China

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will lower tariffs on products ranging from frozen pork and avocado to some types of semiconductors next year as Beijing looks to boost imports amid a slowing economy and a trade war with the United States.

Next year, China will implement temporary import tariffs, which are lower than the most-favoured-nation tariffs, on more than 850 products, the finance ministry said on Monday. By comparison, 706 products were taxed at temporary rates in 2019.

BEIJING, Dec 23 (APP): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries jointly foiled more than 360 terrorists and extremist schemes last year and arrested 695 suspects, Liu Jie, deputy director of the executive committee of the SCO’s regional anti-terrorist structure, said.

More than 160,000 posts and 3,000 social media accounts containing terrorist and extremist content had also been blocked under the SCO framework, he was quoted by China Daily here on Monday.

BEIJING, December 23. /TASS/: Concerns of the United States about the humanitarian situation in Syria are hypocritical, the US position is founded on double standards, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a briefing on Monday, responding to stark criticism of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regarding decisions taken by Russia and China to veto a draft resolution on cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria at the UN Security Council.

23 December 2019; AFP: China Monday denied allegations that prisoners were being used for forced labour, after a British newspaper reported that a London schoolgirl found a message in a Christmas card claiming to be from inmates at Shanghai's Qingpu Prison.

HONG KONG, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Five Hong Kong youths will join the United Nations next year as the first batch of Hong Kong junior professional officers (JPO) recommended by China's central government to the UN, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced Monday in a ceremony.

This is the first time that Hong Kong SAR takes part in the JPO program.

BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday expressed strong dissatisfaction with the United States over the negative contents distorting and smearing China's military development and on issues relating to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang as well as prohibited purchase of Chinese products, in the U.S. 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a news briefing that China has lodged solemn representations with the United States over this.

BEIJING (AP) — China said Monday it will reduce tariffs Jan. 1 on more than 850 foreign products including frozen pork, asthma medications and some high-tech components to spur economic development.

The announcement followed an interim trade agreement with Washington in a tariff war that has rattled financial markets.

The step adds to a series of tariff cuts over the past two years that Beijing says are aimed at improving supplies of consumer goods and encouraging competition. Chinese officials say they should not be seen as concessions to U.S. pressure.

BEIJING, Dec 23 (NNN-XINHUA) – Chinese President, Xi Jinping, today (Monday), met with President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing.

China and South Korea should deepen and develop their strategic cooperative partnership, accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns, and lift bilateral ties to a higher level, Xi said.

Moon is in China to attend the Eighth China-Japan-South Korea leaders’ meeting, which will be held in China’s southwestern city of Chengdu on Tuesday (tomorrow).

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government promised Monday to open its oil, telecom and power markets wider to private competitors as the ruling Communist Party tries to shore up growth in the slowing, state-dominated economy.

The Cabinet also promised to give private companies equal treatment with state-owned enterprises in more industries. The statement gave no indication whether the changes apply equally to foreign companies.

HONG KONG (AP) — The Hong Kong seller of luxury watches looked on in horror as masked men wielding the biggest sledgehammer he’d ever seen smashed through the door of a neighboring watch store, held a machete to the owner’s throat, scooped up hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of timepieces, and then scattered into the city’s maze of streets.

Less than two weeks later, armed robbers attacked again. This time, the watch merchants of Kowloon fought back.