Rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Europe as Austria to impose lockdown. A report claims that the Chinese Air Force has deployed the H-6K bomber along the border with India. Reports said China's state-run television had shown footage of the H-6K bomber flying over mountains.

Here are the top 10 stories from across the world:

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-deploys-bomber-along-border-with-india-report-430463">China deploys bomber along border with India: Report</a>

Amid tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), reports claim the Chinese Air Force has deployed the H-6K bomber along the border with India. Reports said China's state-run television had shown footage of the H-6K bomber flying over mountains.

<img alt="China deploys bomber" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1cb3916-e4b3-4a9e-8fb9-08ebbe8d680d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/China%20deploys%20bomber.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/austria-to-impose-lockdown-as-europe-grapples-with-virus-surge-430542">Austria to impose lockdown as Europe grapples with virus surge</a>

The Austrian government announced it will impose&nbsp;lockdown&nbsp;in the country from next Monday amid a surge in coronavirus cases. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced that everyone in the country should be&nbsp;vaccinated&nbsp;by February 1.

<img alt="Austrian government" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="801bbe67-d94c-4f41-b361-d91a8bdef09e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Austrian%20government.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-army-to-bar-promotion-re-enlistment-for-soldiers-who-refuse-to-take-covid-vaccine-430505">US Army to bar promotion, re-enlistment for soldiers who refuse to take Covid vaccine</a>

The US Army has warned thousands of soldiers that they would not be permitted to continue their service if they persist with their resistance against getting Covid vaccine.

<img alt="US Army" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0e7e9e79-4580-411c-ae57-003ba0459216" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/US%20Army.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-brushes-aside-reports-of-tensions-with-biden-administration-says-excited-about-the-work-430540">Kamala Harris brushes aside reports of tensions with Biden administration</a>

US Vice President Kamala Harris has brushed aside reports that she feels “frustrated and underutilised” in the Biden administration. "I am very, very excited about the work that we have accomplished," she said during an interview to ABC's Good Morning America programme.&nbsp;

<img alt="Kamala Harris" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c41cdb5b-172c-4141-aa07-a361f47faef2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Kamala%20Harris.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-announces-490-billion-stimulus-package-to-tackle-covid-knockdown-430557">Japan announces $490 billion stimulus package to tackle Covid knockdown</a>

Japan's government announced a record $490 billion spending package on Friday to cushion the economic blow from the COVID-19 pandemic, bucking a global trend towards withdrawing crisis-mode stimulus measures and adding strains to its already tattered finances.

<img alt="Japan's government" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="94d06fd5-0f11-4968-a88b-d2c9bf7047a9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Japan%27s%20government.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-warns-los-angeles-police-not-to-create-fake-accounts-stop-collecting-user-data-430563">Facebook warns Los Angeles police not to create fake accounts, stop collecting user data</a>

Reports claim&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;has asked the Los Angeles police to stop making fake accounts and halt attempts to collect data of users. Facebook in a letter reportedly told the Los Angles Police Department (LAPD) that it had set up fake accounts to carry out surveillance as it directed the department not to undertake such activities.

<img alt="Facebook" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="be68dcee-8eab-4cab-879e-0c1028fb2fa5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Facebook_0.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wrong-identification-of-tea-as-drugs-forces-mother-daughter-to-spend-months-in-australian-jail-430537">Wrong identification of tea as drugs forces mother, daughter to spend months in Australian jail</a>

In a tormenting tale, a mother and daughter duo were forced to spend around four months in Australian jail after authorities mistakenly identified tea as drugs. One little mix-up has cost huge agony to the victims.

<img alt="Australia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="750d6c4e-f3cd-4535-a62b-e47756fe6767" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Australia%20%282%29.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/red-dots-over-delhi-nasa-shares-satellite-images-of-dangerous-pollution-levels-in-indian-capital-430548">Red dots over Delhi: Nasa shares satellite images of dangerous pollution levels in Indian capital</a>

Nasa&nbsp;has released satellite images that show dangerous pollution levels in the Indian capital as smoke from crop fires blanketed the city and contributed to an alarming increase in the levels of air pollution.&nbsp;

<img alt="pollution levels" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9c3a66c5-96bb-451e-92e3-ed6e3718cf82" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Nasa%20images.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/alex-hales-apologises-for-wearing-blackface-days-after-denying-racial-connotation-behind-dogs-name-430504">Alex Hales apologises for wearing blackface, days after denying 'racial connotation' behind dog's name</a>

England cricketer Alex Hales has once again found himself in the middle of a controversy after old pictures of him wearing 'blackface' during a party emerged on social media. Hales has apologised for 'blacking up' calling his decision 'incredibly direspectful' while clarifying that he was trying to impersonate rapper Tupac Shakur at the party.

<img alt="Alex Hales" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="788b967a-7247-4fb5-9c1e-d477e6f5516b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Alex%20Hales%20%282%29.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-rights-group-casts-suspicion-over-chinese-media-reports-claiming-tennis-player-peng-shuai-is-safe-430447">US Rights group casts suspicion over Chinese media reports claiming tennis player Peng Shuai is 'safe'</a>

A US-based rights group has cast suspicion over Chinese media reports which claim that Chinese star Peng Shuai is 'safe'. Peng has been incommunicado since she accused a former ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader of pressuring her into a sexual relationship, Radio Free Asia reported.

<img alt="Peng Shuai" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="48c39bed-4e55-4e62-ad91-5df798e31bd6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Peng%20Shuai.jpg" />

&nbsp;

Rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Europe as Austria to impose lockdown. A report claims that the Chinese Air Force has deployed the H-6K bomber along the border with India.

Rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Europe as Austria to impose lockdown. A report claims that the Chinese Air Force has deployed the H-6K bomber along the border with India. Reports said China's state-run television had shown footage of the H-6K bomber flying over mountains. Here are the top 10 stories from across the world: China deploys bomber along border with India: Report Amid tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), reports claim the Chinese Air Force has deployed the H-6K bomber along the border with India. Reports said China's state-run television had shown footage of the H-6K bomber flying over mountains. Austria to impose lockdown as Europe grapples with virus surge The Austrian government announced it will impose lockdown in the country from next Monday amid a surge in coronavirus cases. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced that everyone in the country should be vaccinated by February 1. US Army to bar promotion, re-enlistment for soldiers who refuse to take Covid vaccine The US Army has warned thousands of soldiers that they would not be permitted to continue their service if they persist with their resistance against getting Covid vaccine. Kamala Harris brushes aside reports of tensions with Biden administration US Vice President Kamala Harris has brushed aside reports that she feels “frustrated and underutilised” in the Biden administration. "I am very, very excited about the work that we have accomplished," she said during an interview to ABC's Good Morning America programme. Japan announces $490 billion stimulus package to tackle Covid knockdown Japan's government announced a record $490 billion spending package on Friday to cushion the economic blow from the COVID-19 pandemic, bucking a global trend towards withdrawing crisis-mode stimulus measures and adding strains to its already tattered finances. Facebook warns Los Angeles police not to create fake accounts, stop collecting user data Reports claim Facebook has asked the Los Angeles police to stop making fake accounts and halt attempts to collect data of users. Facebook in a letter reportedly told the Los Angles Police Department (LAPD) that it had set up fake accounts to carry out surveillance as it directed the department not to undertake such activities. Wrong identification of tea as drugs forces mother, daughter to spend months in Australian jail In a tormenting tale, a mother and daughter duo were forced to spend around four months in Australian jail after authorities mistakenly identified tea as drugs. One little mix-up has cost huge agony to the victims. Red dots over Delhi: Nasa shares satellite images of dangerous pollution levels in Indian capital Nasa has released satellite images that show dangerous pollution levels in the Indian capital as smoke from crop fires blanketed the city and contributed to an alarming increase in the levels of air pollution. Alex Hales apologises for wearing blackface, days after denying 'racial connotation' behind dog's name England cricketer Alex Hales has once again found himself in the middle of a controversy after old pictures of him wearing 'blackface' during a party emerged on social media. Hales has apologised for 'blacking up' calling his decision 'incredibly direspectful' while clarifying that he was trying to impersonate rapper Tupac Shakur at the party. US Rights group casts suspicion over Chinese media reports claiming tennis player Peng Shuai is 'safe' A US-based rights group has cast suspicion over Chinese media reports which claim that Chinese star Peng Shuai is 'safe'. Peng has been incommunicado since she accused a former ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader of pressuring her into a sexual relationship, Radio Free Asia reported.

Top 10 world news: Austria to impose lockdown, Harris on reports of tensions with Biden administration & more

China said on Wednesday that it will attend a meeting on Afghanistan convened by its all-weather ally Pakistan, after skipping a security dialogue hosted by India on the situation in the war-torn country, citing "scheduling reasons".

Pakistan will host senior diplomats from the US, China and Russia in Islamabad on Thursday to discuss the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan.

The Troika Plus meeting will be attended by special representatives from all four countries.

Asked whether China would attend the meeting in Islamabad, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that "China supports Pakistan in hosting this extended meeting of the China-US-Russia consultation mechanism and supports all international efforts conducive to promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and building consensus among all parties”.

"Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy for Afghan affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, will lead a delegation to attend the meeting," he said.

On Tuesday, Wang said that China would not attend the security dialogue on Afghanistan convened by India due to "scheduling reasons".

He said China has notified the Indian side in reply.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday chaired an eight-nation dialogue in New Delhi which was attended by officials from Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

All-weather allies China and Pakistan followed a coordinated policy after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan backing the Afghan militant group and getting international recognition for its interim government.

Meanwhile in Islamabad, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday that Pakistan attaches high importance to the Troika Plus mechanism on the situation in Afghanistan and hopes that “deliberations of the meeting would contribute to the ongoing efforts for achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan”.

The meeting will be inaugurated by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

China said on Wednesday that it will attend a meeting on Afghanistan convened by its all-weather ally Pakistan, after skipping a security dialogue hosted by India on the situation in the war-torn country, citing "scheduling reasons".

China said on Wednesday that it will attend a meeting on Afghanistan convened by its all-weather ally Pakistan, after skipping a security dialogue hosted by India on the situation in the war-torn country, citing "scheduling reasons". Pakistan will host senior diplomats from the US, China and Russia in Islamabad on Thursday to discuss the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan. The Troika Plus meeting will be attended by special representatives from all four countries. Asked whether China would attend the meeting in Islamabad, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that "China supports Pakistan in hosting this extended meeting of the China-US-Russia consultation mechanism and supports all international efforts conducive to promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and building consensus among all parties”. "Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy for Afghan affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, will lead a delegation to attend the meeting," he said. On Tuesday, Wang said that China would not attend the security dialogue on Afghanistan convened by India due to "scheduling reasons". He said China has notified the Indian side in reply. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday chaired an eight-nation dialogue in New Delhi which was attended by officials from Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. All-weather allies China and Pakistan followed a coordinated policy after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan backing the Afghan militant group and getting international recognition for its interim government. Meanwhile in Islamabad, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday that Pakistan attaches high importance to the Troika Plus mechanism on the situation in Afghanistan and hopes that “deliberations of the meeting would contribute to the ongoing efforts for achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan”. The meeting will be inaugurated by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

After skipping India's security dialogue on Afghanistan, China to attend Pakistan's Troika Plus meet

World Adoption Day: Countries that allow single-parent adoptions

A spy for the Chinese Ministry of State Security has been convicted by a federal jury of plotting to steal trade secrets from several US&nbsp;aviation and aerospace companies, the Justice Department said on Friday.

Yanjun Xu, the first Chinese operative extradited to the United States for trial, was convicted of two counts of conspiring and attempting to commit economic espionage, in addition to a count of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft and two counts of attempted theft of trade secrets.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-doesnt-want-deeper-us-india-relations-taking-actions-to-press-territorial-claims-with-neighbour-us-426795">China doesn’t want deeper US-India relations, taking 'actions’ to press territorial claims with neighbour: US</a>

The ruling means Yanjun could face up to 60 years in prison total for all violations and fines totaling more than $5 million, according to a press release. He will be sentenced by a federal district court judge.

In a statement, FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler Jr. said the bureau was working with dozens of US&nbsp;agencies to share information and resources to combat operations by the People's Republic of China.

"For those who doubt the real goals of the PRC, this should be a wakeup call; they are stealing American technology to benefit their economy and military," he said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/32-nations-to-remove-china-from-preferential-tariff-treatment-on-december-1-426551">32 nations to remove China from preferential tariff treatment on December 1&nbsp;</a>

Going back as far as 2013, Yanjun was accused of using multiple aliases to carry out economic espionage and steal trade secrets on behalf of China. Multiple US&nbsp;aviation and aerospace companies, including GE Aviation, a unit of General Electric Co, were his targets, the release said.

A spy for the Chinese Ministry of State Security has been convicted by a federal jury of plotting to steal trade secrets from several US aviation and aerospace companies, the Justice Department said on Friday.

A spy for the Chinese Ministry of State Security has been convicted by a federal jury of plotting to steal trade secrets from several US aviation and aerospace companies, the Justice Department said on Friday. Yanjun Xu, the first Chinese operative extradited to the United States for trial, was convicted of two counts of conspiring and attempting to commit economic espionage, in addition to a count of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft and two counts of attempted theft of trade secrets. Also Read | China doesn’t want deeper US-India relations, taking 'actions’ to press territorial claims with neighbour: US The ruling means Yanjun could face up to 60 years in prison total for all violations and fines totaling more than $5 million, according to a press release. He will be sentenced by a federal district court judge. In a statement, FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler Jr. said the bureau was working with dozens of US agencies to share information and resources to combat operations by the People's Republic of China. "For those who doubt the real goals of the PRC, this should be a wakeup call; they are stealing American technology to benefit their economy and military," he said. Also Read | 32 nations to remove China from preferential tariff treatment on December 1 Going back as far as 2013, Yanjun was accused of using multiple aliases to carry out economic espionage and steal trade secrets on behalf of China. Multiple US aviation and aerospace companies, including GE Aviation, a unit of General Electric Co, were his targets, the release said.

Chinese spy convicted of trying to steal US aviation trade secrets

Making their intentions and rivalry with Taiwan very clear, China has, for the first time, announced that Taiwanese politicians who support the island’s independence will face punishment for their actions.<o:p></o:p>

The announcement came from China’s Taiwan affairs office. Taiwanese politicians have been warned that if any politician is found supporting the idea of Taiwan’s independence will be made "criminally liable for life" and will also be forever barred from entering or having any kind of connection with the mainland China.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-to-punish-those-who-supports-taiwan-427146">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-to-punish-those-who-supports-taiwan-427146/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

To prove their point, the Chinese officials have already named Taiwan's Premier Su Tseng-chang, parliament speaker You Si-kun and foreign minister Joseph Wu as part of the list. The ministers have been labelled as people who are “stubbornly pro-Taiwan independence” and have thus been barred from China.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-trying-to-build-psychological-pressure-on-taiwan-through-jet-incursions-reports-423019">China trying to build psychological pressure on Taiwan through jet incursions: Reports</a></o:p>

"Those on the list, together with their relatives, shall not enter the mainland and the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and their affiliated institutions shall be restricted from forging any cooperation with organisations and individuals on the mainland,"&nbsp;Taiwan affairs office spokesperson, Zhu Fenglian said on Friday.<o:p></o:p>

This announcement comes at a time when there have been heightened tensions between China and Taiwan for the past couple of months. China has been accused of building psychological pressure and intimidating Taiwan by sending its planes in the island’s air defense identification zone. Multiple reports have claimed that there has been a massive and sudden increase in the number of Chinese warplanes that have been entering Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ).&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

Experts believe that the increase jet incursions and sorties can help China train their pilots and also test Taiwan’s defences.<o:p></o:p>

Making their intentions and rivalry with Taiwan very clear, China has, for the first time, announced that Taiwanese politicians who support the island’s independence will face punishment for their actions.

Making their intentions and rivalry with Taiwan very clear, China has, for the first time, announced that Taiwanese politicians who support the island’s independence will face punishment for their actions. The announcement came from China’s Taiwan affairs office. Taiwanese politicians have been warned that if any politician is found supporting the idea of Taiwan’s independence will be made "criminally liable for life" and will also be forever barred from entering or having any kind of connection with the mainland China. WATCH | To prove their point, the Chinese officials have already named Taiwan's Premier Su Tseng-chang, parliament speaker You Si-kun and foreign minister Joseph Wu as part of the list. The ministers have been labelled as people who are “stubbornly pro-Taiwan independence” and have thus been barred from China. Also read | China trying to build psychological pressure on Taiwan through jet incursions: Reports "Those on the list, together with their relatives, shall not enter the mainland and the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and their affiliated institutions shall be restricted from forging any cooperation with organisations and individuals on the mainland," Taiwan affairs office spokesperson, Zhu Fenglian said on Friday. This announcement comes at a time when there have been heightened tensions between China and Taiwan for the past couple of months. China has been accused of building psychological pressure and intimidating Taiwan by sending its planes in the island’s air defense identification zone. Multiple reports have claimed that there has been a massive and sudden increase in the number of Chinese warplanes that have been entering Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Experts believe that the increase jet incursions and sorties can help China train their pilots and also test Taiwan’s defences.

New diktat: China to bar people from mainland if found supporting Taiwan independence

China will not give up on its zero-tolerance policy towards local COVID-19 cases any time soon, some experts said, as the policy has allowed it to quickly quell local outbreaks, while the virus continues to spread outside its borders.

To stop local cases from turning into wider outbreaks, China has developed and continually refined its covid-fighting arsenal -- including mass testing, targeted lockdowns and travel restrictions - even when those anti-covid measures occasionally disrupted local economies.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-struggles-to-control-fresh-covid-outbreak-before-winter-olympics-425308">China struggles to control fresh Covid outbreak before Winter Olympics</a>

"The policy (in China) will remain for a long time," Zhong Nanshan, a respiratory disease expert who helped formulate China's C<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">ovid</a>&nbsp;strategy in early 2020, told state media.

"How long it will last depends on the virus-control situation worldwide."

In a major outbreak in July-August, China counted a total of over 1,200 local symptomatic infections. In the latest flare-up, mostly in northern China, some 538 local cases were reported between October&nbsp;17 and November&nbsp;1.

Despite the lower caseload, the geographical spread of the infections has put constraints on China's leisure and tourism sectors.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/flights-weddings-cancelled-as-china-tackles-covid-outbreak-425130">Flights, weddings cancelled as China tackles Covid outbreak</a>

Since October&nbsp;23, travel agencies have not been allowed to organise tourism between certain provinces, with such restrictions affecting trips to nearly one-third of the mainland's 31 province-level regions including Beijing.

Many cities with infections have also closed indoor entertainment and cultural venues. A flurry of marathons, theatrical performances and concerts have been delayed or cancelled.

China also requires weeks of quarantine for most travellers arriving from abroad.

In contrast, some Asia-Pacific countries are starting to open selectively to fully vaccinated international travellers as they seek to secure a more normal footing for their economies and societies.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shanghai-disneyland-closed-over-single-covid-19-case-425800">Shanghai Disneyland closed over single COVID-19 case</a>

Another Year?

The successful containment of clusters and popular support for restricting international travel makes it overwhelmingly likely that China will stick to its zero tolerance towards domestic cases for at least another year, Gavekal Dragonomics analyst Ernan Cui said in a note.

"Officials seem to believe that giving up on the zero-tolerance approach would just replace one set of problems with another," wrote Cui.

Respiratory disease expert Zhong told state media CGTN that the current 2 per cent&nbsp;death rate of the disease globally, despite vaccination, is not tolerable in China.

"Zero tolerance costs a lot indeed, but letting the virus spread costs more," Zhong said.

Watch |&nbsp;China urges families to keep stocks of daily necessities ahead of winter

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-urges-families-to-keep-stocks-of-daily-necessities-ahead-of-winter-426015/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Some countries had loosened curbs while still reporting some small clusters, leading to a new series of infections that have since forced them to backpedal again, Zhong said.

Such back-and-forth in policy costs more, and has a greater impact on the public, he warned.

The cost of treating Covid patients - on average 20,000 yuan each and sometimes over 1 million yuan for those critically ill - totalled 2.8 billion yuan ($438 million) as of end-June, all paid by the government, state television said in August.

China will not give up on its zero-tolerance policy towards local COVID-19 cases any time soon, some experts said, as the policy has allowed it to quickly quell local outbreaks, while the virus continues to spread outside its borders.

China will not give up on its zero-tolerance policy towards local COVID-19 cases any time soon, some experts said, as the policy has allowed it to quickly quell local outbreaks, while the virus continues to spread outside its borders. To stop local cases from turning into wider outbreaks, China has developed and continually refined its covid-fighting arsenal -- including mass testing, targeted lockdowns and travel restrictions - even when those anti-covid measures occasionally disrupted local economies. Also Read | China struggles to control fresh Covid outbreak before Winter Olympics "The policy (in China) will remain for a long time," Zhong Nanshan, a respiratory disease expert who helped formulate China's Covid strategy in early 2020, told state media. "How long it will last depends on the virus-control situation worldwide." In a major outbreak in July-August, China counted a total of over 1,200 local symptomatic infections. In the latest flare-up, mostly in northern China, some 538 local cases were reported between October 17 and November 1. Despite the lower caseload, the geographical spread of the infections has put constraints on China's leisure and tourism sectors. Also Read | Flights, weddings cancelled as China tackles Covid outbreak Since October 23, travel agencies have not been allowed to organise tourism between certain provinces, with such restrictions affecting trips to nearly one-third of the mainland's 31 province-level regions including Beijing. Many cities with infections have also closed indoor entertainment and cultural venues. A flurry of marathons, theatrical performances and concerts have been delayed or cancelled. China also requires weeks of quarantine for most travellers arriving from abroad. In contrast, some Asia-Pacific countries are starting to open selectively to fully vaccinated international travellers as they seek to secure a more normal footing for their economies and societies. Also Read | Shanghai Disneyland closed over single COVID-19 case Another Year? The successful containment of clusters and popular support for restricting international travel makes it overwhelmingly likely that China will stick to its zero tolerance towards domestic cases for at least another year, Gavekal Dragonomics analyst Ernan Cui said in a note. "Officials seem to believe that giving up on the zero-tolerance approach would just replace one set of problems with another," wrote Cui. Respiratory disease expert Zhong told state media CGTN that the current 2 per cent death rate of the disease globally, despite vaccination, is not tolerable in China. "Zero tolerance costs a lot indeed, but letting the virus spread costs more," Zhong said. Watch | China urges families to keep stocks of daily necessities ahead of winter Some countries had loosened curbs while still reporting some small clusters, leading to a new series of infections that have since forced them to backpedal again, Zhong said. Such back-and-forth in policy costs more, and has a greater impact on the public, he warned. The cost of treating Covid patients - on average 20,000 yuan each and sometimes over 1 million yuan for those critically ill - totalled 2.8 billion yuan ($438 million) as of end-June, all paid by the government, state television said in August.

China won't give up on its zero-tolerance COVID policy soon - Experts

In a recent essay on great-power competition and climate change, Rob Litwak, an arms control expert at the Wilson Center, recalled a question that President Ronald Reagan posed to Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, after they took a walk during their 1985 Lake Geneva summit.

As Gorbachev put it later: “President Reagan suddenly said to me, ‘What would you do if the United States were suddenly attacked by someone from outer space? Would you help us?’ ”

“I said, ‘No doubt about it.’ ”

“He said, ‘We too.’ ”

“So that’s interesting,” Gorbachev concluded.

It sure is, because it’s not at all clear, given the recent upsurge in raw great-power competition, that Russia, China or America would help one another in the face of an invasion of space aliens threatening us all. Litwak’s point in retelling that story, of course, is that today we are facing a similar, world-stressing threat — not from space aliens but from a much more familiar and once seemingly benign force: our climate.

Global warming is challenging every nation with more extreme weather, wildfires and sea level rise and once-in-a-century storms coming much more frequently. Unlike with a space alien, though, there’s zero possibility of negotiating with Mother Nature. She does only whatever chemistry, biology and physics dictate, and she has no clue or interest in where the borders of Russia, America or China stop and start. She’s got the whole wide world&nbsp;in her hands — as she demonstrated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet neither China’s president, Xi Jinping, nor Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, is attending the Glasgow climate summit in person with President Joe Biden and many other world leaders that opened Sunday. And even more important, The Washington Post reported last week that some in the Chinese leadership want to resist any substantial cooperation with America on climate issues until the United States dials down its pressure on China “over human rights, Hong Kong, Taiwan, trade and a range of other issues.”

We’ve never seen this tactic before from Beijing: We’ll clean our air, but only if you let us buzz Taiwan’s airspace and choke off the air of freedom in Hong Kong.

A senior U.S. official told me that there is actually a lot of division in Beijing right now on the wisdom of this sort of wolf-warrior diplomatic strategy on climate, which is being pushed by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. There are definitely other Chinese leaders who want to collaborate with Washington and understand that on climate, we sink or swim together. Still, even a hint of this sort of planet-Earth-hostage-taking strategy by some senior Chinese officials is very troubling and needs to be called out.

“The window for humanity to avoid unmanageable climate change is narrowing,” Litwak noted in his Wilson Center essay. “China, the United States and Russia are, respectively, the first, second and fourth largest carbon emitters. Yet at the precise historical juncture when unprecedented global cooperation is necessary to forestall catastrophe, the world is on the brink of unconstrained geostrategic competition. Indeed, U.S. relations with Russia and China are the worst they have been since the end of the Cold War.”

There is never a good time for a great-power conflict. And we’ve already seen how deadly the lack of global cooperation in the face of Mother Nature’s COVID-19 stressor has been. But this is even more dangerous. A shootout between the United States and China over Taiwan or between NATO and Russia over Ukraine — just as human-made climate change is putting a gun to all of our heads — would be insane. But it’s a real possibility.

What we need instead of an arms race or a space race is an Earth race — a great-power competition over which country is rising fastest and farthest to enable a world of net-zero carbon emissions so men and women can thrive here on Earth. I’d love to see Biden do a real throw down to Xi and Putin in his speech in Glasgow for that race.

Biden could say: “I know that climate change is a global problem and that if we clean our air and you don’t clean yours, there is no way to solve it. But we’re not going to use that as an excuse, or let our oil and coal industries use that as an excuse, to do nothing until you do. Because there are 7.9 billion people on the planet today and by 2030, there will be 600 million more — 600 million more!&nbsp;That means that, climate change or no climate change, just having that many more people to feed, house and transport will guarantee that clean power, clean water and energy-efficient buildings and cars will be the next great global industry. Otherwise, we’ll all choke on pollution. So if you all want to keep burning coal and give our clean industries a five-year head start in the next great global industry, make my day. Myself, I am going to declare America’s intention to win the Earth race, to make America the first country to invent and deploy the most clean-power technologies and drive them down the cost curve so that everyone on the planet can afford them.’’

Challenging China and Russia over who can produce the most tools for global resilience, not just resistance, is a way for America to reclaim some moral leadership on the world stage and focus our economy, and our competitors, on the most important industries of the future. Unless we humans want to be a bad biological experiment, a zero-carbon grid, zero-emissions transportation, zero-carbon/zero-net-energy buildings and zero-waste manufacturing indeed will — and must — be the next great global industry.

And by the way, while Russia is currently not a player in that competition, I would not bet against China.

Hal Harvey, who runs the climate analytics firm Energy Innovation and helps to advise governments on clean energy transitions, notes that the United States has set out a very clear goal of when it wants to get to a net-zero carbon-emitting economy — 2050 — and Biden is now trying to fill in the details with specific plans. Alas, without a single vote of support from Republicans.

China, by contrast, Harvey added, is building incredibly detailed plans on how to decarbonize, which Beijing could scale up very quickly — but it has been less detailed in setting hard dates for fulfillment.

Since Xi right now is focused on keeping the Chinese economy growing while he tries to lock in his third term as president, he is not going to do anything to curb growth in China in ways that could sap his popularity. So China will keep burning a lot of coal for a while. But don’t be fooled: Beijing is also building huge amounts of solar, wind, hydro and nuclear power. It’s game on.

As long as both countries keep focused on the Earth race, it almost doesn’t matter which one wins, because together they will drive down the costs of clean power for everyone. If they slow down or get diverted, though, we may wish for some space aliens to take us to their planet.

In a recent essay on great-power competition and climate change, Rob Litwak, an arms control expert at the Wilson Center, recalled a question that President Ronald Reagan posed to Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, after they took a walk during their 1985 Lake Geneva summit.

In a recent essay on great-power competition and climate change, Rob Litwak, an arms control expert at the Wilson Center, recalled a question that President Ronald Reagan posed to Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, after they took a walk during their 1985 Lake Geneva summit. As Gorbachev put it later: “President Reagan suddenly said to me, ‘What would you do if the United States were suddenly attacked by someone from outer space? Would you help us?’ ” “I said, ‘No doubt about it.’ ” “He said, ‘We too.’ ” “So that’s interesting,” Gorbachev concluded. It sure is, because it’s not at all clear, given the recent upsurge in raw great-power competition, that Russia, China or America would help one another in the face of an invasion of space aliens threatening us all. Litwak’s point in retelling that story, of course, is that today we are facing a similar, world-stressing threat — not from space aliens but from a much more familiar and once seemingly benign force: our climate. Global warming is challenging every nation with more extreme weather, wildfires and sea level rise and once-in-a-century storms coming much more frequently. Unlike with a space alien, though, there’s zero possibility of negotiating with Mother Nature. She does only whatever chemistry, biology and physics dictate, and she has no clue or interest in where the borders of Russia, America or China stop and start. She’s got the whole wide world in her hands — as she demonstrated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet neither China’s president, Xi Jinping, nor Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, is attending the Glasgow climate summit in person with President Joe Biden and many other world leaders that opened Sunday. And even more important, The Washington Post reported last week that some in the Chinese leadership want to resist any substantial cooperation with America on climate issues until the United States dials down its pressure on China “over human rights, Hong Kong, Taiwan, trade and a range of other issues.” We’ve never seen this tactic before from Beijing: We’ll clean our air, but only if you let us buzz Taiwan’s airspace and choke off the air of freedom in Hong Kong. A senior U.S. official told me that there is actually a lot of division in Beijing right now on the wisdom of this sort of wolf-warrior diplomatic strategy on climate, which is being pushed by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. There are definitely other Chinese leaders who want to collaborate with Washington and understand that on climate, we sink or swim together. Still, even a hint of this sort of planet-Earth-hostage-taking strategy by some senior Chinese officials is very troubling and needs to be called out. “The window for humanity to avoid unmanageable climate change is narrowing,” Litwak noted in his Wilson Center essay. “China, the United States and Russia are, respectively, the first, second and fourth largest carbon emitters. Yet at the precise historical juncture when unprecedented global cooperation is necessary to forestall catastrophe, the world is on the brink of unconstrained geostrategic competition. Indeed, U.S. relations with Russia and China are the worst they have been since the end of the Cold War.” There is never a good time for a great-power conflict. And we’ve already seen how deadly the lack of global cooperation in the face of Mother Nature’s COVID-19 stressor has been. But this is even more dangerous. A shootout between the United States and China over Taiwan or between NATO and Russia over Ukraine — just as human-made climate change is putting a gun to all of our heads — would be insane. But it’s a real possibility. What we need instead of an arms race or a space race is an Earth race — a great-power competition over which country is rising fastest and farthest to enable a world of net-zero carbon emissions so men and women can thrive here on Earth. I’d love to see Biden do a real throw down to Xi and Putin in his speech in Glasgow for that race. Biden could say: “I know that climate change is a global problem and that if we clean our air and you don’t clean yours, there is no way to solve it. But we’re not going to use that as an excuse, or let our oil and coal industries use that as an excuse, to do nothing until you do. Because there are 7.9 billion people on the planet today and by 2030, there will be 600 million more — 600 million more! That means that, climate change or no climate change, just having that many more people to feed, house and transport will guarantee that clean power, clean water and energy-efficient buildings and cars will be the next great global industry. Otherwise, we’ll all choke on pollution. So if you all want to keep burning coal and give our clean industries a five-year head start in the next great global industry, make my day. Myself, I am going to declare America’s intention to win the Earth race, to make America the first country to invent and deploy the most clean-power technologies and drive them down the cost curve so that everyone on the planet can afford them.’’ Challenging China and Russia over who can produce the most tools for global resilience, not just resistance, is a way for America to reclaim some moral leadership on the world stage and focus our economy, and our competitors, on the most important industries of the future. Unless we humans want to be a bad biological experiment, a zero-carbon grid, zero-emissions transportation, zero-carbon/zero-net-energy buildings and zero-waste manufacturing indeed will — and must — be the next great global industry. And by the way, while Russia is currently not a player in that competition, I would not bet against China. Hal Harvey, who runs the climate analytics firm Energy Innovation and helps to advise governments on clean energy transitions, notes that the United States has set out a very clear goal of when it wants to get to a net-zero carbon-emitting economy — 2050 — and Biden is now trying to fill in the details with specific plans. Alas, without a single vote of support from Republicans. China, by contrast, Harvey added, is building incredibly detailed plans on how to decarbonize, which Beijing could scale up very quickly — but it has been less detailed in setting hard dates for fulfillment. Since Xi right now is focused on keeping the Chinese economy growing while he tries to lock in his third term as president, he is not going to do anything to curb growth in China in ways that could sap his popularity. So China will keep burning a lot of coal for a while. But don’t be fooled: Beijing is also building huge amounts of solar, wind, hydro and nuclear power. It’s game on. As long as both countries keep focused on the Earth race, it almost doesn’t matter which one wins, because together they will drive down the costs of clean power for everyone. If they slow down or get diverted, though, we may wish for some space aliens to take us to their planet.

Opinion: Would Russia or China help us if we were invaded by space aliens?

China is demanding faster and more accessible COVID-19 testing services in its latest effort to reinforce a zero-tolerance policy against the virus, even when cities have already scrambled to test millions in just a few days amid outbreaks.

Frequent testing, and sometimes mass testing, is standard practice in China's containment of domestically transmitted outbreaks in the past year, but health authorities say testing services remain unsatisfactory in parts of China amid flare-ups.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-should-adopt-emergency-mode-as-new-covid-outbreaks-are-predicted-experts-423645">China should adopt 'emergency mode' as new Covid outbreaks are predicted: Experts</a>

"Small clusters and sporadic infections have occurred in some areas, exposing problems such as the unreasonable locations of nucleic acid testing agencies, inconvenient services and delays in the returning of results," state media reported on Tuesday, citing the National Health Commission (NHC).

China is facing a new wave of infections involving nearly 200 locally transmitted symptomatic cases in 12 provincial areas since October&nbsp;17. Many of the infected were from remote parts of northwest China without as much health resources as major cities.

NHC said testing agencies should provide 24-hour services to the public and strive to have results within six hours for those who volunteer to be tested, according to state media reports.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-covid-19-outbreak-in-china-authorities-shut-down-lanzhou-city-of-4-million-people-424081">New COVID-19 outbreak in China: Authorities shut down Lanzhou, city of 4 million people</a>

NHC said in September that cities with over 5 million people should have the capacity to test everyone within three days.

While China is yet to approve self-testing kits for diagnosing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a>, swab tests that require professional labs to process samples are widely available.

Local governments have recently cut prices of swab tests, with certain tests charging as little as 13 yuan ($2.00) in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

Some officials in a small administrative division of the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia were reprimanded on Tuesday for bad management at sample collection sites that led to chaotic crowds during a division-wide testing drive.

Watch |&nbsp;China fights new Covid crisis, outbreaks linked to Shanghai tourists

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-fights-new-covid-crisis-outbreaks-linked-to-shanghai-tourists-422812/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Similar official admonishments were meted in the southern city of Zhangjiajie and in Yangzhou in the east during a cluster earlier this year.

Since the new coronavirus was found in late 2019, mainland China has reported 96,840 confirmed cases with symptoms, including both local and imported infections, with fatalities totalling 4,636.

China is demanding faster and more accessible COVID-19 testing services in its latest effort to reinforce a zero-tolerance policy against the virus, even when cities have already scrambled to test millions in just a few days amid outbreaks.

China is demanding faster and more accessible COVID-19 testing services in its latest effort to reinforce a zero-tolerance policy against the virus, even when cities have already scrambled to test millions in just a few days amid outbreaks. Frequent testing, and sometimes mass testing, is standard practice in China's containment of domestically transmitted outbreaks in the past year, but health authorities say testing services remain unsatisfactory in parts of China amid flare-ups. Also Read | China should adopt 'emergency mode' as new Covid outbreaks are predicted: Experts "Small clusters and sporadic infections have occurred in some areas, exposing problems such as the unreasonable locations of nucleic acid testing agencies, inconvenient services and delays in the returning of results," state media reported on Tuesday, citing the National Health Commission (NHC). China is facing a new wave of infections involving nearly 200 locally transmitted symptomatic cases in 12 provincial areas since October 17. Many of the infected were from remote parts of northwest China without as much health resources as major cities. NHC said testing agencies should provide 24-hour services to the public and strive to have results within six hours for those who volunteer to be tested, according to state media reports. Also Read | New COVID-19 outbreak in China: Authorities shut down Lanzhou, city of 4 million people NHC said in September that cities with over 5 million people should have the capacity to test everyone within three days. While China is yet to approve self-testing kits for diagnosing COVID-19, swab tests that require professional labs to process samples are widely available. Local governments have recently cut prices of swab tests, with certain tests charging as little as 13 yuan ($2.00) in the Chinese capital of Beijing. Some officials in a small administrative division of the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia were reprimanded on Tuesday for bad management at sample collection sites that led to chaotic crowds during a division-wide testing drive. Watch | China fights new Covid crisis, outbreaks linked to Shanghai tourists Similar official admonishments were meted in the southern city of Zhangjiajie and in Yangzhou in the east during a cluster earlier this year. Since the new coronavirus was found in late 2019, mainland China has reported 96,840 confirmed cases with symptoms, including both local and imported infections, with fatalities totalling 4,636.

China urges faster, more accessible COVID-19 testing amid latest outbreak

China has no authority at all to get involved in choosing the next Dalai Lama as it does not believe in religion and the succession plan is entirely a spiritual matter and not a political issue for the Tibetan people, the head of the Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh has said.

Gyangbung Rinpoche, the Abbot of the nearly 350-year-old monastery near India's border with China, also said that it is important to counter Beijing's "policy of expansionism" and New Delhi must maintain a strict vigil over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with that country, in an oblique reference to the eastern Ladakh standoff.

Referring to China's aggressive posturing along the LAC, Rinpoche said though India believes in peace and prosperity, its approach in dealing with such belligerence has to be based on the ground reality.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-is-china-trying-to-break-indias-chicken-neck-423184">Why is China trying to break India's chicken neck?</a>

"It is important to counter China's growing assertiveness. It is necessary for India to keep a strict vigil over the border (with China)," he told PTI in an interview.

The head of the second largest monastery in the world after the Potala Palace in Tibet's Lhasa said only the current Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people have the right to decide about the successor to the Tibetan spiritual leader and China has no role to play in the matter.

"The Chinese government does not believe in religion. How can a government that does not believe in religion decide the next Dalai Lama. The succession plan is a matter of religion and faith; it is not a political issue," Rinpoche said.

"China does not have any right to even get involved in the process of choosing the next Dalai Lama. Only the current Dalai Lama and his followers have the right to decide on the issue," he said.

The comments by the Abbot of the monastery that is located in a region claimed by China came amid strain in ties between the two countries following the eastern Ladakh border standoff. India maintains that its state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of the country.

Rinpoche said the Tibetan people will never accept any decision on the issue by China and that Beijing's attempt to get involved is part of efforts to "capture" the Tibetan heritage and "hold control" over the Tibetan people.

"It will be difficult for China to win the hearts of the people of Tibet. China is tightly controlling Tibet. The authorities do not even allow people from outside to meet Tibetans. There are so many restrictions. It is important that countries like India support the Tibetans," he said.

The issue of a successor to the 14th Dalai Lama, who has been living in exile in Dharamshala in India since 1959, gained traction as he turned 86 in July. The Dalai Lama is believed to be a living Buddha who is reincarnated after his death.

China has been insisting that the selection of the next Dalai Lama has to be decided within Chinese territory and that it has to have a say in the matter.

Referring to China's aggressive posturing along the LAC, Rinpoche said, "India believes in peace and prosperity. India does not like to fight or to have hatred against any country. India believes in living in peace with the countries which share a border with it."

"India needs to maintain a strict vigil over the border. Though India believes in peace and prosperity, its approach has to be based on the ground reality. Regions like Tawang and Ladakh are part of India," he said.

The religious leader said it is important to counter China's policy of expansionism. 
The monastery headed by Rinpoche is located in Tawang at an altitude of around 9,000 feet, a region that has significant political, spiritual and strategic dimensions.

After a failed anti-Chinese uprising in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet and came to India where he set up a government-in-exile.

Beijing has in the past accused the Dalai Lama of indulging in "separatist" activities and trying to split Tibet and considers him as a divisive figure.

However, the Tibetan spiritual leader has insisted that he is not seeking independence but "genuine autonomy for all Tibetans living in the three traditional provinces of Tibet" under the "Middle-Way approach".

The Chinese government officials and the Dalai Lama or his representatives have not met for formal negotiations since 2010.&nbsp;

China has no authority at all to get involved in choosing the next Dalai Lama as it does not believe in religion and the succession plan is entirely a spiritual matter and not a political issue for the Tibetan people, the head of the Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh has said.

China has no authority at all to get involved in choosing the next Dalai Lama as it does not believe in religion and the succession plan is entirely a spiritual matter and not a political issue for the Tibetan people, the head of the Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh has said. Gyangbung Rinpoche, the Abbot of the nearly 350-year-old monastery near India's border with China, also said that it is important to counter Beijing's "policy of expansionism" and New Delhi must maintain a strict vigil over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with that country, in an oblique reference to the eastern Ladakh standoff. Referring to China's aggressive posturing along the LAC, Rinpoche said though India believes in peace and prosperity, its approach in dealing with such belligerence has to be based on the ground reality. Also Read | Why is China trying to break India's chicken neck? "It is important to counter China's growing assertiveness. It is necessary for India to keep a strict vigil over the border (with China)," he told PTI in an interview. The head of the second largest monastery in the world after the Potala Palace in Tibet's Lhasa said only the current Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people have the right to decide about the successor to the Tibetan spiritual leader and China has no role to play in the matter. "The Chinese government does not believe in religion. How can a government that does not believe in religion decide the next Dalai Lama. The succession plan is a matter of religion and faith; it is not a political issue," Rinpoche said. "China does not have any right to even get involved in the process of choosing the next Dalai Lama. Only the current Dalai Lama and his followers have the right to decide on the issue," he said. The comments by the Abbot of the monastery that is located in a region claimed by China came amid strain in ties between the two countries following the eastern Ladakh border standoff. India maintains that its state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of the country. Rinpoche said the Tibetan people will never accept any decision on the issue by China and that Beijing's attempt to get involved is part of efforts to "capture" the Tibetan heritage and "hold control" over the Tibetan people. "It will be difficult for China to win the hearts of the people of Tibet. China is tightly controlling Tibet. The authorities do not even allow people from outside to meet Tibetans. There are so many restrictions. It is important that countries like India support the Tibetans," he said. The issue of a successor to the 14th Dalai Lama, who has been living in exile in Dharamshala in India since 1959, gained traction as he turned 86 in July. The Dalai Lama is believed to be a living Buddha who is reincarnated after his death. China has been insisting that the selection of the next Dalai Lama has to be decided within Chinese territory and that it has to have a say in the matter. Referring to China's aggressive posturing along the LAC, Rinpoche said, "India believes in peace and prosperity. India does not like to fight or to have hatred against any country. India believes in living in peace with the countries which share a border with it." "India needs to maintain a strict vigil over the border. Though India believes in peace and prosperity, its approach has to be based on the ground reality. Regions like Tawang and Ladakh are part of India," he said. The religious leader said it is important to counter China's policy of expansionism. The monastery headed by Rinpoche is located in Tawang at an altitude of around 9,000 feet, a region that has significant political, spiritual and strategic dimensions. After a failed anti-Chinese uprising in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet and came to India where he set up a government-in-exile. Beijing has in the past accused the Dalai Lama of indulging in "separatist" activities and trying to split Tibet and considers him as a divisive figure. However, the Tibetan spiritual leader has insisted that he is not seeking independence but "genuine autonomy for all Tibetans living in the three traditional provinces of Tibet" under the "Middle-Way approach". The Chinese government officials and the Dalai Lama or his representatives have not met for formal negotiations since 2010.

China does not have any right in choosing next Dalai Lama: Head of Tawang monastery

China passed a law on Saturday to strengthen border protection amid a protracted standoff with India, worries about spillover effects from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and the spread of COVID-19 from Southeast Asia.

The Land Borders Law will not necessarily change how border security is handled when the measure takes effect on January&nbsp;1, but it reflects China's growing confidence in its capability to manage its frontiers.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-is-china-trying-to-break-indias-chicken-neck-423184">Why is China trying to break India's chicken neck?</a>

China has been closely watching neighbouring Afghanistan, where the Taliban returned to power in August, to guard against a possible inflow of refugees or Islamic extremists crossing over to link up with the Muslim Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang region.

At its Himalayan frontier, Chinese soldiers have been in a standoff with Indian troops since April 2020.

China has also taken great pains to keep the COVID-19 virus outside of its borders, after illegal crossings from Myanmar and Vietnam contributed this year to a surge in cases in its southern provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi respectively.

This is the first time that the People's Republic of China, founded 72 years ago, has a dedicated law specifying how it governs and guards its 22,000-km (14,000-mile) land border shared with 14 countries, including former superpower Russia and nuclear-capable North Korea.

The country will "take effective measures to resolutely protect territorial sovereignty and land border security", the law says.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-warns-slovakia-czech-republic-over-taiwan-minister-visit-423090">China warns Slovakia, Czech Republic over Taiwan minister visit</a>

Chinese military and military police - the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force - are responsible for guarding the border against any "invasion, encroachment, infiltration, provocation".

The law stipulates that China can close its border if a war or other armed conflict nearby threatens border security.

China passed a law on Saturday to strengthen border protection amid a protracted standoff with India, worries about spillover effects from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and the spread of COVID-19 from Southeast Asia.

China passed a law on Saturday to strengthen border protection amid a protracted standoff with India, worries about spillover effects from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and the spread of COVID-19 from Southeast Asia. The Land Borders Law will not necessarily change how border security is handled when the measure takes effect on January 1, but it reflects China's growing confidence in its capability to manage its frontiers. Also Read | Why is China trying to break India's chicken neck? China has been closely watching neighbouring Afghanistan, where the Taliban returned to power in August, to guard against a possible inflow of refugees or Islamic extremists crossing over to link up with the Muslim Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang region. At its Himalayan frontier, Chinese soldiers have been in a standoff with Indian troops since April 2020. China has also taken great pains to keep the COVID-19 virus outside of its borders, after illegal crossings from Myanmar and Vietnam contributed this year to a surge in cases in its southern provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi respectively. This is the first time that the People's Republic of China, founded 72 years ago, has a dedicated law specifying how it governs and guards its 22,000-km (14,000-mile) land border shared with 14 countries, including former superpower Russia and nuclear-capable North Korea. The country will "take effective measures to resolutely protect territorial sovereignty and land border security", the law says. Also Read | China warns Slovakia, Czech Republic over Taiwan minister visit Chinese military and military police - the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force - are responsible for guarding the border against any "invasion, encroachment, infiltration, provocation". The law stipulates that China can close its border if a war or other armed conflict nearby threatens border security.

China strengthens land border protection with new law

China reported a fourth day of new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in a handful of cities across China, prompting alarmed local governments to double down on efforts to track potential carriers amid the country's zero-tolerance policy.

A total of 17 new local cases were reported for October&nbsp;19, up from nine a day earlier, data from the National Health Commission (NHC) showed on Wednesday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/dcgi-seeks-technical-opinion-to-approve-covaxin-for-kids-421886">DCGI seeks 'technical opinion' to approve Covaxin for kids</a>

The new cases were reported in eight cities and administrative divisions, more than four for October&nbsp;18, the bulk of which were in northern and northwestern China. Three separate cases were also reported in recent days in the south and southwest of China.

Among the cases was one in the capital city Beijing, which is busy gearing up for its hosting of the 2022 Winter Games in February, where officials vowed stringent efforts against the virus. read more

Almost half of the 26 local cases found on Monday and Tuesday were of close contacts of an elderly couple who had travelled in the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu and the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia before being confirmed as COVID-19 patients on Sunday.

It remains unclear whether the married couple were the source of the outbreak, or where they had contracted the virus.

After the couple's travel history was disclosed, many cities scrambled to trace their close contacts, requiring people who had been to places where those with detected cases had travelled to report to local authorities and get tested.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-says-global-tuberculosis-deaths-rise-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic-420891">WHO says global tuberculosis deaths rise due to coronavirus pandemic</a>

The city of Jiayuguan in northwestern Gansu province even launched its second round of city-wide testing after an initial round yielded no positive results, following reports that some of those with cases recently visited the city.

Officials have not disclosed how those with cases reported on Monday and Tuesday contracted the virus, but tentative signs indicated there might be multiple sources of the virus across China, which could complicate the country's efforts to seek zero infections.

Three out of the five local cases found this week in Erenhot city, in Inner Mongolia, did not appear to have any connection with infected travellers in other cities, but were linked to a case detected on October&nbsp;13, a person who worked at a local logistics hub. It is unclear how this person was infected.

China reported a fourth day of new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in a handful of cities across China, prompting alarmed local governments to double down on efforts to track potential carriers amid the country's zero-tolerance policy.

China reported a fourth day of new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in a handful of cities across China, prompting alarmed local governments to double down on efforts to track potential carriers amid the country's zero-tolerance policy. A total of 17 new local cases were reported for October 19, up from nine a day earlier, data from the National Health Commission (NHC) showed on Wednesday. Also read | DCGI seeks 'technical opinion' to approve Covaxin for kids The new cases were reported in eight cities and administrative divisions, more than four for October 18, the bulk of which were in northern and northwestern China. Three separate cases were also reported in recent days in the south and southwest of China. Among the cases was one in the capital city Beijing, which is busy gearing up for its hosting of the 2022 Winter Games in February, where officials vowed stringent efforts against the virus. read more Almost half of the 26 local cases found on Monday and Tuesday were of close contacts of an elderly couple who had travelled in the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu and the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia before being confirmed as COVID-19 patients on Sunday. It remains unclear whether the married couple were the source of the outbreak, or where they had contracted the virus. After the couple's travel history was disclosed, many cities scrambled to trace their close contacts, requiring people who had been to places where those with detected cases had travelled to report to local authorities and get tested. Also read | WHO says global tuberculosis deaths rise due to coronavirus pandemic The city of Jiayuguan in northwestern Gansu province even launched its second round of city-wide testing after an initial round yielded no positive results, following reports that some of those with cases recently visited the city. Officials have not disclosed how those with cases reported on Monday and Tuesday contracted the virus, but tentative signs indicated there might be multiple sources of the virus across China, which could complicate the country's efforts to seek zero infections. Three out of the five local cases found this week in Erenhot city, in Inner Mongolia, did not appear to have any connection with infected travellers in other cities, but were linked to a case detected on October 13, a person who worked at a local logistics hub. It is unclear how this person was infected.

China's COVID-19 outbreak grows as cities race to trace infections

In a further blow to the country's freedom of expression, the Chinese government is proposing new regulations that would prohibit news reporting by sources that are not directly financed by the Communist Party. 
 
The restrictions would strengthen the Chinese government's control over news and information.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-worst-abuser-of-internet-freedom-iceland-with-the-most-internet-freedom-says-report-415229">Also read | China worst abuser of internet freedom, Iceland with the most internet freedom, says report</a> 
 
According to a paper filed with China's National Development and Reform Council on Friday, private cash cannot be used to support news collecting, broadcasting, and distribution, including social media.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | WION Wideangle: China: Censorship, Crackdown and Chaos

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wideangle-china-censorship-crackdown-and-chaos-413936/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

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It said that privately financed groups "must not engage in the business of news collecting, editing, or broadcasting."

It would also prohibit news organisations from duplicating news information produced by foreign media organisations.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba, and the financial news site Caixin, which is funded by Tencent, might be affected.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/social-media-misinformation-campaign-in-support-of-china-extends-to-new-languages-countries-report-411799">Also read | Social media misinformation campaign in support of China extends to new languages, countries: Report</a>

According to a measure posted on the website of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) is'soliciting public opinion' on adding private sector involvement in media organisations to a list of prohibited ventures, according to Radio Free Asia.&nbsp;

According to a CFR analysis, China has one of the world's most restricted media environments, depending on censorship to regulate content in the news, online, and on social media.

The Chinese government employs libel lawsuits, arrests, and other tactics to force Chinese journalists and media companies to restrict themselves.

Many US websites, including Facebook, Instagram, and other Google services, are blocked in China.

Authorities in China are able to crack down on news articles by alleging that they disclose state secrets and harm the country. 
 
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In China, the concept of state secrets remains ambiguous, allowing authorities to suppress any material they deem damaging to their political or economic interests.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a further blow to the country's freedom of expression, the Chinese government is proposing new regulations that would prohibit news reporting by sources that are not directly financed by the Communist Party.

In a further blow to the country's freedom of expression, the Chinese government is proposing new regulations that would prohibit news reporting by sources that are not directly financed by the Communist Party. The restrictions would strengthen the Chinese government's control over news and information. Also read | China worst abuser of internet freedom, Iceland with the most internet freedom, says report According to a paper filed with China's National Development and Reform Council on Friday, private cash cannot be used to support news collecting, broadcasting, and distribution, including social media. Watch | WION Wideangle: China: Censorship, Crackdown and Chaos Also Read | Now, China's move to cut silicon production disrupts global economy It said that privately financed groups "must not engage in the business of news collecting, editing, or broadcasting." It would also prohibit news organisations from duplicating news information produced by foreign media organisations. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba, and the financial news site Caixin, which is funded by Tencent, might be affected. Also read | Social media misinformation campaign in support of China extends to new languages, countries: Report According to a measure posted on the website of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) is'soliciting public opinion' on adding private sector involvement in media organisations to a list of prohibited ventures, according to Radio Free Asia. According to a CFR analysis, China has one of the world's most restricted media environments, depending on censorship to regulate content in the news, online, and on social media. The Chinese government employs libel lawsuits, arrests, and other tactics to force Chinese journalists and media companies to restrict themselves. Many US websites, including Facebook, Instagram, and other Google services, are blocked in China. Authorities in China are able to crack down on news articles by alleging that they disclose state secrets and harm the country. Also read | Three hours a week: China's new rules for children playing video games In China, the concept of state secrets remains ambiguous, allowing authorities to suppress any material they deem damaging to their political or economic interests. (With inputs from agencies)

China plans to ban non-Communist media outlets in a further blow to free speech

In a stinging reaction to China's official spokesperson's comments about Arunachal Pradesh, India declared on Wednesday that Arunachal Pradesh is an important and inalienable part of India.&nbsp;

Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh in the way they visit any other part of India, said the Ministry of External Affairs in response to China’s objection to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to the Himalayan state. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinese-air-force-still-deployed-at-three-airbases-facing-ladakh-air-chief-marshal-v-r-chaudhari-418589">Also Read:&nbsp;Chinese Air Force still deployed at three airbases facing Ladakh: Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari</a>

"We have noted the comments made today by the Chinese official spokesperson. We reject such comments. Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. Indian leaders routinely travel to the state of Arunachal Pradesh as they do to any other state of India. Objecting to the visit of Indian leaders to a state of India does not stand to reason and understanding of the Indian people, " said MEA in a statement.

Watch:&nbsp;Tensions at the India-China border

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"Further, as we have mentioned earlier, the current situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas has been caused by unilateral attempts of Chinese side to alter the status quo in violation of the bilateral agreements. Therefore, we expect the Chinese side to work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols rather than trying to link unrelated issues." the Indian Foreign Ministry&nbsp;added. 
 
Earlier, In the midst of ongoing tensions between India and China in Ladakh, Beijing stated&nbsp;that Vice President Venkaiah Naidu's travel to Arunachal Pradesh was "firmly opposed."

It urged New Delhi to "refrain from adopting steps that might complicate and deepen the border problem."

Vice-President Naidu was in Arunachal over the weekend as part of a visit in the Northeast. 
 
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The&nbsp;heated&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;between&nbsp;the&nbsp;two&nbsp;countries&nbsp;reflected&nbsp;the&nbsp;tensions&nbsp;created&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;more&nbsp;than&nbsp;a&nbsp;year-and-a-half-long&nbsp;impasse&nbsp;in&nbsp;eastern&nbsp;Ladakh.

China's&nbsp;declaration&nbsp;came&nbsp;just&nbsp;days&nbsp;after&nbsp;the&nbsp;most&nbsp;recent&nbsp;round&nbsp;of&nbsp;military&nbsp;discussions&nbsp;came&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;halt.&nbsp;

China claims up to 90,000 square kilometres in Arunachal in the eastern sector, while India claims 38,000 square kilometres in Aksai Chin in the western sector.

While recent tensions in the western sector have been centred on Ladakh, both sides have lately clashed in Uttarakhand, the middle sector, and last week in Tawang in Arunachal.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In a stinging reaction to China's official spokesperson's comments about Arunachal Pradesh, India declared on Wednesday that Arunachal Pradesh is an important and inalienable part of India.

In a stinging reaction to China's official spokesperson's comments about Arunachal Pradesh, India declared on Wednesday that Arunachal Pradesh is an important and inalienable part of India. Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh in the way they visit any other part of India, said the Ministry of External Affairs in response to China’s objection to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to the Himalayan state. Also Read: Chinese Air Force still deployed at three airbases facing Ladakh: Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari "We have noted the comments made today by the Chinese official spokesperson. We reject such comments. Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. Indian leaders routinely travel to the state of Arunachal Pradesh as they do to any other state of India. Objecting to the visit of Indian leaders to a state of India does not stand to reason and understanding of the Indian people, " said MEA in a statement. Watch: Tensions at the India-China border "Further, as we have mentioned earlier, the current situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas has been caused by unilateral attempts of Chinese side to alter the status quo in violation of the bilateral agreements. Therefore, we expect the Chinese side to work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols rather than trying to link unrelated issues." the Indian Foreign Ministry added. Earlier, In the midst of ongoing tensions between India and China in Ladakh, Beijing stated that Vice President Venkaiah Naidu's travel to Arunachal Pradesh was "firmly opposed." It urged New Delhi to "refrain from adopting steps that might complicate and deepen the border problem." Vice-President Naidu was in Arunachal over the weekend as part of a visit in the Northeast. Also Read: China-made electric vehicles should not be sold in India: Modi govt to Elon Musk The heated exchange between the two countries reflected the tensions created by the more than a year-and-a-half-long impasse in eastern Ladakh. China's declaration came just days after the most recent round of military discussions came to a halt. China claims up to 90,000 square kilometres in Arunachal in the eastern sector, while India claims 38,000 square kilometres in Aksai Chin in the western sector. While recent tensions in the western sector have been centred on Ladakh, both sides have lately clashed in Uttarakhand, the middle sector, and last week in Tawang in Arunachal. (With inputs from agencies)

India-China conflict | Arunachal Pradesh integral and inalienable part of India: MEA rebuffs China

The largest provincial economy in China's northeast rust belt on Monday warned of worsening power shortages despite government efforts to boost coal supply and manage electricity use in a post-pandemic energy crisis hitting multiple countries.

The energy crisis gripping the world's second largest-economy and top exporter is expected to last through to the end of the year, with analysts and traders forecasting a 12 per cent&nbsp;drop in industrial power consumption in the fourth quarter because coal supply is expected to fall short this winter.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-power-crisis-hampers-its-economic-growth-419601">China's power crisis hampers its economic growth</a>

Liaoning province issued its second-highest alert level for power shortages for the fifth time in two weeks on Monday, warning that the shortfall could reach nearly 5 gigawatts (GW).

The biggest economy and largest consumer of power among the three provinces making up China's rust-belt industrial region, Liaoning has been hit by widespread power cuts since mid-September. A level-two alert indicates a power shortage equivalent to 10-20 per cent&nbsp;of total demand for power.

The rebound in global economic activity as coronavirus restrictions are lifted has exposed shortages of fuels used for power generation in China and other countries, leaving industries and governments scrambling as the northern hemisphere heads into winter.

"The biggest power shortage could reach 4.74 gigawatts (GW) on October 11," said a notice issued by the department responsible for industry in the province.

An order to curb power use had been put in place from 6 a.m. (2200 GMT on Sunday), it said.

The province also issued level-two alerts for each of the last three days of September, when the daily power shortage reached as much as 5.4 GW, leaving hundreds of thousands of households without electricity and forcing industrial plants to suspend production.

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The drop in output from power plants followed tightening supply and soaring prices for coal, which is used to generate more than 70 per cent&nbsp;of electricity in the region.

Wind farms have also been idled because of slow wind speeds, a province-backed newspaper reported. Wind power made up 8.2 per cent&nbsp; of Liaoning's power generation in 2020, National Statistics Bureau data shows.

Coal&nbsp;Shortage

The energy crisis, which has led to fuel shortages and blackouts in some countries, has highlighted the difficulty in cutting the global economy's dependency on fossil fuels as world leaders seek to revive efforts to tackle climate change at talks next month in Glasgow.

China will "strictly control" coal-fired power generation projects and "strictly limit" the increase in coal consumption over the 14th Five-Year plan period from 2021-2025 while making a phased reduction in consumption in the next five-year plan, Vice Premier Han Zheng said in a joint statement issued on Monday after environment and climate dialogue between China and the European Union.

China is taking steps to try to alleviate tightness in the domestic coal market by pushing local mines to increase output, ING analysts said in a note to clients on Monday.

Shanxi province and the Inner Mongolia region, two of China's biggest coal producers, ordered more than 200 of their mines to expand production capacity and prioritise coal supply to power plants in northeastern provinces, including Liaoning.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-taiwan-tensions-tsai-ing-wens-remarks-incite-confrontation-distort-facts-says-beijing-spokesperson-419777">China-Taiwan tensions: Tsai Ing-wen's remarks incite confrontation, distort facts, says Beijing spokesperson</a>

However, about 60 coal mines in China's largest coal-mining province, Shanxi, have been closed and several railway lines disrupted since Friday after heavy rain caused flooding. The Shanxi government has not disclosed how much production capacity those closed mines represent.

Meanwhile, high coal costs continue to pressure utilities. China's thermal coal futures rose 8 per cent&nbsp; to hit a daily upper trading limit shortly after trade started on Monday.

More than 70 per cent&nbsp; of China's coal-fired power plants are loss-making because of high coal costs, Citi analysts said in a note on Friday.

A report by Moody's Investors Service said: "China's electricity cuts will add to economic stresses, weighing on GDP growth for 2022. And the risks to GDP forecasts could be larger as disruptions to production and supply chains feed through."

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The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's state planner, on Monday said it has been urging power companies to boost coal inventories. It will hold a news briefing on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) on tariffs for coal-fired power.

Last week China said it would allow coal-fired power prices to fluctuate by up to 20 per cent&nbsp; from base levels, instead of 10-15 per cent&nbsp; previously.

The largest provincial economy in China's northeast rust belt on Monday warned of worsening power shortages despite government efforts to boost coal supply and manage electricity use in a post-pandemic energy crisis hitting multiple countries.

The largest provincial economy in China's northeast rust belt on Monday warned of worsening power shortages despite government efforts to boost coal supply and manage electricity use in a post-pandemic energy crisis hitting multiple countries. The energy crisis gripping the world's second largest-economy and top exporter is expected to last through to the end of the year, with analysts and traders forecasting a 12 per cent drop in industrial power consumption in the fourth quarter because coal supply is expected to fall short this winter. Also Read | China's power crisis hampers its economic growth Liaoning province issued its second-highest alert level for power shortages for the fifth time in two weeks on Monday, warning that the shortfall could reach nearly 5 gigawatts (GW). The biggest economy and largest consumer of power among the three provinces making up China's rust-belt industrial region, Liaoning has been hit by widespread power cuts since mid-September. A level-two alert indicates a power shortage equivalent to 10-20 per cent of total demand for power. The rebound in global economic activity as coronavirus restrictions are lifted has exposed shortages of fuels used for power generation in China and other countries, leaving industries and governments scrambling as the northern hemisphere heads into winter. "The biggest power shortage could reach 4.74 gigawatts (GW) on October 11," said a notice issued by the department responsible for industry in the province. An order to curb power use had been put in place from 6 a.m. (2200 GMT on Sunday), it said. The province also issued level-two alerts for each of the last three days of September, when the daily power shortage reached as much as 5.4 GW, leaving hundreds of thousands of households without electricity and forcing industrial plants to suspend production. Also Read | Now, China's move to cut silicon production disrupts global economy The drop in output from power plants followed tightening supply and soaring prices for coal, which is used to generate more than 70 per cent of electricity in the region. Wind farms have also been idled because of slow wind speeds, a province-backed newspaper reported. Wind power made up 8.2 per cent of Liaoning's power generation in 2020, National Statistics Bureau data shows. Coal Shortage The energy crisis, which has led to fuel shortages and blackouts in some countries, has highlighted the difficulty in cutting the global economy's dependency on fossil fuels as world leaders seek to revive efforts to tackle climate change at talks next month in Glasgow. China will "strictly control" coal-fired power generation projects and "strictly limit" the increase in coal consumption over the 14th Five-Year plan period from 2021-2025 while making a phased reduction in consumption in the next five-year plan, Vice Premier Han Zheng said in a joint statement issued on Monday after environment and climate dialogue between China and the European Union. China is taking steps to try to alleviate tightness in the domestic coal market by pushing local mines to increase output, ING analysts said in a note to clients on Monday. Shanxi province and the Inner Mongolia region, two of China's biggest coal producers, ordered more than 200 of their mines to expand production capacity and prioritise coal supply to power plants in northeastern provinces, including Liaoning. Also Read | China-Taiwan tensions: Tsai Ing-wen's remarks incite confrontation, distort facts, says Beijing spokesperson However, about 60 coal mines in China's largest coal-mining province, Shanxi, have been closed and several railway lines disrupted since Friday after heavy rain caused flooding. The Shanxi government has not disclosed how much production capacity those closed mines represent. Meanwhile, high coal costs continue to pressure utilities. China's thermal coal futures rose 8 per cent to hit a daily upper trading limit shortly after trade started on Monday. More than 70 per cent of China's coal-fired power plants are loss-making because of high coal costs, Citi analysts said in a note on Friday. A report by Moody's Investors Service said: "China's electricity cuts will add to economic stresses, weighing on GDP growth for 2022. And the risks to GDP forecasts could be larger as disruptions to production and supply chains feed through." Also Read | China-made electric vehicles should not be sold in India: Modi govt to Elon Musk The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's state planner, on Monday said it has been urging power companies to boost coal inventories. It will hold a news briefing on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) on tariffs for coal-fired power. Last week China said it would allow coal-fired power prices to fluctuate by up to 20 per cent from base levels, instead of 10-15 per cent previously.

China rust-belt province warns of more shortages in energy crisis

China, the biggest manufacturing country in the world, is facing an electricity crisis, forcing factories to reduce operations, power consumption, and leading to outright blackouts in some provinces, media reports said.

Millions of people are getting affected by what is being considered as one of the worst power crises in the country.

The Hong Kong Post reported that 20 of the total 31 provinces are implementing energy-rationing, putting the industry sector of the world's second-largest economy in a fix.

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Experts believe that the problem has emerged due to the expected rebound in demand in power from Chinese factories after a COVID-19-led slump.

The immediate cause is that China is still highly dependent on coal, which provides 70 per cent of the country's power generation, the Foreign Policy magazine reported.

However, the Foreign Policy report noted that the reasons for the crisis can also be traced back to a string of policy missteps and poorly thought-out market interventions after the beginning of the pandemic.

The energy crisis in China led to an industrial output decline in September for the first time since China started recovering from the COVID-19 lockdowns.

At the end of September, the country's manufacturing powerhouse Guangdong Province said it will widen the "peak-to-valley" price difference and hike peak electricity prices by 25 per cent for industrial users.

Chinese state media Global Times reported that this power shortage threatens to weigh down industrial production in the coming months.

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The hike in peak electricity prices is for industrial users and will not apply to residential power use, said China South Grid.

This comes as the change in prices in the southern economic powerhouse happened as a shortage of electricity struck China.

China's power grid operator had denied there was an energy crisis and promised to upgrade the national power grid and guarantee a normal power supply.

The cuts and restrictions have been implemented piecemeal by local governments, often with scant warning and little explanation, sparking public anger, Radio Free Asia reported."Chin's energy supply capacity is currently sufficient to meet demand," State Grid Corp. said in comments reported by the Global Times.

"China has no energy crisis," it said.

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Despite China's denial, major international suppliers are bracing for impact on businesses already confronting delays caused by shortages and global shipping delays.

According to media reports, the shock is even leading experts to cut growth expectations for China.

Meanwhile, some sections of the Chinese media have also called for a balance to be struck between climate targets and allowing the power crisis to get out of control.

China, the biggest manufacturing country in the world, is facing an electricity crisis, forcing factories to reduce operations, power consumption, and leading to outright blackouts in some provinces, media reports said.

China, the biggest manufacturing country in the world, is facing an electricity crisis, forcing factories to reduce operations, power consumption, and leading to outright blackouts in some provinces, media reports said. Millions of people are getting affected by what is being considered as one of the worst power crises in the country. The Hong Kong Post reported that 20 of the total 31 provinces are implementing energy-rationing, putting the industry sector of the world's second-largest economy in a fix. Also Read | China-made electric vehicles should not be sold in India: Modi govt to Elon Musk Experts believe that the problem has emerged due to the expected rebound in demand in power from Chinese factories after a COVID-19-led slump. The immediate cause is that China is still highly dependent on coal, which provides 70 per cent of the country's power generation, the Foreign Policy magazine reported. However, the Foreign Policy report noted that the reasons for the crisis can also be traced back to a string of policy missteps and poorly thought-out market interventions after the beginning of the pandemic. The energy crisis in China led to an industrial output decline in September for the first time since China started recovering from the COVID-19 lockdowns. At the end of September, the country's manufacturing powerhouse Guangdong Province said it will widen the "peak-to-valley" price difference and hike peak electricity prices by 25 per cent for industrial users. Chinese state media Global Times reported that this power shortage threatens to weigh down industrial production in the coming months. Also Read | US Navy nuclear submarine hits underwater 'object' in South China Sea: Report The hike in peak electricity prices is for industrial users and will not apply to residential power use, said China South Grid. This comes as the change in prices in the southern economic powerhouse happened as a shortage of electricity struck China. China's power grid operator had denied there was an energy crisis and promised to upgrade the national power grid and guarantee a normal power supply. The cuts and restrictions have been implemented piecemeal by local governments, often with scant warning and little explanation, sparking public anger, Radio Free Asia reported."Chin's energy supply capacity is currently sufficient to meet demand," State Grid Corp. said in comments reported by the Global Times. "China has no energy crisis," it said. Also Read | CIA reorganisation to place new focus on China Despite China's denial, major international suppliers are bracing for impact on businesses already confronting delays caused by shortages and global shipping delays. According to media reports, the shock is even leading experts to cut growth expectations for China. Meanwhile, some sections of the Chinese media have also called for a balance to be struck between climate targets and allowing the power crisis to get out of control.

China's power crisis hampers its economic growth

Chinese authorities have ordered dozens of coal mines to expand production amid a nationwide energy crunch, state media reported Friday.

Dozens of mines in China's Inner Mongolia, a major coal producing region, were instructed to increase their capacity by more than 98 million tonnes in an official notice not released to the public, the state-run Securities Times reported.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/power-cuts-in-china-force-suppliers-factories-homes-to-stay-in-dark-416450">Power cuts in China force supplier’s factories, homes to stay in dark&nbsp;</a>

Nearly 60 per cent of China's energy-hungry economy is fuelled by coal, and the country has struggled to wean itself from the fuel despite its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060.

China has been hit by widespread power cuts that have forced factories to delay production as businesses are ordered to minimize energy usage.

Record coal prices, state electricity price controls and tough emissions targets have combined to squeeze the power supply, pushing over a dozen provinces and regions to announce curbs on energy usage in recent months.

The 72 mines in Inner Mongolia were asked to "accelerate the release" of production capacity, the official Securities Times said, citing the current supply crunch as a likely factor behind the order.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/electricity-crisis-chinese-switch-to-flashlights-generators-to-meet-emission-targets-ease-coal-shortages-416787">Electricity crisis: Chinese switch to flashlights, generators to meet emission targets &amp; ease coal shortages</a>

China's coal supply has been disrupted by the pandemic, under pressure from tough emissions targets and squeezed by a drop in coal imports exacerbated by a trade tiff with Australia.

Earlier this month, coal prices hit a record high.

Meanwhile China's power needs in the first half of the year exceeded pre-pandemic levels, according to the National Energy Administration, as demand for factory goods picked up with the rest of the world emerging from Covid lockdowns.

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng had recently warned fuel companies to make sure there is enough fuel to keep the country running, according to Bloomberg News.

Chinese authorities have ordered dozens of coal mines to expand production amid a nationwide energy crunch, state media reported Friday. Dozens of mines in China's Inner Mongolia, a major coal producing region, were instructed to increase their capacity by more than 98 million tonnes in an official notice not released to the public, the state-run Securities Times reported.

Chinese authorities have ordered dozens of coal mines to expand production amid a nationwide energy crunch, state media reported Friday. Dozens of mines in China's Inner Mongolia, a major coal producing region, were instructed to increase their capacity by more than 98 million tonnes in an official notice not released to the public, the state-run Securities Times reported. Also Read | Power cuts in China force supplier’s factories, homes to stay in dark Nearly 60 per cent of China's energy-hungry economy is fuelled by coal, and the country has struggled to wean itself from the fuel despite its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060. China has been hit by widespread power cuts that have forced factories to delay production as businesses are ordered to minimize energy usage. Record coal prices, state electricity price controls and tough emissions targets have combined to squeeze the power supply, pushing over a dozen provinces and regions to announce curbs on energy usage in recent months. The 72 mines in Inner Mongolia were asked to "accelerate the release" of production capacity, the official Securities Times said, citing the current supply crunch as a likely factor behind the order. Also Read | Electricity crisis: Chinese switch to flashlights, generators to meet emission targets & ease coal shortages China's coal supply has been disrupted by the pandemic, under pressure from tough emissions targets and squeezed by a drop in coal imports exacerbated by a trade tiff with Australia. Earlier this month, coal prices hit a record high. Meanwhile China's power needs in the first half of the year exceeded pre-pandemic levels, according to the National Energy Administration, as demand for factory goods picked up with the rest of the world emerging from Covid lockdowns. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng had recently warned fuel companies to make sure there is enough fuel to keep the country running, according to Bloomberg News.

China orders mines to up coal production by nearly 100 million tonnes: State media

Another Chinese homebuilder has hit financial trouble after it missed payments on debt obligations, adding to worries over the country's property sector as embattled giant China Evergrande teeters on the brink of collapse.

Fears of contagion through the Chinese economy have grown as Evergrande, the most indebted of the country's private homebuilders, struggles with more than $300 billion in liabilities and heads towards a massive restructuring.

Fantasia Holdings failed to repay a $205.7 million note Monday, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement.

This came as property management firm Country Garden Services Holdings added that a unit of Fantasia had missed repayment on a 700 million yuan ($108 million) loan, saying it was likely Fantasia would default.

The news comes as investors await news from Evergrande after it suspended trading of its shares Monday pending an announcement on a "major transaction", with reports saying Hong Kong real estate firm Hopson Development Holdings planned to buy a 51 percent stake in its property services arm.

While Fantasia is a smaller player in the market than Evergrande, its struggles highlight investor concerns over companies' financial disclosures.

Fitch Ratings downgraded Fantasia to "CCC-" on Monday, a move that points to default as a possibility.

The ratings agency added in a statement that although media reports said Fantasia missed an earlier payment to bondholders, the bond "does not appear to have been disclosed in the company's financial reports".

"We believe the existence of these bonds means that the company's liquidity situation could be tighter than we previously expected.

"Furthermore, this incident casts doubt on the transparency of the company's financial disclosures," Fitch added.

Separately, S&amp;P Global Ratings has downgraded another Chinese property firm -- Sinic Holdings -- saying its "debt-servicing ability has almost been depleted".

Sinic has been unable to service interest repayments, which could result in "accelerating repayments on Sinic's other debt obligations", S&amp;P said on Monday.

Fitch downgraded Sinic from "CCC" to "C" on Tuesday, reflecting its view that "a default-like process has begun" for the company.

The boss of Shanghai-based Sinic hit the headlines last month when he lost more than a billion dollars in a market meltdown linked to fears about Evergrande.

Zhang Yuanlin saw his net worth drop from $1.3 billion to $250.7 million on September 20, according to Forbes, when his firm was forced to halt trading in Hong Kong following an 87 percent slump in its share price.

China's real-estate sector has been under tightened scrutiny in recent months, with regulators announcing caps for three different debt ratios in a scheme dubbed "three red lines" last year.

Beijing has stayed silent on the travails of Evergrande, but state media has trailed various responses in a nod to the mood towards a private company that grew on a debt binge in the boom years of Chinese real estate.

Another Chinese homebuilder has hit financial trouble after it missed payments on debt obligations, adding to worries over the country's property sector as embattled giant China Evergrande teeters on the brink of collapse.

Another Chinese homebuilder has hit financial trouble after it missed payments on debt obligations, adding to worries over the country's property sector as embattled giant China Evergrande teeters on the brink of collapse. Fears of contagion through the Chinese economy have grown as Evergrande, the most indebted of the country's private homebuilders, struggles with more than $300 billion in liabilities and heads towards a massive restructuring. Fantasia Holdings failed to repay a $205.7 million note Monday, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement. This came as property management firm Country Garden Services Holdings added that a unit of Fantasia had missed repayment on a 700 million yuan ($108 million) loan, saying it was likely Fantasia would default. The news comes as investors await news from Evergrande after it suspended trading of its shares Monday pending an announcement on a "major transaction", with reports saying Hong Kong real estate firm Hopson Development Holdings planned to buy a 51 percent stake in its property services arm. While Fantasia is a smaller player in the market than Evergrande, its struggles highlight investor concerns over companies' financial disclosures. Fitch Ratings downgraded Fantasia to "CCC-" on Monday, a move that points to default as a possibility. The ratings agency added in a statement that although media reports said Fantasia missed an earlier payment to bondholders, the bond "does not appear to have been disclosed in the company's financial reports". "We believe the existence of these bonds means that the company's liquidity situation could be tighter than we previously expected. "Furthermore, this incident casts doubt on the transparency of the company's financial disclosures," Fitch added. Separately, S&P Global Ratings has downgraded another Chinese property firm -- Sinic Holdings -- saying its "debt-servicing ability has almost been depleted". Sinic has been unable to service interest repayments, which could result in "accelerating repayments on Sinic's other debt obligations", S&P said on Monday. Fitch downgraded Sinic from "CCC" to "C" on Tuesday, reflecting its view that "a default-like process has begun" for the company. The boss of Shanghai-based Sinic hit the headlines last month when he lost more than a billion dollars in a market meltdown linked to fears about Evergrande. Zhang Yuanlin saw his net worth drop from $1.3 billion to $250.7 million on September 20, according to Forbes, when his firm was forced to halt trading in Hong Kong following an 87 percent slump in its share price. China's real-estate sector has been under tightened scrutiny in recent months, with regulators announcing caps for three different debt ratios in a scheme dubbed "three red lines" last year. Beijing has stayed silent on the travails of Evergrande, but state media has trailed various responses in a nod to the mood towards a private company that grew on a debt binge in the boom years of Chinese real estate.

Chinese developer Fantasia fails to make debt payments

Anonymous, a decentralised worldwide hacktivist organisation, uploaded the second phase of its defacement of a Chinese government tourism marketing website early on Friday (October 1), including Taiwan's national emblem, "Tank Man," and Winnie the Pooh.

Reddit user "Allez-opi omi" posted links to 10 pages Anonymous made on a website for the China Cultural Center on Thursday (September 30).

The Anonymous spokesperson uploaded "Round 2" with eight more links to information thrown into the Chinese government site at 12:01 am on Friday.

Activists known as Anonymous have vandalised websites all around the world.

They support political issues such as opposing the global crackdown on file-sharing websites and defending the secret-leaking website WikiLeaks.

The hackers express their displeasure with the Chinese government's Internet limitations in a note posted on one of the hacked Chinese sites.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Anonymous, a decentralised worldwide hacktivist organisation, uploaded the second phase of its defacement of a Chinese government tourism marketing website early on Friday (October 1), including Taiwan's national emblem, "Tank Man," and Winnie the Pooh.

Anonymous, a decentralised worldwide hacktivist organisation, uploaded the second phase of its defacement of a Chinese government tourism marketing website early on Friday (October 1), including Taiwan's national emblem, "Tank Man," and Winnie the Pooh. Reddit user "Allez-opi omi" posted links to 10 pages Anonymous made on a website for the China Cultural Center on Thursday (September 30). The Anonymous spokesperson uploaded "Round 2" with eight more links to information thrown into the Chinese government site at 12:01 am on Friday. Activists known as Anonymous have vandalised websites all around the world. They support political issues such as opposing the global crackdown on file-sharing websites and defending the secret-leaking website WikiLeaks. The hackers express their displeasure with the Chinese government's Internet limitations in a note posted on one of the hacked Chinese sites. (With inputs from agencies)

Hacktivism: China site shows Taiwan emblem, 'Tank Man'

A record 38 Chinese military jets crossed into Taiwan's defence zone as Beijing marked the founding of the People's Republic of China, Taipei said on Saturday.&nbsp;

The show of force on China's National Day on Friday near the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, came in the same week it accused Britain of sending a warship into the Taiwan Strait with "evil intentions".

Taiwan's defence ministry said it scrambled its aircraft to broadcast warnings after 22 fighters, two bombers and one anti-submarine aircraft entered the island's southwest Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Friday.

A second batch of 13 jets crossed into Taiwan's ADIZ later on Friday, in a rare night incursion, bringing the total to a record 38, according to the ministry.

The ADIZ is not the same as Taiwan's territorial airspace but includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of China's own air defence identification zone and even includes some of mainland China.

Beijing often sends military aircraft into Taiwan's air defence zone in a show of strength and last week flew 24 planes into the area after Taiwan applied to join a major trans-Pacific trade pact.

China's authoritarian leaders have vowed to one day seize Taiwan.

Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taipei since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who views the island as "already independent".&nbsp;

Last year, Chinese military jets made a record 380 incursions into Taiwan's defence zone, and the number of breaches for the first nine months of this year has already exceeded 500.

The previous single-day record was on June 15 when 28 jets breached Taiwan's ADIZ.

Friday's incursion came after Britain sent a warship through the Taiwan Strait on Monday for the first time since 2008, a move that challenges Beijing's claim to the sensitive waterway and marked a rare passage by a non-US military vessel.&nbsp;

The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command accused Britain of acting out of "evil intentions to sabotage peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait".

US warships regularly conduct "freedom of navigation" exercises in the strait separating Taiwan and mainland China, triggering angry responses from Beijing.

A record 38 Chinese military jets crossed into Taiwan's defence zone as Beijing marked the founding of the People's Republic of China, Taipei said on Saturday. The show of force on China's National Day on Friday near the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, came in the same week it accused Britain of sending a warship into the Taiwan Strait with "evil intentions".

A record 38 Chinese military jets crossed into Taiwan's defence zone as Beijing marked the founding of the People's Republic of China, Taipei said on Saturday. The show of force on China's National Day on Friday near the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, came in the same week it accused Britain of sending a warship into the Taiwan Strait with "evil intentions". Taiwan's defence ministry said it scrambled its aircraft to broadcast warnings after 22 fighters, two bombers and one anti-submarine aircraft entered the island's southwest Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Friday. A second batch of 13 jets crossed into Taiwan's ADIZ later on Friday, in a rare night incursion, bringing the total to a record 38, according to the ministry. The ADIZ is not the same as Taiwan's territorial airspace but includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of China's own air defence identification zone and even includes some of mainland China. Beijing often sends military aircraft into Taiwan's air defence zone in a show of strength and last week flew 24 planes into the area after Taiwan applied to join a major trans-Pacific trade pact. China's authoritarian leaders have vowed to one day seize Taiwan. Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taipei since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who views the island as "already independent". Last year, Chinese military jets made a record 380 incursions into Taiwan's defence zone, and the number of breaches for the first nine months of this year has already exceeded 500. The previous single-day record was on June 15 when 28 jets breached Taiwan's ADIZ. Friday's incursion came after Britain sent a warship through the Taiwan Strait on Monday for the first time since 2008, a move that challenges Beijing's claim to the sensitive waterway and marked a rare passage by a non-US military vessel. The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command accused Britain of acting out of "evil intentions to sabotage peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait". US warships regularly conduct "freedom of navigation" exercises in the strait separating Taiwan and mainland China, triggering angry responses from Beijing.

Record 38 Chinese jets enter Taiwan defence zone on National Day

China's top state-owned energy companies have been ordered to ensure there are adequate fuel supplies for the approaching winter at all costs, a report said Friday, as the country battles a power crisis that threatens to hit growth in the world's number two economy.

The country has been hit by widespread power cuts that have closed or partially closed factories, hitting production and global supply chains.

The crisis has been caused by a confluence of factors including rising overseas demand as economies reopen, record coal prices, state electricity price controls and tough emissions targets.

More than a dozen provinces and regions have been forced to impose curbs on energy usage in recent months.

Bloomberg News, citing people familiar with the matter who did not want to be named, reported that Vice Premier Han Zheng had told energy companies to make sure there is enough fuel to keep the country running and that Beijing would not tolerate blackouts.

Han, who supervises the nation’s energy sector and industrial production, was speaking at an emergency meeting this week with officials from Beijing’s state-owned assets regulator and economic planning agency, the people said.

Data released on Thursday showed China's factory activity contracted last month for the first time since February 2020, when the country was essentially closed by lockdowns as authorities battled the first coronavirus outbreak.

Han's statement raised concerns that already high commodity prices could surge even further.

The order "to me implies that we are in no way on the verge of a cool-off. Rather it looks like it is going to get even more crazy", Bjarne Schieldrop, an analyst at SEB said.&nbsp;

"They will bid whatever it takes to win a bidding war for a cargo of coal" or liquefied natural gas.

The power crunch prompted banks Nomura and Goldman Sachs to this week cut their growth forecasts for China this year as they expect more disruptions to supply chains and production.

Factories that supply multinationals such as Apple and carmaker Tesla are among those affected and told to halt production.

And a note from Capital Economics on Friday warned that "power shortages seem unlikely to ease any time soon".

One factory worker in the industrial hub of Dongguan told AFP this week they were working overnight after being forced to cease daytime production.

"Of course we're unhappy... but we’re going along with the hours that the power curbs take place," he said.

China's top state-owned energy companies have been ordered to ensure there are adequate fuel supplies for the approaching winter at all costs, a report said Friday, as the country battles a power crisis that threatens to hit growth in the world's number two economy.

China's top state-owned energy companies have been ordered to ensure there are adequate fuel supplies for the approaching winter at all costs, a report said Friday, as the country battles a power crisis that threatens to hit growth in the world's number two economy. The country has been hit by widespread power cuts that have closed or partially closed factories, hitting production and global supply chains. The crisis has been caused by a confluence of factors including rising overseas demand as economies reopen, record coal prices, state electricity price controls and tough emissions targets. More than a dozen provinces and regions have been forced to impose curbs on energy usage in recent months. Bloomberg News, citing people familiar with the matter who did not want to be named, reported that Vice Premier Han Zheng had told energy companies to make sure there is enough fuel to keep the country running and that Beijing would not tolerate blackouts. Han, who supervises the nation’s energy sector and industrial production, was speaking at an emergency meeting this week with officials from Beijing’s state-owned assets regulator and economic planning agency, the people said. Data released on Thursday showed China's factory activity contracted last month for the first time since February 2020, when the country was essentially closed by lockdowns as authorities battled the first coronavirus outbreak. Han's statement raised concerns that already high commodity prices could surge even further. The order "to me implies that we are in no way on the verge of a cool-off. Rather it looks like it is going to get even more crazy", Bjarne Schieldrop, an analyst at SEB said. "They will bid whatever it takes to win a bidding war for a cargo of coal" or liquefied natural gas. The power crunch prompted banks Nomura and Goldman Sachs to this week cut their growth forecasts for China this year as they expect more disruptions to supply chains and production. Factories that supply multinationals such as Apple and carmaker Tesla are among those affected and told to halt production. And a note from Capital Economics on Friday warned that "power shortages seem unlikely to ease any time soon". One factory worker in the industrial hub of Dongguan told AFP this week they were working overnight after being forced to cease daytime production. "Of course we're unhappy... but we’re going along with the hours that the power curbs take place," he said.

China orders energy firms to secure supplies amid power crisis: report

Taiwan's government on Wednesday proposed tightening a law to prevent China from stealing key technology, reflecting concerns in Taipei that Beijing is stepping up espionage efforts against the island. 
 
Taiwan is home to a thriving and world-leading semiconductor industry, used in everything from fighter jets to cars, and the government has long worried about Chinese efforts to copy that success, including through industrial espionage, poaching talent and other methods. 
 
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said it was proposing a revision to an existing law governing China relations that would require people getting government money for certain technology to seek permission before going to China. 
 
There would be fines of up to T$10 million ($360,555) for those who breach the law. 
 
The council did not specify what constitutes "national core technology" or how the government defines "certain subsidies" provided by them, saying it will seek help from the technology ministry and further amend the regulations. 
 
A senior Taiwan government official familiar with the matter told Reuters last month the revision was meant to protect the island`s manufacturing technology for advanced chips, which industry experts say is generations ahead of China`s. 
 
Taiwan's parliament will need to pass the revisions. 
 
Four lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party proposed in April&nbsp;amending the commercial secrets law to widen the scope of what is considered a secret and toughen penalties. 
 
Taiwan blames China for most cases of industrial espionage by foreign forces discovered in recent years. 
 
Taiwan has been particularly concerned by Chinese attempts to boost its semiconductor industry by "poaching" Taiwanese talent.

Taiwan's government on Wednesday proposed tightening a law to prevent China from stealing key technology, reflecting concerns in Taipei that Beijing is stepping up espionage efforts against the island.

Taiwan's government on Wednesday proposed tightening a law to prevent China from stealing key technology, reflecting concerns in Taipei that Beijing is stepping up espionage efforts against the island. Taiwan is home to a thriving and world-leading semiconductor industry, used in everything from fighter jets to cars, and the government has long worried about Chinese efforts to copy that success, including through industrial espionage, poaching talent and other methods. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said it was proposing a revision to an existing law governing China relations that would require people getting government money for certain technology to seek permission before going to China. There would be fines of up to T$10 million ($360,555) for those who breach the law. The council did not specify what constitutes "national core technology" or how the government defines "certain subsidies" provided by them, saying it will seek help from the technology ministry and further amend the regulations. A senior Taiwan government official familiar with the matter told Reuters last month the revision was meant to protect the island`s manufacturing technology for advanced chips, which industry experts say is generations ahead of China`s. Taiwan's parliament will need to pass the revisions. Four lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party proposed in April amending the commercial secrets law to widen the scope of what is considered a secret and toughen penalties. Taiwan blames China for most cases of industrial espionage by foreign forces discovered in recent years. Taiwan has been particularly concerned by Chinese attempts to boost its semiconductor industry by "poaching" Taiwanese talent.

Taiwan proposes tightening law to prevent China stealing technology

In what may result in possible shortages of smartphones and other goods soon, power cuts to meet government energy use targets have forced Chinese factories to shut down. Some homes are also facing the brunt. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;

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During one of the busiest seasons, the disruption to China's manufacturing industries reflects the Communist Party's struggle to balance economic growth with efforts to check pollution. &nbsp;

In a report on Monday, Nomura economists Ting Lu, Lisheng Wang and Jing Wang, said, "Beijing's unprecedented resolve in enforcing energy consumption limits could result in long-term benefits, but the short-term economic costs are substantial." &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-unveils-new-guidelines-for-womens-development-announces-to-reduce-non-medical-abortions-416442" hreflang="en">China unveils new guidelines for women’s development, announces to reduce non-medical abortions</a>

Under orders from local authorities, Apple Inc's iPhones’ components supplier said it suspended production at a factory, which is situated west of Shanghai. &nbsp;

Apple components supplier Eson Precision Engineering Co Ltd said on Sunday, it would halt production at its factory in Kunshan, west of Shanghai, through Thursday "in line with the local government's power restriction policy." Eson said the suspension shouldn't have a 'significant impact' on operations. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-installs-new-shelters-for-troops-near-indias-ladakh-border-416417" hreflang="en">China installs new shelters for troops near India's Ladakh border</a>

The manufacturers have been already facing shortages of processor chips, disruptions in shipping and other effects of the global shutdown of travel and trade in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In what may result in possible shortages of smartphones and other goods soon, power cuts to meet government energy use targets have forced Chinese factories to shut down.

In what may result in possible shortages of smartphones and other goods soon, power cuts to meet government energy use targets have forced Chinese factories to shut down. Some homes are also facing the brunt. Watch: × During one of the busiest seasons, the disruption to China's manufacturing industries reflects the Communist Party's struggle to balance economic growth with efforts to check pollution. In a report on Monday, Nomura economists Ting Lu, Lisheng Wang and Jing Wang, said, "Beijing's unprecedented resolve in enforcing energy consumption limits could result in long-term benefits, but the short-term economic costs are substantial." Also Read: China unveils new guidelines for women’s development, announces to reduce non-medical abortions Under orders from local authorities, Apple Inc's iPhones’ components supplier said it suspended production at a factory, which is situated west of Shanghai. Apple components supplier Eson Precision Engineering Co Ltd said on Sunday, it would halt production at its factory in Kunshan, west of Shanghai, through Thursday "in line with the local government's power restriction policy." Eson said the suspension shouldn't have a 'significant impact' on operations. Also Read: China installs new shelters for troops near India's Ladakh border The manufacturers have been already facing shortages of processor chips, disruptions in shipping and other effects of the global shutdown of travel and trade in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. (With inputs from agencies)

Power cuts in China force supplier’s factories, homes to stay in dark  

China has put in place new modular container-based accommodations for its troops in several high-altitude forward areas on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in response to Indian deployment in the region, people familiar with the developments said on Monday.

The shelters were installed in locations near Tashigong, Manza, Hot Springs and Churup among others, in reflection of simmering tensions between the two sides in the region, they said.

The people cited above said China's People Liberation Army has been feeling the heat of the Indian response to its "misadventure" in the region last year and that the Chinese military has been forced to go for long deployments and boost infrastructure in the region.

They said the Indian response to the Chinese actions last year, particularly after the Galwan Valley clashes, surprised the neighbouring country and that it deployed troops in areas where it never used to earlier.

"Our strategy is hurting them. They are reacting to our response. We have forced PLA to go for forward deployment and boost infrastructure," said one of the people.

They said the new deployments are appearing to be affecting the morale of the Chinese troops as they were not used to operate in such difficult terrain.

The new container-based accommodations were built in addition to the additional military camps that the Chinese military had set up following the escalation in tension between the two sides last year.

The people said India is also ramping up construction of tunnels, bridges roads and other critical infrastructure in eastern Ladakh and other areas along the nearly 3,500-km LAC.

They said China is also significantly enhancing its airbases and air defence units near the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

The border row escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 last year.

Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in the clashes that marked the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades.

In February, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in Gogra area last month.

In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

China has put in place new modular container-based accommodations for its troops in several high-altitude forward areas on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in response to Indian deployment in the region, people familiar with the developments said on Monday.

China has put in place new modular container-based accommodations for its troops in several high-altitude forward areas on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in response to Indian deployment in the region, people familiar with the developments said on Monday. The shelters were installed in locations near Tashigong, Manza, Hot Springs and Churup among others, in reflection of simmering tensions between the two sides in the region, they said. The people cited above said China's People Liberation Army has been feeling the heat of the Indian response to its "misadventure" in the region last year and that the Chinese military has been forced to go for long deployments and boost infrastructure in the region. They said the Indian response to the Chinese actions last year, particularly after the Galwan Valley clashes, surprised the neighbouring country and that it deployed troops in areas where it never used to earlier. "Our strategy is hurting them. They are reacting to our response. We have forced PLA to go for forward deployment and boost infrastructure," said one of the people. They said the new deployments are appearing to be affecting the morale of the Chinese troops as they were not used to operate in such difficult terrain. The new container-based accommodations were built in addition to the additional military camps that the Chinese military had set up following the escalation in tension between the two sides last year. The people said India is also ramping up construction of tunnels, bridges roads and other critical infrastructure in eastern Ladakh and other areas along the nearly 3,500-km LAC. They said China is also significantly enhancing its airbases and air defence units near the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. The border row escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 last year. Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in the clashes that marked the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades. In February, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in Gogra area last month. In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

China installs new shelters for troops near India's Ladakh border

Former US President Donald Trump is back in the headlines for another book controversy. A new book, which is due to be launched in a few days, has claimed that Trump was “going rogue” and experts were scared that he could launch a nuclear war on China.

Trump has lashed out at these allegations and pointed out that Mark Milley performed an act of treason.

The book 'Peril',&nbsp; by veteran Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward — written with Robert Costa — has claimed that Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, was "certain that Trump had gone into a serious mental decline in the aftermath of the election" and informed China about it.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-guarantee-trump-claims-china-russia-reverse-engineering-us-weapons-left-behind-in-afghanistan-412771" hreflang="en">‘I guarantee’: Trump claims China, Russia reverse-engineering US weapons left behind in Afghanistan</a>

"If it is actually true, which is hard to believe, that he would have called China and done these things and was willing to advise them in advance of an attack, that's treason,"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Trump</a> said on a phone call with a local media house.

He also rubbished these allegations saying it is "totally ridiculous" as he never even thought about it. He agreed that there was a lot of anger towards China due to "China virus", but also clarified that this was never even thought to be a plan.

Woodward has written two books before this, 'Fear' and 'Rage', that cover Trump’s presidency. His third book, 'Peril', concentrates on Trump’s final days in the White House and Joe Biden’s start for his first term as the President of the United States.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hed-go-down-very-quickly-trump-claims-he-can-beat-biden-in-boxing-match-412152" hreflang="en">'He'd go down very quickly': Trump claims he can beat Biden in boxing match</a>

Following his defeat in the US elections 2020 against Joe Biden, Trump seemed to have 'gone rogue' and Milley believed the former reality TV star had become "all but manic, screaming at officials and constructing his own alternate reality about endless election conspiracies".

He was also scared about Trump launching a nuclear war or an attack on China and Milley had to make calls in secret to his Chinese counterpart, Gen Li Zuocheng, to assure him that the US will not be striking Beijing.

His first call was, reportedly, four days before the election date, i.e., October 30, 2020, and the second call happened two days after Trump’s supporters attacked the US Capitol, on January 8 this year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-world-mourns-911-trump-slams-biden-for-afghan-withdrawal-412448" hreflang="en">As world mourns 9/11, Trump slams Biden for Afghan withdrawal</a>

"I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be OK. We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you,"&nbsp;Milley assured his Chinese counterpart in the first call.

His second call, however, was a bit less assuring as Milley claimed the US was stable but democracy can be sloppy sometimes. "We are 100% steady. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes," Milley said in the call.

"You never know what a president’s trigger point is," Milley said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/before-talks-irans-supreme-leader-says-predatory-wolf-biden-no-different-from-trump-409148" hreflang="en">Before talks, Iran's supreme leader says 'predatory wolf' Biden no different from Trump</a>

Milley also had to re-assure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding the same worries of Trump launching a nuclear war on China, especially after instigating attack on US Capitol.

"What I'm saying to you is that if they couldn't even stop him from an assault on the Capitol, who even knows what else he may do? And is there anybody in charge at the White House who was doing anything but kissing his fat butt all over this?,"&nbsp;Pelosi reportedly asked Milley. "You know he's crazy. He's been crazy for a long time."

Trump, however, says this is Milley's attempt at distracting the country from his 'failure in Afghanistan' in which several US army personnel were killed and weapons were left with the Taliban.

Former US President Donald Trump is back in the headlines for another book controversy. A new book, which is due to be launched in a few days, has claimed that Trump was “going rogue” and experts were scared that he could launch a nuclear war on China.

Former US President Donald Trump is back in the headlines for another book controversy. A new book, which is due to be launched in a few days, has claimed that Trump was “going rogue” and experts were scared that he could launch a nuclear war on China. Trump has lashed out at these allegations and pointed out that Mark Milley performed an act of treason. The book 'Peril', by veteran Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward — written with Robert Costa — has claimed that Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, was "certain that Trump had gone into a serious mental decline in the aftermath of the election" and informed China about it. Also read | ‘I guarantee’: Trump claims China, Russia reverse-engineering US weapons left behind in Afghanistan "If it is actually true, which is hard to believe, that he would have called China and done these things and was willing to advise them in advance of an attack, that's treason," Trump said on a phone call with a local media house. He also rubbished these allegations saying it is "totally ridiculous" as he never even thought about it. He agreed that there was a lot of anger towards China due to "China virus", but also clarified that this was never even thought to be a plan. Woodward has written two books before this, 'Fear' and 'Rage', that cover Trump’s presidency. His third book, 'Peril', concentrates on Trump’s final days in the White House and Joe Biden’s start for his first term as the President of the United States. Also read | 'He'd go down very quickly': Trump claims he can beat Biden in boxing match Following his defeat in the US elections 2020 against Joe Biden, Trump seemed to have 'gone rogue' and Milley believed the former reality TV star had become "all but manic, screaming at officials and constructing his own alternate reality about endless election conspiracies". He was also scared about Trump launching a nuclear war or an attack on China and Milley had to make calls in secret to his Chinese counterpart, Gen Li Zuocheng, to assure him that the US will not be striking Beijing. His first call was, reportedly, four days before the election date, i.e., October 30, 2020, and the second call happened two days after Trump’s supporters attacked the US Capitol, on January 8 this year. Also read | As world mourns 9/11, Trump slams Biden for Afghan withdrawal "I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be OK. We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you," Milley assured his Chinese counterpart in the first call. His second call, however, was a bit less assuring as Milley claimed the US was stable but democracy can be sloppy sometimes. "We are 100% steady. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes," Milley said in the call. "You never know what a president’s trigger point is," Milley said. Also read | Before talks, Iran's supreme leader says 'predatory wolf' Biden no different from Trump Milley also had to re-assure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding the same worries of Trump launching a nuclear war on China, especially after instigating attack on US Capitol. "What I'm saying to you is that if they couldn't even stop him from an assault on the Capitol, who even knows what else he may do? And is there anybody in charge at the White House who was doing anything but kissing his fat butt all over this?," Pelosi reportedly asked Milley. "You know he's crazy. He's been crazy for a long time." Trump, however, says this is Milley's attempt at distracting the country from his 'failure in Afghanistan' in which several US army personnel were killed and weapons were left with the Taliban.

'That's treason': Trump lashes out after general claims to have informed China about possible US attack

Having taken up his post as Germany's ambassador to China merely two weeks ago, Jan Hecker unexpectedly passed away today, the foreign office of Germany declared on Monday.

It was not yet known what caused the death.

"It is with deep sadness and dismay that we learned of the sudden death of the German ambassador to China," said Germany's Federal Foreign Office on its website.

During a regular media briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed condolences over Hecker's death.

"We are shocked to learn about the sudden death of Ambassador&nbsp;Hecker, who had been working actively to promote China-Germany relations since assuming his post," he said.

Hecker's family and the embassy will receive assistance from China, he added.

Last Friday, Hecker hosted an event about German artist Joseph Beuys at his Beijing home. The attendees of the event described him as "happy and all right."

At the German embassy in Beijing, the flags of the European Union and Germany flew at half-mast on Monday.

Reuters reports that Hecker, 54, a foreign policy adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel, presented his credentials at the Chinese foreign ministry on Aug. 24.

The German embassy reported that Hecker arrived in China on Aug. 1, and that, as with all arrivals, he would have had to spend time in quarantine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Having taken up his post as Germany's ambassador to China merely two weeks ago, Jan Hecker unexpectedly passed away today, the foreign office of Germany declared on Monday.

Having taken up his post as Germany's ambassador to China merely two weeks ago, Jan Hecker unexpectedly passed away today, the foreign office of Germany declared on Monday. It was not yet known what caused the death. "It is with deep sadness and dismay that we learned of the sudden death of the German ambassador to China," said Germany's Federal Foreign Office on its website. During a regular media briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed condolences over Hecker's death. "We are shocked to learn about the sudden death of Ambassador Hecker, who had been working actively to promote China-Germany relations since assuming his post," he said. Hecker's family and the embassy will receive assistance from China, he added. Last Friday, Hecker hosted an event about German artist Joseph Beuys at his Beijing home. The attendees of the event described him as "happy and all right." At the German embassy in Beijing, the flags of the European Union and Germany flew at half-mast on Monday. Reuters reports that Hecker, 54, a foreign policy adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel, presented his credentials at the Chinese foreign ministry on Aug. 24. The German embassy reported that Hecker arrived in China on Aug. 1, and that, as with all arrivals, he would have had to spend time in quarantine. (With inputs from agencies)

German ambassador to China Jan Hecker suddenly dies just two weeks into the job

Whether one likes it or not, the Taliban have come a long way in just a few weeks.

Formed in September 1994 in Afghanistan’s Kandahar, the militant group has managed to spread its roots by hook or by crook over the decades.

With soft presence in several neighbouring countries, Taliban have ruined lives, economies and the moral compass of many areas. However, as the group took over Afghanistan, some international organisations and government leaders seem to be giving up in&nbsp;front of these militants. They are adjusting to the new normal: the Taliban regime is here to stay.

The biggest change in opinion seen recently about the jihadist group has come from China. Xi Jinping's China, already under the scanner for&nbsp;lingering questions on the origins of the coronavirus&nbsp;pandemic in that country, is raising eyebrows again over its readiness to deepen “friendly and cooperative” relationship with the Taliban.

"The Taliban have repeatedly expressed their hope to develop good relations with China, and that they look forward to China's participation in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said recently. "We welcome this. China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny and is willing to continue to develop... friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan."

<h2>Why the change of heart?</h2>

China shares nearly 70 kilometres of land border with Afghanistan where the Wakhan Corridor plays a huge strategic role. The Asian nation has always been worried about Taliban establishing a strong foothold in Afghanistan, which could become an important base for Uyghur separatists in China.

However, as soon as a top Taliban official promised Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi&nbsp;that they would not let Afghanistan become a staging point and a base for 'militants', China seemed to have no problem with the terrorist organisation ruling and torturing people under the guise of 'religion' and 'law'.

<img alt="Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi [R] met with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar [L] in Tianjin, China on July 28, 2021" src="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/images/story/202109/china_taliban_reuters.jpg?WArLARu9mqPdO_oGxji9XKeBnVxXLo1_&amp;size=770:433" />

It is not just the melody of sweet words that seems to have changed China’s stance on Taliban. China, remember, is militarily one of the strongest countries of the world and has often been engaged with the US in a diplomatic war to get hold of the title of ‘superpower’.

China, therefore, must have&nbsp;minutely calculated the pros and cons of its future ties with the Taliban. Being on the opposite side of Taliban could have given China's tortured minority groups a chance to start a movement against the Xi government with the help of Taliban. But&nbsp;now, with Taliban considering China as one of the most 'important partners', the terrorist organisation would not let the 'militants of Xinjiang' — read the Uyghur community — form an alliance against their 'important partner'.

By befriending Taliban, China is also paving the way to extend its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) into Afghanistan and through the Central Asian republics. Whether or not&nbsp;BRI is a genuine effort of connecting China with Asia, Europe and Africa is debatable, and only time can prove the reasoning behind the huge lending game.

While China has stopped short of openly labelling and recognising it as a government, Taliban has not shied away from appreciating China’s support and declaring its future partnership.

"China is our most important partner and represents a fundamental and extraordinary opportunity for us because it is ready to invest and rebuild our country," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said recently.&nbsp;"In addition, China is our pass to markets all over the world," he added, with the hope that the rich copper mines of the country can be modernised and exploited for a profit with the help of China.

<h1>Taliban's growing allies?</h1>

It is not just China, Vladimir Putin-led Russia and Imran Khan’s Pakistan have also maintained open, active, and might I say, friendly, interaction with the terror organisation.

<h3>Russia</h3>

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is hopeful that Taliban will behave in a "civilised" manner in Afghanistan. Putin said he would like to see Taliban behave in such a way that the global community can maintain good diplomatic ties with Kabul.

"Russia is not interested in the disintegration of Afghanistan. If this happens, then there will be no one to talk to,” Putin said. “The sooner the Taliban will enter the family of civilised people, so to speak, the easier it will be to contact, communicate, and somehow influence and ask questions," he added.

<img alt="Russia signals it&amp;#39;s ready to engage with Taliban, experts say - ABC News" src="https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/russia-taliban-putin-01-gty-llr-210821_1629563018265_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg" />

Putin's trial of adding Taliban to the 'family of civilised people' was a shocker, considering the controversial past of the terrorist organisation and its history with former Soviet Union.

While Putin extended an olive branch towards Taliban, predictably he did not do the same with the US as he accused America of causing this 'catastrophe'&nbsp;in Afghanistan. "The Americans, very pragmatic people, spent more than $1.5 trillion on this campaign over the years, and what is the result? Zero. If you look at the number of people who have been abandoned in Afghanistan, (who) have been working for the collective West, the US and their allies, then it’s a humanitarian catastrophe as well," Putin said.

It seems that Putin has learnt his lesson from the 10-year-long USSR war in Afghanistan, which ended with the Soviet troops' withdrawal in 1989. While Russia has played all his diplomatic moves in Afghanistan, Taliban is still labelled as a 'terrorist organisation' in Moscow.

<h3>Pakistan</h3>

Imran Khan-led Pakistan shares a very different and bittersweet relationship with Afghanistan. The two countries share a land border of nearly 2,500 km and have similar traditions, cultural and religious values. In addition to this, the two countries also share trade ties, and an overpowering shadow of terrorism.

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/09/04/209713-isi-chief.jpg" />

A little after Afghanistan’s fall, Pakistan intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed visited Kabul. It is believed Hameed met with the top leadership of Taliban to discuss the formation of the new Taliban-controlled Afghan government.

Claiming to be working on bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan, he assured locals of two countries, "Don't worry, everything will be okay".

What lies ahead for US-Taliban relationship?

United States entered Afghanistan with the hope of getting justice for the thousands of people who lost their lives or their loved ones in the heinous 9/11 terror attack of 2001. Now, after putting resources, capital, troops and energy for several years, the American troops have been withdrawn from Afghanistan, which has led to rise of Taliban in the country.

<img alt="U.S. military days away from completing Afghan withdrawal - sources | Reuters" src="https://www.reuters.com/resizer/W7cynen-zVfhZ3w4PrAVq689OUA=/1920x1005/smart/filters:quality(80)/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/WRZHMSX6T5LRBKPBHL6HHV3ZAA.jpg" />

While people all around the world, including Americans, blame the Biden administration for bringing this 'catastrophe' in Afghanistan, US Secretary of States Anthony Blinken has said that 'channels of communication' are open with the Taliban.

Binken has assured that all important matters and problems will be discussed with Taliban and the new Afghan government.

However, whether or not the US will put down its weapons and make a soft relationship with Taliban is yet to be seen.

<h2>'Humanitarian crisis'</h2>

While the developed and developing countries seem to be changing their stance on Taliban, the United Nations is still, reportedly, worried about saving locals who are being tortured by the militants in Afghanistan.

United Nations' Secretary General António Guterres has vowed that the global body will not abandon Afghans who are now finding it more difficult to see a bright future as the developed countries are waving the white flag with Taliban.

"The world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead," he said, urging everyone in the world to 'stand as one' against Taliban.

Interestingly enough, the global body's Security Council subtly deviated from its old stance on Taliban.

A statement issued after the recent suicide bombing near Kabul airport, the UNSC did not name Taliban and instead said 'no Afghan group or individual' should support terrorists operating on the territory of any country.

Seasoned former Indian diplomat&nbsp;Syed Akbaruddin, who also had a stint at the UN headquarters, was quick to note the difference.&nbsp;"In diplomacy, a fortnight is a long time…The ‘T’ word is gone" from the statement, he tweeted.

&nbsp;

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/09/04/209762-women-stir-new.jpg" />

Now, even as Taliban claim to have changed and assure the world they will behave more as a governing body, rather than a terrorist organisation, the reports coming from the country hint otherwise. There have been reports from local sources of women being sent back home and young girls not being allowed to study in the same room as boys. Initial reports also suggested that Taliban have collected names of all single (above 16) girls and widows in the country, with the aim of making them 'wives of Taliban'.

In addition to this, minority groups, individuals who have in the past helped the US and other western countries, and media personnel are also in hiding as Taliban have been conducting door-to-door searches to find these people and kill them mercilessly.

Taliban have also announced that if any individual is caught stealing, their hands will be chopped off — a practice that completely bypasses the belief of giving people a chance at redemption.

What happens next in Afghanistan under the rule of Taliban is yet to be seen. However, one thing seems is getting clearer with every passing day - the locals of Afghanistan will have to fend for themselves as the 'superpowers' of the world are ready to wave a white flag and share a cup of tea with the terrorist organisation.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Whether one likes it or not, the Taliban have come a long way in just a few weeks. Formed in September 1994 in Afghanistan’s Kandahar, the militant group has managed to spread its roots by hook or by crook over the decades.

Whether one likes it or not, the Taliban have come a long way in just a few weeks. Formed in September 1994 in Afghanistan’s Kandahar, the militant group has managed to spread its roots by hook or by crook over the decades. With soft presence in several neighbouring countries, Taliban have ruined lives, economies and the moral compass of many areas. However, as the group took over Afghanistan, some international organisations and government leaders seem to be giving up in front of these militants. They are adjusting to the new normal: the Taliban regime is here to stay. The biggest change in opinion seen recently about the jihadist group has come from China. Xi Jinping's China, already under the scanner for lingering questions on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in that country, is raising eyebrows again over its readiness to deepen “friendly and cooperative” relationship with the Taliban. "The Taliban have repeatedly expressed their hope to develop good relations with China, and that they look forward to China's participation in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said recently. "We welcome this. China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny and is willing to continue to develop... friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan." Why the change of heart? China shares nearly 70 kilometres of land border with Afghanistan where the Wakhan Corridor plays a huge strategic role. The Asian nation has always been worried about Taliban establishing a strong foothold in Afghanistan, which could become an important base for Uyghur separatists in China. However, as soon as a top Taliban official promised Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that they would not let Afghanistan become a staging point and a base for 'militants', China seemed to have no problem with the terrorist organisation ruling and torturing people under the guise of 'religion' and 'law'. It is not just the melody of sweet words that seems to have changed China’s stance on Taliban. China, remember, is militarily one of the strongest countries of the world and has often been engaged with the US in a diplomatic war to get hold of the title of ‘superpower’. China, therefore, must have minutely calculated the pros and cons of its future ties with the Taliban. Being on the opposite side of Taliban could have given China's tortured minority groups a chance to start a movement against the Xi government with the help of Taliban. But now, with Taliban considering China as one of the most 'important partners', the terrorist organisation would not let the 'militants of Xinjiang' — read the Uyghur community — form an alliance against their 'important partner'. By befriending Taliban, China is also paving the way to extend its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) into Afghanistan and through the Central Asian republics. Whether or not BRI is a genuine effort of connecting China with Asia, Europe and Africa is debatable, and only time can prove the reasoning behind the huge lending game. While China has stopped short of openly labelling and recognising it as a government, Taliban has not shied away from appreciating China’s support and declaring its future partnership. "China is our most important partner and represents a fundamental and extraordinary opportunity for us because it is ready to invest and rebuild our country," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said recently. "In addition, China is our pass to markets all over the world," he added, with the hope that the rich copper mines of the country can be modernised and exploited for a profit with the help of China. Taliban's growing allies? It is not just China, Vladimir Putin-led Russia and Imran Khan’s Pakistan have also maintained open, active, and might I say, friendly, interaction with the terror organisation. Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is hopeful that Taliban will behave in a "civilised" manner in Afghanistan. Putin said he would like to see Taliban behave in such a way that the global community can maintain good diplomatic ties with Kabul. "Russia is not interested in the disintegration of Afghanistan. If this happens, then there will be no one to talk to,” Putin said. “The sooner the Taliban will enter the family of civilised people, so to speak, the easier it will be to contact, communicate, and somehow influence and ask questions," he added. Putin's trial of adding Taliban to the 'family of civilised people' was a shocker, considering the controversial past of the terrorist organisation and its history with former Soviet Union. While Putin extended an olive branch towards Taliban, predictably he did not do the same with the US as he accused America of causing this 'catastrophe' in Afghanistan. "The Americans, very pragmatic people, spent more than $1.5 trillion on this campaign over the years, and what is the result? Zero. If you look at the number of people who have been abandoned in Afghanistan, (who) have been working for the collective West, the US and their allies, then it’s a humanitarian catastrophe as well," Putin said. It seems that Putin has learnt his lesson from the 10-year-long USSR war in Afghanistan, which ended with the Soviet troops' withdrawal in 1989. While Russia has played all his diplomatic moves in Afghanistan, Taliban is still labelled as a 'terrorist organisation' in Moscow. Pakistan Imran Khan-led Pakistan shares a very different and bittersweet relationship with Afghanistan. The two countries share a land border of nearly 2,500 km and have similar traditions, cultural and religious values. In addition to this, the two countries also share trade ties, and an overpowering shadow of terrorism. A little after Afghanistan’s fall, Pakistan intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed visited Kabul. It is believed Hameed met with the top leadership of Taliban to discuss the formation of the new Taliban-controlled Afghan government. Claiming to be working on bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan, he assured locals of two countries, "Don't worry, everything will be okay". What lies ahead for US-Taliban relationship? United States entered Afghanistan with the hope of getting justice for the thousands of people who lost their lives or their loved ones in the heinous 9/11 terror attack of 2001. Now, after putting resources, capital, troops and energy for several years, the American troops have been withdrawn from Afghanistan, which has led to rise of Taliban in the country. While people all around the world, including Americans, blame the Biden administration for bringing this 'catastrophe' in Afghanistan, US Secretary of States Anthony Blinken has said that 'channels of communication' are open with the Taliban. Binken has assured that all important matters and problems will be discussed with Taliban and the new Afghan government. However, whether or not the US will put down its weapons and make a soft relationship with Taliban is yet to be seen. 'Humanitarian crisis' While the developed and developing countries seem to be changing their stance on Taliban, the United Nations is still, reportedly, worried about saving locals who are being tortured by the militants in Afghanistan. United Nations' Secretary General António Guterres has vowed that the global body will not abandon Afghans who are now finding it more difficult to see a bright future as the developed countries are waving the white flag with Taliban. "The world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead," he said, urging everyone in the world to 'stand as one' against Taliban. Interestingly enough, the global body's Security Council subtly deviated from its old stance on Taliban. A statement issued after the recent suicide bombing near Kabul airport, the UNSC did not name Taliban and instead said 'no Afghan group or individual' should support terrorists operating on the territory of any country. Seasoned former Indian diplomat Syed Akbaruddin, who also had a stint at the UN headquarters, was quick to note the difference. "In diplomacy, a fortnight is a long time…The ‘T’ word is gone" from the statement, he tweeted. Now, even as Taliban claim to have changed and assure the world they will behave more as a governing body, rather than a terrorist organisation, the reports coming from the country hint otherwise. There have been reports from local sources of women being sent back home and young girls not being allowed to study in the same room as boys. Initial reports also suggested that Taliban have collected names of all single (above 16) girls and widows in the country, with the aim of making them 'wives of Taliban'. In addition to this, minority groups, individuals who have in the past helped the US and other western countries, and media personnel are also in hiding as Taliban have been conducting door-to-door searches to find these people and kill them mercilessly. Taliban have also announced that if any individual is caught stealing, their hands will be chopped off — a practice that completely bypasses the belief of giving people a chance at redemption. What happens next in Afghanistan under the rule of Taliban is yet to be seen. However, one thing seems is getting clearer with every passing day - the locals of Afghanistan will have to fend for themselves as the 'superpowers' of the world are ready to wave a white flag and share a cup of tea with the terrorist organisation. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Everyone is coming around: From wars to support from developed countries, Taliban seem to be winning everything

Beijing has imposed a "population optimisation strategy" in order to shrink the population of the Uyghur community in the country's southern Xinjiang, said the report, based on official Chinese documents and academic debate.&nbsp;

As a part of this strategy, China is immigrating the people of the Han Chinese community in Uyghur populated regions while imposing strict birth controls on the Uyghurs, Radio Free Asia reported, citing a new report by German researcher Adrian Zenz, which is the latest in a series of studies of Chinese measures to control and assimilate the 12 million Uyghurs of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) that have formed the basis of genocide accusations against Beijing.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Gravitas: China gives Uighur detention camps a "makeover"

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-gives-uighur-detention-camps-a-makeover-399819/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Only eight per cent of the population in Southern Xinjiang belongs to Han Chinese community, which is seen as a security concern, Zenz wrote in the 22-page report.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-chinese-couples-get-approval-for-3-kids-uighur-women-still-subjected-to-birth-control-horrors-388898">Also read | As Chinese couples get approval for 3 kids, Uighur women still subjected to birth control horrors</a> 
 
Therefore, "Increasing the Han population is seen as the number-one method to control southern Xinjiang and suppress the unrest that could be created by Uyghurs in resistance," Zenz said during an interview.&nbsp;

China's policies are "designed to achieve assimilation [by] trying to neutralize, assimilate, and dilute the Uyghur population," added Zenz. A senior fellow in China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington also said that this policy is "a way to promote intermarriage, interethnic marriage, which is another way to dilute the Uyghurs," Radio Free Asia reported.&nbsp;

"If you mix a lot of Han into an Uyghur community, that community changes. You can also justify a change in policy so that you no longer need to respect the minority language or religion because it's no longer mono-ethnic, [but rather] multiethnic, " he added.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Uyghur population in Afghanistan fears that they will be extradited to China after the Taliban takeover of the war-ravaged country.&nbsp;

Earlier in August, a US-based research and advocacy group released a new report documenting the complicity of Pakistan and Afghanistan in China's transnational repression of Uyghurs.&nbsp;

The report by Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs (Oxus), discerns different methods used by the Chinese government against Uyghur communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Beijing has imposed a "population optimisation strategy" in order to shrink the population of the Uyghur community in the country's southern Xinjiang, said the report, based on official Chinese documents and academic debate.

Beijing has imposed a "population optimisation strategy" in order to shrink the population of the Uyghur community in the country's southern Xinjiang, said the report, based on official Chinese documents and academic debate. As a part of this strategy, China is immigrating the people of the Han Chinese community in Uyghur populated regions while imposing strict birth controls on the Uyghurs, Radio Free Asia reported, citing a new report by German researcher Adrian Zenz, which is the latest in a series of studies of Chinese measures to control and assimilate the 12 million Uyghurs of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) that have formed the basis of genocide accusations against Beijing. Watch | Gravitas: China gives Uighur detention camps a "makeover" Only eight per cent of the population in Southern Xinjiang belongs to Han Chinese community, which is seen as a security concern, Zenz wrote in the 22-page report. Also read | As Chinese couples get approval for 3 kids, Uighur women still subjected to birth control horrors Therefore, "Increasing the Han population is seen as the number-one method to control southern Xinjiang and suppress the unrest that could be created by Uyghurs in resistance," Zenz said during an interview. China's policies are "designed to achieve assimilation [by] trying to neutralize, assimilate, and dilute the Uyghur population," added Zenz. A senior fellow in China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington also said that this policy is "a way to promote intermarriage, interethnic marriage, which is another way to dilute the Uyghurs," Radio Free Asia reported. "If you mix a lot of Han into an Uyghur community, that community changes. You can also justify a change in policy so that you no longer need to respect the minority language or religion because it's no longer mono-ethnic, [but rather] multiethnic, " he added. Meanwhile, the Uyghur population in Afghanistan fears that they will be extradited to China after the Taliban takeover of the war-ravaged country. Earlier in August, a US-based research and advocacy group released a new report documenting the complicity of Pakistan and Afghanistan in China's transnational repression of Uyghurs. The report by Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs (Oxus), discerns different methods used by the Chinese government against Uyghur communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

China imposes 'population optimisation strategy' to shrink Uyghurs in Xinjiang

Top Chinese actress <a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/lifestyle/news-prada-cuts-ties-with-chinese-actress-zheng-shuang-after-surrogacy-controversy-357955">Zheng Shuang</a> was hit with a $46 million tax evasion fine Friday while references to film star Zhao Wei were wiped from video streaming sites as Beijing steps up its campaign against celebrity culture.

Beijing is on a mission to rein in what it calls "chaotic fan culture" and celebrity excess, after a spate of scandals in recent months that have taken down China's biggest entertainers including singer Kris Wu, who was arrested on suspicion of rape earlier this month.

Shanghai tax authorities on Friday fined Zheng 299 million yuan ($46.1 million) for tax evasion and undeclared income between 2019 and 2020 while filming a TV series, according to an online statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/chinese-actress-zheng-shuang-hit-with-46-mn-tax-fine-as-china-targets-celebrity-culture-408733" hreflang="en">Chinese actress Zheng Shuang hit with $46 mn tax fine as China targets celebrity culture</a>

Zheng, 30, became a household name in China after starring in the hit 2009 remake of Taiwanese drama 'Meteor Shower', and a string of successful series and movies afterwards.

China's state broadcasting regulator also pulled Zheng's offending TV drama and ordered producers not to hire her for future shows.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television added it had "zero tolerance" for tax evasion, "sky-high pay" and "yin-yang contracts", referring to the shady contracts commonly used in Chinese showbiz to obscure actors' real pay.&nbsp;

State media has gone into overdrive urging changes to China's entertainment culture.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-tom-cruise-unveils-most-dangerous-stunt-in-mission-impossible-7-408686" hreflang="en">Tom Cruise unveils 'most dangerous stunt' in 'Mission: Impossible 7'</a>

"For some time now, artists' moral failures and legal violations, the cultivation of younger idols, and 'chaotic' fandoms have attracted widespread attention in society," state broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday.

"We must restore a clean and upright literary and artistic environment to the public."

On Thursday evening, search results for Zhao, an enormously popular actress also known as Vicky Zhao, were censored from major Chinese video streaming sites.

Her name was suddenly removed from the credits of major TV series, while a forum dedicated to the actress on social media platform Weibo was also mysteriously shut down, as the hashtag "Zhao Wei super-topic closed" gained 850 million views.

No official reason was given.

But Zhao and her husband were banned from trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange earlier this year, owing to a failed 2016 takeover bid that authorities ruled had "disrupted market order".

China's cyber regulator released new regulations Friday that ban celebrity ranking lists and tighten control over "chaotic" celebrity fan clubs and management agencies.

Video streaming site iQiyi said it halted all idol talent programmes Thursday, while a Chinese boy band made up of primary school children disbanded earlier this week after performers' ages sparked a public backlash.

Top Chinese actress Zheng Shuang was hit with a $46 million tax evasion fine Friday while references to film star Zhao Wei were wiped from video streaming sites as Beijing steps up its campaign against celebrity culture.

Top Chinese actress Zheng Shuang was hit with a $46 million tax evasion fine Friday while references to film star Zhao Wei were wiped from video streaming sites as Beijing steps up its campaign against celebrity culture. Beijing is on a mission to rein in what it calls "chaotic fan culture" and celebrity excess, after a spate of scandals in recent months that have taken down China's biggest entertainers including singer Kris Wu, who was arrested on suspicion of rape earlier this month. Shanghai tax authorities on Friday fined Zheng 299 million yuan ($46.1 million) for tax evasion and undeclared income between 2019 and 2020 while filming a TV series, according to an online statement. Chinese actress Zheng Shuang hit with $46 mn tax fine as China targets celebrity culture Zheng, 30, became a household name in China after starring in the hit 2009 remake of Taiwanese drama 'Meteor Shower', and a string of successful series and movies afterwards. China's state broadcasting regulator also pulled Zheng's offending TV drama and ordered producers not to hire her for future shows. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television added it had "zero tolerance" for tax evasion, "sky-high pay" and "yin-yang contracts", referring to the shady contracts commonly used in Chinese showbiz to obscure actors' real pay. State media has gone into overdrive urging changes to China's entertainment culture. Tom Cruise unveils 'most dangerous stunt' in 'Mission: Impossible 7' "For some time now, artists' moral failures and legal violations, the cultivation of younger idols, and 'chaotic' fandoms have attracted widespread attention in society," state broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday. "We must restore a clean and upright literary and artistic environment to the public." On Thursday evening, search results for Zhao, an enormously popular actress also known as Vicky Zhao, were censored from major Chinese video streaming sites. Her name was suddenly removed from the credits of major TV series, while a forum dedicated to the actress on social media platform Weibo was also mysteriously shut down, as the hashtag "Zhao Wei super-topic closed" gained 850 million views. No official reason was given. But Zhao and her husband were banned from trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange earlier this year, owing to a failed 2016 takeover bid that authorities ruled had "disrupted market order". China's cyber regulator released new regulations Friday that ban celebrity ranking lists and tighten control over "chaotic" celebrity fan clubs and management agencies. Video streaming site iQiyi said it halted all idol talent programmes Thursday, while a Chinese boy band made up of primary school children disbanded earlier this week after performers' ages sparked a public backlash.

Chinese actress Zheng Shuang hit with $46 million tax fine as China targets celebrity culture

In a surprising move against leading technology firms, China’s Supreme Court has declared 9 am to 9 pm working hours as an illegal practice.

Majority of the Chinese technology companies unofficially ask their employees to work 9 am to 9 pm for six days a week. However, China’s Supreme Court and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security have now declared this practise as illegal in their newly published guidelines.

"Recently, extreme overtime work in some industries has received widespread attention," the Supreme People's Court wrote in its statement, which it issued with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/what-are-recommendation-algorithms-that-china-is-cracking-down-on-and-how-do-they-affect-internet-users-408781" hreflang="en">What are recommendation algorithms that China is cracking down on, and how do they affect internet users?</a>

Supreme Court has ordered companies to let employees 'rest and vacation', adding that companies who go against the order will face strict measures.

The practise, commonly known as '996' in China has increasingly become popular but has also attracted criticism from several other parts of the world. Authorities criticised big tech firms for making long working hours a code of honour.

In the past, several top level executives have labelled the 996 work culture as an idle work environment. Jack Ma, the celebrated entrepreneur had also once labelled the 996 culture as a 'blessing'&nbsp;and had asked his employees to always be prepared to pull extra weight in form of long working hours.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/air-pollution-leads-to-increased-mental-illness-and-decreases-intelligence-study-408854" hreflang="en">Air pollution leads to increased mental illness and decreases intelligence: Study</a>

"To be able to work 996 is a huge bliss,"&nbsp;Ma&nbsp;once said, as quoted by western media. "If you want to join Alibaba, you need to be prepared to work 12 hours a day. Otherwise, why even bother joining?"

The Supreme Court used several examples of several Chinese companies promoting the '996' work culture. The officials also narrated an example of an unnamed tech firm that made its employees sign an agreement to give up their overtime pay but asked employees to work overtime on a daily basis.

In a surprising move against leading technology firms, China’s Supreme Court has declared 9 am to 9 pm working hours as an illegal practice. Majority of the Chinese technology companies unofficially ask their employees to work 9 am to 9 pm for six days a week.

In a surprising move against leading technology firms, China’s Supreme Court has declared 9 am to 9 pm working hours as an illegal practice. Majority of the Chinese technology companies unofficially ask their employees to work 9 am to 9 pm for six days a week. However, China’s Supreme Court and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security have now declared this practise as illegal in their newly published guidelines. "Recently, extreme overtime work in some industries has received widespread attention," the Supreme People's Court wrote in its statement, which it issued with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Also read | What are recommendation algorithms that China is cracking down on, and how do they affect internet users? Supreme Court has ordered companies to let employees 'rest and vacation', adding that companies who go against the order will face strict measures. The practise, commonly known as '996' in China has increasingly become popular but has also attracted criticism from several other parts of the world. Authorities criticised big tech firms for making long working hours a code of honour. In the past, several top level executives have labelled the 996 work culture as an idle work environment. Jack Ma, the celebrated entrepreneur had also once labelled the 996 culture as a 'blessing' and had asked his employees to always be prepared to pull extra weight in form of long working hours. Also read | Air pollution leads to increased mental illness and decreases intelligence: Study "To be able to work 996 is a huge bliss," Ma once said, as quoted by western media. "If you want to join Alibaba, you need to be prepared to work 12 hours a day. Otherwise, why even bother joining?" The Supreme Court used several examples of several Chinese companies promoting the '996' work culture. The officials also narrated an example of an unnamed tech firm that made its employees sign an agreement to give up their overtime pay but asked employees to work overtime on a daily basis.

'Let employees rest and vacation': China labels '996' work culture as illegal

US President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he is nominating Nicholas Burns as ambassador to China and Rahm Emanuel as top envoy to Japan. &nbsp;

For months, the two top diplomatic positions have been in the process of finalisation but were made official only in an announcement by the White House in the midst of the biggest foreign policy crisis of the administration till now. &nbsp;

Career diplomat Burns has served presidents of both the parties. If he gets confirmed, the diplomat would assume one of the most critical ambassador posts in the administration. The rise of China is highly likely to be at the centre of several important policy discussions. &nbsp;

Burns, who is a former member of the foreign service, has previously served as State Department spokesman, Ambassador to NATO and to Greece, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and on the National Security Council staff on Soviet and Russian Affairs.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Emanuel, who is a former Chicago mayor, a senior adviser for President Bill Clinton, chief of staff to President Barack Obama and a member of Congress representing Illinois, has drawn the ire of progressive Democrats. He was also considered for a number of jobs within the Biden administration. &nbsp;

When Emanuel faces confirmation hearing, his track record in politics may get overshadowed by a series of controversies during his tenure as Chicago mayor. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he is nominating Nicholas Burns as ambassador to China and Rahm Emanuel as top envoy to Japan. For months, the two top diplomatic positions have been in the process of finalisation but were made official only in an announcement by the White House in the midst of the biggest foreign policy crisis of the administration till now.

US President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he is nominating Nicholas Burns as ambassador to China and Rahm Emanuel as top envoy to Japan. For months, the two top diplomatic positions have been in the process of finalisation but were made official only in an announcement by the White House in the midst of the biggest foreign policy crisis of the administration till now. Career diplomat Burns has served presidents of both the parties. If he gets confirmed, the diplomat would assume one of the most critical ambassador posts in the administration. The rise of China is highly likely to be at the centre of several important policy discussions. Burns, who is a former member of the foreign service, has previously served as State Department spokesman, Ambassador to NATO and to Greece, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and on the National Security Council staff on Soviet and Russian Affairs. Meanwhile, Emanuel, who is a former Chicago mayor, a senior adviser for President Bill Clinton, chief of staff to President Barack Obama and a member of Congress representing Illinois, has drawn the ire of progressive Democrats. He was also considered for a number of jobs within the Biden administration. When Emanuel faces confirmation hearing, his track record in politics may get overshadowed by a series of controversies during his tenure as Chicago mayor. (With inputs from agencies)

US President announces picks for ambassador to China, Japan positions

Ride-hailing service Didi Global Inc is considering giving up control of its valuable data as part of efforts to resolve a Chinese regulatory probe, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Days after Didi’s market debut, China’s cyberspace regulator launched an investigation into the company and asked it to stop registering new users, citing national security and the public interest.

Didi, which listed in New York recently after raising $4.4 billion in an initial public offering, has put forth proposals to appease the regulator, including conceding management of its data to a private third party, the report said here on Friday.

Regulators have also shown a preference for the third party to be state-controlled, Bloomberg said, citing a source.

The company’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange rose about 5% before the opening bell. Didi did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

Didi had last month denied a media report that said it was considering going private to placate Chinese authorities and compensate investor losses since it listed in the United States.

Ride-hailing service Didi Global Inc is considering giving up control of its valuable data as part of efforts to resolve a Chinese regulatory probe, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Ride-hailing service Didi Global Inc is considering giving up control of its valuable data as part of efforts to resolve a Chinese regulatory probe, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Days after Didi’s market debut, China’s cyberspace regulator launched an investigation into the company and asked it to stop registering new users, citing national security and the public interest. Didi, which listed in New York recently after raising $4.4 billion in an initial public offering, has put forth proposals to appease the regulator, including conceding management of its data to a private third party, the report said here on Friday. Regulators have also shown a preference for the third party to be state-controlled, Bloomberg said, citing a source. The company’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange rose about 5% before the opening bell. Didi did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Didi had last month denied a media report that said it was considering going private to placate Chinese authorities and compensate investor losses since it listed in the United States.

Didi considers giving up data control to appease China: Reports

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