethics could allow the two to “lead the global conversation” on artificial intelligence.

Beijing has declared it aims to become a global AI powerhouse by 2030, while Brussels unveiled the world’s first AI act in March, which defined four levels of AI risk ranging from “minimal” to “unacceptable”.

Andreas Hube, former global vice-president at software company SAP, said the two regions would have a “powerful opportunity for cross-border collaboration that drives business benefits”.

He said China had the ability to scale AI technology and integrate it into industries such as manufacturing, energy and healthcare.

He added that Europe’s strong ethical frameworks and regulatory foresight provided a foundation of trust and accountability for the technology.

Sun Yongfu, a panellist and former head of European affairs at China’s commerce ministry, said China and the EU had previously had positive experience in trade cooperation and should seize the momentum in AI.

“I hope the AI sector will continue the cooperative partnership with the EU, because we don’t see that the United States is willing to cooperate with China in this sector,” he said.

Chinese police officer reunites nearly 500 families over 16 years, inspiring special unit

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3289039/chinese-police-officer-reunites-nearly-500-families-over-16-years-inspiring-special-unit?utm_source=rss_feed

A police officer in eastern China displayed over 300 pennant banners he received from families he helped reunite with their lost relatives, creating a stunning landscape that covered the entire basketball court outside his office.

Shang Chaoyang, 54, a police officer in Shengzhou city, Zhejiang province, has dedicated the past 16 years to reuniting families. In 2022, the city’s police department established a special unit in his honour, specifically focused on the search efforts he leads.

On a wall of this unit, a record is maintained of the families they have assisted nationwide, which includes over 7,300 help requests and the successful reunification of 483 families over the past 16 years.

Shang noted that the unit was relocating its office closer to the city centre to make it more accessible for those in need. In light of this, he decided to display the hundreds of pennant banners he received from grateful families as a gesture of appreciation.

The exercise also provided an opportunity to air the banners outdoors, preventing deterioration from dampness that could lead to mould growth.

In 2008, Shang began volunteering to help people search for family members in his spare time. Even for a police officer with access to extensive demographic databases, the task of locating lost relatives proved to be monumental.

Shang and his team often needed to sift through vast amounts of information provided by help seekers. At times, they could narrow down potential matches to dozens of families in a particular area, necessitating visits to each one in search of the correct answer.

He also studied genetic principles and algorithms designed to generate ageing images of individuals from their old photographs.

Shang reflected on his cases over the past 16 years.

Last year, they assisted a mother from southwestern China’s Sichuan province in finding her son, who had been abducted 32 years ago at the age of two while she was fleeing from her violent husband. Her son was kidnapped to Henan province in central China and was found there.

Additionally, they helped a 95-year-old grandmother who got lost in Hangzhou at age nine reunite with her family after 86 years of separation. To fulfil her lifelong dream, Shang’s unit collected DNA samples from potential relatives across several cities in Zhejiang.

In many reunion photos arranged by Shang’s unit, he is seen smiling beside tearful families, moving many to tears.

Shang also expressed regrets. In 2021, he received a request from a man seeking his family. The unit located his relatives eight months later, but unfortunately, the man’s father had passed away three months before their successful search.

“If I had worked harder, perhaps the father and son could have met each other,” Shang said.

“These pennant banners are like large band-aids that heal people’s pain,” one commenter remarked online.

“Hats off to the police officers who help these broken families reunite,” said another.

In 2021, China launched a nationwide “Reunion” campaign to enhance efforts in searching for missing or abducted individuals.

Data indicates that nearly 11,000 missing and abducted children were found as a result of the campaign within just one year.

How close is the next pandemic? Chinese researchers have some answers

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3289473/how-close-next-pandemic-chinese-researchers-have-some-answers?utm_source=rss_feed

Research in China has provided new evidence that the world could be on the brink of another pandemic as cases of bird flu emerge across some regions in poultry, cattle and humans.

Avian influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on a combination of two proteins found on their surfaces – hemagglutinin and neuraminidase – referred to as HxNy.

Only two subtypes of avian influenza A – H1N1 and H3N2 – are currently known to circulate between humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.

A study led by China’s top virologist has raised concerns that a strain of the virus H2N2 recently found in the wild now has the ability to infect humans, pointing to the need for increased surveillance.

Many more strains of the virus have been found in birds and other animal populations around the world, some of which can infect humans.

George Fu Gao, an immunologist who served as Director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention from 2017 to 2022, has published a paper with his team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences that investigated the particular strain of the H2N2 virus.

Decades ago, another strain of H2N2 was responsible for the “Asian Flu” influenza pandemic, which broke out in 1957 in southern China and quickly spread around the world, claiming more than 1 million lives, according to the CDC.

After the pandemic, H2N2 had become a seasonal influenza, eventually disappearing from the human population by the end of the 1960s, though low pathogenicity strains continued to circulate in Chinese poultry.

In their paper published in the peer reviewed journal Nature Communications on November 19, Gao and his research team said that after examining several strains of H2N2, one strain from 2021 had the ability to bind to both bird and human-type receptors on the surface of a host’s cells.

While this H2N2 strain still had a preference for bird receptors, the authors said the virus behind the Asian Flu also started off with a dual preference, but adapted over time to become more inclined to human receptors.

The team’s experiments in mice, guinea pigs and ferrets revealed that the H2N2 strain could rapidly adapt to mice and acquired mammalian-adapted mutations that helped it to transmit into guinea pigs and ferrets, the preferred animal model for influenza.

The researchers also examined the impact of single mutations on the transmission and virulence of the 2021 H2N2 strain, and found that some mutations could shift the binding preference to human receptors.

Despite similarities between the recent H2N2 strain and 1957 pandemic strains, the team said genetic differences and the length of time that has passed since the Asian Flu means the world lacks immunity against a future outbreak.

The team said the pathogenicity risk of H2N2 is still low, and transmissibility among mammals is still lacking, keeping the overall risk for currently circulating H2N2 strains to cause an epidemic.

“However, the H2N2 [low pathogenicity avian influenza] strain just acquired limited mutations that enhance the virulence in mice and enable transmission between mammals,” the team said.

One of the most well known variants of avian influenza A is H1N1 – also known as the swine flu – which caused the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century in 2009.

A common strain of the bird flu – H5N1 – has been making headlines due to outbreaks on US dairy farms, leading to more than 40 human infections in the US this year, according to the CDC.

Most of the cases have been linked to exposure either to cows or poultry, and none of the recent cases have been due to human-to-human transmission, but the possibility still exists, experts have said.

Of the more than 900 confirmed cases of H5N1 infection globally reported to the World Health Organization from 2003 to 2024, about half of the cases resulted in death.

Outbreaks in farm animals are worrisome because the virus can undergo reassortment, or the swapping of genome segments between viruses. Once an avian influenza virus enters into pigs – which can carry both human and bird diseases – the risk of reassortment with human seasonal influenza increases.

Another paper published in Nature Microbiology on Monday by a team of researchers from the US and the Netherlands indicates H5N1 may present a much greater pandemic risk.

In a short article, the scientists said they set out to examine H5N1 due to the “abrupt change” seen in the virus recently, characterised by the ongoing outbreak in dairy cattle in the US.

The researchers examined viral shedding – the expulsion of viral particles through processes like exhalation – of the recent H5N1 strains compared to older strains within ferrets.

The team found that compared to H5N1 viruses from the 2000s, the recent viruses have a “low but increased” level of virus shedding into the air, which could explain the recent uptick in transmissions between cattle.

“Strengthening [avian influenza virus] surveillance in animals and a public health risk assessment of novel [avian influenza viruses] are imperative for the control and prevention of emerging and re-emerging influenza pandemics and epidemics,” the Chinese team said.

Mainland China sanctions 13 US companies over weapons sales to Taiwan

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3289488/mainland-china-sanctions-13-us-companies-over-weapons-sales-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed

Mainland China has slapped sanctions on 13 US companies and their executives over arms sales to Taiwan.

More to follow …

Iran’s president vows greater cooperation with China and Russia, citing ‘totalitarian’ US

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289491/irans-president-vows-greater-cooperation-china-and-russia-citing-totalitarian-us?utm_source=rss_feed

Iran will expand cooperation with Beijing and Moscow and implement a 25-year accord with China to confront geopolitical pressure with the West, president Masoud Pezeshkian told visiting Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing on Wednesday.

In a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said the country stood ready to expand ties with China and Russia to counter “unilateralism” from the United States, which he also accused of being “totalitarian” in international affairs, according to the Iranian presidential office.

He said his administration was committed to implementing the deal that China and Iran entered into in 2021.

Zhang emphasised that Iran was a strategically important partner for China, and Beijing appreciated its “effective” and “constructive” role in regional and international affairs.

China and an isolated Iran signed the 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement in March 2021. Chinese state-owned Xinhua news agency said at the time the deal covered trade, economic, and transport, but neither side has revealed details of accord.

It reportedly involved China promising to invest US$400 billion across the 25 years to secure long-term energy supplies from Iran and help rebuild Iran’s economy.

The meeting on Wednesday was a follow-up on Pezeshkian’s agreement with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Brics summit in October.

At the time, Xi said China “supports Iran in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and national dignity, steadily advancing its own economic and social development”.

“Your trip to Tehran to follow up on these understandings is indicative of the Chinese government’s determination to expand relations with Iran,” Pezeshkian told Zhang.

Before the meeting between Zhang and Pezeshkian, Chinese and Iranian delegates held talks on expanding cooperation, particularly in economic ties, while officials from both sides also stressed the importance of cooperation in regional peace and security, Iranian state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said.

It was Zhang’s second official visit to the country this year, following his trip to Tehran in May as the Chinese president’s envoy to attend the funeral of the late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi.

Beijing and Tehran have been engaging frequently as hostilities in the Middle East escalate. Iran is considered a major backer of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, which are both at war with Israel.

Hamas is embroiled in conflicts with Israel in Gaza, while Hezbollah has exchanged attacks with Israel in Lebanon despite a ceasefire deal being in place.

Zhai Jun, China’s special envoy on Middle East affairs, told the Iranian ambassador in Beijing on November 25 to avoid military moves ahead of the truce between Hezbollah and Israel last week.

On November 20, the deputy foreign ministers of China and Iran, along with their Saudi counterpart, met in Riyadh and issued a joint statement calling for an “immediate end” to conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, and condemned Israel for infringing on Iran.

It came a day after Israel confirmed its air strikes had hit Iran’s nuclear programme while degrading its defence and missile production capabilities.

The situation in the Middle East was further complicated by surprise attacks from Syrian insurgents last week, as Iran-backed forces were distracted or weakened.

Syrian rebellion forces stormed into the major Syrian city of Aleppo, which has been controlled by Iran-backed Syrian government troops since 2016. The insurgents have captured the Iranian consulate in the city.

China’s ‘aggressive actions’, territorial claims raise tensions with Philippines

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3289494/chinas-aggressive-actions-territorial-claims-raise-tensions-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed

The recent “aggressive actions” against Philippine vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal were intended to enforce China’s newly formalised territorial claims, analysts say, with experts warning of heightened instability as Manila resists Beijing’s unilateral imposition of boundaries in the South China Sea.

On Wednesday, the China Coast Guard released a statement saying it had blocked and fired water cannons at four Philippine vessels that attempted to “intrude into the territorial waters” surrounding the shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.

According to a statement by the Philippine Coast Guard, the blocked vessels were conducting “a routine maritime patrol” along with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to support Filipino fishermen in the area when they were subjected to “aggressive actions” from several Chinese coastguard vessels and two ships from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

On Thursday, the Philippines’ foreign ministry announced it filed a diplomatic protest against China over the December 4 incident in the South China Sea. This is the 60th protest this year and the 193rd since President Ferdinand Marcos, Jnr took office in 2022.

The incident comes just two days after China submitted a copy of their own geographic coordinates and nautical charts for the baselines defining the territory around the Scarborough Shoal with the United Nations.

Maritime expert Jay Batongbacal, head of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, told This Week in Asia that China’s actions are meant to reinforce its claims throughout the West Philippine Sea–Manila’s name for South China Sea waters that lie within its exclusive economic zone.

“They have been doing that for a year now. They are consistent with their intention to take away Scarborough Shoal and the rest of the South China Sea,” Batongbacal said.

“China made it clear that they are taking the West Philippine Sea, and we declare that we will never recognise baseless and unfounded claims. So, moving forward, China will just keep on forcing themselves on us,” he added.

When asked whether actions by Manila and Beijing to assert further claims on other features could lead to heightened tensions, Batongbacal noted that China has already been escalating its activities in the disputed waterway since last year.

“We can expect that they will keep on doing so,” he said.

Last month, Beijing published the geographic coordinates for the baselines around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in response to Manila’s new maritime laws, the Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.

Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), baselines serve as the starting points along a nation’s coasts from which it measures the extent of its territorial sea, exclusive economic zones, and other maritime zones.

Beijing criticised Manila for unlawfully including Scarborough Shoal and parts of the Spratly Islands – also claimed by China – in the new Philippine maritime zones. These areas, defined by recent laws, regulate foreign vessel transit and strengthen the Philippines’ claims over contested areas.

During a press briefing about the blocking incident on Wednesday, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela recalled that in two incidents about 20 minutes apart, Chinese vessels fired water cannons at the 30-metre BFAR ship BRP Datu Pagbuaya, targeting the vessel’s navigation and communications equipment with the intention to “cause damage”.

Beijing has frequently targeted Philippine ships in the South China Sea by firing water cannons and using high-intensity lasers to assert its territorial claims in the disputed waters.

Antonio Carpio, a retired senior associate justice of the Supreme Court, told This Week in Asia that the situation is going to get worse.

“That means China is trying to enforce the 10-dash line. That is their national boundary, international boundary. That means the waters, resources, and islands within the 10-dash line are their national territory. So you need enforcement,” said Carpio, who played a significant role in the Philippines’ successful 2016 arbitration case against China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

China has consistently denounced that ruling as illegitimate and continues to claim nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Chris Gardiner, CEO of the Institute for Regional Security in Canberra, said the China’s claims to the shoal were addressed in an independent arbitral process under Unclos and found to be without merit.

“The publication of China’s [baseline] documents does not change the outcome of that arbitral process. The Philippines, as an exemplar state in terms of the use of international law and institutions for peaceful resolution of disputes, should be supported by all UN members,” Gardiner said.

“What China now seeks to do is establish facts on the ground, and base its claim on forced acceptance by weaker states and new ‘norms’ imposed by a hegemon,” he added.

The Philippines, he explained, must continue to rally international support and work through the UN to block China’s efforts.

“Countries like the US, Japan, and Australia must decide if they will stand by the Philippines, including with naval forces, in that decision,” Gardiner said.

Matteo Piasentini, a security analyst from the China and Indo-Pacific desk at Geopolitica, an Italian think tank, said China’s actions around Scarborough Shoal are intended to bolster Beijing’s claims in the disputed waters.

“They seem almost routinely conducted rather than specifically made to signal something specific,” Piasentini told This Week in Asia, adding that the actions do reinforce China’s position in other regions.

He urged the Philippines “to keep protesting and challenging Chinese actions if it wants to avoid giving Beijing evidence of acquiescence to such claims”.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Confidence of German businesses in China hits record low, survey finds

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3289469/confidence-german-businesses-china-hits-record-low-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed

The confidence of German businesses operating in China has plummeted to a historic low, according to the results of a survey released by the German Chamber of Commerce in China on Wednesday, driven by intensifying competition from local manufacturers and slowing economic growth.

For the first time, “Made in China 2025” and “Buy China” have emerged as the top regulatory challenge for German companies, it said, adding that German investors are calling for fairer competition. The two campaigns encourage Chinese consumers to opt for products made by domestic manufacturers.

The survey found that the second-biggest concern was local protectionism.

Among the 537 German companies surveyed in September and October, more than half anticipated a decline in their industry development assessment this year, and only 32 per cent expected positive developments next year – the lowest level since the survey’s inception in 2007.

In addition, 60 per cent of the companies surveyed said the economic situation has worsened this year, and a third anticipate further deterioration next year.

Despite the negative business sentiment, 92 per cent of respondents said they planned to continue their operations in China, a figure unchanged from last year.

“This year has been difficult for the majority of German companies, prompting a downward adjustment of their business outlook,” said Clas Neumann, chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce in East China.

Foreign firms are increasingly pulling their businesses out of China, driven by cooling domestic demand, government regulations and geopolitical uncertainties, as well as intensifying competition from Chinese brands – particularly in the form of price wars fuelled by local government subsidies.

More than half of the respondents identified weak demand in China as a significant challenge to their operations, with German investors also discouraged by shrinking profitability due to price pressures and unsustainable margins.

“While German companies welcome competition, it is crucial that this competition occurs on an equal footing, especially in an environment where profit margins are often razor-thin,” the report said.

The three branches of the chamber – in North China, East China, and South and Southwest China – mainly represent businesses from China’s seventh-largest trading partner engaged in the machinery, industrial equipment and automotive sectors.

The automotive industry remains a cornerstone of German investment in China, with giants like BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Audi operating factories in the country.

However, they are being increasingly challenged by local electric vehicle innovators such as BYD and Xpeng, and electric vehicles are part of the Chinese government’s “Made in China 2025” ambition to promote the use of clean energy.

Additionally, over half of German firms anticipate that Chinese competitors will emerge as innovation leaders in their industries within the next five years, with 8 per cent saying such a transition has already occurred.

Despite facing business challenges, over half of the participants plan to increase their investment in China, driven primarily by the need to stay competitive in the Chinese market.

Volkswagen sold a car factory based in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region last week after facing widespread criticism from Western countries about allegations it used “forced labour” by members of the region’s Uygur ethnic group.

Germany recently voted against tariffs imposed by the European Union on Chinese electric vehicles. BMW said the tariffs could have a negative impact on the competitiveness of European car manufacturers.

Germany is China’s largest trading partner in Europe.

In the first 10 months of this year, bilateral trade totalled US$167.76 billion, down nearly 3.3 per cent year on year, according to the General Administration of Customs. China’s exports to Germany rose 5.2 per cent, while imports from Germany fell 11 per cent.

Shock as photos of China ride-hailing car with taped-up damaged boot go viral, raise concerns

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3289149/shock-photos-china-ride-hailing-car-taped-damaged-boot-go-viral-raise-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed

Shock ensued as photos of a ride-hailing car with a taped-up damaged boot in eastern China went viral, raising safety concerns on mainland social media.

A netizen recently shared an image of a severely dented ride-sharing vehicle driving through Qingdao, a city in Shandong province.

The car’s boot was so badly damaged that its shape was completely distorted and covered in transparent adhesive tape to keep it closed. Additionally, the vehicle bore several significant scuffs.

The individual wrote on Weibo: “It’s shocking; it feels like this car could fall apart at any moment.”

The driver is a middle-aged woman whose car was rear-ended by a drunk driver several months ago. The responsible party refused to cover the repair costs, leaving the vehicle unrepaired, according to mainland media outlet Xiaoxiang Morning News.

To keep the boot sealed for heat preservation, the woman used tape. As temperatures dropped, photos circulating online showed that she began using foam tape to further enhance its warmth retention.

Despite its poor condition, the woman takes great care of the car, with a netizen capturing footage of her meticulously washing it.

The woman’s name and whether she holds any other jobs besides driving this car have not been disclosed.

A Weibo user shared their experience riding in the car, stating they got off early and switched to the subway for safety.

“When I was in this woman’s car, she kept dozing off on the road and braking suddenly, which scared me,” the user claimed.

Another netizen reported the driver to the ride-hailing company, complaining about her “terrible car condition” and “poor service attitude”.

As of this writing, the woman has not responded to the complaints regarding her vehicle.

The Qingdao City Transportation Bureau confirmed that the woman’s car ceased operation on November 1 and is currently undergoing repairs.

In China, driving a damaged vehicle is illegal, with violators facing fines of up to 2,000 yuan (US$280) and potential suspension of their licence.

If a driver operates a non-compliant vehicle and causes an accident, they could face up to three years in prison.

The incident has sparked widespread discussion on mainland social media.

One online observer wrote on Weibo: “This driver is crazy! We cannot allow this car to endanger other road users.”

Another user called for empathy towards the driver, stating: “Do not blame her! This car is her livelihood. She might be going through a tough time, or she wouldn’t have neglected the repairs.”

As of June, the number of registered ride-hailing drivers in China exceeded 7.1 million, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Many Chinese cities have warned about the oversaturation of the ride-hailing market, which has become a popular interim option for many amid a challenging job market.

The daily orders and income of ride-hailing drivers have decreased due to an oversupply of vehicles. Reports indicate that the average monthly income of a driver working more than 14 hours a day is only 6,000 to 8,000 yuan (US$820-US$1,100).

Chinese national accused of kidnapping teen girl could face up to 7 years in Malaysia jail

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3289470/chinese-national-accused-kidnapping-teen-girl-could-face-7-years-malaysia-jail?utm_source=rss_feed

A Chinese national has been charged at the Magistrate’s Court in Malaysia’s Johor state with the kidnapping of a 15-year-old girl.

The accused, Huang Xiaonan, a 22-year-old university student studying in Singapore, claimed trial before Magistrate R. Salini on Thursday to kidnapping the teenager at a hotel in Jalan Station in Johor Bahru at 4.08am on November 24.

Huang was charged with the kidnapping of the 15-year-old student, who is also a Chinese national, with the intention to confine her in secret.

The charge was read to him in Mandarin.

The offence was framed under Section 365 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to seven years and a fine upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Nur Ameerah Allaudeen did not offer bail, citing the offence as non-bailable.

“The accused is from the People’s Republic of China and is a flight risk.

“The accused also has no familial ties in Malaysia so there is a possibility of him absconding,” she said, adding that the court should consider the severity of the case.

Goh Poh Gek, who represented Huang, appealed to the court to consider bail as the accused has been cooperative throughout the investigation.

“He also has a distant relative, who is a Malaysian, staying in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai and is ready to be his surety.

“There is also no issue of flight risk as his passport would be surrendered to the court if bail is allowed and he will also obey all conditions set by the court,” Goh said.

Magistrate Salini decided not to allow bail after hearing from both sides.

The court set January 27 next year for the next mention and the submission of documents.

In previous news reports, the Chinese national teenage student was found in Pahang state’s Kuantan, some 326km away from where she was reported missing in Singapore.

She had entered Johor Bahru through the Woodlands checkpoint on November 24.

Johor police chief M. Kumar reportedly said that a 48-year-old Chinese national had lodged a report with the police on November 26, stating that his 15-year-old daughter did not attend school and was believed to be abducted by an unknown individual.

“The teenager did not show up at her school in Singapore on November 25 before being reported missing,” he added.

The victim was rescued at an area in Kuantan, where police also arrested a 22-year-old Chinese national man at the same location.

This story was first published by

‘Race to the bottom’: General Motors grapples with huge losses, uncertain future in China

https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3289462/race-bottom-general-motors-grapples-huge-losses-uncertain-future-china?utm_source=rss_feed

General Motors CEO Mary Barra has said that China’s crowded market is a “race to the bottom”. For GM, it’s a contest that’s left the carmaker saddled with losses and rethinking its options.

The US carmaker revealed on Wednesday that it would take charges and asset writedowns of more than US$5 billion for its investment in a joint venture with Shanghai’s SAIC Motor and to restructure operations in China, including closing factories.

In a country that not long ago counted Buick and Chevrolet as two of the most popular foreign brands, GM’s profits and market share have tumbled, so much that, like other multinationals, the company’s long-term presence in China is anything but certain.

Barra led a meeting in late October to try to reenergise the SAIC venture, a once-crucial partnership that dates back to the 1990s. The idea was to restructure because GM could no longer afford to bleed hundreds of millions of dollars a year. With today’s massive revaluation, Barra is signalling that the carmaker is dialling back its ambitions.

Once a linchpin of GM’s global strategy, the company’s China business is in free fall. The carmaker has not given many details of its plans but the partners are looking at difficult options that will shrink its presence. The joint venture will likely cull workers and close plants, according to people familiar with the matter. GM is looking at axing specific models, turning brands like Buick – once the preferred car of the Chinese emperor in the 1920s – from a household name into a minor player.

Those decisions will have huge implications for GM’s willingness to stay in China beyond 2027, when its SAIC deal expires. The company said it has no plans to leave and that the planned cutbacks will do the trick, but it will have to assess how long it can tough it out amid price wars.

GM is struggling to compete on price with domestic models subsidised by the Chinese government and could eventually leave the venture if losses persist, people familiar with the matter said. And if SAIC is no longer getting cutting-edge technology or a brand bump from working with a well-known American manufacturer, it may have a reason to walk away, the people said.

Barra, who turns 63 this month, could be retired by the time GM needs to make that call, but even the possibility highlights the state of play for the Detroit-based company, which was the first US carmaker to establish a successful business in what is now the world’s largest car market. GM’s market share was almost 15 per cent a decade ago; it fell to 6.8 per cent as of September. And it has already lost US$347 million this year.

What’s becoming clear for GM – and other legacy giants like Ford Motor, Volkswagen and Toyota Motor – is that the China party is over. Foreign companies are losing ground to ascendant Chinese players, which have benefited from more than US$230 billion in government subsidies over the past 15 years.

“We’ve seen a collapse of market share and profits all at once,” said Mike Dunne, a former GM executive who consults on the Chinese market. “And the established carmakers are powerless to stop it.”

Foreign firms have been taken by surprise by Chinese electric models that boast advanced infotainment systems and often cost less. Not even Elon Musk can keep up with the always-innovating likes of BYD, which outsells Tesla in China.

Part of the problem has to do with how quickly China has turned to new-energy vehicles (NEV), which refers to both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars. In recent years, the government has offered considerable incentives and tax breaks, and loosened restrictions on car loans.

It was a cunning move by the Chinese government aimed at fostering domestic companies. In 2018, Chinese producers had capacity to make about 1 million NEVs, and foreign companies could only produce about 150,000, according to researcher AutoForecast Solutions. GM and traditional rivals dragged their feet developing EVs, and were unable to take advantage like domestic producers could.

More EV models have hit the market to take advantage of incentives and because the government put restrictions on sales of petrol-powered vehicles. This year, the Chinese market is approaching half electrified models. Domestic producers have the capacity to make almost 10 million NEVs, while foreign competitors have capacity for just 1.9 million.

GM’s now-retired chairman Jack Smith got Chinese government approval to sell cars there in 1997. The Communist Party particularly wanted Buick because it had been the emperor’s car of choice. GM revamped its Regal sedan for party members and sold Korean-designed cars with smaller engines for the mass market.

At the time, the partnership with SAIC seemed like a smart one. It was considered a crown jewel in the Shanghai region, giving GM access to one of the nation’s biggest markets and garnering favour with politicians.

For China, meanwhile, these types of partnerships offered both domestic benefits and a means to get technology and quickly learn how to make cars, said Dunne, the former GM executive.

“China’s objective from the beginning was to do joint ventures with the big automakers, and then get the technology and do it themselves,” he said.

China has capacity to make almost 50 million cars a year in a market where consumers will buy 28 million, according to market researcher Global Data. The spare annual capacity alone is more than Americans buy in a year.

China is now using low costs to churn out cheap models for the world – posing risks to Hyundai Motor and Toyota in Southeast Asia, to GM in South America, and to local manufacturers in Europe.

China’s battery industry also has excess capacity and is selling at prices Western companies cannot match. Part of that is because some raw materials are selling at an “artificially low price”, Kurt Kelty, GM’s vice-president of battery pack and cells, said in an October interview.

“We know the price of all the materials in China and here,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense the price they’re selling for and the cost it should be. They have tremendous overcapacity there. Some materials make sense to use there because they have an artificially low price.”

GM entered the second quarter of this year expecting to return to profitability in China after slowing assembly lines to thin bloated inventory. It did not fix the problem.

“It’s clear the steps we have taken, while significant, have not been enough,” Barra told investors in July after reporting another quarterly loss in the market. Sales are on course for a seventh consecutive annual decline.

In the near term, GM will restructure its China business to sell more imported SUVs and some pricey EVs, and rely on a second joint venture for cheap models and exports, sources said. The heavy cuts will fall on GM’s presence in the middle market.

Executives are aiming to stay in the good graces of the Chinese government and preserve some presence there. One bright spot is a partnership with Wuling Motors Holdings – one in which GM is a minority owner. Wuling makes small, inexpensive electric cars and is increasingly becoming a significant exporter. Its sales rose 11 per cent in China in the third quarter.

The US carmaker also hopes its ties to SAIC will help it maintain a strong domestic business, one of the people said. However, SAIC has problems of its own. The company has reacted slowly to changes in the market and the move to EVs, just like GM, and its sales were down 21 per cent this year through October.

China has more new car brands, and their lower prices and fresh interior design make them more popular than GM brands, said Sun Can, a Chevrolet dealer in eastern Beijing.

“Chevrolet was pretty popular in 2017 and 2018,” she said. “Now the market competition is intense and it’s difficult to sell these cars.”

Yan Yu bought a Buick Verano in 2021 because it was inexpensive, and is now shopping for another family car. This time around, she’s looking at a Tesla or a BYD.

“Buick seems to be more popular among the older population,” Yan said.

Barra says GM will start to see better results in China soon and insists the carmaker can still have a role in the market, but she stops short of pledging a return to the glory days.

“We see a meaningful way we can participate” in the Chinese market, Barra told analysts recently. It will be “structurally different,” she added, “but we think there’s a place for our brands”.

---

China’s solar industry urges tougher rules to curb overcapacity, price war

https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3289448/chinas-solar-industry-urges-tougher-rules-curb-overcapacity-price-war?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers have renewed their call urging the government to regulate the market following moves to curb overcapacity, after an industry pledge to end a price war did not have the desired effect.

Beijing’s recent measures to control excess supply in the PV industry are far from enough, said Xu Xinfeng, a senior vice-president at Shanghai-based Aiko Solar.

“There is still a need for more macro-control from the government and more policies,” Xu said at China’s annual solar industry conference in Yibin, southwestern Sichuan province, on Wednesday.

The sector needs stricter policies to regulate overcapacity and price war, similar to the ones introduced for the country’s steel and cement industries, he added.

China’s solar PV manufacturers have incurred huge losses as many of them were forced to sell below their production costs, triggering a wave of mergers and bankruptcies.

Meanwhile, companies eyeing the high-margin export markets have faced setbacks following investigations launched by the US and Europe for possible unfair subsidies and higher tariffs.

There has to be firmer action from Beijing to manage the addition of new solar PV capacity and phase-out of excessive and lower quality capacity, Xiong Haibo, a senior vice-president at Jiangsu-based CSI Solar, said at the conference.

Following repeated calls for state support from the industry, the government last month reduced the export tax rebate from 13 per cent to 9 per cent. The adjustment, which took effect this month, is aimed at fixing the “vicious” competition in the solar industry, according to the Centre for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based think tank. The move “will help repair China-EU economic and trade relations”, it added.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last month also issued benchmarks to control capacity addition in the sector, including reducing the consumption of water and electricity.

The ministry’s requirements could effectively raise the bar for new capacity addition, but they are unlikely to have much near-term impact on existing capacity, Pierre Lau, head of Asian utilities and clean energy research at Citigroup, said in a recent report.

Top solar PV manufacturers LONGi, GCL Poly and Tongwei are unlikely to see their capacities affected much by the ministry’s rules, the companies said during calls hosted by Citigroup last month.

It is unrealistic to wait for the government’s intervention to end the price war and phase out excess capacity, said Qian Jing, vice-president of Jinko Solar, China’s leading solar module manufacturer.

“The government cannot come up with a perfect policy,” she said at the same event. “It is also waiting for the industry to regulate itself as the situation is out of the government’s control.”

Qian urged the industry to form an alliance like Opec to regulate PV prices and coordinate production.

In October, Chinese industry executives hosted a meeting in Shanghai, during which the 780-member China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) reached a consensus to prevent “vicious” competition and find measures to “resolve supply and demand imbalances in an orderly manner and clear excess production capacity”.

Following the meeting, LONGi said it had no plans to cut production and instead expected a “gradual recovery in the future through market mechanisms”, according to a note from Daiwa Capital Markets.

Faced with a continuing decline in PV prices, the CPIA also announced a recommended price floor of 0.68 yuan (US$0.09) per watt for solar modules. It also emphasised that bidding prices should not be lower than the cost of production.

Chinese tourists in Japan spark outrage, Angelababy’s ex-husband: 5 trending stories

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3289457/chinese-tourists-japan-spark-outrage-angelababys-ex-husband-5-trending-stories?utm_source=rss_feed

We have selected five Trending in China stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

Public outrage erupted in both Japan and China after a group of mainland Chinese tourists was found to have transformed an Osaka guest house into a “junkyard” following a three-day stay.

Well-known Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming has removed an online post that publicly acknowledged his relationship with entrepreneur Ye Ke, sparking speculation about a possible split.

A man in China was sentenced to death after pushing his wife into the sea from a ferry and attempting to claim her life insurance compensation to pay off debts and finance the use of prostitutes.

A police officer in China ignited nationwide outrage after he slapped and kicked a primary school boy for allegedly bullying other children.

A vocational school in northern China has suspended a teacher after her online chat messages, revealing an affair with a male student, were inadvertently projected on a screen in front of the class.

Many Americans’ cellphone data being hacked by China, official says

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/04/chinese-hackers-american-cell-phones

A large number of Americans’ metadata has been stolen in the sweeping cyber-espionage campaign carried out by a Chinese hacking group dubbed “Salt Typhoon”, a senior US official told journalists on Wednesday.

The official declined to provide specific figures but noted that China’s access to America’s telecommunications infrastructure was broad and that the hacking was ongoing.

“We believe a large number of Americans’ metadata was taken,” said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition that their name be withheld. Pushed on whether that might include every American’s cellphone records, the official said: “We do not believe it’s every cellphone in the country, but we believe it’s potentially a large number of individuals that the Chinese government was focused on.”

Dozens of companies across the world were hit by the hackers, the official said, including “at least” eight telecommunications and telecom infrastructure firms in the United States.

US officials previously alleged the hackers targeted Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Lumen and others. T-Mobile has said none of its customer data was compromised, and Lumen said there is no evidence customer data was accessed on its network, but, in at least some other cases, the hackers are alleged to have stolen telephone audio intercepts along with a large tranche of call record data.

Call record metadata is sometimes described as the who, what, when and where of phone calls. It does not include the content of a call but can include whom a call was placed to, how long it lasted and where it was made from. Even without the content, call record metadata – especially when captured in bulk – can reveal extraordinarily granular details about a person’s life, work and intimate relationships.

The official said the White House had made tackling the Salt Typhoon hackers a priority for the federal government and that Joe Biden had been briefed several times on the intrusions.

The press call occurred as US government agencies held a separate, classified briefing for all senators on Salt Typhoon’s efforts to compromise American telecommunications companies.

Avril Haines, the FBI’s director of national intelligence; Jessica Rosenworcel, chair of the Federal Communications Commission; the National Security Council; and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were among the participants in the closed-door briefing, officials told Reuters.

A Chinese plus-size fashion retailer, sick of ‘very ugly clothes’, launched her own label

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3289261/chinese-plus-size-fashion-retailer-sick-very-ugly-clothes-launched-her-own-label?utm_source=rss_feed

Surrounded by racks of colourful dresses and blazers in China’s manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, plus-size clothing brand owner and influencer Amanda Yao is on a mission to promote body positivity.

She is part of a small but growing number of women in China challenging restrictive beauty standards, including thinness, pale skin and childlike features.

A saying circulated frequently online claims “there are no good women over 50 kilograms [110 pounds]”, while social media challenges have women squeezing into children’s clothes or showing off the coins they can stack on their collarbones.

Yao makes fashionable, high-end clothing for plus-size women, offering a vibrant contrast to the poorly cut offerings normally available in “slimming” dark colours.

“I want my customers to have clothes that express who they are inside, rather than soulless pieces that exist only to make them look thinner,” the 35-year-old says.

When it comes to clothing, most Chinese retailers focus on smaller sizes and “think that larger people don’t need fashion and don’t need beautiful clothes”, Yao said.

“But we have work, we have families, we have respectable lives, and we also need some fancy clothes sometimes.”

To promote her online store, Yao posts pictures of her outfits on the Instagram-like Xiaohongshu app, often sporting leggings and tightfitting workout tops she wears to climb the hills near her office.

“Reject body anxiety,” Yao, who openly talks about weighing 100 kilograms, wrote in one post to her more than 15,000 followers. “So what if I wear a strappy top and have big arms?”

Yao began selling plus-size clothing four years ago after returning to China from the United Kingdom, where she had worked for several years.

“I found it especially hard to buy clothing here,” she says.

Items ordered online often failed to match sellers’ photos, and Yao grew sick of “very ugly clothes”.

In her Guangzhou office and showroom this month, Yao showed off a Chinese-style pink silk jacket from her brand Yue Design, while modelling a bright green cardigan and skirt set.

“I never post photos of myself wearing black online,” Yao says.

By avoiding the colour traditionally recommended for larger women, she has also encouraged some of her customers to embrace brighter, more cheerful designs.

While clothing options for plus-size shoppers remain limited, some Chinese brands have taken steps to be more inclusive in recent years.

Lingerie brand Neiwai and loungewear company An Action A Day have featured larger models in their ads, though most of their items only cater to women up to 70 kilograms.

Aside from Yao, other influencers in China have found an audience eager for their posts about self-acceptance and photos of themselves enjoying clothing and food, despite the pressure to diet.

On Xiaohongshu, the hashtag “reject body anxiety” appears in nearly 200,000 posts.

But this is still a marked deviation from most body image content on Chinese social media.

One recent popular format involves someone posting a photo of themselves and asking viewers for makeover tips.

These posts often draw extreme scrutiny from commenters, who pick on people for flaws as specific as having a square jaw rather than the “ideal” pointed chin.

With constant exposure to idealised body types, people “start to conflate the meaning of their own worth with what they look like”, Stephanie Ng, who runs Hong Kong-based mental health organisation Body Banter, says.

That has dangerous consequences, including extreme dieting and eating disorders, Ng says.

There is little official data on eating disorders in China, but the prominent Shanghai Mental Health Centre reported an increase from eight such patients in 2002 to 3,000 in 2021, according to state broadcaster CGTN.

Even though Yao has built a loyal following, her posts can also attract cruel comments.

“Daring to post an ugly photo showing your ring-shaped torso fat doesn’t equal confidence,” one commenter wrote under one of Yao’s workout posts.

She says the criticism has only made her more determined.

“I want to help women who are feeling self-hatred to look at themselves in a new way,” she says.

---

US should blunt ‘collaboration’ by China, North Korea, Russia and Iran: senior officials

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289418/us-should-blunt-collaboration-china-north-korea-russia-and-iran-senior-officials?utm_source=rss_feed

Senior officials in US President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration stepped up their warnings about closer ties between China, North Korea, Russia and Iran on Wednesday.

Addressing the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke of “deepening patterns of collaboration” among the four countries and called for expanded defence cooperation with allies.

As the Biden administration winds down, Sullivan said his team has tried to galvanise defence industries, commercial companies, start-ups and venture-capital firms to develop systems that help the US and its allies counter “adversaries and competitors”.

Expanding and strengthening the defence industry’s capabilities would be necessary to “deter military aggression against Nato or Indo-Pacific allies … [and] equip our partners when they come under attack”, he added.

“I’m not suggesting we need to retool for a new Cold War, but we once again face a dangerous, complex and contested global landscape,” Sullivan said.

“Our adversaries and competitors are taking more risks, and importantly, they’re working together to strengthen each other’s defence capacity.”

Sullivan outlined “a road map for the next Congress and the next administration to carry this work forward”, stressing a need to align efforts with the challenges of a global landscape undergoing “a tectonic shift”.

“You see both dual-use capacity going from the PRC to Russia that is helping fuel Russia’s war machine,” he explained, “and Russia is reciprocating by providing certain types of soft technological capabilities to China that they’ve been behind on.”

“We are going to have to look for ways, through sanctions, export controls and other restrictive measures, to try to put a drag on or reduce or restrict or disrupt that flow that I just described among these actors,” the Biden administration official added.

Sullivan also discussed the impact of China’s recent decision to ban the export of critical minerals to the US.

On Tuesday, in response to Washington’s growing restrictions on China’s advanced chip industry, Beijing blocked the export of gallium, germanium and antimony to the US. The minerals have broad military applications.

Sullivan said the move had been anticipated, and he highlighted the importance of collaborating with like-minded countries to find alternatives for critical-mineral supply chains.

It would be increasingly necessary to find suppliers of these commodities, he said, not only for military applications but also for strategic purposes such as semiconductor manufacturing, clean-energy generation and climate-change resilience technologies.

“We’ve taken some really important steps on this in the last few years. It has allowed us to diversify and become more resilient,” Sullivan added.

“But that too, just like the defence-industrial base, is a work in progress, and we need the next administration to continue working with Congress and the private industry.”

Meanwhile, closer collaboration between China, Russia, North Korea and Iran was a topic of discussion among former US national security advisers gathered at the Aspen Security Forum in Washington on Wednesday.

Susan Rice, who served in the role during the Barack Obama administration, said the Trump administration would need to recognise that not just China but all of the countries in the grouping – which she described as an “axis of authoritarianism” – would pose major challenges in the future.

Trump’s first term in the White House was marked by a “very transactional, some might say dismissive approach to alliances in the Asia-Pacific as well as in Europe”, Rice added.

She warned that repeating the approach would undermine the ability to be “effective in this increasingly intensified competition”.

Stephen Hadley, who served as national security adviser in the George W. Bush administration, said the international order that emerged after the second world war was “fraying”.

He contended it was “under attack from Russia, from China, from those who would like to reorder it in a way that favours their interests and favours their values”.

Hadley predicted that, in addition to these countries, Trump would encounter challenges elsewhere, including from Venezuela and Pakistan.

“The number of issues that this new team is going to have to face in the first six to nine months is really pretty overwhelming,” he added.

At the same event, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the Indo-Pacific region would continue to play a critical role in global stability.

Considered an architect of America’s pivot to Asia meant to deepen ties there to blunt China, Campbell accused Beijing of being one of the “enabling forces on the battlefield in Ukraine” by supporting Russia’s defence-industrial base, along with North Korea, which has reportedly sent troops to the front lines.

“You can make an argument that the most decisive actors currently on the battlefield are Indo-Pacific actors, North Korea and China, affecting what’s taking place on the ground in Ukraine,” he said. “That’s something that we have to be very concerned by.”

Owing to the region’s rising importance to US strategic interests, Campbell said he believed “integration” between the US, Europe and Indo-Pacific partners would continue in the next Trump administration.

---

At least 8 US telecoms firms, dozens of nations hit by China hacking, White House says

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3289417/least-8-us-telecoms-firms-dozens-nations-hit-china-hacking-white-house-says?utm_source=rss_feed

A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight US telecoms firms and dozens of nations have been affected by a Chinese hacking campaign.

Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans.

Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries affected could still grow.

The US believes that the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior US government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said.

“We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters.

She noted that because the hack appeared to be targeting a relatively small group of individuals, only a small number of Americans’ phone calls and texts have been compromised. Neuberger added that affected companies are all responding, but none “have fully removed the Chinese actors from these networks”.

“So there is a risk of ongoing compromises to communications until US companies address the cybersecurity gaps the Chinese are likely to maintain their access,” Neuberger said.

She said that US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the findings and that the White House “has made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this”.

The Chinese embassy in Washington on Tuesday rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack after the US federal authorities issued new guidance.

“The US needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cybersecurity to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said.

The embassy did not immediately respond to messages on Wednesday.

White House officials believe that the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials.

Federal authorities confirmed in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, along with people associated with Democratic candidate US Vice-President Kamala Harris.

The number of countries affected by the hack is currently believed to be in the “low, couple dozen”, according to a senior administration official.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said they believed the hacks started at least a year or two ago.

The suggestions for telecoms companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralisation and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions.

If implemented, the security precautions could help disrupt the operation, which has been dubbed Salt Typhoon, and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future, experts say.

Neuberger pointed to efforts that have been made to strengthen cybersecurity in the rail, aviation, energy and other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline.

“So, to prevent ongoing Salt Typhoon type intrusions by China, we believe we need to apply a similar minimum cybersecurity practice,” Neuberger said.

The cyberattack by a gang of criminal hackers on the critical US pipeline, which delivers about 45 per cent of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s ageing energy infrastructure.

Colonial confirmed it paid US$4.4 million to the gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems as it scrambled to get the nation’s fuel pipeline back online.

Trump 2.0 to ‘disrupt’ US-China business, analysts say, as law firm shuts Beijing office

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3289352/trump-20-disrupt-us-china-business-analysts-say-law-firm-shuts-beijing-office?utm_source=rss_feed

A US corporate law firm with a more than 40-year footprint in China plans to close its Beijing office at the end of the year, accentuating a half a decade of economic strife between the world’s two largest economies.

A spokeswoman for the New York-based Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, known for merger and acquisition cases plus other corporate law work, said it would continue its Asia business through offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The company – known as Paul, Weiss for short – opened its Beijing office in 1981 to become one of the first foreign practices with an office in mainland China.

The closure would follow at least 11 others in China over the past two years, reflecting a dearth of China business and competition from local peers, analysts and industry media reports said.

Foreign multinational clients have pulled back from China on account of trade and tech disputes that arose during US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term in the White House between 2017-21, analysts said.

During his campaign this year, Trump has since pledged tariffs of up to 60 per cent on Chinese goods after he returns to office next month.

And last week, Trump said that he would add a 10 per cent tariff on all Chinese imports – on top of duties already in place – on his first day in office.

“As the Trump 2.0 cabinet and policies take shape, the market anticipates further negative impact and disruption to global and US-China business flows,” said Nicholas Chen, managing partner with Pamir Law Group, which has offices in Shanghai and Taipei.

“The anticipated US tariffs and economic targeting of Chinese will increasingly and directly hurt US supply chains and consumers.

“This in turn hurts US service providers like law firms in China.”

Foreign clients of US law firms feel less interest than before 2017 in making direct investments in China, or taking part in Chinese initial public offerings, analysts said, impacting two possible sources of legal business.

The practices may worry that their lawyers would be detained for representing foreign clients in “squabbles” with local peers, said Andrew Collier, a China analyst with economic research firm GlobalSource Partners.

Among the other 11 American law firms, seven had given up offices in mainland China earlier this year after three others did the same in 2023, according to the China Business Law Journal.

Legal industry media platform Law.com said in October that the New York-based Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom would close its Shanghai office after 16 years, laying off corporate lawyers.

New York-based law-firm database Leopard Solutions reported the number of lawyers working in mainland China for the 200 largest American firms at 535 in July, down from 643 in July 2022.

It said US-headquartered firms with offices in mainland China stood at 59 in September, down from more than 100 in the 2000s.

“I don’t see a big turning of the corner in terms of investment and trade,” said Joe Simone, a partner with Simone Intellectual Property Services in Hong Kong.

“If they don’t see China as a place to make money, then what’s the point?”

He added that Chinese lawyers are taking foreign corporate clients as they grow in numbers and become more professional.

China actress Fan Bingbing rents Hong Kong flat for US$84,000 a month, setting media abuzz

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3289029/china-actress-fan-bingbing-rents-hong-kong-flat-us84000-month-setting-media-abuzz?utm_source=rss_feed

Controversial Chinese actress Fan Bingbing has generated significant media buzz following her recent appearance at a Hong Kong event, fuelling speculation about her potential long-term residency in the city.

On November 28, Fan attended a brand event in Hong Kong, captivating netizens in a black gown that many likened to a “villainous queen”.

During the event, she revealed that she had filmed two movies this year, including the Hollywood film The Ice Road 2, starring Liam Neeson, and the Malaysian movie Mother Bhumi, where she plays a farmer who performs nighttime exorcisms for women.

For her role in Mother Bhumi, Fan reportedly tanned and gained weight.

Although she has not fully shed the extra pounds, she shared: “I gained about 6 to 6.5kg for the movie. I’ve lost most of it now by eating less and exercising hard.”

Expressing her enthusiasm for the Hong Kong film industry, she noted: “I am among the first batch of mainland actresses to come to Hong Kong to make films.”

Adding to the speculation about her future in the city, she has reportedly rented a super-luxury property on Barker Road on The Peak for about HK$650,000 (US$84,000) a month.

In response to inquiries about her plans, she stated that she would divide her time between Hong Kong and other locations, including Hollywood.

The 43-year-old actress was once one of China’s highest-earning stars and gained international recognition before a tax evasion scandal in May 2018.

Fan began her acting career in 1998 with her role as “Jin Suo” in the iconic TV drama My Fair Princess. She later made significant strides in the film industry, with influential roles in Buddha Mountain and I Am Not Madame Bovary, earning her Best Actress awards at the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival and the 64th San Sebastian Film Festival.

Her stunning outfits, such as the dramatic “Dragon Robe” worn at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010, further established her as a stand-out star at international film festivals.

In October 2018, Fan faced a hefty fine of about 884 million yuan (US$122 million) from Chinese tax authorities for overdue taxes and fines, which tarnished her career and public image.

Following this, she was banned from acting and producing films in China, leading to a significant reduction in her public presence and sparking widespread speculation about her future.

Since then, she has shifted her career focus internationally. In June, she was appointed as a tourism ambassador by Malaysia’s Melaka state, aiming to attract more Chinese tourists by leveraging her 63 million followers on Weibo.

Although Fan receives less coverage from Chinese mainstream media now, she remains a beloved figure on mainland social media, where fans are captivated by her red-carpet appearances.

One admirer commented: “I have to say, she really looks good, and no other actress can match her.”

Another echoed: “Every appearance of hers is uniquely refreshing. The mainland red carpets are already dead water. She is the pinnacle, and there’s no substitute.”

“But it’s a pity, the dominant radiance in her eyes is gone,” remarked a third.

China and Japan face ‘crisis’ in ties as they fail to adapt to ‘new reality’: ex-PM

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289392/china-and-japan-face-crisis-ties-they-fail-adapt-new-reality-ex-pm?utm_source=rss_feed

Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda has warned of a “crisis of dialogue, comprehensive understanding, and mutual trust” between Japan and China, urging leaders from the two nations to take decisive action.

“In the past three years … mutual understanding has declined further with goodwill towards each other plummeting,” Fukuda said in a written speech at the annual Beijing-Tokyo Forum on Wednesday.

“China and Japan are in a crisis of dialogue, comprehensive understanding, and mutual trust. This crisis must be overcome.”

Fukuda said concrete action was necessary to advance the strategic and mutually beneficial relationship between China and Japan.

The former leader’s remarks came as public sentiment between the two countries reached its lowest point in two decades. A poll by the forum released earlier this week showed that nearly 90 per cent of respondents from the two nations held negative views of each other.

Fukuda acknowledged changing global dynamics, noting that “the existence of China, which has become a world power, has had a great impact on the entire world”. He said both Japan and China had failed to adapt to this shift.

“I have noticed that neither China nor Japan has adapted well to this new reality. Relations between China and the United States are also in the same situation,” he said.

Addressing the forum virtually, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Japan not to cross “the bottom line of bilateral ties”, referring to Tokyo’s wartime history and its dealings with Taiwan.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Japan – like most countries, including the United States – does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, though it is wary of any attempt to take the self-governed island by force. Washington is committed to arming Taipei for its defence.

China’s relations with Japan have been affected by Tokyo’s growing ties with the island.

In 2021, after stepping down as leader, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said that “a Taiwan contingency is a contingency for Japan”.

Abe, a right-wing political strongman, once said that stronger ties between Tokyo, Washington and Taipei would be “extremely important for the peace and stability of the region” – a sentiment that has largely been inherited by his successors, including current Japanese leader Shigeru Ishiba.

Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Ishiba on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru. During their meeting, Xi urged Ishiba to “face history squarely, be forward-looking, and properly handle historical, Taiwan-related, and other major issues”.

In his address on Wednesday, Wang called on both sides to follow the consensus reached during the Xi-Ishiba meeting, emphasising the importance of stabilising bilateral ties. He pointed to China’s recent resumption of visa-free travel for Japanese nationals as a gesture of goodwill.

At the forum, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya stressed the need for Beijing and Tokyo to collaborate on global challenges, including the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East.

“How to make the United Nations Security Council work in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the prolonged and complex situation in the Middle East? How to rebuild global governance?” Iwaya said.

He added that serious discussions between the two nations were crucial, given their responsibilities as major global players.

Cheng Yonghua, a former Chinese ambassador to Japan, struck an optimistic tone at the forum, describing Sino-Japanese relations as entering a “positive era”. He urged the two nations to strengthen cooperation in free trade as well as industrial and supply chains.

The former diplomat added that climate cooperation had great potential for bilateral engagement between Japan and China.

Liu Hongcai, deputy head of the Communist Party’s International Liaison Department, echoed Cheng’s sentiments, calling for expanded regional and global collaboration.

Makoto Nishida, secretary general of Japan’s Komeito party, suggested that Japan share its experience of dealing with an ageing society and economic stagnation, two emerging challenges facing China.

However, he noted there were barriers in academic exchanges and mutual visits, and called for improvements in this area.

“Frankly speaking, academic exchanges and mutual visits between China and Japan are very difficult,” Nishida said, calling the situation “very disturbing”.

China cuts fighter pilot training by 1 year, on track for full overhaul ‘by early 2030s’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3289376/china-cuts-fighter-pilot-training-1-year-track-full-overhaul-early-2030s?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s military has trimmed at least a year off its fighter pilot training programmes, with one US source predicting that the PLA will have “completely modernised” its pilot instruction system by the early 2030s.

The reduction in the pilot programme from at least four years to three comes as the People’s Liberation Army steps up combat readiness and overhauls its fighter fleet, adding more stealth J-20s and commissioning the J-35A, an upgraded version of the fifth-generation multirole fighter.

Training has been fast-tracked by the addition of the JL-10 trainer jet at China’s flight academies in recent years, allowing the older JL-8 to be phased out.

The PLA Daily reported in June that the JL-8 officially retired from the Shijiazhuang Flight Academy’s fleet of training aircraft after over 20 years of service. The last group of pilot candidates to train on the JL-8 had finished their training in early summer at the academy, one of three under the PLA Air Force, the report said.

It marked the “full roll-out of the new flight talent development model” at the academy, where trainees would only require three years of flight training to qualify as fighter pilots for third-generation aircraft, the academy leadership was quoted in the report as saying.

The air force’s Harbin Flight Academy has also started training pilot candidates with the JL-10.

In the early 2010s, such training programmes took about seven years, a period that was shortened to a minimum of four years around 2020.

Other academies have been slower to adopt the JL-10 but it is possible that most of the PLA Air Force’s potential fighter pilots will complete their initial flight and transition training in three years by 2026, according to a report released by the US Air University’s China Aerospace Studies Institute last month.

The institute, which tracks the Chinese air force’s progress, estimated China trained about 400 pilots a year – a number that is increasing slowly.

By comparison, about 1,350 pilots graduate from US Air Force training programmes each year, a figure short of the US goal of between 1,800 and 2,000, report author Derek Solen was quoted in various reports as saying.

The institute’s report also said that initial flight training in the US Air Force could take up to two years.

The JL-10 went into service in the PLA Air Force in 2016. It is highly manoeuvrable and has most of the other features of third-generation aircraft, the PLA Daily report said.

Its use in the pilot programme enabled students to go directly from the CJ-6 basic trainer aircraft to advanced flight training on the JL-10, shortening their training by a year, state broadcaster CCTV reported in 2022. That is followed by advanced training and at least one year of instruction on a third-generation fighter.

Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper said the JL-10 had “extended the service time of pilots while reducing the need for aircraft transitions”.

The China Aerospace Studies Institute report also noted that the Chinese flight academies had taken a greater role in transition training for candidates using the J-10 and J-11 planes. In the past, training new pilots to fly and fight in fighters was mostly the responsibility of combat units.

It was likely that by the early 2030s, the PLA Air Force would have modernised its institutions, aircraft and programmes to train fighter pilots, the US report said, citing factors such as the pace of replacing its fighters.

As the PLA has accelerated its training programme, it is also speeding up the commissioning of J-20 advanced stealth fighter jets which were designed to rival America’s F-35s. Janes Information Services estimated that in mid-2024, around 195 of the aircraft were in service, with more than 70 introduced in the year to June alone.

The J-35A, the country’s newest stealth fighter, debuted at the Zhuhai air show last month, making China the second country in the world to operate two types of stealth fighter jets, which could have complementary roles in joint missions with the Chinese military’s J-20s.

---