China

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar rover Yutu-2 has driven 284.66 meters on the far side of the moon to conduct scientific exploration on the virgin territory.

Both the lander and the rover of the Chang'e-4 probe switched to its dormant mode for the lunar night on Friday (Beijing time), according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday measures announced this week to help restore order in the Chinese-ruled city were a first step as thousands gathered outside a subway station in renewed protest after months of sometimes violent unrest.

The crowds are expected to swell into the night, as the Asian financial hub braces for weekend demonstrations aiming to disrupt transport links to the airport after Lam’s withdrawal of a controversial extradition bill failed to appease some activists.

BEIJING (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the start of a visit to Beijing on Friday that the China-U.S. trade war was affecting the whole world and she hoped it would be resolved soon.

Germany’s firms have been caught in the crossfire of a U.S.-China trade conflict, its economy - Europe’s largest - contracted on weaker exports in the second quarter, and leading economists say it is facing a recession, especially after weak industrial data published this week.

BEIJING (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived Friday in Beijing, where she faces the challenge of balancing human rights concerns and economic discussions with one of Germany’s largest trading partners.

Merkel is meeting this morning with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and will dine with President Xi Jinping in the evening.

BEIJING, September 5. /TASS/: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) stands against trade wars and sanctions, SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov told reporters on Thursday.

"We are against trade wars, this contradicts the peaceful nature of our organization. SCO activity is not aimed against any particular state or international organization," Norov said. There are no trade wars or sanctions between SCO states, he added.

BEIJING, September 5. /TASS/: Terrorist activity on the territory of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) member states has decreased, which confirms the success of practical efforts on enhancing counterterrorism mechanisms, SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov told reporters on Thursday.

"Practical efforts on improving counterterrorism efforts are continuing on a regular basis," he noted. "We can judge their success by the reduction in terrorist activity of extremist groups on the territory of our countries."

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s withdrawal of a controversial extradition bill that had sparked widespread protests was an olive branch that leaves demonstrators with no excuse to continue violence, the official China Daily said on Thursday.

The withdrawal of the bill on Wednesday came after weeks of protests that had sometimes turned into pitched battles across the former British colony of more than 7 million people. More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Thursday the extradition bill that sparked months of demonstrations in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory will be formally withdrawn in the legislative council without the need for debate or a vote.

Lam told a news conference that the move to withdraw the extradition bill, first announced Wednesday, was her government’s decision and that it was backed by Beijing.

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. and Chinese envoys will meet in early October for more talks aimed at ending a tariff war that threatens global economic growth.

Stock markets rose on Thursday’s announcement but there has been no sign of progress since Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed in June to resume deadlocked negotiations about trade and technology.

Earlier, investors were rattled by a report officials were struggling to agree on a schedule for talks originally planned for this month.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday withdrew an extradition bill that triggered months of often violent protests so the Chinese-ruled city can move forward from a “highly vulnerable and dangerous” place and find solutions.

The announcement, live on television, came after Reuters reports on Friday and Monday revealed that Beijing had thwarted an earlier proposal from Lam to withdraw the bill and that she had said privately that she would resign if she could, according to a leaked audio recording.