China

The separate visits to China by the leaders of Malaysia and Singapore this week will demonstrate how Southeast Asian nations are embracing a strategy of “proactively” engaging and bolstering economic ties with Beijing, according to analysts. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong are among the world leaders attending this week’s Boao Forum for Asia, …

When he vanished in mid-February, one of China’s most prominent investment bankers, Bao Fan, was apparently searching for a secure location to store his fortune. Last month, the Financial Times reported that Bao, the creator of China Renaissance, was in the midst of forming a private wealth management business in Singapore to transfer money out of China and Hong Kong, …

On Thursday, March 23, TikTok CEO Shou Chew spoke before the American Congress about why the app shouldn’t be completely banned. The well-known app for sharing short videos has been blocked in various American states’ government and educational institutions over the past two months. Numerous lawmakers have expressed worries and rumors that the Chinese government has been eavesdropping on the …

Thailand has attempted to reassure Chinese tourists that the country is a safe vacation destination in response to internet rumors about the possibility of human trafficking. “Thailand attaches great importance to the quality of Chinese tourists’ travels, their safety, and their favorable impression of Thailand,” the Thai embassy in Beijing said Thursday, adding that relevant departments would “take corresponding measures …

Alibaba is an online marketplace that has become China’s top e-commerce platform in just a few years. Founded by Jack Ma in 1999, Alibaba began as a website connecting Chinese manufacturers with global buyers. It has since expanded into a vast ecosystem of businesses, including Taobao, Tmall, and AliExpress for consumers to buy everything from clothing and electronics to healthcare …

On Friday, March 17, authorities from both nations announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Russia the following week, weighing in on the Ukraine war just as relations between Moscow and Washington hit a new low. Xi’s visit to Moscow is a diplomatic coup for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has been subjected to unprecedented international sanctions …

Canada is pitching itself as an option for the several European nations seeking to reduce their reliance on China for crucial raw materials, which are required for the production of goods such as electric vehicles. The G-7 member announced a strategy to increase production of these minerals in December, with Canada possessing the greatest resources. It is believed that Canada …

Singapore’s Keppel Corporation is pursuing expansion opportunities in emerging economies such as Vietnam, which is gaining pace as a manufacturing base for investors trying to diversify away from China. In an interview with Nikkei Asia, the CEO of the company, Loh Chin Hua, stated that enterprises have adopted a “China plus one” approach in an effort to diversify investments away …

In February of last year, Chinese state-sponsored hackers breached the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) mail systems, taking a trove of data that may have contained crucial information about the economies and politics of member nations. According to a vulnerability alert acquired by WIRED, hackers took over 30GB of data, including over 10,000 emails exchanged by member countries, by …

The United States has cleared the possible sale of $619 million worth of new weapons to Taiwan, including missiles for its F-16 fleet, as the island reported a second day of large-scale Chinese air force intrusions in the area. The arms sales are likely to worsen already difficult relations between Washington and Beijing, which has frequently requested the cessation of …