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Wang Yi tells Antony Blinken ‘disruptions’ could arise amid threat of sanctions over China’s support for Russia’s defence industryChina’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, has warned the US that the recent improvements in the two countries’ relations were being jeopardised by “disruptions” that could take them back to a “downward spiral” leading to rivalry, confrontation and even conflict.Wang was speaking at the start of a...

Arrests as Chinese authorities working with UK police and international trademark agencies seize millions of parcels bound for customers worldwideChinese authorities have targeted a major online sales platform accused of supplying counterfeit goods, raiding warehouses holding millions of packages destined for overseas buyers.Earlier this month police raided the Hangzhou office and several warehouses of Pandabuy after reported legal action by 16 brands over copyright...

Man worked as assistant to Maximilian Krah, top candidate in European parliament elections, say prosecutorsAn aide to a German far-right politician standing in the European elections in June has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, German prosecutors have said.The man, named only as Jian G, was accused of sharing information about negotiations at the European parliament with a Chinese intelligence service and...

In move seen by the opposition as an attempt to de-sinocise Taiwan, the ruling party is pushing ahead with plans to rid the island of monuments to the dictatorTaiwan’s government has pledged to remove almost 800 statues of Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese military dictator who ruled the island for decades under martial law, but whose legacy remains a point of contentious debate.In 2018 the...

Prosecutors say trio are accused of passing on technical military knowledge and export of a laser without permissionsThree German citizens, a married couple from Düsseldorf and a man from Bad Homburg, have been arrested on suspicion of spying on behalf of China, prosecutors have said, in the second high-profile alleged espionage case reported in the country in days.The three are accused of passing on...

Officials urge municipalities to begin emergency planning after major rivers and reservoirs threaten to overflowMajor rivers, waterways and reservoirs in China’s Guangdong province are threatening to unleash dangerous floods, forcing the government to enact emergency response plans to protect more than 127 million people.Calling the situation “grim”, local weather officials said sections of rivers and tributaries at the Xijiang and Beijiang river basins are...

Election closely watched for any impact on Pacific country’s relationship with Beijing, while voters focus on struggling health and other servicesSolomon Islanders have voted in a national election, the first since the prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, struck a security pact with China in 2022 and drew the Pacific Islands nation closer to Beijing.The outcome of Wednesday’s election will be closely watched by the US,...

Authorities continuing ‘intimidation’ including separating children from their parents, despite pledge to end collective punishmentChina continues to unlawfully target the families of activists and dissidents, despite a pledge to end the practice of collective punishment, a Chinese human rights group has said in a report.The persecution, which includes intimidation and harassment, forced evictions, travel bans, criminal proceedings against family members and preventing children from...

The security deal with Beijing agreed by PM Manasseh Sogavare is under the spotlight ahead of the 17 April voteChina’s rising power in the Pacific explained in 30 secondsChina’s influence in the Pacific is being scrutinised as ally Solomon Islands prepares to hold elections this month, with two candidates indicating they would seek to review a controversial security pact between the two countries.Ties between...

Top-ranking Chinese official Zhao Leji met Kim Jong-un during three-day visit to PyongyangA top ranking Chinese official reaffirmed ties with North Korea during a meeting in Pyongyang on Saturday with the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, China’s state media reported, in the highest-level talks between the allies in years.The visit by Zhao Leji, who ranks third in the ruling Communist party hierarchy and heads the...

Prime minister testified at inquiry into foreign interference that agency’s report of China meddling wasn’t relayed to himCanada’s spy agency is under pressure after Justin Trudeau and his closest advisers say they were never made aware of a report that Beijing “clandestinely and deceptively” interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.Canada is in the midst of a contentious public inquiry “examining and...

Fitch cut to negative comes as country moves away from reliance on growth from property sectorBusiness live – latest updatesFitch has downgraded the outlook on China’s debt as it warned of increased risks to the economy while the country moves away from its reliance on growth from the property sector.On Wednesday the US-based agency said it had revised China’s sovereign credit rating from stable...

Suspects, all under 14 at time, are accused of bullying classmate over long period before killing him in Hebei last monthChina will put three boys on trial for allegedly murdering another child, a provincial prosecutor has said, in a case that has shocked the country and sparked public debate over the treatment of juvenile offenders.The three suspects, all aged under 14 at the time...

CSIS intelligence report suggests growing number of countries targeting country’s large diaspora populationsCanada’s spy agency has declared that the governments of India and Pakistan probably attempted to meddle in its elections.As a closely watched public inquiry investigates the scope of foreign interference, on Thursday night the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) released a report suggesting a growing number of countries see Canada – and...

Regulator acts after identifying concerns of possible greenwashing during review of fashion sectorShares in the British packaging group DS Smith rose after it announced that it is in discussions with a New York-listed paper producer over a £5.7bn takeover offer.London-based DS Smith confirmed that it is in talks with International Paper, the largest paper and pulp company in the world, over an all-stock offer...

Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver killed while en route from Islamabad to dam construction siteSix people have been killed after a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a dam project in north-west Pakistan, in the third significant attack on Chinese interests in the country in a week.The first two attacks targeted a Pakistani naval airbase...

Warning comes after UK and US announce sanctions against Chinese companies following mass hacking of UK dataCyber-attacks linked to Chinese intelligence agencies are increasing in capability and frequency as they seek to test foreign government responses, analysts have warned in the wake of revelations about a mass hacking of UK data.On Tuesday, the UK and US governments accused hacking group Advanced Persistent Threat 31...

Beijing dismisses chorus of concern from western governments over punitive new law as slanderChina has accused western governments and the United Nations of slander after they criticised Hong Kong’s new national security law, which was rushed through the city’s pro-Beijing parliament this week.The law, known as Article 23, covers newly defined acts of treason, espionage, theft of state secrets, sedition and foreign interference. Critics...

Latest legislative crackdown on dissent and international collaboration likely to scare off some businesses, say criticsHong Kong was once Asia’s world city, a global financial hub and business gateway to China. But the passage of new national security laws is the latest sign the door is closing.On Tuesday, article 23 was unanimously passed by Hong Kong’s unicameral, opposition-free parliament. The law covers newly defined...

Death of 13-year-old boy has put spotlight on juvenile crime and the plight of children left behind by rural migrant workersThe killing of a 13-year-old boy in northern China last week, for which three boys are in police custody, has triggered a heated discussion in the media on juvenile crime and the plight of children left at home by migrant workers.Police arrested three boys...

Company denied that Tim Cook deceived investors when he said iPhone sales were strong weeks before revenue warningApple has agreed to pay $490m to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging chief executive Tim Cook misled investors about a steep downturn in iPhone’s sales in China that culminated in a jarring revision to the company’s revenue forecast.The preliminary settlement filed Friday in Oakland, California, federal court...

Lai’s supporters say evidence of Andy Li should not be relied upon as it was obtained through torture A key prosecution witness in the trial of Jimmy Lai took the stand in a Hong Kong court on Wednesday, giving evidence that the UN’s special rapporteur has said could be tainted because of allegations of torture.Andy Li, a computer programmer turned pro-democracy activist, gave evidence...

Spavor was one of two Canadians detained in China in 2018 amid a broader diplomatic feud between the two countriesCanada’s federal government has reached a million-dollar compensation settlement with Michael Spavor, a businessman who was held by China for nearly three years amid a broader diplomatic feud between the two countries.Spavor and Michael Kovrig, who became known as “the two Michaels”, were detained by...

Foreign minister Wang Yi – speaking at the Two Sessions – said it was unacceptable some countries are at the table while others are ‘on the menu’China’s top foreign affairs official has accused the US of trying to suppress China and has vowed to deepen relations with Russia, as Beijing continues to assert the importance of what it calls a “multipolar” world order.Foreign minister...