New Zealand News
China News
-
Woman in China gets death sentence for trafficking 17 children including her own son
by Bhavya Rawat on October 29, 2024 at 9:05 am
A woman in China was given the death penalty for trafficking 17 children, one of which was her own son. Yu Huaying, 61, was tried for a second time last Friday (Oct 25) and found guilty. She was then stripped of her political rights and had her assets seized, said the Guiyang Intermediate People's Court in a statement on the same day. Yu was found to have repeatedly trafficked 17 children from 1993 to 2003 in various areas, including Guizhou province, Chongqing and Yunnan province. She would then transfer her victims to Handan in North China's Hebei, where they were sold through intermediaries, said the court. Her first victim, in fact, was her biological son whom she trafficked and sold for 5,000 yuan (S$928), reported Chinese state media. "In order to seek illegal profits, Yu Huaying... [caused] the separation of 12 families and the severing of family ties," said the court. "The circumstances and the consequences of the crimes are extremely serious, and she should be severely punished." "Although she confessed, it is not enough to give her a lighter punishment," the court added. […]
-
China looks to spur births, aid families in fight on shrinking population
on October 29, 2024 at 2:10 am
BEIJING — China outlined steps on Monday (Oct 28) to improve family planning and parenting measures in an effort to boost the number of births, a statement from the state council, or cabinet, showed, after two consecutive years of a shrinking population. The birth rate hit a record low last year in China, which has a population of 1.4 billion, as fellow Asian giant India outpaced it to become the world's most populous nation. The state council called for efforts to build "a new marriage and childbearing culture" by spreading respect for childbearing, marriages at the right age, and parents' shared responsibility for childcare. Measures on offer are better maternity insurance, maternity leave, subsidies and medical resources for children, with the cabinet urging local governments to budget for childcare centres and levy preferential taxes and fees for such services. "Supporting childbirth at this stage is of great significance," said Yang Chang, chief policy analyst at Zhongtai Securities Research Institute, adding that Monday's announcement would serve as a template for future measures. […]
-
Man in Beijing stabs 5 people, including 3 minors, in knife attack
on October 29, 2024 at 1:33 am
BEIJING — A knife attack in China's capital Beijing wounded five people including three minors on Monday (Oct 28), state television CCTV reported, citing local police. The rare stabbing in Beijing occurred at about 3.20pm near the intersection of Wanquanzhuang Road and Wanliu Zhong Road in the Haidian district, the report said. The suspect, a 50-year-old male surnamed Tang, was placed under police control, and the five passers-by wounded in the attack were taken to hospital. None of their injuries were life-threatening, it added, and investigations continue. The site of the attack is where one of the branches of Zhongguancun No.3 Primary School is located and social media posts said the stabbing occurred outside of the school gate, which remains unconfirmed by local police or state media. The school, one of the best primary schools in Beijing, has yet to respond to the incident. A recent increase in reports of knife attacks in big Chinese cities has drawn increased public attention to personal safety in public spaces. […]
-
China's private tutoring firms emerge from the shadows after crackdown
on October 28, 2024 at 4:40 am
SHANGHAI/BEIJING — China is quietly easing regulatory pressure on private tutoring operators as it looks to revive a flagging economy, spurring a nascent revival of a sector hit hard by a government crackdown three years ago, according to industry figures, analysts and data reviewed by Reuters. There has been no formal acknowledgement of a change in policy. But there is now tacit consent from policymakers to allow the tutoring industry to grow, in a pivot by Beijing to support job creation, eight industry figures and two analysts familiar with the developments told Reuters. The shift is evident in new growth among tutoring businesses and moves by Beijing to clarify its approach, as well as in Reuters interviews with five Chinese parents who described a gradual liberalisation in recent months. Details in this story about the relaxation of policy enforcement and the increasing openness of tutoring organisations' operations have not been previously reported. […]
-
China vows 'countermeasures' after US okays $2.6 billion arms sale to Taiwan
on October 27, 2024 at 2:25 am
BEIJING - China will take "countermeasures" to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, the government said, lambasting a US$2 billion (S$2.64 billion) arms sale package by the United States to Taiwan. The US is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties, to the constant anger of Beijing. On Oct 25, the Pentagon said the US approved a potential US$2 billion arms sale package to Taiwan, including a delivery for the first time of an advanced air defence missile system battle-tested in Ukraine. On Oct 26, China's foreign ministry said it strongly condemns and firmly opposes the sales and has lodged "solemn representations" with the US. China urges the US to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop its dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it added. Beijing has over the past five years stepped up military activities around Taiwan, including staging war games earlier this month. […]
-
Hong Kong's first dinosaur fossils, likely from large dinosaur, go on display
on October 25, 2024 at 8:36 am
HONG KONG — The first dinosaur fossils found in Hong Kong, likely from a large dinosaur, were put on display on Friday (Oct 25) after they were found on a small, uninhabited outlying island, providing new evidence for research on palaeoecology in the financial hub. The fossils, confirmed to be dated to the Cretaceous period some 145 million to 66 million years ago, need further study to confirm the dinosaur species, authorities said, but it was clear they were large vertebrate animals. A child looks at a rock containing dinosaur bone fossils discovered in Hong Kong, displayed at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, in Hong Kong, China on Oct 25, 2024. PHOTO: Reuters They were found on Port Island, located in the north-east of Hong Kong and known for its red rock formations. The city's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in March the sedimentary rock on Port Island may contain fossils. […]
-
Chinese startup to sell tickets for 2027 space tourism flights
on October 24, 2024 at 4:49 am
BEIJING — Chinese start-up Deep Blue Aerospace said on Oct 23 it will sell its first two tickets for seats on a rocket that will take passengers to space in 2027, charging 1.5 million yuan (S$278,000) for the experience. Deep Blue Aerospace will put the tickets up for sale at 6pm on Oct 24 and plans to make more available next month. Passengers will be taken on a suborbital flight, meaning the rocket will reach outer space but not enter orbit. The commercial passenger flight industry is in its nascent stages, with US companies such as Blue Origin and SpaceX taking an early lead. Deep Blue Aerospace said reusable rockets are crucial to reducing high launch costs that prohibit large-scale commercialisation of space tourism. It said it plans to recover a carrier rocket from orbit in the first quarter of 2025. Other Chinese companies have announced plans to enter the space tourism sector. In May, state-backed CAS Space said it would launch space tourism flights by 2028. […]
-
Twelfth monkey death at Hong Kong zoo, soil infection blamed
on October 23, 2024 at 5:04 am
HONG KONG — A 12th monkey has died at a Hong Kong zoo, authorities said late on Tuesday (Oct 22), after 11 monkeys died in the past week due to Melioidosis, a bacterial infection, which can affect both humans and animals. Housed in five separate cages, the deceased monkeys included the De Brazza species as well as one common squirrel monkey, cotton-top tamarins and white-faced sakis. The zoo, located just above the city's financial centre, has shut its mammals section since Oct 14, when authorities reported the first batch of monkey deaths. The government said it would continue to close the section and provide protective gear and health monitoring for staff taking care of the animals. […]
-
China's Singles' Day sales festival fails to inspire consumers
on October 23, 2024 at 1:28 am
SHANGHAI — China's largest shopping event is underway but most merchants and retail analysts expect flat or at best, tepid sales growth, noting consumers are still very much dispirited by the country's economic woes. The Singles Day shopping extravaganza, which began last week, has morphed from an Alibaba event aimed at persuading single people to pamper themselves to a weeks-long festival that peaks on Nov 11 across all of China's major e-commerce platforms as well as in bricks-and-mortar stores. Furniture vendor Wu Qian, said he registered on JD.com this year because it was an opportunity to clear inventory and perhaps eke out a small profit. But he is not expecting the event to show overall sales growth. "Consumers no longer wait for shopping festivals to shop," he said, adding that diversification in China's e-commerce platforms meant they had an array of choices all year round. A property sector in crisis, trade tensions and regulatory crackdowns on a number of industries have all played a part in sputtering growth for the world's second-largest economy over recent years, resulting in job insecurity for many Chinese. […]
-
China unveils first diagnosis guidelines to battle escalating obesity crisis
on October 22, 2024 at 6:39 am
HONG KONG — China's National Health Commission (NHC) published its first set of guidelines to standardise the diagnosis and treatment of obesity, with more than half of China's adults already overweight and obese, and the rate expected to keep rising. The guidelines, made public on October 17, come as China experiences an upward morbidity trend of its overweight and obese population. The rate of overweight or obese people could reach 65.3 per cent by 2030, the NHC said. "Obesity has become a major public health issue in China, ranking as the sixth leading risk factor for death and disability in the country," the guidelines said. China is facing a twin challenge that feeds its weight problem: In a modernising economy underpinned by technological innovation, more jobs have become static or desk-bound, while a prolonged slowdown in growth is forcing people to adopt cheaper, unhealthy diets. […]
-
A fresh brew in academia as China’s 1st coffee undergraduate program kicks off
on September 20, 2024 at 4:00 pm
IN a country with a rich tea-drinking tradition spanning thousands of years, China saw its first cohort of university students majoring in coffee science and engineering start the new semester this month. This […]
-
FIND SOMETHING COOL IN SUMMER!China’s indoor ice and snow industry attracts tourists
on July 12, 2024 at 4:00 pm
DESPITE the sweltering summer heat, tourists visiting Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, now has a new attraction to explore — the world’s largest indoor ice and snow theme park. T […]
-
China’s first commercial space launch site is ready for operations in Hainan
on July 5, 2024 at 4:00 pm
CHINA’S first commercial spacecraft launch site is ready for operations in south China’s Hainan Province, having completed a rocket launch simulation rehearsal using its two launch pads. According to […]
-
International horticulture expo attracts worldwide green fingers to Chengdu
on May 3, 2024 at 4:00 pm
THE International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 — which opened in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, last week — offers a comprehensive and on-site “101 handbook” for gardening devotees […]
-
Youth the target as Sanya aims to be international tourist destination
by Hu Min on October 9, 2023 at 5:04 pm
A group of young foreign tourists went on a fantastic journey to Sanya, a popular coastal destination in south China’s Hainan Province. The exhilarated youngsters were fascinated by the picturesque scenery, […]
-
China’s gold rush continues at Asiad
on September 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm
HOST China snapped up more gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games yesterday. A shooting world record fell to Chinese teenager Sheng Lihao in the men’s 10-meter air rifle with his 253.3 points surpassing […]
-
It’s visa-free as Chinese get VIP Thai welcome
on September 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm
THAILAND extended a warm welcome to the first batch of visa-exempt flights from China yesterday, marking the launch of the nation’s fresh initiative to reinvigorate its Chinese tourist market. Approximately […]
-
Zhang, Wu: Rivals yet partners
by Ma Yue on September 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm
CHINA’S top-two ranked male tennis players Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Yibing will partner each other for the first time. The duo is paired in the doubles competition at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Shangha […]
-
Xi to attend opening ceremony
on September 21, 2023 at 4:00 pm
CHINESE President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and hold a welcoming banquet and bilateral events for foreign leaders attending the opening ceremony, […]
-
Smart & green opening ceremony set for Asiad
on September 21, 2023 at 4:00 pm
TORCHBEARERS in the virtual and physical worlds will jointly light up the cauldron for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou tomorrow, organizers said yesterday. “A green, digital and intelligent Asian Games […]