Vessels owned or operated by U.S. firms and individuals, or those built in the United States or that fly the U.S. flag, will be charged additional port fees per voyage starting on Tuesday, China’s transport ministry said on Friday. The port fees are a countermeasure against upcoming U.S. port fees on Chinese ships, the ministry … Read more
China has quietly issued its first 2025 rare earth mining and smelting quotas without the typical public statement, sources with knowledge of the matter said this week, another sign of Beijing tightening its control over the crucial sector. The quotas are closely monitored as a barometer for the global supply of rare earths, a group … Read more
Hong Kong has said it will open its universities to more international students, highlighting those affected by the US government’s move this week to block Harvard from enrolling foreign nationals. The sharp escalation in US President Donald Trump’s longstanding feud with the prestigious university came as tensions simmer between Washington and Beijing over trade and … Read more
The Biden administration is considering blacklisting a number of Chinese semiconductor firms linked to Huawei Technologies Co. after the telecom giant notched a significant technological breakthrough last year, people familiar with the matter said. Such a move would mark another escalation in a US campaign to ringfence and curtail Beijing’s AI and semiconductor ambitions. It … Read more
A stunning reversal in Chinese stocks from world’s worst to best performers is stoking cautious optimism that the rally will continue as long as favorable market policies remain in place. Rarely has a week gone by in 2024 without Beijing unleashing new measures to buttress the market or the economy. That policy resolve has pushed … Read more
Police stand guard near a polling station for district elections in Hong Kong on December 10, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP Residents went to the polls on Sunday in Hong Kong’s first district council elections since an electoral overhaul was implemented under Beijing’s guidance of “patriots” administering the city, effectively shutting out all pro-democracy candidates. Turnout is expected to be … Read more
Chinese and Southeast Asian diplomats renewed a vow to finalise a nonaggression pact for the South China Sea in three years, two regional diplomats said Thursday. The pledge came during a meeting last week in Beijing, where they expressed alarm over recent confrontations in the disputed waters. The Philippines has protested what it says are … Read more
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands before a meeting at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023 | Photo Credit: AP Beijing’s top diplomat told President Vladimir Putin that China and Russia must work to strengthen cooperation in the face of a “complex international … Read more
Fourteen people were reported to have died over the weekend in the Chinese city of Shulan due to flooding caused by Typhoon Doksuri. Northeastern China, Beijing and Hebei province have seen heavy rainfall and floods since the typhoon made landfall in southern Fujian province two weeks ago. The deaths in Shulan, in northeastern Jilin province, … Read more
A Hong Kong appeal court on Monday blocked jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai‘s bid to challenge in the city’s highest court a warrant obtained by national security police to scrutinise the contents of his mobile phones. Lai, 75, is the founder of the now shut pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and is due to face trial … Read more