Britain on Sunday, July 19, accused Beijing of “gross, egregious human rights abuses” over its “deeply troubling” treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in China’s western Xinjiang region. Rights groups and experts estimate that more than one million ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking minorities have been rounded up into a …
Read More »China prepares to launch rocket for Mars mission
The fourth Long March-5 rocket, to be used to carry out China’s first Mars exploration mission, was vertically transported to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China’s Hainan Province on Friday. The carrier rocket, coded as Long March-5 Y4, is planned to be launched in …
Read More »China’s mighty Yangtze nears crest again, new floods feared
Engorged with more heavy rains, China’s mighty Yangtze River is cresting again, bringing fears of further destruction as seasonal floods that already have left more than 140 people dead or missing have grown in force since last month. The rains are putting renewed pressure on the massive Three Gorges Dam …
Read More »New virus outbreaks raise alarm as India cases hit 1 million
Fresh coronavirus outbreaks, even in places as far-flung as China’s western Xinjiang region, are prompting moves to guard against the pandemic, as the number of cases approaches 14 million. India on Friday said it had surpassed 1 million cases, third only to the United States and Brazil, with more than …
Read More »China’s economy roars back to growth after record coronavirus contraction
China has become the first major economy to show signs of recovery and avoid recession amid the coronavirus pandemic, with its gross domestic product (GDP) rising 3.2 percent in the second quarter. The positive economic growth, reported by China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday, came after a sharp …
Read More »China says UK ban on Huawei ‘severely’ damages investment confidence
Britain’s “discriminatory” ban on Huawei has severely damaged China’s investment confidence in the country, China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday, adding it will take necessary measures to defend Chinese firms’ legal rights. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completely from Britain’s 5G network by …
Read More »US threatens China with sanctions over South China Sea claims
The United States has threatened to slap sanctions on China over accusations of Beijing’s exploitation of offshore resources in most of the South China Sea. The top US diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday that Washington could respond with sanctions against Chinese officials and enterprises involved in what he …
Read More »Trump on UK’s Huawei ban: ‘I did this myself’
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he was responsible for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to ban Huawei from Britain’s 5G network from the end of 2027. On Tuesday, Johnson ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completely from Britain’s 5G network by the end of 2027, risking the ire of …
Read More »China vows retaliation after Trump ends preferential status for Hong Kong
President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered an end to Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law to punish China for what he called “oppressive actions” against the former British colony, prompting Beijing to warn of retaliatory sanctions. Citing China’s decision to enact a new national security law for Hong Kong, …
Read More »Bubonic plague claims boy’s life in Mongolia, triggering fears of another pandemic
A Mongolian teenager diagnosed with bubonic plague died on Monday. The 15-year-old reportedly contracted the deadly disease after consuming marmot meat. The boy ate the infected meat with his two friends, whose condition is currently unknown. People who have been in contact with them have now been isolated and vaccinated, …
Read More »China accuses US of sowing discord in South China Sea
China on Tuesday described a U.S. rejection of its maritime claims in the South China Sea as completely unjustified and accused the U.S. of attempting to sow discord between China and the Southeast Asian countries with which it has territorial disputes. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said that a statement …
Read More »UK set to ban Huawei from 5G, angering China and pleasing Trump
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to ban Huawei from Britain’s 5G network on Tuesday, angering China but delighting U.S. President Donald Trump by signaling that the world’s biggest telecoms equipment maker is no longer welcome in the West. The United States has pushed Johnson to reverse his January decision …
Read More »Haley reacts to Iran-China partnership
In a tweet, the Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, named Iran-China 25-year cooperation roadmap as a termination to what she called Iran’s global isolation. “The partnership … would vastly expand Chinese presence in banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, and dozens of other projects,” she claimed. In a meeting …
Read More »China trades sanctions with U.S. in row over Uighur Muslims
China announced “corresponding sanctions” against the United States on Monday after Washington penalised senior Chinese officials over the treatment of minority Uighur Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang. China’s move comes as relations between the world’s two biggest economic powerhouses have slumped over disagreements on issues including the coronavirus …
Read More »Several injured and missing after an explosion at a biofuel plant in China
Multiple fire crews have been deployed to tackle a huge blaze raging at a biofuel complex in China. At least two people were injured during the incident. An explosion rocked a biofuel plant in the city of Longyan in China’s southeastern Fujian Province, local media reported, citing officials. Videos from …
Read More »Zarif rejects rumors over sale of Kish Island to China: MP
Iranian Foreign Minister described the rumors over the sale of Kish Island to China due to the intentions of the enemies to prevent the development of Iran-China relations, said Iranian Parliament member. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was scheduled to go to the Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy …
Read More »Wuhan coronavirus lab will not be visited by WHO investigators
A coronavirus research lab in Wuhan, the Chinese city where Covid-19 first emerged, will not be visited by World Health Organisation investigators looking into the origins of the pandemic. WHO is sending a mission to Wuhan, in Hubei province, but has said investigators will be there only to “advance the …
Read More »China releases a professor who criticised President Xi, friends say
A Beijing law professor who has been an outspoken critic of China’s President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party was released on Sunday after six days of detention, his friends said. Xu Zhangrun, a constitutional law professor at the prestigious Tsinghua University, returned home on Sunday morning but remained …
Read More »Russia, China veto Western-backed UNSC resolution on Syria aid
Russia and China have for the second time this week blocked a Western-sponsored UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution to extend aid deliveries across the border from Turkey into northwest Syria amid concerns that the move violates the war-torn country’s sovereignty. On Friday, Russia and China vetoed the Belgian-German draft resolution, …
Read More »Kazakhstan mystery pneumonia likely to be coronavirus: WHO
China’s embassy has warned its citizens of strange pneumonia more deadly than coronavirus spreading in the former Soviet republic. A leading health chief thinks there could be issues around testing for COVID-19. An unexplained pneumonia outbreak in Kazakhstan is likely to be the novel coronavirus, a World Health Organization (WHO) …
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