For more than a decade, leader Xi Jinping has overseen a transformation within the Chinese economy with one aim: making it energy-secure.

Former CIA official John Kiriakou said President Trump's "handshake" deal with China to cut Iran's weapons supply could be a game-changer for the Middle East.

BEIJING, April 20 (Reuters) - China on Monday warned against military cooperation that could undermine trust and deepen division in the region, as the United States and the Philippines begin annual military exercises with expanded participation from Japan.

Russia’s government expects to sell natural gas for several years to China at about a third less than the price paid by Europe, underscoring how a pivot to Asia hasn’t fully offset the loss of most of the country’s Western markets.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Visiting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before their meeting at the Great

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for normal passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz to be maintained, in a phone call on Monday with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held as Beijing steps up efforts to help end the Iran war.

Beijing had lowered its growth target this year to a range of 4.5% to 5%, the least ambitious goal on record going back to the early 1990s.

The United States and the Philippines have kicked off of their largest combat exercises in an annual display of allied military might.