BEIJING, 16 March, 2021, (TON): China on Monday criticized the Quad, saying no “small cliques” should be formed, as it accused some countries of trying to “sow discord” among regional nations by “hyping” the ‘China threat’ and asserted that they will not succeed.

Quad countries involving the US, India, Australia, and Japan held their foremost virtual summit on Friday during which President Joe Biden told leaders of the alliance that a “free and open” Indo-Pacific is vital for their nations and pledged that his nation was focused on working with its accomplices and partners in the area to accomplish dependability.

Indian PM Narendra Modi attended the virtual summit alongside Australian PM Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga.

“Certain countries should shake off their Cold-War mentality and ideological prejudice, refrain from forming closed and exclusive small circles, and do more things that are conducive to solidarity and cooperation among regional countries and regional peace and stability,”

BEIJING, 15 March, 2021, (TON): Residents urged to avoid outdoor activities as strong winds bring in dust from the northwest.

The China Meteorological Administration announced a yellow alert on Monday morning, saying that the sandstorms had spread from Inner Mongolia into the provinces of Gansu, Shanxi and Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.

Visibility was reduced to between 300 (984 feet) and 800 meters (2,624 feet), state media reported.

Beijing faces regular sandstorms in March and April as a result of its proximity to the enormous Gobi desert as well as deforestation throughout northern China.

Beijing and surrounding regions have been suffering from relatively high levels of pollution in recent weeks, with the city also shrouded in smog during the opening of parliament starting on March 5.

BEIJING, 13 March, 2021, (TON): In front of the Quad culmination on Friday, China said trades and participation between nations ought to add to common seeing as opposed to focusing on third party and decline “pursuing exclusive blocs ".

US President Joe Biden, PM Narendra Modi, Australian PM Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga will go to the virtual summit, which is the initial meeting of the top heads of the Quadrilateral partnership, on Friday.

Known as the “Quadrilateral Security Dialogue,” representatives for the four-member nations have met periodically since its establishment in 2007.

Asked for China's reaction to the Quad conclave, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here that “exchanges and cooperation between nations should contribute to the mutual understanding and trust among nations, rather than targeting a third party or damaging the interest of a third party.”

The meeting to be held virtually is expected to last about 90 minutes, during which all the four leaders would also lay out their vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, amidst China flexing its muscles in the strategically-vital region.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarizing its man-made islands in the past few years.

Beijing claims sovereignty over the entirety of the South China Sea. Yet, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. In the East China Sea, China has regional questions with Japan.

The developing circumstance in the Indo-Pacific locale in the wake of China's expanding military muscle-flexing has become a significant argument among driving worldwide forces. The US has been preferring making Quad a security design to check China's developing confidence.

BEIJING, 12 March, 2021, (TON): Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on 11 March, 2021that China opposes separatist activities aimed at “Taiwan independence” but ready to have a dialogue by Taiwanese political parties on cross-Strait relations.

China considers Taiwan as part of it and vows to integrate it with the Chinese mainland. It opposes the present Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who is a firm advocate of Taiwan independence.

Addressing a virtual press conference at the end of the Parliament session, Li said the Chinese mainland’s policy regarding Taiwan has been consistent and clear-cut, adhering to the 1992 Consensus that embodies the “one-China” principle.

“Under this premise, we welcome any political party or group in Taiwan to communicate with us and conduct dialogue on cross-Straits relations and the future of the nation,” Li said.

 “We believe that the two sides of the Straits are one and the same family. Over the years, we have introduced a number of policies benefiting Taiwan businesses and compatriots,” Li said.

He further added that the mainland will continue to enable Taiwan residents to enjoy the development opportunities on the mainland and promote integrated development across the Straits.   

NEW YORK, 12 March, 2021, (TON): China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and others are looking for help for an alliance to guard the United Nations Charter by standing up against the utilization or danger of power and one-sided sanctions, as per a report on Thursday.

Biden has pledged to take on China at the United Nations, where Beijing has been pushing for greater global influence in a challenge to traditional U.S. leadership.

However, a senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, responded, “These so-called friends are the ones who have done most to breach the charter. Maybe they should start by respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in their own countries.”

Other founding members of the group are Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cuba, Eritrea, Laos, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria and Venezuela.

The concept note said “the world is seeing a growing resort to unilateralism, marked by isolationist and arbitrary actions, including the imposition of unilateral coercive measures or the withdrawal from landmark agreements and multilateral institutions, as well as by attempts to undermine critical efforts to tackle common and global challenges.”