Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, Oct 29 (APP): China on Friday reacted to India’s deployment of US-made weapons along Sino-Indian border and hoped that the relevant side could do things that were conducive to peace and stability, rather the opposite.

“Upholding peace security and stability in South Asia serves common interest of all parties,” he said in response to a question during his regular briefing.

“We hope the relevant side can do things that are conducive to peace and stability, rather the opposite,” he added.

MANILA, Oct 29 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,043 new COVID-19 infections today, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the country to 2,779,943.

The DOH also reported that 44 more people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the country’s death toll to 42,621.

The DOH continues to report a dip in new COVID-19 cases, after emerging from the third wave of infections that peaked in Sept. The country reported its highest ever daily tally on Sept 11, with 26,303 cases.

TAIPEI, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu urged "freedom-loving countries" on Friday to work together against China, during a rare trip to Europe that is taking place amid heightened tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

Self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own and has not ruled out taking by force, does not have formal diplomatic relations with any European countries apart from Vatican City. But it is keen to deepen ties with European Union democracies.

TOKYO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and prime minister Fumio Kishida are likely to take a bruising at the weekend's lower house election, though the coalition government should safely retain power, opinion polls on Friday showed.

The Sunday election is set to be a test for the LDP, whose image was battered by its perceived mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, and hanging on to its single-party majority in the powerful lower house could be difficult, the polls suggested.

TASHKENT, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was elected for a second term with 80.12 percent of the vote in the election held Sunday, the Uzbek Central Election Commission said Friday.

"Despite the difficult situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic ... more than 16 million or 80.4 percent of voters freely expressed their will in the presidential elections and voted for the candidate they considered worthy," said the commission in a statement announcing the final results of the election.

TOKYO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Japan's consumer confidence in October hit its highest level in almost two and a half years, as the government fully lifted the state of emergency amid a sharp fall in COVID-19 infections and higher vaccination rate nationwide, local media reported Friday.

According to the Cabinet Office, the seasonally adjusted index of sentiment among households made up of two or more people rose 1.4 points from September to 39.2, increasing two months in a row and logging the highest point since May 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes official and military ties in any form between the United States and China's Taiwan region, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday, noting that seeking "Taiwan independence" leads to a dead end, and so does supporting "Taiwan independence".

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press conference when asked to comment on Tsai Ing-wen confirming the presence of a small number of U.S. troops in Taiwan to help with training.

BEIJING (AP) — Companies in China would need government approval to transfer important data abroad under proposed rules announced Friday that would tighten Beijing’s control over information and might disrupt operations for international corporations.

The measure is needed to protect the Chinese public and “safeguard national security,” the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

BEIJING, Oct 28 (APP): A large gold mine with an initially estimated gold reserve of 31.55 tonnes has been discovered in central China’s Henan Province.

According to the provincial bureau of geology and mineral exploration and development, the mine is in Zhuzhuang Township in Tongbai County, Chinese media report.

The estimated gold reserve at the mine is likely to exceed 50 tonnes by the end of this year after further exploration, it said.

For decades, Henan Province has remained China’s second-largest gold-producing region.

BEIJING, Oct 28 (APP): Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Thursday set aside Indian concerns over new border land law and hoped that relevant countries could avoid making undue speculation about it.

“We hope relevant countries can avoid making undue speculation about the normal legislation in China,” he said in response to Indian Foreign Ministry’s statement in which it had asked China not to use the new land border law to alter the land along borders.