Xi Meets Lam in ‘Vote of Confidence’ Over Hong Kong Protests

HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s surprise meeting with Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam was a “vote of confidence” in her government’s ability to tackle five months of anti-government protests that have rocked the semi-autonomous Chinese territory, a senior official said Tuesday. Xi met Lam on the sidelines of a trade event in…

China Threatens Countermeasures if Trump Hikes Tariffs

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government has threatened unspecified “necessary countermeasures” if Trump’s planned tariff hike goes ahead. The Commerce Ministry said Trump’s announcement is a violation of his agreement with President Xi Jinping in June to revive negotiations aimed at ending their fight over Beijing’s trade surplus and technology ambitions. The ministry said if the…

Xi’s Tough Talk on Taiwan Backfires, as Tsai Support Surges

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to push Taiwanese closer to unification with a new year speech mixing carrots and sticks. That hasn’t panned out. Instead, his independence-leaning Taiwanese counterpart, Tsai Ing-wen, has enjoyed a surge in support following a brutal drubbing of her political party in local elections last year, according…