China: A loan shark or the good Samaritan?

Beijing is cloaked by a thick yellow smog with pollution surging to hazardous levels as the biggest sandstorm in a decade sweeps across China's capital. Buildings are obscured behind an apocalyptic-looking pall of smog, as schools and sports events are cancelled.

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics launched a series of test events on April 1 as China ploughs on with preparations despite calls for a boycott over its treatment of the Uyghur minority.

Washington says it is in talks with its allies about how to approach the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Human rights groups and some US lawmakers have been urging a boycott.

Beijing holds speed skating test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics at the National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the Ice Ribbon. Medallists are given awards in a contact-free manner where they pick up their prizes from the podium as part of the Covid-19 prevention measures.

China has warned Western powers against "interference" after they raised concerns over Hong Kong's sweeping national security law and electoral reforms.

Beijing is cloaked in thick yellow smog with pollution levels surging off the charts as the worst sandstorm in a decade descends on China's capital from the Gobi desert. The city government has ordered schools to cancel outside sport and events and has advised the public to stay inside where possible, as hundreds of flights are cancelled.

Asked about US involvement in a move by the Australian government to scrap a state's deal to join China's Belt and Road Initiative, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says, "how we can work together as a global community and in a coordinated fashion as it relates to China is part of nearly every discussion the President has with a European partner or country in the region."

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called for a "diplomatic boycott" of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics because of China's human rights violations.

Human rights activists warn the law "criminalizes free speech" and forces Hong Kongers to "pledge loyalty" to Beijing. "It's about training people to conform to Chinese Communist Party rules."

US Vice President Kamala Harris accuses Beijing of coercion and intimidation in the disputed South China Sea during a speech in Singapore. Harris' comments come as she seeks to rally Asian allies against China and shore up US credibility in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Beijing has said it want to foster small and medium-sized businesses by setting up third stock exchange in Beijing. The move comes despite an ongoing regulatory crackdown on China's biggest tech companies.

The property company's financial plight comes as the Communist Party cracks down on business and tightens its control of the economy. Evergrande's fate and that of its founder, hang in the balance.