On Friday, a U.S. Navy reconnaissance jet was intercepted by a Chinese fighter jet in the South China Sea. The Chinese jet flew alongside the American plane for over an hour, and a voice from a Chinese air force ground station warned the U.S. plane. The South China Sea has been a source of tension between the two countries for years, and this incident is the latest in a series of encounters between the two countries.
Posts tagged as “Beijing”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on the international community to not let Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions become the "new normal" in a speech at the United Nations Security Council. The Biden administration has announced a $2 billion support package for Ukraine and is joining with partners in the Group of Seven countries to impose new financial penalties to stop the funding of Moscow's war machine. The US and its allies are hoping that the new measures will help to bring an end to the conflict.
Russia is continuing to strengthen its nuclear forces, with President Vladimir Putin announcing the mass production of air-based hypersonic Kinzhal systems and the mass supplies of sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Moscow soon, potentially to strengthen ties between the two countries. The implications of the visit are still unknown, but it is clear that the two countries are looking to increase their cooperation in the face of heightened tensions in the region.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently visited Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin expressed enthusiasm for a potential visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the two discussed deepening their strategic partnership. The visit comes at a time of increased diplomatic activity in Europe, and is part of the growing relationship between Russia and China, which has included joint projects such as the construction of a high-speed railway.
Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, has arrived in Moscow for a high-profile visit that includes a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The visit comes as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to rise, with the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations warning China against providing lethal aid to Russia in its war against Ukraine. Wang's visit is the final stop in an eight-day international tour and it is unclear what topics will be discussed, but it is likely to include the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and U.S.-China relations.
U.S. lawmakers visited Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and deepen military cooperation between the two sides. The delegation also held talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s founder Morris Chang, and China responded to the visit by holding large-scale military exercises. The visit is a sign of the strong relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan, despite the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China.
At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Kamala Harris declared that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, citing “gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape, and deportation”. Wang Yi, top foreign policy adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, proposed that “territorial and sovereignty integrity of all countries will be respected”. Harris concluded by emphasizing the importance of justice being served to the perpetrators, saying “this warfare can not continue to rage on”.
US intelligence officials are assessing whether the suspected Chinese spy balloon, which crossed into US airspace, was diverted off course by strong winds or deliberately maneuvered by the Chinese government. The National People’s Congress’s Foreign Affairs Committee has accused American lawmakers of trampling on the sovereignty of other nations in response to the US's condemnation of the balloon's intrusion. The balloon's unexpected route, which went north and reentered the US through northern Idaho, is being investigated.