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Category: China

  • Americans dislike China slightly less, survey finds

    WASHINGTON — Americans continue to have an unfavorable opinion of China, but for the first time in five years, their attitudes have softened somewhat, with a decline in the share of those who view it as an enemy of the United States, a survey by Washington-based Pew Research Center showed.

    The survey, conducted amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, found more than half of all Americans say the tariff hikes will be more bad than good for the U.S. and for themselves, while a significant majority (75%) have little or no confidence that Chinese President Xi Jinping will do the right thing regarding international affairs.

    Survey findings on American views of China
    Survey findings on American views of China
    (Pew Research Center)

    According to the survey, which was released on Thursday, 77% of all Americans have an “unfavorable opinion” of China – down from 81% in 2024 in the first significant year-over-year decline recorded since 2017 – signaling an apparent softening in overall American sentiment towards China.

    Within that, the share of Americans who have a “very unfavorable opinion” of the U.S.’s biggest geopolitical rival declined 10 percentage points to 33%.

    The portion of Americans who see China as an “enemy” of the U.S. also decreased to 33%, from 42% a year earlier.

    When asked an open-ended question on which country posed the greatest threat to the U.S., 42% of Americans named China. But that’s also down from 50% in 2023.

    Survey findings on American views of China
    Survey findings on American views of China
    (Pew Research Center)

    Americans are more likely to have negative views of China the older and more conservative they are, the survey results showed.

    Older Americans are much more likely than younger adults to call China an enemy, with 47% of those aged 65 and older and 40% of those aged 50 to 64 holding this view, compared with 19% of those in the 18-29 age group.

    In comparison, younger Americans are most likely to see China as a competitor, with 61% of adults under 30 saying this.

    Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, attitudes toward China are softening even as they remained more critical of the country than Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents, the survey found.

    The percentage of Republicans who have an “unfavorable opinion” of China fell 8 percentage points, to 82%, with a 16-percentage-point decline to 43% in those who have a “very unfavorable” view.

    By comparison, 72% of Democrats have an unfavorable view, including 24% who hold a “very unfavorable” opinion, down from 30% in 2024.

    The Pew survey was based on responses from 3,605 U.S. adults who were surveyed from March 24 to 30 using a random sampling of residential addresses with demographic weighting to represent the U.S. adult population.

    View on tariff increases

    Before the survey was fielded, U.S. President Donald Trump had imposed – in February and early March – tariffs totaling 20% on imports from China citing its role in fentanyl trade. China retaliated with tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and other measures.

    Since then, in the escalating tit-for-tat tariff increases that have ensued, Trump has imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese imports, while Beijing has responded with 125%.

    Survey findings on American views of China
    Survey findings on American views of China
    (Pew Research Center)

    The Pew survey data showed Americans remain skeptical about the effects of the increased tariffs on China, with 52% saying they will be bad for the U.S., and a similar share (53%) saying they will be bad for them personally too.

    Only 24% of Americans think the increased tariffs will be good for the U.S. and just 10% say it’ll be good for them personally, the survey found.

    And yet, 46% of Americans say trade between the world’s two largest economies benefits China more, according to the survey results.

    Edited by Greg Barber


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Tenzin Pema for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Chinese artist fined for filming Uyghur music; China showcases Uyghur dance in Paris, Budapest (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • How Eco-Localism Differs From Tariff Terrorism

    Trade makes many folks materially better off by enabling a local abundance of resources or skills to be shared across a wider area. However, increased trade often worsens economic inequality and depletes and pollutes the environment faster than would otherwise happen. Therefore, eco-localists see trade as a mixed benefit whose unintended negative impacts must be carefully managed.

    Globalization of trade raises the stakes of both benefits and risks. On the risk side of the ledger, taken to the extreme, it leads to a world in which everything is for sale, all resources are depleted, pollution is everywhere, labor is exploited to the maximum degree, and everything is owned by a tiny number of super-rich investors and entrepreneurs.

    The post How Eco-Localism Differs From Tariff Terrorism appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • China ‘factory holidays’ as tariff and trade war heats up with U.S. | Radio Free Asia (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Chinese Students and Scholars Faced Targeting Before Trump. Now It’s Escalating.

    Less than 100 days into President Donald Trump’s second term, international academic workers find themselves at the intersection of a crackdown on immigrants and political intrusion into higher education. The Department of Education has stripped several universities of billions of dollars in federal funding over alleged “campus antisemitism” and DEI policies, and has threatened to do the same to…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Taiwan ruling party requires members to report China trips amid security concerns

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan’s ruling party now requires its members to report their plans before visiting China, including Hong Kong and Macau, in response to growing concerns over Chinese espionage.

    Taiwan and China have repeatedly accused each other of spying, with Taiwan arresting several individuals it claims were recruited by Beijing to gather intelligence or influence public opinion. Beijing typically denies any involvement in espionage activities targeting Taiwan, calling the accusations “groundless” or “politically motivated.”

    Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s president and chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, announced Wednesday that all party members must now report in advance and submit a follow-up report if they travel to China or have contact with individuals linked to the Chinese government.

    “Any betrayal of the party’s core values for personal gain must be met with strict disciplinary action and the harshest legal consequences,” Lai told the party’s weekly meeting.

    In addition to the requirement to report China visits, Lai also issued measures such as enhanced internal education for party members to strengthen awareness of national security and legal responsibilities. He also demanded stricter oversight of legislative and local council aides, with party caucuses tasked with developing specific protocols and training programs.

    The moves follow recent Chinese espionage cases against the DPP.

    According to Taiwan’s law enforcement, a current presidential adviser and a former foreign ministry staffer are accused of working together to help DPP members recruited by China gather classified information, including details of Taiwan’s president and vice president’s official visits to diplomatic allies.

    Apart from that, a former DPP aide at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan’s parliament, is suspected of receiving cash and cryptocurrency from Chinese intelligence agencies while abroad. He is reported to have provided classified information from the Legislative Yuan.

    “The DPP is a natural target for infiltration,” Lai said of the cases, pointing out that in recent years, some former party officials dramatically shifted their stance on national sovereignty after leaving office, which he sees as a reflection of China’s long-term infiltration efforts.

    Ho Cheng-Hui, the deputy secretary-general of Taiwan National Security Institute, said that conventional espionage cases involve top-tier officials such as a military general or a higher-up government official, but in Taiwan’s recent cases, political aides have become a primary target.

    With access to sensitive information, government officials are now potential risks, said Ho, adding that the administration’s new measures are a step in the right direction, but “much broader reforms are still needed.”

    “Strict control over classified documents should be enforced, ensuring that only authorized individuals – ideally just one person – can view such materials,” Ho told Radio Free Asia.

    “Aides or secretaries should not be allowed access. Additionally, regular audits and random inspections should be implemented,” said Ho, highlighting the need for comprehensive background checks and access control based on security clearance.

    Ho also stressed the importance of “preventive measures.”

    “Focusing solely on punishment after incidents occur often means the damage has already been done,” he explained.

    Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai said Thursday the government will strengthen national security by updating civil servant background checks. A proposal is expected within two weeks, with plans to refine vetting based on access to classified data and introduce regular or random reviews.

    China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually reunite, even by force if necessary, even though the democratic island has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese civil war.

    Beijing views Lai, a pro-independence advocate, as a separatist and has increased military drills, economic pressure, and diplomatic isolation to counter his leadership.

    Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Alan Lu for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Taiwan ruling party requires members to report China trips amid security concerns

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan’s ruling party now requires its members to report their plans before visiting China, including Hong Kong and Macau, in response to growing concerns over Chinese espionage.

    Taiwan and China have repeatedly accused each other of spying, with Taiwan arresting several individuals it claims were recruited by Beijing to gather intelligence or influence public opinion. Beijing typically denies any involvement in espionage activities targeting Taiwan, calling the accusations “groundless” or “politically motivated.”

    Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s president and chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, announced Wednesday that all party members must now report in advance and submit a follow-up report if they travel to China or have contact with individuals linked to the Chinese government.

    “Any betrayal of the party’s core values for personal gain must be met with strict disciplinary action and the harshest legal consequences,” Lai told the party’s weekly meeting.

    In addition to the requirement to report China visits, Lai also issued measures such as enhanced internal education for party members to strengthen awareness of national security and legal responsibilities. He also demanded stricter oversight of legislative and local council aides, with party caucuses tasked with developing specific protocols and training programs.

    The moves follow recent Chinese espionage cases against the DPP.

    According to Taiwan’s law enforcement, a current presidential adviser and a former foreign ministry staffer are accused of working together to help DPP members recruited by China gather classified information, including details of Taiwan’s president and vice president’s official visits to diplomatic allies.

    Apart from that, a former DPP aide at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan’s parliament, is suspected of receiving cash and cryptocurrency from Chinese intelligence agencies while abroad. He is reported to have provided classified information from the Legislative Yuan.

    “The DPP is a natural target for infiltration,” Lai said of the cases, pointing out that in recent years, some former party officials dramatically shifted their stance on national sovereignty after leaving office, which he sees as a reflection of China’s long-term infiltration efforts.

    Ho Cheng-Hui, the deputy secretary-general of Taiwan National Security Institute, said that conventional espionage cases involve top-tier officials such as a military general or a higher-up government official, but in Taiwan’s recent cases, political aides have become a primary target.

    With access to sensitive information, government officials are now potential risks, said Ho, adding that the administration’s new measures are a step in the right direction, but “much broader reforms are still needed.”

    “Strict control over classified documents should be enforced, ensuring that only authorized individuals – ideally just one person – can view such materials,” Ho told Radio Free Asia.

    “Aides or secretaries should not be allowed access. Additionally, regular audits and random inspections should be implemented,” said Ho, highlighting the need for comprehensive background checks and access control based on security clearance.

    Ho also stressed the importance of “preventive measures.”

    “Focusing solely on punishment after incidents occur often means the damage has already been done,” he explained.

    Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai said Thursday the government will strengthen national security by updating civil servant background checks. A proposal is expected within two weeks, with plans to refine vetting based on access to classified data and introduce regular or random reviews.

    China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually reunite, even by force if necessary, even though the democratic island has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese civil war.

    Beijing views Lai, a pro-independence advocate, as a separatist and has increased military drills, economic pressure, and diplomatic isolation to counter his leadership.

    Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Alan Lu for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Taiwan ruling party requires members to report China trips amid security concerns

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan’s ruling party now requires its members to report their plans before visiting China, including Hong Kong and Macau, in response to growing concerns over Chinese espionage.

    Taiwan and China have repeatedly accused each other of spying, with Taiwan arresting several individuals it claims were recruited by Beijing to gather intelligence or influence public opinion. Beijing typically denies any involvement in espionage activities targeting Taiwan, calling the accusations “groundless” or “politically motivated.”

    Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s president and chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, announced Wednesday that all party members must now report in advance and submit a follow-up report if they travel to China or have contact with individuals linked to the Chinese government.

    “Any betrayal of the party’s core values for personal gain must be met with strict disciplinary action and the harshest legal consequences,” Lai told the party’s weekly meeting.

    In addition to the requirement to report China visits, Lai also issued measures such as enhanced internal education for party members to strengthen awareness of national security and legal responsibilities. He also demanded stricter oversight of legislative and local council aides, with party caucuses tasked with developing specific protocols and training programs.

    The moves follow recent Chinese espionage cases against the DPP.

    According to Taiwan’s law enforcement, a current presidential adviser and a former foreign ministry staffer are accused of working together to help DPP members recruited by China gather classified information, including details of Taiwan’s president and vice president’s official visits to diplomatic allies.

    Apart from that, a former DPP aide at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan’s parliament, is suspected of receiving cash and cryptocurrency from Chinese intelligence agencies while abroad. He is reported to have provided classified information from the Legislative Yuan.

    “The DPP is a natural target for infiltration,” Lai said of the cases, pointing out that in recent years, some former party officials dramatically shifted their stance on national sovereignty after leaving office, which he sees as a reflection of China’s long-term infiltration efforts.

    Ho Cheng-Hui, the deputy secretary-general of Taiwan National Security Institute, said that conventional espionage cases involve top-tier officials such as a military general or a higher-up government official, but in Taiwan’s recent cases, political aides have become a primary target.

    With access to sensitive information, government officials are now potential risks, said Ho, adding that the administration’s new measures are a step in the right direction, but “much broader reforms are still needed.”

    “Strict control over classified documents should be enforced, ensuring that only authorized individuals – ideally just one person – can view such materials,” Ho told Radio Free Asia.

    “Aides or secretaries should not be allowed access. Additionally, regular audits and random inspections should be implemented,” said Ho, highlighting the need for comprehensive background checks and access control based on security clearance.

    Ho also stressed the importance of “preventive measures.”

    “Focusing solely on punishment after incidents occur often means the damage has already been done,” he explained.

    Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai said Thursday the government will strengthen national security by updating civil servant background checks. A proposal is expected within two weeks, with plans to refine vetting based on access to classified data and introduce regular or random reviews.

    China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually reunite, even by force if necessary, even though the democratic island has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese civil war.

    Beijing views Lai, a pro-independence advocate, as a separatist and has increased military drills, economic pressure, and diplomatic isolation to counter his leadership.

    Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Alan Lu for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Trump says tariff deal with China likely within 3-4 weeks

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington and Beijing were in talks on tariffs, expressing confidence that the world’s two largest economies would reach a deal over the next three to four weeks.

    The U.S. and China are waging a tit-for-tat trade battle, which threatens to stunt the global economy, after Trump announced new tariffs on most countries. Specifically, the U.S. has imposed tariffs up to 145% on Chinese imports, prompting China to retaliate with tariffs reaching 125% on American goods.

    “We are confident that we will work out something with China,” he said during a late Thursday afternoon executive order signing in the Oval Office.

    “Top officials” in Beijing had reached out to Washington “a number of times” said Trump, adding that the two sides have had “very good trade talks” but that more remained, though he offered no evidence of any progress.

    Asked about timing on any agreement, Trump said: “I would think over the next three to four weeks.”

    Trump declined to say if he had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    He also declined to say whether he would raise further the current tariffs he has imposed on Chinese imports but said: “I may not want to go higher, or I may not want to even go up to that level. I may want to go to less, because, you know, you want people to buy.”

    Trump also expressed confidence that the sale deal of Chinese social media app TikTok he seeks would be forthcoming.

    “We have a deal for TikTok but it is subject to China so we will delay it until this thing gets worked out,” he said, adding that the deal would not take more than “five minutes” to finalize after discussions take place.

    Trump said earlier in April that China’s objections to new U.S. tariffs stalled a deal to sell off TikTok and keep it operating in the United States.

    Trump administration officials have been working on an agreement to sell the U.S. assets of the popular social media app, owned by China-based ByteDance, to an American buyer, as required by a bipartisan law enacted in 2024. But this also requires China’s approval.

    Trump’s remarks came a few hours after China’s commerce ministry said it had been maintaining working-level communication with its U.S. counterparts.

    “China’s position has been consistent – it remains open to engaging in economic and trade consultations with the U.S. side,” commerce ministry spokesperson He Yongqian said.

    Noting that the unilateral imposition of tariffs was entirely initiated by the U.S. side, she quoted an old Chinese saying “It is the doer of the deed who must undo it” to urge the U.S. to correct its approach.

    “We urge the U.S. to immediately cease its maximum pressure tactics, stop coercion and intimidation, and resolve differences with China through equal dialogue on the basis of mutual respect,” she said.

    Nvidia chief’s visit to China

    Jensen Huang, chief executive of U.S. chipmaker Nvidia, said on Thursday that China was a “very important market” for his company after the U.S. imposed a ban on sales of its H20 artificial intelligence chips to the country.

    “We hope to continue to cooperate with China,” Huang said in a meeting with Ren Hongbin, head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, cited by China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV.

    Huang arrived in Beijing earlier in the day at the invitation of the trade organization.

    His visit comes at a time when the U.S. imposed restrictions on the export of Nvidia’s H20 chips to China, tightening its grip on advanced AI technology trade with Beijing as part of Washington’s strategy to pressure China amid an ongoing tariff battle.

    Nvidia said Tuesday it was notified by the U.S. government on April 9 that exporting its H20 chips to China would now require government approval. It separately said that the restriction would remain in place indefinitely.

    While the H20 chip has relatively modest computing power, it has other features that make it suitable for building high-performance computing systems.

    The U.S. government reportedly based its decision on concerns that the H20 chips could be used in or adapted for Chinese supercomputers. Until now, the H20 was the most advanced artificial intelligence chip legally exportable to China.

    The H20 chip gained attention following its use by DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, which in January unveiled a cost-effective and competitive AI model trained using the chip.

    Huang reportedly met DeepSeek founder, Liang Wenfeng, in Beijing, to discuss new chip designs for the AI company that would not trigger the new U.S. bans.

    Edited by Mike Firn.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • China Strengthens Economic Ties In Asia Amid Trade War With US

    Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday, April 15 for a highly anticipated state visit. With this move, Xi seeks to promote China as a reliable alternative to an escalating trade war with the United States.

    Xi embarked this week on a Southeast Asia tour that has already taken him to Vietnam and will also include Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to US President Donald Trump’s punitive tariff regime.

    Xi said he was “looking forward to … further deepening the traditional friendship” between China and Malaysia, CCTV, a Chinese state broadcaster, reported. He said he would “have an in-depth exchange of views” in meetings with Anwar and king Sultan Ibrahim, according to CCTV.

    The post China Strengthens Economic Ties In Asia Amid Trade War With US appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Explained — Google Maps now shows “West Philippine Sea” in South China Sea | Radio Free Asia (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Uyghur rights group calls on hotel chains not to ‘sanitise’ China abuses in Xinjiang

    Growth in international hotels coincides with government effort to push region as a tourism destination

    Almost 200 international hotels are operating or planning to open in Xinjiang, despite calls from human rights groups for global corporations not to help “sanitise” the Chinese government’s human rights abuses in the region, a report has said.

    The report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) identified 115 operational hotels which the organisation said “benefit from a presence in the Uyghur region”. At least another 74 were in various stages of construction or planning, the report said. The UHRP said some of the hotels also had exposure or links of concern to forced labour and labour transfer programmes.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • China appoints new trade negotiator as US tariff tensions mount

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – China appointed Li Chenggang as a new trade negotiator on Wednesday, a key figure in talks to resolve the escalating tariff war with the United States, replacing veteran negotiator Wang Shouwen.

    Li, 58, who previously served as assistant commerce minister during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, has been named as China’s International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce, according to China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

    Li most recently represented China at the World Trade Organization.

    It was unclear if Wang, 59, who assumed the No. 2 role at the commerce ministry in 2022, had taken up a post elsewhere. His name was no longer on the ministry’s leadership team.

    The ministry did not immediately respond to a Radio Free Asia request for comment on the change.

    Li, who studied in Germany, previously served in senior roles at China’s Ministry of Commerce, including as Deputy Director-General in both the trade and legal departments. He became Assistant Minister of Commerce in 2016.

    In 2021, he was appointed China’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organization and also served as deputy representative to the U.N. in Geneva and other international bodies in Switzerland.

    “The unilateralist approach of the U.S. blatantly violates WTO rules, exacerbates economic uncertainty, disrupts global trade and may even subvert the rules-based multilateral trading system,” Li said at a February WTO meeting in Geneva.

    “China firmly opposes this and urges the United States to abolish its wrongful practices,” he said, warning that such moves have triggered “tariff shocks” to the world.

    The decision comes as trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies continue to escalate. Since early April, the U.S. and China have been locked in a cycle of retaliatory tariffs.

    On Wednesday, the White House announced that an “up to 245%” tariff has been imposed on Chinese imports due to China’s “retaliatory actions.”

    “The ball is in China’s court. China needs to deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them,” the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, said at a press briefing Wednesday.

    The appointment also comes amid Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Southeast Asia tour, where he ramped up rhetoric of unity in the face of protectionism and shocks to the global order.

    At a state dinner in Putrajaya with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Xi said China would work with regional partners to counter global instability.

    “In the face of shocks to global order and economic globalization, China and Malaysia will stand with countries in the region to combat the undercurrents of geopolitical confrontation, as well as the counter-currents of unilateralism and protectionism,” Xi said.

    China promised, Xi said, to offer greater market access to Malaysia and Vietnam.

    “Together we will safeguard the bright prospects of our Asian family,” he said.

    Edited by Taejun Kang and Stephen Wright.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Alan Lu for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • ‘Why would he take such a risk?’ My censor and me

    Online dissent is a serious crime in China. So why did a Weibo censor help me publish posts critical of the Communist party?

    It is 2013. For four full months, Liu Lipeng engages in dereliction of duty. Every hour the system sends him a huge volume of posts, but he hardly ever deletes a single word. After three or four thousand posts accumulate, he lightly clicks his mouse and the whole lot is released. In the jargon of censors, this is a “total pass in one click” (一键全通), after which all the posts appear on China’s version of X, Sina Weibo, to be read by millions, then reposted and discussed.

    He logs on to the Weibo management page, where many words are flagged. Orange designates sensitive words that require careful examination – words like freedom and democracy, and the three characters that make up Xi Jinping’s name. While such words regularly appear in newspapers or on TV, that does not mean ordinary citizens can use them at will.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Beijing, Manila at odds over Google Maps update on South China Sea

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – A recent update to Google Maps now prominently displays the label “West Philippine Sea” over waters west of the Philippines, fueling discussion about a longstanding territorial dispute with China, which continues to refer to the area as the South China Sea.

    Manila has used “West Philippine Sea” since 2011 to assert its maritime claims within its exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, distinguishing it from China’s broader claim over the South China Sea. Beijing has rejected the term, viewing it as a political assertion that challenges its claim of “indisputable sovereignty” over the entire sea.

    As of April 17, the label “West Philippine Sea” was visible by default on Google Maps, without the need for users to search for it specifically, which was the case in the past.

    “The proper and consistent labeling of the West Philippine Sea on the widely used platform Google Maps is welcome news for every Filipino,” the speaker of the Philippines House of Representatives, Martin Romualdez, said in a statement Tuesday.

    “This simple yet powerful update reflects the growing global acknowledgment of the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the maritime areas within our EEZ.”

    Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the inclusion of the West Philippines Sea in Google Maps also reflects a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea.

    “As defenders of national sovereignty, the AFP sees this as a valuable contribution to truthful representation and public awareness,” Padilla said at a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

    China’s foreign ministry said South China Sea is widely recognized by other nations as the correct name.

    “For a long time, the South China Sea has been a common geographical name recognized by the international community and widely accepted by countries around the world and international organizations such as the United Nations,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press briefing Tuesday.

    Ding Duo, a researcher at China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told state media that West Philippine Sea “hype” from the Philippines does “nothing to change the fact that China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands.”

    It’s unclear why Google made the change, but a spokesperson told Agence France-Presse: “The West Philippine Sea has always been labeled on Google Maps. We recently made this label easier to see at additional zoom levels.”

    Despite a 2016 Hague tribunal ruling that invalidated China’s expansive South China Sea claims, Beijing has continued to assert control over the region, which is an important route for international shipping.

    The court sided with the Philippines, citing violations of its EEZ, but China rejected the decision and has since expanded its presence through militarized islands, patrols and increased maritime activity – fuelling rising tensions.

    In April, both nations accused each other of dangerous maneuvers near Scarborough Shoal, a disputed area within the Philippines’ EEZ.

    The Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Chinese vessel obstructed a Philippine ship, while China alleged that the Philippine vessel approached dangerously, attempting to fabricate a collision.

    The Philippines has also raised concerns about Chinese interference in resource exploration.

    Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said that China was hindering Filipino companies from exploring natural resources in the contested waters, including oil and gas reserves. He cited incidents such as water cannoning, use of lasers and ramming by Chinese forces as examples of harassment.​

    In response to these challenges, the Philippines and the United States have strengthened their military cooperation.

    The annual “Balikatan” joint military exercises, involving approximately 14,000 troops, are scheduled from April 21 to May 9. These drills aim to enhance defense readiness and interoperability between the two allies.

    Edited by Stephen Wright and Mike Firn.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • EXPLAINED: Nvidia H20 AI chip used for DeepSeek hit with export restrictions to China (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • What Trump’s Tariff Shock Will Cost You

    Justin Wolfers teaches economics 101 at the University of Michigan. It’s an introductory course about supply, demand, and trade. The basics. He wishes President Donald Trump attended.

    Wolfers, an Australian known for his research on how happiness relates to income, is one of the more prominent economists speaking up about Trump’s sweeping tariff policies. He says that they not only betray the most basic laws of economics, but could very well tip the US into a recession unnecessarily.

    On this episode of More To The Story, Wolfers sits down with host Al Letson to discuss why today’s tariffs are markedly different from the ones Trump imposed in 2018 and why tariffs almost never produce the intended effects that are often promised.

    Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Fact checker: Serena Lin | Digital producers: Nikki Frick and Artis Curiskis | Interim executive producers: Taki Telonidis and Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al Letson 

    Read: Democrats Grill Officials on Insider Profits From Trump’s Tariff Reversal (Mother Jones)

    Read: Trump’s Trade War Is Here and Promises to Get Ugly (Mother Jones)

    Listen: Trump’s Deportation Black Hole (Reveal)

    Listen: Think Like an Economist

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    This post was originally published on Reveal.

  • US hits China with export restrictions on chips used for DeepSeek

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – The U.S. has imposed restrictions on the export of Nvidia’s H20 chips to China, tightening its grip on advanced AI technology trade with Beijing as part of Washington’s strategy to pressure China amid an ongoing tariff battle.

    Nvidia, a global leader in AI chip development, said Tuesday it was notified by the U.S. government on April 9 that exporting its H20 chips to China would now require government approval. It separately said that the restriction would remain in place indefinitely.

    While the H20 chip has relatively modest computing power, it has other features that make it suitable for building high-performance computing systems.

    The U.S. government reportedly based its decision on concerns that the H20 chips could be used in or adapted for Chinese supercomputers.

    Until now, the H20 was the most advanced artificial intelligence chip legally exportable to China, which already faced U.S. national security-driven curbs on high-end semiconductor sales. Although its performance is below Nvidia’s latest Blackwell chip, it is equipped with high-bandwidth memory similar to that used in Blackwell, giving it a performance boost in certain tasks.

    The H20 chip gained attention following its use by DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, which in January unveiled a cost-effective and competitive AI model trained using the chip.

    Earlier this year, tech media outlet The Information reported that major Chinese tech companies, including Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance, collectively placed over US$16 billion worth of H20 chip orders in the first quarter alone – a surge of over 40% from the previous quarter.

    As a result of the new export restrictions, Nvidia expects to incur a loss of approximately US$5.5 billion in the first quarter of its fiscal year.

    The U.S. first imposed AI chip export controls targeting China in October 2022 and has since broadened the scope of the restrictions to cover additional technologies and countries.

    The export restriction on H20 chips comes as U.S.-China trade tensions intensify. It is also despite Nvidia’s announcement Monday that it plans to work with its partners to invest up to US$500 billion over the next four years to build AI infrastructure, including supercomputers manufactured in the U.S.

    Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Chinese imports, many of which now face a total of 145% in additional levies.

    More recently, the Trump administration expanded exemptions for certain products – including smartphones and laptops – excluding them from a global 10% duty and the newly announced 125% levy targeting Chinese tech goods.

    On Tuesday, Trump took further aim at Beijing, posting on his Truth Social platform that China had failed to fulfill commitments under a prior trade agreement that temporarily halted the tariff war during his first term from 2016-2020.

    He said Beijing had purchased only “a portion of what they agreed to buy,” and criticized the previous Biden administration for showing “zero respect” in trade enforcement.

    In the same post, Trump said that American farmers were often “put on the Front Line with our adversaries, such as China,” during trade conflicts – pledging continued support for U.S. agriculture.

    Later that day, Trump turned his focus to a major aerospace deal,saying that China had backed out of a previously committed agreement with Boeing.

    “They just reneged on the big Boeing deal, saying they will ‘not take possession’ of fully committed-to aircraft,” he wrote.

    Bloomberg earlier reported that Chinese authorities had instructed domestic airlines to stop taking deliveries of Boeing jets, and to pause purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from U.S. suppliers.

    In retaliation against U.S. actions, China has introduced counter-tariffs targeting American agriculture and imposed a 125% levy on other U.S. imports.

    Edited by Stephen Wright.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Birthing A New International Order

    Writing in his cell as a political prisoner in fascist Italy after World War I, the philosopher Antonio Gramsci famously declared: “The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.”

    A century later, we are in another interregnum, and the morbid symptoms are everywhere. The U.S.-led order has ended, but the multipolar world is not yet born. The urgent priority is to give birth to a new multilateral order that can keep the peace and the path to sustainable development.

    We are at the end of a long wave of human history that commenced with the voyages of Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama more than 500 years ago.

    The post Birthing A New International Order appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Return Of The Robber Barons: Trump’s Distorted View Of US Tariff History

    Donald Trump’s tariff policy has thrown markets into turmoil among his allies and enemies alike. This anarchy reflects the fact that his major aim was not really tariff policy, but simply to cut income taxes on the wealthy, by replacing them with tariffs as the main source of government revenue. Extracting economic concessions from other countries is part of his justification for this tax shift as offering a nationalistic benefit for the United States.

    His cover story, and perhaps even his belief, is that tariffs by themselves can revive American industry. But he has no plans to deal with the problems that caused America’s deindustrialization in the first place.

    The post Return Of The Robber Barons: Trump’s Distorted View Of US Tariff History appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • In Trade War With The US, China Holds More Cards Than Trump May Think

    When Donald Trump pulled back on his plan to impose eye-watering tariffs on trading partners across the world, there was one key exception: China.

    While the rest of the world would be given a 90-day reprieve on additional duties beyond the new 10% tariffs on all U.S. trade partners, China would feel the squeeze even more. On April 9, 2025, Trump raised the tariff on Chinese goods to 125% – bringing the total U.S. tariff on some Chinese imports to 145%.

    The move, in Trump’s telling, was prompted by Beijing’s “lack of respect for global markets.” But the U.S. president may well have been smarting from Beijing’s apparent willingness to confront U.S. tariffs head on.

    The post In Trade War With The US, China Holds More Cards Than Trump May Think appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Pro-democracy banners unfurled at an overpass in China

    In a rare sign of public dissent, three pro-democracy banners hung on an overpass in China’s southwestern city of Chengdu early Tuesday morning, according to a prominent citizen journalist on X.

    The display appeared to be inspired by ‘Bridge Man’ Peng Lifa, who hung similar banners on the busy Sitong Bridge in Beijing, sparking the White Paper protests of November 2022.

    During those protests, which took place in several cities in China, people showed blank sheets of paper to symbolize that authorities gave them no voice amid anger over the loss of freedom and pandemic lockdowns.

    Tuesday’s display in Chengdu did not appear to set off any street protests, but the pictures of the banners caused a stir online and were reportedly soon blocked and removed when shared on WeChat.

    Pictures of the banners were originally sent to X account @whyyoutouzhele, also known as “Mr. Li is not your teacher,” by a contributor who claimed he had been preparing these slogans for over a year and hoped the popular X account, which has over 1.9 million followers, would help him spread his message.

    The banners read: “Without political system reform, there will be no national rejuvenation,” “The people do not need a political party with unrestrained power,” and “China does not need anyone to point out the direction, democracy is the direction,” according to the X account, which is maintained by artist-turned-citizen journalist Li Ying and shot to prominence during the “White Paper” protests.

    Shortly after the original post, which went up at 06:20 am Beijing time on Tuesday, a followup post confirmed that the banners were hung from a bridge outside Chengdu’s Chadianzi Bus Station. Local residents confirmed the location of the banners – hung from a bridge near the Chadianzi Third Ring Road Interchange in Jinniu District, Chengdu.

    Subsequently, a second followup post on the same X account on Tuesday evening, confirmed that the man who had shared the information with Mr. Li had been out of contact for more than 13 hours.

    “The last thing he wanted to convey to the public through us was that he hoped democracy could be realized as soon as possible,” according to the final post at 07:58 pm Beijing time on Tuesday.

    RFA called the Jinniu District Public Security Bureau and Chengdu’s Chadianzi Police Station to seek confirmation about the banners. A police officer at the station said incidents at the Third Ring Road were outside its jurisdiction.

    Rights activists opined that the display of banners reflected latent political dissatisfaction and desire for change that is prevalent in Chinese society.

    “In the past few decades of the CCP’s rule, there have been many people who demand democracy. Although the voices from the people are very weak, there are always calls to break through the darkness and yearn for light,” said Guo Min, a former police officer turned political activist who relocated to the United States two years ago.

    An activist in Chengdu, who only gave his name as Zhao for safety reasons, said the banner incident “is a direct expression of dissatisfaction with the system and despair with reality.”

    Edited by Tenzin Pema and Mat Pennington.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Qian Lang for RFA Mandarin.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • China detains Tibetans for sharing photos of late Buddhist leader

    Chinese authorities have interrogated and detained local Tibetans who posted photos and messages online mourning the loss of an influential Tibetan Buddhist leader said to have died while in custody in Vietnam, two sources from the region told Radio Free Asia.

    Officials in Gade county in Golog prefecture of Qinghai province have placed the monastery of Tulku Hungkar Dorje, who died aged 56, under round-the-clock police surveillance, conducting random inspections of locals’ phones to curb information sharing about his death, said the sources. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

    On April 3, Lung Ngon Monastery in Gade county confirmed that its abbot, Tulku Hungkar Dorje, had died on March 29 in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. His followers say the Buddhist leader, who had been missing for over eight months, had fled to Vietnam to escape Chinese government persecution for his work as an educator and promoter of Tibetan language and culture.

    Since April 2, authorities from Golog prefecture and Gade county have been conducting inspections at the monastery and local village, imposing tight restrictions and forbidding public memorial services for the abbot, the sources told RFA.

    “After Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s death, local Tibetans have faced comprehensive restrictions. Many local residents who expressed condolences or shared photos of the Rinpoche on social media have been summoned for questioning by Chinese authorities,” said the first source.

    “Several Tibetans have also been detained, although detailed information cannot be obtained due to the strict controls and scrutiny,” he added.

    Tulku Hungkar Dorje was renowned as a philanthropist, educator and environmentalist, who promoted Tibetan language and culture. Followers and rights groups say he was a victim of transnational repression by China and have demanded the Vietnamese government allow an independent investigation into his death, which they say took place under suspicious circumstances after he was arrested in a joint operation led by local Vietnamese police and Chinese government agents.

    Vietnamese authorities have not publicly commented about the case.

    Monks from Lung Ngon Monastery who travelled with Chinese officials to Vietnam on April 5 to retrieve the Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s body were initially refused permission to view the body of their abbot and from participating in meetings held at the Chinese embassy in Vietnam, Tibetan rights groups said, citing sources familiar with the matter in the region.

    However, on April 10, the monks were allowed to view Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s face, but were not allowed to view the rest of his body, said Ju Tenkyong, director of the Amnye Machen Institute, a Dharamsala-based Tibetan center for advanced studies.

    Currently, there is no clear information about the status of Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s body, which is reportedly at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Tenkyong said.

    Tibetans across the globe have united in their call for a thorough probe into the death of the respected Buddhist teacher, holding peaceful marches in several countries, including in India and the U.S., with demonstrations outside the Chinese and Vietnamese embassies and consulates in New Delhi and New York as well as candlelight vigils, prayer ceremonies, and formal petitions.

    Closure of Tibetan language schools

    Tulku Hungkar Dorje was a renowned Tibetan educator in a region where Chinese authorities are accused of stifling Tibetan language and culture and seeking to assimilate Tibetan children into the larger ethnic Han culture.

    The abbot founded several schools and vocational centers to provide free education for children of local nomadic families. These schools, which included the Hungkar Dorje Ethnic Vocational High School and Mayul Center for Studies, were reportedly shut down shortly after he went missing last year, sources told RFA.

    In another indication of the trend of Chinese authorities suppressing Tibetan education, a prominent school, also in Golog prefecture, announced Tuesday it was reopening but would not be teaching Tibetan language and culture as before.

    In July 2024, Chinese officials shut down Ragya Gangjong Sherig Norbuling School, a reputed Tibetan vocational school run by prominent Buddhist teacher, Jigme Gyaltsen, citing lack of compliance with provincial communist party standards. The closure sparked widespread concern among Tibetans at the time over Beijing’s efforts to eradicate Tibetan language and culture.

    On Tuesday, Gyaltsen told hundreds of monks, students, and local Tibetans at a public event that the vocational school will focus on providing practical training on technology and technical skills to enable Tibetans to keep pace with the current tech-driven era.

    Tibetan netizens welcomed the reopening and praised Gyaltsen as “invincible” and “indestructible.” One also expressed hope that the “glory of Tibetan language and script will shine as before.” However, sources told RFA the school will reopen without its Tibetan language and cultural departments, which it was famed for.

    Translated by Tenzin Norzom. Edited by Tenzin Pema and Mat Pennington.

    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Tibetan.

  • Amnesty International opens Hong Kong section ‘in exile’

    Human rights group Amnesty International said Tuesday it is opening a new Hong Kong section overseas, three years after closing its office in the territory because of a Chinese crackdown on civil society.

    Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas (AIHKO), will be led by Hong Kong diaspora activists operating from key international hubs including Australia, Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States, Amnesty said in a statement.

    “The gutting of Hong Kong’s civil society has been a tragedy for the city with more than 100 non-profits and media outlets shut down or forced to flee,” the statement said. “We are now ready to intensify our efforts by building new communities of support driven by the Hong Kong diaspora.”

    Amnesty said that since pro-democracy protests in 2019, more than 10,000 people, many of them students, have been arrested for protest-related activities. Over 300 people have been arrested for alleged acts of “endangering national security.”

    It said that AIHKO is Amnesty International’s first-ever section founded and operated entirely “in exile.”

    “Being overseas provides us with a degree of protection, allowing us to speak more freely and engage in advocacy work. We have a responsibility to do more to support those who remain in Hong Kong and continue their vital efforts,” Fernando Cheung, AIHKO board member and former Hong Kong legislator, was quoted as saying.

    The U.K.-based human rights group was founded in 1961 with particular focus on the plight of political prisoners. Amnesty International’s local office in Hong Kong ceased operations on Oct. 31, 2021.

    AIHKO, which is officially registered in Switzerland, will focus on advocating for human rights of Hong Kongers, within Hong Kong and abroad, the statement said.

    Hong Kong was once a bastion of free media and expression in Asia, qualities that helped make it an international financial center and a regional hub for journalism and civil society groups.

    But demonstrations in 2019 against Beijing’s encroachment on Hong Kong’s freedoms led to the passage of a national security law in 2020 that stifled dissent, making life increasingly precarious for independent groups that criticized China.

    Radio Free Asia closed in its Hong Kong bureau in March 2024, saying the city’s recently amended national security law, also known as “Article 23,” had raised safety concerns for its reporters and staff members.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Is Trump’s trade war with China the opening stage of a wider war?


    This content originally appeared on The Grayzone and was authored by The Grayzone.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • “Japanese Aegis”-Equipped JS Akizuki Participates in Surveillance of Chinese Navy Vessels

    On March 21, the Japan Ministry of Defense Joint Staff Office announced the successful monitoring of movements by two Chinese Navy vessels in waters near Uotsuri Island in the Senkaku Islands and between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan. This maritime surveillance operation, conducted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) from March 16 to 20, leveraged […]

    The post “Japanese Aegis”-Equipped JS Akizuki Participates in Surveillance of Chinese Navy Vessels appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • ‘Russia lied to us’: Chinese fighters captured by Ukraine tell their story

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – Two Chinese nationals captured while fighting for Russia in Ukraine said they were tricked by false promises and online recruitment ads into enlisting, and criticized Moscow for exploiting foreign fighters in its war effort.

    “I wanted to make money, but I didn’t expect to end up in a war,” said Zhang Renbo, a former firefighter from China, during a Ukrainian government press conference on Monday.

    He and Wang Guangjun, both born in the 1990s, are the first confirmed Chinese nationals captured fighting in the Russian ranks against Ukraine. Their capture was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month, who said “several hundred” Chinese citizens are believed to be fighting for Russia.

    Wang said he lost his job last summer and came across a TikTok ad offering a lucrative opportunity to join the Russian military. The recruiter promised him a salary far above the Chinese average and offered to pay for travel and paperwork.

    But soon after arrival, Wang claimed, the Russians confiscated his phone and bank card. He was unable to access the promised pay or contact anyone back home.

    “Everything we heard from the Russians was a lie,” Wang said.

    Radio Free Asia has not independently verified the men’s claims.

    The two men said they signed enlistment contracts voluntarily but without any connection to the Chinese government.

    Both claimed they were initially offered non-combat jobs – Wang in the military directly, Zhang through construction work – only to be placed on the battlefield later. Their route into the war passed through Moscow and Russian-occupied Donetsk before they reached the front lines.

    Wang said he had been at the front for just three days before he was captured.

    He described being sheltered by Ukrainian soldiers during a Russian gas attack after his capture and said he had been treated well ever since. In the video of the press conference, the two men appear to be in good health.

    Zhang, who comes from a wealthier background, said he never saw any Ukrainian troops until the moment he was taken prisoner. Both men said they had not killed anyone during their time on the battlefield.

    The two criticised Russia sharply during the press conference and discouraged other Chinese nationals from joining the conflict.

    “It’s better not to participate in wars at all,” Wang said. “Real war is completely different from what we have seen in movies and on TV.”

    They also denied any involvement by the Chinese state in their recruitment.

    When asked whether Beijing was aware of their actions, they said China had issued general warnings against travelling to conflict zones and noted that Chinese citizens who join foreign militaries could face legal consequences. Still, both said they hoped to return to China as part of a future prisoner exchange.

    “I understand there may be punishment,” Zhang said. “But I still want to return home and to my family.”

    Russia has increasingly turned to foreign nationals to fill its ranks in Ukraine, recruiting fighters from countries including India, Nepal, Syria, and reportedly North Korea.

    As many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia to fight Ukrainian forces who occupied parts of Kursk in an August counterattack, according to the U.S. and Ukraine. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has acknowledged their presence.

    According to Wang, he was placed in a training camp alongside recruits from Central Asia, Ghana, and Iraq, and said communication with commanders was limited to gestures.

    Edited by Stephen Wright.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Tariffs – Trump Blinks Again

    On Thursday President Trump pulled back on tariffs because a sell-off in treasuries threatened to develop into a serious economic catastrophe.

    Tariffs were reduced to 10% for most countries but China. (10% is still a lot higher than they were before Trump started his tariff onslaught.) The tariffs on products from China were raised to a total of 145%.

    The high China tariffs would inevitably lead to a steep raise of U.S. prices for consumer electronics which, at least partially, are nowadays coming from China. For big U.S. companies, foremost Apple, this would have entailed large losses.

    So Trump blinked again.

    The post Tariffs – Trump Blinks Again appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Tibetan Buddhist leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje death — calls for investigation of China, Vietnam (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Taiwan says Cambodia deported its nationals to China after fraud arrests

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – Cambodia deported Taiwanese fraud suspects to China, the island’s foreign ministry said, urging Cambodian authorities to provide a complete list of the deportees, who may number in the dozens.

    About 180 Taiwanese were arrested together with seven alleged Chinese coconspirators on March 31, during raids on an online fraud center in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.

    After receiving notification of the arrests on April 1, Taiwan’s representative office in Ho Chi Minh City began negotiating with the Cambodian government, said the ministry. Cambodia deported nearly 190 suspects to China in three groups on Sunday night and early Monday morning but hadn’t provided nationality information, the ministry said.

    Taiwan and Cambodia do not maintain official diplomatic relations as the Southeast Asian country, like most other nations, recognizes Beijing and backs its position that Taiwan is part of China’s territory.

    The representative office had requested that Cambodian authorities provide a complete list of names of the Taiwanese suspects and deport them to Taiwan to face legal consequences in accordance with international norms, according to the ministry.

    Despite these requests, the Cambodian government has yet to provide a complete list or specific number of suspects, the ministry said.

    “Cambodia, under pressure from China, did not provide a list of our country’s nationals or the total number deported, and the ministry not only continues to urge Cambodia to provide the list as soon as possible, but also expresses its serious concern and protest,” said the ministry.

    The ministry also urged Taiwanese not to engage in illegal activities overseas such as telecom fraud.

    Cambodia has become a regional hub for scam operations involving human trafficking and forced labour.

    The scam operations are largely run by Chinese criminal syndicates based in guarded compounds in cities such as Sihanoukville, according to media reports. Victims – many from Taiwan, Myanmar and other Asian countries – are lured with fake job offers, only to be coerced into perpetrating online scams.

    Taiwan has previously complained about countries deporting its nationals to China after being arrested on suspicion of involvement in telecom fraud, including Cambodia, Kenya and Spain.

    According to Taiwan’s estimation, more than 600 Taiwanese people arrested overseas for their alleged involvement in online fraud were deported to China between 2016 and May 2024.

    Neither the Cambodian nor Chinese foreign ministries immediately commented.

    In recent years, Cambodia and China have significantly deepened their relationship across economic, political and military spheres.

    China has become Cambodia’s largest investor and trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing US$15 billion in 2024. Major infrastructure projects, such as the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway and a US$1.7 billion canal plan, have been developed under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

    Politically, Cambodia has consistently supported China’s positions in international forums, including on contentious issues such as the South China Sea.

    The two nations have also strengthened military ties, including the Chinese-funded expansion of the Ream Naval Base, which has raised concerns in the region about a potential Chinese military presence in the Gulf of Thailand.

    Edited by Stephen Wright.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.