Xi attends China-France-Germany leaders' climate summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping has attended the China-France-Germany leaders' climate summit via video link in Beijing. 

President Xi exchanged views with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on issues including climate change, China-Europe ties, and cooperation on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Chinese president stressed that he always advocates building a community with a shared future for humanity and stands ready to strengthen cooperation with France and Germany on climate change.

China complets ratification process of RCEP

China has completed the ratification process of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement. 

All members of the RCEP are planning to ratify the agreement before the end of this year and push for it to become effective on Jan. 1 next year.

The RCEP agreement is the world's largest free trade pact, with its 15 member states home to nearly 2.3 billion people, and a total GDP of 26 trillion U.S. dollars.

China's economy grows 18.3 pct in Q1 from low base

Offcial figures show that China's economy grew 18.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year, as strong domestic and foreign demand power recovery.

The gross domestic product reached 24.9 trillion yuan, or about 3.8 trillion U.S. dollars, in the first quarter.

The country's value-added industrial output went up 24.5 percent year on year, as factory activity continued to pick up.

Retail sales of consumer goods went up 33.9 percent.

China's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.3 percent in March.

Ukraine vaccinates Olympic teams with Chinese vaccine

Ukraine has begun inoculating its Olympic athletes with the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac. 

It is planning to vaccinate 750 people for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

China's first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to start Phase III trial in May: media

China's first messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine ARCoV will start its Phase III clinical trial overseas next month.

Starting from the third quarter of this year, the annual production capacity of ARCoV is expected to reach 120 million doses.

So far, two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in humans: one developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer in partnership with German company BioNTech, and the other jointly developed by U.S. biotech firm Moderna.

China bio firm dispels fears of serious blood clots from its COVID-19 vaccine

Chinese biopharmaceutical company CanSinoBIO has said that no serious blood clot cases were reported in the recipients of its COVID-19 vaccine 

The statement came after U.S. federal health agencies called for a pause of the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, which applies a similar technology to CanSinoBIO vaccines, following some blood clots reports.

So far, CanSinoBIO vaccine has been approved for emergency use in China, Hungary, Chile, Mexico and Pakistan.

Jimmy Lai sentenced to 1 year in jail for illegal assembly in Hong Kong

A Hong Kong court has sentenced anti-China disruptor Jimmy Lai to one year in prison over illegal assembly in August 2019.

Lai and several other instigators of the Hong Kong riots were convicted earlier by the local court for organizing and participating in the unauthorized assembly.

Lai was also involved in multiple other cases including illegal assemblies and national security law violations.

Iran's production of 60-pct enriched uranium "underway": official

Iran has started producing uranium enriched at a 60-percent purity.

It follows a blackout that struck the Natanz enrichment facility in the central part of the country last weekend. 

Iran accused Israel of sabotaging its nuclear site.

The Iran nuclear deal only allows Iran to enrich uranium up to 3.67-percent purity.

It started to produce uranium enrichment of 20-percent purity in January.

North Korea denounces Japan over wastewater release, urging immediate withdrawal

North Korea has denounced Japan's decision to dump wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.

Korean Central News Agency called Japan's decision a "threat to human existence."

It called on Japan to immediately withdraw its decision on radioactive wastewater discharge.

Biden proposes summer summit with Putin in Europe

U.S. President Joe Biden has proposed a summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Europe this summer.

Biden says that the two countries could launch a strategic stability dialogue to pursue cooperation in arms control and security.

Biden's proposal came after the United States announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats and sanctions against individuals and entities in response to Moscow's alleged election interference and cyber activities.