China's trade surplus tops $100 bil. in 2005

January 11, 2006

China's trade surplus exceeded $100 billion in 2005 due mainly to a robust increase in exports of products such as electronics and textiles, customs officials said in a report released Wednesday. Exports grew 28.4 percent over 2004 to $762 billion, while imports went up 17.6 percent to $660.12 billion, resulting in a surplus of $101.88 billion, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs.

Speculation rife as to N. Korean leader's whereabouts in China

January 11, 2006

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's whereabouts in China remained a mystery on Wednesday, with the governments of the two countries keeping silent about the trip and speculation of his destination ranging from Beijing to Shanghai to Shenzhen. The two countries -- which have a record of confirming Kim's visits to China only after his return to North Korea -- continued to refrain from confirming or denying that the North Korean leader was visiting the country.

India loses out to China on Myanmar gas supply

January 11, 2006

Myanmar last month inked an agreement to supply natural gas to China, dealing a blow to Indian efforts to import gas from Myanmar, Indian news media reported. Myanmar's Energy Ministry on Dec. 7 signed an agreement with Hong Kong-listed PetroChina Co. to supply gas from the Block A-1 natural gas reserve located off Myanmar's western Rakhine coast to China, Press Trust of India said late Tuesday.

Seoul university apologizes for stem cell scientist's fraud

January 11, 2006

South Korea's Seoul National University offered an apology to the nation Wednesday for the scientific fraud committed at the school by disgraced scientist Hwang Woo Suk, who faked research results of two breakthrough papers. ''I offer a heartfelt apology for the people (in this nation) for Hwang and his research team's misconduct,'' university president Chung Un Chan told a news conference.

2 new bird flu deaths reported in China, WHO says

January 11, 2006

Two people who had fallen ill from bird flu in China have died, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease in the country to five, a World Health Organization spokesman said Wednesday. The two -- a 10-year-old girl from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and a 35-year-old man from Jiangxi Province -- died in December after being exposed to poultry and falling ill from avian influenza, Roy Wadia said.