Beijing said the use of spy agencies, not scientists, was "iron-clad proof" of Washington's attempts to politicize the origins of COVID-19. A new report published Friday shed little fresh light on how the virus emerged.

Chinese and foreign figure skaters train ahead of the 2021 CS Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, which will be held in Beijing this week as a test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics. All journalists and Winter Olympics staff are required to wear masks inside the stadium as Covid-19 prevention measures.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Long queues form in Beijing for virus testing as China's capital kicks off a drive to test two million people in 48 hours. The city is rushing to snuff out a new local cluster of coronavirus cases believed to be linked to a more contagious virus variant. The mass testing campaign got under way in Dongcheng and Xicheng districts, with Beijing reporting 19 coronavirus cases in the past week.

Chinese police stopped foreign reporters, including one from AFP, covering #MeToo supporters gathering outside a Beijing court on Wednesday as a sexual harassment case against a powerful Chinese media figure began.