Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

Beijing, Mar 7 (AP-PTI) China's exports surged 60.6 per cent over a year earlier in the first two months of 2021, after factories reopened and global demand started to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Exports rose to USD 468.9 billion, customs data showed Sunday, accelerating from December's 18.1 per cent gain and nearly double the growth expected by forecasters. Imports jumped 22.2 per cent to USD 365.6 billion, up from December's 6.5 per cent increase.

Beijing, Mar 7 (PTI) China will operate bullet trains to Tibet, close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh before July this year, marking the opening of high-speed train services to all Chinese mainland provincial-level regions, a senior official has said.

A 435-km rail link to the regional capital of Lhasa will run Fuxing high-speed trains powered by both internal-combustion and electricity, Lu Dongfu, board chairman of China State Railway Group Company Limited, told state-run Xinhua news agency on Saturday.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean and U.S. militaries are scaling back their annual exercises this month due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to support diplomacy focusing on North Korea’s nuclear program, officials said Sunday.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the allies decided to start the nine-day drills on Monday after reviewing factors like the status of the pandemic and diplomatic efforts to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

BANGKOK (AP) — The escalation of violence in Myanmar as authorities crack down on protests against the Feb. 1 coup is raising pressure for more sanctions against the junta, even as countries struggle over how to best sway military leaders inured to global condemnation.

BEIJING, March 6 (APP): China’s Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui met with Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri and held a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-India relations and border events.

In the meeting, the two sides also agreed to maintain the momentum of diplomatic and military consultations, achieve peace and tranquility in the border region and put bilateral relations back on the right track, according to a statement issued by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs here on Saturday.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police warned anti-government protesters planning demonstrations in Bangkok on Saturday that they risked being arrested following an order overnight that banned public gatherings in the capital and surrounding provinces.

A youth-led protest movement sprang up last year calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader, and reform of the powerful monarchy, and a clash between police and protesters last week was the most serious so far.

Yangon, Mar 6 (AP-PTI) Security forces in Myanmar again used force Saturday to disperse anti-coup protesters, a day after the UN special envoy urged the Security Council to take action to quell junta violence that this week left about 50 peaceful demonstrators dead and scores injured.

Fresh protests were reported Saturday morning in the biggest city of Yangon, where stun grenades and tear gas were used against protesters. On Wednesday, 18 people were reported killed there.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Demonstrators defied growing violence by Myanmar security forces and staged more anti-coup rallies Friday, while the U.N. special envoy for the country called for urgent Security Council action, saying about 50 peaceful protesters were killed and scores were injured in the military’s worst crackdowns this week.

The escalation of violence has put pressure on the world community to act to restrain the junta, which seized power on Feb. 1 by ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

TOKYO, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday extended the state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic covering the Tokyo metropolitan area by two weeks to March 21, as infection numbers have not fallen enough for the emergency period to be lifted as scheduled on Sunday. 

HONG KONG, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Improving the electoral system in Hong Kong is a critical and urgent task to provide institutional safeguards for "patriots administering Hong Kong," the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Friday.

The statement came as Wang Chen, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, delivered an explanatory speech about a draft decision on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR at the opening meeting of the fourth annual session of the 13th NPC.