This is People’s Daily Tonight, your news source from China.  

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China Eastern Airlines seeks compensation from Boeing for 737 MAX groundings

China Eastern Airlines said it has sought compensation from US aerospace giant Boeing after grounding its fleet of 737 MAX planes in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

A total of fourteen 737 Max planes were grounded, including 11 from Shanghai Airlines.

Norwegian Air was the first to publicly seek compensa-tion from Boeing for costs and losses, after grounding its fleet of eight 737 MAX jets. (People's Daily app)

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Aircraft crossing Taiwan Strait is PLA's regular arrangement: Mainland spokesperson

A Chinese mainland spokesperson said Wednesday that the flight of People's Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jets across the Taiwan Strait is a regular training arrangement.

On March 31, Taiwan authorities claimed that two PLA aircraft jets crossed the "median line of the Taiwan Strait" and the move was "provocative and damaging the cross-strait status quo."

At a press conference on Wednesday, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said that this is a regular training program of the PLA.

There is only one China in the world. The mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China, Ma stressed. (People's Daily app)

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Wreckage from missing Japanese F-35A fighter found

Wreckage from a missing Japanese F-35A fighter was believed to have been found floating in the Pacific Ocean.

Japan's Self-Defense Force said the pilot of the single-seat jet when it went missing remains unaccounted for.

Officials said the plane had been flying with three other F-35As on a training mission.

They said there were no reports of problems from the plane before it went missing. (Xinhua)

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New Zealand gov't to establish legal framework for gun buyback

New Zealand announced on Wednesday that a legal framework for the gun buyback will be established.

New Zealand's Police Minister Stuart Nash confirmed in the press release that a legal framework for the gun buyback would be established as a first step towards determining the level of compensation. The framework will include compensation for high capacity magazines and parts.

New Zealand's government decided to change gun laws and ban semi-automatic firearms after the Christchurch terror attacks which killed 50 people. The gun buyback scheme is part of the legislative process in the gun law reform. (Xinhua)

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New port opens between China, North Korea

China has opened a new road port in Ji'an, Northeast China's Jilin Province to North Korea.

It’s China’s latest move to celebrate the 70th anniver-sary of diplomatic relations with North Korea.

The new border facility is expected to process 500,000 tons of goods and 200,000 entry and exit trips a year.

The new port is one of the biggest and most up-to-date customs facilities in Northeast China. (Global Times)

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China's central bank skips open market operations for 15th day

China's central bank continued to skip open market operations on Wednesday, citing abundant liquidity in the banking system.

The People's Bank of China said liquidity has been at a relatively high level.

The central bank has skipped reverse repos for 15 consecutive working days.

No reverse repo is due on Wednesday.

A reverse repo is a process by which the central bank purchases securities from commercial banks through bidding, with an agreement to sell them back in the future.

China will keep its prudent monetary policy "neither too tight nor too loose" while maintaining market liquidity at a reasonably ample level in 2019, according to the annual Central Economic Work Conference held last year. (Xinhua)

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David Malpass takes office as World Bank president

And David Malpass officially assumed the presidency of the World Bank Group.

He said he looks forward to undertaking the task with enthusiasm.

Malpass was chosen by US President Donald Trump in early February as the US candidate for the post, following the abrupt resignation of Jim Yong Kim.

He was the former US Treasury undersecretary for in-ternational affairs. (Xinhua)

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And that’s People’s Daily Tonight.  Thanks for joining us.

(Compiled by David Nye and Wang Zi)