President Donald Trump has fulfilled a campaign pledge by formally withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The 12-nation trade pact was a major part of Barack Obama's Asia policy, but Trump said throughout his campaign that the terms of the deal put the US at a disadvantage. “Great thing for the American worker what we just did," said the new president as he signed the executive order on Monday. Zhang Jun, head of the Chinese foreign ministry’s office of international economic affairs, later announced that China would continue to push for a free-trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region, a competitor to the TPP.

The Chinese government has begun issuing registration certificates to NGOs from Hong Kong, Taiwan and abroad in the first licensing since a law was adopted last year that obliges such organizations to have official approval before operating in the Chinese mainland. Twenty NGOs including the World Economic Forum, the Paulson Institute and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were given certificates at a ceremony in Beijing on Monday. Prior to that, a total of 12 NGOs from outside the Chinese mainland had received certificates for their offices in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Three puppies have been rescued alive from under the ruins of a mountain hotel in central Italy that was hit by an avalanche five days ago, raising hope that some of the 22 people still missing could be found alive. The puppies are thought to have survived thanks to air pockets in the rubble of the hotel in Abruzzo. The death toll from the incident stands at seven.

The Chinese government has vowed to strengthen its protection of farmland as urbanization increases pressure on grain supplies. China will aim to retain at least 124.33 million hectares of arable land in 2020, down from 133.3 million hectares at the end of 2015, according to a document issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Monday.

Exiled Gambian ruler Yahya Jammeh stole millions of dollars in his final weeks in power, plundering the state coffers and shipping out luxury vehicles by cargo plane, a special adviser for the new president has claimed. Mai Ahmad Fatty said Jammeh made off with more than 11.4 million US dollars in two weeks as it became apparent that his 22-year reign was over. New president Adama Barrow took his oath of office in Senegal because of concerns for his safety, but "will return home as soon as possible," according to Fatty.

Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister campaigning to keep his position ahead of elections in March, has published an open letter urging citizens to respect the country’s customs or leave. People who “refuse to adapt, and criticize our values” should “behave normally, or go away,” Rutte wrote. The message published in a national newspaper is seen as a bid to win over voters drawn to the right-wing Freedom Party, amid a rising tide of anti-immigrant feeling in Europe.

Three Chinese clubs are bidding to sign Brazilian defender Dani Alves, according to media reports. Shanghai SIPG is the frontrunner to acquire the 33-year-old Juventus player, having offered an annual salary of 10 million euros, Brazil's Uol Esporte reported. Alves, who captains the Brazil team, is also wanted by Tianjin Quanjian and Hebei China Fortune. He would join other high-profile international arrivals at cash-rich Chinese clubs including Carlos Tevez (Shanghai Shenhua) and Oscar (Shanghai SIPG).

An Internet service designed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to help circulate information on missing children helped find more than 600 kids in 2016, according to the company. "Tuanyuan," or reunion, is a pop-up platform that has been incorporated into popular websites and apps including AutoNavi and Alipay. Since its launch, over 70 billion posts have been issued on Tuanyuan, said an Alibaba official on Monday. The Chinese government has been encouraging departments and police forces to launch more online services and platforms for communication in recent years.