China

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Ana Brnabic met with Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade Chen Bo on Monday to discuss bilateral relations and the work on joint projects.

China retained its central bank chief on Feb. 12 in a surprise move, as the country appointed a cabinet focused on fighting economic headwinds.

Yi Gang was confirmed as governor of the People's Bank of China at a meeting of China's rubber-stamp national legislature, against expectations that retirement-age Yi would step down.

The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence released its 2023 annual threat assessment on Wednesday (local time), which warned of threats against the US posed by China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.

"The United States and China are sliding toward inevitable conflict if Washington does not change its approach toward Beijing. Moreover, the US has no right to criticize the possibility that the Asian giant is helping Russia in its war in Ukraine, while itself is providing weapons to Taiwan."

BELGRADE - Serbian goods exports to China hit a record high of 1.2 bln dollars in 2022 and a growing number of Serbian companies see a perspective in exporting to the country, Serbian Minister of Trade Tomislav Momirovic said on Wednesday after a meeting with a business delegation from the Chinese city of Ningbo.

Japan and the Netherlands have agreed to a deal with the U.S. to restrict China's access to materials used to make advanced computer chips, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Jan. 29.

The European luxury sector is welcoming the end of pandemic lockdowns in China, as the return of big-spending Chinese tourists could sustain further growth.

Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists visiting Europe were a major source of sales for luxury houses.

Xi Jinping emerged from October's 20th Party Congress with tighter control over the ruling Communist Party - and, therefore, over China - than any leader since Mao Zedong.

China's economy grew last year at its slowest pace in four decades as it was hammered by COVID lockdowns and a property crisis but the forecast-beating reading raised hopes for a strong recovery as it reopens.

In 2022, China's population shrank for the first time in six decades, a historic reversal that is expected to usher in a long period of decline in the country's population with profound consequences for its economy and the world, Reuters reported.