WASHINGTON—Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to China that would make him the highest ranking congressional official to visit the country as tensions between the world’s two top powers continue to rise. Speaking to reporters on Sept. 13 following a forum on artificial intelligence, Mr. Schumer declined to share details about his trip, which follows a number of visits by senior Biden administration officials to the country, such as Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “I’m not going to get into my China trip,” he said, adding that Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) has been “one of the leaders” spearheading this trip. It’s unclear when the trip, which includes a stop to Japan and South Korea, will take place....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/china/schumer-confirms-he-will-lead-senate-delegation-to-china-5491226
A Chinese opera singer has sparked anger by performing a Soviet-era war ballad amidst the ruins of a theatre that was bombed by Russian forces in March 2022, killing hundreds who were sheltering there. Wang Fang, a 38-year-old singer, accompanied a delegation of Chinese social media personalities who visited the region last week. According to Russian news agency RT, the Chinese delegation visited the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula on Sept. 7. Russian authorities and the Chinese delegation discussed cooperation on tourism and exchanges of music conservatory students. They also talked about the investment potential of the Crimean Peninsula and reportedly agreed to establish commercial contacts....
Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu has not been publicly seen for the past two weeks, fueling discussions on social media about his whereabouts and the Chinese Communist Party’s power struggles. As of Wednesday, Gen. Li hasn’t been heard from publicly for 15 days. 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. The absence of the public face of the regime’s military recalled the disappearance of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, the protégé of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. On July 25, Mr. Qin was abruptly replaced after disappearing from public view for 30 days. No reason was provided in the brief official statement issued by state media....
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed his nation’s longstanding policy on the controlled release of treated radioactive wastewater during the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sept. 6. Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Qiang softened his rhetoric on the issue, signaling a potential thaw in relations between the two nations. Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima power plant on Aug. 24. The shift in Beijing’s tone over the release of the treated wastewater comes amid growing concern in Japan over the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) actions, prompting experts to advocate for a more action-oriented diplomatic approach to reduce dependency on China....