Tag: china

Duterte: China’s Xi gave assurance he would not allow my ouster

(Eagle News) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has given the assurance he would not allow the ouster of President Rodrigo Duterte. This is according to Duterte himself, who spoke to the press during send-off ceremonies of around 50 Filipino scientists to the Philippine Rise on Tuesday, May 15. Duterte did not say when Xi made the statement. He said, however, that the assurance was “very encouraging.” “(Xi said) we will not..allow you to be taken […]

Iran FM hails ‘good start’ in talks with EU to save nuclear deal

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday hailed talks with the EU to try to find a way to rescue the Iran nuclear deal after the US pulled out as a “good start”. “I believe it’s a good start. We’re not there, we’re beginning the process,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters after meeting his French, British and German counterparts in Brussels. The three European signatories to the landmark 2015 deal are leading international efforts to […]

“PHL Rise is ours,” Duterte reiterates as he sends off Filipino scientists for exploration of submerged continental shelf

(Eagle News) — The Philippine Rise is ours. President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, May 15, reiterated this as he sent off a group of Filipino scientists to the submerged continental shelf off the province of Aurora. The President also dispelled information he would  jet ski to the area which China has said houses  “Chinese second-chain islands,” choosing to hold the send-off ceremonies on board the BRP Davao del Sur instead. The ship  was at that time  off […]

First China-made aircraft carrier starts sea trials: state media

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s first domestically manufactured aircraft carrier started sea trials Sunday, state media said, a landmark in Beijing’s ambitious plans to modernize its navy as the Asian giant presses its claims in disputed regional waters. The carrier, known only as “Type 001A”, set out for the trials from a port in northeastern China at around 6.45 am (2245 GMT Saturday), according to state broadcaster CCTV. Expected to be commissioned by 2020, […]

Trump pledges to safeguard Chinese telecoms jobs

    by Issam Ahmed © Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Sunday he was working with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to prevent telecom giant ZTE from going out of business after it was hit by an American technology sales ban. Writing on Twitter, Trump said he had issued instructions for officials to come up with a rescue plan, saying too many jobs were at risk. “President Xi of […]

China still won’t tell truth about Sichuan quake: Ai Weiwei

by Hui Min Neo © Agence France-Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — A decade since the devastating earthquake in China’s Sichuan province that left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, activist artist Ai Weiwei concedes that Beijing will never provide a full reckoning of the disaster. “We will never get a straight answer. Since the communist government was set up, the truth behind all major historical events has never been officially revealed,” the conceptual artist told […]

China marks 10th anniversary of devastating earthquake

    BEIJING, China (AFP) — China marked the 10th anniversary Saturday of a massive earthquake that killed tens of thousands in southwest Sichuan province and left scars on the nation that have yet to fully heal. More than 87,000 were left dead or missing when a 7.9-magnitude quake struck Sichuan on the afternoon of May 12, 2008, including 5,335 school pupils. The disaster provoked widespread grief in China, but also outrage after it emerged 7,000 […]

Biazon calls for inquiry into China’s “creeping militarization” in West PHL Sea

(Eagle News) — Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon is seeking an inquiry into what he said was China’s “creeping militarization” in the West Philippine Sea. House Bill 1856–which asked the Committee on National Defense and Security to conduct the probe—was filed following reports of China’s installation of missiles “capable of hitting surface to surface and surface to air targets on reclaimed islands..,” Biazon said in a statement. According to Biazon, in particular, Q-9 surface-to-air missiles and YJ-12 […]

Hanoi demands Beijing withdraw missiles from disputed islands

HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Hanoi has demanded Beijing remove military equipment from contested islands in the South China Sea, saying reported missile installations are a “serious violation” of Vietnam’s sovereignty. The warning follows a report from US network CNBC last week that China had installed anti-ship and air-to-air defenses on the Spratly Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam. China did not confirm the new military equipment but last week affirmed its right to build […]

China vice premier to visit US for trade talks: White House

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — China’s top economic official will visit Washington next week to continue trade discussions, the White House said Monday, as threatened tariffs on billions of dollars of goods could be imposed this month. The visit by Vice Premier Liu He — considered President Xi Jinping’s right-hand man on economic issues — comes after he led talks in Beijing last week with a high-level US delegation that made little headway in resolving […]

Former top Chinese Communist official jailed for life for bribery: state media

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A former Chinese Communist Party official who was once tipped for a top leadership post was sentenced to life in prison for bribery on Tuesday, the latest senior cadre to fall in President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption crusade. Sun Zhengcai, a former Politburo member and party chief of the southwestern mega-city of Chongqing, was found guilty of taking over 170 million yuan ($26.7 million) in bribes, the First Intermediate People’s Court of […]

Alibaba says annual net profit up 47% in 2017/2018

by Julien Girault Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba on Friday announced a massive 47 percent leap in net profit for the fiscal year 2017/2018, helped by a rise in smartphone and tablet transactions on its shopping platform. Profit climbed to 63.985 billion yuan ($10.2 billion), boosted by a 60 percent rise in revenue from its core business, the online retailer said. The New York-listed firm added 98 million active […]