China

LOS ANGELES, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The 2019 China-California Business Forum will be held in June in Los Angeles in the U.S. state of California.

The forum will be held to promote California's trade and investment cooperation with Chinese provinces, and encourage business leaders from California and China to explore and develop business opportunities.

BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Four government agencies on Friday jointly launched the "Sword Net 2019" campaign targeting copyright infringement on the internet, especially "paraphrasing plagiarism" by so-called "we media" accounts and illegal and irregular activities by image agencies.

Initiated by the National Intellectual Property Administration, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Public Security, the operation is set to run from the end of April to the end of October.

BRUSSELS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- When Hungary signed a cooperation document with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2015, it was the first European country to do so.

Almost four years later and ahead of the ongoing Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, 22 European countries had inked BRI cooperation documents with China.

LHASA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The world's highest highway tunnel was open to traffic on Friday at an altitude of over 4,750 meters above sea level in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The two-way tunnel is over 5.7 km long, which is a part of the 400-km highway linking the regional capital of Lhasa with Nyingchi in the southeast of Tibet.

Construction of the tunnel started in 2015 on the 5,018-meter-high Mila Mountain, and it was completed on Monday, helping shorten the 18-km distance over the mountain to 5.7 km.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping promised Friday to set high standards for Beijing’s sweeping infrastructure-building initiative as fellow leaders praised the effort despite worries it is saddling some countries with too much debt.

Xi avoided mentioning debt in a speech at a Belt and Road forum celebrating his signature foreign initiative. But he promised changes in response to complaints about costs, dubious payoffs from the projects and possible environmental damage.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative meshes perfectly with the goals of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

Putin’s comments to a Belt and Road forum in Beijing may help alleviate concerns over potential tensions between China and Russia, given Beijing’s rapidly expanding economic footprint in Central Asia, Moscow’s traditional sphere of influence.

Putin told some three-dozen leaders attending the conference that China’s moves “fit perfectly into our plans.”

Beijing, Apr 25 (AP) China said Thursday that it will hold joint naval drills with Russia next week, in another sign that the countries' militaries are growing closer.

The drills will be held off the northern port city of Qingdao, Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a monthly briefing. Taking place from Monday to Saturday, they will feature ships and submarines along with fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and marine units.

BEIJING, April 25. /TASS/. The Chinese government welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing and his participation in the second One Belt One Road international forum, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Thursday.

"China welcomes the visit of President Vladimir Putin who will take part in the second One Belt One Road international forum. Chinese President Xi Jinping and a number of the country’s top officials will meet with the Russian leader," he said at a regular press briefing.

BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The mainland is firmly opposed to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and military contact in any form between the two sides, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a press conference. "Our stance has been consistent and clear," he said.

In response to remarks by the American Institute in Taiwan that the mainland is exerting its influence on Taiwan elections, Ma said the mainland has repeatedly stressed that it never interferes with elections on the island.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s finance minister tried Thursday to dispel complaints its Belt and Road infrastructure-building initiative leaves developing countries with too much debt, promising “sustainable financing” as leaders gathered to celebrate the project.

Liu Kun’s comments came as Chinese authorities blanketed the capital with security for the forum celebrating President Xi Jinping’s signature foreign initiative.