The Chinese government has placed sanctions on seven companies in response to recent U.S. announcements of military sales and aid to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as part of its

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia next year as the neighbours seek to put up a "double resistance" to pressure from the US-led West, the Russian ambassador to China has said. Russia had pledged to further work together with China on economic and security issues to counter the "double containment" campaign from the West,