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China pledges more balanced trade and further opening of the economy after record surplus

BEIJING, March 22 (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged on Sunday to further open the country's economy to foreign firms and pursue more balanced trade with its global partners, after a year marked by trade friction and tariff ‌wars with the United States and European Union in particular.

China will import more high-quality foreign goods and work with all ‌parties to promote optimised and balanced trade development and expand the global trade pie, Li told the China Development Forum in Beijing, according to state media.

The annual two-day forum, which concludes on Monday, allows Beijing to lay out its economic vision and investment opportunities to foreign business leaders, Chinese officials, economists and academics.

It comes after the world's second-biggest economy reported a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus for 2025.

Challenges for Beijing are aplenty, including deflecting concerns from an increasing number of global capitals about China's trade practices and overcapacity, as well as their overreliance on key Chinese products.

While Li's speech did ‌not appear to directly mention the surplus, his ⁠pledges indicate an awareness that the issue could disrupt international relations at a time when China has reached a temporary truce with the U.S. on trade.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week postponed a trip to Beijing to ⁠meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping due to the Iran war, delaying an effort to ease tensions between the world's two biggest economies.

In a separate speech at the forum, China's central bank governor Pan Gongsheng also sought to alleviate concerns surrounding the trade surplus.

"Analysing global economic imbalances requires looking not only at trade in goods but also services, and not only at the current account but also the financial account," Pan said, ‌according to a transcript of his speech published by the People's Bank of China, adding that China is the country with the largest goods surplus but also the largest services deficit.

China has no need and no intention to gain trade competitive advantage through currency depreciation, Pan said.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT PUSH

China is working to reverse a decline in foreign direct investment, which fell 5.7% year-on-year to just over 92 billion yuan ($13.36 billion) in January, following a 9.5% drop over the course of 2025.

In December, China added 200 sectors to a list of those ‌eligible for foreign investment incentives, from tax breaks to preferential land use, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, modern services and green and high-tech sectors.

Li said foreign firms would be treated in the same way as domestic ones, allowing enterprises from all countries to develop with confidence and realise their ambitions in China.

In a ‌separate meeting, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told business leaders from a U.S. pharmaceutical trade group and executives from five major multinational drug companies that China will strengthen intellectual property protection and improve policy transparency.

AppleChief Executive Tim Cook in a keynote speech said that the company would continue to work with Chinese suppliers to further advance the industry, state media reported.

Senior executives from Samsung ‌Electronics, Volkswagen, chipmaker Broadcom Inc, industrial conglomerate Siemens, chemical producer BASF and pharmaceuticals firm Novartis are among those attending the forum.

Financial institutions including HSBC Holdings, UBS Group and Standard Chartered also sent representatives.

($1 = 6.8857 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Liam Mo and Ryan Woo; Editing by William Mallard, Kirsten Donovan)

byAlpha World

in

March 22, 2026

China pledges more balanced trade and further opening of the economy after record surplus

BEIJING, March 22 (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged on Sunday to further open the country's economy to for...

Russia is killing Telegram, its most popular messaging app, despite fears of pushback

TheKremlin's tightening grip on Russian life has a new target: the country's most popular messaging app.

The Telegram app in the Apple App Store (Thomas Fuller / NurPhoto via Getty Images file)

Ordinary Russians and even pro-Kremlin hawks have offered rare public pushback against the campaign to throttle Telegram, warning it could backfire, not just at home but for Russia's military inUkraine.

The app is woven into the daily existence of those who support and oppose the government alike. But the Kremlin is instead pushing people to its new "national" messenger MAX, which many fear could be used to surveil them as part of a deepening crackdown on freedoms since the invasion of Ukraine. Those fears have been amplified by a wave ofmobile internet outages, includingrecent disruptions in Moscow, which authorities have justified as necessary for security.

For months, Russians have complained that Telegram was working slower and more sporadically, and this week users began reporting a major slowdown.

NBC News spoke to ordinary Russians, pro-regime figures and human rights activists about the country's new digital reality.

'Criminal' throttling of Telegram

Millions in Russia use Telegram daily for private communication and crucial information.

Russian officials, Kremlin propagandists, war bloggers, businesses and celebrities are on the app. More than a messenger, it's an ecosystem for everything from updates on incoming Ukrainian drones to general news and commentary.

But authorities have increasingly presented Telegram as a breeding ground for terrorism and criminal activity, with the country's communications regulator restricting the app and targeting its Russian founder. Similar grounds have already been used to restrict other messaging apps, including the Meta-owned WhatsApp.

The latest campaign has drawn criticism from even the most avid supporters ofPresident Vladimir Putin.

Pro-Kremlin gamer and activist Grigory Korolyov, who also goes by the nickname GrishaPutin, uses Telegram to help fundraise for the Russian army — in exchange for a donation, he offers stickers that Russian soldiers on the front lines then put on their artillery shells and fire at Ukraine.

Korolyov, 19, calls himself a "cyber warrior" in Putin's so-called special military operation, the term the Kremlin uses for its war. Despite his professed patriotism, the St. Petersburg native told NBC News he doesn't understand the logic of restricting or banning Telegram. In fact, he thinks it's "criminal."

The app has become a hub for a "patriotically leaning" audience and pro-war commentators, he said in a phone interview, and is used by thousands of people like him to fundraise for the Russian army.

"I can only assume that there is a lofty goal of making everything sovereign, but what's happening right now is just sabotage," Korolyov said.

Another activist, Olga Krygina, gathers humanitarian aid — clothes, water and medical supplies — for Russian troops and civilians in occupied areas of Ukraine, which she calls Russia's "new territories" in line with the Kremlin's rhetoric.

Originally from Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk, Krygina, 54, now lives in St. Petersburg and told NBC News in a phone interview that Telegram has been effective in helping her organize and deliver the aid. But Krygina said she and her fellow volunteers have been growing their presence on MAX, anticipating a possible ban.

Krygina said she doesn't have any issue with using the new national messenger, though she said a Telegram shutdown "won't be pleasant."

She said she accepts the Russian government's move toward banning Telegram, because "our secret services know better."

The Kremlin says Telegram is not complying with Russian laws and not cooperating with authorities to stop serious crimes it says are being perpetrated on the app. It has confirmed to NBC News reports in two Russian newspapers that Pavel Durov, the Russian-born tech mogul who founded Telegram in 2013, is being investigated for "assisting terrorism activity." No official charges have been filed.

Durovdismissedthe case against him, calling it "a sad spectacle of a state afraid of its own people" in a post on X last month.

"Russia is restricting access to Telegram to force its citizens onto a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship," Durovsaid.

It's not just Russia that has leveled these accusations, though. Durov wasarrested in Francein 2024 andchargedwith enabling various forms of criminality on his app. He waspermitted to leave Francelast year afterpledging to "significantly improve" the site's moderationof criminal activity.

Telegram did not respond to requests for comment from NBC News.

Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications regulator, has not officially said it plans to ban Telegram. Asked about the most recent slowdown on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told NBC News he had "nothing to add" and was not aware of any contacts with the messenger's management.

'Forced' alternative

In slushy streets next to central Moscow's Pushkinskaya Square, people were reluctant to talk about a possible ban and whether they would consider switching to MAX. Most only wanted to speak their minds without sharing their full names, as is usually the case in Russia, where dissent is punished.

"Unfortunately, it's being forced, and I don't like it," said Varvara about the new national messenger. "That's why I don't install it."

Artem, 44, said he has installed MAX, but has experienced connectivity problems, blaming its developers for making a "crap" product. He said he was not worried about security, as he feels Telegram is just as unsafe.

Russia tried to ban Telegram for failing to provide the FSB state security servicewith its encryption keysin 2018, but was unsuccessful.

Instead, the messenger continued to grow in popularity and is widely used by Russian state officials and Kremlin propagandists. It's equally as popular among Kremlin critics.

Dmitrii Zair-Bek with Pervy Otdel, a human rights project helping people facing politically motivated charges in Russia, said they use Telegram to establish "primary contact" with Russians who need their help.

"They want to block Telegram because of organizations like us — independent information sources, not controlled by the Kremlin," he said. Zair-Bek, who is currently based outside Russia, expects many inside the country will continue using Telegram, however, by installing a virtual private network (VPN) — technology that has allowed Russians to bypass online restrictions.

Some people also told NBC News they were considering buying another phone for downloading the state-backed messenger if there is pressure to do so. The app's creators say the number of usershas already reached 100 million, or nearly 70% of Russia's population.

"I only plan to switch to MAX if there is no other way," said Maria from Moscow, who did not want her last name shared because of security concerns.

But Zair-Bek is worried it will be difficult for his organization to reach less tech-savvy people, so it is considering having some presence on MAX.

The "national messenger" is similar in functionality to Telegram, but it's also integrated with Russia's government services portal and can be used as a form ofdigital ID.

As of September, itmust be preinstalledon all electronic devices in Russia. Officials are increasingly redirecting their Telegram audiences there, with one regional governoralerting Ukrainian drone attacksonly on MAX.

But users have been reporting bugs and security concerns,rating the app poorlyand sharing online memes about pressure to use it.

'Shooting itself in the foot'

The potential Telegram ban has been harshly criticized by Russia's popular military bloggers, who say the army relies on the platform for battlefield communications in Ukraine.

"For mobile fire groups assigned to combat [drones], Telegram has long been the only (and again, in all caps, ONLY) communication channel,"wroteinfluential military channel Two Majors last month.

Some bloggers reported this week, citing sources on the front lines, that Russian soldiers were being told to remove Telegram from their phones or face punishment. NBC News could not independently verify these reports.

Firebrand politician and ardent Putin supporter Sergei Mironov has also been left fuming, calling Russian authorities "idiots" for slowing down Telegram. Russian troops "often have nothing" but Telegram to communicate,Mironov said. "Don't deprive them of what helps them defeat the enemy and save their lives."

The Russian military in Ukraine only uses "standard communications systems" not linked to messengers including Telegram, Russia's Defense Ministry insisted last month.

The Kremlin has also resisted the outrage, with Putin receiving a report at a recent public event from a commander of a communications battalion who said there were "no problems" with the army's communication systems and that Telegram was a "hostile messenger."

But military logistics specialists told NBC News the Russian army does rely on Telegram for tactical communication, and the Kremlin doesn't have much of a viable alternative.

The Russian military is likely to try replacing it with MAX, but there is no data yet on how effective it could be on the battlefield, said Ronald Ti, an expert in military logistics at King's College London.

The Kremlin has "prioritized regime security over tactical effectiveness," Ti said.

byAlpha World

in

March 22, 2026

Russia is killing Telegram, its most popular messaging app, despite fears of pushback

TheKremlin's tightening grip on Russian life has a new target: the country's most popular messaging app. ...

Welcome to allergy season. Here's how to protect yourself

ATLANTA (AP) —Allergy seasoncan be miserable fortens of millions of Americanswhen trees, grass, and other pollens cause runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing.

Where you live, what you're allergic to and your lifestyle can make a big difference when it comes to theseverity of your allergies. Experts say climate change is leading to longer and more intense allergy seasons, but also point out that treatments for seasonal allergies have become more effective over the last decade.

Here are some tips from experts to keep allergy symptoms at bay — maybe even enough to allow you toenjoy the outdoors.

New cities top the list of 'allergy capitals'

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issuesan annual rankingof the most challenging cities to live in if you have allergies, based on over-the-counter medicine use, pollen counts and the number of available allergy specialists.

This year, the top five cities are: Boise, Idaho; San Diego; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Provo, Utah; and Rochester, New York.

Pollen helps plants reproduce — and makes us miserable

Pollen is the powdery substance made by seed-producing plants and trees that is part of their reproductive process. Earlier inthe spring, tree pollen is the main culprit. After that grasses pollinate, followed by weeds in the late summer and early fall.

Some of the most common tree pollens that cause allergies include birch, cedar, cottonwood, maple, elm, oak and walnut, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Grasses that cause symptoms include Bermuda, Johnson, rye and Kentucky bluegrass.

Here's how to track pollen levels

Pollen trackers can help you decide when to go outside. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology tracks levels through a network of counting stations across the U.S. Counts are availableat its website and via email.

The first step is to try to avoid pollen altogether

The best and first step to controlling allergies is avoiding exposure. Keep the windows in your car and your home closed, even when it's nice outside.

If you go outside, wearing long sleeves can keep pollen off your skin to help ward off allergic reactions, said Dr. James Baker, an allergist at the University of Michigan. It also provides some sun protection, he added.

When you get home, change your clothes and shower daily to ensure all the pollen is off of you — including your hair. If you can't wash your hair every day, try covering it when you go outside with a hat or scarf. Don't get in the bed with your outside clothes on, because the pollen will follow.

It's also useful to rinse your eyes and nose with saline to remove any pollen, experts said. And the same masks that got us through the pandemic can protect you from allergies — though they won't help with eye symptoms.

How to relieve allergy symptoms

Over-the-counter nasal sprays are among the most effective treatments for seasonal allergies, experts said.

But patients often use them incorrectly, irritating parts of the nose, said Dr. Kathleen May, an allergist at Augusta University in Georgia. She suggested angling the nozzle outward toward your ear rather than sticking it straight up your nose.

Over-the-counter allergy pills like Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec are helpful, but may not be as effective as quickly since they're taken by mouth, experts said.

If your allergy symptoms are impacting your quality of life, like causing you to lose sleep or loose focus at work or school, it might be time to consider making an appointment with an allergist. There are medications that can train you immune system not to overreact to allergens.

Some remedies for allergy relief that have been circulating on social media or suggested by celebrities — like incorporating local honey into your diet to expose yourself to pollen — have been debunked.

Dr. Shyam Joshi, an allergist at Oregon Health and Science University, said that's because the flowers that bees pollinate typically don't contain the airborne pollen that causes allergy symptoms.

Is allergy season changing?

Winters are milder and growing seasons are longer as the climate is changing, meaning there's more opportunity for pollen to stay in the air, resulting in longer and more severe allergy seasons.

Last year was one of the most intense allergy seasons on record, particularly in the Southeast U.S.

A version of this story was published April 19, 2025. The writer is no longer with The Associated Press.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

byAlpha World

in

March 22, 2026

Welcome to allergy season. Here's how to protect yourself

ATLANTA (AP) —Allergy seasoncan be miserable fortens of millions of Americanswhen trees, grass, and other pollens cause r...

Another 'Big, Beautiful Bill' may be coming to pay for the Iran war

WASHINGTON − For weeks, speculation has grown on Capitol Hill about a second "Big, Beautiful Bill" as some Republicans push foranother big legislative swingahead ofa midterm cyclethat could cost them full control of Congress.

Members of the House Intelligence Committee sit on the day of the committee's hearing on worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill on March 19, 2026.

The talk is starting to get more serious, as lawmakers acknowledge that it may be the only way to pass as much as$200 billion in additional defense spendingfor theintensifying Iran war.

But the road through Congress for war cash is likely to be a tough one, with the GOP unable to afford losing few (if any) voteswithin already-thin margins in the Senate and House of Representatives. And it risks fracturing Republicans trying to present a unified party message as the November elections approach.

Read more:Trump says GOP lawmaker would have been 'dead by June' in awkward moment

See how Middle Eastern countries are caught in the crossfire of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.
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Smoke rises in the sky after blasts were heard in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026.