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☆ U.S. sanctions people, entities over China-based illegal fishing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on people and companies, including Nasdaq-listed Pingtan Marine Enterprises, Ltd., over what Washington says are human rights abuses linked to China-based illegal distant water fishing. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Li Zhenyu and Xinrong Zhuo, both Chinese nationals, and 10 entities they control, including Dalian Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd. and Pingtan Marine Enterprise, Ltd. (PME), the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement. It also targeted 157 China-flagged fishing vessels linked to those entities, it said. The designation of PME marks the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions on an entity listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Michael Martina; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Republican Gallagher to lead new U.S. House China select committee
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher was named on Thursday to lead a select committee being created in the U.S. House of Representatives to focus on economic and security competition with China. Gallagher, a former Marine counterintelligence officer who has served on the House Armed Services Committee, has been a vocal critic of China's Communist government. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy had said he would create a select committee focused on China if he is elected speaker when Republicans take control of the House in January. "The Chinese Communist Party is the greatest geopolitical threat of our lifetime," McCarthy said in a statement as he announced Gallagher's selection. Getting tough on China, the United States' top geopolitical competitor, has become an area of bipartisan agreement, although Democrats and Republicans differ to some degree in their priorities.

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he is convinced the United States will be able to call Sweden and Finland NATO allies soon and said Turkey's concerns about the two nations joining the alliance are being addressed. And it's not going to turn into one," Blinken said, adding that Finland and Sweden have had a productive process working with Turkey to address concerns and concrete steps have been taken. NATO makes its decisions by consensus, meaning that the two Nordic nations require the approval of all 30 alliance member states. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said Finland hoped to finalize the process of NATO membership soon. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said the NATO accession process was "progressing well."

Griner arrived in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi by private plane from Moscow as Bout was flown in on a private plane from Washington. Bout, nicknamed the "merchant of death," embraced a Russian official who greeted him and smiled broadly as he was led away. A joint UAE-Saudi statement said the UAE president and Saudi crown prince led mediation efforts that secured Griner's release. Griner was exchanged for Bout, a onetime Russian weapons dealer who had been convicted in the United States and imprisoned for 10 years. During the prisoner swap, Griner was met on the tarmac in UAE by chief U.S. hostage negotiator Roger Carstens.

His centre-left Social Democrats, the Greens and liberal Free Democrats, have had to wrangle to reach compromises, sometimes delaying decisions. Some European allies say the focus on domestic challenges and internal politicking have distracted Berlin from regional cooperation and especially the key German-French motor that traditionally drives the European Union. Relief measures worth hundreds of billions of euros have helped Scholz's coalition stave off serious social unrest due to soaring energy prices in the wake of the Ukraine war, but recent polls suggest it has lost its majority. MIXED MESSAGESTo be sure, Germany's allies have welcomed the Zeitenwende after years of warning the country of complacency on security. The government may for example not reach the NATO spending goal until 2025, a spokesman said this week.

The White House said earlier in the week that China had not asked the United States for vaccines. One U.S. official told Reuters there was "no expectation at present" that China would approve western vaccines. "It seems fairly far-fetched that China would greenlight Western vaccines at this point. Amid a record year for missile tests, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last week his country intends to have the world's most powerful nuclear force. He said China had considerable leverage to press North Korea over its weapons tests, but that he was not optimistic about Beijing "doing anything helpful to stabilize the region."

☆ Analysis: Saudi prince seeks Mideast leadership, independence with Xi's visit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The Saudi government did not respond to requests for comment on Xi's visit and its agenda. It is China's top oil supplier, although fellow OPEC+ producer Russia has increased its Chinese market share with lower-priced fuel. The Chinese delegation is expected to sign dozens of agreements with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states covering energy, security and investments, diplomats have told Reuters. U.S. officials have declined to comment when asked about Saudi-China bilateral relations ahead of Xi's visit. "The relationships with China pale versus those with the United States in terms of both complexity and intimacy," he said.

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence expects the reduced tempo in fighting in Ukraine to continue in the next several months and sees no evidence of a reduced Ukrainian will to resist, despite attacks on its power grid and other critical winter infrastructure, the Director of National Intelligence said on Saturday. She said Russia was also looking to affect Ukraine's capacity to prosecute conflict and added that Kyiv's economy had been suffering very badly. Haines said she thought Russian President Vladimir Putin had been surprised that his military had not accomplished more. "I do think he is becoming more informed of the challenges that the military faces in Russia. Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina and Eric Beech; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. diplomat says China protests had effect in easing COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Protests in China against the world's toughest COVID-19 restrictions are dying down because they have had an effect, a top U.S. diplomat said on Friday, as Beijing further eased testing and quarantine rules. Anger over the curbs had fueled dozens of protests in more than 20 cities in recent days in a show of civil disobedience unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012. "Protests do matter," she said, adding that she recognized China had used security forces to quash the demonstrations and put protesters in jail. Asked by students at the university event about the threat of conflict between China and Taiwan, Sherman said war was possible. "I think war is potentially possible because Xi Jinping now has absolute control in China," Sherman said.

On Monday, the White House said it backed the right of people to peacefully protest in China but stopped short of criticizing Beijing as protesters in multiple Chinese cities demonstrated against heavy COVID-19 measures. The Republican response was swift. Senator Ted Cruz called White House response "pitiful," adding in a tweet: "At a potentially historic inflection point, Dems shill for the CCP." Beyond this, say analysts, the U.S. wants to avoid language that allows China to pin the protests on U.S. interference. Daniel Russel, who served as the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia in the Obama administration, said the Biden White House would be focused on the next steps by Chinese authorities.

☆ U.S. deeply concerned about Whelan, American jailed in Russia -White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The United States is "deeply concerned" about detained American Paul Whelan in Russia, and has not been able to get information from Moscow on his whereabouts or condition, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday. U.S. diplomats in Moscow were working to get details on what was going on with Whelan, Kirby said. "But yes, we are deeply concerned about the lack of information and the lack of contact from Paul," he added. It's highly unusual," David Whelan said. When transferred to the prison's hospital in the past, his brother had always mentioned the move in his phone calls, David Whelan said.

Overseas-based Chinese and their supporters rallied in Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York and Toronto, with more protests planned in coming days. Outside the Chinese consulate in New York, hundreds gathered, some waving blank white placards, which have become a protest symbol in China. About 50 mainland Chinese students attended the rally, which was the biggest protest by mainland Chinese in Australia, said Chen Yonglin, a democracy activist who promoted the vigil on social media. "They will try to find out who are the organisers," said Chen, a former Chinese consulate official who defected in 2005. The Chinese embassy in Australia and the education office of the Chinese consulate in Sydney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ U.S. Inflation Reduction Act 'super aggressive,' Macron tells lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron addressed U.S. lawmakers from both political parties on Wednesday and pushed back over new American subsidies that are riling European leaders, according to a participant in a closed-door meeting. In a meeting with U.S. lawmakers at the Library of Congress, Macron said the act was "super aggressive" toward European companies, one participant told Reuters. [1/3] French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris hold a briefing during a visit to NASA headquarters in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2022. France joined the United States and several other nations in ruling out destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing after Russia struck one of its own satellites in orbit last year, creating debris and drawing scorn from the United States and its allies. The United States, which last demonstrated such a missile in 2008, first announced its ban on the tests in April.

☆ Analysis: China has limited power, and perhaps little desire, to curb North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

China does not want to see a nuclear-armed North Korea, nor does it want to see U.S. nuclear weapons in the region, but the prospect of an expanding U.S. military footprint raises other priorities for China, said Jenny Town of 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea project. "They see the United States, South Korea and Japan forming as a security bloc, creating a need for a counter bloc, which would include North Korea," she said, referring to China. "Americans have perennially overestimated China's influence over North Korea," said John Delury, professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul. "Sanction North Korea, which cut itself off from the world for three years because of COVID and continued testing missiles? The whole point is China doesn’t control North Korea."

☆ U.S. calls for U.N. Security Council president's statement on North Korea missiles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said it was vital the 15-member Security Council respond with one voice and reiterated U.S. charges that China and Russia were "emboldening" Pyongyang by blocking council action. The United States will be proposing a Presidential Statement to this end," she said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He said Washington should take the initiative and put forward realistic proposals to respond to North Korea's "legitimate concerns." A spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations said a draft president's statement would be shared with the Security Council soon and negotiations would follow. It said the Council must act to limit the advancement of North Korea's weapons programs.

[1/34] A Ukrainian serviceman fires a mortar on a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 16, 2022. "After a trip to the ... Kherson region, one thing became clear - our people there need a lot of help. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces had repelled about 100 attacks in Donetsk, with no letup in the fighting. Ukraine's military said Russian forces had fired shells at a series of towns in eastern and southern Ukraine. Also hit by artillery fire were towns further west in Donetsk and in Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine, including Vuhledar and Hulyaipole.

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the media after an alleged Russian missile blast in Poland, in Bali, Indonesia, November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has been adamant that the United States will back Ukraine in its nine-month fight to repel a Russian invasion. We will determine what happened and what the appropriate next steps would be," said White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson. Sullivan, who has been in touch with Russian officials about the risks around the Ukraine invasion, did not make contact in relation to this incident, a White House official said. "It's now just a matter of doing forensics work to determine what kind of missile it was," the official said.

☆ China pushes back on FBI claims of Chinese 'police stations' in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - China on Friday pushed back on claims it was operating 'police stations' on U.S. soil, calling the sites volunteer-run, after the FBI director said he was "very concerned" about unauthorized stations that have been linked to Beijing's influence operations. Safeguard Defenders, a Europe-based human rights organization, published a report in September revealing the presence of dozens of Chinese police "service stations" in major cities around the world, including New York. China's Embassy in Washington acknowledged the existence of volunteer-run sites in the United States, but said they were not "police stations" or "police service centers." Mark Clifford, president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, said such stations needed to be "stopped in their tracks." "By allowing the CCP to operate these types of institutions in their countries, international governments are complicit in Beijing's actions," Clifford said.

WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The United States is deeply concerned about the Chinese government setting up unauthorized 'police stations' in U.S. cities to possibly pursue influence operations, FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers on Thursday. It also linked them to activities of China's United Front Work Department, a Communist Party body charged with spreading its influence and propaganda overseas. We are aware of the existence of these stations," Wray told a U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, acknowledging but declining to detail the FBI's investigative work on the issue. Wray, asked by Republican Senator Rick Scott if such stations violated U.S. law, said the FBI was "looking into the legal parameters." Wray said the United States had made a number of indictments involving the Chinese government harassing, stalking, surveilling, and blackmailing people in the United States who disagreed with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court in Cincinnati sentenced a Chinese national to 20 years in prison on Wednesday after he was convicted last year of plotting to steal trade secrets from several U.S. aviation and aerospace companies, the Justice Department said. Xu Yanjun, the first Chinese spy extradited to the United States for trial, was convicted in Nov. 2021 by a federal jury on counts of conspiring and attempting to commit economic espionage and trade secret theft. Xu, 42, accused of being a career intelligence officer for China's Ministry of State Security, was detained in Belgium in 2018 after a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. officials say the Chinese government poses the biggest long-term threat to U.S. economic and national security, and is carrying out unprecedented efforts to steal critical technology from U.S. businesses and researchers. FBI Director Christopher Wray has said his agency opens a new counterintelligence case related to China about twice a day.

☆ Xi to Biden: Knock off the democracy vs. autocracy talk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese president Xi Jinping, whose consolidation of his own power as head of the world's second largest economy has raised concerns he plans to be a ruler for life, has had enough. "Xi Jinping pointed out that freedom, democracy and human rights are humanity's common pursuit, and also the Chinese Communist Party's constant pursuit," the reports said. [1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. Last year, Biden gathered over 100 world leaders for a virtual summit on the topic, asking them, "Will we allow the backward slide of rights and democracy to continue unchecked? Or will we together have a vision... and courage to once more lead the march of human progress and human freedom forward?"

☆ Factbox: Top takeaways from the Biden-Xi meeting in Bali
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Xi too was explicit about Taiwan, calling it the "first red line" that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. The White House said Biden and Xi agreed to "deepen constructive efforts" to address issues such as climate change, health and food security. But according to the White House statement, Biden and Xi "underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine". Biden told reporters after the meeting there was no need for concerns about a new Cold War between the United States and China. At the same time, Biden warned Xi that such actions by North Korea would result in bolstered U.S. and allied military capabilities in Northeast Asia.

The White House said Biden will hold talks on Monday with Xi, China's president, on the sidelines of a Group of 20 nations summit in Indonesia, their first face-to-face meeting since Biden became president in January 2021. China is Washington's main strategic rival and the world's second largest economy after the United States. The United States is looking to have stable relations with Beijing despite tensions over Taiwan, the South China Sea, trade and a host of other issues. Washington believes China and Russia have leverage to persuade North Korea not to resume nuclear bomb testing. "This is an area where China and the United States have had a history of working together ... there is a track record of being able to work together.

☆ U.S., Taiwan wrap up 'productive' trade meeting - USTR
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan and the United States concluded two days of "productive" trade talks in New York on Wednesday, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative said. The meetings were part of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, a program opposed by China, which views self-governing Taiwan as its own territory. The U.S. delegation included representatives from USTR, the National Economic Council, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Treasury, the Small Business Administration, and the Food and Drug Administration, USTR said. It includes negotiations on 11 areas of trade, including trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, anticorruption, agriculture, digital trade, labor, and the environment. Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, the United States has been keen to bolster support for Taiwan, especially as it faces increased political pressure from China to accept its sovereignty claims.

☆ Exclusive: Former U.S. military pilot arrested in Australia listed same Beijing address as Chinese hacker
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The Beijing address is listed in Australian company filings for the pilot and a U.S. blacklisting for the Chinese businessman, however, it was unclear whether they used the Beijing address at the same time. Another aviation source said Duggan went to Beijing to work with Stephen Su, also known as Su Bin in China. When Reuters visited the Beijing address this week the reporter was told it was a residential building and denied entry. Under Australia's extradition treaty with the United States, an extradition request must be made within 60 days of arrest. Robert Anello, the lawyer who represented Su Bin in the 2014 hacking case, declined to comment and Su Bin could not be reached for comment.

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