Latest news with #one-China
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Roundup: News photography exhibition featuring China-Mexico exchanges kicks off in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A news photo exhibition, co-organized by Xinhua News Agency and the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, kicked off here on Friday. The event, held in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies and attended by more than 100 guests from various sectors in Mexico, highlighted key moments in China-Mexico and China-Latin America exchanges, providing a panoramic view of the development of China-Latin America relations and the historical milestones in the process of Chinese modernization. In his speech, President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mexico over half a century ago, especially since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2013, political mutual trust between the two countries has deepened, and friendly exchanges in various fields have been strengthened. The tree of friendship between China and Mexico has flourished, bearing rich fruit and bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries, he said. As the two countries move forward together, Xinhua News Agency and its Mexican branches have faithfully recorded touching stories of friendly exchanges and win-win cooperation between China and Mexico with pens and lenses, presenting to the world the profound friendship of the people of the two countries who understand each other and stand together through thick and thin, he added. Dolores Padierna, vice president of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, said this exhibition, through the lenses of Xinhua journalists, showcases the rapid development of China's society and economy and the vitality of Chinese culture on the global stage. The images not only document the practice of the one-China principle, but also present the genuine interaction of mutual appreciation between the two major civilizations of Mexico and China, said Padierna. As an important witness and participant in the bilateral exchanges, Xinhua has played an active role in promoting cooperation and people-to-people bonds between the two countries, she added. Chen Daojiang, Chinese Ambassador to Mexico, said that the vastness of the Pacific Ocean has never hindered the communication between the people of China and Mexico. These photos are the witnesses of political mutual trust, the footnote of economic complementarity, the outcome of cultural integration, and above all, the most direct and touching expressions of people-to-people friendship, the ambassador noted. They are like mirrors, reflecting the historical development of the bilateral relations, Chen added. Lidia de la Vega, president of the Culture and Film Commission of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, said Mexico and China have enjoyed longstanding friendship and adhered to mutual respect and open dialogue. The exhibition has built a "visual bridge" for the two countries, which will help deepen the understanding, cooperation and friendship between the two sides, she said. Raymundo Vazquez, president of the Mexico-China Friendship Group of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, believes that the photographs record touching moments and life experiences in human history, which show vivid stories of the friendly exchanges between Mexico and China, and reflect the shared feelings and friendship of the human society.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'All symbolism and no spine': Albanese leaving China with questions on whether Australia will throw Taiwan to the wolves is unsettling
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese smiled for the cameras on the Great Wall of China this week sending the wrong message to our allies but the right one to President Xi Jinping. We cannot pretend this was simply a friendly diplomatic visit. It was scheduled while we were shoulder-to-shoulder with the US and Japan who undertook a massive war games exercise involving 40,000 personnel from 19 nations. The military message to China was crystal clear - any 'act of aggression' in the Asia-Pacific won't go unanswered because America and its partners are prepared to respond. Together. Our Prime Minister was meanwhile being feted by the very regime causing military tension along our eastern seaboard and after six days got nothing meaningful in return. You can bet the narrative would be very different if it were six days in the US with President Donald Trump. That relationship, meanwhile, chafes with neglect. As guests of the CCP, Australia got a 'no immediate outcome' on the release of incarcerated Australian writer Yang Hengju, imprisoned for six years now by Chinese authorities on spying charges, or the other Australian detainees. Yes, we got a promise that China will give us more notice before launching military exercises near our coast. But that's a token gesture. Firm commitments on trade? Nope. But Mr Albanese did get a thumbs up from state-owned media China Daily which patronisingly declared that we, as a nation, now have a 'clearer understanding' of China's focus than former PM Scott Morrison. Backhanded compliment does not even begin to describe this type of propaganda. And then there's Taiwan and when pressed on it, Mr Albanese got testy and defensive. Standing near the Wall, he had to clarify our stance on Taiwan after China Daily claimed he told Mr Xi Jinping face-to-face that Australia does not support the island's independence. It was a meeting that subsequently made many people wonder just how far our federal government is willing to acquiesce. And more evidence too of the PM's prickliness we are becoming all too familiar with: 'Well, you're trying to quote a Chinese read-out that I haven't seen. What we do is continue to support a one-China policy. We support the status quo,' Mr Albanese told reporters. This government talks tough on democracy when it suits them, like fashionable support for Ukraine, but what about when we claim to back vulnerable Taiwan in its arm wrestle with China? Beijing is not fooled for one second, relieved even. The issue became a diplomatic quicksand and the Chinese government got the headline it wanted. Also, my ears pricked up when the PM gushed about a dinner in the Great Hall on Tuesday evening where he was joined by leaders including Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Guests ate their meal whilst a cover band rolled out some Aussie classics, such as Midnight Oils' Power and the Passion. 'That obviously took them a long period of time and those gestures matter,' enthused Mr Albanese of the musical choices which included Paul Kelly's anthem To Her Door. 'Respect matters between countries."Mr Albanese added: 'Powderfinger as well. They did the full kit and caboodle and so it was a splendid occasion.' Splendid? It was certainly a very clever choice of Midnight Oil song by the CCP with quite the subliminal the 1980s Lucky Country, the Oils ruled the Top 40 with their savage and brilliant lyrics which shamelessly politicised rock music. As a child, I'd never heard anything like them, let alone seen a performer like bald, wild-eyed Peter Garrett and his sweaty, angular dance moves.' It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees,' Power and the Passion goes. 'Oh the power and the passion… sometimes you've got to take the hardest line.' But Mr Albanese took the softest line. All symbolism and no spine. He referenced Gough Whitlam's legacy to remind us of Labor's historic ties to China. But Mr Whitlam didn't fly to Beijing to be applauded, wined, dined and applauded again. In 1973, he opened the door to Australia's first official relationship with a communist regime which was, at the time, a bold move. Mr Whitlam also gets mention in that Oils song - 'tough 'til he hit the rough' - no doubt to the PM's delight. Mr Albanese, on the other hand, seemed content on his China trip to be serenaded and flattered. Or as Mr Garrett sang: 'It's just enough to make you want to cry'. Louise Roberts is a journalist and editor who has worked as a TV and radio commentator in Australia, the UK and the US. Louise is a winner of the Peter Ruehl Award for Outstanding Columnist in the NRMA Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism and has been shortlisted in other awards for her opinion work
Sydney Morning Herald
16-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Albanese says Taiwan ‘status quo' remains after questions on Chinese media report
'You're trying to quote a Chinese readout that I haven't seen,' Albanese said at a press conference on Wednesday in response to a question about his reported position. 'What we do is continue to support a one-China policy. We support the status quo. By definition. We don't support any unilateral action on Taiwan.' The status quo, in Australia's view, is that Taiwan should not declare independence unilaterally and China should not retake the island without negotiations. Later on Wednesday, Albanese travelled to Chengdu, a major city in Western China, that has a history of being more liberal than other parts of the country. There the prime minister met with local party officials and held a tennis event. On Thursday, Albanese will attend a medical technology industry lunch with dignitaries, including Australian Nobel laureate Professor Barry Marshall, and then tour a factory from Australian hearing implant company Cochlear. China is the world's largest manufacturer of high-tech devices, but research and technology ties between the country and the West have been strained by allegations of intellectual property theft and strategic tensions. In a speech to the lunch, Albanese will recall Bob Hawke's visit to Chengdu in 1986 when the Labor leader went to an Australian-owned circuit board factory. He will say that technology remains core to Australia's trade partnership with China and that both nations can improve by investing in research and manufacturing. 'This also depends on continuing to break down barriers by supporting the free and fair trade that enables Australian medtech companies to access the market here in China,' Albanese will say. While Albanese was touring Beijing this week, Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, was also in the city. Asked whether Australia's strategy of engaging with China through trade despite security issues was repeating Europe's approach before Russia invaded Ukraine, Albanese said the situations were different. 'I don't think you can translate one thing across some other part of the world of which Australia is not a participant,' Albanese said. He argued that Australia's ties with China went beyond trade to dialogue at summits and personal links. Loading Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin previously declared a 'no-limits' partnership between the nations, and China has been accused of assisting Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Chinese direct investment in Australia has slowed in recent years due to national security concerns about overseas influence in critical industries such as infrastructure and resources. China has been pushing to lower the barriers to entry mandated by Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board, which can block attempts at investment or reverse them, such as an order last year to push China-linked investors out of a critical minerals company in Western Australia. After the pair inspected Chinese troops dressed in immaculate dress uniforms, Li told a business roundtable attended by Albanese on Tuesday night that China was seeking fairness. Loading 'I trust that Australia will also treat Chinese enterprises fairly and also properly resolve the issues [of] market access and review,' he said. According to figures from consultancy KPMG and the University of Sydney, Chinese investment in Australia increased from $US613 million in 2023 to $US862 million in 2024. That is still significantly lower than 2008, when it reached $US16.2 billion, or even as recently as 2017, when it was $US10 billion. Against a backdrop of US President Donald Trump's mercurial tariff policies, Li positioned China as a force of stability in an unstable world. 'We hope that you will embrace openness and co-operation, no matter how the world changes,' Li said. 'The development of all countries is faced with new challenges. Given such circumstances, China and Australia, as important trade partners, should strengthen dialogue and co-operation.' Treasurer Jim Chalmers was noncommittal when asked last week about China's wish to speed up foreign investment reviews.
Asahi Shimbun
16-07-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Australian Prime Minister complains to President Xi about Chinese live-fire exercises
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacts as he holds talks with China's President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 15. (AAP Image via AP) BEIJING--Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he complained to China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting on Tuesday about a Chinese naval live-fire exercise off the Australian coast that forced commercial aircraft to change course. The exercise, held in February, saw a Chinese flotilla partially circumnavigate Australia in international waters beneath a busy commercial flight path in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. The mission was widely regarded as a display of Chinese military strength and was among several issues raised in what Albanese described as a 'very constructive meeting.' 'President Xi said that China engaged in exercises, just as Australia engages in exercises,' Albanese told reporters, referring to freedom of navigation missions conducted by Australian military in the disputed South China Sea. 'I said what I said at the time,' Albanese added. 'There was no breach of international law by China, but that we were concerned about the notice and the way that it happened, including the live-fire exercises.' Albanese said the Chinese leader did not mention U.S. pressure on allies to declare positions on a potential war over Taiwan. 'I reaffirmed on Taiwan Australia's position of support for the status quo,' Albanese said. Australia has a one-China policy that recognizes the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and considers Taiwan a part of China. With the 10th anniversary of Australia's free trade deal with China falling this year, both governments have agreed to review the pact with an aim to improve economic relations. Following the meeting with Xi, Albanese met Premier Li Qiang and Chairman Zhao Leji of the National People's Congress. At the outset of the leaders' meeting, Xi told Albanese that seeking common ground while setting aside differences is in line with 'the fundamental interests of our two countries and our two peoples.' Albanese concurred with Xi's remark, saying 'That approach has indeed produced very positive benefits for both Australia and for China.' There had been speculation that Xi would use the meeting to raise Albanese's plan to end a Chinese company's 99-year-lease on the strategically important Port of Darwin, which the United States is concerned could be used to spy on its military forces. Landbridge Industry Australia, a subsidiary of Rizhao-based Shandong Landbridge Group, signed the lease with the Northern Territory government in 2015, three years after U.S. Marines began annual rotations through Darwin as part of a U.S. pivot to Asia. But Albanese said Xi did not mention the lease, nor did he discuss the broader issue of Australia's foreign investment rules that prevent Chinese ownership of critical infrastructure. Reporters questioned Albanese about Chinese security officials' treatment of Australian journalists who traveled to China with him. Reporter Stephen Dziedzic said he recording a piece to camera for Australian TV news in front of a Beijing landmark with a camera crew on Tuesday when he was interrupted by security guards. The guard told the group that police would be called. The Australians were not permitted to leave. Another reporter, Anna Henderson, said guards told journalists to delete their footage. Australian diplomats intervened and TV crews were permitted to leave. 'China has a different system, obviously, with the media,' Albanese said. The state visit is Albanese's second visit to China since he was elected prime minister in 2022. Australia, like many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, is caught between China and the United States. Its economy is heavily dependent on exports to China, including iron ore for the steel industry. But it also shares America's concerns about China's human rights record and its growing military activity in the Pacific, including in waters near Australia. Albanese is in Beijing at the midpoint of a weeklong trip to China that started in Shanghai — China's commercial capital — where government and business leaders from the two countries discussed deepening cooperation in tourism and reducing carbon emissions in iron ore mining and steel production. From Beijing, he will travel to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, where he said he would focus on growing ties in medical technology and sports.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Australian PM Albanese complains to President Xi about Chinese live-fire exercises
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he complained to China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) about a Chinese naval live-fire exercise off the Australian coast that forced commercial aircraft to change course. The exercise, held in February, saw a Chinese flotilla partially circumnavigate Australia in international waters beneath a busy commercial flight path in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. The mission was widely regarded as a display of Chinese military strength and was among several issues raised in what Mr. Albanese described as a 'very constructive meeting.' 'President Xi said that China engaged in exercises, just as Australia engages in exercises,' Mr. Albanese told reporters, referring to freedom of navigation missions conducted by Australian military in the disputed South China Sea. 'I said what I said at the time,' Mr. Albanese added. 'There was no breach of international law by China, but that we were concerned about the notice and the way that it happened, including the live-fire exercises.' Mr. Albanese said the Chinese leader did not mention U.S. pressure on allies to declare positions on a potential war over Taiwan. 'I reaffirmed on Taiwan Australia's position of support for the status quo,' Mr. Albanese said. Australia has a one-China policy that recognizes the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and considers Taiwan a part of China. With the 10th anniversary of Australia's free trade deal with China falling this year, both governments have agreed to review the pact with an aim to improve economic relations. Following the meeting with Mr. Xi, Mr. Albanese met Premier Li Qiang and Chairman Zhao Leji of the National People's Congress. At the outset of the leaders' meeting, Mr. Xi told Mr. Albanese that seeking common ground while setting aside differences is in line with 'the fundamental interests of our two countries and our two peoples.' Mr. Albanese concurred with Mr. Xi's remark, saying 'That approach has indeed produced very positive benefits for both Australia and for China.' There had been speculation that Mr. Xi would use the meeting to raise Mr. Albanese's plan to end a Chinese company's 99-year-lease on the strategically important Port of Darwin, which the United States is concerned could be used to spy on its military forces. Landbridge Industry Australia, a subsidiary of Rizhao-based Shandong Landbridge Group, signed the lease with the Northern Territory government in 2015, three years after U.S. Marines began annual rotations through Darwin as part of a U.S. pivot to Asia. But Mr. Albanese said Mr. Xi did not mention the lease, nor did he discuss the broader issue of Australia's foreign investment rules that prevent Chinese ownership of critical infrastructure. Reporters questioned Mr. Albanese about Chinese security officials' treatment of Australian journalists who travelled to China with him. Reporter Stephen Dziedzic said he recording a piece to camera for Australian TV news in front of a Beijing landmark with a camera crew on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) when he was interrupted by security guards. The guard told the group that police would be called. The Australians were not permitted to leave. Another reporter, Anna Henderson, said guards told journalists to delete their footage. Australian diplomats intervened and TV crews were permitted to leave. 'China has a different system, obviously, with the media,' Mr. Albanese said. The state visit is Mr. Albanese's second visit to China since he was elected Prime Minister in 2022. Australia, like many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, is caught between China and the United States. Its economy is heavily dependent on exports to China, including iron ore for the steel industry. But it also shares America's concerns about China's human rights record and its growing military activity in the Pacific, including in waters near Australia. Mr. Albanese is in Beijing at the midpoint of a weeklong trip to China that started in Shanghai — China's commercial capital — where government and business leaders from the two countries discussed deepening cooperation in tourism and reducing carbon emissions in iron ore mining and steel production. From Beijing, he will travel to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, where he said he would focus on growing ties in medical technology and sports.
