Beijing, Nov 18 : China has reportedly denied the media reports claiming that it were planning to send its troops to participate in the ISAF in Afghanistan.

The country’s foreign ministry said that it does not send its troops for peacekeeping operations except those approved by the UN Security Council.

Beijing - China's main stock

Beijing  - Rescue workers pulled 32 miners from a flooded coal shaft in central China on Tuesday after they were trapped underground for 23 hours, state media said.

The miners rescued from the Gaomendong mine in Henan's Jiaxian county, near the city of Pingdingshan, were all in poor health and were rushed to a local hospital for treatment, the official Xinhua news agency said.

One other miner pulled out of the shaft had already died and another remained missing, the agency quoted Pingdingshan city government spokesman Dong Yuxi as saying.

Havana  - Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived for a visit to Cuba hours after the two countries had signed a series of economic agreements.

Hu, who last visited the Caribbean island in 2004, arrived Monday in Havana for a two-day stay that is to have an economic focus.

A statement by Cuba's government said the trip was a gesture of the deep friendship between the two Communist countries.

San Jose  - Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and Chinese leader Hu Jintao agreed Monday in San Jose to launch talks towards a free-trade agreement between the two nations.

The heads of state met in the framework of Hu's visit to Costa Rica, the first that a Chinese leader has made to a Central American country.

New York  - Bank of America Corp said Monday it would almost double its stake in China Construction Bank Corp, ending speculation that it would dump its investment as a result of the widening global financial crisis.

Bank of America is increasing its stake to 19.1 per cent, or 44.7 billion shares, from 10.8 per cent. The shares can't be sold until August 29, 2011, without the Chinese bank's consent.