China

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, said on Tuesday she and her team would begin dialogue sessions with the community next week, while reiterating that violence that has roiled the city over three months of protests must end.

Lam, who is under pressure from Beijing to defuse the public anger stirring the protests, said the dialogue sessions would be as open as possible, with members of the public able to sign up to attend.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A rare train derailment disrupted services in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the rail operator said, threatening commuter chaos during rush hour.

The disruption to a usually seamless network used by nearly 6 million people every weekday happened after a train derailed while leaving a station in the Kowloon area, rail operator MTR Corp said.

The government’s information department said eight people were injured and five had been taken to hospital.

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Upon invitation from the U.S. side, Liao Min, deputy director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs and vice Finance Minister, plans to lead a delegation to visit the United States on Wednesday for trade consultations.

The visit will pave the way for the 13th round of China-U.S. high-level economic and trade consultations in October in Washington. 

SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Long before President Donald Trump threatened to cut off Huawei’s access to U.S. technology, the Chinese telecom equipment maker was pouring money into research that reduces its need for American suppliers.

Huawei’s founder says instead of crippling the company, the export curbs are making it a tougher competitor by forcing managers to focus resources on their most important products.

HONG KONG (AP) — Overseas, Joshua Wong has emerged as a prominent face of Hong Kong’s months-long protests for full democracy. At home, he is just another protester.

The 22-year-old activist, who rose to fame as a leader of democracy protests five years ago, speaks to a U.S. congressional committee on Tuesday, following visits to Germany and Taiwan to drum up support for the movement.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s government reiterated that violence is not the solution after an unapproved march descended into chaos with police firing tear gas and water cannons after demonstrators lobbed Molotov cocktails at government buildings, blocked traffic and set fires.

The government in a statement late Sunday said violence would only harm the community and it was sincerely trying to solve problems.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong police fired water cannon and volleys of tear gas to break up protesters throwing petrol bombs near the Legislative Council building and inside the Central Government Offices on Sunday, the latest in weeks of sometimes violent unrest.

Some protesters threw bricks at police outside the nearby Chinese People’s Liberation Army base in the Admiralty district of the city and tore down and set fire to a red banner proclaiming the 70th anniversary on Oct. 1 of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hundreds of demonstrators are rallying outside the British Consulate in Hong Kong, as they seek international support in their months-long campaign for democratic reforms in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

HONG KONG (AP) — Supporters of the ongoing protests for democratic reforms in Hong Kong have clashed with supporters of the central government at a shopping mall in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Hundreds of pro-Beijing demonstrators waved Chinese flags and chanted slogans Saturday at Amoy Plaza in the densely packed Kowloon district. Counter protesters quickly gathered there, sparking tension as the two camps heckled each other.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing said on Friday he deeply regrets that recent comments he made regarding protests in the financial hub were misrepresented and reiterated that any actions that violate the rule of law cannot be tolerated.

Li’s statement came after China’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission published an article on social media accusing the tycoon of “harbouring criminality” after he called on the authorities to offer young people an olive branch amid anti-government protests that have roiled the city.