Indian golfing ace Anirban Lahiri registered his best start of the season with a five-under 65 that put him in tied-third place at the end of the first round at the Honda Classic here.

The 28-year-old Indian, who has been giving himself good starts, but none better than this one, has time and again faltered over the weekend.

Hoping to rectify that trend, Lahiri, who is due to play in Hero Indian Open after this event, finished superbly at Palm Beach Florida, which is his base in US and a home away from home.

Lahiri had a sedate start of sorts with two birdies but more importantly without any bogeys. His birdie on the second from nearly 24 feet seemed to set the trend, but he had only one more birdie on eighth on front nine.

On the eventful back nine, he missed a nine-footer for par but made up with a birdie on next. Back to back birdies on 15th and 16th, which was from 20 feet helped him move to four-under. On 17th he hit into the water and ended with a bogey, but a classy finish with a 25-foot eagle putt saw him sign off with a 65.

PGA Tour rookies, Cody Gribble and Wesley Bryan shot six-under 64 each to share the top spot, and Lahiri along with two-time Major winner Martin Kaymer was third.

Sergio Garcia and fellow Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who plays at Hero Indian Open next month, shot two-under 68 each to be tied-24th on a day when more than half of the field was at par or better.

This is Lahiri's seventh start in the 2016-17 wrap-around season, and he has made the cut in five of the starts prior to this one. In each of his previous six PGA Tour starts, he has shot par or under, but his five-under 65 on Thursday was the best start of the season. He also began with under par rounds in Dubai and Malaysia.

Lahiri's best in this 2016-17 season has been tied-third at the CIMB Classic, which was held in October 2016, but is counted towards 2017 PGA Tour season.

Kaymer chipped in from behind the 17th green for birdie and closed with a two-putt birdie from 40 feet for a 65.

Rickie Fowler and Ian Poulter were in a large group at 66.

Poulter is playing on a medical extension from a foot injury last year and has only six PGA Tour events left to try and retain full status.

Bryan, who is known for his trick-shot videos, is coming off his best tournament, a tie for fourth at Riviera in which he got within two shots of winner, Dustin Johnson in the third round. Gribble already has won this season at the Sanderson Farms Championship last fall while the top players were in Shanghai.

India and Germany on Friday ratified a comprehensive Social Security Agreement (SSA), to come into effect from May, to improve investment flows between the two countries, an official here said.

The agreement, signed on October 12, 2011, and of which instruments of ratification were exchanged on Friday, is expected to reduce the operational costs of Indian and German companies operating in either of the countries.

"The agreement establishes the rights and obligations of nationals of both countries and provides for their equal treatment and unrestricted payment of pensions even in case of residence in the other contracting state (benefits export principle)," an official release of the Ministry of External Affairs said. 

"The requirements to be entitled to a pension can be met by aggregating the periods of insurance completed in India and Germany, whereby each country pays only the pension for the insurance periods covered by its laws. The period of posting will be up to 48 calendar months," it added.

The two countries signed an Agreement on Social Insurance on October 8, 2008, which came into force on October 1, 2009.

As per the Agreement, detached workers of the two countries were exempted from making social security contributions in either country, in case they made such contributions in their native countries.

Subsequently, on October 12, 2011, the two countries signed a comprehensive Agreement on Social Security, which included totalisation of social benefits.

Till date, India has signed and operationalised similar agreements with 18 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Japan.

China has no intention of interfering in the territorial dispute between India and Pakistan and instead of opposing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), India should join it in its own larger economic interest, according to a leading Chinese daily which invariably reflects the opinion of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, during the India-China strategic dialogue in Beijing on Wednesday, had opposed the CPEC on the ground that it violated India’s sovereignty since it passes through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). He had also stated that China must explain how India, whose sovereignty had been violated, could take part in the ‘Belt and Road’ summit planned in Beijing in May.

In an op-ed this morning, Global Times wondered why the CPEC had made India apprehensive since the project was an important opportunity not only for the potential benefits it would bring to China and Pakistan but also because it would allow greater cooperation among nations in the region.

Affirming that Beijing has long believed that India and Pakistan should solve their territorial dispute through dialogue and consultations, it said China respected India’s sovereignty concerns. ‘’Taking a strong stand on territorial issues is important, but it’s hoped that India could adopt an objective and more pragmatic attitude towards the ‘One Belt, One Road’ proposal.’’

 China proposed this initiative to link countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. The initiative was aimed at promoting an open and inclusive global economy by building cohesive regional trade networks and enhancing connectivity for future growth. The CPEC was not aimed at targeting any third country, the daily said and hoped more countries would become part of the project.

The newspaper also stated that India should not view Pakistan’s development as a threat. China, Pakistan and India could also cooperate to tap the vast economic potential of the Kashmir region.

According to the daily, the CPEC could pave the way for about one million new jobs and attract a strong influx of FDI into the region. India should seize the opportunity to allay misunderstandings with Pakistan through economic cooperation. By joining the CPEC, India would not only benefit economically but could also make itself a pioneer in regional economic integration to better its ambition of becoming an influential regional economic power. China and Pakistan have frequently initiated India to the CPEC and it should respond to the call.

In another article, the daily lamented that China had not been working hard enough to attract science and technology talent from India to work in the country. Over the past few years, China witnessed an unprecedented boom in tech jobs as the country became an attractive destination for foreign research and development centres. However, now some high-tech firms were turning their attention from China to India's relatively low labour costs. Attracting high-tech talent from India could be one of China’s options for maintaining its innovation ability, it added.

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh on Friday announced nine new Passport Seva Kendras would be set up in Assam soon.

According to an official release by Assam Government, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh announced setting up of new Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in the state during a discussion with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal here.

"On request from the chief minister, Singh assured him that the External Affairs Ministry will set up Passport Seva Kendras at Dibrugarh, Silchar, Tezpur, Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Goalpara, Lakhimpur, Nagaon and Diphu soon," it added.

Singh said the External Affairs Ministry will extend all required support to maximise the presence of PSKs in Assam and accordingly such centres will be opened at District Head Post Offices initially.

"Apart from MEA personnel, such centres will be manned by staff of the Postal department with technical support from TCS," Singh said.

Keeping in view of the hardship faced by the people of Northeast while availing visas for travelling abroad, Sonowal requested the union minister to take measures for setting up of Consulates in Assam.

The duo also discussed about the potential of Assam to be the gateway to South-East Asia and strategies to implement the Act East Policy to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop strategic relationship with neighbouring nations.

The chief minister offered to host the next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Assam to showcase the state and give a fillip to its initiatives to promote the region in global arena, the statement said.

A total of 168 crorepati candidates are in the fray for the fifth phase of UP Assembly elections to be held on Monday, while 117 have declared criminal cases against themselves, says a report.

UP Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 612 out of 617 candidates from 75 political parties, including 6 national parties, 4 state parties, 65 unrecognized parties and 220 independent candidates, who are contesting in the fifth phase to be held on February 27.

As per the report, out of 612 candidates, 168 (27 per cent) are crorepatis.

Among crorepati candidates party-wise, 43 out of 51 are from BSP, 38 of 51 from BJP, 32 of 42 from SP, 7 of 14 from INC, 9 of 30 from RLD and 14 of 220 Independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs.1 crore, the report released by Delhi-based ADR said on Friday.

The average assets per candidate contesting in the fifth phase of polls is Rs.1.56 crore.

ADR said that among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 14 INC candidates is Rs.4.40 crore, 51 BJP candidates (Rs.4.64 crore), 51 BSP candidates (Rs.4.16 crore), 42 SP candidates (Rs.3.48 crore), 30 RLD candidates (Rs.2.20 crore) and 220 independent candidates (Rs.44.96 lakh).

The three richest candidates contesting in the fifth phase are Ajay Pratap Singh of BJP with total assets of over Rs.49 crore, followed by Ameeta Singh of INC (over Rs.36 crore) and Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh also from BJP (over Rs.32 crore), it said.

A total of 156 candidates have not declared their PAN details. Also, 365 out of 612 candidates have not declared income tax details.

Moreover, out of 612 candidates analysed, 117 have declared criminal cases against themselves, it said.

"Ninety six candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc.," it said.

Among party-wise candidates with criminal cases, 21 from BJP, 23 from BSP, 8 from RLD, 17 from SP, 3 from Indian National Congress and 19 Independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

On educational qualification of candidates, ADR said 266 have declared their qualification to be between 5th and 12th, while 285 have declared themselves as graduates or above, 38 candidates have declared themselves to be just literates while 9 are illiterates.

The report also said that 429 candidates have declared their age to be between 25 and 50 years, while 181 between 51 and 80 years. Two candidates have not disclosed their age.

In the fifth phase, 43 women candidates are contesting the polls.

The Centre has cleared a Rs.17,000 cr deal for jointly developing with Israel a medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) for the Indian Army, officials said on Friday.

The missile will be the latest in a series of SAM systems being jointly developed with Israel for the Navy and the Air Force. The deal will be implemented by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).

The approval comes ahead of a possible visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel later this year. 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

According to officials, the proposal was shown the green light on Wednesday by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

From 2012 to 2016, Israel supplied 7.2 per cent of arms to India, as per the survey by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) – an international think-tank that researches on conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.

According to it, India is the largest buyer of Israel's weapons with a 41 per cent share of its exports.

In the twilight of his career, a relaxed Mahendra Singh Dhoni will take fresh guard when he leads his home team Jharkhand against Karnataka in a group D fixture of the Vijay Hazare Trophy at Eden Gardens on Saturday.

Dhoni has relinquished captaincy in all formats whereas in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 he recently faced a shocking ouster from the top-post of Rising Pune Supergiants after Steve Smith was named captain.

Having virtually won all the trophies, Dhoni may not have anything to prove but in his characteristic style he has chosen to lead his home state in the domestic one-dayers and travelled with his teammates in train second class AC, a first for him in 13 years.

For someone who's used to a raucous cheers from packed stands, Dhoni was back at an empty Eden during practice on the match-eve and there was reunion of sorts of two 'friends' as he and Karnataka wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa exchanged a warm affectionate hug.

It was almost 10 years ago they together won inauguaral World Twenty20, that started it all for Dhoni to go on to become the most successful Indian skipper.

The duo had a long chat before Dhoni who was all padded up went in full flow at the nets facing pace and spin bowlers.

Dhoni has an exciting bunch of youngsters at his disposal with Saurabh Tiwary, Virat Singh, Ishank Jaggi and Ishan Kishan coming into the team, fresh from winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 title for East Zone.

The opposition camp is equally exciting with Indian top order batsman Manish Pandey leading the side and the skipper has already made plans to target the former Indian captain.

"We all know, how great a batsman MS is… He's been an inspiration to all of us. It will be always nice to get MS out as early as possible," Pandey said.

"If we're able to do that it would be a great thing. It will be a real advantage for us as a team. We do have our plans to deal with MS. It will be all about disciplined bowling and how we conduct ourselves."

Pandey was hit on his left leg at the nets but the batsman shrugged it off saying a minor injury.

"It's a normal ball hit. I had an ice treatment. It should be fine by tomorrow. There's a little swelling but it's not a major injury."

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Riday cautioned New Delhi against any effort to suppress the political aspirations of the people of Kashmir through administrative and military mechanisms. 
Addressing party legislators and workers at a function in Srinagar, Farooq said statesmanship and sagacity demanded that New Delhi should initiate political engagement with the alienated youth of the state rather than resorting to a confrontational and aggressive approach by issuing threats of ‘harsh measures’. 
“When we demand that New Delhi should engage with the politically isolated, alienated and anguished youth of the state, we are not condoning violence or turmoil – nor are we supporting strife.

"To the contrary, by asking New Delhi to talk to these young men, we are seeking that the root cause of alienation be addressed rather than continuing with the policy of treating the symptoms through operational and administrative mechanisms. That is a tried, tested and failed approach and has yielded nothing but a loss of young lives on all sides,” Farooq said. 

He said the turmoil and hostility in Kashmir was in itself a result of extra-constitutional intrigues by successive regimes in New Delhi that went against all constitutional safeguards and promises that were provided to the state at the time of accession.

“Before looking at external factors and blaming the problems in J&K on terrorism, New Delhi should read contemporary history of the state with objectivity and then only will it realize that the simmering political issue in the state is the outcome of New Delhi’s overt and covert acts of constitutional impropriety and injustice with the state and its people,” the National Conference president stressed.
“These young men we see out on the streets today don’t care about their lives, their livelihood or about their personal grievances but are full of resentment and hostility because of how New Delhi has always and continues to see and define them through the narrow, conventional prism of law and order dynamics," Farooq added.

A major tragedy was averted on Friday in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir as police recovered an explosive device hidden in a farm land.

Several gelatin sticks weighing around 800 grams wrapped in a polythene bag were recovered from a farm land on the Jammu-Kishtwar highway, SSP Kishtwar Sandeep Wazir said.

He said that a bomb disposal squad has been called to dispose of the explosives.

He also said a case will be registered to determine how the explosives reached the farm land.

Highlighting former Delhi chief minister and Congress leader Sheila Dikshit’s comment that party vice president Rahul Gandhi lacks maturity, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Friday wondered why the Gandhi scion was being forced into the state.

Addressing a public rally in Gorakhpur, Shah said: “Sheila Dikhit ji the entire country agrees with your statement that Rahul Gandhi is not mature enough. Still, he is being forced on UP.”

Slamming the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) government and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Shah said Uttar Pradesh had become one of the most lawless states in the country.

“Akhilesh has ensured that UP tops the charts when it comes to rape, murder, theft, loot cases,” Shah said.

In an interview to a leading daily, Dikshit had said that Rahul Gandhi was not a mature politician and needed some time. But she also said that the Gandhi scion was ready to take over the reins of the party and was the only Indian politician to talk about farmers’ issues.

Highlighting former Delhi chief minister and Congress leader Sheila Dikshit’s comment that party vice president Rahul Gandhi lacks maturity, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Friday wondered why the Gandhi scion was being forced into the state.

Addressing a public rally in Gorakhpur, Shah said: “Sheila Dikhit ji the entire country agrees with your statement that Rahul Gandhi is not mature enough. Still, he is being forced on UP.”

Slamming the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) government and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Shah said Uttar Pradesh had become one of the most lawless states in the country.

“Akhilesh has ensured that UP tops the charts when it comes to rape, murder, theft, loot cases,” Shah said.

In an interview to a leading daily, Dikshit had said that Rahul Gandhi was not a mature politician and needed some time. But she also said that the Gandhi scion was ready to take over the reins of the party and was the only Indian politician to talk about farmers’ issues.

When it comes to violation of human rights, nearly 55 per cent of complaints in the state are against the Punjab Police which describes itself as 'a force with a difference, conviction and heart'.

As per the data, 54.98 per cent of total complaints received by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) since its inception in 1997 are against the Punjab Police.

“Most cases received pertain to police excesses and their failure to take action. But when the PSHRC recommends action, the complaints are probed by the police and returned with the report  that these were found baseless,” said a PSHRC official on the condition of anonymity.

Till 31 January, 2017, the PSHRC has received 2,46,860 complaints of human rights violations. Of these, the Punjab Police alone accounted for 1,35,742 cases. It was followed by 8,506 cases of crime against women (3.44 per cent). The jail department accounts for 49,49 complaints till January 31.

The year-wise summary of cases instituted by the PSHRC reveals that from 90 cases registered in 1997, the annual number of cases has crossed 15,523 in 2014, 15,986 in 2015 and 11,162 in 2016. In 2017, 442 cases against the police have already been received.

In addition to the human rights violation charges pending. The number of cases is almost the same during the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janta Party (SAD-BJP) regime in the state with PSHRC recommending action against 200 policemen.

During the SAD rule from 1997 to 2002, 11,974 cases against the police were received, the number swelled to 44,180 cases during the Congress regime  till 2007. The SAD-BJP government was not behind with 79,532 cases in the 2007-2017 regime. The Commission remained 'virtually' non-functional due to the non-appointment of its chairman and other members for more than six months. Now, it is hearing 200 plus cases every day before the court of acting chairperson Justice Ashutosh Mohanta. In the last month itself, the Commission has disposed of 1,670 cases.

When it comes to violation of human rights, nearly 55 per cent of complaints in the state are against the Punjab Police which describes itself as 'a force with a difference, conviction and heart'.

As per the data, 54.98 per cent of total complaints received by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) since its inception in 1997 are against the Punjab Police.

“Most cases received pertain to police excesses and their failure to take action. But when the PSHRC recommends action, the complaints are probed by the police and returned with the report  that these were found baseless,” said a PSHRC official on the condition of anonymity.

Till 31 January, 2017, the PSHRC has received 2,46,860 complaints of human rights violations. Of these, the Punjab Police alone accounted for 1,35,742 cases. It was followed by 8,506 cases of crime against women (3.44 per cent). The jail department accounts for 49,49 complaints till January 31.

The year-wise summary of cases instituted by the PSHRC reveals that from 90 cases registered in 1997, the annual number of cases has crossed 15,523 in 2014, 15,986 in 2015 and 11,162 in 2016. In 2017, 442 cases against the police have already been received.

In addition to the human rights violation charges pending. The number of cases is almost the same during the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janta Party (SAD-BJP) regime in the state with PSHRC recommending action against 200 policemen.

During the SAD rule from 1997 to 2002, 11,974 cases against the police were received, the number swelled to 44,180 cases during the Congress regime  till 2007. The SAD-BJP government was not behind with 79,532 cases in the 2007-2017 regime. The Commission remained 'virtually' non-functional due to the non-appointment of its chairman and other members for more than six months. Now, it is hearing 200 plus cases every day before the court of acting chairperson Justice Ashutosh Mohanta. In the last month itself, the Commission has disposed of 1,670 cases.

Unfazed by the criticism of a member of the committee tasked to recommend a coach for the Indian U-17 team, All India Football Federation on Friday asked all the members of the panel to meet Portuguese Luis Norton de Matos who has emerged as the "number one choice" for the job.

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said all the members of the advisory committee constituted to recommend Indian team's head coach for the U-17 World Cup to be held in six cities from October 6-28 has been told to meet de Matos who is expected to be in India on February 28.

"All the advisory committee members have now been told to meet Luis Norton (when he is here in India)," Das told PTI today.

Indian football legends Baichung Bhutia and I M Vijayan, another former India international Abhishek Yadav (also Chief Operating Officer of the U-17 team) and AIFF Technical Director Savio Madiera were among the members of the special committee to shortlist the coach. Other members are Das and Kishore Taid, Head of Operations and Strategy of the AIFF.

De Matos, a former Portugal international and ex-coach of Benfica reserve side as well of Guinea-Bissau national team, has been declared by the AIFF as its "number one choice" from among the shortlisted candidates and he is expected to meet Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas and AIFF President Praful Patel on February 28 to chalk out his contract details.

A member of the committee constituted by the AIFF to recommend the U-17 team coach has alleged that the federation has "bypassed" the panel in naming de Matos as the "number one choice". The AIFF, however, defended its decision with Das saying that he (de Matos) was best suited for the job.

"We have never recommended any coach as number one choice. AIFF has bypassed the committee constituted by the president to select the coach of India U-17 team," a member of the committee had said.

"There were more than 70 applications and we had pruned it down to eight and then to three-four candidates. We were to have a final meeting to select the coach. But this final meeting never happened and the AIFF on its own has now named one coach (de Matos) as their number one choice without consulting the committee. This is not right," he added.

Defending the AIFF's decision, Das said, "It's an advisory committee, not a selection committee. We identified 7-8 candidates and we were asked to do skype interviews. The interviews were done by me, Kishore and Abhishek. After the interviews, we identified Luis Norton de Matos as the most suitable candidate to come for the interview in India with Secretary Sports and the AIFF President."

Das said de Matos will come for an interview around February 28 but no selection of the coach has been made yet.

"The kind of profile this person (de Matos) has, he is the best choice for us. We talked to Portugal national coach Fernando Santos and asked him about de Matos. Santos said he (de Matos) is not a good coach but a very good coach. We asked the Portugal FA and they also recommended him (de Matos) very strongly. We went to FIFA and its technical side gave the recommendation." 

Unfazed by the criticism of a member of the committee tasked to recommend a coach for the Indian U-17 team, All India Football Federation on Friday asked all the members of the panel to meet Portuguese Luis Norton de Matos who has emerged as the "number one choice" for the job.

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said all the members of the advisory committee constituted to recommend Indian team's head coach for the U-17 World Cup to be held in six cities from October 6-28 has been told to meet de Matos who is expected to be in India on February 28.

"All the advisory committee members have now been told to meet Luis Norton (when he is here in India)," Das told PTI today.

Indian football legends Baichung Bhutia and I M Vijayan, another former India international Abhishek Yadav (also Chief Operating Officer of the U-17 team) and AIFF Technical Director Savio Madiera were among the members of the special committee to shortlist the coach. Other members are Das and Kishore Taid, Head of Operations and Strategy of the AIFF.

De Matos, a former Portugal international and ex-coach of Benfica reserve side as well of Guinea-Bissau national team, has been declared by the AIFF as its "number one choice" from among the shortlisted candidates and he is expected to meet Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas and AIFF President Praful Patel on February 28 to chalk out his contract details.

A member of the committee constituted by the AIFF to recommend the U-17 team coach has alleged that the federation has "bypassed" the panel in naming de Matos as the "number one choice". The AIFF, however, defended its decision with Das saying that he (de Matos) was best suited for the job.

"We have never recommended any coach as number one choice. AIFF has bypassed the committee constituted by the president to select the coach of India U-17 team," a member of the committee had said.

"There were more than 70 applications and we had pruned it down to eight and then to three-four candidates. We were to have a final meeting to select the coach. But this final meeting never happened and the AIFF on its own has now named one coach (de Matos) as their number one choice without consulting the committee. This is not right," he added.

Defending the AIFF's decision, Das said, "It's an advisory committee, not a selection committee. We identified 7-8 candidates and we were asked to do skype interviews. The interviews were done by me, Kishore and Abhishek. After the interviews, we identified Luis Norton de Matos as the most suitable candidate to come for the interview in India with Secretary Sports and the AIFF President."

Das said de Matos will come for an interview around February 28 but no selection of the coach has been made yet.

"The kind of profile this person (de Matos) has, he is the best choice for us. We talked to Portugal national coach Fernando Santos and asked him about de Matos. Santos said he (de Matos) is not a good coach but a very good coach. We asked the Portugal FA and they also recommended him (de Matos) very strongly. We went to FIFA and its technical side gave the recommendation." 

China on Friday said it has no intention of devaluing the yuan to boost exports, and expressed readiness to coordinate its economic and trade policies with the US.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused China of manipulating the value of yuan and keeping it artificially low as a means of favouring exports, although Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was more cautious about such claims, Efe news reported.

"China has no intention to gain trade advantages by devaluing its currency… there's no basis for sustained depreciation of the yuan," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press conference.

Geng also urged that Washington view the yuan exchange rate "in an objective light" and reiterated China's intention of continuing to reform its exchange regime, while stressing Beijing's willingness to coordinate with US authorities on the matter.

"He (Mnuchin) said he is interested in an early meeting with his Chinese counterpart. We also want to establish working relationships at various levels with the US to have effective communication and coordination," Geng noted.

His statements hinted at, but did not confirm, the possibility of such a meeting during the G20 Finance Ministers' summit in Baden-Baden, Germany, on March 17-18.

"China has the willingness and the sincerity to have coordination with our US colleagues to push forward China-US relations on a sound and healthy track," he added.

He recalled that, following his confirmation as head of treasury, Mnuchin had held a friendly and constructive conversation with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, Chinese central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, as well as his counterpart Xiao Jie.

"The China-US relation is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. It not only bears on the well-being of the two peoples, but also concerns peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region," he added. 
 

China on Friday said it has no intention of devaluing the yuan to boost exports, and expressed readiness to coordinate its economic and trade policies with the US.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused China of manipulating the value of yuan and keeping it artificially low as a means of favouring exports, although Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was more cautious about such claims, Efe news reported.

"China has no intention to gain trade advantages by devaluing its currency… there's no basis for sustained depreciation of the yuan," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press conference.

Geng also urged that Washington view the yuan exchange rate "in an objective light" and reiterated China's intention of continuing to reform its exchange regime, while stressing Beijing's willingness to coordinate with US authorities on the matter.

"He (Mnuchin) said he is interested in an early meeting with his Chinese counterpart. We also want to establish working relationships at various levels with the US to have effective communication and coordination," Geng noted.

His statements hinted at, but did not confirm, the possibility of such a meeting during the G20 Finance Ministers' summit in Baden-Baden, Germany, on March 17-18.

"China has the willingness and the sincerity to have coordination with our US colleagues to push forward China-US relations on a sound and healthy track," he added.

He recalled that, following his confirmation as head of treasury, Mnuchin had held a friendly and constructive conversation with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, Chinese central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, as well as his counterpart Xiao Jie.

"The China-US relation is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. It not only bears on the well-being of the two peoples, but also concerns peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region," he added.