US beef had been banned from China since 2003 due to a mad cow disease scare

Some even believe that he would not able to serve the full six-year term

He acts as a singer, a host and works on his own documentary projects

In 2002, she became the first person from her country to receive China's Friendship Award, the highest honor given to foreigners by the central government

The opposition camp, however, has criticized Abe's move to call a snap election, with some accusing him of merely trying to escape from the influence-peddling scandals he is currently implicated in and engineering his stay in power