MANILA, Philippines—The United States renewed a warning Monday that it would defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack under a 1951 treaty, after Chinese ships blocked and collided with two Filipino vessels off a contested shoal in the South China Sea. Philippine diplomats summoned a Chinese Embassy official in Manila on Monday for a strongly worded protest following Sunday’s collisions off Second Thomas Shoal. No injuries were reported but the encounters damaged a Philippine coast guard ship and a wooden-hulled supply boat operated by navy personnel, officials said. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called an emergency meeting with the defense secretary and other top military and security officials to discuss the latest hostilities in the disputed waters. The Philippines and other neighbors of China have resisted Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims over virtually the entire South China Sea, and some, like Manila, have sought U.S. military support as incidents multiply....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/china/us-renews-warning-it-will-defend-philippines-after-incidents-with-chinese-vessels-in-south-china-sea-5515121
China removed defense minister Li Shangfu from his position on Oct. 24, the latest sign of the opacity of the regime’s decision-making. Gen. Li was also dismissed as state councilor, a post outranking a minister, according to a brief statement issued by state media Xinhua. Gen. Li hasn’t been heard from publicly for nearly two months. His last public appearance was on Aug. 29, when he addressed a security forum and held talks with visiting defense ministers from Ghana, Zambia, and several other African countries. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has announced several abrupt changes to his top leadership in recent months. Mr. Xi removed his handpicked foreign minister, Qin Gang, from the post in July, just seven months after he gave Mr. Qin the job.... 
China’s ruling communists have launched tax and land-use probes into Foxconn, one of tech giant Apple’s largest suppliers, as the company’s Taiwanese founder runs as an independent for the presidency of the self-governing island. Observers believe that the sudden investigations into the company’s affairs may be politically motivated. Mainland Chinese media reported on Oct. 22 that Chinese authorities have recently audited Foxconn’s key subsidiaries in Guangdong, Jiangsu, and other provinces. Meanwhile, the natural resources department has launched on-site investigations on the land use of a number of Foxconn’s factories. After the news of the Foxconn audit was made public, the company, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, released a statement saying that complying with the law was one of its “basic principles”....
Commentary What a surprise! A week before Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agreed to a review of its tariffs on Australian wine. It has also indicated that it will review the restrictions on wind towers under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) framework. Australia has already agreed to suspend its WTO dispute about wine while the Chinese review proceeds. In 2021, China imposed tariffs on Australian wine in response to criticism of its lack of transparency about the origins and spread of COVID-19. It also imposed tariffs on other items, including Australian barley; but not on resources it relied on, such as iron ore....