CHINA

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Asean leaders last Monday that Beijing would not “bully” its smaller regional neighbours, amid rising tension over the South China Sea. Addressing a virtual summit, he said China would never seek hegemony nor take advantage of its size to coerce smaller countries, and would work with Asean to eliminate “interference”. “China was, is, and will always be a good neighbour, good friend, and good partner of Asean,” state media quoted Mr Xi as saying.

China’s foreign ministry on Thursday said it noted an expression of “regret” by JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon over a joke he made about his bank outlasting the Communist Party. A ministry spokesman said he hoped the media would stop “hyping” the issue. The Dimon remark became a hot topic in financial circles, with bankers surprised the JPMorgan boss would make such a comment, given the sensitivities of dealing with China these days.