Madrid, Spain | AFP | China’s President Xi Jinping arrived in Spain on Tuesday for a business-focused state visit as Beijing, currently engaged in a trade war with the United States, seeks to strengthen ties with Europe. Xi accepted a bouquet of red flowers from children after disembarking from the …
Read More »Chinese hospital denies approving gene-edited babies experiment
Beijing, China | AFP | The Chinese hospital linked to a controversial experiment purporting to have created the world’s first genetically-edited babies denied its involvement Tuesday. Shenzhen Harmonicare Women and Children’s Hospital said in a statement that it suspected the signature on a document approving the experiment, specifically its adherence …
Read More »China’s ‘Plan B’ for African debt
Analysts fear move will accumulate more debt for African countries Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Africa could further sink into more debt if China goes ahead with plans to sell the continent’s debt to investors, starting next year, observers fear. Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation (HKMC), a leading Chinese banking conglomerate, …
Read More »China scientist claims world’s first gene-edited babies
Hong Kong, China | AFP | A scientist in China claims to have created the world’s first genetically-edited babies, a move that would be a ground-breaking medical first but which has generated a barrage of criticism. Chinese university professor He Jiankui posted a video on YouTube saying that the twin …
Read More »Five dead, 18 hurt as car rams into children in China
Beijing, China | AFP | A car rammed into a group of children crossing a street in front of an elementary school in northeast China on Thursday, killing five people and injuring another 18, state media said. Police took the driver into custody and are investigating the cause of the …
Read More »US, China at odds over UN push to fund African peacekeeping
United Nations, United States | AFP | A push at the United Nations to secure financing for peace operations led by the African Union won strong backing from China on Tuesday but the United States poured cold water on the proposal. Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast – the three …
Read More »Zambian police quiz opposition leader over attacks on Chinese
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambian police on Tuesday questioned opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema for allegedly fuelling attacks on Chinese nationals, in a sign of growing political tension in the country. Hichilema, of the United Party for National Development, was last year detained for four months for alleged treason in …
Read More »China’s youth embrace street dance amid hip-hop crackdown
Beijing, China | AFP | In China, where children are often saddled with a packed schedule of extracurricular activities before they even enter grade school, some parents are making room for a surprising pursuit: hip-hop dance classes. Inside a dance studio in central Beijing, a group of kids bopped up …
Read More »Pence says US to partner in Papua New Guinea military base
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | AFP | The United States said Saturday it will join forces with Australia in the development of a new naval base in Papua New Guinea, a project seen as a move to curb China’s influence in the Pacific. Australia, which has long-standing military ties …
Read More »APEC summit host urges respect for trade rules
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | AFP | The leader of Papua New Guinea, host of this year’s APEC summit, Friday urged respect for international trade rules by “countries large and small” as spats between the US and China threatened to overshadow the gathering. As leaders from Asian Pacific nations …
Read More »