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SYDNEY/BEIJING Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australia scored a significant win for influence in the Pacific Islands region with a trump card that China, seeking to expand security ties, doesn't have: the opportunity of resettlement. "It is something China can't do," said Australian National University Pacific expert Graeme Smith. "China can turn up and offer more infrastructure money... they can't turn up and offer this kind of resettlement relationship. Australia also will be able to block any policing deal between China and Tuvalu - as well as any telecommunications, energy or port deal - under its treaty. "Cooperation in the Pacific region tends to focus on non-traditional security, including maintenance of public security and infrastructure to deal with climate change," he added.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Graeme Smith, Richard Marles, Peter Dean, Smith, Wang Yiwei, Kirsty Needham, Martin Pollard, Miral Organizations: SYDNEY, Pacific, Australian National University Pacific, Pacific Islanders, Defence, United States Studies Centre, Albanese's, Pacific Games, State, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Renmin University, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Australia, China, Tuvalu, Washington, Beijing, Rarotonga, Sydney, Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Kiribati, U.S, United States, Pacific

BEIJING, Nov 7 (Reuters) - One of the few independently funded English-language publications to cover China in depth for Western audiences, "The China Project", is to close because of a lack of funding, its editor-in-chief, Jeremy Goldkorn, wrote in a post. The China Project, which began as a newsletter in 2016 and was formerly known as SupChina, expanded to become a "news and business intelligence company focused on helping a global audience understand China", it says on its website. But as with a number of online-based media companies in recent years, such as Buzzfeed News, financing became a problem. "The media business is precarious," Goldkorn wrote in a statement on the website. The company sought to produce "balanced" reporting on China and U.S.-China-themed topics.

Persons: Jeremy Goldkorn, Goldkorn, Bob Guterma, Martin Quin Pollard, Laurie Chen, Casey Hall, Brenda Goh, Robert Birsel Organizations: China, Media, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, U.S

☆ China to accelerate issuance of government bonds, finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman walks in the Central Business District (CBD) on a hazy morning in Beijing, China, October 25, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, China, Nov 5 (Reuters) - China will accelerate the issuance and use of government bonds, state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday citing an interview with new finance minister Lan Foan. "The Ministry of Finance will continue to implement a proactive fiscal policy, focus on improving efficiency, and better play the effectiveness of fiscal policy," said Lan, who also noted the "complex domestic and international situation". Some new local government debt quotas for 2024 have been issued in advance to reasonably ensure local financing needs, he said. The top parliamentary body last month approved the issuance of 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion) in sovereign bonds in the fourth quarter to fund rebuilding of areas affected by floods, state media reported.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Lan Foan, Lan, Liu Kun, Martin Quin Pollard, Wang Shuyan, William Mallard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Central Business, REUTERS, Rights, Xinhua, Ministry, Finance, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanxi

☆ Australia's Albanese, in China, Seeks Dialogue, Cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Brenda GohSHANGHAI, China (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, starting the first visit to China by a leader of his country in seven years, said on Sunday it was "in all our interests" to have a bilateral relationship with dialogue and cooperation. Australia will continue to work constructively with China, he said in a short speech to the annual China International Import Expo in Shanghai, which was opened by Premier Li Qiang. Albanese is the first Australian leader to visit China since 2016, part of an effort to patch up relations that had deteriorated over several years due to disputes over Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, espionage and COVID-19. Before leaving Australia on Saturday, he said his much-anticipated visit to meet with President Xi Jinping and Li marked a "very positive step" in stabilising strained bilateral ties. (Reporting by Brenda Goh and Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by William Mallard)

Persons: Brenda Goh, Anthony Albanese, Li Qiang, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Li, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Australia's, China, Huawei, Australia Locations: Brenda Goh SHANGHAI, China, Australia, Shanghai

The individuals' accounts varied but were consistent in describing heightened scrutiny of overseas travel even after China reopened borders in January. Reuters is reporting these measures and the scope of some post-COVID travel curbs for the first time. NEW LIMITSRestrictions on personal foreign travel have long applied to senior government officials and state executives with access to confidential information. MAPPING CONNECTIONSChinese authorities are also scrutinising personal foreign ties, according to a document seen by Reuters, one of the 10 people who discussed travel curbs and three other state-enterprise workers with knowledge of the matter. Thomas said the travel curbs in particular would have implications for China's interactions with the world.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Xi, Neil Thomas, Thomas, Wang Zhi'an, Engen Tham, Julie Zhu, Kane Wu, Xie Yu, Martin Quin Pollard, David Crawshaw, Vidya Ranganathan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Asia Society, Center for, State, Information Office, Communist Party, China Construction Bank, China Development Bank, National Council for Social Security Fund, Municipal Eco, Communist, Communist Youth League, Ministry of State Security, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Beijing, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, Center for China, Washington, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Japan, Italy

WADA said North Korea was still non-compliant with its anti-doping code and the OCA had failed to enforce its sanction. "North Korea, the DPRK Korea, has also written a letter to them very lately telling them that the borders have opened and they can send the doping control officers for the testing which the WADA has agreed and they will be shortly sending it to the DPRK, to North Korea," Tiwari added. North Korea won 11 golds in Hangzhou, including in artistic gymnastics, shooting, wrestling, boxing and six in weightlifting. It was the first international multi-sport event North Korea attended since the 2018 edition in Jakarta. North Korea closed its borders for nearly four years because of COVID-19.

Persons: Kim Kyung, WADA, Vinod Kumar Tiwari, It's, Tiwari, Martin Quin Pollard, Robert Birsel Organizations: North, Rights, Olympic Council of Asia, Hangzhou Asian, Doping Agency, Olympic, Paralympic Games, OCA, DPRK, North Korea, International Olympic Committee, Beijing, Games, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, North Korea, Rights HANGZHOU, Korea, DPRK Korea, Jakarta . North Korea, Tokyo

[1/8] Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - Closing Ceremony - Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Hangzhou, China - October 8, 2023 A view of the handover ceremony at the closing ceremony REUTERS/Marko Djurica Acquire Licensing RightsHANGZHOU, China, Oct 8 (Reuters) - China's eastern city of Hangzhou rounded off the 19th Asian Games on Sunday with a colourful and "joy"-themed closing ceremony after hosting the continental sporting extravaganza which organisers hailed as "one of the finest" ever. Taking place amid tight security the less-than two hour ceremony also included a handover to the hosts of the next Asian Games in 2026, the Japanese city Nagoya. The hosts' 201st gold left them two better than their previous best of 199 at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Organisers said 12,407 athletes from 45 nations competed in 40 sports at the Hangzhou Games, which were delayed for a year due to COVID-19. "We have hosted the most successful Asian Games in history" said Chen Weiqiang, Executive Secretary General of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee and vice-mayor of Hangzhou.

Persons: Marko Djurica, Li Qiang, jigged, Takashi Kawamura, Randhir Singh, Gu Shiau, Kazakhstan's Moldir, Chen Weiqiang, WADA, Martin Quin Pollard, Ian Ransom, Christian Schmollinger, Toby Chopra, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Rights, Games, Nagoya, Mainichi, Olympic Council of Asia, energised, Bangkok Games, Hangzhou Games, Hangzhou Asian Games, Doping Agency, Olympic, Paralympic Games, Olympic Council of, OCA Locations: Hangzhou, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Nagoya, Nanjing, Aichi, Guangzhou, Jakarta, Japan, Macau, North, Korea, Olympic Council of Asia

"It's very special," said one of Taiwan's female breakers, 25-year-old Yang Jia-li, who added that breaking had massively boosted her confidence. Along with esports' debut as a medal event in Hangzhou, organisers hope "breaking" can help lure young viewers turned off by traditional Games sports. A counter-cultural art-form born in the streets of New York City decades ago, breakdancing is judged against broad criteria in competition. "But before the Olympics we've been doing competitions even in our (underground breaking) culture. “I'm getting used to it and I'm getting used to these sport rules.

Persons: breakdancing, Yang Jia, esports, Sun Zhen, Meng Changqing, Meng, Kim Heon, we've, Kim, I’m, “ I'm, ”, Sun, Ian Ransom, Ken Ferris Organizations: Asian Games, Paris, Sporting, Games, Asian, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Eastern, Hangzhou, New York, South Korea

Work is under way on a joint statement that would be issued during the visit, four people informed about the negotiations told Reuters. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Reuters GraphicsSTATE VISIT PREPARATIONSOne of the sources said China had sent a team to Hanoi to organise accommodations for Xi's delegation. China's foreign minister Wang Yi was expected to visit Hanoi in mid-October to help finalise the joint statement, the source added, if sufficient progress on the text has been made. As China's president, Xi travelled to Vietnam twice, with his latest visit in 2017, when he attended an Asia-Pacific summit with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and other leaders.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Florence, Joe Biden's, Xi, Pham Thu, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Khanh Vu, Francesco Guarascio, Martin Pollard, Yew, Tian, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Graphics STATE, Vietnam, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Vietnam, HANOI, BEIJING, Hanoi, Washington, Vietnam's, United States, Europe, Asia, U.S, Singapore, South

The Indian eventually won the Asiad gold thanks to getting 88.88 metres on his fourth registered effort. Soon Chopra went over to speak to them to protest because he knew his was a "good throw". "I fight (protest my case) with them because it was a good throw. And I asked them what happened, what happened? "So I was a little disappointed because it was a good throw, and there was a good wind behind me as well."

Persons: India's Neeraj Chopra, India's Kishore Kumar Jena, Japan's Roderick Genki Dean, Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena, Chopra, I'm, Klaus Bartonietz, “, Bartonietz, It's, ”, Wu Yanni, Martin Quin Pollard Organizations: Olympic Sports Centre, Hangzhou Asian, Olympic, Indian, Games, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, HANGZHOU

Just before 8 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Saturday, Kuwait's Ali Zankawi lined up for one of his throws in the men's hammer final at the eastern Chinese city's packed Olympic stadium. But instead of soaring straight onto the outfield, the hammer flew out sideways and low to the right, smashing into the leg of the sitting technical official. Looking horrified, Zankawi sprinted over as blood began spurting from the official's right leg. The official, Huang Qinhua, 62, grimaced and swayed dizzily as Zankawi rushed to check on him, blood shooting out of the wound. The netting in athletics is designed to hang relatively loosely to prevent hammer balls and discuses from bouncing back at the athletes after misthrows.

Persons: Kuwait's Ali Zankawi, Dylan Martinez, Zankawi, Huang Qinhua, grimaced, dizzily, Huang, Xu Deqing, China's Wang Qi, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Olympic Sports Centre, Rights, Asian, misthrows, Weibo, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Rights HANGZHOU

Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min secured the exemption after his Korean team won gold at the last Games in Jakarta in 2018. K-pop star Suga, songwriter and rapper for the boy band supergroup BTS, began the enlistment process for mandatory military service last month, making him the third BTS member to go off to perform the military duty. The military service law was amended several years ago to allow selected K-pop megastars to defer their service to aged 30, but not to avoid it entirely, with a large section of the population against giving stars like BTS special treatment. "We have players (in the current squad) who have been exempt from military service by winning gold medals in past editions of the games, but... we also several players who have not yet avoided military service. "But of course, because a gold medal gives one an exemption, and we have many who haven't done their service yet... we should perform at our best and get the gold."

Persons: Lee, Kelley L Cox, Son Heung, Kwon, Suga, Faker, Lee Sang, Baek, chul, Kim Woomin, I’m, ” Kim, Choo Il Seung, I'm, Heo Hoon, Martin Quin Pollard, Eduardo Baptista, Ian Ransom, Toby Davis Organizations: DRX, League of, Chase Center, USA, Rights, South, Hangzhou Asian Games, North, Asian Games, Tottenham Hotspur, Korean, BTS, League, China, Qatar, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, USA, Rights HANGZHOU, China, North Korea, South, Jakarta, Korea, Hangzhou, Qatar, Beijing

HANGZHOU, China Sept 27 (Reuters) - Cui Chenxi became China's youngest Asian Games gold medallist on Wednesday after the 13-year-old skateboarder won the women's street event on day four of competition in Hangzhou. With an eye-catching performance featuring several 'Ollies' and a huge move off a high rail, which several of her competitors avoided, Cui took gold ahead of compatriot Zeng Wenhui, 18, with Japanese 16-year-old Miyu Ito taking bronze. Cui, who hails from China's eastern Shandong province, only took up skateboarding in 2020 when China's COVID restrictions meant she could not practice rollerblading, which she began as a three-year-old. Each athlete's highest scoring run and two highest scoring tricks were then added together to reach a final score. Margielyn Didal, who won gold for the Philippines at the 2018 Asian Games, is still only 24 yet she seemed like a veteran with all her competitors in the final 18 or under.

Persons: Cui Chenxi, Cui, Zeng Wenhui, Miyu Ito, Margielyn Didal, Didal, I'm, Martin Quin Pollard, Dylan Martinez, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Asian, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Hangzhou, China's, Shandong, Philippines

☆ Thailand win first esports medal as princess rides in
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - E-Sports - China Hangzhou Esports Centre, Hangzhou, China - September 26, 2023 Players from Team Thailand prepare before the Arena of Valor Asian Games Version Bronze Medal Match REUTERS/Ann Wang Acquire Licensing RightsHANGZHOU, China, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Thailand claimed the first esports medal awarded at the Asian Games on Tuesday in an event closely watched by Olympic officials as a princess of the kingdom made a royal entrance to the equestrian event. But an enthusiastic crowd of locals cheered on the Thais at the Hangzhou Esports Centre as they prevailed 2-0 in a best-of-three match for the popular mobile phone game developed by a Chinese tech firm. The players tapped their small screens furiously and communicated with team mates via headsets throughout a contest that stretched to nearly 40 minutes. If esports is the future of the Games, Thai Princess Sirivannavari Mahidol represented its past as she made a regal entrance on a horse named 'Es Fangar's Samba King' in the dressage team event. "Luckily our father is supporting us," said the princess, who represented Thailand in badminton at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar and equestrian at Incheon in 2014.

Persons: Ann Wang, Sirivannavari Mahidol, King Vajiralongkorn, Zhang Boheng, Zhang, Takeru Kitazono, nation's, Lee Hye, kyeong, Kwon, Martin Quin Pollard, Peter Rutherford Organizations: China Hangzhou Esports, Team Thailand, of Valor, REUTERS, Rights, Asian Games, Olympic, Vietnam, esports, Jakarta Asian, Thais, Hangzhou Esports, Thailand, Games, South, Doping Agency, Olympic Council of Asia, OCA, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China Hangzhou, China Hangzhou Esports Centre, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Thailand, Bangkok, Sorawat, India, Qatar, Incheon, North, Jakarta, Communist, Korean

Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - E-Sports - China Hangzhou Esports Centre, Hangzhou, China - September 26, 2023 Players from Team China talk during the Arena of Valor Asian Games Version Final REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHANGZHOU, China Sept 26 (Reuters) - China won the first gold esports medal in Asian Games history in the Eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Tuesday by beating Malaysia in the smartphone multiplayer battle game “Arena of Valor”, to delight fans in the world’s biggest esports market. the Chinese players shouted in a huddle on the stage just before the match began, triggering another loud cheer from spectators, before taking their seats for the "Arena of Valor" final. Thailand earlier claimed the Games' first esports medal by beating Vietnam for the bronze. The market generated $445 million in 2022 or 64.8% of the Asian esports market and China boasts 400 million esports fans, also the highest number globally, according to data from leading Asian video game market analysts Niko Partners. "Esports players are not just sitting on the chair.

Persons: Ann Wang, Tapping, Jiang Tao, Xu Bicheng, esports, Yvonne Yu, “, Xi Jinping, Serkan Toto, Niko Partners, Wong Kang Woon, Malaysia's, Martin Quin Pollard, Xihao Jiang, Ian Ransom, Ken Ferris Organizations: China Hangzhou Esports, Team China, of Valor, Rights, Malaysia, “, Valor, Asian Games, HK, Games, China Media Group, Research, Kantan Games, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China Hangzhou, China Hangzhou Esports Centre, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Thailand, Vietnam

After receiving their silver medal in the men's team 10m running target, their country's first of the Games, the three North Korean athletes first broke with tradition by declining to turn towards the flag during the rendition of the national anthem of the winners, South Korea. Then, during the customary group photo, where all medal winners bunch together for the cameras, the bronze medallists, Indonesia, joined South Korea on the top rung of the podium, but the three North Koreans, Kwon Kwang-il, Pak Myong-won and Songjun Yu, did not. During a brief, but awkward delay one of the South Koreans tapped one of the North Koreans on the shoulder and tried to speak to them, but the North Koreans kept silent and did not even look to their left where their rivals stood. The Hangzhou Asian Games is the first international multi-sport event North Korea is attending since the 2018 edition in Jakarta. The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty meaning the two sides are still technically at war.

Persons: Jeong, Kwon Kwang, Pak Myong, Songjun Yu, Martin Quin Pollard, Dylan Martinez, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Sports Centre, North, South, Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Koreans, Olympic Council of Asia, Hangzhou, International Olympic Committee, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, HANGZHOU, South Korea, Indonesia, North Koreans, North Korea, Korea, Jakarta . North Korea, Tokyo

Earlier the Bangladesh women's cricket team beat Pakistan in the bronze match to claim the country's first Asian Games medal since 2014 at Incheon, South Korea. Cricket, which has hopes of becoming an Olympic sport, returned to the Asian Games this year after being omitted from the last edition in Indonesia in 2018. The South Korean did not disappoint his legions of fans on Monday, helping his Korean team beat Kazakhstan 1-0 in one of the preliminary matches in the 'League of Legends' category. GROUP PHOTOElsewhere on day two of competition, three North Korean marksmen refused to join their South Korean rivals in a group photo of medal winners after narrowly missing out on gold in a men's team shooting competition. "It was really fun," she said after her seventh-placed finish in the women's park, an event won by Japan's Hinano Kusaki.

Persons: India's Divyansh Singh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil, Dylan Martinez, Lee Sang, Anna Prakaten, Panipak Wongpattanakit, Guo Qing, Hong Kong's Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, it’s, I’m, Japan's Hinano, Martin Quin Pollard, Ian Ransom, Peter Rutherford, Ken Ferris Organizations: Sports Centre, India, Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Sri, Asian Games, Bangladesh women's, Pakistan, Cricket, Olympic, Korean, Kazakhstan, League, North, South, Tokyo, Russian Olympic Committee, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, HANGZHOU, Sri Lanka, Guangzhou, Bangladesh, Incheon, South Korea, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Philippines

"OCA is looking into it, definitely," as well as organisers and the government, Singh told a press conference in the eastern Chinese host city, Hangzhou. The three wushu fighters from the state of Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas instead of stamped ones, India's foreign ministry said. Wei Jizhong, chairman of the OCA's ethics committee, told reporters last week that China did not refuse entry to the athletes. New Delhi vociferously rejects the claim, saying Arunachal Pradesh has always been part of India. At the Asian Games, delayed by a year due to COVID-19, some 12,400 athletes from 45 nations are competing for 481 gold medals across a huge programme of 40 sports.

Persons: Stanley Cheah, Raja Randhir Singh, Singh, Wei Jizhong, Tibet . New Delhi vociferously, Ian Ransom, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, Olympic Council of Asia, Singapore, Reuters, Rights, Asian Games, OCA, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Arunachal Pradesh, India, Beijing, Tibet . New Delhi, New Delhi

HANGZHOU, China, Sept 23 (Reuters) - China's eastern city of Hangzhou stepped up security ahead of the Asian Games opening ceremony later on Saturday as organisers hope to get the sporting extravaganza off to a smooth start with President Xi Jinping among the dignitaries set to attend. Roads in a sizeable 'traffic control area' around the city's Olympic stadium were blocked off, at least one metro station was shut, and other Games centres were closed off ahead of an opening ceremony organisers say will be "mesmerizing". Some of those making the trek out towards the stadium were left frustrated by the size of the sealed off area. Organisers hope a high-tech opening ceremony on Saturday will help drum up excitement for the Games. Dozens of smiling volunteers greeted arriving journalists in Hangzhou this week, with some expressing relief that the event was finally getting started.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Li Jian, Xiaolan, @Future, Xi, Beijing's, Bashar al, Assad, Anurag Thakur, Martin Quin Pollard, Ian Ransom, Xihao Jiang, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Games, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Hangzhou, Asia, Syria, India, Tokyo

HANGZHOU, China, Sept 21 (Reuters) - China hopes to make a splash with the Asian Games, opening on Saturday, but nationwide excitement has been muted as the economy sputters and some locals question the cost of the sporting extravaganza. Organisers this week expressed confidence in holding a "magnificent" games, thanks to President Xi Jinping’s "important instructions" and great, broad-based efforts. "People care more about their own lives, and the Asian Games are not on the top of their list of concerns," Yan said. [1/4]A woman poses for pictures in front of statues of the three mascots of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, near the Hangzhou Asian Games Village, in Zhejiang province, China September 20, 2023. "There's a saying online: 'The Hangzhou city government, when encountering even a dog, wishes they could catch it and give it a fresh coat of paint'."

Persons: Xi Jinping’s, Xi, Bashar al, Assad, John Yan, Yan, Jiang, It's, Mark Dreyer, Tingshu Wang, Wu Lili, Zhang, Jules Boycoff, it's, Dylan Martinez, Martin Quin Pollard, Xihao Jiang, William Mallard Organizations: Asian Games, COVID, Games, Sports, Beijing Olympics, Asian, Hangzhou, REUTERS, Pacific University, Thomson Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Hangzhou, Beijing, Zhejiang province, Zhejiang, Shanghai, U.S ., Oregon, West

Newly installed Foreign Minister Qin Gang vanished with scant explanation in July, the same month as an abrupt shake-up of the military's elite Rocket Force, which oversees China's nuclear arsenal. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. PROXIMITY ISN'T PATRONAGERegarding Defence Minister Li's disappearance and investigation, a ministry spokeswoman told reporters on Friday she was not aware of the situation. With corruption long permeating China's military and state institutions, some analysts and diplomats believe Xi's anti-graft crackdowns mark political purges across the Communist Party. If Li's fate "reflects Xi's increasingly inward focus, it is not good for those of us who want greater openness and lines of communications with China's military," said one Asian diplomat.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Xi Jinping's, Li Shangfu, Qin Gang, Drew Thompson, Thompson, Li's, Li, Helena Legarda, Alexander Neill, Zhang Youxia, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Ja Ian Chong, Chong, Greg Torode, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Rights, Reuters, Foreign, Rocket Force, Pentagon, National University of Singapore, State Council and Defence Ministry, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Communist Party, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Hawaii's, Military Commission, Washington, U.S . Defence, Pacific ., East, South China Seas, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, India, China, Russia, Belarus, Beijing, Jakarta, Berlin, Singapore, Washington, Asia, Pacific, Taiwan, South, East China, South China, Hong Kong

BEIJING, Sept 12 (Reuters) - China unveiled on Tuesday its 886-strong team and its sporting and political goals for the Hangzhou Asian Games which start this month, a year later than planned due to China's COVID situation and restrictions. The Chinese team, who have topped the medals table at every Asian Games since 1982, should repeat that feat in Hangzhou, the director of the national sports bureau, Gao Zhidan, said at the team's launch in Beijing on Tuesday, state media reported. The Asian Games, also known as the Asiad, are like an Olympics for Asian countries and usually take place every four years. There will be 40 different sports, including athletics, swimming, cricket, dragon boat racing and esports (computer games) which for the first time will be a medal-winning event. Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gao Zhidan, Gao, Martin Quin Pollard, Ed Osmond Organizations: Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Xinhua, Asian, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Hangzhou, Beijing, Asia

☆ How Kim Jong Un’s meeting with Putin could shake up North Korea-Russia relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. “North Korea has basically been on its own, without any true allies,” said Artyom Lukin of Russia's Far Eastern Federal University. Early in his rule, Kim's relations with Beijing and Moscow were chilly, with both countries joining international sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. The few reports in Chinese state media have referred only to official statements from Russia and North Korea on the meeting. "Trust is so low among Russia, North Korea, and China that a real alliance of the three isn’t credible or sustainable."

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Kim, Putin, Donald Trump, ”, Artyom Lukin, Russia's, Xi, John Delury, Kim Il Sung, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley, Josh Smith, Martin Quin Pollard, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, China -, Eastern Federal University, Studies, Yonsei University, Ewha University, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Moscow, Beijing, North Korea's, China, Ukraine, South Korea, Japan, China - U.S, Korea, United States, Russian, Vladivostok, Seoul

BEIJING, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Proposed changes to a Chinese public security law to criminalise comments, clothing or symbols that "undermine the spirit" or "harm the feelings" of the country have triggered the concern of legal experts, who say the amendments could be used arbitrarily. This week, several legal scholars and bloggers wrote editorials and social media posts calling for the removal of certain articles in the draft. "Who confirms the 'spirit of the Chinese nation' and according to what procedure? wrote Tong Zhiwei, a constitutional studies scholar at the East China University of Political Science and Law, on his Weibo social media account. Many people took to Chinese social media to express their worries that the amendments could lead to more censorship.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Tong Zhiwei, Tong, Martin Quin Pollard, Miral Organizations: National People's Congress, East China University of Political Science, Weibo, NPC, Global Times, Thomson Locations: BEIJING

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the plenary session of the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. More than 10 envoys from these countries stationed in China detailed to Reuters the increasing difficulty they face getting access to Chinese officials and other sources of information on the world's second-largest economy. When meetings are arranged, Chinese officials stick rigidly to scripted comments, the diplomats said, while some added they experienced hostile behaviour from nationalistic academics. However, envoys from two countries which enjoy close relations with China said they had experienced no such problems. "To Chinese officials, the benefits of such engagements have become less evident, while the political and security risks are growing."

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Ryan Neelam, Xi, Li Qiang, Vladimir Putin, COVID, Emmanuel Macron, Antony Blinken, Yun Sun, Sun, Tong Zhao, Martin Quin Pollard, Laurie Chen, John Geddie, Nick Macfie Organizations: Rights, Reuters, Lowy Institute, China Program, Stimson, Washington D.C, U.S, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, China, India, Beijing, Australian, Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, New Delhi, Moscow, Washington

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