May 11 Top Biden aide tells China that U.S. wants to ‘move beyond’ spy balloon tensions By Aamer Madhani, Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press A top White House official has told a key Chinese diplomat that the Biden administration is "looking to move beyond" tensions spurred by the U.S. shooting down a Chinese spy balloon. Continue reading
May 02 Hong Kong to eliminate elected seats in setback to democracy By Kanis Leung, Associated Press Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday stepped up a campaign to shut down further democratic challenges by unveiling plans to eliminate most directly elected seats on local district councils. Continue reading
May 01 WATCH: Biden says U.S. and Philippines are ‘ironclad’ partners amid China tension By Aamer Madhani, Jim Gomez, Associated Press President Joe Biden reiterated U.S. commitment to the Philippines' security and noted the "deep friendship" of the two nations as he welcomed Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for White House talks. Continue reading
Apr 30 Chinese citizen who reported on COVID outbreak to be released after 3 years in prison By Kanis Leung, Huizhong Wu, Associated Press Fang Bin and other members of the public who were dubbed citizen journalists posted details of the pandemic in early 2020 on the internet and social media, embarrassing Chinese officials who faced criticism for failing to control the outbreak. Continue reading
Apr 29 Former national security advisor Bolton calls for closer ties between U.S. and Taiwan By Associated Press John Bolton, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024, said at a pro-Taiwan independence event in Taipei that national security teams from both sides must develop contingency plans on how to respond to actions Beijing might take. Continue reading
Apr 28 China flies 38 warplanes near Taiwan, 6 navy vessels in area in display of military power By Huizhong Wu, Associated Press The Taiwanese defense ministry says China's military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan. The display between Thursday and Friday morning was the largest since Beijing held exercises earlier this month in response to a meeting between the… Continue reading
Apr 27 Chinese coast guard ship blocks Philippine patrol vessel in new stand-off By Jim Gomez, Associated Press A Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel steaming into a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing a frightening near-collision in the latest act of Beijing's aggression in the strategic waterway. Continue reading
Apr 27 Ya Ya the giant panda returns to China after 20 years abroad By Huizhong Wu, Associated Press Ya Ya the giant panda has landed in Shanghai after spending the past 20 years in the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee on loan. Continue reading
Apr 26 China’s Xi, Zelenskyy talk for 1st time since Ukraine war started By David Rising, Associated Press The phone call, which an official said lasted nearly an hour, is a significant development in efforts to resolve the conflict. Continue reading
Apr 24 World military spending up to an all-time high, watchdog says By Associated Press The three largest spenders last year were the United States, China and Russia, who jointly accounted for 56 percent of the expenditure. Continue reading