China is battling a surge in cases following its decision last month to lift years of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing that had hammered its economy and sparked rare nationwide protests.

Beijing, China--China's foreign exchange reserves rose to US$3.1277 trillion at the end of December 2022, up 0.33 percent from a month earlier, data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange showed Saturday. The foreign exchange regulator attributed the increase in foreign exchange reserves to the combined impact of currency translation...

A reshuffle of Ant's shareholding structure will now see Ma cede control of the fintech giant he founded in 2014. He will hold just 6.2 percent of the voting rights as the company moves to ensure "no shareholder, alone or jointly with other parties, will have control over Ant Group",...

Brent crude futures gained 59 cents to $78.43 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 69 cents to $73.53 a barrel.

The two leaders are expected to discuss regional security challenges, including North Korea and China, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and ways to address climate change. Kishida said he would also raise Japan's bolstered defense policy. Japan's government approved a major defense policy overhaul last month, including a...

Beijing, China--China Evergrande has pledged to repay its debt this year, as the property giant faces a restructuring following Beijing's crackdown on excessive borrowing and rampant speculation in the real estate sector. In an email seen by AFP, chairman Hui Ka Yan told staff that "2023 is a key year for...

A recently reached Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement has further enhanced the historical friendly relations between Saudi Arabia and China.

Military analysts say China has used the incursions to probe Taiwan's defenses, exhaust its ageing air force and voice displeasure over Western support for Taipei, especially the United States.

France joins other states including the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States in testing arrivals from China, four weeks after Beijing scrapped its "zero-Covid" containment policy of lockdowns and mass testing.

the Moroccan foreign ministry said in a statement that authorities in the North African country "decided to forbid access to territory of the Kingdom of Morocco for all travelers, whatever their nationality, coming from the People's Republic of China."

The Middle East region welcomed 2023 with fireworks at Burj Khalifa as revelers rang in the New Year without being subjected to Covid-related curbs for first time since pandemic.

For more than two years, China had insisted on a zero-Covid strategy of stamping out outbreaks with strict quarantines, lockdowns and mass testing - a hardline policy that reverberated across the global economy. On December 7, Beijing abruptly loosened pandemic restrictions, but despite that, the country is still struggling to...

United Nations, US--The UN General Assembly on Friday asked the International Court of Justice to consider consequences for Israel over its occupation of Palestinian territories, a day after the Jewish state's most right-wing government ever took over. The General Assembly voted 87-26 with 53 abstentions on the resolution, with Western nations...

The country profiles -- arranged in alphabetical order -- summarize recent data, presenting statistical narratives of a country that include economic, political, sociological, environmental, and cultural factors. The profiles also include their performance in 2022 and estimations for 2023.

Hospitals across China have been overwhelmed by an explosion of infections following Beijing's decision to lift strict rules that had largely kept the virus at bay but tanked the economy and sparked widespread protests. China said this week it would end mandatory quarantine on arrival, prompting many Chinese to make...

Beijing moved against the country's vibrant gaming sector last August as part of a sprawling crackdown on big tech companies.

A total of 40 people were working underground at the mine in Yining county, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the border with Kazakhstan, at the time of the collapse Saturday afternoon.

A news outlet operated by the ruling Communist Party in Qingdao on Friday reported the municipal health chief as saying that the eastern city was seeing "between 490,000 and 530,000" new Covid cases a day. The coastal city of around 10 million people was "in a period of rapid transmission...

Employees had obtained the IP addresses of the journalists in a bid to determine whether they were in the same location as ByteDance colleagues suspected of disclosing confidential information, a company review of the scheme led by its compliance team and an external law firm found, according to Andersen.

With dust settling after the Bank of Japan's surprise shift from ultra-loose monetary policy, investors embarked on a mini Santa rally ahead of the Christmas break, while the yen stabilised following its biggest jump in 24 years.

In a statement, the World Bank slashed its forecast to 2.7 percent from 4.3 percent predicted in June. It also revised its forecast for next year from 8.1 percent down to 4.3 percent.

As the Gulf nations look to deepen economic partnership with China, the US, the region's dominant security force, watches with concern the GCC tilt toward its rival.

They will explore refining and petrochemical projects in China.

MONTREAL, CANADA - A UN nature deal proposed Sunday calls to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030 and asks rich countries to stump up $20 billion in yearly aid for developing nations to save their ecosystems. China, chairing the COP15 biodiversity summit in Montreal, presented a long-awaited...

Observers had warned the COP15 talks aimed at sealing a "peace pact for nature" risked collapse due to disagreement over how much the rich world should pay to protect ecosystems in developing countries.

Germany plans to open four more government-funded LNG terminals over the next few months as well as a private terminal in the port of Lubmin.

Urging China to share information that might pinpoint how the pandemic started, the WHO has said that it was hoping that Covid-19 would no longer be a public health emergency in 2023. The WHO said the virus was here to stay and would have to be managed like other respiratory...

The consumer price index, a key gauge of inflation, logged its smallest annual increase in nearly a year, fueling optimism that the Fed could soon moderate its efforts. Households have been squeezed by red-hot prices, with conditions worsened by surging food and energy costs after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and China’s Generations Fund have signed an agreement to promote the culture of Jiu-Jitsu in China. The agreement allows both parties to utilize Jiu-Jitsu in accelerating sporting cooperation between the UAE and China. The importance of the agreement stems from the fact that it...

The bank's Fitch A ratings bonds were listed on Nasdaq Dubai.

Beijing, China—China has filed a dispute with the World Trade Organization over US restrictions on chip exports, Beijing's commerce ministry said in a statement late Monday, accusing Washington of threatening global supply chains. The United States in October announced new export controls aimed at restricting China's ability to buy and manufacture...

More than two years after it was launched, China will retire "Communications Itinerary Card", which tracks people who have been to a high-risk area based on their phone signal. The step is seen as a milestone in the country's rapid turn away from its zero-tolerance coronavirus strategy.

The $1.5bn deal will herald a new energy transition phase.

A month after Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden agreed to repair frayed relations, the US is sending its first high-level delegation to China, consisting of Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Laura Rosenberger.

While a UAE official in Beijing calls the China-Arab summit a key milestone in the history of relations between the two peoples, Palestine hails its outcomes as 'beyond expectations'

Geneva, Switzerland— Washington condemned the World Trade Organization's verdict Friday on the punitive US tariffs imposed on national security grounds on steel imports from China and other countries. Former US president Donald Trump's administration introduced the tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from China, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey and his successor,...

China has established comprehensive strategic partnership relations with 12 Arab countries separately, says Xi Jinping during Arab-China Summit in Riyadh.

"China will continue to firmly support the GCC countries in maintaining their own security... and build a collective security framework for the Gulf," Chinese President Xi said at the start of the China-GCC summit.

Global stocks rose on China's slowing inflation and economic reopening, alongside hopes of less aggressive interest rate hikes next week. Sentiment brightened on China's decision to shift away from its nearly three-year zero-Covid strategy of lockdowns and mass testing that slammed the economy. After protests across the country, leaders have...

Beijing is ready to expand its crude oil trade with Riyadh and will "list Saudi Arabia as a destination country for outbound tourism organized by Chinese citizens, says Xi Jinping.

The legal salvo came as problems are mounting for TikTok in the United States, with multiple accusations that the extremely popular app is a national security threat and a conduit for spying by China.

The Chinese president's visit to Saudi Arabia aims at 'qualitative leap' in bilateral ties and the 'largest-scale diplomatic activity between China and the Arab world'.

The trip -- only Xi's third overseas journey since the coronavirus pandemic began, and his first to Saudi Arabia since 2016 -- comes after US President Joe Biden's visit in July, when he pleaded in vain for higher oil production.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia---The Saudi capital was bedecked with Chinese flags ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit on Wednesday that is likely to focus on energy ties but also follows months of tensions with the United States. The red-and-gold Chinese emblem alternated with the green flag of Saudi Arabia along major...

Delegates from across the world gathered for the December 7-19 meeting to try to hammer out a new deal for nature: a 10-year framework aimed at saving the planet's forests, oceans and species before it's too late.

The European Union reached an agreement to ban the import of products including coffee, cocoa and soy in cases where they are deemed to contribute to deforestation. The draft law, which aims to ensure "deforestation-free supply chains" for the 27-nation EU, was hailed by environmental groups as "groundbreaking". Illegal production...

Geneva, Switzerland— Total global air traffic has shot up 44.6 percent in October as against October 2021, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Total traffic in October 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 44.6 percent compared to October 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 74.2...

World oil prices rallied after more easing of Covid containment measures in China and as a price cap on Russian crude agreed by the EU, G7 and Australia came into force. Brent North Sea crude and WTI advanced over 2.5 percent, also after OPEC and its Russia-led allies decided to...

Washington, United States—The US Commerce Department on Friday accused several solar companies of evading American tariffs on imports of China-made components, findings that could add to tensions between Beijing and Washington. The department has been investigating claims that certain manufacturers of solar cells and modules went around antidumping and countervailing duties...

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - Major oil producers are expected to stick to their current output strategy or even slash production further when they meet on Sunday in the face of falling prices, a potential Russian oil price cap and an embargo on Russian crude shipments. At their last ministerial session...