Questions about the dynastic ruler's children and possible succession scenario arose with the apparent second child's repeated appearances in public in public in recent months.

Firefighters are carrying victims out of the wreckage on stretchers. Officials are investigating the cause of the blast. Two other recent explosions were blamed on gas leaks.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's rare explicit criticism of the U.S. was followed on Tuesday by a barrage of scorn and criticism aimed squarely at Washington from China's new foreign minister.

China is proposing to overhaul its science, technology and finance regulators as part of a stiff competition with rivals while also tamping down risk at home.

Catch up on key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

South Korea announced on Monday a plan to compensate victims of forced labor under Japan's colonization through a government foundation with funds from South Korean companies.

Outgoing premier Li Keqiang told delegates at the National People's Congress that China is aiming to rebound economically after COVID slowed them down

The blaze hit Sunday morning and has left thousands homeless. Some 740,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since 2017, when the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown.

Gunmen in military uniforms fatally shot Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and five civilians while the provincial leader was meeting villagers at his home in the central Philippines.

Three Hong Kong activists have been convicted after they refused to provide information to authorities required by national security policy.

China has put new focus on airships hovering in a part of the sky just before outer space. Although Beijing says they're scientific, analysts say the data helps the country develop advanced weapons.

China permitted the equivalent of two new coal plants a week last year according to a new report. The country is also rapidly expanding its renewable energy.

Two U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly support the lab leak theory — with low-to-moderate confidence. No evidence has been shared. Scientists have strong evidence of animal spillover at a market.

Lawmakers at Tuesday's hearing on U.S.-China competition discussed a range of threats, including China's foreign farmland holdings. A South Dakota congressman argues even a small amount is concerning.

The two leaders met in Beijing and discussed the war in Ukraine, a week after China released a position paper, calling for a cease-fire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.