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[1/4] A worker walks across a construction site in the Central Business District, ahead of the opening of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China, February 28, 2023. Nearly 3,000 delegates will gather in the Great Hall of the People west of Tiananmen Square for the first National People's Congress (NPC) of the post-zero-COVID era, although some precautions remain including testing and quarantine for journalists. It will also discuss Xi's plans for an "intensive" and "wide-ranging" re-organisation of state and Communist Party entities, state media reported on Tuesday, after a three-day meeting of the party's central committee. China's economy grew just 3% last year, one of its worst showings in nearly half a century. "We will strive to spur growth and have policy tools to do that, mainly by channelling money into big projects," Xu Hongcai, deputy director of the economic policy commission at the state-backed China Association of Policy Science, told Reuters.

☆ North Korea's Kim demands more farmland to boost food production
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the 7th enlarged plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang, North Korea, March 1, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS/File PhotoSEOUL, March 2 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered improvements to infrastructure and expansion of farmland to ramp up food production, state media said on Thursday, amid warnings of an impending food crisis. South Korea has warned of an exacerbating food crisis in the isolated North, including a recent surge in deaths from hunger in some regions. North Korea's economy has been battered by floods and typhoons, sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, and a sharp decline in trade with China amid border closures and COVID-19 lockdowns. The Central Committee also discussed ways to improve the country's financial management, KCNA said, without elaborating.

☆ China's President Xi, poised for third term, urges 'intensive' state and party revamp
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping envisages "intensive" and "wide-ranging" re-organisation of state and Communist Party entities, with part of the plan to be presented to the annual meeting of parliament, state media said on Tuesday . At the October congress, the party made clear that reforms of institutions were needed, including reforms to the financial system, Xi said. The overall reform plan will be "targeted, intensive and wide-ranging, touching on deep-rooted interests", Xi was quoted as saying in a speech before the Central Committee. 'REJUVENATION'China's "rejuvenation" must be guided by Xi and the Central Committee as national governance is "modernised", the Central Committee said in a communique but it offered no details. China's development still faces triple pressures including a demand contraction, supply shocks and weakened expectations, the Central Committee said in its communique.

☆ China says its economic recovery is still not solid - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Feb 28 (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday the foundation of its economic recovery is not yet solid, and various unexpected factors may occur at any time, state media reported. The communique was released at the second plenary session of CPC's central committee, which was held from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28. More than 200 members of central committee discussed a draft of reforms to party and state organisations which will be examined at the upcoming 14th National People’s Congress (NPC). The central committee also approved a proposed list of leadership candidates to be recommended at the first session of the upcoming Congress. The 14th NPC, an annual meeting of parliament where thousands of delegates from across China will gather in the capital, Beijing, kicks off on Sunday.

☆ China's Communist party cautious on economy, reiterates party's leadership
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China's development still faces triple pressures including demand contraction, supply shock and weakened expectations, the Communist Party's Central Committee said in a communique after a major three-day gathering, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. China's "rejuvenation" must be guided by Xi and the Central Committee as national governance is being "modernised", the committee said in the communique but it offered no details. "It is necessary to fully, accurately and comprehensively implement a new development concept," the committee, the largest of the party's top decision-making bodies, said. More than 200 members of the Central Committee discussed a draft of reforms to party and state organisations that will be examined at an upcoming session of the National People's Congress, China's legislature. Xi is also widely expected to secure his third five-year term as president, after clinching a precedent-breaking third party leadership term in October last year.

☆ Sudanese protester killed as marches enter 17th month, despite talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KHARTOUM, Feb 28 (Reuters) - A Sudanese protester was killed on Tuesday after being shot in the chest during a demonstration against military rule, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said in a statement. The protester, who was killed in the Sharg al-Nil area near Sudan's capital, became the 125th protesters killed in weekly protests set off by a coup in October 2021. Leaders of the Rapid Support Forces have denied the desire for any tension with the military, and said they are committed to forming one army. The resistance committees who have organized the weekly protests, have rejected the talks as elite dealings, and demand the complete withdrawal of the military from power. Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz and Moaz Abd-Alaziz; Editing by Toby Chopra and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea's Kim orders 'fundamental transformation' of agriculture amid food shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Feb 28 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for a "fundamental transformation" in agricultural production, state media reported on Tuesday, amid fears that the country's food shortage is worsening. The report did not elaborate on what measures North Korea would take, but Kim said the changes need to happen in the next few years. His remark comes amid reports of growing food shortage woes in the country. Earlier this month, South Korea's Unification Ministry said the food situation in the North "seemed to have deteriorated." North Korea is under strict international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

☆ North Korea's Kim convenes meeting to improve economy amid fears of food shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Feb 27 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un kicked off a meeting of ruling party officials to discuss improving the country's economy and agricultural sector, state media reported on Monday, as fears of food shortages and a humanitarian crisis grow. International experts say food insecurity has worsened in the isolated nation amid sanctions and COVID-19 lockdowns. Kim oversaw the seventh enlarged plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on Sunday as it reviewed rural development projects, state news agency KCNA reported. The North Korean food situation appears to have deteriorated, South Korea said this month, with officials in Seoul pointing to the meeting as a de facto acknowledgement of serious shortages. North Korea is under strict international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, and in recent years its limited border trade was virtually choked off by self-imposed lockdowns aimed at preventing COVID-19.

☆ China's top diplomat reiterates calls for dialogue over Ukraine crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - China has "neither stood by idly nor thrown fuel on the fire" regarding the crisis in Ukraine, and continues to call for peace and dialogue, top diplomat Wang Yi said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. China will set out its position on settling the Ukraine crisis in a document that will state all countries' territorial integrity must be respected, Wang said. Asked to reassure the audience that military escalation was not imminent over the Taiwan Strait, Wang said Taiwan "independence forces" are incompatible with peace. "If we want to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait, we must resolutely oppose Taiwan independence, and we must resolutely maintain the one-China policy." Reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen, China, Ryan Woo in Beijing and Laura Lin in Shanghai; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. handling of balloon incident 'hysterical', says China's top diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Saturday that the U.S. handling of the balloon incident had been "unimaginable" and "hysterical" - an "absurd" act that had violated international norms. The incident, which had prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a planned visit early this month to Beijing, has further aggravated already strained relations between Washington and Beijing. "We ask the U.S. to show its sincerity and correct its mistakes, face up and resolve this incident, which has damaged Sino-U.S. relations," he said. "We hope the U.S. could pursue a pragmatic and positive policy towards China, and work with China to push Sino-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy development." Reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; editing by Jason Neely and Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korean food shortage seems to be worsening, South Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Feb 15 (Reuters) - A North Korean food crisis appears to have deteriorated, South Korea said on Wednesday, as a newspaper reported that North Korea has cut rations to its soldiers for the first time in more than two decades. North Korea has effectively acknowledged serious food shortages, South Korea's unification ministry said, referring to a North Korean state media report this month about plans for an "urgent" ruling party meeting on agriculture. "Its food situation seems to have deteriorated," the South's unification ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, said in a statement. South Korea's DongA Ilbo newspaper said on Wednesday that North Korea has reduced daily food rations to its soldiers for the first time since 2000, citing an unidentified senior South Korean official. The WFP, which has helped North Korea over the years, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

☆ The Ohio train derailment is a mess for the US. The Twitter of China is reacting with glee.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

People on Weibo are relishing the chance to mock the US after a 50-car train derailed in Ohio. It's another example of inflammatory rhetoric that's left to simmer on China's version of Twitter. On Tuesday, four of the top 20 "hot searches" on Weibo, the Twitter of China, featured videos or news blog articles about the derailment. Widespread US media coverage and discussion of the Chinese balloon incensed Chinese state media and Weibo users. After all, anything can happen in a country that can arrest journalists reporting this," wrote blogger MaVision of the train derailment.

☆ China's top diplomat to attend Munich Security Conference, visit Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Feb 13 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi will attend the Munich Security Conference this month and plans to visit several countries including Russia, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday. Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will also visit France, Italy and Hungary this month, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing. The 59th Munich Security Conference will be held over Feb. 17-19, with several global leaders attending, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. (This story has been refiled to correct to Wang on second reference in paragraph 2)Reporting by Martin Pollard; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea ruling party meeting to address 'urgent' agricultural needs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Leading members of North Korea's ruling party will meet this month to discuss the "urgent" task of improving the country's agricultural sector, as international experts say food insecurity has worsened amid sanctions and COVID-19 lockdowns. Last month the U.S.-based 38 North programme, which monitors North Korea, said in a report that "food availability has likely fallen below the bare minimum with regard to human needs," with food insecurity at its worst since the famines of the 1990s. "Resolving North Korea’s chronic food insecurity would require, among other things, strengthening property rights, opening and revitalising the industrial and service sectors of the economy, and embracing an export-oriented model," the 38 North report said. North Korea is under strict international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. Those lockdowns have partially eased in recent months, with some trade resuming between North Korea and Russia and China, though at still limited levels.

☆ President of Vietnam resigns after being blamed for officials’ wrongdoing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has submitted his resignation after the ruling Communist Party found him responsible for violations and wrongdoing of numerous officials under him, the country’s official news agency said on Tuesday. Phuc, 68, a former prime minister, has held the largely ceremonial position for less than two years. There was widespread speculation about Phuc’s resignation following January’s dismissals of two deputy prime ministers, who were working under him when he led the government. To become effective, Phuc’s resignation requires approval from the National Assembly. Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is officially led by four “pillars”: the powerful party’s secretary, the president, the prime minister and the chair of the parliament.

Summary Phuc blamed for conduct of officials under himPresident highest-profile casualty of graft crackdownPhuc's replacement unclearHundreds of officials hit by 'blazing furnace' campaignHANOI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned after the ruling Communist Party blamed him for "violations and wrongdoing" by officials under his control while prime minister, the government said on Tuesday. Phuc, 68, who was premier from 2016-2021, has held the largely ceremonial position of president for less than two years and is the highest-ranking official targeted by the party's sweeping corruption crackdown. Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is officially led by four "pillars": the powerful party's secretary, the president, the prime minister and the chair of the legislature. Phuc was chosen in April 2021 to be president, and was widely tipped to succeed the party's General Secretary, the state's most prestigious job. "As prime minister for the 2016-2021 term, he has made great efforts in leading, directing and administering the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, achieving important results," it said.

☆ Pro-Putin operatives in Germany work to turn Berlin against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +17 min

Now the main Russian Cossack organisations are loyal to Putin, and they are fighting alongside Russia’s forces in Ukraine. He is regularly pictured on his and other social media pages at Cossack gatherings, often wearing Cossack military uniform. Felk has worked as a security guard and has run a logistics firm, according to posts on Felk’s OK social media account. Photos shared by Kharkovsky on social media show him and other participants standing in front of a Great Don Army flag. Eremenko confirmed to Reuters that he worked for Russian military intelligence, the GRU.

☆ North Korea's Kim sacks No. 2 military official
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) - North Korea has sacked Pak Jong Chon, the second most powerful military official after leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported. The party's Central Military Commission, which is headed by Kim, is considered the country' most powerful military decision-making body, above the defence ministry. In late 2020, Pak was promoted to the politburo and earned the title of marshal, the highest military rank under Kim, and became a leading voice last November against joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises. Like most other top military aides who went through ups and downs repeatedly under Kim, Pak was briefly demoted in mid-2021 after Kim chided some officials for their handling of North Korea's anti-coronavirus policy, before being promoted again months later. Ri, Pak's successor, is also a senior military commander who held key positions including chief of the army's general staff and defence minister.

☆ North Korea's Kim unveils new military goals at key party meeting -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the sixth enlarged meeting of the eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released on December 27, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Dec 28 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled new goals for the country's military for 2023 at an ongoing meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported on Wednesday, hinting at another year of intensive weapons tests and tension. The third-generation leader set the direction for the "anti-enemy struggle" and goals for reinforcing defence power, it added. KCNA did not provide details on those goals, but Kim's remarks could indicate the isolated country will continue to accelerate its military buildup. North Korean leaders previously made speeches on New Year Day, but in recent years, Kim has called days-long party gatherings at the end of the year to announce major policy decisions.

☆ North Korea's Kim kicks off key party meeting ahead of New Year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the sixth enlarged meeting of the eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released on December 26, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Dec 27 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has kicked off a key meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported on Tuesday, a venue he has often used to announce major policy decisions marking the New Year. The Sixth Enlarged Plenary Meeting of 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was convened on Monday, the official KCNA news agency said. Kim also faces mounting economic challenges amid international sanctions over its weapons programmes, the fallout from an anti-coronavirus lockdown and natural disasters. North Korean state media previously released its leader's speech on New Year Day, but in recent years, Kim has called party gatherings at the end of the year to make major policy announcements.

☆ Vintage photos show what Kyiv looked like before Russia's assault on Ukraine's glittering capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine remained a Soviet state until it gained its independence in 1991, and established diplomatic relations with the US. But the country remained on the frontlines of a struggle between pro-European Western values, and those of Russia to the east. Ukrainians brandish flags and celebrate the independence of Ukraine in front of the Communist Party's central committee headquarters on August, 25, 1991, in Kyiv. ANATOLY SAPRONENKOV/AFP via Getty ImagesSource: State Department

☆ China steps up support for private sector to boost Covid-hit economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Beijing has vowed to go all out next year to save its Covid-hit economy by boosting consumption and loosening control over private industry, including the struggling tech and property sectors. Covid infections are surging in China after leaders unexpectedly eased its restrictive Covid policy earlier this month. Stabilizing economic growth is the top priority for 2023, according to an official readout following the conclusion of the Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC), a key annual meeting of top leaders, which ended Friday. “We need to encourage and support the private sector economy and private enterprise in terms of policy and public opinion,” the statement said. A shopping mall is decorated with rabbit stickers to welcome the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rabbit, on December 10, 2022 in Beijing, China.

☆ China's economy faltered before major Covid policy shift, retail sales and unemployment data show
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Retail sales declined 5.9% in November from a year ago, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. It was the worst contraction in retail spending since May, when widespread Covid lockdowns, including in the country’s richest city Shanghai, pummeled the economy. Property sales by value plummeted by more than 26%. Last week, customs data showed the country’s exports contracted 8.7% in November from a year ago, the worst performance since February 2020. China’s economy has been battered by its stringent zero-Covid policy and persistent property woes this year.

It’s quite remarkable.”In his first five-year term on the Standing Committee, Wang ran the party's secretariat, an organ responsible for day-to-day affairs. In Xi's third leadership term, Wang is on track to be in charge of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body. "All the major slogans, from Jiang Zemin to Hu Jintao to Xi Jinping, seem to have come from Wang Huning," Lam said. 'AMERICA VS. AMERICA'Where most Standing Committee members have experience such as running a major city or province, Wang is an academic. During 1989's pro-democracy student protests, Wang told Xia not to stand with the students, a warning Xia did not heed.

☆ China’s Xi Stacks Government With Science and Tech Experts Amid Rivalry With U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Karen Hao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG—Chinese leader Xi Jinping has packed the top ranks of the Communist Party with a new generation of leaders who have experience in aerospace, artificial intelligence and other strategically important areas, as Beijing seeks to become a science and technology superpower that rivals the U.S. The roster of officials with backgrounds in science and technology on the party’s 205-member Central Committee has rebounded to roughly the length it had during former leader Jiang Zemin ’s first five-year term, beginning in 1992, when he kicked off a rapid acceleration of scientific research and innovation. The increase comes as Washington takes steps both to contain China’s tech sector and boost U.S. innovation.

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