分类： politics

Chinese officials have issued a stern condemnation of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, accusing it of recklessly compromising the island’s economic and security interests to appease foreign powers. At a Wednesday press conference, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhang Han characterized U.S.-Taiwan relations as fundamentally exploitative, stating Washington views Taiwan merely as “fat meat” and a “cash machine” to serve American strategic objectives.

The criticism came in response to Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te’s proposed $40 billion supplementary defense package aimed at purchasing American weaponry. Zhang denounced the expenditure as a catastrophic misallocation of resources that should instead benefit Taiwan’s economy and public welfare. “Buying weapons does not bring security; instead, it accelerates Taiwan’s slide into danger,” she asserted, emphasizing that subservience to external forces would “inevitably lead to self-destruction.”

Domestic opposition to the defense budget has emerged within Taiwan, with protesters and lawmakers from the Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party blocking the bill from legislative agenda consideration. Simultaneously, reports indicate Taiwan is negotiating reduced U.S. tariff rates in exchange for expanded semiconductor investments, a move Zhang described as draining Taiwan’s industrial resources without regard for residents’ livelihoods.

The spokeswoman also addressed concerning developments in U.S.-Taiwan relations, including the recently enacted Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act requiring regular review of engagement guidelines. Zhang reiterated China’s firm opposition to any U.S.-Taiwan military cooperation and urged Washington to adhere to the one-China principle, cautioning that provocative actions would undermine regional stability.

In a pivotal State Council study session convened on December 3, 2025, Premier Li Qiang championed the accelerated implementation of China’s people-centered new urbanization strategy. He emphasized its critical role in unlocking domestic demand potential through urban-rural integration and driving comprehensive socioeconomic advancement.

Presiding over the high-level meeting attended by Vice Premiers Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, and State Councilor Wang Xiaohong, Premier Li characterized urbanization as a fundamental engine for expanding domestic consumption, catalyzing industrial modernization, and strengthening China’s internal economic circulation. He noted that while significant progress has been achieved nationwide, the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) presents substantial opportunities for further development.

Premier Li observed that China’s urbanization is transitioning from rapid expansion to stable maturation, accompanied by profound transformations in demographic patterns, urban systems, and rural-urban dynamics. This evolution necessitates enhanced precision and effectiveness in policy implementation.

The Premier outlined a multifaceted approach requiring localized adaptation of urbanization plans, optimized coordination between population distribution, industrial development, and urban planning. He specifically highlighted the urgency of addressing critical social challenges including employment security, social welfare provisions, housing accessibility, and educational opportunities for rural migrant populations.

Further directives included advancing urban renewal initiatives, promoting construction of ‘quality homes,’ and fostering high-quality development within the real estate sector. Premier Li also stressed the importance of strengthening infrastructure connectivity and industrial alignment between urban and rural regions to achieve genuinely integrated development.

The strategic waters of the Red Sea have transformed into a primary theater for 21st-century power competition, where global ambitions intersect with regional conflicts and local political dynamics. Stretching from the Suez Canal to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, this 438,000-square-kilometer region borders the volatile Horn of Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and western Indo-Pacific, creating a complex geopolitical nexus.

According to international relations expert Federico Donelli, author of ‘Power Competition in the Red Sea,’ the region’s significance stems from its lack of a dominant power capable of imposing order, combined with its immense strategic value as a maritime corridor for global trade and energy transportation. This combination has created an open arena where traditional and emerging powers converge in increasingly assertive competition.

The United States and China maintain military facilities in Djibouti, while Russia has sought access to Port Sudan. Gulf powers including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar have expanded their presence through port investments, infrastructure projects, and military cooperation across Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Turkey, Iran, and Israel have also established significant political, economic, and security ties, linking the Red Sea to the eastern Mediterranean and Persian Gulf.

Local actors have become active participants rather than passive recipients in this power competition. Governments and non-state entities from Ethiopia to Sudan, Eritrea, Egypt, and Somalia are strategically exploiting global rivalries to advance their objectives—trading military access for security guarantees, seeking infrastructure investments, and leveraging diplomatic alignments to strengthen domestic and regional positions.

This dynamic has created a system of ‘multi-alignment’ where regional players maintain relationships with multiple external powers simultaneously, gaining leverage while increasing overall volatility. The ongoing Sudanese civil war has transformed into a proxy battlefield with rival factions seeking support from competing external players. In Somalia, local authorities negotiate directly with foreign powers like Turkey and Gulf states, often bypassing weak central institutions.

The Red Sea region exemplifies the broader transformation from the liberal international order—characterized by multilateralism, free markets, and liberal democracy—toward a post-liberal order defined by selective engagement, bilateral bargains, and flexible alignments. Here, order emerges from competition rather than consensus, with military presence, infrastructure investment, and political alliances serving as primary instruments of influence.

This arena serves as a microcosm of emerging global politics: fragmented, transactional, and deeply interconnected. The region demonstrates that the future international order will be shaped not only in traditional power centers like Washington, Beijing, Brussels, or Moscow, but equally in strategic locations like Port Sudan, Aden, and Djibouti, where global competition interacts directly with local conflicts and new governance models emerge.

The Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to China, Ro Jae-hun, has characterized bilateral relations as entering a transformative phase following President Xi Jinping’s landmark visit to South Korea last month—his first in over a decade. In an exclusive interview with China Daily, the ambassador revealed that both nations are actively engaged in diplomatic communications regarding an anticipated visit to China by ROK President Lee Jae-myung, following an official invitation extended by Xi.

The historic meeting between the two leaders in Gyeongju has been described as a pivotal moment for advancing mutual development and contributing to regional and global stability. Ambassador Ro emphasized that despite evolving global dynamics and domestic changes, the fundamental principle of mutually beneficial cooperation continues to drive economic growth in both countries.

Economic ties remain exceptionally strong, with bilateral trade reaching $328.08 billion in 2024, representing a 5.6% year-on-year increase. China has maintained its position as South Korea’s largest trading partner for 21 consecutive years, while South Korea remains China’s second-largest trading partner.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the bilateral free trade agreement, with both parties agreeing to accelerate second-phase negotiations that will expand into service sectors including culture and tourism. While acknowledging challenges such as trade protectionism and global supply chain restructuring that have affected some Korean exports to China, Ro framed these as opportunities for deeper collaboration.

The ambassador advocated for a strategic shift from vertical economic division to horizontal partnership, highlighting emerging sectors for cooperation including artificial intelligence, robotics, biomedicine, and new energy technologies.

Ro brings a unique personal perspective to his diplomatic role. His father, former ROK President Ro Tae-woo, established diplomatic relations between the two nations in 1992 and became the first Korean president to officially visit China later that same year. The ambassador described continuing this legacy as both a personal mission and responsibility.

People-to-people connections remain central to bilateral relations, with Ro citing the phenomenon of giant panda Fu Bao—born in South Korea and returned to China—as emblematic of transnational affection that transcends borders. Recent reciprocal visa-free policies for tourists and business travelers have further facilitated cross-border exchanges.

The ambassador called for intensified interactions between local governments, media organizations, academic institutions, and especially youth programs to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the foundation of ROK-China relations.