China

Two Tibetans self-immolate in Lhasa: is protest spreading?

Two Tibetans set themselves on fire Sunday in the first such protests against Chinese rule in Lhasa, the tightly controlled Tibetan capital. At least 34 Tibetans have self-immolated since March 2011.
China's evolving relationship with 'barbarians'

China, which used to officially refer to foreigners as 'barbarians,' has a long history of xenophobia. The issue is at the forefront again after two high-profile incidents with foreigners.
Filipinos back government on China dispute, but want more diplomacy

While most Filipinos say that their government should not yield to to Chinese pressure in the South China Sea, others say that Manila could improve its diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue.
In China, public outcry softens sentence for Wu Ying

China's Twitter users went wild Tuesday after a court overturned the most controversial death sentence here in recent memory.
Taiwan president says peace deal with China not a top priority

As he started his second term Sunday, Taiwan President Ma said trade liberalization would take priority over any peace accord with China, for which there is little public support.
The difficulty of supporting activists such as Chen Guangchen in China

Being a qualified lawyer gives lawyers who support activists such as Chen Guangchen a measure of protection, but they are still vulnerable to all kinds of official pressure.
Focus
The Chen affair: How it highlighted blind spots in Beijing

Chen Guangcheng arrived in the US Saturday, after fleeing mistreatment by local Chinese officials. The case highlights the central government's imperfect oversight of the provinces.
Who is Chen Guangcheng?

Chen Guangcheng is a self-taught lawyer whose work exposing forced abortions and sterilizations in Shangdong Province put him at the center of a US-China diplomatic crisis.
Why China's economy may be heading for a hard landing

Business confidence has sunk for the third quarter in a row as a growing number of indicators suggest China's economy is slowing.
Terrorism & Security
Philippines feels the economic cost of standing up to China

The South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines is beginning to take its toll on the Philippine economy, which is heavily dependent on Chinese demand for its exports.
Global News Blog
Two propaganda flops in less than two weeks: Is Beijing losing its touch?

The official Chinese media appear to have it in for US Ambassador Gary Locke. But their angry attacks against him are backfiring with Chinese Twitterati.
China, Philippines to ban fishing in disputed South China Sea

The Philippines and China are set to impose fishing bans in the South China Sea amid a tense territorial standoff.
North Korean women sold into 'slavery' in China

Like the thousands of women who fled North Korea before her, Kim Eun-sun made it into China and paid a woman to help her, only to discover she'd traded one form of captivity for another.
China's standoff with the Philippines heats up with travel warnings, oil drilling

Analysts say the oil-rich waters around Scarborough Shoal and the Paracels are but one factor in the increasingly prickly relations between China and the Philippines.
Activist Chen Guangcheng: China targets lawyers trying to help

Officials have confiscated the license of a lawyer who volunteered to defend blind activist Chen Guangcheng's nephew. The nephew has been charged with 'homicide with intent.'
China tightens restrictions on Chen Guangcheng's family

As blind activist Chen Guangcheng waits in a Beijing hospital for travel documents to leave for the US with his family, his extended family is coming under pressure over his escape, he said.
Seeking Chen Guangcheng's freedom in China via 'Internet meme'

Supporters of the activist lawyer have kept the torch burning for his release using Internet memes: online pieces of content that spread their message without rousing China's infamous censors.
China: Al Jazeera reporter expelled for 'breaking Chinese laws'

Chinese authorities forced Al Jazeera English to close its China news operations, and suggested that its reporter had broken unspecified laws and behaved unethically.
Terrorism & Security
China blames the Philippines for South China Sea dispute

China warned the Philippines that confrontation over a disputed island in the South China Sea could worsen. Beijing has made 'every preparation' to counter Manila's 'provocations.'
China forces Al Jazeera to close Beijing news bureau

China refused to renew the visa for Al Jazeera's China reporter. This is the first time an accredited foreign correspondent living in China has been ejected since 1998.
Chen's victory an isolated case, say Chinese activists

If China allows activist Chen Guangcheng to leave with his family, it will be an individual victory unlikely to usher in better treatment for other dissidents.
Chen Guancheng's friends and family detained and silenced by China (+video)

The manner in which Chen Guangcheng's associates have been treated the past few days seems to have convinced him that he and his family can feel secure only outside China’s borders.
Can China, US strike a new deal on blind dissident? (+video)

Chen Guangcheng, a blind Chinese activist, has upended an earlier agreement between China and the US, disrupting a visit to Beijing by Hillary Clinton.
Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng: What we know now

Activist lawyer Chen Guangcheng left the US Embassy in Beijing on Wednesday of his own volition, US and Chinese officials said, but reports quickly surfaced that he changed his mind.
Chinese activist pressured to leave US embassy, says friend (+video)

To protect his family, the blind legal activist agreed to leave the safety of the US embassy and stay in China, a trusted friend of Chen Guangcheng told the Monitor.