Chinese President Xi Jinping swore in Hong Kong&#39;s new leader on Saturday with a stark warning that Beijing won&#39;t tolerate any challenge to its authority in the divided city as it marked the 20th anniversary of its return from Britain to China.

Police blocked roads, preventing pro-democracy protesters from getting to the harbour-front venue close to where the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to China in the pouring rain in 1997.

Xi said Hong Kong should crack down on moves towards &quot;Hong Kong independence&quot;.

&quot;Any attempt to endanger China&#39;s sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government ... or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible,&quot; Xi said.

He also referred to the &quot;humiliation and sorrow&quot; China suffered during the first Opium War in the early 1840s that led to ceding Hong Kong to the British.

Hong Kong has been racked by demands for full democracy and, more recently, by calls by some pockets of protesters for independence, a subject that is anathema to Beijing.

Xi&#39;s speech was his strongest yet to the city amid concerns over what some perceive as increased meddling by Beijing, illustrated in recent years by the abduction by mainland agents of some Hong Kong booksellers and Beijing&#39;s efforts in disqualifying two pro-independence lawmakers elected to the city legislature.

&quot;It&#39;s a more frank and pointed way of dealing with the problems,&quot; said former senior Hong Kong government adviser Lau Siu-kai on Hong Kong&#39;s Cable Television. &quot;The central government&#39;s power hasn&#39;t been sufficiently respected... they&#39;re concerned about this.&quot;

The tightly choreographed visit was full of pro-China rhetoric amid a virtually unprecedented security lockdown close to the scene of pro-democracy protests in 2014 that grabbed global headlines with clashes and tear gas rising between waterfront skyscrapers.

Xi did not make contact with the people in the street or with any pro-democracy voices, forgoing an opportunity to lower the political heat through a softer, more nuanced approach.

The hardening stance of the democrats and Beijing could perhaps widen, spawning greater radicalism, though some activists also concede a spreading disillusionment has sapped momentum among the democracy movement since Xi came to power.

Under the mini-constitution, the Basic Law, Hong Kong is guaranteed wide-ranging autonomy for &quot;at least 50 years&quot; after 1997 under a &quot;one country, two systems&quot; formula praised by Xi. It also specifies universal suffrage as an eventual goal.

But Beijing&#39;s refusal to grant full democracy triggered the nearly three months of street protests in 2014 that posed one of the greatest populist challenges to Beijing in decades.

&quot;Most urgent&quot; protest in years

In the afternoon, tens of thousands gathered in sweltering heat in a sprawling park named after Britain&#39;s Queen Victoria, demanding Xi allow universal suffrage. Organisers put the figure at more than 60,000.

&quot;Xi shouldn&#39;t be interfering in Hong Kong too much,&quot; Peter Lau, a 20-year-old university student, said. &quot;Despite him visiting garrisons and muscle-flexing, Hong Kong people&#39;s confidence will never be shaken. Especially for our generation. We should ... fight for our freedom.&quot;

Some demonstrators marched with yellow umbrellas, a symbol of democratic activism in the city, and held banners denouncing China&#39;s Communist &quot;one party rule&quot;.

Others criticised China&#39;s Foreign Ministry which on Friday said the &quot;Joint Declaration&quot; with Britain over Hong Kong, a treaty laying the blueprint over how the city would be ruled after 1997, &quot;no longer has any practical significance&quot;.

At the end of the rally a simple white banner read: &quot;Cry in grief for 20 years.&quot;

[For a link to Reuters handover stories, http://reut.rs/2sje26J]

Xi in the morning addressed a packed hall of mostly pro-Beijing establishment figures, after swearing in Hong Kong&#39;s first female leader, Carrie Lam, who was strongly backed by China.

Xi hinted that the central government was in favour of Hong Kong introducing &quot;national security&quot; legislation, a controversial issue that brought nearly half a million people to the streets in protest in 2003 and ultimately forced former leader Tung Chee-hwa to step down.

A small group of pro-democracy activists near the venue were roughed up by a group of men who smashed up some props in ugly scuffles. Nine democracy protesters, including student leader Joshua Wong and lawmaker &quot;long hair&quot; Leung Kwok-hung, were bundled into police vans while several pro-China groups remained, cheering loudly and waving red China flags.

The activists, in a later statement, said the assailants had been &quot;pro-Beijing triad members&quot;.

(Reuters)

The Chinese President said Hong Kong should crack down on moves towards 'Hong Kong independence'

Chinese President Xi Jinping swore in Hong Kong's new leader on Saturday with a stark warning that Beijing won't tolerate any challenge to its authority in the divided city as it marked the 20th anniversary of its return from Britain to China. Police blocked roads, preventing pro-democracy protesters from getting to the harbour-front venue close to where the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to China in the pouring rain in 1997. Xi said Hong Kong should crack down on moves towards "Hong Kong independence". "Any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government ... or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible," Xi said. He also referred to the "humiliation and sorrow" China suffered during the first Opium War in the early 1840s that led to ceding Hong Kong to the British. Hong Kong has been racked by demands for full democracy and, more recently, by calls by some pockets of protesters for independence, a subject that is anathema to Beijing. Xi's speech was his strongest yet to the city amid concerns over what some perceive as increased meddling by Beijing, illustrated in recent years by the abduction by mainland agents of some Hong Kong booksellers and Beijing's efforts in disqualifying two pro-independence lawmakers elected to the city legislature. "It's a more frank and pointed way of dealing with the problems," said former senior Hong Kong government adviser Lau Siu-kai on Hong Kong's Cable Television. "The central government's power hasn't been sufficiently respected... they're concerned about this." The tightly choreographed visit was full of pro-China rhetoric amid a virtually unprecedented security lockdown close to the scene of pro-democracy protests in 2014 that grabbed global headlines with clashes and tear gas rising between waterfront skyscrapers. Xi did not make contact with the people in the street or with any pro-democracy voices, forgoing an opportunity to lower the political heat through a softer, more nuanced approach. The hardening stance of the democrats and Beijing could perhaps widen, spawning greater radicalism, though some activists also concede a spreading disillusionment has sapped momentum among the democracy movement since Xi came to power. Under the mini-constitution, the Basic Law, Hong Kong is guaranteed wide-ranging autonomy for "at least 50 years" after 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula praised by Xi. It also specifies universal suffrage as an eventual goal. But Beijing's refusal to grant full democracy triggered the nearly three months of street protests in 2014 that posed one of the greatest populist challenges to Beijing in decades. "Most urgent" protest in years In the afternoon, tens of thousands gathered in sweltering heat in a sprawling park named after Britain's Queen Victoria, demanding Xi allow universal suffrage. Organisers put the figure at more than 60,000. "Xi shouldn't be interfering in Hong Kong too much," Peter Lau, a 20-year-old university student, said. "Despite him visiting garrisons and muscle-flexing, Hong Kong people's confidence will never be shaken. Especially for our generation. We should ... fight for our freedom." Some demonstrators marched with yellow umbrellas, a symbol of democratic activism in the city, and held banners denouncing China's Communist "one party rule". Others criticised China's Foreign Ministry which on Friday said the "Joint Declaration" with Britain over Hong Kong, a treaty laying the blueprint over how the city would be ruled after 1997, "no longer has any practical significance". At the end of the rally a simple white banner read: "Cry in grief for 20 years." [For a link to Reuters handover stories, http://reut.rs/2sje26J] Xi in the morning addressed a packed hall of mostly pro-Beijing establishment figures, after swearing in Hong Kong's first female leader, Carrie Lam, who was strongly backed by China. Xi hinted that the central government was in favour of Hong Kong introducing "national security" legislation, a controversial issue that brought nearly half a million people to the streets in protest in 2003 and ultimately forced former leader Tung Chee-hwa to step down. A small group of pro-democracy activists near the venue were roughed up by a group of men who smashed up some props in ugly scuffles. Nine democracy protesters, including student leader Joshua Wong and lawmaker "long hair" Leung Kwok-hung, were bundled into police vans while several pro-China groups remained, cheering loudly and waving red China flags. The activists, in a later statement, said the assailants had been "pro-Beijing triad members". (Reuters)

China's Xi talks tough on Hong Kong as tens of thousands call for democracy

It was a rare snub to Pakistan from a normally reliable ally, but Chinese President Xi Jinping missed a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summer in Astana, the Kazakh capital, after two Chinese teachers were murdered in Balochistan.

Sharif met the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Russia, but a meeting with Xi Jinping was notably missing.

More, the state-run media in China emphasised Xi&#39;s meetings with leaders from India and Russia. Xi&#39;s snub comes after deep disappointment and grief felt in China over the killings, after two Chinese teachers were kidnapped&nbsp;in Quetta last month and were reportedly murdered by Islamic State terrorists.

News of their kiling was published just before the SCO summit on June 8-9, in which Pakistan and India were made members.

&nbsp;

Economic connections?

Hua Chunying, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the murders were in no way connected to the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Baloch nationalists oppose. The CPEC, in turn, is part of China&#39;s multi-billion dollar Belt and Road intuitive (BRI).

&quot;This incident will not have any necessary connection with the BRI,&quot; nor with the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, meeting being held in Astana, Hua had said.

China has deployed hundreds of Chinese workers to work for the CPEC which connects Gwadar port in Balochistan with China&#39;s Xinjiang through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Hua said Pakistan pays great attention to the protection of Chinese citizens in the institutions there and made great efforts for their security.

&quot;As per BRI we should be prepared for risks if want to go global. Since the three years after the BRI,&quot; she had said.

This comes after deep disappointment felt in China over the killings, after two teachers were kidnapped?in Quetta last month

It was a rare snub to Pakistan from a normally reliable ally, but Chinese President Xi Jinping missed a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summer in Astana, the Kazakh capital, after two Chinese teachers were murdered in Balochistan. Sharif met the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Russia, but a meeting with Xi Jinping was notably missing. More, the state-run media in China emphasised Xi's meetings with leaders from India and Russia. Xi's snub comes after deep disappointment and grief felt in China over the killings, after two Chinese teachers were kidnapped in Quetta last month and were reportedly murdered by Islamic State terrorists. News of their kiling was published just before the SCO summit on June 8-9, in which Pakistan and India were made members. Economic connections? Hua Chunying, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the murders were in no way connected to the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Baloch nationalists oppose. The CPEC, in turn, is part of China's multi-billion dollar Belt and Road intuitive (BRI). "This incident will not have any necessary connection with the BRI," nor with the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, meeting being held in Astana, Hua had said. China has deployed hundreds of Chinese workers to work for the CPEC which connects Gwadar port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Hua said Pakistan pays great attention to the protection of Chinese citizens in the institutions there and made great efforts for their security. "As per BRI we should be prepared for risks if want to go global. Since the three years after the BRI," she had said.

Xi Jinping snubs Pak's Sharif after two Chinese nationals killed in Balochistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana on Friday.

The meeting between Modi and Xi comes amid a sharp downturn in the ties between the nuclear-armed Asian giants.

New Delhi is smarting over China&#39;s refusal to allow it entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a global cartel that controls nuclear trade, and over Beijing blocking a request at the UN to sanction a Pakistan-based militant blamed for attacks on India.

India chose to skip Belt and Road Forum (BRF) - China&#39;s biggest summit of the year - held in April. New Delhi is incensed that one of the key Belt and Road projects passes through Kashmir and Pakistan - over which the neighbours have fought two of their three wars.

On the other hand, Beijing is angry at India&#39;s increasingly public engagement of the Dalai Lama, including hosting the Tibetan spiritual leader in a territory controlled by India but claimed by China in April.

Modi arrived in Kazakhstan capital on Thursday to attend the SCO summit where India will be formally admitted as a full-time member of the security bloc.

India had been an observer country at the SCO - a Eurasian political, economic and military bloc - since 2005 and had applied for a full membership in 2014 and the SCO foreign ministers gave a positive recommendation when they met in June 2015.

China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the SCO in 2001 to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighbouring Afghanistan.

(Reuters)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets China's Xi Jinping ahead of 17th SCO summit at Astana amid sharp downturn in Indo-China relationship

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana on Friday. The meeting between Modi and Xi comes amid a sharp downturn in the ties between the nuclear-armed Asian giants. New Delhi is smarting over China's refusal to allow it entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a global cartel that controls nuclear trade, and over Beijing blocking a request at the UN to sanction a Pakistan-based militant blamed for attacks on India. India chose to skip Belt and Road Forum (BRF) - China's biggest summit of the year - held in April. New Delhi is incensed that one of the key Belt and Road projects passes through Kashmir and Pakistan - over which the neighbours have fought two of their three wars. On the other hand, Beijing is angry at India's increasingly public engagement of the Dalai Lama, including hosting the Tibetan spiritual leader in a territory controlled by India but claimed by China in April. Modi arrived in Kazakhstan capital on Thursday to attend the SCO summit where India will be formally admitted as a full-time member of the security bloc. India had been an observer country at the SCO - a Eurasian political, economic and military bloc - since 2005 and had applied for a full membership in 2014 and the SCO foreign ministers gave a positive recommendation when they met in June 2015. China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the SCO in 2001 to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighbouring Afghanistan. (Reuters)

PM Modi meets China's Xi Jinping at SCO summit in Astana

India is set to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) even as its arch-rival Pakistan will be gaining entry into the security grouping as well.&nbsp;

The ties between India and Pakistan have been in a free fall since the Pathankot air base attack in January 2016.&nbsp;

There are speculations that the two prime ministers might hold an informal interaction during the two-day summit but there is no official word on it.

&quot;There was neither any request from their side nor any such proposal from our side,&quot; MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on the possibility of the two prime ministers meeting at Astana during the two-day summit, reported Economic Times.

The process to make both the countries a full member of the inter-governmental bloc was started last year when they signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent.&nbsp;

Briefing media in Delhi last evening, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, &quot;India will be benefited in trade and economic activity after it becomes a full member. He said that trade, connectivity, energy, banking and fight against terrorism are the main areas of cooperation.&quot;

Joint Secretary, Eurasia, G V Srinivas said, &quot;India is joining SCO with an open mind for peace and stability in the region. Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness, promoting cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research, technology and culture and other areas are the main goals of SCO.&quot;

&quot;So that process has been completed from our side - essentially entailing to a couple of agreements as per the calendar drawn by the memorandum of obligations - something which we have relayed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation secretariat in Beijing. They have also confirmed that India has completed this process,&quot; Srinivas said.

&quot;The indications are that the last leg of the entire membership process that is the confirmation by the heads of state of existing members of the SCO, is going to happen in Astana,&quot; he added.

Narendra Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with a number of SCO member countries including China&#39;s President Xi Jinping.

He will also meet Kazakhstan&#39;s President Nursultan Nazarbayev to promote ties in the fields of trade and commerce, education, tourism and other sectors, ANI reported.

Kazakhstan is India&#39;s largest trading partner in Central Asia and the total trade volume between the two countries rose from 120 million US dollars to around 900 million dollars in recent years, according to ANI.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The two-day summit will start at Astana Thursday

India is set to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) even as its arch-rival Pakistan will be gaining entry into the security grouping as well. The ties between India and Pakistan have been in a free fall since the Pathankot air base attack in January 2016. There are speculations that the two prime ministers might hold an informal interaction during the two-day summit but there is no official word on it. "There was neither any request from their side nor any such proposal from our side," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on the possibility of the two prime ministers meeting at Astana during the two-day summit, reported Economic Times. The process to make both the countries a full member of the inter-governmental bloc was started last year when they signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent. Briefing media in Delhi last evening, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, "India will be benefited in trade and economic activity after it becomes a full member. He said that trade, connectivity, energy, banking and fight against terrorism are the main areas of cooperation." Joint Secretary, Eurasia, G V Srinivas said, "India is joining SCO with an open mind for peace and stability in the region. Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness, promoting cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research, technology and culture and other areas are the main goals of SCO." "So that process has been completed from our side - essentially entailing to a couple of agreements as per the calendar drawn by the memorandum of obligations - something which we have relayed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation secretariat in Beijing. They have also confirmed that India has completed this process," Srinivas said. "The indications are that the last leg of the entire membership process that is the confirmation by the heads of state of existing members of the SCO, is going to happen in Astana," he added. Narendra Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with a number of SCO member countries including China's President Xi Jinping. He will also meet Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev to promote ties in the fields of trade and commerce, education, tourism and other sectors, ANI reported. Kazakhstan is India's largest trading partner in Central Asia and the total trade volume between the two countries rose from 120 million US dollars to around 900 million dollars in recent years, according to ANI. (WION with inputs from agencies)

SCO summit 2017 to begin today, India and Pakistan set to become full members

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to rewrite world trade rules and cast himself as a champion of globalisation as he capitalises on a US retreat into &quot;America First&quot; policies, analysts say.

But not everyone is buying the rhetoric.

Xi&#39;s plan was on display this week at an international summit in Beijing to promote his signature foreign policy, the One Belt, One Road initiative that aims to revive ancient land and sea trade routes.

The meeting gave Xi a spotlight to raise his standing abroad and at home, where he faces a crucial Communist Party congress later this year.

World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, heaped praise on the idea which Xi boasted would be &quot;a project of the century&quot; and &quot;unleash new driving forces for global economic growth&quot;.&nbsp;

Xi emerged as an unlikely capitalist hero at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January when he extolled open trade and denounced protectionism.

He now stands in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump whose pursuit of &quot;America First&quot; policies on trade and foreign relations has given China the chance to reshape the global and political landscape in its favour.

&quot;He (Xi) is very anxious to move as early as possible to take advantage of the vacuum created by Donald Trump and show that China has the capacity to be a rule maker,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam said.

But Xi&#39;s cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China&#39;s economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment.

&quot;Hopefully (One Belt, One Road) is not a one-way street but two-way,&quot; European Union Chamber of Commerce in China President Joerg Wuttke told reporters recently.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope China is not just reaching out to the world but actually embracing the world and opening up to foreign trade.&quot;

Despite claims that it welcomes foreign investment, China has long been criticised for erecting barriers in a wide range of sectors from automotives to finance, while also subsidising its own companies.&nbsp;

It ranked 84th globally, behind Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, in the World Bank&#39;s ease of doing business index for 2016, and second to last in an OECD report on the restrictiveness towards foreign investment.&nbsp;

Financial risks

Many doubt the motives behind its latest plan.

&quot;I don&#39;t think many people are buying the spin that this is all in the name of free trade and global prosperity,&quot; said Andrew Gilholm from global risk consultancy Control Risks.

&quot;I think a lot of countries are going along with it because that&#39;s how much significance political leaders attach to trying to benefit from aligning with China&#39;s economic priorities.&quot;

The China-bankrolled project involves a massive network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks spanning some 65 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.&nbsp;

Xi has pledged an extra $124 billion for the plan, on top of the $890 billion already earmarked by the China Development Bank for some 900 projects.&nbsp;

The huge spending plan comes as China looks for ways to spur economic growth, which has slowed in recent years as the country transitions away from a debt-fuelled investment-driven model to one more reliant on consumer spending.&nbsp;

But many of the countries involved in the initiative, representing 60 per cent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product, have poor records on corporate and political governance and there are fears China could run into trouble.&nbsp;

&quot;If projects are not commercially viable this becomes a very expensive commitment at a time when domestic financial strain is rising,&quot; said Gilholm.&nbsp;

PR coup

&nbsp;But Lam said problems would only start to emerge in the coming years, giving Xi time to use the Silk Road plan to burnish his credentials as a global statesman at home and abroad.&nbsp;

The summit comes ahead of a crucial Communist Party congress later this year.

Regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation, Xi will secure a second five-year term at the congress and will have the opportunity to promote his favoured allies to the country&#39;s ultimate decision-making body.

Enthusiastic state-media coverage of the two-day Silk Road summit, which was attended by leaders from nearly 30 countries, showered Xi with the sort of attention he craves.&nbsp;

&quot;I think the optics worked out well for him,&quot; said Gilholm.

&quot;But obviously there&#39;s a heck of a lot more to it than just holding an event and having people make nice speeches. It gets harder from now onwards.&quot;

(AFP)

Xi Jinping's cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China's economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to rewrite world trade rules and cast himself as a champion of globalisation as he capitalises on a US retreat into "America First" policies, analysts say. But not everyone is buying the rhetoric. Xi's plan was on display this week at an international summit in Beijing to promote his signature foreign policy, the One Belt, One Road initiative that aims to revive ancient land and sea trade routes. The meeting gave Xi a spotlight to raise his standing abroad and at home, where he faces a crucial Communist Party congress later this year. World leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, heaped praise on the idea which Xi boasted would be "a project of the century" and "unleash new driving forces for global economic growth". Xi emerged as an unlikely capitalist hero at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January when he extolled open trade and denounced protectionism. He now stands in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump whose pursuit of "America First" policies on trade and foreign relations has given China the chance to reshape the global and political landscape in its favour. "He (Xi) is very anxious to move as early as possible to take advantage of the vacuum created by Donald Trump and show that China has the capacity to be a rule maker," China political analyst Willy Lam said. But Xi's cherished Silk Road plan has raised concerns that he is seeking to expand China's economic and political ambitions abroad rather than open up his own country to further trade and investment. "Hopefully (One Belt, One Road) is not a one-way street but two-way," European Union Chamber of Commerce in China President Joerg Wuttke told reporters recently. "I hope China is not just reaching out to the world but actually embracing the world and opening up to foreign trade." Despite claims that it welcomes foreign investment, China has long been criticised for erecting barriers in a wide range of sectors from automotives to finance, while also subsidising its own companies. It ranked 84th globally, behind Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, in the World Bank's ease of doing business index for 2016, and second to last in an OECD report on the restrictiveness towards foreign investment. Financial risks Many doubt the motives behind its latest plan. "I don't think many people are buying the spin that this is all in the name of free trade and global prosperity," said Andrew Gilholm from global risk consultancy Control Risks. "I think a lot of countries are going along with it because that's how much significance political leaders attach to trying to benefit from aligning with China's economic priorities." The China-bankrolled project involves a massive network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks spanning some 65 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. Xi has pledged an extra $124 billion for the plan, on top of the $890 billion already earmarked by the China Development Bank for some 900 projects. The huge spending plan comes as China looks for ways to spur economic growth, which has slowed in recent years as the country transitions away from a debt-fuelled investment-driven model to one more reliant on consumer spending. But many of the countries involved in the initiative, representing 60 per cent of the world population and around a third of global gross domestic product, have poor records on corporate and political governance and there are fears China could run into trouble. "If projects are not commercially viable this becomes a very expensive commitment at a time when domestic financial strain is rising," said Gilholm. PR coup But Lam said problems would only start to emerge in the coming years, giving Xi time to use the Silk Road plan to burnish his credentials as a global statesman at home and abroad. The summit comes ahead of a crucial Communist Party congress later this year. Regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation, Xi will secure a second five-year term at the congress and will have the opportunity to promote his favoured allies to the country's ultimate decision-making body. Enthusiastic state-media coverage of the two-day Silk Road summit, which was attended by leaders from nearly 30 countries, showered Xi with the sort of attention he craves. "I think the optics worked out well for him," said Gilholm. "But obviously there's a heck of a lot more to it than just holding an event and having people make nice speeches. It gets harder from now onwards." (AFP)

China's Xi seeks to rewrite global trade rules as US retreats

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his new Silk Road plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade, and called for the abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games.

Xi used a summit on the initiative, attended by leaders and top officials from around the world, to bolster China&#39;s global leadership ambitions as US&nbsp;President Donald Trump promotes &quot;America First&quot; and questions existing global free trade deals.

&quot;We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy,&quot; Xi told the opening of the two-day gathering in Beijing.

China has touted what it formally calls the Belt and Road initiative as a new way to boost global development since Xi unveiled the plan in 2013, aiming to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond underpinned by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.

Xi said the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of &quot;fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules&quot;.

Hours before the summit opened, North Korea launched another ballistic missile, further testing the patience of China, its chief ally. The United States had complained to China on Friday over the inclusion of a North Korean delegation at the event.

Massive funding boost

Xi pledged a major funding boost to the new Silk Road, including an extra 100 billion yuan ($14.50 billion) into the existing Silk Road Fund, 380 billion yuan in loans from two policy banks and 60 billion yuan in aid to developing countries and international bodies in countries along the new trade routes.

In addition, Xi said China would encourage financial institutions to expand their overseas yuan fund businesses to the tune of 300 billion yuan.

Xi did not give a time frame for the new loans, aid and funding pledged on Sunday.

Leaders from 29 countries attended the forum, as well as the heads of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Britain&#39;s finance minister told the summit his country was a &quot;natural partner&quot; in the new Silk Road, while the prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, a close Chinese ally, praised China&#39;s &quot;vision and ingenuity&quot;.

&quot;Such a broad sweep and scale of interlocking economic partnerships and investments is unprecedented in history,&quot; Sharif said.

White House adviser Matt Pottinger said the United States welcomed efforts by China to promote infrastructure connectivity as part of its Belt and Road initiative, and US&nbsp;companies could offer top value services.

India refused to send an official delegation to Beijing, reflecting displeasure with China for developing a $57 billion trade corridor through Pakistan that also crosses the disputed territory of Kashmir.

&quot;No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity,&quot; said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay, adding that there were concerns about host countries taking on &quot;unsustainable debt.&quot;

China plans to import $2 trillion of products from countries participating in its Belt and Road initiative over the next five years, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said.

Unease over summit

But some Western diplomats have expressed unease about both the summit and the plan as a whole, seeing it as an attempt to promote Chinese influence globally. They are also concerned about transparency and access for foreign firms to the scheme.

Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said Canberra was receptive to exploring commercial opportunities China&#39;s new Silk Road presented, but any decisions would remain incumbent on national interest.

&quot;China is willing to share its development experience with all countries,&quot; Xi said. &quot;We will not interfere in other countries&#39; internal affairs. We will not export our system of society and development model, and even more will not impose our views on others.&quot;

&quot;In advancing the Belt and Road, we will not re-tread the old path of games between foes. Instead we will create a new model of cooperation and mutual benefit,&quot; Xi said.

North Korea, which considers China its sole major diplomatic ally and economic benefactor, raised eyebrows when it decided to send a delegation to the summit.

The North Korean delegation largely kept a low profile at the summit, and there was no evidence that its presence had affected participation despite US&nbsp;misgivings.

Financial Inclusiveness

Xi said the new Silk Road would be open to all, including Africa and the Americas, which are not situated on the traditional Silk Road.

&quot;No matter if they are from Asia and Europe, or Africa or the Americas, they are all cooperative partners in building the Belt and Road.&quot;

The idea of cooperation and inclusiveness extends to funding projects and investments along the new trade routes, which are being developed both on land and at sea.

&quot;We need joint effort among Belt and Road countries to boost financing cooperation,&quot; Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China&#39;s central bank, said.

To sustain the projects, Belt and Road nations should allow companies to play a key role, as government resources are limited, Zhou said.

The active use of local currencies will also help to mobilise local savings, lower remittance and exchange costs, and safeguard financial stability, he said.

At the forum, finance ministries from 27 countries, including China, approved a set of principles that will guide project financing along the new Silk Road.

Germany, which was not among the countries that approved the financing guidelines, said its firms were willing to support the Belt and Road initiative, but more transparency was needed.

Some of China&#39;s close allies and partners were at the forum, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

There were also several European leaders attending, including the prime ministers of Spain, Italy, Greece and Hungary.

Chinese state-run media has spared no effort in its coverage of the summit, including broadcasting an awkwardly-named English-language music video &quot;The Belt and Road is How&quot; sung by children from countries on the new Silk Road.

(Reuters)

India has declined to be a part of the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his new Silk Road plan to forge a path of peace, inclusiveness and free trade, and called for the abandonment of old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games. Xi used a summit on the initiative, attended by leaders and top officials from around the world, to bolster China's global leadership ambitions as US President Donald Trump promotes "America First" and questions existing global free trade deals. "We should build an open platform of cooperation and uphold and grow an open world economy," Xi told the opening of the two-day gathering in Beijing. China has touted what it formally calls the Belt and Road initiative as a new way to boost global development since Xi unveiled the plan in 2013, aiming to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond underpinned by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment. Xi said the world must create conditions that promote open development and encourage the building of systems of "fair, reasonable and transparent global trade and investment rules". Hours before the summit opened, North Korea launched another ballistic missile, further testing the patience of China, its chief ally. The United States had complained to China on Friday over the inclusion of a North Korean delegation at the event. Massive funding boost Xi pledged a major funding boost to the new Silk Road, including an extra 100 billion yuan ($14.50 billion) into the existing Silk Road Fund, 380 billion yuan in loans from two policy banks and 60 billion yuan in aid to developing countries and international bodies in countries along the new trade routes. In addition, Xi said China would encourage financial institutions to expand their overseas yuan fund businesses to the tune of 300 billion yuan. Xi did not give a time frame for the new loans, aid and funding pledged on Sunday. Leaders from 29 countries attended the forum, as well as the heads of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Britain's finance minister told the summit his country was a "natural partner" in the new Silk Road, while the prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, a close Chinese ally, praised China's "vision and ingenuity". "Such a broad sweep and scale of interlocking economic partnerships and investments is unprecedented in history," Sharif said. White House adviser Matt Pottinger said the United States welcomed efforts by China to promote infrastructure connectivity as part of its Belt and Road initiative, and US companies could offer top value services. India refused to send an official delegation to Beijing, reflecting displeasure with China for developing a $57 billion trade corridor through Pakistan that also crosses the disputed territory of Kashmir. "No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay, adding that there were concerns about host countries taking on "unsustainable debt." China plans to import $2 trillion of products from countries participating in its Belt and Road initiative over the next five years, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said. Unease over summit But some Western diplomats have expressed unease about both the summit and the plan as a whole, seeing it as an attempt to promote Chinese influence globally. They are also concerned about transparency and access for foreign firms to the scheme. Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo said Canberra was receptive to exploring commercial opportunities China's new Silk Road presented, but any decisions would remain incumbent on national interest. "China is willing to share its development experience with all countries," Xi said. "We will not interfere in other countries' internal affairs. We will not export our system of society and development model, and even more will not impose our views on others." "In advancing the Belt and Road, we will not re-tread the old path of games between foes. Instead we will create a new model of cooperation and mutual benefit," Xi said. North Korea, which considers China its sole major diplomatic ally and economic benefactor, raised eyebrows when it decided to send a delegation to the summit. The North Korean delegation largely kept a low profile at the summit, and there was no evidence that its presence had affected participation despite US misgivings. Financial Inclusiveness Xi said the new Silk Road would be open to all, including Africa and the Americas, which are not situated on the traditional Silk Road. "No matter if they are from Asia and Europe, or Africa or the Americas, they are all cooperative partners in building the Belt and Road." The idea of cooperation and inclusiveness extends to funding projects and investments along the new trade routes, which are being developed both on land and at sea. "We need joint effort among Belt and Road countries to boost financing cooperation," Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of China's central bank, said. To sustain the projects, Belt and Road nations should allow companies to play a key role, as government resources are limited, Zhou said. The active use of local currencies will also help to mobilise local savings, lower remittance and exchange costs, and safeguard financial stability, he said. At the forum, finance ministries from 27 countries, including China, approved a set of principles that will guide project financing along the new Silk Road. Germany, which was not among the countries that approved the financing guidelines, said its firms were willing to support the Belt and Road initiative, but more transparency was needed. Some of China's close allies and partners were at the forum, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. There were also several European leaders attending, including the prime ministers of Spain, Italy, Greece and Hungary. Chinese state-run media has spared no effort in its coverage of the summit, including broadcasting an awkwardly-named English-language music video "The Belt and Road is How" sung by children from countries on the new Silk Road. (Reuters)

China pledges $124 billion for new Silk Road as champion of globalisation

China and Pakistan today signed six pacts to boost cooperation on the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including one on building an airport at the strategic Gwadar port city, with President Xi Jinping asserting that ties with Islamabad were a priority.

The pacts were signed in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang ahead of the much-publicised Belt and Road (B&amp;R) Forum beginning tomorrow.

The agreements included accords of cooperation in diverse fields, framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, Economic and Technical Cooperation with assistance of 1.5 billion yuan (USD 210 million) for Gwadar Airport, 0.8 billion yuan (USD 115 million) for Economic and Technical Cooperation for Gwadar Airport and 1.1 billion yuan (USD 160 million) for East bay Expressway, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

After the MoUs and agreements were signed, Xi told Sharif that the bilateral ties remain &quot;a priority for China&quot; and Beijing was willing to enrich the &quot;all-weather&quot; strategic and cooperative partnership with Pakistan.

Sharif also attended a presentation made by China&#39;s National Energy Administration (NEA) on the construction of Bhasha Dam, a project which he said is of critical importance for the future of Pakistan.

Pakistani media reported that Chinese companies had &quot;conducted survey and studies on the North Indus Cascade project.

The report said China&#39;s interest in providing USD 50 billion to fund the project could generate 40,000 MW hydro electricity.

The pacts deal with the increasing bilateral cooperation within the framework of China&#39;s ambitious Silk Road project, upgrading the main railway track between Karachi and Peshawar - referred to as ML-1 or Main Line-1, and an MoU for the establishment of a dry port in Havelian, Radio Pakistan reported.

Three agreements were signed pertaining to economic and technical cooperation worth 3.4 billion yuan (about USD 490 million) for the strategic Gwadar port in southern Pakistan and East Bay expressway, a 19 kilometre controlled access road under construction in Gwadar.

Sharif, the only head of government to be represented at the B&amp;R summit, is leading perhaps the largest delegation to Beijing - four chief ministers and five federal ministers.

Li said China is willing to work with Pakistan in translating mutual political trust into more fruits of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Citing positive results achieved in the cooperation on the corridor, Li said both the sides should efficiently dovetail their development strategies, advance major transportation and energy projects as scheduled, enhance cooperation on industrial capacity, and boost a balanced development of trade.

Li expressed the hope that Pakistan will intensify its efforts in protecting the safety of Chinese personnel in the nation, and ensure the security of related projects.

On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of the B&amp;R initiative, Xi said the supplementary projects in and around the Gwadar port in the restive Balochistan province should be steadily advanced and the study on the construction of industrial parks along the corridor facilitated.

The deep-water port and the CPEC is of significance to China as they together facilitate Beijing&#39;s access to the Arabian Sea and resultantly links it with Eurasia and Africa.

The Gwadar port opposite the Mumbai&#39;s port housing the Indian Navy&#39;s western naval command provides a berth for China in the Arabian Sea and to the Indian Ocean.

China has already announced plans to station its marines there as well in Djibouti in Horn of Africa in Indian Ocean.

India opposes the CPEC as it runs through the Pakistan- Occupied Kashmir. In the last few days, China tried to assuage India&#39;s feelings by asserting that the commercial corridor will not have any impact on its stand that the Kashmir issue should be settled by India and Pakistan through dialogue.

But India is not attending the high-profile B&amp;R summit. It worries over a 3,000-km-long project connecting the Gwadar port and Xinjiang stem from the fact Gwadar, which was taken over by the Chinese, will become a future naval base.

During his meeting with Sharif, Xi stressed that a long- term planning for the corridor should be completed as soon as possible and cooperation programmes covering energy, transportation infrastructure and people&#39;s livelihoods should be promoted.

The two countries should not only continue high-level exchanges, but increase interactions between governments, legislative bodies and political parties, Xi was quoted as saying by China&#39;s state-run Xinhua news agency.

He said the two countries should strengthen cooperation on areas including anti-terrorism and security, and enhance coordination on major international and regional affairs.

Xi said China wants to deepen cooperation with Pakistan under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Sharif said Pakistan will continue to cooperate with China under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the SCO to contribute to stability and development in the region and beyond. He said the China-Pakistan friendship is solid and stressed that it was a national consensus to deepen ties with Beijing and participate in the B&amp;R initiative.

Pakistan is willing to work with China in actively implementing various projects related to the CPEC and steadily pushing forward the cooperation on energy and infrastructure construction, including the Gwadar port project, he said.

&quot;Pakistan fully supports China&#39;s vision of the Belt and Road Forum,&quot; Sharif said at a separate meeting with Premier Li.

&quot;Pakistan considers China its most valuable friend,&quot; he said, adding that the participation of the chief ministers of all the four Pakistani provinces at the B&amp;R forum was an indication that &quot;we are all one for [the success of] the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor&quot;, he said.

Sharif said that the country will accelerate the construction of the corridor and take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and enterprises.

Pakistan hoped that bilateral industrial and trade cooperation will be strengthened, and will work to facilitate Chinese enterprises&#39; investment in the nation, he said.

After their meeting, Li and Sharif witnessed the signing of documents related to cooperation on economy and technology.

He reaffirmed Pakistan&#39;s commitment for the completion of early results under the CPEC.

Pakistan&#39;s Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who is incharge of the CPEC, meanwhile told state-run APP that on the agenda of Sharif&#39;s visit to Beijing also included deals to build an airport and expressway in Gwadar.&nbsp;

(PTI)&nbsp;

The agreements included accords of cooperation in diverse fields

China and Pakistan today signed six pacts to boost cooperation on the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including one on building an airport at the strategic Gwadar port city, with President Xi Jinping asserting that ties with Islamabad were a priority. The pacts were signed in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang ahead of the much-publicised Belt and Road (B&R) Forum beginning tomorrow. The agreements included accords of cooperation in diverse fields, framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, Economic and Technical Cooperation with assistance of 1.5 billion yuan (USD 210 million) for Gwadar Airport, 0.8 billion yuan (USD 115 million) for Economic and Technical Cooperation for Gwadar Airport and 1.1 billion yuan (USD 160 million) for East bay Expressway, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported. After the MoUs and agreements were signed, Xi told Sharif that the bilateral ties remain "a priority for China" and Beijing was willing to enrich the "all-weather" strategic and cooperative partnership with Pakistan. Sharif also attended a presentation made by China's National Energy Administration (NEA) on the construction of Bhasha Dam, a project which he said is of critical importance for the future of Pakistan. Pakistani media reported that Chinese companies had "conducted survey and studies on the North Indus Cascade project. The report said China's interest in providing USD 50 billion to fund the project could generate 40,000 MW hydro electricity. The pacts deal with the increasing bilateral cooperation within the framework of China's ambitious Silk Road project, upgrading the main railway track between Karachi and Peshawar - referred to as ML-1 or Main Line-1, and an MoU for the establishment of a dry port in Havelian, Radio Pakistan reported. Three agreements were signed pertaining to economic and technical cooperation worth 3.4 billion yuan (about USD 490 million) for the strategic Gwadar port in southern Pakistan and East Bay expressway, a 19 kilometre controlled access road under construction in Gwadar. Sharif, the only head of government to be represented at the B&R summit, is leading perhaps the largest delegation to Beijing - four chief ministers and five federal ministers. Li said China is willing to work with Pakistan in translating mutual political trust into more fruits of mutually beneficial cooperation. Citing positive results achieved in the cooperation on the corridor, Li said both the sides should efficiently dovetail their development strategies, advance major transportation and energy projects as scheduled, enhance cooperation on industrial capacity, and boost a balanced development of trade. Li expressed the hope that Pakistan will intensify its efforts in protecting the safety of Chinese personnel in the nation, and ensure the security of related projects. On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of the B&R initiative, Xi said the supplementary projects in and around the Gwadar port in the restive Balochistan province should be steadily advanced and the study on the construction of industrial parks along the corridor facilitated. The deep-water port and the CPEC is of significance to China as they together facilitate Beijing's access to the Arabian Sea and resultantly links it with Eurasia and Africa. The Gwadar port opposite the Mumbai's port housing the Indian Navy's western naval command provides a berth for China in the Arabian Sea and to the Indian Ocean. China has already announced plans to station its marines there as well in Djibouti in Horn of Africa in Indian Ocean. India opposes the CPEC as it runs through the Pakistan- Occupied Kashmir. In the last few days, China tried to assuage India's feelings by asserting that the commercial corridor will not have any impact on its stand that the Kashmir issue should be settled by India and Pakistan through dialogue. But India is not attending the high-profile B&R summit. It worries over a 3,000-km-long project connecting the Gwadar port and Xinjiang stem from the fact Gwadar, which was taken over by the Chinese, will become a future naval base. During his meeting with Sharif, Xi stressed that a long- term planning for the corridor should be completed as soon as possible and cooperation programmes covering energy, transportation infrastructure and people's livelihoods should be promoted. The two countries should not only continue high-level exchanges, but increase interactions between governments, legislative bodies and political parties, Xi was quoted as saying by China's state-run Xinhua news agency. He said the two countries should strengthen cooperation on areas including anti-terrorism and security, and enhance coordination on major international and regional affairs. Xi said China wants to deepen cooperation with Pakistan under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Sharif said Pakistan will continue to cooperate with China under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the SCO to contribute to stability and development in the region and beyond. He said the China-Pakistan friendship is solid and stressed that it was a national consensus to deepen ties with Beijing and participate in the B&R initiative. Pakistan is willing to work with China in actively implementing various projects related to the CPEC and steadily pushing forward the cooperation on energy and infrastructure construction, including the Gwadar port project, he said. "Pakistan fully supports China's vision of the Belt and Road Forum," Sharif said at a separate meeting with Premier Li. "Pakistan considers China its most valuable friend," he said, adding that the participation of the chief ministers of all the four Pakistani provinces at the B&R forum was an indication that "we are all one for [the success of] the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor", he said. Sharif said that the country will accelerate the construction of the corridor and take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and enterprises. Pakistan hoped that bilateral industrial and trade cooperation will be strengthened, and will work to facilitate Chinese enterprises' investment in the nation, he said. After their meeting, Li and Sharif witnessed the signing of documents related to cooperation on economy and technology. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment for the completion of early results under the CPEC. Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who is incharge of the CPEC, meanwhile told state-run APP that on the agenda of Sharif's visit to Beijing also included deals to build an airport and expressway in Gwadar. (PTI)

China, Pakistan ink 6 pacts ahead of OBOR summit, Xi says ties priority

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters.

Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US&nbsp;aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North.

Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises.

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour.

Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

China &quot;hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula&quot;, the statement paraphrased Xi as saying.

The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said.

Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches.

&#39;Repeated Provocation&#39; 
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a &quot;thorough exchange of views&quot;.

&quot;We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint,&quot; Abe told reporters.

&quot;We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly,&quot; he said.

Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang.

A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation.

The US&nbsp;government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive &quot;within days&quot;.

South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy.

&quot;I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test,&quot; Moon said.

 
South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test.

Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week.

However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a &quot;tactical pause&quot; before another test or was carrying out normal operations.

Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, and lead to war

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters. Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North. Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises. China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour. Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said. China "hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula", the statement paraphrased Xi as saying. The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said. Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions. North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches. 'Repeated Provocation' Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a "thorough exchange of views". "We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint," Abe told reporters. "We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly," he said. Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang. A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation. The US government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days". South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy. "I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test," Moon said. South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test. Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week. However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a "tactical pause" before another test or was carrying out normal operations. Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country. (Reuters)

China's Xi calls Trump as carrier heads for Korea, calls for restraint

A US Navy carrier strike group was moving towards the Korean Peninsula on Saturday as the United States boosts its defences against North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

&quot;US Pacific Command ordered the Carl Vinson Strike Group north as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific,&quot; said Commander Dave Benham, spokesman at US Pacific Command.

&quot;The number one threat in the region continues to be North Korea, due to its reckless, irresponsible and destabilizing program of missile tests and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability,&quot; he told AFP.

The strike group includes the Nimitz-class aircraft supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, a carrier air wing, two guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser.

Originally scheduled to make port calls in Australia, it headed instead from Singapore to the Western Pacific Ocean.

The North has carried out five nuclear tests -- two of them last year -- and expert satellite imagery analysis suggests it could well be preparing for a sixth.

US intelligence officials say Pyongyang could be less than two years away from developing a nuclear warhead that could reach the continental United States.

On Thursday and Friday, US President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for talks during which he pressed Pyongyang&#39;s key ally to help curb the North&#39;s nuclear weapons program.

Trump has threatened unilateral action against the hermit state, a threat that appears more palpable after he ordered a strike on a Syrian airfield following an apparent chemical attack.

The head of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which provides missile detection and defense for the region, said Thursday she was &quot;extremely confident&quot; of US capability to intercept a potential intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) bound for America from the North.

But General Lori Robinson expressed concerns for the type of ballistic missile powered by a solid-fuel engine that Pyongyang said it successfully tested in February.

&quot;Amidst an unprecedented pace of North Korean strategic weapons testing, our ability to provide actionable warning continues to diminish,&quot; Robinson said in written testimony to senators.

(AFP)

Originally scheduled to make port calls in Australia, it headed instead from Singapore to the Western Pacific Ocean

A US Navy carrier strike group was moving towards the Korean Peninsula on Saturday as the United States boosts its defences against North Korea's nuclear ambitions. "US Pacific Command ordered the Carl Vinson Strike Group north as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific," said Commander Dave Benham, spokesman at US Pacific Command. "The number one threat in the region continues to be North Korea, due to its reckless, irresponsible and destabilizing program of missile tests and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability," he told AFP. The strike group includes the Nimitz-class aircraft supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, a carrier air wing, two guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser. Originally scheduled to make port calls in Australia, it headed instead from Singapore to the Western Pacific Ocean. The North has carried out five nuclear tests -- two of them last year -- and expert satellite imagery analysis suggests it could well be preparing for a sixth. US intelligence officials say Pyongyang could be less than two years away from developing a nuclear warhead that could reach the continental United States. On Thursday and Friday, US President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for talks during which he pressed Pyongyang's key ally to help curb the North's nuclear weapons program. Trump has threatened unilateral action against the hermit state, a threat that appears more palpable after he ordered a strike on a Syrian airfield following an apparent chemical attack. The head of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which provides missile detection and defense for the region, said Thursday she was "extremely confident" of US capability to intercept a potential intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) bound for America from the North. But General Lori Robinson expressed concerns for the type of ballistic missile powered by a solid-fuel engine that Pyongyang said it successfully tested in February. "Amidst an unprecedented pace of North Korean strategic weapons testing, our ability to provide actionable warning continues to diminish," Robinson said in written testimony to senators. (AFP)

US Navy carrier moving towards Korean peninsula to strengthen defence

President Donald Trump pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping to do more to curb North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear programme and help reduce the gaping US trade deficit with Beijing in talks on Friday, even as he toned down the strident anti-China rhetoric of his election campaign.

Trump spoke publicly of progress on a range of issues in his first US-China summit &ndash; as did several of his top aides &ndash; but they provided few concrete specifics other than China&#39;s agreement to work together to narrow disagreements and find common ground for cooperation.

As the two leaders wrapped up a Florida summit overshadowed by US missile strikes in Syria overnight, Xi joined Trump in stressing the positive mood of the meetings while papering over deep differences that have caused friction between the world&rsquo;s two biggest economies.

Trump&rsquo;s aides insisted he had made good on his pledge to raise concerns about China&rsquo;s trade practices and said there was some headway, with Xi agreeing to a 100-day plan for trade talks aimed at boosting US exports and reducing China&rsquo;s trade surplus with the United States.

Speaking after the two-day summit at Trump&rsquo;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also said that Xi had agreed to increased cooperation in reining in North Korea&rsquo;s missile and nuclear programs &ndash; though he did not offer any new formula for cracking Pyongyang&rsquo;s defiant attitude.

Trump had promised during the campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory on November 8 and Trump is under pressure to deliver for them.

The Republican president tweeted last week that the United States could no longer tolerate massive trade deficits and job losses and that his meeting with Xi &quot;will be a very difficult one&quot;.

On Friday, the unpredictable Trump not only set a different tone but also avoided any public lapses in protocol that Chinese officials had feared could embarrass their leader.

&quot;We have made tremendous progress in our relationship with China,&quot; Trump told reporters as the two delegations met around tables flanked by large US and Chinese flags. &quot;We will be making additional progress. The relationship developed by President Xi and myself I think is outstanding. And I believe lots of very potentially bad problems will be going away,&quot; he added, without providing details.

Agree with you 100 per cent

Xi also spoke in mostly positive terms.

&ldquo;We have engaged in deeper understanding, and have built a trust,&quot; he said. &ldquo;I believe we will keep developing in a stable way to form friendly relations....For the peace and stability of the world, we will also fulfil our historical responsibility.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Well, I agree with you 100 percent,&quot; Trump replied.

But in a sign that rough spots remained, Tillerson afterwards described the discussions as &ldquo;very frank and candid.&rdquo;

&ldquo;President Trump and President Xi agreed to work in concert to expand areas of cooperation while managing differences based on mutual respect,&rdquo; he said.

After the meeting, Trump took Xi on a walk around the manicured grounds of his lavish Spanish-style complex. Trump could be seen chatting and gesturing to Xi, who did the same.

Tillerson said Trump had accepted Xi&rsquo;s invitation to visit China and that they also agreed to upgrade a US-China dialogue by putting the two presidents at the head of the forum.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the Chinese had expressed an interest in reducing China&rsquo;s trade surplus as a way of controlling their own inflation. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the first time I&rsquo;ve heard them say that in a bilateral context,&rdquo; he said.

Ross declined to say whether the United States was ready to designate China a currency manipulator, however, referring to an upcoming report in which that issue would be addressed.

Although Trump during the presidential election campaign had pledged to label China a currency manipulator on the first day of his administration, he has refrained from doing so.

The highly anticipated US-China summit was upstaged by US missile strikes overnight against a Syrian air base from which Trump said a deadly chemical weapon attack had been launched earlier in the week. It was the first direct US assault on the Russian-backed government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in six years of civil war.

The swift action in Syria could be interpreted as a signal especially to defiant nuclear-armed North Korea &ndash; and by extension, its ally China &ndash; as well as other countries like Iran and Russia of Trump&rsquo;s willingness to use military force. North Korea is developing missiles capable of hitting the United States.

Tillerson said Xi agreed with Trump that North Korea&#39;s nuclear advances had reached a &ldquo;very serious stage&rdquo;.

He said Trump also raised U.S.concerns about China&#39;s activities in the South China Sea. Beijing is building and fortifying islands in pursuit of expansive territorial claims in the strategic waterway.

(Reuters)

Trump and his team provided few specifics other than China's agreement to work together to narrow disagreements

President Donald Trump pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping to do more to curb North Korea’s nuclear programme and help reduce the gaping US trade deficit with Beijing in talks on Friday, even as he toned down the strident anti-China rhetoric of his election campaign. Trump spoke publicly of progress on a range of issues in his first US-China summit – as did several of his top aides – but they provided few concrete specifics other than China's agreement to work together to narrow disagreements and find common ground for cooperation. As the two leaders wrapped up a Florida summit overshadowed by US missile strikes in Syria overnight, Xi joined Trump in stressing the positive mood of the meetings while papering over deep differences that have caused friction between the world’s two biggest economies. Trump’s aides insisted he had made good on his pledge to raise concerns about China’s trade practices and said there was some headway, with Xi agreeing to a 100-day plan for trade talks aimed at boosting US exports and reducing China’s trade surplus with the United States. Speaking after the two-day summit at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also said that Xi had agreed to increased cooperation in reining in North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs – though he did not offer any new formula for cracking Pyongyang’s defiant attitude. Trump had promised during the campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory on November 8 and Trump is under pressure to deliver for them. The Republican president tweeted last week that the United States could no longer tolerate massive trade deficits and job losses and that his meeting with Xi "will be a very difficult one". On Friday, the unpredictable Trump not only set a different tone but also avoided any public lapses in protocol that Chinese officials had feared could embarrass their leader. "We have made tremendous progress in our relationship with China," Trump told reporters as the two delegations met around tables flanked by large US and Chinese flags. "We will be making additional progress. The relationship developed by President Xi and myself I think is outstanding. And I believe lots of very potentially bad problems will be going away," he added, without providing details. Agree with you 100 per cent Xi also spoke in mostly positive terms. “We have engaged in deeper understanding, and have built a trust," he said. “I believe we will keep developing in a stable way to form friendly relations....For the peace and stability of the world, we will also fulfil our historical responsibility.” “Well, I agree with you 100 percent," Trump replied. But in a sign that rough spots remained, Tillerson afterwards described the discussions as “very frank and candid.” “President Trump and President Xi agreed to work in concert to expand areas of cooperation while managing differences based on mutual respect,” he said. After the meeting, Trump took Xi on a walk around the manicured grounds of his lavish Spanish-style complex. Trump could be seen chatting and gesturing to Xi, who did the same. Tillerson said Trump had accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China and that they also agreed to upgrade a US-China dialogue by putting the two presidents at the head of the forum. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the Chinese had expressed an interest in reducing China’s trade surplus as a way of controlling their own inflation. “That’s the first time I’ve heard them say that in a bilateral context,” he said. Ross declined to say whether the United States was ready to designate China a currency manipulator, however, referring to an upcoming report in which that issue would be addressed. Although Trump during the presidential election campaign had pledged to label China a currency manipulator on the first day of his administration, he has refrained from doing so. The highly anticipated US-China summit was upstaged by US missile strikes overnight against a Syrian air base from which Trump said a deadly chemical weapon attack had been launched earlier in the week. It was the first direct US assault on the Russian-backed government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in six years of civil war. The swift action in Syria could be interpreted as a signal especially to defiant nuclear-armed North Korea – and by extension, its ally China – as well as other countries like Iran and Russia of Trump’s willingness to use military force. North Korea is developing missiles capable of hitting the United States. Tillerson said Xi agreed with Trump that North Korea's nuclear advances had reached a “very serious stage”. He said Trump also raised U.S.concerns about China's activities in the South China Sea. Beijing is building and fortifying islands in pursuit of expansive territorial claims in the strategic waterway. (Reuters)

Trump tones down anti-China rhetoric, presses Xi to do more on North Korea

President Donald Trump predicted a &quot;very great&quot; relationship with China&#39;s Xi Jinping as the pair met for the first time at his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago Thursday, when cordiality replaced tough anti-China rhetoric.

Trump, in his signature red tie, warmly welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi, decked out in contrasting blue, to what the US leader likes to call the &quot;Winter White House&quot; for a superpower summit in the sun.

Inside the luxurious resort Trump waxed lyrical that it was a &quot;great honour&quot; to host the Chinese leader, breaking the ice with a joke about his own dealmaking prowess.

&quot;We had a long discussion already. So far, I have gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing,&quot; he said to laughs from the delegation. &nbsp;

&quot;But I can see that, I think long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it.&quot;

This is the first time the two leaders meet, after a US election that featured frequent barbs at China&#39;s &quot;rape&quot; of the US economy.

During that campaign Trump had ridiculed his predecessor&#39;s decision to offer Xi a coveted state dinner, saying that -- if elected -- he would serve the 63-year-old a Big Mac.

But inside Mar-a-Lago&#39;s ornate dining room -- with gold-trimmed chairs, fine cut glass and polished silverware -- it was Dover sole with champagne sauce and New York strip steak with whipped potatoes rather than McDonald&#39;s on the menu.

The open agenda and the personal setting for the 24-hour summit are designed to allow the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport, in what is the world&#39;s most important relationship.

Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, Xi and his wife are not staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter.

The two leaders were joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who Trump hailed as a &quot;great, great celebrity.&quot;

Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday, and are likely to turn to more serious issues.

The summit has been somewhat overshadowed by renewed missile tests in North Korea and possible US military action in response to an apparent chemical attack in Syria.

The UN Security Council &nbsp;-- where both China and the United States hold a veto -- is holding crisis talks to discuss a response to Bashar al-Assad&#39;s Syrian regime.

Peace offerings&nbsp;

Xi had arrived to the meeting with a gift basket of &quot;tweetable deliverables,&quot; sources say, peace offerings on Trump&#39;s signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan.

Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi&#39;s plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China&#39;s regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s February Mar-a-Lago visit.

There may also be offers to further open China&#39;s auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks&#39; transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country.

In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year.

Trump&#39;s position on democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory.

All politics is local&nbsp;

The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high.

Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy.

On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal.

He &quot;cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP.

Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals --&nbsp;desperately needs a win.&nbsp;

On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following Wednesday&#39;s provocative missile launch.

The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance.

While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country&#39;s collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep.

(AFP)

The US and Chinese presidents meet for the first time amid Trump's several jibes and anger aimed at Beijing

President Donald Trump predicted a "very great" relationship with China's Xi Jinping as the pair met for the first time at his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago Thursday, when cordiality replaced tough anti-China rhetoric. Trump, in his signature red tie, warmly welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi, decked out in contrasting blue, to what the US leader likes to call the "Winter White House" for a superpower summit in the sun. Inside the luxurious resort Trump waxed lyrical that it was a "great honour" to host the Chinese leader, breaking the ice with a joke about his own dealmaking prowess. "We had a long discussion already. So far, I have gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing," he said to laughs from the delegation. "But I can see that, I think long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it." This is the first time the two leaders meet, after a US election that featured frequent barbs at China's "rape" of the US economy. During that campaign Trump had ridiculed his predecessor's decision to offer Xi a coveted state dinner, saying that -- if elected -- he would serve the 63-year-old a Big Mac. But inside Mar-a-Lago's ornate dining room -- with gold-trimmed chairs, fine cut glass and polished silverware -- it was Dover sole with champagne sauce and New York strip steak with whipped potatoes rather than McDonald's on the menu. The open agenda and the personal setting for the 24-hour summit are designed to allow the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport, in what is the world's most important relationship. Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, Xi and his wife are not staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter. The two leaders were joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who Trump hailed as a "great, great celebrity." Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday, and are likely to turn to more serious issues. The summit has been somewhat overshadowed by renewed missile tests in North Korea and possible US military action in response to an apparent chemical attack in Syria. The UN Security Council -- where both China and the United States hold a veto -- is holding crisis talks to discuss a response to Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime. Peace offerings Xi had arrived to the meeting with a gift basket of "tweetable deliverables," sources say, peace offerings on Trump's signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan. Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi's plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China's regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's February Mar-a-Lago visit. There may also be offers to further open China's auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks' transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country. In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year. Trump's position on democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory. All politics is local The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high. Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy. On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal. He "cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order," China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP. Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals -- desperately needs a win. On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following Wednesday's provocative missile launch. The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance. While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country's collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. (AFP)

Trump bins sharp anti-China rhetoric to host Xi with 'great honour'

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged cooperation with the United States on trade and investment on Thursday, inviting President Donald Trump to visit China in a cordial start to their first meeting likely to broach sensitive security and commercial issues. 
 
Trump has said he wants to raise concerns about China`s trade practices and press Xi to do more to rein in North Korea`s nuclear ambitions during his two-day visit to the Spanish-style Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, though no major deals on either issue are expected. 
 
The two sides should promote the &quot;healthy development of bilateral trade and investment&quot; and advance talks on a bilateral investment agreement, Xi said, according to a statement on China`s Foreign Ministry website. 
 
&quot;We have a thousand reasons to get China-U.S. relations right, and not one reason to spoil the China-U.S. relationship,&quot; Xi told Trump. 
 
Trump accepted Xi`s invitation to China later this year, state news agency Xinhua news agency cited officials as saying on Friday. 
 
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, joined Trump and his wife, Melania, at a long table in an ornate candle-lit private dining room festooned with red and yellow floral centerpieces, where they dined on pan-seared Dover sole and New York strip steak.&nbsp; 
 
Trump, a New York real estate magnate before he ran for office, joked before dinner: &quot;We`ve had a long discussion already, and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing. But we have developed a friendship - I can see that - and I think long term we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it.&quot; 
 
The fanfare over the summit on Thursday was overshadowed by another pressing foreign policy issue: the U.S. response to a deadly poison gas attack in Syria. As Trump and Xi were wrapping up dinner, U.S. forces fired dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase from which it said the chemical weapons attack was launched this week, an escalation of the U.S. military role in Syria that swiftly drew sharp criticism from Russia.&nbsp; 
 
In Beijing, China`s Foreign Ministry urged all parties in Syria to find a political settlement. 
 
Trump and Xi were expected to get into more detailed discussions about trade and foreign policy issues on Friday, concluding their summit with a working lunch. 
 
Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China and rebuild the country`s manufacturing base. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory in November and Trump wants to deliver for them. 
 
&quot;We have been treated unfairly and have made terrible trade deals with China for many, many years. That`s one of the things we are going to be talking about,&quot; Trump told reporters ahead of the meeting. 
 
The bilateral investment treaty mentioned by Xi, talks on which began during former president George W. Bush`s administration and resumed under Barack Obama, has received little attention since Trump took office.&nbsp; 
 
Trump is still finding his footing in the White House and has yet to spell out a strategy for what his advisers called a trade relationship based on &quot;the principle of reciprocity.&quot; 
 
He brought his top economic and national advisers to Florida for the meeting, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. 
 
&quot;Even as we share a desire to work together, the United States does recognize the challenges China can present to American interests,&quot; said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, also in Florida for the meeting. 
 
Trump`s daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, who both work at the White House, also were among the dinner guests. 
 
Differing personalities 
 
The summit brings together two leaders who could not seem more different: the often stormy Trump, prone to angry tweets, and Xi, outwardly calm, measured and tightly scripted, with no known social media presence.&nbsp; 
 
What worries the protocol-conscious Chinese more than policy clashes is the risk that the unpredictable Trump could publicly embarrass Xi, after several foreign leaders experienced awkward moments with the new U.S. president. 
 
&quot;Ensuring President Xi does not lose face is a top priority for China,&quot; a Chinese official said. 
 
The most urgent problem facing Trump and Xi is how to persuade nuclear-armed North Korea to halt unpredictable behavior like missile test launches that have heightened tensions in South Korea and Japan. 
 
North Korea is working to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States. 
 
Trump has threatened to use trade to try to force China to exert influence over Pyongyang. 
 
&quot;I think China will be stepping up,&quot; Trump told reporters on Thursday. Beijing says its influence is limited and that it is doing all it can. 
 
The White House is reviewing options to pressure Pyongyang economically and militarily, including &quot;secondary sanctions&quot; against Chinese banks and firms that do the most business with Pyongyang. 
 
A long-standing option of pre-emptive strikes remains on the table, but despite the tougher recent U.S. talk, the internal review &quot;de-emphasizes direct military action,&quot; the U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
 
Analysts believe any military action would likely provoke severe North Korean retaliation and massive casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops stationed there. 
 
No grand bargain on trade 
 
On trade, U.S. labor leaders say Trump needs to take a direct, unambiguous tone in his talks with Xi. 
 
&quot;President Trump needs to come away from the meeting with concrete deliverables that will restore production and employment here in the U.S. in those sectors that have been ravaged by China`s predatory and protectionist practices,&quot; said Holly Hart, legislative director for the United Steelworkers union. 
 
A U.S. administration official told Reuters that Washington expects to have to use legal tools to fight for U.S. companies, such as pursuing World Trade Organization lawsuits. 
 
&quot;I don`t expect a grand bargain on trade. I think what you are going to see is that the president makes very clear to Xi and publicly what we expect on trade,&quot; a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
 
Trump has often complained Beijing undervalues its currency to boost trade, but his administration looks unlikely to formally label China a currency manipulator in the near term - a designation that could come with penalties. 
 
(Reuters)

The two sides called upon Xi Jinping to promote the 'healthy development of bilateral trade and investment'

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged cooperation with the United States on trade and investment on Thursday, inviting President Donald Trump to visit China in a cordial start to their first meeting likely to broach sensitive security and commercial issues. Trump has said he wants to raise concerns about China`s trade practices and press Xi to do more to rein in North Korea`s nuclear ambitions during his two-day visit to the Spanish-style Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, though no major deals on either issue are expected. The two sides should promote the "healthy development of bilateral trade and investment" and advance talks on a bilateral investment agreement, Xi said, according to a statement on China`s Foreign Ministry website. "We have a thousand reasons to get China-U.S. relations right, and not one reason to spoil the China-U.S. relationship," Xi told Trump. Trump accepted Xi`s invitation to China later this year, state news agency Xinhua news agency cited officials as saying on Friday. Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, joined Trump and his wife, Melania, at a long table in an ornate candle-lit private dining room festooned with red and yellow floral centerpieces, where they dined on pan-seared Dover sole and New York strip steak. Trump, a New York real estate magnate before he ran for office, joked before dinner: "We`ve had a long discussion already, and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing. But we have developed a friendship - I can see that - and I think long term we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it." The fanfare over the summit on Thursday was overshadowed by another pressing foreign policy issue: the U.S. response to a deadly poison gas attack in Syria. As Trump and Xi were wrapping up dinner, U.S. forces fired dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase from which it said the chemical weapons attack was launched this week, an escalation of the U.S. military role in Syria that swiftly drew sharp criticism from Russia. In Beijing, China`s Foreign Ministry urged all parties in Syria to find a political settlement. Trump and Xi were expected to get into more detailed discussions about trade and foreign policy issues on Friday, concluding their summit with a working lunch. Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to stop what he called the theft of American jobs by China and rebuild the country`s manufacturing base. Many blue-collar workers helped propel him to his unexpected election victory in November and Trump wants to deliver for them. "We have been treated unfairly and have made terrible trade deals with China for many, many years. That`s one of the things we are going to be talking about," Trump told reporters ahead of the meeting. The bilateral investment treaty mentioned by Xi, talks on which began during former president George W. Bush`s administration and resumed under Barack Obama, has received little attention since Trump took office. Trump is still finding his footing in the White House and has yet to spell out a strategy for what his advisers called a trade relationship based on "the principle of reciprocity." He brought his top economic and national advisers to Florida for the meeting, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "Even as we share a desire to work together, the United States does recognize the challenges China can present to American interests," said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, also in Florida for the meeting. Trump`s daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, who both work at the White House, also were among the dinner guests. Differing personalities The summit brings together two leaders who could not seem more different: the often stormy Trump, prone to angry tweets, and Xi, outwardly calm, measured and tightly scripted, with no known social media presence. What worries the protocol-conscious Chinese more than policy clashes is the risk that the unpredictable Trump could publicly embarrass Xi, after several foreign leaders experienced awkward moments with the new U.S. president. "Ensuring President Xi does not lose face is a top priority for China," a Chinese official said. The most urgent problem facing Trump and Xi is how to persuade nuclear-armed North Korea to halt unpredictable behavior like missile test launches that have heightened tensions in South Korea and Japan. North Korea is working to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States. Trump has threatened to use trade to try to force China to exert influence over Pyongyang. "I think China will be stepping up," Trump told reporters on Thursday. Beijing says its influence is limited and that it is doing all it can. The White House is reviewing options to pressure Pyongyang economically and militarily, including "secondary sanctions" against Chinese banks and firms that do the most business with Pyongyang. A long-standing option of pre-emptive strikes remains on the table, but despite the tougher recent U.S. talk, the internal review "de-emphasizes direct military action," the U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Analysts believe any military action would likely provoke severe North Korean retaliation and massive casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops stationed there. No grand bargain on trade On trade, U.S. labor leaders say Trump needs to take a direct, unambiguous tone in his talks with Xi. "President Trump needs to come away from the meeting with concrete deliverables that will restore production and employment here in the U.S. in those sectors that have been ravaged by China`s predatory and protectionist practices," said Holly Hart, legislative director for the United Steelworkers union. A U.S. administration official told Reuters that Washington expects to have to use legal tools to fight for U.S. companies, such as pursuing World Trade Organization lawsuits. "I don`t expect a grand bargain on trade. I think what you are going to see is that the president makes very clear to Xi and publicly what we expect on trade," a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Trump has often complained Beijing undervalues its currency to boost trade, but his administration looks unlikely to formally label China a currency manipulator in the near term - a designation that could come with penalties. (Reuters)

Chinese president Xi urges trade cooperation in first meeting with Trump

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrived in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face summit, eying a basket full of &quot;tweetable&quot; deals to help avoid a public clash.

Xi touched down at Palm Beach airport, where he received red carpet treatment and a military honour guard that offered no hint of the tensions that permeate this high-stakes superpower pow-wow.

Trump arrived a little later and headed to his Mar-a-Lago resort -- dubbed the &quot;Winter White House&quot; -- where he will host Xi for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality.

The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport. Thursday&#39;s main event is a joint dinner.

Matt Pottinger, a top White House Asia expert who was tasked with planning the summit, promised a &quot;relaxed interaction&quot; despite a backdrop of tensions over trade and North Korea.

&quot;Spouses will be there&quot; said Pottinger, indicating the leaders will be joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who was once more famous than her husband.

The group will &quot;have an opportunity to have tea together, meet some of their senior cabinet officials, so to speak, on both sides, and have a dinner,&quot; Pottinger added.

Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday.

Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, officials said Xi and his wife will not be staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter.

The carefully choreographed dinners and displays of bonhomie mask an almost palpable anxiety about how the meeting will go.

Peace offerings&nbsp;

No one -- neither diplomats nor aides -- can be sure what will happen when the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation meets a mercurial American president who has been in office less than 100 days and is capable of unraveling the most carefully-laid plans with a single 140-character tweet.

For that reason Xi is arriving with a gift-basket of &quot;tweetable deliverables&quot;, sources say, peace offerings on Trump&#39;s signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan.

Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi&#39;s plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China&#39;s regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s February Mar-a-Lago visit.

There may also be offers to further open China&#39;s auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks&#39; transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country.

In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year.

Trump&#39;s position on the democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory.

All politics is local&nbsp;

The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high.

Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy.

On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal.

He &quot;cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order,&quot; China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP.

Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals --&nbsp;desperately needs a win.&nbsp;

He may not have much room to maneuver, however, with a country he has castigated for &quot;stealing&quot; American jobs and doing &quot;little&quot; to rein in North Korea&#39;s nuclear program.

Even though the two leaders &quot;want to project themselves as very forceful, very decisive and also getting the best for the benefit of their own countries, they are also anxious not to get into difficult negotiating positions,&quot; according to Lam.

On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following a provocative missile launch Wednesday -- barely 48 hours before the summit.

Different interests&nbsp;

The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance.

The tough-talking new president has repeatedly and very publicly indicated his openness to military action.

While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country&#39;s collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep.

But coming to an agreement on the issue will not be easy, according to Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

&quot;I don&#39;t think they&#39;re talking about solutions... at the end of the day, their interests are not really the same as the United States.&#39;&quot;

(AFP)

The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrived in Florida Thursday for a first face-to-face summit, eying a basket full of "tweetable" deals to help avoid a public clash. Xi touched down at Palm Beach airport, where he received red carpet treatment and a military honour guard that offered no hint of the tensions that permeate this high-stakes superpower pow-wow. Trump arrived a little later and headed to his Mar-a-Lago resort -- dubbed the "Winter White House" -- where he will host Xi for what promises to be a masterclass in studied informality. The agenda for the 24 hour summit has purposely been left open, allowing the leaders to freewheel and build a rapport. Thursday's main event is a joint dinner. Matt Pottinger, a top White House Asia expert who was tasked with planning the summit, promised a "relaxed interaction" despite a backdrop of tensions over trade and North Korea. "Spouses will be there" said Pottinger, indicating the leaders will be joined Thursday evening by US first lady and former model Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan -- a celebrated folk singer who was once more famous than her husband. The group will "have an opportunity to have tea together, meet some of their senior cabinet officials, so to speak, on both sides, and have a dinner," Pottinger added. Talks will continue up to a working lunch on Friday. Amid concerns about security and public perceptions, officials said Xi and his wife will not be staying at Mar-a-Lago, but at a resort and spa a short drive down the palm-fringed coast that is, for now, watched by snipers, tactical units and a coastguard cutter. The carefully choreographed dinners and displays of bonhomie mask an almost palpable anxiety about how the meeting will go. Peace offerings No one -- neither diplomats nor aides -- can be sure what will happen when the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation meets a mercurial American president who has been in office less than 100 days and is capable of unraveling the most carefully-laid plans with a single 140-character tweet. For that reason Xi is arriving with a gift-basket of "tweetable deliverables", sources say, peace offerings on Trump's signature issues -- trade and jobs -- that he hopes will smooth over a relationship that began on shaky ground following disagreements over Taiwan. Top of the list, according to a source briefed on Xi's plans, will be a package of Chinese investments aimed at creating more than 700,000 American jobs -- the number pledged to Trump by China's regional rival Japan, during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's February Mar-a-Lago visit. There may also be offers to further open China's auto and agricultural markets, insiders say, and even some concessions on Chinese banks' transactions with North Korea, a vital financial lifeline for the country. In return, Xi hopes to get assurances from Trump on punitive tariffs and that an American arms sale to Taiwan will be delayed, at least until after a major Communist Party meeting later this year. Trump's position on the democratically-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has been a major irritant since the billionaire politician accepted a protocol-breaking phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory. All politics is local The summit stakes, both domestic and international, are high. Disagreements over approaches to North Korea or bilateral trade could, if mishandled, destabilize North East Asia or tank the global economy. On the domestic political front, Xi is heading into a critical year. Ahead of a party congress that could cement his grip on power for years to come, he needs to show that he can deal with the US leader as an equal. He "cannot afford to lose face while China aspires to be the new center of gravity for the world order," China political analyst Willy Lam told AFP. Meanwhile, Trump -- who is reeling from legislative defeats, low approval ratings and unrelenting scandals -- desperately needs a win. He may not have much room to maneuver, however, with a country he has castigated for "stealing" American jobs and doing "little" to rein in North Korea's nuclear program. Even though the two leaders "want to project themselves as very forceful, very decisive and also getting the best for the benefit of their own countries, they are also anxious not to get into difficult negotiating positions," according to Lam. On the US side, however, North Korea will likely top the agenda following a provocative missile launch Wednesday -- barely 48 hours before the summit. Different interests The Trump White House worries Pyongyang is just months away from marrying nuclear and long-range missile technology and putting the west coast of the United States within striking distance. The tough-talking new president has repeatedly and very publicly indicated his openness to military action. While Beijing has condemned the missile tests, it has hesitated to take dramatic action against Pyongyang, fearing that the country's collapse would generate a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. But coming to an agreement on the issue will not be easy, according to Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). "I don't think they're talking about solutions... at the end of the day, their interests are not really the same as the United States.'" (AFP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in US for high-stakes summit

China plans to launch its first cargo spacecraft in April, state media reported on Tuesday, taking a step towards its goal of establishing a permanently manned space station by 2022.

President Xi Jinping has prioritised advancing China&#39;s space programme, saying it was needed to enhance national security and defence. Plans for the maiden voyage of the cargo spacecraft were reported on the front page of the People&#39;s Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper.

The Tianzhou-1 cargo resupply spacecraft will be carried into space by a Long March-7 Y2 rocket launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in south China&#39;s island province of Hainan, the daily reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency.

The Tianzhou-1 is designed to dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or &quot;Heavenly Palace 2&quot;, which China used to carry out its longest-ever manned space mission last October, sending two astronauts into space for a month aboard the laboratory.

The spacecraft can carry 6 tonnes of goods, 2 tonnes of fuel and can fly unmanned for three months, the newspaper said.

For all the advances China has made in its space programme for military, commercial and scientific purposes, it is still lagging the United States and Russia.

China&#39;s Jade Rabbit moon rover landed on the Moon in late 2013 to great national fanfare&nbsp;but soon suffered severe technical difficulties.

The US&nbsp;Defense Department has highlighted China&#39;s increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations using space-based assets in a crisis.

(Reuters)

The Tianzhou-1 cargo resupply spacecraft will be carried into space by Long March-7 Y2 rocket launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center

China plans to launch its first cargo spacecraft in April, state media reported on Tuesday, taking a step towards its goal of establishing a permanently manned space station by 2022. President Xi Jinping has prioritised advancing China's space programme, saying it was needed to enhance national security and defence. Plans for the maiden voyage of the cargo spacecraft were reported on the front page of the People's Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper. The Tianzhou-1 cargo resupply spacecraft will be carried into space by a Long March-7 Y2 rocket launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in south China's island province of Hainan, the daily reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency. The Tianzhou-1 is designed to dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or "Heavenly Palace 2", which China used to carry out its longest-ever manned space mission last October, sending two astronauts into space for a month aboard the laboratory. The spacecraft can carry 6 tonnes of goods, 2 tonnes of fuel and can fly unmanned for three months, the newspaper said. For all the advances China has made in its space programme for military, commercial and scientific purposes, it is still lagging the United States and Russia. China's Jade Rabbit moon rover landed on the Moon in late 2013 to great national fanfare but soon suffered severe technical difficulties. The US Defense Department has highlighted China's increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations using space-based assets in a crisis. (Reuters)

China's plans launch of first cargo spacecraft in April

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump agreed to honour the longstanding &quot;One China&quot; policy during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, taking steps to improve ties after angering Beijing by talking to the leader of Taiwan.

Trump further unnerved Beijing over the self-ruled island in December saying the United States did not necessarily have to stick to the policy, under which Washington acknowledges China&#39;s position that Taiwan is part of &quot;One China&quot;.

The two leaders had not spoken by telephone since Trump took office on January 20.

A White House statement said Trump and Xi had a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday night Washington time. It came hours before Trump is to play host to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House and later, at his Palm Beach, Florida, retreat.

&quot;President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our &#39;One China&#39; policy,&quot; the statement said.

The statement marked a return to a more traditional US&nbsp;policy after Trump had told the Wall Street Journal last month that the &quot;One China&quot; policy was up for negotiation.

The two sides also signalled that with the &quot;One China&quot; issue resolved, they could have more normal relations.

&quot;Representatives of the United States and China will engage in discussions and negotiations on various issues of mutual interest,&quot; the statement said.

In a separate statement read out on Chinese state television, Xi said China appreciated Trump&#39;s upholding of the &quot;One China&quot; policy.

&quot;I believe that the United States and China are cooperative partners, and through joint efforts, we can push bilateral relations to a historic new high,&quot; the statement cited Xi as saying.

The White House described the call as &quot;extremely cordial&quot; with both leaders expressing best wishes to their peoples.

&quot;They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes,&quot; the statement said.

(Reuters)

'President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our 'One China' policy,' a White House statement said

US President Donald Trump agreed to honour the longstanding "One China" policy during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, taking steps to improve ties after angering Beijing by talking to the leader of Taiwan. Trump further unnerved Beijing over the self-ruled island in December saying the United States did not necessarily have to stick to the policy, under which Washington acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of "One China". The two leaders had not spoken by telephone since Trump took office on January 20. A White House statement said Trump and Xi had a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday night Washington time. It came hours before Trump is to play host to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House and later, at his Palm Beach, Florida, retreat. "President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our 'One China' policy," the statement said. The statement marked a return to a more traditional US policy after Trump had told the Wall Street Journal last month that the "One China" policy was up for negotiation. The two sides also signalled that with the "One China" issue resolved, they could have more normal relations. "Representatives of the United States and China will engage in discussions and negotiations on various issues of mutual interest," the statement said. In a separate statement read out on Chinese state television, Xi said China appreciated Trump's upholding of the "One China" policy. "I believe that the United States and China are cooperative partners, and through joint efforts, we can push bilateral relations to a historic new high," the statement cited Xi as saying. The White House described the call as "extremely cordial" with both leaders expressing best wishes to their peoples. "They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes," the statement said. (Reuters)

Trump backs 'One China' policy in first call with China's Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented himself as a champion of globalisation Tuesday, lecturing the world elite in Davos on the dangers of protectionism and the futility of trade wars.

The leader of the world&#39;s second largest economy became the first Chinese president to address the World Economic Forum, where 3,000 well-heeled delegates from government, business, science and the arts have gathered.

His appearance comes as populist protectionism is on the rise across Europe and in the US, where November&#39;s election of Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the global liberal order.

There is &quot;no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world&#39;s problems,&quot; he said, saying that the process was not at the root of the Syrian refugee situation or the 2008 financial crisis.

&quot;It&#39;s true that economic globalisation has created new problems, but this is not justification to write off economic globalisation altogether.&quot;&nbsp;

Globalisation should be &quot;more inclusive, more sustainable,&quot; he said, adding that currently existing global institutions are &quot;inadequate&quot; and should be more &quot;representative.&quot;

Xi&#39;s speech was highly anticipated by Davos attendees, a global club who have been caught off-guard by the rising sentiment against liberal trade regimes, and are looking for guidance in the face of an incoming Trump administration in Washington.

While acknowledging that globalisation was a &quot;double-edged sword,&quot; Xi argued that the benefits far outweighed the negatives and there could be no turning away from international economic integration.

&quot;The global economy is a big ocean you cannot escape from,&quot; he said, likening goods, services and capital to waters that cannot be channeled back into landlocked streams and lakes.

&quot;Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so is light and air,&quot; he said.

&quot;No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war,&quot; he added, in an oblique reference to Trump.

The incoming US leader has repeatedly accused China of carrying out trade policies that have led to massive US job losses and has threatened to slap tariffs of up to 45 per cent on the country&#39;s goods.

Beijing is seeking to pick up the mantle of world economic leadership set to be shrugged off by Trump, who takes office Friday.

China supports building regional free-trade arrangements, and opposes those that are &quot;exclusive&quot; or fragmented, Xi said.&nbsp;

China is pushing two major trade pacts, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific.

Xi added that China has &quot;no intention&quot; of boosting its trade competitiveness by devaluing the yuan currency or launch a currency war.

Though Chinese leaders have repeatedly used international forums in the last year to assure foreign leaders that there is no basis for depreciation of the currency, the yuan has continued its slide, recently reaching eight-year lows, making the country&#39;s exports cheaper for trade partners.&nbsp;

The symbolism of Xi&#39;s speech was underlined by WEF chairman and founder Klaus Schwab, who said the world community was &quot;looking to China&quot; to provide responsible leadership and instill confidence.

&quot;Whether people admit it or not, it&#39;s undeniable that China has taken the global leadership role in many respects,&quot; Lin Boqiang, professor at Xiamen University, told AFP. &quot;You can talk about it or not, but that`s what&#39;s happening in reality.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The Chinese president, however, clarified that globalisation should be more inclusive and sustainable

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented himself as a champion of globalisation Tuesday, lecturing the world elite in Davos on the dangers of protectionism and the futility of trade wars. The leader of the world's second largest economy became the first Chinese president to address the World Economic Forum, where 3,000 well-heeled delegates from government, business, science and the arts have gathered. His appearance comes as populist protectionism is on the rise across Europe and in the US, where November's election of Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the global liberal order. There is "no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems," he said, saying that the process was not at the root of the Syrian refugee situation or the 2008 financial crisis. "It's true that economic globalisation has created new problems, but this is not justification to write off economic globalisation altogether." Globalisation should be "more inclusive, more sustainable," he said, adding that currently existing global institutions are "inadequate" and should be more "representative." Xi's speech was highly anticipated by Davos attendees, a global club who have been caught off-guard by the rising sentiment against liberal trade regimes, and are looking for guidance in the face of an incoming Trump administration in Washington. While acknowledging that globalisation was a "double-edged sword," Xi argued that the benefits far outweighed the negatives and there could be no turning away from international economic integration. "The global economy is a big ocean you cannot escape from," he said, likening goods, services and capital to waters that cannot be channeled back into landlocked streams and lakes. "Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so is light and air," he said. "No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war," he added, in an oblique reference to Trump. The incoming US leader has repeatedly accused China of carrying out trade policies that have led to massive US job losses and has threatened to slap tariffs of up to 45 per cent on the country's goods. Beijing is seeking to pick up the mantle of world economic leadership set to be shrugged off by Trump, who takes office Friday. China supports building regional free-trade arrangements, and opposes those that are "exclusive" or fragmented, Xi said. China is pushing two major trade pacts, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific. Xi added that China has "no intention" of boosting its trade competitiveness by devaluing the yuan currency or launch a currency war. Though Chinese leaders have repeatedly used international forums in the last year to assure foreign leaders that there is no basis for depreciation of the currency, the yuan has continued its slide, recently reaching eight-year lows, making the country's exports cheaper for trade partners. The symbolism of Xi's speech was underlined by WEF chairman and founder Klaus Schwab, who said the world community was "looking to China" to provide responsible leadership and instill confidence. "Whether people admit it or not, it's undeniable that China has taken the global leadership role in many respects," Lin Boqiang, professor at Xiamen University, told AFP. "You can talk about it or not, but that`s what's happening in reality." (AFP)

At Davos, China's Xi Jinping says 'no point blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems'

China&#39;s President Xi Jinping said his country&#39;s ties with the United States had&nbsp;reached a &#39;hinge moment&#39;, indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing may encounter when&nbsp;Donald Trump assumes the presidency.

Xi said he hoped that the two countries would continue to &quot;manage differences&quot; in the future and urged the incoming Trump administration to &quot;make sure there is a smooth transition in the relationship&quot;.

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The Chinese premier made the cautionary statement when he met his US counterpart Barack Obama for the last time on the sidelines of the&nbsp;Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru.

Xi voiced his skepticism about the next administration&nbsp;because Trump repeatedly beat China with a stick during his campaign trail.

In his election speeches, Trump had accused&nbsp;Beijing several times of&nbsp;inventing&nbsp;global warming and rigging the rules of global trade.

Obama also stressed on the need to have a healthy bilateral relations with Beijing because it &quot;benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe&quot;.

&quot;We&#39;ve demonstrated what&#39;s possible when our two countries work together,&quot; he said, referring to their agreement to tackle global warming.&nbsp;

Xi and Obama have met a total of nine times.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

He was indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing might encounter after Donald Trump assumes the presidency.

China's President Xi Jinping said his country's ties with the United States had reached a 'hinge moment', indirectly hinting at difficult moments Beijing may encounter when Donald Trump assumes the presidency. Xi said he hoped that the two countries would continue to "manage differences" in the future and urged the incoming Trump administration to "make sure there is a smooth transition in the relationship". Xi said he hoped the two countries would continue to 'manage differences' in the future × The Chinese premier made the cautionary statement when he met his US counterpart Barack Obama for the last time on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru. Xi voiced his skepticism about the next administration because Trump repeatedly beat China with a stick during his campaign trail. In his election speeches, Trump had accused Beijing several times of inventing global warming and rigging the rules of global trade. Obama also stressed on the need to have a healthy bilateral relations with Beijing because it "benefits our two peoples and benefits the entire globe". "We've demonstrated what's possible when our two countries work together," he said, referring to their agreement to tackle global warming. Xi and Obama have met a total of nine times. (WION with inputs from AFP)

China-US relations have reached 'hinge moment', says Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US president-elect Donald Trump agreed Monday to meet &quot;at an early date&quot; to discuss the relationship between their two powers, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Monday.

In a telephone call, Xi told Trump - who frequently savaged Beijing on the campaign trail and threatened to impose a 45-per cent tariff on Chinese-made goods - that the world&#39;s top two economies &quot;need cooperation and there are a lot of things we can cooperate on&quot;, CCTV reported.

Xi and Trump &quot;vowed to keep close contact, build good working relations, and meet at an early date to exchange views on issues of mutual interest and the development of bilateral ties&quot;, CCTV said.

Before his election, Trump went as far as calling the Asian giant America&#39;s &quot;enemy&quot;, and accused it of artificially lowering its currency to boost exports, and pledged to stand up to a country he says views the US as a pushover.

He has vowed to pursue a policy of &quot;peace through strength&quot; and build up the US navy.

But he also indicated he is not interested in getting involved in far-off squabbles, and decried the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal, which encompasses several other Asian countries and has been seen as an effort to bolster US influence, for costing American jobs.&nbsp;

CCTV cited Trump as saying in the call that China was a large and important nation that he was willing to work with&nbsp;and that he believed Sino-US relations could realise &quot;win-win&quot; benefits.&nbsp;

The phrasing&nbsp;used by the broadcaster attributed to the US president-elect is typical of Chinese diplomacy.

In a statement, Trump&#39;s office confirmed the call and said that &quot;the leaders established a clear sense of mutual respect for one another&quot;.

Trump &quot;stated that he believes the two leaders will have one of the strongest relationships for both countries moving forward&quot;, it added.

New starting point?&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s contrary and ambiguous positions have left a pall of uncertainty over how he will manage the relationship between the world&#39;s two largest economies and its biggest and most powerful militaries.

An editorial in the often nationalistic Global Times newspaper warned Monday that China would &quot;take counter-measures&quot; if Washington levied tariffs and said that &quot;making things difficult for China politically will do him no good&quot;.

Beijing would use a &quot;tit-for-tat approach&quot; and target US autos, aircraft, soybeans, and iPhones. It also said that China could limit the massive number of students it sends to American schools.&nbsp;

Under President Barack Obama, Washington&#39;s foreign policy &quot;pivot&quot; towards Asia was viewed with alarm in Beijing, which saw it as an attempt to contain its growing geopolitical and economic might.

But Trump has offered no clear prescriptions for the strategic issues that plague ties between the two powers, from Beijing&#39;s territorial claims in the South China Sea to North Korea&#39;s nuclear programme and the future of Taiwan.

He has also indicated America has had enough of paying to defend allies such as Japan and South Korea, even suggesting they should develop their own nuclear weapons.

Mark Williams of Capital Economics previously said in a note that &quot;if the US is less engaged in Asia, Beijing will have an opportunity to shape regional political and economic integration on its own terms&quot;.

That could include an Asia-focused trade agreement of its own that excludes the US, in the same manner that China was not part of TPP.

Beijing is already embarked on negotiations to create the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade area encompassing the Southeast Asian grouping ASEAN, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Something of a mirror image to the TPP, it includes six of the putative Washington-led grouping&#39;s 12 members.

It would encompass more than three billion people and Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop told media Thursday that if the TPP does fail, &quot;then the vacuum that would be created is most likely to be filled by RCEP&quot;.

China&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday that Beijing attaches &quot;great importance&quot; to its relationship with the US and will make &quot;concerted efforts&quot; to expand cooperation with the Trump administration.

Asked about Trump&#39;s vow to withdraw from the Paris climate change pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions -- which China and the US both ratified in September -- Geng stressed that the agreement &quot;officially entered into force&quot; this month.

(AFP)

Chinese media reported that Jinping in a telephonic conversation agreed to meet Trump 'at an early date'

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US president-elect Donald Trump agreed Monday to meet "at an early date" to discuss the relationship between their two powers, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Monday. In a telephone call, Xi told Trump - who frequently savaged Beijing on the campaign trail and threatened to impose a 45-per cent tariff on Chinese-made goods - that the world's top two economies "need cooperation and there are a lot of things we can cooperate on", CCTV reported. Xi and Trump "vowed to keep close contact, build good working relations, and meet at an early date to exchange views on issues of mutual interest and the development of bilateral ties", CCTV said. Before his election, Trump went as far as calling the Asian giant America's "enemy", and accused it of artificially lowering its currency to boost exports, and pledged to stand up to a country he says views the US as a pushover. He has vowed to pursue a policy of "peace through strength" and build up the US navy. But he also indicated he is not interested in getting involved in far-off squabbles, and decried the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal, which encompasses several other Asian countries and has been seen as an effort to bolster US influence, for costing American jobs. CCTV cited Trump as saying in the call that China was a large and important nation that he was willing to work with and that he believed Sino-US relations could realise "win-win" benefits. The phrasing used by the broadcaster attributed to the US president-elect is typical of Chinese diplomacy. In a statement, Trump's office confirmed the call and said that "the leaders established a clear sense of mutual respect for one another". Trump "stated that he believes the two leaders will have one of the strongest relationships for both countries moving forward", it added. New starting point? Trump's contrary and ambiguous positions have left a pall of uncertainty over how he will manage the relationship between the world's two largest economies and its biggest and most powerful militaries. An editorial in the often nationalistic Global Times newspaper warned Monday that China would "take counter-measures" if Washington levied tariffs and said that "making things difficult for China politically will do him no good". Beijing would use a "tit-for-tat approach" and target US autos, aircraft, soybeans, and iPhones. It also said that China could limit the massive number of students it sends to American schools. Under President Barack Obama, Washington's foreign policy "pivot" towards Asia was viewed with alarm in Beijing, which saw it as an attempt to contain its growing geopolitical and economic might. But Trump has offered no clear prescriptions for the strategic issues that plague ties between the two powers, from Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea to North Korea's nuclear programme and the future of Taiwan. He has also indicated America has had enough of paying to defend allies such as Japan and South Korea, even suggesting they should develop their own nuclear weapons. Mark Williams of Capital Economics previously said in a note that "if the US is less engaged in Asia, Beijing will have an opportunity to shape regional political and economic integration on its own terms". That could include an Asia-focused trade agreement of its own that excludes the US, in the same manner that China was not part of TPP. Beijing is already embarked on negotiations to create the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade area encompassing the Southeast Asian grouping ASEAN, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Something of a mirror image to the TPP, it includes six of the putative Washington-led grouping's 12 members. It would encompass more than three billion people and Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop told media Thursday that if the TPP does fail, "then the vacuum that would be created is most likely to be filled by RCEP". China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday that Beijing attaches "great importance" to its relationship with the US and will make "concerted efforts" to expand cooperation with the Trump administration. Asked about Trump's vow to withdraw from the Paris climate change pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions -- which China and the US both ratified in September -- Geng stressed that the agreement "officially entered into force" this month. (AFP)

China's Xi to Trump: Cooperation only right choice to strengthen ties

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the two-day G20 Summit in Hangzhou city of China.&nbsp; 
 
During the meeting, Modi condemned the recent militant attack on Chinese embassy in Bishek, Kyrgyzstan. He highlighted the menace of terrorism, saying the recent attacks show how it is spreading across the world and is, therefore, a matter of grave concern.&nbsp; 
 
Clearing bilateral differences&nbsp; 
 
This is the first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Jinping after they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent in June 23. 
 
&quot;First engagement in Hangzhou is a meeting with the host. PM @narendramodi meets President Xi Jinping,&quot; tweeted spokesperson of Indian foreign ministry, Vikas Swarup. 
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First engagement in Hangzhou is a meeting with the host. PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> meets President Xi Jinping <a href="https://t.co/Bkj4CGywz6">pic.twitter.com/Bkj4CGywz6</a>
&mdash; Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/772251806177067009">September 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The meeting is a significant one, reported ANI news agency, as it follows after China stalled India&#39;s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and bilateral differences over the proposed USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through Pakistan-cantrolled Kashmir, Beijing blocking the UN move to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). 
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Beijing has raised concerns over the close ties of India with the US and the recently signed Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), which will enable the militaries of both the democracies access to each other&#39;s facilities for supplies and repairs. 
 
However, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi&#39;s visit to India last month indicated that it would be ready to revisit the question of India&#39;s membership to the NSG.&nbsp; 
 
The two nuclear-armed neighbours have been seemingly moving to gradually ease long-existing tensions between them. 
 
Leaders of Asia&#39;s two giants pledged last year to cool a festering border dispute, which dates back to a brief border war in 1962, though the disagreement remains unresolved. 
 
China lays claim to more than 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) ruled by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. India says China occupies 38,000 sq km (14,600 sq miles) of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west. 
 
Meanwhile, Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Saudi Arabia&#39;s deputy crown prince Mohammad bin Salman on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. 
 
He will attend the two-day G20 summit that begins today where leaders of the world&#39;s 20 biggest economies will be seeking to jolt global economy out of sluggish growth and avert trade protectionism. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Condemning the recent militant attack on Chinese embassy in Bishek, Kyrgyzstan, Modi said spread of terror is a matter of grave concern

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the two-day G20 Summit in Hangzhou city of China. During the meeting, Modi condemned the recent militant attack on Chinese embassy in Bishek, Kyrgyzstan. He highlighted the menace of terrorism, saying the recent attacks show how it is spreading across the world and is, therefore, a matter of grave concern. Clearing bilateral differences This is the first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Jinping after they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent in June 23. "First engagement in Hangzhou is a meeting with the host. PM @narendramodi meets President Xi Jinping," tweeted spokesperson of Indian foreign ministry, Vikas Swarup. First engagement in Hangzhou is a meeting with the host. PM @narendramodi meets President Xi Jinping pic.twitter.com/Bkj4CGywz6 — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 4, 2016 The meeting is a significant one, reported ANI news agency, as it follows after China stalled India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and bilateral differences over the proposed USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through Pakistan-cantrolled Kashmir, Beijing blocking the UN move to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to India last month indicated that it would be ready to revisit the question of India's membership to the NSG. Beijing has raised concerns over the close ties of India with the US and the recently signed Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), which will enable the militaries of both the democracies access to each other's facilities for supplies and repairs. However, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to India last month indicated that it would be ready to revisit the question of India's membership to the NSG. The two nuclear-armed neighbours have been seemingly moving to gradually ease long-existing tensions between them. Leaders of Asia's two giants pledged last year to cool a festering border dispute, which dates back to a brief border war in 1962, though the disagreement remains unresolved. China lays claim to more than 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) ruled by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. India says China occupies 38,000 sq km (14,600 sq miles) of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west. Meanwhile, Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince Mohammad bin Salman on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. He will attend the two-day G20 summit that begins today where leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies will be seeking to jolt global economy out of sluggish growth and avert trade protectionism. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Modi meets Jinping ahead of G20 summit, highlights menace of terror

The former head of China&#39;s statistics bureau, responsible for calculating the country&#39;s economic figures, was&nbsp;expelled from the Communist party for his &quot;superstitious activities&quot; and for &quot;insatiably&quot; trading power for sex,&nbsp;the country&#39;s anti-corruption watchdog reported on Friday. 
 
Wang Baoan, 52, headed the National Bureau of Statistics until January, when an inquiry began against him. 
 
The ruling party&#39;s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), its internal anti-corruption&nbsp;watchdog, said that Wang &quot;completely lacks political beliefs&quot;. 
 
He had &quot;chronically engaged in superstitious activities, seriously violated political discipline and political&nbsp;rules, and in major issues has expressed views contrary to the CPC Central Committee&quot;, it said. 
 
Another such case was that of security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was earlier sentenced to life in prison under&nbsp;General Secretary Xi Jinping as part of the anti-graft campaign. 
 
The CCDI statement said that Wang was &quot;morally bankrupt&quot; and his offences included frequenting luxury&nbsp;hotels, indulging in expensive entertainment, and exploiting his position for sexual favours. 
 
Wang was deputy finance minister from 2012 to April 2015, when he took up the post of statistics bureau&nbsp;chief. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Wang Baoan's offences included 'superstitious activities' and 'insatiably' trading power for sex

The former head of China's statistics bureau, responsible for calculating the country's economic figures, was expelled from the Communist party for his "superstitious activities" and for "insatiably" trading power for sex, the country's anti-corruption watchdog reported on Friday. Wang Baoan, 52, headed the National Bureau of Statistics until January, when an inquiry began against him. The ruling party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), its internal anti-corruption watchdog, said that Wang "completely lacks political beliefs". He had "chronically engaged in superstitious activities, seriously violated political discipline and political rules, and in major issues has expressed views contrary to the CPC Central Committee", it said. Another such case was that of security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was earlier sentenced to life in prison under General Secretary Xi Jinping as part of the anti-graft campaign. The CCDI statement said that Wang was "morally bankrupt" and his offences included frequenting luxury hotels, indulging in expensive entertainment, and exploiting his position for sexual favours. Wang was deputy finance minister from 2012 to April 2015, when he took up the post of statistics bureau chief. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Chinese Communist party expels 'insatiable' statistics chief

A UN expert accused China on Monday of staging a &quot;pincer movement&quot; to curb the influence of lawyers, activists, and non-governmental organisations and limit their ability to protest against abuses. 
 
While China has made significant progress towards its ambitious goal of eliminating poverty by 2020, it has often ignored the harm done to individuals as it pursues greater economic development, said Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. 
 
At the same time, he said, Beijing has cracked down on civil society, limiting the space for individuals and groups to influence public policy and air grievances. 
 
Since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, the ruling Communist Party has arrested hundreds of activists and lawyers in a sweeping campaign that has closed avenues for the legal activism which emerged in recent years. 
 
Recently introduced laws have combined with police action against protesters and lawyers in &quot;a pincer movement designed to systematically narrow and control the space for citizens to express discontent over matters such as land rights, workers&#39; rights, and environmental threats&quot;, Alston wrote in a statement. 
 
In later remarks to reporters, he chided Beijing for asserting that governments should be able to choose which human rights to respect and which to ignore, depending on cultural practices. 
 
&quot;That approach is simply incompatible with the international human rights system,&quot; Alston said. 
 
&quot;Given that China insists that it is part of the system... it would be very dangerous if we were to understand human rights with Chinese characteristics as authorising a fundamental departure from the full range of internationally agreed rights and standards.&quot; 
 
Alston&#39;s comments came at the end of a nine-day tour of China, where he was invited to study the government&#39;s poverty alleviation efforts. 
 
He praised China&#39;s commitment to reducing extreme poverty -- defined as an income of less than $2.30 per day -- but said it faces serious challenges, including inequality levels that are &quot;deeply problematic&quot;. 
 
Questions about the quality of Chinese data, however, made it difficult to assess the true nature of the challenges the country faces, Alston said. 
 
&quot;There is a need to focus more on the importance of getting accurate data and on greater transparency,&quot; he said. 
 
Chinese authorities also did not respond to his requests to meet academics and other private citizens, he said, instead advising them that they &quot;should be on vacation&quot; during his trip. 
 
&quot;We did not reach a common understanding of the role of a UN Special Rapporteur,&quot; he said, adding that he was followed by a security detail during the visit. 
 
(AFP)

He accused the country of staging a 'pincer movement' to curb the influence of lawyers, activists, and NGOs

A UN expert accused China on Monday of staging a "pincer movement" to curb the influence of lawyers, activists, and non-governmental organisations and limit their ability to protest against abuses. While China has made significant progress towards its ambitious goal of eliminating poverty by 2020, it has often ignored the harm done to individuals as it pursues greater economic development, said Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. At the same time, he said, Beijing has cracked down on civil society, limiting the space for individuals and groups to influence public policy and air grievances. Since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, the ruling Communist Party has arrested hundreds of activists and lawyers in a sweeping campaign that has closed avenues for the legal activism which emerged in recent years. Recently introduced laws have combined with police action against protesters and lawyers in "a pincer movement designed to systematically narrow and control the space for citizens to express discontent over matters such as land rights, workers' rights, and environmental threats", Alston wrote in a statement. In later remarks to reporters, he chided Beijing for asserting that governments should be able to choose which human rights to respect and which to ignore, depending on cultural practices. "That approach is simply incompatible with the international human rights system," Alston said. "Given that China insists that it is part of the system... it would be very dangerous if we were to understand human rights with Chinese characteristics as authorising a fundamental departure from the full range of internationally agreed rights and standards." Alston's comments came at the end of a nine-day tour of China, where he was invited to study the government's poverty alleviation efforts. He praised China's commitment to reducing extreme poverty -- defined as an income of less than $2.30 per day -- but said it faces serious challenges, including inequality levels that are "deeply problematic". Questions about the quality of Chinese data, however, made it difficult to assess the true nature of the challenges the country faces, Alston said. "There is a need to focus more on the importance of getting accurate data and on greater transparency," he said. Chinese authorities also did not respond to his requests to meet academics and other private citizens, he said, instead advising them that they "should be on vacation" during his trip. "We did not reach a common understanding of the role of a UN Special Rapporteur," he said, adding that he was followed by a security detail during the visit. (AFP)

UN expert chides China for limiting people's ability to protest

China&#39;s communist authorities have moved supervision of Tencent Web, one of the country`s biggest online media portals, to the capital after it published a one-character typo related to President Xi Jinping, Hong Kong media reports said. 
 
In an article about a keynote speech given by Xi during the 95th anniversary celebration of the ruling Communist Party, which took place on July 1, someone at Tencent mistyped a character in the phrase &quot;Xi Jinping delivered an important speech&quot;, Hong Kong`s Ming Pao newspaper said.&nbsp; 
 
A character in the word &quot;deliver&quot; was swapped for a similar-sounding one that changed the meaning to &quot;violently flip out&quot;, it claimed, citing a screenshot of the report.&nbsp; 
 
The slip-up prompted China`s Central Publicity Department to launch an investigation into Tencent Web over what it deemed a &quot;significantly negative incident&quot;, the paper said.&nbsp; 
 
The probe concluded that the online portal must now be overseen by the stricter Beijing Cyberspace Administration Office, rather than the equivalent body in the southern city of Shenzhen, where Tencent is headquartered, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper said.&nbsp; 
 
The portal&#39;s editor-in-chief, Wang Yongzhi, did not confirm reports of his dismissal to the SCMP.&nbsp; 
 
The Communist Party tolerates no opposition to its rule and newspapers, websites, and broadcast media are strictly controlled. An army of censors patrols social media and many Western news websites are blocked. 
 
The country has imposed ever-tightest restrictions on freedom of speech since Xi became President in 2013.&nbsp; 
 
Reports about the Tencent typo were censored on the mainland internet. 
 
This was not the first media gaffe linked to Xi.&nbsp; 
 
In March, the official Xinhua news agency also made a one-character typo about the President, referring to him as China`s &quot;last leader&quot; instead of &quot;top leader&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Last year, four journalists at China News Service were suspended from their jobs over an article that, due to two mistaken characters, referred to Xi Jinping`s &quot;resignation&quot;, rather than a speech he`d given.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The country has imposed ever-tightest restrictions on freedom of speech since Jinping became President in 2013

China's communist authorities have moved supervision of Tencent Web, one of the country`s biggest online media portals, to the capital after it published a one-character typo related to President Xi Jinping, Hong Kong media reports said. In an article about a keynote speech given by Xi during the 95th anniversary celebration of the ruling Communist Party, which took place on July 1, someone at Tencent mistyped a character in the phrase "Xi Jinping delivered an important speech", Hong Kong`s Ming Pao newspaper said. A character in the word "deliver" was swapped for a similar-sounding one that changed the meaning to "violently flip out", it claimed, citing a screenshot of the report. The slip-up prompted China`s Central Publicity Department to launch an investigation into Tencent Web over what it deemed a "significantly negative incident", the paper said. The probe concluded that the online portal must now be overseen by the stricter Beijing Cyberspace Administration Office, rather than the equivalent body in the southern city of Shenzhen, where Tencent is headquartered, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper said. The portal's editor-in-chief, Wang Yongzhi, did not confirm reports of his dismissal to the SCMP. The Communist Party tolerates no opposition to its rule and newspapers, websites, and broadcast media are strictly controlled. An army of censors patrols social media and many Western news websites are blocked. The country has imposed ever-tightest restrictions on freedom of speech since Xi became President in 2013. Reports about the Tencent typo were censored on the mainland internet. This was not the first media gaffe linked to Xi. In March, the official Xinhua news agency also made a one-character typo about the President, referring to him as China`s "last leader" instead of "top leader". Last year, four journalists at China News Service were suspended from their jobs over an article that, due to two mistaken characters, referred to Xi Jinping`s "resignation", rather than a speech he`d given. (AFP)

Typo in Jinping's address prompts China to 'tighten' media  portal's supervision

China will prosecute a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer, Zhou Shifeng,&nbsp;on charges of subverting state power after months of secret detention, prosecutors said on Friday, the latest move by authorities to crack down on dissent. 
 
China consistently rejects any criticism of its human rights record, saying it adheres to the rule of law, that all are equal under the law and that those who break the law can expect to be punished.&nbsp;President Xi Jinping&#39;s administration has tightened control over almost every aspect of civil society since 2012, citing the need to buttress national security and stability. 
 
 
Three other activists to be prosecuted on similar charges&nbsp; 
 
Shifeng, the director of Beijing Fengrui law firm, will be prosecuted on charges of subverting state power, the prosecutor in the northern city of Tianjin said in a brief statement on its official microblog, without giving details. 
 
Pertinently, state media has accused the firm&nbsp;and its associates of orchestrating protests outside courts and politicising ordinary legal cases in order to attract international attention.&nbsp;Dozens of lawyers and activists associated with the firm have been swept up in the crackdown and held since last July, triggering concern in Western capitals. 
 
The firm has represented several high-profile clients, including the ethnic Uighur dissident, Ilham Tohti. 
 
An official reached by telephone at the prosecutors&#39; office declined further comment. It was not clear who Zhous own lawyer currently is.&nbsp; 
 
Shang Baojun, another well-known rights lawyer, told Reuters that Zhous previous legal team had all been replaced by government-appointed lawyers. &quot;To be honest, we don&#39;t know anything more about his case than you do,&quot; Shang said, adding that a court date could still be two months off, according to Chinese law. 
 
The prosecutor said in the same statement that three other rights activists - Hu Shigen, Zhai Yanmin and Gou Hongguo - would also be prosecuted on the same charges. 
 
It was also not possible to immediately locate lawyers for them for comment. 
 
In severe cases, the charges can result in life sentences. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

State media has accused lawyer's firm, its associates of orchestrating protests outside courts and politicising ordinary legal cases

China will prosecute a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer, Zhou Shifeng, on charges of subverting state power after months of secret detention, prosecutors said on Friday, the latest move by authorities to crack down on dissent. China consistently rejects any criticism of its human rights record, saying it adheres to the rule of law, that all are equal under the law and that those who break the law can expect to be punished. President Xi Jinping's administration has tightened control over almost every aspect of civil society since 2012, citing the need to buttress national security and stability. Three other activists to be prosecuted on similar charges Shifeng, the director of Beijing Fengrui law firm, will be prosecuted on charges of subverting state power, the prosecutor in the northern city of Tianjin said in a brief statement on its official microblog, without giving details. Pertinently, state media has accused the firm and its associates of orchestrating protests outside courts and politicising ordinary legal cases in order to attract international attention. Dozens of lawyers and activists associated with the firm have been swept up in the crackdown and held since last July, triggering concern in Western capitals. The firm has represented several high-profile clients, including the ethnic Uighur dissident, Ilham Tohti. An official reached by telephone at the prosecutors' office declined further comment. It was not clear who Zhous own lawyer currently is. Shang Baojun, another well-known rights lawyer, told Reuters that Zhous previous legal team had all been replaced by government-appointed lawyers. "To be honest, we don't know anything more about his case than you do," Shang said, adding that a court date could still be two months off, according to Chinese law. The prosecutor said in the same statement that three other rights activists - Hu Shigen, Zhai Yanmin and Gou Hongguo - would also be prosecuted on the same charges. It was also not possible to immediately locate lawyers for them for comment. In severe cases, the charges can result in life sentences. (Reuters)

After months of secret detention, China to prosecute prominent rights lawyer for subversion

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, urged South Korea to pay attention to China&#39;s concerns about the deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system to the country and &quot;cautiously&quot; address the plan. 
 
The United States and South Korea have begun talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and conducted missile tests. 
 
China and Russia have urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD&#39;s deployment could also affect their security. 
 
South Korea should &quot;attach importance to China&#39;s legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States&#39; plan&quot; to deploy THAAD in South Korea, Xi told visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the official Xinhua news agency reported. 
 
North Korea&#39;s drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has angered China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. 
 
Xi added that China and South Korea should continue to work for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, work together to maintain peace and stability, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation. 
 
(Reuters)

Beijing has urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD's deployment could affect their security

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, urged South Korea to pay attention to China's concerns about the deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system to the country and "cautiously" address the plan. The United States and South Korea have begun talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and conducted missile tests. China and Russia have urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD's deployment could also affect their security. South Korea should "attach importance to China's legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States' plan" to deploy THAAD in South Korea, Xi told visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the official Xinhua news agency reported. North Korea's drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has angered China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. Xi added that China and South Korea should continue to work for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, work together to maintain peace and stability, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation. (Reuters)

China's Xi urges caution over US anti-missile system deployment in South Korea

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