Foreign

More than 14,000 rescue workers have arrived in Tibet to continue the search for survivors after a strong earthquake killed at least 126 people in a remote part of western China.

More than 400 people have been rescued, Chinese state media says, since the quake struck on Tuesday, some 50 miles from the base of Mount Everest, destroying thousands of homes.

Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing arrived on Wednesday to oversee the operation, which is being hampered by winter temperatures that dropped to -16C overnight.

Earthquakes are common in the region, which lies on a major geological fault line, but Tuesday’s was one of China’s deadliest in recent years.

The magnitude 7.1 quake, which struck at a depth of 10 km (six miles), according to data from the US Geological Survey, was also felt in Nepal and parts of India, which neighbour Tibet.

Internet access is restricted in Tibet, which is tightly controlled by Beijing, and reporters cannot travel there without government permission. So much of what we know about the quake and its aftermath is from Chinese state media.

The air force has been deployed and drones dispatched to help rescuers, as President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to minimise casualties and resettle affected residents.

State-owned People’s Daily says more than 30,000 people have been relocated in the region. Electricity and mobile phone service in Tingri county, near the epicentre, were restored by Wednesday morning, according to state media.

Officials estimate that more than 3,600 buildings had collapsed, potentially leaving thousands without shelter.

Videos published by China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed houses destroyed and and buildings brought down in Tibet’s holy Shigatse city, with rescue workers wading through debris and handing out thick blankets to locals.

Sangji Dangzhi – whose supermarket was damaged in the earthquake – told news agency AFP by phone that the destruction of homes had been extensive.

“Here the houses are made from dirt so when the earthquake came… lots of houses collapsed,” the 34-year-old said, adding that ambulances had been taking people to hospital throughout the day.

A hotel resident in Shigatse told Chinese media outlet Fengmian News he had been jolted awake by a wave of shaking. He said he had grabbed his socks and rushed out on to the street, where he saw helicopters circling above.

“It felt like even the bed was being lifted,” he said, adding that he immediately knew it was an earthquake because Tibet recently experienced multiple smaller quakes.

There were more than 40 aftershocks in the first few hours following the quake.

Jiang Haikun, a researcher at the China Earthquake Networks Center, told CCTV that while another earthquake of around magnitude 5 might still occur, “the likelihood of a larger earthquake is low”.

Sitting at the foot of Mount Everest, which separates Nepal and China, Tingri county is a popular base for climbers preparing to ascend the world’s tallest peak.

Everest sightseeing tours in the area have been cancelled, a tourism staff member told local media, adding that the area had been closed. There were three visitors who had all been moved to an outdoor area for safety, they said.

Shigatse region, home to 800,000 people, is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, a key figure of Tibetan Buddhism whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.

Tibetan Gedhun Choekyi Niyima who was identified as the reincarnated Panchen Lama was disappeared by China in 1995 when he was six years old. China then chose its own Panchen Lama.

“I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives and extend my wishes for a swift recovery to all who have been injured,” the current Dalai Lama said in a statement.

He fled Tibet to India in 1959 after China annexed the region, and has since been seen as an alternative source of power for Tibetans who resent Beijing’s control – which extends to local media and internet access.

While strong tremors were felt in Nepal, no major damage or casualties were reported, an official from the National Emergency Operations Centre told BBC Newsday – only “minor damages and cracks on houses”.

The tremors on Tuesday morning, which sent many Kathmandu residents running out of their houses, brought back memories of the deadly 2015 quake. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring more than 20,000.

“In 2015, when the earthquake hit, I could not even move,” Manju Neupane, a shop owner in Kathmandu, told BBC Nepali. “Today the situation was not scary like that. But, I am scared that another major earthquake may hit us and we will be trapped between tall buildings.”

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

A Chinese court has issued a suspended death sentence to a man who rammed his car into crowds outside a primary school in southern China last month, injuring more than two dozen people in one of several violent attacks that has recently rattled the country and prompted officials to ramp up security measures.

The driver, named as Huang Wen, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a court in Changde city in Hunan province, state news agency Xinhua reported Monday.

Under Chinese law, the reprieve means Huang’s penalty can be commuted to life imprisonment, subject to his conduct during the two-year period.

Huang was arrested on site after injuring 30 people, including 18 students, on the morning of November 19, according to the court.

The court said Huang launched the attack to vent his frustration after suffering investment losses and conflicts with family members.

Huang got out of his vehicle after crashing it into people and attacked bystanders with a weapon before being apprehended, according to the court.

Video circulating on social media and geolocated by CNN showed dozens of panicked schoolchildren screaming and running into the schoolyard, with a man’s voice heard yelling “quickly, quickly,” in the background.

Another video showed multiple people, including adults, lying on the road, apparently injured. Police could be seen handcuffing a man in front of a vehicle.

Images circulating online of the incident were quickly wiped from social media platforms, while comment sections on posts related to the incidents were disabled.

“Huang Wen chose an unspecified large number of innocent primary school students as his main targets, demonstrating a despicable motive and extreme malice,” the court said in a statement.

Spate of attacks

The incident in Changde came just over a week after China saw its deadliest known attack in a decade, when 35 people were killed after a man plowed his car into crowds exercising at an outdoor sports center in the southern city of Zhuhai.

The suspect, a 62-year-old man, was apprehended while trying to flee the scene. An initial investigation suggested he was unhappy with the outcome of a divorce settlement, according to police.

Eight people were also killed and 17 others injured in a mass stabbing on a college campus in eastern China on November 16.

Sudden episodes of violence targeting random members of the public – including children – have surged across China in recent months as economic growth stutters, unnerving a public long accustomed to low violent crime rates and ubiquitous surveillance.

Some social media users have taken to warning each other to be cautious of people becoming more desperate and unstable, calling the recent attacks an act of “revenge against society.”

Public discontent has been mounting in China over the country’s flailing economy, which is grappling with numerous woes from an ailing property sector to low consumer confidence and high youth unemployment.

Authorities have rolled out some stimulus measures, but many experts say they are not enough to boost much-needed domestic demand and revive the economy.

The recent outbursts of violence have unnerved China’s top officials.

In response to the Zhuhai attack, Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged officials to “prevent risks at the source” and “promptly resolve conflicts and disputes” to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Last month, China’s top judge called on court officials to hand out swift and severe punishment for violent attacks on the public.

The country’s top prosecutor also pledged last month to “resolve conflicts, manage risks and maintain social stability” and maintain “zero tolerance” on crimes that endanger the safety of students.

CNN/Adetutu Adetule

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

Eight people died after suffocating in a refrigerated truck in central China’s Henan province, investigators said.

In a statement released on Sunday, a local investigative team said that the eight had been “illegally” transported in the cold-chain vehicle to the town of Hongzhuangyang.

“The driver found eight people suffocating and unconscious in the car,” investigators said, adding that they were later declared dead.

The driver and other “responsible persons” are being held by police, the statement said.

The case is under investigation, it added.

It was not immediately clear if the eight were Chinese nationals or foreigners.

Channels / Titilayo Kupoliyi

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Feature

By Titilayo Kupoliyi

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south.

With a population of 3.17 million people and more than 80 million livestock animals, Mongolia is the world’s second-largest producer of cashmere wool. 

Surprisingly, despite the country’s sparse population, Mongolia Produces 50 percent of the world’s cashmere.

The report states that Mongolia has 30 million goats and because of the cold weather and spacious nature, the goats grow the best hair in the world.

The fur from the goats is taken to the factory to be transformed into cashmere, the fur is cleaned, dried, and knitted and the final product is cashmere.

Cashmere is one of the softest, smother warmest, most breathable, and long-lasting fabrics in the world.

This ancient fiber has long been associated with luxury, with earliest documented usage dating back to the 18th century, when Cashmere shawls were being exported to the Western world, particularly France and Britain.

In the 13th century, several caves were discovered in Mongolia, with representations of wild goats domesticated by man. It is very likely that even in earlier centuries, cashmere goats were raised by herders not only for their meat but also for their warm wool. 

Today, the global demand for cashmere has been growing steadily across all sectors of the market, especially in Europe, where Italy and the UK are the main importers from China and Mongolia.

The cashmere sector is contributing to 5% of the Mongolian GDP and about 100 textile industries (95 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) are providing more than 20,000 jobs to people, mostly in the capital city.  

The increase in consumers’ spending on luxury goods has, however, brought significant negative social, environmental, and economic impacts on the environment, herders, producers, and buyers. 

Still, in the transition towards a free market, Mongolian herders face difficulties in adjusting their productive systems to create value, preserve their natural resources, and altogether secure their livelihoods and resilience.

Loss of traditional know-how on collective rangeland management, collapsing extension services, lack of market opportunities, and dysfunctional value chains have contributed to an under-performing livestock sector. 

To cope with economic uncertainties, herders have adopted a quantitative strategy, increasing their herds’ size as a safety net for food and livelihoods. 

As of 2020, herd size is estimated at 80+ million while carrying capacity is estimated at 45 million.

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

China has sharply criticised the US for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Beijing said the move sent the “wrong message” and effectively gave a “green light to the continued slaughter”.

The White House said the Algerian-proposed resolution would “jeopardise” talks to end the war.

The US has proposed its own temporary ceasefire resolution, which also warned Israel not to invade the city of Rafah.

There has been widespread condemnation of the US decision to block Algeria’s resolution as fighting continued in Gaza. It was backed by 13 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council – with the UK abstaining.

In response to the veto, China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun said the claim the motion would interfere with ongoing diplomatic negotiations was “totally untenable”.

“Given the situation on the ground, the continued passive avoidance on an immediate ceasefire is nothing different from giving a green light to the continued slaughter,” he said.

“The spill-over of the conflict is destabilising the entire Middle East region leading to rising risk of a wider war,” he added.

“Only by extinguishing the flames of war in Gaza can we prevent the fires of hell from engulfing the entire region.”

Algeria’s top UN diplomat declared that “unfortunately the Security Council failed once again”. “Examine your conscience, how will history judge you,” Amar Bendjama added.

US allies were also critical of the move. France’s UN envoy Nicolas de Rivière expressed regret that the resolution had not been adopted “given the disastrous situation on the ground”.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington’s ambassador to the UN, said it was not the right time to call for an immediate ceasefire while negotiations between Hamas and Israel were continuing.

Her UK counterpart, Barbara Woodward, said the plan could “actually make a ceasefire less likely” by endangering talks.

Israel launched its operations in Gaza following an attack by Hamas on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 others taken hostage.

The Israeli military campaign has left more than 29,000 people dead in Gaza, according to the Palestinian territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The draft resolution proposed by the US calls for a temporary ceasefire “as soon as practicable” and on the condition that all hostages are released, as well as urging barriers on aid reaching Gaza to be lifted.

The White House has previously avoided the word “ceasefire” during UN votes on the war, but it is unclear if or when the Security Council will vote on the proposal.

It also states a major ground offensive in Rafah would result in more harm to civilians and their further displacement, including potentially into neighbouring countries – a reference to Egypt.

But Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he was “committed to continuing the war until we achieve all of its goals” and no pressure could change it.

BBC/Adetutu Adetule

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Sport

Lionel Messi played in a Japan friendly after missing a match in Hong Kong, leaving Chinese fans seething and sparking conspiracy theories.

State media outlet Global Times accused Messi and his club Inter Miami of “political motives” with the aim to “embarrass” Hong Kong.

Messi remained on the bench throughout Sunday’s match in the Chinese Special Administrative Region, citing injury.

He played in Tokyo on Wednesday, leading some fans to question his condition.

Some 38,000 fans at the Hong Kong Stadium booed and demanded refunds when Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham addressed the crowd at the end of Sunday’s match. They had paid up to HK$4,880 (£494; $624) to watch the 36-year-old Argentine superstar.

Just last year, Messi received a rock star welcome in Beijing when he played for his country in a friendly against Australia. Some 68,000 fans paid up to $680 for the chance to see him in action. He is also a spokesperson for big Chinese brands such as Huawei, Chery, Tencent, Mengniu, Chishui River Wine and J&T Express.

Kevin Yeung, Hong Kong’s secretary for culture, sports and tourism, said government officials were repeatedly told that Messi would play. But with 10 minutes left in the match, they were informed that a hamstring adductor injury would prevent him from playing.

“We immediately requested them to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing on the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy,” Yeung said.

“Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out.”

The territory’s chief executive John Lee said he was extremely disappointed by Messi’s absence and called for an explanation from match organisers.

Other officials like Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip also reacted with fury, claiming that “Hong Kong people hate Messi, Inter-Miami, and the black hand behind them” for the “deliberate and calculated snub”.

“Messi should never be allowed to return to Hong Kong. His lies and hypocrisy are disgusting,” she added.

Match organiser Tatler Asia said in a statement that Messi had been contracted to play, unless injured. It added that it was withdrawing its application for a HK$16m government grant. The match had been designated as a major sporting event, which enabled the organisers to tap government funding.

On the same day as the Japan friendly, Messi said on the Chinese social media network Weibo that he “regretted” being unable to play in Hong Kong due to a “swollen and painful” groin injury. “I hope that one day we will have the opportunity to come back and give our best to our fans and friends in Hong Kong,” he added.

The post has attracted some 142,000 comments. While some were supportive, many reacted angrily, with some calling the Argentine a “conman” and “garbage”. Others accused the Argentine of only wanting to make money off Chinese fans while pandering to the Japanese.

“No need to apologise, just don’t come to China again. Just because you play football well does not mean you are a good person,” one netizen said.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

At least two people have died while dozens of others are missing after a landslide struck China’s southwestern province of Yunnan.

The landslide in Zhaotong City happened at 05:51 local time (21:51 GMT) on Monday, trapping 47 people.

President Xi Jinping has ordered an “all-out” rescue in the area which is experiencing sub-zero temperatures.

State broadcaster CCTV has reported that two “unresponsive” bodies have so far been pulled from the rubble.

A resident of Liangshui village told Jimu News that the landslide happened while they were sleeping.

“It was very loud, and there was also a shake, it felt like a big earthquake,” she said.

Video clips shared on social media showed rescuers walking on piles of rubble against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. Personal belongings are seen scattered among the collapsed masonry.

The cause of the landslide was unclear, but the remote mountainous region is prone to them, due its location. Floods are also common.

The area also has many coal mines.

News China quoted another villager as saying that most of the residents there were elderly and children.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing is leading a workgroup to the site to guide rescue operations.

In January 2013, at least 18 people were killed in a landslide in the same county of Zhenxiong.

BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

Chinese authorities are investigating a hospital over an incident where a surgeon allegedly punched the patient he was operating on at the time.

It was captured in a clip that went viral on Chinese social media this week, sparking outrage online.

The hospital’s parent group, Aier China, has suspended the surgeon and dismissed the CEO of the hospital where the incident took place in 2019.

The BBC has contacted Aier China for comment.

The video appears to show the surgeon punching a patient in the head at least three times while operating on their eyes.

Aier China, which operates a chain of eye hospitals, said the incident took place during an operation in its hospital in Guigang, a southwestern Chinese city.

The patient was an 82-year-old woman and “during the surgery, due to local anaesthesia, the patient had intolerance”. She moved her head and eyeballs multiple times, according to their statement.

As the patient could only speak a local dialect and did not appear to respond to the doctor’s warnings in Mandarin, the surgeon “treated the patient roughly in an emergency situation”. Local authorities say the patient sustained bruises on her forehead.

After the surgery, the hospital’s management apologised and paid 500 yuan ($70, £55) as compensation, according to the patient’s son who spoke to local media outlets. He also said his mother is now blind in her left eye, though it is not clear whether it was due to the incident.

Aier China said the hospital failed to report the incident to headquarters. On Thursday it announced the dismissal of the Guiyang Hospital CEO and the suspension of the surgeon – who is also the hospital dean – over “serious violations of the group’s regulations”, which included other unspecified offences.

Though the incident took place in December 2019, it only came to the public’s attention this week after a prominent Chinese doctor, Ai Fen, shared CCTV footage of the surgery.

Dr Ai, who was among a group of doctors who alerted the public to the initial Wuhan Covid outbreak, had posted the clip on her Weibo account where she has more than two million followers.

Dr Ai has been embroiled in legal disputes with Aier China since 2021 when she went for an operation at one of their hospitals . She has claimed she nearly became blind in one eye due to that operation, but Aier China has denied the allegation.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group 

Feature

 By Titilayo Kupoliyi

Traffic congestion can be caused by factors such as accidents, traffic overload, construction and even pedestrians crossing the road incorrectly or holding up vehicles.

In Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, traffic congestion becomes worse due to bad roads, and poor connectivity among other factors.

If you think that what you go through every day while going to and from work is a suffocating traffic jam, then you have not yet heard of the longest traffic jam in history, which lasted 12 days in China in 2010.

On August 14, 2010, something unthinkable happened in China. Beijing witnessed the longest traffic jam in history, extending more than 100 kilometers and lasting 12 days. China was then called “the undisputed queen of traffic jams.”

The congestion began to slow down the movement of thousands of cars, which extended over a length of more than 100 km and continued for 12 days.

Drivers were barely able to move their cars a distance of 1 km each day, and some drivers remained stuck in this traffic jam for more than 5 and 6 consecutive days.

The main reason behind the traffic congestion was some work and maintenance that was taking place on the highway linking Beijing and Tibet near the capital, Beijing, in conjunction with a surge of heavy trucks on the road, which reduced the highway’s capacity by 50% and some accidents exacerbated the problem.

Another important reason for this stifling crisis was the increase in the number of trucks transporting coal from Mongolia to the capital, Beijing, where in 2009 it transported 602 million tons of coal, which rose in 2010 to 730 million tons.

The Chinese authorities tried to find a solution to this problem and asked coal companies to postpone transportation operations and tried to bring more trucks into the capital at night until the situation was eliminated, which the authorities succeeded in doing, as they completely eliminated traffic congestion by the end of August 2010.

Some local residents near the site of the crowding took advantage of the opportunity and began selling food and water to the stranded drivers at double prices. Some drivers even preferred hunger rather than buying these expensive goods.

www.google.com

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTubeChannels and also join our Whatsapp Update Group

 

Foreign

China removed Qin Gang as foreign minister less than seven months after he was appointed to the post.

According to the report, the role will be taken up by the Communist Party’s foreign affairs chief, Wang Yi, who was previously foreign minister.

Mr. Qin’s prolonged disappearance from public view – and his ministry’s silence over it – has fuelled furious speculation.

The 57-year-old’s last known public engagements were on 25 June.

Appointed to his post last December, Mr. Qin was seen as a trusted aide of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing at the start of two days of talks with Chinese officials.

The visit is the first by an American diplomat to China in almost five years.

US officials say the main goal of the talks is to stabilise a relationship that has become extremely tense.

It comes nearly five months after an earlier Blinken visit was postponed, following the flight of a suspected Chinese spy balloon in US airspace.

The US has been lowering expectations for the trip and both sides have made clear they do not expect any major breakthrough.

The goal, US officials say, is to reopen lines of high-level communication and stabilise relations that have become strained since the balloon incident.

China has staged military exercises near Taiwan, which Beijing views as an integral part of China. The US maintains close ties with Taiwan’s democratically-elected government.

There is a full agenda, including meetings with Qin Gang and senior Chinese foreign policy official Wang Yi.

The war in Ukraine, trade disputes over advanced computer technologies, the fentanyl drug epidemic in the US and Chinese human rights conduct are all topics the Americans expect to be discussed.

Chinese officials have reacted coolly to Mr Blinken’s visit, questioning whether the US is sincere in its efforts to mend relations.

It is not clear whether he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mr Blinken is the highest-ranking US government official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

“If we want to make sure, as we do, that the competition that we have with China doesn’t veer into conflict, the place you start is with communicating,” Mr Blinken told reporters on Friday.

Later he said he hoped to meet President Xi in the next few months.

A meeting between President Biden and Xi Jinping in Bali in November briefly eased fears of a new Cold War, but since the balloon incident high-level communication between the two leaders has been rare.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

 Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Sport

A South Korean footballer has been detained by Chinese police in relation to a bribery case.

According to Korean media, Son Jun-Ho, 31, who plays in the national side and in the Chinese Super League, was detained at a Shanghai airport on Friday, but, neither South Korean or Chinese officials have commented on the case.

Though, Yonhap News Agency citing sources, has said Seoul’s diplomats are seeking contact with Mr Son and further details on his case, as South Korean diplomats will meet with Mr Son “to figure out exactly what kind of charges” he is being investigated for.

He is under police custody in Liaoning province in the northeast, reported Reuters, citing an unnamed diplomatic source.

When asked for details on Mr Son’s case at a regular press conference on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he was not aware of the case.

But reports of Mr Son’s detention come amid a concerted push by Chinese authorities to crackdown on corruption and match-fixing in Chinese football.

China has arrested at least four football officials in the past three months for alleged wrongdoing.

Mr Son moved to China’s Shandong province in 2021 where he played as midfielder for Shandong Taishan. The club won the Chinese Football League – the highest tier of professional football in China – that year.

He also plays for South Korea’s national team and has played 20 international matches for his home country, including in the Fifa World Cup last year.

Chinese football has long been engulfed in allegations of bribery and match-fixing. Recent detentions of major football figures have dealt another setback to the country’s football ambitions.

In February, just as stadiums started to reopen from Covid lockdowns, the president of the Chinese Football Association Chen Xuyuan was detained for suspected “serious violations of discipline and the law”.

Mr Chen’s arrest was the fourth known example of a senior football official to be investigated in less than three months.

Match fixing has also sparked controversy in South Korean football recently. Last month, the entire executive board of Korea’s Football Association resigned after attempting to pardon some 100 people who were banned from the sport due to match-fixing and other offences.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp

Foreign

China has simulated precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan and its surrounding waters during a second day of military drills.

The drills – which Beijing has called a “stern warning” to the self-governing island – are a response to Taiwan’s president visiting the US last week.

As the Chinese military simulated an encirclement of the island, the US urged China to show restraint.

Taiwan said at least 71 Chinese jets flew around the island on Saturday.

Taiwan also said 45 warplanes either crossed the Taiwan Strait median line – the unofficial dividing line between Taiwanese and Chinese territory – or flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone.

Nine Chinese ships were also spotted. The operation, dubbed “Joint Sword” by Beijing, will continue until Monday. Taiwanese officials have been enraged by the operation.

On Saturday defence officials in Taipei accused Beijing of using President Tsai’s US visit as an “excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region”.

On day one of the drills, one of China’s ships fired a round as it sailed near Pingtan island, China’s closest point to Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the Coast Guard, issued video footage showing one of its ships shadowing a Chinese warship, though did not provide a location.

In the footage a sailor can be heard telling the Chinese ship through a radio: “You are seriously harming regional peace, stability and security. Please immediately turn around and leave. If you continue to proceed we will take expulsion measures.”

Other footage showed a Taiwanese warship, the Di Hua, accompanying the Coast Guard ship in what the Coast Guard officer calls a “standoff” with the Chinese vessel.

While the Chinese exercises ended by sundown on Saturday evening, defence officials in Taipei said fighter jet sorties started again early on Sunday morning.

US state department officials have urged China not to President Tsai’s US visit, and have called for “restraint and no change to the status quo”.

A state department spokesperson said the US was “monitoring Beijing’s actions closely” and insisted the US had “sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability and to meet our national security commitments”.

The US severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing in 1979, but it is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

US President Joe Biden has said on several occasion that the US would intervene if China attacked the island, but US messaging has been murky.

At Wednesday’s meeting in California, Ms Tsai thanked US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for America’s “unwavering support”, saying it helped “reassure the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated and we are not alone”.

Mr McCarthy had originally planned to go to Taiwan himself, but opted instead to hold the meeting in California to avoid inflaming tensions with China.

Chinese state media said the military drills, which are due to run until Monday, would “simultaneously organise patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture”.

It added that “long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers and refuellers” had all been deployed by China’s military.

But in Taiwan’s capital Taipei, residents seemed unperturbed by China’s latest manoeuvres.

“I think many Taiwanese have gotten used to it by now, the feeling is like, here we go again!” Jim Tsai said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Michael Chuang said: “They [China] seems to like doing it, circling Taiwan like it’s theirs. I am used to it now.

“If they invade we can’t escape anyway. We’ll see what the future holds and go from there.”

Taiwan’s status has been ambiguous since 1949, when the Chinese Civil War turned in favour of the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s old ruling government retreated to the island.

Taiwan has since considered itself a sovereign state, with its own constitution and leaders. China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing’s control – by force if necessary.

China’s President Xi Jinping has said “reunification” with Taiwan “must be fulfilled”.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group 

Foreign

China’s military has begun rehearsing the encirclement of Taiwan during three days of military drills.

Beijing – which views Taiwan as a breakaway province of China – called the operation a “stern warning” to the island’s government.

The exercises began hours after President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a trip to the United States.

The Taiwanese Defence Ministry said 42 Chinese military planes and eight ships crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.

The line is an unofficial dividing line between Chinese and Taiwanese territory.

Chinese state media said the military drills would “simultaneously organise patrols and advances around Taiwan island, shaping an all-round encirclement and deterrence posture”.

It added that “long-range rocket artillery, naval destroyers, missile boats, air force fighters, bombers, jammers and refuellers” had all been deployed by China’s military.

Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state, with its own constitution and leaders.

But China sees the island as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing’s control – by force if necessary.

China’s President Xi Jinping has said “reunification” with Taiwan “must be fulfilled”.

Although China often holds drills around Taiwan, the “encirclement” is being seen as a response to Taiwan’s President Tsai meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday.

President Tsai said on Saturday that her government would continue working with the US and other democracies as the island faces “continued authoritarian expansionism” from China.

She made the comments in a meeting with a US congressional delegation in Taipei led by House foreign affairs committee chairman Michael McCaul.

Mr McCaul said Washington was working to supply weapons to Taiwan, “not for war, but for peace”.

China’s three-day operation around Taiwan – dubbed “United Sharp Sword” – will run until Monday, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said it would respond to China’s exercises “with a calm, rational, and serious attitude” based on the principle of “not escalating conflicts, nor causing disputes to defend our national sovereignty and security”.

Last August, Beijing carried out almost a week of drills around Taiwan after Kevin McCarthy’s predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taipei.

The exercises, China’s largest show of force in years, included the deployment of fighter jets and warships, and the firing of ballistic missiles.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group 

Foreign

China is to resume issuing visas to foreign tourists for the first time since the Covid pandemic broke out three years ago.

The major easing of restrictions comes after Beijing declared victory over the virus and retreated from a zero-Covid strategy that has hurt its economy.

Valid visas issued before China closed to the world on 28th of March 2020 will be honoured starting on 15 March.

Visa-free entry will resume in Hainan Island and Shanghai for cruise ships.

Tour groups from Hong Kong and Macau will be allowed visa-free entry while Chinese consular offices abroad will also resume processing visa applications.

The removal of the last cross-border restrictions imposed to tackle Covid marks a major step towards the resumption of normal life in post-pandemic China. All changes take effect on the 15th of March.

Tens of millions of international visitors came to China each year prior to the pandemic, and its tourism industry has been hard hit by strict anti-Covid measures.

For the current year, Beijing has set a 5% target with new Premier Li Qiang saying that the world’s second-largest economy is stabilizing and picking up again.

The zero-Covid policy that was lifted in December sparked rare protests against China’s leader, Xi Jinping.

He has since solidified his grip on power in the Communist Party and secured a record third term as president.

Bbc/Adebukola Aluko

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTubeChannels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Feature

Xi Jinping was handed a third term as Chinese president on Friday, capping a rise that has seen him become the country’s most powerful leader in generations.

His appointment by China’s rubber-stamp parliament comes after Xi locked in another five years as head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in October.

Since then, the 69-year-old has weathered widespread protests over his zero-Covid policy and the deaths of countless people after its abandonment.

But those issues have been avoided at this week’s National People’s Congress (NPC), a carefully choreographed event that is also set to appoint Xi ally Li Qiang as the new premier.

On Friday, delegates handed Xi a third term as president and re-appointed him head of the country’s Central Military Commission in a unanimous vote.

Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, a cavernous state building on the edge of Tiananmen Square, was adorned with crimson carpets and banners for the landmark vote, with a military band providing background music.

A digital monitor on the edge of the stage proclaimed the final tally — all 2,952 votes had been cast in favour of giving Xi another term in office.

The announcement was followed by delegates’ fervent declarations of allegiance to the Chinese constitution, in a demonstration of loyalty and unanimity.

Xi held up his right fist and placed his left hand on a red, leather-bound copy of China’s constitution.

In an oath beamed live on state television, he vowed to “build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilised, harmonious and great modern socialist country.”

China’s close ally Russia swiftly offered Xi its “sincere congratulations” on his re-election.

“Russia highly values your personal contribution toward the strengthening of ties… and strategic cooperation between our nations,” President Vladimir Putin said in a letter to his “dear friend” Xi.

Punch / Titilayo Kupoliyi Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has called for peace talks on the war in Ukraine to be promptly resumed, as he blamed an “invisible hand” for the protraction and escalation of the year-old conflict.

Qin said the process of peace talks should begin as soon as possible and the legitimate security concerns of all parties should be respected.

He described the conflict in Ukraine, which began with a Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, as “an eruption of the problems built up in the security governance of Europe.”

The Foreign minister said efforts for peace talks have been repeatedly undermined.

“There seems to be an invisible hand, pushing for the protraction and escalation of the conflict and using the Ukraine crisis to serve a certain geopolitical agenda.

“The crisis in Ukraine has come to a critical juncture. Either hostility stops and peace is restored, and the process of political settlement begins, or more fuel is added to the flames and the crisis further expands and spirals out of control,” he said.

China recently presented a so-called position paper about its stance on the war, but the paper was largely met with disappointment and scepticism.

Experts said the paper did not propose any new initiatives for a peace settlement.

Qin disclosed China did not provide weapons to Russia amid the conflict, adding that Beijing did not create nor was party to the crisis.

“Why on earth blame sanctions and threats against China?

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” he said responding to information cited by Washington last month suggesting that Beijing could provide “lethal support” to Moscow a claim Beijing had already rejected and warnings from the U.S. and Europe to China not to send weapons to Russia.

NAN /Adebukola Aluko

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

China is considering giving Russia weapons and ammunition for the Ukraine war, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said.

Mr Blinken told CBS News that Chinese companies were already providing “non-lethal support” to Russia – and new information suggested Beijing could provide “lethal support”.

This escalation would mean “serious consequences” for China, he warned.

China has denied reports that Moscow has requested military equipment.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and is yet to condemn Russia’s invasion – but he has sought to remain neutral in the conflict and has called for peace.

Mr Blinken was speaking to CBS after he met China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference.

He said that during the meeting he expressed “deep concerns” about the “possibility that China will provide lethal material support to Russia”.

“To date, we have seen Chinese companies… provide non-lethal support to Russia for use in Ukraine. The concern that we have now is based on information we have that they’re considering providing lethal support,” he said.

He did not elaborate on what information the US had received about China’s potential plans. When pressed on what the US believed China might give to Russia, he said it would be primarily weapons as well as ammunition.

The US has sanctioned a Chinese company for allegedly providing satellite imagery of Ukraine to the mercenary Wagner Group, which supplies Russia with thousands of fighters.

Mr Blinken told CBS that “of course, in China, there’s really no distinction between private companies and the state”.

If China provided Russia with weapons, that would cause a “serious problem for us and in our relationship”, he added.

Relations between Washington and Beijing were already poor after the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon in early February. Both sides exchanged angry words, but equally both sides appeared embarrassed by the incident and seemed ready to move on.

But if China were to deliver weapons to help Russian forces in Ukraine, then US-Chinese relations would deteriorate much more severely.

Mr Blinken’s warning seems to be clearly designed to deter China from doing that.

Mr Blinken also said the US was worried about China helping Russia evade Western sanctions designed to cripple Russia’s economy. China’s trade with Russia has been growing, and it is one of the biggest markets for Russian oil, gas, and coal.

Nato members, including the US, are sending a variety of weapons, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine, including tanks. They have stopped short of sending fighter jets, and Mr Blinken would not be drawn on whether the US would help other countries supply jets.

“We’ve been very clear that we shouldn’t fixate or focus on any particular weapons system,” he said.

He did, however, say that the West must ensure Ukraine had what it needed for a potential counter-offensive against Russia “in the months ahead”. Russia is currently trying to advance in eastern regions of Ukraine, where some of the fiercest fightings of the war has taken place.

Mr Wang said in Munich yesterday that China had “neither stood by idly nor thrown fuel on the fire” for the Ukraine war, Reuters reported.

China would publish a document that laid out its position on settling the conflict, Mr Wang said. The document would state that the territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, he said.

“I suggest that everybody starts to think calmly, especially friends in Europe, about what kind of efforts we can make to stop this war,” Mr Wang said.

He added that there were “some forces that seemingly don’t want negotiations to succeed, or for the war to end soon”, but did not say who he meant.

The Chinese President, Mr Xi, is scheduled to deliver a “peace speech” on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday, 24 February, according to Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani.

Mr Tajani told Italian radio that Mr Xi’s speech would call for peace without condemning Russia, Reuters reported.

During their meeting, Mr Blinken and Mr Wang also exchanged strong words on the deepening row over an alleged Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the US.

Mr Blinken said during the meeting that the US would not “stand for any violation of our sovereignty” and said, “this irresponsible act must never again occur”.

Mr Blinken told CBS that other nations were concerned about what he called China’s “surveillance balloon program” across five continents.

Mr Wang, meanwhile, called the episode a “political farce manufactured by the US” and accused them of “using all means to block and suppress China”. China has denied sending a spy balloon.

And on Sunday morning, Beijing warned that the US would “bear all the consequences” if it escalated the argument over the balloon. China would “follow through to the end” in the event “the US insists on taking advantage of the issue”, it said in a foreign ministry statement reported by Reuters.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTubeChannels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

One of China’s most high-profile billionaire bankers has gone missing.

Bao Fan, the chief executive of China Renaissance Holdings, had not been able to be reached in recent days, the firm said in a market update on Thursday.

Mr Bao is a leading deal broker in China whose clients include top tech companies Didi and Meituan.

His firm’s announcement has renewed concerns of a potential Beijing crackdown on finance and tech figures.

Shares in the investment firm plunged on Friday, after it told shareholders it had “been unable to contact Mr Bao Fan”.

The board added it was not aware of “any information that indicates that Mr Bao’s unavailability is or might be related to the business and/or operations of the group”.

When asked for further comment, China Renaissance referred the BBC to its notice to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The company did not specify how long Mr Bao had been missing. Chinese business newswire Caixin cited sources saying staff had not been able to contact him for two days.

The business wire also reported the firm’s president, Cong Lin, had been taken by authorities last September over his previous work at the state-owned ICBC bank.

China Renaissance appears to not have commented on Mr Cong’s situation. He is no longer listed as an executive on the company’s site or in its most recent interim report.

The disappearance of Mr Bao – one of China’s leading tech investors – has again evoked a history of Chinese executives suddenly vanishing for periods of time with no explanation.

At least half a dozen billionaires in the past few years have disappeared for periods after reported run-ins with the Communist Party, according to Forbes Magazine.

In several cases they were suspected to have been ensnared in corruption, tax or other misconduct investigations.

Notable absences include that of Fosun group founder Guo Guangchang, who has been called the Warren Buffet of China, who vanished for several days in 2015.

Chinese-Canadian businessman Xiao Jianhua was also taken in 2017. He had been one of China’s richest people and last year was jailed for corruption.

In late 2020, Alibaba founder Jack Ma also disappeared from public view for three months, after making comments critical of market regulators. He had been due to publicly list his digital payments firm Ant Financial – which would have most likely made him the richest man in China.

Mr Bao is seen as a titan in China’s tech industry, having executed many of the trades that have shaped its online consumer economy. He founded China Renaissance in 2005 after a banking career at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse.

His company was behind landmark deals including Tencent’s strategic investment in JD.com, and mergers of ride-hailing power players Didi and Kuaidi, advert sites 58.com and Ganji, and food delivery giants Meituan and Dianping.

China Renaissance has also advised the initial public offerings of e-commerce sites JD.com and Kuashou, as well as Didi’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021.

In a 2018 article, Mr Bao wrote that his company had “cross paths” with 70% of the internet companies known by the Chinese public.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Feature

China says it will fully restore travel across its borders with Hong Kong and Macau next week, dropping Covid testing requirements and daily quotas after a lengthy pandemic separation.

The semi-autonomous cities have both stuck to Beijing’s zero-COVID strategy for nearly three years, splitting families, cutting off tourism and suffocating businesses.

The State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said on Friday that all remaining restrictions would be dropped starting midnight on February 6, with group tours allowed to resume.

Limited travel across the border between Hong Kong and mainland China resumed in January after Beijing abruptly axed its isolationist policy.

Initially, only 60,000 people were allowed to cross each day in either direction and they were required to show a negative PCR test.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said on Friday that the partial reopening had been “orderly, safe and smooth”.

Hong Kong’s lengthy separation from its biggest source of growth inflicted a heavy toll, with some estimating it cost the financial hub $27 billion.

Mainlanders have long made up the vast majority of visitors to Hong Kong, with around 51 million arriving in 2018, nearly seven times the city’s population.

City officials are hoping an influx of visitors will revitalise the recession-hit economy, injecting cash into the once-vibrant tourism and retail sectors.

Unvaccinated overseas travellers will be allowed to visit Hong Kong starting Monday, but Lee said pre-arrival rapid antigen tests will still be required.

“As the full reopening of the border with mainland China will bring a large surge in travel, to ensure risks are manageable we will keep the testing requirement for overseas travellers for a period of observation,” he said.

The full relaunch of travel with the mainland comes a day after Lee rolled out a rebranding campaign to woo overseas tourists, pledging more than half a million free flights and “no isolation, no quarantine and no restrictions”.

Outdoor masking remains compulsory in Hong Kong, though Lee has said the policy could be scrapped after the winter flu surge.

AFP / Titilayo Kupoliyi

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

One person was killed during a massive pileup involving more than 200 vehicles in the central Chinese city Zhengzhou on Wednesday, according to state media.

The pileup took place on a bridge that was shrouded in the heavy morning fog, which caused multiple vehicles to crash, according to state-owned The Global Times.

Photos from the scene show the long multi-lane bridge, stretching across fields and the Yellow River, strewn with vehicles crammed into each other. Cars, cargo trucks, lorries and other vehicles can be seen in the pileup.

In videos filmed from the ground, the air is still thick with fog. One clip shows a truck sliding forward, crashing into several smaller cars, as sirens ring in the distance.

Many drivers and passengers were trapped in their cars, according to The Global Times. Emergency response workers and fire rescuers were deployed to the scene, including personnel from the traffic and health departments.

One eyewitness told The Global Times the pileup stretched several kilometres long, and that moisture on the bridge made the road particularly slippery.

In some areas, the visibility that morning was only 200 meters (about 656 feet), according to Reuters, citing the local meteorology agency. Several hours after the pileup, police issued a warning for cars not to cross the bridge due to the fog.

“In the winter the temperature is low and there is often heavy fog,” traffic police posted on their official account on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. It reminded drivers to slow down, use their lights, and leave dangerous areas as quickly as possible.

The overpass connects Zhengzhou with the city of Xinxiang. Police shut down the bridge during rescue operations, with traffic resuming later that afternoon.

CNN/Simeon Ugbodovon

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTubeChannels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

A top Chinese health official says, he believes China is experiencing the first of three expected waves of Covid infections this winter.

The country is seeing a surge in cases since the lifting of its most severe restrictions earlier this month.

The latest official figures appear to show a relatively low number of new daily cases.

However, there are concerns that these numbers are an underestimate due to a recent reduction in Covid testing.

The government reported only 2,097 new daily cases on Sunday.

Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has said he believes the current spike in infections would run until mid-January, while the second wave would then be triggered by mass travel in January around the week-long Lunar New Year celebrations which begin on 21 January. Millions of people usually travel at this time to spend the holiday with family.

The third surge in cases would run from late February to mid-March as people return to work after the holiday, Dr Wu said.

He told a conference on Saturday that, current vaccinations levels offered a certain level of protection against the surges and had resulted in a drop in the number of severe cases.

Overall, China says more than 90% of its population has been fully vaccinated. However, less than half of people aged 80 and over have received three doses of vaccine. Elderly people are more likely to suffer severe Covid symptoms.

China has developed and produced its own vaccines, which have been shown to be less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world.

Dr Wu’s comments come after a reputable US-based research institute reported earlier this week that it believed China could see over a million people die from Covid in 2023 following an explosion of cases.

The government hasn’t officially reported any Covid deaths since 7 December, when restrictions were lifted following mass protests against its zero-Covid policy. That included an end to mass testing.

However, there are anecdotal reports of deaths linked to Covid appearing in Beijing.

Hospitals there and in other cities are struggling to cope with a surge, which has also hit postal and catering services hard.

Meanwhile, China’s largest city, Shanghai, has ordered most of its schools to take classes online as cases soar.


BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

China’s largest city, Shanghai, has ordered most of its schools to take classes online as Covid cases soar.

According to Shanghai’s education bureau, Nurseries and childcare centres will also shut from Monday as restrictions were eased by Chinese authorities earlier this month following a wave of protests targeting China’s zero-Covid strategy.

But the easing of strict lockdown measures has led to growing concerns over the spread of Covid in China.

Significant changes in the country’s Covid testing and reporting systems have made it difficult to know just how widespread the virus has become.

But hospitals and medical facilities have come under increasing strain, with temporary health centres and intensive care facilities being set up across the country.

In Shanghai, it has been reported that an extra 230,000 hospital beds have been made available.

Some schools in the city have also already stopped in-person classes because teachers and staff are ill.

In a statement posted on the Chinese social media site WeChat on Saturday, Shanghai’s education bureau announced that most year groups in primary and secondary schools would move to online learning from Monday.

Students and children who do not have alternative childcare arrangements can apply to attend school.

The statement said the measures were being put in place in order to protect the health of teachers and students in line with current coronavirus prevention measures.

The decision means that schools in the country’s financial hub will be closed for in-person learning until the end of term on 18 January, when the Lunar New Year holiday starts.

Some Chinese social media users praised the decision, agreeing that it was best that students stay at home. Others complained about the efficacy of online learning in relation to in-person teaching and the extra strains put on working parents.

Following the abandonment of its zero-Covid strategy, there has been an explosion of self-reported cases across the country, with many cities eerily quiet as large numbers of people isolated at home, either sick with Covid or trying to avoid becoming infected, reports the BBC’s Celia Hatton.

There are concerns that China’s health infrastructure is not prepared to cope with a rapid increase in patients – especially as Covid spreads among the elderly, many of whom are not fully vaccinated.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Foreign

US President Joe Biden has again said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China.

Asked in a CBS interview if US troops would defend the island, Mr Biden said: “Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack.”

The remarks prompted the White House to clarify that US policy had not changed.

Washington has long maintained a stance of “strategic ambiguity” – it does not commit to defending Taiwan, but also does not rule out the option.

Taiwan is a self-ruled island off the coast of eastern China that Beijing claims as part of its territory.

Washington has always walked a diplomatic tightrope over the issue.

On the one hand, it adheres to the One China policy, a cornerstone of its relationship with Beijing. Under this policy, the US acknowledges that there is only one Chinese government, and has formal ties with Beijing rather than Taiwan.

But it also maintains close relations with Taiwan and sells arms to it under the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the US must provide the island with the means to defend itself.

Taiwan responded to Mr Biden’s remarks on Monday by welcoming the “US government’s rock-solid security commitment to Taiwan”. Taipei said it would continue to deepen its “close security partnership” with Washington.

Only earlier this month, the US agreed to sell $1.1bn (£955m) in weaponry and missile defence to Taiwan, provoking anger from China.

Beijing is yet to respond to Mr Biden’s latest remarks, broadcast in a CBS 60 Minutes interview on Sunday. But China has previously condemned such comments from Mr Biden pledging US military action.

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory… The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair that brooks no foreign interference,” a foreign ministry spokesman had said in May.

That was in response to Mr Biden’s comments in Tokyo in May when he said “Yes” when asked if the US would defend Taiwan. The White House had quickly issued a follow-up saying there was no departure from long-standing US policy.

This time too the White House issued a statement, downplaying the president’s comments: “The President has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn’t changed. That remains true.”

It’s the third time since October last year that President Biden has gone further than the official stance.

But in the interview on Sunday, Mr Biden reiterated that the US was not encouraging Taiwan’s independence.

“There’s a One China policy and Taiwan makes their own judgements on their independence. We are not moving, not encouraging their being independent – that’s their decision,” he said.

Tensions between US and China have ramped up after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to the island in August – a trip Mr Biden had said was “not a good idea”.

Beijing responded with a five-day military blockade around Taiwan. The US claims China shot missiles over the island, but Beijing did not confirm this. Taiwan said the missiles China fired flew high into the atmosphere and posed no threat.

Elsewhere in the pre-recorded interview, Mr Biden also warned Russia not to use chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.

BBC/Simeon Ugbodovon

Subscribe to our Telegram channel

Foreign

Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced Friday to sanction US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family members for ignoring China’s serious concern and firm opposition and insisted on visiting China’s Taiwan region.

According to the spokesperson, the decision seriously interferes in China’s internal affairs, undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, tramples on the one-China principle and threatens peace and stability in Taiwan Straits, Foreign Ministry .

Earlier on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi vowed that Beijing will punish Taiwan as Pelosi visited the island Asian country.

Pelosi met with Taiwan’s President, Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday during the official visit to the island that had invited China fury.

The American lawmaker also called at the Taiwan parliament during the trip, which made her the highest-ranking US official to visit the nation in 25 years.

China regarded the self-governing island as a breakaway territory that would one day be reunited with the mainland and warned the US against allowing Pelosi to visit.

“This is a complete farce. The United States is violating China’s sovereignty under the guise of so-called ‘democracy’… those who offend China will be punished,” Wang said on the sidelines of a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, in Phnom Penh.

But in reaction to the threat, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen countered that the island of 23 million would not be intimidated.

“Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. We will… continue to hold the line of defence for democracy,” Tsai said at an event with Pelosi in Taipei.

She also thanked the 82-year-old US lawmaker for “taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment”.

China tries to keep Taiwan isolated on the world stage and opposes countries having official exchanges with Taipei.

Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

“Today, our delegation… came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan,” Pelosi said at the event with Tsai.

Vanguard/Taiwo Akinola