Tag: Americas

BRI Boosts Beijing Efforts to Expand Influence in Latin America

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Washington —  For years, China has been seeking to expand its influence in Latin America, a region that is rich in natural resources and considered to be within the U.S. sphere of influence. Since the launch of its Belt and Road Initiative a decade ago, Beijing’s reach has expanded through loans, trade agreements and investments in infrastructure as well as the extraction of minerals. As of 2023, 21 Latin American countries have joined the BRI — including Nicaragua and Argentina last year. After the launch of the BRI in 2013,…

On International Peace Day Women’s Critical Role Highlighted

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On this International Day of Peace, and on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the United States announced new initiatives to help consolidate the role women play in building peace and strengthening security around the world. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias has the details. Camera: Veronica Balderas Iglesias Voice of America

Competing Interests for UN Spotlight at Annual Meeting

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The war in Ukraine is likely to be the big topic for a second year when leaders gather at the U.N. General Assembly next week, but many developing countries are hoping to shine a light on issues important to them, including development, the economy and climate. This year’s general assembly will take place after Asian countries met in Indonesia for the ASEAN summit, G20 leaders gathered in India, and developing countries in the Group of 77 plus China met in Cuba. After a busy September, several high-profile leaders are skipping…

Venezuela’s Maduro to Visit China to Reengage Amid China-West Tensions

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BEIJING —  Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro will visit China over Sept. 8-14, China’s foreign ministry said on Friday, marking renewed engagement between the two countries amid deepening tensions between Beijing and Western capitals. Maduro’s arrival will follow meetings between a Venezuelan delegation, including the country’s vice president and oil minister, and Chinese officials including foreign minister Wang Yi in Shanghai earlier this week, according to China’s foreign ministry. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in a post on X on Friday that the two governments were strengthening bilateral relations, and…

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…