China

MOJIANG, China (AP) — Deep in the lush mountain valleys of southern China lies the entrance to a mine shaft that once harbored bats with the closest known relative of the COVID-19 virus.

The area is of intense scientific interest because it may hold clues to the origins of the coronavirus that has killed more than 1.7 million people worldwide. Yet for scientists and journalists, it has become a black hole of no information because of political sensitivity and secrecy.

BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- China will build more than 600,000 5G base stations next year, said Xiao Yaqing, minister of industry and information technology at a working conference on Monday.

In 2021, the ministry will promote the construction and application of 5G networks in an orderly manner, accelerate the 5G coverage in major cities and advance co-construction and sharing.

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Facing unprecedented headwinds from COVID-19, China's foreign trade sector has delivered better-than-expected performance this year, providing a much-needed positive impact on world trade, which is still caught in a recession.

"China's total foreign trade and its share in the international trade market this year have both notched a historic high," the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Saturday, projecting that the combined export and import value for 2020 will reach around 32 trillion yuan (about 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars).

BEIJING, Dec 28 (APP): Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque on Monday said that enhanced media cooperation between Pakistan and China would help two countries to evolve a correct and objective narrative of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for both domestic and international audience.

It is imperative for media organizations and opinion-makers of the two countries to devise a concerted and sustained media strategy to expose ill intentions of adversaries and highlight success and significance of CPEC.

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets and U.S. futures rose Monday after President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion economic aid package, helping to reduce uncertainty as governments re-impose travel and business curbs in response to a new coronavirus variant.

London and Frankfurt opened higher as traders returned to work following a three-day Christmas weekend. Shanghai and Tokyo also advanced.

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese court on Monday sentenced a former lawyer who reported on the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak to four years in prison on charges of “picking fights and provoking trouble,” one of her lawyers said.

The Pudong New Area People’s Court in the financial hub of Shanghai gave the sentence to Zhang Zhan following accusations she spread false information, gave interviews to foreign media, disrupted public order and “maliciously manipulated” the outbreak.

BEIJING, Dec. 27 (APP): The construction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has entered a new stage of high-quality development, which will continue to play an important role in the revitalization of Pakistan, said Cheng Xizhong, a visiting professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law.

BEIJING, Dec 27 (APP): The Two Sessions, a key event in China’s political calendar of 2021, will start on March 4 and 5.

The 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature will open its fourth annual session in Beijing on March 5, according to a decision made by the NPC Standing Committee on Saturday.

The decision was adopted via a vote at the end of the NPC Standing Committee session held from Tuesday to Saturday, the Chinese media reported.

BEIJING (Reuters) -Beijing has tightened COVID-19 curbs over concerns that China’s mass travel during the holiday period could cause cases to spike in the capital, as it reported locally transmitted cases for a fourth straight day on Sunday.

A meeting led by the capital’s Communist party boss, Cai Qi, urged all districts in Beijing to enter an “emergency” mode, sealing off residential compounds and villages where infections are found.

HONG KONG, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Legal professionals in Hong Kong said that a local court, which granted instigator of Hong Kong riots Jimmy Lai Chee-ying bail, has seriously misunderstood the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and undermined its authority.