Tag: USA

US Dismisses Chinese Diplomacy on Gaza

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The White House is dismissing China’s recent diplomatic engagement in the Israel-Hamas conflict, part of Beijing’s attempt to position itself as a more credible peacemaker in the Middle East than the U.S. “We’re comfortable with our relationships. We’re comfortable with American leadership in the region. We’re comfortable that we have the ability to work through partners in the region to achieve outcomes and results that are beneficial to all of us,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with VOA Wednesday. Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi has…

US, Philippines Conduct Patrols in South China Sea

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The United States and the Philippines were conducting joint air and maritime patrols in the South China Sea, which come as the two countries step up cooperation in the face of growingly aggressive Chinese activity in the area. The Philippine Air Force said on Wednesday its aircraft had taken part in joint patrols on Tuesday in the vicinity of Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines, which is only about 200 kilometers from Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its own. The patrols run through Thursday and include…

Biden Highlights Efforts with China, Mexico to Combat Fentanyl

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WASHINGTON —  U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted “strong international coordination” by his administration to halt the flow of fentanyl and the ingredients used to produce the deadly drug following his diplomatic engagements with leaders of China and Mexico last week. “We’ve focused on prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery,” he said on Tuesday during a meeting at the White House to address the scourge of the illicit drug that has killed more than 200,000 Americans in recent years. “But this challenge also has roots outside our borders, outside the borders…

China-US Fentanyl Agreement Restarts Stalled Cooperative Fight Against Deadly Drug

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Washington —  U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed earlier this week that Beijing will crack down on companies in China that produce precursor chemicals for fentanyl, an agreement that Biden said would “save lives.” In exchange, the Biden administration agreed to lift sanctions on China’s Physical Evidence Identification Center of the Ministry of Public Security and the National Drug Laboratory. In May 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce sanctioned the lab for allegedly participating in human rights violations against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.…

Biden, Xi Compete for Partnership With Asia-Pacific at Summit

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US President Joe Biden on Thursday stressed the strength of America’s economic growth in a bid to sway 19 Asia-Pacific economies to partner with the U.S. — as China’s leader did the same at this week’s gathering of Asian leaders and powerful CEOs. The business world is asking: Why not both? VOA’s Anita Powell reports from San Francisco. Voice of America

Key Issues Where Biden and Xi Diverge

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Taipei, Taiwan —  U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping made clear before they met outside of San Francisco on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit that they would not issue a joint statement. But a comparison of their positions in written statements issued separately after the leaders met on Wednesday highlights continuing differences in four contentious areas. Taiwan China claims the self-governing island of Taiwan as its territory. The U.S. maintains a “robust” relationship with Taiwan and sells defense equipment to its military. The…

US Lifts Sanctions on Chinese Institute to Seek Fentanyl Cooperation

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U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT —  The United States on Thursday removed the Chinese Ministry of Public Security’s Institute of Forensic Science (IFS) from a trade sanctions list, in a bid to move forward with counternarcotics cooperation with China. The decision comes as U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is negotiating with China to resume bilateral cooperation and establish a working group aimed at stopping the flow of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals into the U.S. that contribute to the fentanyl crisis. “The continued listing of the IFS on the Commerce Entity List…

Xi in US Amid Tension and Signs of Waning Approval at Home

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China’s leader Xi Jinping was all smiles as he landed in San Francisco, California, where he has since held talks with U.S. President Joe Biden and is attending the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit. Back home, though, China finds itself a nation shaken by a series of high-profile events spread out over a tumultuous year, the most recent being the sudden death of former premier Li Keqiang less than three weeks ago. Under Xi’s leadership, and particularly over the past year, China has struggled with a range of challenges:…

More Pandas Will Be Coming to the US, China’s President Signals

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SAN FRANCISCO —  Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled that China will send new pandas to the United States, calling them “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.” “We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples,” Xi said Wednesday during a dinner speech with business leaders. The gesture came at the end of a day in which Xi and President Joe…

Biden Cites Moves on Fentanyl, AI and Military Communication After Xi Meeting

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US President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday outside of San Francisco, where leaders of Asia-Pacific economies are gathering. Biden – who said he still sees the Chinese leader as a “dictator” – said the two agreed to re-establish military communications, work together to assess the threats posed by artificial intelligence, and take meaningful steps to combat the scourge of fentanyl. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Woodside, California. Voice of America