China

BEIJING, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ambassador to China, Javid Ahmad Qaem, left his post earlier in January after months without pay from Kabul following the Taliban's seizure of power, he said on Twitter.

In a handover letter dated Jan. 1, also posted on Twitter, Qaem said that many diplomats at the embassy had already left, and Kabul had not sent them salaries since August.

"There are many reasons, personal and professional, but I don't want to mention them here," he said of his decision to leave.

BEIJING (AP) — A third Chinese city has locked down its residents because of a COVID-19 outbreak, raising the number confined to their homes in China to about 20 million people.

The lockdown of Anyang, home to 5.5 million people, was announced late Monday after two cases of the omicron variant were reported. Residents are not allowed to go out and stores have been ordered shut except those selling necessities.

Beijing, Jan 11 (AP) A third Chinese city has locked down its residents because of a COVID-19 outbreak, raising the number confined to their homes in China to about 20 million people.

It wasn't clear how long the lockdown of Anyang city, home to 5.5 million, would last as a notice said it was being done to facilitate mass testing but did not indicate if it would end when the testing is completed.

Another 13 million people are locked down in the city of Xi'an and 1.1 million in Yuzhou.

BEIJING, Jan 10 (Reuters) - China is willing to increase "law enforcement and security" cooperation with neighbouring Kazakhstan and help oppose interference by "external forces", China's foreign minister said on Monday, after violent protests in the Central Asian country.

Wang Yi, who is also a state councillor, made the comments in a call to Kazakhstan's foreign minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- As a permanent comprehensive strategic partner of Kazakhstan, China is willing to firmly support Kazakhstan in maintaining stability and stopping violence at this critical moment concerning Kazakhstan's future, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed Monday after Wall Street fell on worries the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates as soon as March.

Shanghai and Hong Kong advanced. Seoul and Sydney declined. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday.

Investors were rattled last week after notes from the latest Fed meeting showed officials thought the U.S. job market is healthy enough that it might no longer need ultra-low interest rates and other stimulus.

BEIJING (AP) — The numbers are small, but the major port of Tianjin may be facing China’s first local outbreak of omicron of any size, less than a month before the Winter Olympics open in nearby Beijing.

BEIJING, Jan 9 (APP): The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a reminder on Sunday that people in Beijing should not un-necessarily visit Tianjin and those in Tianjin should not visit the capital unless necessary. It is also suggested that commuters between the two cities work from home.

BEIJING (AP) — The numbers are small, but the major port of Tianjin may be facing China’s first outbreak of omicron of any size, less than four weeks before the Winter Olympics open in nearby Beijing.

The city began mass testing of its 14 million residents on Sunday after a cluster of 20 children and adults tested positive for COVID-19, including at least two with the omicron variant. Officials said the virus has been circulating so the number of cases could grow.

BEIJING, Jan 8 (APP): The foreign ministers of four Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and chief of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will visit China from January 10 to 14, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Saturday.

The visiting foreign ministers include Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud from Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah from Kuwait, Sayyid Badr Hamad al-Busaidi from Oman, and Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani from Bahrain, as well as Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf, secretary-general of the GCC.