Beijing warns US, Japan against collusion vs China

Beijing expressed "serious concerns" to the United States and Japan on Friday over what it described as "negative moves and collusion" between the two countries against China.

The statement came from Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, just before Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's visit to the White House in U.S. President Joe Biden's first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader.

The meeting is seen as reflecting Biden's emphasis on strengthening alliances to deal with a more assertive China and other global challenges.

Zhao told reporters that Japan and the United States should "take China's concerns and demands seriously" and avoid interference in China's internal affairs.

"China will make necessary responses as appropriate," he added.

Also at the daily briefing Zhao argued that the frequent use of "unilateral sanctions" is "an act of bullying", following the announcement that  U.S. is expelling 10 Russian diplomats and imposing sanctions against dozens of people and companies.

The sweeping measures announced Thursday are meant to punish Russia for actions that U.S. officials say cut to the core of American democracy and to deter future acts by imposing economic costs on Moscow.

Separately, Zhao on Friday criticized the U.S. for its "flip-flops" on the Paris Agreement as a response to a State Department spokesperson anonymously suggesting that China "is not yet on a path that will allow the world to meet the Paris Agreement's goal" of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Zhao also confirmed President Xi Jinping's attendance at a virtual meeting with French and German leaders Friday on climate change at French President Emmanuel Macron's invitation.

The meeting came as Biden's climate envoy, John Kerry, was discussing the issue with Chinese counterparts in Shanghai.