China

China must be more forthright about the sources of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US ambassador to China stated on Monday, February 27, in response to news that the US Energy Department assessed that the pandemic was likely caused by a laboratory leak in China. Nicholas Burns, addressing via video connection at an event hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce, …

Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday, February 23, that Apple’s Chinese contract manufacturer Luxshare Precision Industries Co Ltd will assist develop the iPhone maker’s long-awaited augmented reality (AR) device. Luxshare has taken over the AR development team in Shanghai, which was previously controlled by Taiwan’s Pegatron, according to a source quoting people familiar with the subject. Luxshare is the first company …

Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated on February 22 that she welcomes China’s support for the regional group ASEAN’s five-point peace agreement, which aims to stop hostilities in Myanmar’s military-ruled territory. Retno spoke after meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, in Jakarta. “Indonesia extends its gratitude to China for its support of the five-point consensus.” She stated that (it) …

Indonesian and Chinese officials announced on February 22 that negotiations on a code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea will be strengthened this year, as the region worries over China’s aggression in the key waterway. In Jakarta, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang ahead of a round of code negotiations beginning in …

Hong Kong is under pressure to reign down spending as it announces its annual budget on Wednesday, February 22. This is due to its massive fiscal deficits accrued during the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as its efforts to stimulate the economy and reclaim its financial luster. After spending over HK$600 billion on limiting the spread of illnesses and giving economic …

Addressing a prestigious security conference in Munich, Germany, Filipino Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo called attention to China’s escalating harassment of Philippine warships in the South China Sea, characterizing it as a “daily occurrence” in the dangerous waterway. “On a daily basis, there are still numerous events taking place in the South China Sea, and there are daily occurrences of harassment …

Air France-CEO KLM’s has warned that European airlines forced to take longer flights to Asia to avoid Russia will struggle to compete with Chinese rivals if travel picks up following the Covid-19 shutdowns. Ben Smith stated that Chinese airlines had a “unfair edge” over European airlines that have been prohibited from Russian airspace since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine about …

On Thursday, February 16, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that the Philippines and China made use of their newly implemented communication mechanism to address the recent deployment of a military-grade vessel against a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the West Philippine Sea by the Chinese Coast Guard. The incident occurred in the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese Coast …

According to China’s top anti-corruption body, Chen Xuyuan, the president of the Chinese Football Association, is being investigated for possible discipline and legal infractions. A disciplinary inspection and supervision team from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision of the Communist Party of China is looking into Chen at the General Administration of Sport of …

Taiwan has not observed any Chinese surveillance balloons in its area, according to the island’s defense ministry on Tuesday, as a disagreement between China and the United States over spy balloons raises fears of escalating military confrontations. The United States military shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. China claimed that the …