China

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters gathered in shopping malls across Hong Kong on Wednesday, flouting coronavirus-related social distancing rules to mock unpopular Chief Executive Carrie Lam on her birthday.

It was the latest sign social unrest was resurfacing in Hong Kong as the city has proven relatively successful at tackling the coronavirus, having recorded 1,051 cases and four deaths.

Beijing, May 12 (AP) China's auto sales declined again in April but losses narrowed in a sign the industry's biggest global market is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic as Beijing eases anti-disease controls, according to an industry group.

Sales of SUVs, sedans and minivans were down 2.6 per cent from a year earlier at 1.5 million, an improvement over March's 48.4 per cent contraction, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported.

BEIJING, May 11 (APP): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released the 13th annual performance report of its corporate results framework, the Development Effectiveness Review, a management tool that monitors performance and progress during 2019.

“This year’s report is the first to track progress in implementing ADB’s corporate Strategy 2030,” said Director General of ADB’s Strategy, Policy, and Partnerships Department Tomoyuki Kimura.

BEIJING, May 11 (APP): China on Monday urged India to uphold the peace and tranquility in the border regions with its concrete actions after clashes between the soldiers of the two countries erupted on Sikkim border region.

“We hope India will work with China to uphold peace and tranquility in the border regions with its concrete actions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during his regular briefing here.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China’s monthly auto sales rose for the first time in almost two years in April, industry data showed, as more customers visited showrooms after the economy began to open up and authorities loosened coronavirus-related travel restrictions.

Auto sales in April hit 2.07 million units in the world’s biggest car market, up 4.4% from a year earlier, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the country’s largest auto industry association.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong authorities arrested more than 200 people during pro-democracy protests, media reported on Monday, after a sing-along demonstration at a shopping mall spilled out on to the streets of the Chinese-ruled city.

Hundreds of riot police were deployed to disperse the protesters on Sunday, with some members of the media caught up in the chaos that evoked memories of the sometimes violent unrest that rocked the global financial hub last year.

SHANGHAI (AP) — Visitors wearing face masks streamed into Shanghai Disneyland as China’s most prominent theme park reopened Monday in a new step toward rolling back anti-coronavirus controls that shut down its economy.

The park, which closed Jan. 25, will limit visitor numbers and is keeping some attractions closed in line with social distancing guidelines, company executives said.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Monday after Wall Street advanced as investors looked past dismal U.S. jobs and other data toward hopes for a global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia advanced.

U.S. shares gained Friday despite a government report that American employers cut a record-setting 20.5 million jobs in April.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s National Health Commission reported 14 new confirmed coronavirus cases on May 9, the highest number since April 28, including the first for more than a month in the city of Wuhan where the outbreak was first detected late last year.

While China had officially designated all areas of the country as low-risk last Thursday, the new cases according to data published on Sunday represent a jump from the single case reported for the day before. The number was lifted by a cluster of 11 in Shulan city in northeastern Jilin province.

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been discussing how it might help international sport federations overcome financial losses linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization revealed on its website.

"We are conscious of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the International Federations (IFs) and have already started discussions with them on a case-by-case basis as the needs of each IF are different," the IOC said in a Q&A release.