Djibouti, Djibouti | AFP | US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived Sunday for a short visit to Djibouti, a strategic Horn of Africa nation which hosts Washington’s only permanent military base on the continent. Camp Lemonnier, home to some 4,000 US soldiers and contractors, is vital to US military operations …
Read More »China’s Q1 growth stabilises at 6.8%: AFP poll
Beijing, China | AFP | China’s growth stabilised in the first quarter thanks to rising investments and a recovery in exports, experts said, though they warned the reprieve may be temporary. According to an AFP survey of 16 economic analysts, the gross domestic product expanded 6.8 percent in the first …
Read More »China seeks Russia’s help to ‘cool’ North Korea situation
Beijing, China | AFP | China is seeking Russia’s help to cool surging tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, the country’s foreign minister has told his Moscow counterpart, after Beijing warned of possible conflict over North Korea. Fears over the North’s rogue weapons programme have soared in recent days, with a …
Read More »Spotlight on China as North Korea prepares for war
China warns of war as North Korea vows ‘merciless’ response to US Beijing, China | AFP | China issued a stern warning Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out “at any moment”, as Pyongyang vowed a “merciless” response to any US military action. Tensions in the region …
Read More »China warns there will be no winner in North Korea war
North Korea army vows ‘merciless’ response to US provocation Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea’s army on Friday vowed a ‘merciless’ response to any US provocation, as tensions soar over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and speculation mounts that it is preparing a fresh weapons test. Pyongyang’s rogue atomic ambitions …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Unpredictable Trump unsettles China as N. Korea policy wobbles
Beijing, China | AFP | From Twitter threats to Tomahawk missiles, US president Donald Trump’s unorthodox and seemingly impulsive approach to foreign policy has unsettled China, piling new pressure on its hands-off North Korea policy. As tensions rise on the Korean peninsula, Beijing appears alarmed by Trump’s strident pronouncements as …
Read More »BREXIT: First ‘Silk Road’ train from Britain leaves for China with whiskey
Stanford-le-Hope, United Kingdom | AFP | The first-ever freight train from Britain to China started its mammoth journey on Monday along a modern-day “Silk Road” trade route as Britain eyes new opportunities after it leaves the European Union. The 32-container train, around 600 metres (656 yards) long, left the vast …
Read More »Beijing offers big bucks for foreign spy tip-offs
Beijing, China | AFP | Budding Chinese sleuths could start stalking foreigners as suspected spies in Beijing after authorities in the city on Monday offered a cash bonanza for information on overseas agents. Members of the public can report suspected espionage through a special hotline, by mail or in person and …
Read More »China’s Xi praises normalisation of ties with Norway
Beijing, China | AFP | Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday praised the normalisation of relations with Norway, six years after a dispute over the Nobel Peace Prize, as Norway’s prime minister said she was glad to be back. The visit by Erna Solberg is the first high-level exchange since December, …
Read More »Uganda Tourism Night – In China
Ambassador Solomon Rutega has described Uganda’s tourism as a “smiling beauty in the dark” whose potential will stun the world once the spotlight is put on it. “Uganda’s tourism beauty has been compared to a smiling beauty in darkness,” he told over 100 major tour and travel operators, airlines and media …
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