Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING (AP) — China’s leading envoy to trade talks in Washington says the failure to strike a deal in the tariffs war with the U.S. was “just a small setback” and negotiations will continue despite increases in import duties on American imports from China.

In comments to reporters before he left Washington for Beijing on Friday, Vice Premier Liu He said he was cautiously optimistic but that a deal would require the Trump administration to agree to end the punitive tariffs it has imposed on billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese goods.

BANGKOK, May 11. /TASS/: Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service Rosstat has presented a project on keeping statistical accounting at a seminar of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, head of the Russian delegation, Deputy Head of Rosstat Sergey Egorenko told TASS on Friday, adding that the initiative would help raise the research potential of countries for forming a larger number of sustainable development indicators.

XIAN /China/, May 11. /TASS/: Russia has become one of the chief guests of the Fourth Silk Road International EXPO that kicked off in the Chinese city of Xian on Saturday. This year, Russia’s regions of the Urals Federal District are showcasing their trade, economic, investment, educational and scientific capacities at the event.

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua): Those born in the 2000s have a stronger sense of national pride than previous generations, according to a survey report published by the China Youth Daily earlier this week.

The online survey, covering 10,393 young Chinese from 31 provincial regions in China, found that the average level of national pride was 9.18 points out of 10, while those born in the 2000s and 1990s received 9.38 and 9.21 points, respectively.

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua): The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration issued an alert Saturday for mountain torrents in parts of southern China.

From Saturday night to Sunday night, some areas in the central and southwestern provinces of Hunan and Guizhou and Chongqing Municipality will be prone to mountain torrents.

To guard against mountain torrent disasters, the two agencies told local authorities to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood warnings and brace for evacuation.

11 May 2019; DW: A fight broke out between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers in Hong Kong's Legislative Council. The proposed law would permit extraditions to China despite the Chinese government's poor human rights record.

Hong Kong lawmakers scuffled with each other on Saturday over the government's proposed amendments to the territory's extradition law.

TOKYO, May 10. /TASS/: A group of Japanese citizens - the first in 2019 - has embarked on a visa-free trip to Kunashir Island, part of the southern Kuril Islands, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. The group, travelling by the Etopirika vessel, departed from the city of Nemuro on Hokkaido's east coast.

The group of about 60 people will stay on Kunashir Island until May 13. The Japanese will visit their family graves and meet with locals.

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua): Washington's recent move on the Taiwan question has muscled in on China's sovereignty and internal affairs, and put the bilateral relations in jeopardy.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the "Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019" and "Reaffirming the United States commitment to Taiwan and to the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act," a blunt violation of the one-China principle and the spirit of the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua): The Asian Civilization Exhibition (Artworks), held by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, opened Friday at the National Art Museum of China, Beijing.

Titled "Shared Inspiration -- Asian Art Exhibition," the event will showcase 130 pieces of art created by 120 artists from 41 countries, including China, India, Japan and Pakistan.

10 May 2019; AFP: A herd of endangered deer wait under the shade of one of the sparse trees in this parched central Myanmar landscape, watching as rangers dispatch drinking water -- a life-saving resource funded by wellwishers across the country.

Shwe Settaw nature reserve in Magway Division is home to the endemic species of Eld's or golden deer. But their habitat lies in the country's central dry zone, a low-lying plain astride the Irrawaddy River where water shortages are rife in the hot season.