Afghanistan

Estimated Afghan Job Loss 700,000 to 900,000: SIGAR: Tolo News

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said that the total job losses since the Taliban takeover is projected to reach between 700,000 and 900,000 by mid-2022. Click here to read…

Taliban: No Police Has the Right to Stand at a Police Checkpoint Wearing Civilian Attire: The Khaama Press

The Taliban’s chief of police in Kabul, Wali Jan Hamza, said the process of distributing uniforms to the group forces had begun and that once the it was completed, no one in plain, local and civilian clothes would be allowed to check the people. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Govt took profits of Petroleum Corporation, left it in lurch- The Daily Star

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation made huge profits for seven years through import of petroleum at low prices but the government took that money, leaving the BPC ill-equipped to cope with the current international market volatility. Click here to read…

Major challenges ahead: speakers- The Daily Star

As the world order is changing with the global powers being more polarised, Bangladesh will be facing more challenges in maintaining balance and securing its national interests in the coming days. Click here to read…

Country gets its first female finance secy- The Daily Star

The government yesterday appointed Fatima Yasmin as the secretary to the Finance Division under the finance ministry. Click here to read…

Prophet remarks: Police block march to Indian High Commission- The Daily Star

Police blocked the march heading towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka at Shantinagar intersection around 12:20pm today. Click here to read…

“Yunus got highest opportunities from AL govt but betrayed Bangladesh”- The Daily Star

Lambasting Dr Muhammad Yunus, PM Sheikh Hasina once again said the World Bank’s funding to the Padma multipurpose bridge project was stopped due to a person who got the highest opportunities from the Awami League government but betrayed the people of Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bhutan needs big investment in right sector- Business Bhutan

With the economy at a crossroads, big investment in the right economic sector is the only way forward for the government to revive the economy of the country, according to an economist, Dr. Damber S. KharkaClick here to read…

Customers complain about increasing prices of commodities in Phuentsholing- Business Bhutan

The wholesale price of one carton of Koka noodles was Nu 675 in the past and now it costs Nu 775. The retail price for one carton of Koka is Nu 820 in Phuentsholing. Click here to read…

Fiscal year 2021-22 budget revised to Nu 84B- Kuensel

The finance minister has presented a supplementary budget of more than Nu 3.866 billion (B) for fiscal year 2021-22 in Parliament. Click here to read…

His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo awarded the prestigious Blue Planet Prize- Kuensel

The Asahi Glass Foundation has recognised His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo as one of the two recipients of the Blue Planet Prize, the international environmental award for this year. Click here to read…

Maldives

President decides to establish Maldives Health Services: Edition Mv

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has decided to establish Maldives Health Services to strengthen primary health care system in the nation. Click here to read…

Nepal

Deuba avoids House that awaited response on some pressing issues- Kathmandu Post

Amid calls for answers from him on defence budget and SPP, prime minister plays truant. Click here to read…

On SPP, no party looks clean— all lying, playing to the gallery- Kathmandu Post

A Nepal Army letter shows Nepal applied for the State Partnership Program in October 2015. While the national defence force finds itself in the dock, politicians are equally answerable. Click here to read…

Nepali importers using southern route due to fickle Chinese transit policy- Kathmandu Post

Traders say they are tired of the frequently changing Chinese transit rules and promises which have caused them massive losses. Click here to read…

Fuel prices increase in new list sent by IOC- Republica

The price of fuel has increased in the latest revised price list sent by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the sole supplier of fuel to the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC). Click here to read…

Seven South African women held with 51 kgs of narcotics worth over Rs 1 billion- Republica

Nepal Police on Thursday made public seven South African women in Kathmandu who were nabbed along with 51 kilograms of heroin worth more than Rs 1 billion. Click here to read…

Ruling, opposition parties disown SPP- Himalayan Post

The United States’ State Partnership Programme has become a political hot potato, with the ruling and the opposition parties eager to wash their hands off it. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Prison Department spokesperson denies execution rumours- Myanmar Now

The official said that no execution order had been issued for the hanging of veteran activist Ko Jimmy or former MP Phyo Zayar Thaw. Click here to read…

Elderly villagers killed in junta raids in Magway’s Pakokku Township- Myanmar Now

One of the victims was beaten to death, while the other, a paralysed woman in her seventies, died in her home after it was set on fire. Click here to read…

Participants in Civil Disobedience Movement found murdered following junta raid in central Myanmar- Myanmar Now

Two resistance fighters, a nurse, headmaster and a teacher—who was pregnant—are captured together before being killed and burned by the military in Magway’s Yesagyo Township. Click here to read…

Ultranationalist monk calls for pro-resistance villages to be ‘erased’- Myanmar Now

U Warthawa, a monk who has played a leading role in recruiting members to junta-backed militias in Sagaing Region, also accused PDF groups of carrying out arson attacks.

(Editorial) Once Again, Military Rule Sparks a Brain Drain in Myanmar- The Irrawaddy

Since the coup, Myanmar has witnessed a mass exodus. Myanmar citizens are once again fleeing the country, and this time entrepreneurs, businessmen, professionals, IT technicians and media personnel are among those who have left or are planning to do so. Click here to read…

(Books) No Place to Call Home in the Junta’s Myanmar- The Irrawaddy

Reading Jessica Mudditt’s new book Our Home in Myanmar: Four Years in Yangon challenges concentration, with its emotionally mendicant millennial obsessions. The plodding prose turned my thoughts to the meaning of home in Myanmar in the aftermath of the 2021 coup and the military regime’s campaign of destroying individual homes, villages, communities and seemingly an entire country. Click here to read…

Union Construction Minister receives Indian Ambassador- GNLM

U Shwe Lay, Union Minister for Construction, received Mr Vinay Kumar, Ambassador of the Republic of India to Myanmar, at the Ministry of Construction in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. Click here to read…

Myanmar’s foreign trade soars to $5.5 bln over past two months- The Global

MYANMAR’s external trade between 1 April and 3 June of the 2022-2023 Financial Year tremendously rose to US$5.5 billion, reflecting a sharp increase of $546 million as against the year-ago period, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Oil prices add fuel to raging fire of discontent- Dawn

Amid widespread criticism from friends and foes over the government’s decision to increase oil prices for the third time in as many weeks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday defended the move. Click here to read…

SBP forex reserves hit lowest since November 2019- The News

The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) foreign exchange reserves have dropped by $241 million or 2.6 percent to $9.0 billion as of June 10, central bank data showed on Thursday, hitting their lowest level since November 2019 on the back of lack of external financing amid stalled IMF programme, high payments for oil imports, and pressure on foreign debt. Click here to read…

Pakistan seeks US help to revive IMF deal- The Express Tribune

Pakistan has sought the United States support for the revival of the International Monetary Fund programme, as the global lender has yet to agree to a staff level pact despite the government having taken many difficult steps. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

U.S. to give $6 million in emergency aid to crisis-hit Sri Lanka: CGNT

The United States on Thursday announced that it will provide $6 million in emergency assistance to Sri Lanka to address the needs of the marginalized and vulnerable communities impacted by the country’s economic crisis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka Left With Fuel Stocks For Around Five Days: NDTV

Chronic fuel shortages have worsened this week with kilometres-long lines at some gas stations countrywide, leading to sporadic protests as vehicle owners wait, sometimes overnight, for petrol and diesel. Click here to read…

WFP ramps up emergency support, beginning with pregnant mothers in need: UN News

The World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday began distributing food vouchers to pregnant women in underserved districts of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, marking the start of the UN agency’s emergency response in the country, which is facing its gravest political and economic crisis since independence. Click here to read…

Protest held in Sri Lankan capital against proposed wind mill project by Adani Group: Indian Express

The protestors in Colombo held placards questioning the lack of transparency in the awarding of the project to the Adani Group while shouting slogans against the Indian business conglomerateClick here to read…

Afghanistan

Kabul Marks World Blood Donor Day: Tolo News

In honor of World Blood Donor Day, the Central Blood Bank of Afghanistan called on citizens of the country to donate. “The Central Blood Bank carried out 88,536 blood tests in that year, and also provided blood to 126,876 persons in need,” said Mohammad Nasser Sadiq, the director of the Central Blood Bank. Click here to read…

Panjshir Highway Closes to Traffic: The Khaama Press

The Panjshir highway has been closed to traffic due to a landslide, according to the Taliban’s Public Works Directorate for Panjshir. According to Bakhtar News Agency, a mountain landslide happened in the Pashghur area of Khenj district of Panjshir public highway on Wednesday, June the 15th, citing the Taliban’s Directorate of Public Works. Click here to read…

Putin’s Spokesman Denies the Allegations That Russia Might Recognize the Taliban: The Khaama Press

Dmitry Sergeyevich Peskov, the Russian presidential spokesperson, said at a press conference on Wednesday, June 15, that Moscow had not discussed recognizing the Taliban interim government. Click here to read…

India expresses concern about discriminatory, inferior status accorded to women in Afghanistan: India Today

India on Wednesday expressed its concern about the discriminatory inferior status accorded to women in Afghan society which has adversely impacted the education of girls in the war-torn country, while underlining the need for the Security Council to focus its attention on consequences of terrorism on the rights of women. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Govt mulls fuel price hike- The Daily Star

The government is considering raising the fuel prices to cut losses of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation amid a price hike of crude oil and diesel in the global market. Click here to read…

Mega projects will not adversely affect economy: PM- The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday ruled out the possibility of mega projects adversely impacting the balance of foreign currencies and the country’s economy. Click here to read…

Insulting other religions initiates communal conflict: Eminent citizens- The Daily Star

Seventeen prominent citizens today called upon all to maintain harmony in society by upholding religious values and respecting other religions following the protests over derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made by two suspended BJP leaders. Click here to read…

Remittance inflow started returning to pre-Covid state: PM- The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today told the parliament that the remittance inflow to the country has started to return to the normal trend as it was in pre-Covid times. Click here to read…

Bhutan

No fuel shortage: Economic affairs ministry- Kuensel

The country has fuel reserves to last for two weeks in the worst-case scenario. This is the message from the economic affairs ministry following a rumour of fuel shortage that forced many to the fuel stations. Click here to read…

Govt. to discuss legal aid after NC completes Civil Liability Bill discussion- Kuensel

Five years after sending a resolution to the government on the need to provide legal aid services to indigent persons as mandated by the Constitution, the National Council (NC) members questioned the Prime Minister on the status of the service. Click here to read…

Complainant and accused arrested in alleged prostitution case- Kuensel

While many in Phuentsholing are questioning how the complainant of an alleged prostitution case could be arrested as she informed the police to seek protection, police officials said that she was a part of the racket. Click here to read…

Government sets fuel price without discussing with country’s PoL dealers- Bhutan Today

To bring down the fuel price in the country, the government adopted a price-fixing-module – this, the Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants (PoL) dealers said it is a decision taken arbitrarily. Click here to read…

Maldives

Almost 350 development projects currently underway’- The Sun

Three hundred forty-five projects are currently underway in different parts of the country, Planning Minister Mohamed Aslam has said. Click here to read…

Myanmar not part of ASEAN meet- The Hindu

The Foreign Minister of Myanmar is unlikely to be part of the 24 th ASEAN-India Ministerial here on Thursday, an official source indicated. Click here to read…

Prison Department spokesperson denies execution rumours- Myanmar Now

Rumours that four condemned prisoners, including prominent political figures Ko Jimmy and Phyo Zayar Thaw, are about to be hanged are untrue, according to a Prison Department spokesperson. Click here to read…

Nearly 3,000 Civilians Flee Myanmar Regime’s Aerial Bombing in Sagaing- The Irrawaddy

Around 3,000 civilians from Sagaing Region have left their homes because of Myanmar junta air bombardment and arson attacks in Wetlet Township on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Nepal

JICA commences five years project on Climate Change Adaptation through Sustainable Forest Management- Himalayan Times

JICA Nepal and Ministry of Forest and Environment (MOFE) concluded an agreement on the Technical Cooperation Project on Climate Change Adaptation through Sustainable Forest Management in Nepal on Tuesday. Click here to read…

US scotches rumours about SPP agreement- Himalayan Times

There is no proposed SPP agreement. Any claim to the contrary is false. Nepal applied for SPP in 2015 and again in 2017. The United States accepted Nepal’s application in 2019. Click here to read…

Attention drawn towards SPP draft in HoR- Himalayan Times

The major opposition party CPN (UML) has drawn serious attention of the government towards draft of the USA’s State Partnership Programme (SPP) that Nepal is supposed to sign. Click here to read…

PM Deuba and Finance Minister Sharma to respond to lawmakers’ queries today- Republica

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other ministers concerned are scheduled to respond to the questions raised by lawmakers on the budget allocation bill related to the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Office of the President and Office of the Vice President in the House of Representatives meeting today. Click here to read…

Madhesh govt presents budget of 46.88 billion- Republica

The Madhesh Provincial Government has made public a budget of Rs. 46.88 billion for the coming Fiscal Year 2022/23. Click here to read…

Lumbini govt presents budget of Rs 42.63 billion- Republica

The Lumbini provincial government has presented a budget of 42.63 billion for fiscal year 2022/23. Click here to read…

Gandaki unveils budget of Rs 35.90 billion- Republica

andaki Province has announced a budget of Rs 35.90 billion for fiscal year 2022/23, underscoring the development of agriculture, tourism and health sectors. Click here to read…

Sudurpaschim Province unveils a budget of Rs 36.74 billion- Republica

The Sudurpaschim province government on Wednesday unveiled an estimated budget of Rs 36.746 billion for the upcoming fiscal year 2022/23. Click here to read…

Pakistan

BUDGET 2022-23: Tax relief to salaried class ‘sacrificed at IMF altar’: Dawn

The government has decided, in principle, to reverse the drastic tax relief provided to the salaried class in its proposed federal budget for 2022-23, official sources told Dawn. Click here to read…

Petrol price up by Rs24.03, diesel Rs59.16: The News

Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail Wednesday announced that the government was not in a position to bear subsidies on petroleum products anymore, therefore, it has decided to increase the prices of petrol by Rs24.03 per litre, taking it to a record high of Rs233.89 per litre. Click here to read…

Imran foresees PML-N-led govt failing in handling economic crisis: The Express Tribune

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday predicted that the coalition government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will completely fail in steering the country out of the prevailing economic crisis, saying he had advised “neutrals” – a tacit reference to the establishment – to not let the economy derail. Click here to read…

Musharraf’s return a fait accompli: Gilani: The Express Tribune

PPP leader Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday maintained that the return of ex-military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf to Pakistan due to his “frail” health was not in the hands of the lawmakers as the decision would be made “somewhere” else. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

SL requests China to amend the agreement: Daily mirror

Sri Lanka is in engagement with China to amend the terms and conditions of the US 1.5 billion currency swap deal so that it can be used, a top source said. Click here to read…

“Stop Adani” Trends For Sri Lanka Project, Protests Planned Tomorrow: NDTV

Social media in Sri Lanka is abuzz with plans for a “massive protest” against Indian industrialist Gautam Adani’s group over allegations that an energy project was awarded to the group after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressured President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Islamic Scholars in Badghis Call to Reopen Girls’ Schools: Tolo News

Islamic scholars at a gathering in the western province of Badghis urged the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools for female students in grades 6-12Click here to read…

The World Bank Announces a Critical $150 Million Lifeline for Afghanistan’s Rural Families: The Khaama Press

The World Bank has provided $150 million in aid to Afghan farmers to help them improve their agricultural products, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to the FAO, this is the first tranche of World Bank assistance, with the second installment, totaling $45 million, expected to be released within the following 24 months. Click here to read…

UN: Millions of Children Under the Taliban Rule Have Been Deprived of Education: The Khaama Press

The UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner, Kelly Clements, traveled to Afghanistan and stated during a visit to a school in Herat province that the majority of the children without the right to education were girls. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

EVM not working at many places: Sakku- The Daily Star

Monirul Haque Sakku, former mayor and independent candidate of Cumilla City Corporation polls, claimed that EVM machines are not working at many places. Click here to read…

Govt taking steps to close dodgy news portals- The Daily Star

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud yesterday told parliament that a letter was sent to the Department of Posts and Telecommunications to block the links and cancel the domain registrations of 179 online news portals that spread confusion among people. Click here to read…

Scale up Rohingya repatriation efforts- The Daily Star

Bangladesh has urged the UN to scale up its programme and create conducive conditions in the Rakhine State of Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation, arguing that the efforts on Bangladesh’s side alone will not bring about any lasting solution to the problem. Click here to read…

PM orders building a Padma Bridge museum- The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities concerned to set up a museum at the Bhanga end of the Padma bridge to commemorate the country’s landmark achievement. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Govt. to discuss legal aid after NC completes Civil Liability Bill discussion- Kuensel

Five years after sending a resolution to the government on the need to provide legal aid services to indigent persons as mandated by the Constitution, the National Council (NC) members questioned the Prime Minister on the status of the service. Click here to read…

No fuel shortage: Economic affairs ministry- Kuensel

The country has fuel reserves to last for two weeks in the worst-case scenario. This is the message from the economic affairs ministry following a rumour of fuel shortage that forced many to the fuel stations. Click here to read…

(Editorial) Bhutan a bleak destination for foreign investors?- Bhutan Times

A study conducted on economic freedom by an American research and educational institution and think tank based in Washington DC, Heritage Foundation, has ranked Bhutan the 94th freest country with a economic freedom score of just 59.3 in the 2022 index. Click here to read…

Maldives

President Solih decides to establish ‘Maldives Health Services’: The Sun

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on Tuesday, has decided to establish ‘Maldives Health Service’. The decision was taken by President Solih followi at the recommendation of his cabinet. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar Resistance Rejects Junta Calls to Surrender – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s people’s defense forces (PDF) and other resistance fighters have rejected junta proposals to lay down arms and join them, saying they will never surrender to killers. In a June 11 announcement, the regime asked resistance fighters to surrender and return to civilian lives, saying they will be “welcomed” to rejoin society. Click here to read…

Rohingyas: Dhaka asks Nay Pyi Taw to expedite verification for early repatriation – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh and Myanmar on Tuesday held “substantive discussions” on all issues related to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland. Click here to read…

UN envoy on Myanmar urged to work towards early repatriation of Rohingyas – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh has called upon the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General to Myanmar to work towards an early implementation of the bilateral return arrangements for the RohingyasClick here to read…

Over 100 Junta Soldiers Defect to Arakan Army in Western Myanmar – The Irrawaddy

Over 100 soldiers including officers have defected from the Myanmar military to the Arakan Army (AA) since last year’s coup, said AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha on Tuesday during a press conference held by the Rakhine State-based ethnic armed organization. Click here to read…

NUG Acting President Calls for People to put an end to Junta’s Planned Election – The Irrawaddy

Acting president of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) Duwa Lashi La called on Tuesday for people to prepare to put an end to the fraudulent election planned by the junta for next year, which the country’s democratic forces see as an attempt to prolong military rule. Click here to read…

50th Session of the Human Rights Council Oral update on Myanmar – OHCHR

Since my last update to this Council in February this year, the human rights situation in Myanmar has continued to rapidly decline. Still suffering from the devastating consequences of the February 2021 military coup, the people of Myanmar remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and displacement, human rights violations and abuses. Click here to read…

Nepal

UML stalls House proceedings over ‘budget manipulation’- Himalayan Times

Main opposition CPN-UML today obstructed proceedings of the House of Representatives over alleged manipulation in the new fiscal budget, a day before the budget was presented in the Lower House. Click here to read…

(Opinion) FY 79/80 budget: From the perspective of energy balance- Himalayan Times

Due to the discrepancy in electricity production in the dry and wet season, turbines are not going to operate in their optimum condition – in the dry season, because of inadequate discharge, and in the wet season, because of excess energy. Operating turbines in part load conditions and frequent start-up and shut down might also reduce their life-span. Click here to read…

Khadka defends Uzra Zeya’s visit- Himalayan Times

Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka today defended the recent visit by Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights and US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya to a Tibetan refugee camp. Click here to read…

Arrangements made to provide budget in 171 local units for sports development- Himalayan Times

Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Devendra Paudel, has said an arrangement has been made to provide budget to 171 units in the coming fiscal year for the construction of sports infrastructures. Click here to read…

A US programme triggers new debate on the heels of MCC pact’s passage- Kathmandu Post

American embassy calls a purported SPP draft circulating online as ‘fake’, as questions arise if Nepal is falling into a geopolitical quagmire amid rising global tensions. Click here to read…

Poll body eyeing general, provincial elections in November in one phase- Kathmandu Post

Officials say they are set to meet the prime minister within a week with their plans. Click here to read…

Nepal’s foreign debt liability swells as rupee plunges to an all-time low against dollar- Kathmandu Post

Rupee’s fall due to steady depreciation of Indian rupee to which it is pegged, insiders say. Click here to read…

Maternal mortality rate still high in Banke- The Republica

Despite the government spending billions of rupees on maternal safety programs, the maternal mortality rate has not decreased in Banke. According to the District Public Health Office, 14 women lost their lives in the first six months of the current fiscal year 2021/22 while 35 people each had died in the last fiscal year 2020/21 and 2019/20. Click here to read…

After protests, Deuba clarifies he won’t sign the US-proposed State Partnership Program- Online Khabar

As the draft agreement for the US-proposed State Partnership Program got criticised by several political parties and the public, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has clarified he will not sign the deal during his visit to Washington, DC, to be held next month. Click here to read…

Nepali reaps peace dividend 17 years after war- Nepali Times

How a former teacher is far ahead of Nepal’s politicians in turning wild cannabis into a cash crop. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan, IMF agree ‘social protection’ is top budgetary priority: Dawn

On Friday, Pakistan unveiled a $47 billion budget for 2022-23, which includes several fiscal consolidation measures that Islamabad hopes will convince the IMF to resume the much-needed bailout payments to the country. Click here to read…

Defence budget shrinking in GDP terms: DG ISPR: The Express Tribune

The chief military spokesperson has sought to quash the perception that the defence budget has been hiked for the next fiscal year, saying that defence allocations have actually been reduced if inflation and rupee depreciation are factored in. Click here to read…

President Biden for building strong basis for moving Pak-US ties forward: The News
US President Joe Biden, in a brief conversation with Pakistan’s Ambassador Sardar Masood Khan, expressed his desire to build a strong basis for moving ties between the two countries forward. According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Embassy in Washington, Ambassador Masood Khan visited the White House to meet and greet the US president on MoClick here to read…

Punjab political crisis shows no signs of abating: The News

The crisis in the Punjab Assembly deepened on Tuesday after the government failed to present the annual budget 2022-23 even on the second day due to the deadlock with PA Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka gives government workers extra day off a week: BBC

Sri Lanka is giving government officials an extra day off a week to encourage them to grow food, amid fears of a food shortage. The country has around one million public sector employees. Click here to read…

Adani Enterprises wind power project caught in Lankan political crossfire: Business Standard

The controversy over the Adani investment in the neighbouring nation stems from domestic power politics in which a bureaucrat has become collateral damage. Click here to read…

New Indian Credit Line to Help Buy Fuel for Another 4 Months: NDTV

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe on Tuesday said that a new Credit Line provided by India will support the cash-strapped island nation’s fuel purchase for another four months from July even as an LPG shipment of 3,500 MT reached Sri Lanka. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Kabul Struggling with High Fuel Prices, Municipality Imposes Price Cap: Tolo News

The price of fuel, and also the price of taxi fares, have surged, causing a strain for many who are struggling to make ends meet amid an economic crisis. The taxi drivers said that the price of one liter of diesel is 100 Afs, which caused a surge in the taxi fare as well. Click here to read…

Stanekzai Meets Save the Children Official Visiting Kabul: Tolo News

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abas Stanekzai, met with the International Program Director of Save the Children, Nora Ingdal, and her accompanying delegation. The delegation of Save the Children told TOLOnews that Stanekzai assured them that children’s access to education and health facilities is the priority of the Islamic Emirate. Click here to read…

The Taliban Claims Killing a Prominent ISIL Commander: The Khaama Press

In an operation by the Taliban security forces in Kabul province’s Bagrami district, a key ISIL commander was killed and another was arrested, according to Taliban officials. Click here to read…

UN: Millions of Afghans Require Immediate Assistance: The Khaama Press

A senior UNHCR official during her visit to Kabul stated that millions of people in Afghanistan had been displaced and needed immediate assistance. On Sunday, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Kelly Clements, with a delegation, visited KabulClick here to read…
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Bangladesh

Projects delayed for poor preparations, coordination- The Daily Star

About 76 percent of the government officials involved with preparing, processing and evaluating development projects think the projects get approved without an adequate feasibility study and stakeholder consultations, found recent research. Click here to read…

Climate Change: Learning to be resilient- The Daily Star

Many people, particularly rural women of 13 districts, have been learning how to be resilient against climate change through a programme titled “REECALL”, led by Oxfam in Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Why only 25 Bangladeshi agencies allowed- The Daily Star

A Malaysian MP and two migrant rights bodies have urged Human Resources Minister M Saravanan to explain his decision for allowing only 25 Bangladeshi agencies to recruit workers for Malaysia, reported Malaysian daily Malay Mail yesterday. Click here to read…

Russian employee of Rooppur nuke plant dies- The Daily Star

Another Russian national working in Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project died in Pabna’s Ishwardi upazila, police said yesterday. Click here to read…

4th Covid-19 vaccine dose free for opposition MPs: Health Minister- The Daily Star

Health Minister Zahid Maleque today said the opposition lawmakers will be provided with fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine for free. Click here to read…

“India’s citizenship act can’t ease Bangladeshi Hindus’ ordeals”- The Daily Star

A prominent leader of Bangladesh’s Hindu community has said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India is not being helpful to the Hindus in Bangladesh in overcoming the ordeals they are facing, the Hindustan Times reported. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Govt. is exploring more hydropower projects- Bhutan Times

The annual budget report for Financial Year (FY) 2022-23, which was tabled by Finance Minister Namgay Tshering in the National Assembly on 6 June, states the government is exploring and developing more hydropower projects for which various studies have been initiated. Click here to read…

NA repeals three sections under the Forest and Nature Conservation Bill- BBS

The National Assembly continued their deliberations on the Forest and Nature Conservation Bill today. The house decided to repeal three sections regarding Forestry officials’ power to seize, confiscate livestock, vehicles, equipment and machinery used during forest offences, and conditions on the allotment of timber from State Reserved Forest Land along the roads. Click here to read…

Maldives

“China loans are not debt traps”: Avas MV

Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer has said no loans borrowed from foreign parties put state assets at risk of mortgage. He made the statement while speaking at the Parliament’s Public Finance Committee on Monday. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar’s multidimensional crises have ‘deepened and expanded dramatically’ – UN News

Noeleen Heyzer said that since she took up the job six months ago, Myanmar has “continued to descend into profound and widespread conflict”. Already one of the world’s largest refugee emergencies, she reminded that multidimensional crises there have left over one million internally displaced people (IDPs) across the country with “serious regional and international ramifications”. Click here to read…

Over 300 Myanmar Military Troops Killed in Karen State in May: KNU – The Irrawaddy

Some 303 junta troops and members of the pro-regime Border Guard Force (BGF) were killed in 448 clashes with ethnic Karen fighters in southeast Myanmar’s Karen State in May, taking the total death toll among junta forces in Karen State in the first five months of the year to about 1,800. Click here to read…

Nearly 90 Myanmar Junta Soldiers Killed in Clashes With Resistance in North – The Irrawaddy

Several hours-long intense shootouts between the military detachment of Infantry Battalion 415 and the combined forces of the Kachin Region People’s Defense Force-Myohla and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) broke out near a village in Shwegu Township, Kachin State on SundayClick here to read…

Kyaukphyu duo accused of raising funds for AA face incitement charge – BNI Online

A man and woman in Kyaukphyu who were detained on suspicion of raising funds for the Arakan Army (AA) have been charged with incitement under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code. Lieutenant Ye Thet Zaw from a Kyaukphyu-based military battalion on Friday filed a lawsuit against the pair at the township court, and the plaintiff will be questioned at a hearing on June 23, a lawyer with Legal Remedy Group (Kyaukphyu branch) told DMG. Click here to read…

Junta Watch: Defying the World on Executions; Splashing Cash While Urging Frugality; and More – The Irrawaddy

Min Aung Hlaing continues to squander public funds on vanity projects; most recently in an attempt to portray himself as the country’s supreme sports patron. On June 3, he awarded more than 1.32 billion kyats (over US$700,000) to Myanmar athletes who won medals at the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in May—quite a sum considering Myanmar finished seventh in a region with just 11 countries. Click here to read…

Nepal

House directs govt to ensure fertilisers for farmers- Himalayan Times

The House of Representatives today unanimously passed a special motion directing the government to provide fertilisers to farmers at the earliest. Click here to read…

LSP delegation reminds PM of party demands- Himalayan Times

A delegation of Loktantrik Samajbadi Party today called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to remind the latter about the party’s demands. The delegation was led by party chair Mahantha Thakur. Click here to read…

Call to amend Foreign Employment Policy- Himalayan Times

Civil society members have said that the Foreign Employment Policy 2012 needs to be amended to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration of Nepali workers. Click here to read…

Finance minister in dock again ‘for using outsiders’ to tweak taxes- Kathmandu Post

Lawmakers demand clarification from Sharma and investigation into allegations that he involved unauthorised people in the budget-making process. Click here to read…

‘Truth-seeking should be the first priority of the transitional justice process’- Kathmandu Post

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Govinda Bandi says there is a consensus among stakeholders that there can be no amnesty in cases of serious violations of human rights. Click here to read…

Cyber security bill to be prepared after consultation with stakeholders- Republica

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki has said a ‘Bill on Cyber Security’ will be finalized on the basis of recommendations from the stakeholder organizations and experts. Click here to read…

US State Partnership Program: Here’s the draft of the deal that lets US personnel stay in Nepal indefinitely- Online Khabar

The United States government has floated a proposal for a State Partnership Program to be signed between the US Department of Defense and the Nepali Ministry of Defence that also includes letting some members of the US security forces stay in Nepal for an indefinite period. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

US, China pledge help to Sri Lanka: Tribune India

In a significant development, the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong met his US counterpart Julie Chung here on Monday. Click here to read…

Blinken discusses economic, political challenges with Sri Lanka’s PM: Business Standard

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (local time) discussed the current economic and political challenges with Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka official who alleged pressure to award project to Adani Group resigns: Indian Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “pressured” President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to award a power project to the Adani Group, the Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), M M C Ferdinando, resigned on Monday. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Punjab budget session put off after ‘day-long drama’: Dawn

The Punjab Assembly on Monday witnessed a daylong drama as Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi refused to conduct the session and allow the provincial budget to be presented, demanding the inspector general of police (IGP) first tender an apology to him and all cases lodged against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and PML-Q workers and parliamentarians be withdrawn. Click here to read…

US all set to rebuild ties: ambassador: Dawn

Ambassador Blome, who arrived in Pakistan late last month, has taken over the charge of the US mission at a time of unique challenges and opportunities. Though anti-American sentiments run deep in Pakistani society, the feelings got inflamed after former prime minister Imran Khan alleged that he was ousted through a US conspiracy for regime change and ran a mass campaign calling for ‘freedom’ from ‘slaves of foreign powers’. Click here to read…

Pakistan to default if subsidies not abolished till July: Miftah: The Express Tribune

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has said abolishing the subsidies on petroleum products till July was imperative to prevent the country from going bankruptcy, hinting at another increase in the prices of fuel that whizzed past records earlier this month. Click here to read…

Diesel may jump Rs53, petrol Rs18/litre: The News

The prices of diesel and petrol may go up by Rs53 and Rs18/litre, respectively, if the government passed on the full impact of global oil markets to consumers, rolling back the subsidy completely in a push to redeem the IMF loan, industry officials said on Monday. Click here to read…

Pakistan launches diplomatic effort to get out of FATF grey list: The News

Pakistan has launched a massive diplomatic effort to get out of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, according to official sources.

Afghanistan

UN Official in Kabul to Address Afghan Refugee Issues: Tolo News

UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly T. Clements, during her visit to Kabul, said she will meet with Islamic Emirate officials to discuss resolving Afghan refugee issues and establishing grounds for their return to Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Two Factories Start Operating in Herat Industrial Park: Tolo News

Amid the country’s economic crisis, the private sector established two plants at Herat Industrial Park costing almost $4 million, creating tens of thousands of jobs. These factories operate in the textile and oxygen production sectors. Click here to read…

Three Explosions Occur Simultaneously in Afghanistan’s Three Provinces: The Khaama Press

Three simultaneous explosions have been reported in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan, Kunduz, and Kunar provinces, according to sources. On Sunday morning, June the 12th, an explosion took place on a vehicle carrying Taliban forces in the Kari area of Faizabad, Badakhshan province. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Reshuffle in ACC to hurt high-profile probes- The Daily Star

The recent reshuffle in the Anti-Corruption Commission would hamper investigation of many high-profile corruption cases, said officials who have been transferred. Click here to read…

Graft in Bangladeshi labour recruitment to Malaysia?- The Daily Star

After a meeting with Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Imran Ahmed on June 1, Malaysian Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said the migration cost for the Bangladeshis going to Malaysia under the new deal would be zero. Click here to read…

Jet fuel price goes up- The Daily Star

Local airlines are about to face a blow both at home and abroad as the price of jet fuel increased again in the domestic market. Click here to read…

Need to unite for int’l recognition- The Daily Star

The country will need to be united once again for international recognition of the genocide carried out by the Pakistani army during the 1971 Liberation War, said speakers at a meeting yesterday. Click here to read…

Ensure inclusive national election- The Daily Star

If the next general election is not joined by all political parties, it would not be accepted nationally and internationally, a number of former chief election commissioners, election commissioners and election officials said yesterday. Click here to read…

Move to return workers to Bahrain underway- The Daily Star

Bahrain has agreed to allow 161 stranded Bangladeshi workers back to Bahrain under a special arrangement after six months of Bangladesh’s request. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Nu 4B bond offers for public subscription- Kuensel

The government has offered a 12-year bond worth Nu 4 billion (B) for public subscriptions to be allocated using a yield-based auction, the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) notified on June 10. Click here to read…

His Holiness the Je Khenpo appoints Tshog-ki Lopon- Kuensel

His Holiness the Je Khenpo appoints the Tshog-ki Lopon of Zhung Dratshang. Click here to read…

Govt. is exploring more hydropower projects- Bhutan Times

The annual budget report for Financial Year (FY) 2022-23, which was tabled by Finance Minister Namgay Tshering in the National Assembly on 6 June, states the government is exploring and developing more hydropower projects for which various studies have been initiated. Click here to read…

Yoga reaches RENEW-Gawaling Happy Home- Bhutan Times

Indian Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj and officials of the Embassy of India in Bhutan visited RENEW Gawaling Happy Home in Wangsisina to commemorate the celebrations of the 8th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on 9 June this week. Click here to read…

Reopening of border gates to depend on COVID-19 risk: Foreign Minister

The Member of Parliament from Khamaed Lunana during the question hour session asked the foreign minister about the country’s border reopening plans. Click here to read…

Maldives

The Maldives launches pro-India campaign on social media: Indian Express

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has initiated a social media campaign in favour of India in a bid to counter the ‘India Out’ campaign in the country. Click here to read…

Prolonged internet shut down in Paletwa puts locals in difficulties – Narinjara

In Paletwa township of Chin State, the internet has been blocked by the military council for a long time and hence the local people find it difficult to communicate accordingly. The internet service came to a halt in Paletwa locality for the first time in more than two years from June 2019 to February 2021. It was the time when the Arakan Army (AA) members clashed with the Burmese army personnel. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta to Move Forward With Trial of Australian Economist – The Diplomat

Myanmar’s military junta said yesterday that it will push ahead with the prosecution of the Australian economics professor Sean Turnell, after a military tribunal formally charged him with breaching the country’s Official Secrets Act. Click here to read…

Resistance Force Raids Army Checkpoint, Kills 13 Myanmar Junta Soldiers – The Irrawaddy

Three PDFs from Yesagyo and Myaing townships in Magwe and Salingyi Township in Sagaing Region raided a checkpoint at Sin Phyu Shin Bridge in the north of the township, said Yesagyo PDF. Click here to read…

Cambodia’s Hun Sen asks Myanmar to call off political executions – Asia Nikkei

Cambodia’s prime minister urged military-ruled Myanmar to reconsider the death sentences against four political opponents, suggesting that executing them will draw strong international condemnation and complicate efforts to restore peace to the strife-torn nation. Click here to read…

SHE TALKS PEACE: Myanmar community army – MindaNews

On “She Talks Peace,” I had an enlightening and encouraging conversation with Emma Leslie, the founder director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, supporting peace processes and conflict transformation in Asia. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta can’t beat rebels, should restore democracy, U.S. diplomat says – Reuters

Myanmar’s junta likely cannot to defeat the rebels fighting its rule and should restore democracy after seizing power last year, a senior U.S. diplomat said. Click here to read…

Nepal

Deuba’s July US visit kicks up a row- Himalayan Times

CPN-UML’s Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has demanded that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba immediately inform the House of Representatives about his impending visit to the United States of America. Speaking from the rostrum of the HoR today, he said the PM must clarify about his visit to the US. Click here to read…

Forest minister seeks collective support in conservation efforts- Himalayan Times

Minister of Forest and Environment Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav has urged the province and local governments to incorporate climate change and environment conservation-related programmes in their policies and programmes and implement them. Click here to read…

Budget sought for climate change adaptation- Himalayan Times

Lawmakers of Karnali Province have demanded that the government to bring a budget that can address the issues of climate change adaptation and social inclusion. Click here to read…

MPs from ruling parties asked not to play ‘minister’- Himalayan Times

In a meeting of the House of Representatives today, main opposition party lawmaker Bhanubhakta Dhakal has urged lawmakers representing the ruling parties not to be defensive in relation to issues raised by the opposition in the House. Click here to read…

People mulling independent runs for federal seats begin consultations- Kathmandu Post

Members of a network named ‘Swatantra Ummedwar Abhiyan’ are holding national consultations in Kathmandu on July 1 and 2. Click here to read…

Ruins of Maurya-era wall unearthed in Tilaurakot, Kapilvastu- Kathmandu Post

The recent finding is crucial to help enlist Tilaurakot in UNESCO’s world heritage list. Click here to read…

EPG was formed to remove irritants. Its report risks being a source of irritation- Kathmandu Post

Plan to unilaterally make public the report, prepared jointly be Nepali and Indian experts, is shelved for now. Click here to read…

Ministers to respond to MPs’ questions on Appropriation Bill from today- My Republica

Deliberations on Appropriation Bill, 2079 BS by the lawmakers concluded on Sunday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka may have to buy more Russian oil: Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: CNN

Sri Lanka may be compelled to buy more oil from Russia as the nation faces shortages amid an unprecedented economic crisis, its prime minister has said. Click here to read…

Lanka official says PM wanted Adani to get project; retracts, Gotabaya denies: Indian Express

A senior Sri Lanka official claimed before a Lankan parliamentary panel that Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly pressured President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to award a power project to the Adani Group. Click here to read…

There is a man-made economic crisis in Sri Lanka, says PM Ranil Wickremesinghe: WION Newes

Sri Lanka is currently going through the worst economic crisis since gaining their independence in 1948 and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believes that it is the fault of the previous governments and the politicians. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Uncertainty, Ukraine war major risks to Pakistan’s economic outlook: Dawn

In an integrity statement to parliament required under the Public Finance Act as part of the federal budget, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and Secretary Finance Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh have also highlighted a possible increase in expenditures because of higher subsidies and interest payments and an anticipated setback to revenue collection owing to import and demand contraction, posing substantial risks to the economic growth and sustainability of fiscal and monetary projections. Click here to read…

Pakistan, China vow to step up defence cooperation despite challenges: The Express Tribune

A high-powered Pakistani delegation comprising senior military officials from all three services – army, navy and air force – visited China from June 9 to 12 as part of the meeting of Pakistan China Joint Military Cooperation Committee (PCJMCC), which has an apex committee. Pakistan’s army chief and vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission are part of the committee. Click here to read…

Govt to review salary tax relief after IMF objection: The News

The proposed tax relief in Personal Income Tax (PIT) to the tune of Rs47 billion is totally unacceptable to the IMF and the government is left with no option but to consider bringing changes in it. Click here to read…

PTI case about prohibited funding, ECP tells IHC: The Express Tribune

The IHC, while dealing with the PTI’s plea to stop the commission from giving an immediate verdict, noted in its judgment that an ECP representative had told the court that the electoral body was carrying out proceedings against the party under sub-rule 6 of the Rules of Political Parties 2002. Click here to read…

China’s ‘no jab, no insurance’ notice for over-60s blamed on misreading of policy: South China Morning Post

June 3, 2022

Elderly people over 60 who refuse to get a Covid-19 vaccine will not have their basic medical insurance suspended, a local government in China’s port city of Wenzhou has clarified, after a notice from community officials sparked alarm. Residents of the community in Wenzhou’s Kunyang town had been notified that, unless they had hospital certificates to exempt them, unvaccinated elderly people would be barred from public spaces like supermarkets, the Beijing-based China News Weekly reported on Wednesday. Click here to read…

China-Pakistan working group meeting stresses safe, smooth progress of CPEC projects: Global Times

June 03, 2022

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Transportation Infrastructure working group has held its 9th meeting by video link, during which the two sides conducted “candid exchanges” on “remaining issues” concerning some completed projects and discussed plans for projects under construction, aiming to ensure safe and steady progress, according to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan. Click here to read…

Xinjiang plans over 134 bln USD fixed-asset investment in 2022: Xinhuanet

June 3, 2022

Northwest China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region plans a total fixed-asset investment of over 900 billion yuan (about 134.1 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022. The regional development and reform commission said the investment will focus on major projects in infrastructures and strategic emerging sectors, including railways, airports, power transmission lines and new energy bases. Click here to read…

1st batch of Chinese emergency humanitarian medicine aid arrives in Sri Lanka: Xinhuanet

June 4, 2022

The first batch of Chinese emergency humanitarian medicine aid arrived at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport on Friday night. China fully relates to the difficulties and challenges faced by Sri Lanka and will continue to provide assistance within its capacity through all possible channels, said Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong at the handover ceremony. Click here to read…

Agricultural Bank of China steps up support for manufacturing industries: Xinhuanet

June 4, 2022

The Agricultural Bank of China, one of the country’s largest commercial lenders, has scaled up support for the manufacturing sector. By the end of April, the bank’s outstanding loans to the manufacturing industry exceeded 2 trillion yuan (about 298 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of nearly 16 percent compared with the beginning of the year, according to the bank. Click here to read…

Beijing issues action plan to stimulate business, consumption amid epidemic: Xinhuanet

June 4, 2022

Beijing has issued an action plan to gear up business operation and consumption as the epidemic eases in the city. According to the plan announced by the Beijing Municipal Government on Thursday, the Chinese capital will upgrade its “white list” of key enterprises in line with different classifications and dynamic management. It aims to facilitate the logistics and transportation services for the enterprises that have resumed production. Click here to read…

Driver killed, eight injured in train accident in China: Reuters

June 4, 2022

A passenger train accident in southwestern China on Saturday killed the driver and injured eight people, state broadcaster CCTV reported. As the Guangzhou-bound train was about to enter a tunnel in Guizhou province, it ploughed into debris deposited on the tracks by a mudslide, derailing two carriages and killing the driver, CCTV reported. Click here to read…

China prioritizes industrial, supply chains stability in reviving industrial economy: Xinhuanet

June 5, 2022

China will make the unimpeded and stable operation of its industrial and supply chains a top priority, as it looks to revive its industrial economy after flare-ups of COVID-19 in recent months. Click here to read…

More than a hundred COVID-19 silent carriers reported in NE China’s border city: Global Times

June 5, 2022

A total of 128 COVID-19 asymptomatic cases have been reported in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province from May 24 to Saturday, all in the border city Dandong which is about 160 kilometers from Pyongyang. Click here to read…

Train derailment sounds alarm for road, rail networks as flood season in S.China comes: Global Times

June 5, 2022

The Guizhou-Guangzhou Railway resumed operation on Sunday after a high-speed train derailed in Southwest China’s Guizhou Province due to a mudslide on Saturday, killing a driver and injuring one attendant and seven passengers. Click here to read…

Drones deployed on aircraft carrier Shandong; ‘more advanced tech to come soon’: Global Times

June 5, 2022

The deployment of lightweight drones on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s aircraft carrier Shandong sparked a wave of speculation by overseas media, which hyped that China has surpassed the US in deploying drones on aircraft carriers. Click here to read…

Chinese EV makers scramble to acquire lithium, aiming to curb battery prices: Global Times

June 05, 2022

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) industry players such as BYD are striving to secure deals with lithium mines overseas in a bid to curb surging prices of batteries while securing the stable supply of EVs, for which China is one of the leading producers in the world. Click here to read…

China’s property market gradually rebounds during Dragon Boat Festival, as government supportive measures kick in: Global Times

June 5, 2022

China’s real estate market saw brisk business during the Dragon Boat Festival, with second-hand home transactions increasing from the previous month, industry insiders told the Global Times on Sunday, pointing to a gradual recovery amid intensifying efforts to boost the property market and stabilize housing and land prices. Click here to read…

Xi urges efforts to build beautiful China: Quishi

June 6, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday urged efforts to build a beautiful China in which humanity and nature coexist in harmony and contribute more to jointly constructing a clean and beautiful world. Click here to read…

Beijing lifts several COVID measures: China Daily

June 6, 2022

Beijing announced it would lift a series of COVID-19 control and prevention measures starting Monday, considering the current epidemic situation. Except for Fengtai district and some places in Changping, all restaurants in the city can resume dine-in services starting Monday, city authorities said. Click here to read…

Chinese ambassador to India revisits Chennai to follow up summit’s spirit; bilateral relations ‘have opportunities for breakthrough’: Global Times

June 6, 2022

In a sharp slap in the face to the West, which attempts to drive a wedge between China and India by piling pressure on New Delhi to take a tough stance against Moscow with the hypothesis that the country may face “similar challenges” from China in the future, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar outlined the country’s position by emphasizing that China-India relations have nothing to do with the Russia-Ukraine conflict and India is capable of managing its ties with Beijing. Click here to read…

Shandong Port Group releases China’s first emissions inventory for ports: Global Times

June 6, 2022

Shandong Port Group (SPG) released the nation’s first emissions inventory among China’s ports, aiming to support the country’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. The emissions inventory was released on Sunday, according to SPG’s official Wechat account, marking SPG’s start of a new chapter of systematic assessment, precise policy implementation and carbon reduction as another milestone in constructing the world’s leading smart and green ports. Click here to read…

China astronauts sent to complete space station: Taipei Times

June 6, 2022

China yesterday launched a rocket carrying three astronauts on a mission to complete construction on its new space station, the latest milestone in Beijing’s drive to become a major space power. Click here to read…

China’s top legislature schedules standing committee session: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

The Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) will convene its 35th session from June 21 to 24 in Beijing. The decision was made on Monday at a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, which was presided over by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. Click here to read…

Political advisors discuss revising arbitration law: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

Chinese national political advisors convened a bi-weekly seminar on Monday to discuss revising the country’s law on arbitration. The seminar, held by the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s top political advisory body, was presided over by Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee. Click here to read…

State Council appoints, removes officials: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

The State Council, China’s cabinet, announced the appointment and removal of officials Monday. Zheng Xincong replaced Fu Ziying as head of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), and national security affairs adviser of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Macao SAR, and no longer serves as the national security technical adviser of the committee. Click here to read…

Xi meets new HKSAR chief executive John Lee: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

President Xi Jinping met with John Lee, the newly appointed sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Monday in Beijing. Lee, who won the chief executive election on May 8, will assume office on July 1, 2022. Click here to read…

China’s first solar-tidal photovoltaic power plant connected to grid: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

China’s first intelligent power plant utilizing solar and tidal power to generate electricity was connected to the power grid on Monday. The full operation of the power plant in east China’s Zhejiang Province marks the country’s new achievements in the utilization of marine energy resources and the development and construction of its new-energy network. Click here to read…

China leverages fiscal policies to spur decarbonization: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

China’s Finance Ministry unveiled a guideline on Monday further leveraging the role of fiscal policies to achieve the country’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. By 2030, a fiscal and taxation system that is conducive to green and low-carbon development will be basically established to achieve the goal of peaking carbon emissions, according to the guideline released on the website of the Ministry of Finance. Click here to read…

China to boost wind, solar power capacity for cleaner energy mix: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

China has rolled out a raft of measures to significantly increase its installed wind and solar power capacity in the latest step toward a low-carbon, secure and efficient energy mix. From more suitable power grids to technological breakthroughs and financial support, an official action plan issued on Monday specifies a total of 21 policies to bring the country’s combined wind and solar power capacity to 1.2 billion kilowatts by 2030. Click here to read…

China to raise fuel retail prices: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

China will raise the retail prices of gasoline and diesel from Tuesday, the country’s top economic planner said on Monday. Based on recent changes in international oil prices, the retail prices of gasoline and diesel will rise by 400 yuan (about 59.66 U.S. dollars) and 390 yuan per tonne, respectively, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. Click here to read…

Record 11.93 mln students to take China’s college entrance exam: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

A new high of 11.93 million students will take China’s national college entrance exam for 2022, also known as “gaokao.” Aside from a postponement in Shanghai due to COVID-19, the exam will be held on June 7 and 8 nationwide. Gaokao is deemed critical for social mobility and national talent selection in China. More than 10 million students took the exam across the country in 2021. Click here to read…

Former Ningxia senior political advisor punished for serious violation of discipline, law: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

Li Zefeng, a former senior political advisor of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has been punished and demoted for serious violations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) discipline and laws. Click here to read…

Maternal, infant mortality rates in China drop to historic low: Xinhuanet

May 30, 2022

China’s maternal and infant mortality rates have both dropped to a historic low, the National Health Commission said Monday. In 2021, China recorded a maternal mortality rate of 16.1 per 100,000, said Song Li, head of the commission’s department of maternal and child health. At the same time, the mortality rates of infants and children under five have decreased to 5 per thousand and 7.1 per thousand, respectively, both dropping to a record low. Click here to read…

China celebrates science workers: China Daily

May 30, 2022

The Chinese scientific and engineering community will continue to help promote the nation’s socioeconomic development efforts and improve self-sufficiency in science and technology, Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology, said on Monday. Click here to read…

Xi praises new HK chief John Lee for his patriotism, conveys central govt’s trust in meeting in Beijing: Global Times

May 30, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with John Lee Ka-chiu on Monday afternoon and congratulated him on his election as the new Hong Kong Special Administrative Region chief executive. Click here to read…

China donates 10m doses of COVID-19 vaccine, 13m syringes, 2 mobile laboratory vehicles to Myanmar: Global Times

May 30, 2022

China has donated 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines along with 13 million COVID-19 vaccine syringes and two mobile laboratory vehicles to Myanmar, according to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar on Sunday. Click here to read…

China accuses US of being destroyer of international order: Global Times

May 30, 2022

The international order pursued by the US based on “American rules” is the “most serious long-term challenge” to the world, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday in response to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s China policy speech. Zhao said that the US is the biggest destroyer of the international order. Click here to read…

China uses digital yuan to stimulate virus-hit consumption: Reuters

May 30, 2022

China is using the digital yuan to stimulate consumption in its pandemic-hit economy, with more e-CNY applications expected in future to boost transparency and effectiveness of government policies. Click here to read…

China fails to persuade Pacific island nations to sign security pact: Kyodo

May 30, 2022

China has failed to persuade Pacific island countries to sign an agreement covering a wide spectrum of issues from trade, security and police cooperation to fisheries, Australian media reported Monday, while Beijing has been stepping up efforts to boost its influence in the region. Click here to read…

Xi delivers written remarks at China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting: Quishi

May 31, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday delivered a written speech at the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Xi said that China and Pacific island countries have enjoyed a time-honored friendship that crosses mountains and oceans. Click here to read…

China makes all-out efforts to prop up foreign trade: Quishi

May 31, 2022

Against the headwinds from COVID-19 resurgences and external complexity, China’s efforts are underway to stabilize and upgrade foreign trade, a key underpinning for the economy. The latest data showed a feeble April growth of only 0.1 percent in the total exports and imports, indicating that the country’s foreign trade firms are under strain. Click here to read…

Political advisors discuss revising arbitration law: China Daily

May 31, 2022

Chinese national political advisors convened a bi-weekly seminar on Monday to discuss revising the country’s law on arbitration. The seminar, held by the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body, was presided over by Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee. Click here to read…

Shanghai to fully restore normal production and life order of the entire city starting from June 1: Global Times

May 31, 2022

Shanghai will fully resume normal production and daily operations starting from June 1, as the epidemic has been curbed effectively, authorities said on Tuesday. The number of residents under lockdown has been reduced to less than 200,000. Click here to read…

Guangzhou Nansha Port railway launches first China-Europe freight train: Global Times

May 31, 2022

The Guangzhou Nansha Port railway has launched its first freight train to Europe on Monday, one of the latest international rail routes to boost China’s foreign trade with countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), contributing to regional economic recovery and improving the global industrial supply chain. Click here to read…

Chinese Red Cross donates $40,000 dry ration packs to Sri Lanka: Global Times

May 31, 2022

The Red Cross Society of China has donated 2,100 dry ration packs worth $40,000 to Sri Lanka. Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka-Qi Zhenhong and his wife attended the donation ceremony on Monday, according to the Chinese Embassy to Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Click here to read…

China to appoint special envoy, deepen practical cooperation with Pacific island countries: People’s Daily

May 31, 2022

China will appoint a Chinese government special envoy for Pacific island countries affairs, and strengthen win-win cooperation on infrastructure, economy, climate change and other areas, according to a position paper issued here Monday after the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Click here to read…

China’s foreign minister visits Tonga after Pacific islands delay regional pact: Reuters

May 31, 2022

Samoa says it didn’t have enough time to consider a sweeping proposal from China for a regional trade and security pact, and has urged fellow Pacific islands to stay united as big powers seek more sway in the region. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday arrived in Tonga on a tour through the region where Beijing’s ambitions for wider security ties has caused concern among U.S. allies. Click here to read…

Japan launches new strategy team for longer-term China diplomacy: Kyodo

May 31, 2022

Japan’s Foreign Ministry has established a new strategy team to coordinate diplomatic policies on China and analyze Beijing’s movements from a mid- to long-term perspective as Chinese President Xi Jinping seeks a controversial third term as leader, according to ministry sources. The creation of the new team within the First China and Mongolia Division of the ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau in April comes as Xi is believed to maintain his helm of the ruling Communist Party, and tensions between the United States and China continue to intensify. Click here to read…

Man sends 5,000 people into quarantine: Taipei Times

May 31, 2022

A Beijing man is under criminal investigation after he skipped out on mandated home isolation, prompting authorities to send his more than 5,000 neighbors into home or government quarantine. The actions by the man, who later tested positive, come as the Chinese capital and Shanghai begin to ease restrictions. Click here to read…

China’s third aircraft carrier ‘to be launched on Dragon Boat Festival’: South China Morning Post

May 31, 2022

A shipyard in Shanghai appears to be preparing to launch China’s third aircraft carrier, the Type 003, and according to a military source it will take place this Friday – coinciding with the Dragon Boat Festival. The Maritime Safety Administration last Friday issued a notice calling for berths to be cleared for an operation at the No 3 and No 4 docks at the Jiangnan shipyard on Changxing Island, where the warship is under construction. It said the operation would be under way from 5.30am to 4pm on Monday and would involve five platforms, three tugboats and two salvage ships. Click here to read…

China continues to dismantle missing tycoon Xiao Jianhua’s financial empire: South China Morning Post

May 31, 2022

Rongtong Fund Management, which was once part of Xiao Jianhua’s Tomorrow Group, has unveiled a management reshuffle, marking its official exit from the missing Chinese magnate’s embattled financial empire. Zhang Wei was named Rongtong’s chairman on Friday, taking over from Gao Feng who resigned citing personal reasons after seven years in the position, according to a statement issued by the asset management firm. Click here to read…

China hopes to expand win-win cooperation with Pacific island countries for common development: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

China has put forward a series of proposals to deepen its comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development with Pacific island countries, according to a position paper issued here Monday after the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 28 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases, 16 in Beijing: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

The Chinese mainland Monday reported 28 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 16 in Beijing and nine in Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission’s report Tuesday. Click here to read…

Charting roadmap for China’s modern infrastructure system: Xinhunaet

May 13, 2022

In the face of COVID-19 flare-ups and increasing downward pressure on the economy, the Chinese leadership is looking at infrastructure investment to bolster growth while realizing the country’s modernization goals. Click here to read…

Chinese woman held for claiming Beijing lockdown imminent: Kyodo

May 13, 2022

A Chinese woman has been accused of spreading false rumors and held by authorities for posting a message online saying Beijing would soon come under a citywide COVID-19 lockdown, Chinese media reported Friday. Click here to read…

First C919 jet to be delivered completes successful maiden test flight: Xinhunaet

May 14, 2022

The first C919 large passenger aircraft to be delivered completed a successful maiden test flight on Saturday, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). China’s indigenously-developed jet, coded B-001J, took off at 6:52 a.m. from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and landed at the same site at 9:54 a.m. Click here to read…

China to cut lower limit for interest rates on first-home loans: Xinhunaet

May 15, 2022

China’s financial authorities on Sunday said that the lower limit for interest rates on first-home purchase loans will be cut. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 226 new local COVID-19 cases: Xinhunaet

May 15, 2022

The Chinese mainland Saturday reported 226 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 166 were in Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission’s report Sunday. Click here to read…

Beijing reports four clusters of infections, continues mass testing in 12 areas: Global Times

May 15, 2022

Beijing suspended more businesses and announced another three rounds of mass nucleic acid testing in 12 areas on Monday, as local health authorities said the city’s daily growth of new cases remained high and the sneaky sources of infections and transmission in communities still have not been cut off. Click here to read…

China’s 2nd large destroyer passes comprehensive test, ‘fully ready for far sea missions’: Global Times

May 15, 2022

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s second Type 055 large destroyer, the Lhasa, recently passed a full-course training assessment that comprehensively tested the vessel’s air defense, maritime attack and anti-submarine capabilities in mock battles, with experts saying on Sunday that the warship with more than 10,000 tons of displacement is 100 percent ready for far sea missions beyond the first island chain. Click here to read…

China military body may be target of Japan counterstrike capability: Kyodo

May 15, 2022

Speculation is growing in security circles in Japan as to whether targets of a proposed “counterstrike capability” would include China’s Central Military Commission, the highest decision-making organ of the country’s armed forces led by President Xi Jinping. The speculation came to light in a parliamentary meeting last week when the Defense Ministry did not answer directly a question from an opposition lawmaker seeking to know whether what has until recently been called “enemy base attack capability” targets would include China’s CMC. Click here to read…

National political advisors urged to further improve consultation quality: Xinhunaet

May 16, 2022

China’s top political advisor Wang Yang on Monday urged national political advisors to give more priority to improving the quality of consultation. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks while presiding over the 71st Chairperson’s Council meeting of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC in Beijing. Click here to read…

China rejects U.S. bill to help Taiwan regain WHO observer status: Xinhunaet

May 16, 2022

China rejects and deplores it that the United States should insist on signing the bill, which will help Taiwan regain observer status in the World Health Organization (WHO), into law, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, urging the U.S. to handle Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly. Click here to read…

China urges G7 to cease interfering in its internal affairs: Global Times

May 16, 2022

China on Monday urged the Group of Seven (G7) to stop smearing China and interfering in China’s internal affairs. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily news briefing when asked to comment on the communique issued by a G7 meeting of foreign ministers, which contains various items relating to China including Hong Kong, Xinjiang, human rights, maritime issues, the situation in Ukraine, peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, among others. Click here to read…

Chinese premier, Pakistani PM hold phone call on bilateral ties: Xinhunaet

May 16, 2022

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday talked over phone with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on bilateral ties. In the phone call, Li said China and Pakistan are friendly neighbors and iron-clad friends, noting that President Xi Jinping paid a successful visit to Pakistan in 2015, which advanced the level of bilateral strategic cooperation. Click here to read…

Former senior provincial political advisor indicted for graft: Xinhunaet

May 16, 2022

Xue Heng, a former senior political advisor of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, has been indicted on charges of taking bribes, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) said on Monday. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 140 new local COVID-19 cases: Xinhunaet

May 16, 2022

The Chinese mainland Sunday reported 140 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 69 were in Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission’s report Monday. Click here to read…

China rolls out multiple measures to help MSMEs, self-employed households pull through difficulties: Quishi

May 16, 2022

Although the country’s economic operation has remained generally stable despite complex domestic and international situation since the beginning of this year, the increasing complexity, severity and uncertainty of the environment for economic development has made it harder to survive for market players, especially MSMEs and self-employed households. Click here to read…

China’s trade in services moves onto fast lane of development: Quishi

May 16, 2022

China’s services trade has maintained fast growth. Data from the country’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) showed that China’s imports and exports of services totaled over 1.45 trillion yuan ($214.6 billion) in the first quarter of 2022, rising 25.8 percent year on year. Click here to read…

Lhasa projects expected to boost local incomes: China Daily

May 16, 2022

Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, plans to implement 98 key projects this year, including 180 sub-projects, with investment of more than 88.8 billion yuan ($13.4 billion), Tibet Daily reported. According to the city’s commission of development and reform, the heavy investment will be used for stability, development, ecology and border-area consolidation. Click here to read…

Omni-media, platform-based communication on the rise in China’s news media sector: Xinhunaet

May 17, 2022

In 2020 and 2021, omni-media and platform-based communication became a rising trend in China’s news media industry, according to a report by the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) unveiled Monday. Click here to read…

Chinese witnesses flourishing new types of consumption online and offline in recent years: Quishi

May 17, 2022

New types of consumption have been thriving in China in recent years, thanks to the in-depth application of the Internet, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other new technologies, as well as the continued process of consumption upgrading. Click here to read…

Military exercises to be conducted in north Yellow Sea: China Military

May 17, 2022

According to a notice released by China’s Dalian Maritime Safety Administration on May 16, military exercises will be conducted in the northern waters of the Yellow Sea from 8:00 o’clock May 17 to 17:00 o’clock May 22, Beijing time. Click here to read…

More graduates opt to work in lower-tier cities: China Daily

May 17, 2022

IT remains popular but high housing prices dampen desire of long-term stay. Chinese college graduates are opting to work in lower-tier cities to pursue a less stressful and more stable lifestyle, according to a new report. Click here to read…

Tianjin detects new virus cases, suspects food imports: China Daily

May 17, 2022

The port city of Tianjin reported six new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 22 asymptomatic carriers from Sunday to 6 pm on Monday, officials said on Monday. The preliminary evidence indicated the cases might be related to imported cold chain food. Click here to read…

Uighur county in China has highest jail rate in world: Taipei Times

May 17, 2022

Nearly one in 25 people in a county in the Uighur heartland of China have been sentenced to prison on terrorism-related charges, in what is the highest known imprisonment rate in the world, an Associated Press (AP) review of leaked data shows. A list obtained and partially verified by the AP cites the names of more than 10,000 Uighurs sent to prison in just Konasheher county alone, one of dozens in southern Xinjiang. Click here to read…

Shanghai residents leverage Excel skills, management savvy to navigate lockdown: Reuters

May 17, 2022

China’s worst COVID-19 outbreak has frayed nerves and stirred resentment among many residents of Shanghai but some have thrived in the face of adversity, stepping up with bright ideas and commitment to help their communities through the crisis. Click here to read…

China’s top political advisory body hosts special symposium to help digital economy, in sign of easing crackdown: South China Morning Post

May 17, 2022

The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body, is having a special symposium on Tuesday to promote the digital economy, a step that could lead to supportive policies for Big Tech firms. The top consultative committee headed by Wang Yang, the party’s No 4 ranking member, is conducting a “special session of consultation” on Tuesday to help the “sustainable and healthy” growth of the digital economy, according to a front-page article from the conference’s official newspaper CPPCC Daily. Click here to read…

Chinese scientists work on hypersonic missile that can hit moving car: South China Morning Post

May 17, 2022

China is developing a heat-seeking hypersonic weapon that will be able to hit a moving car at five times the speed of sound, according to scientists involved in the project. The research team, led by Yang Xiaogang from the PLA Rocket Force University of Engineering in Xian, said “important progress” had been made towards solving the main problem of how to pinpoint a moving target at extreme speeds. Yang and his colleagues from the university’s College of Missile Engineering have been given a deadline of 2025 to come up with solutions to the seemingly intractable challenges of hypersonic technology. Click here to read…

Xi sums up experience from CYLC successes: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

The Party’s leadership, firm beliefs and convictions, devotion to national rejuvenation, and its deep roots in the country’s young people are key to the past and future successes of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC), Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday. Click here to read…

Xi stresses self-reform of youth league to maintain advanced nature: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) to have the courage to carry out self-reform to maintain its status as an advanced organization that closely follows the Communist Party of China (CPC) and keeps pace with the times. Click here to read…

Biden says “discussing” whether to drop hiked tariffs on Chinese products: Xinhuanet

May 11, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the administration is discussing whether to drop the additional tariffs on Chinese imports imposed during the Trump administration, while noting that no decision has been made. Click here to read…

China calls for equal, balanced global development partnership: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called for an equal and balanced global development partnership. Wang made the remarks when addressing the high-level virtual meeting of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). Click here to read…

China to encourage foreign investment in more industries: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

China will further expand the industry catalog of sectors encouraging foreign investment, authorities said. The new list will add 238 more items, while up to 114 existing ones will be modified with expansion, said a notice issued by China’s National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce (MOC). Click here to read…

Beijing reports 59 new local COVID-19 infections: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

Beijing reported 59 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections between 3 p.m. Monday and 3 p.m. Tuesday, said local authorities during a press conference held Tuesday. Click here to read…

Senior Jiangxi provincial legislator expelled from Party, public office: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

Gong Jianhua, a vice chairman of the Standing Committee of Jiangxi Provincial People’s Congress, was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC). He was also removed from public office over severe violations of Party discipline and laws, the country’s top anti-graft body said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Shanghai reports 228 confirmed, 1,259 asymptomatic local COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

May 11, 2022

China’s Shanghai reported 228 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 1,259 local asymptomatic cases on Tuesday, the municipal health commission said Wednesday. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 302 new local COVID-19 cases, 228 in Shanghai: Xinhuanet

May 11, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 302 confirmed local COVID-19 cases, of which 228 were in Shanghai, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

China slams U.S. for changing Taiwan wording on State Department website: Xinhuanet

May 11, 2022

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday slammed the United States for changing wording related to Taiwan on its State Department website, saying the move will hollow out the one-China principle and will backfire. Click here to read…

HKSAR gov’t strongly refutes G7, EU statements on chief executive election: Xinhuanet

May 11, 2022

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Tuesday strongly refuted statements on the HKSAR’s sixth-term chief executive election made by the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. Click here to read…

Manufacturers embrace the digital economy: China Daily

May 10, 2022

High-quality development has been given fresh impetus. A workshop manufacturing home appliances in Shenyang, Liaoning province, is offering clients a chance to customize refrigerators remotely using their mobile phones. They can choose colors, functions and design styles without having to enter a bricks-and-mortar store. Click here to read…

Guideline targets consumption growth: China Daily

May 11, 2022

Measures aim to boost consumer spending amid spate of outbreaks. A recently released guideline is expected to unleash China’s consumption potential as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 epidemic to foster healthier, more sustainable growth for the overall economy, officials and experts said. Click here to read…

Renmin University pulls itself out of overseas ranking systems: China Daily

May 11, 2022

Renmin University of China has decided not to participate in any overseas university rankings, the website of China National Radio has reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. Click here to read…

Academics discuss tech impact on human rights: China Daily

May 11, 2022

The Chinese academic community will enhance dialogue and collaboration with international peers to promote the use of science and technology for the benefit of human rights and mankind, officials and experts said. Click here to read…

Shanghai receives food aid from Gansu: China Daily

May 11, 2022

A train loaded with more than 600 metric tons of food aid from Gansu province arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday. The supplies, which were packed in more than 60,000 boxes, comprise 12 featured vegetables and fruits growing in the province’s plateau area. The train also transported some 7,000 boxes of beef noodles from Lanzhou. Click here to read…

Makeshift hospitals within schools closed, disinfected as COVID-19 situation improves: China Daily

May 11, 2022

Makeshift hospitals set up within schools in Shanghai have gradually been closed following disinfection and safety evaluations as locally transmitted infection numbers continue to fall. Shanghai Xijiao School, a school in Changning district to host a makeshift hospital, underwent a two-day disinfection which ended on Tuesday. Another round of disinfection will be carried out following an environmental assessment according to the report of local news portal the Paper. Click here to read…

Superpowers promising not to seek hegemony primary responsible for space security, Chinese diplomat urges: Global Times

May 11, 2022

The primary responsible behavior in space should have superpowers to promise not to seek hegemony, nor dominate the outer space, a senior Chinese diplomat said, elaborating China’s views on how to protect space security and avoid arms race in space. Click here to read…

City near Shanghai to give cash rewards for residents participating in nucleic acid testing: Global Times

May 11, 2022

Local authorities in Jiangyin, a city in East China’s Jiangsu Province, announced they will give a cash reward of 100 yuan ($15) to residents who consistently take part in five rounds of nucleic acid tests, while those who fail to participate more than two tests will be quarantined at their own expense and punished in accordance with the law. Click here to read…

Shanghai’s latest outbreak caused by Omicron’s BA.2 and BA.2.2 mutations, no new variants detected: Global Times

May 11, 2022

The gene sequencing results show the viruses that caused rapid spread in the latest outbreak in Shanghai since March 1 are Omicron’s BA.2 and BA.2.2 mutations, and no new variants have been found. Click here to read…

Xinjiang invites Muslim residents, imams via video link to debunk disinformation ahead of UN human rights chief’s visit: Global Times

May 10, 2022

Happily dancing crowds to celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr, clean and solemn mosques with Muslims waiting for prayer time, students in the Xinjiang Islamic Institute reading doctrine out loud … these were the scenarios displayed during an online meeting held by the government of Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Tuesday to show the situation of religious freedom in the region. Click here to read…

PLA shadows US cruiser through Taiwan Straits, vows to counter provocations: Global Times

May 11, 2022

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday shadowed a US Navy cruiser when it made a provocative transit through the Taiwan Straits. Click here to read…

China to launch pilot projects for integration of domestic and foreign trade: Global Times

May 11, 2022

China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) together with 14 government departments issued a notice on Tuesday about launching pilot projects to advance the integration of domestic and foreign trade by removing institutional barriers. The country is rolling out a replicable model to promote a more self-reliant dual-circulation economic strategy for sustainable growth in the coming years. Click here to read…

China unveils draft new version of catalogue for foreign investment in ‘encouraged’ sectors: Global Times

May 10, 2022

China on Tuesday unveiled a draft version of the “encouraged industry” catalogue for foreign investment, continuing to incentivize foreign businesses toward making commitments in manufacturing and services in the less-developed regions of the country. Click here to read…

China speeds up green, low-carbon transformation of data centers: People’s Daily

May 11, 2022

The rapid proliferation of green data centers in China may be attributed to the rapid development of the country’s digital economy, which is driving a wave of green transformation among traditional data centers and resulting in the continual expansion of newly developed ones. Click here to read…

Second 2022 BRICS Think Tank Symposium Held: People’s Daily

May 11, 2022

On May 6, 2022, the second BRICS Think Tank Symposium was held in Chongqing both online and offline. The theme of this conference is “BRICS Cooperation and Global Development: New Era, New Mission, New Plan”, which was hosted by China Council for BRICS Think-tank Cooperation(CCBTC), the Chinese coordinator for BRICS think tank cooperation, and organized by Sichuan International Studies University, the vice-chairman organization of CCBTC. Think tank scholars and business representatives from BRICS countries carried out in-depth exchanges and discussions under the theme. Click here to read…

WHO chief says China’s zero-COVID policy not ‘sustainable’: Reuters

May 10, 2022

The head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday China’s zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy is not sustainable given what is now known of the virus, in rare public comments by the U.N. agency on a government’s handling of the pandemic. Click here to read…

COVID-19 outbreak hobbles Chinese demand for cobalt, nickel, lithium: Reuters

May 11, 2022

China’s COVID-19 outbreak is suppressing the country’s consumption of cobalt, nickel and lithium by disrupting transportation and cutting battery manufacturing, state-backed research house Antaike said. Click here to read…

WHO chief’s remarks on China’s COVID policy blocked on country’s social media: Reuters

May 11, 2022

A United Nations Weibo post on the World Health Organization chief’s comments that China’s zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy is not sustainable was removed from the Chinese social media platform on Wednesday morning shortly after being published. Click here to read…

Spy boss hints unhappy China officials aiding Australia: Taipei Times

May 11, 2022

The head of Australia’s foreign intelligence service has used a rare public address to suggest that an increasing number of disillusioned Chinese officials are willing to cooperate with the agency. Click here to read…

Chinese media unveils details of US-inspired military logistics system: South China Morning Post

May 11, 2022

Chinese state media has released details of the country’s military logistics supply networks and how they are operating under the concept of joint operations in a system analysts said was inspired by the US military’s transport command. State-owned China Central Television’s WeChat social media account on Monday published a report about the operations of the five logistic support centres of the People’s Liberation Army five theatre commands in the Central, West, East, South and North. Click here to read…

How China-backed projects made Sri Lanka’s economic meltdown worse: South China Morning Post

May 11, 2022

An airport without planes, a revolving restaurant with no diners, a debt-laden seaport – Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has been exacerbated by Chinese-funded projects that stand as neglected monuments to government extravagance. The South Asian island nation borrowed heavily to plug years of budget shortfalls and trade deficits, but squandered huge sums on ill-considered infrastructure projects that have further drained public finances.
It is now in the grip of its worst financial crisis since independence from Britain in 1948, with months of blackouts and acute shortages of food and fuel plaguing its 22 million people. Click here to read…

China will boost ties with Russia in military tech, energy and space, top envoy says: South China Morning Post

May 09, 2022

China will continue to deepen cooperation with Russia on military technology, energy and space, according to its top envoy in Moscow, amid speculation that Beijing might help its neighbour evade sanctions over the war in Ukraine. In an interview with Russian state news agency Tass, Zhang Hanhui said energy had been the “most important, fruitful and extensive area of pragmatic cooperation between Russia and China”. He said such cooperation would be strengthened but – as Europe tries to reduce its dependence on Russian fuel – Zhang stopped short of promising to buy more oil and gas from Russia.
Zhang said there were difficulties in bilateral trade with Russia but the two sides would enhance settlements in their national currencies to ensure stable trade that they hoped would reach US$200 billion by 2024. Click here to read…

Chinese smart satellite tracks US aircraft carrier in real time, researchers say: South China Morning Post

May 11, 2022

When USS Harry S. Truman was heading to a strait transit drill off the coast of Long Island in New York on June 17 last year, a Chinese remote sensing satellite powered by the latest artificial intelligence technology automatically detected the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and alerted Beijing with the precise coordinates, according to a new study by Chinese space scientists. The live-fire exercise that day involved a joint action of seven warships and many planes to simulate a fight against a powerful enemy while passing a narrow passage of water. The fleet tested numerous tactics such as changing formation and making emergency manoeuvres to deter enemy submarines and other threats, according to the US Navy. Click here to read…

New yuan loans rise in Yangtze River Delta in Q1: Xinhuanet

May 3, 2022

New yuan loans in the Yangtze River Delta region stood at 2.83 trillion yuan (428.14 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months, an increase of 349.5 billion yuan from the same period last year. The balance of loans in the region stood at 53 trillion yuan at the end of March, up 14.6 percent from the same period last year, according to the People’s Bank of China Shanghai Head Office. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 368 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases, 274 in Shanghai: Xinhuanet

May 3, 2022

The Chinese mainland Monday reported 368 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 274 were in Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission’s report Tuesday. Click here to read…

Shanghai reports 274 confirmed, 5,395 asymptomatic local COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

May 3, 2022

China’s Shanghai reported 274 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 5,395 local asymptomatic cases on Monday, the municipal health commission said Tuesday. Click here to read…

Govts, companies step up to help needy: China Daily

May 3, 2022

Governments, communities and major State-owned enterprises are helping people with special needs－especially seniors living alone, the sick and the disabled－to tide over the recent COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai. Click here to read…

More Shanghai residents permitted outdoors: China Daily

May 3, 2022

About 60 percent of city’s population live in zones with no cases for 2 weeks. More Shanghai residents living in areas where zero COVID-19 community transmission has been achieved have been permitted limited outdoor activities during the five-day Labor Day holiday after declines in the city’s daily tally of new infections. Click here to read…

Makeshift hospital builds study and reading rooms: China Daily

May 3, 2022

The makeshift hospital at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai is committed to providing more guaranteed and diversified living needs for its patients. In the hospital, study rooms and reading corners have been set up to guarantee students’ needs and enrich patients’ daily lives. Click here to read…

Beijing to conduct three straight days of testing: China Daily

May 3, 2022

Beijing will require all residents living and working in 12 districts to take three consecutive nucleic acid tests on May 3, 4 and 5 to curb the COVID-19 epidemic and cut transmission, a senior official said on Monday. Click here to read…

US howitzer sale to Taiwan ‘halted,’ but mainland should remain alert over ‘advanced alternatives’: Global Times

May 2, 2022

The first deal approved by the Biden administration to sell $750 million worth of arms to Taiwan, including 40 155mm M109A6 medium self-propelled howitzers, has been halted by the US, Taiwan’s defense authority said. Click here to read…

World’s 1st Omicron-specific inactivated vaccine administered in China’s Hangzhou: Global Times

May 2, 2022

The first dose of COVID-19 inactivated vaccine specifically against the Omicron variant was administered on Sunday during a clinical trial in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, bringing hope to people in the regions hit by the highly transmissible variant. Click here to read…

An IT director is under criminal investigation for being involved in subversive activities, says Hangzhou state security bureau: Global Times

May 3, 2022

A man surnamed Ma was under criminal enforcement action, suspected of colluding with outside forces and try to subvert the state and split the country, the state security bureau in Hangzhou of East China’s Zhejiang Province said on Tuesday. The case is under investigation. The Global Times confirmed with related department about the man’s information and learned that his name has three Chinese characters. Reports on the man’s name of two Chinese characters are not accurate. Click here to read…

Liaoning aircraft carrier group passes through 1st island chain, ‘likely for routine drills’: Global Times

May 3, 2022

Led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning, a very powerful Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy flotilla reportedly entered the West Pacific via the Miyako Strait on Monday, in a move analysts said on Tuesday could be the carrier group’s first routine far sea drills of 2022. Click here to read…

Shanghai issues 43.5 million yuan in coupons for tech companies to tide over epidemic: Global Times

May 2, 2022

The Omicron-troubled Chinese metropolis Shanghai continued to push work resumption, as the city issued thousands of work resumption certificates and travel passes to workers, while rolling out policies to support local technological companies, officials disclosed on MondClick here to read…

Chinese carrier sails through waters near Okinawa, Japan says: Reuters

May 3, 2022

Eight Chinese naval vessels, including an aircraft carrier, passed between islands in Japan’s southern Okinawa chain on Monday, Japan’s defence ministry said in a news release. The ships, which included several destroyers, sailed between the main Okinawa island and Miyakojima, according to the ministry. Although there was no incursion into Japan’s territorial waters, helicopters on board the Liaoning carrier took off and landed, the ministry said. Click here to read…

Solomon Islands to supervise Chinese police operating there: Reuters

May 2, 2022

China’s police presence under a new security pact will boost the capabilities of the Solomon Islands but they will not use techniques seen in Hong Kong, the Pacific island country’s top diplomat to Australia said in a radio interview on Monday. Click here to read…

China backs Sri Lanka’s decision to work with IMF to restructure debt: Reuters

May 2, 2022

China supports crisis-hit Sri Lanka’s decision to work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restructure its debt, Beijing’s ambassador Qi Zhenhong told Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ali Sabry at a meeting on Monday. Click here to read…

Hopes dim on finding more survivors in Changsha: Taipei Times

May 3, 2022

Hopes of finding more survivors from the rubble of a collapsed commercial building in central China faded yesterday, at the end of a 72-hour “golden” rescue period identified by authorities. The building in Changsha City, Hunan Province — which housed apartments, a hotel and a cinema — caved in on Friday, sparking a massive rescue effort with hundreds of emergency responders. Click here to read…

The cloud of anti-Western nationalism hanging over China’s Communist Party congress: South China Morning Post

May 3, 2022

Generations of modern Chinese rulers have taken pride in China’s political system, touting its ability to transcend the ideological divides and partisanship that have plagued Western politics. Deng Xiaoping urged China “not to argue” so it could focus on economic growth. Hu Jintao called on the country to bu zheteng, or not to rock the boat with ideological debates.
But that approach is being tested this year with a polarised – and in many cases, ugly – debate on Chinese social media, on topics from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the virtues of China’s zero-Covid policy, to the efficacy of some kinds of traditional Chinese medicine. Click here to read…

Coronavirus: Shanghai adds 73 new Covid-19 cases outside quarantine zones, putting societal zero-Covid goal further out of reach: South China Morning Post

May 3, 2022

Shanghai’s daily new Covid-19 cases in unguarded zones rose for the second consecutive day, a worrying trend in the presumed low-risk zones that further clouds the outlook for any easing of the restrictions the mainland’s commercial capital has been living under since April 1. Local officials had hoped to confine infections within quarantined areas. Instead, the local health commission detected 73 cases in the “precautionary zones” – those that have not had an infection in the previous 14 days and their neighbouring areas – up from 58 a day earlier. Click here to read…

White House ties missiles used by Kyiv to its China competition bill: South China Morning Post

May 3, 2022

The White House has tried to shore up support for legislation that aims to boost domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing by linking it to US military aid for Ukraine. The Bipartisan Innovation Act (BIA), initiated by the Joe Biden administration, is mainly designed with China in mind, as Washington tries to reduce its dependence on foreign semiconductor chips. In an attempt to rally political support for the Act, Biden’s press secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing on Monday it was vital to US national security that the semiconductor chips used in the weapons sent to Kyiv should be made domestically. Click here to read…