A dam collapse at a Sino Metals copper mine triggered an environmental crisis along a major Zambian waterway in February.

China "absolutely will not" rule out using force over Taiwan, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, striking a much tougher tone than a series of articles in state media this week that pledged benign rule if the island comes over to Beijing.

MP Materials has experienced a nearly 10% decline in its stock price over the last five days and is down approximately 30% from its peak on October 14.

Guo said China, as a “responsible nuclear-weapon state” and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has maintained its long-standing nuclear test moratorium and upheld its no-first-use policy on nuclear strikes.

When President Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping later Wednesday, he will be extending a hand to a leader that Washington and national security experts have identified as the biggest threat to American global dominance.

China and Germany sought on Monday to downplay suggestions of rising tension between the world's second and third largest economies, after German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul postponed his first trip to Beijing.

In his Trump meeting, Xi’s top priorities will be aiming to see the US reduce tariffs and roll back export controls, analysts say. To make that happen, he may be willing to ease or defer China’s latest export controls on rare earths.

The government's chief legal adviser says the trial would have gone ahead if new legislation had been in force.

BEIJING -- China will expand and improve higher education, with increased enrollment in quality undergraduate programs, according to recommendations on a plan that will guide the country's development over the next five years.

Iran appears to be stepping up the rebuilding of its ballistic missile program, despite the reintroduction last month of United Nations sanctions that ban arms sales to the country and ballistic missile activity.