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by Laurie CHEN Agence France Presse Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Saturday after 183 days in space, ending China’s longest crewed mission as it continues its quest to become a major space power. The Shenzhou-13 spacecraft was the latest mission in Beijing’s drive to rival the United States, after landing a rover on Mars and sending probes to the Moon. Live footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed the capsule landing in a […]
by Beiyi SEOW Agence France Presse Several electronics companies, including iPhone and Macbook makers, have halted production in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Kunshan, adding to supply chain woes under Beijing’s strict zero-Covid measures. The business hub of Shanghai has become the heart of China’s biggest Covid-19 outbreak since the virus surfaced more than two years ago. The city of 25 million has remained almost entirely locked down since the start of the […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China is battling its biggest spike in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with millions under lockdown and the healthcare system feeling the pressure. One of the last countries sticking to a zero-Covid strategy, China aims to stamp out every infection with strict lockdowns and by sending all cases to secure facilities. That is placing a strain on China’s already under-pressure medical system, as the highly transmissible Omicron […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Tesla has recalled nearly 128,000 cars in China due to a fault that could “increase the risk of vehicle collision”, the country’s state market regulator said. It is the latest hitch for the US electric vehicle giant that is hugely popular in China, but has also faced complaints from consumers and been hit by Covid-19 lockdowns. About 127,785 domestic and imported Tesla Model 3 cars were recalled due to a […]
SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — China’s President Xi Jinping praised the country’s “tested” zero-Covid strategy on Friday, even as Shanghai authorities prepared nearly 130,000 beds for Covid-19 patients amid surging cases and mounting public anger. Until March, China had kept cases low with localized lockdowns, mass testing, and strict restrictions on international travel. But the country has reported thousands of daily cases in recent weeks, with economic hub and outbreak epicenter Shanghai placed under lockdown over […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — A hardline former Hong Kong security chief sanctioned by the US for his role in China’s campaign against dissent resigned on Wednesday, kickstarting his expected bid to become the city’s next leader. John Lee, who oversaw the police response to huge democracy protests three years ago and a subsequent crackdown, will go on leave with immediate effect, according to a government press release. Lee, 64, has been widely tipped […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China and Ukraine’s foreign ministers have spoken for the first time in over a month, with Beijing maintaining its push for peace talks even as allegations of Russian atrocities in towns around Kyiv grow. International condemnation of Moscow has intensified in recent days with the discovery of dozens of bodies in areas around the Ukrainian capital from which Russian troops have withdrawn, though they have denied involvement in the deaths. China […]
SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — Shanghai health officials on Monday defended a policy of separating babies and young children from their parents if they test positive for Covid-19, as frustration at the city’s tough virus controls builds. Around 25 million people in Shanghai, China’s largest city and financial centre, remain locked down as authorities try to snuff out the country’s most severe virus outbreak since the end of the first pandemic wave in early 2020. Under […]
by Holmes Chan and Jerome Taylor © Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam announced Monday that she will step down in June, ending a divisive term that saw democracy protests squashed and strict pandemic curbs plunge the business hub into international isolation. Ending months of speculation, Lam confirmed she would not seek a second term when a committee made up of the city’s political elite chooses a new leader […]
SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — Shanghai residents voiced growing frustration on Friday at confusion over a week of snap Covid lockdowns, taking to social media to complain about food shortages and bewildering stay-at-home orders. After initially vowing they would avoid a city-wide lockdown, officials changed tack this week and announced a phased shutdown which divided China’s financial centre in two so authorities can test its 25 million residents. A four-day lockdown of the Pudong area […]
by Julien GIRAULT with Patrick BAERT in Beijing © Agence France-Presse BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — The EU holds a virtual summit with China on Friday amid increasing alarm over Beijing’s growing proximity with Moscow and its reluctance to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold the videoconference with EU leaders Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, carrying through on an annual exercise that was skipped last year as tensions simmered. […]
Incident last March 2 was fourth close maneuver of Chinese Coast Guard vessel with PHL Coast Guard vessel in Bajo de Masinloc (Eagle News) – The Philippines has “full sovereignty” over Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal amid a recent statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry asserting “sovereign rights” in the area. “The Philippine position is we continue to exercise full sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc and its territorial sea, as well as sovereign […]
