China's central bank cut interest rates on Friday for the sixth time in less than a year, and it again lowered the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves in a bid to jump start growth in its stuttering economy.

Relations between the Chinese and U.S. navies are their "best in history" and exchanges between the two will become more systematic in the future, China's military on Friday cited the country's naval chief as telling visiting U.S. officers. The comments by navy chief Wu Shengli come as Washington considers conducting freedom-of-navigation operations within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands China has built in the disputed South China Sea, without saying when it would do so. Such a move would likely infuriate Beijing.

China’s most consequential diplomatic initiative in recent years has been the launch of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Nearly 60 countries have now joined the bank, suggesting that the new institution is viewed as a useful complement to existing international financial institutions rather than as a threat. But as the architects of the bank construct its foundation under the global spotlight, it remains to be seen how the bank will differentiate itself from its Bretton Woods counterparts and expand China’s influence in the region.

All eyes are now focused on China’s current state visit: on October 20, Xi arrived in London at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth. His visit included the usual symbolic perks—a stay at Buckingham Palace, a ride in a royal carriage, and an address to the British Parliament—but his stay has also featured important trade and economic announcements, and has emphasized a new and unexpected honeymoon between two former enemies.

China hosted a visit this week to its sole aircraft carrier by senior U.S. Navy officers amid tensions over reported plans by Washington to challenge Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

China's economic growth eased to 6.9 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, beating expectations but still the slowest since the global financial crisis, putting pressure on policymakers to roll out more support measures as fears of a sharper slowdown spook investors.

China's defense minister said on Friday that he is willing to hold joint drills in the disputed South China Sea with Southeast Asian countries, covering accidental encounters and search and rescue, striking a conciliatory tone over an increasingly tense spat.

Google Inc is quietly putting back its services in China, amid speculation that the United States online search provider is preparing a return to the world's biggest Internet market.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on Wednesday with visiting Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, who came to Tokyo for the second China-Japan high-level political dialogue.

The United States should include China in its human space projects or face being left out of new ventures to send people beyond the International Space Station, NASA chief Charles Bolden said on Monday.