China orders airlines to stop accepting Boeings

China has ordered its airlines not to take any further deliveries of Boeing jets Bloomberg reported on Tuesday This comes amid the faceoff between the US and China following the Donald Trump administrationrsquos imposition of 145 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods with Beijing hitting back with retaliatory tariffsBeijing has also asked that Chinese carriers halt any purchases of aircraftrelated equipment and parts from US companies sources were quoted as saying in the Bloomberg report According to the global aerospace company Boeing airplanes have been the mainstay of Chinarsquos civil aviation passenger and cargo transportation systems for more than 50 yearsBoeing is the largest customer of Chinarsquos aviation manufacturing industry with more than 10000 Boeing airplanes flying with Chinamade parts According to the company Boeing activity in China contributes more than 15 billion annually in direct support of Chinarsquos economy including suppliers joint ventures operations training and research and development investmentProbe into pharma chipsThe Trump administration has launching investigations into imports of computer chips chip making equipment and pharmaceuticals The Department of Commerce posted notices about the probes late Monday on the Federal Register seeking public comment within three weeks US President Donald Trump paused most of his biggest tariff hikes last week for 90 days apart from those for imports from China but said he still plans tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs lumber copper and computer chipsXi makes case for free tradeChinarsquos President Xi Jinping is making the case for free trade as he tours Southeast Asia this week presenting China as a source of ldquostability and certaintyrdquo He arrived in Kuala Lumpur Malaysiarsquos capital on Tuesday for a threeday visit and will end his tour with a stop in CambodiaOn Monday he was welcomed to Hanoi with pomp and ceremony by Vietnamrsquos President Luong Cuong China and Vietnam signed a series of memorandums on cooperation in supply chains and a joint railway project and Xi also promised greater access for Vietnamese agricultural exports to ChinaTrump complainsPresident Trump meanwhile complained about the Hanoi meeting which came days after his tariffs upended global markets ldquoThatrsquos a lovely meeting Meeting like trying to figure out how do we screw Americardquo said TrumpHarvard defies Trumprsquos demands loses fundingHarvard University announced on Monday that it wonrsquot comply with a list of demands from the Trump administration as part of its campaign against antisemitism which could put almost 9 billion in funding at riskIn a letter to Harvard on Friday the administration called for broad government and leadership reforms a requirement that Harvard institute what it calls ldquomeritbasedrdquo admissions and hiring policies as well as conduct an audit of the study body faculty and leadership on their views about diversityThe Harvard University campus in Massachusetts PICAPThe demands which are an update from an earlier letter also call for a ban on face masks which appeared to target proPalestinian protesters They also pressure the university to stop recognising or funding ldquoany student group or club that endorses or promotes criminal activity illegal violence or illegal harassmentrdquoTrump hits backThe Trump administrationrsquos Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism said it is freezing more than 2 billion in multiyear grants and contracts to Harvard University Fox News reported The task force announced a freeze on 22 billion in multiyear grants and 60 million in multiyear contract value to the universityJoe Biden back in focusFormer US President Joe Biden will likely return to the national stage early today India time to elevate concerns that President Donald Trumprsquos agenda is threatening Social Security The 82yearold Democrat has avoided speaking publicly since leaving the White House in January Thatrsquos even as Trump frequently blames Biden for many of the nationrsquos problemsBiden is expected to fight back in an early evening speech to the national conference of Advocates Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago While Biden has made a handful of public appearances recently Tuesdayrsquos address focuses on a critical issueatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params