China

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Friday after Wall Street gained on hopes government and central bank action can shield the world economy from a looming recession caused by the coronavirus.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Australia and Southeast Asia advanced. Tokyo was closed for a holiday. Oil gained again a day after U.S. benchmark crude soared by a record 23%.

Investors were encouraged after seeing more steps by the Federal Reserve and other central banks and governments to support credit markets and the economy.

Beijing, Mar 19 (PTI) For the first time after the deadly coronavirus broke out about three months ago in Wuhan, China on Thursday said that no new domestic cases of the COVID-19 were confirmed, including in the virus' epicentre, even as eight more fatalities have been reported, taking the death toll in the country to 3,245.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) in its daily report said that no new domestically transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus disease were reported on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - World finance leaders tried to lift confidence with emergency measures to pour cash into panic-stricken markets on Thursday, as investors everywhere dumped assets, switching to dollars amid the escalating coronavirus pandemic.

Policymakers in the United States, Europe and Asia have slashed interest rates and opened liquidity taps to stabilise economies left almost comatose, with quarantined consumers, broken supply chains, paralysed transportation and depleted shops.

BEIJING (AP) — Last month, Wuhan was overwhelmed with thousands of new cases of coronavirus each day. But in a dramatic development that underscores just how much the outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the United States, Chinese authorities said Thursday that the city and its surrounding province had no new cases to report.

BEIJING (AP) — Factories in China, struggling to reopen after the coronavirus shut down the economy, face a new threat from U.S. anti-disease controls that might disrupt the flow of microchips and other components they need.

The shock threatens to set back the ruling Communist Party’s efforts to revive the world’s second-largest economy after it declared victory over the outbreak. It would add to pressures on global business activity as Western countries close workplaces, limit travel and tell consumers to stay home.

BEIJING, Mar 18 (APP): Short – just two days – and low-profile as it was, Pakistani President Dr. Arif Alvi’s just-concluded visit to Beijing was loaded with rich symbolism and substance and will serve bilateral relations well.

For official visits by foreign leaders, timing always matters. But particularly now, as countries all over the world are preoccupied with self-defense amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, and national leaders are, by and large, avoiding international trips, according to an article published by China Daily on Wednesday.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Hong Kong court on Wednesday ordered rail operator MTR Corp to hand over CCTV footage from a police operation at two subway stations during anti-government protests last year that a student leader plans to use to sue officers.

On Aug. 31, scenes filmed by TV reporters of police beating protesters cowering on the floor of a metro train went viral, sparking outrage and demands for MTR to release full footage.

MTR only released some screen shots through a press release.

BEIJING, Mar 18 (NNN-XINHUA) – Chinese President, Xi Jinping, held talks here on Tuesday with visiting Pakistani President, Arif Alvi.

“At present, the Chinese government and Chinese people are working hard to score an all-around victory against the COVID-19,” Xi said.

Xi praised Pakistan’s support for China, noting that at the beginning of the epidemic, President Alvi wrote him a letter to convey consolation, and Alvi’s latest trip marks his firm support. Pakistan also offered everything within their capabilities to provide China with anti-epidemic materials.

BEIJING (AP) — Major Asian stock markets were higher Wednesday after Wall Street rebounded on President Donald Trump’s promise of aid to get the U.S. economy through the coronavirus outbreak.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong all advanced. Australia’s main index fell 5% and smaller Asian markets were mixed.

The White House proposal could approach $1 trillion in spending to ward off the pressure of business closures to contain the virus. The Federal Reserve announced more measures to keep financial markets operating.

BEIJING (AP) — China said Wednesday it will revoke the media credentials of all American journalists at three major U.S. news organizations, in effect expelling them from the country, in response to U.S. restrictions on Chinese state-controlled media.

The foreign ministry said American citizens working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post with credentials expiring before the end of the year must surrender their press cards within 10 days.