China

BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 jolted off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico at 0621 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 15.06 degrees north latitude and 104.47 degrees west longitude.

BEIJING, Sept.21 (APP): The China and Pakistan joint air force exercise recently concluded in Northwest China is beneficial to both sides in terms of skills, tactics and interoperability, said Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert.

The two countries use different training approaches, but at the same time fly the same aircraft, the J-10C, so both sides can learn from each other, Fu told Global Times.

BEIJING, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, his first visit to China since 2004 and his latest bid to end more than a decade of diplomatic isolation under Western sanctions.

Assad arrived aboard an Air China plane in heavy fog, which Chinese state media said "added to the atmosphere of mystery", a nod to the Syrian leader's infrequent trips abroad since 2011, when a civil war erupted that has killed more than half a million people.

BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives canceled a scheduled vote Tuesday on a temporary government funding bill, further hiking shutdown risk as the Sept. 30 deadline approaches, while the national debt breaks 33 trillion U.S. dollars.

The canceled vote was for a short-term stopgap spending bill, known as a "continuing resolution" that could keep the government running until Oct. 31, giving Congress more time to enact full-scale appropriations for 2024.

BEIJING, Sept. 19 (APP): The representative from more than 110 countries have so far confirmed their participation in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing scheduled to be held this October, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning said on Tuesday.

“As of today, representatives from more than 110 countries have confirmed their attendance,” she said in her regular press conference held here.

Sept 19 (Reuters) - China's former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was ousted from his position in July, had an extramarital affair while he was ambassador to the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with a briefing.

The report said Qin was cooperating with the investigation, which was now focused on whether the affair or Qin's conduct had compromised China's national security.

BEIJING, Sept 18 (Reuters) - China has complained to Germany after its foreign minister labelled President Xi Jinping a "dictator", the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday, calling the title "absurd" and an "open political provocation".

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made the remarks in a live interview with Fox News last week when asked about Russia's war on Ukraine.

"If Putin were to win this war, what sign would that be for other dictators in the world, like Xi, like the Chinese president?" she said.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s top diplomat is heading to Russia for security talks after two days of meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser over the weekend in Malta.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who simultaneously holds the ruling Communist Party’s top foreign policy post, will be in Russia from Monday to Thursday for China-Russia strategic security consultations, the Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement.

BEIJING, Sept 15 (Reuters) - China will impose sanctions against U.S. aerospace and defence firms Northrop Grumman (NOC.N) and Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) for providing weapons to Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday.

The sanctions are being enacted under China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing.

Sept 15 (Reuters) - Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who has been missing from public view for more than two weeks, has been placed under investigation by Chinese authorities, according to 10 people familiar with the matter.

The investigation into Li relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Reuters was unable to obtain details on which equipment purchases were under scrutiny.