Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- China is seriously concerned about and firmly opposes Japan's unilateral decision to discharge the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea and its proceeding with the preparatory work, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Zhao Lijian made the remarks when asked to comment on a media report that Tokyo Electric Power Company has submitted an application to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority with a detailed plan of discharging nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.

BEIJING (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam was meeting with top leaders in Beijing on Wednesday to report to them on the territory’s first legislative elections held under new laws ensuring that only “patriots” loyal to the ruling Chinese Communist Party could run as candidates.

As expected, Sunday’s elections for the 90-seat Legislative Council were swept by party-backed politicians who beat out the dwindling number of moderates and independents.

Leading figures in the pro-democracy opposition have been intimidated into silence, jailed or forced into exile.

BEIJING, Dec 21 (APP): Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque Tuesday said that despite COVID-19 pandemic, this year bilateral trade between Pakistan and China was expected to cross $25 billion value with a great momentum with Pakistan’s exports to China expected to cross $3.54 billion, which was unprecedented and historic figures.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 (NNN-Bernama) — The Year 2022 will be an important milestone for the Ukraine-ASEAN relationship with the former focusing on acceding to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), says Ukraine Ambassador to Malaysia Olexander Nechytaylo.

In an interview with Bernama, Nechytaylo said Ukraine has applied to join the treaty relying on the support of Malaysia and other ASEAN members, adding that it intends to contribute more in the area of food security and cyber security via the treaty.

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Thailand will reinstate its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine for foreign visitors and scrap a quarantine waiver from Tuesday due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The decision to halt Thailand's "Test and Go" waiver means visitors will have to undergo hotel quarantine, which ranges between 7 to 10 days.

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Vietnam signed seven documents on Tuesday to further boost their bilateral relations and cooperation, a senior Cambodian official said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and visiting Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presided over the signing ceremony after their meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.

BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The phrase common prosperity has gained prominence this year, as China is determined to bring better lives to more people.

After winning the anti-poverty fight and completing the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, China now has favorable conditions for promoting common prosperity.

Beijing, Dec 21 (AP) China announced sanctions on Tuesday on four members of the US government's Commission on International Religious Freedom in retaliation for penalties imposed on Chinese officials over complaints of abuses in the country's northwestern Xinjiang region.

The tit-for-tat sanctions add to spiraling tension over Xinjiang. Washington has banned imports from the region that might be made with forced labor, while activists are calling for a boycott of February's Winter Olympics in Beijing.

HONG KONG (AP) — Candidates loyal to China’s Communist Party won a landslide victory in Hong Kong’s legislative elections after pro-democracy activists were imprisoned and authorities received the power to exclude those deemed inappropriate for office.

Candidates loyal to Beijing won a majority of the seats in Sunday’s election after the laws were changed to ensure that only pro-Beijing “patriots” could run the city.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The governor of a central Philippine province devastated by Typhoon Rai last week pleaded on radio Tuesday for the government to quickly send food and other aid, warning that without outside help, army troops and police forces would have to be deployed to prevent looting amid growing hunger.