China

BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday issued a white paper on the country's efforts to protect rights and interests of persons with disabilities in the past 70 years.

The white paper, titled "Equality, Participation and Sharing: 70 Years of Protecting the Rights and Interests of Persons with Disabilities in the PRC," was released by the State Council Information Office.

24 July 2019; AFP: China on Wednesday defended a joint air force exercise with Russia that triggered a furious response from regional US allies South Korea and Japan over a perceived airspace violation.

The incident erupted on Tuesday when a Russian A-50 early warning and control plane violated airspace over the Dokdo islands, Seoul said. The islands are also claimed by Tokyo.

South Korea scrambled fighter jets, which fired nearly 400 warning shots at the alleged intruder.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Wednesday following a report U.S. and Chinese trade envoys will meet for talks next week.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney all advanced.

Investors were encouraged by a Bloomberg News report that U.S. officials including Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will visit Beijing for talks. That would be the first face-to-face meeting since Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed in June to resume negotiations aimed at ending a bruising tariff war over U.S. complaints about Chinese technology ambitions.

BEIJING (AP) — China said it will not renounce the use of force in efforts to reunify Taiwan with the mainland and vowed to take all necessary military measures to defeat “separatists.”

In a national defense white paper released Wednesday, China listed among its top priorities its resolve to contain “Taiwan independence” and combat what it considers separatist forces in Tibet and the far west region of Xinjiang.

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China urged the United States to stop politicizing religious issues and interfering in other countries' internal affairs, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Monday.

Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks when asked to comment on the U.S. move to set up an international alliance on religious freedom with related countries at an international religious freedom conference.

The U.S. slandering of China's religious policy and religious freedom at the conference was met with opposition by all Chinese, Geng said.

22 July 2019; AFP: Anger soared in Hong Kong on Monday over a vicious assault on pro-democracy protesters by suspected triad gangsters that left dozens wounded, a dramatic escalation of the political turmoil plaguing the Chinese city.

The financial hub's roiling unrest took a dark turn late Sunday when gangs of men -- most wearing white T-shirts and carrying bats, sticks and metal poles -- set upon anti-government demonstrators as they returned from another huge march earlier that day.

Shanghai, Jul 22 (AFP/PTI) Shares on Shanghai's new Nasdaq-style technology board soared Monday, with one firm rocketing more than 500 per cent, as investors rushed to grab a piece of China's latest market liberalisation in a frenzied debut

All 25 components on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's Sci-Tech Innovation Board, or STAR Market, were driven sharply higher in a hearty initial endorsement of China's plan to use the board to help fund fast-growing tech firms and discourage them listing abroad.

HONG KONG, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Sunday evening strongly condemned some radical protesters' storming of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR.

A spokesperson for the HKSAR government said the liaison office is one of the offices set up by the central people's government in the HKSAR and has constitutional functions.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s protest movement took a violent turn Sunday as police launched tear gas at protesters after a massive march continued late into the evening, and subway riders were attacked by masked assailants who apparently were targeting pro-democracy demonstrators.

The firing of the tear gas was the latest confrontation between police and protesters who have taken to the streets for over a month to fight a proposed extradition bill and call for electoral reforms in the Chinese territory.

21 July 2019; AFP: China lifted some restrictions on foreign investment in the financial sector Saturday, as the world's second largest economy fights slowing growth at home and a damaging trade war with the United States.

China will remove shareholding limits on foreign ownership of securities, insurance and fund management firms in 2020, one year earlier than originally planned, the Financial Stability and Development Committee said in a statement posted by the central bank Saturday.