Vietnam Orders End of Anti-China Protests
Vietnam has ordered an end to all "illegal protests" in the country after a week of violent demonstrations against China's deployment of an oil rig in a disputed section of the South China Sea.
The move came after Chinese police chief Guo Shengkun spoke by phone on Saturday to his Vietnamese counterpart, urging Vietnam to contain the current violence in the country and protect Chinese nationals and companies.
A senior police official says police and relevant government agencies have been ordered to apply "determined measures" to prevent a repetition of the demonstrations.
Saturday's order has been delivered in a text message to millions of people, which appears to represent a shift in government policy regarding the anti-China protests.
Chinese company staff evacuated from Vietnam by chartered plane
Staff members of a Chinese company in Vietnam were evacuated from the country by a chartered plane arranged by Chinese government early Sunday morning, after the recent deadly violence against foreign businesses and citizens.
More than 3,000 Chinese nationals have been evacuated from Vietnam as of Saturday afternoon.
Chinese airlines cancel Vietnam-bound flights
China's Spring and Autumn Airline has announced its plan to suspend all charter flights from Shanghai to Vietnam from May 19.
China Eastern Airlines also says passengers who have planned to travel to Vietnam could change their departure time or ask for refunds for tickets to Vietnam until June 30.
China confident new China-U.S. military relationship can advance
A visiting senior Chinese military official says China is confident the new model China-U.S. military relationship will advance and hopes both countries value and maintaine the relationship.
Guan Youfei, chief of the foreign affairs office of China's Ministry of Defense, who visited the United States with Fang Fenghui, Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, ended the tour Saturday.
Speaking of the South China Sea, Guan Youfei said China hopes the U.S. can be objective and speak and act cautiously to dissuade some countries from provocation, and China has pointed this out to the U.S. clearly" in the meetings.
Chinese minister highlights APEC economic integration
Chinese commerce minister Gao Hucheng on Saturday called on Asia-Pacific economies to speed up regional economic integration, as the meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers kicked off in east China's port city of Qingdao.
Addressing the opening of the meeting, which brought together trade ministers from the 21 APEC member economies, Gao Hucheng said although global economic recovery is picking up momentum, there are still many instabilities and uncertainties.
He said APEC members need to firmly support a multilateral trading system and accelerate the Asia-Pacific economic integration process through the realization of a Free Trade Area of Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).
China Southern Airlines orders 80 A320 planes from Airbus
China Southern Airlines, the country's largest airline by fleet size, has signed contracts with aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the purchase of 80 A320 planes.
Airbus China says the order includes 30 of the existing models of the A320 planes and 50 of the more energy-efficient A320Neo model.
The planes will be delivered to China Southern Airlines from 2016 to 2020.
According to China Southern Airlines, the deal is expected to increase the airlines' transportation capacity by 12.1 percent and help optimize its fleet structures, thus maximizing its operation efficiency and enhancing competitiveness.
Indian PM Manmohan Singh resigns
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday resigned, a day after the ruling Congress party was decimated by the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the general elections.
Singh handed over his resignation letter, along with all his ministers', to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee at the latter's official residence in the national capital, minutes after holding his last Cabinet meeting.
Singh is likely to remain as the caretaker prime minister till BJP's Narendra Modi is sworn in as the next head of government next week.
Over 17 passengers confirmed on aboard crashed aircraft in NE. Laos
At least 17 passengers were confirmed on aboard the aircraft which crashed in Laos' northeastern province of Xieng Khouang Saturday morning.
At least five people are confirmed dead and three were pulled alive from the wreckage after an AN-74TK300 aircraft carrying representatives of the Lao government crashed on Saturday morning in Nadee village, Paek district of Xieng Khouang province.
The cause of accident is under the investigation.
China's economic planning agency outlines key reform tasks
China's National Development and Reform Commission has vowed to deepen fiscal and market reforms this year to facilitate investment, trade and provide extra momentum for urbanization, environmental protection and social reforms.
In a "to-do list"-like report posted on the commission's website following a two-day meeting that focused on China's economic reforms, the commission outlined nine major reform priorities the country would undertake this year. |