Hourly News 每日新闻 2013-08-23

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Typhoon Trami has brought rainstorms and caused havoc in east China after making landfall in Fujian.

Trami, which hit coastal² Fujian on Thursday morning, has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it makes its way further inland.

Local authorities in Fujian have evacuated³ some 400-thousand people.

So far no casualties have been reported.

At the same time, the northeast is continuing to see some of it's worst flooding in decades.

A dyke⁴ burst along the Heilongjiang River, forcing an evacuation early Thursday morning.

A 20-meter section of the dyke broke free along the community of Chaibaotun, forcing around 7-thousand people to flee to safety.

No casualties have been reported.

 

Bo Xilai trail to continue today

Former leading party official Bo Xilai is due back in court later on this Friday to continue his trial for taking bribes⁵, embezzlement⁶ and abuse of power.

Court documents released as part of the first day of Bo Xilai's trial on Thursday allege⁷ he took bribes worth close to 22-million yuan, to help business leaders gain contracts while he was the mayor of Dalian, governor of Liaoning and the country's Commerce Minister.

He's also accused of obstructing⁸ the criminal investigation⁹ into the murder charges his wife was facing while he served as the Party chief in Chongqing.

Bo Xilai denies the bribery¹⁰ charges.

A preliminary verdict is expected to be handed down after the proceedings¹¹ conclude on Friday.

 

Chinese president meets Jamaican PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller¹² in Beijing.

Xi Jinping says there is still large room for cooperation between China and Jamaica when it comes to investment and infrastructure¹³ construction.

The Chinese president has also taken time to call on the international community to offer help to small island nations including Jamaica.

For her part, Prime Minister Miller says the Jamaican government welcomes Chinese investments.

Jamaica is now China's biggest trading partner in the Caribbean region.

 

China slams McCain's remarks on Diaoyu Islands

The Chinese government is calling on a "relevant U.S. lawmaker" to stop making irresponsible remarks about the Diaoyu Islands.

The statement follows comments by U.S. Senator John McCain, who says China is violating Japan's fundamental right to the islands. 

The Chinese foreign ministry¹⁴ says U.S lawmakers should avoid making regional situations more complicated. 

Reports out of Japan are quoting John McCain as describing the Diaoyu islands as "Japanese territory." 

He's also told reporters in Tokyo that nations feeling increasingly threatened by China's maritime¹⁵ presence "need to act in closer coordination¹⁶ with each other."

 

Two Koreas make fresh breakthroughs over family reunion and Kaesong industrial park

North Korea has accepted working-level talks with South Korea about the potential restart 

of family reunions.

Red Cross delegates from both sides are set to sit down to discuss the possibility of holding family reunions again at the Panmunjom truce¹⁷ village along the border.

North Korea had originally wanted the talks to be held at the Mount Kumgang resort.

However, South Korea rejected that notion, saying it doesn't want to link the potential reopening of that tourist facility to the issue of family reunions.

 

Egypt's ex-president Mubarak leaves prison to Maadi military hospital

Egypt's ex-president Hosni Mubarak has been transferred to Maadi Military Hospital in the capital Cairo from Tora prison on Thursday. 

Earlier, the Egyptian prosecution¹⁸ ordered the prison to release Mubarak, because he was cleared for his corruption¹⁹ cases. 

Mubarak is banned from travelling abroad as he still faces a retrial on charges of involvement in the killing²⁰ of protesters during the 2011 unrest that toppled him. 

The next hearing is slated²¹ for this weekend.

 

China approves pilot free trade zone in Shanghai

China's State Council has given its formal approval for the establishment of a pilot free trade zone in Shanghai.

The new Free Trade Zone will combine four existing pilot free trade areas in the municipality.

It is expected to further expand to cover an area of nearly 29-square kilometers.

The new FTZ is being established as the central government trys to impose a more proactive opening-up strategy to boost trade.

 

New Zealand-China ties remain strong through food safety issues: New Zealand FM

New Zealand's foreign minister is here in China to try to assure ties between the two countries.

Murray McCully has met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and State Councillor Yang Jiechi.

McCully has told reporters here in Beijing New Zealand dairy producer Fonterra has let every New Zealander down.

For his part, State Councillor Yang Jiechi says its the Chinese government's hope the New Zealand side will appropriately handle food safety issues to ensure Chinese consumers' interests.

Fonterra has come under heavy scrutiny²² after it was revealed some of its products shipped here to China could have contained a potentially deadly bacteria.

 

HSBC August Flash China Manufacturing PMI 50.1, Four-Month High

Manufacturing activity here in China expanded to a four month high in August.

The HSBC Flash Purchasing Manufacturing Index has come out ahead of market expectations, registering at 50.1 on the back of improved new business output.

HSBC's revised PMI reading for July was at 47.7, an 11 month low.

Any reading below 50 indicates contraction²³.

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