Tag: USA

US Stops Short of Congratulating Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto on Apparent Election Victory

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The White House says it looks forward to working with the new Indonesian administration but stopped short of congratulating Prabowo Subianto on his apparent victory in Indonesia’s presidential election last month. Prabowo, for his part, has vowed to continue a policy that allows Jakarta to reap Chinese investments while maintaining security ties with Washington. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report. Voice of America

US Lawmaker Flags Surge in Tax-Free Imports From China

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washington —  A key U.S. lawmaker highlighted Friday the “shocking” rise in imports under a trade exemption for small packages, amid heightened scrutiny on Chinese-founded online retailers Shein and Temu. Both platforms, known for selling items at low prices, have been said to use a rule that allows products to enter the country duty-free via shipments valued at less than $800. Some 1.05 billion shipments entered tax-free under the provision known as the de minimis exemption in 2023, said Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on…

For Some Chinese Migrants, Few Options in Xi’s China

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Lajas Blancas, Panama / Washington —  With only a backpack, a portable tent and a small shoulder bag, Cong, a 47-year-old Chinese migrant, was one of more than a dozen migrants to step out of a narrow wooden boat on the stony shore of the Chucunaque River in Lajas Blancas, Panama. The stop was one of dozens he had made over the past month, and it was where he met with VOA’s Mandarin Service on his journey toward the United States — a journey that began in China’s southwestern province…

US Investigating Potential Security Threats From Connected Cars

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The United States announced Thursday it is launching an investigation into potential security threats posed by connected vehicles that utilize technology from countries of concern such as China. U.S. President Joe Biden said he is directing the Commerce Department to lead the probe and determine what actions may be necessary to ensure that cars driving on U.S. roads do not undermine the country’s national security. “Most cars these days are ‘connected’ – they are like smart phones on wheels,” Biden said in a statement. “These cars are connected to our…

US Lawmakers, Officials Voice Concern About Chinese Police on Kiribati

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washington —  U.S. lawmakers are voicing concern about the Pacific island nation of Kirabati’s use of police from China for security, just as the U.S. State Department warns that such cooperation could bring new risks to Kiribati, a neighbor of Hawaii. On Friday, Eeri Aritiera, Kirabati’s acting police commissioner, told Reuters that a Chinese police delegation will rotate through the island nation to “provide assistance” to Kiribati’s Community Policing program and IT department. Aritiera says the island nation of more than 115,000, whose closest island is about 2,100 km (1,305…

Renewal of US-China Science and Tech Pact Faces Hurdles

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STATE DEPARTMENT —  With a science and technology agreement between the United States and People’s Republic of China due to expire Tuesday, the State Department said it is negotiating to “amend, extend, and strengthen protections within” the agreement but declined to specify if the U.S. would extend the deal. “We are not able to provide information at this time on specific U.S. negotiating positions or on whether the agreement will be extended past its current expiration date,” a State Department spokesperson told VOA. The Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement is…

Chinese Airlines Can Boost US Flights to 50 Per Week, US Says

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WASHINGTON —  Chinese passenger airlines will be allowed to boost their weekly round-trip U.S. flights to 50 starting on March 31, up from the current 35, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Monday, returning the market to nearly one-third of pre-pandemic levels. The approval “is a significant step forward in further normalization of the U.S.-China market in anticipation of the Summer 2024 traffic season,” the USDOT said. More than 150 weekly round-trip passenger flights were allowed by each side before restrictions were imposed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19…

US Should Block Chinese Auto Imports From Mexico, US Makers Say

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WASHINGTON —  The U.S. government should block the import of low-cost Chinese autos and parts from Mexico, a U.S. manufacturing advocacy group said Friday, warning they could threaten the viability of American car companies. “The introduction of cheap Chinese autos — which are so inexpensive because they are backed with the power and funding of the Chinese government — to the American market could end up being an extinction-level event for the U.S. auto sector,” the Alliance for American Manufacturing said in a report. The group argues the United States…

China’s Woes Won’t Slow US Economy, but Excess Capacity a Concern – Treasury Official

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U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said on Friday that China faces a number of economic challenges, including the property sector and an aging population, but he does not see major spillovers to the U.S. economy outside of China’s excess manufacturing capacity. “I am not concerned about the headwinds from China having a large impact on the US economy,” Adeyemo told a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York. “The thing that I am fundamentally concerned about from China is excess capacity coming from China and hitting the global…

Chinese Companies Hit by US, EU Sanctions on Russia

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London —  U.S. and European Union sanctions announced Friday on hundreds of people and companies for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine included several companies from China. While most sanctions were against Russians and Russian firms, the U.S. and EU measures also included Chinese individuals and companies based in mainland China cities as well as Hong Kong for supplying the Russian military. The U.S. sanctions also targeted individuals and firms based in Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, while the EU also targeted individuals and entities based in India,…