• Chinese sweat and blood – not soldiers – leave mark on Panama Canal
• New chapter for US-China rivalry, pioneering scientist is honoured: SCMP daily highlights
• Tech war: China creates US$8.2 billion AI investment fund amid tightened US trade controls
• ‘Unwelcome news’: should India be worried about Sri Lanka and China’s growing cooperation?
• On TikTok ownership, China says acquisitions should be ‘decided by companies’
• Hong Kong to join LME warehouse network to serve China’s appetite for metals
• Can Trump really visit China within 100 days of becoming US president?
• As China wields rare earths in US trade war, weaning off that reliance could take time
• Malaysian police probe flags of China on dragon puppet at Johor parade
• Could GM crops plant seeds of change for China’s food security push?
• The Chinese president’s envoy meets with Vance and Musk on the eve of Trump’s inauguration
• China calls for overseas education ventures in push for tech advancement
• Cooking-oil truck in China catches alight, causing ‘firefall’ from overpass
• China’s RedNote netizens warn each other about sharing street views with US TikTok users
• China live-streamer calls woman ‘mum’, uses emotional content to scam her out of US$76,000
• Chinese aircraft maker AVIC removes website profiles of top executives
• Malaysia and Thailand vow to back Trump’s China trade war - but analysts are sceptical
• Tech war: Nvidia CEO Huang thanks China staff for loyalty amid heightened US chip curbs
• HSBC, Standard Chartered, Bocom can now open mainland China accounts for Hongkongers
• China’s healthcare watchdog to investigate new drugs list after quality issues flagged
• China’s Tiangong research generates oxygen, rocket fuel in major space exploration leap
• China executes Zhuhai driver who killed 35 in car attack that shook the nation
• Gold in them thar hills: China’s mineral search proves its weight in precious prospects
• [Sport] China executes driver who killed dozens in car attack
• Unique bus trip sees China student spend just US$110 on fares from Beijing to Hong Kong
• China names lunar crater after Manhattan Project physicist Chien-Shiung Wu
• Why China may step up African security efforts after Wang Yi’s ‘close call’ in Chad
• US small businesses continue pleas for China tariff relief despite Trump threats
• China vice-president Han meets Vance, Musk ahead of Trump inauguration
• South Korea’s Yoon accused of using China as a ‘scapegoat’ in martial law defence
• China to host world’s first human-robot marathon as robotics drives national goals
• Playful China cat sends resignation letter, loses owner job, Thai dog brings home bomb
• With Donald Trump’s inauguration, US-China rivalry opens new and uncertain chapter
• How Trump could upend South China Sea calculations all round

Chinese sweat and blood – not soldiers – leave mark on Panama Canal

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3295489/chinese-sweat-and-blood-not-soldiers-leave-mark-panama-canal?utm_source=rss_feed

Donald Trump has invoked the spectre of Chinese influence to justify his expansionist ambitions for the Panama Canal. But China has already left its mark on the famous waterway – just not in the way Trump has claimed.

Trump, set to return to the role of US president on Monday, threatened last month to retake the vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He said the canal was being operated by Chinese soldiers – a claim Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has denied.

However, there has been plenty of Chinese money flowing into Panama in recent years. In 2017, it became the first Latin American country to join the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s strategy to build global trade and infrastructure links.

The Chinese presence in Panama can be traced back even further, to the 1850s, when workers from China arrived to build the Panama Railway and later the canal. For over six decades, they shed sweat and blood – and thousands paid with their lives – to build the projects, the latter of which was under sole US control until the late 1970s.

The California gold rush, which began in 1848, prompted a need for transport between the east and west coasts of the US.

The easiest route for gold seekers to get from coast to coast was the “Panama short cut”, which involved sailing down the east coast of North America to Panama, then crossing a jungle to reach the Pacific Ocean where they would board a ship to San Francisco. Goods followed a similar route via Panama.

The harder option was to take a wagon across the US from coast to coast – a journey that took six months.

By 1850, work began on a railway across the Isthmus of Panama with labourers mostly contracted from Jamaica and what is now Colombia.

According to historians Zhuang Yan and Wang Yuanlin of Guangzhou University, workers at the site were vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases, and there was a limited supply of labour to draw from in the Americas.

This led the railway company to recruit workers from southern China, including Macau, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, targeting bankrupt farmers and fishermen, the historians wrote in the Overseas Chinese Journal of Bagui in 2021.

In the late 1860s, a Qing dynasty (1644-1911) diplomat wrote that around 20,000 Chinese workers, most of them Cantonese, worked on the project and were typically sent to carry out arduous tasks at the western end of the railway, an area known for its complex terrain, according to Zhuang and Wang.

In 1854, a total of 705 Chinese arrived in Panama aboard the clipper ship Sea Witch from south China’s Shantou after a 61-day journey, during which a dozen people died.

David Lei, a board member of the Chinese Historical Society of America, said those aboard the Sea Witch were probably Hakka – a Han Chinese subgroup with roots in central China but now mostly settled in the south – who were sold and sent to Panama.

“The people that came to the US left from Hong Kong because Hong Kong was a slave-free port by 1849,” he said. “The British would make sure that when you got on the ship, they asked you privately, ‘Are you going on your own free will?’”

Lei said the fact that the ship left from Shantou suggested they were slaves, and this was also probably true of the people aboard another ship that left from Macau.

“[It was] very possible they were sold. They could not have done that if they left from Hong Kong,” he said.

After arriving in Panama, the Chinese workers faced a slew of hardships and struggled to adapt to their new environment.

“Soon after their arrival, about 100 of the group were struck down with sickness, which the interpreters attributed to the lack of opium. The drug was distributed with the result that two-thirds of the sick arose again and began to labour,” the anthropologist Lucy Cohen wrote in a 1971 paper in the journal Ethnohistory.

The workers had been promised opium in their contracts, but the railway company later cut off their supply because of the cost and illegality of the habit.

According to Berta Alicia Chen, who has published several books about the history of Chinese migration to Panama, the suspension of the daily dose of opium was linked to the suicides of more than 500 Chinese workers.

The railway company paid contractors US$25 per month for each Chinese worker, according to Chen. After the contractors deducted money for travel and food, the labourers received between US$4 and US$8 per month for 16 hours of work per day.

Julio Yao Villalaz, a former diplomat and professor of international relations, wrote in 2019 that despite the adversities, the Chinese labourers completed the most difficult phase of the railway, “as the rest of the Irish, Indian, Malay and Colombian workers had fled and abandoned the project”.

“Unknowingly, the Chinese carried out a drastic revolution in the logistics and geopolitics of the planet. Without them, neither the railway nor the canal would have existed because the railway, according to the engineers, was always just the first phase of the waterway,” he said, writing in a Spanish-language journal.

“Thus, the sacrifices of the Chinese turned them into martyrs of interoceanic communication.”

The Panama Railway, which opened in 1855, drastically shortened the trip between the east and west coasts of the US, but unloading and reloading ships at each port was time-consuming and costly – a problem that a canal could solve. The railway was essential in building the canal as it helped move materials and workers through the jungle.

The first attempt to build a canal through Panama began in 1880 and was led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, a French diplomat and builder of the Suez Canal in Egypt.

However, the French effort to build a sea-level canal failed after nine years of work. Around 20,000 lives – including Chinese and non-Chinese workers – were lost to tropical diseases such as malaria and yellow fever as well as harsh jungle conditions.

Soon after, Theodore Roosevelt, the US president at the time, took on the project. In 1903, the US and Panama signed a treaty granting the US a strip of land, measuring 16km (10 miles) wide, to build the canal. This concession was known as the Panama Canal Zone.

In return, Washington would make a one-time US$10 million payment to Panama as well as pay a yearly annuity of US$250,000.

As with the railway, Chinese workers played a crucial role in the canal’s construction.

According to American historian David McCullough, the canal’s chief engineer John Stevens “preferred contract Chinese labour gangs above all other choices” and wanted to bring Chinese workers to Panama as soon as possible.

“Bids were invited on contracts to furnish up to 15,000 Chinese at a pay scale the same as that of the West Indians,” he wrote in his book The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914.

McCullough noted that the “prospect of wholesale shipments of coolie labour” into the Canal Zone by the US government, which had banned Chinese immigration to the United States under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, was met with what Stevens called the “customary outcry”.

The debate over Chinese labour in the Canal Zone was captured in a series of articles in 1906 in The Sunday Oregonian, a US newspaper.

In August of that year, Theodore Shonts, the president of the Isthmian Canal Commission, said he and Stevens had dealt with Chinese workers before and “found the men all right”.

“We aim to get the strong, husky labourers from the rice fields of southern China,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labour, said he had “protested against the employment of Chinese coolies in the Panama Canal construction”, according to another story on the same day.

“The existing law excludes Chinese labourers and coolies from the United States or any of its possessions. The Panama Canal Zone is an American possession, and it is as much a violation of the law to bring Chinese coolies there as it is in other portions of the country,” he said.

Records from Qing dynasty diplomats show that around 5,000 Chinese workers were hired for each of the French and American-led canal projects, according to Zhuang and Wang at Guangzhou University.

However, the real number could be much higher as the political chaos of the late Qing made it difficult to keep accurate records of the number of Chinese workers leaving for Panama, they said.

The historians also noted that when recruiting Chinese workers, the French and American companies often used fraud and coercive methods to abduct them.

“The recruiting companies employed unscrupulous means to enlist Chinese workers, which destined the history of Chinese labourers in Panama to be a painful chronicle of suffering,” they wrote.

The canal was finished in 1914. The American Society of Civil Engineers has called it one of the “seven wonders of the modern world”, with an innovative lock system that raises and lowers ships through the mountainous terrain.

The project used some of the most advanced construction technology of its time, including cranes, dredging equipment, giant hydraulic rock crushers, cement mixers and pneumatic power drills.

Chen said after the canal was finished, many of the Chinese workers settled in Panama and raised families while preserving their ancestors’ traditions.

Panama is now home to around 200,000 people of Chinese origin, making it the largest Chinese community in Central America, according to the Britain-based Minority Rights Group.

In 2022, then Panamanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Erika Mouynes told her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the Panamanian people “always remember the Chinese people’s contributions to Panama’s railway and canal projects in the early years”.

Fan Wenhao, a postdoctoral fellow who studies Latin American history at Shanghai Normal University, said recalling this shared history could help improve China-Panama ties.

As for Trump’s comments about retaking control of the canal, he said: “We should acknowledge the importance of US investment, as well as its leading engineering technology, equipment and construction innovations at the time.

“Without the expertise of American engineers, the hard work of labourers would not have borne fruit,” said Fan, who also translated McCullough’s The Path Between the Seas into Chinese.

“But the era of imperialism and territorial conquest is long gone. It would be an anachronism for Trump to threaten to have the US retake control of the Panama Canal.”

New chapter for US-China rivalry, pioneering scientist is honoured: SCMP daily highlights

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3295473/new-chapter-us-china-rivalry-pioneering-scientist-honoured-scmp-daily-highlights?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 .

When Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, a new chapter of geopolitical uncertainty will be written, potentially ushering in an intensified rivalry between the US and China under his “America First” policy.

Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng held talks with the US vice-president-elect J.D. Vance and tech billionaire Elon Musk at separate meetings in Washington ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to a “long and fruitful” relationship.

China has named a crater on the far side of the moon after the pioneering Chinese-American scientist Chien-Shiung Wu.

China has executed two men placed on death row after separate deadly attacks in the same week in November, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Foreign policy analyst Bonnie Glaser says the incoming US president is likely to have learned from his first term in the White House.

US president-elect Donald Trump has revealed that he plans to temporarily block a nationwide ban on TikTok, hours after the short-video app went dark to comply with a federal law meant to force it to sever ties with Chinese parent ByteDance.

A series of experiments on board China’s space station have for the first time produced oxygen and the ingredients for rocket fuel – key steps that are considered essential for human survival and the future exploration of space.

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Tech war: China creates US$8.2 billion AI investment fund amid tightened US trade controls

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3295513/tech-war-china-creates-us82-billion-ai-investment-fund-amid-tightened-us-trade-controls?utm_source=rss_feed

China has created a new artificial intelligence (AI) investment fund, with an initial capital of 60 billion yuan (US$8.2 billion), days after the United States further tightened export controls for advanced semiconductors and placed more Chinese companies on its trade blacklist.

The National AI Industry Investment fund was incorporated in Shanghai last Friday as a joint venture of state-backed Guozhi Investment (Shanghai) Private Equity Fund Management and the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund (CICF) Phase III, according to information from local business registry service Qcc.com.

The new AI fund’s scope of business includes general equity investment and asset management, according to the registry service, which did not provide any details.

Its creation reflects Beijing’s determination to advance the nation’s AI capabilities, despite greater tech restrictions imposed by Washington.

Bejing made AI a national priority amid a heightened tech war between the world’s two largest economies. While the central government shores up its support for the nascent sector with favourable policies and mandates, China’s AI market is expected to be worth 5.6 trillion yuan by 2030, according to state-backed investment vehicle China International Capital Corp.

The US Department of Commerce last week added more than two dozen Chinese entities to its Entity List, accusing them of supporting Beijing’s military advance. Blacklisted companies are barred from buying goods or services from US tech suppliers without a licence, which is generally denied.

Chinese start-up Zhipu AI and chip designer Sophgo – a firm whose Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co-made chip was found illegally incorporated into a Huawei Technologies AI processor – were among those recently put on the Entity List.

Beijing-based Zhipu AI said it “strongly disagrees” with the US sanction because it “lacks factual basis”. Sophgo has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Days before the latest blacklist announcement, the outgoing Biden administration unveiled new restrictions that would cap AI chips and technology exports to most countries; completely block these exports to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea; and allow nearly unlimited access for Washington’s closest allies.

California-based Nvidia, a leader in advanced graphics processing units used to power data centres that train AI models, said the broad rules amounted to a “sweeping overreach” that would restrict technology “already available in mainstream gaming PCs and consumer hardware”.

The third phase of the CICF, also known as the “Big Fund”, was launched in May last year, representing the country’s largest-ever chip investment fund. Its 19 equity investors were led by China’s Ministry of Finance, state-owned China Development Bank Capital and state-asset manager Shanghai Guosheng Group.

‘Unwelcome news’: should India be worried about Sri Lanka and China’s growing cooperation?

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3295521/unwelcome-news-should-india-be-worried-about-sri-lanka-and-chinas-growing-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s record US$3.7 billion investment in a Sri Lankan oil refinery has sparked fresh security concerns in India, analysts say, as New Delhi sees the growing Chinese presence near its borders as a strategic threat.

During Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to Beijing last week, where he held talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, both sides signed the refinery deal – which Colombo has described as its biggest-ever foreign investment agreement – alongside 15 other agreements aimed at expanding bilateral and maritime cooperation.

Chinese company Sinopec plans to construct the cutting-edge oil refinery at Hambantota, whose port has already been leased to China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited (CM Port) for 99 years at US$1.12 billion after Sri Lanka was unable to repay a huge Chinese loan that it had taken to help revive its economy.

Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in 2022 and halted repayments on some repayments on some US$83 billion in domestic and foreign loans. In November 2023, Sri Lanka reached an agreement with China – its largest lender – to restructure US$4.2 billion of debt.

Dissanayake had visited Delhi last month ahead of his China trip, where he vowed not to allow his country to be used in a “manner that is detrimental to the interest of India”.

With India and China vying for strategic influence in the Indian Ocean, analysts say the new refinery near Hambantota raises numerous concerns for Delhi.

Walter Ladwig, a senior international relations lecturer at King’s College London, noted that the new deals “signal a deepening of China’s influence in Sri Lanka, which will be unwelcome news in Delhi”.

Srikanth Kondapalli, dean of the School of International Studies and a professor of China studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said while India welcomed FDI flows to Sri Lanka, “its objections are related to policies that could trigger a financial meltdown in the neighbourhood and the deployment of naval vessels that disrupt security in the region”.

Experts argue that such projects often lead to a debt trap, enabling China to take control of the country’s assets, as in the case of the Hambantota port.

“A repeat of an economic crisis in Sri Lanka will have repercussions for India and China’s expansion in the region is not only about their increasing military capabilities but could also be another obstacle in Delhi-Beijing trying to mend ties,” Ambika Vishwanath, founder director of the Kubernein Initiative and Maitri Research Fellow at La Trobe Asia, told This Week in Asia.

However, Kondapalli said Dissanayake’s visit was successful in nudging China to invest rather than provide strings-attached loans and aid.

“Sri Lanka has been urging China to transfer skills rather than send labourers as well as observe fair practices,” Kondapalli said.

Atul Kumar, a fellow in the Strategic Studies Programme at Observer Research Foundation, a think tank based in Delhi, said Sri Lanka’s sovereign default in 2022 had halted all fresh loans, especially from Chinese financial institutions.

“Even after the debt restructuring deal last year, the China Exim Bank and the China Development Bank have not resumed lending. There are already agreed loans with sizeable funds remaining in these banks for Sri Lankan projects,” Kumar said, adding that Dissanayake’s main objective, therefore, was to restart the financial process from China to complete half-built projects.

Sri Lanka and China had also renewed their currency swap agreement for another three years, underscoring the financial cooperation between the countries, Kumar said.

With the new deals likely to spark closer scrutiny by Delhi of Chinese activities in Sri Lanka and the region, analysts said how Colombo navigated through Indian security concerns while balancing ties with China would be a key issue to watch.

Sri Lanka last month eased a one-year ban on foreign research ships docking at its ports, a move analysts said reflected Colombo’s efforts to stay non-aligned in the Sino-Indian rivalry.

The ban was imposed after India had previously raised concerns to Sri Lanka about the recurring visits of Chinese vessels to its ports.

Kumar said Sinopec had already entered Sri Lanka’s retail fuel market and Chinese companies were now investing in, rather than debt financing, the country. He noted that refinery building would necessitate Chinese naval ships visiting ports in Sri Lanka.

There could still be positives, however. Vishwanath said the new deals could spur India to treat Sri Lanka not just as part of its strategic backyard, but as a partner in sustainable development and renewable energy goals.

In 2022, India provided about US$4 billion of assistance to rescue Sri Lanka from its worst financial crisis in decades. The countries are also collaborating on an estimated US$1.2 billion undersea transmission line project.

“We can work on shared sustainable futures, align and aid with the ambitious 2030 renewable energy goals, further people-centric development ties, and within the International Solar Alliance and other spaces,” Vishwanath said.

“This could help send a message, even to other countries in the region, that we [India] are serious about working with our neighbours and partners.”

Sri Lanka’s engagement with India and China “neatly represents the participating countries’ changing needs and wants”, said Dr Natasha Agarwal, founder of The Global South Convergence Forum, a research-based forum in Mumbai.

“The calculus of the bilateral relationships in [their] joint statements reflects a win-win situation,” she said.

On TikTok ownership, China says acquisitions should be ‘decided by companies’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295523/tiktok-ownership-china-says-acquisitions-should-be-decided-companies?utm_source=rss_feed

China has responded to United States president-elect Donald Trump’s call to put 50 per cent of TikTok ownership into US hands, saying acquisitions should be “decided independently by companies” in accordance with the law.

Trump made the call on Sunday as a federal divest-or-ban law aiming to sever Tiktok’s ties with Chinese parent company ByteDance came into effect, which saw the app become unavailable across the US.

“For such actions as corporate operations and acquisitions, we always believe that they should be decided independently by companies based on market principles,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing on Monday.

“If Chinese companies are involved, they should comply with Chinese laws and regulations,” she added.

During the press conference, Mao pointed out that TikTok has been operating in the US for years and is loved by American users.

“We hope that the United States can listen carefully to rational voices and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries to operate in the United States,” Mao said.

Incoming president Trump on Sunday said he would temporarily block a nationwide ban on TikTok with an executive order to extend the period of time before prohibitions came into effect on the law, and to protect companies that distribute or host TikTok from liability.

Trump also said he would like a final resolution on the app’s fate with a joint venture that gives the US a 50 per cent ownership position in TikTok, which would “keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up”.

The TikTok bill passed by Congress in April and signed into law by departing President Joe Biden allows the president to extend its deadline by 90 days if a sale is in progress, but there are still no announced buyers.

ByteDance has previously stated that it would not sell TikTok, and the company has yet to respond to Trump’s proposal.

“Without US approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions,” Trump said.

Mao noted on Monday that TikTok had “played a positive role” in the promotion of employment and stimulation of consumption in the US.

One of TikTok’s popular features is a built-in e-commerce platform launched in 2023.

Tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk entered the fray on Sunday, saying he was against banning the app because that would go against freedom of speech.

“That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced,” he said on X, adding that “something needs to change”.

In response to a question about Musk’s comment, Mao said China managed its internet access in accordance with the law, and that companies were welcome to develop in the country as long as they abide by Chinese laws and regulations.

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Hong Kong to join LME warehouse network to serve China’s appetite for metals

https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3295520/hong-kong-join-lme-warehouse-network-serve-chinas-appetite-metals?utm_source=rss_feed

The London Metal Exchange (LME) on Monday added Hong Kong as one of its global warehouse locations to meet growing demand for the physical exchange of metals between mainland China and the rest of the world, while enhancing Hong Kong’s role as a conduit.

“The addition of Hong Kong to our global warehousing network is an exciting development, providing warehousing facilities closer to the metals hubs of mainland China than ever before,” said Matthew Chamberlain, CEO of LME.

Hong Kong will store LME-registered aluminium alloy, primary aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin and zinc, according to an official statement. The city will become an active location three months after the approval of the first warehouse company.

The move “represents a major milestone that brings China – the world’s biggest metals consumer – much closer to the most active global metals trading community, strengthening the links between the country’s physical metals markets and international pricing on LME”, said Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX).

LME has more than 465 warehouses in 32 locations worldwide, but it does not own or operate the facilities. Rather, it authorises warehouse companies and the warehouses they operate to store LME-registered brands of metal on behalf of warrant holders. LME has been eyeing China as a warehouse location since as early as 2012, when HKEX bought the LME for US$2.2 billion.

“Mainland China is the world’s largest consumer of metals, and with its outstanding commercial infrastructure, Hong Kong provides the natural hub for connectivity to the Chinese market that is so important to market participants and the wider metals industry,” Chamberlain said.

The recognition will support Hong Kong’s development as a regional commodities trading hub, Chan said.

“China’s sustainability commitments and ongoing economic progress will drive continued growth in its demand for metals,” she said. “Having new LME warehouses strategically located in Hong Kong, with its robust transportation infrastructure and trusted international frameworks, will help lower logistics costs and enhance efficiencies for delivery networks, benefiting metals consumers and producers alike.”

The approval of Hong Kong as a warehouse location aligns with efforts to bolster its role in commodities trading, after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in October that the city would develop an international gold trading market.

LME, founded in 1877, traded 178 million lots of metals last year, equating to US$18 trillion and 4 billion tonnes, according to its website.

Can Trump really visit China within 100 days of becoming US president?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295527/can-trump-really-visit-china-within-100-days-becoming-us-president?utm_source=rss_feed

Donald Trump’s plans to visit China within 100 days in office may pose a “real diplomatic dilemma” for Beijing, but is “highly possible”, according to observers.

Such a trip would be a nod to the importance of stabilising ties between the world’s top two economies, and China “would actively consider it”, a Chinese academic said.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported last week that Trump had told advisers he wanted to travel to China after taking office – as he sought to deepen a relationship “strained” by his threats of higher tariffs on Chinese imports.

The US president-elect will be sworn into office on Monday, and the South China Morning Post will run a live blog of the inauguration ceremony.

The WSJ report followed a phone call between the two leaders on Friday, when they discussed issues ranging from short-video app TikTok to fentanyl and trade, according to Trump, who said the call was “a very good one”.

Lu Xiang, a US-China relations specialist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that a visit by a head of state to China typically required six months or more of groundwork.

Still, a visit could be arranged “as soon as possible”, Lu said, if both sides were less demanding in terms of protocol.

For instance, Xi met Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in April 2017, with the US president just 11 weeks into his first term.

During Friday’s call, Xi said Trump and he attached “great importance” to interactions and hoped for a good “start to the China-US relationship”, according to state news agency Xinhua.

China’s foreign ministry on Monday said Beijing stood ready to work with the new US administration. Asked about Trump’s potential visit, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the aim was to “secure greater progress in China-US relations from a new starting point”.

If the trip did happen, Trump would be among the few American presidents to have travelled to China during their first 100 days in office.

The last president to do so was George H.W. Bush, who visited in February 1989, a month after he was inaugurated as the 41st US president.

“Since [Trump] made this request before he officially took office, I believe that China will actively consider it,” Lu said.

“I don’t think we should dwell on his first 100 days but to achieve a high-level visit in the near future, I think this is completely possible and necessary for the reality of Sino-US relations.”

David Arase, resident professor of international politics with the Hopkins-Nanjing Centre, said a foreign leader’s visit to Beijing “is not a pomp-and-circumstance affair but is something simpler to facilitate bilateral leadership talks and agreements”.

But Trump would be a “special case”, as he would be leading the only country that could “make or break China’s future”.

“And so he needs special treatment. How special to make such a visit is a real political and diplomatic dilemma for Beijing,” Arase said.

Another possible sticking point could be who Trump chooses to bring with him to China, and whether Marco Rubio, the incoming secretary of state, would be among them.

Rubio was sanctioned twice by Beijing in 2020 – first in retaliation for US measures against senior Chinese officials over their alleged treatment of the Uygur ethnic minority group, and later after mainland China and Hong Kong officials were sanctioned by the US over their actions or policies following the Hong Kong protests in 2019.

Arase said Trump was likely to demand that Rubio be allowed to accompany him for the visit, as it was hard to see how the incoming president could have substantive talks with Beijing without his top diplomat.

But according to Lu, the maverick Trump might “prefer to deal with problems he is concerned about directly”, relying less on his team and his secretary of state.

It might even become normal practice under the new administration for the president to directly resolve issues with foreign leaders, Lu said.

A meeting between Trump and Xi was due “at some point”, Lu added, as the two sides had set up a channel for dialogue.

He said Trump “now realises that Sino-US relations are at a critical period and a proper handling of relations will help the US solve many other problems it faces”.

Trump said earlier this month that he had been speaking to Xi through representatives and, according to Beijing’s readout of Friday’s call, the two leaders agreed to set up a strategic communication channel.

“[Trump] must have a relatively stable channel of communication [with China] if this channel already exists, and I believe that the issue of mutual visits is already being discussed,” Lu said.

“I think [the visit] is highly expected and highly possible.”

Diao Daming, a professor of international relations at Renmin University, said an early visit by Trump to China would be possible if ties remained stable and if “the atmosphere and conditions” were right.

“I’m not sure if Trump will visit China earlier than 100 days into his presidency as there is still a lot of uncertainty but, if it is possible, it would surely be positive for Sino-US relations,” he said.

Diao added that the two sides could also hold high-level talks – such as those involving their national security advisers – ahead of the trip.

Arase said the visit would reflect Trump’s goal to put the handling of US-China relations “above the bureaucratic management mode and into the hands of actively engaged political leaders”.

It would also test China’s resolve on seeking better ties. “This is a test of China’s sincerity in wanting to ‘make a deal’ rather than stonewall and press on with established plans,” Arase said.

As China wields rare earths in US trade war, weaning off that reliance could take time

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3295495/china-wields-rare-earths-us-trade-war-weaning-reliance-could-take-time?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s push to reduce or cease exports of some critical materials such as germanium and gallium to the United States last year is already having an impact on their trade, while a potential expansion of such restrictions could serve as leverage for Beijing in tariff negotiations with the administration of president-elect Donald Trump.

According to customs data released on Monday, China has already stopped exporting wrought and unwrought antimony metal – a material critical to the military sector – to all countries since October, including the United States, its largest buyer.

Yet, due to a surge in shipments during the first nine months of 2024, China’s antimony exports to the US saw a year-on-year increase of 20.98 per cent, to 379,720kg (837,139 pounds), and the export value increased by 108.87 per cent to US$7.44 million.

“There is a risk that China might expand its export restrictions on critical materials in the near term,” said Ellie Saklatvala, head of non-ferrous pricing at Argus Media, an independent provider of energy and commodity price benchmarks.

China already published regulations concerning export controls of dual-use items in November, which she said could encompass a wide range of products, depending on how the restrictions are implemented.

“In the short-term, it will be very difficult for the US to significantly reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals – it usually takes many years and huge investments to develop new supply sources,” she said. “The situation might create some leverage in negotiations with the US, but it is a highly complex issue, and the US is unlikely to give way easily.”

The speculation is based on the US’ high reliance on Chinese imports in the short term, as it takes time for Washington to reduce its dependence via global cooperation and domestic industry support.

Given Trump’s constant threat of tariff tools, and in preparation for a worst-case scenario, Beijing has built up an arsenal of tools. And the export ban has proved to be a powerful one.

After Beijing’s ban starting in October, the price of antimony more than doubled to US$19.90 per pound in early January, according to Argus data.

China’s complete ban on gallium and germanium exports in August 2023 – as these are used in semiconductors and optics, respectively – could result in a loss of US$3.4 billion in the gross domestic product (GDP) for the US economy, with more than 40 per cent of that loss borne by the semiconductor industry, according to a November report by US Geological Survey.

The US relies on China for up to 60 per cent of its critical raw material supply, according to a report last month by Frank Umbach, an energy-security researcher at the University of Bonn in Germany. The US has just one company producing the dominant type of rare-earth magnets, only four primary aluminium smelters in operation, and a single lithium mine.

As of 2020, the US had no domestic production for 14 minerals on its list of critical raw materials, making the country entirely dependent on imports for those materials, Umbach noted.

Earlier this month, the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden issued a licence for the country’s Idaho antimony gold mine, which is expected to start production in 2028 and will meet more than 35 per cent of the US’ antimony demand, according to Reuters.

China also accounts for around 80 per cent of natural graphite and 60 per cent of mined magnet rare earths, according to data from the International Energy Agency.

Customs data shows that the US stockpiled other key materials before the ban took effect.

After Beijing announced the ban in August, the US’ purchase of Chinese antimony increased by nearly 300 per cent by volume in just half a month in September, compared with the previous month.

“By banning antimony exports and specifically targeting the US market, Beijing sends a strong message to Washington that it is not afraid to further escalate the trade war by cutting off the United States from critical minerals needed for strategic industries,” according to a report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies last month.

The US has been reducing its reliance on the Chinese supply chain by investing in other countries. For instance, it granted a US$150 million loan to a graphite-mining project in Mozambique in 2024, a country that produces 10 per cent of the world’s graphite.

Malaysian police probe flags of China on dragon puppet at Johor parade

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3295530/malaysian-police-probe-flags-china-dragon-puppet-johor-parade?utm_source=rss_feed

A cultural row has reignited in Malaysia after police began an investigation over a giant dragon puppet decorated with the flags of the Southeast Asian country and China at an event organised by a Chinese association in Johor.

Police in Johor’s Muar district said that their officers spotted the dragon puppet during a procession on Saturday night.

“Based on monitoring during the procession, it was found that the dragon replica was decorated with [the] Jalur Gemilang on the right side of its body and the left side featured the flag of China,” district police chief Raiz Mukhliz Azman Aziz, who was referring to the name of the Malaysian flag, was quoted as saying on Sunday by national newswire Bernama.

Police are checking for any infringement of public order, assembly laws or a ban on the display of national emblems of other countries.

The event was held to mark the 20th anniversary of the Muar Tiong Hua Association, which has yet to comment on the procession.

It comes as many among the Malay-Muslim majority in Malaysia become more intransigent on issues of culture and ethnic identity amid China’s rising economic and cultural clout in the country of 34 million people with a sizeable Chinese minority.

In response to the incident, one Hazirul Annuar Mustafa said in a post on Facebook: “After that, they apologise and then do it again … that is how it will continue.”

Another Facebook user, Hashim Awang, said: “Tell those Chinese they are better off just migrating to China.”

Last October, organisers of the annual Guan Gong festival in Perak state apologised following an uproar caused by several foreign attendees waving flags of China.

As identity politics becomes more prominent, Malay nationalist parties in the government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the opposition have been stepping up efforts to appeal to the Malay-Muslim electorate, who form about 60 per cent of the population.

Earlier this month, Akmal Saleh, the youth leader of the government party Umno, hit out at KK Super Mart, a Chinese-owned convenience store chain, for allowing one of its outlets to sell a ham sandwich with a fake halal label. The incident has fuelled perceptions among some Malaysians that Chinese businesses emphasise profits over respect for religious and cultural beliefs.

Last year, the same chain was embroiled in a controversy over the sale of several socks bearing the word “Allah” at one of its stores, leading to petrol bombs being thrown at three of its outlets.

Could GM crops plant seeds of change for China’s food security push?

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3294892/could-gm-crops-plant-seeds-change-chinas-food-security-push?utm_source=rss_feed

Could genetically modified (GM) crops ensure China’s food security, or will public scepticism derail the effort?

On December 31, China took another step towards commercialising GM crops by approving 12 more types of GM soybeans, corn and cotton. Following years of testing, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs granted safety certificates for these varieties. These approvals add to the list of at least 64 varieties of GM corn and 17 varieties of GM soybeans that have received the green light since 2023.

China’s urgent need to ensure long-term food security amid global uncertainties includes efforts to increase domestic production of corn and soybeans, two key agricultural staples. The aim is to boost high-yield crops while reducing the country’s dependence on food imports amid an increasingly complex and fractured geopolitical environment.

In 2023, China imported 99.4 million tonnes of soybeans, with 70 per cent imported from Brazil and 24 per cent from the United States. China also imported more than 27 million tonnes of corn, a 31.6 per cent year-on-year increase, of which 47 per cent came from Brazil, with the US in second place. China mostly imports GM crops for animal feed, while non-GM varieties are intended for human consumption.

Although plans to commercialise GM crops remain implicit at present, they align with China’s broader food security strategy. China’s leaders, including President Xi Jinping, have publicly emphasised the importance of safeguarding food security. Xi also famously declared that the rice bowls of China’s 1.4 billion people would always be firmly held in their own hands.

But China’s food security has worsened in recent decades. Once a net food exporter, China became a net importer in 2004. The widening import-export gap raises concerns about reliance on global markets, leaving China vulnerable to export bans and price fluctuations.

Rising food consumption, loss of farmland because of urbanisation and limited land and water resources alongside low yields further complicate matters. These concerns highlight the urgent need for sustainable solutions to address China’s food security challenges.

In response, the Chinese central authorities have turned to biotechnology, particularly GM crops, as a potential solution to domestic and geopolitical challenges. This push is further reflected in multiple five-year plans, such as the goal to develop the bioeconomy, as set out in the 14th five-year plan (2021–2025). Legislative measures, such as registration requirements for herbicides used on GM crops, further support this objective.

The government has taken action to realise its plans. For instance, in 2023 the agriculture ministry announced the expansion of a pilot programme to plant GM soybeans and corn. Around 267,000 hectares (660,000 acres) – or about 1 per cent of China’s cornfields – were set aside for GM corn that year. These efforts signal a gradual pivot towards large-scale GM crop adoption and are supported by substantial financial investments into genetically modified organism (GMO) research and development.

GM crop commercialisation in China could reshape domestic and global agricultural landscapes. Domestically, it could result in reduced dependence on imports and boost food security broadly. Notably, it could make China less reliant on imported GM crops, particularly in crops such as soybeans and corn for animal feed.

The shift could also contribute to China’s broader ambition to be a global leader in agricultural innovation. And as the world’s largest food importer and producer, China’s embrace of GM crops could reshape agricultural trade and global GMO governance.

With reduced reliance on imports for key agricultural staples, China could contribute to greater global food supplies, potentially driving down prices and weighing on the bottom lines of major exporting countries.

Simultaneously, stronger domestic production powered by GM technology could fuel China’s export growth. By enhancing yields and efficiency, Chinese exports of GM crops could meet the demand for affordable, high-quality food supplies in countries across the globe. This could support China’s economy but also recalibrate global trade relationships, particularly with developing nations seeking more cost-effective food imports.

Challenges lie ahead. A major hurdle is the limited capacity of domestic seed producers to scale up production. Around 70 per cent of China’s corn seeds are imported, mostly from the US, highlighting gaps in domestic production. This reliance on foreign sources prevents China from building a self-sufficient and competitive GM seed industry, hindering the rapid expansion of GM crop plantations.

However, the greatest obstacle to the commercialisation of GM crops lies in public opposition. Some consumers are sceptical about eating GM food despite its safety. Such fears among consumers are compounded by a broader suspicion of Western threats to the country’s food security and a belief that GM technology is a tool of Western exploitation undermining the country’s agricultural sovereignty.

Opposition to GM crops extends to local governments, too. Notably, Heilongjiang, China’s largest soybean-growing region, banned GM crops in 2016 and has yet to approve any such cultivation. This highlights the challenge of achieving nationwide consensus.

To address these concerns, the agriculture ministry has emphasised the safety of approved GM products. Since 2018, it has organised lectures in various Chinese universities to enhance public understanding of GM technology and counter unscientific views. However, scepticism surrounding GM foods remains strong, making public acceptance a major barrier to the commercialisation of GM crops.

China’s push for GM crops could revolutionise its food security and global trade. But overcoming entrenched scepticism and resistance will determine whether it can secure a self-sufficient agricultural future.

The Chinese president’s envoy meets with Vance and Musk on the eve of Trump’s inauguration

https://apnews.com/article/han-zheng-vance-musk-trump-xi-2a82e553c50259d65f0e070c3079d8ceIn this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, as Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, left, meets with U.S. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

2025-01-20T06:03:11Z

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China’s vice president held meetings with the U.S. vice president-elect and U.S. business leaders, including Elon Musk, in Washington on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, as the two major powers tackle ongoing tensions over trade and technology.

Han Zheng, who serves as an envoy for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the inauguration, “discussed a range of topics including fentanyl, balancing trade and regional stability” with J.D. Vance, according to the Trump transition team.

Han stressed the “extensive common interests and enormous space of cooperation” the United States and China share in economic and trade relations despite “some disagreements and frictions,” according to a readout of his meeting with Vance issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday.

Trump has threatened to impose tariffs and other measures against China in his second term, while also hinting at ways in which the two rival powers could cooperate on issues such as regional conflicts and curbing the export of substances used in the production of fentanyl.

In an unorthodox move, Trump last month invited Xi to his inauguration. No head of state has previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration, according to State Department historical records.

While Xi will not personally attend the event, he and Trump held a phone call on Friday during which they discussed trade, fentanyl and TikTok. The Chinese social media app restored service to users in the U.S. on Sunday, just hours after it went dark in response to a federal ban, which Trump said he would pause by executive order on Monday.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday praised TikTok’s role in promoting employment in the U.S.

“We hope the U.S. will listen to rational voices and provide an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries operating in the U.S.,” said ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

Han also met with Musk and other top U.S. business executives, including representatives of the U.S.-China Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The Chinese vice president reiterated promises for an improved business environment for foreign firms in China and expressed hopes that U.S. companies will continue expanding investment in the country.

Musk, whose company Tesla operates a factory in Shanghai, posted on his platform X after the meeting that he has long opposed the TikTok ban “because it goes against freedom of speech.”

“That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced,” he wrote. “Something needs to change.”

X is banned in China alongside other major U.S. social media and news apps and websites, including YouTube, Google, Facebook and many major U.S. media.

___

Associated Press video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.

SIMINA MISTREANU Mistreanu is a Greater China reporter for The Associated Press, based in Taipei, Taiwan. She has reported on China since 2015. twitter mailto

China calls for overseas education ventures in push for tech advancement

https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3295487/china-calls-overseas-education-ventures-push-tech-advancement?utm_source=rss_feed

As part of a 10-year plan to transform China into a global education superpower, Beijing has encouraged joint projects involving overseas universities with highly ranked science and technology programmes to help boost the country’s self-reliance in cutting-edge fields.

The government called on local authorities to “enhance high-quality international collaborations in academia, industry and research” while “actively participating in global scientific cooperation”, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.

The blueprint – issued by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council, the national cabinet – also called for advancing fundamental and interdisciplinary research, nurturing young talent and fostering an environment that “encourages exploration and tolerates failure”.

The plan came days after the University of Michigan’s announcement it would end its long-standing partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in response to pressure from US lawmakers.

The joint institute, established in 2006, declared its closure months after the House of Representatives’ Select Committee on China claimed the Chinese university plays a “critical role” in the country’s “military-civil fusion strategy” – an entanglement of military and civilian interests in technology and research that has long been a subject of US interest.

China is exploring all possible avenues to increase its capacity for home-grown innovation as its wide-ranging competition with the US intensifies, with technological development and its consequent economic growth deemed “new-quality productive forces” by officials.

The education plan also encouraged the cultivation of talent from an early age, with programmes to foster scientific literacy among primary and middle school students and support high school students with exceptional potential.

Local governments were urged to increase funding for education, establish mechanisms linking budget allocations to performance outcomes, and ensure public education spending grows steadily each year.

The “double reduction” policy – which placed strict limitations on the volume and difficulty of homework as well as the scope and scale of private or after-school tutoring – remains in effect, augmented by explicit calls to improve teaching quality, strengthen science education and build core competencies among students.

Vocational education is another focus of the plan, and universities have been implored to establish vocational colleges or programmes.

The blueprint also said a better policy environment would be needed to ensure vocational school graduates have equal opportunities in areas such as employment, professional title evaluations and household registration, with no disadvantages compared with their peers from traditional academic backgrounds.

To bridge the urban-rural divide in education, the plan emphasised ensuring that children of rural migrant workers have the same educational rights as local students in their new cities – an essential step as the country continues to urbanise – and that resources should better align with population changes as the coverage level of free education gradually expands.

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Cooking-oil truck in China catches alight, causing ‘firefall’ from overpass

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3295481/cooking-oil-truck-china-catches-alight-causing-firefall-overpass?utm_source=rss_feed

A truck carrying cooking oil in eastern China’s Zhejiang province was seen ablaze, with its burning contents causing a “firefall” from an overpass.

China’s RedNote netizens warn each other about sharing street views with US TikTok users

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3295497/chinas-rednote-netizens-warn-each-other-over-sharing-street-views-us-tiktok-users?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese users on the RedNote social media platform have cautioned one another about requests from “TikTok refugees” who ask for street view images of China and photos of Tibet or Xinjiang, warning that such users could be foreign spies.

Posts discouraging Chinese users from sharing street views began circulating on the platform last week with warnings like: “Isn’t it strange that they all want photos of China’s landscapes? Doesn’t it seem unusual? Stay alert”. “Please be cautious when sharing real photos of your local neighbourhoods,” some users urged.

Google Street Views provides interactive panoramas from multiple positions along many streets in the world. The technology – along with most Google services – was banned in China around 2010 under Beijing’s internet censorship policies. As a result, most street view images in China are not accessible on the internet.

Geographic information is one of many themes that are the subject of a drive by China’s national security authorities to raise public awareness of espionage, and China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has accused foreign agents of using various tactics to try to steal such information.

The warnings follow an influx of foreign users of TikTok, recently joining RedNote due to the uncertain fate of TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.

The company voluntarily shut down the short-video app in the United States after the Supreme Court upheld a law requiring the app to sever ties with its Chinese parent or face a ban. The service was restored hours later following an assurance from president-elect Donald Trump that he would try to pause the ban by executive order on his first day in office.

Most interactions between Chinese and US users have been friendly with many users showing curiosity about each others’ daily lives. Chinese state media has reported favourably about the exchanges while the foreign ministry said the government “supports people-to-people exchanges”.

However, more than 193,000 online discussions have used the hashtag “national security” in recent days, and warnings have frequently appeared in posts featuring interactions between users with US IP addresses.

For instance, a post by a US-based user named “Melody Jade” who asked to see a “sunset from China” received more than 10,000 enthusiastic responses from local users, most of whom shared images from their locations.

One user shared a photo of Gulangyu, an island in Fujian province, which is strategically sensitive due to its military importance and proximity to Taiwan.

Several Chinese users cautioned the poster, stressing that the intentions of the US user were not clear and that sending such photos was the same as “helping them easily piece together a map of our country”.

People have also been warned not to share photos of Tibet and Xinjiang, both of which are sources of tension between Beijing and Washington and its allies who have accused China of human rights abuses in the region, a claim Beijing has strongly denied.

Information about land and seeds has also been deemed sensitive. For example, a Chinese user named OnlyWannaSleep wrote on Sunday that people should “avoid revealing information about China’s agricultural technologies, and refrain from generously teaching others, especially Americans, on how to grow crops”.

The tip followed a story in Chinese media about Shane Murlin, a farmer from the US state of Oregon, in which he credited Chinese internet users for advising him on what to grow on some empty land he owned.

China, the world’s biggest producer, importer and consumer of food, has doubled down on food security amid global market turbulence and growing tensions with the US, a major agricultural exporter.

The MSS, China’s top intelligence agency, has not yet issued public alerts over sharing such information.

China prioritised national security after Beijing revised its anti-espionage law in 2023 to expand the definition of spy activities amid intensifying strategic competition with the US-led West in areas ranging from technology, to trade and defence.

The MSS has urged the public to provide more tip-offs and said that stopping foreign spies requires “extensive participation and collective vigilance of the general public”.

China live-streamer calls woman ‘mum’, uses emotional content to scam her out of US$76,000

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3294500/china-live-streamer-calls-woman-mum-uses-emotional-content-scam-her-out-us76000?utm_source=rss_feed

An online influencer in China with 42,000 followers has scammed 560,000 yuan (US$76,000) out of a lonely elderly woman by making up moving stories and pretending to be her son.

A Shanghai woman in her 70s, surnamed Tang, was unmarried and childless. In 2022, her niece found she had been constantly transferring money to a stranger.

The man from northwestern China’s Shaanxi province claimed to be dedicated to resolving people’s problems, helping peasants sell slow-selling products and helping lost people find their homes.

Tang’s niece, surnamed Jiang, said she was attracted to the man’s “kindness”.

She initially sent small gifts in his live-streams in 2021, and was later tricked to buy illegitimate health products.

The man, who used the handle @lixuan and is now banned on the platform, then added Tang’s personal contact, and began calling her “mum”.

He greeted her every day like a real son, and before long began borrowing money from her.

The excuses he used included him being diagnosed with early-stage stomach cancer, his girlfriend needing abortion, and his father being seriously ill.

Tang fell for them all, and even borrowed money herself to send to her “son”.

She threatened to “jump off the building” when her relatives from whom she borrowed money suggested that she call the police.

Tang got suspicious when the man greeted her less frequently. He first drove more than 1,000 km to visit her, and made videos of them together using music that praises mother’s love, then he asked her to stop contacting him because “you don’t trust me”.

Tang finally went to the police at the end of 2023.

Investigators found the cunning man used four accounts to chat with her, each registered with a different identity.

But they successfully tracked him down because Tang, deeply moved by his visit in person, took a photo of his car registration plate.

Police in Shanghai arrested Mao, and prosecutors charged him with scamming a total of 560,000 yuan out of the elderly woman over a two-year period.

Mao was sentenced to 10 and half years in prison and fined 100,000 yuan (US$14,000).

The judge, Yu Huohai, said they gave him a heavier punishment because he cheated an elderly person.

Tang lived alone with only a 4,000-yuan (US$550) monthly pension. She owed over 70,000 yuan (US$9,500) because of Mao and needed to repay 3,000 yuan a month, China Central Television reported.

Tang rejected the court’s offer to help her apply for judicial assistance.

Her niece said she lost 10 kg in six months feeling ashamed of being scammed by her “son”.

The number of internet users in China reached 1.1 billion as of June last year, up by 7.42 million from the end of 2023. Among them, 20.8 per cent were people aged 60 and older.

Judge Yu said the case was a warning to elderly internet users as well as young people who had not paid attention to their parents’ emotional needs.

It was reported that many key opinion leaders (KOLs) invented fake stories to swindle money from lonely elderly people.

“My parents also believed in this kind of fake stories and bought home fake products. I told her many times they were fake but she would not believe me,” said one online observer.

Another said: “The platforms should enhance supervision of their KOLs, and we should pay more attention to our parents’ mental health.”

Chinese aircraft maker AVIC removes website profiles of top executives

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3295491/chinese-aircraft-maker-avic-removes-website-profiles-top-executives?utm_source=rss_feed

The profiles of two senior executives at China’s leading aircraft manufacturer – including the chief designer of the J-20 stealth fighter – have been taken down from its website without explanation.

Neither Hao Zhaoping, general manager of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, or Yang Wei, a deputy general manager at AVIC and lead engineer on the J-20, have been seen in public for months.

It comes after former AVIC chairman Tan Ruisong was placed under investigation for corruption in August, having been removed from his post in 2023.

Caixin first reported the removal of the two profiles, saying the change was made on Saturday. That story was later taken down.

Yang’s profile on the website of national research institute the Chinese Academy of Sciences – where he is a member of the science and technology division – has also disappeared.

In recent months, both Yang and Hao have been missing from leadership meetings of AVIC – a key player in Beijing’s drive for military modernisation and technological self-reliance.

Hao was last seen at an AVIC meeting in August, according to statements posted on the company’s website. Yang’s last public appearance at such a meeting was on October 31, Caixin reported.

The aircraft manufacturer has yet to make any announcement about the pair.

The state-owned enterprise, as well as other defence conglomerates like China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and China National Nuclear Corporation, underwent leadership changes in 2023.

Yang – who joined AVIC after graduating in 1985 and rose to become its deputy general manager in 2018 – had reached the official retirement age of 60 in 2023.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences, however, has no age limit.

Yang was also an alternate member of the ruling Communist Party’s Central Committee from 2017 to 2022.

But Hao, who became AVIC general manager in 2022, is not yet at the official retirement age.

The aerospace-defence industry has come under growing scrutiny as senior military leaders have become caught up in President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign.

They include former defence minister Li Shangfu, who has an aerospace background and spent decades in the military’s equipment department, and several rocket force and air force commanders.

Li was dismissed as defence chief in February last year after just six months in the job. He was placed under investigation for corruption in June, along with his predecessor Wei Fenghe.

AVIC held an “anti-corruption work conference” on Friday and Saturday where a report on “discipline” was presented, according to a company readout of the event. Neither Hao nor Yang were mentioned.

The company, through its many subsidiaries, manufactures some of China’s leading combat aircraft including the J-35 stealth fighter and its sixth-generation fighter – a jet that has yet to be officially unveiled.

AVIC is also a major supplier of components for China’s small regional jet the ARJ-21 as well as the C919, a narrow-body medium-haul aircraft.

Malaysia and Thailand vow to back Trump’s China trade war - but analysts are sceptical

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3295508/malaysia-and-thailand-vow-back-trumps-china-trade-war-analysts-are-sceptical?utm_source=rss_feed

Malaysia and Thailand have pledged to clamp down on Chinese companies transshipping goods through their territories to dodge US tariffs, but analysts say their warnings are unlikely to stop a rapid surge in Chinese investment into Southeast Asia.

Senior figures in both countries have spoken out against tariff-dodging in the days leading up to the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has vowed to ramp up a trade war with China.

Malaysia’s deputy trade minister, Liew Chin Tong, told a forum days earlier that his country had asked Chinese companies to avoid using Malaysia as a base to “rebadge” products to avoid being slapped with a made-in-China label, according to media outlets in Kuala Lumpur.

In Thailand, a production centre for foreign carmakers, customs director general Theerat Atthanawanit said that more goods would “flow” into the country after Trump takes office and “steps up the trade war with China”, Bangkok-based news outlet The Nation reported last month.

The official added that he had instructed Thai customs checkpoints to monitor for illegal imports.

Southeast Asia has come under scrutiny due to the flood of Chinese investment that has poured into the region since Trump launched a trade war with Beijing during his first term in office.

Chinese manufacturers invested over US$9 billion in Asean, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in 2023, up 11.4 per cent year on year, according to business consultancy Dezan Shira and Associates.

Experts from the region believe Malaysia, Thailand and export-reliant neighbour Vietnam are likely to monitor for export violations that are blatant enough to anger Trump, but will still try to attract more Chinese factory projects to boost their economic growth.

“They’re under pressure no doubt to look compliant with what Trump is doing,” said Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor of politics at the University of New South Wales in Australia who specialises in Southeast Asia. “No one wants to have their head above the parapet.”

Malaysian officials may let individual importers, exporters and US customs agents assume responsibility for any inspections, some analysts suggested.

“I suspect it wouldn’t be a matter of policy but rather the result of individuals attempting to circumvent tariffs,” said Shariman Lockman, a senior foreign policy and security studies analyst with the Kuala Lumpur-based think tank Institute of Strategic and International Studies.

If Washington complains, Malaysia is likely to take just “symbolic actions” in response, said Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser with the Pacific Research Centre think tank.

But the incoming Trump administration will put Southeast Asian governments under pressure as it chases transshipment sites around the world, some believe.

Thailand “will likely not want to get caught on this” in light of its “significant” trade surplus with the US, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political-science professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

US policymakers already worry about the extent of “evasive” transshipments by Chinese companies through Southeast Asia, said Rajiv Biswas, a Singapore-based economist and author of Asian Megatrends. He said the US views Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam as “key sources” of Chinese transshipments.

Of the 45 US Enforce and Protect Act decisions on evasive transshipments since 2021, 44 involved anti-dumping or countervailing duties on a product from China, according to testimony in March to the China Economic and Security Review Commission in Washington.

Some of the 44 cases were transshipments, with Malaysia and Vietnam cited most often and Thailand also high on the list, the testimony said.

Transshipment in its rawest form involves companies moving finished goods from one vessel to another in a third country, without making any changes to the product itself. But US officials are also on high alert for any relabelling of made-in-China goods with minimal added value, which allows exporters to avoid US tariffs directed at China.

Washington requires that non-textile imports be made with a “regional value content” of 35 per cent, meaning that much of a product should be made where the shipment originates.

Host countries may step up surveillance to ensure that Chinese investors add enough value to their goods to justify a “made-somewhere-else” label, a move that would benefit the Southeast Asian nations’ economies as well as their US relations.

“I think the government would want to ensure that at least part of the production process takes place in Malaysia,” Lockman said.

In Vietnam, a hotspot for Chinese manufacturing investment, the government was already working with US officials to stop illegal transshipments in 2020, Vietnamese media outlets have reported.

Thailand is focusing on whether US-bound exports include local content, Pongsudhirak said. “The Thai government will be wary of deliberate Chinese transshipments, without local content, to evade US tariffs,” he said.

But Southeast Asian governments will ultimately keep allowing new or expanded Chinese investment, because those projects are an important source of economic growth, analysts said.

Southeast Asian governments have talked up their cost advantages, infrastructure and free trade deals to entice investors from China, as well as other Asian nations, over recent years.

Meanwhile, Chinese exporters are expected to reach deeper into other parts of Southeast Asia, such as Cambodia and Laos, said Gary Lau, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics.

“Despite potential challenges such as tariffs and evolving trade policies, the region’s well-developed infrastructure and favourable trade agreements enhance its attractiveness as a base for transshipments to the United States,” he said.

Tech war: Nvidia CEO Huang thanks China staff for loyalty amid heightened US chip curbs

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3295475/tech-war-nvidia-ceo-huang-thanks-china-staff-loyalty-amid-heightened-us-chip-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made a low-key visit to China, as he conveyed the company’s commitment to one of its largest markets amid heightened US export restrictions on advanced chips.

While Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia did not disclose the details of Huang’s itinerary, video clips and news reports from local media showed the Taiwan-born American entrepreneur meeting clients and employees in Shenzhen and Beijing.

At an annual party on Sunday at Nvidia’s office in the Chinese capital, Huang emphasised the company’s contribution to the country’s technological development.

About 1.5 million developers in China were using CUDA, Nvidia’s proprietary platform for building programs running on graphics processing units, Huang said. The company was also working with more than 3,000 start-ups to “help establish the technology industry here in China”, he added.

“Together over the last two decades, we have contributed to the modernisation of one of the greatest markets, the greatest countries in the world, and we’re extremely proud to be part of the ecosystem,” Huang said.

He also touted the low turnover rate of the local team.

Nvidia’s China workforce has expanded by over half in recent years to almost 4,000 employees, according to Huang. Its annualised staff attrition rate, at 0.9 per cent compared to 2 per cent worldwide, was the lowest among the company’s global operations, he said.

“Pretty much if you join Nvidia, you’re going to grow old with me,” Huang said. “And I’m very very proud of that.”

Huang’s latest efforts to boost employee morale in China come as Nvidia is ensnared in the growing tech rivalry between the world’s two largest economies. Washington has tightened export controls on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips in the last days of Joe Biden’s presidency, while Beijing announced an antitrust investigation into Nvidia last month.

It was unclear whether Huang would meet any Chinese government officials during the trip. “I’m here to celebrate Chinese New Year with my employees, that’s all I’m here to do,” he told reporters in Shenzhen last week, according to video clips published by Chinese media.

Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

China is Nvidia’s largest market by revenue after the US and Singapore, according to the company’s latest financial reports. In the three months ended October 27, 2024, Nvidia posted US$5.4 billion in revenue in mainland China and Hong Kong, a 34 per cent increase from the same period a year ago.

The company opposed new measures unveiled by the Biden administration last week that would cap advanced AI chip exports to most countries and completely block sales to China. The move was a “sweeping overreach” that would “squander America’s hard-won technological advantage”, Nvidia said in a blog post.

The last time Huang visited mainland China was in January 2024. That tour, which included stops at Nvidia’s offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, was seen as a “goodwill gesture” to local staff and clients.

Huang also flew to Hong Kong last November to receive an honorary doctorate at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. At the time, he pledged to maintain the company’s presence in mainland China in spite of rising geopolitical tensions.

Huang is expected to skip the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump on Monday, while most American tech executives – including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon.com co-founder Jeff Bezos and Tesla chief Elon Musk – are set to attend.

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HSBC, Standard Chartered, Bocom can now open mainland China accounts for Hongkongers

https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3295483/hsbc-standard-chartered-bocom-can-now-open-mainland-accounts-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed

HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, and Bank of Communications (Bocom) on Monday started helping Hongkongers open mainland bank accounts remotely, the latest move in a broader effort to make it easier for city residents to cross the border to travel, live, work and retire.

After opening a so-called Type II account at a designated branch in Hong Kong, customers can transfer up to 10,000 yuan (US$1,367) per day or 200,000 yuan per year to the mainland account with the same bank. Opening the account is free, and there is no minimum balance requirement.

Customers can then transfer money to payment apps such as Alipay or WeChat Pay so that they can shop and dine in mainland China, according to separate statements from the three lenders.

China has three types of bank accounts. Type I accounts are full-service accounts that must be opened in person on the mainland. But since 2019, Beijing has allowed certain local banks to offer remote account openings for Type II and III accounts, which offer different levels of banking services.

The announcement by the trio of Hong Kong banks came a week after Beijing said it was adding them to the list of lenders cleared to offer attestation services, meaning the bank vouches for the identity of the person opening the mainland account. A total of eight lenders now offer such services.

“With the trend to travel to mainland Greater Bay Area cities on the rise and customers’ preference for payment options shifting to mobile, our new service offers a reliable and convenient way for them to manage their everyday finances with ease,” said Maggie Ng, head of wealth and personal banking in Hong Kong at HSBC.

Attestation service is available to customers with a Hong Kong permanent identity card or a mainland travel permit. Applicants may make an appointment at any of 22 designated HSBC branches, 22 branches of Standard Chartered or seven branches of Bocom.

About two-thirds of Hongkongers said that having a mainland bank account would be convenient when travelling in China, but almost 70 per cent were unwilling to travel across the border to open an account, according to an HSBC survey of more than 500 residents in September.

Standard Chartered said the Type II accounts could be set up in a few working days.

“In recent years, there is a growing trend of Hong Kong residents living and working in the Greater Bay Area, with rising demand for cross-boundary payment solutions,” said Mary Huen Wai-yi, CEO of Standard Chartered Hong Kong, Greater China and North Asia.

The new service will make everyday spending in mainland China more convenient for customers, she said.

Bank of China (Hong Kong) was the first to offer remote account-opening services, in 2019. In September 2022, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia), China Construction Bank, China Merchants Bank and Bank of East Asia joined the list.

Some 410,000 such accounts have been opened since 2019, according to data from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

The governor of the People’s Bank of China, Pan Gongsheng, announced the expansion of attestation services during the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong on January 13, among other measures including a 100 billion yuan trade-finance facility.

“Governor Pan indicated that asset allocation of the country’s foreign reserves in Hong Kong will be increased, enhancing the attractiveness and liquidity of our capital market,” Christopher Hui Ching-yu, secretary for financial services and the treasury, said in a blog post on Monday.

The forum brought together 270 investors and more than 560 investment projects with more than 700 one-on-one meetings, covering fintech, healthtech, environmental technology and others, Hui said.

“The forum has successfully expanded Hong Kong’s circle of friends and fully demonstrated Hong Kong’s unique role as a ‘superconnector’ and ‘super value-adder’,” he added.

China’s healthcare watchdog to investigate new drugs list after quality issues flagged

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3295470/chinas-healthcare-watchdog-investigate-new-drugs-list-after-quality-issues-flagged?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s healthcare regulator has pledged to investigate the quality of drugs under a new list covered by national insurance, after lawmakers in Shanghai warned that they might be substandard.

In a statement on its website on Monday, the National Healthcare Security Administration said it would send a team to Shanghai to seek suggestions, as well as collect evidence and clinical data on drug quality.

“The prerequisite for listing these drugs on medical insurance is that they are of reliable quality,” the administration said, promising that it would listen to clinical feedback on the effect of the drugs, and investigate how these were chosen in centralised procurement.

If quality issues are discovered, the drug maker concerned would be disqualified, the healthcare regulator said. It also pledged to consider other ways to ensure drug standards, such as stricter routine inspections.

The statement was in response to a proposal by 20 members of the Shanghai branch of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body.

The lawmakers, most of whom are from the medical sector, said they found in clinical practice that “the efficacy of some drugs procured through bulk purchasing is unstable, especially medications for high blood pressure and diabetes or anaesthetics”, Caixin magazine reported last week.

“In some cases, even increasing the dosage doesn’t work,” they wrote in the proposal, as reported by other Chinese media as well. “Doctors also feel helpless because they have no right to choose other drugs and there’s no channel to report to higher authorities.”

The letter proposed allowing doctors to prescribe original patented drugs if needed. It also called for medical insurance to offer different reimbursement ratios – according to whether the drugs were original or generic, imported or domestically produced.

China has a centralised drug procurement system, which aims to prevent fraud and keep healthcare costs low for the public.

Drugs covered by state medical insurance are bought by the government in bulk at lower prices, to be prescribed at public hospitals. If patients wish to choose costlier – often foreign-made – drugs that are not on the list, they can buy those at their own cost from stores.

But the process triggered controversy last month, when a new batch of bulk-purchased medicines included no original drugs, or drugs patented by any pharmaceutical company. The very low price tags were another cause for public concern.

Media reports suggested that many suppliers of patented drugs had given up trying to be included in public hospital prescriptions, as extremely low prices would hit profits, while the public tended to be worried about quality if the drugs were too cheap.

In one instance, an enteric-coated aspirin pill, which lowers the risk of a heart attack, stroke or blood clot, was reported to cost only 3 fen (less than 1 US cent) per pill.

“Even if there’s no medicine in it, only starch, to wrap it up would cost a few fen,” one comment wrote. “Do you dare take pills that are only three fen each?”

Zhuang Shilihe, a medical consultant, explained on Chinese social media that the government’s bulk purchase of drugs aimed to make sure that medical insurance money was not wasted, and that even the poor were able to afford essential drugs.

Zhuang, who has more than 2 million social media followers and is a go-to-source for many on medical-related matters, also urged those who could afford it to buy patented drugs.

China’s Tiangong research generates oxygen, rocket fuel in major space exploration leap

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3295452/chinas-tiangong-research-generates-oxygen-rocket-fuel-major-space-exploration-leap?utm_source=rss_feed

A series of experiments on board China’s space station have for the first time produced oxygen and the ingredients for rocket fuel – key steps that are considered essential for human survival and the future exploration of space.

The Shenzhou-19 crew aboard the Tiangong space station successfully conducted the world’s first in-orbit demonstration of artificial photosynthesis technology, producing oxygen, as well as the ingredients necessary for rocket fuel, paving the way for long-term space exploration, including a crewed moon landing before 2030.

The 12 experiments took place inside a drawer-shaped device, using semiconductor catalysts to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen while producing ethylene, a hydrocarbon that can be used to make spacecraft propellants, according to the China Manned Space (CMS) website.

The tests focused on several technologies that would be essential for resource production and human survival, including: carbon dioxide conversion at room temperature; the precise control of gas and liquid flows in microgravity; and real-time, high-sensitivity detection of reaction products, the report said.

“This technology mimics the natural photosynthesis process of green plants through engineered physical and chemical methods, utilising carbon dioxide resources in confined spaces or extraterrestrial atmospheres to produce oxygen and carbon-based fuels,” state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.

“The work is expected to provide critical technical support for human survival and exploration in outer space,” the report added.

Previous experiments on board the International Space Station (ISS) related to photosynthesis have focused on plant growth and understanding how microgravity affects natural photosynthesis.

However, the ISS largely relies on electrolysis for life support, which uses electricity from the station’s solar panels to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and supply breathable air for astronauts.

While effective, the process is energy intensive and would not be practical for long-haul missions to the moon or Mars, according to catalysis expert Katharina Brinkert, from the University of Bremen in Germany.

Generating oxygen on the ISS consumes about one-third of the total energy needed to operate its environmental control and life support system, her team reported in the journal Nature Communication in 2023.

Chinese researchers began studying the idea of “extraterrestrial artificial photosynthesis” in 2015, according to the CMS website.

Unlike conventional high-temperature, high-pressure carbon dioxide reduction methods, the novel technology works efficiently at room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure, significantly reducing energy consumption.

By adjusting the catalyst, the technology can be tailored to produce various products, including methane or ethylene for propulsion, or formic acid as a precursor for synthesising sugars.

In addition to generating oxygen and carbon-based fuels, the device installed in Tiangong has collected valuable data on gas-liquid-solid multiphase chemical processes in a microgravity environment.

The device is designed to be upgraded while in orbit, enabling scientists to test different catalysts and reactions.

The innovation has positioned China at the forefront of sustainable space technologies, crucial for addressing long-term survival and resource independence in extraterrestrial environments, the CMS website said.

China executes Zhuhai driver who killed 35 in car attack that shook the nation

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3295459/china-executes-zhuhai-driver-who-killed-35-car-attack-shook-nation?utm_source=rss_feed

The driver behind a deadly car attack in China’s southern city of Zhuhai in November was executed on Monday, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Fan Weiqiu, 62, was convicted of deliberately driving his SUV into a group of people exercising outside a sports centre in Zhuhai on November 11.

The attack killed 35 people and injured 43 others – an act of public violence that shook the nation, a local court ruled late last month.

The court found that Fan’s actions were driven by a broken marriage and dissatisfaction with his life, particularly regarding the division of property after his divorce. Fan was found guilty of “endangering public safety by dangerous means”.

The court sentenced Fan to death and deprived him of his political rights for life, citing his “despicable” motives, the “heinous” nature of the crime, brutal methods, and the severe consequences and significant social harm caused by his actions.

Fan’s behaviour warranted the most severe punishment under the law, the court emphasised.

After the initial sentencing, Fan did not appeal.

The mode of execution was not made public.

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Gold in them thar hills: China’s mineral search proves its weight in precious prospects

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3295469/gold-them-thar-hills-chinas-mineral-search-proves-its-weight-precious-prospects?utm_source=rss_feed

China says gold discoveries surpassing 168 metric tonnes (5.93 million ounces) have been made in multiple mining areas, marking the second official announcement of newly unearthed gold reserves in as many months.

The new deposits were discovered across several goldfields in northwest and northern China, according to Sunday’s report by the state-owned China News Service, citing the China Geological Survey (CGS), a division of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

A total of 102.4 tonnes were identified in Anbali, Gansu province; plus 41.3 tonnes in Hadamengou of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region; and 24.3 tonnes in Tahe Baoxinggou, Heilongjiang province.

The discoveries came amid China’s latest mineral-exploration undertakings funded by the central government, focusing on 24 existing large-scale gold resource bases while utilising advanced technologies such as big data and powerful computing, according to the CGS.

In November, geologists uncovered massive gold reserves surpassing 1,000 tonnes at the Wangu gold mine in Pingjiang county, Hunan province, which was estimated to be worth about 600 billion yuan (US$82 billion).

China has stepped up investment in the search for critical mineral resources in recent years, with a 2021-25 development plan calling for greater efforts to bolster domestic mineral reserves and production.

In 2023, the country’s exploration investments rose 8 per cent, year on year, reaching 110.5 billion yuan, helping to boost reserves of strategic resources such as oil, natural gas, rare earths and gold.

Gold prices have been around US$2,700 per ounce in recent days – a level first surpassed in October.

After a six-month pause, China’s central bank resumed gold purchases in November and December, increasing its official gold reserves to 73.29 million ounces – an increase of 160,000 ounces from the end of October.

Industry insiders have predicted that central banks worldwide will continue increasing their gold holdings. According to Golden Credit Rating, one of China’s biggest rating agencies, gold accounted for 5.5 per cent of China’s official international reserve assets as of last month – lower than the global average of around 15 per cent.

In terms of optimising the international reserve structure and advancing the internationalisation of the yuan, China’s central bank is likely to continue increasing its gold holdings in the long run, the agency said.

[Sport] China executes driver who killed dozens in car attack

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70kz32l98do

Reuters

Unique bus trip sees China student spend just US$110 on fares from Beijing to Hong Kong

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3294309/unique-bus-trip-sees-china-student-spend-just-us110-fares-beijing-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed

A 21-year-old Chinese man who travelled from Beijing to Hong Kong in 13 days by taking buses and spending only 800 yuan (US$110) on transport has captivated mainland social media.

The man, who uses the pseudonym Shen Tie, is a university student from Liaoning province in northeastern China who is studying in Yantai, Shandong in northern China.

On December 19, he embarked on a 13-day journey starting in Beijing, travelling south through 66 cities including Shijiazhuang, Jinan, Nanjing, and Hangzhou.

He changed buses 124 times before reaching Hong Kong on December 31, and incurred total expenses of about 2,800 yuan (US$380). His transportation costs were only 793 yuan.

Shen dubbed this trip the “Iron Bottom Plan,” choosing Beijing and Hong Kong as the start and end points because he believed they symbolise the northern and southern soul of the country.

Since secondary school, Shen has had a fascination with travel by public transport.

“My hobby is quite niche,” he told Jiupai News.

Before setting off, he meticulously planned his route and throughout his journey, he found that bus transfers were mostly seamless.

However, he did face some challenges.

Sometimes, Shen struggled to locate bus stops and had to call bus companies to confirm whether routes were still in operation.

He also sought help from locals, though language barriers occasionally made communication difficult.

In rural areas without taxis and ride-hailing services, Shen sometimes had to walk from one village to another, sometimes crossing provincial borders on foot, which could take more than an hour.

On one occasion, a passing tricycle gave him a ride.

Shen said that he enjoyed sitting at the front of buses, where he could fully appreciate the scenery.

He said that bus drivers were often curious about his journey and offered him warm wishes.

In the evenings, Shen took time to explore old city districts and try local cuisines, seeking rest in the nearest hotel, bath centre, or internet cafe.

“Though flying from Beijing to Hong Kong would cost only a few hundred yuan, I value the journey itself,” Shen said.

He added that his form of travel brought freedom and allowed him to deeply engage with distinct local cultures along the way.

On arrival in Hong Kong, Shen was struck by the shift in temperature and the distinctive cultural atmosphere.

“What I felt most was a sense of accomplishment, as I had pushed my limits,” he said.

“The journey also improved my social, planning, and emergency coping skills. I walked about 10,000 steps a day. It was not too tiring, but sitting for so long might give you haemorrhoids,” he joked.

In the future, Shen plans to continue his long-distance bus adventures and hopes to inspire more people to discover the joy of such unique travel experiences.

Shen’s story has prompted admiration and envy online, with many expressing their amazement at his adventurous spirit.

One person said: “This is clearly someone who does not get car sick!”

“I am genuinely jealous of Gen Z. They do what they love with such a clear mind. Back in our day, we just buried our heads in work like fools,” said another.

China names lunar crater after Manhattan Project physicist Chien-Shiung Wu

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3295424/china-names-lunar-crater-after-manhattan-project-physicist-chien-shiung-wu?utm_source=rss_feed

China has named a crater on the far side of the moon after the pioneering Chinese-American scientist Chien-Shiung Wu.

Wu was known as the “first lady of physics” for her work on nuclear and particle physics, and was involved in the Manhattan Project, which paved the way for the first atomic bombs.

An article shared on Chinese social media by a state-owned aerospace company speculated that Wu must have made some “extremely special and great contributions” that were not known to the public but had “never been forgotten by the nation” to receive the accolade.

“This kind of honour, which will go down in history and has great political significance, will not be given easily to ordinary scientists [especially those of foreign nationality],” the article shared by Chang’e Aerospace Science and Technology (Beijing) last week said.

So far there is no evidence suggesting that Wu has played any role in Chinese defence-related technology.

Some of her US-educated contemporaries – including Qian Xuesen, who helped lead China’s rocket programme, and Nobel laureate Yang Chen-ning, who gave up his US citizenship in 2015 and played a major role in developing China’s research base – made much better known contributions to the country’s military and scientific development.

The naming of the crater was revealed in a documentary about the Chang’e-6 lunar mission aired by state broadcaster CCTV last month.

The programme said China had given names to six geological features on the far side of the moon, close to the area where the lunar probe collected rock and soil samples to return to earth.

Five of them were named after historic figures who made a significant contribution to Chinese natural sciences, but apart from Wu, the most recent of these scientists was Xu Xiake, a geographer and explorer who died in 1641 a few years before the end of the Ming dynasty.

Wu was born in 1912 to a wealthy family in the eastern province of Jiangsu. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the National Central University in Nanjing and spending two years at Zhejiang University, she moved to the United States in 1936 to continue her studies, earning a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley in 1940.

After graduating, Wu had hoped to return to China but the Japanese invasion and World War II put paid to those plans.

In 1944, Wu joined the Manhattan Project’s substitute alloy materials laboratories at Columbia University, where she helped to develop a process for producing bomb-grade uranium. She is believed to have been the only Chinese person to work on the programme.

Wu stayed on at Columbia after the war and remained there for the rest of her career.

As a particle and experimental physicist, she is best known for carrying out the 1956 Wu experiment, which helped advance understanding of the laws of subatomic physics. It also helped to verify a hypothesis proposed by two Columbia colleagues, Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang, who were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957.

In 1973, Wu returned to her homeland for the first time since leaving for America. In her later years, she made many visits to China to give lectures and to promote physics research and education.

In 1994 she became one of the first foreign academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but she remained in the US until her death in New York in 1997 at the age of 84.

Why China may step up African security efforts after Wang Yi’s ‘close call’ in Chad

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3294269/why-china-may-step-african-security-efforts-after-wang-yis-close-call-chad?utm_source=rss_feed

China is putting its Global Security Initiative to the test in Africa’s conflict-torn Sahel region after gunmen stormed the presidential palace in Chad earlier this month.

The deadly attack came just hours after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had left the country, in what has been seen as a narrow escape for Beijing’s top diplomat.

The attack in the Chadian capital N’Djamena on January 8 left 20 people dead. It was the latest in a worsening security situation, not just in Chad but in many countries across West Africa and the Sahel – a semi-arid region south of the Sahara desert.

China has extensive economic interests in the area long plagued by political instability, military coups and widespread jihadist insurgency.

Analysts say the latest attack could prompt Beijing to step up efforts to help maintain peace and stability in the region.

After Chad, Wang travelled to Nigeria where he reiterated that, as part of its Global Security Initiative, Beijing would provide 1 billion yuan (US$136 million) in military assistance to Africa, and help train 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police law enforcement officers across the continent.

Emphasising the pledges first made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at last year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit, Wang said: “China will firmly support Africa in strengthening its peace and security capacity building.”

Wang also reaffirmed China’s support for Africa to build a standby army and a rapid response force, to help African countries carry out peacekeeping and counterterrorism operations.

Nigeria, for instance, is battling against the militant Islamist movement and jihadist rebel group Boko Haram in the northeast of the country. The group is also active in Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Mali.

China wants Nigeria, as the most populous African nation in the continent and the largest economy in West Africa, to play a larger role in regional security, particularly in the coup-hit Sahel nations of Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gabon and Niger.

Oil-rich Nigeria is also the current rotating chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

“China supports Nigeria in uniting regional countries, adhering to unity and self-reliance, gathering strength through reconciliation, promoting security through development, and maintaining regional peace and stability,” Wang said.

He asserted that China would support Africans to solve African problems in an African way without external interference.

“The African people are the real masters of this continent and have the wisdom, ability and the right to solve their own problems,” Wang said.

Tim Zajontz, research fellow at Stellenbosch University’s Centre for International and Comparative Politics, said maintaining political stability in Nigeria was in Beijing’s interests, considering the significant presence of Chinese firms and citizens across the country. A further growth in arms trade between them was expected, Zajontz added.

China is already a major supplier of military equipment to Nigeria, including armoured vehicles, tanks, fighter jets and self-propelled artillery.

“There has also been talk about localising the production of Chinese arms and military equipment in Nigeria,” Zajontz said.

“Beijing knows that Nigeria, as a political and economic heavyweight in West Africa, is paramount for security in the region.”

Nevertheless, he said Beijing is aware that the highly volatile security situation in the Sahel zone is unlikely to be resolved by simply sending in troops from neighbouring countries, especially after the withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS.

“We might see Chinese efforts at mediating between ECOWAS members and the military juntas in [those three countries],” Zajontz said.

Nigeria was the last stop on Wang’s African trip, a New Year’s tradition for China’s top diplomat for more than three decades. Wang’s four-nation visit started in Namibia, followed by the Republic of the Congo and Chad.

In the capital Abuja, Wang met Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who requested that China expand its currency swap agreement to enhance bilateral trade.

The currency swap agreement, valued at 15 billion yuan, was renewed recently.

“We still demand more in the area of currency swap,” Tinubu said in a statement, adding that the level approved for Nigeria was “inadequate considering our programme”.

“If you can increase that, it will be well appreciated.”

In response, Wang pledged to “favourably study and consider the issue”.

“Our cooperation is going well in many ways, in terms of finance,” he added.

Wang also said Nigeria was welcome to issue panda bonds, which are typically denominated in the Chinese currency and issued in China by non-Chinese organisations.

Nigeria is China’s most important African market and has received billions of dollars in funding for its ports, railways and petroleum industry.

In 2023, the volume of trade between China and Nigeria passed US$22 billion, of which about 90 per cent were Chinese exports.

Ovigwe Eguegu, policy analyst at Beijing-based consultancy Development Reimagined, said China needed to work closely with Nigeria given the ongoing geopolitical shift in West Africa and the Sahel region.

“A stronger Nigeria-China partnership will be useful for Beijing to protect its interests and consolidate its position in the region,” he said.

Meanwhile, with reference to Wang’s “close call” in Chad, Zajontz said though development cooperation featured prominently in official statements, “regional security issues top the agenda behind closed doors”.

Once firmly under France’s influence, Chad has now joined other former French colonies in terminating its long-standing security agreements with Paris and forcing French troops to leave.

Eguegu said Wang’s visit to Chad could be best understood within that changing geopolitical context – of N’Djamena asking French troops to withdraw.

He said it followed similar actions by neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger. Burkina Faso, he said, recently received much-needed military equipment from China’s Norinco Group. China North Industries Corporation, or Norinco, is the country’s largest weapons manufacturer.

US small businesses continue pleas for China tariff relief despite Trump threats

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3295432/us-small-businesses-continue-pleas-china-tariff-relief-despite-trump-threats?utm_source=rss_feed

Though new or higher tariffs appear all but inevitable under Donald Trump’s imminent second term as US president, some American small businesses still hope their pleas of lifting the import duties imposed since 2018 will be heard, said a senior US trade analyst.

Policymakers in both countries “should listen attentively” to American businesses that trade with China, Douglas Barry said. His newly published book Smart Rabbits tells the stories of US enterprises that have endured the trade war and subsequent worsening of the bilateral relationship.

Barry is a former executive of the US-China Business Council, a Washington-based non-profit organisation.

Summarising the demands of these firms, Barry said there should be no tariffs on bilateral trade and more should be done to boost the sales of American products through China’s e-commerce marketplace – an industry valued at over US$3 trillion in 2024.

Barry added China should also complete its purchase of US goods under the phase one trade agreement ratified in early 2020, and negotiation over a phase two deal that removes existing barriers should begin immediately.

“But as of this writing, the tariffs are still on despite reports that they have cost US businesses and consumers US$125 billion … and increasing by US$3 billion each month,” he said.

“Smaller businesses have suffered from the added tariffs more than larger corporations, which have much deeper pockets and myriad ways of making money.”

The trade war, initiated by Trump during his first term, brought Beijing to the negotiation table for the two-year phase one deal – which expired at the end of 2021 – where China pledged to increase its purchases of US farm and manufactured goods, energy and services by US$200 billion above 2017 levels. But according to some estimates, China failed to meet its purchase commitments by more than 40 per cent.

In a phone conversation on Friday, President Xi Jinping and Trump discussed a variety of topics, including trade, fentanyl and TikTok. “It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately,” the US president-elect wrote on social media.

The phase one deal did benefit American businesses, according to figures quoted in the book, with total US goods exports to China rising 18 per cent in 2020 and nearly 11 per cent through November of 2021.

However, farmers became “nervous” when the initial agreement expired without extension or replacement, said Su Ye, chief economist for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, as quoted in the book.

She noted various agricultural and commodity groups have been “making the case to Congress and the administration for removing tariffs or extending and expanding the tariff exclusion process, which allows the tariff rate of the excluded product to remain at the lower percentage that existed before the trade war began.”

American businesses have had to bear import duties as high as 25 per cent as a result of the trade war. Their concerns deepened after Trump brought up imposing additional tariffs of 10 per cent on all products from China after winning the presidential election in November – following a campaign where he had put forward the idea of tariffs as high as 60 per cent.

Tom Forsythe, executive vice-president of electronics company Kyzen – based in the US state of Tennessee – said in the book “if we can’t do business somewhere, no one wins … the local government doesn’t have another company to pay taxes”.

Paul Swenson, who works for a Wisconsin company that makes synthetic lubricants for wind turbines, was quoted as saying state-level government action – like making frequent visits to China and setting up a representative office there – would be a benefit.

In the past, he told Barry, governors’ visits aided in solving problems quickly. Products stuck in customs were released, and payment issues with Chinese buyers or sellers were resolved.

“It also helped increase the profile of companies accompanying the governors to China,” he added. “Companies got a branding lift in their home states and in China.”

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China vice-president Han meets Vance, Musk ahead of Trump inauguration

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295419/china-vice-president-han-meets-vance-musk-ahead-trump-inauguration?utm_source=rss_feed

China has confirmed that Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng met the US vice-president-elect J.D. Vance in Washington on Sunday.

Han also met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, now a close aide to US president-elect Donald Trump, as well as other representatives of the American business community, according to a statement by official news agency Xinhua.

In his meeting with Vance, Han said that Beijing is ready to work with Washington to “implement the important consensus reached between President Xi Jinping and president-elect Trump”, said Xinhua.

According to the statement, Han said this would include “promoting the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations”, the statement said.

In his meeting with Musk – picked by Trump to co-lead a government efficiency drive – Han said that China “welcomes US companies, including Tesla, to seize the opportunity to share the fruits of China’s development and make new and greater contributions to the promotion of China-US economic and trade relations”.

According to Xinhua, Musk told Han that Tesla was willing “to deepen its investment and cooperation with China and play an active role in promoting US-China economic and trade exchanges”.

More to follow...

South Korea’s Yoon accused of using China as a ‘scapegoat’ in martial law defence

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3295428/south-koreas-yoon-accused-using-china-scapegoat-martial-law-defence?utm_source=rss_feed

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s legal team has cited unsubstantiated claims of Chinese and North Korean election meddling to justify his short-lived martial law decree, a move analysts described as irresponsible, warning it “could spark international disputes”.

In a 62-page document submitted to the Constitutional Court, which is currently deliberating on whether to have the impeached president removed from office, Yoon’s lawyers accused the liberal opposition of being “anti-democratic gangs” capable of election fraud.

The document echoed unsubstantiated claims proliferating on far-right YouTube channels in South Korea, which Yoon is reportedly a follower of.

“They want to turn this nation into a colony of China and North Korea, backed by China’s financial power,” the defence argued.

Choi Jin, head of the Institute for Presidential Leadership, criticised Yoon for irresponsibly fuelling allegations of Chinese meddling without evidence.

“The president should avoid making statements that could spark international disputes, even if intended only for domestic audiences,” Choi told This Week in Asia.

Political science professor Ahn Byong-jin of Kyunghee University said Yoon’s claims undermine South Korea’s international credibility.

“This is more like a political farce than a serious argument,” Ahn said. “But it complicates South Korea’s position amid the intensifying rivalry between the US and China.”

At a Constitutional Court hearing on Thursday, Yoon’s legal team alleged that China and North Korea collaborated to hack the National Election Commission (NEC) and engage in ballot stuffing.

Yoon had previously justified his decision to deploy martial law troops to the election watchdog by citing weak cybersecurity.

“The NEC’s servers lacked basic protections – one server’s password was literally ‘12345’,” he said in a December 12 statement.

Yoon claimed the server was easily hacked as part of a test conducted by the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Defence lawyers further alleged that the password “12345” corresponds to China’s government service hotline number, suggesting it served as “an open invitation for hackers from China and beyond.”

However, the NEC has repeatedly denied these claims, stating that no irregularities were found in election audits and that the NIS hacking test was performed under simulated conditions with security layers temporarily disabled.

The commission acknowledged one instance of a weak password but said it was quickly corrected and that firewalls have since been strengthened.

Yoon declared martial law on December 3 at 10.28pm, claiming it was necessary to protect South Korea from North Korean threats and pro-North forces.

However, the decree was nullified hours later when lawmakers convened at the National Assembly and overturned the move.

In a televised address on December 12, Yoon again accused North Korea of hacking the NEC and cast doubt on his party’s defeat in the 2024 National Assembly elections.

He also blamed the opposition-controlled legislature for obstructing efforts to expand the anti-espionage law to target foreign agents, citing alleged espionage cases involving four Chinese nationals who were caught filming military facilities.

In a January 15 open letter, Yoon urged South Koreans to remain vigilant against “hostile foreign forces”, which was seen as a veiled reference to China.

Sociology Professor Lee Won-jae of the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology said Yoon is exploiting anti-China sentiment, which has grown since the 2017 dispute over the US’ deployment of the THAAD missile defence system in the country’s southeast, a move that prompted significant economic retaliation from Beijing.

“Economic competition with China further fuels the narrative that Beijing is meddling in South Korea’s affairs,” Lee noted.

“The groundwork is already laid for conspiracy theories tying China and North Korea to domestic election interference.”

Political Science Professor Yoon Sung-suk of Chonnam National University said Yoon’s focus on China serves a political purpose.

“China is a convenient scapegoat for Yoon and his allies to shore up support, especially as South Koreans have grown desensitised to North Korean threats,” he said.

Yoon’s rhetoric may also signal alignment with former US President Donald Trump, whose anti-China stance resonates with Yoon’s base.

“Many in Yoon’s circle dream of Trump’s intervention to save him from impeachment,” Professor Yoon added.

China to host world’s first human-robot marathon as robotics drives national goals

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3295384/china-host-worlds-first-human-robot-marathon-robotics-drives-national-goals?utm_source=rss_feed

Can humans and robots face off in a full race? It will happen in Beijing this spring.

For the first time, dozens of humanoid robots are expected to join a half-marathon to be held in the capital’s Daxing district in April, according to local authorities.

This comes as China ramps up efforts to develop artificial intelligence and robotics, to gain an edge in the tech rivalry with the US as well as combat the challenges of an ageing society and a falling birth rate.

Some 12,000 humans will take part in the coming race – and running alongside them on the 21km (13-mile) route will be robots from more than 20 companies, according to the administrative body of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, or E-Town.

Prizes will be offered for the top three runners.

E-Town is a state-level industrial area in Daxing district, with multiple industrial parks that support hi-tech industries such as aviation manufacturing and semiconductors.

A statement from E-Town said companies, research institutes, robotics clubs and universities from around the world would be invited to enter their humanoids in the marathon.

The only condition is they must look like humans and have a mechanical structure capable of performing motion actions such as bipedal walking or running, and not be on wheels.

The robots should be between 0.5 metres and 2 metres (1.6 feet and 6.5 feet) high, and their maximum extension distance from the hip joint to the sole of the foot should be at least 0.45 metres, the statement said.

Both remote-controlled and fully autonomous humanoids would qualify, and batteries can be replaced during the race, the statement added.

At another half-marathon in Beijing last year, a humanoid from the Chinese robotics company Galbot appeared at the finishing line to cheer on participants and even made a brief dash.

But this year’s event will be the first time that robots run a full session.

The event comes amid the push for humanoid development across China, with cities mapping out plans for key breakthroughs in robotic intelligence and body movement.

China has listed humanoid robots as one of the key sectors to drive self-reliance, power economic growth and gain a stronger position in the tech rivalry with the United States – which has sought to hobble its hi-tech access.

Over the past year, E-Town humanoids have been deployed at a factory for electric vehicle maker BYD, and authorities have held multiple conferences and competitions to promote the technology.

A rapidly ageing China has also turned to robots as part of bolstering support for the elderly, deploying them in caregiving scenarios such as emotional companionship, health monitoring and intelligent household services.

As of the end of 2024, at least 310 million people in China were aged 60 and above, accounting for 22 per cent of the total population, official data shows.

China is also exploring robotic applications for factories and other work scenarios to prepare for a dwindling workforce, as the population shrank for the third year in a row in 2024.

In 2023, Chinese clients installed 276,288 robots, or 51 per cent of the world’s total, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

China’s robotics industry could grow to 400 billion yuan (US$54.6 billion) by 2030, state news agency Xinhua reported last month.

Developing a mature humanoid, however, is technically challenging, for Chinese as well as international companies. Last year, Elon Musk said Tesla could start selling its humanoid Optimus robot by the end of 2025, and ambitiously claimed it could raise the value of the carmaker to US$25 trillion, though the feasibility of that plan has been questioned.

In China, multiple cities have published policies pledging a boost to the humanoids sector.

The government of Hangzhou, in eastern Zhejiang province, for instance, said it would “accelerate the construction of an integrated innovation system and the whole industry chain of research and development, design, manufacturing and application of humanoid robots”.

Nanjing, capital of neighbouring Jiangsu province, has adopted a 2024-26 plan to promote the development of a “high quality robotics” sector.

In southwestern China, support measures proposed by the Tianfu New Area in Sichuan province include subsidies for core algorithms and large-scale industry models to boost research and development.

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Playful China cat sends resignation letter, loses owner job, Thai dog brings home bomb

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3294264/playful-china-cat-sends-resignation-letter-loses-owner-job-thai-dog-brings-home-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed

A woman in China has caused much amusement online after her cat clicked the “send” button while she was hesitating over dispatching a resignation letter to her boss.

The 25-year-old is from southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality and has nine felines.

She had written a resignation letter in her email edit box on January 5, but was reluctant to send it because she needed money from the job to support her pets.

Then her home surveillance camera recorded the moment one of her cats jumped onto her desk and pressed the enter button on the laptop, dispatching the email.

The woman said she immediately contacted her boss to blame the cat but was ignored. She lost both her job and a year-end bonus.

She said she planned to seek a new job after the coming Spring Festival because she needed to feed her cats.

“Listen to your cat master,” one online observer said.

“It sounds more like your cat is doing your boss a favour, saving them a large sum of bonus money,” said another.

A Thai soldier was shocked when he discovered his four-year-old son holding an explosive device.

But the boy was not to blame.

It turned out that their Labrador-Golden Retriever mix dog, Latte, had brought into their garden in northeastern Thailand’s Udon Thani province on January 2.

The boy’s father, Sergeant Major Jittakorn Talangjit, told the Thairath newspaper that Latte, a playful nine-year-old, had been raised to guard the house and play with his son.

The canine likes to play with round objects and constantly brings random balls home.

The fist-sized explosive wrapped in black tape was reportedly home-made by teenagers for festivals and religious ceremonies.

The youngsters leave them on the roadside near checkpoints, fearing being caught and punished.

It was reported that the device is not as powerful as an actual bomb, but can kill or maim.

Recognising the suspect device, the father immediately put it in a cardboard box stuffed with dry grass, and covered it with a rubber tyre for safety.

Police and bomb disposal officers arrived to defuse the situation.

The father said he felt “lucky” that the bomb had not gone off while Latte was carrying it in her mouth to play with his son.

With Donald Trump’s inauguration, US-China rivalry opens new and uncertain chapter

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3295285/donald-trumps-inauguration-us-china-rivalry-opens-new-and-uncertain-chapter?utm_source=rss_feed

SCMP will liveblog the inauguration day of US president-elect Donald Trump from 12am Tuesday HKT. The liveblog will be made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by . Get faster notifications on the latest updates by .

When Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, a new chapter of geopolitical uncertainty will be written, potentially ushering in an intensified rivalry between the US and China under his “America First” policy.

Trump will be the second American president in history to serve non-consecutive terms, and the first convicted of felony, after a jury in a New York state found him guilty of 34 charges, in a case related to payments to an adult film actress during the 2016 presidential election.

His inauguration ceremony will be distinctive in several other ways.

For the first time in 40 years, it will be held indoors due to severe weather, foreign leaders will take part and security measures for the swearing-in are some of the most stringent Washington has ever witnessed, with 30 miles (48km) of fencing encircling federal buildings in downtown Washington.

More than 25,000 police officers and military personnel will be deployed, according to law enforcement officials, who said they expected in excess of 200,000 visitors and thousands of protesters in the lead-up to the event.

The swearing-in ceremony for Trump and vice president-elect J.D. Vance will start at noon inside the US Capitol. Trump will take an oath and deliver an inaugural address before signing nominations for his cabinet. A farewell will also be given to President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, who lost the 2024 election to Trump in November.

Trump’s original plan to review military troops from the Capitol along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House is cancelled. Instead, a parade will be held inside Capital One Arena after the swearing-in ceremony, which is open to the public for viewing on Monday.

The incoming US leader is expected to sign many of the 100 executive orders he said he would be preparing to roll out from day one.

The orders will likely include a mass deportation plan and travel bans, pardons for those convicted of crimes in the 2021 Capitol riot, a reversal of Biden’s clean-energy policy, a halt on a law banning TikTok and tariffs against major trade partners including China, Mexico and Canada.

Trump said he would impose 10 per cent tariffs on all Chinese imports on his first day in office, threatening during his presidential campaign that the tax could go up to 60 per cent or more on specific products like electric vehicles. Trump has long believed tariffs can help boost American manufacturing and reduce the national trade deficit with China.

“We’re going to … bring thousands of factories back to the USA, right where they belong, and that will be done through tariffs and smart policy ,” Trump told a rally in Washington on Sunday.

Amid a growing China-US rivalry, Trump surprised many by inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to the inauguration. And while Xi has been described by Trump in the past as a “brilliant man” with whom he “got along well”, China’s top leader will not attend the inauguration. Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng will attend on Xi’s behalf.

Han and Vance met in Washington on Sunday, Trump’s transition team announced ahead of the rally.

On Friday, Xi and Trump spoke by phone, marking their first call since 2020. They discussed contentious issues like trade, technology and Taiwan, with both indicating a willingness to address strains in bilateral ties.

While many observers predict that Trump will be tough on China on trade, the incoming president’s penchant for deal-making could see him revive trade negotiations with the world’s second-largest economy. Trump’s pick to lead the Treasury, Scott Bessent, suggested in his confirmation hearing last week using tariffs as a negotiation tactic with Beijing.

Josh Lipsky of the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, said Trump’s tariff policy needed to be carefully parsed between “going big and being perceived as going big”.

“The tariffs that are announced next week might only be a means to bring China back to the negotiating table, not necessarily intended to be implemented as an asset,” Lipsky told a panel at the United States Institute of Peace last week.

It remains to be seen how Trump will implement his other China policies, such as those relating to technology and Taiwan, which must be “handled with caution”, Xi is said to have told Trump on their recent call.

The US and China have been locked in a fierce stand-off over tech supremacy, with policymakers in both countries convinced that an edge on this front is key to building up their militaries and prevailing in a long-term competition that will be determined by AI and quantum computing capabilities.

Trump in his first administration started curbing China’s access to some semiconductor chips. Biden then doubled down with more export controls on advanced technologies and aligned strategies with partners to cut down Chinese dominance in critical minerals.

Adam Tong of the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank, said he expected Trump to keep in place many tech restrictions against China that Biden implemented.

Tong said the president-elect might even came up with new measures, such as forging critical-minerals agreements with countries like Indonesia, a leading critical-minerals supplier for China.

“It is, however, hard to erode China’s dominance in midstream processing of these materials,” Tong said, adding that other countries’ stance towards the US-China competition would be a “big unknown”.

“The threat perception regarding China varies, so the more [controls] proposed, the harder it is to get other parties on board, and the question of tariffs on both China and US allies will further complicate this.”

Many analysts regard Beijing as more prepared now to respond to renewed trade and tech wars with Washington in Trump’s second term, stocking more in its toolbox such as activating export controls on critical minerals, leveraging its bond portfolio with the US or tightening regulations against American companies operating in China.

Last week, Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, offered the clearest signals yet that many US policies on the Indo-Pacific region and Taiwan under Biden would continue, including arms sales to the self-governed island and curbing mainland influence in global tech supply chains with regional partners.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.

Other than Waltz, Trump’s second cabinet is filled with China hawks like secretary of state and defence secretary nominees Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, who in each of their confirmation hearings last week called China America’s biggest threat.

But Trump is also known to be unpredictable, making it an open question how much sway his new cabinet could have over him. His threats to impose 10 per cent universal tariffs on all countries and frequent attacks on security partners over their share of defence spending have unnerved many across Europe and Asia.

On the presidential campaign trail, he dodged questions on whether the US would defend Taiwan in a contingency and demanded it pay Washington for its defence.

Eric Gomez of the Cato Institute, a Washington-based think tank, reckoned Trump would make Taiwan foot its defence bill. He also foresaw multilateral institutions that the US is part of weakening under Trump.

Yet he cautioned against inferring Asia would be abandoned.

The president-elect “is going to want to still play China competitively, but from what we saw in the first term … he is not going to be as … deferential to allied interests”, said Gomez.

Trump’s inauguration guest list could offer a glimpse into his foreign policy priorities and how personal relations could in turn sway his policymaking.

Aside from Xi, the foreign leaders who scored invitations include a number of right-wing populists of whom he is expressed fondness: Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. Trump reached out directly to some leaders via email, according to CNN.

Of these, Milei and Meloni will attend.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, also confirmed they would attend on behalf of their countries. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who has strained relations with Beijing over their territorial disputes in the South China Sea, has reportedly not been invited.

Those not invited included EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who have clashed with Trump. It is unclear whether the leaders of France and Germany were invited.

Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend. Trump said he would meet Putin soon after his inauguration as all eyes look at how the US leader might try to end the nearly three-year Ukraine war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also not expected to attend, fresh from a ceasefire deal last week with Hamas, a breakthrough for which Trump took credit.

Tech giants coming to the inauguration include Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom Trump named to co-lead a new federal department of government efficiency, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi is reportedly attending, having spent months trying to forge a bond with Trump to avoid the Chinese-owned social media platform being banned in the US. On Friday, the US Supreme Court upheld a law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the video-sharing app to a non-Chinese buyer.

All other living former US presidents including Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and their partners will attend, except for Michelle Obama, who was notably absent earlier this month from former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral.

How Trump could upend South China Sea calculations all round

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3295077/how-trump-could-upend-south-china-sea-calculations-all-round?utm_source=rss_feed

The South China Sea has long been a stage for US-China rivalry, its critical shipping lanes, rich resources and competing territorial claims making it a geopolitical flashpoint.

Last year, tensions escalated as China intensified its actions in the disputed waters, including announcing baselines around Scarborough Shoal and stepping up reef patrols. Simultaneously, the United States maintained its freedom of navigation operations, signalling support for regional allies and challenging Beijing’s territorial assertions.

The South China Sea faces renewed challenges this year, driven by Donald Trump’s return as US president. Trump’s approach during his first term prioritised a transactional style of diplomacy, increasing freedom of navigation operations while fostering ties with regional allies like the Philippines. But this strategy often lacked consistency, as his focus on trade deals with China sometimes overshadowed security concerns. Trump’s return could see the South China Sea potentially used as a bargaining tool in negotiations with Beijing.

China is likely to be bracing for a more unpredictable US approach under Trump. Beijing’s South China Sea actions are a mix of assertiveness and calculated restraint. Last year, it submitted Scarborough baselines to the United Nations while reinforcing its maritime presence and showcasing its growing naval capabilities in a counterbalance to US freedom of navigation operations.

But China also sought to manage tensions through diplomacy, including regional security dialogues and negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for a South China Sea code of conduct. By prioritising bilateral deals over multilateralism, Trump could upset Beijing’s strategic calculations.

As a central party to the South China Sea disputes, the Philippines faces both internal and external pressures. Internally, Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has exposed fractures within the government, which could undermine its ability to formulate coherent foreign policy.

Externally, Manila must navigate its complex relationships with Washington and Beijing. The Marcos administration has leaned on US military support, signing the General Security of Military Information Agreement to enhance intelligence-sharing. But economic ties with China remain critical, creating a delicate balancing act.

Trump’s transactional diplomacy could complicate this balance. While Manila may welcome increased US military aid and arms sales, it risks deeper entanglement in the US-China competition, compromising its strategic autonomy.

Vietnam, another key stakeholder, has taken a resilient yet pragmatic approach to the South China Sea. Hanoi continues to modernise its military and enhance maritime surveillance, balancing an assertive defence of its sovereignty with diplomacy. Vietnam’s strategy reflects a long-term commitment to safeguarding its interests without provoking Beijing unnecessarily.

Trump’s return could bring further complexity. His cabinet picks, including Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Pete Hegseth as defence secretary, signal a continuation of hawkish policies on China. Rubio, a vocal critic of Beijing, is likely to prioritise strengthening alliances and curbing Chinese influence. Hegseth’s focus on military strength could lead to an expanded US presence in the South China Sea, reinforcing the “peace through strength” philosophy.

But Trump’s preference for direct negotiations might also see him use the South China Sea as leverage in talks with Beijing. Concessions in maritime disputes could be traded for economic or geopolitical gains, such as reduced Chinese support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. While this aligns with Trump’s transactional style, it risks emboldening Beijing and undermining the security of America’s regional allies.

North Korea’s closer ties with Russia further complicate the strategic landscape. Pyongyang’s threats of war and expanding military cooperation with Moscow could divert US resources and attention from the Indo-Pacific. For China, this alignment may provide strategic cover, allowing Beijing to pursue its goals in the South China Sea with less risk of US retaliation.

Amid these challenges, Asean’s role in fostering regional stability is increasingly critical. Asean must overcome internal divisions and accelerate the code of conduct negotiations to establish a framework for managing disputes. But Asean’s ability to act decisively will depend on the willingness of member states to prioritise collective security over their own interests.

The future of the South China Sea hinges on the actions of key stakeholders and their ability to navigate competing interests. For the Philippines, strengthening its defence capabilities through targeted acquisitions and enhancing partnerships with Japan, France and Australia can provide a buffer against external pressures. Simultaneously, Manila must restore political cohesion to balance its relationships with Washington and Beijing effectively.

China’s response to Trump’s return is likely to involve increased assertiveness and strategic outreach. Beijing may continue leveraging its maritime militia and coastguard to solidify control over disputed areas while offering economic incentives to regional states willing to distance themselves from the US. China is also likely to strengthen its ties with Russia and North Korea, positioning itself as a counterweight to US-led alliances.

Trump’s return presents both risks and opportunities for the region. His inward focus on US economic growth and bilateral deals, exemplified by proposed 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, could undermine multilateral frameworks critical to managing South China Sea tensions.

These tariffs, aimed at addressing drug trafficking and immigration, have sparked potential retaliatory measures from Canada, highlighting the challenges of Trump’s transactional diplomacy. For regional players, balancing ties with the US and China while safeguarding their strategic interests remains vital.

The South China Sea is at a crossroads. Strategic missteps could reshape the regional order, with implications extending beyond Southeast Asia. Navigating this uncertain landscape requires diplomatic agility, robust defence capabilities and a commitment to maintaining stability in this contested maritime domain.