China

China overall economy grows in 2020 as rebound from virus gains

By Cheryl J. Morris 5 days ago

BEIJING — China eked out 2.3% financial expansion in 2020, probable getting to be the only significant economic climate to extend as shops and factories reopened rather early from a shutdown to struggle the coronavirus while the United States, Japan and Europe struggled with increasing infections.

Advancement in the three months ending in December rose to 6.5% over a yr earlier as consumers returned to browsing malls, places to eat and cinemas, formal details confirmed Monday. That was up from the preceding quarter’s 4.9% and much better than a lot of forecasters anticipated.

In early 2020, action contracted by 6.8% in the first quarter as the ruling Communist Get together shut down most of its economic system to fight the virus. The subsequent quarter, China became the to start with big region to improve yet again with a 3.2% growth after the party declared victory more than the virus in

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China: WHO experts arriving Thursday for virus origins probe

By Cheryl J. Morris 2 weeks ago
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In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a medical staff in a protective suit takes a swab from a child near a residential area in Shijiazhuang in northern China’s Hebei Province on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. Chinese health authorities say scores more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Hebei province bordering on the capital Beijing. The outbreak focused on the Hebei cities of Shijiazhuang and Xingtai is one of China’s most serious in recent months and comes amid measures to curb the further spread during next month’s Lunar New Year holiday. (Wang Xiao/Xinhua via AP)


Wang Xiao

AP

BEIJING

Experts from the World Health Organization are due to arrive in China this week for a long-anticipated investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, the government said Monday.

The experts will arrive on Thursday and meet with Chinese counterparts, the National Health Commission said in a one-sentence statement

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Australian PM says China coal ban would breach WTO rules

By Cheryl J. Morris 1 month ago

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s prime minister said Tuesday that China would be violating World Trade Organization rules and a bilateral free trade agreement if it banned Australian coal.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was replying to a report in China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper that said Beijing’s main planning agency had given power plants approval to import coal without restrictions, except for Australian coal.

Morrison said he was treating the report as “media speculation” because the Chinese government had yet to clarify its position.

“If that were the case, then that would obviously be in breach of WTO rules,” Morrison told reporters. “It would be obviously in breach of our free trade agreement and so we would hope that’s certainly not the case.”

China has targeted various Australian exports as relations with the country have deteriorated after Australia called for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic.

Asked about the report,

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Can Science and Technology Solve Disputes in the South China Sea?

By Cheryl J. Morris 2 months ago

The United Nations Convention on the Regulation of the Sea (UNCLOS) is based on normal geographic capabilities and applies a scientific strategy to preserving humanity’s frequent human heritage. It is the only procedure of international law which defines the character and position of maritime zones, collectively with the roles and duties of coastal states. Considering that 1994, UNCLOS has also been the customary system for the resolution of maritime disputes.

Notwithstanding the provisions of UNCLOS, nonetheless, the prevailing disputes of the South China Sea (SCS) have not been settled as a result of the software of geographic and scientific information in its place, these criteria have been overshadowed by political and army implications. There are significant challenges in making use of UNCLOS in the SCS. Initial, China claims prolonged-recognized historical rights, but the only proof Beijing has is a map produced in 1945. Second, disagreement persists on how to outline

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