U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly dialing down his rhetoric in order to secure direct talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and a possible trade deal. Bloomberg quoted unnamed White House sources saying Trump is increasingly pursuing purchase agreements that resemble deals he made in his first term and pushing for quick wins, rather than…
China’s Foreign Ministry said Monday it does “not have any information” about reports that US President Donald Trump will be invited to a military parade in Beijing later this year, according to state media. Japan’s Kyodo News reported Sunday that China was planning to invite Trump to a military parade at Tiananmen Square on Sept….
According to one China watcher, Beijing may be a “long-term beneficiary” of the American retreat from stable leadership, as Washington’s strikes on Iran have revealed it to be an uncertain and unpredictable global power. More significantly, the conflict has revealed Washington’s reluctance to engage in a prolonged war, offering the Chinese leadership clues on how…
new video loaded: Tehran Balks at Negotiation Talks as Israel and Iran Trade Fire transcript Back transcript Tehran Balks at Negotiation Talks as Israel and Iran Trade Fire During a U.N. Security Council meeting on Friday, Iran’s top diplomat said there was “no room for talking” until Israel stopped its attacks. “Iran is ready to…
Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday, a day before a signing ceremony for the establishment of an intergovernmental mediation body in the city. Wang arrived on board flight CX973 from Xiamen at 1.34pm, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu due to welcome him at a dinner in the evening, the…
Young, urban women in Afghanistan are increasingly ditching the all-enveloping blue burka with a face mesh that has become a symbol of the Taliban’s oppression of women. Since their return to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed their ultra-strict interpretation of Islamic law, modelled on that of their previous rule over the Central Asian…
Iran is deploying advanced surveillance technology like aerial drones and facial recognition to track and penalise women spotted without a headscraf and who fail to comply with the strict dress code, a report published by the United Nations said on Friday. The report said its findings suggested a growing reliance on digital tools, including a…
A peer-reviewed study published earlier this month estimated that 35 per cent of China’s cropland could disappear by 2100, even if the world delivers on its pledge to limit global warming under the Paris Agreement. The research raises concerns about food security and highlights the need for updated cropland protection policies. According to the scientists,…
When not alienating America’s closest trading partners, threatening to take over Greenland, Gaza and the Panama Canal, slapping China with tariffs and decimating the US$40 billion foreign aid programme, US President Donald Trump has targeted the United Nations – handing Beijing a unique opportunity to greatly expand its global reach as it assumes the month-long…
The US and China are facing off at the United Nations over control of Afghanistan policy and aid, with the outcome likely to set the tone for relations between the two giants at the global body, analysts said. “An obscure diplomatic dispute over who should draft United Nations Security Council resolutions on Afghanistan is turning…