Joseph Popper 
The major topics of the visit, however, remain unknown. “The Australian government has consistently advocated – including during the recent visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi – for the full and timely removal of all trade impediments, including those affecting exports of live rock lobster to China. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry … Read more
Wednesday’s talks come as Ma wraps up an 11-day “journey of peace” to the mainland, following a landmark visit just over a year ago. In opening remarks made in the presence of the press, both Xi and Ma sought to strike a conciliatory tone despite the prolonged cross-strait tensions. Referring to his guest as “Mister … Read more
Local government and party agencies in China are rolling out rules to cut spending, including greater use of new energy vehicles, less tea and fewer indoor plants. They vowed to “get used to living a tight life” in every aspect in keeping with Beijing’s persistent call amid a faltering economy. The northwestern province of Shaanxi … Read more
The week-long trip to China by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sidestepped core economic disputes, and without headway, analysts said the pressure of November’s presidential election could force the Biden administration “to be more aggressive” on the trade front. Yellen ended her second trip to China in 10 months on Tuesday, having met Chinese officials … Read more
Some local governments in China have been fabricating the number of businesses in their regions – a key indicator of economic recovery – and in one case set hard targets for towns to register fake businesses, the country’s top anti-corruption watchdog said on Monday. In an official notice, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) … Read more
Former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou called on younger generations to learn from the past to “resolve disputes peacefully” during a visit on Monday to a museum in Beijing commemorating the second Sino-Japanese war. “People in both the mainland and Taiwan had been bullied by Japanese warlords, and suffered heavy casualties. Although we were lagging behind … Read more
China is banking on tourism and consumption to power its post-pandemic economic recovery, as a deepening property sector crisis and weak private sector and foreign investor confidence continue to weigh on overall growth. Ching Ming or “tomb sweeping” festival is a day for honouring the dead, by sweeping their resting places and burning paper offerings. … Read more
According to the Ministry of Water Resources, China’s major rivers and lakes can flag “numbered floods” when their water levels reach the warning level or register a flood of “once in two to five years” magnitude. By 9am on Sunday, the water level at the local measuring station in Guangdong’s Yingde county, which lies along … Read more
Addressing the Boao Forum for Asia in the Chinese island province of Hainan, Russian deputy prime minister Alexey Overchuk said the Kremlin and Beijing had discussed the possibility of “improving connectivity” between the initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Russian-led effort to create an EU-like common market. China-Russia ties set to deepen with … Read more
Tokyo claims the Diaoyus belong to the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, which includes the area once known as Ryukyu. However, Beijing has long disputed the notion that the Diaoyus were part of the Ryukyu kingdom. Okinawa or Ryukyu? The prefecture on the front line of China-Japan ties Liu Chengyong, director of the China National Archives … Read more
