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WASHINGTON - Two Chinese astronauts this week completed a world-record spacewalk of more than nine hours, according to a statement from China Manned Space Agency, marking another milestone for Beijing's rapidly expanding space programme. The spacewalk, carried out by astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong outside the Tiangong space station in low-Earth orbit on Dec 17, was at least four minutes longer than the last record set by Nasa astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms in 2001. The two astronauts of China's Shenzhou-19 mission donned their Feitian spacesuits to carry out an array of tasks on the station's exterior, including the installation of space-debris protection devices, China's space agency said. "They successfully completed all the planned tasks and felt very excited about it," China Astronaut Research and Training Centre staffer Wu Hao told China Central Television, a state broadcaster.&nbs […]

HONG KONG — China's President Xi Jinping arrives in Macau on Dec 18 to mark a quarter century of Beijing's rule over the former Portuguese enclave, and is likely during his three-day visit to urge further diversification from its casino industry. His trip to the world's biggest gambling hub is his third as president, during which he will attend the inauguration of the territory's new chief executive, who was elected in October. Xi last visited in 2019 when anti-government protests were rocking the neighbouring financial hub of Hong Kong. A special administrative region of China, Macau is the only place in the country where gambling is legal, and its economy is heavily dependant on the casino industry, which contributes about 80 per cent of regional tax revenue. Located on China's southern coast, Macau returned to Chinese rule on Dec 20, 1999, governed under the same "one country, two systems" formula as Hong Kong. Beijing has consistently praised Macau for its loyalty and stability, with more than half of its 700,000 population immigrating from China in recent decades. […]

HONG KONG — China announced on Tuesday (Dec 17) a relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travellers to 240 hours, or 10 days, from the original 72-144 hours, as authorities aim to lure more foreign visitors. The measure, which is effective immediately, was announced by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) on its official Wechat account. People from 54 countries including Russia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, "who transit from China to a third country (region), can enter China without a visa from any of the 60 open ports in 24 provinces and stay in the specified area for no more than 240 hours," it said. China, since reopening its borders in 2023 after three years of self-imposed isolation due to Covid-19, has waived visa requirements for travellers to encourage visitation to the world's second largest economy. In November China's Foreign Ministry said China had extended its visa-free policy to a total of 38 countries. […]

SHANGHAI — Since Tera Feng started documenting her enviable Shanghai lifestyle, including visits to art galleries and fashion events on Chinese social media eight years ago, she has built up a following of more than 500,000 people. While that is a drop in the vast ocean of China's consumer market, Feng and brands she works with have found her audience — mainly financially independent urban Chinese women — is willing to spend. A recent switch to livestream selling on social media platform Xiaohongshu three months ago has seen Feng sell everything from a 15,000 yuan (about S$2,780) Carven suit to her favourite brand of rice that costs 60 yuan for a 1kg bag. Xiaohongshu, sometimes compared to Instagram, has long been one of China's most important marketing tools. It has made several e-commerce pushes over the past decade without much success. […]

BEIJING — China's Communist Party must "turn the knife inward" to eliminate problems of discipline, including corruption, President Xi Jinping said, a new call to hunt down corrupt officials and those who corrupt them. Since coming to power over a decade ago, Xi has cracked down on corruption involving party members, whether they were corrupt high-ranking "tigers" or lowly "flies" who failed to implement government policies. But despite the sweeping crackdown, the party continues to be plagued by graft, particularly within the armed forces. Two former defence ministers have been purged from the party in the past two years for "serious violations of discipline", a euphemism for corruption. The party must take counter-measures against any interest group, organisation of power, or privileged class from preying on or corrupting party members, Xi warned in a speech published on Monday (Dec 16) by Qiushi Journal, a flagship party magazine. "As the situation and tasks facing the party change, there will inevitably be all kinds of conflicts and problems within the party," he said. […]

GUANYUN, China — In an industrial park being built with Chinese state support in the middle of a sprawling farming community, factory boss Lei Congrui straightens a tiny golden bell hanging off a choker on a mannequin wearing white-and-pink lingerie. What Lei calls his "erotic clothing" showroom is one of the few already open in WeMet Industrial Park, whose Chinese name translates as 'Victoria's Secret Town' — though it has no official affiliation to the US brand. The development of the lingerie industry in eastern Guanyun county, 180 miles (290 km) from the metropolis of Nanjing, has exploded partly due to a US tariff exemption likely to soon be curtailed or scrapped. Under the 'de minimis' rule, which seeks to reduce customs paperwork, the United States exempts foreign packages valued at US$800 (S$1080) or under from tariffs as long as they're shipped to individuals. […]

BEIJING — China's crackdown on corruption in football claimed a notable figure on Friday (Dec 13) when former Everton midfielder and national team coach Li Tie was sentenced to 20 years in prison for giving and receiving bribes. Li, one of his country's best known players from his time as a midfielder in the English Premier League and the national team at the 2002 World Cup, was coach of China from late 2019 until he resigned two years later. The Communist Party investigation into Li's conduct began in November 2022, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday, and the 47-year-old appeared in a court in Hubei province in March this year when he submitted a guilty plea. The Xianning court alleged that from 2015, when he was an assistant coach at the Hebei China Fortune club, until 2021, when he quit as China coach, Li gave and received bribes totalling 120 million yuan (S$22 million). In exchange for bribes, the court said, Li would select certain individuals for the national team as well as help clubs win competitions and sign players. […]

SHANGHAI — Adoring crowds are flocking to a zoo in Shanghai to watch Junjun, a bear cub just 11 months old, as he frolics in his enclosure playing with toys, such as a favourite tyre, or splashing in a water trough. Standing 1m tall and weighing more than 35 kg, the brown bear's every move captivates fans, who exclaim at his resemblance to a playful puppy and admire his fluffy fur coat. Even on a cold weekday in December, when the zoo in China's commercial hub is mostly deserted, a crowd gathers at the outdoor enclosure where Junjun encounters his doting public every two days. "His little movements are really funny. Very cute, so cute that it can't be cuter," said one visitor, surnamed Lin. Born at the zoo as the first offspring of his parents, Junjun was hand-reared by keepers who supply his toys and favourite foods of beef and apples with honey. Junjun's fame has spread on social media, with videos and pictures online commenting on his resemblance to Duffy, a teddy bear and popular Disney character. […]

TAIPEI — Beijing has unveiled a new tactic on Taiwan, the democratic island it claims as its own, officials and experts say: large-scale drills with no fanfare to normalise a heightened military presence and let the US know that China can act whenever it wants. For four days this week, Taiwan went on alert in response to what it said was China's largest massing of naval forces in three decades around Taiwan and in the East and South China Seas. China's military said nothing until Friday (Dec 13) when it quoted ancient Chinese tactician Sun Tzu's Art of War, a favourite of the communist republic's founder Mao Zedong. "Just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions," the defence ministry said, a cryptic statement that neither confirmed nor denied that Beijing had been holding military exercises. The initial silence was a departure from China's past practice of unleashing a massive propaganda push to coincide with war games around the island. A senior Taiwan security official this week termed China's activities as "drills that dare not speak their name". […]

BEIJING — China accused the Philippines on Friday (Dec 13) of having "provoked trouble" in the South China Sea with US backing, a week after Beijing and Manila traded accusations over a new confrontation in the disputed waters. "The Philippine side, with US support and solicitation, has been stirring up trouble in many spots in the South China Sea," Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China's defence ministry, said on its official WeChat account. "The Philippines is well aware that the scope of its territory is determined by a series of international treaties and has never included China's" Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, he added. Beijing and Manila have been involved this year in a series of confrontations at reefs and outcrops in the South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim parts of the sea. They are concerned China's expansive claim encroaches into their exclusive economic zones (EEZ), non-territorial waters that extend 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coasts of a nation's land. […]

STREETS across China were alive with energy yesterday, as thousands of runners jogged, smiled and celebrated in what’s been dubbed a “super marathon weekend.” Data show that about 30 marathons took plac […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

EXPRESSWAYS in China will likely see a record traffic volume during the upcoming holiday due to travel demand, an official said yesterday. According to Wang Xiuchun, from the Ministry of Transport, t […]

International travelers have been flocking back to the popular resort island of Bali as the Covid pandemic subsides, prompting hopes that Indonesia's battered […]

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A local entrepreneur in the Japanese tourist destination of Nara has developed an alternative to plastic shopping bags, to protect the town's sacred deer. […]

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