Tag: china

China opposes U.S. naval patrols in South China Sea

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday (February 21) it opposes actions by other countries under the pretext of freedom of navigation that damage its sovereignty, after a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group began patrols in the contested South China Sea. The U.S. navy said the strike group, including Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, began routine operations in the South China Sea on Saturday (February 18) amid growing tensions with […]

ASEAN hopes for completion of Code of Conduct on S. China Sea in June

(Eagle News Service) — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Tuesday underscored the importance of completing the framework of a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea by the middle of this year, as it expressed “grave concern” for China’s militarization of several areas in the body of water. In a press conference in Boracay where foreign ministers and senior officials from the regional bloc’s member-states gathered for a meeting, Yasay said ASEAN was […]

U.S. carrier strike group starts patrols in South China Sea

(Reuters) — A United States aircraft carrier strike group has begun patrols in the South China Sea amid growing tension with China over control of the disputed waterway and concerns it could become a flashpoint under the new U.S. administration. China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday (February 15) warned Washington against challenging its sovereignty in the South China Sea. The U.S. navy said the force, including Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, began routine operations in […]

Heavy sandstorm hits northwest China’s Xinjiang

KASHI CITY, China (Reuters) — A dense sandstorm hit northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Thursday and Friday, disrupting local traffic and forcing residents to wear face masks. Visibility dropped to less than 500 meters in Bachu County and Yingjisha County of Kashi City. The local government initiated emergency response plans for the inclement weather, dispatching traffic police to ensure traffic runs smoothly. Pedestrians wore face masks to prevent inhaling sand particles. “Fortunately, I brought […]

China producer prices jump 6.9% in January: govt

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Prices for goods at the factory gate in China beat expectations in January, officials said Tuesday, rising for a fifth straight month in a positive sign of strengthening demand as the world’s second-largest economy stabilizes. The producer price index (PPI) rose 6.9 percent year-on-year in the month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, outstripping an economist estimate of a 6.5 percent increase in a Bloomberg News survey. The consumer price […]

Chinese, US aircraft in ‘unsafe’ encounter over South China Sea: US

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)– A Chinese military aircraft had an “unsafe” encounter with a US Navy surveillance aircraft near a contested reef in the South China Sea, according to the US Pacific Command. The two planes came within 1,000 feet (300 meters) of each other during Wednesday’s incident near the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by both the Philippines and China, according to Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis. The close encounter comes amid heightened tensions […]

Xi ‘appreciates’ Trump affirmation of One China policy

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese president Xi Jinping said he “appreciates” new US leader Donald Trump’s affirmation of the One-China policy during their first phone call since Trump’s inauguration, state media said Friday. “Xi Jinping appreciates Trump’s emphasis on the American government’s commitment to the One China policy and pointed out that the One China principle is the political foundation of US-China relations,” the official broadcaster CCTV said in a report on the conversation. © […]

Trump tells Xi will respect ‘One China’ policy: White House

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday told Chinese President Xi Jinping he would respect the “One China” policy, the White House said, in their first conversation since the US leader came to power. “President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honor our ‘One China’ policy,” the White House said in a statement, adding that the two leaders had “extended invitations to meet in their respective countries.” In a swift […]

China likely to build on reef near Philippines: minister

by Ayee Macaraig Agence France-Presse MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Manila expects China to try to build on a reef off the coast of the Philippines, the country’s defence secretary said Tuesday, adding this would be “unacceptable” in the flashpoint waterway. In an interview with AFP, Delfin Lorenzana said he believed China would eventually reclaim Scarborough Shoal, just 230 kilometres (143 miles) from the main Philippine island of Luzon. Beijing has already built up a number […]

China welcomes Mattis’ emphasis on South China Sea diplomacy

BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China on Monday (February 6) welcomed U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ suggestion that diplomacy should be the priority in the South China Sea, and that major U.S. military action was not being considered to contend with China’s assertive behaviour there. Mattis, speaking in Tokyo on Saturday (February 4), blamed China for “shredding the trust of nations in the region”, but also played down any need for U.S. military manoeuvres in the […]

Fastest in Asia: Philippine economy grows 6.8%, surpassing even China

  (Eagle News) — The Philippine economy grew a solid 6.8 percent in 2016, surpassing even China, and considered one of the fastest rates in Asia last year. Data provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the Philippine economy was even faster that China (6.7 percent), and Vietnam (6.2 percent) reflecting the fastest Gross Domestic Product growth in Asia. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said that this proved that the economy is in “pretty good […]

China says it will not back down on S China Sea: govt

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China warned Washington Tuesday that it would not back down over its claims in the disputed South China Sea, following vows by the Trump administration to defend US and international interests there. Comments by White House spokesman Sean Spicer about China’s artificial islands in the Sea, some capable of military use, have upped the ante in the dispute. “China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters,” […]