[One-Minute World News] from [BBC NEWS]
[Asia-Pacific]
Page last updated at 09:47 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:47 UK
China watched for leadership sign
China's Communist Party has opened a key annual meeting which might indicate leadership succession plans.
{Vice President Xi Jinping is seen as a probably successor to Hu Jinta}
The four-day session is widely expected to promote Vice President Xi Jinping to the powerful military commission.
This would make him a clear front-runner to succeed Hu Jintao as party leader in 2012, and president in 2013.
Analysts say the party will also use the meeting to promote unity ahead of next month's celebrations to mark the 60-year anniversary of Communist rule.
A regulation requiring party cadres to reveal their family wealth and assets is reportedly up for discussion.
Closed talks
The Central Committee full session, or plenum, will meet behind closed doors until Friday.
According to state news agency Xinhua, the 204-member committee will discuss a draft document on "party building" which covers everything from the battle against corruption to recruitment for the 75 million-member party.
It is hard to predict the inner workings of China's top leadership, but analysts are primarily watching this meeting for signs that Xi Jinping will cement his status by gaining a seat at the powerful military commission.
Mr Xi became the heir apparent when he was appointed to the Politburo Standing Committee two years ago, and is widely seen to have done well in his position of vice-president since then.
President Hu was elected to the military commission in 1999, paving the way for his rise to the presidency less than four years later, and Mr Xi is expected to follow the same trajectory.
The military commission is in charge of the 2.3 million-strong People's Liberation Army.
The son of a communist revolutionary hero, 56-year-old Mr Xi is married to a well-known singer.
He has served in the past as the top party official in the eastern provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, and more recently as Shanghai's top leader.
[Asia-Pacific]
Page last updated at 06:16 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 07:16 UK
China allays US trade war fears
China has said it does not think its trade disputes with the US will hurt ties between the two countries, playing down the threat of a trade war.
{The White House faced pressure to impose tyre tariffs from unions}
The US imposed tariffs on Chinese tyre imports on Friday. China then requested talks, under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, over the issue.
"We don't want to see anything bad happen to bilateral relations," the Chinese commerce ministry said.
China has called America's move on tyres "protectionist".
Under WTO rules, Beijing and Washington will try to solve the dispute over the next 60 days through negotiations.
If that fails, China can ask for a WTO panel to make a ruling on tyre imports.
'Groundless'
"The US judgement about the disturbance is groundless," the Chinese commerce ministry said.
"During the Chinese-US negotiations, the US side never gave feedback on whether Chinese tyre products disturbed local markets," it added.
On Friday, under pressure from US unions, the White House announced duties of an additional 35% on Chinese-made tyres for one year, followed by tariffs of 30% and 25% in the following two years.
It said it was in order "to remedy a market disruption caused by a surge in tyre imports".
The tariffs come under so-called "safeguard" rules introduced when China joined the WTO, to prevent the possibility of China flooding the US market with its goods.
President Barack Obama is the first to use the safeguard rules.
Larry Summers, director of Mr Obama's National Economic Council, said Washington had tried to negotiate a solution with Beijing but those talks failed.
It would be an "abdication of responsibility" to not impose the duties, he said.
Tyres surge
The US imported about 46 million tyres from China last year, more than three times as many as in 2004. The Chinese share of the market went from less than 5% to 17% in that period.
On Sunday, China's state-run media quoted experts saying that 100,000 Chinese jobs could be lost as a result of the US tariffs.
Shares in US tyremakers gained on the announcement. Goodyear Tire closed 3% higher on Monday, and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co shares rose as much as 13%.
But Chinese tyremakers fell. Double Coin fell 10%, which is the daily limit to stock fluctuations.
Shanghai-listed Giti Tire said the US tariffs would have a "negative impact" on its business as tyre exports to the US accounted for about 25% of its revenues last year.
Separately, foreign direct investment in China rose at an annual rate of 7% to $7.5bn (£4.5bn) in August, after plunging over the previous two months, the commerce ministry said.
That compares with declines of 35.7% in July and 6.8% in June.
[Asia-Pacific]
Page last updated at 04:06 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 05:06 UK
China and Macau to develop island
The authorities in Zhuhai, southern China, have announced a detailed blueprint of plans to develop Hengqin island.
The island, home to about 4,000 people, is very close to Macau.
The plans call for oil and gas terminals, entertainment centres and a branch of Macau's university to be accessed by tunnel.
Development planning for the complex cross-border project has been under way for the past decade.
Debate has been controversial due to the differing legal and political systems between China and Macau.
Macau is a former Portuguese colony which has now been granted autonomy under Chinese sovereignty.
Bold plans
The blueprint announced by the Zhuhai authorities includes a massive gas terminal and gas-engine generator projects and a huge ocean-themed entertainment centre.
Most controversially it will include a branch of the Macau University.
A Zhuhai official said students and staff would be able to access the university through a special tunnel without needing to go through immigration checkpoints.
"Because the new campus will be operated according to Macau laws... we expect to make it a self-contained area that is separated from other parts of the island," Niu Jing, deputy director of Hengqin's administrative committee, was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post newspaper.
It remains unclear if Macau police would have access to the campus on Chinese territory.
Zhuhai authorities say they want to see the island generate 56 billion yuan ($8bn, £4.9bn) in annual GDP by 2020.
Currently the island of 106 square km is described as bleak, largely empty, generating just 128 million last year.
The population is expected to increase to 120,000 by 2015 and 280,000 by 2020.
One country?
The blueprint announcement follows the approval from China's central government in August for Hengqin to become the country's third strategic new zone, after Shanghai's Pudong district and Tianjin's Binhai area.
"It will be a pilot project for a new co-operation mode between Hong Kong and Macau under the 'one country, two systems' arrangement," Zhuhai mayor Zhong Shijian told reporters.
He said the island would also pilot co-operation projects with Macau in customs, financial and revenue systems and land management, and was looking for investment from the world's top corporations.
[Asia-Pacific]
Page last updated at 09:23 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:23 UK
Japan Airlines to cut 6,800 jobs
Japan Airlines (JAL) plans to cut 6,800 jobs and pursue a tie-up with an international carrier.
{The airline expects a heavy loss for the year}
"The personnel reduction cannot wait," said JAL president Haruka Nishimatsu.
Media reports have said several US and European airlines are in the running to take a stake in the loss-making carrier.
Mr Nishimatsu said JAL, which lost more than one billion dollars in the April-June quarter, will have a deal in place by the middle of October.
The airline had already launched a programme of job cuts, plans for fuel-efficiency and a focus on business customers.
Reports this week have suggested that Delta Airlines and American Airlines are in talks to invest in JAL to expand into Asia via code-sharing agreements.
On Tuesday, another report said Air France-KLM joined those discussions. Each is discussing an investment of as much as $300m (£181m), the reports said.
Shares in JAL dropped 3.4%, after climbed nearly 8% on Monday.
[Asia-Pacific]
Page last updated at 09:47 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:47 UK
China watched for leadership sign
China's Communist Party has opened a key annual meeting which might indicate leadership succession plans.
{Vice President Xi Jinping is seen as a probably successor to Hu Jinta}
The four-day session is widely expected to promote Vice President Xi Jinping to the powerful military commission.
This would make him a clear front-runner to succeed Hu Jintao as party leader in 2012, and president in 2013.
Analysts say the party will also use the meeting to promote unity ahead of next month's celebrations to mark the 60-year anniversary of Communist rule.
A regulation requiring party cadres to reveal their family wealth and assets is reportedly up for discussion.
Closed talks
The Central Committee full session, or plenum, will meet behind closed doors until Friday.
According to state news agency Xinhua, the 204-member committee will discuss a draft document on "party building" which covers everything from the battle against corruption to recruitment for the 75 million-member party.
It is hard to predict the inner workings of China's top leadership, but analysts are primarily watching this meeting for signs that Xi Jinping will cement his status by gaining a seat at the powerful military commission.
Mr Xi became the heir apparent when he was appointed to the Politburo Standing Committee two years ago, and is widely seen to have done well in his position of vice-president since then.
President Hu was elected to the military commission in 1999, paving the way for his rise to the presidency less than four years later, and Mr Xi is expected to follow the same trajectory.
The military commission is in charge of the 2.3 million-strong People's Liberation Army.
The son of a communist revolutionary hero, 56-year-old Mr Xi is married to a well-known singer.
He has served in the past as the top party official in the eastern provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, and more recently as Shanghai's top leader.
[Asia-Pacific]
Page last updated at 06:16 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 07:16 UK
China allays US trade war fears
China has said it does not think its trade disputes with the US will hurt ties between the two countries, playing down the threat of a trade war.
{The White House faced pressure to impose tyre tariffs from unions}
The US imposed tariffs on Chinese tyre imports on Friday. China then requested talks, under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, over the issue.
"We don't want to see anything bad happen to bilateral relations," the Chinese commerce ministry said.
China has called America's move on tyres "protectionist".
Under WTO rules, Beijing and Washington will try to solve the dispute over the next 60 days through negotiations.
If that fails, China can ask for a WTO panel to make a ruling on tyre imports.
'Groundless'
"The US judgement about the disturbance is groundless," the Chinese commerce ministry said.
"During the Chinese-US negotiations, the US side never gave feedback on whether Chinese tyre products disturbed local markets," it added.
On Friday, under pressure from US unions, the White House announced duties of an additional 35% on Chinese-made tyres for one year, followed by tariffs of 30% and 25% in the following two years.
It said it was in order "to remedy a market disruption caused by a surge in tyre imports".
The tariffs come under so-called "safeguard" rules introduced when China joined the WTO, to prevent the possibility of China flooding the US market with its goods.
President Barack Obama is the first to use the safeguard rules.
Larry Summers, director of Mr Obama's National Economic Council, said Washington had tried to negotiate a solution with Beijing but those talks failed.
It would be an "abdication of responsibility" to not impose the duties, he said.
Tyres surge
The US imported about 46 million tyres from China last year, more than three times as many as in 2004. The Chinese share of the market went from less than 5% to 17% in that period.
On Sunday, China's state-run media quoted experts saying that 100,000 Chinese jobs could be lost as a result of the US tariffs.
Shares in US tyremakers gained on the announcement. Goodyear Tire closed 3% higher on Monday, and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co shares rose as much as 13%.
But Chinese tyremakers fell. Double Coin fell 10%, which is the daily limit to stock fluctuations.
Shanghai-listed Giti Tire said the US tariffs would have a "negative impact" on its business as tyre exports to the US accounted for about 25% of its revenues last year.
Separately, foreign direct investment in China rose at an annual rate of 7% to $7.5bn (£4.5bn) in August, after plunging over the previous two months, the commerce ministry said.
That compares with declines of 35.7% in July and 6.8% in June.
[Asia-Pacific]
Page last updated at 04:06 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 05:06 UK
China and Macau to develop island
The authorities in Zhuhai, southern China, have announced a detailed blueprint of plans to develop Hengqin island.
The island, home to about 4,000 people, is very close to Macau.
The plans call for oil and gas terminals, entertainment centres and a branch of Macau's university to be accessed by tunnel.
Development planning for the complex cross-border project has been under way for the past decade.
Debate has been controversial due to the differing legal and political systems between China and Macau.
Macau is a former Portuguese colony which has now been granted autonomy under Chinese sovereignty.
Bold plans
The blueprint announced by the Zhuhai authorities includes a massive gas terminal and gas-engine generator projects and a huge ocean-themed entertainment centre.
Most controversially it will include a branch of the Macau University.
A Zhuhai official said students and staff would be able to access the university through a special tunnel without needing to go through immigration checkpoints.
"Because the new campus will be operated according to Macau laws... we expect to make it a self-contained area that is separated from other parts of the island," Niu Jing, deputy director of Hengqin's administrative committee, was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post newspaper.
It remains unclear if Macau police would have access to the campus on Chinese territory.
Zhuhai authorities say they want to see the island generate 56 billion yuan ($8bn, £4.9bn) in annual GDP by 2020.
Currently the island of 106 square km is described as bleak, largely empty, generating just 128 million last year.
The population is expected to increase to 120,000 by 2015 and 280,000 by 2020.
One country?
The blueprint announcement follows the approval from China's central government in August for Hengqin to become the country's third strategic new zone, after Shanghai's Pudong district and Tianjin's Binhai area.
"It will be a pilot project for a new co-operation mode between Hong Kong and Macau under the 'one country, two systems' arrangement," Zhuhai mayor Zhong Shijian told reporters.
He said the island would also pilot co-operation projects with Macau in customs, financial and revenue systems and land management, and was looking for investment from the world's top corporations.
[Asia-Pacific]
Page last updated at 09:23 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:23 UK
Japan Airlines to cut 6,800 jobs
Japan Airlines (JAL) plans to cut 6,800 jobs and pursue a tie-up with an international carrier.
{The airline expects a heavy loss for the year}
"The personnel reduction cannot wait," said JAL president Haruka Nishimatsu.
Media reports have said several US and European airlines are in the running to take a stake in the loss-making carrier.
Mr Nishimatsu said JAL, which lost more than one billion dollars in the April-June quarter, will have a deal in place by the middle of October.
The airline had already launched a programme of job cuts, plans for fuel-efficiency and a focus on business customers.
Reports this week have suggested that Delta Airlines and American Airlines are in talks to invest in JAL to expand into Asia via code-sharing agreements.
On Tuesday, another report said Air France-KLM joined those discussions. Each is discussing an investment of as much as $300m (£181m), the reports said.
Shares in JAL dropped 3.4%, after climbed nearly 8% on Monday.
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