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Chinese human rights activist Xu Zhiyong, who campaigned against corruption, has gone on trial in Beijing.
Xu Zhiyong is charged with “gathering crowds to disrupt public order”. He is one of several activists from a transparency movement to be tried this week.
Rights groups have criticized President Xi Jinping – who pledged to fight corruption – over their trials.
They come as a report says many members of China’s elite have set up offshore companies in overseas tax havens.
The trial of Xu Zhiyong, who was arrested in July 2013, began on Wednesday in Beijing.
There was tight security outside the court, with police blocking journalists from approaching or filming outside.
Western diplomats said they were able to enter the building but were not allowed into the courtroom itself.
Xu Zhiyong is a leading advocate of a group campaigning for government officials to reveal their wealth
Xu Zhiyong ‘s lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, said Xu and his lawyers both viewed the court proceedings as illegal, and stayed silent during the trial in protest.
Earlier, Zhang Qingfang told reporters that a fair trial looked “unlikely”. He said that he had not been given the opportunity to defend Xu Zhiyong in a fair court.
“Last week I applied for five witnesses to come and testify, but not only did the court reject my application, but also the police have been restricting these witnesses in the last two days,” he said.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei described Xu Zhiyong ‘s case as a “common criminal case” and that he had been “arrested in accordance with the law”.
Xu Zhiyong, who was also previously under house arrest, is a leading advocate of a group campaigning for government officials to reveal their wealth.
Seven members of the informal grassroots group, New Citizens Movement, also face separate trials this week on similar charges.
A known legal scholar, Xu Zhiyong also campaigned on behalf of inmates on death row and families affected by tainted baby milk formula in 2009.
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China has formally adopted a resolution easing the country’s one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child.
A proposal to abolish re-education through labor camps was also approved.
The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November.
The reforms, which came at the end of a six-day meeting of the congress, have already been tested in parts of the country.
They needed formal legislative approval to be put into effect.
China has formally adopted a resolution easing the country’s one-child policy
It is expected that reforms will be rolled out gradually and incrementally around the country, with provincial authorities entrusted to make their own decisions on implementation according to the local demographic situation.
Factors other than the one-child policy, such as a lack of social security support, have also encouraged couples to limit their offspring.
China is now believed to have a birth rate of just over 1.5 children per woman of child-bearing age – which is, in fact, higher than many of its regional neighbors, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
Niger has the world’s highest birth rate per woman, with over seven, India has 2.55 and the US has 2.06.
China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth.
But correspondents say the policy has become increasingly unpopular and that leaders fear the country’s ageing population will both reduce the labor pool and exacerbate elderly care issues.
By 2050, more than a quarter of the population will be over 65.
The one-child policy has on the whole been strictly enforced, though some exceptions already exist, including for ethnic minorities.
Previous reforms also permitted couples to have a second child where both were only children or, in the case of rural couples, where their first-born child was a girl.
The traditional preference for boys has created a gender imbalance as some couples opt for gender-selective abortions.
By the end of the decade, demographers say China will have 24 million “leftover men” who, because of China’s gender imbalance, will not be able to find a wife.
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China is accusing Japan of using its national security as a pretext for military expansion.
China’s Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in a statement that the move would increase regional tensions, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Earlier this week, Japan said it would buy advanced equipment including drones and amphibious vehicles.
It comes as Tokyo is embroiled in a bitter row with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea that both claim.
“China is firmly opposed to Japan’s relevant actions,” said Geng Yansheng.
China is accusing Japan of using its national security as a pretext for military expansion
The statement said Japan’s security policy caused “great concerns” among neighboring countries.
The announcement of more Japanese military spending came weeks after China established an air defense identification zone over a swathe of the East China Sea, including islands controlled by Japan.
Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe says he wants his country to broaden the scope of activities performed by the military – something currently tightly controlled by the post-war constitution.
Over the five years, Japan plans to buy anti-missile destroyers, submarines, 52 amphibious vehicles, surveillance drones, US fighter planes and 17 Boeing Osprey aircraft, capable of vertical take-off.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Japan ranks fifth in the world for military spending while China is in second place behind the US.
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China has confirmed that one of its warships “encountered” a US vessel.
The US reported a near-collision in the South China Sea earlier this month.
The US said its guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens was forced to take evasive action as the two ships neared each other on December 5.
It has been described as the most serious Sino-US confrontation in the South China Sea since 2009.
China has confirmed that one of its warships “encountered” a US vessel
However, China said the incident was handled with “strict protocol”.
The US has said its ship was operating in international waters.
However, China claims parts of the South China Sea, and a state-run newspaper quoted an expert as saying that the US boat had been “harassing” China’s aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, as it carried out drills.
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Japan’s government has approved a new national security strategy and increased defense spending in a move widely seen as aimed at China.
Over the next five years, Japan will buy hardware including drones, aircraft and amphibious vehicles.
The military will also build a new marine unit, an amphibious force capable of retaking islands.
The move comes with Tokyo embroiled in a bitter row with Beijing over East China Sea islands that both claim.
It reflects concern over China’s growing assertiveness over its territorial claims and Beijing’s mounting defence spending.
“China’s stance toward other countries and military moves, coupled with a lack of transparency regarding its military and national security policies, represent a concern to Japan and the wider international community and require close watch,” the national security draft said.
PM Shinzo Abe has called for Japan to broaden the scope of activities performed by its military
Japan first increased defense spending in January, after a decade of cuts.
PM Shinzo Abe, who was elected a year ago, has called for Japan to broaden the scope of activities performed by its military – something currently tightly controlled by the post-war constitution.
He has also established a National Security Council that can oversee key issues.
Approving the national security strategy made Japan’s foreign and security policy “clear and transparent – for both the Japanese people and all the world to see”, he said.
The announcement comes weeks after China established an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over a swathe of the East China Sea, including islands controlled by Japan.
It says all aircraft transiting the zone must obey certain rules, such as filing flight plans, or face “measures”.
Japan, US and South Korea – which claims a rock that lies within China’s declared zone – have strongly criticised the move, with the US calling it a unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the region.
China, meanwhile, says it is “closely watching Japan’s security strategy and policy direction”.
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Just days after Jang Sung-taek’s execution, the North Korean business people have been recalled from China, says a South Korean report.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be purging associates of Jang Sung-taek, who was in charge of economic ties with China.
Kim Jong-un has been pictured by state media for the first time since the execution of his uncle Jang Sung-taek.
The South Korean government believes Kim Jong-un is trying to consolidate his power through a reign of terror.
The execution of Jang Sung-taek raised international concern about the stability of the nuclear-armed state.
North Korea has summoned back business people working out of the north-eastern Chinese cities of Shenyang and Dandong, sources told the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
They are in China to enhance bilateral trade and investment.
Kim Jong-un has been pictured by state media for the first time since the execution of his uncle Jang Sung-taek
Another source told the agency Pyongyang planned to bring all officials and staff home from China in stages.
It appeared to be a crackdown on those perceived as loyal to Jang Sung-taek, Yonhap said.
It could also be another sign that Jang Sung-taek’s downfall reflected discomfort at his enthusiasm for Chinese-style economic reform.
There have been other reports over recent days about officials being recalled to North Korea from abroad.
South Korean intelligence officials say two of Jang Sung-taek’s closest aides were executed last month, and analysts suggest the purging of such a high-profile figure is unlikely to take place without a “ripple effect” – a purge of others linked to them.
Kim Jong-un was pictured in photographs released by state media for the first time since the dramatic execution of Jang Sung-taek on Thursday following a military trial.
He was shown touring a military design institute, trailed by military officers, many taking notes. Among them was Kim Jong-un’s personal envoy, Vice-Marshal Choe Ryong-hae.
The pictures appeared designed to demonstrate Kim Jong-un’s continuing hold on power and “business as usual” for the North Korean leadership, said commentators.
The images will also be scrutinized for clues to Kim Jong-un’s inner circle, analysts say.
Among those pictured in the latest photographs are believed Hwang Pyong-so, vice departmental director of Party Central Committee (not in military uniform), Choe Ryong-hae, vice-marshal of the armed forces, and Jang Jong-nam, the nation’s new defense minister.
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South Korea is expanding its air defense zone, which will now partially overlap with a similar zone announced by China.
The two zones will now both include a rock claimed by both countries and controlled by South Korea.
The defense ministry said it would co-ordinate with “related countries”.
China announced a new Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) last month, in a move that raised regional tensions.
Both countries’ zones will cover the airspace above a rock called Ieodo by South Korea and Suyan by China, which is claimed by both countries.
As well as Ieodo rock, South Korea’s Defense Ministry also said the new military air defense zone would cover the airspace above Marado and Hongdo islands controlled by Seoul in waters south of the peninsula.
The new parameters are a direct challenge to China’s own air defense zone, which covers part of the same area.
South Korea is expanding its air defense zone, which will now partially overlap with a similar zone announced by China
South Korea said its zone would take effect on December 15, and that neighboring countries had already been notified of the change.
The government would continue to consult with neighboring countries to stop accidental military clashes, it said.
“We will co-ordinate with related countries to fend off accidental military confrontations and to ensure safety of airplanes,” defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told the AFP news agency on Sunday.
South Korea has already challenged China’s attempt to impose its authority in the area by flying military planes through the zone announced by Beijing.
Commercial airlines in South Korea have also been advised not to comply with China’s demands for planes to identify themselves to it.
The US and Japan have also rejected China’s zone and flown undeclared military aircraft through the zone.
It will be the first time that South Korea has adjusted the zone since it was first set up by the US military in 1951 during the Korean War, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports.
China’s recently announced ADIZ also covers islands claimed and controlled by Japan.
China said aircraft flying through the zone must follow its rules, including filing flight plans.
What are air defense identification zones?
- Zones do not necessarily overlap with airspace, sovereign territory or territorial claims
- States define zones, and stipulate rules that aircraft must obey; legal basis is unclear
- During WW2, US established an air perimeter and now maintains four separate zones – Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, and a contiguous mainland zone
- UK, Norway, Japan and Canada also maintain zones
China has banned its banks from handling Bitcoin transactions.
The ban came in a notice issued by the People’s Bank of China, financial watchdogs and the nation’s IT ministry.
Bitcoins are a “virtual good”, have no legal status and should not be used as a currency, it said.
The decision comes after bitcoins’ rapid rise in value was called a “bubble” by Alan Greenspan, former US Federal Reserve chairman.
The ban was imposed because bitcoins were not backed by any nation or central authority, said the notice.
It added that it was planning to step up its efforts to curb the use of bitcoins to launder cash.
China has banned its banks from handling Bitcoin transactions
Individuals were still free to trade in bitcoins but should be aware of the risks involved, said the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), adding that it planned to formalise the regulation of exchanges that dealt in the digital cash.
Experts told Reuters the PBOC was moved to make its decision because Chinese nationals were heavily involved in trading the virtual currency. Many believe this is because it helps them avoid controls on trade in the yuan.
The value of bitcoins traded on Chinese exchanges fell after the announcement was made.
Interest in the virtual currency has seen its value soar in recent weeks.
On November 28, the value of one Bitcoin surpassed $1,000 for the first time.
The swift rise in value led Alan Greenspan to say the exchange rate for the virtual currency was “unsustainably high” in an interview with Bloomberg.
“It’s a bubble,” he said, going on to question the financial value people had pinned on Bitcoin.
“You have to really stretch your imagination to infer what the intrinsic value of Bitcoin is,” he said.
“I haven’t been able to do it. Maybe somebody else can.”
China has launched its first lunar rover mission to space.
The Chang’e-3 mission blasted off from Xichang in the south at 01:30 Monday local time (17:30 GMT Sunday).
The Long March rocket’s payload includes a landing module and a six-wheeled robotic rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit).
The mission should land in the Moon’s northern hemisphere in mid-December.
Chinese state TV carried live pictures of the launch of the Chinese-developed Long March 3B rocket carrying the lunar probe.
This will be the third robotic rover mission to land on the lunar surface, but the Chinese vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload, including ground-penetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust.
The 260lb Jade Rabbit rover can climb slopes of up to 30 degrees and travel at 660ft per hour
The 260lb Jade Rabbit rover can climb slopes of up to 30 degrees and travel at 660ft per hour, according to its designer the Shanghai Aerospace Systems Engineering Research Institute.
Its name – chosen in an online poll of 3.4 million voters – derives from an ancient Chinese myth about a rabbit living on the moon as the pet of the lunar goddess Chang’e.
The lander’s target is Sinus Iridum (Latin for Bay of Rainbows) a flat volcanic plain thought to be relatively clear of large rocks. It is part of a larger feature known as Mare Imbrium that forms the right eye of the “Man in the Moon”.
Other details of the mission are sketchy; the rover and lander are powered by solar panels but other sources suggest they also carry radioisotope heating units (RHUs) containing plutonium-238 to keep them warm during the cold lunar night.
Chang’e 3 is “the most complicated and difficult task yet in China’s exploration of space” and incorporates lots of new technology, Xinhua reported Wu Zhijian, a spokesman with the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, as saying.
The launch comes at a time when the Asian superpower is asserting itself in other areas, such as control of airspace over the East China Sea. China considers its space programme a symbol of its rising global stature and technological advancement, as well as of the Communist Party’s success in reversing the fortunes of the once impoverished nation.
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The US civilian aircrafts are expected to observe China’s rules in its newly-declared air defense zone in the East China Sea.
A statement said this did not mean the US accepted China’s requirements in the zone covering territory claimed by China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.
China wants all aircraft there to file flight plans and identify themselves.
The US, Japan and South Korea say they have flown military aircraft in the area unannounced. But China said it scrambled fighter jets on Friday.
The move was to monitor US and Japanese aircraft in the zone.
The US civilian aircrafts are expected to observe China’s rules in its newly-declared air defense zone in the East China Sea
The air defense identification zone (ADIZ) covers a vast area of the East China Sea, including a group of islands claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.
South Korea claims a submerged rock, known as Ieodo, also within the zone.
The establishment of the ADIZ has caused widespread anger, with the US state department calling it “an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea” which will “raise regional tensions and increase the risk of miscalculation, confrontation and accidents”.
However, on Friday, the state department said the US government “generally expects that US carriers operating internationally will operate consistent with Notams [Notices to Airmen] issued by foreign countries”.
It added: “Our expectation of operations by US carriers consistent with NOTAMs does not indicate US government acceptance of China’s requirements for operating in the newly declared ADIZ.”
Japan has instructed its aircraft not to observe China’s rules. But a number of regional commercial airlines – including Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Korean Air – have said they will comply.
China announced on Thursday it was deploying warplanes in the area for surveillance and defense.
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China has scrambled fighter jets over the disputed islands in East China Sea to monitor US and Japanese planes as they flew in its newly declared air defense zone.
The zone covers territory claimed by China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.
China said last week that all aircraft crossing through the zone must file flight plans and identify themselves or face “defensive emergency measures”.
The US, Japan and South Korea say they have since defied the ruling and flown military aircraft in the area.
China’s newly declared air defense identification zone (ADIZ) covers a vast area of the East China Sea and includes a group of islands which are claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.
South Korea claims ownership of a submerged rock, known as Ieodo, within the zone.
China has scrambled fighter jets over the disputed islands in East China Sea
The establishment of the ADIZ has caused widespread anger, with the US calling it a “destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region”.
On Thursday, China had announced it was deploying warplanes in the area as a “defensive measure” and to carry out routine surveillance.
Then on Friday, Air Force spokesman Colonel Shen Jinke said Chinese warplanes had been scrambled that morning to identify two US surveillance aircraft and 10 Japanese planes – including early warning aircraft, surveillance aircraft and fighter jets – crossing through the ADIZ, state media reports.
Col. Shen Jinke made no reference to whether any further action was taken by any of the aircraft.
Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China had a right to patrol the region and that it the ADIZ was not aimed at any specific country.
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Japanese and South Korean planes have flown unannounced through China’s newly-declared air defense zone, officials from both nations say.
Japan’s aircraft had conducted routine “surveillance activity” over the East China Sea zone, the top government spokesman said.
South Korea had also conducted a flight, its defense ministry said.
China says planes transiting the zone, which covers areas claimed by Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei, must file plans.
The zone includes islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China which are claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.
Japan controls the islands, which have been the focus of a bitter and long-running dispute between Japan and China.
The zone also covers a submerged rock that South Korea says forms part of its territory.
China, which established the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday, says aircraft must report a flight plan, communicate and identify themselves. Those who do not could face “defensive emergency measures”.
Japanese and South Korean planes have flown unannounced through China’s newly-declared air defense zone
China’s move has been condemned by the US and Japan.
The US, which called the move a “destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region”, flew two unarmed B-52 bombers through the zone unannounced on Tuesday.
Japanese officials did not specify when the flights happened, but confirmed the surveillance activity.
“Even since China has created this airspace defense zone, we have continued our surveillance activities as before in the East China Sea, including in the zone,” said Japan’s top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga.
“We are not going to change this [activity] out of consideration to China,” he added.
For their part, South Korea’s military said one of their planes entered the zone on Tuesday.
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said on Wednesday that the air zone issue had made “already tricky regional situations even more difficult to deal with”.
“We’ve witnessed competition and conflicts among players of the region getting fiercer,” he told Yonhap news agency.
On Thursday, South Korea and China held talks on the zone, but failed to reach any agreement.
China defended its establishment of an air zone on Thursday, with a Defense Ministry spokesman telling state media it was “completely justified and legitimate”.
US Vice-President Joe Biden is expected to express America’s concerns to China when he makes a scheduled visit next week.
Joe Biden would “convey our concerns directly and… seek clarity regarding the Chinese intentions in making this move at this time”, a senior US official administration said.
The vice-president will also make stops in Japan and South Korea during his trip to Asia.
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Two US B-52 bombers flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea in defiance of new China’s air defense rules, officials say.
China set up its “air defense identification zone” on Saturday insisting that aircraft obey its rules or face “emergency defensive measures”.
A Pentagon spokesman said the planes had followed “normal procedures”.
The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are a source of rising tension between the two nations.
Japan has dismissed the Chinese defense zone as “not valid at all” and two of its biggest airlines announced on Tuesday they would heed a request from the government in Tokyo not to implement the new rules.
US Colonel Steve Warren at the Pentagon said Washington had “conducted operations in the area of the Senkakus”.
“We have continued to follow our normal procedures, which include not filing flight plans, not radioing ahead and not registering our frequencies,” he said.
Two US B-52 bombers flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea in defiance of new China’s air defense rules
There had been no response from China, he added.
The aircraft, which were unarmed, had taken off from Guam on Monday and the flight was part of a regular exercise in the area, US defense officials said. Both planes later returned to Guam.
The US – which has more than 70,000 troops in Japan and South Korea – had previously said it would not abide by the Chinese-imposed zone.
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called it a “destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region”. The White House said it was “unnecessarily inflammatory”.
Japan has already lodged a strong protest over what it said was an “escalation” by China.
Taiwan, which also claims the islands, expressed regret at the Chinese move and promised that its military would take measures to protect national security.
In its statement announcing the air defense zone on Saturday, the Chinese defense ministry said aircraft must report a flight plan, “maintain two-way radio communications”, and “respond in a timely and accurate manner” to identification inquiries.
“China’s armed forces will adopt defensive emergency measures to respond to aircraft that do not co-operate in the identification or refuse to follow the instructions,” the statement said.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airlines said on Tuesday they would stop filing flight plans demanded by China on routes through the zone following a request from the Japanese government.
Singapore Airlines and Australia’s Qantas have both said they will abide by the new rules.
However, Australia summoned the Chinese ambassador on Tuesday to express opposition over the zone.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said “the timing and manner” of China’s announcement were “unhelpful in light of current regional tensions”.
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Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe has described China’s move to create a new “air defense identification zone” over disputed waters as “dangerous”.
China’s action had “no validity whatsoever on Japan”, Shinzo Abe added.
China has voiced anger at Japanese and US objections to the new air zone, and lodged complaints with their embassies.
The zone covers disputed islands that are claimed and controlled by Japan. China says aircraft entering the zone must obey its rules.
Shinzo Abe told parliament on Monday that the zone “can invite an unexpected occurrence and it is a very dangerous thing as well”.
“We demand China revoke any measures that could infringe upon the freedom of flight in international airspace,” he added.
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has called the move a “destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region”.
“This unilateral action increases the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculations,” Chuck Hagel said in a statement.
“This announcement by the People’s Republic of China will not in any way change how the United States conducts military operations in the region,” he added.
Japan described China’s move as an “escalation” on Saturday, after China announced the new zone.
On Sunday, Yang Yujun, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense, said Japan’s reaction was “absolutely groundless and unacceptable”.
The disputed islands in the East China Sea have been a source of tension between China and Japan for decades
“We strongly require the Japanese side to stop all moves that undermine China’s territorial sovereignty as well as irresponsible remarks that misguide international opinions and create regional tensions,” Yang Yujun said.
He also demanded that the US “earnestly respect China’s national security [and] stop making irresponsible remarks for China’s setup of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone”.
Meanwhile, South Korea said it found it “regretful” that China’s new zone partly overlapped with its own military air zone, and covered Ieodo, a submerged rock claimed by Seoul.
“I’d like to say once again that we have unchanging territorial control over Ieodo,” Kim Min-seok, a South Korean defense ministry spokesman, said on Monday.
Taiwan also claims the Japan-controlled disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Taiwan said that it would “defend its sovereignty over the archipelago.”
China said the air defense zone came into effect from 10:00 local time on Saturday.
Aircraft in the zone must report a flight plan, “maintain two-way radio communications” and “respond in a timely and accurate manner” to identification inquiries, China’s Defense Ministry said.
Aircraft that did not follow such rules would be subject to “defensive emergency measures”, the ministry added.
The disputed islands in the East China Sea have been a source of tension between China and Japan for decades.
In 2012, the Japanese government bought three of the islands from their private Japanese owner, sparking mass protests in Chinese cities.
Since then, Chinese ships have repeatedly sailed in and out of what Japan says are its territorial waters.
China said that any attempt by Japan to shoot down Chinese aircraft would constitute “an act of war”.
China is also engaged in territorial disputes with several South East Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines. The disputes centre around ocean areas and two island chains in the South China Sea.
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China has decided to relax its policy of restricting most couples to having only a single child, state media announces.
In future, families will be allowed two children if one parent is an only child, says the Xinhua news agency.
The one-child policy already exempts rural dwellers and ethnic minorities.
The move comes after this week’s meeting of a key decision-making body of the governing Communist Party. Other reforms include the abolition of “re-education through labor” camps.
The network of camps created half a century ago holds thousands of inmates.
Police panels have the power to sentence offenders to years in camps without a trial.
China’s leaders have previously said they wanted to reform the system.
The decision to do away with the camps was “part of efforts to improve human rights and judicial practices”, Xinhua said.
Most of these changes have already been tested in parts of the country.
Officials announce their plans well in advance to gain the consensus they need.
The Third Plenum of the Communist Party under President Xi Jinping, who took power last year, also announced plans for economic reform.
In future, Chinese families will be allowed two children if one parent is an only child
Traditionally reforms are expected from the Third Plenum, because new leaders are seen as having had time to consolidate power.
On Tuesday, when the meeting ended, China’s leaders promised the free market would play a bigger role, and farmers would have greater property rights over their land.
State firms will be required to pay larger dividends to the government, while private firms will be given a greater role in the economy.
There will be greater liberalization in both interest rates and the free convertibility of the yuan. More overseas investment will be allowed.
There will also be an increase in the number of smaller banks and financial institutions funded by private capital.
Other reforms announced on Friday include a reduction in the number of crimes subject to the death penalty.
The one-child policy would be “adjusted and improved step by step to promote <<long-term balanced development of the population in China>>”, Xinhua said, quoting a Communist Party statement released on Friday.
China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth.
It has on the whole been strictly enforced, though some exceptions already exist, including for ethnic minorities.
In some cities, both parents must be only children in order to be allowed to have a second child.
In the countryside, families are allowed to have two children if the first is a girl.
Rights groups say the law has meant some women being coerced into abortions, which Beijing denies.
The traditional preference for boys has also created a gender imbalance as some couples opt for sex-selective abortions.
By the end of the decade, demographers say China will have 24 million “leftover men” who, because of China’s gender imbalance, will not be able to find a wife.
Most of the elderly in China are still cared for by relatives, and only children from single-child parents face what is known as the 4-2-1 phenomenon.
When the child reaches working age, he or she could have to care for two parents and four grandparents in retirement.
After decades of population growth, China’s working-age population has recently begun to shrink.
By 2050, more than a quarter of China’s population will be over 65.
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At least one person died following a series of small blasts outside a provincial office of the ruling Communist Party in Shanxi province, northern China, state media report.
The blasts in Taiyuan in Shanxi province appeared to have been caused by home-made bombs, Xinhua reported.
It said eight people had been injured and two cars damaged.
Photos posted on social media showed smoke and several fire engines at the scene of the incident, which happened around 07:40 local time.
No immediate explanation has been given for the incident. There have been occasions in the past where disgruntled citizens have targeted local government institutions.
Tensions are also high in the wake of last week’s incident in Beijing. A car ploughed into a crowd in Tiananmen Square in what the authorities said was a terrorist attack incited by extremists from the western region of Xinjiang.
Later this week, the Communist Party’s top officials will meet in Beijing to start a major economic planning meeting.
At least one person died following a series of small blasts outside a provincial office of the ruling Communist Party in Shanxi province
“Several small explosive devices went off at Taiyuan’s Yingze Street near the provincial party office,” Shanxi police said in a post on their verified microblog.
“Provincial leaders went to the scene immediately, and police are currently investigating the case,” the post added.
“Police officers found steel balls, circuit boards and similar explosive materials at the scene,” state-run news agency Xinhua said.
“The initial judgement is that the explosions were man-made.”
The explosive devices were hidden in roadside flower beds, according to Chinese state television.
However, two witnesses told Xinhua they saw a minivan exploding, sending car debris flying.
Eyewitnesses also told Xinhua they heard “seven loud blasts”, and saw a large amount of smoke at the site.
Photos posted on microblog Sina Weibo appeared to show cars windows and tyres that were damaged as a result of the blasts, as well as metal ball-bearings.
One of those injured was in a serious condition, state media said.
Taiyuan police said in a verified microblog post that two-way traffic was restored on Yingze Street at 10:30 local time.
Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi, a province in north central China home to large-scale coal mining, is home to more than four million people.
Two suspects have been named by Beijing police after a deadly car crash in Tiananmen Square, state media report.
The vehicle crashed into a crowd and burst into flames, killing five people.
Police subsequently issued a notice to hotels in Beijing seeking information about two people from Xinjiang province, Chinese media said.
The note also described a vehicle and four number plates from Xinjiang, the scene of sporadic violent incidents.
State-run Xinhua news agency said of the five people who died on Monday, three people died inside the car and two tourists were killed. Another 38 people were injured.
Police shut down the scene of the incident – at the north end of the square at an entrance to the Forbidden City – shortly after it occurred, temporarily closing a subway station and a road.
There has been no official statement on the cause of the incident.
Five people died on Monday in Tiananmen Square car crash
“A major case has taken place on Monday,” the police notice said, without specifying what. It named two residents from Xinjiang’s Pishan and Shanshan counties as suspects.
The notice, unconfirmed images of which have been widely circulated on Chinese social media, also asked hotels to look out for “suspicious guests” and vehicles.
China’s state-controlled Global Times said it had confirmation from the Beijing police that the notice was genuine, although police did not comment on the “major case” itself.
Zhao Fuzhou, a security official at Beijing’s Xinjiang Dasha hotel, said that police had circulated a notice to hotels searching for information about two suspects with Uighur names, AP news agency reported.
Xinjiang is home to the minority Muslim Uighur group, some of whom complain of cultural and religious repression under Beijing’s rule. There have been sporadic outbreaks of violence in Xinjiang, including both Pishan and Shanshan counties.
China says it grants the Uighurs wide-ranging freedoms.
On Monday a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she did not know “specifics” about the incident. The country’s main state-run news agency, Xinhua, on Monday offered no reason for the incident but said police were investigating.
Tiananmen Square is a highly sensitive site due to its link to China’s 1989 pro-democracy protests, which were ended by a military crackdown.
The square is generally kept under very tight security both because of its proximity to key political institutions and so that is does not serve as a hub for protesters and petitioners, although incidents have nonetheless occurred there before.
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At least five people died and 38 others were injured after a vehicle crashed in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Chinese state media have said.
Three of those killed were inside the car and the other two were bystanders.
The square was evacuated and quickly reopened after the vehicle went into the crowd in front of the Tiananmen rostrum at midday.
Images posted online showed a vehicle in flames, amid barricades. There has been no explanation for the crash.
Other pictures on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the scene of the crash.
Three people inside the vehicle died, Beijing police said on its official microblog account, adding that one female tourist from the Philippines and a male tourist from Guangdong province had also died.
Senior leaders from both the central government and the local authorities in Beijing and the Ministry of Public Security have visited the scene, it said.
An investigation is under way and the injured have been taken to hospital, Beijing police said.
Tiananmen Square was the scene of the 1989 pro-democracy protests which were ended by a military crackdown.
At least five people died and 38 others were injured after a vehicle crashed in Tiananmen Square in Beijing
The site is generally kept under very tight security both because of its proximity to key political institutions and so that is does not serve as a hub for protesters and petitioners.
Incidents do occur, nonetheless. In 2011, a man set himself on fire at Tiananmen Square following what officials said was a legal dispute, close to the square’s portrait of Chairman Mao.
Two years before that, three people set themselves on fire in a car at a busy intersection near Tiananmen Square over what the authorities called personal grievances.
In 2000, several members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement were arrested for protesting at the square.
Fire extinguishers are kept at the site, and have been used when protesters set themselves on fire.
Monday’s incident took place at the north end of Tiananmen Square, near an entrance to the Forbidden City.
“A driver and two passengers were killed after a jeep crashed into a crowd of people and caught fire,” Xinhua news agency said.
Citing police and emergency officials, it said police officers were among those injured by the jeep, “which crashed into a guardrail of Jinshui Bridge on the moat of the Forbidden City before bursting into flames at 12:05 pm”.
One unnamed eyewitness told AFP news agency: “I saw a car turn a bend and suddenly it was driving on the pavement, it happened fast but looked like it knocked people over.”
“I heard an explosion and saw fire. The scene was very frightening,” he added.
“There were paramilitary police who told people to get back into their cars and stop taking pictures.”
In a microblog post on its verified Sina Weibo account, the Beijing police said that “the injured people were all sent to a nearby hospital”.
“Police at the site immediately launched rescue efforts, and the fire was quickly extinguished… the situation is currently being investigated further,” the police added.
A subway station close to the square was temporarily closed at the request of police, Beijing transport authorities said. Police also closed the road near the crash.
News of the incident first appeared on social media from those who were at the scene, but it appeared that some pictures were being quickly removed.
AFP news agency said that two of its reporters were also held close to the square, with images deleted from their cameras.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, when asked whether the government believed the incident was a terror attack, said that she did not know the specifics of the case and declined further comment.
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Chinese newspaper New Express, which made front-page appeals for the release of its journalist Chen Yongzhou, has issued an apology over his report.
The Guangdong-based New Express said a preliminary police investigation found that Chen Yongzhou had accepted money to publish numerous false reports.
Chen Yongzhou was arrested over claims he defamed a partly state-owned firm in articles exposing alleged corruption.
The paper’s front-page apology came after the journalist confessed to wrongdoing on state TV.
“I’m willing to admit my guilt and to show repentance,” Chen Yongzhou said in a statement broadcast on Saturday.
The New Express had previously backed him with unusually bold front-page appeals for his release.
But in a statement on Sunday’s front page, the newspaper said it had failed to properly check his reports.
Chen Yongzhou was arrested over claims he defamed a partly state-owned firm in articles exposing alleged corruption
“This newspaper was not strict enough about thoroughly fact-checking the draft of the report,” it said.
“After the incident occurred the newspaper took inappropriate measures, seriously harming the public trust of the media.”
The paper promised to better ensure that its reporters and editors “comply with professional journalistic ethics and regulations”.
The turn-around came one day after Chen Yongzhou appeared on state television in a green prison uniform to confess to writing false stories for money.
Several high-profile suspects have made televised confessions recently.
Experts say confessions are still routinely coerced, despite a change in the law earlier this year banning the authorities from forcing anyone to incriminate themselves.
Chen Yongzhou wrote several articles for the New Express alleging financial irregularities at a construction-equipment company called Zoomlion. The company denies the allegations.
“In this case I’ve caused damages to Zoomlion and also the whole news media industry and its ability to earn the public’s trust,” he told state broadcaster CCTV.
“I did this mainly because I hankered after money and fame. I’ve been used. I’ve realised my wrongdoing.”
State media said Chen Yongzhou had confessed to taking bribes, but did not report who might have paid the bribes.
His case attracted huge attention after the New Express twice used its front page to call for his release.
Media monitoring group China Digital Times reported that the Communist Party’s propaganda department had barred newspapers from reporting the story.
However, many newspapers have continued to cover it.
China’s newspaper industry is tightly controlled by a system of local censors carrying out party directives.
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In a recent interview, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe says other countries want Japan to adopt a more assertive leadership role in Asia to counter the growing power of China.
Shinzo Abe told the Wall Street Journal there were “concerns that China was trying to change the status quo by force, rather than by the rule of law”.
Relations between China and Japan have been strained over recent years.
China said on Saturday that if Japan shot down Chinese drones, this would be considered “an act of war” by Beijing.
The statement was referring to reports that PM Shinzo Abe had approved defense plans that envisaged using air force planes to shoot down unmanned Chinese aircraft in Japanese airspace.
Another contentious issue between the two countries is the dispute over a group of islands.
The islands, in the East China Sea, are controlled by Tokyo, but claimed by Beijing.
However, analysts say the nations’ rivalry reflects the power shift created by China’s meteoric economic and diplomatic rise while Japan has been mired in a two-decade economic slump.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe says other countries want Japan to adopt a more assertive leadership role in Asia to counter the growing power of China
China has warned against Japanese nationalism in a region where Japan’s colonial expansionism is still bitterly remembered.
In the interview, Shinzo Abe said he had realized that “Japan is expected to exert leadership not just on the economic front, but also in the field of security in the Asia-Pacific”.
The prime minister promised policies to counter Japan’s waning influence.
Other countries wanted Japan to stand up to China, Shinzo Abe said without naming any.
“There are concerns that China is attempting to change the status quo by force, rather than by rule of law. But if China opts to take that path, then it won’t be able to emerge peacefully,” Shinzo Abe says.
“So it shouldn’t take that path, and many nations expect Japan to strongly express that view. And they hope that as a result, China will take responsible action in the international community.”
The interview comes days after Shinzo Abe was reported to approved defense plans to intercept and shoot down foreign unmanned aircraft that ignore warnings to leave Japanese airspace.
On Saturday, China’s defense ministry responded saying: “If Japan does resort to enforcement measures like shooting down aircraft, that is a serious provocation to us, an act of war.”
“We will undertake decisive action to strike back, with every consequence borne by the side that caused the trouble,” spokesman Geng Yansheng said on the ministry’s website.
Imprisoned Chinese journalist Chen Yongzhou, whose newspaper New Express has made front-page appeals for his release, has confessed to wrongdoing on state TV.
“I’m willing to admit my guilt and to show repentance,” said reporter Chen Yongzhou, arrested over claims he defamed a partly state-owned firm.
State media said he had admitted writing false stories for money.
Analysts say there have been a number of televised confessions recently in high-profile or politicized cases.
Imprisoned Chinese journalist Chen Yongzhou has confessed to wrongdoing on state TV
But campaigners have frequently criticized the practice, saying they are often made under duress and violate rights to due process.
Chen Yongzhou wrote several articles for the Guangdong-based New Express alleging financial irregularities at a construction-equipment company called Zoomlion.
“In this case I’ve caused damages to Zoomlion and also the whole news media industry and its ability to earn the public’s trust,” he told state broadcaster CCTV.
“I did this mainly because I hankered after money and fame. I’ve been used. I’ve realized my wrongdoing.”
State media said Chen Yongzhou had confessed to taking bribes, but did not report who might have paid the bribes.
Chen Yongzhou’s case attracted huge attention after the New Express twice used its front page to call for his release.
The New Express has not yet commented on the confession.
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Chinese newspaper The New Express has published a second front-page plea for the release of its journalist Chen Yongzhou held by police.
The New Express called for a second time in two days Chen Yongzhou to be freed.
Chen Yongzhou was taken away by police after he wrote about a part state-owned construction equipment company.
In a rare move, China’s publishing regulator has also voiced its concern over his detention.
The New Express, based in the southern city Guangzhou, published on the bottom of its front page a large four-character headline that read: “Again: Please Release Him.”
On Tuesday, the paper filled its front page with a three-character headline that read “Please Release Him.”
The New Express has published a second front-page plea for the release of its journalist Chen Yongzhou
The New Express also accompanied the second day’s plea with a call to resolve matters under the rule of law.
“[Police] cannot take way people first and question them later,” the paper said.
Correspondents say the paper’s move is rare and bold at a time when the government is tightening control over the media and the internet.
Meanwhile, China’s publishing regulator, the General Association of Press and Publishing (GAPP), has voiced its concern over Chen Yongzhou’s detention.
GAPP “resolutely supports the news media conducting normal interviewing and reporting activities and resolutely protects journalists’ normal and legal rights to interview,” the China Press and Publishing Journal said, citing a GAPP official.
“At the same time, it resolutely opposes any abuse of the right to conduct interviews,” said the journal which is overseen by GAPP.
The article said the association was paying “close attention” to the matter.
Earlier this year, Chen Yongzhou wrote several reports about Zoomlion, which is partly owned by the Hunan provincial government.
Zoomlion issued a statement after one New Express article, which alleged it had improperly accounted for sales, caused its share price to drop.
In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange in late May, the company called the claims “false, groundless and misleading”.
Like all Chinese newspapers, the New Express comes under strict state control, but it has nonetheless gained a reputation for investigative journalism.
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Chinese newspaper The New Express, based in Guangzhou, has published a rare front-page plea for the release of one of its journalists held by police.
The New Express called for Chen Yongzhou, who was detained last week, to be freed.
The paper said Chen Yongzhou’s detention was linked to reports he wrote about a part state-owned construction equipment company based in Hunan.
Police in Hunan have confirmed the journalist has been detained for “damage to business reputation”.
The New Express has published a rare front-page plea for the release of journalist Chen Yongzhou held by police
Earlier this year, Chen Yongzhou wrote several reports about Zoomlion, which is partly owned by the Hunan provincial government.
Zoomlion issued a statement after one New Express article, which alleged it had improperly accounted for sales, caused its share price to drop.
In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange in late May, the company called the claims “false, groundless and misleading”.
Chen Yongzhou’s detention was linked to reports he wrote about a part state-owned construction equipment company based in Hunan
The New Express led its article with a large three-character headline that read “Please Release Him”.
It said it had remained quiet so far because it feared Chen Yongzhou, who was detained on October 19, might be mistreated.
“We always thought that as long as we report responsibly then there would be no problem; and even in the event of a problem, we can publish corrections and apologise; if it is really serious, and we lose a court case, we will pay or shut down if we have to,” the editorial said.
“But the fact is, we are too naive. Chen Yongzhou had spent three days and three nights [in custody] before he saw a lawyer,” it added.
Like all Chinese newspapers, the New Express comes under strict state control, but it has nonetheless gained a reputation for investigative journalism.
“We are a small newspaper, but we have the backbone no matter how poor we are,” the paper said in its piece.
Recent years have seen sporadic clashes between Chinese media outlets and the authorities.
In January, journalists at the Guangdong-based Southern Weekly newspaper called for a propaganda chief to quit, after he changed an editorial into a Communist Party tribute.
The row sparked small protests and displays of solidarity from other media outlets before the issue was resolved.
There have been strong reactions to the news of Chen Yongzhou’s detention from users of Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
Around 30 lawyers have put forward their names to rally support for Chen Yongzhou and organized a virtual body – “Observation Group on the Detention of New Express Reporter Chen Yongzhou”. But the group has not disclosed any planned actions.
Media professionals, including journalists, are also using Weibo to join the call for police to release Chen Younzhou.
An editor from Dongfang Jinbao, a Henan-based newspaper, wrote: “Support New Express to safeguard the rights of its journalists. The bottom line of consensus in today’s society is rule of law. Why did the police arrest Mr. Chen? On what legal basis? Is it detention or arrest?”
Weibo users have also commented on the censorship of the news of Chen Yongzhou’s detention.
Another journalist from Henan province added: Within 10 minutes, all major internet portals like Sina, Sohu, Tencent and others have withdrawn the story from their home pages. This is a moment of shame for all (except a few) journalists in China.
Other users, however, are urging restraint, saying that it is not good to jump to any conclusions now.
Starbucks has come under fire in China for reportedly charging locals higher prices than in other major markets.
The official China Central Television (CCTV) claimed Starbucks earns higher margins in China due to its pricing.
Starbucks is the latest foreign company to come under scrutiny from Chinese media over its pricing practices.
Earlier this year, Apple and Nestle were also put under pressure to review their prices or customer service.
Starbucks has come under fire in China for reportedly charging locals higher prices than in other major markets
Starbucks is rapidly expanding in China, which is set to overtake Canada as its second-biggest market next year.
In the CCTV report that aired on Sunday, it said a medium-size latte in Beijing costs 27 yuan ($4.43), or about one-third more than at a Starbucks in Chicago.
“Starbucks has been able to enjoy high prices in China, mainly because of the blind faith of local consumers in Starbucks and other Western brands,” Wang Zhendong, director of the Coffee Association of Shanghai, told CCTV.
Starbucks said its prices reflect higher food and logistical costs in China.
The issue became one of the most popular talking points on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, where many users seemed to rally to Starbucks’ side.
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China’s consumer prices rose more than forecast in September 2013, fuelled mainly by a surge in food prices.
Prices rose 3.1% during September, from a year earlier, up from 2.6% in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said.
The bureau said that food prices rose 6.1% from a year ago due to the impact of national holidays, as well as droughts and floods in some regions.
Some analysts said that rising prices had reduced the chance of any major monetary policy moves by Beijing.
“The rise of consumer price index (CPI) inflation leaves little room for policy easing,” said Zhiwei Zhang, an economist with Nomura.
He added that prices were likely to rise further and that there was a risk the rate of inflation could even be above the government’s 3.5% target for some months in 2014.
China’s consumer prices rose more than forecast in September 2013, fuelled mainly by a surge in food prices
China, the world’s second-largest economy, has been trying to recover from a recent slump which has seen its growth rate slow for two quarters in a row.
Its economy expanded by 7.5% in the April-to-June quarter from a year earlier – down from a growth rate of 7.7% in the previous three months.
There have been concerns that its growth rate may slow further in the coming months, not least because of a slowdown in demand for Chinese exports from key markets such as the US and Europe.
While there have been some indications in recent weeks that its growth may be on the mend, data released over the weekend triggered concerns over whether the recovery was sustainable.
China’s exports, a key driver of its growth, fell 0.3% in September from a year earlier, indicating that external demand continues to remain fragile.
Zhou Hao, an economist with ANZ in Shanghai, said the weak export numbers show that “the economy faces some downward pressures”.
Meanwhile, imports rose a more-than-forecast 7.4% from a year ago.
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