China Archives - The Singapore Post

30Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

How China really spies on the UK

It is a question that successive governments have struggled with: what kind of threat does China really pose to the UK? Trying to answer it may have contributed to the high-profile collapse of the case in which two British men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, were accused of spying for China and charged under the Official Secrets Act. Both deny wrongdoing - but when charges were dropped last month, it sparked political outcry. Prosecutors and officials have since offered conflicting accounts about whether a failure or unwillingness to label China as an active threat to national security led to the withdrawal of the charges. And yesterday Lord Hermer, the attorney general, blamed "out of date" legislation for the case's collapse. But this all raises the qu...

30Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Why the Trump-Xi Summit May Disappoint

s President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday, Beijing has just concluded its most important political event of the year. Xi emerged triumphant, strengthening his hand ahead of what could be the most consequential diplomatic showdown of 2025. The stakes are enormous. Bilateral trade is nearly $600 billion. Markets continue to remain jittery about the U.S.-China trade spat, even after cabinet officials patched together a series of rolling truces earlier this year as stopgap measures before a presidential sit-down. Trump is bullish. He told reporters in Washington last week that “we’ll make a deal on, I think, everything” and echoed that optimism today to a room f

CCP’s psychological warfare: How China exploits division to undermine Canada’s unity

24Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

CCP’s psychological warfare: How China exploits division to undermine Canada’s unity

At a time when political polarisation has become a defining feature of Western democracies, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) appears to be exploiting this vulnerability with precision. Through targeted psychological operations, or psyops, Beijing is not only meddling in foreign politics but also actively sowing social discord to weaken national cohesion in countries like Canada. This assessment was laid bare by Jan Jekielek, host of The Epoch Times’ American Thought Leaders programme, during the 2025 Reclaiming Conference in Calgary. Speaking to a gathering of grassroots activists and civic leaders on September 21, Jekielek issued a blunt warning: “They want to see two sides that are so radicalised that they have to fight each other.” According to Jekielek, Ch

Trump Says US Will ‘Be Fine’ With China as Trade Talks Near

23Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Trump Says US Will ‘Be Fine’ With China as Trade Talks Near

President Donald Trump said the US will “be fine” with China in comments that come just before the two sides return to the negotiating table and a fragile trade truce nears expiration. President Donald Trump said the US will “be fine” with China in comments that come just before the two sides return to the negotiating table and a fragile trade truce nears expiration. When asked in an interview with Fox News on Sunday about his threat to raise the tariff on Chinese goods by 100%, Trump said the levy was “not sustainable” though “it could stand.” He added that he had a good relationship with the Chinese leader, and he expected a sitdown to happen in South Korea, where an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting starts later this month. “I think we’re going to be fine with Chin

China recalibrates in Nepal after Oli’s fall

22Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China recalibrates in Nepal after Oli’s fall

In September 2025, mass protests in Nepal led by Generation Z over social media censorship, corruption and economic stagnation forced former prime minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli’s resignation. For Beijing, Oli’s fall represents a political setback but not a turning point, as China seeks to preserve its influence in Nepal while adapting to shifting local dynamics. Oli’s exit was significant because he was widely recognised as a ‘pro-China’ figure. During his three terms as prime minister — 2015–2016, 2018–2021 and 2024–2025 — China and Nepal developed close political ties. The two governments signed many agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs), opening avenues for collaboration on connectivity, energy and transportation. In 2017, Nepal signed an MoU on the Belt and Ro

Trump predicts ‘fantastic’ trade deal with China to end tariff disputes

22Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Trump predicts ‘fantastic’ trade deal with China to end tariff disputes

Trump imposed 57% tariffs on Chinese imports, so China restricted exports of rare-earth minerals that are key to electronics. Trump has threatened to raise tariffs to 157% if no trade deal is reached. President Donald Trump predicted he would reach a "fantastic" trade deal with China at the end of the month, despite the ongoing trade war over tariffs and rare-earth minerals. "I think we’re going to end up having a fantastic trade deal with China," Trump told reporters at the White House. His optimism contrasted with a trade war of dueling tariffs and a Chinese threat to withhold rare-earth minerals from the rest of the world. Trump was meeting Oct. 20 with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to announce a deal for processing rare-earth minerals that are crucial for el

Taiwan opposition elects new leader who wants peace with China

22Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Taiwan opposition elects new leader who wants peace with China

Taiwan’s main opposition party has chosen a new reformist leader who is critical of high defence spending but envisions peace with neighbouring China, whose sovereignty claims over the island have long roiled ties. Members of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, which traditionally has had warm ties with Beijing, voted to elect former lawmaker Cheng Li-wun as chairperson on Saturday. Cheng, 55, who defeated former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin and four others, will take over the party leadership on November 1. The election of Cheng, who warns against letting Taiwan “become the sacrifice of geopolitics”, has deep implications for domestic politics at a time of heightened military and political tensions with China. While the KMT does not control the presidency, the party and i

Roiled by purges and buffeted by US frictions, China’s leadership meets to chart country’s rise

22Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Roiled by purges and buffeted by US frictions, China’s leadership meets to chart country’s rise

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is convening a key political meeting this week where he will push forward his next five-year strategy to strengthen the world’s second-largest economy in the face of mounting friction with the United States. The gathering, known as the fourth plenum, provides an opportune moment for Xi to showcase China’s brand of highly choreographed economic planning and his tight control over its political apparatus, days before a potential meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of an international summit in South Korea. It also underscores the sharp contrast between the two countries as they compete across tech and trade arenas. Gathering Communist Party elites will review China’s upcoming five-year plan, an economic blueprint whose direction is str

Chinese Communist Party expels top generals in sweeping military crackdown

18Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Chinese Communist Party expels top generals in sweeping military crackdown

The Chinese Communist Party has expelled nine top generals in one of its largest public crackdowns on the military in decades. Nine men were suspected of serious financial crimes, a statement released by China's defence ministry said. Most of them were three-star generals and part of the party's decision-making Central Committee. They have also been expelled from the military. While the statement cast the expulsion as part of an anti-corruption drive, analysts say it could also be seen as a political purge. It comes on the eve of the party's plenum where the Central Committee will discuss the country's economic development plan and vote in new members. The nine officials are: He Weidong - Vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Miao Hua - director of

Taiwan president unveils ‘T-Dome’ air defence system to counter China threat

11Oct

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Taiwan president unveils ‘T-Dome’ air defence system to counter China threat

Taiwan will build a new multi-layered air defence system called "T-Dome" to defend itself against enemy threats and increase defence spending, President Lai Ching-te said on Friday, calling on China to renounce the use of force to seize the island. Democratically governed Taiwan has faced increased military and political pressure from China, which views the island as its own territory over the strong objections of the government in Taipei. Taiwan is ramping up defence spending and modernising its armed forces, but faces a China that has a far larger military and is adding advanced new weapons such as stealth fighter jets, aircraft carriers and a huge array of missiles. Lai said in his National Day address that Taiwan is determined to spend more on defence, and would...