Page 13 - Beijing

China orders seven-day lockdown in area around world's largest iPhone plant

The abrupt action reflects Beijing's Covid Zero approach to stamping out outbreaks, and is likely to further disrupt Foxconn's main operations base.

China's economy weakens, signs point to more strain ahead amid Covid curbs

Both the official manufacturing purchasing managers index and the non-manufacturing gauge, which measures construction and services activity, fell in the month to 49.2 and 48.7, respectively

China's economic growth now seen below 5% through 2024 on Covid zero risk

Growth is now expected to be below 5% for each year through 2024, the latest Bloomberg survey of economists shows

As party leaders meet, Chinese hope for end to 'zero-Covid' limits

As China's ruling Communist Party holds a congress this week, many Beijing residents are focused on an issue not on the formal agenda: Will the end of the meeting bring an easing of China's at times draconian zero-COVID policies that are disrupting lives and the economy? It appears to be wishful thinking. As the world moves to a post-pandemic lifestyle, many across China have resigned themselves to lining up several times a week for COVID-19 tests, restrictions on their travels to other regions, and the ever-present possibility of a community lockdown. There is nothing we can do, Zhang Yiming, 51, said this week at a park in Beijing. If we look at the situation abroad, like the United States where over 1 million people have died, right? In China, although it is true that some aspects of our life are not convenient, such as travel and economy, it seems that there is no good solution. People are looking to the party congress, which ends Saturday, for two reasons. The meeting, which is

Beijing's Covid rules may delay direct flights between India, China: Report

Direct passenger flight services between India and China are unlikely to resume in the near future unless Beijing modifies its policy of sudden cancellation of scheduled flights every time some passengers are tested positive for COVID on arrival in Chinese airports, informed sources here said. Flight services between the two countries have been disrupted ever since coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan in late 2019 and spread across the world. The flight disruption turned out to be a major problem for hundreds of Indian students as well as families of Indians working in China and businessmen to travel back and forth though Beijing recently lifted the visa ban after about three years. Following this, about 23,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine who were stranded back home due to China's COVID visa bans, made preparations to travel to China to rejoin their colleges but experienced difficulties due to the absence of direct flights. The flights through the third countries w

China looking for new ways to resolve current debt quagmire: Report

After the first version of China's flagship Belt and Road initiative was blocked, Beijing is working on a 2.0 version while being open to accepting some losses on loans and renegotiating debt

Xi Jinping makes first public appearance since returning from overseas

The Chinese leader was accompanied by the other six members of the Politburo Standing Committee, a sign of unity after rumors circulated on Twitter about a challenge to his power

China snaps at Blinken for asking Pak to seek debt relief from Beijing

China on Tuesday angrily retorted at the US call to Pakistan to seek debt relief from its all-weather ally Beijing to deal with the grim flood situation, saying that instead of passing "unwarranted criticism" against Sino-Pak cooperation, Washington should do something beneficial to Pakistani people. "We send a simple message. We are here for Pakistan, just as we were during past natural disasters, looking ahead to rebuild," US Secretary Antony Blinken was quoted as saying after talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Washington. "I also urged our colleagues to engage China on some of the important issues of debt relief and restructuring so that Pakistan can more quickly recover from the floods, Blinken said. As per the official data, more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 33 million affected due to the massive floods since mid-June, leaving the government at the mercy of international support. Reacting to Blinken's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministr

China will feel increasingly isolated as supply chains shift: Gautam Adani

China's Belt and Road initiative has run into resistance in many countries, the founder and chairman of Adani Group said at a conference in Singapore

China's legislator to meet S Korea leaders for talks on Seoul-Beijing ties

China's top legislator was set to meet South Korean leaders including new President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Friday, as Yoon's push to buttress a military alliance with Washington has caused concerns that it could hamper Seoul's ties with Beijing. Li Zhanshu, third in the Chinese Communist Party hierarchy and one of President Xi Jinping's closest confidants, is the highest-level Chinese official to visit South Korea since his predecessor came here in 2015. Li's trip is seen as part of Beijing's efforts to boost ties with neighboring countries ahead of a Communist Party congress next month that will likely grant Xi a third five-year term as leader. Li's visit is also crucial for Yoon's government as it wants to assure Beijing that its push to reinforce the U.S. alliance and participations in US-led regional initiatives won's target China, its biggest trading partner. Li, chairman of the standing committee of China's National People's Congress, heads a 66-member Chinese delegation to

China's economy shows signs of recovery in August as stimulus ramps up

Industrial production growth accelerated to 4.2%, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday, beating economists' forecast of a 3.8% increase

WHO saying end of pandemic within reach falls flat in Covid zero China

Chinese are reacting with pessimism and humor to the World Health Organization chief saying the end of the pandemic is within reach, with millions of people still locked down

Flights halted as typhoon Muifa approaches Shanghai, northeast China coast

A typhoon was headed toward the Chinese coast on Wednesday and forecast to make landfall near the port city of Ningbo later in the day. Typhoon Muifa had maximum sustained winds of 145 kilometres an hour as it moved northeast, the Hong Kong Observatory said. The storm's track would take it just east of the city of Shanghai and then inland through Jiangsu and Shandong provinces on China's northeast coast. All flights were cancelled at the Ningbo airport and more than 11,000 fishing boats returned to port in Zhejiang province, according to Chinese media reports. A requirement for a negative coronavirus test within the last 72 hours, required in much of China to enter buildings and other public areas, was suspended in Ningbo except for at airports, train stations and highway entrances.

Beijing parks see 56% rise in visitors to 3.18 mn during festival holiday

A total of 59 cultural events were held both online and offline to attract visitors, reports Xinhua news agency

Beijing under Covid-19 alert after a school, university report fresh cases

The Chinese capital issued a fresh coronavirus alert on Thursday after it reported 21 local COVID-19 infections a day earlier, three of which were from a high school and the rest from a university, health officials said. In view of the fresh outbreak, Beijing's health officials asked residents to stay put during the upcoming Mid-Autumn festival holiday on Saturday, official media reported. According to the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, there have been three confirmed cases screened out from the community level in Beijing's Haidian district. The three, who tested positive are classmates and live in the student dormitories of the high school affiliated to Minzu University of China, state-run Global Times reported on Thursday. It is mandatory for the city's 21.5 million population to undergo COVID-19 tests on alternate days. The high school has traced 570 close contacts and has been designated as a high-risk area since the three cases have been staying on the campus since ...

Beijing Stock Exchange brings new business areas to improve SMEs market

The exchange issued draft rules for margin trading and securities lending on Friday, introduced its first benchmark index and launched a government bond issuance business.

China bad debt managers see earnings tank on deepening property losses

China's distressed-debt managers have been in turmoil as aggressive lending to embattled developers and unchecked expansion into other areas has beset the $730 billion funds with heavy credit losses

China steps up measures to wipe out Covid-19 as political summit looms

China is enforcing lockdown restrictions in areas around Beijing more intensively, and will mass test the nearby port city of Tianjin

Beijing on edge as neighbouring Shijiazhuang sees new Covid outbreak

China is facing a new wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Shijiazhuang, a city 290 kilometres from Beijing, laying increasing pressure on the capital which has been faced with imported Covid infections

India-China relationship going through extremely difficult phase: EAM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that the relationship between India and China is going through an "extremely difficult phase" after what Beijing has done at the border