Lift sanctions or face consequences: China warns US
Beijing, Sep 21 : China on Friday asked the US to lift the sanctions on the Chinese military for buying Russian fighter jets and weapons or "bear the consequences."
"China expressed strong indignation towards the unreasonable move by the US and has made solemn representation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
He added that Washington had violated the basic norms of international relations and disturbed ties with China. "We strongly call on the US to remedy the mistake and cancel the sanctions. Otherwise, it has to bear the consequences."
The US slapped the sanctions on the Chinese military's Equipment Development Department and its Director Li Shangfu for buying Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 surface-to-air missile system from Russia.
Washington said that the action was taken to punish Russia for allegedly meddling in the US presidential elections.
US officials said it was the first time anyone was sanctioned for doing business with people on Washington's blacklist of Russian operatives.
The list was mandated by the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, passed by Congress amid concern that President Donald Trump would not take tough action against Russia and could even move to ease sanctions on Moscow.
The move will add to the already frayed tempers between China and the US who are locked in a festering trade dispute.
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Hamas accepts cease-fire proposal for Gaza, but Israel's stance still uncertain
Jerusalem, May 6: Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but there was no immediate word from Israel, leaving it uncertain whether a deal had been sealed to bring a halt to the seven-month-long war in Gaza.
It was the first glimmer of hope that a deal might avert further bloodshed. Hours earlier, Israel ordered some 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating the southern Gaza town of Rafah, signalling that an attack was imminent. The United States and other key allies of Israel oppose an offensive on Rafah, where around 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half of Gaza's population, are sheltering.
An official familiar with Israeli thinking said Israeli officials were examining the proposal, but the plan approved by Hamas was not the framework Israel proposed.
An American official also said the US was still waiting to learn more about the Hamas position and whether it reflected an agreement to what had already been signed off on by Israel and international negotiators or something else. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as a stance was still being formulated.
Details of the proposal have not been released. Touring the region last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had pressed Hamas to take the deal, and Egyptian officials said it called for a cease-fire of multiple stages starting with a limited hostage release and some Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza. The two sides would also negotiate a “permanent calm” that would lead to a full hostage release and greater Israeli withdrawal, they said.
