China's Defense Ministry says the military's top general is under investigation for serious violations of discipline and law.

Zhang, 75, and Liu, 61, are the vice-chairman and member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) respectively.

As US President Donald Trump primed his arrival in Davos by sowing discord with allies – ramping up threats to take control of Greenland, vowing to levy tariffs on opponents of that bid, and leaking private messages from European leaders – Beijing took the cue to position itself as an alternative global leader.

By Selena Li DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 23 (Reuters) - China's low-key approach in Davos this year could not have been more different to that of the United States, with some business leaders saying Beijing stands to benefit from the Trump administration's clash with Europe over Greenland.

US President Donald Trump's outburst comes amid escalating tensions between the US and China, following Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's remarks in Davos.

China responded by imposing duties of 100% on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood. It added a 75.8% tariff on canola seeds last August. Collectively, the import taxes effectively closed the Chinese market to Canadian canola exports, an industry group said.

BEIJING, Jan 23 () - China defended its human rights record on Friday after UN experts said ​alleged forced labour involving Uyghurs and Tibetans in ‌the Xinjiang region and other parts of China might amount to "enslavement".