Articles by "China"
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Hello Jammu News at 8:34:00 PM 0


Beijing, Apr 10 :   President Xi Jinping on Friday called for tighter supervision of safety measures at workplaces as China gears up to resume work and production in a big way after over two months of battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

Xi asked officials to strengthen monitoring and law enforcement of production safety even as coronavirus cases began to rise again in China following the return of Chinese nationals from abroad in big numbers.

Authorities should firmly hold the bottom line of workplace safety, Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency on Friday.

Noting that the country had made progress in workplace safety last year with the number of accidents declining, Xi said there remained many risks and much work is yet to be done.

Workplace safety must not be regarded as a trivial matter or treated with formalism or bureaucracy, Xi said.

In view of the main features and outstanding problems in workplace safety, Xi said efforts should be made to improve the responsibility system, ensure strict rectification of problems found, and strengthen risk prevention and control so that hidden dangers could be fundamentally eliminated and major accidents effectively curbed.

Premier Li Keqiang, who headed the leading officials group to control COVID-19 also said officials must not let up on workplace safety at a time when the country is in a critical period of coordinating epidemic control and work resumption.

The instructions were delivered at a national teleconference on workplace safety in Beijing on Friday.

China has reported 42 new coronavirus cases, including 38 imported infections, taking the total tally to 81,907, health officials said on Friday, as the country started a new trial of re-testing the recovered COVID-19 patients amid heightened concern of a rebound of the deadly disease.

The Chinese health authority on Friday said that 47 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, including 14 from abroad, were reported in the mainland.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) said 42 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported, including 38 imported cases on Thursday.

Four new domestically transmitted cases were reported --three in Guangdong Province and one in Heilongjiang Province -- it said.

As the new infections continue to increase, China on Thursday unveiled a new trial protocol warranting re-testing of the recovered coronavirus patients besides intensifying the screening of asymptomatic cases as concerns grew over a second wave of the infections in the country.

The move comes a day after China lifted the 76-day lockdown in Wuhan where the pandemic originated.

One death was reported in coronavirus epicentre Hubei Province, taking the overall death toll in the country to 3,336, while the overall confirmed cases on the mainland reached 81,907 by Thursday. This includes 77,455 patients who were discharged after treatment.

The NHC said 1,097 asymptomatic cases, including 349 from abroad, were still under medical observation.

Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat but they are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others, according to a new official notification.
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Hello Jammu News at 8:03:00 PM 0


Beijing, Mar 27 :  China and the United States should "unite to fight" the deadly coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged the globe, said President Xi Jinping in a call with his US counterpart on Friday, according to state media.

The two countries have clashed in recent weeks over the virus, but Xi told President Donald Trump that China "wishes to continue sharing all information and experience with the US," said state broadcaster CCTV.

The two leaders appeared to strike a conciliatory tone after Trump and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo angered Beijing this month by repeatedly referring to "the Chinese virus" when discussing the COVID-19 outbreak first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Earlier this month a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing also suggested in a tweet that the US military brought the virus to Wuhan.

Friday's call also took place as the US overtook China as the country with the most coronavirus cases -- the pathogen has now infected more than 82,400 people in the world's largest economy.

Xi said Sino-US relations were at a "critical juncture", CCTV said, adding that cooperation was mutually beneficial and "the only right choice." "I hope that the US will take substantive actions to improve Sino-US relations, and both sides can work together to strengthen cooperation in fighting the epidemic," he said.

Some provinces, cities and companies in China have provided medical supplies and support to the US as well, Xi added.
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Hello Jammu News at 3:23:00 PM 0


Beijing, Mar 24 :  China reported 78 new confirmed cases, including 74 imported infections, while the death toll from the novel coronavirus increased to 3,277 after seven more fatalities were confirmed from the COVID-19, health officials said on Tuesday.

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland have reached 81,171 by the end of Monday. This included 3,277 people who died of the disease, 4,735 patients who were still being treated and 73,159 patients discharged after recovery, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday.

The NHC said, 78 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Monday, of which 74 were imported from abroad taking the number of overseas cases to 427.

Also on Monday, seven deaths and 35 new suspected cases were reported on the mainland with all the deaths in Hubei Province.

The total COVID-19 cases in Beijing climbed to 522 with eight deaths prompting local governments of Beijing as well as Shanghai to announce that all overseas arrivals will be subjected to nucleic acid tests to ensure proper detection.

Of the 74 newly imported cases, 31 were reported in Beijing, 14 in Guangdong, nine in Shanghai, five in Fujian, four in Tianjin, three in Jiangsu, two in Zhejiang and Sichuan respectively, and one in Shanxi, Liaoning, Shandong and Chongqing respectively, the NHC said.

Beijing is already diverting all international flights to different cities where the passengers will be quarantined for 14 days before arriving in the city.

The NHC said 132 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

Coronavirus epicentre Wuhan has reported one confirmed case after a gap of five days prompting officials to begin to ease restrictions.

Wuhan also reported seven new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the city and Hubei province for which Wuhan is the capital to 3,160.

The province also saw 444 patients discharged from hospital after recovery on Monday. Among the 4,200 patients being treated in hospital, 1,203 were still in severe condition and another 336 in critical condition, the local health commission said.

By the end of Monday, 356 confirmed cases, including four deaths have been reported in Hong Kong, which has restricted the entry of foreigners into the city. Also a total of 25 confirmed cases were reported in Macao and 195 in Taiwan including two deaths, state-run Xinhua news agency reporrted.

After days of decline in coronavirus cases, China on Monday said that COVID-19 has effectively been "stemmed" in the country and it started easing severe restrictions imposed on Wuhan's 11 million people who were under lockdown since January 23.

The authorities began relaxing restrictions in Wuhan as it reported no new case for the fifth consecutive day on Monday.

Significantly, the Central Leading Group (CLP), headed by Premier Li Keqiang which is coordinating efforts to contain the virus since January 23, said the virus has been curtailed in the country as well as in Wuhan.

"The meeting noted that the spread of the virus nationwide, particularly in the epicentre of Wuhan, has been effectively stemmed," an official statement said on Monday.

The meeting, however, warned that the risks for sporadic infections and localised outbreaks have not gone away. With the pandemic rampaging across the world, the situation remains complex and challenging.

"Wuhan city and Hubei province should stay focused on medical treatment and community-level containment as the two key priorities. They should continue to treat the severe cases, promptly admit new cases, and advance epidemiological investigations," the meeting said.

In Wuhan, officials said people are allowed to go back to work while restrictions on the public transport are gradually being eased.

The Hubei province and its capital Wuhan with over 56 million people were under lockdown since January 23. The vicious virus broke out in city, reportedly at a live animal market in December last year and became virulent inflicting thousands of people in the city and province catching the government off guard.

As the country saw a surge in imported infections, the Chinese government announced that all international flights scheduled to arrive in Beijing will be redirected to airports in 12 other Chinese cities from Monday.

International passengers flying to Beijing will instead land at airports in 12 cities including Shanghai, Tianjin, Nanjing and Shenyang as their first points of entry, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said in a statement.

On Monday, China said international travellers should "think twice" about choosing Beijing for flight transfer in view of the restrictions.

Starting from Monday, all international flights scheduled to arrive in Beijing will be redirected to airports in 12 other Chinese cities, Liu Haitao, an official with China's National Immigration Administration said.

Passengers would go through entry procedures and quarantine measures at the designated cities' airports before they continue their flights to Beijing, Liu said, urging travellers to reserve enough time for their next flights to make sure that they do not miss their outbound flights.
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Hello Jammu News at 6:22:00 PM 0
Shen Wei



Beijing, Mar 5 :  The Corona Virus causing havoc in China has spread almost all over the world. It has killed more than 300 hundred people and infected 80,000 people in China. Now, China has claimed that it has discovered a vaccine to escape the Corona Virus [Covid-19]. 

This vaccine has been prepared under the leadership of medical expert Shen Wei of the People`s Liberation Army in Wuhan for the past one month, the medical team of Chinese army. The world`s first vaccine of Corona Virus was tested by injecting the vaccine into the left hand of the inventor Shen Wei.

Shen Wei is the same major general of the Chinese army, who a few years ago created a vaccine to ward off dangerous viruses such as SARS and Ebola and saved the entire world from their threats.
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Hello Jammu News at 10:08:00 PM 0
US President Donald Trump


Washington, Feb 5 :  The US is working closely with Beijing to combat the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump said, as the deadly infection claimed 490 lives in China and spread to over 20 countries, including India and America, prompting the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency.

The US on Tuesday evacuated over 300 more people on two new flights out of the Chinese city Wuhan, the epicentre of the fast-spreading new coronavirus. Last week, it evacuated 195 Americans from Wuhan.

"Protecting Americans' health also means fighting infectious diseases," Trump said in his State of the Union speech on late Tuesday night while highlighting the initiatives taken by his administration in the healthcare sector.

"We are coordinating with the Chinese government and working closely together on the coronavirus outbreak in China. My administration will take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from this threat," he said.

The death toll in coronavirus outbreak rose to 490 in China on Tuesday. One death was reported earlier this week from the Philippines.

Worldwide, the virus, so far, has spread to Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Macau, India, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, United States, Canada, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Russia, Finland, Spain, UAE and Sweden.

"As we pray for all who are sick, we know that America is constantly achieving new medical breakthroughs," Trump said in his speech.

The president underlined that his administration has launched ambitious new initiatives to substantially improve care for Americans with kidney disease, Alzheimer's, and those struggling with mental health challenges.

Trump said a good life for American families also requires the most affordable, innovative and high-quality healthcare system.

"Before I took office, health insurance premiums had more than doubled in just 5 years. I moved quickly to provide affordable alternatives. Our new plans are up to 60 per cent less expensive.

"I have also made an ironclad pledge to American families: We will always protect patients with pre-existing conditions -- that is a guarantee," he said.

The president said his administration will always protect the Medicare and the Social Security schemes.

Asserting that his administration will never let socialism "destroy" US healthcare, he said, "As we work to improve Americans' healthcare, there are those who want to take away your healthcare, take away your doctor, and abolish private insurance entirely."

"One hundred thirty-two lawmakers in this room have endorsed legislation to impose a socialist takeover of our healthcare system, wiping out the private health insurance plans of 180 million Americans," he added.
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Hello Jammu News at 11:20:00 PM 0
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 27 :  Malaysia banned visitors from the Chinese city of Wuhan and its surrounding Hubei province on Monday, in a bid to contain the spread of a deadly virus.

A statement by the prime minister's office said the authorities will temporarily halt all issuance of visas for Chinese citizens from the area with immediate effect.

"The government has decided to suspend temporarily all immigration facilities ... to all China nationals from Wuhan city and the surrounding Hubei province," it said.

Malaysia has reported four confirmed cases of the flu-like virus which started in the central-Chinese city and has spread worldwide.

All four, including two children, are in stable condition.

They are tourists from Wuhan who entered Malaysia for a holiday via neighbouring Singapore.

The virus, similar to the SARS pathogen, has claimed at least 81 lives -- all of them in China.

Malaysia welcomed 2.94 million visitors from China last year and is aiming to raise this to 3.48 million this year.

The prime minister's office said the ban will be lifted when the situation returns to normal.

Meanwhile, a campaign by Malaysians on petition website change.org urging the government to bar Chinese nationals from entering the country has gathered more than 383,000 signatures of the 500,000 target as of Monday evening.

"The government should think more of the health of Malaysians," the petition said.

"Don't wait until there is death among Malaysian people then only the government wants to take some preventive action.
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Hello Jammu News at 6:42:00 PM 0
China and Myanmar 'stand together' despite Rohingya backlash


Naypyidaw, Jan 18 :  China and Myanmar are set to ink mammoth infrastructure deals following a meeting on Saturday between President Xi Jinping and fallen rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who pledged to stand with Beijing "till the end of the world".

The Chinese leader's two-day state visit to Myanmar's purpose-built capital comes as Western investors cast a wide berth around the country due to the Rohingya crisis.

A 2017 military crackdown on the mainly Muslim minority, which UN investigators have called genocide, forced some 740,000 Rohingya over the border into Bangladesh.

Beijing has stood strong with Myanmar despite the condemnation.

After arriving Friday Xi called the visit a "historical moment" for relations between the two neighbours, according to state-run newspaper the Global New Light of Myanmar.

He also touched on the "unfairness and inequality in international relations" in what could be seen as a slight against the United States, which has sanctioned Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing.

Myanmar leader Suu Kyi -- whose reputation lays in tatters in the West's eyes due to her defence of the army over the Rohingya crackdown -- said the country will always be at China's side.

"It goes without saying that a neighbouring country has no other choice, but to stand together till the end of the world," she said during a celebration late Friday.

The Asian giant is now Myanmar's largest investor, and the headline deals include a deep-sea port, several economic zones and a high-speed rail link criss-crossing the country.

The so-called "China-Myanmar Economic Corridor" will carve a path of infrastructure from China's landlocked south to Myanmar's western Rakhine state -- Beijing's long-awaited gateway to the Indian Ocean.

The multi-billion-dollar agreements will be on the table Saturday, in between sit-down meetings with Suu Kyi and the army chief, who stands accused of masterminding the Rohingya crackdown.

China remains an indispensable ally for its Southeast Asian neighbour, wielding a protective veto vote at the UN Security Council.

But widespread mistrust of Beijing's ambitions persists among those who are sceptical the economic benefits will trickle down to the masses.

In commercial capital Yangon, protesters are expected to rally against any reinstatement of a controversial Chinese-backed mega-dam.

The 3.6 billion 6,000 megawatt Myitsone project was suspended in 2011 in the face of vociferous criticism across the country.

This is believed to have been a personal affront to Xi, who signed the deal with Myanmar's then-military junta as vice president in 2009.
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Hello Jammu News at 6:22:00 PM 0
China's Xi jets to Myanmar in billion-dollar charm offensive


Naypyidaw Jan 17 :  Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Myanmar's capital on Friday in a show of support for the embattled government of Aung San Suu Kyi as Beijing hopes to smooth the way for multi-billion-dollar infrastructure deals.

The wide highways and manicured lawns of Naypyidaw, purpose-built by generals under Myanmar's junta, were dotted with red banners bearing Xi's face and greetings in Burmese and Mandarin ahead of the visit.

Xi is expected to ink a series of trade schemes as part of China's global Belt and Road Initiative, which could change the face of Myanmar with a deep-sea port and high-speed rail line running east to west.

But analysts also see the trip as symbolic backing for former rights icon Suu Kyi as Myanmar reels from international blowback over its treatment of Rohingya Muslims.

After a welcome ceremony and dinner on Friday, Xi will sit down with Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday.

Beijing wants to nail down the port, rail link and several building projects in the emerging democracy despite lingering wariness in Myanmar over China's influence.

Suu Kyi made a rare visit to Kachin state on the border with China ahead of Xi's visit.

Kachin is the site of a planned Chinese-backed 6,000 megawatt dam that was stalled in 2011 in the face of vociferous criticism.

Activists are expected to protest on Saturday against any reinstatement of the project at the Chinese embassy in Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon.

But China remains an important economic lifeline for Myanmar, with billions in bilateral trade.

The relationship also lends other benefits.

In an op-ed in Myanmar's state-run media, Xi said China supports Myanmar in "safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests and national dignity".

China has been one of the few major powers to support Myanmar as it faces international condemnation over its 2017 expulsion of the Rohingya, which has prompted allegations of genocide at the UN's top court.

The campaign occurred in Rakhine state, where Beijing is financing the 1.3 billion port as well as a special economic zone beset by criticism.

Locals on the ground at the sprawling infrastructure projects are concerned they will reap none of the benefits but suffer all of the environmental and social impacts.
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Hello Jammu News at 10:57:00 PM 0


Osaka, Jun 29 :  US President Donald Trump said trade negotiations with China were "back on track" after "excellent" talks Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in which Washington reportedly agreed to hold off on new tariffs.

The crunch talks on the damaging trade war between the world's top two economies came on the sidelines of a meeting of the G20 in Japan's Osaka, with all eyes on whether the pair would agree a truce.

"We had a very good meeting with President Xi of China," Trump said after the talks. "I would say excellent." "We are right back on track," he added without confirming any details of any agreement.

Both sides were expected to issue official formal statements later, but Chinese state media said Washington had committed not to impose any new tariffs on Beijing's exports and that the two sides had agreed to restart trade and economic talks.

The outcome was likely to be seen as a win, with experts cautioning ahead of the meeting that a full agreement was unlikely but a truce that avoided a new tit-for-tat round of tariffs would be positive.

Trump has struck a conciliatory tone since his arrival in Japan for the G20 summit, despite saying China's economy was going "down the tubes" before he set out for Osaka, and appeared keen to reach an agreement.

He said he was ready for a "historic" deal with China as the leaders kicked off their meeting and Xi told him that "dialogue" was better than confrontation.

There were no immediate details about the leaders' discussions, including whether they raised the thorny subject of Chinese telecoms firm Huawei.

Washington has banned the company over security concerns and China reportedly wanted the restrictions lifted under the terms of any trade truce.

The first tete-a-tete between the leaders of the world's top two economies since the last G20 in December has cast a long shadow over this year's gathering in Osaka, where differences over climate change have also been laid bare.

Economists say that a lengthy trade war could be crippling for the global economy at a time when headwinds including increased geopolitical tensions and Brexit are blowing hard.

On Friday, the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur sealed a blockbuster trade deal after 20 years of talks, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker hailing it as a "strong message" in support of "rules-based trade." 

Trade has proved far from the only contentious issue on the table, with climate change becoming another major sticking point.

A diplomatic source said it had been a "difficult" night, with an American negotiator pushing a "very tough position" and a group including France standing united against watering down the climate language in the final statement.

But an agreement appeared to have been reached there too, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel telling reporters that the final communique would preserve language used at the two past G20 summits.

"We will have a similar text to Argentina. A 19+1 declaration," she said.

The so-called 19+1 formulation reiterates the commitment of all G20 members except the United States to the Paris climate deal, from which Washington plans to withdraw.

Trump has dominated the headlines from the summit, and once again caught observers by surprise by tweeting early Saturday that he was open to meeting North Korea's Kim Jong Un while in South Korea this weekend.

"If Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!," he wrote.

Several experts, however, said the focus on Trump and the talks with China struck at the heart of the G20 format, created to craft a united global response to the Lehman Brothers crisis.

"With much of the fate of the global economy and the likely direction of markets hanging on the outcome of this pivotal Trump-Xi meeting, we think things will get worse before they get better," said ING Economics.

And the focus on bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit once again sparked doubts about the future of the gathering, experts said.

"The G20 was created as a forum for cooperation and the question may well be 'have we reached the point where it can no longer serve that purpose'," Thomas Bernes from the Centre for International Governance Innovation told.
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Hello Jammu News at 9:23:00 PM 0


Beijing, Jun 25  :  Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit China in July first week, the first trip to Beijing after her re-election, during which the Asian giant may press for speeding up of the Bangladesh-China- India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor which has failed to take off.

With an estimated USD 31 billion investments, China has emerged as a major investor in Bangladesh - mainly in the infrastructure and energy sectors - raising concerns in India over growing Chinese influence in the region.

The rapid expansion of Chinese investments in Bangladesh were regarded as the second highest by Beijing after the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Hasina would visit China from July 3 to 5 during which she would hold talks with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other top leaders on improving the bilateral ties and exchange views on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media here on Tuesday.

Hasina would also take part in the Summer Davos meeting at Dalian which would be inaugurated by Li, Geng said.

"Summer Davos", also known as the annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC), is organised every year in China by the World Economic Forum (WEF) which hosts annual meeting at Davos in Switzerland where world leaders gather to interact on the state of the global economy and investments.

This will be the first official visit of Prime Minister Hasina since her re-election and her visit provides an important opportunity for the two sides to charter the future course of the bilateral relations, Geng said.

He said both the countries are strategic cooperative partners. "In recent years, they enjoyed mutual political trust, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges," he said.

President Xi visited Bangladesh in 2016 during which the two leaders reached an important consensus, he said.

"We have been implementing that consensus and advancing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation projects bringing tangible benefits to our peoples. We look forward to this visit to consolidate our friendship and strengthen development strategies coordination, deepening cooperation and bring bilateral relations to a new high," he said.

The reference to the BRI was significant as China has been routing most of its investments through its multi-billion dollar global project aimed at financing and building infrastructure projects, especially in developing countries to enhance its influence across the world.

Both the CPEC and the BCIM were the components of the BRI which was mooted by President Xi when he came to power in 2013. The BRI aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea route.

While the CPEC regarded as the flagship project took off, the BCIM failed to make headway.

India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

China lately is making efforts to revive the BCIM.

After a long gap, Xi raised the BCIM project during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit early this month.

"We need to expand cooperation channels, carry out cooperation in investment, production capacity and tourism, expand common interests, and jointly promote regional connectivity, including the development of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) so as to achieve better cooperation and common development," Xi said.

The 2800-km BCIM corridor proposes to link Kunming in China's Yunnan province with Kolkata, passing though nodes such as Mandalay in Myanmar and Dhaka in Bangladesh before heading to Kolkata.

China this month organised the BCIM Forum, an unofficial body of think-tanks from the respective countries at the just concluded China South Asia Business Forum in the Chinese city of Yuxi in Yunnan province.

It was expected to come up during Hasina's visit.

China's investments in Bangladesh included the construction of 6-km long bridge across the Padma river, as the Ganga is known in the country, costing about USD 3.7 billion and the USD 2.5 billion power plant at Payra near Dhaka, according to media reports.

The power plant was in news this month following clashes between Bangladeshi workers and their Chinese counterparts. One Chinese worker was killed and six others injured in the clashes.                                                                       [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 3:58:00 PM 0


Beijing, Jun 10 :  Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping as "good friends", China on Monday hoped that the two leaders would discuss their respective trade frictions with the US and reach a consensus on opposing trade protectionism during their "very important" meeting this week on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek. 

This year's summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be held in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek on June 13-14 where Modi and Xi are scheduled to meet and discuss bilateral and international issues.

The meeting assumes significance as this is the first meeting between the two leaders after Modi-led BJP's massive victory in the recent elections in India. 

Xi had congratulated Modi on his re-election through a letter on May 23.

"Once again we congratulate Prime Minister Modi. President Xi and Prime Minister Modi are good friends. They had very successful informal summit at Wuhan last year," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui told a media briefing here answering a question on the Modi-Xi meeting.

He said the Wuhan summit has provided strategic guidance for the development of India-China ties, paving the way for stable growth of China-India relations in the long run.

The April 27-28 Wuhan summit between Modi and Xi was largely credited to have turned around the bilateral relations soured by the 73-day Doklam standoff in 2017, triggered by Chinese troops' attempt to build a road close to the Indian border in an area also claimed by Bhutan. 

After the Wuhan summit, both the countries stepped up efforts to improve relations in different spheres including the military-to-military ties. 

When asked about the meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the SCO summit, Zhang said, "While the details for the meeting are under discussion, I believe every bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi is very important. From the Chinese side, we will make good perpetrations for the success of bilateral meeting." 

He also said the China-US trade war and the "spectre" of emerging trade frictions between the US and India could become important part of the discussions between the two leaders.

"Whether they will talk about trade fictions between China and the US and the spectre of trade frictions between the US and India, such things are not surprising. I believe this could become an important topic in his bilateral meetings with the related leaders," he said.

The two countries have been in an escalating conflict over trade for the past year. The scope of the battle has expanded in recent months as Washington has tightened trade restrictions on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.

Hopes for an imminent trade deal were shattered in May after the Trump administration more than doubled tariffs on USD 200 billion of Chinese imports and threatened additional duties. 

US President Donald Trump is demanding China to reduce massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over USD 539 billion. He is also insisting on China to workout verifiable measures for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), technology transfer and more access to American goods to the Chinese markets. 

Chinese officials hope that India, which is also facing trade frictions with the US specially over termination of its designation as a 'beneficiary developing country' under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), would join the fight against Trump's protectionist policies. 

"Trade protectionism and unilateralism are very much on the rise. How to respond to the bullying practices of the US, its practice of trade protectionism this is an important question not only to China, but also has direct bearing on the recovery of global economy," Zhang said.

"So I would say it will be helpful if the two leaders could exchange views and we hope their communication will lead to extensive consensus on upholding justice and opposing trade protectionism," he said.

"I hope with their cooperation, the two countries will not only enhance bilateral trade but also play an important role in promoting global economy," he said. 

Xi will exchange views with his foreign counterparts on bilateral and international issues as well, he said.                [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 4:16:00 PM 0


Wuzhen (China), Feb 27 :  External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday raised the recent Pulwama suicide attack in her crucial bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here, a day after India destroyed a major Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan.

"I am visiting China at a time when there is grief and anger in India. It is the worst terrorist attack directed against our security forces in Jammu and Kashmir," she said in her opening remarks during the meeting held on the side-lines of Russia, India, China Foreign Ministers meeting. 

"The attack was carried out by Jaish-e-Muhammed, the Pakistan-based and supported terrorist organisation," she said. 

Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country.

Following the incident, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. 

Stating that the JeM is banned by the UN and other countries, Swaraj told Wang that this terrorist attack is the direct result of the impunity and cover provided to the JeM and its leaders by the Pakistani side .

After the Pulwama attack the entire UN has spoken with full voice to condemn it, she said. 

Swaraj who arrived here early this morning told Wang that this is their first meeting this year and therefore an opportune time for the two sides to take stock of the bilateral relations and look ahead for cooperation.

"This is our first meeting this year. Therefore, an opportune time for us to take stock of our bilateral relations and look ahead for cooperation. The India-China relationship is an important relationship for both of our countries," she said. 

Referring to the Wuhan summit between Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Swaraj said "we have made substantial progress in relations".

"It is important for both sides to make sure the through and effective implementation of the guidance given by the two leaders," she told Wang, adding that both side made efforts and "we should sustain this".

"Particularly the decision taken by our leaders to maintain strategic communication between them provided an important foundation for the development of our bilateral relations. This channel of strategic communication between the two of us and between senior officials should always remain open," she said.

The meeting between Swaraj and Wang also took place in the immediate backdrop of India's airstrikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan.

Reacting to India's airstrikes, China on Tuesday called for restraint between India and Pakistan following India's airstrikes against terrorist targets in Pakistan and urged New Delhi to carry out its fight against terrorism through international cooperation.

Asked for China's response to India's airstrikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told media briefing in Beijing on Tuesday that "we have taken note of relevant reports." 

"I want to say that India and Pakistan are both important countries in South Asia. A sound relationship and cooperation between the two serves the interests of both the countries and peace and stability in South Asia," he said. 

"We hope that the parties remain restrained and do more to improve their bilateral relations," he said.

On India's assertion that it was a non-military attack directed against camps of the terrorist groups who are carrying out violent acts in India, Lu said "as for India's claim on taking action against terrorism, well fighting terrorism is a global practice". 

"It needs necessary international cooperation. And India needs to create favourable condition internationally for the same, he said. 

Lu also said that Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Shah Muhammad Qureshi also spoke to Wang on Monday over the tensions related to the Pulwama attack.

"During the phone call Wang Yi listened carefully to Pakistan Foreign Minister's notification and proposals on the issues and reaffirmed his opinions that the two sides need to advance their cooperation in the counter terrorism for peace and stability in the region," Lu said.

The Pulwama attack and its aftermath as well Tuesday's airstrikes were expected to figure in Swaraj's talks with Russian Foreign Minister SergeY Levrov later in the day.          [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 4:14:00 PM 0


Wuzhen (China), Feb 27 :  Reaffirming strong opposition to terrorism, India, Russia and China on Wednesday said that extremist groups cannot be supported and used in political and geopolitical goals and those backing terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice.

In a joint communique of the 16th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia India and China (RIC), the three nations strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. 

The strong wording of the communique came amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the February 14 Pulwama attack after which India targeted terror terrorist camps in Pakistan. 

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj along with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov called on the international community to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation by fully implementing the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. 

It said the the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy should be in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law while respecting sovereignty and independence of all states, and expeditiously finalising and adopting the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the earliest. 

"They reiterated that states and their competent agencies play a central role in both national and international counter-terrorism efforts. They also stressed that terrorist groups cannot be supported and used in political and geopolitical goals," the communique said.

Those committing, orchestrating, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with existing international commitments on countering terrorism, it said. 

The ministers stressed that those committing, orchestrating, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with existing international commitments on countering terrorism, including the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force standards.

The ministers called for enhanced coordination to fight against all terrorist organisations in Syria including those listed by the UNSC. They stressed the urgent need for socio-economic reconstruction in Syria and called upon the international community to provide necessary assistance in that regard in de-politicised and non-discriminatory manner, contributing, inter alia, to the return of Syrian refugees, it said.            [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 5:50:00 PM 0


Washington, Jan 16 :  China, seeking "great power status", is rapidly building a robust lethal force with advanced capabilities in the air, at sea, in space and in cyberspace to enable it to impose its will in the region and beyond, according to a top US intelligence official.

"The strategic objectives of the Chinese Communist Party include securing China's status as a great power," Dan Taylor, Senior Defense Intelligence Analyst, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference on Tuesday while releasing a Congressionally-mandated report.

He said that Chinese leaders characterised their long-term military modernisation programme as essential to achieving the "great power status".

"Indeed, China is rapidly building a robust lethal force with capabilities spanning the ground, air, maritime, space and information domains, designed to enable Beijing to impose its will in the region and beyond," Taylor said while releasing the report "China: Military power modernising a force to fight and win" by the Department of Defense.

During the past decade, from counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, to an expanded military presence in the East and South China seas, China has demonstrated a willingness to use the People's Liberation Army (PLA) as an instrument of national power in the execution of what they call their "historic mission in the new century," Taylor said.

Improvements in the equipment and capabilities that have focused on generating combat power across the PLA services present Beijing with additional response options as China faces increasingly global security concerns.

"Expected future advances in areas such as nuclear deterrence, power projection, cyberspace, space and electromagnetic spectrum operations will continue to be critical components of the PLA's developing capabilities," he said.

As a result of "acquiring technology by any means available," China now is at the leading edge on a range of technologies, including with its naval designs, with medium- and intermediate-range missiles, and with hypersonic weapons -- where missiles can fly at many times the speed of sound and dodge missile-defense systems.

"The result of this multifaceted approach to technology acquisition is a PLA on the verge of fielding some of the most modern weapon systems in the world," states the Pentagon 

"In some areas, it already leads the world," it said.

China also continues to develop capabilities for what they term "non-war missions," such as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, counter-piracy, peacekeeping, things of that nature, Taylor said, adding that in the coming years, the PLA is likely to become even more technologically advanced and proficient with equipment comparable to that of other modern militaries.

The report said that China is developing new medium- and long-range stealth bombers capable of striking regional and global targets, adding that such planes will likely reach initial operational capability by about 2025.

The PLA, the world's largest standing army, will acquire advanced fighter aircraft, modern naval vessels, missile systems, and space and cyberspace assets as it reorganises and trains to address the threats of 21st century further from China's shores, Taylor said.

"As we look at China, we see a country whose leaders described it as 'moving closer to centre stage in the world', while they strive to achieve what they call 'the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation'," he said.

This ambition permeates China's national security strategy and guides the development of the PLA, which actually is not a national institution, but rather the military arm of the ruling Communist Party of China, he added.

Taylor said the Chinese Community Party leaders have identified the initial decades of the 21st century as a period of strategic opportunity in the international environment that would allow China to focus on building what they call "comprehensive national power." 

A key component of this, of course, is military power, he asserted.                            PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:57:00 PM 0

A major US-China trade deal is likely to happen soon, President Donald Trump said Friday, asserting that Beijing wants to make it "big and very comprehensive". He also said China's position has been weakened by the economic impact of the tariffs war with America.


Washington, Dec 14 (PTI) A major US-China trade deal is likely to happen soon, President Donald Trump said Friday, asserting that Beijing wants to make it "big and very comprehensive". 

He also said China's position has been weakened by the economic impact of the tariffs war with America.

Earlier in the day, China pressed on with its trade war truce with the US and announced that it will suspend extra tariffs added to 'Made in America' cars and auto parts for three months from January 1.

"China wants to make a big and very comprehensive deal. It could happen, and rather soon!" Trump tweeted.

"China just announced that their economy is growing much slower than anticipated because of our Trade War with them. They have just suspended US Tariff Hikes. US is doing very well," he added. 

Earlier this week, top officials from the US and China had a conference call on trade negotiations.

The phone call follows up on the 90-day tariff cease-fire agreed to by Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at a meeting in Buenos Aires on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. 

The US-China trade conflict stem from the Trump administration's demands that China make sweeping changes to its intellectual property practices, rein in high-technology industrial subsidies, open its markets to more foreign competition and take steps to cut a USD 375 billion American goods trade surplus.


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Hello Jammu News at 11:57:00 AM 0
A second Canadian man is feared detained in China in what appears to be retaliation for Canada's arrest of a top executive of telecommunications giant Huawei. The possible arrest raises the stakes in an international dispute that threatens relations.



Toronto, Dec 13 (AP) A second Canadian man is feared detained in China in what appears to be retaliation for Canada's arrest of a top executive of telecommunications giant Huawei. The possible arrest raises the stakes in an international dispute that threatens relations.

Canada's Global Affairs department on Wednesday said Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur who is one of the only Westerners to have met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, had gone missing in China. Spavor's disappearance follows China's detention of a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing earlier this week.

"We have been unable to make contact (with Spavor) since he let us know he was being questioned by Chinese authorities," Global Affairs spokesman Guillaume B rub said. "We are working very hard to ascertain his whereabouts and we continue to raise this with the Chinese government." 

Spavor is a fluent Korean speaker with longstanding ties to the North through his company, Paektu Cultural Exchange.

He was instrumental in bringing NBA player Dennis Rodman to Pyongyang in 2013 and has organized a number of tours and joint cultural projects with the North since then. His disappearance sparked immediate concern in the circle of people who travel to North Korea. Acquaintances said he was due in Seoul on Monday, but never showed up.

Canada's announcement came hours after Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she was worried another citizen had been detained in China following Monday's arrest of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig in Beijing.

At the root of the dispute is Canada's recent arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, for possible extradition to the United States.

A Canadian court on Tuesday released Meng on bail, confining her to Vancouver and its suburbs while she awaits possible extradition. The U.S. accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to do business with Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.

The detention of Kovrig and possible detention of Spavor reflect an increasingly bold approach to international disputes under President Xi Jinping, who has overseen a vast expansion of China's diplomatic, military and economic power. China has often retaliated against foreign governments and corporations in diplomatic disputes, but rarely by holding foreign nationals.

The United States and China have taken pains this week to emphasize that their trade talks are entirely separate from the U.S. case against the top Chinese technology executive. But with a few words, President Donald Trump obliterated the distinction on Tuesday, saying he'd wade into the case if it would help produce a trade agreement with China.

"If I think it's good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made which is a very important thing what's good for national security I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary," Trump told Reuters in an interview.

The comment suggests Meng could be a political pawn in negotiations and makes things more awkward for Canada, which arrested her on America's behalf during a Dec. 1 layover at the Vancouver airport.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau bristled at Trump's assertion, saying: "Regardless of what goes on in other countries, Canada is, and will always remain, a country of the rule of law." Freeland said it was "quite obvious" any foreign country requesting extradition should ensure "the process is not politicized." Canada has also asked China for extra security at its embassy because of protests and anti-Canadian sentiment and has advised foreign service staff to take precautions, a senior Canadian official told reporters.

Meng's arrest came the same day that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed over dinner in Buenos Aires to a 90-day cease-fire in a trade war that has shaken global financial markets and raised worries about the impact on the world economy.

The truce was meant to buy time for more substantive talks over U.S. allegations that China steals U.S. technology and forces American companies to hand over trade secrets in exchange for access to the Chinese market.

U.S. officials have insisted the sanctions case against Meng had nothing to do with the ongoing trade talks. Top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told "Fox News Sunday" that "there's a trade lane ... and there is the law enforcement lane. They are different." "Both Canadian and American officials have emphasized that the Meng arrest is separate from the trade talks," said Gregory Yaeger, special counsel at the Stroock law firm and a former Justice Department trial attorney.

"Trump's remarks could be interpreted as creating the appearance that the arrest also had political motivations. This could undermine the US's reputation as a country that follows the 'rule of law,' and could ultimately undermine both the Meng prosecution and the trade talks." Still, there is precedent for Trump intervening on behalf of a Chinese company accused of violating U.S. sanctions.


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Hello Jammu News at 11:36:00 AM 0

Google currently has no plans to launch a search engine in China, its Indian-American CEO Sunder Pichai told lawmakers Tuesday as he dodged a series of questions from lawmakers who expressed concern over such a reported move by the internet giant.


Washington, Dec 11 (PTI) Google currently has no plans to launch a search engine in China, its Indian-American CEO Sunder Pichai told lawmakers Tuesday as he dodged a series of questions from lawmakers who expressed concern over such a reported move by the internet giant.

His statement came while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee Hearing on 'Transparency & Accountability: Examining Google and its Data Collection, Use, and Filtering Practices'.

"We have no plans to launch in China. We don't have a search product there. Our core mission is to provide users access to information and getting access to information is an important human right," Pichai told members of the House Judiciary Committee during a Congressional hearing on Google's data collection practices.

"We are always compelled across the world to try hard to provide that information and but right now there are no plans to launch search in China. I'm committed to being fully transparent including with policymakers to the extent we ever develop plans to do that," Pichai said, responding to a question from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

Applauded Google for its 2010 stand of principle and democratic values over profits and came out of China, Jackson Lee said she is concerned that Google is now going back into China and upholding the dragonfly procedures which would help censor Chinese persons seeking a lifeline of democracy and freedom.

"How can you do that and what are you doing to minimise or to indicate that this is not best practices?" she asked.

Echoed Congressman Tom Marino.

"In 2010 Google left the Chinese marketplace due to concerns over hack--hacking attacks, censorship and how the Chinese government was possibly gaining access to data. I'm interested in what has changed since 2010 and how working with the Chinese government to censor research results, a part of Google's core values," he said.

"Right now, there are no plans for us to launch a search product in China. We are in general always looking to see how best it's part of our core mission and our principle is to try hard to provide users with information. We always have evidence based on every country we operate in us reaching out and giving users to more information has a very positive impact and we feel that calling," Pichai said.

"But right now, there are no plans to launch in China. To the extent that we ever approach a decision like that I will be fully transparent including with policymakers here and engage and consult widely," he said.

Any time Google looks to operate in a country it would look at what the conditions are to operate.

"There are times in the past we have debated the conditions to operate and we explore a wide range of possibilities. Currently, it is an effort only internally for us. We are not doing this in China. And so you know but I am happy to consult back and be transparent if we plan something there," he said.

Congressman David Cicilline said the operating environment in China has deteriorated with respect to surveillance censorship and the like since Google first made the decision in 2010 to leave.

In September, he had sent Pichai a letter along with 15 other colleagues raising serious concerns about reports that Google is planning to re-enter the Chinese market with an app-based search engine that would likely have to comply with strict censorship and surveillance requirements imposed by the Chinese government.

"Since then a widespread course of opposition to such a move has emerged including from lawmakers, leading human rights activists and a group of Google's own employees. The environment has deteriorated," Cicilline said.

Google, he said, is launching an app in that environment would seem to be completely inconsistent with Google's recently launched AI principles which says it will not design or deploy technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.

"It's hard for me to imagine you could operate in the Chinese market under the current government framework and maintain a commitment to universal values such as freedom of expression and personal privacy. So I want to ask very specifically are any employees currently having product meetings on this Chinese project and if not, when did those end?" Cicilline asked.

"We have undertaken an internal effort but right now there are no plans to launch a search service in China as I said earlier... Currently we are not in discussions around launching a search product in China," Pichai said.

Cicilline pressed Pichai further. "Will you Mr Pichai, rule out launching a tool for surveillance and censorship in China while you are CEO of Google?" he asked.

"Congressman, I commit to engaging one of the things which is important to us as a company. We have a stated mission of providing users with information and so we think it's in our duty to explore possibilities, to give users access to information and I have that commitment but you know as I said earlier on this, we will be very thoughtful and we will engage widely as we make progress," Pichai said.

In a separate letter, Cicilline and 15 other lawmakers and more than 50 human and civil rights organisations opposed the launch of a censored Google search engine for the Chinese market.

The letter alleged that the Chinese government is actively promoting its model of pervasive digital censorship and surveillance around the world.


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