The United States and&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;on Wednesday restarted trade talks after five years as Washington moves to boost its ties with the island despite China's objections.

Taiwan's chief trade negotiator John Deng said he told the US he hopes that they can free trade agreement, a deal which would be a strong show of US&nbsp;support in the face of relentless Chinese pressure against the island.

Both sides held the long-delayed talks on the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, or TIFA, virtually. These were stalled after former US&nbsp;President Barack Obama left office in 2016 and his successor Donald Trump's trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, focused his attention on China, the world's second-largest economy.

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Wednesday's talks "focused on enhancing the longstanding trade and investment relationship between the United States and&nbsp;Taiwan", a statement released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative said.

Held virtually, they were co-led by top trade officials from Washington and Taipei.

Taiwan's cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng described the talks as "very fruitful" and "a very critical step for&nbsp;Taiwan’s foreign trade" at a press briefing in Taipei.&nbsp;

The two sides discussed a range of issues including supply chains, trade facilitation and digital trade, as well as environment and labour, he added.

Taipei also urged Washington to expand supplies of Covid-19 vaccines and medicines by sharing technical know-how or authorising manufacturing on a contract basis, said&nbsp;Taiwan's deputy trade representative Yang Jen-ni, who co-led the talks.

Both sides agreed to set up several working groups for further discussions on issues such as vaccine production, Taipei officials said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A bipartisan group of 42 US&nbsp;senators wrote this week to US&nbsp;Trade Representative Katherine Tai asking her to "take steps to begin laying the groundwork for negotiation of a free trade agreement (FTA), or other preliminary agreement, with&nbsp;Taiwan."

"Maintaining US&nbsp;economic influence in the region and reducing&nbsp;Taiwan's dependence on China is essential to ensuring that the region remains free and open," the letter said.

While&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;is a member of the World Trade Organization, many countries are wary of signing trade deals with the tech powerhouse fearing objections from China, though&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;does have free trade deals with Singapore and New Zealand.

Taiwan&nbsp;is a major producer of semiconductors, a shortage of which has roiled supply chains globally and affected auto makers in particular, concerning Washington, which has pressed&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;to speed up their production.

Last year,&nbsp;Taiwan's government lifted a ban on the import of pork containing a leanness-enhancing additive, ractopamine, removing a major stumbling block to a deal with Washington.

China has ramped up diplomatic, military, and economic pressure on&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, while Taipei has accused Beijing of hampering its efforts to secure enough vaccines.

Beijing considers self-governing, democratic&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;part of its territory which is to be seized one day, by force if necessary, and rages at any diplomatic attempts to recognise it as an independent nation.

President Joe Biden has pressed ahead with improving ties with Taipei, including by revising convoluted rules that have blocked direct US dealings with&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;since Washington switched recognition to Beijing in 1979.

The US government recently donated 2.5 million vaccine doses to&nbsp;Taiwan, a move that sparked rebuke from Beijing which urged Washington to refrain from "engaging in political manipulation and medalling in China's internal affairs."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The United States and Taiwan on Wednesday restarted trade talks after five years as Washington moves to boost its ties with the island despite China's objections.

The United States and Taiwan on Wednesday restarted trade talks after five years as Washington moves to boost its ties with the island despite China's objections. Taiwan's chief trade negotiator John Deng said he told the US he hopes that they can free trade agreement, a deal which would be a strong show of US support in the face of relentless Chinese pressure against the island. Both sides held the long-delayed talks on the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, or TIFA, virtually. These were stalled after former US President Barack Obama left office in 2016 and his successor Donald Trump's trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, focused his attention on China, the world's second-largest economy. Wednesday's talks "focused on enhancing the longstanding trade and investment relationship between the United States and Taiwan", a statement released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative said. Held virtually, they were co-led by top trade officials from Washington and Taipei. Taiwan's cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng described the talks as "very fruitful" and "a very critical step for Taiwan’s foreign trade" at a press briefing in Taipei. The two sides discussed a range of issues including supply chains, trade facilitation and digital trade, as well as environment and labour, he added. Taipei also urged Washington to expand supplies of Covid-19 vaccines and medicines by sharing technical know-how or authorising manufacturing on a contract basis, said Taiwan's deputy trade representative Yang Jen-ni, who co-led the talks. Both sides agreed to set up several working groups for further discussions on issues such as vaccine production, Taipei officials said. A bipartisan group of 42 US senators wrote this week to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai asking her to "take steps to begin laying the groundwork for negotiation of a free trade agreement (FTA), or other preliminary agreement, with Taiwan." "Maintaining US economic influence in the region and reducing Taiwan's dependence on China is essential to ensuring that the region remains free and open," the letter said. While Taiwan is a member of the World Trade Organization, many countries are wary of signing trade deals with the tech powerhouse fearing objections from China, though Taiwan does have free trade deals with Singapore and New Zealand. Taiwan is a major producer of semiconductors, a shortage of which has roiled supply chains globally and affected auto makers in particular, concerning Washington, which has pressed Taiwan to speed up their production. Last year, Taiwan's government lifted a ban on the import of pork containing a leanness-enhancing additive, ractopamine, removing a major stumbling block to a deal with Washington. China has ramped up diplomatic, military, and economic pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, while Taipei has accused Beijing of hampering its efforts to secure enough vaccines. Beijing considers self-governing, democratic Taiwan part of its territory which is to be seized one day, by force if necessary, and rages at any diplomatic attempts to recognise it as an independent nation. President Joe Biden has pressed ahead with improving ties with Taipei, including by revising convoluted rules that have blocked direct US dealings with Taiwan since Washington switched recognition to Beijing in 1979. The US government recently donated 2.5 million vaccine doses to Taiwan, a move that sparked rebuke from Beijing which urged Washington to refrain from "engaging in political manipulation and medalling in China's internal affairs." (With inputs from agencies)

US and Taiwan restart trade talks despite China opposition

France's President Emmanuel&nbsp;Macron has attacked the United States and China for investing in ''nonsense innovation'' and praised his nation for being much more business-friendly and innovative.

Macron advised the two countries to foster the growth of tech companies in Europe instead of wasting their money because they have an excess liquidity in&nbsp;financial markets.

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"This place (Paris) now is more and more perceived as first business-friendly and then innovative," Macron&nbsp;told a panel of executives from startups at France's tech show Viva Tech.

"So the more ... we elaborate and increase the strength of this place the more you will attract investors coming from the United States and China."

Macron&nbsp;is pushing for Europe to create 10 technology giants worth 100 billion euros ($120 billion) each in valuation by 2030, in a bid to rival US&nbsp;companies that dominate the sector.

But while a growing number of digital companies are lining up to go public via an initial public offering (IPO) or a buyout from a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), investments in tech lag those seen in the United States and China.

Macron&nbsp;has since his election in 2017 championed investment in the digital economy as a key to lower unemployment and stimulating economic growth and vowed to turn the country into a "startup nation."

Four years on, France's startup scene has prospered, with more than a dozen so-called unicorns, or companies valued 1 billion euros or more.

French startups raised a record 5.4 billion euros in 2020, up 7 per cent&nbsp;from a year earlier, according to EY.

(With inputs from agencies)

France's President Emmanuel Macron has attacked the United States and China for investing in ''nonsense innovation'' and praised his nation for being much more business-friendly and innovative.

France's President Emmanuel Macron has attacked the United States and China for investing in ''nonsense innovation'' and praised his nation for being much more business-friendly and innovative. Macron advised the two countries to foster the growth of tech companies in Europe instead of wasting their money because they have an excess liquidity in financial markets. "This place (Paris) now is more and more perceived as first business-friendly and then innovative," Macron told a panel of executives from startups at France's tech show Viva Tech. "So the more ... we elaborate and increase the strength of this place the more you will attract investors coming from the United States and China." Macron is pushing for Europe to create 10 technology giants worth 100 billion euros ($120 billion) each in valuation by 2030, in a bid to rival US companies that dominate the sector. But while a growing number of digital companies are lining up to go public via an initial public offering (IPO) or a buyout from a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), investments in tech lag those seen in the United States and China. Macron has since his election in 2017 championed investment in the digital economy as a key to lower unemployment and stimulating economic growth and vowed to turn the country into a "startup nation." Four years on, France's startup scene has prospered, with more than a dozen so-called unicorns, or companies valued 1 billion euros or more. French startups raised a record 5.4 billion euros in 2020, up 7 per cent from a year earlier, according to EY. (With inputs from agencies)

Taking aim at US and Chinese tech bonanza, Macron says France is more 'innovative'

After the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-to-work-with-allies-to-help-pacific-islands-amid-china-rivalry-390306">US</a> Senate&nbsp;passed the Innovation and Competition Act to address the Chinese technological threat, the Chinese foreign ministry said America is "seeing China as an imaginary enemy".

Watch:

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After the bill was passed with a 68-32 vote margin amid&nbsp;bipartisan support by the Senate, US President Biden said: "We are in a competition to win the 21st century, and the starting gun has gone off, as other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind."

The bill allows the US government to pour $190 billion in order to strengthen US technology and research and also power research in semiconductors and chips which has taken a massive hit due to the pandemic with production going downhill.

The bill aims to bolster the US auto industry hit hard due to the pandemic and also seeks to increase domestic manufacturing of semiconductors.

However, China's National People's Congress foreign affairs committee hit out against the US bill, saying: "The bill shows that the paranoid delusion of egoism has distorted the original intention of innovation and competition."

The committee said it displayed "Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice".

The US bill also aims to mark $120 billion for research and development in artificial intelligence and quantum science.

Republican Senator Chuck Schumer who was the co-sponsor of the bill asserted that America's superpower status would come to an end if nothing is done, while adding that, "We don’t mean to let those days end on our watch."

The innovation bill is now headed to the House of Representatives.

After the US Senate passed the Innovation and Competition Act to address the Chinese technological threat, the Chinese foreign ministry said America is "seeing China as an imaginary enemy".

After the US Senate passed the Innovation and Competition Act to address the Chinese technological threat, the Chinese foreign ministry said America is "seeing China as an imaginary enemy". Watch: After the bill was passed with a 68-32 vote margin amid bipartisan support by the Senate, US President Biden said: "We are in a competition to win the 21st century, and the starting gun has gone off, as other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind." The bill allows the US government to pour $190 billion in order to strengthen US technology and research and also power research in semiconductors and chips which has taken a massive hit due to the pandemic with production going downhill. The bill aims to bolster the US auto industry hit hard due to the pandemic and also seeks to increase domestic manufacturing of semiconductors. However, China's National People's Congress foreign affairs committee hit out against the US bill, saying: "The bill shows that the paranoid delusion of egoism has distorted the original intention of innovation and competition." The committee said it displayed "Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice". The US bill also aims to mark $120 billion for research and development in artificial intelligence and quantum science. Republican Senator Chuck Schumer who was the co-sponsor of the bill asserted that America's superpower status would come to an end if nothing is done, while adding that, "We don’t mean to let those days end on our watch." The innovation bill is now headed to the House of Representatives.

It shows paranoid delusion of egoism, says China on US innovation bill

China on Wednesday branded US House Speaker Nancy&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;"full of lies" after she called for a diplomatic boycott of&nbsp;next year's Beijing Winter Olympics, on human rights grounds.

The run-up to the Games, set for February 2022, is being dominated by recriminations over widespread allegations of abuse of China's Uyghur Muslims and other minorities, which the United States has labelled a "genocide".

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US&nbsp;lawmakers have been increasingly vocal about an Olympic boycott or venue change, and have lashed out at American corporations, arguing their silence about what the State Department has deemed a genocide of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China was abetting the Chinese government.

Pelosi, a Democrat, told a bipartisan congressional hearing on the issue that heads of state around the world should shun the Games, scheduled for February.

"What I propose - and join those who are proposing - is a diplomatic boycott,"&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;said, in which "lead countries of the world withhold their attendance at the Olympics."

Her comments provoked a fierce response from China, which denies mistreating the Uyghur minority and has said the internment camps where a huge number of them are held are vocational training centres designed to counter extremism.

"Some US individuals' remarks are full of lies and disinformation," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

"US politicians should stop using the Olympic movement to play despicable political games" or "use the so-called human rights issue as a pretext to smear and slander China."

An independent United Nations panel said in 2018 it had received credible reports that at least 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslims had been held in camps in China's Xinjiang region. Beijing describes them as vocational training centers to stamp out extremism, and strongly rejects accusations of abuse and genocide.

The United States led a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, with the Soviet bloc snubbing the Summer Games in Los Angeles four years later in retaliation.

(With inputs from agencies)

China on Wednesday branded US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "full of lies" after she called for a diplomatic boycott of next year's Beijing Winter Olympics, on human rights grounds.

China on Wednesday branded US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "full of lies" after she called for a diplomatic boycott of next year's Beijing Winter Olympics, on human rights grounds. The run-up to the Games, set for February 2022, is being dominated by recriminations over widespread allegations of abuse of China's Uyghur Muslims and other minorities, which the United States has labelled a "genocide". US lawmakers have been increasingly vocal about an Olympic boycott or venue change, and have lashed out at American corporations, arguing their silence about what the State Department has deemed a genocide of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China was abetting the Chinese government. Pelosi, a Democrat, told a bipartisan congressional hearing on the issue that heads of state around the world should shun the Games, scheduled for February. "What I propose - and join those who are proposing - is a diplomatic boycott," Pelosi said, in which "lead countries of the world withhold their attendance at the Olympics." Her comments provoked a fierce response from China, which denies mistreating the Uyghur minority and has said the internment camps where a huge number of them are held are vocational training centres designed to counter extremism. "Some US individuals' remarks are full of lies and disinformation," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said. "US politicians should stop using the Olympic movement to play despicable political games" or "use the so-called human rights issue as a pretext to smear and slander China." An independent United Nations panel said in 2018 it had received credible reports that at least 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslims had been held in camps in China's Xinjiang region. Beijing describes them as vocational training centers to stamp out extremism, and strongly rejects accusations of abuse and genocide. The United States led a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, with the Soviet bloc snubbing the Summer Games in Los Angeles four years later in retaliation. (With inputs from agencies)

'Full of lies': China slams Pelosi's Winter Olympics boycott comment

A powerful Senate committee has overwhelmingly approved the key China strategic competition bill, which among other things supports the Quad grouping and enhances security partnership with India.

Known as the 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue', the Quad grouping comprises the US, India, Australia and Japan.

The representatives for the four-member nations have met periodically since its establishment in 2007. The top leaders of the four countries held a historic virtual summit hosted by President Joe Biden last month.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, following a three-hour debate and several amendments, voted 21-1 to approve the Strategic Competition Act on Wednesday.

The United States should reaffirm its commitment to the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with India and further deepen bilateral defence consultations and collaboration with the country, says the bipartisan bill moved by Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez, ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

It urges the US government that in close consultation with India, identify areas where it can provide diplomatic and other support as appropriate for India's efforts to address economic and security challenges posed by China in the region.

The two lawmakers described the legislation as an unprecedented, bipartisan effort to mobilise all American strategic, economic, and diplomatic tools for an Indo-Pacific strategy that enables the US government to compete effectively with China and the challenges it poses to its national and economic security for decades to come.

One amendment moved by Senator Edward Markey, and approved seeks to establish a QUAD Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to connect together lawmakers from the United States, Japan, Australia and India. Markey is chair of the Asia-Pacific subcommittee.

''The Quad Inter-Parliamentary Group will help our four countries diversify cooperation on issues beyond its traditional defence focus such as by delivering alternatives to China's Belt and Road in the Indo-Pacific and delivering on the promise to provide over one billion COVID-19 vaccines to the region,''&nbsp;he said.

The bill bolsters the United States diplomatic strategy in addressing challenges posed by the Chinese government and reaffirms America's commitment to its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world, and calls for the United States to reassert its leadership within international organisations and another multilateral forum.

It renews America's commitment to allies and partners by prioritising security assistance for the Indo-Pacific region, and strengthens US diplomatic efforts to address challenges posed by China in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Arctic, and Oceania.

The Indo-Pacific is the most consequential region for American foreign policy. China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its man-made islands in the past few years.

Beijing claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. But Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. In the East China Sea, China has territorial disputes with Japan.

The bill seeks to invest in universal values, authorising a broad range of human rights and civil society measures, including supporting democracy in Hong Kong and imposing sanctions with respect to forced labour, forced sterilisation, and other abuses in Xinjiang.

It focuses on countering and confronting China's predatory international economic behaviour, and includes measures to track intellectual property violators, Chinese government subsidies, monitor Chinese use of Hong Kong to circumvent US export controls, and track the presence of Chinese companies in US capital markets.

It directs the United States to provide technical assistance to countries working to counter foreign corrupt practices, and debt relief to the poorest countries who have requested forbearance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill calls for enhanced coordination and cooperation with allies on arms control in the face of China's military modernisation and expansion, and requires reporting on Chinese ballistic, hypersonic glide, and cruise missiles, conventional forces, nuclear, space, cyberspace and other strategic domains.

It also seeks a detailed description of United States diplomatic efforts with Pakistan with respect to matters relevant to China including investments by Beijing in Pakistan through the Belt and Road Initiative.

In his remarks on the Senate floor a day earlier, Senator Jim Inhofe said that there is a need for the United States to increase investment in national defence to deter Chinese aggression. The Chinese People's Liberation Army, he said, has been expanding its network of strategic ports and bases around the world, from Djibouti, to Pakistan, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

''Last year, China started going after the territory of India, which has resulted in dozens of dead Indian soldiers. They've continually harassed Japan and Taiwan in the air and on the sea, their fishing fleets have terrorised small Pacific island nations. Over 200 Chinese boats are staking out a reef in the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines,''&nbsp;Inhofe said.

(With inputs from agencies)

A powerful Senate committee has overwhelmingly approved the key China strategic competition bill, which among other things supports the Quad grouping and enhances security partnership with India.

A powerful Senate committee has overwhelmingly approved the key China strategic competition bill, which among other things supports the Quad grouping and enhances security partnership with India. Known as the 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue', the Quad grouping comprises the US, India, Australia and Japan. The representatives for the four-member nations have met periodically since its establishment in 2007. The top leaders of the four countries held a historic virtual summit hosted by President Joe Biden last month. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, following a three-hour debate and several amendments, voted 21-1 to approve the Strategic Competition Act on Wednesday. The United States should reaffirm its commitment to the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with India and further deepen bilateral defence consultations and collaboration with the country, says the bipartisan bill moved by Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez, ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It urges the US government that in close consultation with India, identify areas where it can provide diplomatic and other support as appropriate for India's efforts to address economic and security challenges posed by China in the region. The two lawmakers described the legislation as an unprecedented, bipartisan effort to mobilise all American strategic, economic, and diplomatic tools for an Indo-Pacific strategy that enables the US government to compete effectively with China and the challenges it poses to its national and economic security for decades to come. One amendment moved by Senator Edward Markey, and approved seeks to establish a QUAD Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to connect together lawmakers from the United States, Japan, Australia and India. Markey is chair of the Asia-Pacific subcommittee. ''The Quad Inter-Parliamentary Group will help our four countries diversify cooperation on issues beyond its traditional defence focus such as by delivering alternatives to China's Belt and Road in the Indo-Pacific and delivering on the promise to provide over one billion COVID-19 vaccines to the region,'' he said. The bill bolsters the United States diplomatic strategy in addressing challenges posed by the Chinese government and reaffirms America's commitment to its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world, and calls for the United States to reassert its leadership within international organisations and another multilateral forum. It renews America's commitment to allies and partners by prioritising security assistance for the Indo-Pacific region, and strengthens US diplomatic efforts to address challenges posed by China in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Arctic, and Oceania. The Indo-Pacific is the most consequential region for American foreign policy. China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its man-made islands in the past few years. Beijing claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. But Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. In the East China Sea, China has territorial disputes with Japan. The bill seeks to invest in universal values, authorising a broad range of human rights and civil society measures, including supporting democracy in Hong Kong and imposing sanctions with respect to forced labour, forced sterilisation, and other abuses in Xinjiang. It focuses on countering and confronting China's predatory international economic behaviour, and includes measures to track intellectual property violators, Chinese government subsidies, monitor Chinese use of Hong Kong to circumvent US export controls, and track the presence of Chinese companies in US capital markets. It directs the United States to provide technical assistance to countries working to counter foreign corrupt practices, and debt relief to the poorest countries who have requested forbearance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill calls for enhanced coordination and cooperation with allies on arms control in the face of China's military modernisation and expansion, and requires reporting on Chinese ballistic, hypersonic glide, and cruise missiles, conventional forces, nuclear, space, cyberspace and other strategic domains. It also seeks a detailed description of United States diplomatic efforts with Pakistan with respect to matters relevant to China including investments by Beijing in Pakistan through the Belt and Road Initiative. In his remarks on the Senate floor a day earlier, Senator Jim Inhofe said that there is a need for the United States to increase investment in national defence to deter Chinese aggression. The Chinese People's Liberation Army, he said, has been expanding its network of strategic ports and bases around the world, from Djibouti, to Pakistan, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. ''Last year, China started going after the territory of India, which has resulted in dozens of dead Indian soldiers. They've continually harassed Japan and Taiwan in the air and on the sea, their fishing fleets have terrorised small Pacific island nations. Over 200 Chinese boats are staking out a reef in the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines,'' Inhofe said. (With inputs from agencies)

US Senate committee approves China strategic competition bill; backs enhanced security ties with India

China's President Xi Jinping will attend a virtual climate summit this week hosted by US President Joe Biden, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as political tensions&nbsp;between the two countries remain high.&nbsp;

Xi will give an "important speech" at the meeting, the statement said, which comes days after climate envoys from the two countries met in Shanghai and pledged to cooperate on the pressing issue of climate change.

Biden&nbsp;has invited 40 world leaders to the&nbsp;climate&nbsp;summit, part of his effort to make the fight against global warming a top priority.

Beijing and Washington have persistently clashed over a range of issues from alleged human rights abuses to China's economic clout over other nations.

In Alaska last month, US&nbsp;and Chinese officials held the first high-level in-person talks that bristled with rancor and yielded no diplomatic breakthroughs.

But the two countries, the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change.

Last week, US&nbsp;climate envoy John Kerry travelled to Shanghai to meet with his Chinese counterpart in the first high-level visit to China by a Biden administration official. Both agreed on concrete actions "in the 2020s" to reduce emissions.

The talks also marked a resumption of climate dialogue halted during the Donald Trump administration, who withdrew from the Paris agreement.

(With input from agencies)

China's President Xi Jinping will attend a virtual climate summit this week hosted by US President Joe Biden, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as political tensions between the two countries remain high.

China's President Xi Jinping will attend a virtual climate summit this week hosted by US President Joe Biden, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as political tensions between the two countries remain high. Xi will give an "important speech" at the meeting, the statement said, which comes days after climate envoys from the two countries met in Shanghai and pledged to cooperate on the pressing issue of climate change. Biden has invited 40 world leaders to the climate summit, part of his effort to make the fight against global warming a top priority. Beijing and Washington have persistently clashed over a range of issues from alleged human rights abuses to China's economic clout over other nations. In Alaska last month, US and Chinese officials held the first high-level in-person talks that bristled with rancor and yielded no diplomatic breakthroughs. But the two countries, the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. Last week, US climate envoy John Kerry travelled to Shanghai to meet with his Chinese counterpart in the first high-level visit to China by a Biden administration official. Both agreed on concrete actions "in the 2020s" to reduce emissions. The talks also marked a resumption of climate dialogue halted during the Donald Trump administration, who withdrew from the Paris agreement. (With input from agencies)

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend virtual climate summit called by Biden

China's foreign ministry said on Friday&nbsp;it would take necessary measures to protect the legal rights of Chinese companies, after the United States added Chinese supercomputing entities to an economic&nbsp;blacklist.

"US&nbsp;containment and suppression cannot hold back the march of China's scientific and technological development," he said at a daily news conference in Beijing on Friday.

The US&nbsp;Commerce Department said on Thursday it was adding seven Chinese supercomputing entities to a US&nbsp;economic&nbsp;blacklist&nbsp;for assisting Chinese military efforts.

The Commerce Department said the seven were "involved with building supercomputers used by China's military actors, its destabilising military modernization efforts, and/or weapons of mass destruction programs."

The department is adding Tianjin Phytium Information Technology, Shanghai High-Performance Integrated Circuit Design Center, Sunway Microelectronics, the National Supercomputing Center Jinan, the National Supercomputing Center Shenzhen, the National Supercomputing Center Wuxi, and the National Supercomputing Center Zhengzhou to its&nbsp;blacklist.

Companies or others listed on the US&nbsp;Entity List are required to apply for licenses from the Commerce Department that face tough scrutiny when they seek permission to receive items from US&nbsp;suppliers.

"Supercomputing capabilities are vital for the development of many, perhaps almost all,&nbsp;modern weapons and national security systems, such as nuclear weapons and hypersonic weapons, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

The new rules take effect immediately but do not apply to goods from US&nbsp;suppliers already en route.

During the administration of former US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, the US&nbsp;added dozens of Chinese companies to its economic&nbsp;blacklist, including the country’s top smartphone maker Huawei Technologies, top chipmaker SMIC and the largest drone manufacturer, SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd.

China's foreign ministry said on Friday it would take necessary measures to protect the legal rights of Chinese companies, after the United States added Chinese supercomputing entities to an economic blacklist.

China's foreign ministry said on Friday it would take necessary measures to protect the legal rights of Chinese companies, after the United States added Chinese supercomputing entities to an economic blacklist. "US containment and suppression cannot hold back the march of China's scientific and technological development," he said at a daily news conference in Beijing on Friday. The US Commerce Department said on Thursday it was adding seven Chinese supercomputing entities to a US economic blacklist for assisting Chinese military efforts. The Commerce Department said the seven were "involved with building supercomputers used by China's military actors, its destabilising military modernization efforts, and/or weapons of mass destruction programs." The department is adding Tianjin Phytium Information Technology, Shanghai High-Performance Integrated Circuit Design Center, Sunway Microelectronics, the National Supercomputing Center Jinan, the National Supercomputing Center Shenzhen, the National Supercomputing Center Wuxi, and the National Supercomputing Center Zhengzhou to its blacklist. Companies or others listed on the US Entity List are required to apply for licenses from the Commerce Department that face tough scrutiny when they seek permission to receive items from US suppliers. "Supercomputing capabilities are vital for the development of many, perhaps almost all, modern weapons and national security systems, such as nuclear weapons and hypersonic weapons, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. The new rules take effect immediately but do not apply to goods from US suppliers already en route. During the administration of former US President Donald Trump, the US added dozens of Chinese companies to its economic blacklist, including the country’s top smartphone maker Huawei Technologies, top chipmaker SMIC and the largest drone manufacturer, SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd.

China vows 'necessary measures' after US blacklists its supercomputing entities

The US Treasury placed sanctions Monday on two senior Chinese officials for what it called "serious human rights abuses" against Uighurs and other minorities in the country's Xinjiang region.

"Chinese authorities will continue to face consequences as long as atrocities occur in Xinjiang," Andrea Gacki, the Treasury official overseeing the sanctions program.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-sending-children-of-exiled-uighurs-to-orphanages-report-371703" hreflang="en">China sending children of exiled Uighurs to orphanages: Report</a>

The sanctions targeted Wang Junzheng, the secretary of the Chinese Communist Party committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), and Chen Mingguo,&nbsp;director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau.

The Treasury action was part of a coordinated effort by the European Union, Britain, Canada and the United States to raise the pressure on Beijing for putting more than one million Xinjiang citizens, mostly Muslim Uighurs, in prison camps, and using many in forced labor programs.

The Treasury said in a statement the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps is a paramilitary group that advances Beijing's tough controls on Xinjiang, in parallel with the Public Security Bureau.

"The Chinese government treats almost all expressions of faith as a sign of religious 'extremism' or ethnic separatism," the Treasury said.

Activists and U.N. experts say that more than 1 million Muslim Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims are being held against their will in harsh camps in the remote western region.

China rejects US&nbsp;charges that it has committed genocide against ethnic and religious minorities, and says the camps provide vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sensed-strong-smell-of-gunpowder-in-us-talks-says-china-371685">Sensed strong smell of gunpowder in US talks, says China</a>

The first high-level US-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday, with both sides levelling sharp rebukes of the others' policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.

The largest group representing exiled ethnic Uighurs has written to US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to demand that Beijing close its internment camps in the&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region.

"China is using coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, undercut democracy in Taiwan, abuse human rights in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;and Tibet, and assert maritime claims in the South China Sea that violate international law," Blinken said.

The Biden administration has made clear that it is looking for a change in behaviour from China, which has expressed hope to reset relations between the world's two largest economies that worsened drastically under former President Donald Trump.

The US Treasury placed sanctions Monday on two senior Chinese officials for what it called "serious human rights abuses" against Uighurs and other minorities in the country's Xinjiang region.

The US Treasury placed sanctions Monday on two senior Chinese officials for what it called "serious human rights abuses" against Uighurs and other minorities in the country's Xinjiang region. "Chinese authorities will continue to face consequences as long as atrocities occur in Xinjiang," Andrea Gacki, the Treasury official overseeing the sanctions program. Also read| China sending children of exiled Uighurs to orphanages: Report The sanctions targeted Wang Junzheng, the secretary of the Chinese Communist Party committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), and Chen Mingguo, director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau. The Treasury action was part of a coordinated effort by the European Union, Britain, Canada and the United States to raise the pressure on Beijing for putting more than one million Xinjiang citizens, mostly Muslim Uighurs, in prison camps, and using many in forced labor programs. The Treasury said in a statement the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps is a paramilitary group that advances Beijing's tough controls on Xinjiang, in parallel with the Public Security Bureau. "The Chinese government treats almost all expressions of faith as a sign of religious 'extremism' or ethnic separatism," the Treasury said. Activists and U.N. experts say that more than 1 million Muslim Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims are being held against their will in harsh camps in the remote western region. China rejects US charges that it has committed genocide against ethnic and religious minorities, and says the camps provide vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism. Also read| Sensed strong smell of gunpowder in US talks, says China The first high-level US-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday, with both sides levelling sharp rebukes of the others' policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension. The largest group representing exiled ethnic Uighurs has written to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to demand that Beijing close its internment camps in the Xinjiang region. "China is using coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, undercut democracy in Taiwan, abuse human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet, and assert maritime claims in the South China Sea that violate international law," Blinken said. The Biden administration has made clear that it is looking for a change in behaviour from China, which has expressed hope to reset relations between the world's two largest economies that worsened drastically under former President Donald Trump.

US hits two Chinese officials with sanctions over Uighur abuses

Chinese e-commerce platforms are selling t-shirts, umbrellas, handbags, lighters and mobile phone cases bearing phrases used by the country's top diplomat during a testy exchange with US officials in Alaska.

Yang Jiechi blasted US foreign and trade policies, and democracy in the United State in a 15-minute riposte to pointed remarks by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their meeting on Thursday.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sensed-strong-smell-of-gunpowder-in-us-talks-says-china-371685">Sensed strong smell of gunpowder in US talks, says China</a>

The run-up to the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed visits by US&nbsp;officials to allies Japan and South Korea, was marked by a flurry of moves by Washington that showed it was taking a tough stance, and by a blunt talk from Beijing.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi took aim at each other's country's policies on Thursday in their meeting in Anchorage.

The phrases "Chinese people won't swallow this"， "US has no qualification to talk down to China", and "Stop interfering in China's internal affairs" have begun appearing on merchandise sold on Chinese platforms including Alibaba's, Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo.

"I love my country, so I must support patriotism," a t-shirt seller said on social media platform Weibo.

According to data on Taobao.com, hundreds of people have bought t-shirts printed with Yang's messages for Blinken at prices ranging from 30 yuan ($4.61) to 60 yuan.

Phone cases, with Yang's words, are sold at prices ranging from 12 yuan to 40 yuan on Taobao.

Most netizens on China's Twitter-like microblog Weibo said they are keen to buy, with one calling it a "real patriotic business".

China's social media carried comments praising the way Chinese officials handled their first face-to-face meetings with officials from President Joe Biden's administration.

Washington had described the talks as "tough and direct", while the Chinese delegation said they were timely and helpful.

Chinese e-commerce platforms are selling t-shirts, umbrellas, handbags, lighters and mobile phone cases bearing phrases used by the country's top diplomat during a testy exchange with US officials in Alaska.

Chinese e-commerce platforms are selling t-shirts, umbrellas, handbags, lighters and mobile phone cases bearing phrases used by the country's top diplomat during a testy exchange with US officials in Alaska. Yang Jiechi blasted US foreign and trade policies, and democracy in the United State in a 15-minute riposte to pointed remarks by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their meeting on Thursday. Also read| Sensed strong smell of gunpowder in US talks, says China The run-up to the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed visits by US officials to allies Japan and South Korea, was marked by a flurry of moves by Washington that showed it was taking a tough stance, and by a blunt talk from Beijing. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi took aim at each other's country's policies on Thursday in their meeting in Anchorage. The phrases "Chinese people won't swallow this"， "US has no qualification to talk down to China", and "Stop interfering in China's internal affairs" have begun appearing on merchandise sold on Chinese platforms including Alibaba's, Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo. "I love my country, so I must support patriotism," a t-shirt seller said on social media platform Weibo. According to data on Taobao.com, hundreds of people have bought t-shirts printed with Yang's messages for Blinken at prices ranging from 30 yuan ($4.61) to 60 yuan. Phone cases, with Yang's words, are sold at prices ranging from 12 yuan to 40 yuan on Taobao. Most netizens on China's Twitter-like microblog Weibo said they are keen to buy, with one calling it a "real patriotic business". China's social media carried comments praising the way Chinese officials handled their first face-to-face meetings with officials from President Joe Biden's administration. Washington had described the talks as "tough and direct", while the Chinese delegation said they were timely and helpful.

Chinese e-commerce platforms selling accessories of testy exchange with US officials in Alaska

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday it would be good for the United States and China to have more trust in each other. 
 
Musk was holding a&nbsp;discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of Southern University of Scientist and Technology. They were participating in the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering is hosted by a foundation under the State Council.

(more details awaited)

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday it would be good for the United States and China to have more trust in each other. Musk was holding a discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of Southern University of Scientist and Technology.

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk said on Saturday it would be good for the United States and China to have more trust in each other. Musk was holding a discussion panel with Xue Qikun, a Chinese scientist specialising in quantum physics who is now head of Southern University of Scientist and Technology. They were participating in the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering is hosted by a foundation under the State Council. (more details awaited)

Would be good for US, China to increase mutual trust: Elon Musk

China on Friday said that it sensed a ''strong smell of gunpowder and drama''&nbsp;from talks with top American diplomats in Alaska, continuing the contentious tone of the first face-to-face meetings under the Biden administration.

The first high-level US-China&nbsp;meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday&nbsp;in Achorage with both sides levelling sharp rebukes of the others' policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/abandon-cold-war-mentality-us-chinese-officials-clash-during-talks-in-alaska-371538">'Abandon Cold War mentality': US, Chinese officials clash during Alaska talks</a>

"It was due to the fact that the US&nbsp;didn't respect the timings that had been agreed upon for the relevant remarks. It is the US&nbsp;that first provoked and stirred conflict (before the talks). So for both sides, from the start of the opening remarks, the venue totally reeked of explosives and was full of dramatic colours. This was not&nbsp;China's original intention," Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a daily briefing.

The run-up to the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed visits by US&nbsp;officials to allies Japan and South Korea, was marked by a flurry of moves by Washington that showed it was taking a tough stance, and by a blunt talk from Beijing.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi took aim at each other's country's policies on Thursday in their meeting in Anchorage.

Zhao accused the US side of overrunning the agreed time for opening remarks, prompting a sharp response from the Chinese delegation.

The meetings, set to continue Friday, come amid disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China's territorial claims to Taiwan and islands in the South China and East China seas.

China has also strongly objected to the US calls for greater transparency about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, the first cases of which were recorded in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

/''It was the US side that ... Provoked the dispute in the first place, so the two sides had a strong smell of gunpowder and drama from the beginning in the opening remarks. It was not the original intention of the Chinese side," Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing.

At the Alaska meeting, Blinken affirmed US solidarity with its allies in pushing back against China's increasing efforts to spread its authoritarian mode of government through political and economic pressure.

Yang responded with a list of Chinese complaints, accusing Washington of hypocrisy for criticizing Beijing on human rights and other issues at a time when the United States itself has been roiled by domestic discontent.&nbsp;

China on Friday said that it sensed a ''strong smell of gunpowder and drama'' from talks with top American diplomats in Alaska, continuing the contentious tone of the first face-to-face meetings under the Biden administration.

China on Friday said that it sensed a ''strong smell of gunpowder and drama'' from talks with top American diplomats in Alaska, continuing the contentious tone of the first face-to-face meetings under the Biden administration. The first high-level US-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday in Achorage with both sides levelling sharp rebukes of the others' policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension. Also read: 'Abandon Cold War mentality': US, Chinese officials clash during Alaska talks "It was due to the fact that the US didn't respect the timings that had been agreed upon for the relevant remarks. It is the US that first provoked and stirred conflict (before the talks). So for both sides, from the start of the opening remarks, the venue totally reeked of explosives and was full of dramatic colours. This was not China's original intention," Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a daily briefing. The run-up to the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed visits by US officials to allies Japan and South Korea, was marked by a flurry of moves by Washington that showed it was taking a tough stance, and by a blunt talk from Beijing. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi took aim at each other's country's policies on Thursday in their meeting in Anchorage. Zhao accused the US side of overrunning the agreed time for opening remarks, prompting a sharp response from the Chinese delegation. The meetings, set to continue Friday, come amid disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China's territorial claims to Taiwan and islands in the South China and East China seas. China has also strongly objected to the US calls for greater transparency about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, the first cases of which were recorded in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. /''It was the US side that ... Provoked the dispute in the first place, so the two sides had a strong smell of gunpowder and drama from the beginning in the opening remarks. It was not the original intention of the Chinese side," Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing. At the Alaska meeting, Blinken affirmed US solidarity with its allies in pushing back against China's increasing efforts to spread its authoritarian mode of government through political and economic pressure. Yang responded with a list of Chinese complaints, accusing Washington of hypocrisy for criticizing Beijing on human rights and other issues at a time when the United States itself has been roiled by domestic discontent.

Sensed strong smell of gunpowder in US talks, says China

US&nbsp;Defence Secretary Lloyd&nbsp;Austin&nbsp;said on Wednesday that Washington's alliance with South Korea is ever more important because of growing security concerns over China and North Korea.

South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook said it was important for the allies to maintain a strong deterrence and joint defence posture against North Korea.

The Biden administration is focused on rallying alliances with its key Asian partners to counter a rising China.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-officials-reach-seoul-for-key-talks-371061/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

North Korea is likely to move up the agenda in the South, where the US stations 28,500 troops to defend it against its neighbour.

Meanwhile, in North Korea's first comments directed at the Biden administration, Kim Jong Un's powerful sister on Tuesday warned the US to "refrain from causing a stink" if it wants to "sleep in peace" for the next four years.

Kim Yo Jong, a senior official who handles inter-Korean affairs, also criticised the US and South Korea for holding military exercises. She also said the North would consider abandoning a 2018 bilateral agreement on reducing military tensions and abolish a decades-old ruling party unit tasked to handle inter-Korean relations if it no longer had to cooperate with the South.

She said the North would also consider scrapping an office that handled South Korean tours to the North's scenic Diamond Mountain, which Seoul suspended in 2008 after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean tourist.

The US envoys will meet on Thursday with President Moon Jae-in, who brokered the process between Kim and former US president Donald Trump in 2018.

A senior official from the Biden administration said on Saturday that US officials have tried to reach out to North Korea through multiple channels since last month, but had yet to receive a response.

The South Korean and US militaries began annual military exercises last week that will continue through Thursday.

The drills are command post exercises and computerised simulation and don't involve field training. They said they held the downsized drills after reviewing factors like the status of COVID-19 and diplomatic efforts to resume the nuclear talks with North Korea.

The new US administration is expected to wrap up a review of North Korea policy in coming weeks. And Blinken said Washington is considering whether additional pressure on North Korea could be effective.

Policy review

Trump's unorthodox approach to foreign policy saw him trade insults and threats of war with Kim Jong Un before an extraordinary diplomatic bromance that saw a series of headline-grabbing meetings.

But ultimately no progress was made towards Washington's declared aim of denuclearising North Korea, with a second summit in Hanoi in early 2019 breaking up without an agreement and Pyongyang still under multiple international sanctions for its banned weapons programmes.

Blinken and&nbsp;Austin&nbsp;will consult on a review of Washington's policy towards the North being carried out by the new administration.

But subtle differences between Washington and Seoul could be seen in their readouts of the defence chiefs' meeting on Wednesday.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said&nbsp;Austin&nbsp;and Suh had expressed commitment to achieving "the denuclearisation of North Korea".

On the other hand, Seoul's defence ministry said that they had "shared objectives of achieving the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and a permanent peace in the region".

The specific "North Korea" phrasing used by Washington is anathema to Pyongyang, which prefers the broader and more ambiguous reference to the peninsula as a whole, terminology that could be taken to include the US nuclear umbrella over the South.

The difference threatens to put Seoul on the horns of a diplomatic dilemma: since Hanoi, Moon's administration has repeatedly tried to reach out to Pyongyang but has been regularly rebuffed.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that Washington's alliance with South Korea is ever more important because of growing security concerns over China and North Korea.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that Washington's alliance with South Korea is ever more important because of growing security concerns over China and North Korea. South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook said it was important for the allies to maintain a strong deterrence and joint defence posture against North Korea. The Biden administration is focused on rallying alliances with its key Asian partners to counter a rising China. North Korea is likely to move up the agenda in the South, where the US stations 28,500 troops to defend it against its neighbour. Meanwhile, in North Korea's first comments directed at the Biden administration, Kim Jong Un's powerful sister on Tuesday warned the US to "refrain from causing a stink" if it wants to "sleep in peace" for the next four years. Kim Yo Jong, a senior official who handles inter-Korean affairs, also criticised the US and South Korea for holding military exercises. She also said the North would consider abandoning a 2018 bilateral agreement on reducing military tensions and abolish a decades-old ruling party unit tasked to handle inter-Korean relations if it no longer had to cooperate with the South. She said the North would also consider scrapping an office that handled South Korean tours to the North's scenic Diamond Mountain, which Seoul suspended in 2008 after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean tourist. The US envoys will meet on Thursday with President Moon Jae-in, who brokered the process between Kim and former US president Donald Trump in 2018. A senior official from the Biden administration said on Saturday that US officials have tried to reach out to North Korea through multiple channels since last month, but had yet to receive a response. The South Korean and US militaries began annual military exercises last week that will continue through Thursday. The drills are command post exercises and computerised simulation and don't involve field training. They said they held the downsized drills after reviewing factors like the status of COVID-19 and diplomatic efforts to resume the nuclear talks with North Korea. The new US administration is expected to wrap up a review of North Korea policy in coming weeks. And Blinken said Washington is considering whether additional pressure on North Korea could be effective. Policy review Trump's unorthodox approach to foreign policy saw him trade insults and threats of war with Kim Jong Un before an extraordinary diplomatic bromance that saw a series of headline-grabbing meetings. But ultimately no progress was made towards Washington's declared aim of denuclearising North Korea, with a second summit in Hanoi in early 2019 breaking up without an agreement and Pyongyang still under multiple international sanctions for its banned weapons programmes. Blinken and Austin will consult on a review of Washington's policy towards the North being carried out by the new administration. But subtle differences between Washington and Seoul could be seen in their readouts of the defence chiefs' meeting on Wednesday. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Austin and Suh had expressed commitment to achieving "the denuclearisation of North Korea". On the other hand, Seoul's defence ministry said that they had "shared objectives of achieving the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and a permanent peace in the region". The specific "North Korea" phrasing used by Washington is anathema to Pyongyang, which prefers the broader and more ambiguous reference to the peninsula as a whole, terminology that could be taken to include the US nuclear umbrella over the South. The difference threatens to put Seoul on the horns of a diplomatic dilemma: since Hanoi, Moon's administration has repeatedly tried to reach out to Pyongyang but has been regularly rebuffed.

US-South Korea alliance important due to security concerns over China, North Korea: Austin

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China against&nbsp;using "coercion and aggression" on Tuesday during his first overseas trip to Japan.

China's extensive territorial claims in the East and South China Seas have become a priority issue in an increasingly testy Sino-US&nbsp;relationship and are an important security concern for Japan.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/antony-blinken-and-lloyd-austin-on-4-day-trip-to-japan-and-south-korea-370875/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We will push back, if necessary when China uses coercion and aggression to get its way," Blinken said.

His visit to Tokyo with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is the first overseas trip&nbsp;by top members of President Joe Biden's cabinet. It follows last week's summit of the leaders of the Quad grouping, consisting of the United States, Japan, Australia and India.

The Alaska meeting will bring together for the first time senior Biden administration officials and their Chinese counterparts to discuss frayed ties between the world's top two economies.

Washington has criticised what it called Beijing's attempts to bully neighbours with competing interests. China has denounced what it called US efforts to foment unrest in the region and interfere in what it calls its internal affairs.

In a joint statement, the US officials and their Japanese counterparts said, "China's behaviour, where inconsistent with the existing international order, presents political, economic, military and technological challenges".

"The ministers committed to opposing coercion and destabilising behaviour towards others in the region," they added.

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and top US diplomat Antony Blinken are on their first overseas trip, which began on Monday in Japan, looking to shore up regional alliances and send a message to Beijing.

They will continue on to South Korea, and a policy review by the new administration of its approach to Pyongyang is also a key part of the diplomatic outreach.

But discussions in Tokyo focused on China, including its increasing presence around islands disputed with Japan, as well as the situation in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The two countries committed themselves to oppose coercion and destabilizing behaviour towards others in the region that undermines the rules-based international system, they added.

The meeting was held in the "2+2" format with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi as hosts.

North Korea was in sharp focus after the White House said Pyongyang had rebuffed efforts at dialogue.

The isolated nation, which has pursued nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, warned the Biden administration against "causing a stink" if it wanted peace, state media said on Tuesday.

Blinken underscored the importance of working closely with Japan and South Korea on the denuclearisation of North Korea.

"We have no greater strategic advantage when it comes to North Korea than this alliance," he said. "We approach that challenge as an alliance and we’ve got to do that if we are going to be effective."

'Unwavering commitment'

The ministers also discussed Washington's "unwavering commitment" to defend Japan in its dispute with China over islets in the East China Sea and repeated their opposition to China's "unlawful" maritime claims in the South China Sea.

They shared concerns over developments such as the law China passed in January allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels.

China has sent coast guard vessels to chase away fishing vessels from countries with which it has disputes in regional waters, sometimes resulting in their sinking.

Motegi said China-related issues took up the majority of his two-way talks with Blinken and expressed strong opposition to the neighbour's "unilateral attempt" to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing that US-Japan ties "shouldn't target or undermine the interests of any third party," and should boost "peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific".

Blinken expressed concern over the Myanmar military's attempt to overturn the results of a democratic election and its crackdown on peaceful protesters.

He also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to human rights, saying, "China uses coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, undercut democracy in Taiwan, abusing human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet."

Motegi said Blinken expressed support during the meeting for the staging of the Tokyo Olympics, set to run from July 23 to Aug&nbsp;8 after being postponed from last year because of the coronavirus crisis.

But Blinken sounded non-committal in his remarks to Tokyo-based US&nbsp;diplomats, saying the summer Games involved planning for several different scenarios. But he added, "Whenever and however Team USA ends up competing, it will be because of you."

The US&nbsp;officials ended the visit with a courtesy call on Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is set to visit the White House in April as the first foreign leader to meet Biden.

Both will leave Tokyo for Seoul on Wednesday for talks in the South Korean capital until Thursday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China against using "coercion and aggression" on Tuesday during his first overseas trip to Japan. China's extensive territorial claims in the East and South China Seas have become a priority issue in an increasingly testy Sino-US relationship and are an important security concern for Japan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China against using "coercion and aggression" on Tuesday during his first overseas trip to Japan. China's extensive territorial claims in the East and South China Seas have become a priority issue in an increasingly testy Sino-US relationship and are an important security concern for Japan. "We will push back, if necessary when China uses coercion and aggression to get its way," Blinken said. His visit to Tokyo with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is the first overseas trip by top members of President Joe Biden's cabinet. It follows last week's summit of the leaders of the Quad grouping, consisting of the United States, Japan, Australia and India. The Alaska meeting will bring together for the first time senior Biden administration officials and their Chinese counterparts to discuss frayed ties between the world's top two economies. Washington has criticised what it called Beijing's attempts to bully neighbours with competing interests. China has denounced what it called US efforts to foment unrest in the region and interfere in what it calls its internal affairs. In a joint statement, the US officials and their Japanese counterparts said, "China's behaviour, where inconsistent with the existing international order, presents political, economic, military and technological challenges". "The ministers committed to opposing coercion and destabilising behaviour towards others in the region," they added. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and top US diplomat Antony Blinken are on their first overseas trip, which began on Monday in Japan, looking to shore up regional alliances and send a message to Beijing. They will continue on to South Korea, and a policy review by the new administration of its approach to Pyongyang is also a key part of the diplomatic outreach. But discussions in Tokyo focused on China, including its increasing presence around islands disputed with Japan, as well as the situation in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The two countries committed themselves to oppose coercion and destabilizing behaviour towards others in the region that undermines the rules-based international system, they added. The meeting was held in the "2+2" format with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi as hosts. North Korea was in sharp focus after the White House said Pyongyang had rebuffed efforts at dialogue. The isolated nation, which has pursued nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, warned the Biden administration against "causing a stink" if it wanted peace, state media said on Tuesday. Blinken underscored the importance of working closely with Japan and South Korea on the denuclearisation of North Korea. "We have no greater strategic advantage when it comes to North Korea than this alliance," he said. "We approach that challenge as an alliance and we’ve got to do that if we are going to be effective." 'Unwavering commitment' The ministers also discussed Washington's "unwavering commitment" to defend Japan in its dispute with China over islets in the East China Sea and repeated their opposition to China's "unlawful" maritime claims in the South China Sea. They shared concerns over developments such as the law China passed in January allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels. China has sent coast guard vessels to chase away fishing vessels from countries with which it has disputes in regional waters, sometimes resulting in their sinking. Motegi said China-related issues took up the majority of his two-way talks with Blinken and expressed strong opposition to the neighbour's "unilateral attempt" to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas. In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing that US-Japan ties "shouldn't target or undermine the interests of any third party," and should boost "peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific". Blinken expressed concern over the Myanmar military's attempt to overturn the results of a democratic election and its crackdown on peaceful protesters. He also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to human rights, saying, "China uses coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, undercut democracy in Taiwan, abusing human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet." Motegi said Blinken expressed support during the meeting for the staging of the Tokyo Olympics, set to run from July 23 to Aug 8 after being postponed from last year because of the coronavirus crisis. But Blinken sounded non-committal in his remarks to Tokyo-based US diplomats, saying the summer Games involved planning for several different scenarios. But he added, "Whenever and however Team USA ends up competing, it will be because of you." The US officials ended the visit with a courtesy call on Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is set to visit the White House in April as the first foreign leader to meet Biden. Both will leave Tokyo for Seoul on Wednesday for talks in the South Korean capital until Thursday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns China against 'coercion and aggression'

The United Nations has said that China remains&nbsp;the biggest source of applications for international&nbsp;patents in the world in 2020 for the second consecutive year.

China has&nbsp;extended its lead over the number two filer the United States, the U.N.&nbsp;patent&nbsp;agency said on Tuesday.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which oversees a system for countries to share recognition of&nbsp;patents, said China filed 68,720 applications last year while the United States filed 59,230.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/hackers-linked-to-china-attack-microsofts-email-server-exploit-new-vulnerabilities-367693" hreflang="en">Hackers linked to China attack Microsoft's email server</a>

The rate of increase was higher for China with a 16.1 per cent&nbsp;year-on-year increase versus 3 per cent&nbsp;for the United States, it added. China first knocked the United States from the top spot in 2019.

Daren Tang, WIPO director-general, said the rise in Chinese filings was part of a longer-term trend for higher applications from Asia more broadly, with South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia all submitting more applications last year.

"It's not as if filings from the traditional parts of the world like the US&nbsp;or Europe have decreased, it's just that the rate, the acceleration, has become a lot stronger in Asia," he told journalists.

The region accounted for more than half of all filings via WIPO's system known as the&nbsp;Patent&nbsp;Cooperation Treaty versus just over a third ten years ago.

Unlike after the 2008 financial crisis when filings fell sharply, overall filings via WIPO's system were up 4 per cent&nbsp;overall in 2020 to a new record despite the COVID-19-induced slowdown, it said.

"The trend is that innovation remains resilient and the sense is that the world needs more innovation ... during a crisis," said Tang.

The biggest single filer under this system last year was China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for the fourth consecutive year and second was South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, WIPO said.

Singapore's Tang began his term in October and received strong support from Western countries including the United States in a highly politicised race against a Chinese candidate for the top job last year.

The United Nations has said that China remains the biggest source of applications for international patents in the world in 2020 for the second consecutive year.

The United Nations has said that China remains the biggest source of applications for international patents in the world in 2020 for the second consecutive year. China has extended its lead over the number two filer the United States, the U.N. patent agency said on Tuesday. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which oversees a system for countries to share recognition of patents, said China filed 68,720 applications last year while the United States filed 59,230. Also read: Hackers linked to China attack Microsoft's email server The rate of increase was higher for China with a 16.1 per cent year-on-year increase versus 3 per cent for the United States, it added. China first knocked the United States from the top spot in 2019. Daren Tang, WIPO director-general, said the rise in Chinese filings was part of a longer-term trend for higher applications from Asia more broadly, with South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia all submitting more applications last year. "It's not as if filings from the traditional parts of the world like the US or Europe have decreased, it's just that the rate, the acceleration, has become a lot stronger in Asia," he told journalists. The region accounted for more than half of all filings via WIPO's system known as the Patent Cooperation Treaty versus just over a third ten years ago. Unlike after the 2008 financial crisis when filings fell sharply, overall filings via WIPO's system were up 4 per cent overall in 2020 to a new record despite the COVID-19-induced slowdown, it said. "The trend is that innovation remains resilient and the sense is that the world needs more innovation ... during a crisis," said Tang. The biggest single filer under this system last year was China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for the fourth consecutive year and second was South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, WIPO said. Singapore's Tang began his term in October and received strong support from Western countries including the United States in a highly politicised race against a Chinese candidate for the top job last year.

UN says China still remains biggest source of applications for international patents

Republican senators have&nbsp;introduced a legislation&nbsp;to end China's access to 10-year multi-entry visas until it is certified that Beijing has ceased its campaign of economic and industrial espionage against the US.

The legislation, Visa Security Act, was introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn, Tom Cotton, Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio on Friday. It would prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving 10-year B-1/B-2 visas until the Secretary of State certifies that China has ceased its campaign of economic and industrial espionage against the United States and ended its provocative and coercive behaviour towards Taiwan.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-bidens-cia-pick-stresses-china-threat-366023" hreflang="en">Joe Biden's CIA pick stresses China threat</a>

The B-1/B-2 visas are issued to those who come to the US for business, visit or tourism purposes.

Under this legislation, Chinese citizens would be eligible for one-year multi-entry visas. This policy would represent a return to the pre-2014 visa status quo and does not apply to Taiwan or certain residents of Hong Kong.

It also seeks certification from the Secretary of State that China has withdrawn its national security law with respect to Hong Kong and fully upheld its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984; ended its systematic oppression of Uighurs, Tibetans, and other ethnic groups; retracted its unlawful claims in the South China Sea; and released foreign hostages and wrongfully detained individuals in China.

The relations between China and the US are at an all-time low. The two countries are currently involved in a bitter confrontation over various issues, including trade, the origins of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the communist giant's aggressive military moves in the disputed South China Sea and human rights.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its man-made islands in the past few years. The South China Sea is rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources.

Beijing claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. But Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. The Chinese Government sees Taiwan as a rebel province that will eventually be part of the country again.

Until the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ends its systematic violations of human rights and religious freedom, the United States cannot remain complicit by offering 10-year multi-entry visas to Chinese nationals.&nbsp;

The Visa Security Act will stop the revolving door the CCP has used for half a decade and instead demand accountability in the global human rights effort, Senator Blackburn said.

''Since 2014, the Chinese Communist Party has had access to 10-year business and tourist visas, which allow Chinese citizens to enter and exit the United States as they please. In issuing these visas, the US has welcomed the CCP, its intelligence agencies, and those they have co-opted with open arms. This was a bad decision in 2014 and it's time we fixed this error,'' said Cotton.

"We know Communist China will stop at nothing to steal American technology and intellectual property in an attempt to dominate the world.&nbsp;

''China poses the single greatest geopolitical threat to the United States. The Chinese Communist Party engages in propaganda and censorship to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think about China. It's long past time to end the Chinese Communist Party's abuse of our visa system. This bill counters China's aggression and advances American security,'' said Senator Ted Cruz.

''It is long overdue for the United States to fully address the imbalances in our relationship with China and stop the Chinese Communist Party from exploiting our programmes and openness,'' Rubio said.

''Terminating China's access to 10-year multi-entry visas is a logical step in overturning bad policy by the Obama Administration. China should not be given special treatment that is out of step with our relationship, the abuses they are committing, and its malign activities in the US,'' he said.

Republican senators have introduced a legislation to end China's access to 10-year multi-entry visas until it is certified that Beijing has ceased its campaign of economic and industrial espionage against the US.

Republican senators have introduced a legislation to end China's access to 10-year multi-entry visas until it is certified that Beijing has ceased its campaign of economic and industrial espionage against the US. The legislation, Visa Security Act, was introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn, Tom Cotton, Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio on Friday. It would prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving 10-year B-1/B-2 visas until the Secretary of State certifies that China has ceased its campaign of economic and industrial espionage against the United States and ended its provocative and coercive behaviour towards Taiwan. Also read: Joe Biden's CIA pick stresses China threat The B-1/B-2 visas are issued to those who come to the US for business, visit or tourism purposes. Under this legislation, Chinese citizens would be eligible for one-year multi-entry visas. This policy would represent a return to the pre-2014 visa status quo and does not apply to Taiwan or certain residents of Hong Kong. It also seeks certification from the Secretary of State that China has withdrawn its national security law with respect to Hong Kong and fully upheld its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984; ended its systematic oppression of Uighurs, Tibetans, and other ethnic groups; retracted its unlawful claims in the South China Sea; and released foreign hostages and wrongfully detained individuals in China. The relations between China and the US are at an all-time low. The two countries are currently involved in a bitter confrontation over various issues, including trade, the origins of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the communist giant's aggressive military moves in the disputed South China Sea and human rights. China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its man-made islands in the past few years. The South China Sea is rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. Beijing claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. But Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. The Chinese Government sees Taiwan as a rebel province that will eventually be part of the country again. Until the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ends its systematic violations of human rights and religious freedom, the United States cannot remain complicit by offering 10-year multi-entry visas to Chinese nationals. The Visa Security Act will stop the revolving door the CCP has used for half a decade and instead demand accountability in the global human rights effort, Senator Blackburn said. ''Since 2014, the Chinese Communist Party has had access to 10-year business and tourist visas, which allow Chinese citizens to enter and exit the United States as they please. In issuing these visas, the US has welcomed the CCP, its intelligence agencies, and those they have co-opted with open arms. This was a bad decision in 2014 and it's time we fixed this error,'' said Cotton. "We know Communist China will stop at nothing to steal American technology and intellectual property in an attempt to dominate the world. ''China poses the single greatest geopolitical threat to the United States. The Chinese Communist Party engages in propaganda and censorship to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think about China. It's long past time to end the Chinese Communist Party's abuse of our visa system. This bill counters China's aggression and advances American security,'' said Senator Ted Cruz. ''It is long overdue for the United States to fully address the imbalances in our relationship with China and stop the Chinese Communist Party from exploiting our programmes and openness,'' Rubio said. ''Terminating China's access to 10-year multi-entry visas is a logical step in overturning bad policy by the Obama Administration. China should not be given special treatment that is out of step with our relationship, the abuses they are committing, and its malign activities in the US,'' he said.

US senators introduce legislation to end China's access to multiple year visa

Social networking platform Twitter on Thursday said that it has&nbsp;locked the account of China's US&nbsp;embassy for a tweet that defended China's policies in the Xinjiang region after it violated the firm's policy against "dehumanisation".

The Chinese Embassy account, @ChineseEmbinUS, posted a tweet this month that said that Uighur women were no longer "baby-making machines," citing a study reported by state-backed newspaper China Daily.

Later, the same article was reposted with a different caption. "Study shows the population change in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region involves the overall improvement in population quality. An increasing number of youths chose to spend more time and energy on personal development," the post by the Chinese embassy in the US reads.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Study shows the population change in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region involves the overall improvement in population quality. An increasing number of youths chose to spend more time and energy on personal development. <a href="https://t.co/lSn5EpCJFK">https://t.co/lSn5EpCJFK</a> <a href="https://t.co/g7asRRDrd6">pic.twitter.com/g7asRRDrd6</a>
— Chinese Embassy in US (@ChineseEmbinUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChineseEmbinUS/status/1347224755485749249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Twitter's suspension of the embassy's account came a day after the Trump administration, in its final hours, accused China of committing genocide in&nbsp;Xinjiang, a finding endorsed by the incoming Biden administration.

The Biden administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Twitter's move.

"We've taken action on the Tweet you referenced for violating our policy against dehumanization, where it states: We prohibit the dehumanisation of a group of people based on their religion, caste, age, disability, serious disease, national origin, race, or ethnicity," a Twitter spokesperson said on Thursday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-sanctions-pompeo-trump-officials-for-violating-sovereignty-358146" hreflang="en">China sanctions Pompeo, Trump officials for violating 'sovereignty'</a>

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a e-mailed request for comment. Twitter is blocked in China but is an increasingly favoured platform by China's diplomats and state media.

China has repeatedly rejected accusations of abuse in its&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region, where a United Nations panel has said at least 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims had been detained in camps.

Last year, a report by German researcher Adrian Zenz published by the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation think tank accused China of using forced sterilization, forced abortion and coercive family planning against minority Muslims. The Chinese foreign ministry said the allegations were groundless and false.

Twitter's move also follows the removal of the account of former U.S. president Donald Trump, which had 88 million followers, citing the risk of violence after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol this month.

Twitter had locked Trump's account, asking for deletion of some tweets, before restoring it and then removing it altogether after the former president violated the platform's policies again.

&nbsp;

Social networking platform Twitter on Thursday said that it has locked the account of China's US embassy for a tweet that defended China's policies in the Xinjiang region after it violated the firm's policy against "dehumanisation".

Social networking platform Twitter on Thursday said that it has locked the account of China's US embassy for a tweet that defended China's policies in the Xinjiang region after it violated the firm's policy against "dehumanisation". The Chinese Embassy account, @ChineseEmbinUS, posted a tweet this month that said that Uighur women were no longer "baby-making machines," citing a study reported by state-backed newspaper China Daily. Later, the same article was reposted with a different caption. "Study shows the population change in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region involves the overall improvement in population quality. An increasing number of youths chose to spend more time and energy on personal development," the post by the Chinese embassy in the US reads. Study shows the population change in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region involves the overall improvement in population quality. An increasing number of youths chose to spend more time and energy on personal development. https://t.co/lSn5EpCJFK pic.twitter.com/g7asRRDrd6 — Chinese Embassy in US (@ChineseEmbinUS) January 7, 2021 × Twitter's suspension of the embassy's account came a day after the Trump administration, in its final hours, accused China of committing genocide in Xinjiang, a finding endorsed by the incoming Biden administration. The Biden administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Twitter's move. "We've taken action on the Tweet you referenced for violating our policy against dehumanization, where it states: We prohibit the dehumanisation of a group of people based on their religion, caste, age, disability, serious disease, national origin, race, or ethnicity," a Twitter spokesperson said on Thursday. Also read: China sanctions Pompeo, Trump officials for violating 'sovereignty' The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a e-mailed request for comment. Twitter is blocked in China but is an increasingly favoured platform by China's diplomats and state media. China has repeatedly rejected accusations of abuse in its Xinjiang region, where a United Nations panel has said at least 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims had been detained in camps. Last year, a report by German researcher Adrian Zenz published by the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation think tank accused China of using forced sterilization, forced abortion and coercive family planning against minority Muslims. The Chinese foreign ministry said the allegations were groundless and false. Twitter's move also follows the removal of the account of former U.S. president Donald Trump, which had 88 million followers, citing the risk of violence after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol this month. Twitter had locked Trump's account, asking for deletion of some tweets, before restoring it and then removing it altogether after the former president violated the platform's policies again.

Twitter locks account of China's US embassy over Xinjiang-related tweet

A report by the US&nbsp;Congress has accused China of committing ''genocide''&nbsp;in its treatment of Uighurs and other minority Muslims in its western region of Xinjiang.

The report, released by The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), stated that the Chinese government and Communist Party have taken unprecedented steps to extend their repressive policies through censorship, intimidation, and the detention of people in China for exercising their fundamental human rights.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-bans-imports-of-all-cotton-tomato-products-from-chinas-xinjiang-region-over-forced-labour-concerns-356679" hreflang="en">US bans imports of all cotton, tomato products from China's Xinjiang region over forced labour concerns</a>

Genocide is a serious crime under international law and the US government has adopted the term on rare occasions only after extensive documentation.

China has been widely condemned for setting up complexes in Xinjiang that it describes as “vocational training centres” to stamp out extremism and give people new skills and which others have called concentration camps.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rude-interference-china-on-us-banning-tomato-cotton-imports-356697">'Rude interference': China on US banning tomato, cotton imports</a>

The United Nations says at least 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in Xinjiang. Faith leaders, activist groups and others have said crimes against humanity, including genocide, are taking place there.

Beijing denies the accusations and on Thursday its Washington embassy said the CECC was “obsessed with making up all sorts of lies to vilify China.”

“The so-called ‘genocide’ is a rumour deliberately started by some anti-China forces and a farce to discredit China,” an embassy spokesperson said.

The CECC report called for a formal US&nbsp;“determination on whether atrocities are being committed” in Xinjiang, something required within 90 days of US&nbsp;legislation passed on December&nbsp;27.

The report comes after the United States on Wednesday announced a ban on the entry of cotton and tomato products from China's Xinjiang region amid allegations that detainee or prison labour from Uyghurs went into making them, according to the US Customs and Border Protection.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his final days in office before President-elect Joe Biden succeeds President Donald Trump on January&nbsp;20, has already been weighing a determination.

Pompeo in July said that it is time "for a new alliance of democracies" to counter Beijing's aggressive policies. But given the current turmoil in Washington, officials have played down the possibility of an announcement before that.

CECC co-chair, Democratic Representative Jim McGovern, called China’s actions to crush human rights in the past year “shocking and unprecedented” and urged Congress and the incoming Biden administration to hold Beijing accountable.

“The United States must continue to stand with the people of China in their struggle and lead the world in a united and coordinated response to the human rights abuses of the Chinese government,” he said.

In Trump’s last year in power, relations between the world’s two biggest economies have plunged to their lowest level in decades with disagreements on issues including human rights, the coronavirus pandemic, trade and espionage.

Experts say a US&nbsp;genocide determination would be an enormous embarrassment for China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

It could also pose problems for Biden by complicating his dealings with Beijing, although his campaign had already declared, before the November election, that genocide was occurring in Xinjiang.

In October, Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said Beijing was perpetrating “something close to” genocide and other officials have referred to concentration camps in Xinjiang.

Under international law, crimes against humanity are defined as widespread and systematic, whereas the burden of proof for genocide - the intent to destroy part of a population - can be more difficult to prove.

Expectations that Pompeo might declare genocide were raised in June when he labelled as “shocking” and “disturbing” reports that China was using forced sterilization, forced abortion and coercive family planning against Muslims.

He was referring to a report about Xinjiang by German researcher Adrian Zenz, which the CECC report also cited.

Zenz said his findings represented the strongest evidence yet that Beijing’s Xinjiang policies met one of the criteria cited in the U.N. genocide convention, namely “imposing measures intended to prevent births within the (targeted) group.”

A US&nbsp;genocide declaration would mean countries would have to think hard about allowing companies to do business with Xinjiang, a leading global supplier of cotton. It would also raise pressure for further US&nbsp;sanctions.

A report by the US Congress has accused China of committing ''genocide'' in its treatment of Uighurs and other minority Muslims in its western region of Xinjiang.

A report by the US Congress has accused China of committing ''genocide'' in its treatment of Uighurs and other minority Muslims in its western region of Xinjiang. The report, released by The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), stated that the Chinese government and Communist Party have taken unprecedented steps to extend their repressive policies through censorship, intimidation, and the detention of people in China for exercising their fundamental human rights. Also read: US bans imports of all cotton, tomato products from China's Xinjiang region over forced labour concerns Genocide is a serious crime under international law and the US government has adopted the term on rare occasions only after extensive documentation. China has been widely condemned for setting up complexes in Xinjiang that it describes as “vocational training centres” to stamp out extremism and give people new skills and which others have called concentration camps. Also read: 'Rude interference': China on US banning tomato, cotton imports The United Nations says at least 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in Xinjiang. Faith leaders, activist groups and others have said crimes against humanity, including genocide, are taking place there. Beijing denies the accusations and on Thursday its Washington embassy said the CECC was “obsessed with making up all sorts of lies to vilify China.” “The so-called ‘genocide’ is a rumour deliberately started by some anti-China forces and a farce to discredit China,” an embassy spokesperson said. The CECC report called for a formal US “determination on whether atrocities are being committed” in Xinjiang, something required within 90 days of US legislation passed on December 27. The report comes after the United States on Wednesday announced a ban on the entry of cotton and tomato products from China's Xinjiang region amid allegations that detainee or prison labour from Uyghurs went into making them, according to the US Customs and Border Protection. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his final days in office before President-elect Joe Biden succeeds President Donald Trump on January 20, has already been weighing a determination. Pompeo in July said that it is time "for a new alliance of democracies" to counter Beijing's aggressive policies. But given the current turmoil in Washington, officials have played down the possibility of an announcement before that. CECC co-chair, Democratic Representative Jim McGovern, called China’s actions to crush human rights in the past year “shocking and unprecedented” and urged Congress and the incoming Biden administration to hold Beijing accountable. “The United States must continue to stand with the people of China in their struggle and lead the world in a united and coordinated response to the human rights abuses of the Chinese government,” he said. In Trump’s last year in power, relations between the world’s two biggest economies have plunged to their lowest level in decades with disagreements on issues including human rights, the coronavirus pandemic, trade and espionage. Experts say a US genocide determination would be an enormous embarrassment for China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. It could also pose problems for Biden by complicating his dealings with Beijing, although his campaign had already declared, before the November election, that genocide was occurring in Xinjiang. In October, Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said Beijing was perpetrating “something close to” genocide and other officials have referred to concentration camps in Xinjiang. Under international law, crimes against humanity are defined as widespread and systematic, whereas the burden of proof for genocide - the intent to destroy part of a population - can be more difficult to prove. Expectations that Pompeo might declare genocide were raised in June when he labelled as “shocking” and “disturbing” reports that China was using forced sterilization, forced abortion and coercive family planning against Muslims. He was referring to a report about Xinjiang by German researcher Adrian Zenz, which the CECC report also cited. Zenz said his findings represented the strongest evidence yet that Beijing’s Xinjiang policies met one of the criteria cited in the U.N. genocide convention, namely “imposing measures intended to prevent births within the (targeted) group.” A US genocide declaration would mean countries would have to think hard about allowing companies to do business with Xinjiang, a leading global supplier of cotton. It would also raise pressure for further US sanctions.

US report accuses China of committing 'genocide' against Xinjiang Muslims

The United States has&nbsp;announced an import ban on all cotton and tomato products from western China's&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region on Wednesday over allegations that they are made with forced labour from detained Uighur Muslims.

The Customs and Border Protection agency issued a "withhold release order" on those imports "based on information that reasonably indicates the use of detainee or prison labour and situations of forced labour," it said.

The agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), estimates that about $9 billion of cotton products and $10 million worth of tomato products were imported from China into the United States in the past year.

DHS acting deputy secretary Kenneth Cuccinelli told a news briefing the order sends a message to importers that "DHS will not tolerate forced labour of any kind" and companies should eradicate&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;products from their supply chains.

It was the latest in a series of withholding release orders issued on products originating in China's huge far-west region, where the government has forced more than one million ethnic Uighur Muslims and other minorities into prison camps, according to human rights groups.

In December, Congress passed the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which assumes that all goods manufactured in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;are made with forced labour and therefore banned unless CBP certifies otherwise.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his final days in office, has been weighing a determination as to whether forced labour in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;constitutes an "atrocity" or labelling it "genocide," which analysts say would have significant implications for relations with China.

The region-wide import ban follows a move to block cotton imports from China's largest producer, the military-linked&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;Production and Construction Corps (XPCC). Both will have a big impact on cotton production in&nbsp;Xinjiang, which produces as much as 20 per cent&nbsp;of the world's supply of the commodity.

Cotton futures prices fell slightly on Wednesday, but traders attributed the drop to profit-taking after prices hit a two year high on a US&nbsp;production outlook cut.

CBP officials said some 43 shipments of cotton-based products have been detained at US&nbsp;entry ports since the XPCC ban was announced.

The US&nbsp;apparel industry had previously criticized a broad ban as impossible to enforce. On Tuesday, a coalition of apparel and retail groups said in a joint statement that members were working to push forced labour from their supply chains but hoped to work with CBP "to make sure that enforcement is smart, transparent, targeted and effective."

The United Nations cites what it says are credible reports that 1 million Muslims held in camps have been put to work in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;and faith leaders, activist groups and others have said crimes against humanity, including genocide, are taking place.

China denies mistreating Uighurs and says the camps are vocational training centres needed to fight extremism.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement the forced labour issue was a "political lie" and vowed to take actions to safeguard the rights of its companies.

"The US&nbsp;side resorts to pressure, sanctions and other means to suppress&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;enterprises and undercut&nbsp;Xinjiang's stability, development and prosperity," the statement said.

The United States has announced an import ban on all cotton and tomato products from western China's Xinjiang region on Wednesday over allegations that they are made with forced labour from detained Uighur Muslims.

The United States has announced an import ban on all cotton and tomato products from western China's Xinjiang region on Wednesday over allegations that they are made with forced labour from detained Uighur Muslims. The Customs and Border Protection agency issued a "withhold release order" on those imports "based on information that reasonably indicates the use of detainee or prison labour and situations of forced labour," it said. The agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), estimates that about $9 billion of cotton products and $10 million worth of tomato products were imported from China into the United States in the past year. DHS acting deputy secretary Kenneth Cuccinelli told a news briefing the order sends a message to importers that "DHS will not tolerate forced labour of any kind" and companies should eradicate Xinjiang products from their supply chains. It was the latest in a series of withholding release orders issued on products originating in China's huge far-west region, where the government has forced more than one million ethnic Uighur Muslims and other minorities into prison camps, according to human rights groups. In December, Congress passed the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which assumes that all goods manufactured in Xinjiang are made with forced labour and therefore banned unless CBP certifies otherwise. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his final days in office, has been weighing a determination as to whether forced labour in Xinjiang constitutes an "atrocity" or labelling it "genocide," which analysts say would have significant implications for relations with China. The region-wide import ban follows a move to block cotton imports from China's largest producer, the military-linked Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC). Both will have a big impact on cotton production in Xinjiang, which produces as much as 20 per cent of the world's supply of the commodity. Cotton futures prices fell slightly on Wednesday, but traders attributed the drop to profit-taking after prices hit a two year high on a US production outlook cut. CBP officials said some 43 shipments of cotton-based products have been detained at US entry ports since the XPCC ban was announced. The US apparel industry had previously criticized a broad ban as impossible to enforce. On Tuesday, a coalition of apparel and retail groups said in a joint statement that members were working to push forced labour from their supply chains but hoped to work with CBP "to make sure that enforcement is smart, transparent, targeted and effective." The United Nations cites what it says are credible reports that 1 million Muslims held in camps have been put to work in Xinjiang and faith leaders, activist groups and others have said crimes against humanity, including genocide, are taking place. China denies mistreating Uighurs and says the camps are vocational training centres needed to fight extremism. The Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement the forced labour issue was a "political lie" and vowed to take actions to safeguard the rights of its companies. "The US side resorts to pressure, sanctions and other means to suppress Xinjiang enterprises and undercut Xinjiang's stability, development and prosperity," the statement said.

US bans imports of all cotton, tomato products from China's Xinjiang region over forced labour concerns

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's&nbsp;executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

In the latest move to raise tensions, Trump ordered a ban on transactions involving Alipay, WeChat Pay and other apps linked to Chinese companies, saying they could route user information to the government in Beijing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-order-banning-transactions-with-eight-chinese-apps-354714" hreflang="en">Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps</a>

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday the move was an example of "bullying" by the US and accused Washington of "stretching the concept of national security."

China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of companies in view of the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;order,&nbsp;Chunying told a regular briefing on Wednesday, adding that the US&nbsp;was abusing its national power and unreasonably suppressing foreign companies.

Trump's executive order is to take effect in 45 days -- just weeks after he is replaced in the White House by President-elect Joe Biden on January 20.

But a senior administration official said the order and its implementation have not been discussed with the "potential incoming Biden administration."

The apps targeted by the new ban were chosen because of the extremely high number of downloads, which meant tens of millions of users could be at risk of having their data harvested, according to the administration official.

The order argues that the United States must take "aggressive action" against developers of Chinese software applications to protect national security.

It tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive within 45 days and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well.

The order also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate which is published by Alibaba Group subsidiary UCWeb, and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software's WPS Office.

"By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information," the executive order states.

Such data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information," the document adds.

Under the Trump administration, Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over trade, technology, human rights and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. In the latest move to raise tensions, Trump ordered a ban on transactions involving Alipay, WeChat Pay and other apps linked to Chinese companies, saying they could route user information to the government in Beijing. Also read: Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday the move was an example of "bullying" by the US and accused Washington of "stretching the concept of national security." China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of companies in view of the Trump order, Chunying told a regular briefing on Wednesday, adding that the US was abusing its national power and unreasonably suppressing foreign companies. Trump's executive order is to take effect in 45 days -- just weeks after he is replaced in the White House by President-elect Joe Biden on January 20. But a senior administration official said the order and its implementation have not been discussed with the "potential incoming Biden administration." The apps targeted by the new ban were chosen because of the extremely high number of downloads, which meant tens of millions of users could be at risk of having their data harvested, according to the administration official. The order argues that the United States must take "aggressive action" against developers of Chinese software applications to protect national security. It tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive within 45 days and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well. The order also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate which is published by Alibaba Group subsidiary UCWeb, and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software's WPS Office. "By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information," the executive order states. Such data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information," the document adds. Under the Trump administration, Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over trade, technology, human rights and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

'Bullying': China slams US over Trump's order to ban Chinese apps

China on Thursday revoked visa exemptions for US diplomats visiting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-blasts-crazy-us-sanctions-over-hong-kong-vows-firm-countermeasures-348332">Hong Kong</a> after the Trump administration imposed restrictions on Chinese officials this week.

Watch:

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The US government had said earlier that it would freeze any assets and bar travel to the United States of 14 vice-chairs of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress who allegedly spearheaded China's national security law imposed in Hong Kong in June.

The US government has also imposed sanctions on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam who is backed by Beijing.

"In light of the severe interference from the US on Hong Kong that harms China's internal affairs and essential interests, China has decided to implement reciprocal sanctions on US administrative officials," China's foreign ministry said.

"Congress staff and non-governmental organization staff who are vile on Hong Kong issues and who should take more responsibility on Hong Kong, as well as their immediate family members," it said.

"China has also decided to revoke visa exemption treatment to travel to Hong Kong and Macau, for US diplomatic passport holders," the foreign ministry informed.

The Chinese foreign ministry while imposing sanctions urged the outgoing Trump administration "to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and stop interfering in China's domestic affairs."

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying, however, declined to name US officials against whom sanctions were imposed or the star date of the sanctions.

China on Thursday revoked visa exemptions for US diplomats visiting Hong Kong after the Trump administration imposed restrictions on Chinese officials this week.

China on Thursday revoked visa exemptions for US diplomats visiting Hong Kong after the Trump administration imposed restrictions on Chinese officials this week. Watch: The US government had said earlier that it would freeze any assets and bar travel to the United States of 14 vice-chairs of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress who allegedly spearheaded China's national security law imposed in Hong Kong in June. The US government has also imposed sanctions on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam who is backed by Beijing. "In light of the severe interference from the US on Hong Kong that harms China's internal affairs and essential interests, China has decided to implement reciprocal sanctions on US administrative officials," China's foreign ministry said. "Congress staff and non-governmental organization staff who are vile on Hong Kong issues and who should take more responsibility on Hong Kong, as well as their immediate family members," it said. "China has also decided to revoke visa exemption treatment to travel to Hong Kong and Macau, for US diplomatic passport holders," the foreign ministry informed. The Chinese foreign ministry while imposing sanctions urged the outgoing Trump administration "to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and stop interfering in China's domestic affairs." The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying, however, declined to name US officials against whom sanctions were imposed or the star date of the sanctions.

China revokes visa exemptions for US diplomats visiting Hong Kong, Macau

China has removed 105 apps including that of US&nbsp;travel firm TripAdvisor Inc from app stores in the country, under a new campaign to cleanse stores of apps it deems spread content related to pornography, prostitution, gambling, and violence.

The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement on its website on Tuesday that the apps violated one or more of three cyber laws, without providing details for each app.

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"The Cyberspace Administration of China will continue to ...&nbsp;strengthen the supervision and inspection of mobile apps' information services, promptly clean up and dispose of illegal mobile applications and application stores, and strive to create a clear cyberspace," the agency said in a statement.

The authority said it started the campaign on November&nbsp;5 in response to a strong reaction from the general public to content deemed offensive. It said it would continue to regulate apps and remove those in violation of the law in a timely manner.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-blasts-crazy-us-sanctions-over-hong-kong-vows-firm-countermeasures-348332" hreflang="en">China blasts 'crazy' US sanctions over Hong Kong; vows 'firm countermeasures'</a>

China heavily regulates its cyberspace and punishments for transgressions are not uncommon, irrespective of whether the app is operated by a domestic or foreign company.

China has increased scrutiny of its technology sector in recent weeks, last month drafting anti-monopoly rules for tech firms.

It has also expressed concerns about data protection and consumer rights, while authorities have on a number of occasions ordered apps to be suspended for mishandling user information.

The United States and China have increasingly clashed over technology from both sides. Recently, for example, the Trump administration has&nbsp;threatened to ban&nbsp;short-form&nbsp;video app TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company&nbsp;ByteDance.

China has removed 105 apps including that of US travel firm TripAdvisor Inc from app stores in the country, under a new campaign to cleanse stores of apps it deems spread content related to pornography, prostitution, gambling, and violence.

China has removed 105 apps including that of US travel firm TripAdvisor Inc from app stores in the country, under a new campaign to cleanse stores of apps it deems spread content related to pornography, prostitution, gambling, and violence. The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement on its website on Tuesday that the apps violated one or more of three cyber laws, without providing details for each app. "The Cyberspace Administration of China will continue to ... strengthen the supervision and inspection of mobile apps' information services, promptly clean up and dispose of illegal mobile applications and application stores, and strive to create a clear cyberspace," the agency said in a statement. The authority said it started the campaign on November 5 in response to a strong reaction from the general public to content deemed offensive. It said it would continue to regulate apps and remove those in violation of the law in a timely manner. Also read: China blasts 'crazy' US sanctions over Hong Kong; vows 'firm countermeasures' China heavily regulates its cyberspace and punishments for transgressions are not uncommon, irrespective of whether the app is operated by a domestic or foreign company. China has increased scrutiny of its technology sector in recent weeks, last month drafting anti-monopoly rules for tech firms. It has also expressed concerns about data protection and consumer rights, while authorities have on a number of occasions ordered apps to be suspended for mishandling user information. The United States and China have increasingly clashed over technology from both sides. Recently, for example, the Trump administration has threatened to ban short-form video app TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance.

TripAdvisor and over 104 other apps blocked in China for 'violating' cyber law

China on Tuesday said it&nbsp;will take firm countermeasures against&nbsp;US&nbsp;sanctions on officials&nbsp;involved in the clampdown on Hong Kong, calling the move "crazy and vile".

The Trump administration on Monday froze any US assets and barred travel to the United States for 14 vice-chairs of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which spearheaded a tough new security law in Hong Kong.

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was holding Beijing accountable for its "unrelenting assault against Hong Kong's democratic processes."

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying slammed the move's "vile intention to grossly interfere in China's internal affairs."

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/china-wields-patriotic-education-to-tame-hong-kongs-rebellious-youth-345603">China wields patriotic education to tame Hong Kong's rebellious youth</a>

"The Chinese government and people express strong indignation over and strongly condemn the United States' rude, unreasonable, crazy, and vile behaviour," Hua said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

China's rubber-stamp parliament pushed through the draconian new security law in June.

Critics say it decimates the freedoms once enjoyed in Hong Kong, enshrined in an agreement made before the 1997 handover from British colonial rule back to China.

China says the law and prosecution of critics are needed to restore stability after last year's huge and often violent protests.

The United States has already slapped sanctions on Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader, Carrie Lam, and has declared that it will no longer treat the financial hub as separate from China.

On Monday, Hong Kong police cited the law to arrest three people who last month chanted slogans at a university campus.

China on Tuesday said it will take firm countermeasures against US sanctions on officials involved in the clampdown on Hong Kong, calling the move "crazy and vile".

China on Tuesday said it will take firm countermeasures against US sanctions on officials involved in the clampdown on Hong Kong, calling the move "crazy and vile". The Trump administration on Monday froze any US assets and barred travel to the United States for 14 vice-chairs of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which spearheaded a tough new security law in Hong Kong. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was holding Beijing accountable for its "unrelenting assault against Hong Kong's democratic processes." China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying slammed the move's "vile intention to grossly interfere in China's internal affairs." Also see: China wields patriotic education to tame Hong Kong's rebellious youth "The Chinese government and people express strong indignation over and strongly condemn the United States' rude, unreasonable, crazy, and vile behaviour," Hua said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday. China's rubber-stamp parliament pushed through the draconian new security law in June. Critics say it decimates the freedoms once enjoyed in Hong Kong, enshrined in an agreement made before the 1997 handover from British colonial rule back to China. China says the law and prosecution of critics are needed to restore stability after last year's huge and often violent protests. The United States has already slapped sanctions on Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader, Carrie Lam, and has declared that it will no longer treat the financial hub as separate from China. On Monday, Hong Kong police cited the law to arrest three people who last month chanted slogans at a university campus.

China blasts 'crazy' US sanctions over Hong Kong; vows 'firm countermeasures'

The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled an executive order prohibiting US&nbsp;investments in Chinese companies that Washington says are owned or controlled by the Chinese military, ramping up pressure on Beijing after the US&nbsp;election.

The order, which was first reported by Reuters, could impact some of China's biggest companies, including China Telecom Corp Ltd, China Mobile Ltd,&nbsp;and surveillance equipment maker Hikvision&nbsp;

The move is designed to deter US&nbsp;investment firms, pension funds, and others from buying shares of 31 Chinese companies that were designated by the Defense Department as backed by the Chinese military earlier this year.

Starting Jan. 11, the order will prohibit purchases by US&nbsp;investors of the securities of those companies. Transactions made to divest ownership in the companies will be permitted until Nov. 11, 2021.

"China is increasingly exploiting United States capital to resource and to enable the development and modernization of its military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses," said the order released by the White House.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a stock exchange filing, China Telecom said it estimated the executive order might impact the price of its shares, which closed down 7.8% in Hong Kong on Friday, and American depository shares, adding that it would "closely monitor" developments.

Another telecom operator, China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd, said companies affected by the order would include its parent, China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd.

China Unicom also said in its filing, it expected an impact on its shares, which fell 6.7% on Friday, and American depository shares, adding it was "considering appropriate steps to protect its and its investors' lawful rights".

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro estimated that at least half a trillion dollars in market capitalization was represented by the Chinese companies and their subsidiaries.

"This is a sweeping order designed to choke off American capital to China's militarization," he told reporters on a call.

The move is the first major policy initiative by President Donald Trump since losing the Nov. 3 election to Democratic rival Joe Biden and indicates that he is seeking to take advantage of the waning months of his administration to crack down on China, even as he has appeared laser-focused on challenging the election result.

Biden has won enough battleground states to surpass the 270 electoral votes needed in the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the next president, but Republican Trump has so far refused to concede, citing unsubstantiated claims of voting fraud.

Thursday's action is likely to further weigh on already fraught ties between the world's top two economies, which are at loggerheads over China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and its move to impose security legislation on Hong Kong.

Biden has not laid out a detailed China strategy but all the indications are that he will continue a tough approach to Beijing, with whom Trump has become increasingly confrontational in his last year in office.

WALL STREET INTERESTS

The order echoes a bill filed by Republican senator Marco Rubio last month that sought to block access to U.S. capital markets for Chinese companies that have been blacklisted by Washington, including those added to the Defense Department list.

"Today's action by the Trump administration is a welcome start to protecting our markets and investors," said Rubio, a top congressional China hawk. "We can never put the interests of the Chinese Communist Party and Wall Street above American workers and mom and pop investors."

His comments were echoed by Republican Congressman Jim Banks, who described the order as "one of the wisest and most significant foreign policy decisions President Trump has made since he entered office".

Rubio's bill and the order are part of a growing effort by Congress and the administration to thwart Chinese companies that have the backing of U.S. investors but do not comply with U.S. rules faced by American rivals. It also shows a new willingness to antagonize Wall Street in the rivalry with Beijing.

In August, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Treasury officials urged Trump to delist Chinese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges and fail to meet its auditing requirements by January 2022.

Thursday's move received a cool reception on Wall Street, where shares were already pulling back from recent gains. The iShares China Large-Cap ETF &lt;FXI&gt; extended falls.

"The market is probably worried that President Trump is going to increase tensions with China and Iran in his last two months as president," said Chris Zaccarelli, Chief Investment Officer of the Independent Advisor Alliance.

Still, it was unclear how investors would react. The order bans transactions, which it defined as "purchases," so investors would technically be able to hold onto current investments.

While the document does not spell out specific penalties for violations, it gives the Treasury Department the ability to invoke "all powers" granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which authorizes the use of tough sanctions.

Questions also remain about whether Biden, who is set to take office just nine days after the order goes into effect, would enforce it or simply revoke it. His campaign declined to comment.

The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled an executive order prohibiting US investments in Chinese companies that Washington says are owned or controlled by the Chinese military, ramping up pressure on Beijing after the US election.

The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled an executive order prohibiting US investments in Chinese companies that Washington says are owned or controlled by the Chinese military, ramping up pressure on Beijing after the US election. The order, which was first reported by Reuters, could impact some of China's biggest companies, including China Telecom Corp Ltd, China Mobile Ltd, and surveillance equipment maker Hikvision The move is designed to deter US investment firms, pension funds, and others from buying shares of 31 Chinese companies that were designated by the Defense Department as backed by the Chinese military earlier this year. Starting Jan. 11, the order will prohibit purchases by US investors of the securities of those companies. Transactions made to divest ownership in the companies will be permitted until Nov. 11, 2021. "China is increasingly exploiting United States capital to resource and to enable the development and modernization of its military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses," said the order released by the White House. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a stock exchange filing, China Telecom said it estimated the executive order might impact the price of its shares, which closed down 7.8% in Hong Kong on Friday, and American depository shares, adding that it would "closely monitor" developments. Another telecom operator, China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd, said companies affected by the order would include its parent, China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd. China Unicom also said in its filing, it expected an impact on its shares, which fell 6.7% on Friday, and American depository shares, adding it was "considering appropriate steps to protect its and its investors' lawful rights". White House trade adviser Peter Navarro estimated that at least half a trillion dollars in market capitalization was represented by the Chinese companies and their subsidiaries. "This is a sweeping order designed to choke off American capital to China's militarization," he told reporters on a call. The move is the first major policy initiative by President Donald Trump since losing the Nov. 3 election to Democratic rival Joe Biden and indicates that he is seeking to take advantage of the waning months of his administration to crack down on China, even as he has appeared laser-focused on challenging the election result. Biden has won enough battleground states to surpass the 270 electoral votes needed in the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the next president, but Republican Trump has so far refused to concede, citing unsubstantiated claims of voting fraud. Thursday's action is likely to further weigh on already fraught ties between the world's top two economies, which are at loggerheads over China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and its move to impose security legislation on Hong Kong. Biden has not laid out a detailed China strategy but all the indications are that he will continue a tough approach to Beijing, with whom Trump has become increasingly confrontational in his last year in office. WALL STREET INTERESTS The order echoes a bill filed by Republican senator Marco Rubio last month that sought to block access to U.S. capital markets for Chinese companies that have been blacklisted by Washington, including those added to the Defense Department list. "Today's action by the Trump administration is a welcome start to protecting our markets and investors," said Rubio, a top congressional China hawk. "We can never put the interests of the Chinese Communist Party and Wall Street above American workers and mom and pop investors." His comments were echoed by Republican Congressman Jim Banks, who described the order as "one of the wisest and most significant foreign policy decisions President Trump has made since he entered office". Rubio's bill and the order are part of a growing effort by Congress and the administration to thwart Chinese companies that have the backing of U.S. investors but do not comply with U.S. rules faced by American rivals. It also shows a new willingness to antagonize Wall Street in the rivalry with Beijing. In August, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Treasury officials urged Trump to delist Chinese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges and fail to meet its auditing requirements by January 2022. Thursday's move received a cool reception on Wall Street, where shares were already pulling back from recent gains. The iShares China Large-Cap ETF <FXI> extended falls. "The market is probably worried that President Trump is going to increase tensions with China and Iran in his last two months as president," said Chris Zaccarelli, Chief Investment Officer of the Independent Advisor Alliance. Still, it was unclear how investors would react. The order bans transactions, which it defined as "purchases," so investors would technically be able to hold onto current investments. While the document does not spell out specific penalties for violations, it gives the Treasury Department the ability to invoke "all powers" granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which authorizes the use of tough sanctions. Questions also remain about whether Biden, who is set to take office just nine days after the order goes into effect, would enforce it or simply revoke it. His campaign declined to comment.

Trump bans US investments in companies linked to Chinese military

The United States&nbsp;on Tuesday accused&nbsp;China&nbsp;of "flagrant violation" of its obligation to enforce international sanctions on North Korea and said Washington would offer rewards of up to $5 million for information about sanctions evasions.

Speaking to Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, Deputy Assistant Secretary for North Korea State Alex Wong accused&nbsp;China&nbsp;of "seeking to undo" the U.N. sanctions regime aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

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The State Department launched a new website, DPRKrewards.com, that will offer payouts of up to $5 million for tips to boost sanctions on North Korea, including on businesses in China.

"I want to tell you more are forthcoming," Alex Wong, the US deputy special representative on North Korea, said of sanctions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-gave-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-to-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-us-analyst-346652" hreflang="en">China gave Covid-19 vaccine candidate to North Korea's Kim Jong Un: US analyst</a>

In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Wong acknowledged that Pyongyang has not yet taken "any concrete steps toward denuclearization" and voiced alarm over its unveiling of a massive long-range missile at a parade in October.

His hard-nosed assessment stands in contrast to the rosy statements over the past four years by Trump, who has boasted that he prevented a catastrophic war and said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

But Wong mostly took aim at China, a frequent target of the Trump administration, as he accused Beijing of ignoring UN sanctions that it itself voted for over its ally's missile and nuclear programs.

"The premature sanctions relief that Beijing can't achieve through the diplomatic front door, it is instead trying to achieve through the backdoor -- by choosing not to rigorously implement its UN Security Council resolution obligations," Wong said.

"The examples of this chronic failure are numerous, growing, and worrying."

He said that US vessels provided information to Beijing 46 times since 2019 about North Korean fuel-smuggling in Chinese waters, and in the past year observed 555 cases of North Korean shipments of coal of other sanctioned exports to China.

"On none of these occasions did the Chinese authorities act to stop these illicit imports. Not once," Wong said.

Wong said that 20,000 North Korean workers still worked in China, going against UN-backed efforts to stop what is widely seen as slave labor that the regime exports for revenue.

China has been pushing to ease sanctions on North Korea, believing the regime should see incentives for denuclearisation, and is widely seen as fearing an economic implosion of its impoverished neighbour.

Trump resisted calls for sanctions relief in his February 2019 meeting with Kim in Hanoi, and Wong insisted Tuesday that such pressure provided "key impetus" for North Korea to take "serious denuclearization steps."

The United States on Tuesday accused China of "flagrant violation" of its obligation to enforce international sanctions on North Korea and said Washington would offer rewards of up to $5 million for information about sanctions evasions.

The United States on Tuesday accused China of "flagrant violation" of its obligation to enforce international sanctions on North Korea and said Washington would offer rewards of up to $5 million for information about sanctions evasions. Speaking to Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, Deputy Assistant Secretary for North Korea State Alex Wong accused China of "seeking to undo" the U.N. sanctions regime aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. The State Department launched a new website, DPRKrewards.com, that will offer payouts of up to $5 million for tips to boost sanctions on North Korea, including on businesses in China. "I want to tell you more are forthcoming," Alex Wong, the US deputy special representative on North Korea, said of sanctions. Also read: China gave Covid-19 vaccine candidate to North Korea's Kim Jong Un: US analyst In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Wong acknowledged that Pyongyang has not yet taken "any concrete steps toward denuclearization" and voiced alarm over its unveiling of a massive long-range missile at a parade in October. His hard-nosed assessment stands in contrast to the rosy statements over the past four years by Trump, who has boasted that he prevented a catastrophic war and said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. But Wong mostly took aim at China, a frequent target of the Trump administration, as he accused Beijing of ignoring UN sanctions that it itself voted for over its ally's missile and nuclear programs. "The premature sanctions relief that Beijing can't achieve through the diplomatic front door, it is instead trying to achieve through the backdoor -- by choosing not to rigorously implement its UN Security Council resolution obligations," Wong said. "The examples of this chronic failure are numerous, growing, and worrying." He said that US vessels provided information to Beijing 46 times since 2019 about North Korean fuel-smuggling in Chinese waters, and in the past year observed 555 cases of North Korean shipments of coal of other sanctioned exports to China. "On none of these occasions did the Chinese authorities act to stop these illicit imports. Not once," Wong said. Wong said that 20,000 North Korean workers still worked in China, going against UN-backed efforts to stop what is widely seen as slave labor that the regime exports for revenue. China has been pushing to ease sanctions on North Korea, believing the regime should see incentives for denuclearisation, and is widely seen as fearing an economic implosion of its impoverished neighbour. Trump resisted calls for sanctions relief in his February 2019 meeting with Kim in Hanoi, and Wong insisted Tuesday that such pressure provided "key impetus" for North Korea to take "serious denuclearization steps."

US accuses China of 'flagrant violation' of North Korea sanctions

Chinese officials have told the Trump administration that security officers in China might detain US&nbsp;citizens if the Justice Department proceeds with prosecutions of arrested scholars who are members of the Chinese military, US&nbsp;officials said.

The Chinese officials conveyed the messages starting this summer, when the Justice Department intensified efforts to arrest and charge the scholars, mainly with providing false information on their visa applications, the US&nbsp;officials said. US&nbsp;law enforcement officials say at least five Chinese scholars who have been arrested in recent months did not disclose their military affiliations on visa applications and might have been trying to conduct industrial espionage in research centers.

U.S. officials said they thought the Chinese officials were serious about the threats. The State Department has reiterated travel warnings as a result, they said. Western officials and human rights advocates have said for years that the Chinese police and other security agencies engage in arbitrary detentions.

The threats are another striking escalation in tensions between the United States and China, which have been rising for years and have surged sharply since the coronavirus pandemic began in central China last winter.

But some analysts in Washington and Beijing say the Chinese government is trying to avoid any serious provocations against the United States before the elections in November. And some Chinese officials are aiming to cool the temperature of U.S.-China relations, whether President Donald Trump wins another term or Joe Biden, the Democratic challenger and former vice president, takes over in the White House.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on whether Chinese officials had delivered warnings about plans to detain U.S. citizens to retaliate for prosecutions of Chinese scholars. The threats were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.

“We are aware that the Chinese government has, in other instances, detained American, Canadian and other individuals without legal basis to retaliate against lawful prosecutions and to exert pressure on their governments, with a callous disregard of the individuals involved,” John Demers, head of the Justice Department’s national security division, said in a statement. “If China wants to be seen as one of the world’s leading nations, it should respect the rule of law and stop taking hostages.”

On Sunday, Hu Xijin, chief editor of Global Times, a nationalistic newspaper linked to the Chinese Communist Party, wrote on Twitter that the detentions in the United States of Chinese scholars on spying charges were “not good” for the “safety of some US nationals in China.”

“Does Washington need to be warned?” he wrote. “It’s common sense. In my view, hegemony has turned some US elites stupid, or they’re pretending to be stupid.”

In recent years, the Justice Department has scrutinized the work of Chinese researchers at U.S. universities and other scientific institutions. U.S. officials have also criticized programs run by the Chinese government to recruit scientific and technical experts. Demers and other U.S. officials have long said that Beijing uses a wide range of tools to gather intelligence at U.S. research centers.

The Trump administration announced in late May that it was barring Chinese students at the graduate level or higher who had ties to some military institutions from entering the United States.

In late July, the State Department ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, saying it was a center of research theft in the United States. Justice Department officials said that Chinese officials in other missions also took part in industrial and scientific espionage and that the closure was meant to deter Beijing from continuing the actions. At that time, U.S. authorities were also seeking to arrest a Chinese student or researcher, Tang Juan, who had gone into hiding in the San Francisco consulate after being questioned by the FBI.

The FBI arrested Tang on July 23 and accused her of hiding her military affiliation. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of visa fraud and making false statements.

The Chinese government has denied accusations that members of its military are in the United States for scientific and industrial espionage.

State Department representatives declined to discuss any recent threats of detentions of Americans made by Chinese officials. But for months, department officials have been stressing harsh actions taken by Chinese security agencies against Americans. On Sept. 14, the department updated travel advisories for mainland China and Hong Kong, saying that Americans should “reconsider travel” because of COVID-19 and risk arising from “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.”

In June, Chinese officials charged two Canadians — Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman — with espionage. Security officers had detained the two men 18 months earlier. Canadian and U.S. officials widely believe the men are being held because of a Justice Department case against Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of Chinese technology company Huawei, who was arrested in Canada in December 2018 and might be extradited to the United States.

Last year, Chinese security officers prevented a Koch Industries executive from leaving China for some days. And in a hotel lobby in Beijing, officers tried to take a former U.S. diplomat away for questioning. He was in China to attend a forum on artificial intelligence that he had helped organize. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing intervened, and the Chinese officers backed off.

The State Department has also denounced the practice by Chinese officials of “exit bans,” or refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country, often as a means of coercion in legal or business disputes.

Chinese officials have told the Trump administration that security officers in China might detain US citizens if the Justice Department proceeds with prosecutions of arrested scholars who are members of the Chinese military, US officials said.

Chinese officials have told the Trump administration that security officers in China might detain US citizens if the Justice Department proceeds with prosecutions of arrested scholars who are members of the Chinese military, US officials said. The Chinese officials conveyed the messages starting this summer, when the Justice Department intensified efforts to arrest and charge the scholars, mainly with providing false information on their visa applications, the US officials said. US law enforcement officials say at least five Chinese scholars who have been arrested in recent months did not disclose their military affiliations on visa applications and might have been trying to conduct industrial espionage in research centers. U.S. officials said they thought the Chinese officials were serious about the threats. The State Department has reiterated travel warnings as a result, they said. Western officials and human rights advocates have said for years that the Chinese police and other security agencies engage in arbitrary detentions. The threats are another striking escalation in tensions between the United States and China, which have been rising for years and have surged sharply since the coronavirus pandemic began in central China last winter. But some analysts in Washington and Beijing say the Chinese government is trying to avoid any serious provocations against the United States before the elections in November. And some Chinese officials are aiming to cool the temperature of U.S.-China relations, whether President Donald Trump wins another term or Joe Biden, the Democratic challenger and former vice president, takes over in the White House. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on whether Chinese officials had delivered warnings about plans to detain U.S. citizens to retaliate for prosecutions of Chinese scholars. The threats were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. “We are aware that the Chinese government has, in other instances, detained American, Canadian and other individuals without legal basis to retaliate against lawful prosecutions and to exert pressure on their governments, with a callous disregard of the individuals involved,” John Demers, head of the Justice Department’s national security division, said in a statement. “If China wants to be seen as one of the world’s leading nations, it should respect the rule of law and stop taking hostages.” On Sunday, Hu Xijin, chief editor of Global Times, a nationalistic newspaper linked to the Chinese Communist Party, wrote on Twitter that the detentions in the United States of Chinese scholars on spying charges were “not good” for the “safety of some US nationals in China.” “Does Washington need to be warned?” he wrote. “It’s common sense. In my view, hegemony has turned some US elites stupid, or they’re pretending to be stupid.” In recent years, the Justice Department has scrutinized the work of Chinese researchers at U.S. universities and other scientific institutions. U.S. officials have also criticized programs run by the Chinese government to recruit scientific and technical experts. Demers and other U.S. officials have long said that Beijing uses a wide range of tools to gather intelligence at U.S. research centers. The Trump administration announced in late May that it was barring Chinese students at the graduate level or higher who had ties to some military institutions from entering the United States. In late July, the State Department ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, saying it was a center of research theft in the United States. Justice Department officials said that Chinese officials in other missions also took part in industrial and scientific espionage and that the closure was meant to deter Beijing from continuing the actions. At that time, U.S. authorities were also seeking to arrest a Chinese student or researcher, Tang Juan, who had gone into hiding in the San Francisco consulate after being questioned by the FBI. The FBI arrested Tang on July 23 and accused her of hiding her military affiliation. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of visa fraud and making false statements. The Chinese government has denied accusations that members of its military are in the United States for scientific and industrial espionage. State Department representatives declined to discuss any recent threats of detentions of Americans made by Chinese officials. But for months, department officials have been stressing harsh actions taken by Chinese security agencies against Americans. On Sept. 14, the department updated travel advisories for mainland China and Hong Kong, saying that Americans should “reconsider travel” because of COVID-19 and risk arising from “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” In June, Chinese officials charged two Canadians — Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman — with espionage. Security officers had detained the two men 18 months earlier. Canadian and U.S. officials widely believe the men are being held because of a Justice Department case against Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of Chinese technology company Huawei, who was arrested in Canada in December 2018 and might be extradited to the United States. Last year, Chinese security officers prevented a Koch Industries executive from leaving China for some days. And in a hotel lobby in Beijing, officers tried to take a former U.S. diplomat away for questioning. He was in China to attend a forum on artificial intelligence that he had helped organize. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing intervened, and the Chinese officers backed off. The State Department has also denounced the practice by Chinese officials of “exit bans,” or refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country, often as a means of coercion in legal or business disputes.

China threatens to detain Americans if US prosecutes Chinese scholars

Dickson Yeo, the Singaporean man who pleaded guilty for spying on the United States for China has been&nbsp;sentenced to 14 months in prison on&nbsp;Friday.

Working with Chinese intelligence since 2015, Jun Wei Yeo, also called Dickson Yeo, set up a political consultancy in Washington which he used to identify Americans with high-level security clearances that he sought to pay for classified information.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-spying-on-millions-around-the-world-by-harvesting-personal-details-from-the-dark-web-327896">China spying on millions around the world by harvesting personal details from the dark web</a>

The 39 year old was arrested at an airport in November 2019 and pleaded guilty in July to one count of operating illegally as a foreign agent, which can bring up to 10 years in prison.

But he was given a relatively light sentence and credited for 11 months already spent in prison based on his cooperation with US authorities and also due to the threat of contracting Covid-19 in jail, said Washington federal judge Tanya Chutkan.

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The sentence means he could be released and expelled from the United States by January.

In a sentencing hearing conducted by teleconference, Yeo appeared to break down as he expressed regrets, and said he had no intention to harm anyone.

He said he had been treated well by US justice authorities.

"All I'd like to do is to go home to my family," he said. But then he added that he remains supportive of Beijing.

"I am still sympathetic to the Chinese cause," he told the court.

Chutkan, whose sentence was two months less than the 16 months recommended by federal prosecutors, drew a comparison with other countries, telling Yeo: "I'm going to punish you for what you did, not what you think."

"Mr. Yeo worked under the direction of the intelligence service of the People's Republic of China," she said.

"The crime that Mr. Yeo committed was not a momentary lapse of judgment."

"I can tell you are a highly educated man and I have no doubt you understood you knew what you were doing," she told Yeo.

"Your operation was designed to weaken the United States for the benefit of China."

At the same time, Chutkan said she had to accept prosecutors' assertions that Yeo cooperated well with investigators in the case.

In addition, she noted Yeo had survived 11 months in US prisons, where there are extensive coronavirus outbreaks, without getting infected.&nbsp;

"Yeo is fortunate. So far he has not gotten Covid," she said.

"It would be horrible if he gets it because he has to spend a few more months in jail.&nbsp;

A PhD student at the National University of Singapore, Yeo was directed by Chinese intelligence to open up a fake consultancy in the United States and offer jobs, according to his indictment.

He received more than 400 resumes, 90 percent of which were from US military or government personnel with security clearances.

He used these and the networking functions of LinkedIn to track down possible targets, focusing on people with top security clearances.

He recruited a number of people to work with him, targeting those who admitted to financial difficulties.

They included a civilian working on the Air Force's F-35B stealth fighter-bomber project, a Pentagon army officer with Afghanistan experience, and a State Department official, all of whom were paid as much as $2,000 for writing reports for Yeo.

Prosecutors said Friday that he never got as far as collecting highly classified information, but that was his intent.

Dickson Yeo, the Singaporean man who pleaded guilty for spying on the United States for China has been sentenced to 14 months in prison on Friday. Working with Chinese intelligence since 2015, Jun Wei Yeo, also called Dickson Yeo, set up a political consultancy in Washington which he used to identify Americans with high-level security clearances that he sought to pay for classified information.

Dickson Yeo, the Singaporean man who pleaded guilty for spying on the United States for China has been sentenced to 14 months in prison on Friday. Working with Chinese intelligence since 2015, Jun Wei Yeo, also called Dickson Yeo, set up a political consultancy in Washington which he used to identify Americans with high-level security clearances that he sought to pay for classified information. Also read: China spying on millions around the world by harvesting personal details from the dark web The 39 year old was arrested at an airport in November 2019 and pleaded guilty in July to one count of operating illegally as a foreign agent, which can bring up to 10 years in prison. But he was given a relatively light sentence and credited for 11 months already spent in prison based on his cooperation with US authorities and also due to the threat of contracting Covid-19 in jail, said Washington federal judge Tanya Chutkan. The sentence means he could be released and expelled from the United States by January. In a sentencing hearing conducted by teleconference, Yeo appeared to break down as he expressed regrets, and said he had no intention to harm anyone. He said he had been treated well by US justice authorities. "All I'd like to do is to go home to my family," he said. But then he added that he remains supportive of Beijing. "I am still sympathetic to the Chinese cause," he told the court. Chutkan, whose sentence was two months less than the 16 months recommended by federal prosecutors, drew a comparison with other countries, telling Yeo: "I'm going to punish you for what you did, not what you think." "Mr. Yeo worked under the direction of the intelligence service of the People's Republic of China," she said. "The crime that Mr. Yeo committed was not a momentary lapse of judgment." "I can tell you are a highly educated man and I have no doubt you understood you knew what you were doing," she told Yeo. "Your operation was designed to weaken the United States for the benefit of China." At the same time, Chutkan said she had to accept prosecutors' assertions that Yeo cooperated well with investigators in the case. In addition, she noted Yeo had survived 11 months in US prisons, where there are extensive coronavirus outbreaks, without getting infected. "Yeo is fortunate. So far he has not gotten Covid," she said. "It would be horrible if he gets it because he has to spend a few more months in jail. A PhD student at the National University of Singapore, Yeo was directed by Chinese intelligence to open up a fake consultancy in the United States and offer jobs, according to his indictment. He received more than 400 resumes, 90 percent of which were from US military or government personnel with security clearances. He used these and the networking functions of LinkedIn to track down possible targets, focusing on people with top security clearances. He recruited a number of people to work with him, targeting those who admitted to financial difficulties. They included a civilian working on the Air Force's F-35B stealth fighter-bomber project, a Pentagon army officer with Afghanistan experience, and a State Department official, all of whom were paid as much as $2,000 for writing reports for Yeo. Prosecutors said Friday that he never got as far as collecting highly classified information, but that was his intent.

US imprisons Singaporean academic who spied for China

The United States&nbsp;national security adviser on&nbsp;on Wednesday cautioned China&nbsp;against any attempt to take Taiwan by force.

At an event at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas,&nbsp;Robert O'Brien said that China was engaged in a massive naval buildup probably not seen since Germany's attempt to compete with Britain's Royal Navy prior to World War One.

But he reminded China that the United States is required by law to provide&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;with the means to defend itself and pointed out any attempt an ''amphibious landing'' would be problematic due to&nbsp;to the 100-mile (160-km) distance between the countries.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-steps-up-arms-sale-to-taiwan-amid-row-with-china-328225">US steps up arms sale to Taiwan amid row with China</a>

The statement is crucial because the United States has never&nbsp;made clear whether it would intervene to protect&nbsp;Taiwan, which China considers its province and has vowed to bring under its control, by force if necessary.

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O'Brien's comments come at a time when China has significantly stepped up military activity near&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;and when US-China relations have plunged to the lowest point in decades in the run-up to President Donald Trump's November&nbsp;3 re-election bid.

O'Brien repeated US&nbsp;calls for&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;to spend more on its own defense and to carry out military reforms to make clear to China the risks of attempting to invade.

"You can't just spend 1 per cent&nbsp;of your GDP, which the&nbsp;Taiwanese have been doing,&nbsp;1.2&nbsp;per cent, on defense, and hope to deter a China that's been engaged in the most massive military build up in 70 years," he said.

Taiwan&nbsp;needed to "turn themselves into a porcupine" militarily, he said, adding: "Lions generally don't like to eat porcupines."

On Tuesday, the senior US&nbsp;defense official for East Asia called&nbsp;Taiwan's plan to boost defense spending by $1.4 billion next year insufficient.

He said it needed to invest in capabilities including more coastal defense cruise missiles, naval mines, fast-attack craft, mobile artillery and advanced surveillance assets.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry, in a response provided to Reuters, said they will "strive for an adequate budget" in accordance with their needs to build a solid national defense force.

The United States national security adviser on on Wednesday cautioned China against any attempt to take Taiwan by force. At an event at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, Robert O'Brien said that China was engaged in a massive naval buildup probably not seen since Germany's attempt to compete with Britain's Royal Navy prior to World War One.

The United States national security adviser on on Wednesday cautioned China against any attempt to take Taiwan by force. At an event at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, Robert O'Brien said that China was engaged in a massive naval buildup probably not seen since Germany's attempt to compete with Britain's Royal Navy prior to World War One. But he reminded China that the United States is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and pointed out any attempt an ''amphibious landing'' would be problematic due to to the 100-mile (160-km) distance between the countries. Also read: US steps up arms sale to Taiwan amid row with China The statement is crucial because the United States has never made clear whether it would intervene to protect Taiwan, which China considers its province and has vowed to bring under its control, by force if necessary. O'Brien's comments come at a time when China has significantly stepped up military activity near Taiwan and when US-China relations have plunged to the lowest point in decades in the run-up to President Donald Trump's November 3 re-election bid. O'Brien repeated US calls for Taiwan to spend more on its own defense and to carry out military reforms to make clear to China the risks of attempting to invade. "You can't just spend 1 per cent of your GDP, which the Taiwanese have been doing, 1.2 per cent, on defense, and hope to deter a China that's been engaged in the most massive military build up in 70 years," he said. Taiwan needed to "turn themselves into a porcupine" militarily, he said, adding: "Lions generally don't like to eat porcupines." On Tuesday, the senior US defense official for East Asia called Taiwan's plan to boost defense spending by $1.4 billion next year insufficient. He said it needed to invest in capabilities including more coastal defense cruise missiles, naval mines, fast-attack craft, mobile artillery and advanced surveillance assets. Taiwan's Defense Ministry, in a response provided to Reuters, said they will "strive for an adequate budget" in accordance with their needs to build a solid national defense force.

US warns China against any attempt to take Taiwan by force

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BC-R-TAIWAN-CHIP-FEUD-ART-(TRIMS)-NYT

Raymond Zhong

c.2020&nbsp;

The New York Times Company<o:p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px !important;"></o:p>

TAINAN, Taiwan — The United States and China are wrestling to lead the world in artificial intelligence, 5G wireless and other cutting-edge technologies. But the real wizardry that makes those advancements possible is being performed on a yam-shaped island that sits between them, geographically and politically.

On Taiwan’s southern rim, inside an arena-size facility stretched out among lush greenery and coconut palms, colossal machines are manipulating matter at unimaginably tiny scale. A powerful laser vaporizes droplets of molten tin, causing them to emit ultraviolet light. Mirrors focus the light into a beam, which draws features into a silicon wafer with the precision, as one researcher put it, “equivalent to shooting an arrow from Earth to hit an apple placed on the moon.”

The high-performance computer chips that emerge from this process go into the brains of the latest tech products from both sides of the Pacific. Or at least they did until last month, when the Trump administration effectively forced leading chipmakers in Taiwan — and elsewhere — to stop taking orders from China’s proudest tech champion, 5G giant Huawei.

The administration’s stranglehold on Huawei shows that for all of China’s economic progress, the United States still has final say over the technologies without which the modern world could not run. Chipmaking relies on U.S. tools and know-how, which gives officials in Washington the power of life and death over semiconductor buyers and suppliers anywhere on the planet.

Next in the firing line is China’s most advanced chip producer, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation. The U.S. Department of Commerce told U.S. companies last week that they needed permission to export to SMIC, saying its chips could be used by China’s military. If the administration blocks SMIC from using U.S. software and equipment entirely, it will sharply set back Beijing’s hopes for meeting more of its own semiconductor needs.

That leaves Taiwanese chip companies — including the industry’s leading light, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which owns the Tainan plant — in a tough spot.

They are forced to heed the dictates of U.S. tech policy. Yet they can scarcely ignore the fact that so many of their customers and their customers’ customers are in China, where the Communist government is also threatening Taiwan with ever bolder displays of military force. China has for decades claimed the self-governing democracy as part of its territory.

In the high-stakes tech fight, TSMC had been playing Finland: a sometime friend to both feuding giants. But that is not the way the tech world works anymore.

“China has virtually no room for maneuver,” said Pierre Ferragu, the head of technology research at New Street Research. “The U.S. definitely has the upper hand in the struggle.”

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are rising more broadly this year.

The Trump administration has stepped up official exchanges with Taiwan ever since its president, Tsai Ing-wen, won reelection in January over an opponent who was friendlier to Beijing. In response, Chinese aircraft and warships have menaced the island with growing frequency.

When a State Department representative, Keith Krach, visited Taiwan recently, Tsai feted him at a banquet alongside a bevy of government dignitaries and TSMC’s retired founder, Morris Chang, a nod to the company’s significance to Taiwan’s relations with the United States.

U.S. officials have taken a great interest in TSMC, whose advanced chips are used in fighter jets and other hardware critical to America’s military edge. The company said this year that it would build a new factory in Arizona, responding to U.S. concerns about overreliance on offshore production.

Now, the Trump administration’s campaign against Huawei has forced TSMC to turn against one of its biggest customers. With the two companies unable to work together without licenses, Huawei may find itself unable to make its late-model handsets, an important chunk of its business, once it uses up its chip inventory.

“I don’t think Huawei has much of a future unless they can find some way to get their suppliers to get export licenses,” said Matt Bryson, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.

One of Huawei’s deputy chairmen, Guo Ping, said last week that the company was assessing its options.

“Survival is our main goal,” Guo said in Shanghai. “As Alexandre Dumas once said, all of human wisdom is summed up in two words: wait and hope.”

TSMC executives sound confident that Huawei’s plight will not dent it much. If Huawei cannot order chips from the company, then its rivals will instead.

Mark Liu, TSMC’s chairman, said at an industry conference last week that Taiwan would continue improving its technology so U.S. and Chinese companies had no choice but to keep working with the island.

“We are enjoying the success of the past,” Liu said. But for the future, “we cannot stay where we used to be before.”

TSMC could still get caught in the middle, though, if the U.S. government’s continuing attacks prompt Beijing to strike back.

A full-blown clampdown on sales to SMIC could increase the risk of Chinese retaliation “really significantly,” said Ferragu of New Street Research. Countermeasures that Beijing might once have considered too self-defeating — such as choking off Qualcomm’s or Apple’s sales in China, effectively depriving Chinese citizens of most high-end smartphones — could start to seem more acceptable.

“At this point, it’s really a game of poker,” Ferragu said. Apple and Qualcomm are both TSMC customers.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

For Taiwan, these are not just business questions. China’s reliance on TSMC’s chips has long made people on the island see the company as a bulwark against Chinese military aggression. At its shareholder meeting this summer, an investor, Huang Hsueh-fen, approached the microphone hugging a giant bouquet.

“No matter how serious the pandemic becomes, I must still come offer flowers to the company that is our sacred mountain, protector of the nation,” Huang said.

Tech workers in Taiwan have a Mandarin rhyme about the young engineers who put in late nights and sacrifice their health for the company: “100,000 youths, 100,000 livers, shift by shift TSMC is saving Taiwan.”

(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)

So what happens if China stops needing TSMC as much as it does now?

This could happen naturally. TSMC is working at the frontiers of physics to continue doubling the number of transistors it can fit onto a piece of silicon. That principle, known as Moore’s Law, has guided semiconductor development for decades.

Not all tech products today need the most advanced chips, though. Some work best by packaging high-end processors with less sophisticated ones. Simple “internet of things” devices do just fine with simpler chips.

“The way we design chips is changing. It just has to,” said Jay Goldberg, a tech industry consultant and former Qualcomm executive. “Moore’s Law is slowing, and we’re just having to design chips in a way to accommodate that.”

A TSMC spokeswoman, Nina Kao, said demand for the company’s latest production processes was “stronger than ever.”

China could also lessen its dependence on Taiwan by getting better at making chips itself.

Beijing last year created a $30 billion fund for investing in chip projects. In recent months, thousands of Chinese companies have said they are getting into the semiconductor business, according to an analysis by the 21st Century Business Herald, a government-owned newspaper.

China is trying to poach more Taiwanese talent for the task. Dozens of former TSMC managers and engineers joined two ambitious Chinese chip projects last year, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Kao of TSMC said recent turnover was less than 5%, which the company considered a healthy level.

(STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.)

Lin Chih-chieh, a law professor at National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, said the island needed stronger laws to keep Taiwanese chipmakers’ trade secrets from being spirited away to China.

Still, Lin said, Taiwan’s chip strengths prevent China from subjugating the island as quickly as it did Hong Kong, where the government has curbed civil liberties.
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BC-R-TAIWAN-CHIP-FEUD-ART-(TRIMS)-NYT Raymond Zhong c.2020 The New York Times Company TAINAN, Taiwan — The United States and China are wrestling to lead the world in artificial intelligence, 5G wireless and other cutting-edge technologies.

BC-R-TAIWAN-CHIP-FEUD-ART-(TRIMS)-NYT Raymond Zhong c.2020 The New York Times Company TAINAN, Taiwan — The United States and China are wrestling to lead the world in artificial intelligence, 5G wireless and other cutting-edge technologies. But the real wizardry that makes those advancements possible is being performed on a yam-shaped island that sits between them, geographically and politically. On Taiwan’s southern rim, inside an arena-size facility stretched out among lush greenery and coconut palms, colossal machines are manipulating matter at unimaginably tiny scale. A powerful laser vaporizes droplets of molten tin, causing them to emit ultraviolet light. Mirrors focus the light into a beam, which draws features into a silicon wafer with the precision, as one researcher put it, “equivalent to shooting an arrow from Earth to hit an apple placed on the moon.” The high-performance computer chips that emerge from this process go into the brains of the latest tech products from both sides of the Pacific. Or at least they did until last month, when the Trump administration effectively forced leading chipmakers in Taiwan — and elsewhere — to stop taking orders from China’s proudest tech champion, 5G giant Huawei. The administration’s stranglehold on Huawei shows that for all of China’s economic progress, the United States still has final say over the technologies without which the modern world could not run. Chipmaking relies on U.S. tools and know-how, which gives officials in Washington the power of life and death over semiconductor buyers and suppliers anywhere on the planet. Next in the firing line is China’s most advanced chip producer, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation. The U.S. Department of Commerce told U.S. companies last week that they needed permission to export to SMIC, saying its chips could be used by China’s military. If the administration blocks SMIC from using U.S. software and equipment entirely, it will sharply set back Beijing’s hopes for meeting more of its own semiconductor needs. That leaves Taiwanese chip companies — including the industry’s leading light, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which owns the Tainan plant — in a tough spot. They are forced to heed the dictates of U.S. tech policy. Yet they can scarcely ignore the fact that so many of their customers and their customers’ customers are in China, where the Communist government is also threatening Taiwan with ever bolder displays of military force. China has for decades claimed the self-governing democracy as part of its territory. In the high-stakes tech fight, TSMC had been playing Finland: a sometime friend to both feuding giants. But that is not the way the tech world works anymore. “China has virtually no room for maneuver,” said Pierre Ferragu, the head of technology research at New Street Research. “The U.S. definitely has the upper hand in the struggle.” Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are rising more broadly this year. The Trump administration has stepped up official exchanges with Taiwan ever since its president, Tsai Ing-wen, won reelection in January over an opponent who was friendlier to Beijing. In response, Chinese aircraft and warships have menaced the island with growing frequency. When a State Department representative, Keith Krach, visited Taiwan recently, Tsai feted him at a banquet alongside a bevy of government dignitaries and TSMC’s retired founder, Morris Chang, a nod to the company’s significance to Taiwan’s relations with the United States. U.S. officials have taken a great interest in TSMC, whose advanced chips are used in fighter jets and other hardware critical to America’s military edge. The company said this year that it would build a new factory in Arizona, responding to U.S. concerns about overreliance on offshore production. Now, the Trump administration’s campaign against Huawei has forced TSMC to turn against one of its biggest customers. With the two companies unable to work together without licenses, Huawei may find itself unable to make its late-model handsets, an important chunk of its business, once it uses up its chip inventory. “I don’t think Huawei has much of a future unless they can find some way to get their suppliers to get export licenses,” said Matt Bryson, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. One of Huawei’s deputy chairmen, Guo Ping, said last week that the company was assessing its options. “Survival is our main goal,” Guo said in Shanghai. “As Alexandre Dumas once said, all of human wisdom is summed up in two words: wait and hope.” TSMC executives sound confident that Huawei’s plight will not dent it much. If Huawei cannot order chips from the company, then its rivals will instead. Mark Liu, TSMC’s chairman, said at an industry conference last week that Taiwan would continue improving its technology so U.S. and Chinese companies had no choice but to keep working with the island. “We are enjoying the success of the past,” Liu said. But for the future, “we cannot stay where we used to be before.” TSMC could still get caught in the middle, though, if the U.S. government’s continuing attacks prompt Beijing to strike back. A full-blown clampdown on sales to SMIC could increase the risk of Chinese retaliation “really significantly,” said Ferragu of New Street Research. Countermeasures that Beijing might once have considered too self-defeating — such as choking off Qualcomm’s or Apple’s sales in China, effectively depriving Chinese citizens of most high-end smartphones — could start to seem more acceptable. “At this point, it’s really a game of poker,” Ferragu said. Apple and Qualcomm are both TSMC customers. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) For Taiwan, these are not just business questions. China’s reliance on TSMC’s chips has long made people on the island see the company as a bulwark against Chinese military aggression. At its shareholder meeting this summer, an investor, Huang Hsueh-fen, approached the microphone hugging a giant bouquet. “No matter how serious the pandemic becomes, I must still come offer flowers to the company that is our sacred mountain, protector of the nation,” Huang said. Tech workers in Taiwan have a Mandarin rhyme about the young engineers who put in late nights and sacrifice their health for the company: “100,000 youths, 100,000 livers, shift by shift TSMC is saving Taiwan.” (END OPTIONAL TRIM.) So what happens if China stops needing TSMC as much as it does now? This could happen naturally. TSMC is working at the frontiers of physics to continue doubling the number of transistors it can fit onto a piece of silicon. That principle, known as Moore’s Law, has guided semiconductor development for decades. Not all tech products today need the most advanced chips, though. Some work best by packaging high-end processors with less sophisticated ones. Simple “internet of things” devices do just fine with simpler chips. “The way we design chips is changing. It just has to,” said Jay Goldberg, a tech industry consultant and former Qualcomm executive. “Moore’s Law is slowing, and we’re just having to design chips in a way to accommodate that.” A TSMC spokeswoman, Nina Kao, said demand for the company’s latest production processes was “stronger than ever.” China could also lessen its dependence on Taiwan by getting better at making chips itself. Beijing last year created a $30 billion fund for investing in chip projects. In recent months, thousands of Chinese companies have said they are getting into the semiconductor business, according to an analysis by the 21st Century Business Herald, a government-owned newspaper. China is trying to poach more Taiwanese talent for the task. Dozens of former TSMC managers and engineers joined two ambitious Chinese chip projects last year, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Kao of TSMC said recent turnover was less than 5%, which the company considered a healthy level. (STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.) Lin Chih-chieh, a law professor at National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, said the island needed stronger laws to keep Taiwanese chipmakers’ trade secrets from being spirited away to China. Still, Lin said, Taiwan’s chip strengths prevent China from subjugating the island as quickly as it did Hong Kong, where the government has curbed civil liberties.

In US-China tech feud, Taiwan feels heat from both sides

The United States has slammed a Chinese air force video that seemed to show a simulated attack on a facility in the country calling it a&nbsp;"propaganda" designed to coerce and antagonise.

The video showed nuclear-capable H-6 bombers striking what appears to be Anderson, though it did not directly mention the base name, as regional tensions rise and the US&nbsp;carries out a major biennial drill near&nbsp;Guam.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-pla-video-showing-attack-on-us-airbase-uses-footage-from-hollywood-films-329077">China's PLA video showing attack on US airbase uses footage from Hollywood films</a>

"I'm always concerned about our ability to protect our service members and their families," Brig. Gen. Jeremy T. Sloane, Andersen's commander, told reporters on a conference call about the ongoing Valiant Shield exercises.

"The video itself - they know the timing of the exercise," he added. "It's a propaganda video ... although we're always concerned about the protection of the island and the protection of our people, the video itself is just purely propaganda designed to coerce and antagonise us."

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/aircraft-carrier-killer-why-us-china-tested-missiles-on-same-day-amid-tension-at-south-china-sea-318653">Aircraft carrier killer: Why US, China tested missiles on same day amid tension at South China Sea</a>

The Chinese government has not commented on the video, which lifted taken some scenes from Hollywood movies like "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", to the amusement of posters on Chinese social media.

It was released on September&nbsp;19 on the Chinese air force's Weibo account, in the midst of the September&nbsp;14-25 Valiant Shield drill.

Sloane said Valiant Shield continued as scheduled.

"The exercise itself is going to go on as planned because it's designed to make sure that we're trained and ready to conduct ourselves across a variety of operations in the Indo-Pacific and to support our allies and partners."

Guam&nbsp;is home to major US&nbsp;military facilities, including the air base, which would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.

The video also came as China carried out a second day of drills near Chinese-claimed Taiwan, to express anger at the visit of a senior US&nbsp;State Department official to Taipei.

The H-6 has been involved in multiple Chinese flights around and near Taiwan, according to Taiwan's air force, including those last week.

The United States has slammed a Chinese air force video that seemed to show a simulated attack on a facility in the country calling it a "propaganda" designed to coerce and antagonise.

The United States has slammed a Chinese air force video that seemed to show a simulated attack on a facility in the country calling it a "propaganda" designed to coerce and antagonise. The video showed nuclear-capable H-6 bombers striking what appears to be Anderson, though it did not directly mention the base name, as regional tensions rise and the US carries out a major biennial drill near Guam. Also read: China's PLA video showing attack on US airbase uses footage from Hollywood films "I'm always concerned about our ability to protect our service members and their families," Brig. Gen. Jeremy T. Sloane, Andersen's commander, told reporters on a conference call about the ongoing Valiant Shield exercises. "The video itself - they know the timing of the exercise," he added. "It's a propaganda video ... although we're always concerned about the protection of the island and the protection of our people, the video itself is just purely propaganda designed to coerce and antagonise us." Also see: Aircraft carrier killer: Why US, China tested missiles on same day amid tension at South China Sea The Chinese government has not commented on the video, which lifted taken some scenes from Hollywood movies like "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", to the amusement of posters on Chinese social media. It was released on September 19 on the Chinese air force's Weibo account, in the midst of the September 14-25 Valiant Shield drill. Sloane said Valiant Shield continued as scheduled. "The exercise itself is going to go on as planned because it's designed to make sure that we're trained and ready to conduct ourselves across a variety of operations in the Indo-Pacific and to support our allies and partners." Guam is home to major US military facilities, including the air base, which would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia-Pacific region. The video also came as China carried out a second day of drills near Chinese-claimed Taiwan, to express anger at the visit of a senior US State Department official to Taipei. The H-6 has been involved in multiple Chinese flights around and near Taiwan, according to Taiwan's air force, including those last week.

US slams China's Guam-style attack video as 'propaganda' designed to 'antagonise'

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control.

Asked in an interview whether ByteDance would still have any involvement, he said that "they will have nothing to do with it and if they do, then we just won't make the deal."

He added Oracle and Walmart "are going to have total control over it. They're going to own the controling interest... If we find they don't have total control, then we're not going to approve the deal."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-bytedance-says-tiktok-will-be-its-subsidiary-under-deal-with-trump-329041" hreflang="en">China's ByteDance says TikTok will be its subsidiary under deal with Trump</a>

TikTok,&nbsp;which became a global phenomenon with its brand of short, addictive phone videos,&nbsp;has come under fire in recent months as tensions escalate between China and the west.

Trump has claimed&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;is collecting user data for China's Communist Party, and&nbsp;signed an executive order&nbsp;on August&nbsp;14 giving ByteDance until September 20&nbsp;to hand over&nbsp;TikTok's US operations to an American company.

ByteDance, under pressure in China not to give in to US demands, set out to clarify "rumours" on Monday after details of the deal were announced. It said the current plan "does not involve the transfer of any algorithms and technologies".

While Oracle has the authority to check the source code of&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;in the US, ByteDance said displaying the source code is a way for multinationals to allay local data security concerns.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control. Asked in an interview whether ByteDance would still have any involvement, he said that "they will have nothing to do with it and if they do, then we just won't make the deal." He added Oracle and Walmart "are going to have total control over it. They're going to own the controling interest... If we find they don't have total control, then we're not going to approve the deal." Also read: China's ByteDance says TikTok will be its subsidiary under deal with Trump TikTok, which became a global phenomenon with its brand of short, addictive phone videos, has come under fire in recent months as tensions escalate between China and the west. Trump has claimed TikTok is collecting user data for China's Communist Party, and signed an executive order on August 14 giving ByteDance until September 20 to hand over TikTok's US operations to an American company. ByteDance, under pressure in China not to give in to US demands, set out to clarify "rumours" on Monday after details of the deal were announced. It said the current plan "does not involve the transfer of any algorithms and technologies". While Oracle has the authority to check the source code of TikTok in the US, ByteDance said displaying the source code is a way for multinationals to allay local data security concerns.

No TikTok deal if China's ByteDance maintains control, says Trump

The World Trade Organisation's ruling on Tuesday in favour of China in the tariff case has&nbsp;sparked outrage in Washington.

The organisation&nbsp;upheld a complaint by China over additional US duties on some $250 billion of Chinese goods. It agreed that the United States&nbsp;breached global trading rules by imposing multibillion-dollar tariffs on China.

Shortly after the verdict, US President Donald Trump commented on it and said ''US will do something about the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;because they've let China get away with murder." He has previously&nbsp;described the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;as "horrible" and biased towards China, often threatening to quit.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-bans-on-xinjiang-imports-to-sabotage-global-supply-chains-says-china-327688" hreflang="en">US bans on Xinjiang imports to sabotage global supply chains, says China</a>

The Trump administration says its tariffs imposed two years ago on more than $200 billion in Chinese goods were justified because China was stealing intellectual property and forcing US&nbsp;companies to transfer technology for access to China's markets.

But the&nbsp;WTO's three-member panel said the US&nbsp;duties broke trading rules because they applied only to China and were above maximum rates agreed to by the United States. Washington had not then adequately explained why its measures were a justified exception, the panel concluded.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-puts-block-on-chinese-products-from-uighur-forced-labour-327588">US puts block on Chinese products from Uighur ‘forced labour’</a>

US&nbsp;Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said&nbsp;"this panel report confirms what the Trump administration has been saying for four years: the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;is completely inadequate to stop China's harmful technology practices."&nbsp;

China's Commerce Ministry said Beijing supported the multilateral trading system and respected&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;rules and rulings, and hoped Washington would do the same.

The decision will have little immediate effect on the US&nbsp;tariffs and is just the start of a legal process that could take years to play out, ultimately leading to the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;approving retaliatory measures if it is upheld, moves that China has already taken on its own.

The United States is likely to appeal Tuesday's ruling. That would put the case into a legal void, however, because Washington has already blocked the appointment of judges to the&nbsp;WTO's appellate body, preventing it from convening the minimum number required to hear cases.

During a two-year trade war with Beijing, Trump threatened tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports,&nbsp;more than $500 billion,&nbsp;before the two countries signed a "Phase 1" trade deal in January. Extra tariffs are still in place on some $370 billion worth of Chinese goods, and $62.16 billion in duties have been collected since July 2018.

The World Trade Organisation's ruling on Tuesday in favour of China in the tariff case has sparked outrage in Washington. The organisation upheld a complaint by China over additional US duties on some $250 billion of Chinese goods.

The World Trade Organisation's ruling on Tuesday in favour of China in the tariff case has sparked outrage in Washington. The organisation upheld a complaint by China over additional US duties on some $250 billion of Chinese goods. It agreed that the United States breached global trading rules by imposing multibillion-dollar tariffs on China. Shortly after the verdict, US President Donald Trump commented on it and said ''US will do something about the WTO because they've let China get away with murder." He has previously described the WTO as "horrible" and biased towards China, often threatening to quit. Also read: US bans on Xinjiang imports to sabotage global supply chains, says China The Trump administration says its tariffs imposed two years ago on more than $200 billion in Chinese goods were justified because China was stealing intellectual property and forcing US companies to transfer technology for access to China's markets. But the WTO's three-member panel said the US duties broke trading rules because they applied only to China and were above maximum rates agreed to by the United States. Washington had not then adequately explained why its measures were a justified exception, the panel concluded. Also read: US puts block on Chinese products from Uighur ‘forced labour’ US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said "this panel report confirms what the Trump administration has been saying for four years: the WTO is completely inadequate to stop China's harmful technology practices." China's Commerce Ministry said Beijing supported the multilateral trading system and respected WTO rules and rulings, and hoped Washington would do the same. The decision will have little immediate effect on the US tariffs and is just the start of a legal process that could take years to play out, ultimately leading to the WTO approving retaliatory measures if it is upheld, moves that China has already taken on its own. The United States is likely to appeal Tuesday's ruling. That would put the case into a legal void, however, because Washington has already blocked the appointment of judges to the WTO's appellate body, preventing it from convening the minimum number required to hear cases. During a two-year trade war with Beijing, Trump threatened tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports, more than $500 billion, before the two countries signed a "Phase 1" trade deal in January. Extra tariffs are still in place on some $370 billion worth of Chinese goods, and $62.16 billion in duties have been collected since July 2018.

US angered as WTO rules in China's favour in tariffs case