China’s tug-of-war over Ukraine, TikTok, Taiwan, and the South China Sea

Here’s what else you need to know about China today:

Top story: Xi and Putin have stirred up a lot of talk and a lot of anxieties over Ukraine, and China and Russia’s deepening relationship this past week. Scroll down for all you need to know about their meeting.

It’s not looking good for TikTok in the U.S.: The company’s CEO, Shou Chew 周受资 Zhōu Shòuzī), spent four hours trying to convince a hostile group of lawmakers in Congress that the short-video company is not a threat to the U.S. If anything, Bloomberg says, his “testimony gave critics more fuel to insist the app be banned in the U.S.” Meanwhile, Beijing says it opposes a forced sale of TikTok.

Taiwan recalled its Honduras ambassador after the Central American country announced last week that it will seek to establish formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, implying that it would sever such ties with Taipei. The move has made Honduras the latest country to switch allegiances to China, leaving only 13 countries that officially recognize Taiwan.

Spain’s prime minister plans to visit China next week to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xí Jìnpíng 习近平, and discuss a resolution to the war in Ukraine. The news comes just a few days after Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, as Beijing plays a more active role as a mediator in the conflict.

U.S.-China tensions are growing in the South China Sea, again. Washington has denied Beijing’s claims that a U.S. warship illegally entered disputed waters near the Paracel Islands, an archipelago that Vietnam, Taiwan, and the P.R.C.— lay separate territorial claims to. Meanwhile, Beijing has urged for the Philippines and China to “properly manag[e] differences” during the first in-person meeting between their foreign ministers since before the COVID pandemic.