Month: September 2023

Major Indonesia Coal Plant Back Near Capacity Despite Pollution Concerns

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Indonesia has restored one of the biggest coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia to near full capacity, its operator told AFP Friday, after it was ordered to slice output to curb pollution in capital Jakarta. The Suralaya coal-fired power plant in Java island’s Banten province nearly halved production starting August 29 as the country geared up to host Southeast Asian leaders, as well as US, Chinese and Japanese officials at a regional bloc’s summit. Just ahead of the September 3-7 ASEAN talks, the megalopolis of about 30 million people was…

China’s ill-defined spy law dampens foreign investor confidence

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Investor confidence in China is at its lowest ebb in decades amid fears that the Counterespionage Law and other legislation could be used to target foreign companies, according to two reports from the European and American Chambers of Commerce and a high-ranking E.U. official. While 2023 was supposed to be the year that investor confidence and optimism bounced back after years of restrictions under Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s zero-COVID policy, but “the rebound has not materialized and business sentiment has continued to deteriorate,” according to the AmCham’s annual review of…

India protests after 3 athletes unable to enter China for Asian Games

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India’s foreign ministry on Friday said it had lodged a protest with Beijing after three of the country’s athletes were unable to enter China to take part in the Asian Games under way in Hangzhou. The three female martial arts athletes are from India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh – an area that is claimed by Beijing as Zangnan, or South Tibet. Indian media reported that the trio had been approved to take part in the sporting event being held in the eastern Chinese city by the 19th Asian Games…

China and Syria grow cosier on shared Russia ties and Beijing’s big Middle East ambitions, analysts say

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China brokered a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March. After the two countries restored diplomatic relations, Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Saudi Arabia became a dialogue partner of the China-led security pact. Advertisement Beijing has expanded its diplomatic efforts to touch upon some of the region’s thorniest issues, such as the Yemen crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas visited Beijing in June and met Xi, who reaffirmed China’s willingness to “play a positive role” in pushing for peace talks and its…

US Treasury Launches US-China Economic, Financial Working Groups

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WASHINGTON —  The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday said it was formally launching two new U.S.-China working groups on economic and financial issues aimed at providing a regular policy communications forum between the world’s two largest economies. In a statement, the Treasury said the two groups would “meet on a regular cadence” and report to Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. China’s Ministry of Finance will be Treasury’s counterpart for the Economic Working Group, while the People’s Bank of China will be its counterpart for the Financial Working Group.…

Australia to Examine National COVID-19 Response

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SYDNEY —  Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Thursday announced the government will conduct a yearlong inquiry into the country’s approach to COVID-19, but opposition politicians say the limited scope and powers of the inquiry will make it “a complete waste of time.” International border closures made Australia a fortress for much of the pandemic. It had some of the world’s longest and toughest lockdowns. Australian efforts to contain the virus were some of the most restrictive in the world, with residents of Melbourne spending more time in lockdowns than almost…

US-China ties should be seen as a long-distance race for mutual gain, security forum told

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The US-China relationship should not be defined as a rivalry but as a long-distance race that aims to “achieve development together”, according to a Chinese international relations expert. Rong Ying, vice-president of foreign ministry think tank the China Institute of International Studies, told a forum on Thursday that the two powers had a complex relationship that “cannot be defined by one word or one paradigm”. “More importantly, if the relationship is about rivalry, then we naturally come to the conclusion that in the end there will be a winner and…

‘Even bigger glory’: Xi Jinping seeks to boost confidence with Yiwu market stroll

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President Xi Jinping’s visit to Chinese manufacturing hub Yiwu this week was a symbolic gesture at a time when the economy is slowing and Beijing is keen to beat the drum for private business, analysts say. State television on Friday aired footage of Xi being given a warm welcome when he visited Yiwu International Trade City – the biggest wholesale market for small manufactured goods in the world – in the eastern province of Zhejiang. “[I hope] the small commodities and big market of Yiwu will continue to thrill and…

EU says up to 70% of hi-tech imports ‘killing Ukrainians’ are reaching Russian military via China

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“These products are killing Ukrainians, and if they go to Russia, you may consider them normally innocent. But once they go to Russia, we know they’re not going into consumer goods or innocent activities. They will go straight to the military industrial complex and produce weapons that are more lethal and more deadly.” The products referred to are part of a new field of dual-use goods that have both civilian and military purposes. China and Russia strengthen cooperation as G7 pushes Beijing to rein in Moscow O’Sullivan said the Russian…

China and US set up finance, economic discussion channels after talks to ease trade tensions

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The US Treasury Department said the groups would report to He and Yellen and “provide ongoing structured channels for frank and substantive discussions on economic and financial policy matters, as well as an exchange of information on macroeconomic and financial developments”. The deputy secretary of the US Treasury and China’s finance vice-minister will lead the finance group, CCTV said, while Chinese deputy central bank governors will be involved on the economic side. 03:03 US-China relations depend on strong economic ties, says US commerce chief during talks in Beijing US-China relations…