Day: April 9, 2024

How Yellen struggled to move the needle on US-China trade

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Janet Yellen has vowed to “keep at it” and carry on building closer ties between the world’s two economic superpowers, despite the US Treasury secretary’s nearly week-long trip to China yielding little progress on disagreements over how Beijing should counter its slowdown. Yellen flew back to the US on Tuesday after visiting the southern manufacturing and export hub of Guangzhou and then Beijing. China rolled out the red carpet — including a private visit to the Forbidden City — for Yellen, who said the bond between the world’s two largest…

China-US relations: American state department official explains how Beijing risks crossing ‘red line’ with Russia

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Assurances that Washington does not support independence for the self-ruled island are a regular fixture in high-level dialogue with Beijing. In his first meeting with Biden after the US leader entered the White House in 2021, Xi labelled the “Taiwan issue” the “first red line that must not be crossed” in bilateral relations. 02:22 US Treasury chief Janet Yellen leaves China after ‘difficult conversations’, overcapacity gripes US Treasury chief Janet Yellen leaves China after ‘difficult conversations’, overcapacity gripes Beijing sees Taiwan as a part of China that will eventually be…

Muslims to mark end of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr celebration amid hunger in Gaza

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Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the Ramadan fast, will begin Wednesday, according to Saudi Arabia, home to two of Islam’s holiest sites. The timing of Eid al-Fitr, which translates to “the feast of breaking the fast,” is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar. In Saudi Arabia, Eid al-Fitr is expected to be a four-day holiday. In Indonesia, which at 220 million has one of the world’s largest Muslim populations, the celebration is called Lebaran. An estimated 193 million…

China clears first eVTOL aircraft for production as ‘low-altitude economy’ takes wing

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China has issued its first production licence for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, further solidifying its position in the global race to broaden commercial applications and win market share in the up-and-coming tech-driven sector. The EH216-S, an unmanned eVTOL aircraft capable of transporting passengers, received a production certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Sunday, according to a social media post from the aircraft’s manufacturer EHang. The craft obtained its type and standard airworthiness certificates – both required for commercial operations – from the CAAC…

China’s Tianqi Lithium’s $4bn bet on Chile at risk of backfiring

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When China’s Tianqi Lithium paid $4bn in 2018 to become the second-largest shareholder in Chile’s SQM, it was making a gamble to gain a strategic foothold in one of the world’s top lithium reserves as demand soared for the metal at the heart of the electric vehicle revolution. But Tianqi’s investment to solidify its position in Latin America, home to the “lithium triangle” of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, is in jeopardy as the Chilean government works to exert more control over the vast salt flats of the Atacama Desert, where…

Report: Legal harassment of Cambodian journalists increasing

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia —  Threats by the Cambodian government to take legal action against journalists are increasing, sparking concerns about constraints on press freedom, says an annual report by the Cambodian Journalists Association (CamboJA). The group monitors incidents of harassment and restrictions on journalists. Pressure on independent media outlets has increased since the government of former Prime Minister Hun Sen began cracking down on political dissent before the 2018 general election. Several independent media outlets have closed since then, and six media licenses were revoked in 2023, compared to two…

Can US-Philippine-Japanese military ties really protect regional security?

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The emerging alliance between the Philippines, Japan and the US is an integral part of the Biden administration’s “integrated deterrence” strategy, especially amid growing fears of potential conflicts over Taiwan and the South China Sea. The summit is also meant to cement Japan’s position as a security provider, accelerate the Philippines’ military modernisation and “Trump-proof” the trilateral alliance in light of deepening concerns over American isolationism under a prospective second Trump presidency. Over the past decade, multilateralism largely lost its lustre on many fronts, especially in Asia. The Association of…

Taiwan’s Navy leaders seek cooperation with US at annual exposition

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washington —  Taiwan Navy Commander Admiral Tang Hua said during a trip to Maryland that the self-governing island wants more cooperation with the U.S. and other countries amid military pressure from China. But as to whether or not he would hold direct talks with U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, as reported by Reuters, Tang said he would not comment so as to avoid China’s protest causing trouble to the U.S. side. Speaking to VOA on Monday at this year’s Sea-Air-Space Conference hosted by the Navy League of…

From liver to kidney: Chinese scientists pass another milestone in pig organ transplants for humans

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“It is functioning well in the recipient’s body and producing urine normally.” The transplant was conducted on March 25, only a couple of weeks after the team performed the pig liver transplant. In both cases the patients’ families agreed to the procedure to help advance medical science, the university said. Kidney transplants are the only cure for end-stage kidney disease. Although over a million patients in China suffer from the condition, only 10,000 transplants are performed every year, the Air Force Medical University’s department of urology said in a WeChat…

US pushes back at Russia’s protest over South Korean sanctions

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WASHINGTON —  The United States is welcoming South Korean sanctions imposed on Russian vessels suspected of transporting weapons from North Korea, despite Russian protests. “We applaud the recent actions taken by the ROK to disrupt and expose arms transfers between the DPRK and Russia – including the sanctions … on two Russian vessels involved in arms transfers to Russia,” a State Department spokesperson said. “It is important for the international community to send a strong, unified message that the DPRK must halt its irresponsible behavior, abide by its obligations under…