China

The president’s call for Chinese intervention means that Trump and his attorney general have solicited assistance in discrediting the president’s political opponents from Ukraine, Australia, Italy, and, according to one report, Britain. In speaking so publicly Thursday, a defiant Trump pushed back against critics who have called such requests an abuse of power, essentially arguing that there was nothing wrong with seeking foreign help. Throughout his presidency, Trump has made no effort to hide actions or statements that critics called outrageous violations of norms and standards — but because he does them in public, they seem to stir less blowback than if they had been done behind closed doors. Among other things, he repeatedly called on his own Justice Department to investigate his Democratic foes and eventually fired his first attorney general for not protecting him from the Russia investigation. The comments on China came as the first witness appeared on … [Read more...] about Trump publicly urges China to investigate the Bidens

Chinese President Xi Jinping is coming to India for a summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Wednesday that Xi and Modi would meet in the southern coast city of Chennai on Oct. 11 and 12 to “exchange views on deepening” the two countries’ development.Xi and Modi last met one-on-one in Wuhan, China, in April 2018.The discussion comes weeks after China supported Pakistan in raising the issue of Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed by both Pakistan and India, in a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York regarding India’s August move stripping India-administered Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status. The Press Trust of India reports that ahead of Xi’s visit Indian security forces have detained 10 Tibetan activists near Chennai. … [Read more...] about China’s Xi to visit India this month, meet with Modi

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen says China is threatening the island “nonstop” and posing a major challenge to regional peace and stability.Tsai’s comments came amid a renewed push by China to diplomatically isolate the self-governing island democracy it claims as its own territory.They also follow months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, which reverted to Chinese rule under the same “one country, two systems” framework Beijing says it intends to use to absorb the Taiwan.Tsai said, “China is using its ‘one country, two systems’ program to threaten us nonstop and has used all sorts of attacks and mounted virulent challenges to regional peace and stability.” China cut off contact with Tsai’s government shortly after her inauguration in 2016 because she rejects Beijing’s claim to the island. … [Read more...] about Taiwan’s Tsai says China threatens regional peace, stability

China says the U.S. has been harassing Chinese scholars, students, entrepreneurs and scientists, in part through the denial or revocation of visas.Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang says the actions have “infringed upon the safety and lawful rights and interests of the Chinese personnel involved.”His complaint Wednesday came as China demanded Washington lift restrictions on sales of U.S. technology to a group of Chinese companies, calling it interference in the country’s affairs. American officials say those companies provide technology used to repress Muslim minorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.The sanctions announced Monday restrict sales of U.S. technology to a group of Chinese companies working on facial recognition, artificial intelligence and other advanced products. Those technologies are part of the ruling Communist Party’s industry development plans. … [Read more...] about China complains about US visa restrictions

Chinese President Xi Jinping is coming to India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, just weeks after Beijing supported India’s rival Pakistan in raising the issue of New Delhi’s recent actions in disputed Kashmir at the U.N. General Assembly meeting.It was just the latest slight to India-China relations, which both leaders project as solid but which are constantly at risk because of the ongoing rivalry for dominance in Asia. Here’s a look at what the upcoming meeting signals:Q: WHY ARE THEY MEETING?A: The two leaders will be touring a temple town in southern India at the tip of the Bay of Bengal that is popular with Chinese tourists before sitting down for their first one-on-one since meeting at a resort in Wuhan, China, in April 2018. On Saturday, Modi and Xi will hold talks on regional development, according to India’s foreign ministry. In Wuhan, the two leaders agreed to meet regularly for “informal summits” to keep tensions from … [Read more...] about Q&A: How is China-India summit affecting Asia rivalry