3 free trade zones approved

    More than a year after the launch of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), additional FTZs are preparing to open as China pursues reforms to invigorate the slowing economy.

    The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on March 24 approved plans for three experimental FTZs in Guangdong, Tianjin and Fujian, signaling a countdown to their launch.

    Collector to return statue

    The Dutch private collector who has the “Buddha mummy” statue in his possession said he is willing to give it back to the Chinese village if it is proved to be stolen from there.

    Quoted by Dutch daily NRC, the collector, an architect in Amsterdam who insists on maintaining his anonymity*, said if it is proven that the statue belongs to “for example a Buddhist community that still exists,” he is willing to cede* it, as long as it does not enter a State museum.

    The collector told NRC that a few of the historical pictures in the Chinese media indeed looked quite like the statue he owns, but many aspects were not right.

    Silk road project unveiled

    China unveiled on Saturday the principles, framework, and cooperation priorities and mechanisms in its Silk Belt and Road initiative in a bid to* enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future together.

    The initiative aims to promote orderly and free flow of economic factors, highly efficient allocation* of resources and deep integration of markets by enhancing connectivity of the Asian, European and African continents and their adjacent seas.

    Taiwan arrests 13 after protest

    Taiwanese police on Saturday arrested 13 people who splashed* red paint on the wall of Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou’s residence in the latest protest against the mainland’s planned launch of a new flight route.

    The demonstration came ahead of the scheduled launch of the route known as M503 over the Taiwan Straits on Sunday.

    (SD-Agencies)