China

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday said it deplores and firmly opposes the China-related content in the 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and relevant remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which have revealed hypocrisy and double standards of the U.S.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on the report released by the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday, which attacked China's political system and human rights situation.

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade maintained its growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2022 despite increasingly complex internal and external challenges and risks.

The country's total imports and exports expanded 10.7 percent year on year to 9.42 trillion yuan in the first three months, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed Wednesday.

In U.S. dollar terms, total foreign trade came in at 1.48 trillion U.S. dollars in the period, up 13 percent year on year, the data showed.

SHANGHAI, April 12 (Reuters) - Some Shanghai residents were able to leave their homes for the first time in more than two weeks on Tuesday as the city took tentative steps towards easing a COVID-19 lockdown amid mounting worries over the economic impact of the strict curbs.

With a quarter of the population under what brokerage Nomura described as "full or partial lockdowns," China's leadership is taking increasing steps to ease the economic toll of its "zero-COVID" strategy, but remains reluctant to risk larger waves of infection.

BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday said that the Ukraine issue has revealed what the United States would do in pursuit of hegemony and bullying.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on a recent poll, which showed that nearly 90 percent of Chinese netizens interviewed believe that the U.S. position on the Ukraine issue is not fair and just, but an example of hegemony and bullying.

BEIJING, Apr 11 (APP): Sorghum is a multi-purpose crop that can play an important role in food and fodder provision. At a time when the world is facing the dual challenges of the epidemic and the food crisis, it is a win-win choice to incorporate this multi-purpose crop into the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) cooperation framework and add another layer of guarantee to the food security of China and Pakistan, said experts.

WENCHANG, Hainan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Long March-7 Y5 rocket, which will launch the new cargo craft for the country's space station, arrived at the launch site in the southern island province of Hainan on Monday.

The rocket, alongside the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft that has already been transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, will be assembled and tested at the launch site, announced the China Manned Space Agency.

BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday said it will maintain its policy of friendly ties with Pakistan no matter how the political situation in Pakistan changes.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a press briefing when answering a query concerning the National Assembly of Pakistan passing a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 10.

HONG KONG (AP) — Lawyers for Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai are asking the United Nations to investigate his imprisonment and multiple criminal charges as “legal harassment” that punish him for speaking out.

The publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper was one of the most prominent activists arrested in Hong Kong’s crackdown on virtually all political criticism since mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets and Wall Street futures sank Monday after the Federal Reserve indicated it might raise interest rates more aggressively to cool U.S. inflation and President Emmanuel Macron emerged from the first round of France’s election facing a challenge from the far right.

London and Frankfurt opened lower. Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong retreated. Oil fell more than $2 per barrel on concern global economic growth might weaken.

BEIJING (AP) — The manufacturing hub of Guangzhou closed itself to most arrivals Monday as China battles a major COVID-19 surge in its big eastern cities.

Shanghai has taken the brunt of the surge, with another 26,087 cases announced on Monday, only 914 of which showed symptoms. The city of 26 million is under a tight lockdown, with many residents confined to their homes for up to three weeks.