Liancheng, China | AFP | Dragons several hundred metres long snake their way down pastoral roads and through country hamlets, part of centuries-old Chinese folk celebrations for a mythical creature revered as a blessing. The visually striking festival is among a range of colourful traditional observances unique to eastern Fujian …
Read More »Trump backs ‘One China’ policy in first call with Xi
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump reaffirmed Washington’s ‘One China’ policy on Thursday in his first conversation with Xi Jinping, an apparent effort to ease tensions after angering Beijing by questioning a major plank of Sino-US relations. During a phone call with China’s leader, the US president …
Read More »Trump trade moves chilling, could hurt US business: trade experts
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump’s first moves on trade have cast a pall over US trade relations and could hurt US businesses, trade experts say. Trump has begun his term by pulling out of one major agreement, vowing to renegotiate or exit another, and threatening to …
Read More »China’s Xi calls for world without nuclear weapons
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a world without nuclear weapons at the UN on Wednesday and urged a multilateral system based on equality among nations large and small. His speech at the United Nations in Geneva came at the end of a diplomatic tour …
Read More »COMMENT: Hoping for the best against trump
COMMENT: By Ian Buruma His election is more like an earthquake, unleashing forces no one can control Is there any reason for liberals to feel optimistic after a year of political disasters? Is there even a shred of silver lining to be found in the tatters of , Donald Trump’s …
Read More »MH370 plane search to end in two weeks
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | The hunt for missing flight MH370 will end in two weeks, Malaysia’s transport minister said on Friday, as relatives of passengers demanded authorities push on with the search. “We’re at the final lap within these two weeks,” the minister, Liow Tiong Lai told reporters. …
Read More »Five questions on China-N. Korea relations
Beijing, China | AFP | US president-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly called out China for doing too little to help stop North Korea’s nuclear programme, and on Monday he took to Twitter again to blast Beijing. “China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the US …
Read More »Twitter chief for China quits, hails its performance
Beijing, China | AFP | Twitter’s manager for China, whose appointment just eight months ago sparked controversy, has announced her resignation but welcomed the growing number of Chinese advertisers even though the service is blocked by Beijing. Kathy Chen, appointed in April as general manager for the China region comprising …
Read More »China to ban ivory trade by end of 2017
Beijing, China | AFP | China will ban all domestic ivory trade and processing by the end of 2017, state media reported Friday, in a move hailed by activists as a “game changer” for African elephants. African ivory is highly sought after in China where it is seen as a …
Read More »China to build $1.5 billion power line across Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | China’s State Grid Corporation is set to build a $1.5-billion power line across Pakistan to enable the transmission of 4,000 megawatts of electricity from the country’s north to south, the government said Friday. Pakistani and Chinese officials signed an investment agreement in Beijing on Thursday …
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