Chinese soldiers from the southern boomtown of Guangzhou who are newly assigned to Tibet will get a “special allowance” of up to 160,000 yuan (US$23,440) for serving there, a local newspaper reported on Saturday.

The United States is seeking the release of a U.S. citizen detained in Beijing for two years, in a case similar to the detentions of Rio Tinto staff which launched an international debate over China's secrets laws.

Ruling Kuomintang Vice Chairman John Chiang met Thursday in the Chinese city of Xian with a Chinese elementary school girl who sent 20 Chinese yuan (NT$96) to help people in southern Taiwan who were affected by Typhoon Morakot in early August, a news agency in China reported that day.

China's health ministry said it will punish officials who underreport cases of swine flu after a doctor famous for exposing the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic said he believes the true number of swine flu deaths is being covered up.

President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday that the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) won't be put into practice if the contents of the pact fails to clear the legislative floor.

A scholar urged Taiwan yesterday to co-sponsor the Confucius Institutes with China in a bid to increase its cultural influence in the Chinese mainland and around the world.

A judicial aid agreement between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has contributed greatly to Taiwan's fight against crime since it came into effect June 25, a senior official said yesterday.

President Ma Ying-jeou has ruled out the possibility of Taiwan entering into political discussions with China soon, despite growing ties between the two sides.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told President Barack Obama his nation does not seek a trade surplus with the United States and wants to balance flows, striking a conciliatory note but avoiding public comment on currency rifts.

U.S. President Barack Obama took a walk alone on the Great Wall on Wednesday, wrapping up a visit to China with a visit to the ancient fortifications that symbolize the country's history and separateness.