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CNA
11-08-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Philippines' Marcos says China 'misinterpreted' his comments on Taiwan
MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday (Aug 11) that Beijing has "misinterpreted" his comments saying Manila will be inevitably drawn in to a conflict between China and Taiwan should one erupt. China accused Marcos of "playing with fire" after the Philippine leader said during a visit to India that "there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it" due to its proximity to the democratically governed island. "We are, I think for propaganda purposes, misinterpreted," Marcos told a press briefing. "I'm a little bit perplexed why it would be characterized as such, as playing with fire," he added. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Marcos said Filipinos working and living in Taiwan will have to be evacuated if a conflict does arise but maintained that he wishes to avoid confrontation and war. Over a hundred thousand Filipinos live and work in Taiwan, according to Philippine government data. "War over Taiwan will drag the Philippines kicking and screaming into the conflict. That is what I was trying to say," Marcos said. Marcos' comments come at a time of heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal voided Beijing's sweeping claims in the region, saying they had no basis under international law, a decision China rejects.
South China Morning Post
09-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China denies giving Iran air defence systems after conflict with Israel
China has denied transferring surface-to-air missile batteries to Iran following Israel's attacks on the Islamic Republic last month. The British-based platform Middle East Eye reported on Monday that Chinese air defence equipment had been sent to Iran after it struck a truce with Israel last month, citing an Arab official familiar with the intelligence. One source told the platform that China – the biggest recipient of Iran's oil exports – had received payment in oil shipments, but the report did not say how many surface-to-air missile systems Iran had received since the end of the fighting. China's embassy in Israel denied the report on Tuesday, telling the Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom it 'never exports weapons to countries engaged in warfare and maintains strict controls on the export of dual-use items'. It added: 'China firmly opposes the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, and continuously strengthens its enforcement capabilities regarding non-proliferation.' China's defence ministry has been asked for comment.
The Sun
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
China's mega-embassy could still be blocked as residents prepare to drag ministers to court over ‘stitched up' deal
CHINA's mega-embassy in London could still be blocked as furious residents prepare to drag ministers to court over what they say is a stitched-up deal. The £1billion controversial site, set to become Beijing's biggest diplomatic base in Europe, is expected to be waved through by the Government within weeks. 1 But campaigners and residents are preparing a major legal challenge, accusing ministers of having a 'closed mind' from the start. Deputy PM Angela Rayner is understood to have quietly handed the final call to junior minister Matthew Pennycook after the Planning Inspectorate submitted its report earlier this month. A final decision is due by September 9 and the inspector's recommendation, widely expected to back the scheme, will be published alongside it. But the Royal Mint Court Residents Association, backed by more than 50 civil society groups, is now crowdfunding a judicial review. They say the outcome was effectively preordained after Xi Jinping personally lobbied Sir Keir Starmer, and Chinese media claimed the embassy was approved just days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves visited Beijing. A spokesperson the residents told The Sun: "We will fight this every step of the way. "There aren't many of us, and we certainly aren't as powerful as the Chinese Government, but they underestimate us if they think we are giving up our privacy, safety and even our homes without a fight. "We believe there is strong case for judicial review.' The five-acre Royal Mint Court site, next to the Tower of London, sits near sensitive data centres and key government buildings. The embassy plan was rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022 after years of national security concerns. But Chinese officials revived the bid in late 2024 - only after Labour took power. The application was then called in by ministers, stripping the local authority of control. Earlier this month, Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake warned the process may have been unlawfully influenced and called for it to be restarted from scratch. And more than 60 MPs and peers signed a cross-party letter urging the Prime Minister to pause the plan, warning it could give Beijing 'the literal keys to the country.' But the Government dismissed the concerns, saying only that the submission would be placed on file. US officials have also raised the alarm, warning the embassy could give China access to sensitive communications and jeopardise intelligence sharing. Luke de Pulford, of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, added: 'It is a sorry state of affairs when we have to rely on a group of doughty residents to defend UK national security. "Barring miracles, their legal challenge is the only way to stop this train-wreck. Let's all get behind these brave residents.'
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
US weighs in with concerns over China's proposed ‘super-embassy' in London
A US intervention over China's proposed new embassy in London has thrown a potential resolution 'up in the air', campaigners have said, amid concerns over the site's proximity to a sensitive hub of critical communication cables. The furore over a new 'super-embassy' on the edge of London's financial district was reignited last week when the White House said it was 'deeply concerned' over potential Chinese access to 'the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies'. The Dutch parliament has also raised concerns about Beijing's ideal location of Royal Mint Court, on the edge of the City of London, which has so far failed to gain planning permission. The ultimate decision lies with the government, which has taken control over the stalled decision after permission was initially rejected on security grounds two years ago. Labour is expected to make a decision over the proposed 2-hectare (5-acre) site opposite the Tower of London after an inquiry was held earlier this year. Those who have long campaigned against the move over security concerns have criticised the row's revival, saying it has sidelined their views. 'They seem to be struggling to make the right decision,' said Dave Lake, the chair of the local residents' association and lead of the local campaign. 'It's got too political now. It was a straightforward inquiry but because of this, that and the other, particularly the Americans getting involved, it's made it all up in the air.' The intervention comes after the signing of a US-UK trade deal with Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada this week. Before the deal was signed, a US official told the Sunday Times: 'The United States is deeply concerned about providing China with potential access to the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies.' In the Netherlands, MPs have raised similar security concerns. A state department official said they had full faith in the UK to ensure the safety and security of their diplomatic mission in London. Nevertheless, for those who have long opposed the embassy site, what was once a campaign focused on security concerns from local residents and communities in exile has been overtaken by geopolitics. Lake has lived near the proposed site, bought by the Chinese government in 2018 for £255m, for 35 years. On Saturday he attended the latest demonstration there, fearing that building an embassy could attract further demonstrations and political attacks. Recent concerns have shifted to cables underneath the sites, which serve as an arterial link between the City of London and Canary Wharf, London's two financial centres. Lake said: 'We know there are cables running underground, and we know the capabilities of the Chinese. In the early conversations it was never part of it, it was just completely our security.' Charles Parton, who spent 22 years working in and on China as a UK diplomat and has advised the UK parliament's foreign affairs committee, said it was 'a big problem' if there were very sensitive cables running directly under the site. He said: 'There are two ways to be seen with it: one way is to say, well, you can't use the site; the other is to say reroute the cables. How difficult is it to reroute the cables? I don't know the answer to that question.' Parton said the British embassy had been wanting to rebuild its Beijing site for as long as he could remember. The building had not been fit for purpose for several decades, he said, and the wishes of both countries for newer embassies was 'normal diplomatic business' as relations had greatly expanded. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'There are many things we should worry about with the Chinese,' said Parton, mentioning Beijing's geopolitical agenda and strangle on rare earth exports. 'But we need to choose the important ones and not the unimportant ones. And all goes back to the nature of these cables. What is crucial is the security issue. If that is resolved satisfactory, then why shouldn't we both go ahead and build new embassies?' The government, which has said it is committed to 'robust' and 'evidence-based' decision-making, is expected to issue its verdict by 9 September. Among those worried that the embassy plans will go ahead is Rahima Mahmut, a leading Uyghur activist. 'It is really unbelievable when not only the US government but also the Dutch government express their concerns,' said Mahmut, who lives in exile in the UK. Also concerned over increased surveillance and espionage is Simon Cheng, the founder of Hongkongers in Britain and a former Hong Kong consulate worker. Cheng, who in 2023 had a bounty issued for his arrest, said: 'The UK government need to think twice because it's not only just the closest ally that has given a warning and grave concern, but also that to many other people, especially us as part of the exile community … we have concerns about our security here.' A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said the planning application had taken UK policy into consideration as well as the views of all relevant parties. Building a new embassy would help them 'better perform' the responsibilities of 'mutual beneficial cooperation' between the two countries, they added. The spokesperson said: 'Anti-China forces are using security risks as an excuse to interfere with the British government's consideration over this planning application. This is a despicable move that is unpopular and will not succeed.'
Malay Mail
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Get out of Israel ‘as soon as possible', Chinese embassy tells citizens as conflict with Iran escalates
BEIJING, June 17 — China's embassy in Israel on Tuesday urged its citizens to leave the country 'as soon as possible', after Israel and Iran traded heavy strikes. 'The Chinese mission in Israel reminds Chinese nationals to leave the country as soon as possible via land border crossings, on the precondition that they can guarantee their personal safety,' the embassy said in a statement on WeChat. 'It is recommended to depart in the direction of Jordan,' it added. After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched a surprise aerial campaign last week against targets across Iran, saying they aimed to prevent its arch-foe from acquiring atomic weapons — an ambition Tehran denies. The sudden flare-up in hostilities has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with US President Donald Trump urging Iran back to the negotiating table after Israel's attacks derailed ongoing nuclear talks. Beijing's embassy said on Tuesday the conflict was 'continuing to escalate'. 'Much civilian infrastructure has been damaged, civilian casualties are on the rise, and the security situation is becoming more serious,' it said. — AFP
