“Many trading partners of the United States, including China, are strongly dissatisfied with the United States’ frequent use of national security, non-market behaviour, overcapacity and other reasons to impose restrictions and politicise trade issues,” embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said in a statement to the BBC. BBC
Mr Modi addressed other topics, including allegations of discrimination against minorities by his government. Rights groups say that they often face discrimination and attacks, and have been forced to live as “second-class” citizens under Mr Modi’s rule – an allegation the BJP denies. In the past 10 years, a number of cases involving violence against Muslims by right-wing groups have been reported in India. BBC
Thousands of emotional Fu Bao fans lined the streets near Everland theme park, as the first giant panda born in South Korea left for China to join a breeding programme. Her parents were sent to South Korea as part of China’s “panda diplomacy” programme and after Fu Bao was born, she doubled the number of visitors at the park. Video shows a truck carrying the beloved panda moving through the streets, as people stand on the side of the road waving flags and wiping away tears. BBC
Lin checked himself into the hospital when he felt unwell after taking the pills, and was initially in stable condition. But his condition took a dramatic turn – he died 10 days later, on Christmas Day 2020, at the age of 39. At the time, he was believed to have had a net worth of around 6.8bn yuan (£745m; $941m), according to the Hurun China Rich List BBC
Australian wine representatives said the industry lost A$2.1bn ($1.37bn, £1.08bn) in the year after China was shut off. Despite pivoting to other markets, winemakers struggled to sell the volume of bottles to other countries and have faced a significant glut in recent years. BBC
“The Chinese side has already made technical clarifications and response to the APT 31-related Information submitted by the UK side, which made clear that the evidence provided by the UK was inadequate,” he said, adding: “Unfortunately, we haven’t heard from the UK side.” BBC
“To our belief in democracy, human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of worship. These are the things that we hold dear, but we seem reluctant to want to defend those against the others who hold none of those virtues and values and want to take ours from us.” BBC
The city should not be discounted as an international financial hub, says Kevin Tsui, chief economist at the research firm Orientis. He adds that Hong Kong should make use of its advantages – a simple, low-rate tax system, and the fact that it’s the only Chinese city with no foreign exchange controls. The Hong Kong dollar is also pegged to the US dollar, providing financial stability. BBC
Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 under the principle of “one country, two systems”, which guaranteed the city a certain degree of autonomy. While Beijing and Hong Kong both insist this is still the case, critics and international rights groups say China’s grip on the city has only tightened with time. BBC
Scores of people have been arrested under the NSL since it was passed in 2020, which critics say has created a climate of fear. Amnesty International’s China director Sarah Brooks said the new law “delivered another crushing blow to human rights in the city”, while Maya Wang, acting China director at Human Rights Watch, said it would “usher Hong Kong into a new era of authoritarianism”. BBC