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The US talks of Aukus as ‘binding’ the allies for decades to come, but Richard Marles says Australia must become more ‘self-reliant’Australia’s defence overhaul has accelerated some projects and cut others and has already prompted a plea from China to abandon a “cold war mentality”.But as the dust settles on a plan to increase overall military spending, the Albanese government has also sent some...

Exercises starting on Monday will be the first to be held outside Philippines’ territorial waters, and come amid a rise in tensions in the South China SeaPhilippine and US forces will carry out their first ever military exercises outside the south-east Asian country’s territorial waters, in a move China has said will only lead to greater insecurity in the South China Sea.The annual Balikatan...

Bill Nelson told Capitol Hill lawmakers that China has been ‘very, very secretive’ about its space progress, warning ‘we are in a race’The head of Nasa has warned of China bolstering its space capabilities by using civilian programs to mask military objectives, cautioning that Washington must remain vigilant.“China has made extraordinary strides especially in the last 10 years, but they are very, very secretive,”...

Election closely watched for any impact on Pacific country’s relationship with Beijing, while voters focus on struggling health and other servicesSolomon Islanders have voted in a national election, the first since the prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, struck a security pact with China in 2022 and drew the Pacific Islands nation closer to Beijing.The outcome of Wednesday’s election will be closely watched by the US,...

Underwater infrastructure vulnerable to Russian threats, says V Adm Didier Maleterre, after suspected sabotage of gas pipelinesThe security of nearly 1 billion people across Europe and North America is under threat from Russian attempts to target the extensive vulnerabilities of underwater infrastructure including windfarms, pipelines and power cables, a Nato commander has warned.V Adm Didier Maleterre, the deputy commander of Nato’s Allied Maritime Command...

Olaf Scholz says European cars should have equal access to Chinese customersEurope live – latest updatesThe chancellor of Germany has urged industry bosses in China to play fair by not overproducing cheap goods or infringing copyright rules.Speaking on a three-day visit to China, where he is travelling with leading business representatives and three government ministers, Olaf Scholz said he, in turn, would encourage the...

Authorities continuing ‘intimidation’ including separating children from their parents, despite pledge to end collective punishmentChina continues to unlawfully target the families of activists and dissidents, despite a pledge to end the practice of collective punishment, a Chinese human rights group has said in a report.The persecution, which includes intimidation and harassment, forced evictions, travel bans, criminal proceedings against family members and preventing children from...

The security deal with Beijing agreed by PM Manasseh Sogavare is under the spotlight ahead of the 17 April voteChina’s rising power in the Pacific explained in 30 secondsChina’s influence in the Pacific is being scrutinised as ally Solomon Islands prepares to hold elections this month, with two candidates indicating they would seek to review a controversial security pact between the two countries.Ties between...

Top-ranking Chinese official Zhao Leji met Kim Jong-un during three-day visit to PyongyangA top ranking Chinese official reaffirmed ties with North Korea during a meeting in Pyongyang on Saturday with the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, China’s state media reported, in the highest-level talks between the allies in years.The visit by Zhao Leji, who ranks third in the ruling Communist party hierarchy and heads the...

Ferdinand Marcos Jr says building trilateral ties vital, after the three countries criticise China’s ‘dangerous and aggressive behaviour’ in the regionA cooperation agreement by the Philippines, the United States and Japan will change the dynamic in the South China Sea and the region, the Philippine president has said, while seeking to assure China it was not a target.“I think the trilateral agreement is extremely...

Prime minister testified at inquiry into foreign interference that agency’s report of China meddling wasn’t relayed to himCanada’s spy agency is under pressure after Justin Trudeau and his closest advisers say they were never made aware of a report that Beijing “clandestinely and deceptively” interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.Canada is in the midst of a contentious public inquiry “examining and...

Fumio Kishida warns of risks from China in address to Congress and says Japan determined to do more to share responsibilityJapan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, on Thursday called on Americans to overcome their “self-doubt” as he offered a paean to US global leadership before a bitterly divided Congress.Warning of risks from the rise of China, Kishida said that Japan – stripped of its right...

Fitch cut to negative comes as country moves away from reliance on growth from property sectorBusiness live – latest updatesFitch has downgraded the outlook on China’s debt as it warned of increased risks to the economy while the country moves away from its reliance on growth from the property sector.On Wednesday the US-based agency said it had revised China’s sovereign credit rating from stable...

Suspects, all under 14 at time, are accused of bullying classmate over long period before killing him in Hebei last monthChina will put three boys on trial for allegedly murdering another child, a provincial prosecutor has said, in a case that has shocked the country and sparked public debate over the treatment of juvenile offenders.The three suspects, all aged under 14 at the time...

German chancellor follows in the footsteps of Joe Biden and other leaders on social media platformThe German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has opened a TikTok account, promising he will not be seen dancing on the social media platform popular with young people.The newest official government channel “increases the information offer to citizens, who increasingly inform themselves and discuss politics on TikTok”, Scholz’s spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit,...

Environmental and animal welfare groups call on lender to phase out support for ‘industrial’ livestock operationsThe private sector arm of the World Bank is facing claims that it contributes to global heating and the undermining of animal welfare by providing financial support for factory farming, including the building of pig farming tower blocks in China.A coalition of environmental and animal welfare groups is calling...

‘I kept praying and praying’, says rescued woman as search for four people missing from hiking trail set to resume following Wednesday’s quakeRescuers in Taiwan planned to bring in heavy equipment on Saturday to try to recover two bodies buried on a hiking trail, while more than 600 people remained stranded in various locations, three days after the island’s strongest earthquake in 25 years.Four...

CSIS intelligence report suggests growing number of countries targeting country’s large diaspora populationsCanada’s spy agency has declared that the governments of India and Pakistan probably attempted to meddle in its elections.As a closely watched public inquiry investigates the scope of foreign interference, on Thursday night the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) released a report suggesting a growing number of countries see Canada – and...

Beijing did a test run in Taiwan using AI-generated content to influence voters away from a pro-sovereignty candidateChina will attempt to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India this year with artificial intelligence-generated content after making a dry run with the presidential poll in Taiwan, Microsoft has warned.The US tech firm said it expected Chinese state-backed cyber groups to target high-profile elections...

Federal report says ‘cascade of errors’ by tech giant let Chinese operators break into senior government officials’ email accountsIn a scathing indictment of Microsoft corporate security and transparency, a Biden administration-appointed review board issued a report Tuesday saying “a cascade of errors” by the tech giant let state-backed Chinese cyber operators break into email accounts of senior US officials including commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo.The...

Presidents clashed over Taiwan and US trade restrictions on technology in first direct interaction since NovemberJoe Biden and Xi Jinping have clashed in a telephone call about Taiwan and US trade restrictions on technology, but sought to manage their tensions as two top US officials prepare to visit Beijing.The nearly two-hour telephone conversation on Tuesday was the two leaders’ first direct interaction since a...

Company founded in China and promoted on social media is thought to be considering London listingShein, the online fast fashion retailer founded in China, has more than doubled its profits to more than $2bn (£1.6bn) as it awaits approval for a stock market listing in New York or London.The company, which is growing rapidly around the world by using social media to promote its...

News service says it closed bureau after passing of new national security law known as Article 23US-funded Radio Free Asia (RFA) has closed its Hong Kong bureau over safety concerns for its staff in the wake of a new national security law known as Article 23.“Actions by Hong Kong authorities, including referring to RFA as a ‘foreign force’, raise serious questions about our ability...

Revenue at Chinese telecom rose 10% as net profit more than doublesChinese telecoms firm Huawei grew faster in 2023 than it has for four years, as it shrugged off the impact of US sanctions.Revenues rose by nearly 10% to 704.2bn yuan (£77bn) as the Shenzhen-based company enjoyed a rebound within its consumer segment, which includes smartphone handsets. Continue reading...