China

Beijing, Jun 1 (AP-PTI) China's central bank is trying to restrain the surging exchange rate of its currency, temporarily backtracking in efforts to make the tightly controlled yuan more flexible and market-oriented.

On Monday, commercial lenders were ordered to hold more of their foreign currency as reserves in the central bank to limit sales after the yuan hit a four-year high of 6.3674 to the US dollar.

(Reuters) --- Media publisher Next Digital Ltd (0282.HK) said on Tuesday Hong Kong's National Security Department confirmed its founder and controlling shareholder, jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai, must not exercise voting rights on shares held by him.

Lai, who owns a 71.26% stake in Next Digital, can only exercise voting rights under the authority of a license granted by the Secretary for Security, according to the Security Department.

BEIJING (AP) — A man in eastern China has contracted what might be the world’s first human case of the H10N3 strain of bird flu, but the risk of large-scale spread is low, the government said Tuesday.

The 41-year-old man in Jiangsu province, northwest of Shanghai, was hospitalized April 28 and is in stable condition, the National Health Commission said on its website.

No human case of H10N3 has been reported elsewhere, the commission said.

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets were mixed Tuesday as investors looked ahead to U.S. jobs data for reassurance the biggest global economy is improving following the previous month’s big hiring miss.

London and Frankfurt opened and Shanghai also gained, while Tokyo retreated. Wall Street futures were higher as U.S. markets, which ended May with a gain, prepared to resume trading after a holiday.

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese government spokesperson on Tuesday rejected an Australian writer’s complaint that he was tortured during interrogation before being put on trial on spying charges.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also accused Australia of “unfounded provocation” after its foreign minister said Yang Hengjun’s incarceration since January 2019 was arbitrary detention.

“There is no arbitrary detention or forced confession with torture on Yang Jun,” said spokesperson Wang Wenbin, referring to Yang by the name used by Chinese officials.

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China has always supported international anti-pandemic cooperation and has made active efforts to this end, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday, adding China firmly opposes using the pandemic as a political stunt or even interfering in China's internal affairs.

According to reports, Taiwan authorities expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for its recent decision to study the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to the island.

BEIJING, May 30 (APP): Pakistani mangoes will hit markets in China from June 10, this year, when first consignment of King of fruits will be transported from Lahore to Kumning, capital city of South-Western Yannan province.

“We are picking Sindhri variety from the farms in Tando Allahyar, Sindh province and after processing and packaging in Lahore, we will airlift first consignment to Kunming on June 10, Adnan Hafeez, Director, Imperial Ventures (Pvt) Ltd told APP on Sunday.

(Reuters) --- Australian blogger Yang Hengjun, facing trial in Beijing on espionage charges that he denies, asked the judge to exclude evidence obtained in interrogations where he says he was tortured, according to a message conveyed to family and friends.

In his first comments since Thursday's court hearing, which was closed to family and Australian consular officials because China says it involved state secrets, Yang also expressed concern that geopolitical tensions may influence the outcome of his trial.

HONG KONG, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Saturday signed in accordance with the HKSAR Basic Law the Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Ordinance 2021 passed by the Legislative Council (LegCo).

The ordinance will come into immediate effect after it is published in the gazette on Monday.

BEIJING, May 29. /TASS/: The planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden will not affect Moscow’s policy on Beijing, nor will it affect the Chinese-Russian relations of a comprehensive partnership, Chen Wenling, Chief Economist of China Center for International Economic Exchange (CCIEE) told TASS on Saturday.