China

BEIJING, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar rover, Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, left the first ever "footprint" from a human spacecraft on the far side of the moon late at night on Thursday, after it separated from the lander smoothly.

The rover touched the lunar surface at 10:22 p.m. on Thursday, leaving a trace on the loose lunar soil. The process was recorded by the camera on the lander and the images were sent back to the Earth via the relay satellite "Queqiao", the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced.

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese spacecraft on Thursday made the first-ever landing on the far side of the moon, state media said.

The lunar explorer Chang’e 4 touched down at 10:26 a.m., China Central Television said in a brief announcement at the top of its noon news broadcast.

The far side of the moon faces away from Earth and is relatively unexplored. It is also known as the dark side of the moon.

BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- China has lodged solemn representations with the United States over a newly approved law that calls for strengthened official contact and military links between the U.S. and Taiwan, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 was signed into law by U.S. president on Dec. 31.

BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- China is striving to gain a lead in the global race toward building an intelligent and data-driven society, as the country has the highest number of smart city pilot projects in the world, the China Daily reported Wednesday.

The world's second-largest economy has more than 500 smart city pilot projects ready or under construction, accounting for about half of the world's total, the newspaper cited a recent report by consulting company Deloitte.

BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday stressed that achieving the country's greatness, national rejuvenation and cross-Strait reunification is the trend of history, which can never be blocked by anyone or any force.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a gathering to commemorate the 40th anniversary of issuing Message to Compatriots in Taiwan.

JINAN, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China began to implement its 144-hour visa-free transit policy in five more cities on Tuesday for travelers from 53 countries.

These cities are Qingdao, a major port city in Shandong Province; Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian Province; Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province; Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province; and Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province.

30 Dec 2018; DW: Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was set to begin a 15-year jail sentence for smuggling drugs. But the Canadian could now face the death penalty after a Chinese court ordered a retrial.

Beiging, Dec. 30 (Xinhua): China on Saturday opened a high-speed railway sector connecting Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province with Chengde, a popular summer resort about 230 km north of Beijing.

The new sector belongs to the Beijing-Harbin high-speed rail route that extends 1,250 km from the country's northeasternmost provincial capital Harbin to Beijing. The day-long trip from Harbin to Beijing will be cut to within five hours after the route is launched.

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Chang'e-4 probe entered a planned orbit Sunday morning to prepare for the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced.

The probe has entered an elliptical lunar orbit, with the perilune at about 15 km and the apolune at about 100 km, at 8:55 a.m. Beijing Time, said CNSA.

29 Dec 2018; DW: Sarah McIver, held in China over a work permit issue, has been released. Her case is unrelated to the detention of two other Canadians, who some believe were held in retaliation for the arrest of a top Huawei executive.

The Canadian government has confirmed that China has freed Sarah McIver, a Canadian teacher who was detained earlier this month over issues with her work permit.

Richard Walker, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada, said Friday that McIver "was released and has now returned to Canada."