China

28 Dec 2018; AFP: China's customs administration announced Friday it had approved US rice imports, a move that comes during a 90-day tariff truce between the two countries which are engaged in a bruising trade war.

US rice that meets inspection and quarantine requirements will be allowed to enter the country, according to a notice by China's customs authority released Friday and dated December 27.

Beijing, Dec 27 (AFP) Ex-China spymaster Ma Jian was jailed for life over corruption, a court in northeastern China announced Thursday.

"Ma Jian's behaviour constituted the crime of accepting bribes, forcing others to trade and insider trading," the Dalian Intermediate People's Court in Liaoning province announced in a statement.

Ma pleaded guilty and has decided not to appeal, the court said, adding that his political rights have been revoked for life and all his personal assets confiscated.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s former deputy intelligence chief has been sentenced to life in prison for corruption.

A court in the northeastern port city of Dalian announced Thursday that Ma Jian has been found guilty of crimes including accepting bribes and insider trading.

He was ordered to pay more than 50 million yuan ($7.26 million) in penalties.

The court said Ma used his political power to aid the business operations of Guo Wengui, a real estate billionaire wanted by Chinese authorities.

BEIJING, December 26. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will become a key guest and participant of the second international Belt and Road Forum due in April 2019 in the Chinese capital of Beijing, Russia’s Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov said on Wednesday.

"We believe that a major event of the first half of 2019 will be the coordinated visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China, who will take part in the second summit of the Belt and Road Forum," Denisov said.

TIANJIN, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Haiyan, a Chinese underwater glider, has set a new endurance record after working for 141 days and sailing 3,619.6 km in the South China Sea, said the developer.

Codenamed Haiyan, which means storm petrel in Chinese, the long-distance glider completed the test in November, renewing its former record of continuously sailing 2,272.4 km over 119 days in the northern part of the South China Sea in the first half of the year, said the program team from the Tianjin University on Wednesday.

TIANJIN, China (AP) — About two dozen plainclothes police were stationed outside a courthouse in northern China on Wednesday as the trial of a prominent human rights lawyer was expected to unfold.

Reporters, foreign diplomats and supporters were prevented from approaching the municipal court in Tianjin city where lawyer Wang Quanzhang was to be tried.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China will become the second largest contributor to the United Nations regular budget starting next year, surpassing Japan.

China's contribution will rise to 12.01 percent in the next three years from 7.92 percent for the 2016-2018 period, according to a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

Japan's contribution will fall to 8.56 percent from 9.68 percent.

Assessments for member countries' contributions are made based on several elements and criteria, including estimates of gross national income.

Beijing, Dec 22; PTI: China on Saturday launched its first communication satellite to provide broadband internet services worldwide in an apparent bid to rival Google and other international firms.

The satellite was launched from a Long March 11 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north-western China and is the first in the Hongyun project planned by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC).

JIUQUAN, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- China launched a tech-experimental satellite as part of the Hongyun Project, a low-orbit broadband communication satellite system on Saturday morning.

A Long March-11 rocket carrying the experimental satellite blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 7：51 a.m.. It successfully entered its preset orbit.

OTTAWA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Allegations against China of cyber attacks reported by Canadian media were fabricated stories, which have seriously misled the public, the Chinese embassy in Ottawa said Friday in a statement.

The Canadian media reported recently that U.S. authorities had indicted two Chinese nationals on the grounds of "cyber stealing."