BRUSSELS: China’s top diplomat warned his EU counterpart against “confrontation,” his foreign ministry said Thursday, after she urged Beijing to stop undermining Europe’s security.
Meeting Kaja Kallas in Brussels on Wednesday, Wang Yi said China and the European Union “should not be regarded as opponents because of differences, nor should they seek confrontation because of disagreements,” according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
Europe is “facing various challenges,” Wang said, but stressed that none were caused by China “in the past, present or future.”
Ahead of their meeting, Kallas, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, said China was “not our adversary, but on security our relationship is under increasing strain.”
She said Chinese firms were “Moscow’s lifeline to sustain its war against Ukraine” and accused Beijing of carrying out cyberattacks, democratic interference and unfair trade practices that “harm European security and jobs.”
China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia’s more than three-year war with Ukraine. But Western governments say Beijing has given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support.
“Enabling war in Europe while seeking closer ties with Europe is a contradiction Beijing must address,” Kallas added on Wednesday.
Wang, meanwhile, sought to cast Beijing as a steady counterweight against superpower rival Washington, which has threatened to slap sweeping tariffs on imports from European nations.
“The path taken by the United States should not be used as a reflection of China,” he said. “China is not the United States.”
Beijing’s foreign ministry also said the two sides had discussed Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and the Iran nuclear issue.
Beijing and Brussels should treat one another with “respect,” Wang said, adding that Europe should pursue a more “active and pragmatic” China policy.
The Chinese diplomat also met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and his Belgian counterpart Maxime Prevot on Wednesday.
China and the EU should “uphold multilateralism and free trade... and work together to address global challenges such as climate change,” Wang told von der Leyen.
Wang will next travel to Germany, where he will hold talks with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on diplomacy and security.
And in France, Wang will meet minister for Europe and foreign affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, who visited China in March.
The visits come about three weeks ahead of a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the EU’s top officials in Beijing.
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China, EU should not ‘seek confrontation,’ says FM Wang Yi
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China, EU should not ‘seek confrontation,’ says FM Wang Yi
- Europe is “facing various challenges,” Wang said, but stressed that none were caused by China “in the past, present or future”
Blizzard warnings cascade across East Coast as winter storm hits
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City and New Jersey announced travel bans, airlines canceled thousands of flights and even Broadway shows were canceled Sunday evening as a fierce winter storm bore down on the Northeastern U.S., prompting blizzard warnings from Maryland to Massachusetts.
Snow began falling in New Jersey and New York as the storm moved northward. The National Weather Service said 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow was possible in many areas, along with heavy winds. Visibility in many areas was expected to be a quarter-mile (400 meters) or less. Officials throughout the region urged residents to avoid travel.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a major nor’easter and major blizzard of this magnitude across the Northeast,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the service’s Weather Prediction Center. “This is definitely a major winter storm and a major impact for this part of the country.”
The weather service issued blizzard warnings for New York City and Long Island, Boston and coastal communities in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. State of emergency declarations were issued in New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and parts of New York as officials mobilized readiness efforts.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ban on non-emergency travel on all streets from 9 p.m. ET Sunday through noon Monday, with travel restrictions planned in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and elsewhere in the region. Regional airports canceled flights ahead of the storm, and even DoorDash announced it was suspending deliveries in the city overnight.
To the south, landmarks such as the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., announced closures Monday.
Some of the heaviest snow forecast for overnight Sunday into Monday
The weather service said some of the heaviest snow was expected to fall overnight, with as much as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour accumulating at times in some areas, before tapering off by Monday afternoon.
It said the storm's strong wind gusts could cause whiteout conditions and warned of a “Potentially Historic/Destructive Storm” southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor.
“Winds like that, combined with heavy, wet snow, are a recipe for damaged trees and prolonged power outages," said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist with the weather service's Boston office. “That's what we're most concerned with, is the combination of those extreme snow amounts with that wind.”
The storm could possibly meet the definition of a bomb cyclone, said Frank Pereira, another weather service meteorologist. That’s when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.
“We’re expecting it to drop by that magnitude at least over the course of the next 24 hours,” Pereira said. “I think when all is said and done, it will meet the definition of a bomb cyclone.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also canceled in-person and virtual classes for city schools on Monday, calling it the “first old-school snow day since 2019."
“And to kids across New York City, you have a very serious mission if you choose to accept it: Stay cozy," he said.
In addition to their robust plow operations, city officials recruited people to shovel snow, some of whom will begin work Sunday night to get an early start on the first wave of snowfall, Mamdani said.
Meanwhile, outreach workers have also been out working to coax homeless New Yorkers off the street and into shelters and various warming centers.
More than 3,500 flights were canceled across the U.S. as of Sunday afternoon along with thousands of delays, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Airports in the path of the storm, including in New York City and Boston, were also seeing widespread cancellations and delays.
Preparations for major snow clearing
With the storm zeroing in, John Berlingieri scrapped plans for a family trip to Puerto Rico. Instead he was preparing his company, Berrington Snow Management, for what could well be a mammoth task: Clearing snow from millions of square feet of asphalt surrounding shopping malls and industrial parks across Long Island.
Employees spent the last few days recharging batteries on the company’s 40 front-end loaders and replacing windshield wipers on snow-removal vehicles, before resting up Saturday.
“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,” Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back.”
___
Izaguirre reported from Albany, New York. Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy in New York, Darlene Superville in Washington, D.C, and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon. contributed.
Snow began falling in New Jersey and New York as the storm moved northward. The National Weather Service said 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow was possible in many areas, along with heavy winds. Visibility in many areas was expected to be a quarter-mile (400 meters) or less. Officials throughout the region urged residents to avoid travel.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a major nor’easter and major blizzard of this magnitude across the Northeast,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist at the service’s Weather Prediction Center. “This is definitely a major winter storm and a major impact for this part of the country.”
The weather service issued blizzard warnings for New York City and Long Island, Boston and coastal communities in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. State of emergency declarations were issued in New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and parts of New York as officials mobilized readiness efforts.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ban on non-emergency travel on all streets from 9 p.m. ET Sunday through noon Monday, with travel restrictions planned in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and elsewhere in the region. Regional airports canceled flights ahead of the storm, and even DoorDash announced it was suspending deliveries in the city overnight.
To the south, landmarks such as the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., announced closures Monday.
Some of the heaviest snow forecast for overnight Sunday into Monday
The weather service said some of the heaviest snow was expected to fall overnight, with as much as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour accumulating at times in some areas, before tapering off by Monday afternoon.
It said the storm's strong wind gusts could cause whiteout conditions and warned of a “Potentially Historic/Destructive Storm” southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor.
“Winds like that, combined with heavy, wet snow, are a recipe for damaged trees and prolonged power outages," said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist with the weather service's Boston office. “That's what we're most concerned with, is the combination of those extreme snow amounts with that wind.”
The storm could possibly meet the definition of a bomb cyclone, said Frank Pereira, another weather service meteorologist. That’s when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.
“We’re expecting it to drop by that magnitude at least over the course of the next 24 hours,” Pereira said. “I think when all is said and done, it will meet the definition of a bomb cyclone.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also canceled in-person and virtual classes for city schools on Monday, calling it the “first old-school snow day since 2019."
“And to kids across New York City, you have a very serious mission if you choose to accept it: Stay cozy," he said.
In addition to their robust plow operations, city officials recruited people to shovel snow, some of whom will begin work Sunday night to get an early start on the first wave of snowfall, Mamdani said.
Meanwhile, outreach workers have also been out working to coax homeless New Yorkers off the street and into shelters and various warming centers.
More than 3,500 flights were canceled across the U.S. as of Sunday afternoon along with thousands of delays, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Airports in the path of the storm, including in New York City and Boston, were also seeing widespread cancellations and delays.
Preparations for major snow clearing
With the storm zeroing in, John Berlingieri scrapped plans for a family trip to Puerto Rico. Instead he was preparing his company, Berrington Snow Management, for what could well be a mammoth task: Clearing snow from millions of square feet of asphalt surrounding shopping malls and industrial parks across Long Island.
Employees spent the last few days recharging batteries on the company’s 40 front-end loaders and replacing windshield wipers on snow-removal vehicles, before resting up Saturday.
“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,” Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back.”
___
Izaguirre reported from Albany, New York. Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy in New York, Darlene Superville in Washington, D.C, and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon. contributed.
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