China Archives - The Singapore Post

What to know after U.S. says it has reached framework deal with China to keep TikTok in operation

16Sep

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

What to know after U.S. says it has reached framework deal with China to keep TikTok in operation

TikTok users in the U.S. may get a reprieve from the threat of a shutdown after the Trump administration announced it has reached a framework deal with China for the ownership of the popular social video platform. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press conference after the latest round of trade talks between the world’s top two economies concluded in Madrid that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping would speak Friday to possibly finalize the deal. He said the objective of the deal would be to switch to American ownership. He did not disclose the terms of the deal, saying that it is between two private parties, but added that “the commercial terms have been agreed upon.” Little is known about the actual deal in the works

Netanyahu admits: “Israel is isolated.” And accuses China and Qatar of propaganda in the West

16Sep

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Netanyahu admits: “Israel is isolated.” And accuses China and Qatar of propaganda in the West

Israeli PM warns: "We will increasingly need to adapt to an economy with autarchic characteristics; we must develop our war industries here." Arab countries call for sanctions against Tel Aviv after Doha attack Brussels – Benjamin Netanyahu is left with only his Stars and Stripes faithful ally. During a conference in Jerusalem on the sidelines of a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Israeli PM admitted that Israel “finds itself in a kind of international isolation” and that the Jewish state should “develop its war industries” and “the ability to produce what it needs” within its borders. If two years of carpet bombing of the civilian population in Gaza were not enough, the raid on Doha, capital of the Qatari mediator in the peace negoti

The Quiet Collapse: How China’s Governance Is Failing Its Young

3Sep

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

The Quiet Collapse: How China’s Governance Is Failing Its Young

In recent months, a disturbing pattern has emerged across mainland China’s social media platforms. Posts, comments, and videos, many quickly deleted or suppressed, have begun to paint a grim picture of a society quietly unravelling. The most alarming trend? A surge in sudden deaths among young and middle-aged citizens, often attributed to cardiac arrest, liver cancer, and other fatal conditions. While the official narrative remains muted, the voices of ordinary people suggest a deeper crisis,one rooted not just in biology, but in governance. From bloggers lamenting the loss of classmates to netizens recounting the deaths of peers in their 30s and 40s, the anecdotes are chilling. A woman in her early 40s notes that more of her generation have died than her grandparents’ cohort. A ho

Prabowo Pushes Through With China Trip as Protests Cool Down

3Sep

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Prabowo Pushes Through With China Trip as Protests Cool Down

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has departed for China, pushing through with a trip he had initially scrapped due to the weeklong protests that have rocked the Southeast Asian nation. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has departed for China, pushing through with a trip he had initially scrapped due to the weeklong protests that have rocked the Southeast Asian nation. Prabowo traveled to Beijing on Tuesday evening to attend a major military parade, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to showcase his nation’s growing diplomatic sway and military might. “To maintain good relations with the Chinese government, the President has decided to depart tonight and return to Indonesia the following evening,” State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said in a press briefing late

China will be more central to India now. Though an anti-US unity is premature

2Sep

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China will be more central to India now. Though an anti-US unity is premature

As I write this column from Boston, the biggest American newspapers have the Tianjin meeting of Prime Minister Modi, President Putin, and President Xi—all three smiling and shaking hands—as a leading news item. The sub-theme is also that President Trump’s policies are driving them closer, perhaps opening the door to an anti-US unity in international geopolitics. The talk of an anti-American unity is perhaps premature. At least two of the three nations, China and India, have significant ties with the US, which can be ruptured only at a very great cost. Despite the talk of a decline, the US is still the world’s largest economy. At the end of 2024, according to the World Bank, America’s GDP was $29.18 trillion, which amounted to 26.2 per cent of the world economy ($111.33 trillio

Reeling from Trump’s tariffs, India and China seek a business reboot

31Aug

By Online DeskNo Comments

Reeling from Trump’s tariffs, India and China seek a business reboot

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in China on Sunday with the sting of Donald Trump's US tariffs still at the top of his mind. Since Wednesday, tariffs on Indian goods imported into the US, like diamonds and prawns, now stand at 50% – which the US president says is punishment for Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. Experts say the levies threaten to leave lasting bruises on India's vibrant export sector, and its ambitious growth targets. China's President Xi Jinping, too, is trying to revive a sluggish economy at a time when sky-high US tariffs threaten to derail his plans. Against this backdrop, the leaders of the world's two most populous countries may both be looking for a reset in their relationship, which has previously been marked by mistrust, in lar

China’s Xi welcomes Putin and Modi as Trump roils global order

31Aug

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China’s Xi welcomes Putin and Modi as Trump roils global order

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday rolled out the red carpet for Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi and about 20 other national leaders arriving for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. The Eurasian political and security summit — held in Tianjin this year — is a gathering designed to cement Beijing’s clout and champion its vision of a “multipolar world order.” Set up in 2001, the SCO began with China, Russia and four Central Asian countries, as a counterweight to Western alliances such as NATO. It now boasts 10 members and 16 dialogue partners and observers. This year the summit will focus largely on U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. Trump has slapped 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil. Putin

Indonesia’s president cancels China trip and TikTok suspends live video as deadly protests continue

30Aug

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Indonesia’s president cancels China trip and TikTok suspends live video as deadly protests continue

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday canceled a planned trip to China as days of protests spread further outside the capital Jakarta, with several regional parliament buildings set ablaze. Prabowo had been due to attend a “Victory Day” parade in China on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two following Japan’s formal surrender. The protests, the first major test for Prabowo’s nearly year-old government, began in Jakarta this week over lawmakers’ pay and worsened after a police vehicle hit and killed a motorcycle rider. “The president wants to continue monitoring (the situation in Indonesia) directly…and seek the best solutions,” presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said in a video statement on Saturday. “Therefore, the presiden

29Aug

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

World leaders gather in China’s Tianjin

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to China in seven years is a sign of a thaw in the relations between the neighbors. The two-day summit will bring together leaders from more than 20 nations. China welcomed world leaders as they arrived for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit Sunday in Tianjin. The two-day gathering will bring together leaders from more than 20 nations, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or "dialogue partners". On Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping began receiving foreign leaders, inc...

China to host global leaders at SCO summit amid ‘power politics’

25Aug

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China to host global leaders at SCO summit amid ‘power politics’

Leaders from over 20 countries will gather in Tianjin as President Xi Jinping seeks to use the SCO summit to strengthen regional security and influence. Chinese President Xi Jinping will host Russia's Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UN chief Antonio Guterres and more than 20 heads of government later this month, Beijing said on Friday, for a political and security meeting aimed at cementing China's regional influence. Leaders from a bloc spanning roughly a quarter of the globe will unveil new plans to deepen their ties when they gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin told a news conference on the summit's preparations. The gathering takes place between Augu...