China: Daily Scan, February 17, 2021

Embassy refutes Canada's 'arbitrary detention' declaration:China Daily

February 17, 2021

China has expressed firm opposition to a so-called declaration that Canada unveiled on Monday targeting the "arbitrary detention" of foreign nationals, and has lodged solemn representations with the Canadian side, according to the Chinese embassy in Canada. Click here to read... [2]

Coronavirus: facing criticism and attacks, WHO team readies report on Wuhan probe: South China Morning Post

February 17, 2021

The team of international scientists that went to Wuhan in January to probe the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, flew out a month later into a storm of criticism, as well as remaining questions about the source of the virus and China’s cooperation with the investigation.Click here to read... [3]

China under US pressure to condemn Myanmar military coup: China Morning Post

February 17, 2021

The United States will continue to press China for a clear condemnation of the military coup in Myanmar, as Beijing attempts to distance itself from the chaos in the Southeast Asian nation. Click here to read... [4]

Biden says China to face 'repercussions' on human rights: Nikkei Asia

February 17, 2021

China will pay a price for its human rights abuses, U.S. President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday, responding to queries at a televised event on the Asian nation's handling of Muslim minorities in its far western region of Xinjiang. Click here to read... [5]

Xi's excessive secrecy inflicts needless self-harm: Nikkei Asia

February 17, 2021

Anniversaries are occasions for reflection. As China marks the anniversary of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, it seems that its leaders ought to learn some lessons from this once-in-a-century calamity so that similar mistakes will not be made in the future. Click here to read... [6]

China becomes EU's biggest trade partner in 2020: Xinhuanet

February 16, 2021

China became the main trade partner of the European Union (EU) in 2020, with exports and imports both increasing despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Eurostat said on Monday.
According to the EU's statistical service, the bloc's imports from China throughout the year 2020 grew by 5.6 percent year-on-year to 383.5 billion euros (465 billion U.S. dollars), and exports grew by 2.2 percent to 202.5 billion euros. Click here to read... [7]

PLA destroyer flotilla joins multinational drills in Pakistan with US, Russia navies: PLA Daily

February 16, 2021

A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy flotilla led by a Type 052D destroyer on Thursday started participating in a multinational exercise in Pakistan, a unique platform experts said that provides opportunities for Chinese and Russian navies to come together with their counterparts from the US and other Western countries. Click here to read... [8]

Morrison's threat to rip up Victoria's BRI deal is all bark and no bite: Global Times

February 16, 2021

Australian daily newspaper the Herald Sun quoted the country's Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday as reporting that he hasn't seen the benefits of Victoria's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with China. Since then, a growing number of Western media outlets have been hyping that the deal could be torn up "within weeks." But that would be unlikely. Click here to read... [9]