Beijing on Thursday fended off accusations that it had not honoured its commitments to a 2020 trade pact with the United States, calling instead for Washington to address it ‘in spirit of mutual respect and equal consultation’. It also criticized the US of ‘shirking responsibly and diverting attention’ for its denial of Starlink satellites twice endangering China’s space station, saying it has no right to ‘set a lower limit for the emergency collision standard’. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES