China

BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to Boris Johnson on the latter's re-election as British prime minister.

In his message, Li said that China-Britain relations have generally maintained development momentum in recent years, and bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields enjoy huge potential.

China and Britain are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major world economies, and their relationship bears global significance, added the premier.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government says it will postpone planned punitive tariffs on U.S.-made automobiles and other goods following an interim trade deal with Washington.

Sunday’s announcement came after Washington agreed to postpone a planned tariff hike on $160 billion of Chinese goods and to cut in half penalties that already were imposed.

BEIJING, Dec 14 (APP): China became the world’s third most popular destination for international students in 2018, receiving 10 percent of the world’s international students, ahead of many long-standing host countries.
Currently, over 28,000 Pakistani students are studying in China, out of which, over 7,000 are recipient of the Chinese government scholarship.

Number of Pakistani students had increased from 9,500 in the year 2013 to 25,000 in 2018 after the launch of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.

BEIJING, Dec 14 (APP): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) launched a joint online anti-terrorism exercise in China, in which competent authorities of eight SCO member states simulated a complete crackdown against online terrorist propaganda amid rising cybersecurity challenges.

BEIJING (AP) — China put a positive face Saturday on a first-step trade agreement that dials down a trade war it blames the U.S. for starting.

Chinese experts and news media joined government officials in saying the deal would reduce uncertainty for companies, at least in the short term. They remained cautious, saying both sides will have to show a willingness to compromise to resolve the more fundamental differences between them.

Xinjiang (AP) -- The Xinjiang regional government in China’s far west is deleting data, destroying documents, tightening controls on information and has held high-level meetings in response to leaks of classified papers on its mass detention camps for Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities, according to four people in contact with government employees there.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s much-maligned police force has slipped on a banana peel by trying to make light of its liberal use of tear gas during the territory’s protest movement.

Mimicking an artist who duct-taped a banana to a wall, the force tweeted a photo of a canister similarly taped, with the words: “Say NO to violence. Let’s leave the tear gas cartridge on the wall forever.”

BEIJING (AP) — China’s leaders are promising to shore up economic growth next year in the face of a tariff war with Washington and to reduce poverty and pollution.

Leaders of the ruling Communist Party, in a statement reported Friday by state media, pledged at an annual planning meeting to promote technology-based development and competition by opening the state-dominated economy wider.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s aviation regulator said on Thursday it expected a decline in airline capacity and bookings to the United States and Australia over the Lunar New Year period for the first time in nearly four years due to a shift in tourist destinations.

Japan, Thailand and South Korea will rank among the most popular destinations for Chinese travelers for the holiday period early next year, Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) official Yu Biao told reporters at a monthly briefing.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s aviation regulator raised “important concerns” with Boeing Co (BA.N) on the reliability and security of design changes to the grounded 737 MAX, it said on Thursday, but declined to comment on when the plane might fly again in China.

China is reviewing the airworthiness of the plane based on proposed changes to software and flight control systems according to a bilateral agreement with the United States, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) spokesman Liu Luxu told reporters at a monthly briefing.