U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she is concerned by Chinese aid and investment policies in Africa. "We are...concerned that China's foreign assistance and investment practices in Africa have not always been consistent with generally accepted international norms of transparency and good governance...,” she said.

Ten terracotta statues (picture) have been shipped to Singapore for their first exhibition in South-east Asia, at the Asian Civilisation Museum. Together with about 100 artefacts from China's Qin and Han dynasties, the statues were shipped, over land and by air, from the Chinese city of Xi'an. The "Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor and His Legacy" exhibition will run from June 24 to Oct 16.

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is the second major government project between China and Singapore. Its goal is to develop a livable and efficient city in an ecologically sound and environmentally sustainable way. Another project in the pipeline is the development of a low-carbon living laboratory which is expected to appeal to Singapore companies keen to invest in the area.

The number of people using Facebook during May fell in the US, UK, Canada, Norway and Russia, according to new data. The slowing growth in user numbers may indicate that Facebook has hit the limits of expansion in the countries where it was first successful – and perhaps even that some early adopters from those countries have stopped using it.

Rupert Murdoch has warned China that it will encourage piracy and limit opportunities for its own booming movie market if it does not open up to foreign films, in the latest sign of western media owners' frustrations with Chinese restrictions.

China on Monday pledged to promote peace and stability in west Asia and north Africa as a delegation of Saudi Arabian lawmakers visit. Premier Wen called on the two sides to conduct closer high-level contacts, support each other's core interest and major concerns...enhance cultural exchanges and coordination in international organizations and mechanisms such UN and the G20.

Vice-President Xi Jinping's recently concluded three-nation tour of Latin America is likely to further enhance China's relations with the region, experts said. Beyond its economic ties with Latin America, China is also interested in promoting its image internationally...China's infrastructure projects in the Caribbean are examples of non-economically motivated relationships in the region.

It’s official, at least as far as a Japanese government survey is concerned: Americans see China, rather than Japan, as their most important partner in Asia. The opinion leaders’ view offers even more emphatic confirmation that trade relations are increasingly carrying more weight than political or general ties with the U.S., usually cited as a reason for choosing Japan.