China

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong protesters made long human chains and marched through shopping malls on New Year’s Eve, urging people not to give up the fight for democracy in 2020, while police were out in force across the city to quell any unrest.

Authorities have canceled the popular midnight fireworks for the first time in a decade, citing security concerns. A “Symphony of Lights” is planned instead, involving projections on the city’s tallest skyscrapers after a countdown to midnight.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese experts are investigating an outbreak of respiratory illness in the central city of Wuhan that some have likened to the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic.

The city’s health commission said in a statement Tuesday that 27 people had fallen ill with a strain of viral pneumonia, seven of whom were in serious condition.

It said most had visited a seafood market in the sprawling city, apparently pointing to a common origin of the outbreak.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s Huawei Technologies said Tuesday that its sales rose a lower-than-projected 18% in 2019 and predicted tough times ahead as the U.S. moves to restrict its business.

The flash sales estimate came in an annual New Year’s message to employees. Chairman Eric Xu warned that mediocre managers would face demotion as the telecom giant and leader in 5G mobile technology focuses on survival.

(Reuters) - The Indian government has allowed Chinese telecom company Huawei Technologies Co to participate in trials for 5G networks, a company spokesman said on Monday.

India’s nod to Huawei comes at a time when the global rollout of 5G technology has been complicated by U.S. sanctions against the company. The United States has been lobbying allies not to use Huawei’s network equipment in their 5G networks.

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 jolted Southwest of Africa at 2019-12-29 18:24:41 GMT on Sunday (2019-12-30 02:24:41 Beijing Time), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 52.8544 degrees south latitude and 11.3526 degrees east longitude.

BEIJING (AP) — Three researchers involved in the births of genetically edited babies have been convicted and sentenced for practicing medicine illegally, Chinese state media said Monday.

The report by Xinhua news agency said lead researcher He Jiankui was sentenced to three years and fined 3 million yuan ($430,000).

Two other people received lesser sentences and fines. Zhang Renli was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 1 million yuan. Qin Jinzhou received an 18-month sentence, but with a two-year reprieve, and a 500,000 yuan fine.

BEIJING, Dec 29 (APP): With the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Pakistan’s domestic economic growth, the trade volume surged this year at a major border port between China and Pakistan.

Cargo import and export reached 66,600 tonnes in the first 11 months at Khunjerab Pass in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, up 46.8 percent from the same period last year. Trade volume increased by 1.4 times to 5.99 billion yuan (around 856.3 million U.S. dollars) during the same period, according to a report of China News Network on Sunday.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - More than 1,000 people rallied in the rain in a park in Hong Kong’s financial district on Sunday, chanting slogans for democracy as they huddled under a sea of umbrellas.

The crowd, a mix of young and elderly people, wore black and turquoise surgical masks to hide their identities as they listened to organizers speaking on a makeshift stage.

BEIJING, Dec 28 (APP): The individuals and enterprises around the world have been invited to take advantage of the world-class business opportunities and best preferential policies offered by Qiantang New District, Hangzhou, China.

The QND was established to the east of Hangzhou early this year to form an integrated innovation and development zone for the digital economy and smart manufacturing, local authorities said in a statement issued here.

Hong Kong, Dec 28 (AP/PTI) Protesters shouting Liberate Hong Kong! marched through a shopping mall Saturday to demand that mainland Chinese traders leave the territory in a fresh weekend of anti-government tension.

The protest in Sheung Shui, near Hong Kong's boundary with the mainland, was part of efforts to pressure the government by disrupting economic activity.

Protests that began in June over a proposed China extradition law have spread to include demands for more democracy and other grievances.