China’s first aircraft carrier officially entered service Tuesday, amid a worsening territorial dispute with Japan and regional concerns over Beijing’s rapidly modernizing navy. The defense ministry said in a statement that the Soviet-built aircraft carrier, named Liaoning after China’s northeast province, is an important step in “raising the overall fighting capacity” of its naval forces. […]
China Commissions First Aircraft Carrier
Japan, Taiwan Boats Use Water Cannons Near Disputed Islands
Japanese and Taiwanese coast guard vessels exchanged water cannon blasts Tuesday in the East China Sea, further complicating a territorial dispute that has also upset Japan-China relations. The tussle, which was shown on Japanese television, came as at least eight Taiwanese patrol ships escorted dozens of fishing boats near disputed islands, known in Japan as […]
China Sentences Ex-Police Chief to 15 Years
China has handed a 15-year sentence to an ex-police chief who helped expose a political scandal that brought down the Communist Party’s rising star Bo Xilai. A court on Monday found Wang Lijun guilty of defection, abuse of power, bribery and bending the law for selfish ends. Wang did not contest the charges. State media […]
Apple Supplier Halts Production After Violence
Foxconn, the company that makes Apple’s iPhones, has suspended production at a factory in northern China after a brawl that involved as many as 2,000 workers and left about 40 people injured. The clash erupted late Sunday in a privately-managed dormitory for Foxconn employees who work at the company’s factory in Taiyuan. China’s Xinhua news […]
China Sentences Ex-Police Chief to Prison
A Chinese court has sentenced to 15 years in prison the ex-police chief who set off a political scandal and brought down top politician Bo Xilai. The official Xinhua news agency says Wang Lijun was guilty of defection, abuse of power, bribe-taking and bending the law for selfish ends. Last February, Wang fled to the […]
China Cancels Event Marking Japanese Ties
China has canceled a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with Japan. China’s state news agency, Xinhua, says the event has been postponed until what Beijing called a more appropriate time. The ceremony was first due to be held on September 27. The two nations are engaged in an escalating […]
Rights Group Pushing for Int’l Contact Group on Tibet
A top human rights group is urging the international community to form a contact group on Tibet in order to push the Chinese government to improve what it says is the “worsening human rights situation” there. In a statement Friday, Human Rights Watch calls on world governments who are concerned about Tibet to discuss the […]
Ex-Police Chief in China Scandal to Receive Verdict Monday
China will announce a judgement on Monday in the case against an ex-police chief who set off a political scandal that riled the Communist Party and brought down top politician Bo Xilai. Court officials in the central city of Chengdu on Friday announced the verdict date for Wang Lijun, who was tried earlier this week […]
Chinese Premier Criticizes Long-standing EU Arms Embargo
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has pledged that Beijing will maintain its efforts to help resolve the eurozone debt crisis, but criticized a long-standing EU ban on arms sales to China. Mr. Wen spoke in Brussels Thursday at a European Union summit with China. Mr. Wen initially spoke favorably of strengthening ties between China and the […]
China Investigates Demonstration Around U.S. Ambassador’s Car
The U.S. has expressed concern at an incident in which dozens of Chinese protesters surrounded the car of U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke, pelted it with objects, and blocked its entry to the American embassy in Beijing. U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland says Chinese authorities have expressed regret for the Tuesday incident, which occurred during […]