Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING (AP) — China’s trade improved in June in a fresh sign the world’s second-largest economy is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. But its exporters face threats including tension with Washington and a possible downturn in U.S. and European demand.

Chinese imports rose 3% over a year earlier to $167.2 billion, rebounding from May’s 3.3% decline, customs data showed Tuesday. Exports edged up 0.4% to $213.6 billion, an improvement over the previous month’s 16.7% contraction.

TOKYO (AP) — Shares fell in Asia on Tuesday as skepticism set in about the recent upward momentum in global markets given rising confirmed coronavirus cases and percolating tensions between the U.S. and China.

The White House’s decision to reject nearly all Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea added to investor jitters. The world’s two largest economies have been sparring over everything from the pandemic to human rights.

BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday described a U.S. rejection of its maritime claims in the South China Sea as completely unjustified and accused the U.S. of attempting to sow discord between China and the Southeast Asian countries with which it has territorial disputes.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington said that a statement issued by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deliberately distorts the facts and disregards the efforts of China and the others to achieve peace and stability in the South China Sea.

BEIJING, Jul 13 (APP): A total of 433 rivers in China have exceeded alerting levels since early June, with 33 of them rising to historical highs, said Ye Jianchun, Chinese vice minister of water resources at a press conference here on Monday.

China is entering the key period of flood prevention, said Ye Jianchun, warning the situation in the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake are still severe.

JAKARTA, July 13 (NNN-ANTARA) – The Indonesian Navy and Air Force carried out a military exercise near the country’s border with Malaysia, local media reported on Sunday.

Three warships and a Boeing 737 aircraft were deployed during the two-day military exercise.

The exercise focused on a strategy to forge sound tactical cooperation between the Navy and the Air Force, while undertaking a joint military mission to safeguard Indonesia’s border, particularly in the Ambalat Block waters.

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Two WHO experts have arrived in China for cooperation on researching the origin of the COVID-19 virus, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.

After consultation between the two sides, the Chinese government had agreed that the World Health Organization would send experts to Beijing to exchange ideas with Chinese counterparts on science-based cooperation in novel coronavirus origin-tracing, Hua told a press briefing.

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- China has decided to impose sanctions on four United States officials and an institution who have acted viciously on issues related to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as a reciprocal measure against relevant moves made earlier by the U.S., a foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday.

BEIJING (AP) — The Yangtze River region has seen its second highest rainfall in more than a half-century so far this year as deadly flooding strikes much of China.

Around 28,000 homes have been damaged and 141 people have died or are missing in the floods since last month.

Virtually all of mainland China has been affected, excluding vast far western areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang, according to Vice Minister of Emergency Management Zheng Guoguang.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Malaysian government today chartered two special flights to deport 367 Indian nationals held at various Immigration detention centres nationwide.

The Indian High Commission in Malaysia, said in a statement today that the two charter flights were operated by Malaysia Airlines, with one bound for Amritsar and the other for Chennai.

“This deportation exercise, which saw seamless cooperation between the governments of Malaysia and India, was successfully carried out today (July 11).

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai researchers plan to begin human trials of a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus in November and are preparing 10,000 doses, a senior official said on Sunday, aiming for a vaccine that could be ready for use by late next year.

Following favourable results in trials on primates, the next step is to manufacture doses for human trials, said Kiat Ruxrungtham, director of the Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University vaccine development program.