China on Monday gave in to mounting international pressure for a probe into the origin of Covid-19 and a review of the World Health Organisation’s response to the pandemic. President Xi Jinping told the World Health Assembly that China had acted with ‘openness, transparency and responsibility’ when the disease, which has impacted […]
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Taiwan rejects China’s main condition for WHO participation
Taiwan’s health minister rejected on Friday China’s main condition for the island to be able to take part in the World Health Organization (WHO) – that it accepts it is part of China – ahead of a key meeting of the body during a pandemic. Non-WHO member Taiwan has lobbied […]
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‘Billions of dollars’: Trump withdraws US pension fund from China investments
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his administration has asked for the withdrawal of billions of dollars in American pension fund investments in China and that other similar actions were in consideration. The US and China relations have deteriorated after the coronavirus outbreak. The US has expressed disappointment over […]
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India link in 18-point US plan to hold China accountable for Covid-19 ‘cover-up’
A top US senator has unveiled an 18-point plan, including enhancing military ties with India, to hold the Chinese government accountable for its “lies, deception, and cover-ups” that ultimately led to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The prominent suggestions are moving manufacturing chain from China and deepening military-strategic ties India, Vietnam […]
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Australia requests China trade talks but won’t drop inquiry push on Covid-19
Australia’s trade minister is seeking urgent talks with his Chinese counterpart after key agriculture exports were hit with suspensions and tariff threats, but said Australia will continue to push for an inquiry into the coronavirus outbreak. Trade minister Simon Birmingham requested a telephone call with Chinese commerce minister Zhong Shan […]
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India, China face off along Sikkim border
Scores of Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in a tense face-off along the India-China boundary in north Sikkim on Saturday, two senior officials said on the condition of anonymity. The aggressive confrontation between the troops from the two sides happened near the Naku La sector (ahead of Muguthang), a […]
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China admits coronavirus exposed ‘shortcomings’ in healthcare system
The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms. China has faced criticism both at home and abroad for downplaying the virus and concealing information about the outbreak when it […]
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US, China ink deal seen as a ceasefire, not truce
The world’s two dominant economic powers, the United States and China, signed Phase 1 of a trade deal on Wednesday, putting on pause a two-year-long trade war that has shaken up the global economy. The agreement, signed by President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He, includes a “major commitment” […]
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Won’t allow ‘outside interference’ in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs: China
China would always respect Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and not allow any “outside interference” in its internal affairs, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday as he met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa. Wang met the two leaders separately with both sides pledging to further promote relations between […]
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US drops China as currency manipulator ahead of trade deal
The Trump administration on Monday lifted its designation of China as a currency cheat, saying the nation has made “enforceable commitments” not to devalue the yuan and has agreed to publish exchange-rate information. The change in the US stance was outlined in the US Treasury Department’s semiannual foreign-exchange report […]
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US likely to sign trade deal with China on January 15: Donald Trump
The US will sign the first phase of a pending trade deal with China probably on January 15, President Donald Trump said on Thursday. Beijing’s trade envoy Vice Premier Liu He is scheduled to visit the US next week to sign the interim agreement’s “Phase One”, marking a pause in […]
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Trump says trade deal with China to be signed ‘very shortly’
President Donald Trump on Saturday said the United States and China would “very shortly” sign their so-called Phase One trade pact. “We just achievEd a breakthrough on the trade deal and we will be signing it very shortly,” Trump said at a Turning Point USA event in Florida. The Phase […]
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Sri Lanka wants to undo deal to lease port to China for 99 years
Sri Lanka’s new government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa wants to undo the previous regime’s move to lease the southern port of Hambantota to a Chinese venture, citing national interest. Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2017 changed the terms, saying it would be difficult to pay the loans taken […]
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TikTok apologises for temporary removal of video on Muslims in China
Social media app TikTok apologised to a user on Thursday for removing a video that criticised China’s treatment of Muslims, blaming a “human moderation error” and saying the images had been restored within less than an hour. The controversy over the video, viewed 1.6 million times, comes as TikTok’s Chinese […]
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China’s ByteDance moves to separate TikTok app amid US probe
ByteDance has stepped up efforts to separate its social media app TikTok from much of its Chinese operations, amid a U.S. national security panel’s inquiry into the safety of the personal data it handles, people familiar with the matter said. The Chinese technology company is seeking to provide assurances to the […]