Day: July 7, 2023

Yellen Urges China to Cooperate More on Climate Finance

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The Biden administration called on China on Saturday to do more to help developing countries combat climate change, urging the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases to back international climate finance funds that it has so far declined to support. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen delivered the message during her second day of meetings in Beijing, where she is seeking to cultivate areas of cooperation between the United States and China. While China has expressed support for programs to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change, it…

Cambodia Gears Up for July Election With Ruling Party Virtually Unchallenged 

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Cambodia’s seventh national election takes place July 23. Eighteen political parties are registered for the vote to elect members to the National Assembly. Because 17 have little funding and few followers, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party is likely to take all the seats and form a new government. Many international organizations consider the vote a sham. VOA’s Chetra Chap reports. Camera: Pin Sisovann Voice of America

Biden Warned China’s Xi on West’s Investment After Xi-Putin Meeting

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U.S. President Joe Biden told Chinese President Xi Jinping following Xi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to “be careful” because Beijing relies on Western investment, according to excerpts from an interview with CNN. “I said: This is not a threat. This is an observation,” Biden said. “Since Russia went into Ukraine, 600 American corporations have pulled out of Russia. And you have told me that your economy depends on investment from Europe and the United States. And be careful. Be careful.” Putin and Xi held two days of talks…

Chinese Regulators Fine Ant Group $985M in Signal That Tech Crackdown May End

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HONG KONG — Chinese regulators are fining Ant Group 7.123 billion yuan ($985 million) for violating regulations in its payments and financial services, an indicator that more than two years of scrutiny and crackdown on the firm that led it to scrap its planned public listing may have come to an end. The People’s Bank of China imposed the fine on the financial technology provider on Friday, stating that Ant had violated laws and regulations related to corporate governance, financial consumer protection, participation in business activities of banking and insurance…

Hong Kong Jails First Person Under CBD Ban 

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HONG KONG – A 32-year-old woman was jailed Friday for bringing cannabidiol (CBD) into Hong Kong, the first criminal conviction under the city’s recent blanket ban on the substance. Users say CBD — a nonpsychoactive derivative of the cannabis plant — helps reduce pain, stress, anxiety and inflammation. But the Chinese finance hub in February made it a crime to own, consume or sell CBD, placing it in the same legal category as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. The woman was found to have two bottles of CBD personal care products…

US targets Asean partnership to ‘push back’ on China actions in South China Sea

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“I think we all believe that countries should base their maritime claims in international law, that maritime disputes should be resolved peacefully, that all countries should enjoy freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight and unimpeded commerce,” the senior envoy added. Founded in 1967, Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The intergovernmental organisation collectively represents 650 million people, who together rank as the world’s fifth-largest economy. Advertisement Despite successfully promoting economic integration among members, Asean has struggled to coordinate a response to…

Bangladesh police: Rival Rohingya militant groups in deadly gunfight at refugee camp

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At least five members of rival Rohingya militant groups were killed in a gunfight Friday at a refugee camp in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district, police and other sources said. Separately, following a four-day visit to refugee camps in that southeastern district, International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan urged the world to provide more humanitarian support because, he said, Rohingya were missing meals after the U.N. World Food Program had cut monthly aid to U.S. $8 from $12 on June 1. The killings in Friday’s shootout before dawn…

In California, a lithium gold rush at the edge of a dying sea

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She paused. “But we’ve had a lot of hopes before that have not come about.” Maria Nava-Froelich, mayor of Calipatria, California, in front of a geothermal plant. Photo: Mark Magnier Worldwide demand for lithium, used in batteries powering everything from electric vehicles to fighter jets, is projected to grow fivefold by 2030. That’s sparked huge interest in Beijing, Washington – and California, which sees “Lithium Valley” as its VIP ticket to the green economy, building on Silicon Valley’s success. Advertisement Last year, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm descended on sleepy…

Weak laws in Laos mean death-row inmates won’t face execution anytime soon

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More than 500 prison inmates have been sentenced to death in Laos – some more than a decade ago – but the country’s dysfunctional legal system and unclear prison procedures have left the inmates languishing for years, the country’s minister of public security said. Many of the inmates were convicted on drug charges and have had their sentences reduced to life in prison, Lt. Gen. Vilay Lakhamfong, head of the Ministry of Public Security and deputy prime minister, told lawmakers at a National Assembly session on Thursday.  Authorities have even…

Indonesia pushes to implement failed Myanmar peace plan ahead of ASEAN meetings

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ASEAN chair Indonesia said Friday it was increasing efforts to implement a five-point consensus to end instability in post-coup Myanmar, while Burmese civil society groups called for junking the “ineffective” plan amid divisions within the regional bloc. The crisis in Myanmar is expected to be one of the main topics at a series of ministerial-level meetings that Indonesia will host next week as the 2023 chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The talks will involve ASEAN members and other countries, including the United States, China and Russia. Jakarta…