News about Xi Jinping

Entirely designed and built domestically, the Fujian is considerably larger and more advanced than China's two existing aircraft carriers - the Shandong, commissioned in late 2019 and based on the Liaoning, a Soviet-era carrier which China bought second-hand from Ukraine. Displacing some 80,000 tonnes of water and measuring a whopping 1036 feet (316 metres) in length, the gargantuan craft features a full-length flight deck with an advanced catapult-launch system for jets - and, in a not-so-subtle gesture, takes its name from the Chinese province opposite democratically governed Taiwan. Able to carry up to 40 fighter jets - plus anti-submarine helicopters, drones and other transport - it is cast as a rival to the USS Gerald Ford, the world's most advanced aircraft carrier and the pride of America's Navy.

The Central Bank launched its gold-buying spree in October 2022, accumulating hundreds of tonnes of the precious metal in the past 18 months. A World Gold Council report said China now holds a stunning 2,262 tonnes of gold worth roughly $170.4 billion (£135 billion) - and Beijing in the meantime has offloaded more than $400 billion worth of US Treasury bonds since 2021. The concerted effort to invest in the historically stable asset while dropping huge amounts of US debt has led analysts to suggest China is seeking to reduce its dependency on the American dollar, which in turn would mitigate the impact of any Western-imposed economic sanctions. It comes as tensions with Taiwan, the Philippines and other US allies in the South China Sea continue to escalate, with Chinese military aircraft routinely embarking on threatening sorties toward the island.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. has seen evidence that China is trying to 'influence' and 'interfere' in the November presidential election despite a commitment from leader Xi Jinping not to.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken popped into a Beijing record store as he wrapped up a three-day trip to China, where he bought albums from Taylor Swift and a classic Chinese rock star. 'This is wonderful, thank you,' Blinken told owner Yuxuan Zhou during his visit to Li-Pi record store. 'I could probably stay here for hours.' Blinken has called music his greatest passion. He plays guitar and has even jammed out at State Department events. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. has seen evidence that China is trying to 'influence' and 'interfere' in the November presidential election despite a commitment from leader Xi Jinping not to do so. 'We have seen, generally speaking, evidence of attempts to influence and arguably interfere, and we want to make sure that that's cut off as quickly as possible,' Blinken told CNN. 'Any interference by China in our election is something that we're looking very carefully at and is totally unacceptable to us, so I wanted to make sure that they heard that message again,' he noted.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken sat down with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday as part of a visit which saw one prominent official from the Communist state speak of a 'downward spiral' in the superpowers' relationship. Blinken met with the dictator after holding talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong. Talks between the two sides have increased in recent months, even as differences have grown. Blinken and Wang underscored the importance of keeping lines of communication open, but they also lamented that divisions were becoming more serious in nature.

The House passed a bill to ban TikTok amid concerns about hate speech and misinformation with even some TikTok content creators supportive. Comedian Zach Sage Fox says he is in favor of the ban due to the platform's role in spreading misinformation about sensitive topics like the Israel-Gaza conflict. The bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House, aims to force TikTok's owner, ByteDance, to divest from the app within nine months. Despite TikTok's popularity among millions of Americans, concerns about misinformation have led to bipartisan support for the ban.

The G7 pledged support for Israel's security and condemned 'in the strongest terms' what the foreign ministers described as Iran's 'unprecedented attack against Israel of April 13-14', announcing it is ready to adopt more sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Rounding on Beijing, the ministers declared 'strong concern' that Chinese businesses were transferring dual-use materials and weapons components to Russia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China of 'fuelling' the Ukraine war by helping Moscow's 'most ambitious defence expansion since the Soviet era'. And finally, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Western governments are reviewing the possibility of using Russian assets frozen in Europe to replenish Ukraine's war chest as Vladimir Putin's forces continue to make gains in the Donbas (Pictured L-R: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin)

Deputy PM Oliver Dowden announced the move as he warned that institutions are 'vulnerable' to infiltration from abroad. Ministers ordered a review of protections for higher education last year amid concerns that countries such as China were gaining undue influence over the sector. Speaking at Chatham House, Mr Dowden said that universities should be 'open', but the government must be 'willing to intervene if there is a clear national security risk'. Inset, file picture of President Xi Jinping.

Beijing is fueling America's fentanyl crisis by subsidizing the manufacture of materials used by traffickers to make pills outside the country, say papers from a committee on China. Researchers accessed a government website that revealed tax rebates for the production of specific fentanyl precursors as well as other synthetic drugs - as long as those companies sell them outside of China. 'Through its actions, as our report has revealed, the Chinese Communist Party is telling us that it wants more fentanyl entering our country,' said Rep Mike Gallagher, the Republican chairman of the special House committee. 'It wants the chaos and devastation that has resulted from the epidemic.'

China, Australia's biggest trading partner, is tipped to suffer the most severe economic slowdown in almost 50 years. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has revealed what it means for government revenue ahead of the May Budget. 'If that happens that will be the slowest period of economic growth in China since they started opening up in the late 1970s,' he said.

DAVID PATRIKARAKOS: Britain is at war. We have been since 2001 - and we are losing. We lost in Afghanistan; we lost in Iraq; and unless we step up, we will lose in Ukraine. The time has come to get serious. Defence spending must go up - to at least 3.5 per cent of GDP, ideally more. It's time to stop the endless prevarication and rearm. When Osama bin Laden struck the Twin Towers on 9/11, President Bush launched a war on terror.

China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in its war against Ukraine , according to a U.S. assessment. Two senior Biden administration officials, who discussed the sensitive findings Friday on the condition of anonymity, said that in 2023 about 90% of Russia's microelectronics came from China, which Russia has used to make missiles, tanks and aircraft.

We live in frightening times. Wars in Ukraine and Gaza could widen, the polar ice caps are melting, and even some scientists developing artificial intelligence systems are worried about unleashing a monster. But those fears all pale in comparison to what really gives Americans the jitters. That's according to a nationwide Ipsos survey of more than 1,000 US adults.

President Joe Biden is double downing on China, warning it that it will no longer be aggressive in the South China Sea while still giving Taiwan a $6.6 billion grant to help it develop microchips. During summits this week with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Biden would address Beijing's relations with its Asian neighbors. Last week, he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In addition, his government is investing in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company so that it can extend existing plans for two factories in Phoenix and add a third, newly announced production hub in Arizona. In visit to Guangzhou and Beijing, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin is reportedly discussing economics, Peking duck, and local beer.

On Monday, the Kremlin's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China for a formal visit, with the two countries trying to strengthen diplomatic relations as Russia's invasion of Ukraine rages. Beijing has delivered rifle scopes, tank components, rocket fuel, and satellite photos to Russia, according to US officials who anonymously told Bloomberg that Beijing has provided rifle scopes, tank components, rocket fuel, and satellite photographs to Russia. China had been offering 'geospatial intelligence' to Moscow to assist in the Ukraine war, as well as providing propellants used in missile development, microelectronics, and turbojet engines, in violation of Western sanctions against Russia. According to the journal, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had briefed European allies this week on China's increasing aid.

On Thursday, the 81-year-old was speaking at a White House function to celebrate Greek Independence Day when he repeated the inaccurate remarks. I was once asked by Xi Jinping, and I rode 17,000 miles with him, but I was out at the Tibetan plateau when he was asked.' He looked at me and he said, "can you define America?" If he asked me to describe Greece, I could say the same thing. The president is fond of the claim, which earned him a 'bottomless Pinocchio' rating from the Washington Post.

On Wednesday, beloved panda Fu Bao left South Korea for China as crowds of sobbing fans gathered to see one last glimpse of the gentle giant before her journey. Thousands of panda enthusiasts descended on Everland, the country's biggest theme park, to say their goodbyes to Fu Bao, South Korea's first giant panda. The crowds fought heavy rain as they stood under a slew of umbrellas, with some even holding up posters and balloons dedicated to the animal celebrity. Despite the fact that the supporters outnumbed them, they paused for silence when a specially made green vehicle carrying the panda passed through, in an attempt not to be concerned with the noise. The convoy, printed with a green jungle-like background and pictures of Fu Bao's head, slowed down the bustling streets as onlookers wept, waved, and mourned the bear's departure.

On Tuesday morning, President Joe Biden arranged a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the newest attempt to defuse tensions between the world's two most influential nations. It was their first talk after meeting in California five months ago. On a briefing call, a senior administration official told reporters that the intention was to improve lines of communication.

On Tuesday morning, President Joe Biden held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the latest attempt to de-escalate tensions between the world's two largest nations.

During a graduation ceremony, the University of York was caught up in a censorship controversy over a student's Hong Kong outrage. In February, Kyle Ma, a Shandong student, received a Master's degree in social justice and education. The 27-year-old waved at pro-democracy activists during his graduation ceremony, which read: 'Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times.' When Mr Ma's name was called out, a livestream of the event cut away to a snapshot of the University of York's logo. He has accused the university of'censoring what they dislike,' while former Tories chief Sir Iain Duncan Smith - a leading China critic - said it was 'in shock to' Beijing.'

Claire Coutinho, the Labour leader, says if he wins the next election, it could leave Britain over-reliant on China to help 'keep the lights on'. Sir Keir has stated that his government will'decarbonize' the electricity grid by 2030, five years ahead of the original Conservative government's target. However, critics warn that this could lead to the need to import essential products from China's second largest economy, giving its president Xi Jinping possibly even more power. Sir Keir's plans, according to Ms Coutinho, a close ally of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and who was promoted to the Cabinet last August, will go'too quickly, too late.'

On visits to the universities of York, Birmingham, and Leeds, Zheng Zeguang, China's ambassador to the United Kingdom, told Chinese students in Britain to "keep in mind" the words of president Xi Jinping. The ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office this week after Beijing announced a cyber attack on MPs. Universities in the communist state, according to former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, were 'in shock' to the communist country.

MATT RIDLEY: The World Health Organisation is gearing up to convince the world's governments to sign a new pandemic treaty in May. Despite being called a "accord" rather than to frighten democrats who still like the old-fashioned thing called accountability, it is a significant power grab by an unelected body that seems to have ruled on how countries should respond to future pandemics. As the saying goes, never waste a good crisis. Nevertheless, the WHO has a bad track record in dealing with epidemics, including in its reaction to Covid-19, where it made a string of costly mistakes and did China's bidding. The Pandemic Accord would be a reward for failure. Photo of left: Tedros Adhanom, the World Health Organisation's Director General, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2020.