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View from Manila: ‘Tama na, Lord’
China responded like 'it's already the end of the world,' says National Security Adviser Eduardo Año in describing the latest 'illegal, coercive' act in the West Philippine Sea.....»»
Saintfiet confident, hopes for ‘miracle’ as PH men’s football team hosts Iraq
Hoping to take advantage of playing at home, the Philippine men's football team targets a breakthrough win in the joint qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup as it battles favored Iraq.....»»
Xinhua world economic news summary at 0900 GMT, March 18
BEIJING -- Global new energy passenger car sales are predicted to exceed 39 million units by 2030, said a report obtained during the China EV100 Forum 2024 concluded Sunday in Beijing. That will mark a penetration rate of almost 50 percent, rising from the nearly 20 percent in 2023 with the sales of over 13 million units, according to the report issued by China EV100, a new energy vehicle (NEV) industry think ta.....»»
US Officials Warn of New Axis of Evil With China at the Fore
WASHINGTON - U.S. military and defense officials are increasingly concerned that as China and Russia forge ever stronger ties, they might attempt to challenge Western unity and eventually alter the balance of power on the world stage.The commander of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that the evolving relationship between Beijing and Moscow is a "big portion" of.....»»
Yearender: Mixed fortunes for Chinese basketball in 2023
by sportswriter Cao Yibo BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- From the women's national team regaining the Asia Cup title to their men's counterparts once again missing out on the Olympic Games, 2023 has been a mixed bag for China's basketball, which is navigating through icebergs in urgent need of a breakthrough. HITTING AN ALL-TIME LOW Minnesota Timberwolves forward Li Kaier joined China's men's national.....»»
Yearender: Mixed fortunes for Chinese basketball in 2023
by sportswriter Cao Yibo BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- From the women's national team regaining the Asia Cup title to their men's counterparts once again missing out on the Olympic Games, 2023 has been a mixed bag for China's basketball, which is navigating through icebergs in urgent need of a breakthrough. HITTING AN ALL-TIME LOW Minnesota Timberwolves forward Li Kaier joined China's men's national.....»»
Women sci-fi writer numbers rocketing
Women writers are taking the Chinese science fiction scene by storm, with their increasing prominence one of the genre’s most noticeable trends, according to participants at a major convention in Chengdu this week. Worldcon — the world’s oldest and most influential sci-fi gathering — is taking place in China for the first time, drawing hordes of eager local fans of all genders. China can still be a relatively socially conservative country, and under President Xi Jinping the space for the expression of feminism has shrunk even further over the last decade. But in science fiction, the number of women authors has rocketed in recent years, said Regina Kanyu Wang, a writer and editor nominated for two prestigious Hugo Awards at Worldcon this year. More women are now realizing “it’s not only this nerdy, geeky style of science fiction that can be published, or that can be regarded as science fiction,” she said. “Liu Cixin (the author of the world-famous Three-Body series) is great, we all love him. But there’s so much more outside of the Liu Cixin style.” The good news is that once women do get their start as writers, they do not tend to feel they are treated unequally, according to Wang. The market and readers are demanding new perspectives, she said. “Nowadays, a lot of Chinese female sci-fi writers pay attention to the problems women face that men might not feel,” Zhou Danxue, a literature scholar at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, told AFP. “The writers can use their own methods to reflect uniquely female feelings.” ‘New sense of community’ In the past two years, there have been four anthologies published that were made up of only women or non-binary authors, Wang said, a major breakthrough. Previously, there was not even one all-women collection, and before the 1990s, there were very few prominent women authors at all. “The Way Spring Arrives,” one of the anthologies that Wang co-edited, includes an essay pinpointing the internet as a nurturing ground for women and queer talent. The post Women sci-fi writer numbers rocketing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India, Malaysia bristle over territorial grab
India has dismissed China’s new standard map that claims disputed territories between the two countries as its own. “Putting out a map does not mean anything,” said India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. “These territories are very much a part of India. Jaishankar said China had issued such maps in the past, and that “making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours.” The map showed the India-administered northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh and the disputed Aksai Chin region as part of China. It also expanded Beijing’s claim to territories belonging to the Philippines in those parts of the South China Sea that overlap with the West Philippine Sea (see related story). Like the Philippines and Malaysia, India lodged a strong protest with China over the map, calling the claims “without basis.” Bilateral relations between India and China have been strained in recent years, due to several territorial disputes. In 2020, a border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Ladakh region left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. China renamed 11 locations in Arunachal Pradesh, which India considers its territory, in April 2023. In response, India renamed ten locations in the region. The two countries have held several military talks to de-escalate tensions along the border, but no major breakthrough has been achieved. Malaysia, too Malaysia, on Wednesday, also rejected China’s new map of the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually. Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei have overlapping claims in parts of the sea, while the United States regularly sails its naval vessels through it to assert freedom of navigation in international waters. “Malaysia does not recognize China’s claims in the South China Sea, as outlined in the China Standard Map 2023 Edition which covers Malaysia’s maritime area,” its foreign ministry said in a statement. Describing the South China Sea issue as “complex and sensitive,” Kuala Lumpur said the dispute must be “handled peacefully and rationally through dialogue” based on international law. Malaysia also said it supports the creation of a Code of Conduct for the sea, which Southeast Asian nations are currently negotiating. Kuala Lumpur summoned Beijing’s envoy in 2021 after Chinese vessels entered its exclusive economic zone. Malaysia said the South China Sea area it claims north of Borneo Island — including five maritime features in the Spratly Islands chain — falls within that zone. In recent years, China has ramped up its development of artificial islands, outfitting some with military facilities and runways. Other Southeast Asian nations like the Philippines have also accused Chinese vessels of harassing their fishing boats. With AFP The post India, Malaysia bristle over territorial grab appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China June inflation flat as economy struggles
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese inflation was flat last month while producer prices sank more than expected, official data showed Monday, in the latest sign of weakness in the world’s second-largest economy. The consumer price index for June was down from the 0.2 percent seen in May, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, and was worse than expected as domestic demand slowed. A 7.2 percent annual drop in the cost of pork, the staple meat in China, as well as falling oil prices that made transportation cheap, dragged down the cost of the essential goods basket, the NBS said. Producer prices — which measure the cost of goods at the factory gate — tumbled 5.4 percent on-year, following a 4.6 percent slide in May. Economists polled by Bloomberg had expected prices to sink five percent. Poor global demand and a steep drop in raw material costs have also put downward pressure on factory prices, the NBS said. Economic growth has slowed sharply since April after Beijing lifted strict Covid rules at the end of last year, while the yuan sits at a seven-month low against the dollar as exports drop. Authorities are coming under increasing pressure to step in with stimulus but other than a few small interest rate cuts and pledges of action there has been little of substance out of Beijing. Ongoing trade tensions between the US and China have also dragged on the economy, with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday wrapping up a visit to Beijing with no signs of a breakthrough. Yellen said her talks with Chinese officials were “productive” but admitted there were “significant disagreements”. China has set a growth target of “around five percent” this year, one of its lowest in decades. Growth figures for the second quarter will be released on July 17. The post China June inflation flat as economy struggles appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Yellen to visit China, raising need to ‘responsibly manage’ ties
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is set to visit Beijing this week, the United States said Sunday, marking the second trip by a cabinet official to China since ties between the world's top two economies deteriorated earlier this year. Yellen is expected to discuss with her counterparts the importance for both countries "to responsibly manage our relationship, communicate directly about areas of concern, and work together to address global challenges," said the Treasury Department in a statement. Yellen's planned July 6-9 trip comes just weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met China's top leader President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing in June. Blinken was the highest-ranking US official to visit the Chinese capital in nearly five years, and Xi said on the rare trip that he saw headway in the strained relationship between Washington and Beijing. In Beijing, Yellen will discuss how the United States views its economic relationship with China, a senior Treasury official said Sunday. She will meet with senior Chinese officials and leading US firms, the American spokesperson said without providing specifics. While the US seeks to secure its national security interests and protect human rights, actions to this effect are "not intended to gain economic advantage over China," the official added. Washington also looks towards "healthy" ties with Beijing and does not seek to decouple the economies, while pursuing cooperation on urgent challenges like climate change and debt distress, the American official said. The United States does not expect "significant breakthrough" from this initial trip, but it does aim to build longer-term channels of communication with China, the Treasury official added. - Restarting engagement - "I think the US government is clearly trying to put some floor under the deterioration of the economic relationship," Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP, speaking on the Treasury secretary's intentions to visit China. A Yellen trip could "restart a steady pattern of engagement at lower levels," he said, adding that the US has shifted from being ambiguous about how far it was supporting decoupling to explicitly adopting a strategy of "derisking" instead. This means "focusing on a narrower range of items that have strategic importance, trying to build fences around those items, but otherwise trying to continue to nurture a reasonably robust US-China economic relationship," Alden said. But observers do not expect a quick resolution to tensions. President Joe Biden's administration is considering a program to restrict certain US outbound investments involving sensitive technology with key national security implications -- an issue that has riled Chinese officials. Other possible sticking points include amendments to China's anti-espionage law which recently broadened the definition of spying while banning the transfer of information relating to national security -- a move that has spooked foreign and domestic businesses. The senior Treasury official told reporters Sunday that Washington intends to communicate its concerns over the law. While significant disagreements may not be resolved in a single trip, the US seeks to deepen and increase the frequency of communication with China and to "stabilize the relationship," avoiding miscommunication and expanding collaboration where possible, the official said. - Global growth, debt problems - For the US, discussions with officials from the world's second biggest economy "are important to help spur stronger global economic growth and to tackle the mounting debt problem of the Global South," said Wendy Cutler, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, discussing a prospective Yellen visit. On Beijing's part, officials are "looking for concrete steps taken by the US to show that 'decoupling' and holding back China is not the ultimate goal of the United States," Cutler added. But despite US policies that have drawn ire from Beijing, officials likely have an awareness of China's continued export dependence and the importance of the US market, CFR's Alden said. "I think that there's a growing awareness in Beijing that China also needs to play a role in nurturing this economic relationship with the United States, because it's simply too important to China as well," he added. Washington and Beijing recently have clashed over trade, human rights and other issues. Relations came under further stress this year when the United States shot down a Chinese balloon it said was used for surveillance -- a claim China strongly denied. But Blinken's reception in Beijing has been seen as a symbolic sign of lowering temperatures. bys/mlm/dw © Agence France-Presse The post Yellen to visit China, raising need to ‘responsibly manage’ ties appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Blinken on rare Beijing visit in bid to lower temperature
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday began the highest-level trip by a US official to China in nearly five years as the two powers looked to notch down the temperature in an escalating rivalry. Both sides have voiced guarded hope of improving communication and preventing conflict, with the world's two largest economies at odds on an array of issues from trade to technology and regional security. Officials though have played down hopes of a major breakthrough during Blinken's two days in Beijing. Blinken was originally scheduled to visit in February but abruptly scrapped his plans as the United States protested -- and later shot down -- what it said was a Chinese spy balloon flying over its soil. US President Joe Biden played down the balloon episode as Blinken was heading to China, saying: "I don't think the leadership knew where it was and knew what was in it and knew what was going on." "I think it was more embarrassing than it was intentional," Biden told reporters Saturday. Biden said he hoped to again meet President Xi Jinping after their lengthy and strikingly cordial meeting in November on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Bali, where they agreed on Blinken's visit. "I'm hoping that, over the next several months, I'll be meeting with Xi again and talking about legitimate differences we have but also how there's areas we can get along," Biden said. The two leaders are likely to attend the next G20 summit, in September in New Delhi, and Xi is invited to travel to San Francisco in November when the United States hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Blinken will see top Chinese officials including over a banquet at the state guesthouse in the ancient Diaoyutai gardens. He has said he would seek to avoid "miscalculations" and to "responsibly manage" relations with the country identified by US policymakers across party lines as the greatest challenge to Washington's global primacy. "Intense competition requires sustained diplomacy to ensure that competition does not veer into confrontation or conflict," Blinken said Friday in Washington. - Array of disputes - The United States and China are at odds over a slew of issues including trade, technology and Taiwan. Beijing has not ruled out seizing Taiwan by force and has conducted military drills twice since August near the self-governing democracy, in response to top US lawmakers' actions. Ahead of Blinken's visit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the United States needed to "respect China's core concerns" and "give up the illusion of dealing with China 'from a position of strength'". Beijing has been especially irritated by Biden's restrictions on the export of high-end semiconductors to China, with the United States both fearing their military application and eager to prevent the communist state from dominating next-generation technologies. In a rising domestic priority for the United States, Blinken is expected to press China to curb precursor chemicals sent to Latin America to produce fentanyl, the powerful painkiller behind an addiction pandemic that kills tens of thousands of Americans a year. "We're going to discuss this issue directly, and we're going to be looking for steps to reduce the scale of the problem," said a US official traveling with Blinken. Washington has also lashed China over human rights, with Blinken's visit the first by a cabinet member since the United States formally accused Beijing of genocide against the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority. - Keeping allies close - As part of the Biden administration's focus on keeping allies close, Blinken spoke by telephone with his counterparts from both Japan and South Korea during his 20-hour trans-Pacific journey. Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, traveled to Tokyo for separate three-way meetings involving Japan and both South Korea and the Philippines. In recent months the United States has reached deals on troop deployments in southern Japan and the northern Philippines, both strategically close to Taiwan. Blinken before departure also met in Washington with his counterpart from ally Singapore, who voiced hope that the United States would stay as a power but also find ways to coexist with a rising China. Blinken's "trip is essential, but not sufficient", Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said. "There are fundamental differences in outlook, in values. And it takes time for mutual respect and strategic trust to be built in." Blinken is the first top US diplomat to visit Beijing since a stop in 2018 by his predecessor Mike Pompeo, who later championed no-holds-barred confrontation with China in the final years of Donald Trump's presidency. The Biden administration has gone further than Trump in some areas, notably semiconductors, but has remained open to cooperation in limited areas such as climate. Experts say China sees more predictability with Biden than with Trump, who is running for president again next year. Danny Russel, the top diplomat on East Asia during Barack Obama's second term, doubted Blinken's brief trip would resolve fundamental differences. "But his visit may well restart badly needed face-to-face dialogue and send a signal that both countries are moving from angry rhetoric at the press podium to sober discussions behind closed doors." sct/je/leg © Agence France-Presse The post Blinken on rare Beijing visit in bid to lower temperature appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Zelensky seeks diplomatic, military support in Hiroshima
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will plead for diplomatic and military support in Hiroshima Sunday as he addresses G7 allies and a few nations who have pointedly declined to condemn Russia's invasion. In a surprise trip to a city synonymous with the horror of nuclear war, Zelensky began his day huddling with G7 leaders. Later he will address assembled leaders from India, Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia and is expected to give a speech to rally support for Ukraine's defense against Moscow's 15-month onslaught. His appearance at the G7 summit has firmly shifted the spotlight onto Russia's aggression and comes after a victory in his long-running campaign to win US backing for the supply of American-made advanced fighter jets. Zelensky bounded down the stairs from a French government plane on Saturday and began a punishing schedule of talks, meeting leaders from Europe, India, Indonesia, and Canada over several hours. While Zelensky is assured the support of long-standing G7 backers, he is on shakier ground with others in Hiroshima, including Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has accused the West of "encouraging the war" and is yet to confirm he will even meet his Ukrainian counterpart. The reception was warmer from India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who told Zelensky: "I understand your pain and the pain of Ukrainian citizens very well." "I can assure you that to resolve this India and, me personally, will do whatever we can do." Zelensky offered an upbeat assessment of the encounter, saying he believed India "will participate in the restoration of the rules-based international order that all free nations clearly need." French President Emmanuel Macron praised the trip as "a way to build peace," calling it an "honor" to have supplied the plane that carried the Ukrainian leader to Hiroshima. Zelensky is looking for support for a ten-point peace plan, centred on the demand that Russia retreat from Ukrainian territory. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the message from Ukraine and its allies was clear: "Russia must withdraw troops". Any peace plan, he said, "can't simply be linked to a freeze of the conflict." "Russia should not bet that if it holds out long enough, it will end up weakening support for Ukraine." Zelensky had previously been scheduled to attend the G7 summit remotely but arrived on the back of a major breakthrough in his battle to wrest advanced weaponry from the West. The White House dropped its longstanding reluctance to allow allies to supply Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets, opening the way for Ukraine to receive its most sophisticated material yet. Washington insisted the aircraft were part of a US strategy to support Ukraine "in a way that avoids World War III," and deflected criticism that their decision was too long coming. Zelensky acknowledged the jets would not help the war effort immediately, but hailed the decision as "a great result". "It really will help our society, our people to save houses, families." Mick Ryan, a strategist and retired Australian major general, called the decision "very significant". "F-16s have the sensors and weapon systems that are either equal to, or overmatch, Russian fighters," he told AFP, saying the jets would make life "more difficult" for Russian missile-launching aircraft operating in and around Ukraine. Zelensky meets Biden later Sunday, though the White House has declined to confirm US media reports it could announce a new package of weapons for Ukraine. While Ukraine has dominated the summit, the leaders have also taken aim at China, with a thinly veiled statement denouncing efforts to "weaponize" trade and supply chains, and warning they would "fail and face consequences". The grouping also warned China against its "militarisation" in the South China Sea and urged Beijing to press Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. It insisted however that it still seeks "constructive and stable relations" with China. China hit back late Saturday, expressing its "strong dissatisfaction" with the G7's final communique, and Russia too lashed out at the group. "Look at the decisions discussed and taken today at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, which aim to contain both Russia and China," Moscow's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov said. The post Zelensky seeks diplomatic, military support in Hiroshima appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Zelensky heads to G7 as Ukraine wins access to F-16s
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday headed to Hiroshima to join G7 talks, after winning long-sought US support for access to advanced fighter jets and training for Kyiv's pilots. The rare long-haul trip is a chance to confer with allies like US President Joe Biden, but also to woo key unaligned powers at the summit, including India and Brazil. Zelensky's surprise appearance -- he had previously been expected to appear by video -- comes after a stop in Jeddah to address the Arab League and a breakthrough in his long-running campaign to convince Washington of Ukraine's need for F-16s. Momentum had been building for providing the planes, but US support is key because its approval is legally required for the re-export of US equipment purchased by allies. The United States had previously cited long pilot training times and high costs as a reason not to supply the jets, with officials insisting there were more cost-effective ways to boost Kyiv's air defenses. But F-16s now appear likely to join the list of advanced systems, including Western tanks and long-range weaponry, that Ukraine's supporters have agreed to provide after initial reluctance. Biden told G7 leaders in Japan that Washington would now support the request, in a move hailed by Zelensky as a "historic decision". The two leaders will meet in Hiroshima to discuss the "practical implementation" of the plan, Zelensky said, with the White House saying Biden was "looking forward" to the talks without confirming a date. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan insisted the fighter jet decision did not reflect an about-turn in US policy. "Nothing has changed. Our approach to the provision of weapons, material, and training to the Ukrainians has followed the exigencies of the conflict," he told reporters in Hiroshima. "We've reached a moment where it's time to look down the road and to say 'What is Ukraine going to need... to be able to deter and defend against Russian aggression?' "F-16s, fourth-generation fighter aircraft, are part of that mix. The obvious first step there is to do the training and then to work with allies, partners, and the Ukrainians to determine how to do the actual provision points as we move forward." The timeline for that training remains unclear, with US officials previously estimating it could take up to 18 months. Still, the decision was welcomed by allies including the United Kingdom. "The UK will work together with the USA and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat air capability it needs," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted, adding: "We stand united." Sullivan denied providing the planes would further escalate the conflict, and said Ukraine has pledged that no US military equipment will be used for attacks inside Russia. "We are going to do everything we can to support Ukraine in its defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we are also going to proceed in a way that avoids World War III," he added. Zelensky's arrival has cast a long shadow over the remaining two days of the G7 summit, with Ukraine stealing the spotlight from a long list of other thorny subjects, including how to address concerns about China's growing military and economic power. Sessions on Saturday will address "economic coercion" and how to diversify key sectors and supply chains. "What we have done over 20 years with China, encouraging development, was right, but maybe we should have been more careful on critical material, supply chains and those elements," an EU official. "I think the aim of all G7 leaders is to say that China has followed a systematic policy of acquiring critical raw materials, controlling supply chains... and we are responding to this by diversifying." There will also be talks with non-members as G7 leaders try to convince developing nations they can offer diplomatic and economic alternatives to the likes of China. Several invitees, including Brazil and India, have declined to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and are also likely to be key targets for diplomacy by Zelensky, whose arrival is expected later Saturday, Japan's NHK broadcaster said. Japan's foreign ministry said he would participate in Ukraine talks with G7 leaders on Sunday, as well as a session on "peace and stability" that will also include invited non-member countries. The bloc has already unveiled new sanctions against Moscow, pledging Friday to "starve" Russia's "war machine." The post Zelensky heads to G7 as Ukraine wins access to F-16s appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
G7 to squeeze Russia, weigh risk of China’s ‘economic coercion’
G7 leaders arrived in Hiroshima, Japan, on Thursday to weigh tighter sanctions on Russia and protections against China's "economic coercion", surrounded by reminders about the harrowing cost of war. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is hosting leaders from six other wealthy democracies in his hometown -- a city synonymous with nuclear destruction and now peppered with peace monuments. Leaders including US President Joe Biden will try over three days to forge a united front on Russia and China, where the allies' interests do not always neatly align. Biden's delicate diplomatic offensive in Asia hit a bump even before Air Force One left US soil: A domestic budget row forced him to cancel stops in Papua New Guinea and Australia. He arrived in Hiroshima Thursday, becoming just the second US president after Barack Obama to visit a city levelled by his country's "Little Boy" atomic bomb. Russia's 15-month-old invasion of Ukraine will top the agenda when the G7 summit gets underway Friday, after a new spate of aerial attacks on Kyiv and a long winter of grinding warfare in Bakhmut and other frontline towns. "We stand up for the shared values including supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign territory and holding Russia accountable for its brutal aggression," Biden said as he met Kishida Thursday. The United States and its allies have poured weaponry into Ukraine to stall the Russian advance, but a long-anticipated spring counteroffensive by Kyiv's forces has yet to materialize. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to address the group by video link. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said leaders would discuss battlefield developments and tightening a sanctions regime that, according to official statistics, caused Russia's economy to contract a further 1.9 percent last quarter. G7 nations have already adopted sanctions on Russian banks and military firms, and placed price caps on Russian crude. Discussions are expected on tighter enforcement, and new measures on a range of goods, including Moscow's roughly $5 billion annual trade in diamonds. Nuclear shadow Putin's repeated threats to turn the Ukraine conflict nuclear have been roundly condemned by G7 leaders and dismissed by some commentators as little more than an attempt to shake European and American resolve. But a leaders' visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Friday is likely to pull those threats into sharper focus. The bombing on 6 August 1945 obliterated Hiroshima, claimed an estimated 140,000 lives and forever changed the world. Kishida wants to use the summit to press his guests -- nuclear powers Britain, France and the United States -- to commit to transparency on stockpiles and arsenal reductions. But expectations for a breakthrough are low. 'Economic coercion' Summit discussions on China are expected to focus on efforts to insulate G7 economies from potential economic blackmail, by diversifying supply chains and markets. In disputes with countries from Australia to Canada, President Xi Jinping's administration has shown a willingness to block, tax or hamper trade with little warning or explanation. White House official Sullivan said leaders were expected to decry this "economic coercion" and work to bridge transatlantic differences about how to engage with China. Washington has taken an aggressive approach, blocking China's access to the most advanced semiconductors and the equipment to make them, and has pressed Japan and the Netherlands to follow suit. But European policymakers -- most notably those in Berlin and Paris -- are keen to make sure that "de-risking" does not mean shattering ties with China, one of the world's largest markets. "This G7 is not an anti-Chinese G7," an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron told journalists before the summit. "We have a positive message for China, which is that we are ready to cooperate on condition that we negotiate together," the adviser added. Host Japan is also keen to talk to developing nations that have been wooed by Chinese investment, with leaders from India, Brazil and Indonesia among those invited by Kishida to Hiroshima. Evidence of Beijing's growing economic and diplomatic clout was on display Thursday in the former imperial capital Xi'an. There, Xi is hosting the leaders of five Central Asian countries that were once seen as firmly in Moscow's orbit but are increasingly drawn to Beijing. The post G7 to squeeze Russia, weigh risk of China’s ‘economic coercion’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China jails U.S. ‘spy’
China has sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for espionage, a court said Monday, but revealed few details about the previously unreported case. Such heavy terms are relatively rare for foreign citizens in China, and the jailing of American passport holder John Shing-wan Leung is likely to further strain already-damaged ties between Beijing and Washington. Leung, who is also a Hong Kong permanent resident, “was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life,” said a statement from the Intermediate People’s Court in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou. Suzhou authorities “took compulsory measures according to the law”’ against Leung in April 2021, it said, without specifying when he had been taken into custody. It was unclear where Leung had been living at the time of his arrest. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Beijing said they were aware of reports that a US citizen had been recently convicted and sentenced in Suzhou. “The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” the spokesperson said. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment”. The court statement provided no further details on the charges, and closed-door trials are routine in China for sensitive cases. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment further on the case at a regular press briefing on Monday. In an apparent breakthrough last week, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi held eight hours of talks in Vienna, with both sides describing the meeting as “candid, substantive and constructive.” The post China jails U.S. ‘spy’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges
China has sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for espionage, a court said Monday, but revealed few details about the previously unreported case. Such heavy terms are relatively rare for foreign citizens in China, and the jailing of American passport holder John Shing-wan Leung is likely to further strain already-damaged ties between Beijing and Washington. Leung, who is also a Hong Kong permanent resident, "was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life", said a statement from the Intermediate People's Court in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou. Suzhou authorities "took compulsory measures according to the law" against Leung in April 2021, it said, without specifying when he had been taken into custody. It was unclear where Leung had been living at the time of his arrest. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Beijing said they were aware of reports that a US citizen had been recently convicted and sentenced in Suzhou. "The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas," the spokesperson said. "Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment." The court statement provided no further details on the charges, and closed-door trials are routine in China for sensitive cases. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment further on the case at a regular press briefing on Monday. In Hong Kong, security minister Chris Tang told a news conference Monday the city's authorities were notified of Leung's arrest in 2021. "The Hong Kong police have carried out follow-up action according to the notification," Tang said, refusing to elaborate further. Rights activist jailed The jailing is likely to further damage relations with Washington, which are already severely strained over issues such as trade, human rights and Taiwan. Washington and Beijing have just ended an unofficial pause in high-level contacts over the United States' shooting down in February of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi held eight hours of talks in Vienna in an apparent breakthrough last week, with both sides describing the meeting as "candid, substantive and constructive". On Friday, Washington issued a statement condemning the reported sentencing of a Chinese human rights activist for "inciting subversion of state power". Guo Feixiong, also known as Yang Maodong, was jailed for eight years, according to rights groups. There has been no official confirmation of the sentencing from China. The US State Department said in its statement its diplomats had been barred from attending the trial in southern China. "We urge the PRC to live up to its international commitments, give its citizens due process, respect their human rights and fundamental freedoms including freedom of speech, and end the use of arbitrary detentions and exit bans," said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday the country's "judicial authorities act in accordance with the law, and their actions brook no interference". US President Joe Biden is due to head to Hiroshima for a meeting of leaders of the G7 group of major developed economies. The G7's relationship with China is expected to be high on the agenda at the May 19-21 summit. Other high-profile espionage cases in recent years include the arrest in 2019 of Chinese-born Australian writer Yang Jun. Australia called last week for another of its nationals, jailed journalist Cheng Lei, to be reunited with her family after 1,000 days in detention over "supplying state secrets overseas". In April, authorities formally charged a prominent Chinese journalist with spying, more than a year after he was detained while having lunch at a Beijing restaurant with a Japanese diplomat, a media rights group said. Revised anti-espionage law Also in April, China approved an amendment to its anti-espionage law, broadening its scope by widening the definition of spying and banning the transfer of any data related to what the authorities define as national security. The changes to the law will come into force on July 1. "Chinese authorities have long had an essentially free hand in addressing national security concerns," Chinese law expert Jeremy Daum wrote. "The laws involved are sometimes amorphous and vague, leading to selective, or even arbitrary, enforcement," he said, adding that the definition of "espionage" was already so broad "it isn't immediately clear what the impact of the expanded definition will be". The post China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
RCEP key energy plan factor — Lotilla
The Department of Energy on Wednesday said where it concerns the Regional Economic Partnership or RCEP which Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual said is set for roll out on 2 June 2023, it would welcome the National Economic and Development Authority Board’s endorsement of an executive order implementing tariff commitments under the major trade bloc deal that would elevate the country’s energy programs. Tariff commitments under the RCEP will be implemented in the country 60 days after the government deposited the instrument of ratification with the ASEAN Secretary-General last 3 April. Pascual presented to the NEDA Board, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the executive order that would operationalize the implementation of the country’s tariff commitments under the RCEP agreement. Progressive trade liberalization With this, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said he believes that the RCEP Agreement is reflective of the country’s interest to progressively liberalize trade and create a competitive investment environment in the region for the Philippine energy sector. He said RCEP, a major trade breakthrough that entered into force on 1 January 2022 for ten original parties namely Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, provides opportunities for expanded market access and establishes clear, stable, and predictable rules on trade in energy goods and services, including investments among participating countries. RCEP entered into force for the Republic of Korea on 1 February 2022, for Malaysia on 18 March 2022 and for Indonesia on 2 January 2023. Aggressive push Further, Lotilla said energy-related trade in services would further improve the business climate of the energy sector in the country, “supportive of the Department’s aggressive push for the exploration, development, and utilization of the country’s indigenous energy resources as we are transitioning to a low-carbon future.” Even before the country acceded to RCEP, the ASEAN and ASEAN+1 Free Trade Partners already enjoyed zero percent tariff rates on energy goods covered under Chapter 27 of the Tariff Book published by the Tariff Commission. This is preserved in the RCEP Agreement as a reaffirmation of the continued cooperation on energy trade in the region. Tariff elimination important According to Lotilla, tariff elimination is important to ensure an unhampered supply of commodities, considering the reduced production from the Malampaya reserves. Also, the zero percent tariff rates are also applicable to liquefied natural gas, with the Philippines considering this as transition fuel for power plants supporting variable renewable energy coming into play this year in the country. “Thus, RCEP would not cause any adverse impact on imported energy goods such as oil and gas,” Lotilla said. “In addition, the zero percent tariff rates on coal products were extended to Most-Favored-Nation countries in light of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, which affected the global economic situation and the steady supply of commodities in the world.” In evaluating international agreements affecting the Philippine energy sector, the DoE considers investments, energy security, and access to technologies, maintaining that the energy sector is a capital-intensive undertaking where Filipino capital may not be sufficient. Advanced technological capabilities Lotilla said developed RCEP Partner Countries have advanced technological capabilities. Services by these countries in the Philippines could enhance technology transfer to local counterpart companies and the DoE. He also stressed that international energy cooperation is vital in pursuing collaborative activities with other countries to achieve greater energy self-sufficiency, security and sustainability. “These efforts are geared towards ensuring the country has enough energy supply to power Filipino households and communities. The DoE remains at the forefront in supporting President Marcos Jr. on this undertaking. As articulated in the latest 2020-2040 Philippine Energy Plan, the DoE works steadily across borders, consistent with its thrust of fostering stronger international relations and partnerships meant to elevate the country’s energy programs and projects to attract foreign investments,” he said. “Above all, the DoE is one with the Philippine government in assuring the public that the RCEP Agreement will not adversely impact the country’s energy supply chain. At the very least, it will further boost and encourage trade and investments in the country toward affordable, reliable, resilient, secure, clean, sustainable, climate-centered, and accessible energy,” Lotilla stressed. The post RCEP key energy plan factor — Lotilla appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Reviewing Ramadan
By the time this piece sees print today, either Eid el Fitr which marks the end of the fasting month of Holy Ramadan was celebrated yesterday or the celebration is today. It is a guessing game. Even with the advances in modern science and technology — which predetermine like clockwork the setting and rising of the new moon, believers are still bound to follow the Islamic injunction to be guided by the personal sighting of the moon, with two witnesses attesting. True, the National Commission for Muslim Filipinos had recommended, and this was adopted by Malacañang, the declaration of 21 April as the Eid el Fitr national holiday. Still, many ulamas and Muslim scholars were asking for a fatwa or religious declaration to back the position of the NCMF. An archaic practice? No way, claim the ultra-conservative Muslims. They have to follow to the letter the religious ritual. As a consequence, there appears to be a dichotomy in Islam — a continuing tug of war between uncompromising stern fundamentalists and those who want to break away from past tradition towards forward-looking progressive ideas without desecrating the basic principles of Islam. In fact, this defines the great divide between the adherents of fundamentalist Islamic States of Abobakar Al-Bagdadhi advocating violence to establish a Caliphate in the mold of prophet Muhammad’s PBUH of yore, and moderate Islam. That is a contentious issue better left to Muslim theologians. But this piece is written to review international and local events that happened during the observance of the just-concluded Ramadan that impacted Muslims. These were mostly discussed in my recent columns. The historic breakthrough in the sour relationship between the two leading countries of Muslims — Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran — was a welcome development. After a long period of backdoor negotiations, unlikely peacemaker China brokered the restoration of diplomatic and political ties between the erstwhile contenders for political dominance in the Middle East, to the embarrassment of the superpower United States which was sidelined. This is good for Islam. A fly in the ointment, however, in the solemn observance of Ramadan was the willful desecration of Islam’s third Holiest Mosque, the Al Aqsa. Devotees in the middle of their prayer rituals were attacked and dispersed with stun grenades and rubber bullets by Israeli armed forces — a serious affront to the solemnity of the Holy Month. In the dying days of Ramadan, another blow was dealt to Islam. As we go to press, fighting rages in Sudan whose populace are devout practicing Muslims. The protagonists are two generals vying for power during the transition from the dictatorial regime of President Omar al-Bashir to civil government. Muslims are the victims in the armed intramural. Locally, tragedy struck with the fire that hit a vessel in the sea off Basilan where most of the victims were Muslims. A Congressional inquiry was called to determine the cause. This was sad for Islam. In the newly created provinces of Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte, the political and legal imbroglio in the latter has simmered down a bit. But while the political and administrative conundrum was addressed with the appointment of a senior minister of the BARMM as officer-in-charge governor, it has created a new problem for Maguindanao del Sur. The re-elected governor was fuming with contempt and indignation after being designated merely as OIC, a move that many observers saw as a gaffe by the Office of the President. This column empathizes with the governor. She was the governor of the mother Maguindanao province and was elected governor of the new Maguindanao del Sur. Why in hell should she be treated the same as the OIC governor of Maguindanao del Norte? This column suggests that the good governor file a special court action for Declaratory Relief to rectify the error. Meantime, the successful hurdling of the recent Bar exam by Muslim takers was welcomed by the Muslim minority. Muslims pray that the teachings of Ramadan for piety, rectitude, self-discipline, forgiveness, and altruism observed by devotees will outlast the end of Ramadan. To my readers: Eid Mubarak! amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Reviewing Ramadan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
5 facts on North Korea’s solid-fuel ICBM
SEOUL (AFP) — North Korea said Friday that it had successfully tested a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, marking a major breakthrough in Kim Jong Un’s banned weapons programs. But what exactly is a solid-fuel missile and why does it matter that Pyongyang now has one? AFP takes a look at what we know: What is a solid-fuel missile? With this type of missile, the propellant — the fuel that powers it — is made of a solid chemical mixture, which is combusted to create exhaust. “This propellant is cast into the missile’s airframe when the missile is built: imagine a firecracker rocket, ready to go,” Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told AFP. In contrast, liquid-fueled missiles typically require that fuel and an oxidizer be inserted into the missile before they can be fired — a slower and more cumbersome process. Why is it better? Preparing a liquid-fuel missile for launch “takes time just like pumping gasoline to your car,” said Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute. A solid-fuel missile can be thought of more like a “portable battery” which gives the user much greater flexibility, he said. Moreover, once a liquid-fuel missile is prepared, “it has to be fired within a short period of time — which is not something you have to worry about with solid-fuel missiles,” he added. Solid-fuel missiles need to be stored, maintained and handled carefully, and if this isn’t done, the quality of the missile can degrade over time which could cause it to fail, Panda said. But they are generally quicker to deploy and launch during a war compared to liquid-fueled missiles. This “makes solid fuel missiles very attractive for a number of military applications,” Panda added. So North Korea’s definitely got one now? In state media images, it is possible to see the missile’s exhaust plume, which is “consistent with a dirty, smoky solid propellant at work,” Panda said. “Everything looks consistent with a successful solid-fuel ICBM test,” he added. But even if the North Koreans have pulled off one successful test of the new weapons system, it will still “be likely some way from credible deployment in any meaningful numbers,” said Joseph Dempsey, a defense researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. With North Korea’s main liquid-fueled ICBMs, which have been tested repeatedly — but only on a lofted trajectory, which is not how they would be used in a real-life situation — key questions remain over whether they are effectively operational. But as North Korea’s “threshold for what is effectively fielded is likely different from others,” the new weapon may be considered operational even if other militaries would require more testing. South Korea’s defense ministry said they believed the Thursday launch was simply an early test and that developing the Hwasong-18 properly “would need additional time and effort.” “Pyongyang still faces many technical hurdles and resource constraints to actually deploy the missile forces it advertises in state media,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, told AFP. Who else has solid-fuel missiles? Most militaries “first start off with liquid fuel missile technology but soon strive to acquire solid-fuel missiles, which require more advanced technology,” said the Sejong Institute’s Cheong. However, not all advanced militaries exclusively deploy solid-fuel missiles. “The United States does deploy all solid-fuel ICBMs and SLBMs, but Russia and China both still operate large liquid-fueled missiles,” Panda said. South Korea, for its part, has the technical capacity for solid-fuel missiles, and even has some in its arsenal “but their range is limited to cover the Korean peninsula,” Kim Jong-dae of the Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies told AFP. Is this a game-changer? North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un claims the Hwasong-18 solid fuel ICBM will “radically promote” the country’s nuclear counter-attack capabilities, and experts say it could indeed change the security situation on the peninsula. South Korea’s self-defense plan relies in part on a so-called Kill Chain preemptive strike system, which allows Seoul to launch a preemptive attack if there are signs of an imminent North Korean attack. The Hwasong-18 solid-fuel ICBM would be far harder to detect, which could upend this preemptive strike formula — although Seoul’s defense ministry on Friday dismissed this fear as “excessive worry.” But if North Korea were to deploy solid-fuel ICBMs, it would “signal a game changer in possible warfare with them,” the Yonsei Institute’s Kim told AFP. The post 5 facts on North Korea’s solid-fuel ICBM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China claims maiden women s FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup title (updated)
SINGAPORE, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China's national women's team won its first FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup title after defeating defending champion Australia 14-10 in the final here on Sunday. China, who finished third in 2017 and was runner-up in 2018, made a breakthrough in the fifth edition of the tournament. In the first Asia Cup since 2019, China overcame Thailand, Japan and Australia on Sunday to claim the title......»»