US defense delegation visits Taiwan as China denounces trip
By DW
02 March 2022 |
12:20 pm
Former defense officials from the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama visited Taiwan. The delegation arrived amid fears Russia's Ukraine invasion could spark China's geopolitical ambitions for the island.
In this article
Related
20 Jan
Call it an Olympic-sized gamble. Ahead of Chinese New Year holiday travel and the Winter Games, authorities there are sticking to their zero-Covid policy. As Omicron tears through much of the rest of the world, can the coronavirus really be barred from the Beijing Olympics?
22 Jan
FRANCE 24 spoke to Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France. He insisted Beijing was prioritising "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, but said the Chinese authorities had "not ruled out the use of force" – not with the intention of targeting "the people of Taiwan", but rather to dissuade "separatists in Taiwan" and certain "foreign forces". The Chinese diplomat also said he was "sure" there would be no mass surge in Covid-19 cases during the Winter Olympics, which open in Beijing on February 4.
19 Jan
The duopoly of Western aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing is under pressure. Russia's MC-21 airliner is now certified to fly and China is pushing ahead with plans to enter the international market.
18 Jan
The birth rate in the world's most populous country, China, has fallen for a fifth consecutive year to hit a record low. The population is ageing and the workforce is shrinking. Despite ending the decades-long one-child policy, the baby boom officials had hoped for never materialised. These rapidly changing demographics foreshadow a crisis that could undercut the country's economic and social stability.
25 Jan
Australia's vocal criticism of China's human rights record has long angered Beijing. When Canberra called for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus in 2020, Beijing slapped high tariffs on some Australian products.
25 Jan
Dozens of Chinese jets entered Taiwan's air defense zone, the island's officials said. Taiwan responded by scrambling its own fighter jets and activating missile defense systems.
3 Feb
Representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Monday met with the ousted President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Kabore. Prior to the meeting there had been no information about the whereabouts or condition of the former leader. While the delegation did not reveal where the meeting with Korbare took place, the head of the mission, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, said he was in good health.
4 Feb
Can Xi Jinping's China pull it off? Can happy pictures of a torch relay reduced to 72 hours and tightly cropped images of top-level competitions make the world forget about the empty seats, the Covid bubble, the artificial snow, the tight security and the pressure on sponsors over human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong?
7 Feb
China's decision to have a Uyghur athlete light the Olympic cauldron has drawn criticism from human rights groups, who saw it as cheap propaganda ploy to whitewash the oppression of the country's ethnic Uyghur minority.
13 Feb
With China gearing up for the Beijing Winter Olympics, other countries are sticking to their pledge of a diplomatic boycott on human rights grounds, especially after documentation of the government's treatment of Uyghurs. One LA business owner has turned his restaurant into a form of activism.
12 Feb
Taiwan 'most dangerous flashpoint' in US-China relations
12 Feb
San Francisco-born Eileen Gu, who lifted the host country to the top of the medals table at the Beijing Olympics with a freeski Big Air gold on Tuesday, remained evasive on whether she was still holding an American passport.
Latest
3 hours ago
We look at reactions to the nomination of Elisabeth Borne, France's first female prime minister in 30 years. How politically strategic is Emmanuel Macron's choice? Also, British footballer Jake Daniels comes out as a gay in a historic moment and is lauded by the British press. Finally, after manterrupting and mansplaining, beware of "hepeating" – when men get credit for women's ideas!
3 hours ago
An annual surf competition was held at the weekend on Liberia's coast, in a fishing town that is gaining worldwide recognition for the quality of its waves.
5 hours ago
The fast food giant said it was leaving because of the "unpredictable operating environment" and "humanitarian" reasons. McDonald's was quick to set up shop in the Soviet Union in the waning embers of the Cold War.
5 hours ago
Australia is counting down to its next federal election on May 21. The environmental crisis is high on voters' minds and smaller parties and independents are gaining momentum by riding a wave of disillusionment over the conservative coalition's lack of climate action. With a hung parliament looking likely, these minor players could force the traditional parties to do more to tackle global warming. Climate change is an increasingly hot-button issue since the country's devastating bushfires of 2019-20. Our correspondents Richelle Harrison Plesse and Gregory Plesse report.
7 hours ago
Brooklyn-based duo Bottler (aka producers Pat Butler and Phil Shore) have created a unique soundscape blending a myriad of styles including pop, indie rock, trip-hop and club music. In 2020, they released a double bill of EPs, "Clementine" and "Grow". Now the childhood friends are back with their debut album "Journey Work", in which they’re on a mission to explore and express the full spectrum of human experience. They joined us on Encore! to tell us more.
7 hours ago
Israel's police chief has ordered a probe into the actions of officers at the funeral of reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in Jerusalem. Germany's top diplomat, Annalena Baerbock, said she was "deeply shocked" by the events.