BEIJING -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has allayed fears over the country's possible use of COVID-19 vaccines developed by China, saying China is a modern and capable country, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Thursday.

"Those of you [who] are asking me if [this vaccine from] China is safe -- well, I can say that China is a modern country ... whose integrity is fully protected by its achievements," Duterte said in a pre-recorded public address on Wednesday, according to the report.

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BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan will continue to develop friendly and good-neighborly relations with China, Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ruslan Kazakbaev said on Friday.

During a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Du Dewen, Kazakbaev briefed Du on the situation in Kyrgyzstan, and said that Kyrgyzstan and China are good neighbors, good friends, and good partners, and that the two sides are cooperating closely in various fields such as politics, economy and trade, and humanities.

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BEIJING -- Economic cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been strong and resilient, with huge potential, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.

"China will promote high-quality development and build a new system of an open economy of a higher level," Wang said. "The scale of the domestic market will be further expanded. The combination of the domestic and international markets will be closer. There will be more room for cooperation between countries and China."

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BEIJING -- China's economy has rebounded faster during the pandemic than that of the United States and the listing of "hot" companies on Chinese stock markets is attracting capital, founder of U.S. investment management firm Bridgewater Associates Ray Dalio said on Monday.

China's higher interest rates mean the nation is in a better position of "not having to print money," he said in a conversation with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at the Milken Institute Global Conference.