CHINA

China shares broad common interests and goals with the U.S. on Korean peninsula issues, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Wednesday, ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States.

Europe's debt crisis does not alter the long-term strategic position of the euro in the global monetary system, an adviser to the Chinese central bank said on Wednesday.

China's giant pandas need not only bamboo, but also ancient forests to thrive in the wild, a study in western China has found.

China would welcome assurance about the security of its financial assets in the United States, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday ahead of President Hu Jintao's visit next week, while playing down rifts between the two powers.

China has caused alarm around the region and in Washington because of its ambitious military modernization program, especially with this week's announcement of a test flight of a stealth fighter.

China would welcome assurance about the security of its financial assets in the United States, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday ahead of President Hu Jintao's visit next week, while playing down rifts between the two powers.

It would be reasonable for China to raise interest rates in the first quarter because price pressure tends to be high for seasonal reasons during the opening months of the year, a central bank adviser said on Wednesday.

Aluminium output in China, the world's top producer, may be trimmed further this month as smelters in southwest Guizhou province face power cuts to offset soaring energy demand linked to freezing weather, industry sources said on Wednesday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates played down the possibility of a rift between China's civilian leadership and its military.

Volvo Car expects China to become its biggest market as early as next year and its second home market after Sweden as the Chinese-owned automaker looks for sales to grow more than six times by 2015, a top company executive said.

American International Group Inc accepted a $2.16 billion offer for its Taiwan Nan Shan Life unit from a group led by local conglomerate Ruentex Group, marking the beginning of the end of a over year-long process fraught with delays and political wrangling.

Even before it launches the first passenger cars under its own brand at home, China's BAIC has set its sights on expansion overseas.

China told the United States on Wednesday that its first test-flight of a stealth fighter jet should not be seen as a threat, reiterating that it had no intention of challenging U.S. military might in the Pacific.

The euro rose weakly against the dollar on Wednesday while Asian stocks edged higher, but investors were increasingly nervous ahead of a key bond sale by ailing euro zone member Portugal later in the day.

American International Group Inc could announce as early as Wednesday the sale of its Taiwan Nan Shan Life unit to conglomerate Ruentex Group for up to $2.5 billion, according to Taiwan newspapers.

The iPhone on Verizon's network will be a big win for Apple, as pent-up demand driven by users who were waiting for an alternative to AT&T drives sales of the iPhone 4.

Remarks by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to the American Farm Bureau on January 10, 2011.

China, one of the largest buyers of energy, and Russia, a leading exporter of it, are quickly cemeting their natural friendship.

State-owned Bank of China Ltd has opened trading in the yuan currency to U.S. customers, according to a posting on the bank's website dated December 2010.

Douglas Clayton, chief executive officer of investment fund manager Leopard Capital, is one of the premier investors of the frontier markets. Based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Clayton speaks to IB Times about the ramifications of Laos opening a stock exchange.

The United States should not press China for an immediate sharp rise in the value of its yuan currency because that could be bad for both countries, the leader of a top U.S. business group said on Tuesday.