Page 166 - China

China's economy is in serious trouble

Why is China's economy, which only a few years ago seemed headed for world domination, in trouble?

Swiss group ABB's China operations under investigation by US Congress

The committees wanted to probe potential "cybersecurity risks, foreign intelligence threats, and supply chain vulnerabilities at seaports in the United States,'

China expands imports, planting approvals of additional gene-modified crops

The agriculture ministry approved the domestic production of six more varieties of genetically modified corn, two of soybeans and one of cotton, and another two of gene-edited soybeans

After Pakistan hits back on Iran, China offers mediation to ease tensions

China Thursday offered to play a "constructive role" to ease tension between Pakistan and Iran following their missile strikes against each other over the last two days and asked the two countries to "exercise restraint and calmness and avoid escalation". Pakistan conducted "precision military strikes" against what it called "terrorist hideouts" in Iran's Siestan-Balochistan province that killed 9 people in the wee hours on Thursday. The attack was seen as retaliation to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Tuesday which targeted two bases of the Sunni Baloch militant group 'Jaish al-Adl' in Pakistan's unruly Balochistan province. The attacks have put China in a piquant situation as Pakistan is an all-weather ally, while Tehran is warming up to Beijing in recent years enabling China to expand its influence in the West Asia region. China also imports a considerable amount of oil from Iran. "Did you say that Pakistan launched strikes on Iran? I'm not aware of this, Chinese Foreign ...

China's population drops for a second straight year as deaths jump

China's population dropped by 2 million people in 2023 in the second straight annual drop as births fell and deaths jumped after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the government's statistics bureau said on Wednesday. The number of deaths more than doubled to 690,000. Demographers were expecting a sharp rise in deaths because of COVID-19 outbreaks that started at the end of the previous year and continued through February of last year. The total population stood at 1.4 billion, the statistics bureau said. The drop in births reflected a fall in the birth rate that is a long-running economic and societal challenge for China. The population is aging steadily, which could slow economic growth over time and challenge the nation's ability to provide for a larger elderly population with fewer workers. The number of births fell for the seventh year, though by less than in previous years. About 9 million babies were born last year, half of the total in 2016. China, which once sought to .

'US re-engagement with China have no implications on ties with India, Quad'

The United States' re-engagement with China should not be seen as having any implication on the strong ties it has with India and its commitments to the QUAD grouping, a top US official said on Wednesday. The US has been re-engaging with China at various levels after months of no contact with military as well as political leaders, which had triggered concerns about a possible confrontation between the two countries. The official said the re-engagement is primarily aimed at having better bilateral relations, especially on the economic and business front, which both countries believe is important. But it should not be seen as having any consequences on the US' strong relations with India and QUAD, which remains very important at strategic level for the US, the official added. The four-nation bloc QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia, has often been seen as a counterbalance to China in the Indo-Pacific. The idea for QUAD was first moo

India tops global indoor pollution with average annual PM2.5 levels: Study

India has topped a global indoor air pollution chart with the highest average annual PM2.5 levels followed by China, Turkey, UAE and South Korea, according to a study. Moreover, on the list of cities with highest average annual PM2.5 levels, national capital Delhi was on the top amongst the studied cities, followed by Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Busan, a Dyson statement said. The Dyson Global Connected Air Quality Data project analyses more than half a trillion data points, to understand user behaviours and compare indoor and outdoor air quality. The national sample size for India is 37,013 connected Dyson air purifiers. "India recorded the highest average annual PM2.5 levels, followed by China, Turkey, UAE, and South Korea, while in terms of indoor average VOCs, India ranked 7th among the top 10," said the report for which the data were collected from Dyson Purifiers connected to its app. It further said: "Moreover, Delhi topped the list of PM2.5 levels, amongst the studied .

India rejects iron ore miner NMDC's proposal for China exports -sources

China accounts for around 80% of India's overall iron ore shipments. India primarily exports low-grade iron ore - with iron content below 58% and most of India's shipments go to China

Support to Pacific nations with policing shouldn't alarm Australia: China

China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, sought to reassure on Wednesday that China's increased involvement in the Pacific, particularly in policing efforts, should not be a cause of alarm for Australia. Xiao, speaking at his first news conference of the year in Canberra on Wednesday, maintained that Australia should not harbour anxiety about China's intentions in the region. Pacific Islands countries is an area where China and Australia can cooperate and can contribute together instead of asking them to choose between the two," Xiao said. What China has been doing is to help them to for their social stability, economic development and for bilateral trade relations." Concerns of China's encroachment in the South Pacific had escalated last year when the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, raising fears of a military buildup in the region. We're not seeking military strategies, we're not seeking military purposes, and there's no need for any so-called anxiety on the

China's cyberspace body reviewing Shein's data handling practices: Reports

The government is also interested in the type of Chinese data that the company will disclose to regulators in the U.S. as Shein seeks a listing there, the newspaper reported

Overall imports down 4% but shipments from Russia, China up: Govt data

Overall exports, meanwhile, increased 0.9 per cent, according to the data compiled by the commerce department

Indians spent 12.84 bn hours on shopping apps in 2023, next only to China

The time spent by shoppers on these apps in 2023 was far higher than in the US (2.8 billion hours), Brazil (3.020 billion hours), but it was less than that in China where it was 49.60 billion hours

China weighs more stimulus with $139 billion of special sovereign bonds

The proposal under discussion by senior policymakers would involve the sale of ultra-long sovereign bonds to fund projects related to food, energy, supply chains and urbanization

China showcases plan for massive 'silver economy' to serve elderly

Beijing wants to mobilize state and the private sector companies, it said in an outline released by the State Council

Tourist evacuation underway after multiple avalanches trap 1,000 in China

Rescuers evacuated tourists on Tuesday from a remote skiing area in northwestern China where dozens of avalanches triggered by heavy snow have trapped more than 1,000 people for a week, state media said. The avalanches have blocked roads, stranding both tourists and residents in a village in Altay prefecture in the Xinjiang region, close to China's border with Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan. Those injured were being airlifted out on a military helicopter while supplies such as food and fuel were being flown in. State broadcaster CCTV said a snow-blocked road linking Hemu village to major roads was cleared on Tuesday, enabling vehicles to enter and tourists to drive themselves out. Footage showed dozens of tourists dragging luggage over snow-covered areas toward a military helicopter, while a long line of outgoing cars was seen on the cleared road. State media cited the local highway administration as saying the avalanches affected 350 kilometres (220 miles) of roads. Road clearin

Thomas Cook owner Fosun in advanced talks to sell brand to eSky: Report

A deal with eSky, which is majority-owned by private equity firm MCI Capital, could be reached in coming weeks, according to the report

China holds key interest rate as economy prepares for 'difficult year'

The People's Bank of China maintained the rate on its one-year policy loans on Monday, disappointing investors expecting the first trim since August

China fully backs sovereignty of Maldives, says President Mohamed Muizzu

During his just-concluded visit to China, Muizzu, regarded as a pro-China leader, sought to align Maldives closer to Beijing and both countries elevated their ties to a strategic partnership

Chinese govt bought Nvidia semiconductors chips despite US ban: Report

Neither Nvidia nor retailers approved by the company were among the suppliers, according to Reuters

China chip imports suffer steepest decline on record after US restrictions

The value of integrated circuits imported by the world's largest semiconductor market fell 15.4% to $349.4 billion