US, China commit to climate cooperation ahead of key summit
The United States and China are "committed to cooperating" on the pressing issue of climate change, the two sides said Saturday, issuing the pledge days ahead of a key summit hosted by President Joe Biden......»»
US, China commit to climate cooperation ahead of key summit
The United States and China are "committed to cooperating" on the pressing issue of climate change, the two sides said Saturday, issuing the pledge days ahead of a key summit hosted by President Joe Biden......»»
Biden to host trilateral summit with Japan, Philippines on April 11
Washington, DC [US], March 19 (ANI): US President Joe Biden will host a three-way summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in Washington on April 11, as announced by the White House, as reported by Kyodo News. This historic summit, the first of its kind involving the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, aims to bolster defence cooperation in response to China's asse.....»»
Climate ‘loss and damage’ talks end with no agreement
A crucial meeting on climate “loss and damages” ahead of COP28 ended in failure Saturday, with countries from the global north and south unable to reach an agreement, according to sources involved in the talks. The agreement to set up a dedicated fund to help vulnerable countries cope with climate “loss and damage” was a flagship achievement of last year’s COP27 talks in Egypt. But countries left the details to be worked out later. A series of talks held this year have tried to tease out consensus on fundamentals like the structure, beneficiaries and contributors — a key issue for richer nations who want China to pay into the fund. A transition committee on the establishment of the fund met late Friday and into Saturday in Aswan, in southern Egypt. But the delegates were unable to reach an agreement and deferred the decision to another meeting due 3 to 5 November in the United Arab Emirates, according to a webcast of the debate on the official YouTube channel of the United Nations. Ahead of the breakdown, the discussion hit a hurdle over where the funds should be held. There was a divide over it being managed by the World Bank, accused of being in the hands of the West, or in a new independent structure, called for by many developing nations, but would be time consuming and complex to replenish with new funds. The failure “is a clear indication of the deep chasm between rich and poor nations,” Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy for Climate Action Network International, said in a statement to Agence France-Presse on Saturday. “Developed countries must be held accountable for their shameless attempts to push the World Bank as the host of the fund, their refusal to discuss the necessary scale of finance, and their blatant disregard for their responsibilities” under the terms of already established international climate agreements, he said. Rachel Cleetus with the Union of Concerned Scientists said that “today’s disappointing outcome is a blow to communities... facing an unrelenting onslaught of climate impacts.” “The United States and other rich countries seem more focused on evading or minimizing their responsibility than engaging in good faith negotiations,” she added. The post Climate ‘loss and damage’ talks end with no agreement appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden says Xi meeting in November ‘a possibility’
US President Joe Biden said Friday he may meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November as Washington and Beijing push to reset ties, but added that nothing is scheduled yet. The leaders of the rival powers have not met in person or spoken for nearly a year, and tensions have mounted as an increasingly assertive China and the United States vie for global influence. "There has been no such meeting set up, but it is a possibility," Biden told journalists after reports that they were set to meet during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. Biden is set to host leaders from across the region on November 16 and 17 in the California city, and speculation has mounted that it could be the venue for a rapprochement. The White House had begun making plans for a meeting on the sidelines of the summit in a bid to stabilize relations, The Washington Post reported, quoting one official as saying it "it's pretty firm." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit Washington at some point ahead of the APEC summit. Beijing however has not confirmed whether Xi will attend the summit or meet with his US counterpart. The White House has also declined to elaborate on a potential meeting with Xi. 'Disappointed' The last time Biden and Xi met was in November 2022 on the sidelines of a summit in Bali. Their talks were surprisingly cordial but relations then froze over again, and there has not even been a phone call since. Biden had said last month he was "disappointed" that Xi was not attending a G20 summit in New Delhi. He added that he was "going to get to see him," although he did not elaborate. Tensions between the United States and an increasingly assertive China have mounted as the world's two largest economies push for diplomatic, military and economic influence. Bilateral ties face a long list of problems, from trade disputes to Taiwan's future to the expansive Chinese presence in the South China Sea. But the United States has been working to restore a more effective working relationship, sending a series of senior officials to China in recent months despite continuing friction. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and China's Wang met in the Mediterranean island nation of Malta in mid-September in the latest attempt to reach out. The APEC forum will be a key test of whether their efforts are working, as the Asia-Pacific region is one of the main theaters where Beijing and Washington are going head-to-head. Biden has also been pushing to show that international groupings like the G20 and APEC can still deliver on problems including the economy and climate -- even when China is not involved. The post Biden says Xi meeting in November ‘a possibility’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Geopolitical tension’ a major threat to climate action: IEA chief
The International Energy Agency (IEA) said Monday that nations need to set aside "geopolitical tensions" and fight for greater international cooperation in order to advance the struggle against climate change. "The 1.5C target" agreed in Paris in 2015 is "still within reach" but it faces "many challenges" the energy watchdog's boss Fatih Birol told an international climate and energy gathering in Madrid ahead of COP28. Among the challenges, "the geopolitical fragmentation of the world" was "creating a key impediment for some of the steps we are hoping to take", he told the gathering of some 40 ministers and top global energy and environment leaders. Although levels of investment in "the technology area and in clean energy technologies" were "very strong", it is not enough, he said. "The lack of international cooperation is a major, major problem. We have to find a way to isolate these geopolitical tensions ... to focus on this issue of countries coming together," he said. The world's energy future will be at the heart of debates at the UN's COP28 climate summit in Dubai, a major oil producer, between November 30 and December 12. Spain's Ecology Minister Teresa Ribera admitted that talks at COP28 were likely to be "challenging" but said "multilateralism is the way to respond to the current challenges". "A global problem deserves a global response," she told delegates. 'Race against time' Global tensions have mounted in recent years notably due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the growing rivalry between the United States and China, hiking fears the climate crisis will be pushed down the geopolitical agenda. The crunch Dubai talks should enable the international community to make progress on the reduction of greenhouse gases and the clean energy transition. It will also be a chance to take stock of national commitments to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement to keep global warming below 2C and if possible to 1.5C compared with pre-industrial levels -- a difficult task in light of current conditions. "The green transition process must pick up speed, we're in a race against time to tackle climate change," Ribera told a press conference, while adding there is "room for optimism" about COP28. The IEA says several conditions must be met for the Dubai conference to be considered a success. Key issues will be a tripling of investment in renewables and a funding mechanism for clean energy in developing countries. In November 2022, the COP27 summit hosted by Egypt wrapped up with a landmark deal on funding to help vulnerable countries but it made no progress on phasing out fossil fuels, which the IEA sees as urgent. "July and August" have been "perhaps the hottest in history, and it looks like 2023 will be the hottest year ever," Birol said with heatwaves, floods and wildfires soaring on all continents. The post ‘Geopolitical tension’ a major threat to climate action: IEA chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN chief convenes ‘no nonsense’ climate summit, without China or US
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set Wednesday to host a climate meeting marred at its outset by the absence of speakers from the world's top two emitters, China and the United States. Despite increasing extreme weather events and record-shattering global temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and fossil fuel companies reap handsome profits. Guterres has thus billed the "Climate Ambition Summit" as a "no nonsense" forum where leaders or cabinet ministers will announce specific actions that deliver on their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The bar for making the podium was set high, with the UN chief making clear that only leaders who had made concrete plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse emissions would be allowed to speak. After receiving more than 100 applications to take part, the UN finally released a list on Tuesday night of 41 speakers which did not include China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan or India. "Tomorrow, I will welcome credible first movers and doers to our Climate Ambition Summit," Guterres said Tuesday. Several major leaders didn't bother making the trip to New York for this year's UN General Assembly, including President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from the United Kingdom, who said he was too busy. US President Joe Biden, who addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday, sent his climate envoy John Kerry to the meeting -- though Kerry won't be permitted to speak. "There's no doubt that the absence of so many leaders from the world's biggest economies and emitters will clearly have an impact on the outcomes of the summit," Alden Meyer of climate think tank E3G said. He blamed competing issues -- from the Ukraine conflict to US-China tensions and rising economic uncertainty. "But I think it's also the opposition in many of these countries from the fossil fuel industry and other powerful interests to the kind of transformational changes that are needed," said Meyer. Catherine Abreu, executive director of nonprofit Destination Zero, said it was "perhaps a good-news story that we see Biden not being given a speaking slot at the summit" because the United States is continuing to expand fossil fuel projects even as it makes historic investments in renewables. "I think about this as being a correction from past summits, where leaders have been given the opportunity to take credit for climate leadership on the global stage, while they continue to pursue plans to develop fossil fuels, and continue driving the climate crisis back at home," she added. While the United States won't take the rostrum, California will be represented by Governor Gavin Newsom. From Britain, London Mayor Sadiq Khan will also attend. Growing anger The event is the biggest climate summit in New York since 2019, when Greta Thunberg stunned the world with her "How Dare You" speech before the UN. Anger is building among climate activists, particularly younger people, who turned out in thousands last weekend for the "March to End Fossil Fuels" in New York. Observers are eager however to see what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen say both on their own goals and on financing commitments for the developing world. The failure of advanced economies, responsible for the majority of historic emissions, to honor their promises to the worst affected lower-income nations has long been a sore point in climate talks. There are some bright spots, including the announcement that Colombia and Panama are joining a grouping called the Powering Past Coal Alliance -- particularly notable as Colombia is the world's sixth biggest coal exporter. Wednesday's summit comes weeks ahead of the COP28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, where goals include tripling renewable energy by 2030, and ending by 2050 the generation of fossil fuel energy that isn't "abated" by carbon capture technology. The post UN chief convenes ‘no nonsense’ climate summit, without China or US appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The vital role of ASEAN
The ASEAN-UN Comprehensive Partnership is more important than ever. We face tests as far as the eye can see — from the climate emergency to a global cost-of-living crisis, raging conflicts and growing poverty, hunger, and inequalities. All these challenges are aggravated by rising geopolitical tensions. There is a real risk of fragmentation — of a Great Fracture in world economic and financial systems, with diverging strategies on technology and artificial intelligence and conflicting security frameworks. I commend ASEAN for your vital role in building bridges of understanding all over the world. ASEAN has played an extremely important role as a center that convenes all those that, unfortunately, represent the most dramatic divisions in today’s world and these series of summits is a demonstration of that fundamental convening role of ASEAN. And we need it in a world that is increasingly multipolar and that requires strong multilateral institutions to go with it — based on equity, solidarity and universality. I am grateful for your steadfast support for multilateral solutions and your contribution of over 5,000 peacekeepers from ASEAN countries. ASEAN’s convening power, commitment to dialogue and experience in conflict prevention are crucial pillars of stability. Today, tensions remain high from the Korean Peninsula to the South China Sea. I am grateful to ASEAN member states for your pursuit of dialogue and peaceful dispute resolution, rooted in the respect for international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Since we gathered last year, the situation in Myanmar has further deteriorated. Brutal violence, worsening poverty and systematic repression are crushing hopes for a return to democracy. The conflict is exacerbating existing inequalities and vulnerabilities faced by women and girls, including sexual violence, forced marriage and human trafficking. More and more people are crossing borders in a desperate search for safety and protection and the situation is untenable. Over one million Rohingya remain in Bangladesh, in the world’s largest refugee camp. And, regrettably, the conditions for their safe, voluntary and dignified return are not yet in sight. Much more is needed. My call to the military authorities of Myanmar is clear: Free all detained leaders and political prisoners; open the door toward the full restoration of democratic rule. We must also end our assault against the planet. ASEAN ranks amongst the most biodiversity-rich regions — and is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. We can still limit the worst impacts and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. ASEAN is uniquely positioned to be a leader of an energy transition that is global, sustainable, just, inclusive and equitable. I commend ASEAN member states that are pioneering Just Energy Transition Partnerships like Indonesia and Viet Nam. And I commend all who are accelerating the phaseout of coal and jumpstarting a fair and inclusive renewables revolution. But greater ambition is needed still — along with much greater support. Developed countries must finally deliver on their commitments to developing countries. Resources are also central to rescuing the Sustainable Development Goals. I have called for deep and structural changes to make global frameworks — including the Bretton Woods system — more representative of today’s economic and political realities and also more responsive. Such change will not happen overnight — and I have proposed concrete steps we can take now, including an SDG Stimulus of US$500 billion a year to the benefit of developing countries for them to be able to reach the Sustainable Goals. This and other action would catalyze SDG progress and help developing economies invest in key transitions across energy, food systems, digital, education, health, decent jobs and social protection. I count on ASEAN member states to help raise global ambition in the vital months ahead. And you can always count on my wholehearted support to shape a future of peace and prosperity for the people of Southeast Asia and the world. *** Excerpts from the UN Secretary-General’s remarks at the ASEAN-UN Summit, 7 September 2023. The post The vital role of ASEAN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Climate change ‘dystopian future already here’: UN rights chief
Climate change is sparking human rights emergencies in numerous countries, the UN rights chief said Monday, stressing the need to fight the impunity of those who "plunder our environment". Speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council, Volker Turk pointed to recent examples of the "environmental horror that is our global planetary crisis". He described visiting Basra, Iraq, where date palms once lined canals, but now "drought, searing heat, extreme pollution and fast-depleting supplies of fresh water are creating barren landscapes of rubble and dust". "This spiraling damage is a human rights emergency for Iraq, and many other countries," he said in his address opening the 54th council session in Geneva. "Climate change is pushing millions of people into famine. It is destroying hopes, opportunities, homes and lives. In recent months, urgent warnings have become lethal realities again and again all around the world," Turk said. "We do not need more warnings. The dystopian future is already here. We need urgent action now." Turk was speaking after the G20 at the weekend failed to commit to a phase-out of fossil fuels, something he said was desperately needed. - 'Nonchalance' at migrant deaths - At a time when the ravages of climate change are forcing more and more people to leave their homes, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said he was "shocked by the nonchalance" seen towards surging numbers of migrant deaths. "It is evident that far more migrants and refugees are dying, unnoticed," he said, pointing to the more than "2,300 people reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean this year, including the loss of more than 600 lives in a single shipwreck off Greece in June." He also highlighted migrant deaths in the English Channel, the Bay of Bengal, in the Caribbean, along the US-Mexican border, and at the Saudi border, where he said his "office is seeking urgent clarification about allegations of killings and mistreatment". The UN rights chief also highlighted a wide range of other concerning situations around the world, including in Russia, Pakistan and the Palestinian territory. On China, he reiterated concerns raised in a report by his office a year ago about the situation in the far-western Xinjiang region, which cited possible crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. "As my Office highlighted a year ago, the concerns in the Xinjiang ... requires strong remedial action by the authorities," Turk said Monday, also voicing concern at "continued detention of human rights advocates". - 'Ecocide' - Turk also spoke about the situation in Lebanon, decrying a total lack of accountability for the 2020 Beirut port blast, that killed more than 220 people, urging "an international fact-finding mission to look into human rights violations related to this tragedy." And he mentioned the situation in Iran, one year after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody after her arrest for allegedly breaching the strict dress code for women. Turk voiced concern at a bill that would impose harsher penalties for breaching the dress code, and "renewed deployment of the morality police." Climate change and environmental degradation played a role in a number of the rights situations he mentioned, including in Africa's Sahel region. Turk insisted on the need to "counter the impunity of people and businesses who severely plunder our environment", welcoming a proposal to recognize "ecocide" as an international crime. Amid the towering problems facing the world, Turk decried "politics of deception". "Helped by new technologies, lies and disinformation are mass-produced to sow chaos, to confuse, and ultimately to deny reality and ensure no action will be taken that could endanger the interests of entrenched elites," he said. "The most apparent case of this is climate change." nl/apo/yad © Agence France-Presse The post Climate change ‘dystopian future already here’: UN rights chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US and Vietnam set to expand ties as China worries grow
US President Joe Biden arrives in Vietnam on Sunday set to deepen cooperation between the two nations, in the face of China's growing ambitions in the region. Biden -- who is flying from the G20 summit in New Delhi -- will meet the leader of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, on Sunday, and is expected to sign off on a "comprehensive strategic partnership", Hanoi's highest level of diplomatic ties. The underlying goal of the short visit will be much the same as during Biden's time at the G20 gathering -- to shore up support against China's increasing influence. For Vietnam, the upgrading of diplomatic ties is significant. It only has top-level ties with Russia, India, South Korea and China. Although it will be careful to be seen as not taking sides between the United States and China, Vietnam shares American concerns about its neighbor's growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. The United States and Vietnam -- a key manufacturing hub -- also have increasingly close trade ties, and Washington sees Hanoi as an important partner as it looks to source less from China after supply chain shocks rocked the global economy in recent years. In Hanoi on Sunday, there will be a welcome ceremony, speeches by the two leaders and a press conference by the US president -- who on Tuesday awarded the top US military honor to a helicopter pilot who rescued four soldiers during the Vietnam War. Biden will meet President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh the following day. Ahead of the 80-year-old US president's arrival, Hanoi's central Hoan Kiem Lake area, packed with families out for a weekend stroll, was adorned with American and Vietnamese flags. Nearby in the city's old quarter, a souvenir shop sold T-shirts with Biden's face emblazoned across the front. "I think the US is a good friend to Vietnam," said the shop's 61-year-old owner Truong Thanh Duc. "With this visit of President Joe Biden, I think he will bring more business contracts and jobs to Vietnamese people." - Human rights - In Vietnam, Biden will be juggling strategic interests with the defense of human rights. The Southeast Asian country has a dire human 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 the president has often criticized China's human rights record, he has largely stayed quiet on Vietnam and campaigners are fearful he may not press the subject. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said prior to the trip that Biden would raise issues related "to freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and other basic human rights". His visit comes days after a US government commission on religious freedom harshly criticized Vietnam for "egregious, ongoing, and systematic violations". On Saturday, Nguyen Bac Truyen, a legal expert and religious freedom advocate who was sentenced in 2018 to 11 years in prison for subversion, said on Facebook he had been released and allowed to travel to Germany with his wife. Vietnam often releases political prisoners prior to US presidential visits. Biden's visit to Hanoi will mean he leaves early from the G20 summit, where leaders agreed on a joint declaration that papered over deep divisions on the war in Ukraine and tackling climate change, avoiding direct criticism of Moscow and any concrete pledge to phase out polluting fossil fuels. His Vietnam trip will also include a poignant visit to the 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. burs-aph/sco © Agence France-Presse The post US and Vietnam set to expand ties as China worries grow appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hong Kong flooded by heaviest rainfall in 140 years
Hong Kong was flooded by the heaviest rainfall in nearly 140 years on Friday, leaving the city's streets and some subway stations under water and forcing its schools to close. Just across the border, authorities in China's tech hub Shenzhen recorded the heaviest rains since records began in 1952. Climate change has increased the intensity of tropical storms, experts say, with more rain and stronger gusts leading to flash floods and coastal damage. The heavy rains in Hong Kong started on Thursday and in the hour leading up to midnight, the city's weather observatory recorded hourly rainfall of 158.1 millimeters at its headquarters, the highest since records began in 1884. On Friday afternoon, the Hospital Authority said at least 110 people were hospitalized due to injuries, with four in serious condition. A man was found unconscious off the shore of western Hong Kong Island and declared dead at the hospital, though authorities were still investigating if the death was flood-related. The city's highest rainstorm warning level, "black", was hoisted for a record-breaking 16 hours before being lowered at 3:40 pm Friday, with rainfall mostly easing by late afternoon. "It's absolutely shocking," said Jacky, 52, who lives in the Wong Tai Sin district with his elderly parents. "I don't remember floods ever being this bad in our district." "The bottom floor of the mall is completely flooded, the water level is higher than the storefronts... it's turned our day into chaos," he added. Authorities issued flash flood warnings, with emergency services conducting rescue operations in parts of the territory. "Residents living in close proximity to rivers should stay alert to weather conditions and should consider evacuation" if their homes are flooded, the observatory said. It also warned of potential landslips, telling motorists to "keep away from steep slopes or retaining walls". Hong Kong's stock exchange cancelled all trading sessions on Friday. 'Once in a century' Hong Kong Chief Secretary Eric Chan described the deluge as "a once-in-a-century heavy rainstorm", adding that extreme conditions would continue until midnight local time (1600 GMT). "It's like putting four bathtubs of water into one bathtub... it will spill," Chan said at a press conference, when asked if the government had done enough to prevent flooding. The Hong Kong Observatory said it recorded more than 600 millimeters of rainfall at its headquarters over 24 hours -- roughly a quarter of the city's annual average. Earlier in the day, taxis struggled through flooded roads as commuters attempted to make their way to work, with some cars stranded in the deluge. "It felt like the whole neighborhood was isolated by the floodwater. One of the underground car parks is totally under water," Olivia Lam, who lives on the eastern side of Hong Kong Island, told AFP. "The water was almost waist-deep outside my building, and that's not the worst (case) in the neighborhood." An AFP reporter saw boulders and mud from a landslide block off a two-lane road in the Shau Kei Wan district, with mud also spilling over into a nearby basketball court. Residents of a public housing block just 30 meters from the landslide lined up with buckets to collect fresh water after the building's supply was disrupted. Roads were also flooded on the island of Lantau, where rivers swelled over their banks. Southern China was hit the previous weekend by two typhoons in quick succession -- Saola and Haikui -- though Hong Kong avoided a feared direct hit. Tens of millions of people in the densely populated coastal areas of southern China had sheltered indoors ahead of those storms. Hong Kong's weather observatory said the latest torrential rain was brought by the "trough of low pressure associated with (the) remnant of Haikui". Authorities suspended schools and cargo clearance services on the city's border with Shenzhen were paused. The border disruption came hours after Hong Kong authorities announced that Shenzhen was preparing to discharge water from its reservoir, which they said could lead to flooding in northern parts of the city. Hong Kong's subway operator said there was a service disruption on one of its lines after a station in the Wong Tai Sin district was flooded. A handful of other stations were also affected by the rain. Footage posted on social media showed a subway train not stopping at Wong Tai Sin station, which had floodwater on its platform. The flooding could cost Hong Kong at least $100 million, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence estimate, compared to $470 million in damage when the city was hit by typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. The post Hong Kong flooded by heaviest rainfall in 140 years appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese carmakers confront European industry at Munich show
Chinese manufacturers will be out in force at next week's IAA auto show, one of the industry's biggest, revving their new electric models on the turf of German carmakers, which have been lagging in the e-mobility race. Elon Musk's Tesla, usually a hold-out from such events, will also make an appearance at the show in Munich, joining the jostle to steal the spotlight from Europe's biggest brands. The industry fair, which opens Tuesday with a speech from Chancellor Olaf Scholz, comes with clouds gathering for the automotive sector in Europe and in particular, Germany. While suffocating supply chain problems have eased from the pandemic years, European auto giants are struggling to cope with increased energy costs in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year. Although sales in the European Union have steadily improved over the last 12 months, they remain around 20 percent below their pre-coronavirus levels as inflation and higher interest rates dampen appetite for new vehicles. At the same time, European manufacturers are facing increasingly stiff competition from Chinese carmakers which are touting their vehicles at far lower prices. Local upstarts have captured an increasingly large part of the prized Chinese market and are threatening to dominate the growing trade in electric vehicles. Chinese groups were starting "their assault on Europe with the IAA", said industry analyst Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer from the Center Automotive Research in Germany. "The IAA 2023 maps out a new automobile world in Europe. Competition will be tougher. After the Chinese battery factories, their automobile makers are coming," he said, calling it a "turning point" for the industry. In all, 41 percent of exhibitors at the industry fair have their headquarters in China, including brands such as BYD and Leapmotor which will hope to steal the spotlight from German giants Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Contrary to the Asian onslaught, participation from other European makers is muted. Opel will be US-European conglomerate Stellantis's lone ambassador in Munich, while Renault is showcasing only its eponymous marque at the show. In contrast, Musk's Tesla was slowly falling in line with traditional manufacturers as "the brand that doesn't do marketing begins to do exactly that" with its first appearance at the IAA, said independent analyst Matthias Schmidt. - Petrol protest - Over the week, around 700,000 visitors are expected to attend the show, split between exhibition halls and the city center. The move away from combustion engines to electric vehicles -- and the bigger climate question -- will take center stage inside and outside the exhibition halls. As carmakers roll out their latest offerings, climate groups have vowed protests at the fair, including "civil disobedience" aimed at disrupting the IAA. The last edition of the show in 2021 was already troubled by small-scale protests. This time around, some 1,500 people are expected at a camp in a suburban Munich park promoting a "revolution in mobility". Car manufacturers were "destroying the lives of countless people worldwide with their growth imperative", one of the climate groups said ahead of the fair. Automotive groups have not helped their case recently by recording massive profits on the back of strong inflation. Manufacturers -- particularly those at the high end of the market -- have been able to benefit from rising prices to boost their margins. A growing climate consciousness movement is increasingly pitting environmental activists against carmakers. Mindful of society's changing views on automobiles, the IAA upped sticks from Frankfurt to Munich in 2021 and restyled itself as a festival for all forms of "mobility" -- bringing bikes and scooters into the fold. As well as cleaning up its image, the move was an attempt to reinvigorate traditional motor shows. The marquee events have struggled to attract manufacturers, who are doubtful that they create enough publicity to be worth the bother. In 2022, the Paris Motor Show saw visitor numbers dwindle, as it was cut in length from two weeks to one. Many big European names, such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Ferrari were absent from the French fair, to which Chinese carmakers like BYD by contrast turned up. The post Chinese carmakers confront European industry at Munich show appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gov’t seeks Indon capital
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno presented to Indonesia’s business community the Philippine economic plans for securing investments in infrastructure, energy and technology. In a statement by the Department of Finance on Thursday, it said Diokno conducted the talk in Jakarta City on Wednesday ahead of the 10th ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting from 24 to 25 August. The listeners included members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Philippine Business Club Indonesia, and officials of foreign embassies in Jakarta. Diokno said the Philippine lawmakers are now studying all measures for faster public-private partnerships or PPPs as the Marcos administration aims to build 197 infrastructure flagship projects, including railways, airports and water management, among others. PPP crucial “The PPP Act, which is currently pending in the Senate, consolidates all legal frameworks on PPP and creates a unified system for investors to refer to when engaging in PPP projects,” DoF said. To build more capital for Philippine infrastructure development and diversify investment channels, Diokno said government agencies are now crafting the rules and regulations of the Maharlika Investment Fund. “This is the Philippines’ first sovereign investment fund that will serve as a platform for investors to engage in direct equity investments in Philippine ventures,” he said. Diokno said both the legislative proposal and newly approved sovereign fund will support economic expansion from liberalized investment laws passed by the previous Duterte administration. Diokno shared amendments to the Public Service Act which now allows full foreign ownership from 40 percent previously of various businesses, such as airlines and telecommunications. Amid growing concerns with climate change, the finance chief said this applies also to renewable energy facilities, such as solar plants. Indonesia, along with China and India, is among the world’s largest exporter of coal, according to the International Energy Agency. However, Indonesia vowed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, while it is 2050 for the Philippines. To ensure efficient management and profitability of infrastructure, Diokno said the government also eased processes for foreign investors under the Build-Operate-Transfer Law. “To help foster the development of high quality, modern, and sustainable infrastructure in the country, we wasted no time in building a fertile business and investment ecosystem for private players,” Diokno said. The post Gov’t seeks Indon capital appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘NBN-ZTE, China’s first salvo’
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday refuted a claim that it was his father, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, who promised China the BRP Sierra Madre would be removed from Ayungin Shoal. Ejercito pointed out that it was his father who ordered in 1999 that the World War II-era ship be run aground to bolster the Philippines’ sovereignty claim to what was also called the Second Thomas Shoal. The senator was reacting to a former government official’s claim in an opinion piece in a national daily that it was Estrada who promised the Chinese the Sierra Madre would be removed. “That claim seems inconsistent. The mere fact that President Estrada was the one who ordered the BRP Sierra Madre be grounded on Ayungin Shoal, it’s impossible that he would commit to removing the same,” he told reporters in a Viber message. Ejercito also took a swipe at the ex-official in connection with a controversial project the administration he worked for entered into with China. “At least President Erap had the courage to fight for our sovereignty,” the senator said. “Unlike them who paved the way for the NBN-ZTE, the first salvo of Chinese intrusions in our country.” Estrada’s son to former actress Guia Gomez was referring to the canceled National Broadband Network project with ZTE Corp., a Chinese telecommunications firm. China continues to insist it has territorial rights over Ayungin Shoal, which is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as affirmed by a 2016 arbitral ruling. No such pledge After a China Coast Guard vessel used a water cannon in an attempt to drive away Philippine Coast Guard-led resupply boats headed to the BRP Sierra Madre last 5 August, Beijing claimed the Philippines had pledged to tow away the scuttled tank landing ship that serves as the Philippines’ outpost on Ayungin. In reaction, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he knew of no such promise by the Philippine government to remove the Sierra Madre, adding that if there was such a pledge made by a past administration, he was rescinding it. “Who was closer to China? Was it Erap? The VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) was in fact approved during his time,” Ejercito averred, referring to the military cooperation deal between the Philippines and the United States. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy the BRP Sierra Madre as a permanent station on Ayungin Shoal in response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995. The deployment was years ahead, according to the DFA, of the conclusion in 2002 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. “[It] is therefore not a violation of the DOC,” the DFA pointed out. The post ‘NBN-ZTE, China’s first salvo’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
JV: Not my father who made ‘deal’ to remove BRP Sierra Madre
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday refuted claims that it was his father, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, who made an alleged agreement with China to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal. Ejercito said the claim that it was his father who committed to removing the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal is “impossible,” since it was Estrada who ordered the grounding of the World War II ship in the low-tide elevation. “That claim seems inconsistent. The mere fact President Estrada was the one who ordered the BRP Sierra Madre be grounded in Ayungin Shoal, it’s impossible he will commit to remove the same,” he told reporters in a Viber message. He also took a swipe against columnist Rigoberto Tiglao, who claimed it was his father who made such a commitment to China. “At least President Erap had the courage to fight for our sovereignty,” he said. “Unlike them who paved the way for NBN-ZTE, the first salvo of Chinese intrusions in our country,” he added, referring to the canceled National Broadband Network project with ZTE Corp., a Chinese telecommunications firm, during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now Pampanga 2nd District Representative. Tiglao served as the former presidential spokesperson and Chief of Staff of Arroyo, who served as the 14th president of the Philippines following the ouster of Estrada during the second People Power Revolution or EDSA II in 2001. China is insisting on its territorial rights over the Ayungin Shoal, which is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. It also claimed the Philippine government had repeatedly made promises to tow away the grounded BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. “Who was closer to China? Was it Erap? The VFA was in fact approved also during his time,” said Ejercito, referring to the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy the BRP Sierra Madre as a permanent station on Ayungin Shoal in response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995. It also explained that the Philippine station on Ayungin Shoal was deployed in 1999, years ahead of the conclusion in 2002 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. “[It] is therefore not a violation of the DOC,” the DFA pointed out. The post JV: Not my father who made ‘deal’ to remove BRP Sierra Madre appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lula says ‘world must help’ Brazil save the Amazon
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday the "world must help" Brazil protect the Amazon, ahead of a summit next week on the world's biggest rainforest, a key buffer against climate change. "We know we have a responsibility to convince the world that investing is cheap if it's a matter of saving the rainforest," the veteran leftist told a breakfast meeting with AFP and other international media. "The world needs to help us preserve and develop the Amazon," he said, in response to a question on how to balance the need for economic development in the Amazon region with protecting the forest. Lula and leaders of other countries with territory in the sprawling Amazon are set to meet next week in the Brazilian city of Belem on developing policies to protect the rainforest, which is being badly damaged by deforestation. It will be the first meeting of the eight-member Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization since 2009. Deforestation in Brazil's 60-percent share of the Amazon fell by 33.6 percent year-on-year from January to June, the first six months of Lula's term, according to official figures. The destruction of the rainforest had surged under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), who presided over an increase of more than 75 percent in annual deforestation versus the previous decade. Lula said he planned to work with other Amazon basin leaders to "share research on the region's biodiversity" and seek ways to enable people there to "work without destroying" the fragile ecosystem. Lula, 77, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, also reiterated his desire to help forge a peace deal for Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine "are in the 'I'm going to win' stage. Meanwhile, people are dying," he said. He also spoke in favor of expanding the BRICS group of emerging economies, formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. He said the group should discuss inviting new members at its upcoming summit in South Africa later this month, suggesting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Argentina as possibilities. The post Lula says ‘world must help’ Brazil save the Amazon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Authorities order evacuations ahead of super typhoon Egay
A super typhoon swept towards the northern Philippines on Tuesday, the country’s weather agency said, triggering evacuation orders for coastal communities expected to bear the brunt of the powerful storm. Super Typhoon "Egay" was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers an hour (115 miles per hour) as it headed towards a group of three lightly populated islands off the northern tip of the main island of Luzon, the agency said. The storm was expected to make landfall or pass very close to the Babuyan islands or northeastern Cagayan province by Wednesday afternoon, the agency said in its latest bulletin at 0000 GMT. It would then sweep across to Taiwan and eastern China. The storm was expected to dump more than 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rain on the islands and the northern portion of Cagayan, Apayao and Ilocos Norte provinces on Tuesday. Three of the five Babuyan islands are inhabited, with a population of around 20,000 people. Local disaster official Charles Castillejos said coastal communities on the islands had been ordered to leave their homes, while fishermen had been told to get their boats out of the water. "We sent the police to convince the hard-headed ones who refuse to evacuate," Castillejos told AFP. Storm surges of more than three meters (10 feet) could hit some low-lying areas, the weather agency warned. Heavy rain was expected across the mountainous northern provinces in the coming days, with landslides "highly likely", it added. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 major storms each year that kill hundreds of people and keep vast regions in perpetual poverty. Scientists have warned that such storms, which also kill livestock and destroy key infrastructure, are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change. The post Authorities order evacuations ahead of super typhoon Egay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Blinken to meet top Chinese diplomat in Jakarta: US
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet top Chinese foreign policy official Wang Yi on Thursday in Jakarta, their second meeting in as many months as the powers seek to manage tensions. Blinken and Wang will meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN-plus-three foreign minister talks in the Indonesian capital, the State Department's public schedule showed. The meeting is going ahead despite Microsoft recently saying that Chinese hackers had breached US government email accounts, including those of the State Department. The Jakarta talks come nearly a month after Blinken travelled to Beijing, the first visit by the top US diplomat in nearly five years, and met President Xi Jinping as well as Wang and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Since then, there has been a flurry of diplomacy, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visiting Beijing last week and a trip set in the coming days by climate envoy John Kerry. Tensions have soared in recent years between the world's two largest economies over a host of issues including China's assertiveness in the region including Taiwan and sweeping restrictions imposed by the United States on exports of its advanced semiconductors. Neither country has predicted breakthroughs in the renewed diplomacy but both have spoken in terms of managing the relationship to make sure that friction does not lead to outright conflict. The post Blinken to meet top Chinese diplomat in Jakarta: US 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......»»
Blinken urges open lines of communication with China
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Wednesday for open lines of communication as he spoke with China's foreign minister, ahead of planned face-to-face discussions in Beijing. Relations between the world's two largest economies have tanked in recent years over Taiwan, trade and human rights, among a litany of other issues. Blinken is due in Beijing on Sunday for talks aimed at calming nerves, after a previous planned visit was abruptly cancelled in February. In his call with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, which took place Wednesday Beijing time, Blinken said they "discussed ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication as well as bilateral and global issues". State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also said Blinken had stressed "the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the US-PRC relationship to avoid miscalculation and conflict". Blinken "made clear the US would continue to use diplomatic engagements to raise areas of concern as well as areas of potential cooperation", Miller said. A Beijing readout of the call struck a more confrontational tone, reporting that Qin had warned that relations between the two countries had faced "new difficulties and challenges" since the beginning of the year. "It's clear who is responsible," Qin said, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. "China has always viewed and managed China-US relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping," he added. - Blinken in Beijing - Blinken's planned visit to Beijing would be the first trip by a top US diplomat to China since his predecessor Mike Pompeo in October 2018. Presidents Joe Biden and Xi met in Bali in November and agreed to try to prevent tensions from soaring out of control, including by sending Blinken to Beijing. But Blinken abruptly cancelled a trip scheduled in early February after the United States said it detected -- and later shot down -- a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over the US mainland. The two sides have more recently looked again to keep tensions in check, including with an extensive, closed-door meeting between Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, and senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Vienna last month. Biden has sought limited areas for cooperation with China, such as climate change, in contrast with the more fully adversarial position adopted at the end of the administration of his predecessor Donald Trump. But two countries remain at deeply at odds over many issues. The White House last week accused China of operating an intelligence unit in Cuba for years and upgraded it in 2019 in an effort to enhance its presence on the Caribbean island. A base in Cuba, which lies 90 miles (150 kilometers) off Florida's southern tip, would be viewed in Washington as a direct challenge to the continental United States. Asked about the base at a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he was "unaware of the situation" before criticising US policy on Cuba. bur-oho-ehl/je/kma © Agence France-Presse The post Blinken urges open lines of communication with China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US lawyer sorry after ChatGPT creates ‘bogus’ cases
What happened when a US lawyer used ChatGPT to prepare a court filing? The artificial intelligence program invented fake cases and rulings, leaving the attorney rather red-faced. New York-based lawyer Steven Schwartz apologized to a judge this week for submitting a brief full of falsehoods generated by the OpenAI chatbot. "I simply had no idea that ChatGPT was capable of fabricating entire case citations or judicial opinions, especially in a manner that appeared authentic," Schwartz wrote in a court filing. The blunder occurred in a civil case being heard by Manhattan federal court involving a man who is suing the Colombian airline Avianca. Roberto Mata claims he was injured when a metal serving plate hit his leg during a flight in August 2019 from El Salvador to New York. After the airline's lawyers asked the court to dismiss the case, Schwartz filed a response that claimed to cite more than half a dozen decisions to support why the litigation should proceed. They included Petersen v. Iran Air, Varghese v. China Southern Airlines, and Shaboon v. Egyptair. The Varghese case even included dated internal citations and quotes. There was one major problem, however: neither Avianca's attorneys nor the presiding judge, P. Kevin Castel could find the cases. Schwartz was forced to admit that ChatGPT had made up everything. "The court is presented with an unprecedented circumstance," Judge Castel wrote last month. "Six of the submitted cases appear to be bogus judicial decisions with bogus quotes and bogus internal citations," he added. The judge ordered Schwartz and his law partner to appear before him to face possible sanctions. 'Ridiculed' In a filing on Tuesday, ahead of the hearing, Schwartz said that he wanted to "deeply apologize" to the court for his "deeply regrettable mistake." He said his college-educated children had introduced him to ChatGPT and it was the first time he had ever used it in his professional work. "At the time that I performed the legal research in this case, I believed that ChatGPT was a reliable search engine. I now know that was incorrect," he wrote. Schwartz added that it "was never my intention to mislead the court." ChatGPT has become a global sensation since it was launched late last year for its ability to produce human-like content, including essays, poems, and conversations from simple prompts. It has sparked a mushrooming of generative AI content, leaving lawmakers scrambling to try to figure out how to regulate such bots. A spokesperson for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Schwartz's snafu. The story was first reported by The New York Times. Schwartz said he and his firm, Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, had been "publicly ridiculed" in the media coverage. "This has been deeply embarrassing on both a personal and professional level as these articles will be available for years to come," he wrote. Schwartz added: "This matter has been an eye-opening experience for me and I can assure the court that I will never commit an error like this again." The post US lawyer sorry after ChatGPT creates ‘bogus’ cases appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»