China

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s sudden suspension of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is another blow to a vaccination program already struggling against a wall of public distrust.

Hong Kong on Wednesday suspended use of the Pfizer vaccine, distributed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Fosun Pharma, after defective packaging such as loose vial lids and cracks on bottles were found in one of two batches of the vaccine.

BEIJING, March 24 (APP): Although Pakistan’s trade deficit with China has declined in recent years, it may still be an important factor affecting the sustained and healthy development of bilateral trade.

Since the first phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement came into effect, bilateral trade volume has increased from USD 2.2 billion in 2005 to USD 15.6 billion in 2019.

However, 75% of Pakistan’s exports to China are concentrated in a few products such as cotton and rice, leading to a large export deficit with China.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong suspended use of the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday after its Chinese distributor informed the city that one batch had defective bottle lids.

The city’s government said the suspension was immediate while the matter is investigated by distributor Fosun Pharma and BioNTech, the German company which created the vaccine with American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer.

BioNTech and Fosun Pharma have not found any reason to believe the product is unsafe, according to the statement. However, vaccinations will be halted as a preventive and safety measure.

BEIJING, March 23. /TASS/: Beijing is ready to protect the world order based on international law together with Moscow, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said following talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.

"We should act as guarantors of justice in international affairs," he pointed out. "China is ready to promote the international system established by the United Nations, protect the world order based on international law, and abide by universal values such as peace, development, justice, democracy, equality and freedom," the Chinese top diplomat added.

BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The few Western forces smearing and slandering China should know that the era of wantonly interfering in China's internal affairs with made-up stories or fabricated lies has ended, never to return, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

Wang made the remarks during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the city of Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

BEIJING (AP) — The foreign ministers of China and Russia affirmed their countries’ close ties at a meeting Tuesday, amid intense criticism and new Western sanctions against them over human rights.

Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov rejected outside sniping at their authoritarian political systems and said they were working to further global progress on issues from climate change to the coronavirus pandemic.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets declined Tuesday after Wall Street rose on gains for tech stocks and reassurance by the U.S. Federal Reserve of support for an economic recovery.

Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney retreated.

Overnight, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index rose 0.7% as big technology companies led stocks broadly higher. Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft advanced.

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The development of China-Russia ties does not target any particular country, and the bilateral relationship is open and aboveboard, unlike the cliques with hidden conspiracies seen in a few other countries, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a question on whether Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to China is an intentional arrangement made after the China-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue.

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Monday lashed out at Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for its attempt and provocation to seek "Taiwan independence," saying such acts are "very dangerous" and the DPP will suffer the consequences if it does not mend its ways.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the comment in response to the remarks of Taiwan's mainland affairs council regarding cross-Strait relations.

BEIJING (AP) — A second Canadian citizen held for more than two years on spying charges in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a senior executive of the telecoms giant Huawei went on trial in Beijing on Monday.

The trial Monday of analyst and former diplomat Michael Kovrig in Beijing follows an initial hearing in the case of entrepreneur Michael Spavor in the northeastern city of Dandong on Friday.