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☆ China's Sept industrial profits extend gains helped by policy support
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Gabriel Crossley/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial firms extended gains for a second month in September, adding to signs of a stabilising economy as the authorities launched a burst of supportive policy measures. For the first nine months, profits slid 9% from a year earlier, narrowing from a 11.7% decline in the first eight months, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday. A fall in producer prices last month indicated that some industrial firms were still cutting prices to promote sales, putting a drag on overall industrial revenues and profits, Zhou said. The improvement in industrial profits is expected to sustain in the coming months, partly due to the lag effect in domestic macro pump-priming, he added. Industrial profit numbers cover firms with annual revenues of at least 20 million yuan ($2.73 million) from their main operations.

Persons: Gabriel Crossley, Yu Weining, Zhou Maohua, Zhou, Pan Gongsheng, Qiaoyi Li, Ryan Woo, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: II, REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Graphics, NBS, China Everbright Bank, Thomson Locations: Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ China's youngest-ever crew of astronauts heads to space station
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreBEIJING, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The youngest-ever crew of Chinese astronauts departed for China's space station on Thursday, paving the way for a new generation of "taikonauts" to advance the country's space ambitions in the future. Leading the six-month mission was former air force pilot Tang Hongbo, 48, who was on the first crewed mission to the space station in 2021. By contrast, his fellow Shenzhou-17 crew members Tang Shengjie, 33, and Jiang Xinlin, 35, both travelling to space for the first time, joined China's third batch of astronauts in September 2020. The Shenzhou-17 astronauts will replace the Shenzhou-16 crew, who arrived at Tiangong at the end of May. Shenzhou-17 marks China's 12th crewed mission since Yang Liwei's solo spaceflight in October 2003, the first Chinese national in space.

Persons: Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, Jiang Xinlin, Tang, Tiangong, Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, Gui Haichao, Zhu, Gui, Yang Liwei's, Ryan Woo, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle Organizations: taikonauts, People's Liberation Army, NASA, Space, U.S, Thomson Locations: Jiuquan, Gansu province, China, BEIJING, Hong Kong, Macau, Tiangong

☆ Partner nations on China's lunar research station programme
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Belarus this week joined China's International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) programme, the third country to sign up this month for a plan to eventually set up a permanently inhabited outpost on the moon's south pole. Earlier in October, Pakistan and Azerbaijan joined the ILRS, a project jointly initiated by China and Russia in 2021 and widely seen as a rival to the U.S.-led Artemis programme. Lunar missions this decade will establish a "basic" version of the research station, followed by more missions in the 2030s to construct a "full" version of the base. By 2050, the ILRS is expected to be a fully operational station for lunar research, and potentially also a launch pad for crewed missions to other planets in the solar system. Note: (*) denotes founding memberReporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Artemis, Ryan Woo, Emelia Sithole Organizations: China's, Research, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Belarus, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, China, Russia, U.S

[1/3] Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks with Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, October 25, 2023. The upgrade of relations with Colombia means China now has strategic ties with 10 out of the 11 South American countries with which it has relations. Paraguay is the last South American nation that has ties with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. In 2022, shipments from Colombia to China totalled $7 billion, up almost 20% from five years earlier. Among the 11 South American countries that have diplomatic ties with Beijing, Colombia has the largest trade deficit with China despite increased Chinese imports.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Gustavo Petro, Ken Ishii, Xi, Petro, Ivan Duque, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Ellen Zhang, Bernadette Baum, Robert Birsel, Nick Macfie Organizations: of, People, REUTERS Acquire, Initiative, South American, Tuesday, China Harbour Engineering Company, Bogota Metro, Xian Metro Company, Bombardier Inc, Columbia, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Zijin Mining, Canada's Continental, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Colombia, Latin America Colombia, Xi's, Initiative BEIJING, U.S, America, Guyana, South America, Central America, Caribbean, United States, Taiwan, Paraguay, American, Latin America, Bogota, Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Suriname

☆ China's Youngest-Ever Crew of Astronauts Heads to Space Station
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Ryan WooBEIJING (Reuters) -The youngest-ever crew of Chinese astronauts departed for China's space station on Thursday, paving the way for a new generation of "taikonauts" to advance the country's space ambitions in the future. Leading the six-month mission was former air force pilot Tang Hongbo, 48, who was on the first crewed mission to the space station in 2021. Tang, from China's second batch of astronauts in 2010, had to wait more than a decade before he was picked for his inaugural spaceflight in 2021. By contrast, his fellow Shenzhou-17 crew members Tang Shengjie, 33, and Jiang Xinlin, 35, both travelling to space for the first time, joined China's third batch of astronauts in September 2020. China has already kickstarted the selection process for the fourth batch of astronauts, seeking candidates with doctoral degrees in disciplines from biology, physics and chemistry to biomedical engineering and astronomy.

Persons: Ryan Woo BEIJING, Tang Hongbo, Tang, Tang Shengjie, Jiang Xinlin, Ryan Woo, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle Organizations: taikonauts, People's Liberation Army Locations: China, Hong Kong, Macau

☆ China willing to cooperate with US, manage differences - Xi
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President of China Xi Jinping attends the plenary session during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is willing to cooperate with the United States as both sides manage their differences and work together to respond to global challenges, according to Chinese state media. Whether or not the United States and China could establish the "right" way of getting along would be crucial to the world, Xi said in a letter delivered at an annual dinner of New York-headquartered National Committee on United States-China Relations. Several top U.S. officials including U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken met their Chinese counterparts in Beijing this summer. Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: China Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Xi Jinping, Xi, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Wang, Ryan Woo, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Rights, United, China Relations, Economic Cooperation, U.S . State, Global Times, Thomson Locations: China, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, United States, New York, Washington, San Francisco, Asia, Beijing, Taiwan, South

☆ China Jan-Sept fiscal revenue growth slows amid shaky recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Men work at the construction site of an apartment building in Beijing, China, July 29, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 24 (Reuters) - China's fiscal revenue grew 8.9% in the first nine months, decelerating from a 10% gain in January-August, official data showed, as its economic recovery remained on shaky ground. Fiscal revenue hit 16.67 trillion yuan ($2.28 trillion)during January-September, while fiscal expenditure rose 3.9% to 19.79 trillion yuan, data from the finance ministry showed on Tuesday. In September alone, fiscal revenue fell 1.3% year-on-year, compared with a 4.6% fall in August, according to Reuters calculations based on the ministry's data. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China could achieve its full-year growth target of around 5% if fourth quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth is above 4.4%.

Persons: Thomas Peter, JP Morgan, Nomura, Qiaoyi Li, Ellen Zhang, Ryan Woo, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ In northeast China, Russian and Chinese firms ink deals from manufacturing to agriculture
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 18, 2023. Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Chinese and Russian companies attending a regional conference in northeastern China signed a raft of cooperation deals on Monday in sectors ranging from manufacturing and logistics to e-commerce and agriculture, Chinese state media reported. The conference in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, followed last week's meeting in Beijing between Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping. Russian local government officials, business representatives as well as nearly 800 Chinese companies hoping to enter the Russian market were attending the conference. In January to September, 40 Russian firms set up businesses in Liaoning, China's national broadcaster reported on Monday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Sergei Guneev, Xi, Ryan Woo, Ellen Zhang, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Forum, Sputnik, Rights, West, China's, Chinese, Administration of Customs, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shenyang, Liaoning province, Russia, Ukraine, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Vladivostok, Russian, Zhoushan, Zhejiang

On Oct. 7, Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people. In response, Israel has retaliated with air strikes, putting the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million people under siege. President Joe Biden said he would seek extra funding, estimated to be in the billions, to help Israel fight Hamas. QATARIn Qatar, Zhai said China was ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia in an effort to calm the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Reporting by Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Zhai Jun, Mikhail Bogdanov, Zhai, Bogdanov, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Israel, U.N, Antony Blinken, Washington, Blinken, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Mideast, Moscow, Gaza, Security, United, Global Times, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Rights BEIJING, Israel, Qatar, Middle, Moscow, China, Russia, Doha, Beijing, Palestinian, United States, Iran, Brazil, Washington, Russian, U.S, QATAR, Lincoln

☆ Pakistan joins China's club of lunar base partners
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Pakistan has joined China's expanding club of partners in an ambitious project to build a research station on the moon's south pole. Jointly with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar witnessed the signing of an initial cooperation agreement in Beijing on Wednesday. The China National Space Administration said on Friday cooperation would cover areas including the engineering and operational aspects of the Chinese lunar base programme. China, which aims to become a major space power by 2030, has already secured cooperation from Russia, Venezuela and South Africa. It has fixed a target to land its astronauts on the moon by the end of this decade.

Persons: Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Ryan Woo, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: Chinese Premier, China National Space Administration, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Pakistan, Beijing, China, Russia, Venezuela, South Africa, U.S

☆ China's Xi tells Vietnam not to forget roots of their friendship
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kham/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Vietnam's second-highest ranking official on Friday that both countries must not forget the "original intention" of their traditional friendship. China has traditionally strong ties with Vietnam since diplomatic relations were established in 1950, despite a brief war in 1979. "Faced with the ever-changing international situation and arduous domestic development tasks, the two countries must not forget the original intention of their traditional friendship," Xi told visiting Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong. "The two sides should adhere to the principle of joint consultation," Xi told Thuong, adding that China and Vietnam should capitalise on their geographical proximity and industrial complementarity. There was no mention of any Xi visit in the Chinese state media readout of their meeting.

Persons: Wang Yi, Pham Binh Minh, Xi Jinping, Vietnam's, Xi, Vo Van, Nguyen Phu Trong, Thuong, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Ryan Woo, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: China's, Government, REUTERS, Rights, Beijing, Communist Party General, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hanoi, Vietnam, Rights BEIJING, China, United States, Washington, Moscow, Beijing, France, Saigon

☆ China's new home prices extend declines, defying broader recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Liangping Gao | Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoNew home prices fell 0.2% month-on-month but narrowed from a 0.3% drop in August, according to Reuters calculations based on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data. Of the 70 cities in the home price data, 54 reported declines in prices last month, up from 52 in August. New home prices in tier-three cities fell 0.3% month-on-month after a 0.4% drop in August. However, demand remained lukewarm in smaller cities struggling with excess supply while nationwide the property sector remains in a deep slump. Ma attributed the fall to the fact that Guangdong province is home to many private developers with liquidity problems.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, ”, Ma Hong, Goldman Sachs, Ma Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, Zhixin Investment Research Institute Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Guangdong

REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Property sales, investment fall at double-digit paceProperty slowdown remains drag on economic growthBEIJING, Oct 18 (Reuters) - China's property sales and investment posted double-digit declines as efforts to support big cities failed to bolster confidence in an industry struggling to emerged from crisis, although the pace of contraction slowed. Property investment fell 18.7% from a year earlier after a 19.1% drop in August, according to Reuters calculations. "S&P Global Ratings expects that the low number of construction starts, an inventory overhang in lower-tier cities, and ever-tightening escrow restrictions will keep property sales depressed," S&P's credit analysts said in a note on Monday. Property investment in the first nine months of 2023 fell by 9.1% from a year earlier, after slumping 8.8% in January-August, according to NBS data. Funds raised by China's property developers were down 13.5% year-on-year after a 12.9% slide in January-August.

Persons: Jason Lee, Zhou Hao, Liangping Gao, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Christian Schmollinger, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, Country Garden Holdings, HK, Monetary Fund, Property, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING

☆ China's measures to shore up its indebted property sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The following is a list of recent measures for the sector which accounts for roughly a quarter of the world's second-largest economy. Sept. 14 - China's central bank said it would cut the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves for the second time this year to boost liquidity. Aug. 31 - China's central bank and financial regulator ease some borrowing rules for homebuyers, including lowering existing mortgage rates for first-home buyers and the down payment ratio in some cities. July 10 - China's central bank extended until the end of 2024 some policies in a November rescue package to shore up the real estate sector. June 20- China's central bank cut its key lending benchmarks, or loan prime rates (LPRs), for the first time in 10 months.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Xinhua, Thomson Locations: Tianjin, China, Rights BEIJING, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, megacities

☆ Putin visits 'dear friend' Xi in show of no-limits partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 17, 2023. Xi last saw his "dear friend" in Moscow just days after the warrant was issued. At the time, Xi invited Putin to attend the third Belt and Road forum in Beijing, an international cooperation forum championed by the Chinese leader. As the forum's chief guest, Putin will speak after Xi on Wednesday and will meet with the Chinese president for bilateral talks later that day. It would be Putin's third attendance of the Belt and Road Forum, which runs through Wednesday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Parker, Xi Jinping, Putin, Wang Wentao, Xi, Ryan Woo, Lidia Kelly, Christopher Cushing, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Beijing Capital International Airport, Forum, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Court, ICC, Reuters, Chinese Commerce, Kremlin, Beijing, Olympics, Rosneft, Gazprom, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Ukraine, Hague, Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan, Soviet, Moscow, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Laos, Russia, Asia, Africa, Europe, Putin's, Melbourne

☆ China's export, import growth with Russia quickens in September
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Stringer/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The growth of China's exports and imports with Russia on a year-on-year basis quickened in September from August, China's customs data showed on Friday, as it urged deeper trade ties with its neighbour despite the disapproval of the West. Chinese shipments to Russia rose 21% to $9.6 billion in September from a year earlier, accelerating from 16% growth in August, Reuters calculations based on customs data showed. Imports from Russia rose 8% to $11.53 billion last month after rising 3% in August. Under Western sanctions, Russia has turned to China for economic support, benefiting from Chinese demand for oil, gas and grain. China also cleared the way for imports of pork from regions of Russia without African swine fever, Chinese customs said recently.

Persons: Stringer, Wang Wentao, Vladimir Putin, Ryan Woo, Ellen Zhang, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Imports, Chinese, Administration of Customs, Commerce, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Qingdao, Shandong province, China, Rights BEIJING, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, China's

☆ China's consumer prices stall, factory deflation persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 13 (Reuters) - China's consumer prices faltered and factory-gate prices shrank slightly faster than expected in September, with both indicators showing persistent deflationary pressures in the world's second-largest economy. "The damage from the property sector slowdown on consumer confidence continues to weigh on household demand." Food prices dropped 3.2% from a year earlier, extending a decline by 1.5 percentage points from August and dragging down the CPI. While signs are emerging that China's economy is stabilising, concerns over the sustainability of the recovery persist. China's property sector has yet to emerge from a deep slump despite a raft of policy support measures.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Economists, Zhiwei Zhang, Qiaoyi Li, Ellen Zhang, Ryan Woo, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Reuters Graphics, CPI, IMF, Central Huijin Investment, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ Shanghai stock exchange probes Zhejiang King after its public listing halt
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A security guard stands at the Shanghai Stock Exchange building at the Pudong financial district in Shanghai, China, February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The Shanghai Stock Exchange said it will probe Zhejiang King Co Ltd after the Chinese maker of air conditioners halted its initial public offering (IPO) amid media reports about alleged issues such as the overpricing of shares. Zhejiang King on Saturday said it will suspend the new share subscription procedure initially scheduled on Monday because of the media reports, without specifying the nature of those reports. Zhejiang King said in its prospectus published last month that assets related to its air conditioner business were indirectly acquired from a different listed air conditioner company via a series of asset restructuring schemes. Zhejiang King said last month it aimed to raise 2.38 billion yuan ($325.98 million) at 68.07 yuan per share.

Persons: Aly, Zhejiang King, Roxanne Liu, Ryan Woo, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Shanghai Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Zhejiang King Co, China Securities Index Co, Thomson Locations: Pudong, Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, Zhejiang King, Zhejiang

☆ Two killed by avalanches on Tibet’s Shishapangma as 50 were climbing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Shishapangma, at just over 8,000 metres (26,247 feet), is the world's 14th tallest peak. Two avalanches hit its slopes at elevations of 7,600 metres and 8,000 metres on Saturday, killing American climber Anna Gutu and Nepalese guide Mingmar Sherpa, Xinhua reported on Sunday. All climbing activity on Shishapangma was suspended because of the unstable snow conditions. Had one of the Pakistani climbers, Sirbaz Khan, reached the top of Shishapangma he would have become the first Pakistani to summit all 14 mountains over 8,000 metres. Among those who had previously died on Shishapangma was famed American climber Alex Lowe in 1999, also because of an avalanche.

Persons: Anna Gutu, Gina Marie Rzucidlo, Tenjen Sherpa, Norway's Kristin Harila, Sirbaz Khan, Shishapangma, Alex Lowe, David Bridges, Ryan Woo, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Xinhua, Sherpa, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, American, Pakistan, United States, Britain, Romania, Albania, Italy, Japan, Xinhua, Nepal

☆ Typhoon Koinu turns south off China's coast, headed for Hainan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Typhoon Koinu, which lashed Taiwan with rains and winds last week, on Sunday turned south over the seas off the coast of China's Guangdong province towards the Chinese resort island of Hainan, with its intensity nearly unchanged from a day earlier. As of 10 a.m. (0200 GMT), Koinu had yet to make landfall on the Chinese coast, maintaining its strength over water about 455 km (283 miles) northeast of the city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong, according to Chinese weather forecasters. Koinu, still packing gale-force winds of up to 144 kph (89.5 mph), is expected to slowly churn south along the coast of Guangdong at a pace of 5 to 10 kph, weakening gradually as the typhoon reaches Zhanjiang and the southern island province of Hainan. Last week, Koinu, which means "puppy" in Japanese, killed one person and injured almost 400 people in Taiwan as it brushed past the south of the island. Chinese authorities remained on high alert even though Koinu looked unlikely to travel inland towards populous Chinese cities.

Persons: Koinu, Ryan Woo, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Sunday, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Taiwan, China's Guangdong, Hainan, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China

☆ Typhoon Koinu Turns South off China's Coast, Headed for Hainan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Typhoon Koinu, which lashed Taiwan with rains and winds last week, on Sunday turned south over the seas off the coast of China's Guangdong province towards the Chinese resort island of Hainan, with its intensity nearly unchanged from a day earlier. As of 10 a.m. (0200 GMT), Koinu had yet to make landfall on the Chinese coast, maintaining its strength over water about 455 km (283 miles) northeast of the city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong, according to Chinese weather forecasters. Koinu, still packing gale-force winds of up to 144 kph (89.5 mph), is expected to slowly churn south along the coast of Guangdong at a pace of 5 to 10 kph, weakening gradually as the typhoon reaches Zhanjiang and the southern island province of Hainan. Last week, Koinu, which means "puppy" in Japanese, killed one person and injured almost 400 people in Taiwan as it brushed past the south of the island. Chinese authorities remained on high alert even though Koinu looked unlikely to travel inland towards populous Chinese cities.

Persons: Koinu, Ryan Woo, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Sunday Locations: BEIJING, Taiwan, China's Guangdong, Hainan, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China

☆ Pakistani minister defends decision to expel Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"So, accordingly，this is in line with the international practice that we have taken this decision." Pakistan's interior minister said on Tuesday some 1.73 million Afghans in Pakistan had no legal documents and the number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan totalled 4.4 million. In defending the decision to expel Afghans, Pakistani authorities said 14 of 24 suicide bombings this year had been carried out by Afghan nationals. "Whenever there was any problem, people would immigrate to Pakistan, take refuge in Pakistan," Jilani said. "But now I think it has been more than 40 years, so the government of Pakistan has taken a decision," Jilani said, noting that the situation in Afghanistan had stabilised.

Persons: Fayaz Aziz, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Hong, Jilani, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Phoenix TV, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Torkham, Rights BEIJING, Europe, Asia, Tibet, U.S

REUTERS/Fayaz Aziz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Friday that it would repatriate all illegal immigrants including hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals in orderly phases rather than in one go. She did not have exact data on the total number of illegal immigrants, including Afghans. Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Tuesday some 1.73 million Afghans in Pakistan had no legal documents and the number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan totalled 4.4 million. Pakistan has hosted the largest number of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Kabul in 1979. Pakistan's foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani defended the order for the departure of illegal immigrants, saying no other country allowed illegal immigrants to stay and live.

Persons: Fayaz Aziz, frayed, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Sarfraz Bugti, Bugti, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Hong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel, William Maclean Organizations: United Nations, Refugees, REUTERS, Rights, Aid, Phoenix TV, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Peshawar, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Kabul, Afghanistan, U.S, Tibet, Beijing

☆ China condemns Philippine re-supply mission to disputed atoll
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING/MANILA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - China has condemned a mission by four Philippine ships to re-supply Philippine troops on a disputed South China Sea atoll, saying the vessels had entered its waters in the Spratly Islands without its permission. "Philippine supply ships and two coast guard ships entered the waters ... in China's Nansha Islands without permission from the Chinese government," China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said a post on its website, using China's name for the Spratly Islands. The atoll in the area is known as Ayungin in the Philippines, while China calls it the Renai Reef. read moreThe Philippine National Security Council (NSC) said its re-supply and rotation mission was completed despite attempts by a significant number of China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia to "harass and interfere" with it. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Gan Yu, Thomas, Philippe, Ryan Woo, Karen Lema, Engen Tham, Kaiwen Xu, Robert Birsel Organizations: BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, REUTERS, Rights, China Coast Guard, Philippine National Security Council, Chinese Maritime Militia, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, Philippine, Spratly, South, Rights BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, South China, China's Nansha, Palawan, United States, Manila, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia

☆ China to double size of space station, touts alternative to NASA-led ISS
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 5 (Reuters) - China plans to expand its space station to six modules from three in coming years, offering astronauts from other nations an alternative platform for near-Earth missions as the NASA-led International Space Station (ISS) nears the end of its lifespan. The operational lifetime of the Chinese space station will be more than 15 years, the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a unit of China's main space contractor, said at the 74th International Astronautical Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday. At 180 metric tons after its expansion to six modules, Tiangong is still just 40% of the mass of the ISS, which can hold a crew of seven astronauts. Russia, a participant in the ISS, has similar space diplomacy plans, suggesting that Moscow's partners in the BRICS group - Brazil, India, China and South Africa - could construct a module for its space station. Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, said last year it was planning to build a space station comprising six modules that could accommodate up to four cosmonauts.

Persons: Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, Zhang Lu, Florence, Tiangong, Ryan Woo, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NASA, Space, China Academy of Space Technology, International Astronautical, European Space Agency, ESA, Global Times, U.S, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Baku, Azerbaijan, European, U.S, United States, Russia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Russian

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