Chinese students based in the US are paying upto UK Pounds 22,000 to charter aircraft in a bid to escape the potential Coronavirus epidemic in the US and get to China. China has, in turn, prohibited all charter flights from the US.

Anthony Junco, a spokesman for the U.S. Seventh Fleet, said the guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell conducted “a routine Taiwan Strait transit” on March 25, in line with international law. He said “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S.

Global Times (March 25) quoted Chinese experts as suggesting that Chinese companies already in India can offer help including aiding the locals to build makeshift hospitals like those in Wuhan if asked. It quoted an expert from the China Railway Construction Corp. as saying Chinese companies can help countries undergoing coronavirus lockdowns like India. "Chinese companies working on existing projects in India, with sufficient supply networks in place, can take over the construction of makeshift hospitals like those in Wuhan upon India's invitation."

Chinese President Xi Jinping placed a call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on March 25, to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed a desire for deeper Sino-German cooperation and said “China is willing to share prevention, control and treatment experience with Germany, strengthen cooperation in vaccine and drug research and development, and contribute to the health and well-being of the two peoples and global public health and safety.” Angela Merkel agreed and said “Germany thanks China for its timely and valuable help and hopes to carry out scientific research cooperation with China in the areas of vaccine and drug research and development and other fields, so as to set an example of solidarity.” (Comment: Over the last two weeks, Xi Jinping has called various foreign leaders each day to express support and offer medical aid and expertise.)

With oil prices dropping to an 18-year low, demand in China’s oil storage sector has soared as companies hoard the fossil fuel. Data from energy information provider OilChem China showed that since March 7, the day after talks between oil-producers cartel OPEC and Russia collapsed and prices began to plummet, Chinese ports have added around 1.5 million tons of commercial crude oil to their stockpiles. A manager at a Chinese oil storage company said “All of China’s coastal storage tanks and those near rivers are all booked, wherever they are in the country”. The total quantum of oil in OilChem China's storage is now 29.45 million tonnes.

Foreign Policy reported (March 25) that in most Chinese cities, offices and factories have reopened, but many workers have reported slashed salaries or the loss of benefits. To avoid catastrophic unemployment, the authorities have tightened already restrictive laws around layoffs, pushing the financial burden onto businesses. There is aid in place for many hard-hit enterprises, but a lot of political competition around who gets it. Chinese labor laws have always been excellent on paper: It’s hard to fire workers without cause or carry out mass layoffs. But they are highly difficult to enforce in practice.

Lu Hai, Professor at Peking University, who organised a recent survey under a joint project between Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management and Zhaopin, one of China’s largest hiring platforms, revealed (March 25) that job openings in China for the first two months of 2020 dropped by more than 30% as the coronavirus epidemic severely disrupted economic activity.

Bloomberg financial services reported that “The income of central and local governments contracted 9.9% in the first two months of the year compared to a year ago”, describing it as the deepest fall since February 2009.

Xinhua reported (March 26) that according to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology by March 24, only 71.7% of small and medium-sized enterprises had resumed operations. Another National Business Activity Index shows that as of March 25, the economy was operating at 73.9% of pre-crisis levels. These figures have prompted estimates that the economy is running at less than three-fourths normal levels and that if the economy doesn’t get rebooted quickly, the damage will be intense and long-lasting.

The Lhasa City Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading Committee issued an official notice dated March 23, saying that people from “low-risk” areas who are quarantined in hotels or elsewhere can move outside if they have already been in quarantine for a week. The notice, a copy of which was posted on Chinese social media, also says that while people arriving from “low-risk” places may not have to stay in quarantine, people arriving from medium- and high-risk places should be quarantined for seven and 14 days respectively. Tibetans quarantined for 14 days would be kept at their own expense.

At a press conference in Beijing on March 26, China's Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Xu Nanping, said that it is not yet time to summarize China ’s experience in science and technology against epidemics.

Caixin reported (March 25) that “Hubei provincial authorities issued a notice on March 24 announcing that they will end restrictions on outbound traffic" starting March 25, with the exception of its capital city of Wuhan, which will block departures for two more weeks.

The Civil Administration of China (CAAC) announced (March 26) that it will drastically cut back the number of international flights from March 29. It said all domestic airlines that fly internationally can keep only one international route in operation, with just one flight on that route per week. Meanwhile, foreign carriers flying to China can also keep only one route, which can also not fly more than once a week.

FT reported (March 27) that China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced (March 26) it would temporarily suspend visits from almost all foreign nationals amid mounting fears that those returning to China after the country eased its travel restrictions were sparking a second wave of cases.

On March 24, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang warned officials “not to hide cases for the sake of reporting zero.” He told officials "Everywhere you want to be truthful and publicly and transparently release epidemic information."

Following the accusation on March 12, by Zhao Lijian, Spokesman & Deputy Director General of the Information Department, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that the United States is the origin of the novel Coronavirus, Chinese bots took to Twitter to spread the accusation.

Japan's Defence Ministry reported that on March 19 in an area about 80 kilometers southeast of Miyako Island a PLA Navy Type-052D guided missile destroyer, two Type-054A frigates and a Type-903A integrated supply ship were spotted by its PC-3 patrol aircraft sailing eastward. The Japanese Ministry of Defense said that afterwards, these Chinese warships sailed northward from the sea between Okinawa's main island and Miyakojima and headed for the East China Sea.

The Wall Street Journal reported (March 20) that a group of 300 Chinese intensive-care doctors began to arrive in Italy on March 18. China has also sent supplies to Serbia and Brussels at their request offering to provide more than two million medical masks and 50,000 coronavirus testing kits. The Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have assured assistance to European countries. Pakistan says that China has provided it with “grant assistance of $4 million along with 300,000 medical face masks, 10 ventilators, and other equipment” to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

CNBC reported (March 16) that 5 million Chinese had lost jobs in the first two months of 2020, pushing the unemployment rate up to 6.2%. China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also revealed that retail sales plunged 20.5% over the same period in 2019, industrial output was down 13.5%, fixed asset investment fell by nearly 25%, real estate construction slid 44.9%, home sales fell 34.7% and investment in the real-estate sector was off 16.3%. The NBS said the shock of all of this is likely to last for some time, a recovery won’t be rapid or easy.

The Chinese magazine Caixin reported (March 20) that 45 year-old Liu Li, an employee of the Central Hospital of Wuhan who worked on the hospital’s Ethics Committee and was a colleague of the late whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, died from the Coronavirus disease, becoming the fifth since the epidemic broke out. She was first diagnosed with viral pneumonia on January 28 after running a high temperature for nearly a week, and was later diagnosed as having Covid-19. More than 230 of the hospital’s 4,000 employees have been diagnosed with the disease.

More than a month after launching an investigation into local authorities’ handling of the case of Dr. Li Wenliang, a whistleblower doctor in Wuhan, the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) reported their findings on March 19.

The trillion dollar State-owned conglomerate Citic Group Corp. on March 20 announced the appointment of Zhu Hexin, a Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), as its new Communist Party secretary. The Citic Group said at a management meeting that Zhu became party chief, replacing Chang Zhenming. Caixin cited sources to say that Zhu Hexin will also succeed Chang Zhenming as Chairman shortly. A regulator told Caixin that it seems to be “an important task to have the deputy governor of the central bank lead Citic Group at the moment.”

On March 19, it was announced that Shandong Governor Gong Zheng will be taking over as Deputy Party Secretary in Shanghai. Gong Zheng is likely to soon be appointed Mayor of Shanghai. Shanghai has been without a Mayor since Ying Yong was appointed Party Secretary of Hubei on February 13.

Addressing the PBSC meeting on March 18, Chinese President Xi Jinping said there has been a positive trend in preventing and controlling the epidemic and restoring normal production. Everyday life has quickened.

The Daily Beast reported (March 19) that White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro with President Trump's encouragement is pushing a slew of policies to ultimately curb the importing of foreign goods and create conditions that would allow for the increased production of American medicines, raw materials, and vaccines.

Xinhua (March 11) that the China Railway Science Research Institute just developed a new technology that can perform facial recognition even when the individual wears a regular mask and a helmet.

The WeChat public account "Lishui Qiaolian" of China's Guancha magazine on March 20, reported that according to Czech media reports on March 19, the Czech Usti State Customs on March 17 inspected the Lovosicích na Litomě icku Industrial Park and found that there were about 680,000 breathing masks and 28,000 masks in a warehouse.

i) Shao Yiming, a prominent virologist who is chief HIV/AIDS expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was reported by Caixin on March 20 as saying that Chinese health authorities initially failed to identify and control the threats posed by Covid-19 because of faulty assumptions and weaknesses in a carefully constructed direct reporting system.

Shao Yiming, a prominent virologist who is chief HIV/AIDS expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was reported by Caixin on March 20 as saying that Chinese health authorities initially failed to identify and control the threats posed by Covid-19 because of faulty assumptions and weaknesses in a carefully constructed direct reporting system.

Official figures showed (March 18) that for the first day since the virus took hold late last year, China has recorded no locally transmitted cases.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) on March 18 when the agenda was preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Global times reported (March 17) that as the world is facing challenges brought about by COVID-19, Pakistani President Arif Alvi chose this special time to visit China to show solidarity between the two "iron brothers.

The official website of the White House posted the following on March 13. It said on March 12, Zhao Lijian, Spokesman & Deputy Director General of the Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused the United States of being the origin of the novel coronavirus, stating, “It might be the US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan.

The Voice of America (VOA) on March 12, claimed that a young man in Wuhan, in his twenties, with the pseudonym “Tulong,” had decided not to remain silent in front the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) propaganda and thought control, but to speak out for the people who died from the coronavirus.

China announced (March 18) the following measures, effective immediately:

CBS and the Palm Beach Post both reported (March 13) that the Berman Law Group, a law firm in Boca Raton, Florida, filed a class-action lawsuit on March 12, to hold the Chinese government accountable for the deadly coronavirus now sweeping America.

Reuters quoted (March 18) senior foreign diplomats as saying that officers from China’s People’s Armed Police (PAP) had joined Hong Kong police on the frontlines to observe anti-government protests that peaked last year.

Well-known Chinese news site Sina reported on March 14, that the U.S. Dollar Index has frequently reached highs when the financial market saw free falls across the globe. Key non-U.S. currencies suffered most, including the Euro, the British Pound, the Canadian Dollar, and the Australian Dollar.

Shanghai-based Chinese financial news site East Money reported on March 9, that according to statistics released by the China Academy of Information and Communication Technologies, the Chinese smartphone market declined by 54.7 percent, year-over-year.

A survey of 120,000 people conducted last week by the Chengdu-based China Household Finance Survey and Research Centre said that a fifth of Chinese households can survive only 2.3 months without any income, while 40 per cent cannot last past three months.

Goldman Sachs said on March 17, that China’s economy will likely shrink 9% in the first quarter, underscoring how the coronavirus has disrupted normal business activities, while China reported an uptick in new cases of the disease, most of them imported.

The Wall Street Journal on March 19 reported that as China’s government promotes its successes in containing the coronavirus to audiences abroad, a heated backlash against a state-media reporter’s coverage of the pathogen shows that Beijing still faces a tough task selling its narrative at home.

Wang Junzhi, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said (March 18) that Chinese scientists have been racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines by five approaches, namely inactivated vaccines, genetic engineering subunit vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines, nucleic acid vaccines, and vaccines using attenuated influenza virus as vectors.

Wang Junzhi, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said (March 18) that Chinese scientists have been racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines by five approaches, namely inactivated vaccines, genetic engineering subunit vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines, nucleic acid vaccines, and vaccines using attenuated influenza virus as vectors.

The Guardian reported (March 18) that a Chinese official of the S&T Ministry said the Japanese flu drug called ' ' and developed by a subsidiary of Fujifilm, was 'clearly effective' in treating coronavirus.

China’s Chongqing city announced (March 17) it will require all overseas arrivals to be quarantined in designated locations or residences for 14 days.

The first batch of medical assistance teams started leaving Hubei Province early on March 17 as the epidemic outbreak in the hard-hit province has been subdued. The 3,675 medical staffers belonging to 41 medical teams from across China have assisted 14 temporary hospitals and seven designated hospitals in Wuhan.

An unconfirmed report (March 18) states that cinemas are being reopened in order to keep the economy humming. The film distributors have agreed to waive their fee to distribute some top domestic films. The revenue split is normally 49% to the distributor and 51% to the local cinema. One of the first regions to open the cinemas was reportedly Xinjiang.

Beijing has no plan for reopening schools and kindergartens at present, said (March 17) the Beijing Municipal Education Commission. It said it is still too early to consider any plans for reopening of schools and the timetable will be decided considering the situation of the coronavirus outbreak.

The PLA Daily reported (March 4) that Chinese State Councillor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe held a phone talk with US Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper on March 3, 2020. Gen. Wei Fenghe said that the Chinese people are waging an arduous battle to prevent and control the epidemic.

On March 13, US President Donald Trump signed legislation barring U.S. telecom carriers from using government subsidies to buy networking equipment from Huawei, just days after his administration said it would extend a license allowing Huawei’s U.S.

AFP reported that China has cancelled climbing permits for Mount Everest, as the spring climbing season for the world's highest peak approaches.

China's industry regulator said nearly all of China’s largest companies have reopened and the majority of the country’s labour force has returned to work, though they will have to contend with ongoing subdued demand as virus fears linger at home and bring other economies to a halt. Chinese auto manufacturers are, however, operating at less than 40% of capacity, even with most of their production facilities back online, Chinese shares opened sharply lower on the last day of the trading week after the worst U.S. sell-off in more than 30 years but later pared losses amid signs that markets in Europe and North America were stabilizing.

On March 8, the Hubei Airport Group issued a notice to prepare for resuming operations.

Caixin reported (March 14) that China’s policymakers are trying to shore up the economy as the coronavirus pandemic continues to shake global markets. The central bank decided on March 13 to once again cut the amount of money banks must keep in reserve to cover 2 losses, unleashing 550 billion yuan ($78.5 billion) of long-term liquidity into the banking system.

Chinese officials on March 15, drastically tightened restrictions on travellers arriving in Beijing as fears mounted that China could see a renewed uptick in imported cases from travellers bringing the disease back to China.

New York Times reported (March 14) that friends of Chinese property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, also known as 'The Canon', who has been a vociferous critic of Chinese President Xi Jinping and recently wrote a scathing essay calling him a power-hungry “clown”, said he had disappeared from his New York apartment on March 14. His whereabouts, it said, are unknown.

James Patrick Lewis, a former Physics Professor at West Virginia University was reported on March 11 to have pleaded guilty to fraud charges based on his work for a Chinese global talent program.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio on March 10, that Beijing was willing to donate 100,000 high-tech masks to Italy, 20,000 protective suits and 50,000 diagnostic tests.

The Stock Times on February 29 reported that the HNA Group is a rapidly expanding airline and conglomerate in China. After the high-profile mysterious death of its Chairman, Wang Jian, in France in last year, the Hainan Provincial government has been leading its restructuring.

Deutsche Welle Chinese Edition reported on March 3 that newly obtained Huawei internal documents showed that the company did supply Iran with banned goods such as computer equipment that the US company HP had made.

Hong Kong Economic Times (HKET), the leading financial daily in Hong Kong, reported on March 2 that, according to market researcher Counterpoint, the Apple iPhone XR was ranked number one in the 2019 global top ten best seller of the smartphone market.

Foreign Policy's China Brief reported (March 11) that Chinese trade dropped 17.2 percent in January and February, according to official data. The government is hoping for a recovery in May, but that is dependent the rest of the world not being swept up by coronavirus panic and slowed production.

The annual China Business Climate Survey, conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China late last year, found that 21% of member companies reported declines in revenue in 2019, compared with 7% in 2017.

A recent assessment by the Rhodium Group maintained that while the pace of new COVID-2019 transmissions is coming down in China, but the pathway to economic recovery remains deeply uncertain.

A State Council Executive Meeting convened by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on March 10 called for more efforts to stabilise foreign investment.

Caixin reported (March 12) that Chinese officials are relaxing restrictions to allow business activities to recover in many places across Hubei province, the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak, amid signs that the domestic spread of the disease is under control. Officials in several other Hubei cities also confirmed that local businesses would be encouraged to resume production starting March 10 if they meet certain criteria.

On March 12, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by phone when he said China is prepared to help the world tackle COVID-19.

i) An unconfirmed Internet posting (Rolia.net on February 21, 2020) stated that Cai Erjin, who is the son of Cai Qi (蔡奇), Beijing Communist Party Secretary is infected with the Coronavirus. It claimed that Cai Erjin’s lover was infected with the coronavirus and later transmitted it to Cai Erjin and his wife. Cai Qi and his wife have been put under 14 days of quarantine.

Daren Tang of Singapore has won a hotly contested election to lead the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) defeating China’s Wang Binying. The WIPO General Assembly will now meet on May 7-8 to formally approve the nomination by its coordination committee.

Writing in the official Global Times (March 8) Liu Zhongyi, Secretary General of the Research Center for China-South Asia Cooperation at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies

Bloomberg financial services reported (March 6) that in a rare and major step, China National Offshore Oil Corp., China's biggest LNG buyer, invoked force majeure and told some suppliers it won’t take delivery of cargoes because of constraints caused by the coronavirus. French oil and gas giant Total SA have rejected the declaration. Hours later, the Chinese copper smelter Guangxi Nanguo also declared it would refuse to take delivery of raw materials. China’s biggest oil refiner, Sinopec Group, is similarly likely to ask Saudi Arabia to reduce crude supplies next month.

The Global Times reported on March 9 that jet fighter pilot cadets at the PLAAF's Shijiazhuang Flight Academy have received intensified training with the newly commissioned JL-10 Falcon to familiarise cadets with the country's top combat planes like the J-16 and J-20. Weihutang, a columnist on military affairs affiliated with China Central Television, said (March 5) the Shijiazhuang Flight Academy was satisfied with the JL-10 and recognised its performance during the specialised training.

Zhu Heping, a colleague of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, has become the fourth doctor at Wuhan Central Hospital to die from Covid-19. Separately, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Geng Shuang said on March 9, that China will donate US$ 20 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support international cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.

The Chinese financial magazine Caixin reported (March 8) that a new study by Chinese researchers published in the National Science Review, a peer reviewed journal affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggests not only that two major strains of the deadly new coronavirus exist but also that China’s intrusive lockdown measures at the center of the outbreak may have concentrated the more infectious strain in the disease-hit city of Wuhan.

Prominent Chinese activist Xu Zhiyong, a former law lecturer and founder of the social campaign New Citizens Movement, has been detained on a state security charge that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail for criticising President Xi Jinping’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

Wang Zhonglin (王忠林), a close associate of Chinese President Xi Jinping who was appointed Party Secretary of Wuhan in February, has evoked sharp and widespread anger for his remarks during a video conference on March 6, saying it was necessary to “carry out gratitude education among the citizens of the whole city, so that they thank the General Secretary [Xi Jinping], thank the Chinese Communist Party, heed the Party, walk with the Party, and create strong positive energy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) meeting on March 4, to 'study the current epidemic prevention and control work and economic and social stability'.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the PLA Academy of Military Medical Sciences and Tsinghua University Medicine School in Beijing on March 6, to inspect scientific research work related to the coronavirus. Xi Jinping called for treating the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs as a “major and urgent” task and stressed the importance of technology in increasing the cure rate and lowering the mortality rate. Xi Jinping held a meeting after his visit to listen to work briefings by the Ministry of Science and Technology and National Health Commission.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 10, made his first visit to Wuhan, the city that has been hit hardest by the new virus epidemic. State media reported Xi Jinping arrived in the morning in Wuhan, which is currently under lockdown along with several nearby cities. State media showed him inspecting the epidemic prevention and control work and visiting medical workers, community volunteers, patients and others on the 'front lines'.

The Japanese government announced (March 5) that Chinese President Xi Jinping has postponed his state visit to Japan in April. Xi Jinping would have been the first Chinese President received by Japan as a state guest in more than a decade and was due to have a meeting with Emperor Naruhito and hold a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

BBC Chinese reported (February 28) that Hong Kong police had very recently detained Hong Kong Next Digital Group founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, former HK Legislative Council Member and former Democratic Party Chairman Yeung Sum

Well-known new Chinese newspaper The Paper reported on February 26, that the British retail giant Tesco had recently announced the sale of a 20 percent stake in Gain Land to China Resources Group (also known as CRC). Gain Land is a joint venture between Tesco and CRC. This 275 million Pound deal marked the final exit for Tesco in leaving the Chinese market.

Hongkong's Apple Daily reported (February 28) that the President of Mongolia, Khaltmaa Battulga, who visited Beijing and met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on February 27

The official 'The Paper' observed (March. ) that while businesses are re-opening, the economy remains severely depressed.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang chaired a meeting of the Central Leading Small Group (CLSG) for the Work to Counter the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic on March 5, to alleviate the financial hardship of people because of the coronavirus.

The Hongkong-based Apple Daily reported on February 26, that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) opened a bid for suppliers to provide 1.4 million bullet proof vests, including 930,000 general vests and 467,000 vests with enhanced functions. The price may be up to 13.4 billion yuan (US $1.92 billion).

Filipino Senator Panfilo Lacson On March 4, 2020, expressed concerns about the 2000 to 3000 Chinese PLA personnel in the country. Lacson said the PLA members might be here for an 'immersion mission', of which the exact purpose remains unknown.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that on February 28, an unspecified number of People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft flew over the sea southwest of Taiwan.

The Epoch Times reported (March 5) that a large number of Chinese military officers have been forcibly isolated since the end of January to ensure that they won’t be infected with the novel coronavirus. It quoted a source who resides in an apartment complex reserved for ranking and retired senior PLA Air Force officers in the Haidian District of Beijing, who said family members can only visit them twice a week to deliver food and clothes.

Caixin reported (March 6) that according to the count of Johns Hopkins University in the US, there are now 101,598 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and 3,460 deaths around the world as of March 6 morning.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, one of the most senior government officials to visit the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, toured a residential community in Wuhan’s Qingshan district on March 5 when, according to state media, Sun Chunlan inspected the operations of the neighbourhood committee to supply residents each day with necessities like medicine, food and fresh vegetables.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on March 2, said that the US was conducting “political oppression” on Chinese media in the US, and the move would seriously harm ties between the two countries.

The US financial news service Bloomberg published (March 2) a report that there had been little progress on the BRI or the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

An employee of the State-owned CNPC Economics & Technology Research Institute (CNPC ETRI) recently said they were exploring the possibility of a Beijing-led global health organization that would rival the WHO.

Beijing Daily reported (February 21) that the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) had released data showing that, in the first half of February, Chinese passenger car sales saw a landslide decline.

i) China's financial news magazine Caixin reported (March 4) that confirmed cases of coronavirus in China had climbed to 80,303 as of March 3, with the death toll reaching 2,947.

Global Times (February 20) quoted Chinese officials as saying China is sending a team of locust extermination experts to Pakistan this week to help the country end the ongoing locust outbreak there. It said China possesses world-leading technologies in locust control, and can provide pesticide and machines that are much needed in Pakistan.

Global Times on February 19, observed that Russia's new precautionary move amid the coronavirus epidemic starting from February 18, 'is a bit of an overreaction' and it is regrettable, 'but due to Russia's basic medical conditions and shortage of medical resources, it is also understandable for Moscow to make the hard decision for the health of its own people'.

China’s state-run media Global Times published an article (February 10) -- which was rrepeated by Wenxuecity the same day -- asking why the United States is very eager to send its experts to China (to help control the epidemic of Wuhan pneumonia.) The article listed three possible reasons that are being discussed:

Captioned 'The U.S. Governors Report', 'D&C Think', a think tank based in Beijing, in collaboration with Tsinghua University released a Report on June 22, 2019, which stated that while a hardline attitude toward China now prevails in Washington, the American federal system means that state-level governments may not be in lockstep.

The Liberty Times of Taiwan on February 19 reported that personnel at the Sanya Naval Base, Erya PLA Navy Base and the Northeast shipyard have been diagnosed and accepted for isolation.

CHINA-CORONAVIRUS: CHINA'S NATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION DISCLOSES INFECTION AND FATALITIES AMONG MEDICAL PERSONNEL
i) Caixin reported that by February 21, China's patient count had climbed to 75,567 and the death toll had reached 2,239. Outside China, 1,153 confirmed cases and eight deaths were reported in 26 countries.

CHINA-HEALTH EMERGENCY: CORONAVIRUS IMPACTS BUSINESSES; CENTRAL GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO EASE RESTRICTIONS
The Foreign Policy China Brief (February 19) says the central government in Beijing is pushing for reopening businesses, but there is conflict emerging at the local level.

Hu Yabo, Deputy Mayor of Wuhan at a press briefing on epidemic prevention and control on February 21 said that another 19 makeshift hospitals to receive more infected patients are to built in Wuhan. Upon completion, all the makeshift hospitals in Wuhan are expected to offer 30,000 beds by February 25.

Epoch Times reported (February 19) that Ying Yong, the newly appointed Hubei Province Party Secretary, directed the Hubei Provincial Department of Publicity and CCP to organise 1,600 people to monitor, delete posts, and find people, and used so-called positive publicity to hedge negative public opinion.

On February 21, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang chaired another meeting of the Central Leading Small Group (CLSG) for the Work to Counter the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic.

On February 18, 2020, the US State Department designated five Chinese state-run media organizations as foreign missions.These are the: Xinhua News Agency; China Global Television Network which falls under China Central Television, CCTV; China Radio International; China Daily Distribution Corporation; and Hai Tian Development USA, which is the distributor for the People’s Daily here in the United States.

Indian Custom officials on February 3, 2020, intercepted the ship named Da Cui Yun going to Karachi port in Kandla port Gujarat. The ship sailed from the Jiangyin port on the Yangtze river in China’s Jiangsu province to Qasim port in Karachi.

Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on February 17, downgraded its economic growth forecast to between -0.5% and 1.5% — indicating a possible recession — reflecting a weakened outlook after the outbreak of the coronavirus.

China’s central bank has increased the punishment for financial institutions that fail to adequately guard against money laundering, imposing fines of more than 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) for the first time.

The shortage of medical supplies has created tension between local governments as everyone works on control and prevention of the novel coronavirus. Several places have been reported for confiscating other locality’s medical supplies.

The Chinese magazine Caixin reported that confirmed cases of the coronavirus had increased by February 18 to 70,643 with the official death toll at 1772.

A broad survey of American companies in China released on February 18, showed that more than three-quarters also have insufficient staff to run a full production line. Global electronics giant Foxconn, which employs more than 400,000 on the Chinese mainland, is struggling to fill its factory floors after officially resuming operations February 17.

The Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), Fan Yifei disclosed on February 15 that the PBoC was sanitizing bank notes as well as blocking their movement between cities in regions most affected by the outbreak to limit the transmission of the virus.

The Chinese magazine Caixin quoting official reports released on February 18 night revealed that confirmed cases of coronavirus in China had climbed to 72,531 with the official death toll reaching 1,871. Outside China, 896 confirmed cases and three deaths were reported in 25 countries. Liu Zhiming, 51, the head of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, died of the virus at 10:54 a.m. on February 18 according to a statement released by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission.

The Party's official mouthpiece People's Daily between February 8 and 14 each day published a commentary on the coronavirus drawing mainly on Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks made on February 3 and 10.

Xinhua reported (February 13) that according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) data released for January, Chinese national automobile manufacturing volume declined 33.5 percent, month-over-month, and 24.6 percent, year-over-year. The sales volume declined 27 percent, month-over-month and 18 percent, year-over-year. Passenger car sales declined 27.1 percent month-over-month and 20.2 percent, year-over-year.

The Global Times on February 18, reported that a fleet of PLA Navy warships recently conducted an air defense exercise in the far seas of the Pacific Ocean.

The South China Morning Post reported (February 18) that He Weifang, Professor of law at Peking University, wrote a 2-page handwritten article which he shared with friends on WeChat on February 17, 2020, calling for press freedoms. He Weifang said “I hope the heavy price [of the outbreak] will make Chinese authorities come to realise that without press freedom, people will live in distress and the government in mendacity.

Chinese President and CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping made a public appearance in Beijing on February 10, and called for “resolutely winning the people’s war, overall battle, and defensive battle for epidemic prevention and control.

Some of China’s major internet companies, including Tencent, ByteDance, Baidu and Didi, have further pushed back the date for their employees to return to their offices to February 17 or 24, though work has resumed remotely.

i) By February 13, China's Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) patient cases had reached 44,763 and the death toll to 1,115. A total of 24 other countries have confirmed a combined more than 398 cases of infections.

A Judge of China's Supreme People's Procratorate, Duan Zhanjiang on February 13, unprecedentedly posted a lengthy article on his public social media account criticising the shortcomings in governance, not allowing civil society to have a larger role, suppression of free speech, prediction of a far serious fallout for Chinese economy etc. He referred also Tsinghua University Professor Xu Zhangrun's recent lengthy article.

Xia Baolong, an ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping, was appointed Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council on February 13, replacing Zhang Xiaoming. Zhang Xiaoming has become the most senior Beijing-appointed official to lose his job in the wake of months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Xia Baolong was Xi Jinping’s deputy when he was the Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province from 2003 to 2007.

Following the Politburo Standing Committee meeting on February 12, the Party announced the dismissal of two top officials in Hubei:

Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first public appearance for nearly a week February 10, as he touried Beijing wearing a mask.

CHINA-ECONOMY: EFFORTS TO 'RATIONALISE' SHUTDOWN AND ISOLATION OF CITIES, FACTORIES ETC AND ESTIMATES OF GROWTH
Chinese President Xi Jinping told local officials during a meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee on February 3, that some of the actions taken to contain the virus are harming the economy. He urged them to refrain from “more restrictive measures”, the two people said.

China's official 'The Paper' reported there was a telephone conversation beteen US Prresident Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 7, 2020. No further details are available yet.

Well-known Chinese news site Sina reported on January 27, that China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security had just released new regulations to relax certain labor laws for the period when the nation is combating the coronavirus.

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported (January 31) that, with the spread of the coronavirus across China, several high profile international companies have suspended their Chinese operations.

A notice issued on February 5, by the Cyberspace Administration of China, provides a glimpse not just of the actions being taken now by the authorities to control information about the coronavirus epidemic, but also of the platforms and activities that have threatened the Party’s dominance of information in recent days.

Caixin reported on February 6, that the patient count for the coronavirus rose to 24,421, and the death toll reached 493. however, Ten Cent posted far higher numbers and reported cases with . deaths. The posts were quickly taken down but not before some people had taken photographs.

South China Morning Post reported (February 6) that prominent Chinese intellectual Xu Zhiyong published an article on social media on February 3, in which he urged Xi Jinping to step down for his “inability to handle major crises”.

Well known Chinese Professor of Beijing's Tsinghua University, Xu Zhangrun, on February 5, posted a scathing criticism of Xi Jinping and the Chinese authorities in a 6246-character article captioned 'Angry People No Longer Fear', that has gone viral on China's social media.

CHINA-GERMANY: FREE UNIVERSITY OF BERLIN CRITICISED BY GERMAN PARLIAMENTARIANS FOR ACCEPTING FUNDS WITH STRINGS ATTACHED
The Free University of Berlin (FU) has been criticised by German parliamentarians on the basis of a report by the Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel for accepting terms stipulated by Hanban which runs the Confucius Institutes and which critics fear give the Chinese government leverage to prevent teaching about subjects such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and Tibet. On January 20, a group of FU alumni signed a joint letter expressing grave concerns about the university’s academic independence. Berlin’s Senate has said it will investigate the contract, which is worth almost €500,000 (£420,000) over five years, and is designed to train up to 20 Chinese teachers a year.

Taiwan Vice President-elect Lai Ching-te is scheduled to attend the National Prayer Meeting Breakfast in Washington DC on February 5-6, 2020. It will be the first time in decades for such a high level visit to the U.S. by a Taiwan official. He will be accompanied by, Bikhim Hsiao, a close confidant of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the Pakistani side firmly supports China's efforts to combat the epidemic and expresses gratitude to China for providing help to Pakistani citizens in China.

The Politburo Standing Committee under the chairmanship of Chinese President Xi Jinping held a closed-door meeting on January 27, on the epidemic of new coronary methamphetamine in Wuhan and measures to combat it. Xi Jinping warned that those failing to perform their duties will be severely punished.

The corona virus continues to spread rapidly across China with 17,332 confirmed, another 21,558 suspected cases and 361 deaths in China by the 4th February. In a bid to tackle the epidemic, Chinese authorities have fast-tracked clinical trials by the pharmaceutical drug company Gilead.

Aircraft Spots, an aircraft monitoring website, disclosed on January 31 that a U.S. military B-52H bomber flew into the Taipei Flight Information District and entered mainland China and the East China Sea region of Taiwan. The bomber flew back to the U.S. Guam Anderson Air Force Base .

A number of U.S. Senators, including Cory Gardner, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific group of the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee,Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton, John Cornyn, James Inhofe, Mitt Romney, Ted Cruz, etc signed a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General Tan Desai, urging WHO to invite Taiwan to become an observer, and asking WHO to provide Taiwan with the information and assistance needed to respond to the Wuhan pneumonia epidemic.

The U.S. Treasury Departmen on January 31, deleted the COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Co. from its sanctions list, but continues to blacklist the second unit - COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Seaman & Ship Management Co Ltd.of COSCO.

CHINA-US: US SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO IN DISCUSSIONS WITH BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DOMINIC RAAB POINTS TO CCP AS THREAT
US Secretary of State Pompeo, during discussions on the special relationship between the US and UK, stated that 'the Chinese Communist Party presents the central threat of our times. It is an enormous economy to which the American economy is deeply tied. There is huge opportunity for us to do really great, creative, innovative business work between our two countries. But the Chinese Communist Party, under President Xi, has made clear that they have an agenda that is not always consistent with the very values that Dominic and I have been speaking about this morning'.

On January 30, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said the coronavirus outbreak in China, which has killed more than 100 people and sickened thousands there, will help bring jobs back to the U.S. He said “The fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain. On top of all the other things, because you had SARS, you had the African Swine virus there, now you have this.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported (January 27) that, based on data from 2015 to 2017, China is the world’s second-biggest arms producer, behind the United States and ahead of Russia. It added that four Chinese companies had combined estimated arms sales of $54.1 billion for 2017, which would put them among the top 20 arms producers in the world. It said “Three of the companies would be ranked in the top 10”. Total U.S. arms sales in 2017 were $226.6 billion, and in Russia, $37.7 billion, according to the think tank’s Top 100 list for that year. Aircraft and avionics group Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) would rank as the sixth-largest arms producer, with estimated 2017 sales of $20.1 billion.

Xi Jinping has not figured on the front pages of the People's Daily since the 29th January and neither has he been seen on the state-owned CCTV telecasts.

The WHO declared a global health emergency on January 31, while the US promptly issued a travel advisory advising against unnecessary travel to China and suspended entry of foreign nationals returning from the center of the outbreak in China to be quarantined for two weeks.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council , was quoted by PLA Daily on January 16, as saying that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Taiwan secessionist forces have provoked a growing sentiment in the Chinese mainland of reunifying with the island of Taiwan by military force, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said on Wednesday.

Dr. Charles M. Lieber, the chair of Harvard’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, was charged on January 28, with making false statements about money he had received from a Chinese government-run program ( the Ten Thousand Talents Programme), as part of a broad-ranging F.B.I. effort to root out theft of biomedical research from American laboratories.

The US House of Representatives on January 28, 2020, voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill bolstering Washington’s support for human rights and environmental protection in Tibet. The Bill introduced and voted upon as a stand-alone piece of legislation, passed 392 to 22 and serves as an amendment to the Tibet Policy Act of 2002.

The State Council General Office has extended the holidays for schools and universities till February 2, because of the Coronavirus.

The U.S. State Department on January 22, appointed Mark Lambert as a new special envoy with a mandate to stall China’s growing influence at the United Nations and other international organizations. His mandate includes countering the BRI.

Fang Xiaozhi, a researcher at the BRI Institute of Strategy and International Security, Fudan University, wrote in the PLA Daily (January 21) that India 'has adopted the most conservative plan in all its anti- missile tests -- only intercepting a target whose launching spot, flying velocity and direction, altitude or ballistic parameters are all known and there is no actively maneuvering and changing trajectory. This testing approach of “hitting a fixed target” doesn’t comply with real combat situation, nor can it truly test the anti-missile system’s stability and reliability, so the testing results are hardly reliable. Besides, India heavily relies on developed countries for ballistic missile defense technology, and many parts of its homemade missile defense system use foreign technologies, which has seriously restricted the system’s combat capability.' He concluded that 'New Delhi has a long way to go before it can establish a truly effective ballistic missile defense system and fully exert its real combat force.'

An FATF meeting was held in Beijing this week. Indication is that Pakistan could be getting off the graylist. Pakistan's News International reports that the FATF was “showed satisfaction over

Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to travel to Pakistan around May or June this year. The NDRC has asked Pakistan to convene the 10th Joint Cooperation Committee meeting under

The Global Times reported (January 20) that China had indigenously developed the world's first large, three-engine utility drone which recently made its first flight and can be used in transport and attack missions.

PLARF Major General Xue Jinfeng wrote in the PLA Daily (January 22) about the military training and sharpening of the battlefield in the background of Xi Jinping’s directive at the beginning of the year to train more and in harsh conditions.

China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) released a new Outline to strengthen the military at the primary level. The Outline, approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping, will take effect from February 1.

China's Administration of Food and Commodity Reserves announced (January 25, 2020) on its web site that the State Secrets bureau had awarded the Grain Reserve Bureau for its "secrecy work" in January 2019. The award given in January 2019 is a recognition of the bureau's work in maintaining secrecy that is given out only once every five years. The reserves administration is responsible for overseeing the procurement, storage and distribution of government grain and cotton reserves.

Reuters reported (January 22) that about two-thirds of China’s provinces, regions and municipalities have cut their 2020 growth targets from last year, despite easing trade tensions with the United States.

By midnight of January 25, Hubei Province had reported nearly 700 cases of pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus infection; 31 patients have been discharged from the hospital; and 24 have died. At present, 494 patients are still being treated in the hospital.

The CCP CC Politburo Standing Committee met on January 25, on the prevention and control of the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus. CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired the meeting. The meeting decided to set up a CCP Central Committee Leading Group to oversee the work.

A 20-year-old University of Minnesota student, Luo Daiqing, was arrested in in July 2019 in Wuhan, China and sentenced to six months in prison for tweets he posted while in the United States, according to an official Chinese court document dated November 5, 2019. Some of the tweets contained images deemed to be unflattering portrayals of a "national leader."

China News reported (January 17) that, according to newly released data of the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, Mainland China’s total population exceeded 1.4 billion in 2019.

Mao Weiming (毛伟明) was appointed Chairman of State Grid Corporation of China and Secretary of its Party group. Born in May 1961, Mao Weiming is Alternate Member of the 19th CCP CC.

Reuters reported quoting Taiwan's Ministry of Defence that People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force aircraft, including H-6 bombers and KJ-500 early warning and control aircraft, passed through the narrow Bashi Channel to the south of Taiwan on a long-range exercise on January 23.

On January 15, 2020, China’s Ministry of Education released the “Opinion on the Pilot Work of Basic Subject Enrollment Reform in Some Universities,”

The Discipline Inspection Commission of the Central Military Commission (CMC) convened in Beijing to discuss “resolutely implementing the requirement of comprehensively governing the Party strictly” and “providing a strong guarantee for advancing the cause of a strong army in the new era.”

The 4th Plenary session of the 19th CCP CC was held in Beijing from January 13 - 15, 2020 and presided over by CCP CC General Secretary and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

By 10.00pm on the 23rd January evening, China had confirmed 639 cases of coronavirus while the official death toll rose to 18. All recorded deaths were in Hubei, where there were 444 confirmed cases.

The Xinhua News Agency reported on January 16, that Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau to review the "Report on the Work of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central People's Congress Listening to and Studying the Work of the National People's Congress Standing Committee,

China's central People's Bank of China (PBoC) in an official statement on January 16, on the section of the phase one trade deal covering financial services stated, inter alia, that “[We want to] broaden market access for financial services…which is consistent with many opening measures introduced in China in the past two years.”

A firm of financial analysts assessed the US-China Trade Deal concluded on January 15 as follows: We are still in a trade war. Tariffs remain levied on hundreds of billions of USD worth of goods.

The South China Morning Post on December 14, scooped the terms of the long-awaited phase one trade deal between the US and China. According to several US sources, China will agree to purchase an additional USD 200 billion of American goods per year, including: USD 75 billion of manufactured goods; USD 50 billion worth of energy; USD 40 billion of agricultural goods; and USD 35-40 billion worth of services.

Global Times reported (January 16) that starting 2020 onwards China will increase the frequency of its military recruitment and retirement to twice a year, to maintain a smooth flow of troops, the military's high vigilance and to better train new recruits.

State-owned China Central Television (CCTV) disclosed (January 15) that the PLA Rocket Force conducted a nuclear attack survival exercise where troops in an underground missile facility had to endure extreme conditions and make sure they could still launch nuclear counterattacks.

China and Pakistan are holding their first nine-day (January 6-14) naval exercises featuring anti-submarine and submarine rescue training in the Arabian Sea titled “Sea Guardians 2020”. Chinese media reports state that PLA Southern Theater Command Navy troops are participating in the drills.

India's Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh travelled to China on a 5-day official (January 7-12) visit to China when he met the Commander of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) ground forces, General Han Weiguo.

The state-affiliated social media account Taoran Notes published (January 13) an op-ed commenting on the expected signing of phase one of the US-China Trade Deal by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on January 15.

A 6-member American delegation including Matthew Pottinger, the Deputy National Security Advisor, Robert Blair, Special Representative on International Telecommunications Policy, and Dr Christopher Ford, Assistant Secretary of State met senior British ministers on January 13, with discussions focusing on 5G.

China has 166 million seniors aged 65 and above, and 25% of the population is expected to be over 60 by 2030.

China's Vice Minister of Natural Resources Yao Huajun, said at a press briefing in Beijing on January 9 that effective May 1, all companies registered in China with net assets of 300 million yuan ($43 million), no matter whether domestically or foreign funded, will be allowed to apply for licenses to conduct oil and gas exploration and production.

China's official news agency Xinhua on January 11 reported DPP leader Tsai Ing-wen's victory in Taiwan's national elections, results of which came in on January 11 night, where Taiwan President secured an unprecedented win of nearly a million votes over her next rival.

CHINA-TAIWAN: FUDAN UNIVERSITY'S FORECAST POSTED ON OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF TSAI ING-WEN'S ELECTION VICTORY IN TAIWAN TAKEN DOWN
A study by China's Fudan University forecasting a decisive win for President Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan’s election on Saturday was been deleted from its website, hours after it was released.

China’s 79th army started its wartime political drills with newer equipment and weapons from January 1. PLA Daily said the leaders realised that the existing wartime political work equipment was of a single and relatively old type incapable of matching the pace of information warfare and they took the initiative to upgrade some existing equipment and innovate tactics.

China Central Television (CCTV) reported (January 12) that a commissioning ceremony for the domestically developed Type-055 destroyer Nanchang, was held on January 12, at Qingdao naval port, Shandong Province.

Rising financial star Zhang Xin has been appointed a new vice governor of Guangdong province. Zhang Xin has a PhD in Economics from Colombia Business School; in 1997-2001, Zhang Xin worked as a senior economist at the World Bank; in 2001, he returned to China to work at the China Securities Regulatory Commission; in 2004, he was promoted to People’s Bank of China (PBoC) where he worked until 2017; for the past three years, he was Vice Director of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).

China Defence News Network publicised (January 1, 2020) that of national defense and the army will have been basically realised by 2020 and major progress will be made in informationization.

China's official Global Times reacted swiftly to the U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad and said (January 5) that it has raised concerns from Chinese netizens of drones being an increasingly dangerous instrument of war that could one day threaten China.

The official Global Times (January 6) reported that the PLA Tibet Military Command has begun major military exercises in the New Year in the high-altitude Tibet region bordering India.

South China Morning Post reported (December 25) that about 30 carrier-based fighter jet pilots were present on December 24 when Chinese President Xi Jinping commissioned the Shandong in Sanya, Hainan province, according to footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV.

The Global Times (January 1, 2020) reported that the latest upgraded version of the JF-17 Thunderbird co-produced by China and Pakistan completed its maiden flight last week.

The South China Morning Post quoted (December 25, 2019) that China’s state-owned CCTV as releasing a video on Christmas Eve of Hong Kong’s PLA garrison conducting live-fire sea drills in the South China Sea.

On January 4, the Chinese government announced that Luo Huining, born in October 1954, will be taking over as head of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong replacing Wang Zhimin.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is scheduled to visit Washington, US from January 13-16, 2020. Separately, US President Trump tweeted on December 31, that the US-China trade deal would be signed in Washington on January 15 by “high level representatives of China”.

The Pakistan Navy (PN) and PLAN Bilateral Exercise, code-named Sea Guardians-2020, kicked off at the Pakistan Navy Dock Yard in Karachi, Pakistan on January 6 morning.

The Czech Republic’s richest man Petr Kellner, owner of a domestic loans company 'Home Credit' is reported to be at the centre of a suspected foreign influence campaign by the Chinese government after one of his businesses financed an attempt to boost China’s image in the central European country.

Taiwan will hold its national elections on January 11, 2020 at a time when public sentiment is anti-China resulting in a boost to incumbent Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's chances of victory.

Reuters reported (January 6, 2020) that the U.S. government imposed new restrictions on exports of American-made Artificial Intelligence software.

Nikkei asia reported (January 4, 2020) that China's authoritative, official news agency Xinhua launched its Urdu service in Pakistan to promote cooperation with local media, ostensibly to counter criticism against the major projects under the BRI in the country, known as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

A China-built J-7P fighter jet in the Pakistan Air Force crashed in Mianwali on January 7, 2020 killing a Squadron Leader and Flying Officer.

On January 7, 2020, Jiangnan Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, built 4 new generation utra-large 84000 cubic meters of (ultra-large liquefied petroleum gas ship) VLGC for Singapore-based LPG trader PETREDEC HOLDINGS (EASTERN) PTE. The series ship is officially named.

Xinhua (January 2, 2020) published a commentary on the visa issues Chinese students face in the U.S. The commentary disclosed statistics showing that the U.S. issued a total of 78,100 student visas in fiscal year 2018.

The South China Morning Post quoted Chinese military sources (January 4, 2020) as saying that China has accelerated development of its most advanced submarine-launched nuclear missile, a weapon capable of striking the US mainland.

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported (December 31) that China saw its lowest level of overseas acquisitions in 2019, with a total value of US$41 billion.

The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said that a directive issued on December 31, 2019 by the Lhasa Chengguan Haicheng Elementary School contained 7-point guidelines on winter break school tasks and projects, healthcare and forbidden behaviour, including religious activities.

People's Daily on December 22 quoted China’s official news agency Xinhua to report that the completion ceremony for Kenya’s “10,000 Villages Connected” project was held at the Kinyanjui Primary School in Nairobi, Kenya, on December 20, 2019. The “10,000 Villages Connected” project is an African aid project that China launched in 2019. The plan was to install satellite receiving antennas, set-top boxes, digital televisions, projection televisions, solar systems, and other facilities in 800 villages in 47 counties in Kenya.

A UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter purchased by Taiwan from the United States in 2010 and carrying 13 people crashed in a mountainous region in the northern part of the island on January 2 morning.

On the evening of December 31, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a congratulatory message for the New Year 2020, where he referred to many topics such as poverty alleviation, the situation in Hong Kong, and the Sino-US trade war.

The Epoch Times reported (December 14, 2019) that "a person" has been instrumental in helping some top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and their families move their money out of China. It said he remains low-key, rarely interacting with Chinese and hiding behind those transactions, so very few people know about him.

Xinhua (November 26) and Radio France Internationale (Dcember 23) reported that the Ethnic Group and Religion Committee of the Chinese National People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) recently had a discussion forum on religion.

Bloomberg reported (December 31) that China’s bureaucracy is undergoing a rare large-scale regional reshuffle with new appointments and job swaps offering hints of potential future leaders being groomed by Beijing. It said at least 32 new mayoral-level officials have been appointed since December 21, with 29 of them being relocated to a new province for the first time. The other three are being moved for just the second time.

Sina.com on December 8 published economic data posted on the Internet by Tuozhanlaogou (拓展老狗, WeChat account name) which has been widely disseminated across the internet in China. Using data and charts, the author explained that China’s economy is at its most difficult time.

China's state-owned CCTV disclosed on December 31 that a group of medical experts had arrived in the city of Wuhan on December 31 morning to investigate a suspected outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The official newspaper Global Times (December 30) reported that Huawei founder and ex-PLA Engineer Ren Zhengfei and his daughter Meng Wanzhou, who is also Huawei's Chief Financial Officer, stepped down from their positions on the Board of Huawei. Meng Wanzhou has quit her position as a member of the board of directors of Hangzhou Huawei Enterprises Communications Technologies Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shenzhen-based Huawei Tech Investment Co, data from corporate information search platform Tianyancha showed.

Global Times claimed (December 31) that Huawei's rotating chairman Xu Zhijun had said the overall 2019 revenue of Huawei Technologies is expected to reach 850 billion yuan (US$ 121.72 billion), surging by 18 percent year-on-year, but lower than its earlier projection amid the US government's crackdown on China's largest smartphone and telecom manufacturer.

CHINA-JAPAN: JAPAN PRESSURES EL SALVADOR AGAINST ALLOWING CHINESE COMPANY TO GET OPERATING RIGHTS AT PORT
Japan Times reported (December 31) that the Japanese government prevented a Chinese corporation from getting operating rights at a port in El Salvador to be built with a concessional loan from Tokyo. Citing diplomatic sources it said Japan warned of withdrawing its plan to provide ¥11.2 billion (US$ 102 million) in official development assistance after Washington took issue with the Chinese company’s interest in the project and pressured the El Salvadoran government into suspending a tender. Japanese Prime Minister Abe cautioned El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele over China’s intentions when he visited Tokyo last month, citing U.S. concerns about Beijing’s potential attempt to use ports in Latin America for military purposes.

Hongkong's South China Morning Post reported (December 15) that Chinese President Xi Jinping had the previous week promoted more than 170 senior military officers as part of an ongoing reform of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The South China Morning Post also reported (December 15) that large scale promotions have taken place in China's People's Armed Police Force (PAPF).

The first annual conference for optimising the PLA Military training bases and Simulated Blue Forces (mock enemy armies) was held in Sanya, Hainan Province. Over one hundred officers-in-charge and experts related to military training gathered in a Naval Joint Training Base to talk about the macro-design on the building of Chinese military training bases.

Discussing that expressways could be used as back-up runways for China's latest four and half generation J-20 'stealth' fighter, China's military media (December 9) cited precedents and asserted that more than 10 such special runways have been built nationwide since the Ninth Five Year Plan. China's total highway mileage has exceeded 4 million kilometers, of which more than 150,000 kilometers are expressways. In the event of an attack on a military airfield making it impossible to operate, China's 100, 000 kilometers of highways would be another runway for fighter jets to take off.

The PLA Daily said (December 18) that induction of the first China-made aircraft carrier Shandong (Hull 17) to the PLA Navy on December 17, 2019, marked 5 breakthroughs. It listed these as, briefly: (i) it was independently designed by China, which realizes the historic leap from renovation to self-development of aircraft carriers and is a major milestone in China's warship construction history.

Senior Bangladeshi Navy officials received two second generation Chinese Type-053H3 frigates, Jiaxing (Hull 521) and Lianyungang (Hull 522), in Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard on December 18.

The People's Daily front-paged (December 20) a report that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Trump spoke on the telephone on December 20 after the first phase trade agreement negotiations concluded.

Bloomberg reported (December 20) that Hong Kong’s police arrested four people for suspected money laundering linked to ongoing pro- democracy protests and and froze money from a fund that’s raised millions to help support the demonstrations.

A Bloomberg (December 20) report said after examination of hundreds of Hong Kong Land Registry documents, it found that China's Liaison Office owns properties in more than 20 buildings across the city, with an estimated value of more than $1.5 billion. It described the figure as conservative.

Asia Nikkei reported on December 20 that Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec accused China of illegally copying a broad range of Russian weaponry and other military hardware.

Sweden’s former Ambassador to China was on December 9, formally indicted with arbitrariness during negotiations with a foreign power.

Reuters reported (December 7) that U.S. President Donald Trump on December 6 called for the World Bank to stop loaning money to China.

Chinese investors invested U.S.$ 1.4 billion into U.S. commercial real estate in the 12 months through September, a 76% plunge from a year earlier, according to a report from Real Capital Analytics.

The Hongkong Free Press reported (December 5) that the capital of the Czech Republic will sign a sister city agreement with Taipei in January 2020 after previously breaking off its relationship with Beijing, its Mayor Zdenek Hrib said.

An article in the South China Morning Post by Wang Xiangwei, a former Editor-in-Chief and currently Beijing-based Adviser to the newspaper, reported that latest data from Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior revealed that approx. 4,352 Hongkongers received residency approvals in the first 10 months of 2019, up 20.6 per cent from the same period last year.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham) said that the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Robert Grieves, and the President, Tara Joseph, were denied entry to Macau.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government at 9.15 pm on December 6 "expressed deep regret over the spreading of untrue claims overseas in recent days by several members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and political figures who urged foreign governments or legislatures to interfere with the affairs of the HKSAR".

The South China Morning Post reported (December 8) that Hongkong police conducted city-wide raids in the early hours of the morning and seized weapons including a new Glock semi-automatic pistol ahead of a planned anti-government march that day. 11 persons between the ages of 16 and 63 were arrested.

A 3-year-old state-backed memory-chip maker signed two deals with a Canadian patent-licensing company that will give China access to the technology it needs to produce the widely used chips domestically.

The Belgian media reported that the Belgian Trade Delegation, which visited Beijing and Shanghai from November 17 to 22, experienced severe cyberattacks that were as high as 135 times per hour, while visiting Beijing.

The Financial Times reported (December 9) that an internal Party directive issued earlier this year ordered all Party-State institutions to remove all foreign computer equipment and software in the next three years.

On December 5, China's official The Paper reported that the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is ramping up its work on the National Medium- to Long-Term Science and Technology Development Plan (2021-2035) to specify China’s scientific and technological development priorities until 2035.

Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a Politburo meeting in Beijing on December 6, to analyse and study the economic work for 2020 and make plans for improving conduct and building integrity as well as fighting corruption.

People’s Daily reported on December 2 that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a ban on U.S. military vessels and aircraft.

Hongkong Police on December 9 night said they recovered and defused two home-made bombs near the Wah Yan College, a Jesuit high school, in Wan Chai.

The People’s Daily published a seven-part series of commentator articles condemning the United States for signing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act (HKHRDA) into law on November 27.

The PRC's State Council Information Office held a press conference on December 9, with senior officials from the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region to discuss Xinjiang’s anti-terrorism re-education camps.

In its Report of December 2019, the Centre for Security and Emerging Technologies estimated China's R&D spending on AI. Acknowledging that these were estimates based on 2018 data, it estimated China's spending on AI under civilian S&T as between approx. US$ 90 million and US$ 2 billion. It estimated military spending on AI-related R&D at US$ 2.7 billion.

BBC Chinese reported (December 6) that starting in December, whenever the Chinese people had to register their new mobile phone numbers, they also had to undergo facial scanning.

In an approx. 2900-word sharply worded article posted on her public Wechat account on October 31, 2019, Tsinghua University Professor Lao Dongyan (劳东燕) expressed her worries about facial recognition technology. She called for stricter regulations on facial recognition.

State Ethnic Affairs Commission Director and United Front Department Deputy Head Bagatur, published an article in Qiushi (No. 2019/23 dated December 1, 2019) about Xi Jinping’s speech in late September at a national meeting that honoured national role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing.

On November 28, Guo Shengkun, head of the CCP's Political and Legal Affairs Commission (PLAC), published an article in People’s Daily calling for the firm defense of “national political security,” which is “the lifeline of the Party’s and the nation’s security, and an unshakable bottom line.”

The People’s Daily published (December 5) a commentary under the Zhong Zuwen (仲祖文) byline, which is used to convey the views of the Central Organization Department, to summarize the “Outline of the 2019-2023 National Party and Government Leadership Body Construction Plan”, which was recently published by the CCP Central Committee General Office.

Xinhua (December 9) reported that Xi Jinping had made important comments on retired military cadre work at a teleconference on the subject.

The PLA Daily reported (December 12) that the second round of training for military discipline inspection and supervision cadres on two party regulations regarding discipline inspection and law enforcement work had begun.

The Central Economic Work Conference was held from 10 to 12 December in Beijing. Xi Jinping attended the conference and offered a summary of the economic work in 2019 and an analysis of both the current economic situation and future economic activity in 2020. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang discussed the specifics of next year’s work on the economy.

Students at the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai are outraged after “freedom of thought” was removed as a core value from its charter.

Authorities in China’s Gansu province have, according to a report (December 10) issued by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), detained three Tibetans, including a painter of traditional religious art, apparently for sharing politically sensitive information on the social-media messaging platform WeChat.

Jewher Ilham, daughter of jailed Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti, received the European Parliament’s top Sakharov Prize prize on his behalf on December 18, saying she did not even know if he was still alive. She hoped the award of the Sakharov Prize would help her father, sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for “separatism”.

Speaking at the Doha Forum on December16, Japan's Defence Minister Taro Kono said Japan “is also concerned about China’s rapid enhancement of its military power without transparency, including its nuclear and missile capabilities.”

The Confucius Institute will close in January of 2020, according to an email distributed December 16 night to faculty and staff from University of Kansas interim Provost Carl Lejuez.

The People’s Daily published (December 5) a commentary under the Zhong Zuwen (仲祖文) byline, which is used to convey the views of the Central Organization Department, to summarize the “Outline of the 2019-2023 National Party and Government Leadership Body Construction Plan”, which was recently published by the CCP Central Committee General Office.

CHINA-SECURITY: HEAD OF CHINA'S POLITICAL AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION ASKS PEOPLE TO 'STRENGTHEN DEFENCE LINE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY'
On November 28, Guo Shengkun, head of the CCP's Political and Legal Affairs Commission (PLAC), published an article in People’s Daily calling for the firm defense of “national political security,” which is “the lifeline of the Party’s and the nation’s security, and an unshakable bottom line.”

State Ethnic Affairs Commission Director and United Front Department Deputy Head Bagatur, published an article in Qiushi (No. 2019/23 dated December 1, 2019) about Xi Jinping’s speech in late September at a national meeting that honoured national role models for ethnic unity and progress in Beijing. The article generally reiterated the main talking points of the speech.

BBC Chinese reported (December 6) that starting in December, whenever the Chinese people had to register their new mobile phone numbers, they also had to undergo facial scanning. However, a survey showed that Chinese respondents were very concerned about the security of facial recognition.

In its Report of December 2019, the Centre for Security and Emerging Technologies estimated China's R&D spending on AI. Acknowledging that these were estimates based on 2018 data, it estimated China's spending on AI under civilian S&T as between approx. US$ 90 million and US$ 2 billion. It estimated military spending on AI-related R&D at US$ 2.7 billion.

CHINA-XINJIANG: XINJIANG OFFICIALS SAY REGION'S ANTI-TERRORISM EFFORTS SUCCESSFUL AND 'RE-EDUCATION' CAMPS WILL BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES
The PRC's State Council Information Office held a press conference on December 9, with senior officials from the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region to discuss Xinjiang’s anti-terrorism re-education camps.

The People’s Daily published a seven-part series of commentator articles condemning the United States for signing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act (HKHRDA) into law on November 27.

Hongkong Police on December 9 night said they recovered and defused two home-made bombs near the Wah Yan College, a Jesuit high school, in Wan Chai. Officers said the "bombs" were complete and ready to be used.

People’s Daily reported on December 2 that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a ban on U.S. military vessels and aircraft.

Xinhua reported on December 4, that the General Office of the Party Central Committee has issued an outline of the 2019-2023 national plan for the construction of leadership groups in Party and state organs.

In an unusual report the South China Morning Post (December 4) quoted a source and publicised that the measures targeting Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang have triggered “widespread discontent among Han Chinese officials and citizens”.

At a ceremony in Beijing on November 29, the Communication University of China formally announced the creation of the “Institute for a Community with Shared Future” — a new think tank paying homage to Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy concept.

Radio free Asia reported on December 4, that the Chief Economist of China’s Essence Securities, Gao Shanwen, delivered a speech at an internal annual strategy meeting on November 27, when he predicted that China’s economic slowdown will last several years and that the average annual economic growth between 2020 and 2030 will stay below five percent.

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported (November 27) that, based on the data that the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics just released, China’s large-scale (officially classified as “Above Designated Size”) industrial companies’ total profits declined by 9.9 percent, year-over-year.

China's financial news service Caixin reported (December 3) that the Deputy Governor of Jiangsu Province is to be appointed President of the Bank of China Ltd. The post has been vacant for nearly 18 months.

On November 21, the Guangzhou Lawyers Association convened a meeting of all law firm directors and disseminated the following orders issued “from higher authorities.”

Guancha.cn said that, with immediate effect, U.S. diplomats based in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang and Wuhan should notify the foreign ministry five working days before any meetings with local government officials and educational and research institutes. The instructions were issued on December 5.

The Associated Press (AP) reported (December 5) that an investigation into the trafficking of more than 600 Pakistani girls and women, who were sold as brides to Chinese men and taken to China in the space of 18 months, was halted over fears it would harm ties with Beijing.

Xinhua reported (December 2) that the 8,000 km Power of Siberia gas pipeline linking Russia and China began operation.

The China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) announced (June 19) that China has finished building the outer safety dome at its first overseas “Hualong One” nuclear reactor in Pakistan, with the project scheduled to be finished by the end of 2020.

In a sharp criticism of the US "Uyghur human rights act" passed by the US House of Representatives on November 4, the Commissioner of Counter-Terrorism commissioner of China's Ministry of Public Security, Liu Yuejin "slammed it for wantonly smearing Chinese policies and counter-terrorism measures as well as misrepresenting the human rights situation in Xinjiang".

Referring to an an article titled "India, China spar over legacy of Tibetan medicinal system" by the Press Trust of India (PTI) on November 24, the Global Times said (November 27) an anonymous Indian official said that "India has approached UNESCO, seeking the enlisting of the Sowa Rigpa as its intangible cultural heritage."

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on December 2, that China would suspend reviewing applications for US warships and aircraft to make port calls in Hong Kong and will impose sanctions on five NGOs, including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Human Rights Watch.

A November 26 editorial in the Huanqiu (Global Times) attributed the results of the November 24 Hong Kong District Council election to the influence of Western countries. It said “In the past week, some Western forces have worked at full steam to assist the Hong Kong opposition in the District Council elections.

Hong Kong’s Oriental Daily reported on November 16, 2019, that Special Forces of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have shown up in Hong Kong.

Xinhua (June 8) reported that the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has been tasked with setting up a list system which will “more effectively forestall and defuse national security risks.”

China's Governor of the People's Bank of China Yi Gang published a lengthy 4365-word article on monetary policy in the Party’s most important theoretical journal on December 1.

Reuters reported (December 4) that Chinese diplomats have been instructed to promote Beijing's view more aggressively in the backdrop of the trade war with the United States, anti-government protests in Hong Kong and other crises that could dent its image.

On December 3, National People's Congress (NPC) Chairman Li Zhanshu spoke at a symposium commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Basic Law of Macau where he said “National identity has a broad and deep foundation in Macau society” and, more importantly ,that“The chief executive and key government officials, as well as the principals of the legislature and the judiciary are all patriots.”

Lou Yangsheng has taken over as Party Secretary of Shanxi Province from Luo Huining, who stepped down due to reaching retirement age.

The Chinese Edition of Deutsche Welle reported ton November 29, that Deutsche Telekom’s management had decided to discontinue the use of Huawei products.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng on November 28 summoned U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad to lodge 'stern representations and strong protest' against the United States signing of the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 into law.

Separately, 'Southern Daily' confirmed that a Taiwanese man, Lee Meng-Chu, was also arrested by police in Shenzhen city on October 31, for allegedly stealing state secrets for foreign forces after he made a trip to Hong Kong in August to support "anti-China" activities.

The official Guangdong Communist Party newspaper 'Southern Daily' reported on November 30, that China has arrested Lee Henley Hu Xiang, a Belizean businessman who lives in China, for allegedly colluding with people in the United States to meddle in the affairs of Hong Kong.

China’s Caixin.com reported on November 22 that an emergency response group of the provincial government of Inner Mongolia in northern China issued a “Work Plan for a Firewall for Exiting Inner Mongolia and entering Beijing” to prevent the spread of the plague.

Chinese military analysts were quoted by Global Times on November 28 as saying the development of four or more aircraft carriers is only natural in order to satisfy China's burgeoning national security needs.

United Daily News (UDN), one of the primary Taiwanese news groups, reported on November 17, 2019 that China’s first fully domestically made aircraft carrier led a fleet to enter the Taiwan Strait.

The Guardian reported (November 30) that hundreds of residents in Wenlou, a township in Guangdong province about 60 miles from Hong Kong, protested on November 29 against plans for a large crematorium in an area that officials had previously said would become an “ecological park”.

The Party mouthpiece People’s Daily on November 15, 2019 claimed that between November 11th and the 14th, the '25th Beijing TV Program Market & Exhibition', which was previously the Capital TV Program Promotion Fair, was held at the Beijing Convention Center.

Radio France International disclosed on November 22, 2019, that New York University Shanghai has disclosed that since 2018, its students of Chinese citizenship have been forced to take a “civic education” course which covers the history of the Communist Party and China’s socialist path.

Xinhua (November 12) publicised the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee and the State Council's new guidelines titled, “Outline for Promoting Patriotic Education for the New Era”.

On Wednesday, the big man Delivering the opening address for a training session at the PLA National Defense University in Beijing on November 27, Chinese President and CMC Chairman Xi Jinping called for a new type of military talent, possessed of both unimpeachable moral rectitude and impeccable professional ability.

A Japanese government source said on November 27 that a Japanese man in his 50s has been detained since July in Changsha, Hunan province with access to consular services possibly for alleged spying.

The elections over the weekend of November 23-24, 2019, saw a record voter turnout of over 71 per cent of eligible voters (2.94 million voted out of 4 million registered voters) who ensured that pro-Beijing candidates won just 58 seats compared to the 300 they previously held.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on November 25, chaired a meeting of the State Council to discuss China’s 14th Five Year Plan (FYP), which will run from 2021 to 2025.

The 2019 China Financial Stability Report published on November 25 by the People's Bank of China (PBoC) reported that China’s banking sector is showing signs of strain, with more than 13% of 4,379 lenders now considered “high risk”.

Reports indicate that Inner Mongolia's emergency management authority is trying to prevent the further spread of pneumonic plague, including by establishing a “firewall” for those leaving the region, after reports earlier this month of two pneumonic cases and a bubonic plague case originating in the region sparked panic.

According to information given by Dharamshala-based Kirti Jhepa Monastery's monks Lobsang Yeshi and Kanyag Tsering, a Tibetan youth named Yonten died after committing self immolation in Ngaba town situated in Ngaba county in TAR’s Amdo region, Sichuan Province on November 27, 2019.

The 3-day 14th Tibetan Religious Conference that commenced in Dharamsala on November 27, on its opening day declared "The authority of decision concerning the way and manner in which the next reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama should appear solely rests with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama himself."

Newly revealed, confidential documents have revealed that 61-year old Zhu Hailun, as head of the CCP's powerful Political and Legal Affairs Commission in the Xinjiang region in 2017, played a key role in planning and executing a campaign that has incarcerated a million or more Uighurs into detention camps.

Hong Kong residents turned out in unprecedented numbers, with more than 1.5 million people at polling booths exceeding the total ballots cast in the 2015 elections, for local elections that many in the city are treating as a proxy referendum on months of anti-government protests.

In a statement issued on November 19, 2019, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed "deepening concern" at the situation in Hongkong and "increasing violence by groups of young people engaging in the protests who are clearly very angry, with deep-seated grievances".

Federal prosecutors filed fraud charges against seven current and former employers of the New York-based Aventura Technologies in early November.

Bloomberg reported on November 22, that Huawei Technologies Co. is suing critics in France who alleged it has ties to the Chinese state.

A report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in November states that more than 73 cities in 52 countries around the world have entered into “safe city” agreements with Huawei.

Addressing a gathering of executives and researchers from Japan's top companies and universities at a luxury hotel in Tokyo on November 21, Huawei Technologies Chairman Liang Hua spoke of technology and collaboration.

The Argentine Agriculture Ministry in Buenos Aires stated on November 21 that it had sent its first shipment of 26 tons of chilled pork cuts to China.

Xinhua (November 5) publicised Xi Jinping’s explanation of the Fourth Plenum Decisions released by the Party. The 4th Plenum decisions went through an exhaustive process.

54-year old Ren Xuefeng, Deputy Party Secretary of the centrally controlled Chongqing Municipality, died on October 31, the last day of at the 4th plenary meeting of the CCP CC, by jumping from Jingxi Hotel in Beijing.

Xinhua carried (October 27) the full text of the report by the CCP Central Committee and State Council aimed at enhancing China’s public morality and establishing guidelines specifying what constitutes good citizenship in the eyes of the Communist Party.

Xinhua reported (October 27) that CPPCC Chairman and PBSC member Wang Yang inspected Zhejiang province to meet local cadres on October 26 and 27.

Key central appointments were announced during the past week

Pakistan's 'Dawn' reported on November 6, that Pakistan had on November 5, asked China to finance the US$ 9 billion Main Railway Line (ML-1) and other road and infrastructure projects to expand the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Euronews-1 reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping has spent a lot of time with French President Emmanuel Macron over the past 24 hours.

In wide-ranging interview with The Wall Street Journal (November 6), Huawei’s 75-year-old founder, Ren Zhengfei, struck a defiant tone on the Trump administration’s recent moves against the company, while also praising the U.S.’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Addressing PLAAF personnel on November 8, at the China Aviation Museum on the outskirts of Beijing on the occasion of the the Air Force’s 70th anniversary, Chinese President Xi Jinping was quoted by the state-owned CGTN saying"We must…strive to build the People's Air Force into a world-class air force."

Xinhua reported that the CCP Central Committee and the PRC State Council published an outline for implementing "patriotic education." It declared “The essence of patriotism is to adhere to the high unity of patriotism, love for the Party, and love for socialism.”

On Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang, along with other top officials, sat down with economists and businessmen to discuss the economy.

Chairing the third meeting of the State Council Leading Group on State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Reform on November 12, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He praised officials for the improvements made in recent years. Liu He tasked policymakers with drafting a three-year action plan for SOE reform with “clear targets, timelines, and road maps.”

China's financial news service Caixin reported (November 9) that China’s foreign exchange reserves rebounded to US$ 3.11 trillion in October, rising by 0.4% from US$ 3.09 trillion the previous month, according to official data.

Following her 12th visit to China in September 2019, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has indicated that Germany would consider Huawei's 5G for its network.

Various signs indicate that the Hong Kong government could go ahead with a large-scale crackdown on the anti-extradition bill protests as early as this evening (November 13, 2019, Hong Kong time).

Science and Technology Daily also quoted Zhang Yulin, former chief of the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO), as saying that Beijing plans to launch a Mars exploration mission in 2020 and a Mars landing in 2021.

The official newspaper of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Science and Technology Daily, quoted Bao Weimin, Director of the Science and Technology Commission of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), as saying China is considering the development of an economy outside of the Earth’s perimeter and is planning to establish an Earth-Moon economic zone by 2050.

According to a report (November 4) from mainland Chinese media China Business Network, China State Railway Group Company, Ltd. (China Railway, CR) for the first time announced the profitability of its subsidiaries.

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that an individual named Deeran Kumar submitted a petition on Change.org asking the government of the United Kingdom to revoke the citizenship of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s husband and her two sons.

On November 9, 2019, Zhang Xiaoming, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council, the official agency coordinating Beijing’s ties with Hong Kong, published an article entitled, “Adhering to and improving the ‘one country, two systems,'” in a way to interpret the decision out of the recently concluded Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Six prominent Chinese-language newspapers in Hong Kong on November 13, ran the same ad on their front page calling for people to “oppose rioting,” a day after intense clashes between protesters and police at a university campus.

The Apple Daily reported (November 14) that Taiwanese students are being helped by their government to return to Taiwan.

Xinhua reported (October 28) that the CCP 19th Central Committee’s Fourth Plenum began on October 28 morning in Beijing.

The CDB on October 24, announced the appointment of Ouyang Weimin, a Vice Governor of China's Guangdong province. Ouyang worked 20 years at the PBOC before he was transferred to local government positions in Guangdong in 2011.

The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) announced on October 25 that a Chinese team has been kicked out of its own Military World Games after other countries alerted judges to "extensive cheating" by the hosts.

A report containing the second annual review of the condition of state assets submitted by China's State Council to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress stated that the total assets on the books of the Chinese government at the end of last year came to 474.7 trillion yuan ($67 trillion), equivalent to almost 80% of global GDP for 2018.

Nasdaq-listed Pinduoduo's share price rose more than 12% on October 24, reaching a record high of $39.96.

A Charoen Pokphand Group-led consortium signed a contract with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Thursday to build the high-speed train route linking three major airports, which is expected to boost economic development and create more than 100,000 jobs.

The New York Times (October 23) reported that the Trump Administration is divided over which technologies can be shared with China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said (October 23) that a Chinese delegation had wanted to take part in the ongoing International Astronautical Congress being held in Washington.

A South China Morning Post report (October 21) said the USS Ronald Reagan is carrying out drills above the South China Sea.

Xinhua reported (October 24) that the Politburo met on October 24 and set the dates for the Central Committee’s long-awaited Fourth Plenum for 28 to 31 October in Beijing.

Xi Jinping presided over the 18th Politburo collective study session on October 25, on the topic of blockchain technology development.

CPPCC Chairman and PBSC member Wang Yang spoke on October 21 at the conference organised by the United Front Work Department (UFWD) to commemorate continuation of the “Guangcai Program”, which was “launched in 1994 by China's private enterprises in a bid to aid the country's poverty-relief efforts.”

The General Offices of the CCP CC and State Council jointly released opinions on “comprehensively, deeply, and enduringly implementing the work on pursuing ethnic unity and progress to consolidate a sense of community for the Chinese Nation” and issued a notice requesting each region and department conscientiously implement the opinions.

Reiterating its support to Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) platform, the Daily Pakistan said on October 29 that China has 'categorically announced that it did not want the forum to be politicised as some countries are pursuing their political agenda in a bid to blacklist Pakistan'.

Song Xinning, former Director of the Confucius Institute at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in Brussels has been barred from entering the Schengen Area for eight years after being accused of espionage.

Speaking to Taiwan's Central News Agency on the siddelines of the annual Xiangshan Forum meeting in Beijing on October 21, Jin Canrong, a scholar at Renmin University of China, stated that China and the United States should show transparency to each other and that both countries ought to avoid a hot war.

Singapore's Chinese-language Lianhe Zaobao newspaper reported (October 21) Huang Kunming, head of the CCP CC Propaganda Department and Politburo member, as saying in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 6th World Internet Conference, that “Some countries have used national security as an excuse and have restricted and attacked other countries and enterprises.

25-year-old Murager Alimuly and 30-year-old Qaster Musakhanuly, both ethnic Kazakhs from China, entered Kazakhstan on October 1 and on October 9 appeared in video testimonies posted to Facebook recounting their experiences in Xinjiang.

The Science and Technology Daily, a newspaper affiliated with the Ministry of Science and Technology, reported (November 1) that Bao Weimin, Chief of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.’s Science and Technology Commission, said at a forum in Beijing on October 30, that China plans to set up the economic zone in "cislunar space" — the area lying inside the moon’s orbit — within the next few decades.

China’s Ministry of Education has called for a three-year revamp of the higher education system, aiming to devote vast resources to undergraduate studies, including the expertise of those who are part of its controversial Thousand Talents Program.

The Caixin China General Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) said China’s manufacturing activity expanded at the fastest pace in nearly three years in October as output and new orders grew at a pace not seen in several years.

China’s coal imports are likely to exceed last year’s tally, negating predictions that the government would cap purchases at 2018’s levels. This year, a slowing economy and the attraction of cheaper overseas coal are likely to steer policymakers away from a repeat of 2018’s curbs.

An official Chinese media report said that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is understood to be "using the 295 FN-16 portable air-defense missiles to strengthen its low-altitude air defense in Kashmir, where India has begun deploying advanced apache helicopters".

In a letter dated November 1, written by Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the UK's decision on going in for Huawei's 5G was put on hold till installation of the next government due to "the market uncertainty caused by US action to place Huawei on its Entity List for restricted trading on national security grounds".

Global Times on October 31, said 'China slammed India's unilateral move to change administrative status of Kashmir and Ladakh, saying the move challenges China's sovereignty and is illegal and invalid'.

Chinese President travelled to Shanghai for the Second China International Import Expo (CIIE) where French President Macron is the guest of honour. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Michael Holness and Serbian Prime Minister Anna Brna Beach (Ana Brnabić) are also attending the opening ceremony of the second Expo.

The official Xinhua news agency reported (October 27) that the CCP CC's Institute of Party History and Literature published CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping’s new book 'Ensuring the Party’s Leadership over All Work' .

The official website of China’s Ministry of Education on October 21, 2019, published a “Notice on Launching a Special Campaign to Examine and Cleanse Books in Nationwide Elementary and Middle School Libraries.”

Aboluowang reported (November 4) that, on October 1, China’s National Day, Buddhist temples were required to put on patriotic performances while monks and nuns had to participate in the ceremony to pledge allegiance to the communist party.

The Central News Agency (October 30, 2019) quoting the mainland Chinese paper 'The 21st Century Business Herald' said China's real estate industry has been the first to bear the brunt of the Chinese government’s actions to tighten corporate finance and citing court data said that at least 408 real estate firms have declared bankruptcy.

The sale of Chinese goods has witnessed a major drop in the run-up to Diwali as about 60% less Chinese products were sold this year. However, Indians still purchased Chinese goods worth about Rs 3,200 crore while items worth Rs 8,000 crore were sold in the country during the Diwali last year, industry body CAIT said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron travels to Beijing on November 4, as a guest of honour of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

Reuters cited three unidentified sources as saying that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has started a national security review of Chinese-owned TikTok’s $1 billion acquisition of U.S. social media app Musical.ly. TikTok didn’t seek clearance from CFIUS when it acquired Musical.ly, which gives the U.S. security panel scope to investigate it now.

The CCP CC Politburo decided at its meeting on October 24 that the Fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will be held from Oct. 28 to 31 in Beijing.

China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), announced on October 24 afternoon that Wang Dongjin, a Vice Chairman at one of the petroleum SoEs is to replace Yang Hua, who resigned as CNOOC’s chairman in early September.

New Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu speaking at a reception in Ottawa to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China cited the case of 104-year old Isabel Crook, a Canadian anthropologist and teacher who has been a supporter of the communist cause for many decades, and continues to live in China.

U.S. cybersecurity research and consulting firm Crowdstrike on October 15 released a report that claimed officials from China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), underground hacking groups and personnel, cyber security researchers, and employees (moles) of multiple companies in many countries were involved in cyber theft operations to assist development of the C919 commercial aircraft by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (Comac).

Voice of America (VoA) reported (October 16) that a new railway built by China at a cost of US$ 1.5 billion was put into operation in Kenya on October 16. It connects the capital city Nairobi with Naivasha, a small town in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta hosted the opening ceremony of the railway.

Hong Kong Economic Times (HKET), the leading financial daily in Hong Kong, on October 10 reported that Apple once again unlisted the popular app HKmap.live from its AppStore.

The 3rd China-Pacific Island Countries Development and Cooperation Forum opened in the Samoan capital of Apia on October 21, with Vice Premier Hu HUAWEI TO representing the PRC.

An article published in China's official Global Times (October 14) said that the "significant relaxations" announced in visa policy by the Indian embassy is sure to boost Chinese tourism to India.

The German government appears poised to put in place newly drafted security requirements that do not set clear limits on the Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE supplying technology for German fifth-generation cellular networks.

Reports said (October 20) a 19-year old boy was stabbed in the neck and stomach at Tai Po 'Lennon wall' by an assailant who shouted "Hongkong is part of China'?

According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China’s auto sales in September were 2.271 million.

Quoting from recruitment notices recently issued in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said (October 16) that Tibetan college graduates looking for work in Tibet’s public sector are being forced by Chinese authorities to denounce exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama before they are given jobs.

Chinese large transport aircraft Y-20 and stealth fighter J-20s gave demonstration flights on the opening of a five-day air show held to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force.

On October 19, the CISM World Military Games commenced in central China’s Wuhan. Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the games where, according to Xinhua (October 19) he said:“Let the ‘sunshine of sports’ dispel the shadow of war, foster communications between different cultures, and bring together people's hearts for peace.”

China's Sam Enterprise Group, a State-owned Enterprise, set up in 1985 has singed a renewable 75-year lease agreement with the provincial government of Tulagi whose terms have not been publicly released.

The South China Morning Post (October 17) reported that according to a notice issued by Guangdong courier company PHXBUY on July 11, mainland Chinese customs required courier companies to halt delivery of a list of products.

The Wall Street Journal (October 16) reports that Beijing has begun to selectively target pro-democracy activist. 35-year old Stanley Ho Wai-hong of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions was severely beaten on September 29 resulting in injuries including three broken fingers and a thumb.

An article critical of India published in the official Global Times (October 16) commented "How many shades of grey fits India's fantasy? It seems that India makes too much fuss about whether Pakistan will be moved to the "dark grey" list from the "grey" list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) while China is presiding over the Paris-based terrorist financing watchdog".

The Chinese financial news service Caixin on October 18 reported that China’s economy grew by 6% YOY in the third quarter, hitting the bottom of the government’s 2019 target range and the weakest pace in almost three decades, reflecting sluggish domestic and global demand exacerbated by the ongoing trade war with the U.S. It said for the first nine months, GDP rose 6.2% YOY, within this year’s target range of 6% to 6.5% announced by Premier Li Keqiang in March.

China Merchants Industry Holdings Co. Ltd. (CMIH), a wholly owned subsidiary of China Merchants Group, initiated a mixed-ownership reform, a campaign promoted by Beijing to diversify shareholding structures of major state-owned enterprises.

Addressing the "2019 National Manufacturing Powerhouse Construction Expert Forum (Ningbo)" in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province on October 15, Zhou Ji, President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), said that the CAE had recently assessed the value chains of 26 manufacturing sub-sectors.

The People's Daily reported (October 15) that efforts to get a CCP branch in every enterprise, including private enterprises, are succeeding. It observed that technology companies particularly have taken the lead in establishing Party branches in their companies.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's daughter, Xi Mingze (習明澤) who previously completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard in 2014 has re-enrolled in Harvard University in 2019.

The ashes of late CCP CC General Secretary Zhao Ziyang and his wife were buried in a cemetery north of Beijing on October 18.

Ta Quang Dong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was quoted as saying by Vietnam's Thanh Nien newspaper as saying “We will revoke (the film’s license).”

China emerged with wins in this week’s trade talks, with the U.S. shelving new tariffs against Beijing while leaving many demands to be worked out later in return for an assurance of increased agriculture purchases.

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a 20-hour visit to Kathmandu, becoming the first Chinese President to visit Nepal in 23 years.

The second 'informal' summit meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping was held on October 11-12 at the ancient coastal town of Mammalapuram (Mahabalipuram).

Radio HongKong quoted the HongKong Police as saying on October 14, that a remote-controlled improvised explosive device, similar to those used in terrorist attacks in foreign countries, was detonated at Nathan Road on October 13.

People’s Daily (October 5) published its first Commentator's article on the Hong Kong protests in 5 weeks, expressing the central government’s support for the Hong Kong government’s 4 October decision to invoke the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to enact anti-mask regulation.

Data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics on October 15, stated that surging pork prices had pushed China’s consumer inflation to a near six-year high in September, complicating Beijing’s effort to stimulate growth but also giving it an incentive to buy more agricultural goods from the U.S.

The Chinese government on October 14, released a white paper on food security, which stressed it produces enough grain to feed its 1.4 billion people, but projected a rise in medium- to long-term grain demand.

In a hard hitting expose the New York Times on October 15 front-paged details of bribes and gifts given by the Deutsche Bank over the past 15 years to over a 100 past and present top ranking Chinese communist cadres.

The Wall Street Journal reported (October 6) that the China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) has pulled out of a $5 billion natural-gas project in Iran as escalating tensions threaten to sever Beijing’s trade with Tehran.

The US Commerce Department on October 7, added 28 Chinese companies and government agencies to its Entity List over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Beijing on October 9.

Taiwan on 8 October deported a Chinese tourist, Li Shaodong, for engaging in “criminal activities” for damaging a “Lennon Wall” that was put up in support of Hong Kong’s democracy movement.

A Bloomberg report of October 9 stated that China's broader economic slowdown and trade war with the US has ended the boom that saw the emergence of big IT/ CHINA BACKS giants like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Group Holdings Ltd.

On September 28, the United Front News published an exclusive interview with the Eleventh Panchen Lama.

The People's Daily (September 20) reported that the Central Leading Group for the “Remain True to Original Aspiration, Keep Mission Firmly in Mind” Education Campaign issued a notice on September 29 stressing the importance of strengthening patriotic education and promoting patriotic spirit through the education campaign.

Publishing an article on China's 70th National Day on October 1, the People's Daily quoted Xi Jinping in describing China’s journey of the past 70 years as “a deeply moving saga of struggle both in the history of the Chinese nation and the history of the world.”

Financial times (October 2) reported that the China Yangtze Power International has agreed to buy Peru’s largest electric company Luz del Sur from US-based Sempra Energy for $3.6bn.

Statements issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Nepal from September 8-10, and meetings with the Prime Minister, Ministers and senior leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties, clarified that the U.S. strategy was discussed.

Radio France Internationale reported (September 29) that the number of U.S. officials who attended the 70th National Anniversary cocktail reception that the Chinese Embassy held in Washington, DC significantly decreased this year. Fewer attendees appeared from the U.S. side.

Photographs of PAP/PLA personnel in trucks at various locations in Hong Kong and marching alongside hedges through lanes are being circulated by hong Kong residents on Twitter and social media since October 4 evening. Reports also claim that between 10,000 to 15,000 PAP personnel are already in Hong Kong.

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently stated that wholesale pork price in the third week of September was up 81 percent from a year earlier.

BBC Chinese published (September 25) an analysis on the growth of China’s Navy after the Cold War.

The CDIC announced (October 4) that the former head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission Liu Shiyu, has been removed from his post of Deputy Party Chief at the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives.

Police in Anshan City, Liaoning Province, announced on its official Weibo account on October 2 that a 37-year-old man surnamed Gao would be detained for 15 days, after commenting adversely about the October 1 parade on WeChat.

Xinhua (Beijing - August 26) reported that the 12th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) decided on August 26 to approve the "Extradition Treaty between the People's Republic of China and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka".

The Senate Special Committee on the Project of China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) discussed in detail SMEs and SEZs, uninterrupted power supply along CPEC routes, delaying of tariff determination by NEPRA for Coal based energy project in Gwadar and the Second Phase of Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Commenting on the recent success of TCS, the official Global Times (September 26) observed that "Nevertheless, while China's stock market pales in comparison to India's, China's top tech companies are far ahead of their Indian counterparts.

Japan released its Defence White Paper on September 24, 2019. It is 415 pages in length and China figures prominently in it.

Despite heavy rain on September 29, hundreds of thousands of protesters marched in Taipei and other cities in Taiwan in support of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

US academic Dan Garrett was barred from entering Hong Kong on September 26, a week after he testified at the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) in Washington DC about the ongoing protests in the city.

The student union at Canada's McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, has revoked the club status of the school’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) after an appeal by students seeking to decertify the group over concerns about alleged links to the Chinese government.

CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Politburo on September 24 to consider "a new era of patriotic education Implementation Outline" and the "Chinese Communist Party School (Administration Institute) Regulations."

The official Global Times (September 27) publicised the issue by the State Council Information Office on September 27 of a new White Paper entitled "China and the world in the New Era" which, it said, comprehensively reviews China's development in the past 70 years, its contribution to the world and the country's role in an evolving world.

On September 20, CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke at the CPPCC Central Work Conference in Beijing on promoting a greater exchange of ideas, broader consultation in decision-making, and the need of finding consensus.

China openeD its first visa application service center in Lahore, Punjab to facilitate applicants wishing to visit China. Yao Jing, the Chinese Ambassador to Islamabad, inaugurated the centre on September 23. China’s Consul General in Lahore Long Dingbin, Deputy Consul General Peng Zhengwu and officials from the Punjab government also attended the ceremony.

A Reuters special report (October 1) citing unidentified Chinese military officers claimed that between 10,000 to 12,000 well trained PLA/PAPF personnel have been quietly inducted into Hong Kong.

The South China Morning post (October 1) reported that a protester had been shot in the chest by a live round fired by police on Hoi Pa Street, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong.

Some unidentified persons have announced a "HK Provisional Parliament" with its own website where a "Draft Civil Charter of HK" in either Cantonese or English versions is available.

The MTR Corporation of Hongkong has announced the closure of 3 MTR stations, namely Wan Chai, Admiralty and Prince Edward on October 1. The airport express will not stop between Hong Kong station and the airport.

At a meeting in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 29, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the Chinese people will not forget foreign experts' support and assistance to China's development over the 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

China Daily announced on September 30, 2019 that National honorary titles had been given to individuals who have made great contributions and have achieved recognition in various fields, including national defense, diplomacy and education.

Thousands of monks and laypeople across Tibet were made to participate in a series of major staged performances to mark the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on October 1.

Amidst heavy security which allowed entry to Beijing's Tiananmen Square only to invitees, China's leaders held a massive parade -- China's largest ever till now -- on October 1, to showcase China's military might.

Global Times (September 11) recently reported that, according to the Defense Ministry of Serbia, Serbia will purchase armed unmanned aircraft from China. This was announced after a Chinese military delegation visited Serbia.

The Petroleum Economist disclosed (September 3) that Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif visited his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the end of August 2019 to present a road map for the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, which was signed in 2016.

A FedEx Corp. pilot, who is an American citizen, was temporarily detained in Guangzhou after authorities found hundreds of air-gun pellets in his luggage prior to boarding a commercial flight to Hong Kong, marking the delivery firm’s latest setback in the country.

Nikkei Chinese Edition reported (September 5) from Hong Kong that, according to statistics provided by a U.S. market research leader, Chinese overseas acquisitions saw a significant decline in the first half of this year.

In a notice issued on September 17, the China Merchandise Reserve Management Center (CMRMC) announced it will release 10,000 metric tons of frozen pork from its national pork reserve through auction.

As China tries to fill a pension shortfall, the government ordered SOEs to stop dragging their feet on the mandated transfer of equity to the national social security fund.

China's State Council and the CCP Central Committee released a new outline on September 19, stating that by 2035 China wants a transportation system that allows citizens to Commute within any metropolitan area in under one hour.

Ye Xuanping, elder son of Ye Jianying, one of the ten founding Marshals of communist China, died on September 17 at the age of 95. Ye Jianying and his family were very close to that of Xi Zhongxun.

The Chinese Communist Party’s leading theoretical fortnightly Qiushi published (September 16) a speech that Chinese President Xi Jinping gave five years ago emphasising that copying the political system of another country will not work and will ruin China’s future.

Xinhua (September 18) reported that during his tour of Henan province from September 16 to 18, Chinese President and CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping, accompanied by Secretary of the Henan Provincial Party Committee Wang Guosheng and Governor Chen Runer, visited Xinyang, Zhengzhou and other places to "deepen the revolutionary old areas, rural areas, enterprises, etc., on economic and social development" and “not forgetting the original heart.

Iran.com reported (September 17) that Chairwoman of the Money and Capital Market Commission of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce Farial Mostofi said on September 17 a US$ 400 billion credit line has been launched for trade between Iran and China. She added that the credit line has allowed Chinese investors to undertake projects in Iran without bidding.

According to a September 13, article by Estonian news site Delfi, Paul Rikk, Estonia’s national cybersecurity policy director, said the country’s 5G network shouldn’t be equipped with Huawei equipment.

Associated Press (September 17) reported that the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a compromise resolution extending the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan, dropping a Chinese demand to include a reference to China’s $1 trillion “belt and road” initiative.

Xinhua reported (September 17) the arrival of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in St. Petersburg on September 16, for a three-day official visit to Russia. During the visit, Li Keqiang and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will co-chair the 24th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government.

A Hong Kong news report (September 9) said that China Unicom Global Limited (CUG), the subsidiary of China Unicom, announced that it has invested a cumulative RMB 2 billion along the Belt and Road countries in 200 projects.

Caixin Daily reported (September 17) that China is contemplating increasing purchases of pork from overseas, including the U.S. and the EU, as the government grows increasingly concerned about soaring prices.

China’s Caixin Daily (September 17) said that China's major economic indicators posted a worse-than-expected performance for August as growth of fixed-asset investment and value-added industrial output further slowed to multi-month, even multi-year, lows.

PBSC member and CPPCC Chairman Wang Yang delivered a speech at a united front symposium celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Approximately 160 united front representatives and heads of relevant departments at party and state organizations attended.

Xinhua (September 10) reported that Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) member and CPPCC Chairman Wang Yang conducted an inspection and research tour on religious work in Jiangxi Province.

The South China Morning Post reported (August 28) that China and Russia are forging stronger ties in space technology.

The database released by the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) shows that Chinese entities have provided more than US$ 17 billion for Digital Silk Road projects completed since 2013.

The stand-off between the Beijing and its HKSAR government has recently got accentuated with the official China-owned 'China Daily' posting a notice on Facebook on September 10 morning warning that protestors in Hong Kong have decided on secret plans to escalate protests from September 11 with "massive" terrorist attacks including blowing up gas pipelines in Hong Kong and attacks on non-Cantonese speaking people.

Space News reported (September 11) Xing He, Executive Vice President of the China Great Wall Industry Corp., a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. as saying at the World Satellite Business Week conference (September 10) that China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. is likely to resume flights of its heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket this year.

According to the South China Morning Post (August 29) China has named Huawei Technologies and Hikvision Digital Technology as new national champions in artificial intelligence (AI).

Asian-Pacific Security and Maritime Affairs published in June 2019 an article titled 'Trade and Science and Technology Wars and the “Paradigm Shift” in Sino-U. S. Relations' by Prof Zhu Feng, Dean at the Institute of International Relations at Nanjing University and Executive Director of the China South China Sea Research Center of Nanjing University.

Qiu Shi (Seeking Truth) in its issue 17/2019 published an article by Politburo member and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office dated September 1, on “thoroughly studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Shuang said (September 5) that “Relations between China and Canada have encountered serious difficulties, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Canadian side.”

Reuters reported (September 5) that the Solomon Islands intends to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan and align itself with Beijing. The switch still needs to be formalized.

China’s vision of profiting from the driverless economy is being clouded by intellectual property debates, as two Chinese suppliers of a key self-driving technology are accused of stealing IP from a Silicon Valley company.

The day Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR, withdrew (September 4) the Extradition Bill in an attempt calm the situation in Hongkong, the home of pro-democracy media tycoon and publisher of Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai was firebombed in the early hours of September 5.

The South China Morning Post reported (August 23) that Chinese scientists have successfully tested a satellite positioning technology called pulsar navigation, catching up to the United States, which was the first to do so last year.

A Nikkei analysis (August 19) of satellite orbit data from leading U.S. receiver maker Trimble highlighted BeiDou's rapid growth. China launched 18 satellites for the system in 2018 alone.

The South China Morning Post (August 22) reported that pictures taken by Chinese military enthusiasts earlier this week appear to show that construction of China’s first Type 075 amphibious helicopter assault ship is moving quickly.

The Chinese Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Security held an urgent teleconference and ordered all schools nationwide to enhance safety measures on September 4, two days after eight pupils died in an attack at a school in Enshi, Hubei Province.

Mingpao (September 1) disclosed that the Chinese government is assessing the dependency level that Chinese domestic high-tech vendors have on U.S. technologies.

CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a speech (September 3) at the CCP CC's Central Party School in Beijing.

The Africa China Research Initiative shows that Africa’s trade deficit with China was USD 27.91 billion in 2018, as trade between the two sides rose to USD 170 billion.

Japan Times (September 6) reported that Japan’s National Police Agency has in the 2020 budget requested a new unit dedicated to protecting the Senkaku Islands.

Speaking (September 5) to the Editorial Board of the Toronto Star, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Beijing of using “Using arbitrary detention as a tool to achieve political goals, international or domestic, is something that is of concern not just to Canada but to all our allies.”

BuzzFeed News reported (September 7) that Nonlethal Technologies has been supplying hundreds of canisters of tear gas to Hongkong police.

Zhang Dinghuai, a Professor of Hong Kong and Macao Studies at Shenzhen University and a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Strait Times (September 6) that common elements of colour revolutions include strong specific political demands, interference by external forces, attempts to motivate the public, social standoff and turmoil, huge pressure upon the authorities, and pursuit of power transfer through purportedly "nonviolent" approaches.

Chinese and US negotiators agreed on September 5 to hold the 13th round of China-U.S. high-level economic and trade consultations in early October in Washington and maintain close communication before that.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has formalized a new law that reduces the resource tax on heavy rare earths from 27 percent to 20 percent, which Chinese analysts say is a move that shows China's resolve to support the industry's development amid a heated trade war.

Qian Han, a Professor at the Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics, Xiamen University, in an article published by East Asia Forum claimed that China's official Science and Technology Innovation Board (STAR) launched on June 13, 2019, as part of its capital market reform, has been quite active since its debut on 22 July 2019.

The ICT reported on August 6, 2019 that 36-year old Lobsang Dorje, a Tibetan monk from the influential Kirti monastery was sentenced to three years in prison on September 3 this week after being arrested in his room in mid-July 2018.

The head of the Shanxi Public Security Bureau issued (September 5) a "wartime" order banning alcohol consumption by all provincial PSB employees from September 15 to October 4, to ensure nothing goes wrong during the 70th anniversary celebration period around October 1.

Xinhua reported that in his speech to a training session for young leaders at the Central Party School on September 3, Chinese President and CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke of the immense challenges facing the country and the Chinese Communist Party.

On August 22, as China marked the 115th birthday of Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader who led China into the reform era, a post sent to “People’s Reading” (人民阅读) and “People’s Daily Press” (人民日报出版社), both official WeChat public accounts operated by the People’s Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, dealt with the now very sensitive issue of term limits for national leaders and reproduced a front-page article of the People's Daily captioned “Deng Xiaoping Abolishes the Lifelong Tenure System for Leaders” (邓小平废除领导职务终身制).

An article in China's official Global Times (August 28) said the Viettel Group, Vietnam's largest mobile telecom operator, has reportedly excluded China's Huawei from its 5G rollout.

The South China Morning Post (August 28) reported that the US Navy Burke-class guided missile destroyer, Wayne E. Meye, with the DDG-108 sailed into the South China Sea, Yongshu Reef and Meiji breaking the 12-mile range of China's South Island Reef on August 28.

Reports from Hongkong state that China rotated troops in its People’s Liberation Army garrison in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on August 28, days before protesters planned to hold a march calling for full democracy for the HKSAR.

Wang Xiaohui, Executive Deputy Director of the CCP CC Propaganda Department announced (August 29) that it will hold a conference to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, when CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping will deliver an "important" speech.

The China-owned US-based news outlet Duowei News reported with the caption 'The situation in India and Pakistan is escalating.

The China Democracy Party and Falungong jointly staged a protest on August 18 in New York's Times Square in support of the protesters in Hongkong.

The state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said on July 18, that it has started construction of China's first demonstration SMR at the Changjiang nuclear facility in Hainan as part of efforts to diversify the nuclear sector.

At a time when China is becoming increasingly assertive, South Korea said (August 23) it will scrap an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, drawing a swift protest from Tokyo.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Beijing on August 22 to discuss a potential trade agreement between their countries.

During the first seven months of this year, pledges of foreign direct investment(FDI) in Vietnam from China jumped 134% to $2.48 billion, moving China up to the third-biggest FDI source from fifth in 2018, data from the Foreign Investment Agency of Vietnam showed. The FDI total reflects only investment commitments.

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of Hong Kong Edward Yau said (August 23) the number of people visiting the Hongkong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has dipped in the last two months, taking a toll on its tourism and retail sectors.

On August 20, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei put the company on a war footing in the face of mounting US pressure. On August 19, the US gave Huawei a 90-day reprieve to continue to do business with US clients, but also put 46 of the company’s affiliates on the Entity List.

The official China Pictorial disclosed on July 22, that pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) have tested the sea warfare capabilities of their advanced Su-35 fighter jets over the South China Sea.

In an article posted on Sina.com and published in the Global Times on August 8, retired PLA Lt. Gen. Wang Hongguang, who was formerly Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Military Region, commented on the United States announcement (August 2) that it has officially withdrawn from the "Guidelines on the Treaty" signed in 1987 with the Soviet Union.

China’s Ministry of National Defense issued a 27,000 word, 6 chapter White Paper on July 24, 2019 released a white paper titled "China’s National Defense in the New Era," disclosing that, before 2017, its military spending accounted for 1.28 percent of its GDP and that from 2012 to 2017, China’s defense expenditure increased from US$98 billion to $152 billion.

Apparently underscoring his exhortation to the people to prepare for another 'Long March', while touring Gansu province on August 19, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to the martyrs' cemetery of the West Route Army of Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in Zhangye.

China Daily (August 23) published a Xinhua report of August 23 reporting the remarks made by China's Ambassador to the EU on August 22. He said 'A major power outside the region is trying to turn the South China Sea into an arena for major-power wrestling, which is the source of tensions in the region'.

UK Embassy staffer Simon Cheng was released by the Chinese authorities on August 24 after 15 days of detention. China's official Global Times reported on August 22 that a staffer at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, who has been detained by police in the Luohu district of Shenzhen City, is being held for solicitation of prostitution.

UK Embassy staffer Simon Cheng was released by the Chinese authorities on August 24 after 15 days of detention. China's official Global Times reported on August 22 that a staffer at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, who has been detained by police in the Luohu district of Shenzhen City, is being held for solicitation of prostitution.

Commander Reann Mommsen, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet, told Reuters (August 23) that the United States sent the 'Green Bay', an amphibious transport dock ship of the US Navy through the 122-mile wide Taiwan Strait on August 23.

On August 23, U.S. Representative James McGovern (D-MA) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), the Chair and Cochair respectively of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), released a letter dated August 13 written by them to World Bank President David Malpass expressing concern and raising questions about a World Bank loan that funds technical and vocational training projects in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

China’s State Council announced (August 23) that it will impose tariffs of 5% and 10% Chinese tariffs on $75 billion in U.S. goods.

The HSBC Bank, Standard Chartered and Bank of East Asia on August 23 placed full page advertisements in the Wen Wei Po, Ta Kung Pao and Sing Tao Daily condemning the violence in HongKong and calling for a peaceful resolution.

Huanqiu (August 17) published an article that condemned a list of leaders of those in Hong Kong who have been involved in the protest against the proposed extradition bill and warned them not to use democracy as an excuse and not to portray students as victims.

According to The Epoch Times, after the anti-extradition movement had continued for more than two months in Hong Kong, the CCP’s media repeatedly released the film, “A Large Number of Armed Police Convoys in Shenzhen” to intimidate protesters.

On August 23, China’s first domestic aircraft carrier returned to Dalian shipyard after completing the seventh sea trial.

Inspecting a PLAAF Base in Gansu on August 22, Chinese President Xi Jinping used a tele-conferencing facility at the combat command center, to inspect the troops including personnel at a radar station on a plateau over 3,600 meters above sea level and a transport and rescue regiment, and called on the air force to enhance its capability to win and greet the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) with great achievements.

The Hongkong Free Press on August 16, reported that several Hongkong protesters had received death threats from anonymous persons.

The nationalist official daily 'Global Times', on August 15, criticised Amazon for challenging China’s sovereignty by allowing the sale of T-shirts with slogans like “Free Hong Kong Democracy Now”, written in English, or “Go Hong Kong”, written in traditional Chinese characters.

The State Department told Congress on August 15 night, right after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had signed a memo approving the $8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan.

On August 14, the U.S. added four Chinese nuclear entities to a trade blacklist, accusing them of helping to acquire advanced U.S. technology for military use in China.

Reporting an exercise in March by 12 H-6 strategic bombers, the official Global Times (August 6) disclosed that the main mission objective of China's H-6K bomber is to strike key strategic points deep within enemy territories.

The Diplomat (August 16) published an analysis that a recent officially released photo of China's 5th generation fighter J-20 with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) bore a serial number indicating it belonged to a frontline combat unit.

Caixin (August 16) quoted state-owned China Central Television as reporting that Xing Yun, former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Inner Mongolia, was charged with corruption.

China's official news agency Xinhua on August 6, reported the abolition of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution "which guarantees a "special status" to Indian-controlled Kashmir" and claimed "as soon as the proposal was made, there was a pandemonium in the house."

The Director of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Arms Control Department, Fu Cong, said on August 6, that China “will not stand idly by” and will take countermeasures if the U.S. deploys intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region.

A notification issued by the US Treasury Department on August 6, stated that "under Section 3004 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, US Secretary of the Treasury Mnuchin, under the auspices of President Trump, has today determined that China is a Currency Manipulator."

Defying stern warnings from both the local government and Beijing, people in seven districts in Hong Kong—most notably teachers, airport workers, and civil servants—participated in a general strike on August 5, shutting down portions of the territory.

A Reuters report ( August 6) said that approvals issued by the Chinese government for new coal mine construction in China have surged in 2019.

BBC's monitoring service on July 25, reported that former Chairman of the Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region and subsequently Director of the National Energy Administration, Nur Bekri was put on trial in Shenyang.

China's official Xinhua news agency (July 31) reported on the 16th collective study on the reform of the military policy system held by the Politburo on July 30. In his remarks, Xi Jinping stressed that the military policy system "is an important guarantee for our party to govern the country".

Xi Jinping presided over a Politburo meeting on analysing the current economic situation and making a plan for economic work in the second half of the year.

Confirmation that the annual Beidaihe 'informal' retreat of senior veteran CCP leaders is underway was visible in the issue of a traffic control ordinance on June 29 announcing special vehicle inspection from July 13 to August 18, by the Qinhuangdao City that administers the Beidaihe resort.

China on August 9, accused Washington of applying “gangster logic” after US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus described Beijing as a “thuggish regime”.

The Bundestag has appealed China's travel ban on a Green party politician, apparently over her criticism of its human rights record.

In an unexpected move on August 6, Qatar refused to bow down to requests from China by rejecting the deportation of Ablikim Yusuf, a Uighur man who had fled China. Ablikim Yusuf only days ago was stranded in Doha’s Hamad International Airport expecting the Qatari authorities to deport him back to China.

Replying to a question at the routine Foreign Ministry briefing in Beijing on August 6, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: China is always opposed to India's inclusion of the Chinese territory in the western sector of the China-India boundary into its administrative jurisdiction.

Reuters (August 6) reported that two sources privy to internal discussions in New Delhi said India's Ambassador in Beijing, Vikram Misri, was called to the Chinese foreign ministry on July 10 to hear China's concerns about the U.S. campaign to keep Huawei out of 5G mobile infrastructure worldwide.

The South China Morning Post (August 9) reported that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) told the Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific that from August 10, staff who had taken part in “illegal protests”, “violent actions” and “overly radical activities” in the city would not be allowed on services to or from the mainland.

China Daily (August 6) reported that the 9,240-meter Bukamu Tunnel, located in Manling county of the region's eastern Nyingchi city, has been completed.

Citing military observers the South China Morning Post (August 6) reported that the 65,000-tonne Type 001A, China’s first home-grown aircraft carrier, is undergoing another sea trial, straight after four days of testing, suggesting that the PLA Navy may have identified technical problems requiring immediate attention.

Separately, The Paper (August 5) published a commentary analyzing the meaning. It said “It reflects a big change in China’s currency policy. It will no longer attempt to keep the exchange rate below 7. From the short-term perspective, under the pressure of Trump’s new tariff on over $300 billion of Chinese goods and the downward pressure on China’s economy this year, devaluing the Renminbi will help the economy.”

China’s central bank set the midpoint of the yuan’s daily trading range at 7.0039 to the U.S. dollar on August 8, the first time it has set the rate above the psychologically important 7-to-the-dollar mark since 2008.

Voice of America (VOA) Chinese edition recently published an article stating that, according to a report that a large Chinese investment bank CICC (China International Capital Corporation) just released, China’s manufacturing industry has lost around five million jobs.

The French newspaper Le Monde reported (August 3) that Beijing has announced it would stop all cooperation between its police services and French counterparts.

TASS news agency reported (July 31) that “About 100 military servicemen from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army who will maintain the second S-400 regiment set, completed a training course to use the S-400 systems in July and returned to their home country.”

Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hongkong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on August 5 announced she would not be stepping down and warned that the city of Hong Kong, which is now "full of bullying and maltreatment," is on the verge of a "very dangerous situation."

Vice Admiral David Kriete, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, at a press briefing reported in The Beacon (August 1, 2019), expressed concern at China's rapidly growing nuclear arsenal when combined with other alarming activities in the South China Sea and elsewhere.

China for the first time revealed the historical composition of its massive forex reserves and the return on investments it made with the money, as part of what regulators called efforts to improve transparency and confidence in the country’s economic and financial position.

The Cyberspace Administration of China released (July 22 ) a draft regulation released for public comment that proposes restricting the internet access of users and providers of online information services that “fabricate, publish, or spread information that violates public morality, business ethics, or good faith,” or deliberately provide technological assistance to those who do so.

Xinhua on August 3 indicated that the secretive annual conclave of China's senior veteran leaders had commenced at the seaside resort.

Deutsche Welle Chinese reported on July 19, that the friendly relationship between the City of Prague and the City of Beijing is changing.

The China Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association on July 31, 2019 posted a notification on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Government portal suspending travel to Taiwan by Mainland residents of 47 cities with effect from August 1, 2019 for an undetermined period. 　 　　

BBC Chinese reported (July 19) that, over the past month or so, Hong Kong has had several major protests against the “Extradition Bill.” More protests are expected in the coming days.

The Financial Times (July 28) reported that tens of thousands of Hong Kong protesters besieged traditional villages in the territory’s northern district of Yuen Long in defiance of police on 27 July afternoon as the city’s worst political crisis in decades took a dangerous turn.

Radio Hongkong (RTHK) on July 31 reported that former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa on July 31, blamed “foreign forces” in Taiwan and the US for the ongoing social unrest in Hong Kong.

Radio Free Asia (RFA - 27 July) quoting unnamed Tibetan sources reported that authorities in western China’s Sichuan province have begun a campaign of large-scale demolition at the Yachen Gar Tibetan Buddhist center, with Chinese work crews tearing down over a hundred dwellings of nuns evicted from the complex in recent weeks.

Xinhua July 18, reported that PBSC Member and Chairman of the CPPCC Wang Yang while on an inspection visit to Qinghai, praised recent achievements in Qinghai’s ethnic, religious and anti-poverty work, and stressed that doing a good job in ethnic and religious is important to maintaining social and long-term stability in Tibetan areas.

Two large-scale military drills close to the Taiwan Strait commenced on July 28 in waters off the coast of eastern China’s Zhejiang province and another set of military exercises are being held from July 29 till August 2., 2019.

China's Economic Daily (July 16) published a commentary under the byline “Ping Yan” (平言), which is likely a pen name used by the Economic Daily Theoretical Commentary Department (经济日报理论评论部), arguing that China’s 6.3% GDP growth rate for the first half of this year fell within a "reasonable interval and actually showed China’s success in maintaining stability in the face of unstable and uncertain external conditions".

Asia-Nikkei news reported (July 27) that top Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies is offering salaries of up to 2 million yuan ($291,000) per year to new graduates with advanced degrees, to bolster in-house research and development in the face of U.S. sanctions.

Liu Junchuan (刘军川) was appointed Deputy Director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

The Party's official mouthpiece 'People’s Daily' published (July 15-18, 2019) a series of articles under the byline “Ren Ping” (任平), which is likely a homophonous pen name standing for “People’s Daily Commentary” (人民日报评论), each of which warned party officials to not become a certain negative archetype of official, as identified by Xi Jinping.

People’s Daily on July 22, published a commentator article that strongly condemned “extremist protestors” for “surrounding the Hong Kong Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, damaging its facilities, defacing the National Emblem, and spray-painting expressions insulting the country and people” on 21 July.

The Redwood City, California-based startup Cape Productions Inc., an American supplier of drone technology to dozens of state and local law enforcement and public safety agencies said it will stop working with Chinese drone manufacturers, citing security concerns.

China’s holdings of U.S. Treasuries dipped in May to the lowest in two years amid an escalation of the trade war, falling by $2.8 billion to $1.11 trillion, according to Treasury Department data released in Washington on July 16.

Epoch Times (July 14) reported that a group of Chinese soldiers had "recently crossed the border into India and tried to prevent local Tibetan residents from hosting an annual birthday celebration for the Dalai Lama".

China's National Bureau of Statistics said July 15, that China's agricultural planting area for the high-protein food crop increased in the first half of the year.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun disclosed (July 20) that China fired six DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles on July 1 from different points in southern China which landed almost simultaneously in the sea north of the Spratly Islands.

The chief spokesman of China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) Senior Col. Wu Qian, warned on July 24 that “The behavior of some radical protesters challenges the central government’s authority, touching on the bottom line principle of ‘one country, two systems.’” He asserted “That absolutely cannot be tolerated.”

More than 100 rural doctors have resigned in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province over unpaid public health subsidies and alleged unfair treatment, following a first wave of departures in the central Henan province over similar issues.

On July 18, the National People’s Congress held a symposium in Beijing to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of standing committees at local people’s congresses.

Former Chinese Premier Li Peng died on 22 July 2019 in Beijing at the age of 90.

On July 22, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates met Xi Jinping in Beijing.

The Nepal Rastra Bank granted a license on July 24 for the payment system operator to Chinese company--UnionPay International to provide its services in Nepal recently.

A compilation of Chinese language articles in PRC state and Party media that directly or indirectly attack the "Stay the Course" letter

Reuters reported (July . ) that US US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will be in Shanghai on July 30, to reopen trade negotiations with their Chinese counterparts Vice Premier Liu He and Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan.

The Nikkei-Asia index reported (July 26) that US Senator Marco Rubio last month introduced legislation that would increase oversight of Chinese companies listed on American stock exchanges, delisting those that fail to comply with the new requirements. =

The Asia-Nikkei news service reported July 23, quoted the Wall Street Journal report that China and Cambodia have signed a secret agreement that allows Beijing to use Ream for 30 years.

On July 23, for the first time Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the Russian Air Force jointly conducted a long-range aerial patrol in the Indo-Pacific region to “strengthen global strategic stability.”

Conservative Party MP Tim Loughton said as he submitted the Reciprocal Access Bill on July 23, 2019 in the House of Commons.

The state-owned CCTV reported (July 16) that PBSC Member and Chairman of the CPPCC Wang Zhen had attended a three-day conference in the Hetian district of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous where PB Member and Xinjiang Party Secretary Chen Quanguo was among those present.

The ninth meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reform (CCCDR), which was established in March 2018 as part of the massive restructuring of the CCP and chaired by Chinese President and CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping on July 24, stressed that grassroots officials need to be given more leeway to craft solutions to fit their own circumstances.

The CCP leadership is due to travel to Beidaihe shortly for the usual summer conclave.

Responding to Radio Free Asia reports on July 18, that about 10 Hong Kong protesters had arrived in Taiwan and of Apple Daily that about 30 had arrived on the island and 30 more were planning to follow.

A 2018 study by Oxford Economics and the CIMB ASEAN Research Institute was quoted in mid-July to say that BRI projects in ASEAN countries amount to more than US$739 billion.

A Financial Times report of July 18 detailing the links between the Want Want China Times Group, a major Taiwanese media group, and various PRC entities was publicised recently.

President Trump met with a number of relatives of political prisoners in the White House including Ilham Tohti and Tenzin Delek's daughters.

The Party journal 'China Comment' (13/2019) recently stated that village-level elections are flawed with a large bottle of cooking oil being the going rate for securing a single vote in one specific village.

A report on July 17 disclosed that according to Hong Kong's "Ming Pao", the Deputy Director of the Equipment Development Department of the CCP Central Military Commission Qian Weiping, was arrested and investigated by the Chinese military for being involved in espionage in early July.

Nikkei Research reported on July 18, that a year into the trade war with Washington, more than 50 global companies, including Apple and Nintendo, have announced or are considering plans to move production out of China.

China's top political advisory body, the CPPCC, held a symposium on the economy on July 15. Nine CPPCC members shared their views, including former top Party and state economic advisors Yang Weimin and Liu Shijin.

On July 16, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang discussed the economy with top officials and invited economists and business leaders to give their thoughts on the current economic trajectory.

Xinhua reported the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Inner Mongolia on July 15 and 16, his third to the region since the 19th Party Congress, when he highlighted the need to carry out the theme education of “not forgetting the original heart and keeping in mind the mission”, which is a party internal rectification campaign.

On July 18, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Chinese ambassadors from all over the world at the 2019 Annual Overseas Diplomats Work Conference.

Kurt Tong, the outgoing US Consul General in Hong Kong was barred by the U.S. State Department from giving a tough valedictory speech because of fears criticism of government actions could offend Beijing and derail a trade war truce agreed by Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at last month’s G20 meeting in Japan.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in the US on July 11 while on a visit to four Caribbean allies. Tsai will go to New York on her way there, and then is expected to stop in Denver on the way back.

In an article in the Atlantic (July 2019) Didi Kirsten Tatlow mentioned that there are at least 230 groups in Germany linked to China’s United Front in addition to 20 Confucius Institutes.

Caixin Daily (July 12) reported that China’s best and brightest are struggling to land prestigious jobs as the lowest level of economic growth in a decade and a prolonged trade war with the U.S. drive down job openings.

The American Enterprise Institute in a report in July 2019 stated that China’s investment and construction around the world plunged in the first half of 2019 and is unlikely to return to 2016–17 levels in the foreseeable future.

The International Campaign for Tibet reported (Global Times - June 18, 2019) that a nationwide political campaign in China against “black” and “evil forces” has intensified in Chinese-occupied Tibet with a strong emphasis on cracking down on “separatism in the name of religion” and loyalty to the Dalai Lama.

Xi Jinping convened a meeting of leading Party, Government and PLA cadres, excluding representatives of the other democratic parties and All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, who attended the opening ceremony of the January seminar on July 5, 2019. e.

Chinese President and General Secretary of the CCP convened a high-level meeting (July 9) to discuss Party-building in central Party and state institutions.

China News reported on June 10, that in mid-May, a Chinese Buddhist delegation headed by the Panchen Lama, Vice President of the Chinese Buddhist Association went to Thailand to attend the celebration of the closing ceremony of the United Nations Welcome Day and made a friendly visit to the Thai Buddhist community. This is the first time the Panchen has gone abroad.

China Daily reported (June 17) that Peng Yuxing, a former Vice Governor of Sichuan Province and head of the Military Civil Integration Working Group, is under investigation by the CDIC.

Former central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan, speaking on a panel at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai on June 14, expressed concern over the impact of a protracted trade war.

Bloomberg business news reported (June 14) that the World Bank on June 12 announced a 15-month debarment of China-based Dongfang Electronics Co. Ltd. (Dongfang) in connection with fraudulent practices while bidding on a power project in Liberia.

The CCP CC's ideological theoretical journal Qiushi on June 17, asserted that China would not give way on major principles in its negotiations with the US on ending the dispute.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced at a press conference on June 15, that she has suspended indefinitely efforts to pass a controversial new extradition law, after a week of unprecedented mass protests and street violence.

Hu Zhaoming, spokesman for the Chinese Communist Party’s International Department, Xi Jinping would visit North Korea on June 20-21, 2019 , at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

June 17, marked the 60th consecutive day that China Coast Guard vessels operated within 24 nautical miles (nm) of the Senkaku Islands. This is the longest stretch of continuous Chinese activity in those waters since Japan started tracking it.

The official Global Times published (June 16) an article by Long Xingchun, Director of the Center for Indian Studies at China West Normal University, which argued that while the US is trying to sell more weaponry to India it has not been a reliable partner in the past and Russia is still India's main supplier.

Prior to the all-important Xi-Trump meeting next week, a group of five US CEOs including the heads of the chemical giant Dow Inc., United Parcel Service Inc., drugmaker Pfizer Inc. and Honeywell International Inc., are set to meet with Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing.

The Nikkei Asian Review reported on June 19, that Apple has asked its major suppliers to weigh the costs of moving 15% to 30% of their production capacity from China to Southeast Asia as it preps for a fundamental restructuring of its supply chain.

The People's Daily reported on June 21, that China's unmanned helicopter, the AV500, has successfully conducted its first night operation under challenging conditions, demonstrating its any-time, all-terrain capabilities.

On June 6, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued 5G commercial licenses to four state-owned telecommunication companies. China Mobile is keen to get rolling with its 5G build out.

Top Chinese leaders appear to be increasingly worried about the deteriorating economic picture.

Qu Weiguo, Head of the English Department of the prestigious Tsinghua University in a speech to the Class of 2019 on June 19, praised the importance of fighting for individual liberty, talking with the world outside and thinking independently.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced on June 22 that Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend the 14th Group of 20 (G20) summit in Osaka, Japan from June 27 to 29, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The People’s Daily launched a new series of Zhong Sheng articles on the US-China trade war focusing on “clearly seeing the true colours of US politicians.”

A front page People's Daily article on June 1, noted that the Chinese government had from that day begun to raise tariffs on US goods worth about 60 billion U.S. dollars "as a counterattack against the U.S.’s move to raise the tariff of 200 billion U.S. dollars to China’s exports to the United States".

The United States Senate on June 13, confirmed former Air Force Brig. General David Stilwell as the U.S. Ambassador to China.

Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement on June 12, that a collision between a Chinese and a Philippine vessel, the FB Gimver 1, was reported by Filipino fishermen near the Recto Bank in the South China Sea on the evening of June 9, with the collision sinking the vessel.

The People's Daily on June 6, publicised Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Russia this week and meting on June 5 with Russian President Vladimir Putin to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Tencent Holdings' restructuring takes place as the company posted its first quarterly profit drop in 13 years in Q2 2018. The move will eventually affect the company’s 50,000 employees and at least 30 VP-level executives.

Proposed by Chinese President in November 2018, China's new high-tech board called the SSE Star Market, opened in Shanghai on June 13.

The Global times reported (May 13) that China has launched two new Type 052D guided-missile destroyers at the Dalian shipyard. The report said “China now has 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or being fitted out for service soon.”

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) held a forum on 4 June, for experts of the rare earth industry to promote the “high-quality development of the industry.”

The People’s Daily published a series of Commentator articles from June 2 to June 6 to stress the importance of “building the Party based on ideology” and implementing the goals set by the education campaign with “high standards” and for Party Committees (Party Leadership Groups) to take on the responsibilities to lead and supervise the implementation of the campaign.

Xi Jinping wrote a signed article titled "Working Together for a Brighter Future of China-Tajikistan Friendship" published on June 12, by the Tajik media on the eve of his state visit .

The China-sponsored Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has ramped up the pace of its lending since late last year, approving eight new projects in countries ranging from Indonesia to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka over the last six months, according to its website.

Taiwan confirmed on June 6 that it has asked to purchase more than 100 tanks from the United States, along with a letter of request for 108 cutting-edge M1A2 Abrams tanks, 1,240 TOW anti-armor missiles, 409 Javelin anti-tank missiles, and 250 Stinger man-portable air defense systems.

Since late last year, amid rising U.S-China tensions and unwelcome climate, venture firms with China ties have held back their U.S. investments. U.S. startups in the Silicon Valley also prefer to look for funding to U.S. Government entities and push their Chinese investors out to avoid scrutiny.

The Russian News Agency TASS, on June 5, said that the experimental team of the Chinese People's Liberation Army will test the second batch of Russian-made S-400 missiles delivered to China in the first 10 days of June. This test will continue to test the anti-missile capability of this type of missile.

China inflation hit a 15-month high in May as swine fever pushed Pork prices nearly 20% over last year.

Official Chinese date quoted on June 5, by the business news journal Caixin revealed that average wholesale prices of several fruits climbed as much as 42% as of June 3 compared with the start of the year most likely because of cold snaps in several fruit-producing regions.

The South China Morning Post (May 14) reported that Regulators in Hong Kong are increasingly nervous about the accelerating pace of capital outflows from China after the collapse of trade talks, fearing a wave of financial turbulence that could jeopardize the hub's longstanding dollar peg.

Well-known Chinese news site Sina reported on May 31, that China’s National Bureau of Statics just released its May Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) number.

Amidst concerns about a weakening Chinese economy, the PBoC Governor Yi Gang said in an interview on June 7, that no hard limit existed for the dollar exchange rate, indicating that the tightly controlled onshore renminbi could drop further against the US Dollar.

The official CCP newspaper People’s Daily launched a new Zhong Sheng series on the US-China trade war. Each article focused on a particular reason why US actions will result in “inevitable failure”.

China's State Council on May 29 announced the appointment of the former Chinese Ambassador to India, 62-year old Luo Zhaohui (罗照辉) as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Xinhua reported (may 27) that CPPCC Chairman and PBSC member Wang Yang (汪洋) conducted an inspection tour of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province from May 25 to 27, 2019.

According to statistics from China's Education Ministry released on June 3, among the more than 10,000 Chinese whose studies in the US were sponsored by the Chinese government in 2018, 331 people were unable to do so because of a visa issue.

CNN citing three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said (June 5) that the US government has obtained intelligence that Saudi Arabia has significantly escalated its ballistic missile program with the help of China.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported (June 4) that Australian Intelligence officials believe China may have been behind a massive data breach which compromised the personal details of thousands of Australian National University students and staff.

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid his eighth visit (and fourth state visit) to Russia from June 5 to 7, when he will attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. which is due to kick off Thursday.

China's Global Times published (June 6) an article by Ding Gang, Senior Editor with the Party paper 'People's Daily' and currently also a Senior Fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, asserting that Nepal's "strategic position" is the cause for increased US interest on Nepal in its Indo-Pacific Strategy.

The official Global Times (June 4) publicised that the new Type-055 Destroyer, the 'Nanchang' (Hull No: 101) took part in the recent International Fleet Review at Qingdao. It said the warship will join the PLAN's North Sea Fleet.

Excerpts from a recent interview by Asahi Shimbun with Retired PLA Colonel and Professor at China's National Defense University, Liu Mingfu, who wrote the 'China Dream' are reproduced below.

The leading Chinese business magazine Caixin quoting China's official news agency Xinhua reported that “Pfizer Upjohn, Pfizer's generic drug unit, opened its global headquarters in Shanghai on May 30, marking the first time any multinational drug company has placed its main office in China.

Gao Feng, spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, stated during a briefing in Beijing on May 30, that “The U.S. keeps escalating the trade tensions, and makes various tricks, which has severely hurt the trade talks.” He also said “Whether the China-U.S. trade talks can make any progress largely hinges on the U.S. attitude and sincerity.”

The official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, the People's Daily, warned on May 30 that China might ban export of rare earths — which are crucial in much high-performance modern technology including Circuit boards, batteries, sensors and thrusters.

China’s imports from Iran of Iranian crude oil surged to a five-year high in April as it gorged itself ahead of the return of U.S. sanctions.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping pays a state visit to Russia from June 5 to 7, China and Russia are expected to sign joint communiqués that will propel bilateral ties to a higher level.

Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe arrived in Singapore earlier this week combining attendance at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue with meetings with Singapore Government officials.

The official Global Times on May 28 said that there had been wide spread and heated discussion following an interview with Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei.

The CCP CC General Office in a circular issued on May 27, instructed that the Party collective should have absolute control over promotions, taking away decision-making power from individuals.

The U.S. Commerce Department on May 13, banned six Chinese technology entities, one Pakistani firm and five based in the United Arab Emirates from exporting sensitive U.S. technologies and other goods.

Nikkei reported (June1) that China's exports to U.S. dropped by US$ 15.2 billion, or 12%, in the first quarter of Jan-March 2019.

China declared on June 2, that the U.S. must withdraw its latest round of tariffs before a deal can be reached.

Speaking at the annual Shangri'la Dialogue in Singapore on June 1, Chinese Defence Minister Lt. General Wei Fenghe dressed in full military uniform asserted that “Building facilities on one’s own territories is not militarisation.”

Duowei, an official Chinese news outlet in North America, reported that, “China, in the face of the unreasonable demands that the United States has made on China in trade negotiations, emphasized its ‘core interests’ and showed that it has the will never to yield to the United States.

On May 31, the CCP launched a new campaign with the theme "staying true to our founding mission" among all Party members, especially officials at or above the county and director level.

Reuters reported (May 23) that a planned US$10 billion port project in Tanzania has hit an impasse, with China and Tanzania disagreeing on terms of the infrastructure investment. Deusdedit Kakoko.

Emory University fired two neuroscientists after they were accused of failing to disclose foreign research funding and connections with China.

Threatened by African Swine Fever that is cutting across Asia, the Chinese government has banned the use of non heated swill and doesn't allow swill feeding at all in provinces with ongoing outbreaks.

The South China Morning Post on May 26 reported, quoting an unnamed Chinese military source, that “The escalating tension between China and the United States has reminded Beijing’s leaders that they need to be careful how much they spend on new warships.”

China's Banking regulators issued a statement (May 24) stating that the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) have taken over the management of Baoshang Bank for two years.

A Washington Post report on May 25, disclosed that 21-year Qiu Zhanxuan, leader of the Marxist student association at the elite Peking University, had released a scathing video in February of the inhuman treatment meted out to him by China's security authorities during his four days of detention.

Inspecting the Infantry Academy of the PLA Ground Force in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province on May 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered military schools to 'move forward in the correct political direction' and asserted that their training must be focussed on what the military needs to win wars and that they must provide capable human resources to support the effort of building a strong military.

On May 20, CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping visited a 'revolutionary base' in Jiangxi province to commemorate the 12,500 kms 'Long March' that lasted from October 1934 to October 1936.

Associated Press reported (May 28) that Australian Navy helicopter pilots were hit by lasers while exercising in the South China Sea, forcing them to land as a precaution. It quoted Euan Graham, who was onboard the Royal Australian Navy flagship HMAS Canberra on a voyage from Vietnam to Singapore.

Taiwan’s official Central News Agency disclosed on May 25, that Taiwan National Security Chief David Lee met White House National Security Adviser John Bolton during David Lee’s visit to the U.S. from May 13 to 21.

In seven trading days through May 13, foreign investors sold a net 3.7 billion yuan ($530 million) of shares in Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd. through the stock connect program between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, according to data compiled by financial data provider iFind from Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd.

Asia Nikkei reported on May 29, that China's largest chip foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., will delist from the New York Stock Exchange.

The South China Morning Post (May 27) reported that food prices in China jumped 6.1 per cent in April due to higher pork and fruit prices, with pork price increases accelerating to 14.4 per cent from 5.1 per cent in March.

China's leading business news service reported that on May 22 a new high-level “small leading group” was set up to work on employment. This followed the surveyed urban unemployment rates for the first four months of this year showing that these were all higher than last year's rates.

The New York Times reported (May 28) that on the eve of the anniversary of the "Tiananmen incident" on June 3-4, 1998, 66-year old former PLA Lieutenant Ms. Jiang Lin called for a public reckoning because generations of Chinese Communist Party leaders, including President Xi Jinping, have expressed no remorse for the violence.

South China Morning Post disclosed (May 28) that the CCP CC's United Front Work Department issued a news release on May 27, stating that China has begun five-day Confucian culture immersion courses for religious leaders in the sage’s hometown as part of a campaign to extend government control over faith communities through a process of Sinicisation.

Since 2016, Pakistan has allocated 1.3 billion rupees (US$9.1 million) for CPEC security, on top of the efforts of the Balochistan provincial government and created the 15,000-man SSD.

The Trump administration on May 15, imposed an extreme penalty on Huawei that bars U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by Chinese company Huawei and its 70 subsidiaries.

According to a recently leaked letter from He Tingbo, President of Huawei's chip unit HiSilicon, the Chinese smartphone giant anticipated years ago that the U.S. government might “suppress” the company and cut channels for it to acquire chip-related technology from the U.S., and has developed “alternative chips” for just such a scenario — though it did not expect the situation to actually happen.

A report publicised by ZDNET. on May 14 and released by cybersecurity professionals from the BlackBerry Cylance Threat Intelligence team on recent Chinese hacking activity based on research was made public in December by Area 1 Security.

On May 16, the General Offices of the State Council and Central Committee released new guidelines to promote "digital villages."

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on May 17, that while the nationwide spread of the deadly African swine fever has sent live pig and pork prices soaring, it will not have a major impact on consumers due to the stable supply of other protein sources including poultry, aquaculture products and eggs.

On May 17, the official Chinese Communist Party (CCP) newspaper 'People's Daily' published a commentary captioned 'No power can stop the Chinese people from realising their dreams'.

An article by CCP CC General Secretary Xi Jinping entitled "Deepening Understanding of the New Vision of Development," was published on May 16 in the 10th issue of the Party theoretical journal Qiushi.

Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’’s crown prince, on May 10, defended China’s use of concentration camps for Muslims, saying it was Beijing’s “right”.

The 90-second rhetoric tirade against the US by anchor Kang Hui on the 13th May evening edition of the Party's flagship news program, Xinwen Lianbo on the state-owned CCTV was strong and has become an internet sensation in China.

Two Chinese Vice Premiers, Sun Chunlan and Hu Chunhua, chaired a National Conference on Employment in Beijing on May 13, to which Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent instructions.

In a statement on its website on May 13, the Chinese Ministry of Finance announced an escalation of the trade war on May 14 and said it would raise tariffs on US$60 billion of US goods from June 1, by “25, 20 and 10 per cent” respectively.

Prominent intellectuals including children of veteran leaders have called for review and change in Beijing's policies towards the US, while stopping short of directly criticising existing policies.

Lou Jiwei, a former Chinese Minister of Finance and till recently Chairman of China’s Social Security Fund, told South China Morning Post in early March that the Made in China 2025 plan had “wasted taxpayers’ money.”

Xi Jinping chaired a Politburo meeting on May 13, where the Party decided to launch a “Stay true to the Party’s founding mission” education campaign from June 2019.

The official Party newspaper People's Daily on May 6, publicised that NPC Chairman and PBSC member Li Zhanshu (栗战书) presided over a study seminar focusing on Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thought and Xi’s important speech at the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF).

Agence France-Presse reported that a panel of experts reported to the UN Security Council that it examined photographs of the debris and identified a Chinese-made Blue Arrow air-to-surface missile.

Asia Times (May 5) citing the Pentagon’s recently released 2019 China Military Power Report said the PLA Marine Corps is scheduled to expand from its current 20,000 to upwards of 30,000 Marines – and quite possibly a lot more.

Between May 2 and May 8, 2019, warships from the United States Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Philippines Navy, and the Indian Navy sailed together for the first time in a four-way event demonstrating presence and cooperation.

Amnesty International, which had recently moved its headquarters to a building in New York, was asked on May 10 to vacate the building as it had been purchased by a Chinese SoE and they didn't want Amnesty International as a tenant.

POPULAR REACTIONS IN CHINA TO SINO-US TRADE WAR

As Chinese Vice Premier and Xi Jinping's trade envoy Liu He arrived in Washington on May 10 to continue negotiations, US President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods from 10 to 25 percent claiming that will garner around US$ 300 billion for the US.

Huawei CFO and daughter of Huawei founder Ren , Ms. Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, who is presently in detention in Canada awaiting completion of extradition proceedings, wrote a letter on May 13, to all 188,000 personnel of Huawei which was published on the Xinsheng Community (Huawei's internal online forum).

The US Economic and Security Review Commission (USESRC) has assessed that China's military spending will increase between 2015 - 2021 by 55 % from US$ 167.9 billion to US$ 260.87 bn. The PLAN's spending, it said, will increase by 82% from US$ 31.4 billion to US$ 57.1 billion.

By May 2019, China had launched two more new Type-052 Destroyers bringing the total in service to nine. The report said the 20th Type-052 Destroyer will be ready in three years.

Pharmaceutical billionaire Zhao Tao, owner of Shandong Buchang Pharmaceuticals Co., paid US$ 6.5 million to college counselor William “Rick” Singer for his daughter, Yusi's admission to Stanford University.

On April 15, Japanese Self Defence Force fighters scrambled to intercept Chinese H-6K bombers and a Y-8G ECM near Okinawa entering the East China Sea.

Two USN destroyers the USS Stethem and USS William P. Lawrence conducted a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" on April 28-29, 2019.

Zhang Jiadong, a Professor at the Center for American Studies, Fudan University, in an article published in Global Times on April 29, claimed that the U.S. announcement that it would not extend sanctions waivers for Iran oil importers "will highly likely affect US-India ties".

The South China Morning Post (May 4) quoted Adam Ni, China researcher from Macquarie University in Sydney, as saying that China has set up two major research organisations focused on AI unmanned systems and present trends suggest that the gap with the US will narrow as China is moving quickly to develop its military AI capability.

The South China Morning Post on April 22 said that the 'Made in China-2025' plan was authored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering in August 2013 and was to counter the reforms announced at the Third plenum in 2013.

South China Morning Post (April 15) reported that former Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming, speaking at a seminar organised by the Beijing-based Centre for China and Globalisation, cautioned that China would remain in the "primary stage of socialism for long" and said its economic size did not give it leeway to dictate global rules.

The Globe and Mail on April 28 reported that theTrudeau government through its Ambassador in Washington has delivered a message to the White House: Don’t sign a trade deal with China while Canadians are being held hostage in that country.

The Washington Examiner (April 30) said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s team is developing a strategy for China based on the idea of “a fight with a really different civilization” for the first time in American history.

Well-known Chinese news site Sina on April 26, reported that the Netherlands’ largest telecommunications company, Royal KPN NV, announced recently that it will select a European supplier for its core 5G mobile network.