China and Korea once again produced a masterclass in fencing to reach yet another final in the men's team epee competition at Al-Arabi Indoor Hall after convincing wins over IR Iran and Kazakhstan respectively.

China head into tonight's women's basketball final as hot favourites to beat Chinese Taipei and claim their second successive Asian Games title at Basketball Indoor Hall.

Talks in Beijing between high-ranking U.S. and Chinese economic officials ended today with both sides claiming progress was made. But China's pledge to allow greater flexibility on the exchange rate of its currency -- a long-standing U.S. demand - was made without any timetable.

The United States and China have agreed to try to redress imbalances in their economic relationship,, which saw China achieve a $200 billion trade surplus last year. Top-level officials met for the past two days in Beijing, and the two countries reaffirmed their common interest in maintaining a stable economic relationship. But, as Roger Wilkison reports for VOA, they did not commit to a timetable, or specific pledges as to how they would deal with the strains that bedevil it.

The International Monetary Fund in Washington Thursday hosted a forum on the sustainability of the rapid economic gains being recorded by both India and China, whose economies have been big beneficiaries of globalization. VOA's Barry Wood reports.

Top Chinese and U.S. economic officials have begun two days of talks in Beijing aimed at easing friction over the two countries' economic relationship. Roger Wilkison reports from Beijing that, while both sides emphasize the need for long-term solutions to Washington's huge trade deficit with China, both face short-term political pressures.

China says progress can be made at next week's six-party North Korean nuclear disarmament talks if the participants adopt a flexible and pragmatic attitude. Roger Wilkison reports from Beijing, where the talks will resume after a 13-month boycott by North Korea.

U.S. officials released a barrage of statements Monday prodding China to do more to reform its economy.

The head of the Japanese Defense Agency says he would like to see military exchanges and joint exercises between China and Japan. Defense Agency Director General Fumio Kyuma, in an exclusive interview with VOA, says the idea has gotten a positive response from China. VOA's Steve Herman reports from Tokyo.

A human rights group is urging China to repeal rules that prevent lawyers from defending clients in collective actions. As Roger Wilkison reports from Beijing, the report by Human Rights Watch says depriving protesters of access to legal recourse can only intensify China's rising social unrest.

Marriott International, Inc. will open its 11th hotel in Beijing in 2008 under a management agreement reached with Beijing Huhua Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. When opened, the 19-storey hotel will be called the Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall and will have 615 guest rooms.

What were to be summit meetings of East Asian leaders have collapsed completely as a tropical storm bears down on the summit site. VOA's Heda Bayron reports from the Philippine city of Cebu, a meeting of the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers is all that saved the event from complete failure.