China

BEIJING, Dec.11 (APP): China will provide more opportunities for Pakistani competitive goods to access the Chinese market under the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement Phase-II came into force on December 1.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets were mostly higher Wednesday following reports President Donald Trump might delay a weekend tariff hike on Chinese goods.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia rose while Tokyo declined.

Investors had been counting on Trump to postpone Sunday’s duty increase on $160 billion of Chinese imports. But with no official action, Wall Street fell for a second day Tuesday.

10 December 2019; AFP: Hong Kongers have delivered a clarion call for change over the last fortnight with a landslide local election defeat for the government and more than one in ten hitting the streets peacefully on Sunday -- but will Beijing listen?

Monday marks the sixth month anniversary of a movement that has upended the semi-autonomous Chinese hub's reputation for stability and blanketed its streets with unprecedented scenes of political violence.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Monday that it hoped to make a trade deal with the United States as soon as possible, amid intense discussions before fresh U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports are due to kick in at the end of the week.

Beijing hopes it can reach a trade agreement with the United States that satisfies both sides, Assistant Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin told reporters on Monday.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong protesters lit a fire outside court buildings, threw petrol bombs and spray-painted graffiti on government buildings, marring what was otherwise a “generally peaceful” march at the weekend, police said on Monday.

The comments came as protesters called for strikes across the city on Monday. Most railway and transport links ran smoothly during the morning rush hour and there were no reports of widespread disruptions.

BEIJING (Reuters) - People held in controversial training camps in Xinjiang have “graduated” and new students will have the “freedom to come and go”, the government of China’s far western region said on Monday, slamming foreign estimates of the numbers detained.

The U.S. and some Western nations have issued sharp rebukes after the United Nations and rights groups estimated between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighurs, were detained as part of a sweeping anti-terrorism campaign.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s exports in November shrank for the fourth consecutive month, underscoring persistent pressures on manufacturers from the Sino-U.S. war but growth in imports may be a sign that Beijing’s stimulus steps are helping to stoke demand.

The 17-month long trade dispute has heightened the risks of a global recession and fueled speculation that China’s policymakers could unleash more stimulus as growth in the world’s second-largest economy cooled to nearly 30-year lows.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s trade with the United States sank again in November as negotiators worked on the first stage of a possible deal to end a tariff war.

Customs data on Sunday showed exports to the United States fell 23% from a year earlier while imports of American goods were off 2.8%.

Exports to some other countries including France rose, helping to offset the loss.

Total Chinese exports were off 2.5% from a year earlier despite weakening global demand while imports were up 0.2%.

HONG KONG (AP) --- Marchers were expected to fill Hong Kong streets Sunday in a protest that will test the enduring appeal of an anti-government movement marking a half year of demonstrations.

A large crowd gathered in Victoria Park for a rally ahead of the planned march through central Hong Kong.

“We hope this will be a signature for our movement after six months to show to (Hong Kong leader) Carrie Lam as well as to the world that people are not giving up, people will still fight for our freedom and democracy,” said Eric Lai, one of the organizers.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone call on Saturday that the United States should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, according to a report by state TV.

Citing the passing of the Uighur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 and the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, Yang said the United States had seriously violated international relations, and urged Washington to “correct its mistakes” and “immediately stop interfering in China’s internal affairs”.