China

Hong Kong police fire pepper pellets as hundreds rally against Beijing’s security law
27May By Yusara AskariNo Comments
China

Hong Kong police fire pepper pellets as hundreds rally against Beijing’s security law

Hong Kong riot police have made arrests and fired pepper pellets on Wednesday to disperse protesters in the city, as new national security laws proposed and national anthem bill by Beijing revived anti-government demonstrations.At around 1pm, some protesters in Central occupied parts of Pedder Street, disrupting traffic in the area. This prompted the police to fire pepper pellets to disperse the crowd. Over in Causeway Bay, about 100 people were stopped and searched.Police were also deployed to Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui, following calls for people to gather there to protest. Heavy police presence and searches in the morning had dented protesters' initial plans to block roads and disrupt traffic.Some drivers had tried to disrupt the traffic at the cross-harbour tunnel at about 8.30am by dr...
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Beijing’s national security law might bar foreign judges from national security cases
26May By Yusara AskariNo Comments
China

Beijing’s national security law might bar foreign judges from national security cases

Adding more to Hong Kong’s worries, Beijing's national security legislation for the city is set to block its foreign judges from handling national security trials, which would exacerbate concerns about the city's judicial independence, people familiar with the matter said.Having lost patience with Hong Kong's failure to adopt national security legislation on its own, China announced on Thursday that it would directly enact laws to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in the city.The legislation, which remains subject to change, would also see both central and city government security agencies set up in Hong Kong.The Hong Kong government has said the legislation would not affect its judicial independence.Beijing's push for the legislation follows months of anti-g
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Hong Kong comes out in protest, police launches tear gas, water cannons
25May By Yusara AskariNo Comments
China

Hong Kong comes out in protest, police launches tear gas, water cannons

It was chaos on Sunday as police arrested more than 100 people and fired tear gas and pepper spray after thousands of Hong Kong protesters gathered in opposition to a controversial security law proposed by China last week.As the demonstrators and police faced off in Hong Kong, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi insisted that the proposed law be imposed "without the slightest delay".The national security law is expected to ban treason, subversion and sedition. The legislation comes after Hong Kong was shaken last year by months of massive, often-violent protests, and repeated warnings from Beijing that it would not tolerate dissent.With campaigners warning the proposal could spell the end of the city's treasured freedoms, thousands gathered in the busy Causeway Bay and Wan Chai districts, cha...
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China says ‘political virus’ pushing Sino-US ties to brink of new cold war
25May By Yusara AskariNo Comments
China

China says ‘political virus’ pushing Sino-US ties to brink of new cold war

China said on Sunday that relations with the United States were on “the brink of a new cold war” with US politicians not leaving any opportunity to attack and discredit China."This political virus is spreading in the US, and jumping at any opportunity to attack and slander China. Some politicians ignore the basic facts and make up countless lies and conspiracy theories against China," China’s Foreign minister Wang Yi said.But while the top Chinese diplomat hit back at the US politicians who were pushing the two sides to "the brink of a new Cold War" at the risk of reversing decades of cooperation, he also struck a conciliatory tone at times, urging the Americans to cooperate with China.Wang was speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of China's annual legislative meetings in Beijing
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China has betrayed Hong Kong so West should stop fooling itself, says former HK governor
23May By Yusara AskariNo Comments
China

China has betrayed Hong Kong so West should stop fooling itself, says former HK governor

Former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten on Saturday opined that China has betrayed the people of Hong Kong so the West should stop kowtowing to Beijing for an illusory great pot of gold.“The Hong Kong people have been betrayed by China,” Patten said adding that Britain has a “moral, economic and legal” duty to stand up for Hong Kong.Beijing is set to impose new national security legislation on Hong Kong after a sustained campaign of pro-democracy protests last year in the city, which enjoys many freedoms not allowed on mainland China.Patten, now 76, watched as the British flag was lowered over Hong Kong when the colony was handed back to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of British rule.Hong Kong’s autonomy was guaranteed for 50 years under the “one country, two systems” agreement pri
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Pakistan bans political party critical of CPEC
22May By Our NewsroomNo Comments
China

Pakistan bans political party critical of CPEC

A political party, which is critical of financially dubious China's Belt and Road Initiative has been banned by Pakistan government.  Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Arisar (JSQM-A), a party based in the southern province of Sindh highlighted Pakistan’s the country's reliance on Beijing for political and economic support.Pakistan's interior ministry outlawed the JSQM-A along with two militant groups in the same province -- the Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA) and the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) -- citing "reasonable grounds" that the organizations have ties to terrorism.Pakistan has been regularly banning a variety of organizations, including al-Qaeda-linked jihadi militants as well as secessionist insurgent groups. The list however has expanded since the launch of the China-Pakistan Econom
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COVID-19 fallout: China drops mention of GDP goal as parliament opens
22May By Our NewsroomNo Comments
China

COVID-19 fallout: China drops mention of GDP goal as parliament opens

As coronavirus outbreak hammers the world’s second-biggest economy, China dropped its annual growth target for the first time on Friday and pledged more government spending, setting a sombre tone to this year's meeting of parliament.The omission from Premier Li Keqiang's work report marks the first time China has not set a target for gross domestic product (GDP) since the government began publishing such goals in 1990.Given "great uncertainty" caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing will "give priority to stabilising employment and ensuring living standards", Li told the opening of the National People's Congress.The economy shrank 6.8 per cent in the first quarter, the first contraction in decades, hit by the outbreak of the new coronavirus."We have not set a specific target for economic
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China plans to impose new national security laws on Hong Kong
22May By Our NewsroomNo Comments
China

China plans to impose new national security laws on Hong Kong

In a huge blow to Hong Kong, China signaled that it will impose new national-security laws on the territory saying that the legislation is aimed at stopping what it considers “secessionist and subversive activity,” foreign interference and terrorism in the city. The proposal to enact the new legislation was submitted to China's legislature on Friday, state media said. In a state-of-the-nation speech opening China's annual parliamentary session, Premier Li Keqiang said that China would "establish and improve the legal systems and mechanisms to safeguard national security" in Hong Kong. According to the legislation, China's parliament empowers itself to set up the legal framework and implementation mechanism to prevent and punish subversion, terrorism, separatism and foreign interf
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China sent team including medical experts to advise on North Korea’s Kim
20May By Our NewsroomNo Comments
China, World

China sent team including medical experts to advise on North Korea’s Kim

China has dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to three people familiar with the situation. The trip by the Chinese doctors and officials comes amid conflicting reports about the health of the North Korean leader. Reuters was unable to immediately determine what the trip by the Chinese team signaled in terms of Kim’s health. A delegation led by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department left Beijing for North Korea on Thursday, two of the people said. The department is the main Chinese body dealing with neighbouring North Korea The sources declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter. The Liaison Department could not be reached by Reuters for comment late on
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For China’s aggressive new diplomacy, coronavirus is both a crisis and an opportunity
20May By Our NewsroomNo Comments
China, World

For China’s aggressive new diplomacy, coronavirus is both a crisis and an opportunity

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, China has struggled to control the narrative around its role in the crisis. Is Beijing a noble victim, ably controlling an unforeseeable viral outbreak and now assisting other countries in their own efforts, or the villain, ultimately to blame for the misery spreading around the world?Considerable effort has been expended in pushing the first line. China has donated large amounts of medical supplies to parts of Europe and Africa. China's state media, which has an outsized influence in much of the developing world, has also played up praise from the World Health Organization (WHO) and others of its response to and recovery from the initial outbreak, in stark contrast to many parts of the world now struggling to cope.The coronavirus crisis pre
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