Page 2 - Beijing

Rubio to meet China foreign minister in Malaysia amid rising tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is wrapping his up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference with a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China's support for Russia's war in Ukraine. After discussions with regional countries at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Malaysia, Rubio on Friday was close out his first official trip to Asia in his first face-to-face talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the State Department said. The meeting comes less than 24 hours after Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur with another rival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed potential new avenues to jumpstart Ukraine peace talks. The meetings come against a backdrop of global and regional unease over US policies, notably on trade and large tariffs that US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose on friend and foe alike. While Ru

China extends visa-free entry to 74 countries to draw more tourists

Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to unprecedented levels. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations. The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost tourism, the economy and its soft power. More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration. This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process, Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said on a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. While most tourist sites are still packed with far more domestic tourists than foreigners, travel companies and tour guides are now bracing for a bigger influx in anticipation of summer holiday goers coming to China. I'm practical

China is not our motherland, says Taiwan's President in defiant speech

Beyond direct military intimidation, Lai said Taiwan also faces 'identity warfare' from China

NSA Doval, senior Russian security official emphasise bilateral cooperation

NSA Doval and Veneiktov discussed issues of bilateral, regional and international significance, according to the statement shared by the Indian Embassy in Beijing

NZ Prime Minister Luxon discusses trade with Chinese Prez Xi jinping

The prime minister of New Zealand stressed the importance of his country's trade ties with China in a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday. Christopher Luxon, on his first visit to China since becoming prime minister in late 2023, flew to Beijing after two days of meetings with officials and business leaders in Shanghai, China's commercial centre. He wants to maintain healthy trade relations with China, an important market for New Zealand products, despite differences over regional and global security issues and China's growing divide with the United States. Our trade and economic links are complementary and contribute to prosperity in both countries, he was quoted as saying in a news release following his meeting with Xi. Luxon said he raised the necessity of reducing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and the importance of what he called the key role that China can play in helping to resolve global challenges such as the war in Ukraine. In a complex world, open dial

'Beijing top US threat': China preparing for war, warns Pentagon chief

Hegseth believes US President Donald Trump's "peace through strength" strategy is the appropriate response, and that the stagnating US defence industrial base must be revitalised

China imposes 6-month cap on rare-earth export licences to US amid talks

China is limiting rare-earth export licences for US firms to six months, using it as leverage in trade talks while the US agrees to ease some restrictions on key goods like jet engines and ethane

Beijing approves some rare earth exports ahead of US-China trade talks

The Chinese commerce ministry confirmed the approval of the applications without specifying which countries or industries were covered

As European economy slows, companies scale back investments in China

European companies are cutting costs and scaling back investment plans in China as its economy slows and fierce competition drives down prices, according to an annual survey released Wednesday. Their challenges reflect broader ones faced by a Chinese economy hobbled by a prolonged real estate crisis that has hurt consumer spending. Beijing also faces growing pushback from Europe and the United States over surging exports. "The picture has deteriorated across many key metrics," the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said in the introduction to its Business Confidence Survey 2025. The same forces that are driving up Chinese exports are depressing the business outlook in the Chinese market. Chinese companies, often enticed by government subsidies, have invested so much in targeted industries such as electric vehicles that factory capacity far outpaces demand. The overcapacity has resulted in fierce price wars that cut into profits and a parallel push by companies into oversea

Search continues as 6 remain missing after blast at Chinese chemical plant

Six people remained missing and search and rescue efforts continued on Wednesday morning after an explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China shook nearby buildings, killing at least five people and injuring 19. The blast on Tuesday, occurring in an industrial park in the city of Weifang, in Shandong province, knocked out windows at nearby buildings and spewed a thick plume of white smoke, according to videos shared on social media. It was not immediately clear what had caused the explosion, which occurred at a plant owned by Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co., a producer of pesticides and chemicals for medical use with more than 500 employees, according to corporate registration records. Local fire officials sent more than 230 personnel to the scene, according to state broadcaster CCTV. A student at a school about one kilometer away from the plant told state-run news site The Paper that he heard an explosion and saw dirt-yellow smoke, tainted with redness, rising from the plant. He sai

China, Brazil agree to defend free trade as leaders meet in Beijing

"China and Brazil are determined to unite their voices against unilateralism and protectionism," the Brazilian leftist leader said, according to Brazilian state television

Nvidia CEO Huang visits Beijing amid US export curbs on H20 AI chips

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met Chinese officials in Beijing after US imposed fresh export curbs on H20 AI chips, a move that may cost the company $5.5 billion in quarterly charges

Ajay Bhushan Pandey appointed as V-P of investment at AIIB in Beijing

Former Finance Secretary and CEO of Aadhaar Ajay Bhushan Pandey has taken over as Vice President of Investment Solutions for the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), in which India is the second largest shareholder after China. As Vice President of Investment solutions, Pandey provides strategic leadership and oversees three key departments, the Sectors, Themes and Finance Solutions Department (STF), the Sustainability and Fiduciary Solutions Department (SFD) and the Portfolio Management Department (PMD), AIIB said in a statement on Wednesday. "I am delighted to announce Pandey's appointment to this important leadership role Jin Liqun, AIIB President and Chair of the Board of Directors, said. "He brings with him decades of highly relevant experience leading transformational change, including a pivotal role with the Government of India in shaping the country's digital and financial infrastructure, that will greatly benefit the Bank as we continue to grow and ...

'The ball is in China's court': Donald Trump presses Beijing on tariff deal

Amid ongoing tensions with Beijing, the Trump administration is negotiating with multiple countries to explore trade deals aimed at easing the impact of US-imposed reciprocal tariffs

New Trump tariffs push total China duties to 145%, key imports spared

The cumulative tariff burden on some Chinese products stands at 145 per cent, including duties left in place from previous administrations

Beijing denies claims of Chinese troops fighting with Russia in Ukraine

Ukraine's claim that significant numbers of Chinese nationals are fighting alongside Russia's invading army is totally unfounded, a Beijing official said on Wednesday. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that the Ukrainian military had captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region and had information that significantly more are with Russian forces. It was the first time that Ukraine had made such a claim about Chinese fighters on its soil amid Russia's almost three-year invasion. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing that China has played a constructive role in politically resolving the Ukraine crisis. Lin told a daily news briefing Wednesday that the Chinese government always asks Chinese citizens to stay away from conflict zones, avoid getting involved in any form of armed conflict, and especially refrain from participating in any party's military operations. His comments appeared to indi

Fitch cuts China credit rating on debt risks amid trade tensions

The downgrade came a day after President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from US trading partners, with China among the hardest-hit

India, China hold diplomatic talks in Beijing on border row, bilateral ties

India and China on Tuesday agreed to work together to make "substantial preparation" for the next meeting of their Special Representatives (SR) on the boundary question that is set to be held in the national capital later this year. The decision was taken at a fresh edition of talks held in Beijing under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the WMCC meeting was held in a "positive and constructive atmosphere" and both sides "comprehensively" reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control. "The two sides agreed to work together to make substantial preparation for the next meeting of the Special Representatives (SR), which will be held in India later this year," it said in a statement. The MEA said peace and tranquillity on the border are critical for the smooth development of overall bilateral relations. "The two sides explored various measures and proposals to

China deepens ties with B'desh, extends loan repayment, duty-free access

The delegation headed by Abdul Moyeen Khan, a senior leader of the opposition Bangladesh National Party, visited China at the invitation of the ruling Communist Party of China

Chinese lithium firm halts sorbent exports as Beijing tightens tech control

Jiangsu Jiuwu Hi-Tech told customers last month it would stop exporting a piece of filtration equipment known as a sorbent from February 1