The Latest Breaking News from Beijing

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday he seriously doubted that ramped up Chinese military activities near the Taiwan Strait were a sign of an imminent invasion of the island by Beijing.

Residents held vigils to commemorate people who have died in lockdown. Several have been arrested.

Travelers stand in the departures hall of Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Wednesday. A computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration brought flights to a standstill across the US, with thousands of delays quickly cascading through the system at airports nationwide.

BEIJING: Chinese health officials said on Wednesday it was “not necessary” to dwell on the exact number of Covid deaths in the country, days after the World Health Organization criticised authorities’ approach to tallying the surge in cases there.

In retaliation for Tokyo and Seoul heightening border controls for arrivals from China, Beijing on Tuesday stopped issuing visas to Japanese and South Korean nationals.

China introduced transit curbs for South Korean and Japanese nationals on Wednesday, in an escalating diplomatic spat over COVID-19 curbs that is marring the grand re-opening of the world's second-largest economy after three years of isolation. China removed quarantine mandates for inbound travelers on Sunday, one of the last vestiges…

Beijing said on Wednesday that it would scrap visa-free transit for South Korean and Japanese citizens, stepping up a diplomatic tit-for-tat after both countries placed travel curbs on visitors from China.

The World Health Organisation said a lack of data was making it challenging to help China manage the risks of a COVID-19 surge over the Lunar New Year holiday, as the world's second-largest economy reopens after three years of isolation.

Beijing halts visa processing in South Korea and Japan in protest at what it says are "discriminatory" entry test rules imposed on travellers from China by a range of countries, including Australia.

China is expected to ease its monetary policy in the first half this year following the country's recent reopening for cross-border travel as Beijing continues to stimulate domestic consumption and support vulnerable businesses, says SCB Chief Investment Office (SCB CIO).

The move came after Seoul and Tokyo introduced measures for visitors from China last month, including visa restrictions.