Business

BEIJING, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the position of the United States on Huawei, saying China hopes all countries will abide by the principle of fair competition and jointly safeguard a fair and non-discriminatory market environment.

According to reports, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned its allies to take seriously "the threat" posed by Chinese enterprise Huawei as they look for partners to build 5G wireless infrastructure. He made the remarks Saturday during the Munich Security Conference.

New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI) Argentina's President Mauricio Macri arrived here Sunday on a three-day India visit during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance cooperation in key sectors such as economy, nuclear technology and space.

President Macri was received at the airport by Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore.

LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of passengers throughout Europe have been stranded by the abrupt collapse of the British regional airline Flybmi.

British Midland Regional Limited, which operates as Flybmi, said it’s filing for administration — a British version of bankruptcy — because of higher fuel costs and uncertainty caused by Britain’s upcoming departure from the European Union.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s government announced plans on Monday for a new tax targeting online giants like Google and Facebook that earn plenty of money in the country but pay little tax.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there’s a gap that needs to be closed.

“Our current tax system is not fair in the way that it treats individual taxpayers and the way that it treats multinationals,” she said. “It’s not fair.”

ABU DHABI, February 17. /TASS/. Russia and Saudi Arabia are holding additional consultations on a contract to supply Russia’s S-400 Triumf missile systems, CEO of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheyev told the IDEX 2019 international defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

"As for S-400, we are holding additional consultations on this project, now this contract [with Saudi Arabia - TASS] is being considered," Mikheyev said.

Earlier reports said the two countries had agreed on the supplies of the S-400 missile systems.

ABU DHABI, February 17. /TASS/. The United Arab Emirates’ Armed Forces have purchased Russia’s Kornet-EM anti-tank missile systems and Pantsir surface-to-air missile systems, UAE Brigadier General Mohammed Hassaini told TASS on Sunday.

"The contract on Kornet-EM is to the tune of 146.92 mln dirham ($39.7 mln) and on Pantsir - more than 45 mln dirham ($12.1 mln)," he said speaking about the outcome of the first day of the IDEX-2019 international defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

The general gave no other details of the deal.

MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. Russia’s Economic Development Ministry develops macroeconomic institutions to prevent sudden and deep economic crises, Russian Economic Development Minister Maksim Oreshkin said on Rossiya’24 television channel on Sunday.

Oreshkin added that there are no systemic prerequisites for an economic crisis in the Russian economy.

CARACAS, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza met with U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams over the weekend to address the two countries' relationship.

"We have held two meetings of which I cannot give details because I have to respect the confidentiality of them, but there have been meetings where we have listened to each other," Arreaza said in statements broadcast on Venezuelan state television.

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- China will build at least 80 million mu (5.33 million hectares) of high-standard farmland this year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Sunday.

China has started building drought and flood resistant farmland since 2011, in a bid to ensure food security. By the end of 2018, China has already developed 640 million mu of such farmland, with grain output increasing 100 kg per mu on average.

Water, fertilizer, and pesticide consumption on the farmland fell 24.3 percent, 13.8 percent and 19.1 percent, respectively, per mu.

RIYADH, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on Sunday signed with Pakistan eight agreements worth 20 billion U.S. dollars, Al Arabiya TV reported.

One of the agreements is about Saudi Arabia's Aramco-run refinery in the Pakistani port of Gwadar, one of the world's largest refineries, at a value of 10 billion U.S. dollars.

"Pakistan is a dear country to the Saudi people and we will be partners as we have always been," Al Arabiya quoted the Saudi crown prince as saying.