Science & Technology

BEIRUT, June 3 (Xinhua) -- The United States is unwilling to lose its global dominance, taking aggressive and hostile measures against many countries, including trade frictions with China, said Lebanese experts.

It is not the first time that the United States waged such "wars", Hanna Gharib, head of the Lebanese Communist Party, told Xinhua.

"For the United States, no other country is allowed to advance technologically and scientifically. These are not new wars. It waged such wars against a lot of countries in the world such as Japan and Iraq," Gharib said.

BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education on Monday warned students and scholars of the risks of going to study in the United States citing U.S. visa restrictions, urging them to step up risk assessment and make corresponding preparations.

The alert states that the visa applications of some Chinese hoping to study in the United States have recently been restricted, with an extended review process, shortened validity period, and an increased rejection rate, which have affected their plans to study in the United States or the completion of their studies there.

SANYA, June 4/.TASS/: Chinese scientists found in the Hainan waters kinds of several rare species of whales and dolphins. According to Xinhua, the discovery was made during a 14-day scientific expedition in the South China Sea in May. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mexico launched a counteroffensive Monday against the threat of U.S. tariffs, warning not only that it would hurt the economies of both countries but also could cause a quarter-million more Central Americans to migrate north.

A high-level delegation from the Mexican government held a news conference at the embassy in Washington, making the case against President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing a 5% tariff on Mexican imports by June 10.

It is unclear what more Mexico can do — and what will be enough — to satisfy the president.

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly lower in Asia on Tuesday after a tumultuous session for tech shares on Wall Street.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index shed 0.1% to 20,384.43, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.3% to 26,804.81. The Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.8% to 2,865.87 and the Kospi in South Korea declined 0.1% to 2,066.20.

Australia’s S&P ASX 200 was flat as the central bank announced it was cutting its benchmark interest rate to a record low 1.25% from 1.5%. It was the first rate cut in nearly three years.

BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. Trade Representative and Treasury Department have issued a statement defending Washington’s strategy in its trade dispute with Beijing.

The statement seen on the USTR’s website Tuesday said the U.S. was “disappointed” by a report China issued over the weekend that accused the American side of backtracking in negotiations.

The two sides are in a stalemate after 11 rounds of talks over trade and technology issues that have led to both sides raising tariffs, among other retaliatory measures.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The federal government may be warming up its antitrust enforcement machine and pointing it at Big Tech.

On Monday, the House Judiciary Committee announced a sweeping antitrust probe of unspecified technology companies. In a statement, it promised “a top-to-bottom review of the market power held by giant tech platforms,” which would be the first such Congress has ever undertaken.

China's Position on the China-US Economic and Trade Consultations

BEIJING (AP) — The world’s largest association of technology professionals backed away from barring staff of Chinese tech giant Huawei from some of its activities as Beijing fired back at the U.S. over the two nations’ trade dispute.

Data releases Monday, meanwhile, showed a widening fallout from the clash between the two biggest economies over China’s perennially huge trade surpluses and its efforts to leap ahead in advanced technology.

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares wobbled Monday after U.S. and Chinese officials traded jibes in their widening clash over trade and technology.

China’s Shanghai Composite lost 0.3% to 2,890.08 after surveys showed a deteriorating manufacturing outlook in May. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.9% to 20,410.88, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.1% to 26,871.23. The S&P ASX 200 dropped 1.2% to 6,320.50.