China

BEIJING (AP) — China’s economic growth slowed to its lowest level in a decade in the quarter ending in June, adding to pressure on Chinese leaders as they fight a tariff war with Washington.

The world’s second-largest economy grew 6.2% over a year ago, down from the previous quarter’s 6.4%, government data showed Monday. That was the weakest growth since the first quarter of 2009 in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

HONG KONG (AP) — Protesters demanding the resignation of Hong Kong’s chief executive and an investigation into alleged police violence filled the streets of a northern town on Sunday, adding to an outpouring of grievances against the Chinese territory’s leaders.

Some of the more than 10,000 people marching in Sha Tin in Hong Kong’s New Territories, which abuts China, called for genuinely democratic voting in the former British colony. A handful called for an independent Hong Kong.

14 July 2019; DW: A Canadian citizen has been detained in China, Canada's government has said. It comes amid a period of tense diplomatic relations between the two countries after the arrest last year of a Hauwei executive in Vancouver.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed on Saturday that a Canadian citizen had been detained in the port city of Yantai, without providing details about the identity of the individual detained or the reason for the detention.

HONG KONG, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A magnitude-6.6 earthquake jolted 202 km W of Broome, Australia at 05:39:24 GMT on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 18.202 degrees south latitude and 120.3368 degrees east longitude.

13 July 2019; GANASHAKTI: China said on Friday it would impose sanctions on US firms involved in a deal to sell $2.2-billion worth of tanks, missiles and related equipment to Taiwan, saying it harmed China’s sovereignty and national security.

On Monday, the Pentagon said the US State Department had approved the sale of the weapons requested by Taiwan, including 108 General Dynamics Corp M1A2T Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger missiles, which are manufactured by Raytheon.

HONG KONG (AP) — Several thousand people marched in Hong Kong on Saturday against traders from mainland China in what is fast becoming a summer of unrest in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Walking behind a banner that read “Strictly enforce the law, stop cross-border traders,” the protesters passed by pharmacies and cosmetic shops that are popular with Chinese tourists and traders who bring goods back to sell in the mainland. Many of the stores were shuttered because of the protest.

12 July 2019; AFP: China's economy grew at its slowest rate in nearly three decades in the second quarter, according to an AFP survey of analysts, hit by the US-China trade war and weakening global demand.

The world's second largest economy expanded 6.2 percent in April-June, the poll of 10 economists predicted ahead of the official release of gross domestic product figures Monday.

HONG KONG (AP) — The parents of a Hong Kong man who plunged to his death after putting up banners against divisive extradition legislation urged young people to continue their struggle.

The youth have been at the forefront of huge rallies against the legislation, which has plunged Hong Kong into chaos amid wider fears about the erosion of civil rights in the Chinese territory. Marco Leung’s banners demanded a full withdrawal of the bill, which would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial.

11 July 2019; DW: China is reportedly holding up to 1 million Uighurs in internment camps, described as "concentration camps" by rights groups. Diplomats rarely send open letters to the UN Human Rights Council to slam a country's record.

Ambassadors of more than 20 countries have called on China to end its mass detention of ethnic Uighurs in the Xinjiang region.

The countries that criticized China's treatment of Uighur Muslims include Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Japan.

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Tuesday evening held a telephone conversation with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as invited, the Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, exchanged views with the U.S. officials on implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka.