The U.S. and China are locked in negotiations over curbing North Korea’s energy trade in response to its fifth nuclear test last month, according to four diplomats from United Nations Security Council countries with direct knowledge of the talks. The world’s two biggest economies -- both of whom can veto any resolution -- are discussing restrictions on North Korea’s trade in coal, iron ore and crude oil, according to the diplomats, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Other nations also considering separate sanctions against North Korea once the Security Council acts, the diplomats said. The U.S. and its allies are seeking to further tighten sanctions against Kim Jong Un’s regime to prod him into abandoning a pursuit of nuclear weapons that has only intensified in recent years, with the latest test coming Sept. 9. The measures stand little chance of success without support from China, which has kept its neighbor from collapsing to avoid both a humanitarian crisis and the presence of American and South Korean troops on its border.

Duterte’s abrupt diplomatic and military shift from Washington heartens Beijing, threatens U.S. alliance.

China’s official factory gauge stayed at the highest level in almost two years for a second month and services increased in the latest evidence of continued economic stabilization, reducing prospects for more policy easing.

According to one diplomatic source, Duterte would meet both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing. It was not immediately clear who the business delegation would meet in China and what would be discussed.

Japan is "playing with fire" with plans to step up activity in the contested South China Sea through joint training patrols with the United States, China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, warning it would not sit watching from the sidelines.

The U.S. intends to deploy a missile defense system in South Korea "as soon as possible" to counter the threat from North Korea despite opposition from China, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said Tuesday.

The United States is investigating a number of Chinese companies for suspected breaches of sanctions on North Korea, and Chinese banks and firms should understand that dealing with North Korea is "risky," a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

China's economy is expected to grow at an annual 6.6 percent in the fourth quarter and post overall growth of 6.7 percent for the full year, the China Academy

China’s long-held desire to provide an alternative to the U.S. dollar will get a boost on October 1, when the yuan enters the International Monetary Fund’s basket of reserve currencies, placing it alongside the pound, euro, yen and dollar.

Peru's new president said Monday it was "worrisome" that China is not part of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership but his government would seek ratification for U.S. President Barack Obama's signature trade deal.