Asia

An independent poll found support for DPP presidential front runner William Lai fell below 30 per cent for the first time since he entered the race Survey shows Tsai’s disapproval rating jumped to highest level since April 2019 Support from Taiwanese voters for the ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party presidential front runner William Lai Ching-te has fallen below 30 per cent for the first time in seven months. The latest survey by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation on Tuesday also showed President Tsai Ing-wen’s approval rating continued to slump as support for her independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government declined further. The survey results were the latest worrisome sign for the DPP which is seeking to break a lo

Taliban officials have discussed joining China’s Belt and Road scheme, plus possible road and rail links and mining deals, but analysts say there are no easy infrastructure options in Afghanistan China and the Taliban are pushing ahead with plans for a big copper mine in Afghanistan, plus formally joining President Xi Jinping’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’. The Taliban will send a technical team to China for talks to clarify how the infrastructure scheme may be expanded to Afghanistan, the country’s acting commerce minister said late last week. Beijing has sought to develop its ties with the Taliban-run government since it took over in 2021, even though no other foreign government has recognised the administration. Last month, China became the first country to appoint an am

The signs are so big they cannot be missed, promoting Xi Jinping’s vision for China’s technological self-reliance in the face of ‘strangling’ forces China’s northeast has been compared to the US city of Detroit – once a beating heart of industrialisation, now a shell of its former self with underutilised resources On an expressway leading to the headquarters of China’s biggest maker of industrial robots, 23 huge block Chinese characters – each quite literally larger than life at over six feet tall – are a recurrent reminder to passers-by. “It is necessary to promote self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, seizing every moment to make breakthroughs in ‘strangling’ problems,” reads the signage in bright red, mounted on scaffolding along the roadside in Sheny

Leading influencers on Weibo have been told they must use their real names, with other platforms expected to introduce similar rules Change follows the introduction of new internet rules, but critics fear it will increase the risk of online harassment and the release of private data. This week a number of popular Chinese social media accounts suddenly started closing or deleting large numbers of followers. “I will close this account now and say goodbye to all of you,” one account that mainly posts celebrity news wrote. “I hope you all will lead happy and successful lives.” They were reacting to a new policy that will make it mandatory for social media users with a large following on Weibo to disclose their real names – raising concerns that it will violate the privacy of tho

Under Chinese law, Beijing can demand access to Chinese companies' user information Parliamentarians grilled a pair of TikTok executives on the security of Canadians' privacy — and whether China can access the popular social media app's data — during a House committee meeting on Wednesday. The executives repeatedly told MPs on the access to information, privacy and ethics committee that China and the ruling Chinese Communist Party are not able to view user data. One executive said China has not requested any data at all. "The Chinese government has not asserted the rights over any TikTok user data," said David Lieber, head of TikTok's privacy public policy for the Americas. TikTok's corporate owner, ByteDance, is based in Beijing. Under Chinese national security

Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has begun to more aggressively challenge America’s role as the key economic and political power in Asia. Increasingly repressive at home, Xi has not shied away from asserting China’s regional influence, positioning Beijing as the powerbroker on everything from trade routes to territorial disputes. And with its Belt and Road Initiative, China’s influence is spreading well beyond Asia, into much of Africa and even Europe. China’s ascendance is also evident in how much attention other global powers are paying to Beijing and its policies. But while China’s rise often makes headlines, it is not the only trend shaping events in Asia. Illiberalism has become a force in democracies like India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ridden the

From its aggressive maritime actions to its new ‘10-dash line,’ Beijing flouts the rules-based order that Manila seeks to uphold. A diplomatic win, many people said about the announcement of a hotline between the Philippines and China. This was one of the highlights of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trip to China in January 2023, where he and Chinese President Xi Jinping established a direct line of communications between their two capitals. Specifically, the line would be between departments in each country’s foreign affairs ministries that deal with maritime and border issues. The objective was to prevent the escalation of tension in the West Philippine Sea (also referred to as the South China Sea). In an interview, Marcos Jr. said he proposed the direct communication

‘Major plan’ will cover sustainable use of marine resources, biodiversity conservation and climate change, official says Representatives of 130 nations and 30 global organisations will gather in Beijing for the forum that begins on Tuesday China will launch a new international maritime cooperation initiative at this week’s belt and road summit as it seeks to showcase its “blue economy” goals to the world. Beijing will mark 10 years of its infrastructure-led global development strategy at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which begins in the Chinese capital on Tuesday. Representatives of some 130 countries and 30 global organisations – including Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – will

Two-day event in Beijing will mark 10th anniversary of infrastructure scheme and may see talks on links to Afghanistan, plus possible mining projects The Taliban will attend China’s Belt and Road Forum, a two-day event that starts in Beijing on Tuesday. The forum will make the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s ambitious global infrastructure initiative, modelled on ancient Silk Road routes, which aims to boost global trade and enhance China’s international standing. It will also put a spotlight on Beijing’s growing ties with the regime that took over in Afghanistan in August 2021 after the departure of US troops from Kabul, which has not been formally recognised by any government. Taliban officials and ministers have at times travelled to regional meetings, mostl