Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, July 31 (APP): Despite the unexpected shock from the COVID-19 Pandemic, Pakistan has elevated one place to the 5th in infrastructure development, against the trend of an overall decline in the South Asia region.

According to the annual report on the Development of Belt and Road Infrastructure Development Index (2021), 71 countries were covered in the report, including 63 nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and eight Portuguese-speaking countries.

PHNOM PENH, July 31 (Xinhua) -- A plane carrying a new batch of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine landed in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Saturday, giving another boost to the country in its vaccination drive.

Health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath, who welcomed the arrival of the vaccine at the Phnom Penh International Airport, said the jab was purchased from Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech.

TOKYO, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou on Friday expressed wishes that Japan would adopt correct perception of China and implement positive China policies.

Kong made the remarks at a speech delivered at a symposium on international relations held here on Friday.

Kong said China and Japan, both important Asian countries, shoulder special responsibilities in safeguarding regional peace and stability and achieving prosperity and revitalization.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Hong Kong police have arrested a man accused of booing the Chinese national anthem while watching an Olympic event at a mall.

The 40-year-old man was allegedly waving colonial-era Hong Kong flags and booing, while urging others to join him in insulting the national anthem, according to a police statement posted on Facebook.

Hong Kong passed a law in June last year that criminalized any actions that insult the national anthem. Violating the law can mean a fine of up to $6,400 (50,000 Hong Kong dollars), and up to nine years in prison.

BEIJING, July 30 (APP): Pakistan could overtake India in trade with China in just eight years, even though its trade volume with China was only one-fifth of India’s in 2020, a Pakistan diplomat said.

In 2020, bilateral trade between China and Pakistan stood at $17.49 billion while between China and India it was $77.7 billion.

TOKYO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese health ministry panel on Friday approved the domestic use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Britain's AstraZeneca Plc. for people aged 40 and older in principle due to a supply shortage of vaccines, local media reported.

The central government will supply the vaccine to local governments depending on their demand, with a schedule for safety research, possibly conducted by Self-Defense Forces personnel, due to haunting worries over rare side effects.

BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has skyrocketed by 85 times since the two sides established their dialogue relations 30 years ago, official data showed.

China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years, said Ren Hongbin, assistant minister of commerce. In 2020, ASEAN also became China's largest trading partner.

TAIPEI, China (AP) — Taiwan’s economic growth slowed to 7.5% over a year earlier in the latest quarter as anti-coronavirus controls depressed consumer spending and manufacturing.

Growth in the three months ending in June decelerated from the previous quarter’s 8.9%, government data showed Friday.

Measured compared with the previous quarter, growth slowed to 2% from the previous quarter’s 3%.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines will keep having large-scale combat exercises with the United States after President Rodrigo Duterte retracted his decision to terminate a key defense pact in a move that may antagonize an increasingly belligerent China.

HONG KONG (AP) — A pro-democracy protester was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison in the closely watched first prosecution under Hong Kong’s national security law as the ruling Communist Party tightens control over the territory.

Tong Ying-kit, 24, was convicted of inciting secession and terrorism for driving his motorcycle into a group of police officers at a July 1, 2020, rally. He carried a flag bearing the banned slogan, “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.”