China’s Xi slams ‘suppression’ led by US – media

PRESIDENT Xi Jinping condemned the US-led "suppression of China" in a speech to delegates at an annual congress in Beijing, state media reported.

"Western countries led by the United States have implemented allround containment, encirclement and suppression of China, which has brought unprecedented severe challenges to our country's development," Xi said, news agency Xinhua reported late Monday.

The 69-year-old leader, who is gearing up to start a third consecutive presidential term, said the past five years have been riddled with a new set of hurdles that threaten to weigh down China's economic rise.

Xi added that China must "have the courage to fight as the country faces profound and complex changes in both the domestic and international landscape," according to a readout of the speech to delegates at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Beijing and Washington have butted heads in recent years over trade,human rights and other issues, but relations soured even further lastmonth when the US shot down a Chinese balloon it said was being used for surveillance – a claim strenuously denied by Beijing.

Top American officials have also repeatedly warned that China may invade Taiwan in the coming years, pointing to Beijing's increasingly assertive military moves around the self-ruled island, which it sees as its own territory and has vowed to bring under its control.

ROCKET FAILURE. Japan’s next generation ‘H3’ rocket, carrying the advanced optical satellite ‘Daichi 3’ leaves the launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan on March 7, 2023. The rocket

The balloon incident caused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a diplomatic trip to Beijing for a meeting that would have focused on a range of hot-button issues. AFP JAPAN'S second attempt to launch its nextgeneration H3 rocket failed after liftoff on Tuesday, with the space agency issuing a destruct command after concluding the mission could not succeed.

The failure is a blow for Japan's space agency JAXA, which has billed the rocket as a flexible and cost-effective new flagship.

But the first launch was delayed by several years, and then failed on a first attempt last month when the solid rocket boosters did not ignite.

Tuesday's launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan initially appeared to be a success, with the rocket lifting off at 10:37am (0137GMT).

The first stage separation appeared to go as planned, but soon afterwards, signs of trouble emerged.

"It seems that the velocity is coming down," announcers on the JAXA live feed said while the rocket was about 300 kilometers above ground.

The command centre then announced:

"The second stage engine ignition has not been confirmed yet, we continue to confirm the situation."

The live feed was then briefly halted, with a message reading "We are currently checking the status. Please wait." AFP

North Korea warned Tuesday that it would be a "clear declaration of war" if its missiles were shot down during their test launches over the Pacific Ocean.

The United States and South Korea have ramped up defence cooperation, including joint drills, in the face of growing threats from nucleararmed Pyongyang, which has conducted a wave of banned weapons tests in recent months.

LANDSLIDE AFTERMATH. This handout photo taken and released on March 7, 2023 by the Natuna ministry of communication and information local office shows a rescue team inspecting the damages following landslides in Natuna islands in Indonesia. AFP