Lindsay Beck
Guest Author
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/ 14 February 2007

Hard work yet to come on North Korea nuclear deal

Chief United States negotiator Christopher Hill cautioned on Wednesday that difficult work remained to implement the breakthrough energy-for-arms agreement with North Korea. The deal, hammered out at six-party talks in Beijing in the shadow of North Korea’s first nuclear test last October, requires the secretive state to shutter is Yongbyon reactor within 60 days.

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/ 18 January 2007

China to invest billions in energy-saving buildings

China will invest 1,5-trillion yuan (-billion) to make existing buildings more energy efficient by 2020 in a bid to save millions of tonnes of polluting coal, an official said on Thursday. Vice-Minister of Construction Qiu Baoxing said 350-million tonnes of coal could be saved in the next 15 years if existing buildings were renovated.

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/ 5 November 2006

China in Africa: Boon or burden?

As Beijing hosted 48 African leaders for a summit this weekend aimed at deepening trade and political ties, both the best and worst of its engagement were on display: investment that is fuelling the highest growth in decades in parts of Africa, but also its friendship with countries such as Zimbabwe and Sudan.

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/ 31 October 2006

China paints town red for African leaders

China has not only rolled out the red carpet, it has also redecorated its capital in red as it prepares to host more than 40 African heads of state for a summit billed as a warm-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. About 1 700 delegates and hundreds of journalists are expected for the November 1 to 6 China-Africa forum.

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/ 26 October 2006

China defends soaring trade with Africa

China’s trade with Africa is set to top -billion this year, officials said on Thursday, as Beijing gears up to host a China-Africa forum that will deepen much-scrutinised investment ties. China has defended its growing trade ties and its more than -billion worth of investments on the continent, whose energy and mineral wealth it covets to fuel its booming economy.

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/ 10 October 2006

China rules out war over North Korea

China declined on Tuesday to rule out possible United Nations sanctions against North Korea for carrying out a reported nuclear test but said any military action was unimaginable. It said it had no information about widespread speculation that the secretive North might be ready to conduct a second test.