For the most part, residents of Asia-Pacific can travel again. But some are more confident about packing their bags than others. Travel confidence is “diverse and nuanced” in the region, according to a new survey commissioned by the travel website Booking.com. Some 11,000 people in the region were polled about their comfort levels and concerns, … Read more
Langya virus, which can cause fever, fatigue and nausea, found in 35 people in eastern China, researchers say. Scientists in Asia have identified a new virus that can cause severe fever and was likely to be transmitted to humans from animals in eastern China. The Langya henipavirus (LayV) was found in 35 people in the … Read more
Kinmen Islands, Taiwan – A storm is raging across the small Taiwanese island of Kinmen. On an empty beach along the island’s west coast, strong waves pound a line of rusty defensive stakes, secured in concrete foundations, that run like the spikes on a hedgehog’s back along the rocky coastal stretch. Further up the beach, … Read more
Zhou Xiaoxuan, known as Xianzi in China, became the face of the country’s #MeToo movement in 2018, when she publicly accused CCTV host Zhu Jun of groping and forcibly kissing her in a room four years earlier when she was a 21-year -old intern working on his show. Zhu, who was 50 at the time … Read more
Beijing’s new trade blocks against Taiwan affect about 0.04% of their two-way trade, making them more political than economic. Beijing took action against Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island earlier this month despite warnings from Beijing. That included suspensions of imports of Taiwanese citrus, frozen fish, sweets and biscuits and … Read more
Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian says change of government in Canberra offers an ‘opportunity to reset’ ties. Australia’s recent change of government offers an “opportunity to reset” ties with China, but more should be done to repair the sides’ strained trade relations, China’s top envoy in the country has said. Speaking to the National … Read more
BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday reaffirmed its threat to use the military force to bring self-governing Taiwan under its control, amid threatening Chinese military exercises that have raised tensions between the sides to their highest level in years. The lengthy policy statement issued by the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office and its news department followed … Read more
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The United States is doubling down on its investment in the Pacific, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Tuesday as she concluded a five-nation visit to the region where China has been making inroads. “The future will be written here in the Pacific,” Sherman said at an agreement-signing event … Read more
Footage of a groom exposing his bride’s affair on their wedding day by playing an X-rated video of her in bed with another man has left the internet in shock. Guests of the newlyweds in China can be seen looking on in horror as a steamy bedroom scene featuring the bride and her new husband’s … Read more
PINGTUNG, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan warned Tuesday that Chinese military drills aren’t just a rehearsal for an invasion of the self-governing island but also reflects ambitions to control large swaths of the western Pacific, as Taipei conducted its own exercises to underscore it’s ready to defend itself. Angered by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent … Read more