U.S. official: Rio Tinto arrests of ‘great concern’

The United States on Wednesday called for more transparency from China on the arrests of four mining employees, including an Australian national, on charges of stealing state secrets. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is raising the question with Chinese leaders, including Premier Wen Jiabao, with whom he is to meet Thursday in Beijing

Share

China Casts an Acquisitive Eye on U.S. Assets

At $1.95 trillion, China’s international reserves are more than enough to fund America’s entire budget deficit next year, which the U.S. Treasury estimates will reach $1.3 trillion because of the government’s massive stimulus spending. There is no direct correlation between these two numbers, but they highlight a reversal of fortune.

Share

Report: Kim Jong Il has pancreatic cancer

A report in South Korean media is fueling the ongoing speculation about the deteriorating health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. YTN News, citing unidentified intelligence sources in South Korea and China, reported Monday that the 67-year-old leader has pancreatic cancer. South Korea’s Unification Ministry flatly denied the report, which comes a week after a frail-looking Kim appeared in public for the first time in months.

Share

Two Uyghurs shot dead by Chinese police

Police shot and killed two ethnic Uyghurs and wounded another in a Chinese region that has seen violent ethnic strife in recent weeks, state media reported Monday. The police were trying to stop the three people from attacking a fourth person with clubs and knives in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China Radio International reported, citing the local government. All four people involved in the incident were ethnic Uyghurs, a minority Muslim group distinct from China’s majority Han population, CRI said.

Share