UK-Japan relations ‘stronger than ever’ as Sunak pens new post-Brexit defence deal at Tower of London January 11, 2023 The UK and Japan today signed a new defence agreement with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying that relations between the two nations are “stronger than ever.” Sunak signed the deal alongside Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Tower of London this evening. The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) allows both nations to deploy military forces in [...]
Brexit, Covid and Ukraine drag on Games Workshop’s profits despite record sales January 10, 2023 Warhammer-maker Games Workshop recorded sales of over £200m for the first time, but Covid, Brexit and the war in Ukraine continue to dent its commercial plans. The FTSE 250 firm announced it made £212m from May until the the end of 2022, up more than £20m on the previous year. But it also reported a [...]
How the Chinese New Year and covid rule changes could give a tourism boost to London’s West End January 6, 2023 London’s West End is looking forward to the return of Chinese tourists this month, after the easing of the nation’s zero-Covid policy – ahead of the Chinese New Year. China has seen a surge in Covid infections in recent months, with EU countries introducing testing requirements for travellers. Travel from and to China will be [...]
Airlines ‘extremely disappointed’ by wave of China-targeted Covid restrictions January 4, 2023 The global industry body for airlines has said it is “extremely disappointed” by countries’ decisions to introduce restrictions on travellers from China after Covid cases have skyrocketed in the country following Beijing’s decision to ditch its zero-Covid policy. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents around 300 airlines across the globe, described the wave [...]
China’s zero-Covid policy must be a cautionary tale for the UK January 4, 2023 The rise in Covid-19 cases in China has seen the return of travel restrictions – but Paul Ormerod argues the scientific evidence suggests lockdowns aren’t worth the cost – only shifting cases, rather than eliminating them As we greet the new year with the hope of more serene times ahead, some might do it with [...]
Transport secretary: Covid-positive China arrivals will not have to isolate January 3, 2023 Transport secretary Mark Harper has confirmed the UK will not require Covid-positive arrivals from China to quarantine despite mounting calls from the Health Security Agency to identify and test cases. The transport secretary told LBC today that travellers from China will not be forced to isolate and said the policy to test arrivals was put [...]
Huawei out of ‘crisis mode’ after years of US restrictions on Chinese tech giant December 30, 2022 Huawei, the Chinese technology giant, says it has emerged from “crisis mode” after years of US restrictions that have stifled its overseas sales, even though its revenue for 2022 failed to grow from a year earlier. “US restrictions are now our new normal, and we’re back to business as usual,” Eric Xu, Huawei’s current chairman, [...]
Ben Wallace: UK approach to China travel ‘under review’ amid Covid concerns December 29, 2022 The possibility of the UK introducing restrictions for travellers from China is “under review”, as the nation prepares to open up overseas travel, the UK defence secretary has said. China has announced plans to ditch its Covid-zero policy and will reopen its borders in January. The US will require all arrivals from China to provide [...]
Show of strength? China sends dozens of aircraft into Taiwanese airspace December 26, 2022 Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and drones entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in the past 24 hours, the island’s government said on Monday, the largest reported incursion to date. Of the aircraft, 43 also crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the [...]
US-China tension: Taiwan spending angers Beijing power brokers December 24, 2022 Beijing has condemned an annual US defence spending bill for hyping up the “China threat”, but Taiwan welcomed the legislation, saying it demonstrated US support for the self-governing island that China says must come under its rule. “China deplores and firmly opposes this US move,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted online on [...]