Microsoft builds new Beijing R&D center, plans to double research staff

" Microsoft will spend US$280 million on a Beijing research and development center and double its full-time R&D staff in China to 3,000 over the next few years, the Wall Street Journal reported. Microsoft China's chairman, Zhang Ya-Qin, said during the center's...

WHO representative: No cover-up in EV71 cases

" China didn't cover up hand, foot and mouth disease cases, the World Health Organization's China representative said, according to the Wall Street Journal. Hans Troedsson, the representative, said information about the outbreak was delayed because of trouble with...

China says Baxter obstructing investigations into heparin deaths

" Chinese officials said US drugmaker Baxter International was obstructing an investigation into deaths linked to a Chinese-made blood thinner called heparin, Reuters reported. The State Food and Drug Administration said Baxter was not cooperating with Chinese...

China and Japan pledge to start annual meetings

" China and Japan pledged to hold annual meetings and put past suspicions behind them, as President Hu Jintao visited Japan, the Wall Street Journal reported. "Our relations are at a new starting point," Hu said during the visit, the first by a Chinese president in a...

China won't confirm new Hainan nuclear sub base

China would not confirm or deny the existence of a new undergroundnuclear submarine base off the southern island of Hainan, Reutersreported. Analysts from Jane's Information Group said a satellitephotograph showed the facility's existence, and that such a base wouldbe key to...

Virus fears spread to Beijing

Two Beijing kindergartens were temporarily closed yesterday due tofears of the hand, foot and mouth disease that has already killed atleast 26 children in China, Reutersreported. The number of infected children in the kindergartens has notbeen confirmed, and the sick are...

SFDA denies link between US deaths and Chinese-made drug

China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said no direct linkhas been proven between deaths in the US and the blood thinner heparin,APreported. A US congressional subcommittee was told last month thatcontaminated heparin has been linked to 81 deaths and 785...

WHO: China Deadly virus likely won't threaten Olympics

The World Health Organization said that an infectious virus responsiblefor the deaths of 24 children in China is unlikely to threaten theBeijing Olympics, although it is too early to say whether the infectionhas peaked, APreported. The enterovirus 71, or EV-71, causes severe...

Alibaba shares fall as Microsoft withdraws Yahoo bid

Hong Kong-lisited shares in Alibaba.com fell 6% on Monday to HK$15.25(US$1.96) after Microsoft abandoned its takeover bid for Yahoo, whichowns 39% of Alibaba Group, Alibaba.com's parent, the South China Morning Post reported.Despite speculation that the decline was caused...

Hu arrives in Japan for historic visit

China President Hu Jintao will arrive in Tokyo today for an official visit, marking the first visit by a Chinese head of state to Japan in 10 years, AFP reported. Ahead of the five-day trip, Hu said he hoped the visit would lead to a "warm spring" with Japan, China's top...

China Airline stocks surge as jet-fuel prices fall

Shares of China's three largest airlines all hit the 10% cap forincreases in a single trading day on the Shanghai exchange Monday, state mediareported. Mainland-listed A-shares for Air China, China Southern andChina Eastern jumped to RMB16.31 (US$2.33), RMB13.92 (US$1.99)...