China

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese passenger jet left the runway upon takeoff and caught fire in western China on Thursday morning, and several people were injured.

Tibet Airlines said it happened at 8:09 a.m. (0009 GMT) as the flight to the city of Nyingchi in the Tibetan Autonomous Region was preparing to take off from the western city of Chongqing.

The Airbus A319-115 jet had 113 passengers and nine flight crew onboard, all of whom were safely evacuated with some taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the airline said in an statement.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s leaders are struggling to reverse an economic slump without giving up anti-virus tactics that shut down Shanghai and other cities, adding to challenges for President Xi Jinping as he tries to extend his time in power.

The ruling Communist Party has declared its “zero-COVID” goal of preventing all infections takes priority over the economy. It is a decision with global implications and comes despite warnings by experts including the head of the World Health Organization that the goal might be unattainable.

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese government spokesperson on Wednesday warned the U.S. government against moves that deviate from the one-China principle.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a recent update to the "Taiwan fact sheet" displayed on the website of the U.S. Department of State, which removed wording on not supporting "Taiwan independence" and acknowledging China's position that Taiwan is part of China.

BEIJING (AP) — Shanghai reaffirmed China’s strict “zero-COVID” approach to pandemic control Wednesday, a day after the head of the World Health Organization said that was not sustainable and urged China to change strategies.

While China’s largest city has seen progress in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak, any relaxation in prevention and control measures could allow it to rebound, deputy director of Shanghai’s Center for Disease Control Wu Huanyu told reporters.

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday slammed the United States for changing wording related to Taiwan on its State Department website, saying the move will hollow out the one-China principle and will backfire.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks when asked to comment on a recent update to the Taiwan fact sheet displayed on the website of the U.S. Department of State, which removes wording both on not supporting Taiwan independence and on acknowledging China's position that Taiwan is part of China.

Hong Kong, May 9 (AP) Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Monday said Chinese patriots are now firmly in charge of the city following the election of its new leader, who ran unopposed in a process controlled by Beijing from start to finish.

Lam's comments came a day after a carefully vetted election committee voted overwhelmingly to approve John Lee, a hard-line security chief who oversaw a crackdown on Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.

BEIJING (AP) — The city of Shanghai is doubling down on pandemic restrictions after a brief period of loosening up, frustrating residents who were hoping a more than monthlong lockdown was finally easing as the number of new cases falls in China’s financial center.

BEIJING, May 9 (APP): China on Monday urged Indian authorities to provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for its companies after Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi's top executives faced threats of physical violence and coercion.

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China's total imports and exports expanded 7.9 percent year on year to 12.58 trillion yuan in the first four months of 2022, official data showed Monday.

In U.S. dollar terms, total foreign trade came in at 1.98 trillion U.S. dollars in the period, up 10.1 percent year on year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Exports grew 10.3 percent year on year to 6.97 trillion yuan, while imports rose 5 percent to 5.61 trillion yuan in the January-April period, leading to a trade surplus of 1.36 trillion yuan, the data showed.

BEIJING (AP) — Authorities in Shanghai have again tightened anti-virus restrictions, just as the city was emerging from a month of strict lockdown due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Notices issued in several districts said residents were ordered to stay home and are barred from receiving nonessential deliveries as part of a “quiet period” lasting at least until Wednesday. The tightened measures could be extended depending on the results of mass testing, the notices said.