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

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Chinese, Singaporean FMs agree to uphold multilateralism, free trade

China says it’s willing to cooperate with Singapore to send a clear message in support of multilateralism and against trade protectionism.

That’s according to Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi  in his meeting with Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan ahead of the China-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting and the foreign minister meetings of the East Asia Summit.

Wang hailed Singapore's role in pushing forward ties between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as the China-ASEAN country coordinator the past three years.

(Xinhua)

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China to crack down on counterfeit goods

China announces a crackdown on counterfeit or substandard goods.

This includes products that copy famous brands.

China's State Administration for Market Regulation said it would focus on illegal activities such as the infringement, manufacture and sale of counterfeit products and misleading or illegal advertising.

Local regulatory authorities plan to start with online trading platforms or websites to further investigate illegal production and operation in upstream or downstream sources.

(China Daily)

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US Senate passes defense authorization bill

 

 

The US Senate passes a 716 billion-dollar defense authorization bill.

This comes a week after the House of Representatives approved the bill. 

It now goes to the White House, where President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.

The bill provides about 616.9 billion dollars for the base Pentagon budget, 21.9 billion for nuclear weapons and 69 billion in war funding.

(Xinhua)

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US soybean prices plunge amid Trade tensions

The Chicago Board of Trade agricultural futures closed mixed on Wednesday, with soybean prices falling nearly 2% amid flared up trade tensions.

CBOT soybean futures rose significantly in the previous session.

However, concerns over trade tensions between the United States and China once again dragged down the oil seed prices on Wednesday.

This, amid talks that the Trump administration threatened to impose high tariffs on more Chinese goods.

(CGTN)

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Pakistani FM says linking IMF packages with CPEC ‘totally wrong’

 

Pakistan slams US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement linking IMF packages to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdullah Haroon called Pompeo’s statement completely inappropriate.

Pompeo said there’s no justification for American dollars that are part of IMF funding to bail out Chinese bondholders or China itself.

(People’s Daily app)

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Mudslide disrupts rail traffic in SW China

A mudslide disrupts the traffic along a rail line in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The mudslide caused by continuous rain in Yuexi County buried a section of the Chengdu-Kunming rail line, suspending several train schedules.

No trains were passing through when the mudslide happened.

Emergency workers are rushing to repair the line.

(Xinhua)

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Three die in Zimbabwe post-election violence

And post-election violence in Zimbabwe claims at least three lives.

A police official warned leaders of the opposition party against inciting its supporters to engage in violent activities.

Scores of opposition supporters took to the streets of Harare to protest the delay in the announcement of presidential election results as well as alleged vote-rigging.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa called on Zimbabweans to remain calm and peaceful.

(People’s Daily app)

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

(Produced by David Nye, Wang Yi, and Qiao Wai)