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Edward Wong Profile picture
Edward Wong
@ewong
Diplomatic Correspondent @nytimes. Author of "At the Edge of Empire: A Family's Reckoning with China." Harvard Nieman Fellow. Taught at Princeton & UC Berkeley.
Feb 24, 2023 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
China’s “peace plan” for Ukraine war repeats its standard talking points. On #1, sovereignty, China has never said Russia violates Ukrainian sovereignty. That point could mean Russia needs to defend its “sovereignty” & “territory,” as Putin states. fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_6… 2. Point #2 in the “plan” — abandon “Cold War mentality” — is China’s standard criticism of the US and its allies. And the warning against expanding security blocs is clearly aimed at NATO. The line supports one of Putin’s justifications for the war: limiting NATO expansion.
Mar 20, 2022 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
Speech of China Vice FM Le Yucheng after Biden-Xi talk makes clear China’s siding w/ Russia on Ukraine war. Of 4 points he makes on the crisis, 3 blame NATO. The 4th denounces US & EU sanctions. There’s not even a hint of Russia as invader. English text: fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjbxw/2022… 2. People’s Liberation Army Daily piece makes similar points as Le Yucheng. China equates its POV w/ that of Russia & says NATO enlargement — which Putin uses to justify war — equals US Indo-Pacific strategy. See @niubi & @SheenaGreitens for more. Text: qstheory.cn/qshyjx/2022-03…
Mar 18, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Xinhua released a longer readout of the Biden-Xi call. It indicates no change in China’s stance. Xi didn't suggest a role China could play in ending the war. And he used a favorite phrase of his to cast blame on the US: "Let he who tied the bell on the tiger’s neck take it off.” 2. The Chinese readout said US & NATO should talk to Russia to try to resolve the crisis and address the security concerns of Russia & Ukraine. It also emphasized the tensions between China & US over Taiwan before it mentioned Ukraine. Here it is: xhpfmapi.xinhuaxmt.com/vh512/share/10…
Mar 16, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Amb. Qin Gang has an op-ed in @WashPost. It has the same statements that come from Beijing & is for US audience. In Beijing, officials also say US started Ukraine war, denounce NATO and spread anti-US / Ukraine conspiracy theories. Qin linked to our story: nytimes.com/2022/03/02/us/… @WashPost 2. China isn’t changing its stand. It calibrates messages to different audiences. People need to look at the range & at China’s actions. Chinese officials say their stand has been consistent. They’re right. Xi sides w/ Putin. There are no signs Xi is asking Putin to end the war.
Mar 13, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
NEW: Russia asked China for military and economic support after Putin began his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US officials say. Jake Sullivan plans to meet with Yang Jiechi in Rome on Monday to discuss the war and China’s role. w/ @julianbarnes. nytimes.com/2022/03/13/us/… @julianbarnes 2. The Biden administration is seeking to lay out for China the consequences of its alignment with Russia. Some US officials argue it might be possible to dissuade Beijing from ramping up its assistance to Moscow. Xi may not want to further enmesh himself with Putin, they say.
Mar 13, 2022 • 5 tweets • 4 min read
Brent Renaud produced important videos for the @nytimes & worked with his brother Craig. Here’s an interview w/ them after their video on child survivors of the Haiti quake won a big award. He was shot dead by Russian soldiers. A partner was injured. 1/2. vimeo.com/33910590 2. Here is the statement from @nytimes on Brent Renaud’s death in Ukraine. His killing by Russian soldiers is being felt deeply among journalists in and outside of the Times.
Dec 9, 2020 • 6 tweets • 4 min read
This is notable — and a key marker for those who say Trump’s actions help China: The Chinese embassy in the US has retweeted Trump’s fake claim of election fraud. For autocrats, Trump is helping delegitimize democracy and eroding US standing. Putin has repeated his arguments too. 2. It’ll be interesting to see if Chinese and Russian officials and media outlets also start amplifying the statements of Republican officials, including members of Congress, who support Trump’s efforts at subverting the election. Read @tripgabriel on GOP: nytimes.com/2020/12/09/us/…
Dec 5, 2020 • 6 tweets • 4 min read
NEW: An official scientific report given to State Dept. says microwave “attack” likely led to severe injuries of US diplomats & spies in China, Cuba and other countries. Some say Russia is likely culprit — and ask why Trump hasn't acted. w/ @AnaSwanson. nytimes.com/2020/12/05/bus… 2. This is an important update to @nytimes investigation that noted the report's existence & demands by lawmakers that the State Dept. release it. The story also said CIA officers had reported illnesses on overseas trips — including @Mpolymer in Moscow: nytimes.com/2020/10/19/us/…
Nov 25, 2020 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
Thread — On potential war crimes charges against US officials for supporting Saudi Arabia in the Yemen war: House lawmakers have released an important affidavit from Michael F. Miller, a career State Dept. official who helps oversee arms sales. Full doc: foreignaffairs.house.gov/_cache/files/d… 2. Miller confirms State Dept. lawyers issued a 2016 “formal foundational document" that remains “the most authoritative legal assessment on this matter.” We wrote about the key memo and the controversy in the Trump administration in this detailed story: nytimes.com/2020/09/14/us/…
Nov 3, 2020 • 8 tweets • 4 min read
NEW: Top Trump officials are accused of using taxpayer resources to campaign for Trump — Pompeo, O’Brien, Barr, Wolf, Ratcliffe. Office of Special Counsel is investigating @SecPompeo for 2 potential illegal acts. w/ @shearm @michaelcrowley @KannoYoungs. nytimes.com/2020/11/02/us/… 2. "Other presidents have embraced the perks of incumbency to their advantage. But no other modern president of either party has so brazenly directed government action toward his own benefit by so many agencies and departments." nytimes.com/2020/11/02/us/…
Oct 19, 2020 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
NEW: US diplomats & spies say Trump administration has concealed info on mystery attacks abroad in which Russia is a suspect. We found new episodes w/ CIA officers in Moscow & elsewhere — similar to Cuba & China crises. w/ @AnaSwanson @julianbarnes. nytimes.com/2020/10/19/us/… 2. Our @nytimes investigation found the Trump administration took a softer approach on China. State Dept. didn't open an investigation there, as they had in Cuba. They downplayed the idea of attacks. They didn't give the same benefits to the US government employees who suffered.
Aug 20, 2020 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
In @nytimes story on indictment of Bannon: He was arrested in CT on yacht owned by Guo Wengui, Chinese tycoon in NYC said to have ties to China’s spy agency. Bannon took $1 million. Donald Trump Jr. endorsed the “fundraising.” Kobach was on its board. nytimes.com/2020/08/20/nyr… 2. Bannon’s friend Guo is not a Chinese “dissident,” as people claim. He has a complex history in elite power struggles. He fled China after officials arrested Ma Jian, a top officer in MSS, the spy agency. Sources in China say the two were close. More: nytimes.com/2018/12/27/wor…
Jul 23, 2020 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Pompeo just delivered a speech on China at the Nixon Library in which he said US relations w/ China should be based on “distrust and verify.” He didn’t call on Chinese citizens to rise up against the CCP or to change the direction of the party, though he praised dissidents. 2. Pompeo said Nixon "engaged Beijing with clear eyes.” But he also said, while at the Nixon Library & in the presence of Nixon’s family members, that “the kind of engagement we have been
pursuing has not brought the kind of change in China that President Nixon hoped to induce."
Jun 17, 2020 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
WSJ excerpt of Bolton book has Trump & China bombshells. Trump told Xi building concentration camps for Muslims "was exactly the right thing to do.” Trump pleaded w/ Xi to help him w/ re-election by making US farm product buys. And Trump helped Xi w/ ZTE. wsj.com/articles/john-… 2. Bolton details on Trump using China policy for re-election raises questions about @SecPompeo meeting quietly today in Hawaii w/ Chinese official Yang Jiechi. People ask: 1) Will they discuss farm goods purchases to help Trump? 2) Dirt on Hunter Biden? 3) Huawei & Meng Wanzhou?
Jun 6, 2020 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
.@SecPompeo just released long statement denouncing bad-faith propaganda that China uses against US in current crises. This came hours after our @nytimes story on propaganda by autocrats, global erosion of US moral authority & the struggle of US diplomats: nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/… 2. Pompeo accurately lists many rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, far greater than occurs in the US. But he doesn’t acknowledge the extraordinary # of recent incidents of violence against journalists in US — possibly at least 280, CPJ says: cpj.org/2020/06/cpj-bo…
May 2, 2020 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
NEW: Top Trump officials take harder actions on China during pandemic — cutting US investments, scientific collaboration and infrastructure purchases. Xi & Communist Party play tough too. Ties are at lowest point in decades. w/ @AnaSwanson. Story & thread. nytimes.com/2020/05/01/us/… 2. Pompeo leads senior aides in asking spy agencies to keep looking for proof supporting an unsubstantiated theory that a lab accident in China led to the pandemic. Agency analysts say they likely won't find it & fear distortion of assessments. More here: nytimes.com/2020/04/30/us/…
Apr 30, 2020 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
NEW: Did virus leak from a lab in China? Trump aides press spy agencies for a link — but analysts say they likely won’t find proof. Some worry about potential intel distortion. Trump wants focus on China. w/ @MarkMazzettiNYT @julianbarnes @adamgoldmanNYT. nytimes.com/2020/04/30/us/… 2. Trump officials are trying to find proof for the lab theory — which many scientists & some intel analysts say is unlikely — when there is obvious info on how Chinese officials covered up failures on virus. Earlier @nytimes story by @stevenleemyers: nytimes.com/2020/03/29/wor…
Apr 26, 2020 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Republican politicians push anti-China rhetoric to try to win votes in Nov. These politicians know nothing about China. They back xenophobic, anti-immigrant policies. And they’re covering for Trump’s failures on the virus — more than 50,000 Americans dead. politico.com/news/2020/04/2… 2. Bipartisan foreign policy crowd in DC is worried. There had been bipartisan work on some tougher US policies toward China. The effort is valued by China strategists in Trump administration. New push by GOP to attack Biden & Dems on China will destroy that — and help Xi & CCP.
Apr 22, 2020 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
NEW: Remember the fake messages saying Trump was locking down U.S. because of the coronavirus? Our @nytimes investigation showed Chinese agents helped spread them to millions. US officials were alarmed. Trump dismissed concerns over China’s disinformation. nytimes.com/2020/04/22/us/… @nytimes 2. The investigation was a team effort w/ @AllMattNYT & @julianbarnes. We tracked sets of fake messages across platforms. Sources included officials from 6 US agencies. And 2 outside bipartisan research groups have findings on China’s disinfo: @SecureDemocracy & @CNASdc.
Feb 27, 2020 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Breaking: US health employees interacted w/ Americans quarantined for possible exposure to coronavirus without proper medical training or gear, whistleblower says. The workers were ordered to Calif. to meet w/ high-risk Americans evacuated from China. nytimes.com/2020/02/27/us/… Now there's a reported case of coronavirus transmission in Calif. close to Travis Air Base, where the health workers met passengers and then went their separate ways. The whistleblower is a veteran HHS employee. This will increase scrutiny of decisions by Trump & Alex Azar.
Jan 25, 2020 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
Pompeo’s official response to @NPRKelly interview doesn’t deny her account of his bullying & cursing. This is an attack on news organizations from the top US diplomat, someone who is supposed to defend press freedoms. It’s obvious he’s playing to an audience of one — Trump. @NPRKelly Pompeo also undermines his credibility on the facts of the episode in the statement. There is little chance @NPRKelly, a Cambridge-educated expert on Europe, would have pointed to Bangladesh if he asked her to identify Ukraine on an unlabeled map.