The top American diplomat in China sees Beijing's objection to a potential ban on TikTok in the U.S. as "supremely ironic." Ambassador Nicholas Burns discusses trade and technological sanctions on Chinese firms and his view that American businesses operating in the world's second-largest economy are hesitant to invest more.

Capitol Hill

The U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, labeled Beijing's opposition to a possible TikTok ban in the United States as "supremely ironic." His comments highlight the tension between the U.S. and China over technological and trade sanctions, specifically regarding Chinese firms. Burns also pointed out that American businesses are showing reluctance to increase their investments in China, which is the world's second-largest economy. This hesitation is seen in the context of the broader geopolitical and economic tensions between the two countries.



Top U.S. diplomat criticizes China's response to potential TikTok ban

We've heard a number of complaints from the government here in Beijing this week about the American debate on TikTok. I find it supremely ironic because government officials here are using the X platform to criticize the United States. They don't give their own citizens the right to use X, to use Instagram, to use Facebook, to have access to Google. And so it is ironic indeed that the government here is complaining about a process when they shut down access for 1.4 billion Chinese to all these platforms. Every country has a duty and responsibility to protect its national security. And what the president has done over the last year and a half is to make it impossible for sensitive American technology, advanced semiconductors for AI purposes to be sold to China because we know it will happen. We know that with the PLA, the People's Liberation Army, will take advantage of that technology to strengthen itself at the expense of the American military. We're not going to do that. We're not going to compromise on national security and we're not going to negotiate. And you can bet that that the government here in Beijing is taking similar measures. They have not allowed for most of the last 20 years the export of core sensitive national security applied Chinese technology to the United States. And so you know every every government and certainly our government has a right to take these decisive steps. And that's what we're doing. I also talked to a lot of businesses and we all know about the FDI numbers foreign direct investment down to the lowest gain since 1993. There is hesitation not only because of the economy is weak but also because of the myriad of different national security and the opacity of such policy especially coming out of the National People's Congress. We didn't get a lot of clarity on policy. We do know and you were in that 60 Minutes interview where you did talk about U.S. companies such as Bain and Company Mint's and others who have seen raids and they've seen arrests of U.S. citizens. Can you can you elaborate on the threat and the pall that has been cast over the investment community and doing business Americans doing business in China at this time. I think this is a question central to the U.S. China relationship for the next year and the year beyond. We have a five hundred and seventy five billion dollar two way trade relationship. China's the third largest trade partner of the United States. There are thousands of American companies doing business here. Here's the problem. They're hearing conflicting signals. Some senior Chinese government officials say private sector investment is welcome in China. Your investment will be protected. But then these companies are also hearing a different message whether it's the raids against American companies of last March and April whether it is the opacity of the counter espionage law where espionage is defined in such a general way that normal activities in any other country of the world the collection of data could be construed as espionage. And so we see American firms backing away or at least being very cautious about investing a lot of money here because they're not sure where the lines are. And I think the voices that they're hearing from the government here in China about national security they're the strongest and loudest voices right now.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro says his country will break diplomatic relations with Israel. He's criticised Israel's conduct since the start of the war on Gaza. Petro requested to join South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide.

Bogotá

Israel-Gaza War

Colombia ends diplomatic relations with Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, pushing to get more aid into Gaza, while urging Hamas to accept a deal that would halt fighting and bring some hostages home from the enclave.

Jerusalem

Blinken pushes for sustained aid into Gaza during Israel trip

Police in Georgia fired teargas and rubber bullets at protesters demonstrating against a bill that would require organizations – including media and NGOs – that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as agents "pursuing the interests of a foreign power." The bill has been dubbed the "Russian law" by its detractors.

Tbilisi

Thousands protest against Georgia's 'foreign influence' bill

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel to press for a ceasefire deal, saying “the time is now" and warning that Hamas would bear the blame for any failure to get an agreement to halt the war in Gaza off the ground.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Blinken in Israel to push for ceasefire in Gaza

A diplomatic push is underway to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, with the U.S. exerting pressure on Hamas to agree to Israel's terms. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to attack Rafah in southern Gaza, whether there's a ceasefire or not.

Netanyahu vows to invade Rafah 'with or without' ceasefire deal

Qantas has apologised to customers after its app exposed personal passenger data. The airline blames a technical disruption and says the data breach was not a cyber security incident.

Council of the City of Sydney

Qantas app data breach exposes customer data

The International Court of Justice has ruled against issuing emergency measures over German arms sales to Israel as requested by Nicaragua, which had argued that there was a serious risk of genocide in Gaza amid Israel’s assault on the Palestinian territory.

The Hague

ICJ rejects measures over German arms exports to Israel

New York police have entered Columbia University and arrested protesters barricaded inside a building who have been calling on the New York school to divest itself from companies associated with Israel.

New York

Police enter Columbia University, arrest protesters

A smiling and healthy-looking King Charles returned to public duties on Tuesday (April 30) for the first time since he was diagnosed in February with cancer, paying a visit to a treatment center for the disease in London.

London

King Charles returns to public duties, visits cancer center

A 14-year-old boy is dead and multiple people injured after a daylight sword attack in Hainault, in east London. The alleged attacker tasered and arrested by Police shortly afterwards.

Hainault

Teenage boy killed in London sword attack

Brittany Higgins has failed in a bid to delay a defamation trial brought against her by Senator Linda Reynolds over social media posts made in July last year. Fiancé David Sharaz, also named in the case, calling for the Senator to drop the case.

Canberra

Brittany Higgins fails in bid to delay defamation trial

Since taking office four months ago, Argentina's new president Javier Milei has slashed public employment in an effort to cut the country's deficit. So far, 24,000 people have been let go, and Milei has said he wants that figure to hit 70,000, about 10 percent of overall government employees.

Buenos Aires

Argentina's Milei slashes 24,000 government jobs

A Russian missile attack on an educational institution in a popular seafront park in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa killed at least five people and injured 32, local officials said. Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian missile and drone attacks, particular port infrastructure.

Odesa

Ukraine Invasion

Russian missile attack kills five in Ukraine's Odesa

Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf resigned, further opening the door to the UK opposition Labour Party regaining ground in its former Scottish heartlands during a national election expected to be held later this year.

Edinburgh

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf quits

A 17-year-old girl charged with the stabbing murder of her 10-year-old sister in a suburb of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales will remain in custody.

Lake Macquarie

Teenager faces court over murder of 10-year-old sister

Columbia University began suspending pro-Palestinian activists who refused to dismantle a tent encampment on its New York City campus after the Ivy League school declared a stalemate in talks seeking to end the polarizing protest.

Columbia University suspends pro-Palestinian protesters

The debris from a missile that landed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Jan. 2 was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, United Nations sanctions monitors told a Security Council committee in a report seen by Reuters on Monday (April 29).

Kharkiv

U.N. experts say North Korea missile landed in Kharkiv

Columbia University's president said that talks with pro-Palestinian activists over a protest encampment on the Ivy League campus in New York City had reached an impasse and urged demonstrators to voluntarily disperse or face suspension.

Protesters defy deadline to leave Columbia encampment

Spain's Prime Minister said he has decided to stay in office after days of publicly weighing his future, generating relief amongst leftist allies, exasperation among the public and ridicule from his opponents. Sanchez said last week that he was retreating from public duty to decide whether to quit.

Madrid

Pedro Sanchez stays on as Spain's prime minister

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he is hopeful Hamas will accept an “extraordinarily generous” offer, as U.K. Foreign Minister David Cameron says it will include a 40-day ceasefire. But the sticking points remain: Israelis want a truce while Hamas demands a cessation of all hostilities.

Riyadh

U.S., U.K. urge Hamas to accept Israeli truce proposal

G7 environment ministers have gathered in Turin for two days of talks, as hundreds of protesters demonstrated in the city, some burning photos of the G7 leaders who they accuse of failing future generations over the climate crisis.

Turin

Climate Crisis

Protesters call for climate action ahead of G7 meeting in Turin

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne is in the Lebanese capital Beirut for talks aimed at easing tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. After meeting Lebanon’s influential Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, and the head of the Lebanese army, Joseph Aoun, Sejourne said there had been “a lot of progress” over the French proposals.

Beirut

French FM says ‘a lot of progress’ in Lebanon talks

At least four people are dead, including an infant, after a series of tornadoes swept across Oklahoma. The weather system is threatening the region with more twisters, heavy rain and large hail in a band stretching from Missouri to Texas.

Sulphur

At least four dead in Oklahoma tornadoes

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she would stand in upcoming European Parliament elections, a move apparently calculated to boost her far-right party, although she would be forced to resign immediately under EU rules.

Pescara

Italian far-right PM Meloni says will stand in EU elections

At least four people died, including a four-month-old baby, in Oklahoma this weekend, after dozens of twisters swept the U.S. Southern Plains. The White House said, President Joe Biden has pledged federal support for Oklahoma as well as other states hit by severe storms.

Oklahoma

Deadly tornadoes rip through Oklahoma

The Sydney Bishop targeted in an alleged terror-related attack a fortnight ago has made a surprise appearance before his congregation in Western Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel saying he forgives his attacker, who is facing terrorism charges.

Wakeley

Sydney bishop returns to pulpit after stabbing

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been slammed by protest leaders for his involvement in a protest against gendered violence in Canberra at the weekend. Organisers hitting out at the Labor leader on social media, calling him a 'liar'.

Protest leaders hit out at Prime Minister over power 'abuse'

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "reiterated his clear position" on a possible invasion of the Gaza border city of Rafah, the White House said.

Biden tells Netanyahu U.S. doesn't support Rafah assault

Ukraine's top general says his troops have been forced to retreat as fighting on the country's eastern front intensified. Kyiv's forces have fallen back to new positions in at least three places along the front, west of the Donetsk region.

Donetsk

Ukraine troops retreating on eastern front

Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on an unannounced visit, to meet senior officials to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving software and permission to transfer data overseas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.