China

18 April 2020; AFP: Police in Hong Kong carried out a sweeping operation against high-profile democracy campaigners on Saturday, arresting 14 activists on charges related to massive protests that rocked the Asian financial hub last year.

Among those targeted was media tycoon Jimmy Lai, 72, founder of anti-establishment newspaper Apple Daily, who was arrested at his home.

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States should stop politicizing the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on defeating the virus and boosting the economy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday.

Zhao made the remarks at a daily news briefing after U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper reportedly said that it is "difficult to believe information from the Communist Party of China" and that "they have been misleading the United States and opaque."

BEIJING, April 17 (APP): The Chinese government has earmarked $10 million in its Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund to support the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in assisting its developing member countries (DMCs) to address the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) challenges.

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- More countries worldwide have regretted U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), voicing support for and highlighting the organization's crucial role in guiding global efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump announced Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the WHO, which he accused of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," triggering widespread backlash and criticism across the world.

BEIJING (AP) — China suffered its worst economic contraction since at least the 1970s in the first quarter as it fought the coronavirus, and weak consumer spending and factory activity point to a longer, harder recovery than initially expected.

The world’s second-largest economy shrank 6.8% from a year ago in the three months ending in March after factories, shops and travel were closed to contain the infection, official data showed Friday.

BEIJING (AP) — The central Chinese city of Wuhan has raised its number of COVID-19 fatalities by 1,290, with state media saying Friday the undercount had been due to the insufficient admission capabilities at overwhelmed medical facilities at the peak of the outbreak.

Wuhan’s revised death toll of 3,869 is the most in China. Numbers of total cases in the city of 11 million were also raised by 325 to 50,333, accounting for about two-thirds of China’s total 82,367 announced cases.

BEIJING, Apr 16 (APP): China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and assured that China would continue to provide all possible support to help Pakistan overcome the Covid-19 epidemic as soon as possible.

“We will continue to provide all possible support according to the needs of Pakistan to help Pakistan overcome the epidemic as soon as possible,” he said.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks were mostly lower Thursday after unexpectedly weak U.S. retail and other data added to gloom about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Benchmarks in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai declined.

On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index sank 2.2% after the U.S. government reported last month’s retail sales plunged by a record 8.7% and factory output fell at the fastest rate for March since 1946. The retail figures hit especially hard because consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy.

BEIJING (AP) — As countries consider how to restart their virus-halted economies, the early experiences in China and parts of Europe show it will be no easy task.

Workers back on the job are wary of spending much or going out. Shoppers are staying away from the few stores reopening. Masks and social distancing measures are not fading. And pervasive is the fear the coronavirus could return if lockdowns meant to stop its spread are eased too much, too quickly.

BEIJING (AP) — China, where the coronavirus pandemic started in December, is cautiously trying to get back to business, but it’s not easy when many millions of workers are wary of spending much or even going out.

Factories and shops nationwide shut down starting in late January. Millions of families were told to stay home under unprecedented controls that have been copied by the United States, Europe and India.