介绍:
China urges U.S. to stop flexing muscle on excuse of "navigation freedom"
China has accused the United States of being the biggest incentive for militarization of the South China Sea, and urged Washington to stop creating tension in the name of "navigational freedom".
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang made the remarks after a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed into Chinese waters over the weekend.
The Pentagon has said the operation sought to challenge policies restricting navigation rights and freedom.
Lu Kang says China always respects and supports navigational freedom in the South China Sea granted by international law to all countries
But he has made clear that China opposes any infringement of its sovereignty, security and maritime interests using the excuse of 'navigational freedom'.
China's Jan. Manufacturing PMI slightly down to 49.4
The latest official data suggests that China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 49.4 in January, down from 49.7 in December.
The National Bureau of Statistics says the decrease was mainly due to weaker demand and fewer foreign trade orders.
This is the 6th consecutive month that the manufacturing PMI reading has remained below the benchmark 50.
Meanwhile, China's service sector activity also slackened off in January.
The PMI for the non-manufacturing sector came in at 53.5 in January, down from 54.4 in December.
China Is a "Reliable" and "Ideal" Partner for Malawi: Chinese FM
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China remains committed in supporting Malawi to achieve economic independence.
Wang made the comments on Sunday in Malawi's capital Lilongwe where he met with Malawi's President Peter Mutharika and Foreign Minister George Chaponda.
Malawi is Wang Yi's first stop in a 4-nation tour in Africa.
He will also visit Mauritius, Mozambique and Namibia.
Casualties feared after explosions rock near presidential palace in Somalia
Several people are feared dead following multiple explosions near the presidential palace in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
A district official in the capital says mortar shells were fired near the presidential palace and initial reports say there were civilian casualties.
It is not yet known who's behind the attack.
Myanmar new parliament elects speaker of House of Representatives
Myanmar's new parliament has begun its first session at the start of a new five-year term.
U Win Myint of the National League for Democracy has been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives at the session.
The new parliament began its business nearly three months after November's general election in which NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the absolute majority of the parliamentary seats.
The parliament session is expected to elect a new president for Myanmar and install a new government.
US presidential candidates in final pitch before Iowa vote
The first nominating votes in the US presidential election will take place later this Monday in the state of Iowa.
On the Republican side, latest polls suggest real-estate mogul Donald Trump has a narrow lead over Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
The Democratic race is slightly tighter, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton edging ahead of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Each party's nominee will contest the general election in November.
Candidates are hoping to triumph in this first electoral test as victory in Iowa can often spark momentum as voting moves to the other states.
S. Korea repeats need for deploying U.S. missile defense system
South Korea is pushing for the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system, citing the threats posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.
Both the ruling party chairman and the defense minister have called for the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, known as the THAAD system.
The issue has recently gained fresh momentum in South Korea after the North claimed that it successfully carried out its first hydrogen bomb test last month.
The move also indicates South Korea's possible change in position over the THAAD deployment as Seoul had stressed the development of its indigenous missile defense system.
Man found innocent after 23 years in prison for homicide
A Chinese man who spent 23 years in prison has been acquitted.
The top court in the eastern province Zhejiang says there's insufficient evidence to sustain the verdict against Chen Man.
Chen was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for homicide and arson in 1994 in the southern province of Hainan.
He continued to appeal until last April when his case was retried by the Zhejiang high court.
Chen's lawyer and the family are now planning to apply for state compensation for the wrongful conviction.
Mainland flight transfers through Taiwan launched
A flight transfer program to and from Chinese mainland through Taiwan has been launched in three mainland cities.
Under the program, mainland passengers will not enter Taiwan, nor they will be checked or their visas sealed when flying through Taiwan's Taoyuan Airport to other destinations.
