Tag: Americas

Chinese Demand for Steel Not as Dire as Data Suggests, Brazil Miner Says

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RIO DE JANEIRO —  Brazilian mining company Vale SA sees declining steel demand in China, the world’s largest producer, but the situation is not as dire as some indicators suggest, the company’s vice president of iron ore solutions told Reuters. Vale is “cautiously optimistic” about the largest global consumer of iron ore, as China’s economy has proved resilient, despite uncertainties surrounding possible stimulus measures to achieve growth targets, the Vale executive, Marcello Spinelli, said. “We can see that there is demand [for steel]. It’s declining, but not to the extent…

The Guardian view on Brics: demand for membership is a symptom of global disorder | Editorial

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The last decade of annual summits held by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) has rarely merited much attention beyond their own capitals. But last week’s conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, is likely to be remembered as a turning point in modern history – with six large nations joining the current five members. A few dozen more states wish to sign up. But the club’s popularity is not a sign that an anti-western bloc is coalescing. “Brics-11” contains two US allies: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.…

Brics to admit six new countries to bloc including Iran and Saudi Arabia

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The five Brics nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – have announced the admission of six new countries from next year as the club of large and populous emerging economies seeks to reshape the global order. Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE are to become full members from 1 January 2024, the group announced at its summit in South Africa. “This membership expansion is historic,” said the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, whose country is the most powerful in the group of non-western states that…

Brics group looks to expand at summit despite divisions among key members

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Leaders from developing countries representing almost half the world’s population including China and Russia are to meet in South Africa for a key summit aimed at reinforcing their alliance as a counterweight to the west. The Brics grouping summit in Johannesburg, which starts on Tuesday, will be hosted by the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, and brings together the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, as well the presidents of China, Xi Jinping, and Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Dozens of leaders of other countries in Africa, Asia and…

China Infiltrating US ‘Red Zone’ With Latin American Push

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pentagon —  China’s efforts to build critical infrastructure across South and Central America are setting up Chinese military forces for a potential foothold on the U.S. doorstep. China is “in the ‘red zone,’” the commander of U.S. Southern Command said Friday, warning that many of China’s economic initiatives can easily be flipped to support a Chinese military presence. “They are on the 20-yard line to our homeland,” SOUTHCOM General Laura Richardson told the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, using an American football analogy to illustrate how close China…

Weather tracker: Typhoons Talim and Doksuri batter China

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China has been battered by two typhoons in recent weeks that have caused severe flooding across the east coast. Typhoon Talim hit the south on 17 July, with gusts of 85mph (137km/h), according to the Guangdong weather bureau. Days later, on 28 July, Typhoon Doksuri struck Fujian province on China’s south-eastern coast with gusts above 100mph. Strong winds tore down trees and spread large amounts of debris, but it was heavy rain that caused the biggest problems as soils were already saturated. Doksuri then travelled north, triggering red alerts for…

Retired Canadian Police Officer Charged with Illegally Helping China

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OTTAWA, Ontario —  OTTAWA, Ontario — The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said a retired police officer had been charged on Friday with foreign interference, alleging he helped China “identify and intimidate someone outside the scope of Canadian law.” Canada has accused China of trying to interfere in its affairs through various schemes, including illegal police stations and the targeting of lawmakers. Beijing has strongly denied all such allegations. In a statement, the RCMP said William Majcher, 60, “allegedly used his knowledge and his extensive network of contacts in Canada to…

Retired Canada police officer charged with foreign interference for China

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A retired police officer in Canada has been arrested and is facing rare charges under the country’s national security laws, police said on Friday. William Majcher, 60, “allegedly used his knowledge and his extensive network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People’s Republic of China”, the Royal Canadian Mounted police said in a news release. Majcher is alleged to have “contributed to the Chinese government’s efforts to identify and intimidate an individual outside the scope of Canadian law”. Majcher is head of EMIDR, a…

Canada Investigates Two Companies Over Alleged Forced Labor in China

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ottawa —  Canada’s corporate ethics watchdog on Tuesday launched separate investigations into Nike Canada and Dynasty Gold over allegations that they used or benefited from forced Uyghur labor in their supply chains and operations in China. The investigations were launched after an initial assessment of complaints about the overseas operations of 13 Canadian companies filed by a coalition of 28 civil society organizations in June 2022. Complaints against the other 11 companies were still being assessed, with reports expected in the coming weeks, according to a statement from the Canadian…

Chinese, Russian Firms to Build Lithium Plants in Bolivia

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LA PAZ, BOLIVIA – Chinese and Russian companies will invest more than $1.4 billion in the extraction of lithium in Bolivia, one of the countries with the largest reserves of the mineral used in electric car batteries, the government in La Paz said Friday. China’s Citic Guoan and Russia’s Uranium One Group — both with a major government stake — will partner with Bolivia’s state-owned YLB to build two lithium carbonate processing plants, Bolivian President Luis Arce said at a public event. Lithium is often described as the “white gold”…