China

BEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that the South China Sea is not a "safari park" for countries outside the region or a "fighting arena" for major powers to compete in.

The South China Sea issue should be handled by countries in the region themselves, Wang said in opening remarks at a virtual seminar commemorating the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

BEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - China on Monday gave conditional approval to domestic firm Genuine Biotech's Azvudine pill to treat certain adult patients with COVID-19, adding another oral treatment option against the coronavirus.

The availability of effective COVID vaccines and treatments is crucial in laying the groundwork for China's potential pivoting from its "dynamic COVID zero" policy, which aims to eliminate every outbreak - however small - and relies on mass testing and strict quarantining.

BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- On Monday at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-14 astronauts opened the hatch door of Wentian, the first lab module of China's space station, and entered the module, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

It was the first time the Chinese astronauts had entered the lab module in orbit.

The Wentian module, launched on Sunday afternoon, docked with the front port of the Tianhe core module at 3:13 a.m. Monday.

BEIJING (AP) — Taiwan’s capital staged air raid drills Monday and its military mobilized for routine defense exercises, coinciding with concerns over a forceful Chinese response to a possible visit to the island by U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

While there was no direct link between China’s renewed threats and Taiwan’s defensive moves, they underscore the possibility of a renewed crisis in the Taiwan Strait, considered a potential hotspot for conflict that could envelop the entire region.

BEIJING (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo was heading to Beijing on Monday for a rare visit by a foreign leader under China’s strict COVID-19 protocols and ahead of what could be the first overseas trip by Chinese President Xi Jinping since the start of the pandemic more than two years ago.

Xi, who has participated in international meetings only by video link during the pandemic, may end his COVID-19 isolation and attend a Group of 20 summit in Indonesia in mid-November, analysts both inside and outside China said.

BEIJING, July 24 (APP): Pakistan is well placed position for facilitating the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members in improving regional connectivity as the Central Asia countries are land-locked, and Pakistan is ideally located to provide shorter sea access to these countries, Secretary General of SCO Zhang Ming said.

He said, “this will facilitate trade among SCO member states and even beyond”, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.

BEIJING (AP) — China on Sunday launched one of two laboratory modules to complete its permanent orbiting space station.

The Wentian was launched from tropical Hainan Island with a large crowd of amateur photographers and space enthusiasts watching. Designed for science and biology experiments, the module lifted off on the Long March 5B remote 3 rocket, and spent roughly eight minutes in flight before it entered orbit, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

BEIJING, July 23 (APP): Along with China’s investment in Pakistan, great support and progress were continuously seen in the infrastructure sectors.

When it comes to infrastructure, one of the top items that stands out is the public transport sector.

China has exceptionally helped Pakistan in this sector. And its investors are constantly helping Pakistan with new projects in this sector to bring Pakistan on par with the modern world.

BEIJING, July 23 (APP): Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) played a vital role in the future economic development of Pakistan, with the Gwadar port as the main component.

“The CPEC is one of the most important flagship project of the five corridors launched under Belt and Road Initiative. Half of its projects have already been executed, he said in an interview with CGTN Radio.

July 23 (Reuters) - China has issued stark private warnings to the Biden administration about a possible trip to Taiwan in August by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.