Edward Wong
Diplomatic Correspondent for The New York Times. Nieman Fellow @ Harvard. Ferris Professor of Journalism @ Princeton. 13 years covering China & Iraq.
Last synced from Twitter 982d ago
Trump Might Try to Postpone the Election. That’s Unconstitutional.
He should be removed unless he relents.
1
Edward Wong
Steven Calabresi, co-founder of the Federalist Society and a recent Trump supporter, writes in @nytimes that Trump must be impeached and removed from office for his tweet aiming to postpone the election. nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opi… pic.twitter.com/iJiMechXKS
4d
The Vatican Is Said to Be Hacked From China Before Talks With Beijing
In one attack, the hackers weaponized an electronic file with a letter that had a note of condolence from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.
1
Edward Wong
NEW: Hackers suspected of working for China penetrated the Vatican’s systems and those of representatives in Hong Kong, a US research group says. The attack came months before the Vatican & Beijing open talks over bishops. w/ @SangerNYT @jasondhorowitz.
6d
Chinese Communism is a Magic Mirror
“We are the Communist Party of China, and we will define what Communism is.” That’s what Chen Yuan, the deputy governor of China’s central…
1
Edward Wong
Short essay on the perils and pitfalls among so-called China watchers — written for this moment and worth reading. By @OpinionChina.
9d
Officials Push U.S.-China Relations Toward Point of No Return
Top aides to President Trump want to leave a lasting legacy of ruptured ties between the two powers. China’s aggression has been helping their cause.
5
Edward Wong
NEW: Trump aides aim to use tough actions to create a permanent state of confrontation & competition with China. They're working fast because they fear a Biden win — and want to leave a legacy of ruptured ties. China’s aggressions help. w/ @stevenleemyers.
9d
Trump Administration Plans to Bypass Arms Control Pact to Sell Large Armed Drones
The move has been opposed internally by arms control officials and lawmakers trying to limit the proliferation of such drones, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
3
Edward Wong
NEW: Trump officials plan to announce today they'll allow sales of large armed drones — bypassing an international arms control agreement banning the exports. Some officials & lawmakers oppose the move and are anxious about sales to Saudi Arabia and UAE.
10d
State Department Insiders Ask: What Is Susan Pompeo Really Up To?
The wife of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been integral to his meteoric rise. But her close involvement in his career has attracted unwelcome scrutiny.
2
Edward Wong
Definitive profile of Susan Pompeo — who manages every aspect of Mike Pompeo’s career & uses taxpayer resources as a volunteer at State Dept. She did the same at CIA, where she had office space in Langley. She oversees personnel. By @dlippman @nahaltoosi.
11d
U.S. Orders China to Close Its Houston Consulate in 72 Hours
The Trump administration told Chinese diplomats in Texas to clear out by Friday. China warned it would retaliate.
3
Edward Wong
UPDATE: @nytimes got 7-page document w/ details on FBI investigations into China's Houston consulate, incl. on trade secrets theft & coercion of Chinese citizens. And PLA officer is hiding from arrest warrant in SF consulate. w/ @jakesNYT @stevenleemyers.
11d
Trump Threatens to Send Federal Law Enforcement Forces to More Cities
As federal agents patrol Portland and head to Chicago, Democrats call the president’s plan “an American crisis,” barely 100 days before the election.
1
Edward Wong
In Portland, DHS officers w/ no insignias & no names on uniforms detained & assaulted activists. Now Trump says he is sending more to Chicago & other cities. Mayors say no. By @peterbakernyt @KannoYoungs @monicadavey1. nytimes.com/2020/07/20/us/… via @NYTimes
13d
Top State Dept. Officials Enabled Misconduct by Pompeo, Whistle-Blower Said
A newly public copy of the whistle-blower’s complaint says that top officials who were protecting the secretary of state blocked the whistle-blower from addressing the issue internally.
2
Edward Wong
State Dept. whistleblower said they witnessed misconduct by @SecPompeo, but was blocked from further action by executive office & legal aides. Other officials continued supporting Pompeo’s behavior, a new document says. State IG Linick began an inquiry.
14d
The World’s Most Technologically Sophisticated Genocide Is Happening in Xinjiang
The United States needs to formally acknowledge the scale of the atrocities.
1
Edward Wong
Here, @RayhanAsat & @yonahdiamond call on State Dept. to officially recognize the atrocities against ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang as genocide by Chinese officials. @RayhanAsat has an imprisoned brother, Ekpar.
15d
My Statement on the Passing of Rep. John Lewis
America is a constant work in progress. What gives each new generation purpose is to take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it…
3
Edward Wong
“And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders — to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise.” By @BarackObama.
16d
U.S. Weighs Sweeping Travel Ban on Chinese Communist Party Members
The presidential order under consideration would be based on the same statute in the Immigration and Nationality Act used in a 2017 travel ban on several predominantly Muslim countries.
Trump Administration Strips C.D.C. of Control of Coronavirus Data
Hospitals have been ordered to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and send all patient information to a central database in Washington, raising questions about transparency.
1
Edward Wong
What would we say of this kind of order in China or Russia? “The Trump administration has ordered hospitals to bypass the CDC and send all Covid-19 patient information to a central database in Washington beginning on Wednesday.” By @SherylNYT.
19d
New York Times Will Move Part of Hong Kong Office to Seoul
A sweeping national security law passed by China in June has unsettled news organizations and created uncertainty about the city’s prospects as a hub for journalism in Asia.
1
Edward Wong
Harbinger of changes among foreign cos. in Hong Kong: @nytimes had its Asia editing hub in HK for years, but is now moving some editors to Seoul because of the new national security law. And some NYT journalists are having trouble w/ work permit renewals.
19d
Trump Appointee Might Not Extend Visas for Foreign Journalists at V.O.A.
The action could be a blow to the news-gathering abilities of Voice of America, an independently operated media agency funded by the government.
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Officials Over Mass Detention of Muslims
The measure, over human rights abuses against mainly the Uighur ethnic group, is likely to ratchet up tensions between Washington and Beijing.
2
Edward Wong
US imposes sanctions against some senior officials in China overseeing the internment camps in which 1 million or more Muslims have been held. Trump told Xi to keep building the camps & blocked the sanctions, proposed by aides in 2018. w/ @pranshuverma_.
25d
WSJ News Exclusive | FBI Probes Chinese Exile, Including Work With Former Trump Aide Steve Bannon
The FBI is examining exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui and the money used to fund his media efforts in the U.S., including his work with Steve Bannon, a former senior adviser to President Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.
1
Edward Wong
FBI is investigating Guo Wengui, a Chinese tycoon in New York, and the work of a media company he runs that paid Steve Bannon $1 million starting in 2018.
25d
New Trump Appointee Puts Global Internet Freedom at Risk, Critics Say
A battle involving Michael Pack and a U.S.-funded tech group revolves around software from Falun Gong, the secretive, anti-Beijing spiritual movement with pro-Trump elements.
1
Edward Wong
NEW: GOP & Dem senators say Trump / Bannon ally Michael Pack endangers Open Technology Fund, a US group aiding global internet access. Pack fired fund’s heads. He & State Dept. are being pushed by allies of Falun Gong to divert $$$. w/ @pranshuverma_.
30d
Late Action on Virus Prompts Fears Over Safety of U.S. Diplomats in Saudi Arabia
Surging outbreaks in the U.S. Embassy and the kingdom and quiet congressional pressure led the State Department belatedly to allow voluntary departures. Some demand more action.
1
Edward Wong
NEW: US embassy officials in Saudi Arabia feel endangered by surging virus. They thought State Dept. leaders & Amb. Abizaid were putting employees at risk, so secretly got info to Congress. Trump is sensitive about MBS & Saudi ties. w/ @MarkMazzettiNYT.
33d
Trump Administration May End Congressional Review of Foreign Arms Sales
Discussions are underway about ending an informal review process because lawmakers from both parties have held up arms sales to Saudi Arabia over civilian casualties in Yemen.
1
Edward Wong
NEW: Trump officials may end Congressional review process of arms sales. Officials are angry over lawmakers halting sales to Saudi Arabia, whose war in Yemen has killed thousands. Pompeo, Esper & WH officials are involved. w/ @laforgia_ @EricSchmittNYT.
39d