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☆ U.S. issues hundreds of sanctions targeting Russia, takes aim at Chinese companies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian servicemen ride on an armored personnel carrier in a field near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk, on April 27, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States on Wednesday issued hundreds of fresh sanctions targeting Russia over the war in Ukraine in action that took aim at Moscow's circumvention of Western measures, including through China. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nearly 200 targets and the State Department designated more than 80 in one of the most wide-ranging actions against Chinese companies so far in Washington's sanctions aimed at Russia. China's support for Russia is one of the many issues threatening to sour the recent improvement in relations between the world's biggest economies. "The Chinese side firmly opposes the U.S.'s illegal unilateral sanctions," he said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, Yellen, Liu Pengyu Organizations: The U.S . Treasury, State Department, The U.S, Treasury, World Trade Organization, U.S Locations: Chasiv Yar, Donetsk, Ukraine, United States, Russia, China, The U.S, The, Hong Kong, Washington, U.S

☆ Taiwan's vice president-elect on 'personal trip' to U.S.; China objects
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Taiwan's vice president-elect and former de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, is in the United States this week for a private visit, a senior Taiwanese official and a U.S. spokesperson said on Tuesday, a trip China said it "firmly opposes." Taiwan's vice president-elect and former de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, is in the United States this week for a private visit, a senior Taiwanese official and a U.S. spokesperson said on Tuesday, a trip China said it "firmly opposes." China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite Taiwanese objections, and has been angered by past visits to the United States by Taiwan's president and vice president. Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Liu Pengyu said China "firmly opposes" any form of official interaction between the U.S. and "the Taiwan region," and referred to Hsiao Bi-khim as "a diehard 'Taiwan independence' separatist." "We firmly oppose any visit by Hsiao Bi-khim to the U.S. in any name or under whatever pretext," Liu said, adding that the United States should "not arrange any form of contact between the U.S. government officials and Hsiao Bi-khim."

Persons: Hsiao, Liu Pengyu, Hsiao Bi, Liu Organizations: U.S Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, China, Taiwan

☆ Congressional probe finds communications gear in Chinese cranes, raising spying concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Some Chinese-made cranes used at US ports contain communications equipment with no clear purpose or record of their installation, according to a new congressional investigation that will heighten US concerns that the cranes could be used for surveillance or sabotage. It comes amid heightened US-China tensions over national security and as the Coast Guard last month ordered the ports to better secure the Chinese-made cranes. The modems were found “on more than one occasion” on the ZPMC cranes, the aide said. Chinese-made cranes account for nearly 80% of the cranes used at US ports, according to the Coast Guard. Having modems embedded in cranes’ operational systems “physically bypasses” the ports’ traditional IT security defenses, Ayala told CNN.

Persons: Mark Green, ZPMC, “, Liu Pengyu, ” Liu, John Vann, ” Cary Davis, ”, Biden, Marco Ayala, Ayala Organizations: CNN, Homeland Security, Coast Guard, CCP, Chinese Communist Party, ”, House Homeland Security, “, Embassy, Street Journal, Coast Guard Cyber Command, American Association of Port Authorities, U.S . Coast Guard, InfraGard National, Alliance Locations: China, Washington ,, Houston

☆ US officials combing leaked documents from Chinese tech firm for clues about Chinese hacking campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —US officials have been scouring a trove of newly leaked documents from a Chinese tech firm for clues on how the government in Beijing allegedly uses the company in extensive hacking campaigns, multiple US cybersecurity officials familiar with the matter told CNN. The documents, posted anonymously online last weekend for anyone to access, include screenshots of chat logs, as well as records of employees and Chinese government clients of the tech firm I-Soon. “This is some of the best visibility we’ve had into Chinese hacking operations outside of a government SCIF,” said Adam Kozy, who used to track Chinese hackers for the FBI, using an acronym for classified facilities. In a leaked marketing presentation, I-Soon touted its participation in an unspecified hacking project for China’s Ministry of Public Security in 2018. The project “achieved significant results” and received “recognition and praise” from Chinese officials, according to a presentation slide.

Persons: Biden, ”, Adam Kozy, I’m, ” Liu Pengyu, Wu Haibo, Beijing’s, Christopher Wray, Dakota Cary, ” GitHub, “, Wu, Obama, Xi Jinping, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike, Meyers Organizations: CNN, FBI, Embassy, Telecom, China’s Ministry of Public Security, US Justice Department, US Locations: Beijing, Taiwan, India, Hong, Sichuan, China, Washington ,, Shanghai, Dakota, Asia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan

☆ UK defense secretary says a Russian victory in the Ukraine war would 'signal to China that everything is up for grabs'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewA Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden China, the UK's defense secretary, Grant Shapps, said on Wednesday. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Shapps was calling for continued support from the West for Ukraine in an op-ed for Politico, which was published Wednesday. During last year's APEC summit, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reportedly told President Joe Biden that China intended to take over Taiwan. Representatives for China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: —, Grant Shapps, Shapps, Putin, Donald Trump, William Burns, Burns, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Liu Pengyu, Liu Organizations: Service, Business, West, Politico, CIA, NBC, APEC, China's Embassy, Newsweek, Business Insider Locations: Ukraine, China, Russia's, Russia, Taiwan, Washington

☆ Meta thwarts Chinese propaganda threat to US democracy before 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meta did not attribute the network of fake Facebook accounts to a particular entity in China. It’s the latest in a series of warnings from tech firms documenting how Chinese propaganda and influence operations have more aggressively targeted American audiences in the last year. It wasn’t clear, Meta said in a report on foreign online threats published Thursday, what the Chinese network of fake accounts was trying to accomplish. While Meta and other tech firms tout their work to protect elections, recent moves by the company also show trends in the other direction. And Meta this month said it would allow political ads on its platforms to question the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.

Persons: Meta, Ron DeSantis, Nancy Pelosi, Iran —, haven’t, Nathaniel Gleicher, ” Ben Nimmo, ”, Liu Pengyu Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, Meta, Republicans, US, of Liberty, Microsoft, Embassy Locations: China, Russia, Iran, Washington

☆ Exclusive: Applied Materials under US criminal probe for shipments to China's SMIC-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A smartphone with a displayed Applied Materials logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. Shares in Applied Materials fell 7.3% after the news and the company reported quarterly results. Reuters could not determine whether Applied Materials violated the law, and it isn't clear whether the investigation will result in charges. SMIC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the shipments from Applied Materials. A spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington was not aware of the Applied Materials probe.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, SMIC, Liu Pengyu, Karen Freifeld, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Semiconductor, Applied, Justice Department, Reuters, Materials, Justice and Commerce, Attorney's, Prosecutors, National Security Unit, China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, U.S . Commerce Department, Commerce Department, Federal Register, Lam Research Corp, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: U.S, South Korea, China, Santa Clara , California, Massachusetts, Boston, Gloucester, Washington

CNN —The Chinese government has built up the world’s largest known online disinformation operation and is using it to harass US residents, politicians, and businesses—at times threatening its targets with violence, a CNN review of court documents and public disclosures by social media companies has found. Victims face a barrage of tens of thousands of social media posts that call them traitors, dogs, and racist and homophobic slurs. While tech and social media companies have shut down thousands of accounts targeting these victims, they’re outpaced by a slew of new accounts emerging virtually every day. As part of a mission “to manipulate public perceptions of [China], the Group uses its misattributed social media accounts to threaten, harass and intimidate specific victims,” the complaint states. In the past, the Spamouflage network mostly focused on issues domestically relevant to China.

Persons: –, Xi Jinping, Biden, Mike Gallagher, Chen Pokong, ”, Chen, “, Spamouflage’s, Liu Pengyu, ” Liu, Jiayang, Darren Linvill, hasn’t, Fan, Communist Party playbook, Mandiant, Nancy Pelosi, ” Ben Nimmo, George Floyd’s, Ben Nimmo, Lindsay Gorman, Gorman, ” Linvill, Linvill, Spamouflage, Jiajun Qiu, Qiu, ” Qiu Organizations: CNN, US State Department, FBI, Communist Party, Meta, Google, ”, CCP, US Department of Justice, Department, DOJ, China’s Ministry of Public Security, Group, New Yorker, telltale, Media, Clemson University, Capitol, Department of Homeland Security, Marshall Fund’s Alliance, Securing Democracy, YouTube Locations: United States, Beijing, San Francisco, China “, New York, China, New York City, America, Washington, Hong Kong, US, Texas, Virginia, Manassas , Virginia

☆ China's crackdown on Foxconn, one of Apple's biggest suppliers, shows Beijing is willing to sacrifice its economy for political power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China has launched investigations into Taiwan's Foxconn over its land use in mainland China. AdvertisementAdvertisementEven Foxconn, China's largest private-sector employer, isn't immune from Beijing's whims. Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is a huge contributor to China's employment and economic growth. Given how important Foxconn is to China's economy, it's a sign that Beijing is willing to make some sacrifices in its economy for political reasons, Liu said. China's economy is in tattersChina's economy has struggled to recover after nearly three years of on-off COVID-19 lockdowns.

Persons: —, Terry Gou, Foxconn, William Lai, KMT's Hou Yu, Ko Wen, Anna Ashton, Lai, China —, Gabriel Wildau, Zhu Fenglian, Dongshu Liu, Liu, they've, Insider's Linette Lopez, Xi, Lee Miller, Lopez, Liu Pengyu Organizations: Service, Hai Precision Industry, Apple, Democratic Progressive Party, ih, Taiwan People's Party, Eurasia Group, Gzero Media, KMT, Teneo Holdings, Bloomberg, Foxconn, Taiwan Affairs Office, City University of Hong, WPP, DC Locations: China, Beijing, Taiwan —, Taiwan, Taipei, New York, City University of Hong Kong, tatters, Washington, Foxconn

☆ With a trove of declassified images, the US is shining a light on risky Chinese maneuvers it says could lead to war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US has released a trove of declassified photos and videos of Chinese intercepts of US aircraft. Risky intercepts have caused accidents before, and there's growing fear an accident now could lead to war. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese jet during "a coercive and risky" intercept of US plane over the East China Sea in April 2022. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese jet during "a coercive and risky" intercept of a US plane over the South China Sea in June 2022. A Chinese jet conducting "a coercive and risky" intercept of a US plane over the South China Sea in January 2022.

Persons: —, Ely Ratner, That's, Ratner, Iain Huddleston, John Aquilino, Aquilino, Liu Pengyu, Liu, Lloyd Austin, I've, Michael Chase, Chase, Amanda Hsiao, Hsiao, Xi Jinping Organizations: US, Service, US Defense Department, US Air Force, Pacific Command, Pentagon, PLA, Canadian, Canadian Air Division, Canadian NORAD, People's Liberation Army, Embassy, Washington DC, Southern Theater, Maritime, US Defense Department Experts, China, Crisis, US Defense Department China, South China Locations: China, East China, North Korea, South, East, Washington, Beijing

☆ Five Eyes intelligence chiefs warn on China's 'theft' of intellectual property
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Zeba Siddiqui | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The officials from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand - known as the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network - made the comments following meetings with private companies in the U.S. innovation hub Silicon Valley. From quantum technology and robotics to biotechnology and artificial intelligence, China was stealing secrets in various sectors, the officials said. In response, Chinese government spokesman Liu Pengyu said the country was committed to intellectual property protection. The U.S. has long accused China of intellectual property theft and the issue has been a key sore point in U.S.-China relations. "The Chinese government is engaged in the most sustained scaled and sophisticated theft of intellectual property and expertise in human history," said Mike Burgess, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's director-general.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Jim Bourg, Wray, Liu Pengyu, Mike Burgess, Burgess, we've, Zeba Siddiqui, Jamie Freed Organizations: Committee, Federal Bureau of Investigation, REUTERS, Rights STANFORD, FBI, Reuters, The, Australian Security Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, California, China, United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, U.S, Valley . U.S, Washington, The U.S, Australian, Stanford , California

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. says it has accepted an invitation to attend China's top annual security forum in late October, the latest sign of potentially warming ties between the two countries' militaries. The Pentagon did not say whom China had invited or who from the U.S. side would attend, and China's embassy in Washington also declined to give details. Before 2019, the U.S. often sent embassy defense attaches. CHINA'S DEFENSE MINISTERAs China's defense minister, Li typically would give a keynote speech at the forum and meet with delegations. Beijing has offered no official explanation about Li's fate and his disappearance raises questions about how this year's forum will be conducted.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Li Shangfu, Nancy Pelosi's, China, China Chad Sbragia, Li, Sbragia, –, Xi, Liu Pengyu, Michael Martina, Idrees Ali, Don Durfee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S, Pentagon, Reuters, China's People's Liberation Army, PLA, Beijing Xiangshan, Defense, Xi Jinping's Global Security Initiative, Washington, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, China, Beijing, United States, Taiwan, Russia, Austin

WASHINGTON (AP) — For much of the world, China’s Xinjiang region is notorious, a place where ethnic Uyghurs face forced labor and arbitrary detention. The trip is an example of what Washington sees as Beijing’s growing efforts to reshape the global narrative on China. Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded that China tell its story to the world so Beijing would be trusted and respected. In Xinjiang, Beijing has brought in diplomats and foreign journalists on tightly orchestrated trips with minders in tow. While the State Department report focused on Beijing's global influence efforts outside the United States, its findings are similar to those documented in the U.S. by think tanks and advocacy groups.

Persons: ”, Jamie Rubin, Liu Pengyu, Xi Jinping, Yi Fan, Sarah Cook, Glenn Tiffert Organizations: WASHINGTON, State Department, Engagement, Embassy, China, United Nations, Global Times, China News, Senate Intelligence, Freedom, Hoover Institute Locations: Xinjiang, Beijing, China, United States, U.S, Washington, ” Beijing, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Moscow, Iranian, Western, Taiwan

☆ China and India are so far into frenemy zone that they may never join forces to topple the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The economist who coined the "BRIC" acronym said the currency idea seemed "crazy." The bloc is helmed by the major emerging nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It also appears that it's just Russia and Brazil that have really pushed for a BRICS common currency. But even if a BRICS currency comes to pass, its use could be limited. AdvertisementAdvertisementPrakash said a BRICS currency would be used in "very narrow and vertical settings, or for BRICS projects."

Persons: —, Washington, Joseph Sullivan —, There's, Jim O'Neill, Goldman Sachs, O'Neill, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Xi, didn't, Li Qiang, Liu Pengyu, Modi, Liu, there's, Abishur Prakash, it's, China hasn't, Palit, Prakash Organizations: Service, White House, Indian, Monetary Fund, China's, UN, China, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Affairs Ministry Locations: China, India, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, Europe, Africa, Beijing, New Delhi, Johannesburg, China's Washington, DC, BRICS

The Commerce Department, which oversees export controls, is working on an update of export restrictions first released last year. "The PRC has been expecting an update around the one year anniversary, based on conversations with administration officials," the U.S. official said, using the abbreviation for People's Republic of China. U.S. officials provided the information to Chinese counterparts in recent weeks, the official said, which Reuters is reporting for the first time. The Biden administration has also sent a series of high-level officials to China, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in August. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also gave Chinese officials a warning in July about restrictions on U.S. investment in China released in August.

Persons: Florence Lo, Biden, Gina Raimondo, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Liu Pengyu, Peter Harrell, Janet Yellen, Xi, ASML, Alexandra Alper, Karen Freifeld, Chris Sanders, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Beijing, U.S, Commerce Department, People's, Reuters, National, Foreign, of Commerce, White House, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: China, WASHINGTON, People's Republic of China, Beijing, U.S, United States, Washington, Asia, San Francisco, Bali, India, Netherlands, Japan

CNN —China appears to have suspended its surveillance balloon program following a major diplomatic incident earlier this year, when one of the country’s high-altitude spy balloons transited the United States, multiple sources familiar with US intelligence assessments told CNN. The apparent suspension of the program comes as both the US and China have sought to stabilize an increasingly tense relationship. The US assessed at the time that the spy balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, CNN has previously reported. “We believe that (the balloon) did not collect while it was transiting the United States or flying over the United States, and certainly the efforts that we made contributed,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. The more sensitive radar systems led the US military to spot more unidentified objects in US airspace, however, leading to three additional shootdowns of unidentified high-altitude objects in the weeks following the Chinese balloon incident.

Persons: Liu Pengyu, majeure, ” Liu, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi “, Xi, ”, Biden, Antony Blinken, Nancy Pelosi, enraging Xi, Christopher Johnson, Johnson, ’ ” Johnson, Pat Ryder Ryder, Trump, Glen VanHerck Organizations: CNN, Communist Party, US, Economic Cooperation, CIA, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Foreign Ministry, FBI, Pentagon, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command Locations: China, United States, American, Beijing, Taiwan, Hainan, Alaska, Canada, Idaho, Montana, Asia, San Francisco, United

☆ Chinese operatives are using AI photos to trick American voters and turn them against each other, Microsoft says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft warned that China has been using AI-generated images to sow discord among US voters. Microsoft analysts said it was posted by an account suspected of being run as a Chinese influence operation. "This relatively high-quality visual content has already drawn higher levels of engagement from authentic social media users," the analysts warned. Videos of their protests were then "amplified" by social media accounts used by the operatives, Mandiant added. The social media company said it removed all of them.

Persons: Clint Watts, Watts, Liu Pengyu, Mandiant, Meta Organizations: Microsoft, Embassy, Washington , D.C, Service, Analysts, Chinese Communist Party, Liberty, CCP, Facebook Locations: China, Washington ,, Wall, Silicon, North Korea, Xinjiang

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo talks to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Tuesday, August 29, 2023. "China is actively advancing its high-level opening-up and making efforts to provide a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework," he said. Asked what her message was to U.S. business in China, Raimondo said: "The message is to continue to do what you're doing. She is pressing China to take actions to improve business conditions. That sentiment was echoed by Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, who said "'uninvestible' is not a term we would use to describe China", instead describing it as "under-invested."

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Li Qiang, Andy Wong, Biden, Raimondo, Liu Pengyu, Michael Hart, Hart, Jens Eskelund, Chen Jining, Chen, Walt Disney, David Shepardson, Andrea Shalal, Nicoco Chan, Jason Xue, Joe Cash, Martin Quin Polland, Lun Tian, Laurie Chen, Sandra Maler, Robert Birsel Organizations: Commerce, of, People, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Commerce, U.S . Commerce Department, Global, American Chamber of Commerce, European Union Chamber of Commerce, chipmaker Micron Technology, Micron, Shanghai, Shanghai Disneyland, Walt, Shendi Group, Boeing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights SHANGHAI, WASHINGTON, United States, Washington, Shanghai, U.S, New York

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo talks to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Tuesday, August 29, 2023. "China is actively advancing its high-level opening-up and making efforts to provide a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework," he said. Raimondo is in Shanghai on Wednesday for the last day of meetings before returning to the United States. Asked what her message was to U.S. business in China, Raimondo said: "The message is to continue to do what you're doing. Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said businesses had been "very clear" in making their concerns known to the Chinese government.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Li Qiang, Andy Wong, Biden, Raimondo, Liu Pengyu, Michael Hart, Hart, Chen Jining, Chen, Walt Disney, David Shepardson, Andrea Shalal, Chan, Jason Xue, Joe Cash, Martin Quin Polland, Tian, Sandra Maler, Robert Birsel Organizations: Commerce, of, People, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Commerce, Commerce Department, Global, American Chamber of Commerce, chipmaker Micron Technology, Micron, Shanghai, Shanghai Disneyland, Walt, Shendi Group, Boeing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights SHANGHAI, WASHINGTON, United States, Washington, Shanghai, U.S, New York

WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has tightened controls on the export of materials and components for nuclear power plants to China, saying it would ensure the items were used only for peaceful purposes and not the proliferation of atomic weapons. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the federal agency responsible for nuclear energy safety, also requires exporters to get specific licenses to export special nuclear material and source material. That includes different types of uranium as well as deuterium, a hydrogen isotope that, in large amounts, could be used in reactors to make tritium, a nuclear weapons component. China opposes "putting geopolitical interests above nuclear non-proliferation efforts," he said. Two exports to China of the regulated nuclear materials occurred under a general license in the last year.

Persons: Biden, Liu Pengyu, Edwin Lyman, Henry Sokolski, Donald Trump's, Timothy Gardner, Michael Martina, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Industry and Security, Commerce Department, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC, U.S, Nuclear Weapons, Union of, Pentagon, Nonproliferation, Education Center . U.S, Westinghouse, Thomson Locations: China, Washington, Beijing, U.S, United States

[1/2] A general view of the sun rising behind the White House in Washington, U.S. January 22, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's comment about China being a "ticking time bomb" referred to internal economic and social tensions that could have an effect on how Beijing interacts with the world, a White House official said Friday. Kirby defended the funding request, saying, "Yes, this is an urgent need for us to be able to provide an alternative." Biden told donors: "China is a ticking time bomb ... China is in trouble. Liu said China's GDP growth continued to provide an important support for the development of the global economy.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden's, John Kirby, Kirby, Liu Pengyu, Biden, Liu, We've, Xi Jinping, Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina, Chris Reese, David Gregorio Our Organizations: White, REUTERS, Reuters, China's National Bureau, Statistics, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Beijing, Utah, Washington, United States, India

☆ US military responded to Chinese and Russian vessels near Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Russian and Chinese naval patrol consisting of several vessels operated off the coast of Alaska last week, defense officials and lawmakers said over the weekend – a show of force that prompted a US military response but did not pose a threat to the US or Canada, a US Northern Command spokesperson told CNN. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command deployed planes and ships to monitor the Russian and Chinese patrol, which stayed in international waters, the spokesperson said. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski said in a statement Saturday that a total of 11 Russian and Chinese vessels had been operating near the Aleutian Islands, and were met in response by four US Navy destroyers. “For that reason, I was heartened to see that this latest incursion was met with four U.S. Navy destroyers, which sends a strong message to (Chinese President) Xi Jinping and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that the United States will not hesitate to protect and defend our vital national interests in Alaska,” Sullivan said. Russia and China have intensified their defense and economic partnership considerably since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to a July US intelligence report, and the countries have repeatedly pledged to strengthen their military ties.

Persons: Alaska’s Republican Sens, Dan Sullivan, Lisa Murkowski, Murkowski, Sullivan, Liu Pengyu, ” Sullivan, Xi Jinping, Vladimir, Putin Organizations: CNN, Northern Command, NORTHCOM, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Alaska’s Republican, US Navy, Alaska Command, US Coast Guard, U.S . Navy Locations: Alaska, Canada, U.S, Aleutians, Russian, United States, Russia, China, Ukraine

☆ U.S. will not invite sanctioned Hong Kong leader to APEC in November
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who faces sanctions in the U.S., will not be invited to San Francisco during November's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The U.S. is set to host this year's gathering of leaders of APEC, of which Hong Kong is a member. Hong Kong's top official John Lee was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2020 because of his role in implementing what Washington deems a "draconian" Hong Kong national security law when he was the city's security secretary. A State Department spokesperson, asked about the decision, said the participation of all delegations in APEC events will be "in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations and on the basis of the spirit and principles of APEC." "We will work with Hong Kong, China to ensure appropriate participation in San Francisco," the spokesperson said, adding without giving details that U.S. President Joe Biden had begun sending invitations for the event.

Persons: John Lee, Hong, Hong Kong's, Marco Rubio, Lee, Rubio, Hong Kongers, " Rubio, Joe Biden, Liu Pengyu, Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: San, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Washington, Hong, Reuters, Republican, U.S . State Department, U.S, The Washington, State Department, U.S . Treasury Department, China's Locations: Hong Kong, U.S, San Francisco, November's Asia, United States, China, Washington

☆ Pro-Chinese online influence campaign promoted protests in Washington, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Chinese marketing firm likely organized and promoted protests in Washington last year as part of a wide-ranging pro-Beijing influence campaign, according to new research. One of the protests only attracted roughly a dozen people but it showed the scope and ambition of the pro-China efforts. The hired protesters, who included self-proclaimed musicians and actors in the Washington, DC, area, apparently had no idea they were being enlisted in a pro-China influence campaign, the Mandiant researchers said. Haixun, the Chinese firm, distributed videos of the protesters online to further the influence campaign, according to Mandiant. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said he was unaware of the details of the research.

Persons: Mandiant, ” Ryan Serabian, Liu Pengyu, ” Liu, Joe Biden, Republican Sen, Marco Rubio Organizations: CNN, China, Shanghai Haixun Technology, Embassy, Washington Post, stoke American, FBI, Republican Locations: Washington, Beijing, China, Xinjiang, DC, Shanghai, Mandiant, Russia, Marco Rubio of Florida

☆ U.S., Dutch set to hit China's chipmakers with one-two punch
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Japan, home to chip equipment makers Nikon and Tokyo Electron , has since adopted rules to restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment that will take effect July 23. ASML said in March it expects the Dutch regulations to affect its TWINSCAN NXT:2000i and more sophisticated models. But the company's older DUV models, like one called the TWINSCAN NXT:1980Di, could also be kept from about six Chinese facilities by the U.S. The new Dutch regulations will not take effect immediately, sources said, with one person expecting the effective date to be September, two months after publication. ASML is Europe's largest chip equipment company due to its dominance in lithography, one of the central steps in the computer chip making process.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Joe Biden, Liu Pengyu, ASML Organizations: . Commerce Department, Lam Research, Materials, Embassy, Nikon, Tokyo, U.S, SMIC, International Locations: Netherlands, U.S, China, United States, Washington, Japan, ASML'S, Almere

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