China

BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Chang'e-5 probe retrieved about 1,731 grams of samples from the moon, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

At a ceremony on Saturday morning, Zhang Kejian, head of the CNSA, handed over the samples to Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the ceremony. He hailed the Chang'e-5 lunar mission as an important milestone in building China's strength in aerospace.

BEIJING (AP) — China will soon begin coronavirus inoculations for workers in health care, transport and border control, a senior official said Saturday.

Vice Minister of the National Health Commission Zeng Yixin gave few specifics but said the government was prioritizing those most at risk of catching the virus.

Workers in logistics and in markets selling fresh meat and seafood would also be placed higher on the list of those receiving vaccines, along with the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.

BEIJING, Dec 18 (APP): India’s regional hegemonism against smaller neighboring countries is the root cause of all problems, Cheng Xizhong, visiting professor at Southwest University and former Defense Attache in South Asian countries said on Friday.

India has been constantly creating conflicts with its neighbors. In the border areas between China and India, the Indian army has repeatedly crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and deliberately launched provocative attacks against Chinese troops.

BEIJING (Reuters) -China will maintain policy support for its economic recovery, avoiding a sudden shift in policy, to help keep economic growth within a reasonable range in 2021, the Xinhua news agency said on Friday, after a meeting of top leaders ended.

The annual Central Economic Work Conference, a gathering of top leaders and policymakers to chart the economy’s course in 2021, is being watched by investors amid speculation that Beijing would make policy changes amid accelerating growth, following a virus-induced slump earlier this year.

BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday reiterated that China is committed to the principle of non-interference, noting that claims about China influencing U.S. presidential elections are "completely fabricated."

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily news briefing when asked to comment on a statement from the Office of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Radcliffe, saying a deadline to submit a classified report to Congress on foreign efforts to sway the Nov. 3 election will not be met.

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese lunar capsule returned to Earth on Thursday with the first fresh rock samples from the moon in more than 40 years, offering the possibility of new insights into the history of the solar system and marking a new landmark for China’s rapidly advancing space program.

The capsule of the Chang’e 5 probe landed just before 2 a.m. (1800 GMT Wednesday) in the Siziwang district of the Inner Mongolia region, the China National Space Administration reported.

BEIJING, Dec 15 (APP): China has condemned the attack against a fuel transport ship anchored in the fuel terminal in Red Sea port city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“China condemns the attack against the ship in Saudi Arabia,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during his regular briefing on Tuesday.

“We are consistently opposed to all attacks on civilians and civil facilities and call on relevant sides to avoid taking actions that might lead to escalation in regional tensions,” he added.

BEIJING, Dec 16 (APP): President Dr. Arif Alvi has made a positive assessment on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) cooperation which has advanced despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the Chinese side fully agrees with him.

“The Chinese side fully agrees with the positive assessment made by President Dr. Arif Alvi on the CPEC cooperation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday during his regular briefing in response to a question about the President’s recent interview to the Chinese media.

BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The year 2020 has been defined by COVID-19, a once-in-a-century pandemic that has caused an unfathomable amount of human loss.

Facing one of the most severe public health challenges in recent history, countries across the globe have come to realize that they share a common future and must join hands in building a global community of human health.

ONCE-IN-A-CENTURY PANDEMIC

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese ground crews are standing by for the return of a lunar probe bringing back the first fresh samples of rock and debris from the moon in more than 45 years.

The Chang’e probe is expected to land in the Siziwang district of the vast Inner Mongolia region late Wednesday or early Thursday. It fired its engines early Wednesday to put it on course before the orbiter separates from the return vehicle, with all systems functioning as expected, the China National Space Administration said.