Asia Politics

China rolls out product carbon footprint directive in bid to meet global standards, wary of steep foreign taxes

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The National Development and Reform Commission ( NDRC), China’s top economic planner, unveiled a directive on its website on Wednesday on building the country’s product carbon footprint system. The document is aimed at developing an internationally recognised system for counting the full life cycle of a product’s carbon footprint, which includes measuring the total greenhouse … Read more

China cracks down on theft of geographic data, warning of national security threat

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“Some of the data is important and sensitive, and even involves state secrets, posing a serious threat to our national security,” it said, without naming specific GIS software. Cyber dangers threaten China’s infrastructure, state security chief warns The ministry noted that as information technology advances, GIS data is both “an important strategic data resource” and … Read more

Taiwanese pilot planned to defect to mainland China with US-made army helicopter, court told

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A Taiwanese army pilot was offered US$15 million to defect by landing an US-made transport helicopter on a People’s Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier during a military drill near the island, according to prosecutors. But the scheme fell through after the officer was arrested in August for allegedly spying for Beijing, a Taiwan court has … Read more

Ex-Xinjiang official under investigation by China’s top anti-corruption watchdog

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Xinjiang’s former education chief Li Pengxin has been detained by China’s top anti-corruption watchdog. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said on its website on Monday that Li, 63, the former deputy secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region’s party committee and secretary of the region’s education work committee, was being investigated for “suspected … Read more

Exiled China Aids activist Gao Yaojie has died in New York, aged 95

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Despite her declining health, Gao devoted her years in New York – where she lived in a one-bedroom Manhattan flat – to writing books about China’s handling of the Aids crisis. Gao lost part of her stomach during the Cultural Revolution and could hardly eat anything but noodles and buns. Her hearing was also impaired … Read more

Exclusive | China wielding ‘bargaining power’ with Russia over Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline

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To export at least 98 billion cubic metres per year of gas from Russia to China as promised by Russian President Vladimir Putin, figures from Spanish multinational financial services firm BBVA showed that the new pipeline is needed because the Power of Siberia 1 is limited to 67 billion cubic metres per year. It’s a … Read more

Taiwan opposition parties register separate bids for presidential race in a boost for DPP and a worry for mainland China

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KMT candidate Hou Yu-ih also registered on Friday. His running mate is fellow KMT member and former legislator Jaw Shaw-kong, who is also CEO and chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of China. The registration capped weeks of back and forth in which the two Beijing-friendly parties failed to resolve a dispute over who would head … Read more

Chinese court rejects singer Kris Wu’s appeal against rape conviction

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A court in Beijing has rejected the appeal of rapper and singer Kris Wu Yifan against his rape conviction. Beijing No 3 Intermediate People’s Court announced on Friday that it upheld the original verdict for the charges against the 33-year-old Chinese-Canadian hip-hop star. “The original ruling found the facts to be clear, the evidence to … Read more

Chinese Premier Li Qiang picked to head finance commission as Xi Jinping delegates duties

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Li’s role was confirmed on Monday, when he was mentioned as the chair of a meeting of the new commission in a report by state news agency Xinhua. The late Li Keqiang never headed any top Communist Party groups in his decade as China’s premier. Photo: dpa The CFC was set up in March to … Read more

Taiwan election 2024: DPP senses victory in ‘perfect match’ Lai-Hsiao ticket but for Beijing it might ‘mean war’

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The pair officially registered their candidacies the next day, as the island’s main opposition Kuomintang and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party failed to agree on a joint ticket to challenge Lai. With her reputation as a calm, rational and highly capable politician who is highly regarded in the political, diplomatic and academic circles of Washington, … Read more