All posts tagged: Beijing

Alibaba, Baidu, BYD named on Pentagon’s China military list

Alibaba, Baidu, BYD named on Pentagon’s China military list

Published by Sam Flores

A general view of the office building of Baidu is in Pudong, Shanghai, on Feb. 9, 2026. Ying Tang | Nurphoto | Getty Images The Pentagon added a slew of Chinese companies, including Alibaba Group, Baidu Inc and carmaker BYD, to a list of entities it believes have aided the Chinese military, complicating the fragile diplomatic relationship between Washington and Beijing. The Defense Department published an updated “1260H list” Monday evening stateside — a roster of companies the Pentagon considers affiliated with China’s military or defense industrial base. The designations do not impose sanctions explicitly, but mean the Defense Department will be prohibited from contracting directly with listed companies starting later this month, and from procuring their products or services through third parties beginning in June 2027. “These indirect restrictions could force some U.S. firms that work with the U.S. military to drop designated Chinese firms as suppliers,” said Michael Hirson, head of China Research at 22V Research. Baidu’s American depositary receipts dropped 2.1%, Alibaba slumped 0.8% and BYD slid 0.8%. The additions come after President …

Japan seeks dialog, rejects neo-militarism label: defense minister

Japan seeks dialog, rejects neo-militarism label: defense minister

Published by Sam Flores

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on May 29, 2026. (Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP via Getty Images) Jam Sta Rosa | Afp | Getty Images “Japan’s door to dialog is always open” to the international community even as it increases defense spending and revises its arms exports guidelines, according to defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Speaking at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Koizumi said that Tokyo has consistently respected international law, adding that “Japan’s path as a peace-loving nation has been valued by the region and by the international community. This fact will not be shaken by false claims because it is a fact.” He also said about accusations Japan is engaging in “neo-militarism” that there’s “nothing further from the truth.” China’s defense ministry on May 28 had called on the international community to jointly contain Japan’s “neo-militarism,” according to state media outlet Xinhua. Japan has recently taken steps to expand its defense posture, including lifting its ban on lethal arms exports and mulling changes to Article 9 of its …

Beijing threatens retaliation over EU moves to curb imports from China – POLITICO

Beijing threatens retaliation over EU moves to curb imports from China – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The statement came in reaction to a meeting of top EU officials on Friday to brainstorm on how to counter Chinese overcapacity. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday convened an orientation debate with her 26 commissioners to explore a range of policy tools aimed at addressing the EU’s growing trade imbalance with China, as a surge in Chinese goods ranging from vehicles to solar panels and clothes is undercutting Europe’s industries, leading to factory closures and job losses.   “The current state of the trade and investment relationship is not sustainable,” reads an European Commission statement following orientation debate. “As economic and security interests become ever more intertwined, both dimensions will require a more robust and coherent response.” The EU’s goods trade deficit with China widened to €360 billion last year from €312 billion in 2024. It expanded even more sharply in the first quarter of 2026, trade figures show. While France and other member states have pushed for stronger measures to shield European industry, Germany has long warned against steps that could …

How Trump and Putin’s back-to-back visits put Beijing at the centre of great-power diplomacy

How Trump and Putin’s back-to-back visits put Beijing at the centre of great-power diplomacy

Published by Sam Flores

But routine did not mean insignificance, said analysts. For Moscow, the visit reaffirmed access to China’s markets and political support. For Beijing, it reinforced a partnership that helps diversify energy supplies and counterbalance US pressure. The visits showed “whether by coincidence or design” that China has options and can maintain good relations with both Washington and Moscow, said Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Social Sciences. “They are not mutually exclusive,” he said. G2, TRIANGULAR OR MULTIPOLAR ORDER? Beyond Trump and Putin, a series of leaders – particularly from Europe – have also visited Beijing, creating the optics of multiple countries courting China, Loh added. For Ivanov, the visits reinforced China’s image as a major power whose engagement is sought by rivals, partners and hedging states alike. To Washington, the message was that Beijing has other strategic options; to Moscow, it was that Russia remains central to China’s wider diplomatic architecture, he said. China and Russia also sought to put that message in broader ideological terms. In a joint statement …

Xi and Putin reaffirm unity but gas pipeline deal eludes Moscow again

Xi and Putin reaffirm unity but gas pipeline deal eludes Moscow again

Published by Sam Flores

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping tour a photo exhibition on Russia-China ties in Beijing on May 20, 2026. (Photo by Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) Alexander Kazakov | Afp | Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin left Beijing Wednesday with declarations of enduring friendship with China and a stack of bilateral agreements — but without the energy pipeline breakthrough Moscow was eyeing, signaling the evolving geometry of a partnership that is increasingly tilting in Beijing’s favor. Little progress on gas deal The two leaders failed to reach a breakthrough on the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline that Moscow had flagged would be “discussed in great detail,” as Russia’s gas exports to Europe have substantially shrunk following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Following the summit, Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said Beijing and Moscow had arrived at an understanding on the venture’s key parameters, but “some nuances remain to be ironed out,” with no clear timeframe …

What does Russia need from China?

What does Russia need from China?

Published by Sam Flores

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. Alexey Maishev | Afp | Getty Images As Russian President Vladimir Putin travels to China, Moscow’s leader will be keen not only to bolster ties with Beijing but also to extract key wins in areas of trade and energy. Putin’s two-day trip to Beijing comes hot on the heels of his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump’s state visit, which saw the White House boast diplomatic and trade wins. The Russian president now heads to Beijing with the hope of reaffirming and reinforcing already close ties with China. CNBC looks at the three key areas where Russia’s leader would like to deepen ties and extract concrete pledges: Geopolitical ties It’s no accident that Putin’s arrival comes just days after Trump concluded his state visit to Beijing, Ed Price, senior non-resident fellow at New York University, told CNBC Tuesday. Putin is likely sending “a reminder to Americans that, yes, you can come and visit China as much as you …

Putin heads to Beijing days after Trump in test of China’s direction

Putin heads to Beijing days after Trump in test of China’s direction

Published by Sam Flores

TOPSHOT – Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shows the way to Russian President Vladimir Putin after the photo session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin on September 1, 2025. Suo Takekuma | Afp | Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, visiting an ally that barely had time to clear the ceremonial trappings it laid out for U.S. President Donald Trump just days earlier. The summit, scheduled for May 19-20, marks the second time the Chinese and Russian leaders have met in the past year, as Beijing seeks to manage ties with Washington and Moscow while positioning itself as a pivotal power in global diplomacy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 left Moscow effectively isolated and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade under Western sanctions. “We have very serious expectations for this visit,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday, describing the agenda as advancing the two countries’ …

Putin to hold taks with Xi in China days after Trump’s trip to Beijing

Putin to hold taks with Xi in China days after Trump’s trip to Beijing

Published by Sam Flores

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China on May 19 for a two-day visit, hot on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing, the Kremlin said on Saturday. During the trip, the Russian leader will discuss with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping how to “further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Moscow and Beijing, according to a Kremlin statement. Putin and Xi will “exchange views on key international and regional issues” and sign a joint declaration at the conclusion of their talks, it added. As part of the visit, Putin is also scheduled to discuss economic and trade cooperation with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The announcement of Putin’s trip comes just after Trump wrapped up on Friday the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, with the grand reception belying a roster of unresolved trade and geopolitical tensions, including over the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Although Trump and Xi discussed the more than four-year-long conflict – as well as the US leader’s stalemated war with Iran – the …