Stop Taiwan arms sales — Beijing
BEIJING, China (Xinhua) — China urges the United States to stop arms sales to and military ties with Taiwan to avoid further harming China-US relations and cross-Strait peace and stability, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday. Spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on reports saying the United […] The post Stop Taiwan arms sales — Beijing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indonesia bans goods transactions on social media platforms
Indonesia has banned goods transactions on social media platforms in a new regulation, its trade minister said Wednesday, as Jakarta aims to rein in direct sales on major platforms it says are harming millions of small businesses. Calls had grown in recent months for a regulation governing social media and e-commerce, with offline sellers seeing their livelihoods threatened by the sale of cheaper products on TikTok Shop and other platforms. "This trade regulation has been in force (since yesterday)," Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan told a news conference in the capital Jakarta. He said social commerce platforms would have a week to comply with the new rule. "Any government would protect local small businesses," he said, saying the regulation was passed to ensure "equality in business competition". The regulation means social media firms will not be able to conduct direct transactions but only promote products on their platforms. "Social commerce can place ads like TV, but it mustn't be transactional. (They) can't open shop, can't directly sell," he said, without mentioning TikTok by name. Laws in the archipelago nation did not cover direct transactions through social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook or Instagram before the new regulation. The new regulation is yet another setback for TikTok, which has faced intense scrutiny in the United States and other nations in recent months over users' data security and the company's alleged ties to Beijing. "Other countries are banning, we don't, (we're) regulating," Hasan said. Indonesia is one of the world's biggest markets for TikTok Shop and was the first to pilot the app's e-commerce arm. But Indonesia is now the first country in the region to act against the platform's growing popularity in social media commerce. The ministerial-level regulation -- an amendment to a trade regulation issued in 2020 -- did not need approval by lawmakers. Chinese technology giant and TikTok owner ByteDance and TikTok Indonesia did not respond immediately to a request for comment Wednesday. But a TikTok Indonesia spokesperson told AFP on Monday the ban would harm as many as six million local sellers who market their products on the platform. Meta -- which owns Facebook and Instagram -- did not respond to a request for comment. 'Markets are quiet' How the ban will work exactly remains unclear but experts said it could mean social media firms would have to obtain a separate approval for their e-commerce arms. "It could be that their license will be rearranged," said Tauhid Ahmad, executive director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Development of Economics and Finance. Offline sellers at Tanah Abang market in Jakarta applauded the government's decision. "The government should... dare to innovate given the current situation, where markets are quiet like this," said Stevanie Ahua, a 60-year-old wholesale denim jeans seller. She said her revenue had dropped by 60 percent in recent months as buyers turned to online shops. Others like 29-year-old cookie baker Panji Made Agung in Bali said he was disappointed by the ban. "For sellers like me, TikTok can be used for soft selling. We can become influencers and sellers at the same time," he said. Indonesia's e-commerce market is dominated by platforms such as Tokopedia, Shopee and Lazada but TikTok Shop gained a significant market share since launching in 2021. Indonesia, with 125 million users, is TikTok's second-largest global market after the United States, according to company figures. TikTok's chief executive Shou Zi Chew visited Jakarta in June, pledging to pour billions of dollars into Southeast Asia in the coming years. The post Indonesia bans goods transactions on social media platforms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US army chief and allies discuss Asia-Pacific in India
Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in India Tuesday to discuss threats facing the Asia-Pacific region, in the face of concern at an increasingly assertive China. US Army chief Randy George said the region was "critically important", speaking to reporters alongside his Indian counterpart Manoj Pande, and vowed to boost cooperation to "maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific". Generals from Japan and Australia, which make up the "Quad" defense cooperation forum alongside Washington and New Delhi, also took part, as did Britain and France. As the generals met, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing would oppose the "wanton expansion of military alliances", the latest in a string of warnings as Washington deepens security ties in the Asia-Pacific. Beijing has long said that any effort to establish a NATO-like military alliance in the Asia-Pacific would provoke conflict. Nations present at the two-day conference in New Delhi included Vietnam and the Philippines, both of which have longstanding pending territorial disputes with China. The conference, which launched in 1999, brings together army chiefs and top officers from 30 countries. India's Pande said the region faced challenges on both land and at sea. "These range from territorial disputes over land masses, or in some cases, even over artificially expanded islands to acquire real estate and establish military bases," Pande added, in an indirect reference to China. India has also had to balance its traditional alliance with Russia -- the provider of most of its arms imports, and now a source of cut-price oil -- with growing ties to Washington. "The partnership between India and the US armies is vital for stability in the region, and the relationship between our armies is strong and growing stronger," George said. The post US army chief and allies discuss Asia-Pacific in India appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow
US President Joe Biden hailed closer ties with Vietnam on Sunday as the two countries struck a deal to deepen cooperation, including on semiconductors, but said he was not aiming to contain China. The "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Hanoi is part of Washington's push to bolster its network of allies around Asia and the Pacific in the face of Beijing's rising influence. Biden accused Beijing of seeking to bend the international order to its will. "One of the things that is going on now is China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game, in terms of trade and other issues," Biden said. Sometimes to Beijing's chagrin, Washington has invested heavily in building alliances as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, including the Quad security dialogue with India, Australia and Japan, and the AUKUS pact with Britain and Australia. Biden said he wanted establish clear ground rules for relations. "I don't want to contain China. I just want to make sure we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it's all about," he said. Biden flew in to Hanoi straight from a G20 summit that failed to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels and highlighted deep divisions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US president said he had met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 -- a meeting the White House had not announced -- and discussed "stability". Semiconductor deal Global supply chain shocks and fears about US reliance on China for strategic resources have further driven the push to boost ties with the likes of Vietnam. The new partnership includes an agreement on semiconductors, with the United States committing to help Vietnam develop its capabilities and expand production. There is also a section on rare earth minerals, which used in the manufacture of high-tech devices such as smartphones and electric car batteries. Vietnam has the world's second-largest deposits of rare earths after China and US officials say it has a key role to play as it looks to diversify and strengthen its supply chains. Biden moved last month to restrict US investment in Chinese technology in sensitive areas including semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. "This can be the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation," Biden said as he met Nguyen Phu Trong, the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party and the country's paramount leader. "Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time." The deal puts the United States on a par with China -- as well as Russia, India and South Korea -- at the top level of the Vietnamese hierarchy of diplomatic relations. Trong thanked Biden for his contribution to improving US-Vietnamese ties and said his country would work hard to implement the new agreement. Although it is careful to be seen as not taking sides between the United States and China, Vietnam shares US concerns about its neighbour's growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. However, The New York Times reported just ahead of Biden's visit that Vietnam was secretly arranging to buy arms from Russia in contravention of US sanctions. The report cited a Vietnamese finance ministry document that laid out plans to fund arms purchases from the Kremlin through a joint oil and gas project in Siberia. AFP has contacted the Vietnamese government for comment. US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer told reporters that Washington acknowledged Vietnam's decades-long military relationship with Russia. But he said there was "increasing discomfort on the part of the Vietnamese with that relationship", and the new partnership would help Hanoi "diversify away from those partnerships" by allowing it to source from the United States and its allies. Human rights Biden said he had raised human rights in his meeting with Trong and pledged to "continue our candid dialogue in that regard". Vietnam has a dire rights record. Government critics face intimidation, harassment and imprisonment after unfair trials, and there are reports of police torture to extract confessions, Human Rights Watch says. While Biden has often criticised China's human rights record, he has largely stayed quiet on Vietnam and campaigners feared he may not raise the subject. On Monday Biden visit a Hanoi memorial to his friend John McCain, the former US senator shot down and held captive during the Vietnam War who in later years helped rebuild ties between the two countries. The post US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Of China’s ‘One Belt One Road’
Sometime in August 2016, I attended the formal media launch of One Belt One Road, or OBOR, in Beijing, China. I thought then that OBOR, also referred to later as Belt and Road Initiative, must be one of the most, if not the most, significant programs of President Xi Jinping, as it was attended by hundreds of print and broadcast journalists from around the world, the Philippines included. OBOR was to revive the “Silk Road” economic belt of ancient China, a land trade route carrying its finest silk and other goods to its neighboring Central Asian countries and later to as far as Europe; whereas today’s Road refers to the 21st Century land and maritime silk route to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The land route was launched, I think in 2013, while the maritime route was given a big push in 2017. Early on, China set up the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as part of the OBOR mechanism. China sank in the initial capital and was joined later by other member countries. The Philippines was the last country to join AIIB when the late President Noynoy Aquino signed its Charter in the last few minutes of 31 December 2015, and this was ratified a year later during Duterte’s term. In sum, AIIB had 106 members to start. The Philippines, if we look at the records, derived from loans and infrastructure projects, was quite slow in availing of cheap money from this BRI initiative. Indonesia, Singapore, and other ASEAN and African countries had done so for various infra projects, among these railways, dams, and ports. The small loan amount we obtained was later topped up by China in terms of gifts which came in the form of bridges, schools, medical supplies, and vaccines when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Add to that are the much-needed arms for our armed forces to get rid of the marauding Maute ISIS terrorist group in Marawi City and additional help to rehabilitate it later. Alarmed by the inroads China was making with the BRI through the land and marine infrastructure built with the billions of dollars it loaned to countries along the silk routes, the West was quick to make a big issue of it when Sri Lanka defaulted, calling China’s loans a “debt trap.” Of course, not a few of those struggling economies defaulted as the impact of the new infrastructure on their development had yet to gain traction. However, President Xi Jinping waived the interest dues. How is it for China midway to the Road’s target completion date of 2049? The BRI has covered more than 68 countries with an estimated 65 percent of the world’s population. All told, the largesse from China resulted in the reduction of dependency on the US and it created new markets for Chinese products. The US of A is fast losing its dominance. China, once wallowing in the quagmire of poverty, is now the second-largest economy in the world and growing. Will China then go beyond firing water cannons at Philippine Coast Guard vessels? This could only be answered by another set of questions. Is China willing to cut the marine silk route that passes through or close to the West Philippine Sea? Will its land route suffice to bring its products to its export markets in the event the sea lane is altogether cut off? Will the Chinese people relish going back to poverty and isolation? The answers are a big NO. So why EDCA? Why not pursue the Philippines-China joint oil exploration in the WPS as the offer stands at a 60/40 sharing agreement in favor of the Philippines? Why build more military bases when these are veritable beckons to war which we as a policy abhor? Why not take advantage of the short maritime link between China and the Philippines to enhance our economy? The price of fuel is skyrocketing. Our peso is depreciating as in a free fall. We have solutions and yet these, too have become problems. The post Of China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China imposes export curbs on critical metals, drones
Chinese controls on exports of two metals critical to making semiconductors came into force on Tuesday, a day after Beijing imposed curbs on the foreign sales of some drones. The Biden administration has in recent months stepped up measures to restrict Chinese companies' access to the most advanced semiconductors. China, which seeks to become self-sufficient in semiconductor design, says those measures are aimed at maintaining US supremacy in the field. From Tuesday, Chinese companies seeking to export gallium or germanium will need to obtain a license, according to a directive from the Ministry of Commerce. Under the new rules, they will also need to provide information on the final recipient and give details about their end use. China accounts for 94 percent of the world's production of gallium -- used in integrated circuits, LEDs and photovoltaic panels -- according to a report by the European Union published this year. For germanium, essential for fiber optics and infrared, China makes up 83 percent of production. The export curbs "send a clear signal that China holds all of the power in this dangerous game", analyst James Kennedy told AFP, calling the curbs "an unambiguous message" to the United States. "If the US chooses further escalation, China's next response will have consequences." For now, he said, China "aims to cause a minimum of damage" to the United States, because their needs in gallium and germanium are "low" and the metals can be acquired elsewhere. The measures come as the Biden administration mulls fresh curbs on Chinese access to high-tech chips, as well as on outbound US investments in China. Drone export ban They also follow curbs by Beijing on the exports of certain types of unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones. As of September 1, exporters will require a license laying out their end use as well as other details before they can be sold overseas. A China commerce ministry spokesperson said the move was not aimed at "any specific country or territory". But they did cite the risk of drones "being converted for military use" in justifying the restrictions. China is a major exporter of drones, with the US-blacklisted DJI representing more than 70 percent of global market share, according to CNBC. The company's drones are reported to have been used extensively by both sides in the war in Ukraine. In April 2022, DJI said it was temporarily suspending business in both Russia and Ukraine while it "internally reassess(ed) compliance requirements". The United States has accused China of mulling arms shipments to support Russia's campaign -- claims Beijing has strongly denied. A US intelligence report last week said Beijing likely supplied Moscow with dual-use civilian-military equipment employed in Ukraine, but noted that it is "difficult to ascertain the extent to which (China) has helped Russia evade and circumvent sanctions and export controls". The post China imposes export curbs on critical metals, drones appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US announces $345-M military aid package for Taiwan
The United States unveiled a $345 million military aid package for Taiwan on Friday, in a move certain to anger China at a time of fraught relations between Washington and Beijing. China, which is an increasingly assertive diplomatic and military power, claims the democratic, self-ruled island of Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take it, by force if necessary. Tensions have risen as China has orchestrated regular incursions of warplanes and naval vessels around the island, and the United States has sought to boost Taiwan's military strength to deter a possible invasion. A statement from the White House announced the package of "defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan." A US official said earlier Friday on condition of anonymity that the aid would feature intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment and small arms munitions. Congress has authorized President Joe Biden to draw aid for Taiwan from American military stocks -- the same way that Washington has provided large quantities of assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. The process is quicker than contracting for new equipment from the defense industry, as the United States has gear it does not need in storage. In the past year, the Chinese military has held two major drills around Taiwan, simulating targeted strikes and a blockade of the island. The post US announces $345-M military aid package for Taiwan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US to send Taiwan new $340-M military aid package
The United States will soon announce a roughly $340 million military aid package for Taiwan, a US official said Friday. The package will feature intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, and small arms munitions, but could include other items as well, the official said on condition of anonymity. The exact timing of the expected announcement is unclear, though it could come as soon as Friday. The move is certain to anger Beijing, which claims the democratic, self-ruled island as part of its territory and has vowed to take it, by force if necessary. Congress has authorized the president to draw aid for Taiwan from American military stocks -- the same way that Washington has provided large quantities of assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. The 2023 defense spending bill permits the president to "direct the drawdown of defense articles from the stocks of the Department of Defense, defense services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, of an aggregate value of not to exceed $1,000,000,000 per fiscal year." Doing so is quicker than contracting for new equipment from the defense industry, as the United States has gear it does not need in storage and can provide it more quickly than it would take to produce new items. The United States wants to boost Taiwan's military strength to deter a possible invasion by China, which has intensified its saber-rattling in recent years, orchestrating near-daily incursions of warplanes and naval vessels around the island. The post US to send Taiwan new $340-M military aid package appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kim oversees N. Korea military parade showcasing new drones, ICBMs
Flanked by visiting Russian and Chinese officials, Kim Jong Un oversaw a North Korean military parade featuring new drones and Pyongyang's nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, state media reported Friday. At least four new North Korean military drones were towed on trailers through Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung square at the parade late Thursday, state media images showed, while another drone appeared to conduct a flyover overhead. Standing between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese politburo member Li Hongzhong in the VIP viewing stands, Kim smiled and saluted as thousands of soldiers marched past, trailed by the country's most powerful ICBMs, which are banned under UN sanctions. The event, featuring Kim's first-known foreign guests since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, was to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, which ended open hostilities and is celebrated as Victory Day. Kim "extended warm militant greetings" to the parade, the official Korean Central News Agency said, and North Korea's defense minister Kang Sun Nam made a speech. The United States has no chance "of survival in case they use nuclear weapons against the DPRK", Kang said, referring to the North by its official name. He warned that any attempts by the United States to use armed force against the North would cause an "unimaginable and unforeseen crisis". The parade featured an array of new weaponry, including some first unveiled at a defense expo on Wednesday in Pyongyang, visited by Kim and Shoigu. North Korea's new underwater nuclear attack drone, called the "Haeil", appeared at the parade for the first time, Seoul-based specialist site NK News reported. "The strategic reconnaissance drone and the multi-purpose attack drone which was newly developed and produced... made circular flights in the sky above the (Kim Il Sung square," KCNA said. The "excitement and great joy of the spectators reached its height" when the nuclear-armed country's newest ICBM -- the solid-fuel Hwasong-18, tested in April and July this year -- was paraded through the square, KCNA said. The tests were roundly condemned by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, and violate UN sanctions banning the North from any tests using ballistic missile technology. 'Send the US a signal' The parade is a key part of "promoting Kim Jong Un's ruling legitimacy and internal unity in this economically challenging time", Yangmo Ku, a political science professor at Norwich University, told AFP. But this year, with the inclusion of high-level guests from Moscow and Beijing, Pyongyang is also sending America "a signal that under strengthened ties with Russia and China, North Korea is militarily ready to cope with strategic threats from its enemies", he said. "All these acts mean the emergence of the new Cold War surrounding the Korean Peninsula," Ku added. Beijing is North Korea's most important ally and economic benefactor, their relationship forged in the bloodshed of the Korean War in the 1950s. "China's representation at North Korea's parading of nuclear-capable missiles raises serious questions about Beijing enabling Pyongyang's threats to global security," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. Russia, another historic ally, is one of a handful of nations with which Pyongyang maintains friendly relations, and experts said it was noteworthy that Moscow had sent Shoigu to the anniversary celebrations -- a rare visit by a Russian defense chief in the post-Soviet era. Kim has been steadfast in his support for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, including, Washington says, supplying rockets and missiles -- a charge Pyongyang has denied. Russia's President Vladimir Putin sent a speech, read out by Shoigu at an anniversary event, according to KCNA, in which Moscow's leader hailed North Korea for its "firm support for special military operations against Ukraine". Easley said that "given Russia's need for ammunition for its illegal war in Ukraine and (Kim's) willingness to personally give the Russian defense minister a tour of North Korea's arms exhibition, UN member states should increase vigilance for observing and penalizing sanctions violations". The inclusion of foreign guests at this year's celebrations is a post-pandemic first, and hints at new flexibility toward enforcing border controls. North Korea has imposed a rigid Covid-19 blockade since early 2020, preventing even its own nationals from entering the country. It only resumed some trade with China last year and allowed new Beijing envoy Wang Yajun to take up his position this year. He is the first known senior diplomat to cross into North Korea since the border closure in January 2020. The post Kim oversees N. Korea military parade showcasing new drones, ICBMs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China visit
There has been a torrent of wild speculations about the recent visit of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte to China and it focused mainly on the meeting between him and China’s President Xi Jinping. Actually, what brought Duterte to China was an invitation from Fuzhou City, the strategic capital of Fujian Province in southeastern China. The city inaugurated a school building and named it after Soledad Roa Duterte, the venerable late mother of the former president. Unknown to many but not forgotten by the early Chinese migrants in Davao who came from Fujian province, our Nanay Soleng, who was an educator, was among the pioneer teachers of the Davao City Chinese School in the 1950s. Given the rise in prominence of the former president’s mother, who on her own carved an important role as a teacher, wife of Governor Vicente Duterte of then undivided Davao province, civic leader, political activist, and mother of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte who became president of the Philippines, and grandmother of incumbent Vice President Inday Sara Z. Duterte, it comes as no surprise why the grand matriarch of Davao City occupies a special affinity and pride among the Fujian Chinese. Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who accompanied private citizen Duterte, said the visit to China was personal. He intimated that since they were already in China and not far from Beijing, his former boss and friend suggested they visit President Xi Jinping. Duterte, he said, wanted to personally thank the Chinese leader for helping the Philippines with the millions of vaccine doses, hundreds of thousands of which were donated, and personal protective equipment at the time when the United States and Europe imposed an embargo on the Covid-19 vaccines they produced. Duterte, too, was grateful to China for helping him with much-needed logistics to fight the Maute ISIS terrorists who laid siege to Marawi and attempted to convert the once pristine city into an ISIS caliphate. It can be recalled that the US refused to sell arms to the Philippines on the stupid claim by some American senators that the Duterte government would use firearms against its own people. Then, of course, there were the multi-billion-peso bridges that now span the Pasig River and help ease the traffic in the metropolis, not to mention the grants and cheap loans with incredibly long grace periods that funded some of the government’s big-ticket projects. Truly, former President Duterte still has an avuncular space in the heart of the Chinese leader. His Beijing visit was personal but it rekindled the spark of friendship between China and the Philippines that was being snuffed out by the gale spawned by the much-ballyhooed Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement bases. Duterte, now using a cane to keep his balance, demonstrated what it is to be strong and independent even now that he is a private citizen of a sovereign state. President Bongbong Marcos, in an ambush interview, said he was aware of the visit of his predecessor to China and that Duterte needed no permission to travel. But, of course. He also hoped that the visit would enhance the relationship between China and the Philippines. He better watch, listen and learn how diplomacy and sovereignty work. The post China visit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Taipei, Washington boost trade
The United States and Taiwan are boosting trade under a deal to be signed in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. “Taiwan will continue to move towards a comprehensive FTA (free trade agreement) with the United States to ensure Taiwan’s economic security,” Taiwan cabinet spokesperson Alan Lin told reporters in Taipei. The new initiative looks to boost trade by streamlining customs checks, improving regulatory procedures, and establishing anticorruption measures between the US and the island. Washington has remained a key ally and arms supplier to Taiwan despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. It is also the island’s second-largest trade partner. Washington unveiled plans for the trade negotiations last August in a show of support as Beijing was staging huge military drills in response to then-speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei. China detests any hint of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and other governments as it considers the self-ruled island its own territory. The post Taipei, Washington boost trade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
G7 warns Russian’s allies, China
G7 foreign ministers warned Tuesday that those helping Russia wage war in Ukraine would face "severe costs", as they offered a united front on another key policy challenge: China. After two days of talks in the bucolic Japanese mountain resort town Karuizawa, the top diplomats from leading economies unveiled no new sanctions on Moscow over its invasion but pledged to crack down on those helping Russia evade the measures and acquire weapons. The ministers also put Beijing on notice over its "militarisation activities" in the South China Sea and insisted their Taiwan policy was unchanged despite recent controversial comments from France's president. While talks were dominated by Ukraine and regional challenges, including a demand that North Korea "refrain" from new nuclear tests or ballistic missile launches, the ministers covered a broad sweep of global policy problems. They met as fighting continues in Sudan between the army and paramilitaries, forcing the insertion of last-minute language demanding both sides "end hostilities immediately without pre-conditions". And there was a renewed condemnation of the increasing restrictions placed on women and minorities by Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, described by the ministers as "systematic abuses". They demanded the "immediate reversal" of "unacceptable decisions" including a ban on women working with non-government organisations and the United Nations in the country. But it was clear that two crises dominated discussions above all — the war in Ukraine, and China's growing military and economic clout. The diplomats from Japan, Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, France and the European Union promised to continue "intensifying" sanctions on Russia and increase efforts to respond to those offering Moscow arms or other support, warning of "severe costs". They also slammed Russia's "irresponsible nuclear rhetoric" and called a threat by Moscow to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus "unacceptable". Warnings to China The statement made clear the ministers were mindful of the furor caused by French President Emmanuel Macron's comments last week, following a trip to Beijing, that Europe should avoid "crises that aren't ours". "There is no change in the basic positions of the G7 members on Taiwan," the final statement said, calling peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait "indispensable" to global security and prosperity. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and her counterparts sought throughout the G7 talks to play down differences, and the statement warned Beijing on everything from its nuclear arsenal to its business practices. It accused China of an "ongoing and accelerating expansion of its nuclear arsenal", and expressed concern Beijing is developing "increasingly sophisticated delivery systems, without transparency, good faith arms control or risk reductions measures". And, without directly mentioning China, the group pledged to step up cooperation against "economic coercion" — the practice of weaponizing import or export rules for political purposes. Even the warning on offering support to Russia in Ukraine may be read as a message for China, echoing repeated statements from Western officials cautioning Beijing against directly arming Moscow. The talks set the stage for a G7 leaders' summit next month in Hiroshima, where Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants to make nuclear disarmament a key plank of discussions. Tuesday's statement devotes a long segment to disarmament and non-proliferation but contains little in the way of new pledges or commitments and refers specifically to the "current harsh security environment", suggesting a difficult path to real achievements. It calls on all countries to transparently document their nuclear arsenals, urges Russia to stick with a moratorium on nuclear tests and calls for China to hold "risk reduction" talks with Washington. The meeting in Karuizawa was held under tight security after Kishida escaped unharmed Saturday when an explosive device was thrown toward him. The post G7 warns Russian’s allies, China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
G7 vows ‘severe costs’ for those helping Russia in Ukraine
G7 foreign ministers warned Tuesday that those helping Russia wage war in Ukraine would face "severe costs", as they offered a united front on another key policy challenge: China. After two days of talks in the bucolic Japanese mountain resort town Karuizawa, the top diplomats from leading economies unveiled no new sanctions on Moscow over its invasion but pledged to crack down on those helping Russia evade the measures and acquire weapons. The ministers also put Beijing on notice over its "militarization activities" in the South China Sea and insisted their Taiwan policy was unchanged despite recent controversial comments from France's president. While talks were dominated by Ukraine and regional challenges, including a demand that North Korea "refrain" from new nuclear tests or ballistic missile launches, the ministers covered a broad sweep of global policy problems. They met as fighting continues in Sudan between the army and paramilitaries, forcing the insertion of last-minute language demanding both sides "end hostilities immediately without pre-conditions". And there was renewed condemnation of the increasing restrictions placed on women and minorities by Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, described by the ministers as "systematic abuses". They demanded the "immediate reversal" of "unacceptable decisions" including a ban on women working with non-government organizations and the United Nations in the country. But it was clear that two crises dominated discussions above all -- the war in Ukraine, and China's growing military and economic clout. The diplomats from Japan, Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, France and the European Union promised to continue "intensifying" sanctions on Russia and increase efforts to respond to those offering Moscow arms or other support, warning of "severe costs". They also slammed Russia's "irresponsible nuclear rhetoric" and called a threat by Moscow to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus "unacceptable". Warnings to China The statement made clear the ministers were mindful of the furore caused by French President Emmanuel Macron's comments last week, following a trip to Beijing, that Europe should avoid "crises that aren't ours". "There is no change in the basic positions of the G7 members on Taiwan," the final statement said, calling peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait "indispensable" to global security and prosperity. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and her counterparts sought throughout the G7 talks to play down differences, and the statement warned Beijing on everything from its nuclear arsenal to its business practices. It accused China of an "ongoing and accelerating expansion of its nuclear arsenal", and expressed concern Beijing is developing "increasingly sophisticated delivery systems, without transparency, good faith arms control or risk reductions measures". And, without directly mentioning China, the group pledged to step up cooperation against "economic coercion" -- the practice of weaponising import or export rules for political purposes. Even the warning on offering support to Russia in Ukraine may be read as a message for China, echoing repeated statements from Western officials cautioning Beijing against directly arming Moscow. The talks set the stage for a G7 leaders' summit next month in Hiroshima, where Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants to make nuclear disarmament a key plank of discussions. Tuesday's statement devotes a long segment to disarmament and non-proliferation but contains little in the way of new pledges or commitments and refers specifically to the "current harsh security environment", suggesting a difficult path to real achievements. It calls on all countries to transparently document their nuclear arsenals, urges Russia to stick with a moratorium on nuclear tests and calls for China to hold "risk reduction" talks with Washington. The meeting in Karuizawa was held under tight security after Kishida escaped unharmed Saturday, when an explosive device was thrown towards him. The post G7 vows ‘severe costs’ for those helping Russia in Ukraine appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stop Taiwan arms sales — Beijing
BEIJING, China (Xinhua) — China urges the United States to stop arms sales to and military ties with Taiwan to avoid further harming China-US relations and cross-Strait peace and stability, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday. Spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on reports saying the United […] The post Stop Taiwan arms sales — Beijing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Xinhua Photos of the Day (June 2)
Beijing, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The world in the past 24hrs. A selection of the best daily press photos from Xinhua.A woman raises her arms as riot police fire tear gas during a protest outside.....»»
Vehicle sales rev up by 23% in February
Vehicle sales accelerated by more than a fifth in February from a year ago, supported by automotive firms’ marketing efforts as well as stable interest rates......»»
Baltimore Bridge collapse: Police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic before bridge fell
BALTIMORE — It was the middle of the night when a dispatcher’s warning crackled over the radio: A massive cargo ship had lost its steering capabilities and was heading toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Within about 90 seconds, police officers who happened to be nearby responded that they managed to stop vehicle traffic over.....»»
Dela Rosa considers war with China but admits: ‘Hindi naman natin kaya’
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is already fed up with China’s persistent harassments in the West Philippine Sea, prompting thoughts of engaging in war with Beijing. But he knows, war is not an option. “Naubos na ang sasabihin ko dapat dyan. Short of declaring war na tayo dyan against sa kanila e,.....»»
The future of food
I met Ella, Singapore's first robotic barista, at Changi International Airport. Ella serves various drinks non-stop, from a classic latte to a Pandan Tea latte......»»
Roque: Xi, Duterte agreed to keep West Philippines Sea status quo
The Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte had a “gentleman’s agreement” with China to keep the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, a former Cabinet official said yesterday, as fresh tensions surround the WPS due to recent incursions by Beijing that targeted a Filipino resupply mission and a research team......»»
Opinion - South China Sea- Philippines must softly manage disputes or miss out economically
Manilas assertive transparency strategy is touted as a model for managing maritime disputes but it diminishes key economic opportunities. As Chinese investment pours into other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines must reduce geopolitical risks without acquiescing to Beijing......»»