The foreign affairs committees of the National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference have issued statements, voicing strong indignation toward and condemnation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine.

They firmly oppose the blatant homage paid by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the Yasukuni shrine, and strongly condemn such serious provocation to world peace and human conscience.

The statement says the visit to the shrine by Japanese politicians is an attempt to deny and whitewash the war crimes committed by militarist Japan and challenges the post-war international order.

The South Korean government also expressed a strong stance on Abe's visit to the shrine.

The US side meanwhile has expressed its dissapointment over Shinzo Abe's visit, too.

Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, called the visit harmful to regional peace, saying it will make it more difficult for Japan to mend its relationships with neighbouring countries.

 

China joins meditation effort in S Sudan

China has sent its envoy to South Sudan to carry out meditation efforts.

China's special envoy Zhong Jianhua for Africa is visiting South Sudan and neighbouring countries.

The Chinese government has also pledged to provide more humanitarian aid to the conflict-torn country if needed. 

Meanwhile, leaders from some east African countries are to meet in Kenya to discuss the violence in South Sudan.

 

Thai bus accident kills two Chinese

The Chinese embassy in Thailand has confirmed the deaths of two Chinese citizens in a bus accident in a north Thai province on Thursday night. 

The embassy says it's trying to contact the victims' families in the hope then can come to Thailand to identify the bodies. 

According to the embassy, the bus was carrying 37 people when it fell off a bridge leaving 30 dead, four seriously injured and three others missing.

 

Thai army chief calls for restraint.

Thailand's army chief has urged both sides in the country's bitter political dispute to show restraint. 

Thailand has been wracked by two months of political tension, and occasionally violent street protests, as protesters seek to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. 

The disruption seems to be timed to disrupt elections scheduled for 2 February.

 

3 killed, 265 arrested in clashes during pro-Morsi protests

At least three people have been killed nationwide in clashes between supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and their opponents in Egypt.

The police have arrested 265 people affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which the ousted president hails from and was declared Wednesday by the government as "a terrorist group."

 

China to increase safety checks over food, pharmaceuticals

China will increase safety checks on food products and crack down on shoddy pharmaceuticals next year as part of its stepped-up supervision over the food and drug sector.

Zhang Yong, head of the China Food and Drug Administration, says authorities will strengthen supervision over dairy and meat products, cooking oil, liquor, food additives and children's foods next year. 

The administration will launch special campaigns to ensure food safety in rural areas, rural-urban fringe zones, schools, small workshops and online stores.

 

China's industrial profit up 9.7 pct in November

Profit growth has slowed in China's industrial sector in November.

The National Bureau of Statistics reports total profits have come in at 707 billion yuan, a gain of 9.7 percent for November.

But that's down from growth just over 15 percent recorded in October.

Through the year so far, profits are up more than 13-percent, down slightly from this time last year.

The private sector is leading the way through 2013 with profits 16-percent higher than this time last year.

State-owned enterprises have recorded profit growth of 8.4 percent.

 

China rejects U.S. GM corn byproduct

Chinese inspectors have rejected two batches of a corn by-product from the US.

China's top quality supervisor says the shipment contains trace amounts of a genetically modified strain of corn, not approved in this country.

The product in question arrived in Shanghai on December 23rd.

The shipment weighed nearly 760-tonnes.

Last week, inspectors rejected a 545-tonne corn shipment from the US, because of the same genetically-modified strain.

 

Beijing to increase maternity beds for new birth policy

The municipal government in Beijing will increase the number of maternity beds in the city, if changes to the family planning policy are approved.

A new policy expected by March will allow more couples to have a second baby.

Right now, couples can have a second child only if both parents came from one-child families.

Under the new guidelines, couples will be able to have a second baby even if only one parent is an only child.