Xi Jinping has been elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and will also now be the country’s commander-in-chief, making him de facto leader of the world’s most populous country. ­In a no-surprise promotion on Thursday, veteran politician Xi was confirmed to be China’s paramount leader for the next 10 years. Wearing a dark suit, he led the new seven-man Central Politburo... 

China's President Hu Jintao and South Africa's President Jacob Zuma (r.) inspect honor guards during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Aug. 24. Zuma called for greater investment in his country from China, as South Africa seeks to narrow its trade deficit with Beijing and bring growth to its sluggish economy. By some counts, at least half the foreigners living... 

China has laughed off Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s concerns about Beijing’s human rights issues, and questioned Australia’s own human rights performance, secret US diplomatic cables obtained by Wikileaks has suggested. Gillard highlighted the annual Australia-China human rights dialogue as the centrepiece of her government’s efforts to enhance respect for human...