China
Tightening Covid net, Beijing deals out punishments, stark warnings
Shanghai, which is aiming for a June 1 complete exit from a stringent city-wide lockdown, is gradually and cautiously unwinding COVID curbs
 "Tightening Covid net, Beijing deals out punishments, stark warnings")
China's PLA says conducted military exercise around Taiwan to warn US
China's military said on Wednesday it recently conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a "solemn warning" against its "collusion" with the United States
 "China's PLA says conducted military exercise around Taiwan to warn US")
WEF 2022: China commits to plant and conserve 70 billion trees by 2030
In the past decade, China has regrown more than 70 million hectares of forest cover
 "WEF 2022: China commits to plant and conserve 70 billion trees by 2030")
China further lowers cost of Covid-19 nucleic acid tests to nearly $2.4
China has asked local authorities to further lower the price of Covid-19 nucleic acid tests to no more than 16 yuan (nearly $2.4) per person for a single test.
 "China further lowers cost of Covid-19 nucleic acid tests to nearly $2.4")
China's economy worse off in some ways than 2020, says Premier
Li Keqiang tells officials to lower nation's unemployment rate; economists expect China to miss growth target this year
 "China's economy worse off in some ways than 2020, says Premier")
FM Wang to visit S Pacific island states as China eyes influence in region
Wang Yi's schedule includes visits to the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and East Timor from May 26 to June 4
 "FM Wang to visit S Pacific island states as China eyes influence in region")
Spying with Chinese characteristics
Mr Faligot's book is packed with considerable detail, not all of which may be of interest to a general reader
 "Spying with Chinese characteristics")
China's Premier offers bleak outlook as hope of meeting GDP target fades
Latest official data showed a contraction in industrial output for the first time since 2020 and a jump in the surveyed jobless rate to 6.1% in April, close to a record
 "China's Premier offers bleak outlook as hope of meeting GDP target fades")
China announces military drills near Taiwan after Biden's remarks
China continues to regard Taiwan as its province even after decades of separate governance; Chinese President Xi Jinping even threatened to take the island, if needed
 "China announces military drills near Taiwan after Biden's remarks")
Russian FM Zakharova hints at strengthening defence amid Japan hostility
Zakharova criticised Tokyo for clinging to these already traditional training events, distorting their goals and content, and wrongly linking them with Russia's special military operation in Ukraine
 "Russian FM Zakharova hints at strengthening defence amid Japan hostility")
Mirage or oasis?
India could drink sustainably from the spring-wells of development
Chinese leader Xi defends record to UN human rights chief Bachelet
Bachelet is in the middle of a six-day visit to China that includes stops in Xinjiang where the Chinese government has been accused of human rights violations and genocide against the Uyghurs
 "Chinese leader Xi defends record to UN human rights chief Bachelet")
Airbnb ends short-term rentals in China to focus on outbound tourists
Airbnb announced it will stop representing short-term rental properties in China and focus its business in the country on serving Chinese tourists looking for lodgings abroad
 "Airbnb ends short-term rentals in China to focus on outbound tourists")
Russian and Chinese jets patrol East Asia skies, capping Biden's trip
Japan scrambled jets after Russian and Chinese warplanes neared its airspace while Tokyo was hosting leaders of the Quad group of countries, which includes the US, said Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi
 "Russian and Chinese jets patrol East Asia skies, capping Biden's trip")
Message from Tokyo
The Quad meet upped the ante against Beijing
Neighbourhood Covid enforcers keep large parts of Shanghai in lockdown
Neighbourhood committees around the city are imposing strict curbs on movement, including limits on who can leave their apartment blocks and for how long amid concerns about a rebound in cases
 "Neighbourhood Covid enforcers keep large parts of Shanghai in lockdown")
Biden praises PM Modi for handling pandemic successfully: Official
The US president contrasted India's success with China's failure to handle the pandemic, though both countries are of comparable size
 "Biden praises PM Modi for handling pandemic successfully: Official")
China's bet on homegrown coronavirus vaccines holds back country
China is trying to navigate its biggest coronavirus outbreak without a tool it could have adopted many months ago, the kind of vaccines that have proven to offer the best protection against Covid
 "China's bet on homegrown coronavirus vaccines holds back country")
UN rights official Bachelet starts Xinjiang trip, meets Chinese FM Wang
China's foreign minister met with the UN's top human rights official on her visit to the country and shared with her that China opposes politicising human rights and imposing double standards
Oil prices inch lower on concerns over recession, China Covid curbs
Oil prices fell on Tuesday as concerns over a possible recession and China's Covid-19 curbs outweighed an expectation of tight global supply
 "Oil prices inch lower on concerns over recession, China Covid curbs")
