BEIJING, June 2 — China hit out at trade talks between the United States and Taiwan, a commerce ministry official said today, a day after Washington launched an initiative with Taipei aimed at deepening economic ties.

“China firmly opposes this,” commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng told reporters, adding that Beijing “opposes any form of official exchanges between any country and the Taiwan region of China”. — AFP

MOSCOW, June 1 — Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow will find ways to supply markets with Russian grain and fertilisers despite Western sanctions, RIA news agency reported today.

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia was willing to facilitate Ukrainian wheat exports through the Black Sea, as well as shipments of Russian fertiliser, if sanctions were eased, according to a Kremlin readout of talks with the president of Turkey. — Reuters