China provides a “glaring example” of how governments are cracking down on religious minorities, a United States (US) official has said, as the Department of State released its annual report on religious freedom around the world.Rashad Hussain, the US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, said during a news conference on Thursday that “far too many governments remain undeterred of their repression of their citizens”.

China's Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi has been on a marathon tour across the Pacific Islands – his visit was a sign of Beijing's willingness to close a sweeping trade and security deal with 10 countries in the region.The ambitious deal – which covered a wide range of issues, from cybersecurity to a Chinese-funded police training academy and setting up more Chinese cultural links across the Pacific nations – was meant to tie the region much closer to Beijing.But it was revealed th

The Chinese military has said it conducted a “combat readiness patrol” in the sea and airspace around the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.In a statement, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said the exercises had taken place in recent days and were “a necessary action” against what it described as “US-Taiwan collusion”. “Recently, the United States has frequently made moves on the Taiwan issue, saying one thing and doing ano

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang last week urged a reported 100,000 local government officials to immediately take action to “stabilise” the situation in China amid upset and anger over the fallout from its commitment to ‘zero COVID’.Speaking over video link at a State Council executive meeting, Li said China’s economy was facing an even greater challenge than at the start of the pandemic in 2020, according to Xinhua, China’s state news agency, when employment, industrial production and consumption

Manila revealed on Tuesday that it had summoned a senior Beijing diplomat to protest the alleged harassment of a marine research vessel by a Chinese coast guard ship in Philippine territorial waters.The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was also reviewing reports on the "presence of foreign coast guard vessels around Reed Bank", site of the 2019 sinking of a Filipino fishing vessel that sparked domestic outrage.The revelation came the same day Manila said it had issued a separat

Shanghai eased a range of COVID-19 restrictions on Wednesday in a step towards returning to normal after a two-month lockdown that confined residents of the megacity to their homes and battered China's economy.The commercial hub of 25 million people was closed down in sections from late March, when the Omicron virus variant fuelled China's worst outbreak since COVID first took hold in 2020.After some rules were gradually relaxed over the past few weeks, authorities on Wednesday bega

For the first time in 33 years, church services to commemorate the Tiananmen crackdown will not be held in Hong Kong, erasing one of the last reminders of China's bloody suppression of the 1989 protests.Since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 to snuff out pro-democracy demonstrations, once-packed candlelit vigils have been banned, a Tiananmen museum has been forced to close, and statues have been pulled down.The annual Catholic masses were one of the last ways for

Wang Yi urges Pacific region not to be ‘too anxious’ about China’s aims after failing to agree on a sweeping security deal.

Asian markets rose Monday as investors rediscovered some verve after the release of healthy United States (US) data and as China eases some of its strict COVID curbs in Shanghai and Beijing, lifting hopes for the world's number two economy.The gains extended a positive end to last week for global equities with some commentators saying there was a growing hope that the months-long sell-off may have run its course.Wall Street provided a strong lead and snapped a series of weekly losses, wi

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with leaders and top officials from 10 Pacific Island states Monday, part of a regional diplomatic blitz that has stirred deep Western concern.The virtual summit is expected to discuss leaked proposals for China to radically increase its involvement in the security, economy and politics of the South Pacific.Wang is in the Fijian capital Suva, where he will co-host a virtual meeting with regional foreign ministers – many of whom are also leaders of