Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui has summoned Daniel Kritenbrink, charge d'affaires of U.S. embassy in China, to lodge solemn representations for U.S. President Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama regardless of China's strong opposition.

According to Zhang, such a wrong move gravely interfered in China's internal affairs, seriously violated the U.S. commitment of not supporting the "Tibet independence", gravely violated basic norms governing the international relations, and seriously undermined the China-U.S. relations. 

China expresses strong indignation and firm opposition. 

Zhang Yesui stresses the Tibetan issue is the domestic affair of China and the United States bears no right to interfere.

 

China, France vow to further promote bilateral ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius in Beijing, pledging closer bilateral relations as the two countries celebrate 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

Xi Jinping said he attached great importance to the China-France ties, looking forward to meeting with Hollande in the near future. 

He called on both countries to summarize and learn from the successful experience and rules of the development of China-France ties so as to forge ahead with the ties in the new era.

 

Ukrainian president, opposition sign deal to end crisis

The Ukrainian president and opposition leaders have signed an agreement to end the country's political crisis, which has left dozens of people dead and hundreds of others injured.

The presidential press office says in a statement that the agreement envisages constitutional changes to reduce the president's power, formation of a national unity government and early presidential elections.

The agreement follows overnight meetings involving President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders along with the foreign ministers of Poland, France and Germany, and the chairman of Russia's Human Rights Commission. 

The president made concessions to the opposition in a bid to avoid further bloodshed and casualties among the demonstrators and police officers.

 

U.S. condemns attack on Somali presidential palace

The United States has "strongly" condemned an attack by militant group al-Shabaab against Somalia's presidential palace in Mogadishu.

Twelve people, including nine attackers and three people on the government side, were killed in the attack on Friday. The al-Qaida linked al-Shabaab has recently increased its attacks on Somali government targets and the African Union Mission in Somalia.

 

Beijing raises pollution alert, limits factory activity

More than 100 factories in Beijing will either halt or limit their activities amid signs of lingering smog over the weekend.

Authorities have raised the pollution alert by one notch to Orange - the second highest, ordering 36 companies to halt production.

Citizens are also being urged to stay indoors and use public transportation.

 

Beijing approves two-child policy

The Beijing municipal legislature has approved an adjustment to the city's family planning policy, allowing couples in which one spouse is an only child to have two children.

The move follows the decision at a key Party meeting in November to relax the one-child policy.

The policy change has been implemented in Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces, as well as Tianjin municipality.

China reports 4 more H7N9 cases

Four more people were confirmed to be infected with H7N9 bird flu in two Chinese provinces on Friday.

One was from Changchun City in northeast China's Jilin Province and another three were in south China's Guangdong Province, including one death. 

There have been more than 120 human H7N9 cases reported in China so far this year and at least 32 deaths, according to latest official figures.

 

Chinese able to send messages to judges online/xinhua

Chinese people are now able to leave messages for chief judges online.

The Supreme People's Court says this is part of an effort to give the public better access to members of the judiciary.

It's as simple as clicking on the electronic mailbox that's been put on the court's official website.

The email accounts will be administered by special staff arranged by press and publicity departments of the higher courts.

It promised that staff will respond to and handle problems in a timely manner.

 

More of Forbidden City to open to public

The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, will open more areas to the public by 2018.

Right now, only 52 percent of the facility is open to tourists, but that will increase to 76 percent over the next four years.

Next year, the museum will open up the Palace's western area, the former home of the imperial harem.

Currently, the central and eastern portions of the Palace are open. Those are the former offices and the residence of the emporers, along with the imperial garden.

The facility receives more than 15-million visitors annually.