Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

XIAMEN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang addressed the 12th Straits Forum held in the port city of Xiamen in Fujian Province via video link on Sunday.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, congratulated the forum on its opening despite COVID-19 and some obstruction from Taiwan.

BANGKOK (AP) — Anti-government demonstrators occupying a historic field in the Thai capital on Sunday installed a plaque symbolizing the country’s transition to democracy to replace the original one that was mysteriously ripped and stolen three years ago, as they vowed to press on with calls for new elections and reform of the monarchy.

The mass student-led rally that began Saturday was the largest in a series of protests this year, with thousands camping overnight at Sanam Luang field near the royal palace.

BEIJING, Sep19 (APP): The Chinese-made COVID-19 inactivated vaccines may be available on the market by the end of 2020, according to China National Biotec Group (CNBG), a subsidiary of China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation on the 2020 Zhongguancun Forum held here.

BEIJING, Sep 19 (APP): The 15th Security Secretaries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) had a constructive exchange of opinions on joint hands-on efforts to counter security challenges and threats across the SCO space.

Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev chaired the meeting held recently via videoconference, according to a press release issued by SCO Secretariat here on Saturday.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine for war dead on Saturday, his first visit since December 2013, after refraining from doing so for most of his term to avoid angering China and South Korea.

Abe announced the visit on his official Twitter account along with a photo of himself at the shrine, just days after Yoshihide Suga succeeded him as Japan’s leader. Japan’s longest-serving leader announced his resignation in late August, citing health problems.

BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Saturday it is resolutely opposed to the U.S. move to block downloads of WeChat and TikTok apps.

In the absence of any evidence, the U.S. has repeatedly used state power to suppress the two enterprises for unwarranted reasons, which seriously disrupted their normal business activities, undermined the confidence of international investors in the U.S. investment environment and damaged the normal global economic and trade order, the MOC said in an online statement.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China sent more warplanes toward Taiwan for the second day Saturday as the island’s leader, senior government officials and a high-level U.S. envoy paid tribute to the man who led Taiwan’s transition to democracy, former President Lee Teng-hui.

Keith Krach, the U.S. undersecretary for state, kept a low profile at the service. His presence at the event and on the island has drawn a strong rebuke from China, which sent 18 warplanes across the midline of the Taiwan Strait Friday in an unusually large display of force.

BANGKOK (AP) — Protesters gathered Saturday in Bangkok for the most ambitious rally so far in a pro-democracy campaign that has shaken up the government and Thailand’s conservative establishment.

Organizers predicted as many as 50,000 will show up and march over two days in an area of the capital historically associated with political protests. An estimated 10,000 people turned out for the last major rally on Aug. 16, and this time, opposition political parties are expected to join and mobilize supporters from other provinces.

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s Ministry of Commerce on Saturday issued regulations for its “unreliable entity” list, aimed at foreign companies it says endanger its national sovereignty, security or development interests.

Companies that end up on the list could be banned from importing or exporting from China, and may be barred from investing in the country.

Other measures include imposing fines, entry restrictions on employees into China and revoking their work or residence permits.

TOKYO, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Japan said it will send a five-person team to Mauritius to investigate the grounding of a Japanese-owned ship off the country’s coast that led to an environmental crisis.

A bulk carrier owned by Japan’s Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK ran aground on a reef off Mauritius on July 25 and later began leaking oil into the pristine waters around the Indian Ocean island.

The Japanese government said in a statement that it would send a team of five people to Mauritius on Sept 20.