China

BEIJING, July 12 (Reuters) - China's commercial capital of Shanghai and dozens of other Chinese cities baked in scorching temperatures as unusually hot weather buckled roads, popped roof tiles and drove people to seek the cool in raid shelters underground.

By 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Tuesday, 86 cities had issued red alerts, the highest in a three-tier warning system, warning of temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in the next 24 hours. Construction and other outdoor work are to be halted.

BEIJING, July 12 (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday its embassy in Japan had lodged "stern representations" with the government there about Taiwan Vice President William Lai attending the funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Lai visited Japan in what a Japanese official described as a private visit to pay his respects as a friend of Abe's, a move that was always likely to upset Beijing which considers democratically ruled Taiwan its own territory with no right to the trappings of a state. 

BEIJING, Jul 11 (APP): China and Pakistan launched a joint naval exercise off Shanghai to further enhance military cooperation and deepen friendship.

Chinese analysts saying that the drills target maritime security threats, including those to strategic transport sea lanes.

Based on agreements reached by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and the Pakistan Navy, the two sides will hold joint naval drill Sea Guardians-2 in maritime and aerial spaces off Shanghai in mid-July, Captain Liu Wensheng, a spokesperson for the PLA Navy, said in a statement.

HONG KONG, July 11 (Reuters) - Macau shut all its casinos for the first time in more than two years on Monday, sending shares in gaming firms tumbling as authorities struggle to contain the worst coronavirus outbreak yet in the world's biggest gambling hub.

The city's 30-plus casinos and other businesses will shut for one week and people were ordered to stay at home though short trips for essential services were allowed.

Police will monitor flows of people outside and stringent punishments will be imposed for those who disobey, the government said.

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Monday urged the United States to lift unilateral sanctions against Cuba completely.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to a query on the media reports that the U.S. State Department announced visa restrictions against 28 Cuban officials on July 9.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong authorities are considering implementing a health code system in the city that would restrict the movements of those infected with the coronavirus and overseas arrivals, as infections rise again.

The system is similar to that of mainland China, in which a red code completely restricts a person’s movement, a yellow code is for partial restriction, while a green code means freedom of movement. The colors would appear on Hong Kong’s risk-exposure app LeaveHomeSafe.

SHANGHAI, July 10 (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged his Australian counterpart Penny Wong to treat China as a partner, not an opponent, and to accumulate "postive energy" to improve ties between the two countries.

On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali on Friday, Wang expressed hope that Australia could "seize the opportunity, take concrete actions and come to a correct understanding of China", according to a summary published late on Saturday by China's foreign ministry.

BEIJING, July 10 (Reuters) - Several people protesting in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou over the freezing of deposits by some rural-based banks said they were injured on Sunday when heavy-handed security personnel dispersed the crowd.

The banks froze millions of dollars worth of deposits in April, telling customers they were upgrading their internal systems. The banks have not issued any communication on the matter since, depositors said.

BEIJING, July 9 (APP): In recent years, Pakistan has accelerated the construction of its mobile communication facilities, with companies like China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak) playing a significant role in the local market and network.

Companies in Pakistan are now looking to provide services to allow people from all over the world to work from their homes. With the advent of online services in recent years, the trend has been gaining traction and platforms like CMPak are playing a big role in realizing the dreams of young Pakistanis when it comes to jobs.

BEIJING, July 8 (APP): The Pakistani businessmen and traders participated in the 28th China Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair kicked off in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China’s Gansu Province.

The five-day event that will feature business negotiations and forums aims to boost economic and trade cooperation among countries along the Belt and Road.