The two-week US trip by Taiwan’s main opposition leader offered Washington a different take on cross-Strait relations, although whether it will change anything remains in question, some experts said. Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun landed back in Taipei early on Tuesday, concluding a five-stop visit she called “beyond expectations”. Cheng began her trip on June 1, visiting San Francisco, Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles. She met with representatives from several think tanks...

A department store in central Paris announced on Tuesday the end of its cooperation with Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant Shein, which, French media reported, could see the e-commerce platform’s first physical store closed by this Christmas. La Societe des Grands Magasins (SGM), owner of the historic BHV Marais, which sits opposite Paris City Hall a few hundred meters from Notre-Dame cathedral, has sold the store to a group of executives, led by Karl-Stephane Cottendin, the group’s outgoing CEO,...

Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed support for Myanmar’s leadership under former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on Tuesday, reinforcing Beijing’s influence as its southern neighbour struggles to contain a gruelling civil war. Speaking after a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said Beijing prioritised its ties with Myanmar, which he said held an “important position” in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy. “I am willing to strengthen strategic guidance with you, carry forward our...

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump has an understanding with Xi. His own administration doesn’t like it On a state visit to China last month, US President Donald Trump shocked his political base with a series of rhetorical concessions – and it was not the first time Trump’s softer stance on China clashed with his own...

Israel’s efforts to phase out American military aid signal the decline of US alliances under the demands of Washington’s “America first” position, according to a prominent Chinese international relations analyst. Zhu Zhaoyi, executive director of the Institute of Middle East Studies at Peking University HSBC Business School, wrote in a commentary published on Monday that factors such as rising financial pressures had fuelled an “America first” approach that demanded Washington’s allies shoulder...

China’s largest ground-based arms manufacturer is displaying air defence systems specifically for drone warfare, along with advanced artillery equipment at this year’s Eurosatory exhibition in France. Demand for air defence solutions is skyrocketing, fuelled by the conflict in Ukraine and the US-Israeli war on Iran which have been largely defined by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and missiles. North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) is using miniature models to display its...

China’s ruling Communist Party has announced a new branch of President Xi Jinping’s political thought, which stresses governing the party with discipline and unified leadership. During a national conference on party building on Monday, the concept of “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” was hailed as “a milestone in the history of Marxist theory on party building and in the history of Chinese Communist Party building”, according to a report from state broadcaster CCTV. The new phrase was...

Disney opens Shanghai park, with eye to future By Mandy Zuo (Additional reporting by Nikki Sun) This article was first published on June 16, 2016 China represents “incredible potential” for Walt Disney, said company chairman Bob Iger ahead of the opening of its Shanghai theme park today (June 16, 2016). The US$5.5 billion complex is the first step onto mainland soil by the Western media giant as it seeks to grow its brand beyond already saturated markets back home. And the company was already...

Radar-absorbing materials have long been associated with stealth fighters, cruise missiles and other high-end military platforms for which performance often comes at a high cost. But in China, some stealth coatings could be moving into large-scale industrial production and driving prices down fast. A team from Foshan University reported a low-cost microwave-absorbing composite made from expanded graphite and titanium dioxide, according to a peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of...

When Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) held its 11th group wedding for doctoral students on May 31, each of the 187 newlywed couples was presented with a one-carat diamond ring, with the diamonds grown in the university’s laboratory. The gems were developed by Zhu Jiaqi and his team from HIT’s School of Astronautics using a technology that in theory could produce high-purity, single crystal diamonds of any shape and size – from wedding jewellery to a wafer as wide as a basketball. Known as...

The images were difficult to ignore. A viral video showed the body of a 35-year-old Indian seafarer on a vessel off Oman, with crew members using cold water bottles in a desperate attempt to slow the decomposition process. He had died last Thursday from medical complications, but it had not been possible to send help or evacuate him from the ship because of the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The previous day, three more Indian sailors were killed when a tanker moored nearby was bombed...

Taiwan’s new website for mainland Chinese to securely report intelligence-related information has sparked debate over whether it is workable. The self-governed island’s National Security Bureau (NSB) on Sunday said it had established a “contact window” to collect political, military, economic and social intelligence from mainland China. The bureau said the initiative was modelled on the practices of intelligence agencies in the United States, Britain and Israel. It cited public dissatisfaction...

Most Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults believe the United States used to be a great place for immigrants but no longer is, according to a survey released on Monday ahead of the 250th anniversary of American independence next month. “Forty-one per cent of AAPI adults say they have started carrying proof of immigration status or citizenship, or know someone who has, and 34 per cent say the same about changing travel plans because of immigration status,” according to the Associated...