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Construction begins on China-Russia pipeline project under Yangtze River

China officially began the world’s largest tunnel construction under a major river on Tuesday, kick starting the construction of the 1,509-kilometer-long southern Chinese section of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline.

The tunnel under the Yangtze River is a key project of the southern Chinese section of the pipeline, which will connect Yongqing in North China’s Hebei Province with the economic hub of Shanghai.

The China Oil & Gas Piping Network Corporation, the national oil and gas pipeline company launched late last year, said that after the key project is completed by June 2025, annual throughput will reach 18.9 billion cubic meters per year. 

Energy traffic in the Yangtze River Delta will be immensely improved, with imported Russian natural gas meeting civilian and industrial demand in the region, the company said. 

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China plans to buy gold mine in Arctic; Trudeau government to decide deal

A Chinese stat-run company is planning to buy a gold mine in the Canadian Arctic. The plans of a state-run company acquiring the area has sparked concerns for the Canadian government.

Shandong Gold Mining Co.’s plans on buying the gold mines from a Canadian company as experts believe it shows how China is expanding its presence in strategically important region.

The Canadian opposition party has raised concerns and has urged the Trudeau government to take steps as it holds a cabinet meeting over this deal.

The opposition has urged the Prime Minister to block the deal and discourage China from acquiring any more assets in the Arcitc after the US warned that China could be aiming to assert its importance in sensitive and important regions such as Arctic, similar to the South China Sea dispute.

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Philippines’s Duterte Asks China for Access to Successful Coronavirus Vaccine

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he has asked China for help in getting access to a coronavirus vaccine as governments around the world make arrangements to secure supply for their citizens ahead of what is expected to be a global scramble for the much-awaited shots.

新冠肺炎疫情发生以来，中菲双方同舟共济、守望相助，抗疫合作已成为两国关系的新亮点。菲律宾是中国的友好邻邦，我们愿在疫苗方面优先考虑菲方需求。

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Washington confirms suspension of Fulbright programme for Hong Kong, mainland

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3094686/us-china-relations-washington-confirms-suspension-fullbright

The United States has confirmed the suspension of its Fulbright programme in mainland China and Hong Kong, after President Donald Trump pulled the plug on the fellowship earlier this month in response to Beijing’s introduction of a national security law in the former British colony.
In an email sent to US scholars preparing to take part in the programme, the US state department said the 2020-21 exchange “will not operate”, though participants would be allowed to apply to take part in different countries.
The Fulbright programme was established by the US in 1946 and allows American and foreign academics to teach, research and study in each other’s countries. The first agreement was signed with China, but it now covers more than 160 countries.

There goes the US spies and secret agents.

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China’s self-developed large-scale fire-fighting/water rescue amphibious aircraft “KunLong” AG600 successful maiden flight

https://www.cnbeta.com/articles/tech/1007827.htm我国自主研制的大型灭火/水上救援水陆两栖飞机“鲲龙”AG600在山东青岛附近海域，成功实现海上首飞，为下一步飞机进行海上试飞科目训练及验证飞机相关性能奠定了基础。9时28分，由机长赵生、副驾驶刘汝钦、机械师魏鹏和监控观察员焦连跃组成的首飞机组，驾驶着AG600飞机从山东日照山字河机场滑行起飞。经过约28分钟飞行，抵达青岛附近海域上空。

AG600逐步降低高度，平稳入海。10时14分入水，10时18分海上起飞。

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Alibaba, Jack Ma summoned by Indian court on former employee’s complaint

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alibaba-india-exclusive/exclusive-alibaba-jack-ma-summoned-by-indian-court-on-former-employees-complaint-idUSKCN24R053
An Indian court has summoned Alibaba and its founder Jack Ma in a case in which a former employee in India says he was wrongfully fired after objecting to what he saw as censorship and fake news on company apps, documents seen by Reuters showed.

In court filings dated July 20 and previously not reported, the former employee of Alibaba’s UC Web, Pushpandra Singh Parmar, alleges the company used to censor content seen as unfavourable to China and its apps UC Browser and UC News showcased false news “to cause social and political turmoil”.

Civil Judge Sonia Sheokand of a district court in Gurugram, a satellite city of India’s capital, New Delhi, has issued summons for Alibaba, Jack Ma and about a dozen individuals or company units, asking them to appear in court or through a lawyer on July 29, court documents showed.