Beijing

A month has passed since the constitutional referendum granted expansive powers to the President of Turkey.

Fosun International Ltd., China's largest private conglomerate, wants to use its stake in UK-listed tour operator Thomas Cook Group to offer vacation packages in Greece tailored to the needs and preferences of the Chinese market, Senior Vice President Jim Jiannong Qian has told Bloomberg.

A major dust storm engulfed northern China and Beijing on May 4, prompting authorities to cancel dozens of flights and urge children and the elderly to stay indoors. Buildings were shrouded by the greyish haze in the capital while residents who ventured out covered their mouths and noses with masks and bandanas.

The European Union wants China to help prevent migrants and refugees using Chinese-made inflatable boats to get into the bloc by stopping the boats reaching them, the European Commissioner for Migration said on Thursday.

Beijing has called for an immediate stop to the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system to South Korea and is ready to protect its interests, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang voiced the government's position against the move during a briefing on Tuesday.

Talks between Athens and Beijing over an extensive long-term economic cooperation agreement are at an advanced stage.

U.S. President Donald Trump said a "major, major conflict" with North Korea was possible over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, while China said the situation on the Korean peninsula could escalate or slip out of control.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is due to visit Beijing on May 14 and 15, met in Athens on Thursday with Liu Qibao, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo.

The United States military started installing a controversial antimissile defense system in South Korea overnight Tuesday, triggering protests and sparking criticism that it was rushing to get the battery in place before the likely election of a president who opposes it.

China has launched its first domestically designed and built aircraft carrier, state media said Wednesday, as the country seeks to transform its navy into a force capable of projecting power onto the high seas.