According to The Wall Street Journal, "China is expanding two islands it controls in the disputed Paracel Islands, east of Vietnam, satellite imagery published on Tuesday shows, even as it builds seven new islets in the South China Sea. Woody Island and Duncan Island have both expanded significantly as a result of recent land-reclamation work undertaken by China... Vietnam says it owns both islands, although Woody Island is home to China's largest South China Sea settlement-Sansha City, which has a population of 600 people. China claims about 90% of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam."
"Chinese authorities curbed some travel from mainland China to Hong Kong on Monday to cool tensions over a growing influx of shoppers that has angered residents of the Asian financial hub. The public security bureau in neighboring Shenzhen will stop issuing multiple visit passes to people who live in the border city and instead issue only once-a-week travel passes...The central government in Beijing has adjusted the travel policy because, 'alongside the unceasing growth of mainland residents traveling to Hong Kong and growing pressure on mainland and Hong Kong immigration ports, there's growing contradiction between visitor numbers to Hong Kong and Hong Kong tourism's capability,'...Many cross-border shoppers work for shadowy networks that organize the resale of the goods back in mainland China for a profit, in what's known as parallel trading," writes The Washington Post.
An opinion article from The Diplomat writes, "U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker is leading a group of 24 U.S. businesses to China seeking increased cooperation on clean energy...the U.S. Department of Commerce noted that 'China offers vast opportunities for U.S. businesses with deep expertise in clean and energy efficient technology.' The purpose of the trip, the statement said, is to connect U.S. companies with 'opportunities in the green infrastructure and energy efficiency industries' in China while also helping 'introduce Chinese investors, entrepreneurs and innovators to the [United States'] clean energy technology market'...The statement added that the mission is the 'first step' in realizing the goals laid out by Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping in their joint climate change announcement, made in November 2014."