China

BEIJING (AP) — China’s economy was 2.1% bigger than earlier estimated, the government said Friday, revising the gross domestic product for 2018 to 91.93 trillion yuan ($13.1 trillion) based on results of a census.

The National Bureau of Statistics said Friday the revision reflects more complete measures of the services sector and assets. It raises the possibility China’s communist leaders will attain their target of doubling the country’s GDP between 2010 and 2020.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that Beijing wants to work for a trade deal with the United States but is not afraid to “fight back.”

Reinforcing the upbeat tone adopted by China in recent days, Xi told a visiting U.S. business delegation that China holds a ‘positive attitude’ toward the trade talks.

“As we always said we don’t want to start the trade war but we are not afraid,” Xi said. “When necessary we will fight back but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war.”

BEIJING (AP) — Stocks logged modest gains Friday in Asia after a lackluster overnight session on Wall Street ended with the market’s third straight drop.

Upbeat comments by Chinese officials helped alleviate worries over progress in resolving the tariff war between the two largest economies.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told a visiting delegation on Friday that he hoped to work toward a resolution of the dispute, though Beijing was not “afraid” and would “fight back” if necessary.

HONG KONG (AP) — Police will be out in force at polling stations in Hong Kong this weekend as keenly contested local elections take place amid ongoing anti-government protests.

Hong Kong’s new police commissioner, Tang Ping-keung, told reporters Friday that officers would deal with any outbreak of violence immediately without hesitation.

Six masked protesters surrendered before dawn, bringing to about 30 the number that have come out in the past day from a university campus surrounded by police.

BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and U.S. economic and trade teams will continue to maintain close communication, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.

China is ready to work with the U.S. side to properly address each other's core concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect and strive to reach a "phase one" deal, which serves the interests of both countries and the rest of the world, MOC spokesperson Gao Feng told a press conference.

HONG KONG (AP) — A small but determined group of protesters remained inside a Hong Kong university campus Thursday, resisting pleas to turn themselves in to police.

At least a few dozen were believed to still be at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the holdouts from a much larger group that occupied the campus for several days and battled police last weekend.

Beijing, Nov 20, AFP/GANASHAKTI: China's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned a top US diplomat over the Senate's passing of a Hong Kong rights bill, warning of "strong" countermeasures against the United States should the legislation be signed into law.

Vice foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu called in acting charge d'affaires William Klein to lodge a "strong protest", the ministry said in a statement.

"We strongly urge the US side to immediately take effective measures to prevent this bill from becoming law" and stop meddling in China's internal affairs, the statement said.

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature of China, on Wednesday firmly opposed to and strongly condemned the passing of the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 by the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. Senate passed the bill on Tuesday local time despite stern representations and strong opposition from China.

The move "grossly interfered in China's internal affairs," according to a statement issued by the NPC committee.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong schools reopened Wednesday after a six-day shutdown but students and commuters faced transit disruptions as the last protesters remained holed up on a university campus.

City officials tried to restore a sense of normalcy as primary and secondary classes resumed. They sent inspectors to examine the damage to a major road tunnel targeted by protesters, but it was unclear when it could be reopened.

BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) expressed deep concern over Hong Kong's High Court ruling related to the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

The Court of First Instance of the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) ruled on Monday that some provisions of the ordinance were incompatible with the Basic Law of the HKSAR and therefore were invalid.