China

BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar probe Chang'e-5 successfully carried out its first orbital correction Tuesday night, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The probe conducted the orbital correction at 10:06 p.m. (Beijing Time) when its 3000N engine was operational for about two seconds, and then continued its trip to the moon.

Prior to the orbital correction, the lunar probe had traveled for roughly 17 hours in space, and was about 160,000 km away from Earth. All of the probe's systems were in good condition, said the CNSA.

BEIJING, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- British moves to beef up ban on China's Huawei have undermined the mutual trust for bilateral cooperation, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a relevant question.

Without any concrete evidence, Britain, in collaboration with the United States, has been discriminating and suppressing Chinese companies citing nonexistent "security risks," Zhao said.

HONG KONG, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam delivered the 2020 policy address Wednesday at a meeting of the HKSAR Legislative Council, highlighting support from the central authorities for Hong Kong to overcome the economic recession.

The policy address, the fourth one since Lam took office in 2017, came as Hong Kong strives to recover from the impacts of prolonged social unrest and the COVID-19 epidemic.

BEIJING, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- China expresses serious concerns over and firm opposition to India's recent claim to ban further Chinese apps on national security grounds, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Wednesday at a news briefing.

Zhao Lijian said the Chinese Embassy in India has issued a statement in response.

(AP) --- China is stepping up virus inspections on imported food packaging as cooler weather brings new waves of coronavirus infections in several overseas countries, Chinese officials said Wednesday.

Packaging is “not exempt” from carrying the virus, deputy director of the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center Li Ning told reporters.

While the coronavirus positivity rate for tests on packages was just 0.48 per 10,000, that proportion is increasing along with the number of tests being conducted, Li said.

BEIJING, Nov 24 (APP): Expressing happiness over start of international transit activities at the Gwadar Port, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday said that China supported the greater role of the port, an important component of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) flagship project, in the regional cooperation on trade and goods.

“We are glad to see the new progress. We support the Gwadar Port’s greater role in the regional cooperation on trade and goods,” he said during his regular briefing held here.

WENCHANG, China (AP) — China launched an ambitious mission on Tuesday to bring back rocks and debris from the moon’s surface for the first time in more than 40 years — an undertaking that could boost human understanding of the moon and of the solar system more generally.

Chang’e 5 — named for the Chinese moon goddess — is the country’s boldest lunar mission yet. If successful, it would be a major advance for China’s space program, and some experts say it could pave the way for bringing samples back from Mars or even a crewed lunar mission.

BEIJING, Nov 23 (APP): Pakistan’s participation as special partner at upcoming China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) will contribute to Belt and Road Initiative and expand the community.

During a media briefing on features and achievements of the CAEXPO, Wang Lei, Secretary General of CAEXPO Secretariat Monday said that they would unite all parties to help build a road to cooperation and invited Pakistan as the special partner to expand Belt and Road community.

HONG KONG (AP) — Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong and two other activists were taken into custody Monday after they pleaded guilty to charges related to a demonstration outside police headquarters during anti-government protests last year.

Wong, together with fellow activists Ivan Lam and Agnes Chow, pleaded guilty to charges related to organizing, taking part in and inciting protesters to join an unauthorized protest outside police headquarters last June. The trio were members of the now-disbanded Demosisto political party.

WENCHANG, China (AP) — Chinese technicians were making final preparations Monday for a mission to bring back material from the moon’s surface in what would be a major advance for the country’s space program.

Chang’e 5 is China’s most ambitious lunar mission yet and marks the first time in four decades that any country has sought to bring rocks and debris from the moon to Earth. That could boost human understanding of the moon, its age and resources, and of the solar system more generally.