China

BEIJING, July 9 (APP): China and Pakistan are fraternal neighbours and all-weather strategic cooperative partners. The Chinese people refer to Pakistan by the endearing name of “Iron Pak,” meaning the China-Pakistan friendship is as solid as iron. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1951.

In the ensuing 70 years, thanks to the personal commitment of leaders of several generations and the wholehearted support of the people of both countries, China and Pakistan have forged an ironclad friendship, according to an article published by Global Times.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government on Friday criticized new U.S. moves to reduce access to American financial markets and said it will protect Chinese companies but gave no indication of possible retaliation.

The S&P Dow Jones Indices and FTSE Russell removed more Chinese companies from their indexes after President Joe Biden expanded a blacklist of companies that are off limits to American investors. Such indexes are the basis for billions of dollars of investment in stocks and bonds.

BEIJING (AP) — China sent a flight to bring home 210 of its nationals from Afghanistan, state media reported Friday, as the U.S. military prepares to leave the country and the security situation grows increasingly fraught.

The Global Times newspaper published by the ruling Communist Party said the Xiamen Airlines flight departed July 2 from the capital Kabul and landed in the central province of Hubei. The airline confirmed the report in a post on its Twitter-like Weibo account but offered no additional details.

BEIJING, July 7 (APP): Over 20 million doses of Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines have so far been transported from China to Pakistan to prevent and control Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

The Chinese vaccines included 14.5 million doses of Sinovac and 6 million doses of Sinopharm respectively.

A special plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) airlifted two million doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine from the Beijing Capital International Airport to Islamabad yesterday, Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA Country Manager for China said on Wednesday.

HONG KONG, Jul 7 (NNN-XINHUA) – An earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.7, jolted south of the Fiji Islands, at 06:39:08 GMT this morning, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), said.

The epicentre of the quake, with a depth of 536.17 km, was initially determined to be at 23.1971 degrees south, latitude, and 179.6395 degrees east, longitude.

BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday blasted Japanese deputy prime minister Taro Aso's remarks on defending Taiwan together with the United States if the island is "invaded".

Speaking at a regular press briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, "Those remarks are extremely wrong and dangerous, as they severely violate the principles set out in the four political documents between China and Japan, and undermine the political foundation of China-Japan relations. China deplores and rejects this and has lodged solemn representations with Japan."

BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held a virtual dialogue with UK business leaders on Tuesday, expressing his hopes for consolidating mutual trust and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation for win-win results, to promote the stable and sound development of bilateral ties.

BEIJING (AP) — Authorities locked down a Chinese city bordering Myanmar on Wednesday, shutting most businesses and requiring residents to stay at home as a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 expanded.

Another 15 cases were found in Ruili in the last 24 hours, on top of six in the previous two days, health authorities in southwestern Yunnan province said.

HONG KONG, July 6 (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday "ideologies" posed risks to national security and urged parents, teachers and religious leaders to observe the behaviour of teenagers and report those who break the law to the authorities.

The financial hub has taken a swift authoritarian turn since China's imposition of a sweeping national security law last year and changes to its political system to reduce democratic participation and oust people deemed disloyal to Beijing.

HONG KONG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Asia-Pacific countries witnessed surging COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as India's tally reached 30.6 mln cases while Indonesia recorded spikes in both daily cases and deaths.

India's total tally rose to 30,619,932 as 34,703 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.

"India reports 34,703 new cases in last 24 hours which is the lowest in 111 days," added the health ministry in a statement.