Blinken postpones trip to China as balloon flies over U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a planned high-stakes weekend diplomatic trip to China.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a planned high-stakes weekend diplomatic trip to China.
Authorities justify the ban, which mirrors mainland China's, by arguing that cannabidiol products could be converted into THC, the intoxicating compound in cannabis.
"China is not our adversary," Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, "but we must understand the scale of the challenge and work together to address it."
Experts think the number of COVID deaths will peak in China in the coming days, and despite a travel boom, the worst of the pandemic may finally be over.
While there's no clear evidence yet of a dangerous new variant emerging, cases are surging, and that carries risks for both China and the world.
A Foreign Ministry official said Beijing was "firmly opposed to attempts to manipulate the COVID measures for political purposes."
Authorities blamed the massive crash on "a sudden build-up of fog" on a busy bridge over the Yellow River.
The fast-changing rules have fueled excitement and a boom in travel queries in China, but with hospitals overwhelmed, many other nations are imposing new restrictions.
U.S. officials were quick to praise the massive adjustment to post-WWII Japan's pacifist policy as marking "a new era in the defense of democracy."
Despite official promises of a vaccine surge and calls for most of those infected to just ride it out, sudden policy changes have left many people nervous.
Official case numbers have been falling, but many in Beijing are still in near-panic mode despite government efforts to clarify the new policy.
The announcement appeared to be in response to widespread protests in recent weeks, including some of the boldest demonstrations China has seen in decades.
Lin, born in California to parents from Taiwan, was the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA.
Historic protests mark the first time since 1989 that China has seen protests explicitly calling for the downfall of China's Communist Party.
Days after the most significant protests the ruling Communist Party has faced in decades, a senior health official heralded "a new situation," and 2 megacities eased restrictions.
Jiang led his country out of isolation after the Tiananmen Square crackdown, backing economic reform that ushered a decade of explosive growth.
The federal agency in charge of China's law enforcement authorities said it was time to crack down on "illegal criminal behavior that has disrupted social order."
Crowds angered by severe anti-COVID restrictions gathered over the weekend in the biggest show of public dissent the country has seen in decades.
"Down with Xi Jinping! Down with the Communist Party!" protesters could be heard chanting in videos circulated online.
As other nations seem to be living with the virus, China is doubling down on its draconian policy, and that's fueling a rare backlash in the tightly controlled nation.
Wu was previously one of China's most bankable stars, but brands including Louis Vuitton and Porsche suspended their partnerships with him over the case.
Despite anger vented online over the draconian measures, officials in one major city with cases soaring said they'd build quarantine space for 250,000 more people.
Allison talks with host Michael Morell about Xi's plan for China, the negative consequences of bellicose rhetoric and how Taiwan could potentially trigger a war between the U.S. and China.
Biden said the leaders accept a joint responsibility to "prevent competition from becoming anything ever near conflict and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues."
The moves are clearly aimed at luring some business back into the country, but they may not go far enough to entice many travelers.