President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged to widen access to China's economy, while delivering a veiled rebuke to Trumpism, as he kicked off an import fair amid growing foreign accusations his government was backtracking on grand reform promises.

Xi said China would "step up" efforts to stimulate imports, lower tariffs, ease customs clearance procedures, and implement harsh punishments for intellectual property infringements.

"It is our sincere commitment to open the Chinese market," Xi said in an address opening the event in Shanghai.

He added that China would endeavour to "foster a world-class business environment" and that China's doors will open "ever wider".

But he also pushed back at foreign pressure in comments clearly aimed at Donald Trump, who has started a trade war between the world's two largest economies.

"They should not just point fingers at others to gloss over their own problems," Xi said, decrying "protectionism", "isolationism" and confrontation.

"They should not hold a flashlight in hand, doing nothing but highlighting the weaknesses of others and not their own."

Beijing frames the first annual China International Import Expo as a sign of its commitment to open markets despite mounting criticism to the contrary and the worsening trade war with Washington, which has seen both sides impose punitive tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods.

Organisers say more than 3,000 foreign companies from 130 countries including the United States and Europe will put their products on display for potential Chinese buyers at the expo, including General Motors, Ford, Microsoft, Samsung, Walmart and Tesla.

Promise fatigue&nbsp;

Xi's latest commitment to abide by world trade practices was light on specifics, however, and it remained to be seen whether it will satisfy an increasingly impatient foreign business community.

In a speech at Davos nearly two years ago, Xi presented China as a beacon of globalisation in a counterpoint to Trump.

But trading partners and foreign enterprises say he is yet to put his money where his mouth is, and they are tired of empty promises.

Foreign businesses complain about a range of policies that benefit local firms, requirements that foreign companies form joint ventures with Chinese partners, forced technology transfers, rampant intellectual property violations and restrictive red tape.

Foreign business surveys indicate that the playing field in China is actually worsening as Xi champions a strong-China message not unlike Trump's "America First" platform.

The EU Chamber of Commerce last week urged Xi to "move past the rhetoric" on trade and put in place real and significant opening measures.

The event is being attended by several foreign heads of government including Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Pakistani premier Imran Khan.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta voiced the foreign impatience when he told the opening ceremony that his country's growing trade with China was "heavily skewed" in Beijing's favour.

"It is important for us therefore to correct the existing trade imbalance to enable a fair share of the benefits of trade," he said.

US snub&nbsp;

China ranks 59th out of the 62 countries evaluated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in terms of openness to foreign direct investment.

Xi has said the expo proves China is willing to reduce its huge trade surpluses with other countries.

But US officials say that amounts to China trying to buy its way out of criticism with a short-term import bump rather than real reform.

Washington has snubbed the gathering by not sending high-level representation.

But the lure of China's market remains strong and the US contingent includes even tech giants such as Facebook, which is blocked in China, and Google, which pulled out years ago over censorship and cyber-attacks.

Both are seen as eyeing new ways into China.

Experts say the week-long expo is also a message by Beijing that, as it pivots from an export-based economy toward one relying more on the buying power of its 1.4 billion people, other countries will need to work with China if they want a piece of that action.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates will join a business forum, but the touchy optics of attending a China import expo at a time of trade tensions means few big-name American CEOs are confirmed.

President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged to widen access to China's economy, while delivering a veiled rebuke to Trumpism, as he kicked off an import fair amid growing foreign accusations his government was backtracking on grand reform promises.

President Xi Jinping on Monday pledged to widen access to China's economy, while delivering a veiled rebuke to Trumpism, as he kicked off an import fair amid growing foreign accusations his government was backtracking on grand reform promises. Xi said China would "step up" efforts to stimulate imports, lower tariffs, ease customs clearance procedures, and implement harsh punishments for intellectual property infringements. "It is our sincere commitment to open the Chinese market," Xi said in an address opening the event in Shanghai. He added that China would endeavour to "foster a world-class business environment" and that China's doors will open "ever wider". But he also pushed back at foreign pressure in comments clearly aimed at Donald Trump, who has started a trade war between the world's two largest economies. "They should not just point fingers at others to gloss over their own problems," Xi said, decrying "protectionism", "isolationism" and confrontation. "They should not hold a flashlight in hand, doing nothing but highlighting the weaknesses of others and not their own." Beijing frames the first annual China International Import Expo as a sign of its commitment to open markets despite mounting criticism to the contrary and the worsening trade war with Washington, which has seen both sides impose punitive tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods. Organisers say more than 3,000 foreign companies from 130 countries including the United States and Europe will put their products on display for potential Chinese buyers at the expo, including General Motors, Ford, Microsoft, Samsung, Walmart and Tesla. Promise fatigue Xi's latest commitment to abide by world trade practices was light on specifics, however, and it remained to be seen whether it will satisfy an increasingly impatient foreign business community. In a speech at Davos nearly two years ago, Xi presented China as a beacon of globalisation in a counterpoint to Trump. But trading partners and foreign enterprises say he is yet to put his money where his mouth is, and they are tired of empty promises. Foreign businesses complain about a range of policies that benefit local firms, requirements that foreign companies form joint ventures with Chinese partners, forced technology transfers, rampant intellectual property violations and restrictive red tape. Foreign business surveys indicate that the playing field in China is actually worsening as Xi champions a strong-China message not unlike Trump's "America First" platform. The EU Chamber of Commerce last week urged Xi to "move past the rhetoric" on trade and put in place real and significant opening measures. The event is being attended by several foreign heads of government including Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Pakistani premier Imran Khan. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta voiced the foreign impatience when he told the opening ceremony that his country's growing trade with China was "heavily skewed" in Beijing's favour. "It is important for us therefore to correct the existing trade imbalance to enable a fair share of the benefits of trade," he said. US snub China ranks 59th out of the 62 countries evaluated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in terms of openness to foreign direct investment. Xi has said the expo proves China is willing to reduce its huge trade surpluses with other countries. But US officials say that amounts to China trying to buy its way out of criticism with a short-term import bump rather than real reform. Washington has snubbed the gathering by not sending high-level representation. But the lure of China's market remains strong and the US contingent includes even tech giants such as Facebook, which is blocked in China, and Google, which pulled out years ago over censorship and cyber-attacks. Both are seen as eyeing new ways into China. Experts say the week-long expo is also a message by Beijing that, as it pivots from an export-based economy toward one relying more on the buying power of its 1.4 billion people, other countries will need to work with China if they want a piece of that action. Microsoft founder Bill Gates will join a business forum, but the touchy optics of attending a China import expo at a time of trade tensions means few big-name American CEOs are confirmed.

Xi says China to 'step up' market opening, raise imports

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for the Iran nuclear deal to be "earnestly" implemented as he met the country's president following the US withdrawal from the pact, state media said Monday.

Xi met one-on-one with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Sunday following a two-day regional security summit in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao that also included Russia and former Soviet republics.

President Donald Trump announced last month the US was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposing sanctions that would hit international businesses working in the Islamic republic.

The other parties to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia -- have vowed to stay in the accord but their companies risk huge penalties if they keep doing business in Iran.

In his meeting with Rouhani, Xi described the deal as "an important outcome of multilateralism", according to the official Xinhua news service.

Xi said the deal is "conducive to safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East and the international non-proliferation regime, and should continue to be implemented earnestly," according to Xinhua.

Rouhani said Iran expects the international community, including China, "to play a positive role in properly dealing with relevant issues", the agency reported.

During the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the assembled leaders, including Rouhani, that the US withdrawal could "destabilise the situation" but Moscow still supports the "unconditional implementation" of the deal.

Rouhani also had a bilateral meeting with Putin in Qingdao on Saturday and said more talks were needed between their two countries following Washington's "illegal" withdrawal, according to the Kremlin.

Xi met one-on-one with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Sunday following a two-day regional security summit in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao that also included Russia and former Soviet republics

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for the Iran nuclear deal to be "earnestly" implemented as he met the country's president following the US withdrawal from the pact, state media said Monday. Xi met one-on-one with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Sunday following a two-day regional security summit in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao that also included Russia and former Soviet republics. President Donald Trump announced last month the US was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposing sanctions that would hit international businesses working in the Islamic republic. The other parties to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia -- have vowed to stay in the accord but their companies risk huge penalties if they keep doing business in Iran. In his meeting with Rouhani, Xi described the deal as "an important outcome of multilateralism", according to the official Xinhua news service. Xi said the deal is "conducive to safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East and the international non-proliferation regime, and should continue to be implemented earnestly," according to Xinhua. Rouhani said Iran expects the international community, including China, "to play a positive role in properly dealing with relevant issues", the agency reported. During the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the assembled leaders, including Rouhani, that the US withdrawal could "destabilise the situation" but Moscow still supports the "unconditional implementation" of the deal. Rouhani also had a bilateral meeting with Putin in Qingdao on Saturday and said more talks were needed between their two countries following Washington's "illegal" withdrawal, according to the Kremlin.

China's Xi backs nuclear deal in talks with Iran leader

In a veiled attack on the US, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said China rejects "self-centred" and "closed-door" policies and called for a non-discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading regime.

His comments at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit are seen as directed towards the US with which China is engaged in a fierce trade dispute.

The US, the world's largest economy, has a trade deficit of almost $500 billion with the world's second-largest economy China.

Xi said protectionism in trade should be opposed as he urged the SCO to work for upholding the authority and efficacy of the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and contribute in strengthening an open, inclusive and transparent trading regime.

"We should promote open and inclusive cooperation for win-win outcomes. We should reject self-centred, short-sighted and closed-door policies. We should uphold WTO rules and support the multilateral trading system so as to build an open world economy," The Chinese president said.

He also announced that China would set up a 30 billion yuan ($4.7 billion) equivalent special lending facility within the framework of the SCO Inter-bank Consortium.

He said that all parties should uphold the authority and efficacy of WTO rules, strengthen an open, inclusive, transparent, non-discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading regime, and oppose trade protectionism of any form.

China is locked in a dispute with the Trump administration over trade tariff.

"We should pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. We should reject the Cold War mentality and confrontation between blocs and oppose the practices of seeking absolute security of oneself at the expense of others, so as to achieve security of all," Xi said.

The summit was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other leaders of the eight-member grouping.

The SCO, which currently has eight members, represents around 42 per cent of the world's population and 20 per cent of the global GDP.

In his address, Xi also mentioned China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.

"All parties will continue to work in line with the principle of mutual benefit to improve regional economic cooperation arrangements, enhance the Belt and Road cooperation and complementarity of our respective development strategies, deepen cooperation in business, investment, finance, connectivity and agriculture, advance trade and investment facilitation," he said.

Xi said SCO members should respect each other's choice of development paths and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns.

"We should enhance mutual understanding by putting ourselves in others' positions and boost harmony and unity by seeking common ground and setting aside differences," Xi said.

The Chinese President also underlined the need to strengthen the foundation for shared peace and security.

"We need to actively implement the 2019-2021 programme of cooperation for combating 'three evil forces' of terrorism, separatism and extremism," he said.&nbsp

He further said the SCO will have to play a major role in Afghanistan to facilitate peace and reconstruction of the country.

"China offers to train 2,000 law enforcement officers for all parties in the next three years through China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation and other platforms to enhance law enforcement capacity building," Xi added.&nbsp

The US has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods while China has targeted $50 billion in American exports.

The two countries have not yet implemented their tariff increases to reach a negotiated settlement.&nbsp

The US, the world's largest economy, has a trade deficit of almost $500 billion with the world's second largest economy China.

In a veiled attack on the US, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said China rejects "self-centred" and "closed-door" policies and called for a non-discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading regime. His comments at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit are seen as directed towards the US with which China is engaged in a fierce trade dispute. The US, the world's largest economy, has a trade deficit of almost $500 billion with the world's second-largest economy China. Xi said protectionism in trade should be opposed as he urged the SCO to work for upholding the authority and efficacy of the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and contribute in strengthening an open, inclusive and transparent trading regime. "We should promote open and inclusive cooperation for win-win outcomes. We should reject self-centred, short-sighted and closed-door policies. We should uphold WTO rules and support the multilateral trading system so as to build an open world economy," The Chinese president said. He also announced that China would set up a 30 billion yuan ($4.7 billion) equivalent special lending facility within the framework of the SCO Inter-bank Consortium. He said that all parties should uphold the authority and efficacy of WTO rules, strengthen an open, inclusive, transparent, non-discriminatory and rules-based multilateral trading regime, and oppose trade protectionism of any form. China is locked in a dispute with the Trump administration over trade tariff. "We should pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. We should reject the Cold War mentality and confrontation between blocs and oppose the practices of seeking absolute security of oneself at the expense of others, so as to achieve security of all," Xi said. The summit was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other leaders of the eight-member grouping. The SCO, which currently has eight members, represents around 42 per cent of the world's population and 20 per cent of the global GDP. In his address, Xi also mentioned China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. "All parties will continue to work in line with the principle of mutual benefit to improve regional economic cooperation arrangements, enhance the Belt and Road cooperation and complementarity of our respective development strategies, deepen cooperation in business, investment, finance, connectivity and agriculture, advance trade and investment facilitation," he said. Xi said SCO members should respect each other's choice of development paths and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns. "We should enhance mutual understanding by putting ourselves in others' positions and boost harmony and unity by seeking common ground and setting aside differences," Xi said. The Chinese President also underlined the need to strengthen the foundation for shared peace and security. "We need to actively implement the 2019-2021 programme of cooperation for combating 'three evil forces' of terrorism, separatism and extremism," he said. He further said the SCO will have to play a major role in Afghanistan to facilitate peace and reconstruction of the country. "China offers to train 2,000 law enforcement officers for all parties in the next three years through China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation and other platforms to enhance law enforcement capacity building," Xi added. The US has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods while China has targeted $50 billion in American exports. The two countries have not yet implemented their tariff increases to reach a negotiated settlement.

Xi slams ' self-centred', 'closed door' trade policies

North Korea leader's surprise second meeting with China President Xi Jinping underscores how China will play a part in the denuclearisation front and till what extent till the negotiations go.&nbsp

China's Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday that concerned parties should seize the opportunity to promote denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Xinhua said Li made the remarks during a trilateral meeting in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

As per reports, the negotiations could result in a "permanent, solid peace" on the Korean peninsula.

The negotiations could result in a 'permanent, solid peace' on the Korean peninsula

North Korea leader's surprise second meeting with China President Xi Jinping underscores how China will play a part in the denuclearisation front and till what extent till the negotiations go. China's Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday that concerned parties should seize the opportunity to promote denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, the official Xinhua news agency said. Xinhua said Li made the remarks during a trilateral meeting in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. As per reports, the negotiations could result in a "permanent, solid peace" on the Korean peninsula.

China Premier says parties should seize chance to denuclearise Korean Peninsula

Big differences remain between China and the United States although the two sides managed to reach certain deals on some of their trade issues during the two-day bilateral trade talks in Beijing on Thursday and Friday.

No specific results of the talks have been disclosed, but Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the talks with the US&nbsp;delegation led by President Donald Trump's Special Envoy and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, on economic and trade issues of common concern.

It's still unknown what deals have been reached, but both Chinese and US&nbsp;officials have agreed to remain in contact.

A report from Chinese news agency Xinhua on Friday said that "both sides recognized that given that considerable differences still exist on some issues, continued hard work is required for more progress."

As the US&nbsp;team heads back to Washington, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump sounded optimistic, saying: "I have great respect for President Xi. That's why we're being so nice. And we have a great relationship. But we have to bring fairness into trade between the US&nbsp;and China and we will do it."

The White House issued a statement, saying the talks were constructive, though the two sides remained far apart.

The US&nbsp;delegation affirmed that fair trade will lead to faster growth for the Chinese, United States, and world economies.

During the talks, Chinese negotiators brought up the recent case of telecommunication tech company ZTE. The US&nbsp;Commerce Department banned ZTE from buying American-made parts for seven years - a ruling that could destroy the company. US&nbsp;negotiators said they would report China's stance to Trump. Cases like ZTE and others are seen as tests of whether Washington is willing to make concessions as well as demands, according to some observers.

Both sides recognized that given that considerable differences still exist on some issues, continued hard work is required for more progress: Chinese media

Big differences remain between China and the United States although the two sides managed to reach certain deals on some of their trade issues during the two-day bilateral trade talks in Beijing on Thursday and Friday. No specific results of the talks have been disclosed, but Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the talks with the US delegation led by President Donald Trump's Special Envoy and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, on economic and trade issues of common concern. It's still unknown what deals have been reached, but both Chinese and US officials have agreed to remain in contact. A report from Chinese news agency Xinhua on Friday said that "both sides recognized that given that considerable differences still exist on some issues, continued hard work is required for more progress." As the US team heads back to Washington, US President Donald Trump sounded optimistic, saying: "I have great respect for President Xi. That's why we're being so nice. And we have a great relationship. But we have to bring fairness into trade between the US and China and we will do it." The White House issued a statement, saying the talks were constructive, though the two sides remained far apart. The US delegation affirmed that fair trade will lead to faster growth for the Chinese, United States, and world economies. During the talks, Chinese negotiators brought up the recent case of telecommunication tech company ZTE. The US Commerce Department banned ZTE from buying American-made parts for seven years - a ruling that could destroy the company. US negotiators said they would report China's stance to Trump. Cases like ZTE and others are seen as tests of whether Washington is willing to make concessions as well as demands, according to some observers.

Big differences remain, but certain deals reached in China-US trade talks

The Trump administration has drawn a hard line in trade talks with China, demanding a $200 billion cut in the Chinese trade surplus with the United States, sharply lower tariffs and advanced technology subsidies, people familiar with the talks said on Friday.

The lengthy list of demands was presented to Beijing before the start of talks Thursday and Friday between top-level Trump administration officials and their Chinese counterparts to try to avert a damaging trade war between the world's two largest economies.

A White House statement did not mention specific demands, but said the US&nbsp;delegation "held frank discussions with Chinese officials on rebalancing the United States–China bilateral economic relationship, improving China’s protection of intellectual property, and identifying policies that unfairly enforce technology transfers."

The statement gave no indication that US&nbsp;President Donald Trump would back off on his threat to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods over allegations of intellectual property theft.

The delegation was returning to Washington to brief Trump and "seek his decision on next steps," the White House said, adding that the administration had "consensus" for "immediate attention" to change the US-China trade and investment relationship.

Trump said he would meet with the delegation on Saturday. "We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with US&nbsp;trade wins!" he said in a Twitter post late on Friday.

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Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives. We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/992562394051293186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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China's state-run Xinhua news agency described the talks as "constructive, candid and efficient" but with disagreements that remain "relatively big."

Tariff threats have roiled stock markets in recent weeks, but the inconclusive outcome of the Beijing talks did little to stop a rally in US&nbsp;shares prompted by jobs data that eased fears of faster Federal Reserve rate hikes. Stocks in Shanghai ended 0.5 percent lower while they fell 1.3 percent in Hong Kong.

Trump told reporters in Washington that he was determined to bring fairness to US-China trade.

"We will be doing something one way or the other with respect to what's happening in China," Trump said. He added that he had "great respect" for China's President Xi Jinping. "That's why we’re being so nice, because we have a great relationship."

China during the meetings asked that the United States ease crushing sanctions on Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Washington's demand for a $200 billion cut from China's US&nbsp;goods trade surplus doubles Trump's previous request for a $100 billion cut. China had a record US&nbsp;goods trade surplus of $375 billion in 2017.

Trump has also demanded "reciprocity" between US&nbsp;and Chinese tariffs, frequently complaining about China's 25 percent car tariff while the US&nbsp;equivalent is 2.5 percent.

The US&nbsp;team, led by US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, demanded that China lower tariffs to levels no higher than those imposed by the United States, two people familiar with the demands said. The delegation also asked China to halt subsidies for advanced technology linked to its "Made in China 2025," the sources said.

At the heart of the dispute are US&nbsp;allegations that Chinese joint venture requirements and other policies force American companies to turn over their intellectual property, costing them billions of dollars annually and giving China's state enterprises an edge in the race to develop new industries crucial to future growth.

China denies such coercion. Its 2025 industrial plan seeks to upgrade China's manufacturing sector to more advanced products, including information technology, semiconductors and aircraft.

"I think the US&nbsp;is asking for the impossible. Reducing the deficit by $200 billion by 2020 is quite an unrealistic demand, but it may also be a negotiation tactic to start high first," said Tommy Xie, economist at OCBC Bank in Singapore.

Beijing offers

China offered to increase US&nbsp;imports and lower tariffs on some goods, including cars, according to the sources. But Beijing asked the United States to treat Chinese investment equally under national security reviews, refrain from new restrictions on investments and halt a proposal to impose 25 percent tariffs under its "Section 301" intellectual property probe.

China also offered to reconsider anti-dumping duties on US&nbsp;sorghum, according to a proposal it submitted.

Xinhua said there had been exchanges of opinion on intellectual property protections, expanding US&nbsp;exports and bilateral services trade. It gave no indication of what actions might be taken but said the two sides committed to resolve their trade disputes through dialogue.

US&nbsp;negotiators agreed to bring up the ZTE sanctions with Trump after new representations from the Chinese side, Xinhua said. ZTE was hit last month with a seven-year ban on American companies' selling components and software to it after the US&nbsp;Commerce Department found ZTE failed to comply with an agreement to settle breached US&nbsp;sanctions on Iran.

"My impression was that (the talks) didn't go well given the rhetoric," said Kevin Lai, senior economist at Daiwa Capital markets in Hong Kong. "I think the divide is still very big."

In an editorial on its website, widely read Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times cited people close to the talks as saying the Chinese "hit back hard" at US&nbsp;criticism, letting them know that China would not give in.

The United States has proposed tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods under its "Section 301" probe. Those could go into effect in June following the completion of a 60-day consultation period, but activation plans have been kept vague.

China has said its own retaliatory tariffs on US&nbsp;goods, including soybeans and aircraft, will go into effect if the US&nbsp;duties are imposed.

The lengthy list of demands was presented to Beijing before the start of talks Thursday and Friday between top-level Trump administration officials and their Chinese counterparts

The Trump administration has drawn a hard line in trade talks with China, demanding a $200 billion cut in the Chinese trade surplus with the United States, sharply lower tariffs and advanced technology subsidies, people familiar with the talks said on Friday. The lengthy list of demands was presented to Beijing before the start of talks Thursday and Friday between top-level Trump administration officials and their Chinese counterparts to try to avert a damaging trade war between the world's two largest economies. A White House statement did not mention specific demands, but said the US delegation "held frank discussions with Chinese officials on rebalancing the United States–China bilateral economic relationship, improving China’s protection of intellectual property, and identifying policies that unfairly enforce technology transfers." The statement gave no indication that US President Donald Trump would back off on his threat to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods over allegations of intellectual property theft. The delegation was returning to Washington to brief Trump and "seek his decision on next steps," the White House said, adding that the administration had "consensus" for "immediate attention" to change the US-China trade and investment relationship. Trump said he would meet with the delegation on Saturday. "We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with US trade wins!" he said in a Twitter post late on Friday. Our high level delegation is on the way back from China where they had long meetings with Chinese leaders and business representatives. We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2018 × China's state-run Xinhua news agency described the talks as "constructive, candid and efficient" but with disagreements that remain "relatively big." Tariff threats have roiled stock markets in recent weeks, but the inconclusive outcome of the Beijing talks did little to stop a rally in US shares prompted by jobs data that eased fears of faster Federal Reserve rate hikes. Stocks in Shanghai ended 0.5 percent lower while they fell 1.3 percent in Hong Kong. Trump told reporters in Washington that he was determined to bring fairness to US-China trade. "We will be doing something one way or the other with respect to what's happening in China," Trump said. He added that he had "great respect" for China's President Xi Jinping. "That's why we’re being so nice, because we have a great relationship." China during the meetings asked that the United States ease crushing sanctions on Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp, people with knowledge of the matter said. Washington's demand for a $200 billion cut from China's US goods trade surplus doubles Trump's previous request for a $100 billion cut. China had a record US goods trade surplus of $375 billion in 2017. Trump has also demanded "reciprocity" between US and Chinese tariffs, frequently complaining about China's 25 percent car tariff while the US equivalent is 2.5 percent. The US team, led by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, demanded that China lower tariffs to levels no higher than those imposed by the United States, two people familiar with the demands said. The delegation also asked China to halt subsidies for advanced technology linked to its "Made in China 2025," the sources said. At the heart of the dispute are US allegations that Chinese joint venture requirements and other policies force American companies to turn over their intellectual property, costing them billions of dollars annually and giving China's state enterprises an edge in the race to develop new industries crucial to future growth. China denies such coercion. Its 2025 industrial plan seeks to upgrade China's manufacturing sector to more advanced products, including information technology, semiconductors and aircraft. "I think the US is asking for the impossible. Reducing the deficit by $200 billion by 2020 is quite an unrealistic demand, but it may also be a negotiation tactic to start high first," said Tommy Xie, economist at OCBC Bank in Singapore. Beijing offers China offered to increase US imports and lower tariffs on some goods, including cars, according to the sources. But Beijing asked the United States to treat Chinese investment equally under national security reviews, refrain from new restrictions on investments and halt a proposal to impose 25 percent tariffs under its "Section 301" intellectual property probe. China also offered to reconsider anti-dumping duties on US sorghum, according to a proposal it submitted. Xinhua said there had been exchanges of opinion on intellectual property protections, expanding US exports and bilateral services trade. It gave no indication of what actions might be taken but said the two sides committed to resolve their trade disputes through dialogue. US negotiators agreed to bring up the ZTE sanctions with Trump after new representations from the Chinese side, Xinhua said. ZTE was hit last month with a seven-year ban on American companies' selling components and software to it after the US Commerce Department found ZTE failed to comply with an agreement to settle breached US sanctions on Iran. "My impression was that (the talks) didn't go well given the rhetoric," said Kevin Lai, senior economist at Daiwa Capital markets in Hong Kong. "I think the divide is still very big." In an editorial on its website, widely read Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times cited people close to the talks as saying the Chinese "hit back hard" at US criticism, letting them know that China would not give in. The United States has proposed tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods under its "Section 301" probe. Those could go into effect in June following the completion of a 60-day consultation period, but activation plans have been kept vague. China has said its own retaliatory tariffs on US goods, including soybeans and aircraft, will go into effect if the US duties are imposed.

Trump team demands China slash US trade surplus, cut tariffs

In a move that could upset Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to undertake a joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan at their first informal summit here, official sources said.

The understanding was reached between the two leaders during the two-day informal summit which concluded today, they said.

As per the understanding, officials of both sides will identify the project in following up discussions and work out modalities.

This will be a first such project in the war-torn country where China while trying to expand its influence has tacitly backed Pakistan, which has been accused by Afghanistan and the US of backing the Taliban and its most violent attacks in the country destabilising any attempts to restore peace.

China for the first time held a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan in December last in Beijing to narrow down the differences between the two countries.

China had also announced plans to extend its controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan at the meeting.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

As per the understanding, officials of both sides will identify the project in following up discussions and work out modalities.

In a move that could upset Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to undertake a joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan at their first informal summit here, official sources said. The understanding was reached between the two leaders during the two-day informal summit which concluded today, they said. As per the understanding, officials of both sides will identify the project in following up discussions and work out modalities. This will be a first such project in the war-torn country where China while trying to expand its influence has tacitly backed Pakistan, which has been accused by Afghanistan and the US of backing the Taliban and its most violent attacks in the country destabilising any attempts to restore peace. China for the first time held a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan in December last in Beijing to narrow down the differences between the two countries. China had also announced plans to extend its controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan at the meeting. (With PTI inputs)

India, China to undertake joint economic project in Afghanistan

The two-day-long informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping spills into its second and final day. After holding bilateral discussions on the first day, PM Modi is expected to return to India after spending time exploring the picturesque city of Wuhan along with the Chinese president today.&nbsp;

PM Modi will take a walk around a guesthouse with Xi on Saturday, then an hour-long boat trip on a lake followed by lunch, before the meeting ends, according to the Indian Foreign Ministry.&nbsp;The leaders&nbsp;are expected to brief reporters at the end of the summit.

According to the sources, the idea of the summit is to facilitate strategic communication channel at the highest level between India and China.

Earlier on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping drew a parallel between the Indus and Chinese civilizations, both of which sprawled around rivers.

PM Modi and Xi visited the exhibition of Marquis Yi of Zeng Cultural Relics and Treasure at Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan.

"The two leaders had a one-on-one meeting during which they exchanged views on solidifying our bilateral relationship," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

During the talks, Modi offered to host the next informal summit with Xi in India next year. "I'll be happy if, in 2019, we can have such informal summit in India," Modi told Xi.

The Chinese president said he believes in future and they can meet in a format like this from time to time.

"I believe in the future, we will meet in a format like this, from time to time. I look forward to in-depth communication with your Excellency, and ensure we can build common understanding and help to take the China-India relationship to the next level," Xi said.

Billed by both sides as an informal meeting rather than a summit, President Xi and PM Modi held talks on Friday that lasted far longer than expected.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A private lunch will be hosted by the Chinese President later in the day

The two-day-long informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping spills into its second and final day. After holding bilateral discussions on the first day, PM Modi is expected to return to India after spending time exploring the picturesque city of Wuhan along with the Chinese president today. PM Modi will take a walk around a guesthouse with Xi on Saturday, then an hour-long boat trip on a lake followed by lunch, before the meeting ends, according to the Indian Foreign Ministry. The leaders are expected to brief reporters at the end of the summit. According to the sources, the idea of the summit is to facilitate strategic communication channel at the highest level between India and China. Earlier on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping drew a parallel between the Indus and Chinese civilizations, both of which sprawled around rivers. PM Modi and Xi visited the exhibition of Marquis Yi of Zeng Cultural Relics and Treasure at Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan. "The two leaders had a one-on-one meeting during which they exchanged views on solidifying our bilateral relationship," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. During the talks, Modi offered to host the next informal summit with Xi in India next year. "I'll be happy if, in 2019, we can have such informal summit in India," Modi told Xi. The Chinese president said he believes in future and they can meet in a format like this from time to time. "I believe in the future, we will meet in a format like this, from time to time. I look forward to in-depth communication with your Excellency, and ensure we can build common understanding and help to take the China-India relationship to the next level," Xi said. Billed by both sides as an informal meeting rather than a summit, President Xi and PM Modi held talks on Friday that lasted far longer than expected. (With inputs from agencies)

Wuhan summit: On day 2, PM Modi, Xi to bond over boat ride, lavish lunch

In a statement on Saturday Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said that China won't force India to accept its Belt and Road project.&nbsp;

Kong further noted that China does not think that India's acceptance of the project is important.

Kong addressed media at Wuhan after the ongoing informal summit between the PM Modi and President Xi Jinping concluded. He also said that the Xi-regime does not think the Indian government has changed its official position that Tibet is a part of China.

The two-day informal summit between PM Modi and Xi was described as a "forward-looking dialogue"&nbsp;between the two countries by the Ministry of External Affairs earlier today.

"PM Modi and President Xi recognised the common threat posed by terrorism and both reiterated their strong condemnation of a resolute opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Both committed to cooperate further in counter-terrorism," Gokhale added.

India and China also agreed to undertake a joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan at the summit, a move that could upset Pakistan.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Kong further noted that China does not think that India's acceptance of the project is

In a statement on Saturday Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said that China won't force India to accept its Belt and Road project. Kong further noted that China does not think that India's acceptance of the project is important. Kong addressed media at Wuhan after the ongoing informal summit between the PM Modi and President Xi Jinping concluded. He also said that the Xi-regime does not think the Indian government has changed its official position that Tibet is a part of China. The two-day informal summit between PM Modi and Xi was described as a "forward-looking dialogue" between the two countries by the Ministry of External Affairs earlier today. "PM Modi and President Xi recognised the common threat posed by terrorism and both reiterated their strong condemnation of a resolute opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Both committed to cooperate further in counter-terrorism," Gokhale added. India and China also agreed to undertake a joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan at the summit, a move that could upset Pakistan. (With inputs from agencies)

Won't force India to accept Belt and Road project: China

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi held delegation-level talks at Wuhan on Friday as the two leaders engaged each other for the second time in less than a year after the BRICS summit.&nbsp;

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"I hope such informal summits becomes a tradition between both the countries. I'll be happy, if in 2019, we can have such informal summit in India," PM Modi told President Xi as the two began their talks in Hubei.

"India and China have the responsibility to work for 40 per cent of the world population,"&nbsp;Modi told President Xi, adding,"this means trying to successfully get the world rid of many problems. To work together towards this is a big opportunity for us."

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Expanding on his personal equation with President Xi, PM Modi said: "The people of India feel really proud that I'm maybe the first prime minister of India, for whom, you have come out of the capital twice to receive me,"&nbsp;Modi told Xi during the talks.

Acknowledging PM Modi's gesture, President Xi said: "As we meet, the international security is at a crucial period of adjustment. China and India are both important engines for global growth and we are central pillars for promoting a multi-polar and globalised world."

"A good China-India relationship is an important and positive factor for maintaining peace, stability in the world," the Chinese President added.

"I believe in the future. We will meet from time to time. I look forward to having in-depth communication with you, he said, adding, I am sure, we can reach new and important common understandings and help to take the China-India relationship to the next level."

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h8_-6PbzIi8" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Modi and Xi began their delegation talks on Friday

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi held delegation-level talks at Wuhan on Friday as the two leaders engaged each other for the second time in less than a year after the BRICS summit. WATCH: PM Modi and President Xi Jinping hold delegation level talks in Wuhan https://t.co/i28g1LLExD — ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2018 × "I hope such informal summits becomes a tradition between both the countries. I'll be happy, if in 2019, we can have such informal summit in India," PM Modi told President Xi as the two began their talks in Hubei. "India and China have the responsibility to work for 40 per cent of the world population," Modi told President Xi, adding,"this means trying to successfully get the world rid of many problems. To work together towards this is a big opportunity for us." Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Chinese President Xi Jinping hold delegation level talks in Hubei. #China pic.twitter.com/9sUE6G9Ajw — ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2018 × Expanding on his personal equation with President Xi, PM Modi said: "The people of India feel really proud that I'm maybe the first prime minister of India, for whom, you have come out of the capital twice to receive me," Modi told Xi during the talks. Acknowledging PM Modi's gesture, President Xi said: "As we meet, the international security is at a crucial period of adjustment. China and India are both important engines for global growth and we are central pillars for promoting a multi-polar and globalised world." "A good China-India relationship is an important and positive factor for maintaining peace, stability in the world," the Chinese President added. "I believe in the future. We will meet from time to time. I look forward to having in-depth communication with you, he said, adding, I am sure, we can reach new and important common understandings and help to take the China-India relationship to the next level."

'Will be happy if we can have informal summit in India,' Modi to President Xi during delegation-level talks

Ahead of a significant though informal interaction between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, media in China by and large is saying that the Wuhan Summit will focus on a wide range of issues affecting and impacting both India and China, and both will need to manage their differences and focus on taking their existing cooperation to the next level.

Leading newspaper China Daily quoted excerpts from a recent article written by China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui in which said, "Both countries are at a critical stage of economic development and modernisation", and acknowledging that "it is natural for neighbours to have differences (and) that when differences can't be solved, for now, we should properly manage them and focus on cooperation."

The influential hard-line daily Global Times has given the headline "Informal Modi-Xi meeting heralds a new chapter in Sino-Indian relations".

The article suggests that during the Xi-Modi meeting, "China should let India know that Beijing does not define New Delhi as an opponent nor seek to hinder its development."

It further states that "China encourages India and Pakistan to resolve (the) Kashmir conflict in a peaceful way."

The Global Times further suggests that "China should convince India that (the) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (project) is based on promoting economic cooperation "and does not influence China's neutrality".

It further cautions India not to use Tibet as the bargaining chip.

The state-run news agency Xinhua writes that the "Tete-e-tete between the two leaders is going to set the stage for Beijing and New Delhi to further exchange views over (the) long-term and strategic issues and to initiate fresh momentum for future bilateral cooperation."

Placing emphasis on global trade issues, the Xinhua commentary says both Xi and Modi have warned on different occasions of the dire threats of trade barriers to the world economy and that "both countries should firmly stick to the spirit of free trade so as to help maintain current global free trading system with the WTO as (the Centre)."

Another popular media outlet, the Huanqiu.com quoted the Ministry of National Defence, as saying, "Despite the obstacles between two armies, we hold a belief that we need to deepen mutual understanding, increase mutual trust and resolve our disagreements under the guidance of mutual common sense of both leaders.&nbsp;

Both Xi and Modi have warned on different occasions of the dire threats of trade barriers to the world economy

Ahead of a significant though informal interaction between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, media in China by and large is saying that the Wuhan Summit will focus on a wide range of issues affecting and impacting both India and China, and both will need to manage their differences and focus on taking their existing cooperation to the next level. Leading newspaper China Daily quoted excerpts from a recent article written by China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui in which said, "Both countries are at a critical stage of economic development and modernisation", and acknowledging that "it is natural for neighbours to have differences (and) that when differences can't be solved, for now, we should properly manage them and focus on cooperation." The influential hard-line daily Global Times has given the headline "Informal Modi-Xi meeting heralds a new chapter in Sino-Indian relations". The article suggests that during the Xi-Modi meeting, "China should let India know that Beijing does not define New Delhi as an opponent nor seek to hinder its development." It further states that "China encourages India and Pakistan to resolve (the) Kashmir conflict in a peaceful way." The Global Times further suggests that "China should convince India that (the) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (project) is based on promoting economic cooperation "and does not influence China's neutrality". It further cautions India not to use Tibet as the bargaining chip. The state-run news agency Xinhua writes that the "Tete-e-tete between the two leaders is going to set the stage for Beijing and New Delhi to further exchange views over (the) long-term and strategic issues and to initiate fresh momentum for future bilateral cooperation." Placing emphasis on global trade issues, the Xinhua commentary says both Xi and Modi have warned on different occasions of the dire threats of trade barriers to the world economy and that "both countries should firmly stick to the spirit of free trade so as to help maintain current global free trading system with the WTO as (the Centre)." Another popular media outlet, the Huanqiu.com quoted the Ministry of National Defence, as saying, "Despite the obstacles between two armies, we hold a belief that we need to deepen mutual understanding, increase mutual trust and resolve our disagreements under the guidance of mutual common sense of both leaders.

How Chinese media views informal Xi-Modi meet

The two-day-long informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will take place in China's Wuhan city of Hubei province this Friday and Saturday.&nbsp

Both the leaders will hold bilateral meetings and discussions over a range of issues including the border standoffs and US President Donald Trump's 'protectionist' trade policy.&nbsp

"At the informal summit, the two leaders will have heart-to-heart discussions on overarching issues and try to build mutual trust and consensus to resolve outstanding differences," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou told the media.

The city of Wuhan holds great significance for the summit that is in itself historic in nature. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will not sign any agreements or issue a joint statement at the Wuhan summit this week but they will try to build mutual trust and reach important consensus to resolve the outstanding issues.

This informal summit is the first of its kind and there is no precedent in each other's country, Kong noted.

"The frequent exchanges between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in recent years have taken place in various forms. One example is the "hometown diplomacy" as characterized by President Xi Jinping's visit to India in 2014 and Prime Minister Modi's visit to China in 2015," Kong said.&nbsp

"In addition, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi have met several times on the sidelines of the summits of multilateral mechanisms such as BRICS, the G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization," he added.

"During these occasions, they exchanged views on issues of common interest and reached many important consensuses, which has offered strong guidance to the China-India relations and enabled a good working relationship and personal friendship between the two leaders. At the same time, in the face of unprecedented changes in the world today as well as uncertainty and instability in the current international situation, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi, as the leaders of the two largest developing countries, also feel that the two countries need to communicate in great depth on some long-term, comprehensive, and strategic issues embedded in bilateral relations and international affairs."

At Wuhan, the Indo-Sino ties are likely to get an overhaul which could translate into reduced differences and greater consensus between both the countries. The neighbouring countries could emerge as natural partners with deeper understanding and consensus on areas of disagreement.&nbsp

At Wuhan, Xi and Modi may mull over the current state of global affairs and mostly, how to drive international powers toward peace-building and brace-up for tougher global challenges.&nbsp

The leaders may share individual governance experiences to propel their respective nations toward growth and prosperity. Some of the areas of common interest shared by the Modi-government and Xi-led regime include international trade, global energy market, better and stronger representation at the BRICS, the SCO, and the G20.

It must be noted that India's role at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has not been an impressive one, something that has largely and mostly been seen as not conducive for the Europe-Asia enterprise the Wuhan summit thus becomes an opportunity for India to take a future course in such areas.&nbsp

This informal summit is the first of its kind and there is no precedent in each other's country

The two-day-long informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will take place in China's Wuhan city of Hubei province this Friday and Saturday. Both the leaders will hold bilateral meetings and discussions over a range of issues including the border standoffs and US President Donald Trump's 'protectionist' trade policy. "At the informal summit, the two leaders will have heart-to-heart discussions on overarching issues and try to build mutual trust and consensus to resolve outstanding differences," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou told the media. The city of Wuhan holds great significance for the summit that is in itself historic in nature. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will not sign any agreements or issue a joint statement at the Wuhan summit this week but they will try to build mutual trust and reach important consensus to resolve the outstanding issues. This informal summit is the first of its kind and there is no precedent in each other's country, Kong noted. "The frequent exchanges between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in recent years have taken place in various forms. One example is the "hometown diplomacy" as characterized by President Xi Jinping's visit to India in 2014 and Prime Minister Modi's visit to China in 2015," Kong said. "In addition, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi have met several times on the sidelines of the summits of multilateral mechanisms such as BRICS, the G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization," he added. "During these occasions, they exchanged views on issues of common interest and reached many important consensuses, which has offered strong guidance to the China-India relations and enabled a good working relationship and personal friendship between the two leaders. At the same time, in the face of unprecedented changes in the world today as well as uncertainty and instability in the current international situation, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi, as the leaders of the two largest developing countries, also feel that the two countries need to communicate in great depth on some long-term, comprehensive, and strategic issues embedded in bilateral relations and international affairs." At Wuhan, the Indo-Sino ties are likely to get an overhaul which could translate into reduced differences and greater consensus between both the countries. The neighbouring countries could emerge as natural partners with deeper understanding and consensus on areas of disagreement. At Wuhan, Xi and Modi may mull over the current state of global affairs and mostly, how to drive international powers toward peace-building and brace-up for tougher global challenges. The leaders may share individual governance experiences to propel their respective nations toward growth and prosperity. Some of the areas of common interest shared by the Modi-government and Xi-led regime include international trade, global energy market, better and stronger representation at the BRICS, the SCO, and the G20. It must be noted that India's role at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has not been an impressive one, something that has largely and mostly been seen as not conducive for the Europe-Asia enterprise the Wuhan summit thus becomes an opportunity for India to take a future course in such areas.

At Wuhan, Modi, Xi to have heart-to-heart discussions: Chinese VP Xuanyou

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-reassures-pakistan-on-ties-ahead-of-xis-meeting-with-indias-modi-132264">Ties will 'never rust': China reassures Pakistan ahead of Xi's meeting with PM Modi</a>

Ahead of this week's meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China today reassured Pakistan that relations between both the nations would "never rust" and are as firm as ever. &nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-pakistan-having-security-economic-issues-in-cpec-project-132289">China, Pakistan having security, economic issues in CPEC project: Report</a>

The US $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project which is a part of Beijing's promising Belt Road Initiative (BRI) is now turning out to quiet a task in terms of security and in the economic front for China and Pakistan.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/it-is-either-all-or-nothing-says-iran-foreign-minister-over-nuclear-deal--132298">It is either all or nothing, says Iran Foreign Minister over </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/it-is-either-all-or-nothing-says-iran-foreign-minister-over-nuclear-deal--132298">nuclear</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/it-is-either-all-or-nothing-says-iran-foreign-minister-over-nuclear-deal--132298"> deal</a>

The European signatories of Iran's nuclear deal with major powers should convince US President Donald Trump not to exit the accord as there is no "plan B" for the agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Monday (April 23).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dhaka-siliguri-kathmandu-bus-service-goes-on-trial-132320">Dhaka-Siliguri-Kathmandu bus service goes on trial</a>

Government representatives of Bangladesh, India and Nepal launched the tri-nation trial bus service in Dhaka on Monday. Two buses from Dhaka set off for Kathmandu and would transit through Siliguri.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/good-news-sania-mirza-shoaib-malik-are-expecting-a-baby-132324">Good news! Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik are expecting a baby</a>

Tennis champion Sania Mirza and husband, former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, announced on Monday that they are expecting a baby in a post shared by the couple on Twitter and Instagram.&nbsp

Read the five big stories of the day here

Ties will 'never rust': China reassures Pakistan ahead of Xi's meeting with PM Modi Ahead of this week's meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China today reassured Pakistan that relations between both the nations would "never rust" and are as firm as ever. China, Pakistan having security, economic issues in CPEC project: Report The US $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project which is a part of Beijing's promising Belt Road Initiative (BRI) is now turning out to quiet a task in terms of security and in the economic front for China and Pakistan. It is either all or nothing, says Iran Foreign Minister over nuclear deal The European signatories of Iran's nuclear deal with major powers should convince US President Donald Trump not to exit the accord as there is no "plan B" for the agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Monday (April 23). Dhaka-Siliguri-Kathmandu bus service goes on trial Government representatives of Bangladesh, India and Nepal launched the tri-nation trial bus service in Dhaka on Monday. Two buses from Dhaka set off for Kathmandu and would transit through Siliguri. Good news! Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik are expecting a baby Tennis champion Sania Mirza and husband, former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, announced on Monday that they are expecting a baby in a post shared by the couple on Twitter and Instagram.

News brief: Big stories of the day

China on Monday said that President Xi Jinping and his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss United States's "protectionist" trade policy during the 2-day-long summit this week.&nbsp

Both the leaders will also talk about the "unprecedented" global developments in the past 100 years.&nbsp

Modi and Xi will also hold talks over bilateral relations, trade penalties by the US, the Korean peninsula crisis among other issues of pressing concern.&nbsp

"During this meeting, the two leaders will discuss the changes that have taken place and which are unprecedented in the past 100 years and exchange views on the strategic, over-arching and long-term issues concerning our bilateral relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang noted.

"The two sides believe that the strategic and global significance of our relations have become more prominent and our common interests far outweigh our differences," Lu noted.

China and the United States are involved in an ongoing trade spat. The Trump administration has also threatened India with taxes if import duties are not lowered.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Modi and Xi will also hold talks over bilateral relations, trade penalties by the US, the Korean peninsula crisis among other issues

China on Monday said that President Xi Jinping and his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss United States's "protectionist" trade policy during the 2-day-long summit this week. Both the leaders will also talk about the "unprecedented" global developments in the past 100 years. Modi and Xi will also hold talks over bilateral relations, trade penalties by the US, the Korean peninsula crisis among other issues of pressing concern. "During this meeting, the two leaders will discuss the changes that have taken place and which are unprecedented in the past 100 years and exchange views on the strategic, over-arching and long-term issues concerning our bilateral relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang noted. "The two sides believe that the strategic and global significance of our relations have become more prominent and our common interests far outweigh our differences," Lu noted. China and the United States are involved in an ongoing trade spat. The Trump administration has also threatened India with taxes if import duties are not lowered.

Modi, Xi to discuss US' 'protectionist' trade policy during summit

China said on Wednesday it won a pledge from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to denuclearise the Korean peninsula during a meeting with President Xi Jinping, who pledged in return that China would uphold its friendship with its isolated neighbour.

After two days of speculation, China announced on Wednesday that Kim had visited Beijing and met Xi during what the official Xinhua news agency called an unofficial visit from Sunday to Wednesday.

The trip was Kim's first known journey abroad since he assumed power in 2011 and is believed by analysts to serve as preparation for upcoming summits with South Korea and the United States.

Beijing has traditionally been the closest ally of secretive North Korea, but ties have been frayed by North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and China's backing of tough UN&nbsp;sanctions in response.

Xinhua cited Kim as telling Xi that the situation on the Korean peninsula is starting to improve because North Korea has taken the initiative to ease tensions and put forward proposals for peace talks.

"It is our consistent stand to be committed to denuclearisation on the peninsula, in accordance with the will of late President Kim Il Sung and late General Secretary Kim Jong Il," Kim Jong Un said, according to Xinhua.

North Korea is willing to talk with the United States and hold a summit between the two countries, he said.

"The issue of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula can be resolved, if South Korea and the United States respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realisation of peace," Kim said.

Xi told Kim in return that both sides had stated repeatedly that their traditional friendship should be passed on and developed better.

"This is a strategic choice and the only right choice both sides have made based on history and reality, the international and regional structure and the general situation of China-North Korea ties. This should not and will not change because of any single event at a particular time," Xi said.

Xinhua published a photograph of Kim and Xi shaking hands in front of the flags of the two nations.

Speculation about a possible visit by Kim to Beijing was rife earlier this week after a train similar to the one used by Kim's father was seen in the Chinese capital, along with heavy security and a large motorcade.

Kim was accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, Xinhua said.&nbsp;

Xi had accepted an invitation from Kim to visit North Korea, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

Improving ties between North Korea and China would be a positive sign before planned summits involving the two Koreas and the United States, a senior South Korean official said on Tuesday.

Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, met then-president Jiang Zemin in China in 2000 before a summit between the two Koreas in June that year. That visit was seen at the time as reaffirmation of close ties with Beijing.

After two days of speculation, China announced on Wednesday that Kim had visited Beijing and met Xi

China said on Wednesday it won a pledge from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to denuclearise the Korean peninsula during a meeting with President Xi Jinping, who pledged in return that China would uphold its friendship with its isolated neighbour. After two days of speculation, China announced on Wednesday that Kim had visited Beijing and met Xi during what the official Xinhua news agency called an unofficial visit from Sunday to Wednesday. The trip was Kim's first known journey abroad since he assumed power in 2011 and is believed by analysts to serve as preparation for upcoming summits with South Korea and the United States. Beijing has traditionally been the closest ally of secretive North Korea, but ties have been frayed by North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and China's backing of tough UN sanctions in response. Xinhua cited Kim as telling Xi that the situation on the Korean peninsula is starting to improve because North Korea has taken the initiative to ease tensions and put forward proposals for peace talks. "It is our consistent stand to be committed to denuclearisation on the peninsula, in accordance with the will of late President Kim Il Sung and late General Secretary Kim Jong Il," Kim Jong Un said, according to Xinhua. North Korea is willing to talk with the United States and hold a summit between the two countries, he said. "The issue of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula can be resolved, if South Korea and the United States respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realisation of peace," Kim said. Xi told Kim in return that both sides had stated repeatedly that their traditional friendship should be passed on and developed better. "This is a strategic choice and the only right choice both sides have made based on history and reality, the international and regional structure and the general situation of China-North Korea ties. This should not and will not change because of any single event at a particular time," Xi said. Xinhua published a photograph of Kim and Xi shaking hands in front of the flags of the two nations. Speculation about a possible visit by Kim to Beijing was rife earlier this week after a train similar to the one used by Kim's father was seen in the Chinese capital, along with heavy security and a large motorcade. Kim was accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, Xinhua said. Xi had accepted an invitation from Kim to visit North Korea, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said. Improving ties between North Korea and China would be a positive sign before planned summits involving the two Koreas and the United States, a senior South Korean official said on Tuesday. Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, met then-president Jiang Zemin in China in 2000 before a summit between the two Koreas in June that year. That visit was seen at the time as reaffirmation of close ties with Beijing.

China's Xi wins denuclearisation pledge from North Korea's Kim, affirms friendship

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang today unveiled his new Cabinet as part of the government&#39;s efforts to stabilise the world&#39;s second largest economy and appointed a missile expert as the defence minister amidst regional tensions with its neighbours over territorial disputes.

The new line-up approved by the rubber-stamp parliament, the National People&#39;s Congress, includes four Vice Premiers, Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He.

Their names were approved by nearly 3,000 deputies of the NPC after they were proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, who himself was re-appointed to the post under the new political setup headed by President Xi Jinping.

Xi was re-elected last week for a second five-year term, days after the NPC ratified constitutional amendment, removing term limits for President and Vice President. His close confidant and former anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan has been elected as the Vice President.

Vice Premier Liu He is expected to play a bigger role in the management of the Chinese economy, the world&#39;s second largest after the US.

China which was witnessing nearly three decades of double-digit growth slowed down in 2016 with a slight improvement last year. Debt?fuelled investment in infrastructure and real estate has underpinned China&#39;s growth for years.

While Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been elevated as the State Councillor which makes him a top diplomat holding dual posts, another key appointment from India&#39;s point of view was that of the appointment of Lt Gen Wei Fenghe as the new Defence Minister.

Wei is widely regarded as the man behind the international face of China&#39;s rapid military modernisation and its reorganisation.

He played a key role in splitting the strategic missile force into two parts of Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force.

Chen Wenqing remains the security czar overseeing the internal security, including espionage and counterintelligence as well as counter terrorism specially in the volatile Xinjiang province.

Also, the Yi Gang, a reformist has been appointed as the new governor of its central bank, the People&#39;s Bank of China, marking the first change at its helm in 15 years.

He will replace Zhou Xiaochuan who has headed the central bank for more than 15 years during which China has transitioned to become world&#39;s second largest economy replacing Japan.

Yi was deputy to Zhou and was largely regarded as a reformist and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange which oversees the country&#39;s over USD 3 trillion forex reserves, the highest in the world.

The new appointments came as China unveiled a massive reshuffle plan of various ministries to make the government better-structured, more efficient and service-oriented, affecting more than two dozen ministries and organisations.

The new revamped administration will have 26 ministries and commissions of the State Council which is the central Cabinet. The new entities included ministry of natural resources, veterans&#39; affairs and emergency management.

The plan includes merger of the Ministry of Culture and National Tourism Administration into one.

The sweeping changes include the merger of China&#39;s banking and insurance regulators and the setting up of a special bureau to oversee immigration issues.

China has been involved in territorial disputes with its neighbours.

China claims almost all of South China Sea and also laid claims on the Senkaku islands under the control of Japan in East China Sea and resorted to aggressive patrols in the last two years.

China also claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. The India-China border dispute covered 3,488 km along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Another territorial dispute China had with India was on Dokalam. The Dokalam standoff began on June 16 after the People&#39;s Liberation Army&#39;s troops began building a road in an area claimed by Bhutan. The Indian troops intervened to stop it, saying it posed a security risk to the Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its northeastern states.

The standoff ended on August 28 following mutual agreement under which China stopped the road building and India withdrew its troops.&nbsp;

The new line-up approved by the rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, includes four Vice Premiers, Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang today unveiled his new Cabinet as part of the government's efforts to stabilise the world's second largest economy and appointed a missile expert as the defence minister amidst regional tensions with its neighbours over territorial disputes. The new line-up approved by the rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress, includes four Vice Premiers, Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He. Their names were approved by nearly 3,000 deputies of the NPC after they were proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, who himself was re-appointed to the post under the new political setup headed by President Xi Jinping. Xi was re-elected last week for a second five-year term, days after the NPC ratified constitutional amendment, removing term limits for President and Vice President. His close confidant and former anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan has been elected as the Vice President. Vice Premier Liu He is expected to play a bigger role in the management of the Chinese economy, the world's second largest after the US. China which was witnessing nearly three decades of double-digit growth slowed down in 2016 with a slight improvement last year. Debt?fuelled investment in infrastructure and real estate has underpinned China's growth for years. While Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been elevated as the State Councillor which makes him a top diplomat holding dual posts, another key appointment from India's point of view was that of the appointment of Lt Gen Wei Fenghe as the new Defence Minister. Wei is widely regarded as the man behind the international face of China's rapid military modernisation and its reorganisation. He played a key role in splitting the strategic missile force into two parts of Rocket Force and the Strategic Support Force. Chen Wenqing remains the security czar overseeing the internal security, including espionage and counterintelligence as well as counter terrorism specially in the volatile Xinjiang province. Also, the Yi Gang, a reformist has been appointed as the new governor of its central bank, the People's Bank of China, marking the first change at its helm in 15 years. He will replace Zhou Xiaochuan who has headed the central bank for more than 15 years during which China has transitioned to become world's second largest economy replacing Japan. Yi was deputy to Zhou and was largely regarded as a reformist and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange which oversees the country's over USD 3 trillion forex reserves, the highest in the world. The new appointments came as China unveiled a massive reshuffle plan of various ministries to make the government better-structured, more efficient and service-oriented, affecting more than two dozen ministries and organisations. The new revamped administration will have 26 ministries and commissions of the State Council which is the central Cabinet. The new entities included ministry of natural resources, veterans' affairs and emergency management. The plan includes merger of the Ministry of Culture and National Tourism Administration into one. The sweeping changes include the merger of China's banking and insurance regulators and the setting up of a special bureau to oversee immigration issues. China has been involved in territorial disputes with its neighbours. China claims almost all of South China Sea and also laid claims on the Senkaku islands under the control of Japan in East China Sea and resorted to aggressive patrols in the last two years. China also claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. The India-China border dispute covered 3,488 km along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Another territorial dispute China had with India was on Dokalam. The Dokalam standoff began on June 16 after the People's Liberation Army's troops began building a road in an area claimed by Bhutan. The Indian troops intervened to stop it, saying it posed a security risk to the Chicken Neck, the narrow corridor connecting India with its northeastern states. The standoff ended on August 28 following mutual agreement under which China stopped the road building and India withdrew its troops.

China unveils brand new Cabinet to run revamped government under Xi

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday discussed overcapacity in world steel markets and agreed to work on solutions within the framework of the G20 group of industrialised nations, Merkel`s spokesman said.

The two leaders emphasised close ties between the two countries, which are both facing planned U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs, and agreed to deepen the strategic partnership between them, Steffen Seibert said in a statement.

He said Merkel invited the Chinese government to visit Berlin for consultations, and Xi invited Merkel to visit China. They also discussed the current situation in North Korea regarding its nuclear and missile development efforts.&nbsp;

The two leaders emphasised close ties between the two countries

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday discussed overcapacity in world steel markets and agreed to work on solutions within the framework of the G20 group of industrialised nations, Merkel`s spokesman said. The two leaders emphasised close ties between the two countries, which are both facing planned U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs, and agreed to deepen the strategic partnership between them, Steffen Seibert said in a statement. He said Merkel invited the Chinese government to visit Berlin for consultations, and Xi invited Merkel to visit China. They also discussed the current situation in North Korea regarding its nuclear and missile development efforts.

Merkel, Xi agree to work on steel overcapacity within G20

A vice minister of public security, a close confidant of President Xi Jinping, is tipped to take over as China&#39;s spymaster, five sources said, as the country looks to clean up its security apparatus and plug intelligence gaps.

China has poured billions of yuan into domestic security, but the secretive Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security in recent years have been hit with high-level corruption scandals and intelligence failings.

Wang Xiaohong, 60, a vice minister of public security, will replace Chen Wenqing as minister of state security during the session of parliament which begins on March 5, three sources with ties to the leadership and two foreign diplomats said.

Chen, 58, will become the country&#39;s top prosecutor after a little more than a year as minister of state security, three of the sources said. The ministry is responsible for counter-intelligence, foreign intelligence and national security.

The change of guard is part of a broader cabinet reshuffle during the two-week parliamentary session.

Wang and President Xi have long-standing ties. Wang is a native of the southeastern province of Fujian, where Xi spent 17 years cutting his teeth from 1985 to 2002.

Wang was deputy director of the Public Security Bureau of Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian, from 1993 to 1998 and the city&#39;s top police official from 1998 to 2002. Xi was Fuzhou party boss from 1990 to 1996 and provincial deputy party secretary until 2002.

&quot;They are very close,&quot; a source with leadership ties said. &quot;Wang Xiaohong used to help look after Xi Jinping&#39;s daughter.&quot;

A second source with leadership ties said Wang&#39;s rise had been fast-tracked in the same vein as other allies whose careers had overlapped with Xi in Fujian, most notably the Beijing party secretary Cai Qi, and Huang Kunming, who was promoted to head the central propaganda department late last year.&nbsp;

Wang, a one-time fan factory worker joined the police force in Minhou county in Fujian in 1979.

Neither the Communist Party&#39;s Organisation Department, which oversees personnel decisions, nor the State Council Information Office, which doubles as the party spokesman&#39;s office, responded to a request for comment.&nbsp;

The Ministry of State Security does not have publicly listed contacts.

Xi has made bolstering security, both domestic and overseas, a priority.

In 2013, a year after Xi assumed power, China set up a new national security commission, which Xi also heads. While details of exactly how it operates and what it does are sketchy, the government has implied it has more of a domestic focus.

Experts say it is based on the National Security Council in the United States and would increase coordination among the various wings of China&#39;s security bureaucracy, split now among the police, military, intelligence and diplomatic services.

Possible international flashpoints for China include North Korea, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The Ministry of State Security is also still recovering from a graft scandal.

In 2015, Ma Jian, then counter-intelligence chief at the ministry, was put under investigation for corruption and expelled from the party the following year. There has been no official update on his case since February last year, when China&#39;s judiciary said it would prosecute him for suspected bribery.&nbsp;

A video confession surfaced on Chinese websites and social media in April in which Ma admitted to accepting bribes. He also said he abused his position to help China&#39;s highest profile fugitive, Guo Wengui, an exiled US-based billionaire who has made incendiary claims of corruption at the highest levels of the Chinese government.

Guo has denied Ma&#39;s allegations.

Ma, once a vice minister of state security, is the most senior security official to be investigated since the former domestic security tsar Zhou Yongkang was ensnared in a graft scandal and jailed for life in 2015.

The government announced in February last year that Ma would be prosecuted, but has given no other information since.

&quot;He&#39;s coming in to sort out the mess Ma left behind,&quot; said one Asian diplomat, speaking of Wang, the likely new minister.

While China&#39;s domestic security spending outstrips defence spending, though the government stopped providing exact figures four years ago, it has also struggled with some pointed intelligence failures.

One of those has been to prevent Uighurs, a Muslim people from China&#39;s far western region of Xinjiang, from travelling clandestinely to Turkey via Southeast Asia, where China says some of them have joined militant groups in Syria and Iraq.

&quot;China has poor intelligence on their movements and has been unable to produce much evidence&quot; that they are indeed involved in militancy, said another diplomatic source, who is familiar with Chinese efforts to prevent the Uighurs from leaving and then trying and get them deported back to China. 
&nbsp;

A vice minister of public security, a close confidant of President Xi Jinping, is tipped to take over as China's spymaster

A vice minister of public security, a close confidant of President Xi Jinping, is tipped to take over as China's spymaster, five sources said, as the country looks to clean up its security apparatus and plug intelligence gaps. China has poured billions of yuan into domestic security, but the secretive Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security in recent years have been hit with high-level corruption scandals and intelligence failings. Wang Xiaohong, 60, a vice minister of public security, will replace Chen Wenqing as minister of state security during the session of parliament which begins on March 5, three sources with ties to the leadership and two foreign diplomats said. Chen, 58, will become the country's top prosecutor after a little more than a year as minister of state security, three of the sources said. The ministry is responsible for counter-intelligence, foreign intelligence and national security. The change of guard is part of a broader cabinet reshuffle during the two-week parliamentary session. Wang and President Xi have long-standing ties. Wang is a native of the southeastern province of Fujian, where Xi spent 17 years cutting his teeth from 1985 to 2002. Wang was deputy director of the Public Security Bureau of Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian, from 1993 to 1998 and the city's top police official from 1998 to 2002. Xi was Fuzhou party boss from 1990 to 1996 and provincial deputy party secretary until 2002. "They are very close," a source with leadership ties said. "Wang Xiaohong used to help look after Xi Jinping's daughter." A second source with leadership ties said Wang's rise had been fast-tracked in the same vein as other allies whose careers had overlapped with Xi in Fujian, most notably the Beijing party secretary Cai Qi, and Huang Kunming, who was promoted to head the central propaganda department late last year. Wang, a one-time fan factory worker joined the police force in Minhou county in Fujian in 1979. Neither the Communist Party's Organisation Department, which oversees personnel decisions, nor the State Council Information Office, which doubles as the party spokesman's office, responded to a request for comment. The Ministry of State Security does not have publicly listed contacts. Xi has made bolstering security, both domestic and overseas, a priority. In 2013, a year after Xi assumed power, China set up a new national security commission, which Xi also heads. While details of exactly how it operates and what it does are sketchy, the government has implied it has more of a domestic focus. Experts say it is based on the National Security Council in the United States and would increase coordination among the various wings of China's security bureaucracy, split now among the police, military, intelligence and diplomatic services. Possible international flashpoints for China include North Korea, Taiwan and the South China Sea. The Ministry of State Security is also still recovering from a graft scandal. In 2015, Ma Jian, then counter-intelligence chief at the ministry, was put under investigation for corruption and expelled from the party the following year. There has been no official update on his case since February last year, when China's judiciary said it would prosecute him for suspected bribery. A video confession surfaced on Chinese websites and social media in April in which Ma admitted to accepting bribes. He also said he abused his position to help China's highest profile fugitive, Guo Wengui, an exiled US-based billionaire who has made incendiary claims of corruption at the highest levels of the Chinese government. Guo has denied Ma's allegations. Ma, once a vice minister of state security, is the most senior security official to be investigated since the former domestic security tsar Zhou Yongkang was ensnared in a graft scandal and jailed for life in 2015. The government announced in February last year that Ma would be prosecuted, but has given no other information since. "He's coming in to sort out the mess Ma left behind," said one Asian diplomat, speaking of Wang, the likely new minister. While China's domestic security spending outstrips defence spending, though the government stopped providing exact figures four years ago, it has also struggled with some pointed intelligence failures. One of those has been to prevent Uighurs, a Muslim people from China's far western region of Xinjiang, from travelling clandestinely to Turkey via Southeast Asia, where China says some of them have joined militant groups in Syria and Iraq. "China has poor intelligence on their movements and has been unable to produce much evidence" that they are indeed involved in militancy, said another diplomatic source, who is familiar with Chinese efforts to prevent the Uighurs from leaving and then trying and get them deported back to China.

Xi confidant set to become China's new spymaster

Justin Trudeau is in India on a seven-day state visit but nobody will blame you if you haven&#39;t yet noticed.&nbsp;

The Canadian Prime Minister flew into India with his wife and three children on Saturday and he has a fairly bulky -- if light on substance -- itinerary but the very popular Trudeau has been little more than a blip on the Indian media scene.&nbsp;

On Monday, Trudeau did all the things one usually does in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

He visited Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s Sabarmati Ashram, the Akshardham Temple, and will at 3 pm participate in an armchair discussion on education and investment opportunities at the Indian Institute of Management.&nbsp;

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Candian PM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JustinTrudeau?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JustinTrudeau</a> along with his wife Sophie and children Xavier, Hadrien &amp; Ella-Grace at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. <a href="https://t.co/GfuuuCUZ7t">pic.twitter.com/GfuuuCUZ7t</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965469168345763840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On Sunday, the Trudeau family had visited the Taj Mahal:&nbsp;&nbsp;

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I was about Xav&#39;s age when I first visited the Taj Mahal almost 35 years ago... and it&#39;s amazing to be back with him &amp; the family on Day 1 of our trip to India. <a href="https://t.co/EN6VnkYBU2">pic.twitter.com/EN6VnkYBU2</a>
&mdash; Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/965241885903040512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Which is all well and good -- these are the sort of things visiting state leaders usually do. The only difference is they are usually closely accompanied by an Indian bigwig.&nbsp;

Remember Modi and Netanyahu?&nbsp;Even Modi and China&#39;s Xi, sitting on a jhoola in Ahmedabad?&nbsp;

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Modi and Xi in Ahmedabad. (Twitter)
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Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/can-trudeau-and-modi-hit-it-off-trudeau-family-shares-modis-passion-for-yoga-8453" target="_blank">Can Trudeau and Modi hit it off?</a>

When Netanyahu visited the Taj, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had shown him around the eternal monument to love.&nbsp;

Modi had also received Netanyahu personally at the airport. He was of course only returning the favour; the Israeli PM had done the same for Modi when he visited Israel in July 2017.&nbsp;

When Trudeau arrived in Delhi however, he was met by minister of state for agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat:&nbsp;

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The message is clear at the airport : India sent minister of state for agriculture to invite Trudeau . That&rsquo;s like a parl sec in Canada ! Don&rsquo;t think anyone so junior ever been sent to ANY foreign leader ! Wow. That&rsquo;s how bad Canada -India relations are now . <a href="https://t.co/kIOQILcRNk">pic.twitter.com/kIOQILcRNk</a>
&mdash; Vijay Sappani (@VJsapps) <a href="https://twitter.com/VJsapps/status/964885451197722625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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News outlets have been quick to pick up the &quot;snub&quot;, blaming it on Trudeau appointing Canadian Sikh leaders with links to the separatist Khalistan movement to his cabinet.&nbsp;

Trudeau has reportedly also said the Sikh leaders are entitled to support independence for Khalistan.&nbsp;

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On official state visits to India, PM Modi personally greets and welcomes the Israeli PM, UAE Crown Prince and US President. For PM Trudeau, he sends a low-ranking official. &ldquo;Canada is back&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/ezsMtFTPzr">pic.twitter.com/ezsMtFTPzr</a>
&mdash; Candice Malcolm (@CandiceMalcolm) <a href="https://twitter.com/CandiceMalcolm/status/964970680142897152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The government however has been quick to deny the reports of a snub, with news reports quoting sources in the government as saying the prime minister cannot possibly personally accompany every single visiting head of state.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

News reports quoted sources in the government as saying Prime Minister Modi cannot personally accompany every visiting head of state

Justin Trudeau is in India on a seven-day state visit but nobody will blame you if you haven't yet noticed. The Canadian Prime Minister flew into India with his wife and three children on Saturday and he has a fairly bulky -- if light on substance -- itinerary but the very popular Trudeau has been little more than a blip on the Indian media scene. On Monday, Trudeau did all the things one usually does in Ahmedabad. He visited Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, the Akshardham Temple, and will at 3 pm participate in an armchair discussion on education and investment opportunities at the Indian Institute of Management. Candian PM #JustinTrudeau along with his wife Sophie and children Xavier, Hadrien & Ella-Grace at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. pic.twitter.com/GfuuuCUZ7t — ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2018 × On Sunday, the Trudeau family had visited the Taj Mahal: I was about Xav's age when I first visited the Taj Mahal almost 35 years ago... and it's amazing to be back with him & the family on Day 1 of our trip to India. pic.twitter.com/EN6VnkYBU2 — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 18, 2018 × Which is all well and good -- these are the sort of things visiting state leaders usually do. The only difference is they are usually closely accompanied by an Indian bigwig. Remember Modi and Netanyahu? Even Modi and China's Xi, sitting on a jhoola in Ahmedabad? Modi and Xi in Ahmedabad. (Twitter) × Also watch: Can Trudeau and Modi hit it off? When Netanyahu visited the Taj, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had shown him around the eternal monument to love. Modi had also received Netanyahu personally at the airport. He was of course only returning the favour; the Israeli PM had done the same for Modi when he visited Israel in July 2017. When Trudeau arrived in Delhi however, he was met by minister of state for agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: The message is clear at the airport : India sent minister of state for agriculture to invite Trudeau . That’s like a parl sec in Canada ! Don’t think anyone so junior ever been sent to ANY foreign leader ! Wow. That’s how bad Canada -India relations are now . pic.twitter.com/kIOQILcRNk — Vijay Sappani (@VJsapps) February 17, 2018 × News outlets have been quick to pick up the "snub", blaming it on Trudeau appointing Canadian Sikh leaders with links to the separatist Khalistan movement to his cabinet. Trudeau has reportedly also said the Sikh leaders are entitled to support independence for Khalistan. On official state visits to India, PM Modi personally greets and welcomes the Israeli PM, UAE Crown Prince and US President. For PM Trudeau, he sends a low-ranking official. “Canada is back” pic.twitter.com/ezsMtFTPzr — Candice Malcolm (@CandiceMalcolm) February 17, 2018 × The government however has been quick to deny the reports of a snub, with news reports quoting sources in the government as saying the prime minister cannot possibly personally accompany every single visiting head of state.

Canada seems to think India is snubbing Trudeau, govt says no

China&#39;s president Xi Jinping called US president Trump today as the two leaders spoke on the North Korean crisis.

China&#39;s state media said President Xi Jinping told Trump that easing of tensions on the Korean peninsula must continue.

During the phone call, pointed out that the situation on the Korean peninsula has shown some &quot;positive changes&quot;, Xinhua news service reported.

North and South Korean officials have been meeting for th past two weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed the hope to send a delegation for the Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea next month.

&quot;All sides concerned should make joint efforts to keep up the hard-won momentum for the easing of the situation on the Korean peninsula and create conditions to restart talks,&quot; Xi told Trump during the brief phone call.

Xi also urged Trump to take a &quot;hardline&quot; on trade imbalance between the two countries and to adopt &quot;constructive means&quot; to properly settle economic and trade issue.

Xi also urged Trump to take a "hardline" on trade imbalance between the two countries and to adopt "constructive means" to properly settle economic and trade issue.

China's president Xi Jinping called US president Trump today as the two leaders spoke on the North Korean crisis. China's state media said President Xi Jinping told Trump that easing of tensions on the Korean peninsula must continue. During the phone call, pointed out that the situation on the Korean peninsula has shown some "positive changes", Xinhua news service reported. North and South Korean officials have been meeting for th past two weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed the hope to send a delegation for the Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea next month. "All sides concerned should make joint efforts to keep up the hard-won momentum for the easing of the situation on the Korean peninsula and create conditions to restart talks," Xi told Trump during the brief phone call. Xi also urged Trump to take a "hardline" on trade imbalance between the two countries and to adopt "constructive means" to properly settle economic and trade issue.

President Xi calls up Trump to talk on North Korea

China will have a &quot;say&quot; on all major international issues and actively push its Belt and Road initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year message today.

Xi said China will resolutely uphold the authority and status of the UN, actively fulfil China&#39;s international obligations and duties.

He also said that China will remain firmly committed to the pledges to tackle climate change, actively push for the BRI and always be a builder of world peace, contributor of global development and keeper of international order.

&quot;As a responsible major country, China has something to say,&quot; Xi said in his first New Year address of his second-five year term, telecast live all over the country.

The BRI through which China seeks to build its influence in the world through a host road, rail and port connectivity projects also incorporates China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

India has objected to the CPEC as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. China defends it saying that it is a connectivity project and it will not impact its stand on the Kashmir issue.

Xi said the Chinese people are ready to chart out a more prosperous, peaceful future for humanity, with people from other countries.

On the domestic front, Xi, in a surprise admission, said there were areas where the government&#39;s work fell short of expectations.

Though progress has been made, he said, issues of public concern remain, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

&quot;That is why we should strengthen our sense of responsibility and do a good job of ensuring the people&#39;s well-being,&quot; Xi said.

&quot;The well-being of our people is the Party and the government&#39;s greatest political achievement. Our cadres should put the people&#39;s state of living at the heart, and help them live a better life,&quot; he said.

He vowed to eradicate poverty. China claims it has eradicated poverty among over 650 million people in the last three decades.

By 2020, all rural residents living below the current poverty line would be lifted out of poverty, Xi said, adding that it will be the first time in China&#39;s history that extreme poverty will be completely eliminated.

&quot;It is our solemn promise. Only three years are left to 2020. Every one of us must be called to action, do our best, take targeted measures to secure victories one after another,&quot; he said.

&quot;This is a great cause, important to both the Chinese nation and humanity. Let&#39;s do it together and make it happen,&quot; he said.

He also said China would resolutely carry out reform in 2018.

&quot;We will take the opportunity of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening-up in 2018 to further carry out reform, as reform and opening-up is the path we must take to make progress in contemporary China and to realise the Chinese dream,&quot; Xi said.

China&#39;s great achievement of development was made by the people and for the people, and that among the people&#39;s most pressing concerns were education, employment, income, social security, healthcare, elderly care, housing and environmental protection, he said.

He extended New Year greetings to all Chinese and best wishes to friends all over the world.&nbsp;

Xi said China will resolutely uphold the authority and status of the UN, actively fulfil China's international obligations and duties.

China will have a "say" on all major international issues and actively push its Belt and Road initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year message today. Xi said China will resolutely uphold the authority and status of the UN, actively fulfil China's international obligations and duties. He also said that China will remain firmly committed to the pledges to tackle climate change, actively push for the BRI and always be a builder of world peace, contributor of global development and keeper of international order. "As a responsible major country, China has something to say," Xi said in his first New Year address of his second-five year term, telecast live all over the country. The BRI through which China seeks to build its influence in the world through a host road, rail and port connectivity projects also incorporates China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India has objected to the CPEC as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. China defends it saying that it is a connectivity project and it will not impact its stand on the Kashmir issue. Xi said the Chinese people are ready to chart out a more prosperous, peaceful future for humanity, with people from other countries. On the domestic front, Xi, in a surprise admission, said there were areas where the government's work fell short of expectations. Though progress has been made, he said, issues of public concern remain, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. "That is why we should strengthen our sense of responsibility and do a good job of ensuring the people's well-being," Xi said. "The well-being of our people is the Party and the government's greatest political achievement. Our cadres should put the people's state of living at the heart, and help them live a better life," he said. He vowed to eradicate poverty. China claims it has eradicated poverty among over 650 million people in the last three decades. By 2020, all rural residents living below the current poverty line would be lifted out of poverty, Xi said, adding that it will be the first time in China's history that extreme poverty will be completely eliminated. "It is our solemn promise. Only three years are left to 2020. Every one of us must be called to action, do our best, take targeted measures to secure victories one after another," he said. "This is a great cause, important to both the Chinese nation and humanity. Let's do it together and make it happen," he said. He also said China would resolutely carry out reform in 2018. "We will take the opportunity of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening-up in 2018 to further carry out reform, as reform and opening-up is the path we must take to make progress in contemporary China and to realise the Chinese dream," Xi said. China's great achievement of development was made by the people and for the people, and that among the people's most pressing concerns were education, employment, income, social security, healthcare, elderly care, housing and environmental protection, he said. He extended New Year greetings to all Chinese and best wishes to friends all over the world.

China will have a 'say' on all major international issues, says Xi Jinping in New Year message

President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s position before and after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has a very little direct impact on India. Notwithstanding Xi&#39;s boastful speeches to his captive audience&nbsp;at the conference, there is not much change in the stance and drivers steering China &ndash; India relations.

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Evidently, there is no appreciable change in the areas of convergence and divergence in the national interest of two countries. India is unlikely to join&nbsp;Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or China&ndash;Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) even if Xi has included these in the Chinese constitution. These initiatives are seen as no worth to India and clearly as violating Indian sovereignty.

Rather, indirect factors may cause a major difference for India. For instance, some of our common neighbours may give in to the more aggressive &lsquo;Purse diplomacy&rsquo; of China or may even get coerced into accepting it. Maldives signing free-trade agreement (FTA) with China, land grabbing efforts of China in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan are few such examples affecting Indian security adversely, which India needs to work on.

With a greater possibility of facing an aggressive, unchecked Xi Jinping, India needs to work on enhancing hard as well as soft power. China&rsquo;s strategic leveraging of water sources by diverting it or flooding it (being upper riparian country) is a new threat to South Asia, which India needs to be prepared for.

When President Trump indicated his enthusiasm to work with India to improve capabilities of Indian military on the sidelines of the&nbsp;ASEAN summit, it has some positive message for India, because no nation has ever become a recognisable power in global history without a strong military. Besides ongoing efforts to strengthen Indian military, we also need to increase the pace of infrastructure development on the borders and Northeastern region.

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<h5>India is better located to be the hub of global sea lanes with lesser choke points.</h5>
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On the diplomatic side, we need to not only &lsquo;Act East&rsquo; but &lsquo;Act West&rsquo; also. India is better located to be the hub of global sea lanes with lesser choke points on either side, and is working towards this capability to provide an alternate model of global connectivity like Asia- Africa Growth Corridor connecting further West.

The inauguration of Chabahar port in Iran, with an opportunity to connect with Afghanistan, CAR, and further West carries the message that determined nations will find its way even if blocked by adversarial designs. If India could stand up to China to protect its strategic choices during Doklam episode, I am sure that it can do the same in future as well, on its own strength. Any leverage we derive from friendly countries/groupings/strategic partnerships/alliances should be treated as a bonus.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

If India could stand up to China to protect its strategic choices during Doklam issue then it can do the same in future as well, on its own strength

President Xi Jinping’s position before and after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has a very little direct impact on India. Notwithstanding Xi's boastful speeches to his captive audience at the conference, there is not much change in the stance and drivers steering China – India relations. India is unlikely to join BRI or CPEC, even if he has included it in the Chinese constitution. × Evidently, there is no appreciable change in the areas of convergence and divergence in the national interest of two countries. India is unlikely to join Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) even if Xi has included these in the Chinese constitution. These initiatives are seen as no worth to India and clearly as violating Indian sovereignty. Rather, indirect factors may cause a major difference for India. For instance, some of our common neighbours may give in to the more aggressive ‘Purse diplomacy’ of China or may even get coerced into accepting it. Maldives signing free-trade agreement (FTA) with China, land grabbing efforts of China in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan are few such examples affecting Indian security adversely, which India needs to work on. With a greater possibility of facing an aggressive, unchecked Xi Jinping, India needs to work on enhancing hard as well as soft power. China’s strategic leveraging of water sources by diverting it or flooding it (being upper riparian country) is a new threat to South Asia, which India needs to be prepared for. When President Trump indicated his enthusiasm to work with India to improve capabilities of Indian military on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, it has some positive message for India, because no nation has ever become a recognisable power in global history without a strong military. Besides ongoing efforts to strengthen Indian military, we also need to increase the pace of infrastructure development on the borders and Northeastern region. India is better located to be the hub of global sea lanes with lesser choke points. × On the diplomatic side, we need to not only ‘Act East’ but ‘Act West’ also. India is better located to be the hub of global sea lanes with lesser choke points on either side, and is working towards this capability to provide an alternate model of global connectivity like Asia- Africa Growth Corridor connecting further West. The inauguration of Chabahar port in Iran, with an opportunity to connect with Afghanistan, CAR, and further West carries the message that determined nations will find its way even if blocked by adversarial designs. If India could stand up to China to protect its strategic choices during Doklam episode, I am sure that it can do the same in future as well, on its own strength. Any leverage we derive from friendly countries/groupings/strategic partnerships/alliances should be treated as a bonus. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: What does Xi's autocratic position mean for India?

Maldives President Abdulla <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/eye-on-obor-after-beidou-satellite-launch-china-aims-to-build-own-global-positioning-system-23603">Yameen Abdul Gayoom met Chinese President Xi </a>Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing today and pledged to support China&#39;s One Belt, One Road initiative(OBOR).

During the meeting, the Chinese premier told President Gayoom that Maldives is an &quot;important partner&quot; in the construction of the 21st century maritime Silk Road, Reuters reported.

&quot;Belt and Road Initiative squares with the development strategies of the Maldives,&quot; Xi told Gayoom.

Xi said he hoped the Maldives would continue to support China&#39;s cooperation with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

&quot;The Belt and Road initiative has greatly helped the development of many small and medium countries,&quot; Gayoom told Xi, Reuters said.

The OBOR project is President Xi&#39;s key foreign policy agenda which is now enshrined in the Chinese constitution.

China aims to build road and railway network across Asia connecting Europe and Africa to boost trade, hoping for reciprocal cooperation by participating countries.

Gayoom is the first Asian leader to visit China since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in October which re-elected Xi as the general secretary of CPC Central Committee.

The two presidents signed twelve agreements including a memorandum of understanding(MoU) on OBOR and a free trade agreement.

China has signed several agreements with Pakistan on OBOR. The Chinese authorities are also keen to get Nepal and Myanmar to sign-up to the OBOR project.

Chinese premier told President Gayoom that Maldives is an "important partner" in the construction of the 21st century maritime Silk Road

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing today and pledged to support China's One Belt, One Road initiative(OBOR). During the meeting, the Chinese premier told President Gayoom that Maldives is an "important partner" in the construction of the 21st century maritime Silk Road, Reuters reported. "Belt and Road Initiative squares with the development strategies of the Maldives," Xi told Gayoom. Xi said he hoped the Maldives would continue to support China's cooperation with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. "The Belt and Road initiative has greatly helped the development of many small and medium countries," Gayoom told Xi, Reuters said. The OBOR project is President Xi's key foreign policy agenda which is now enshrined in the Chinese constitution. China aims to build road and railway network across Asia connecting Europe and Africa to boost trade, hoping for reciprocal cooperation by participating countries. Gayoom is the first Asian leader to visit China since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in October which re-elected Xi as the general secretary of CPC Central Committee. The two presidents signed twelve agreements including a memorandum of understanding(MoU) on OBOR and a free trade agreement. China has signed several agreements with Pakistan on OBOR. The Chinese authorities are also keen to get Nepal and Myanmar to sign-up to the OBOR project.

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen backs China's OBOR, signs MoU

US President Donald Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a &quot;highly respected and powerful representative of his people&quot; on Friday as he wrapped up his first state visit to Beijing.

Trump showered his host with accolades during two days of meetings during which the US leader sought to convince Xi to do more to reduce a trade deficit with China and rein in nuclear-armed North Korea.

&quot;My meetings with President Xi Jinping were very productive on both trade and the subject of North Korea,&quot; the US leader wrote on Twitter before flying to Vietnam for an Asia-Pacific summit.

&quot;He is a highly respected and powerful representative of his people. It was great being with him and Madame Peng Liyuan!&quot; he said, referring to Xi&#39;s wife.

Trump has repeatedly congratulated Xi for his reappointment as head of the Communist Party at a congress last month where he consolidated power -- raising eyebrows over the admiration of a non-democratic process.

US and Chinese firms signed more than $250 billion in business deals during Trump&#39;s visit, though analysts say many were nonbinding agreements that could take years to show any results and would do little to reduce the US-China trade imbalance.

Trump, who has softened his past criticism of China, again lambasted past US administrations for allowing the $350 billion trade deficit to balloon over the years.

&quot;I don&#39;t blame China, I blame the incompetence of past Admins for allowing China to take advantage of the US on trade leading up to a point where the US is losing $100&#39;s of billions,&quot; he wrote as he again circumvented China&#39;s Twitter ban.

&quot;How can you blame China for taking advantage of people that had no clue? I would&#39;ve done same!&quot;

China was the showpiece of Trump&#39;s five-nation tour of Asia, which ends on Monday.

During their talks on Thursday, Trump thanked Xi for his backing of United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang and China&#39;s own restrictions on banking for North Koreans.

While Xi said China was committed to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, he did not announce any new steps to squeeze the reclusive regime.

&#39;Very special man&#39;

Xi and Trump have struck up a friendship since their first meeting at the former real estate tycoon&#39;s Mar-a-Lago resort in April.

Xi treated Trump to a lavish &quot;state visit-plus&quot; that included a private tour of the Forbidden City, a military honour guard and a banquet.

The US leader called his host a &quot;very special man&quot; and showed him a video of his granddaughter singing ballads in Mandarin. The two men will be in the same room again at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in the Vietnamese resort of Danang.

First Lady Melania Trump did not join the president for the rest of his Asian tour, staying in Beijing on Friday to continue the US charm offensive. She will see pandas and visit the Great Wall.

&quot;Melania is staying behind to see the zoo, and of course, the Great WALL of China before going to Alaska to greet our AMAZING troops,&quot; Trump tweeted.

Trump, who wants to build his own massive wall along the US-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration, did not visit the Great Wall -- a usual stop for US presidents.

Chinese state-run media hailed the positive tone of the state visit, though the China Daily said in an editorial that &quot;the differences that had been pestering bilateral ties have not instantly disappeared&quot;.

Trump praised the Chinese president as a 'highly respected and powerful representative of his people'

US President Donald Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a "highly respected and powerful representative of his people" on Friday as he wrapped up his first state visit to Beijing. Trump showered his host with accolades during two days of meetings during which the US leader sought to convince Xi to do more to reduce a trade deficit with China and rein in nuclear-armed North Korea. "My meetings with President Xi Jinping were very productive on both trade and the subject of North Korea," the US leader wrote on Twitter before flying to Vietnam for an Asia-Pacific summit. "He is a highly respected and powerful representative of his people. It was great being with him and Madame Peng Liyuan!" he said, referring to Xi's wife. Trump has repeatedly congratulated Xi for his reappointment as head of the Communist Party at a congress last month where he consolidated power -- raising eyebrows over the admiration of a non-democratic process. US and Chinese firms signed more than $250 billion in business deals during Trump's visit, though analysts say many were nonbinding agreements that could take years to show any results and would do little to reduce the US-China trade imbalance. Trump, who has softened his past criticism of China, again lambasted past US administrations for allowing the $350 billion trade deficit to balloon over the years. "I don't blame China, I blame the incompetence of past Admins for allowing China to take advantage of the US on trade leading up to a point where the US is losing $100's of billions," he wrote as he again circumvented China's Twitter ban. "How can you blame China for taking advantage of people that had no clue? I would've done same!" China was the showpiece of Trump's five-nation tour of Asia, which ends on Monday. During their talks on Thursday, Trump thanked Xi for his backing of United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang and China's own restrictions on banking for North Koreans. While Xi said China was committed to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, he did not announce any new steps to squeeze the reclusive regime. 'Very special man' Xi and Trump have struck up a friendship since their first meeting at the former real estate tycoon's Mar-a-Lago resort in April. Xi treated Trump to a lavish "state visit-plus" that included a private tour of the Forbidden City, a military honour guard and a banquet. The US leader called his host a "very special man" and showed him a video of his granddaughter singing ballads in Mandarin. The two men will be in the same room again at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in the Vietnamese resort of Danang. First Lady Melania Trump did not join the president for the rest of his Asian tour, staying in Beijing on Friday to continue the US charm offensive. She will see pandas and visit the Great Wall. "Melania is staying behind to see the zoo, and of course, the Great WALL of China before going to Alaska to greet our AMAZING troops," Trump tweeted. Trump, who wants to build his own massive wall along the US-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration, did not visit the Great Wall -- a usual stop for US presidents. Chinese state-run media hailed the positive tone of the state visit, though the China Daily said in an editorial that "the differences that had been pestering bilateral ties have not instantly disappeared".

Trump praises China's 'highly respected' Xi, wraps up visit

China today signed a deal to buy 300 Boeing airplanes even as President Trump pointed at &quot;one-sided and unfair&quot; US trade deficit with Beijing.

During the&nbsp;signing of the multi-billion dollar US-China Boeing deal, Trump said: After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for the sake of its citizens?&quot; adding, &quot;this out-of-control trade deficit to take place and to grow&quot;.

&quot;I don&#39;t blame China,&quot; Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping.

&quot;We have to fix this because it just doesn&#39;t work, for our great American companies, and it doesn&rsquo;t work for our great American workers,&quot; Trump added.

America&#39;s Boing and European company Airbus have been competing hard for several years to corner the Chinese market which has grown exponentially.

According to the data by Civil Aviation Administration of China, 487 million the number of domestic and international journeys made last year in China.

The surge in air traffic has been fueled by a growing middle class in China with analysts predicting China will surpass the US &nbsp;as the world&#39;s largest commercial aviation market by 2030.&nbsp;

During the meeting with Trump, Xi said: &quot;I will encourage Chinese businesses to do more investment in US and at the same time, invite more US companies to take part in One Belt One Road.&quot;

&quot;To keep opening up is our long-term strategy. We will not narrow or close our doors. We will open wider and wider,&quot; the Chinese president added.

America's Boing and European company Airbus have been competing hard for several years to corner the Chinese market

China today signed a deal to buy 300 Boeing airplanes even as President Trump pointed at "one-sided and unfair" US trade deficit with Beijing. During the signing of the multi-billion dollar US-China Boeing deal, Trump said: After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for the sake of its citizens?" adding, "this out-of-control trade deficit to take place and to grow". "I don't blame China," Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We have to fix this because it just doesn't work, for our great American companies, and it doesn’t work for our great American workers," Trump added. America's Boing and European company Airbus have been competing hard for several years to corner the Chinese market which has grown exponentially. According to the data by Civil Aviation Administration of China, 487 million the number of domestic and international journeys made last year in China. The surge in air traffic has been fueled by a growing middle class in China with analysts predicting China will surpass the US as the world's largest commercial aviation market by 2030. During the meeting with Trump, Xi said: "I will encourage Chinese businesses to do more investment in US and at the same time, invite more US companies to take part in One Belt One Road." "To keep opening up is our long-term strategy. We will not narrow or close our doors. We will open wider and wider," the Chinese president added.

As US trade deficit grows, Trump says 'I don't blame China'

US President Donald Trump urged China and Russia on Thursday to act fast to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis, warning that &quot;time is quickly running out&quot;.

&quot;We must act fast. And hopefully China will act faster and more effectively on this problem than anyone,&quot; Trump said as he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Trump thanked Xi for his efforts to restrict trade with North Korea and cut off all banking ties with China&#39;s ally, but he urged him to do more.

&quot;China can fix this problem easily and quickly, and I am calling on China and your great president to hopefully work on it very hard,&quot; the US leader said.

&quot;I know one thing about your president: If he works on it hard, it will happen. There&#39;s no doubt about it.&quot;

Trump, who is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an APEC summit in Vietnam this weekend, appealed for help from Moscow, which also has economic ties with North Korea.

&quot;I&#39;m also calling on Russia to help rein in this potentially very tragic situation,&quot; he said.

Trump earlier said he and Xi believe there is a solution to the nuclear standoff.

He did not elaborate on what the solution might be but his administration believes that China&#39;s economic leverage over North Korea is the key to strong-arming Pyongyang into halting its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

China has called for negotiations to resolve the matter peacefully.

'We must act fast. And hopefully China will act faster and more effectively on this problem than anyone,' Trump said as he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing

US President Donald Trump urged China and Russia on Thursday to act fast to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis, warning that "time is quickly running out". "We must act fast. And hopefully China will act faster and more effectively on this problem than anyone," Trump said as he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Trump thanked Xi for his efforts to restrict trade with North Korea and cut off all banking ties with China's ally, but he urged him to do more. "China can fix this problem easily and quickly, and I am calling on China and your great president to hopefully work on it very hard," the US leader said. "I know one thing about your president: If he works on it hard, it will happen. There's no doubt about it." Trump, who is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an APEC summit in Vietnam this weekend, appealed for help from Moscow, which also has economic ties with North Korea. "I'm also calling on Russia to help rein in this potentially very tragic situation," he said. Trump earlier said he and Xi believe there is a solution to the nuclear standoff. He did not elaborate on what the solution might be but his administration believes that China's economic leverage over North Korea is the key to strong-arming Pyongyang into halting its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. China has called for negotiations to resolve the matter peacefully.

Trump urges China & Russia to act fast on North Korea, warns 'time is quickly running out'

US President Donald Trump <a href="http://Watch: Trump, Xi watch Chinese opera in Beijing">did the unthinkable as he &quot;tweeted&quot; </a>from China even though the micro-blogging site is banned in the country.

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NoKo has interpreted America&#39;s past restraint as weakness. This would be a fatal miscalculation. Do not underestimate us. AND DO NOT TRY US. <a href="https://t.co/4llqLrNpK3">pic.twitter.com/4llqLrNpK3</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/928279728125108225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The world&#39;s favourite<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-xi-fetes-trump-on-first-day-of-beijing-trip-23756"> sites: Facebook, Twitter and Google have</a> been banned in China for several years.

In his tweet, the US president thanked President Xi and his wife for an &quot;unforgettable afternoon&quot;, and then threatened North Korea, saying the&nbsp;US should &quot;not be underestimated&quot;.&nbsp;

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On behalf of <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> Melania and I, THANK YOU for an unforgettable&nbsp;afternoon and evening&nbsp;at the&nbsp;Forbidden City in Beijing, President Xi and Madame Peng Liyuan. We are looking forward to rejoining you tomorrow morning! <a href="https://t.co/ma0F7SHbVU">https://t.co/ma0F7SHbVU</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/928267692645036032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The US president even retweeted from the @Potus Twitter handle openly flouting China&#39;s Internet rules.

Earlier, talking to AFP a senior White House official had said, &quot;The president will tweet whatever he wants&quot; as he was leaving South Korea.

&quot;That&#39;s his way of communicating directly with the American people. Why not? So long as he can access his Twitter account, because Twitter is banned in China along with Facebook and most of the other social media.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;m sure we&#39;ve got the gear aboard this airplane to make it happen,&quot; the White House official had added.

The US president had tweeted just as he was leaving South Korea with many experts of the view the president may be off Twitter during his three-day visit to China, however, Trump surprised everyone by tweeting from the &quot;Great firewall&quot; of China.

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Leaving South Korea now heading to China. Looking very much forward to meeting and being with President Xi!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/928124338343202816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The world's favourite sites: Facebook, Twitter and Google have been banned in China for several years.

US President Donald Trump did the unthinkable as he "tweeted" from China even though the micro-blogging site is banned in the country. NoKo has interpreted America's past restraint as weakness. This would be a fatal miscalculation. Do not underestimate us. AND DO NOT TRY US. pic.twitter.com/4llqLrNpK3 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2017 × The world's favourite sites: Facebook, Twitter and Google have been banned in China for several years. In his tweet, the US president thanked President Xi and his wife for an "unforgettable afternoon", and then threatened North Korea, saying the US should "not be underestimated". On behalf of @FLOTUS Melania and I, THANK YOU for an unforgettable afternoon and evening at the Forbidden City in Beijing, President Xi and Madame Peng Liyuan. We are looking forward to rejoining you tomorrow morning! https://t.co/ma0F7SHbVU — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2017 × The US president even retweeted from the @Potus Twitter handle openly flouting China's Internet rules. Earlier, talking to AFP a senior White House official had said, "The president will tweet whatever he wants" as he was leaving South Korea. "That's his way of communicating directly with the American people. Why not? So long as he can access his Twitter account, because Twitter is banned in China along with Facebook and most of the other social media." "I'm sure we've got the gear aboard this airplane to make it happen," the White House official had added. The US president had tweeted just as he was leaving South Korea with many experts of the view the president may be off Twitter during his three-day visit to China, however, Trump surprised everyone by tweeting from the "Great firewall" of China. Leaving South Korea now heading to China. Looking very much forward to meeting and being with President Xi! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2017 ×

Unthinkable! Trump tweets from 'Great Firewall' of China

Wang Qishan, 69, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/new-era-in-china-president-xi-unveils-new-politburo-members-22861">the feared anti-corruption &#39;czar&#39; who left China&#39;s Communist Party</a> during this month&#39;s party congress is likely to be appointed vice-president next year at President Xi&#39;s request, the Nikkei&nbsp;Asian Review quoted Hong Kong&#39;s Sing Tao Daily newspaper as saying.

Wang Qishan, a close aide of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-communist-party-endorses-president-xi-for-second-five-year-term-22790"> President Xi in the Communist Party, was known as the &#39;second most powerful&#39;</a> person in the Communist Party, stepped down from the party&#39;s Standing Committee last week as President Xi undertook a major reshuffle of the party structure at the top with new faces as China&#39;s newly-elected president set out a new five-year term.

Just Xi and Premier Li Keqiang are part of the new Standing Committee, rest of the five members are new members expected to take major decisions as China begins a new era under Xi&#39;s supreme leadership.&nbsp;

Wang Qishan was responsible for crackdown on corruption in a big way with several party big-wigs being sent to prison. Reports said Wang retired from Politburo Standing Committee as he had reached the &quot;unofficial retirement age&quot;, most CPC leaders retire at the age of 68 which is the &quot;unwritten rule&quot; in the Communist Party of China.

There were reports of Wang taking over the National Security Commission (NSC) but the powerful CPC official decided to keep himself out of party politics altogether.

Wang Qishan was responsible for crackdown on corruption in a big way with several party big-wigs being sent to prison.

Wang Qishan, 69, the feared anti-corruption 'czar' who left China's Communist Party during this month's party congress is likely to be appointed vice-president next year at President Xi's request, the Nikkei Asian Review quoted Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily newspaper as saying. Wang Qishan, a close aide of President Xi in the Communist Party, was known as the 'second most powerful' person in the Communist Party, stepped down from the party's Standing Committee last week as President Xi undertook a major reshuffle of the party structure at the top with new faces as China's newly-elected president set out a new five-year term. Just Xi and Premier Li Keqiang are part of the new Standing Committee, rest of the five members are new members expected to take major decisions as China begins a new era under Xi's supreme leadership. Wang Qishan was responsible for crackdown on corruption in a big way with several party big-wigs being sent to prison. Reports said Wang retired from Politburo Standing Committee as he had reached the "unofficial retirement age", most CPC leaders retire at the age of 68 which is the "unwritten rule" in the Communist Party of China. There were reports of Wang taking over the National Security Commission (NSC) but the powerful CPC official decided to keep himself out of party politics altogether.

Wang Qishan, anti-corruption czar, may become China's next vice-president: Report

China warned Tuesday that any conflict on the&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;peninsula&nbsp;would have &quot;no winners&quot; after North Korea accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war on it.

Beijing reiterated its plea for peace talks after the bellicose rhetoric between the United States and North Korea reached new heights in recent days, following Pyongyang&#39;s sixth nuclear test early this month.

China hopes Washington and Pyongyang realise that &quot;blindly flaunting one&#39;s superiority with words to show off and mutual provocation will only increase the risk of confrontation and reduce the room for policy manoeuvres&quot;, said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

&quot;A war on the&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;peninsula&nbsp;will have no winners and would be even worse for the region and regional countries,&quot; Lu told&nbsp;a regular news briefing.

Trump tweeted at the weekend that North Korea&#39;s leadership &quot;won&#39;t be around much longer&quot; if it keeps up its threats.

North&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho accused Trump of declaring war and warned that his country would be ready to shoot down US bombers.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis toned down the rhetoric on Tuesday, saying Washington wanted a diplomatic solution to the crisis.&nbsp;

Beijing reiterated its plea for peace talks after the bellicose rhetoric between the United States and North Korea reached new heights in recent days, following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test early this month.

China warned Tuesday that any conflict on the Korean peninsula would have "no winners" after North Korea accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war on it. Beijing reiterated its plea for peace talks after the bellicose rhetoric between the United States and North Korea reached new heights in recent days, following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test early this month. China hopes Washington and Pyongyang realise that "blindly flaunting one's superiority with words to show off and mutual provocation will only increase the risk of confrontation and reduce the room for policy manoeuvres", said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang. "A war on the Korean peninsula will have no winners and would be even worse for the region and regional countries," Lu told a regular news briefing. Trump tweeted at the weekend that North Korea's leadership "won't be around much longer" if it keeps up its threats. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho accused Trump of declaring war and warned that his country would be ready to shoot down US bombers. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis toned down the rhetoric on Tuesday, saying Washington wanted a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

China says war on Korean peninsula would have 'no winners'

China today reacted sharply to army chief Gen Bipin Rawat&#39;s assertion that Beijing was testing India&#39;s limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.&nbsp; 
 
Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started &quot;flexing its muscles&quot;, while there &nbsp;..&nbsp;there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-must-be-prepared-for-two-front-war-army-chief-19940" target="_blank">Also read: India must be prepared for two-front war, says Army chief</a>

Reacting to the comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, &quot;We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking.&quot;&nbsp;

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<h5>Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other&#39;s development opportunities, not threats,&#39; Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said</h5>
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Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government&#39;s position.&nbsp;

&quot;As reported by Indian press...we don&#39;t know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government,&quot; Geng said.&nbsp;

Noting that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries.&nbsp;

This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.&nbsp;

&quot;Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other&#39;s development opportunities, not threats,&quot; Geng said.&nbsp;

&quot;We hope India could view China&#39;s development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries,&quot; Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.&nbsp;

&quot;We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area,&quot; Xi had said.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said.&nbsp;

&quot;We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas,&quot; Geng said.&nbsp;

&quot;Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to the development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard,&quot; he said in response to Rawat&#39;s remarks.&nbsp;

Rawat, in his remarks, had said, &quot;As far as the northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of the threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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Gen Bipin Rawat had said on Wednesday that India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started 'flexing its muscle'

China today reacted sharply to army chief Gen Bipin Rawat's assertion that Beijing was testing India's limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week. Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started "flexing its muscles", while there .. there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India. Also read: India must be prepared for two-front war, says Army chief Reacting to the comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, "We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking." Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other's development opportunities, not threats,' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said × Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government's position. "As reported by Indian press...we don't know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government," Geng said. Noting that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries. This is what the international community wishes to see, he said. "Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other's development opportunities, not threats," Geng said. "We hope India could view China's development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries," Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. "We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area," Xi had said. Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said. "We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said. "Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to the development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard," he said in response to Rawat's remarks. Rawat, in his remarks, had said, "As far as the northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of the threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict."

China says Indian Army chief's views contrary to those expressed by Modi, Xi

China&#39;s&nbsp;President&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;Jinping pledged to make concerted efforts with South Korea&#39;s President Moon Jae-in to address differences between the two countries properly, the official&nbsp;Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

Xi&nbsp;made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to Moon on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-South Korea diplomatic relations,&nbsp;Xinhua said.

Development of China-South Korea relations made a positive contribution to regional peace and development,&nbsp;Xinhua cited&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;as saying. The news agency did not provide further details.

South Korea and the United States agreed to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in response to the growing missile threat from North Korea.

However, the installation of the missile system has angered China, which says its powerful radar will be able to look deep into its territory and undermine regional security.

China has pressed South Korean businesses through boycotts and bans, such as ending Chinese group tours to South Korea and closing most of the South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group&#39;s Lotte Mart retail stores in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the exchange congratulatory messages were consistent with usual practice.

Many tangible and mutual benefits had been delivered to people of both countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties, she told a daily news briefing.

&quot;We hope the South Korean side can summarise and look back on the experiences and lessons from the 25 years of diplomatic relations and take constructive actions to appropriately address relevant sensitive issues and differences to improve relations between China and South Korea,&quot; Hua said.

&quot;On the issue of THAAD,&nbsp;China&#39;s&nbsp;position is very clear, resolute and there is no change.&quot;

Moon has also pushed China, North Korea&#39;s most important ally and trading partner, to do more to rein in Pyongyang&#39;s missile and nuclear weapons programs.

North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests and dozens of missile tests since the beginning of last year, significantly raising tension on the heavily militarised Korean peninsula and in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July resulted in a new round of tougher global sanctions.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to Moon on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-South Korea diplomatic relations

China's President Xi Jinping pledged to make concerted efforts with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in to address differences between the two countries properly, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday. Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to Moon on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-South Korea diplomatic relations, Xinhua said. Development of China-South Korea relations made a positive contribution to regional peace and development, Xinhua cited Xi as saying. The news agency did not provide further details. South Korea and the United States agreed to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in response to the growing missile threat from North Korea. However, the installation of the missile system has angered China, which says its powerful radar will be able to look deep into its territory and undermine regional security. China has pressed South Korean businesses through boycotts and bans, such as ending Chinese group tours to South Korea and closing most of the South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group's Lotte Mart retail stores in China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the exchange congratulatory messages were consistent with usual practice. Many tangible and mutual benefits had been delivered to people of both countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties, she told a daily news briefing. "We hope the South Korean side can summarise and look back on the experiences and lessons from the 25 years of diplomatic relations and take constructive actions to appropriately address relevant sensitive issues and differences to improve relations between China and South Korea," Hua said. "On the issue of THAAD, China's position is very clear, resolute and there is no change." Moon has also pushed China, North Korea's most important ally and trading partner, to do more to rein in Pyongyang's missile and nuclear weapons programs. North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests and dozens of missile tests since the beginning of last year, significantly raising tension on the heavily militarised Korean peninsula and in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July resulted in a new round of tougher global sanctions.

China pledges to address differences with South Korea

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