Covid-19 cases on the rise in China as Beijing, several provinces continue to report spike

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Authorities in the Chinese capital are ramping up measures like testing and restricting hotel bookings as the total number of coronavirus cases climbed to nine on Saturday, while other parts of the country reported 38 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, according to the National Health Commission. Five persons who tested positive in Beijing had travelled to … Read more

China: Crunch time for Evergrande as unit sale collapses

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The collapse of China Evergrande‘s planned $2.5 billion sale of a property services unit has left the troubled company closer than ever to its end, ramping up fears it will soon go under and send shockwaves through the Chinese economy. For months, speculation about the company’s future has been swirling as a clampdown on the … Read more

Evergrande gave workers a choice: Loan us cash or lose your bonus

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When the troubled Chinese property giant Evergrande was starved for cash earlier this year, it turned to its own employees with a strong-arm pitch: Those who wanted to keep their bonuses would have to give Evergrande a short-term loan. Some workers tapped their friends and family for money to lend to the company. Others borrowed … Read more

Smartphone market analysts slash shipment outlook for second time this year

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Smartphone market tracking firms have started cutting their 2021 shipment estimates for the second time this year, with import curbs at airports and ports in China adding to the woes of brands already plagued by the continuing acute shortage of chipsets. While TechArc has cut its projections by 7% more, IDC said the industry is … Read more

Indonesia hails ‘new era’ for United States ties, hosts biggest joint military drills

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Indonesia’s foreign minister said on Thursday her nation had entered a “new era of bilateral relations” with the United States, as the countries’ armed forces launched their biggest ever joint training exercise this week involving 3,000 troops. Speaking from Washington after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other officials, Retno Marsudi welcomed more … Read more

Chinese Navy to help Indonesia salvage sunken submarine

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Chinese navy ships have arrived off Bali to help haul up a submarine that sank last month killing 53 crew, the Indonesian Navy said Tuesday as it geared up for a deep-sea salvage operation. The help arrived after other foreign ships from Australia, Singapore and Malaysia left the archipelago, having assisted Indonesian authorities in finding … Read more

China’s Baidu to launch paid driverless ride-hailing services in Beijing

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Baidu will launch paid driverless robotaxi services in Beijing from May 2, the Chinese tech giant said on Thursday, making it the among the first companies in the country to offer autonomous driving robotaxi services to paying users. Baidu’s driverless Apollo Robotaxi, to be launched in the Chinese capital’s Shougang Park, will operate without a … Read more

US adds Chinese supercomputer centers to export blacklist

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The United States on Thursday restricted trade with top Chinese supercomputing centers, saying that Beijing‘s growing efforts in the field could have military uses that pose dangers. The seven centers or entities were put on the US government’s entity list, which means they require special permission for exports and imports from the United States. “Supercomputing … Read more

China calls on WHO to respect scientists’ Covid origin findings

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China called on the World Health Organization to take the lead in respecting the conclusions of scientists, a day after the international organization’s director-general faulted the findings of a mission to study the origins of Covid-19 in China. “We need to respect science and respect the opinions and the conclusions reached by scientists,” Chinese Foreign … Read more

Taiwan says has begun mass production of long-range missile

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Taiwan has begun mass production of a long-range missile and is developing three other models, a senior official said on Thursday, in a rare admission of efforts to develop strike capacity amid growing Chinese pressure. China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up military activity near the island, as it tries … Read more