CGTN: Beauty in diversity: How wisdom at Nishan Forum inspires global modernization
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Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Xi vows greater support for Moscow in meeting with Lavrov
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China following a visit to North Korea. (KCNA/KNS/AP pic) BEIJING : Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russia's top diplomat today that their countries should 'strengthen mutual support', state media said, as foreign ministers gathered in Beijing for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) talks. Meeting Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, Xi said the two countries should 'strengthen mutual support on multilateral forums', according to state news agency Xinhua. Beijing and Moscow should work to 'unite countries of the global south and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction', Xi said, according to Xinhua. Russia's foreign ministry said in an earlier statement that 'a number of issues of bilateral political contacts at the highest and high levels were discussed'. They included preparations for President Vladimir Putin's visit to China to join an SCO summit and World War II anniversary celebrations. Russia's TASS news agency reported that Xi met Lavrov after the Chinese president held a 'general meeting' with SCO foreign ministers. Lavrov met Sunday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss Ukraine and relations with the US. The Russian foreign minister arrived in China following a visit to North Korea, where he received assurances of support in its conflict with Ukraine. Beijing, a diplomatic and economic ally of Moscow, claims to be neutral in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. But China has never denounced Russia's more than three-year military campaign nor called for it to withdraw its troops, and many of Ukraine's allies believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow. China regularly calls for an end to the fighting, while also accusing western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine. Beijing has long sought to present the 10-member SCO as a counterweight to western-led power blocs such as Nato. It has pushed to strengthen collaboration between its member countries in politics, security, trade and science. Top diplomats from the SCO are convening in Beijing this week for a meeting of the council of foreign ministers, including Lavrov, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Iran's Abbas Araghchi. Xi noted today that 'political mutual trust among member states has deepened', according to state broadcaster CCTV. The SCO 'has successfully explored a path of regional cooperation that aligns with the trends of the times and meets the needs of all parties, setting a model for a new type of international relations', Xi said.
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Trump's oil tariffs on Putin may risk harming ties with Modi, Xi
India has become a major importer of Russian oil since the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and China's imports have climbed over the same period. (Bloomberg pic) WASHINGTON : US President Donald Trump's latest threat of 100% tariffs on Russia would risk complicating relations with two nations crucial to his economic and strategic goals: China and India. Trump yesterday threatened tariffs of about 100% on Russia unless it reached a peace deal with Ukraine in the next 50 days, saying the levies would come in the form of 'secondary tariffs'. Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to Nato, later said the planned action effectively represents secondary sanctions on countries buying oil from Russia. 'It's about tariffs on countries like India and China that are buying their oil,' he told reporters. Global markets – increasingly skeptical of Trump's near-daily tariff threats – largely shrugged off the news, suggesting there's little concern around any potential impact on crude flows. Trade analysts said the proposed levies would be difficult to police and, if implemented, could well backfire on the US. 'It remains unclear how exactly you would do this, and how China or anyone would certify that they're meeting the US requirement,' said Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore. 'It's going to add more fuel to the fire of why these countries are skeptical of receiving a deal from Trump,' Elms said. Trump's latest threat comes at a crucial time in negotiations with both Asian nations. India is closing in on an agreement that would see 20% so-called reciprocal levies on the South Asian nation before a final deal is reached in the fall. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has struck a more defiant stance with the US in recent weeks as frustration with Trump has grown. US ties with China, meanwhile, appear on the upswing after the world's two largest economies reached a trade truce in May. Secretary of state Marco Rubio last week said a meeting between Trump and President Xi Jinping was likely for later this year. Yesterday, Nvidia Corp said the US would allow the resumption of sales of its H20 AI chip to China – the biggest sign yet that the White House is easing export controls on Beijing in return for rare-earth minerals needed to make a range of high-tech products. 'Despite the temporary truce in the trade war between China and the US, there's still a lot uncertainties on other fronts,' said Zhu Feng, executive dean of Nanjing University's School of International Studies. 'A secondary tariff will bring even more chaos and China will surely respond forcefully.' India became a major importer of Russian oil since the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and China's imports have also climbed over the same period. Washington policymakers view those stepped-up oil purchases as a form of tacit support for Russia that helps buoy the nation's economy and weakens the impact of sanctions. 'Any major threat to China's energy security could create new frictions in the fragile trade truce between the world's top two economies,' said William Yang, International Crisis Group's senior analyst for Northeast Asia. Secondary levies that threaten India's access to cheap oil could also further erode ties between Trump and Modi. 'Whatever little trust and goodwill is left in the US president will soon get dissipated if the US keeps pushing its arbitrary actions related to tariffs,' said Abhijit Das, international trade policy expert in Delhi. 'As a part of its trade talks, India should demand that the US avoid such arbitrary tariffs,' Das said. Trump's latest salvo comes as countries deepen their trade and diplomatic relations in the face of US policy volatility. Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was in Beijing this week, where he met China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, and was also received by Xi, who said the two nations should deepen 'comprehensive strategic cooperation'. India's external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held talks with his Chinese counterpart yesterday during his first visit in more than five years, as the Asian neighbours strive to repair relations strained by the deadly 2020 border clashes. Jaishankar met with Xi today. 'All these tariff threats are indeed working to bring the BRICS together,' said Amitendu Palit, senior research fellow and research lead on trade and economics at the Institute of South Asian Studies.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Australia sidesteps US tensions to seek closer China trade ties
BEIJING: The prime minister of Australia, a longtime US security partner in Asia, sought to focus his trip to China this week on business and trade opportunities, dodging thornier issues around US-China competition such as Taiwan or Beijing's military expansion. Since taking office just over three years ago, Anthony Albanese has repaired his country's relationship with China, the market for about one-third of its exports, after suffering Beijing's punitive tariffs and other restrictions during the pandemic. Now, however, President Donald Trump's renewed trade war between the US and China risk again destabilising those ties, as they do for Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and others in the region who look to Washington for security but to China for trade. "Given that China is overwhelmingly, by far, the largest trading partner that Australia has, it is very much in the interests of Australian jobs and the Australian economy to have a positive and constructive relationship,' Albanese said Tuesday (July 15) after meeting President Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader was equally enthusiastic: "The China-Australia relationship has risen from the setbacks and turned around, bringing tangible benefits to the Chinese and Australian peoples,' he said, obliquely referring to the tensions before 2022. The leaders seemingly both avoided any tricky security-related issues, including the potential forced sale of the port of Darwin by its Chinese owner, given its proximity to where US Marines exercise. Albanese said the issue didn't come up. Neither, he said, did complaints about Australia's foreign investment regime, which has blocked a number of proposed purchases by Chinese firms, nor reports that the US has pressured Canberra about its role in any potential war over Taiwan. On Taiwan, Albanese said he reaffirmed his nation's commitment to the "status quo' - support for the island's de facto autonomy without endorsing formal independence and maintaining recognition of the One China policy. His remarks highlight Australia's opposition to any unilateral move, especially by force, to alter the cross-strait balance. Chinese state media has been positive about the trip, with an editorial Monday in the China Daily saying that it highlights "Australia's commitment to deepening ties and fostering stability amid the uncertain global landscape.' "Against the backdrop of rising tensions between the United States and many countries because of the US administration's recent threat to levy higher tariffs' his visit "shows that the Australian side has a clearer judgment and understanding of China' than the previous government of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the editorial said. "The progress made in their economic and trade cooperation in the past two years has benefited the people of both countries, and provided a counterweight amid the rampancy of unilateralism and protectionism,' it said. Albanese took pains to argue that his government wasn't looking to China to make up for the changes to US trade policy under Trump. "Trade with the US is important, but is less than 5%' of what the country sells, he said. "What Australia is doing is engaging not just with China, but we engage as well with our partners around the world and we increasingly want to see a diversification of our trade.' Albanese heads next to Chengdu on his six-day trip, which comes on the heels of visits by a number of Australian officials. Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser travelled there in April, followed by Governor Michele Bullock in May. The two nations are set to start a review of their Free Trade Agreement, which was signed a decade ago, Albanese also said Tuesday. China's Ambassador Xiao Qian in an editorial last week called for a review "with a more open attitude and higher standard.' While China bought almost US$62 billion (A$95 billion) of Australian goods in the first half of this year, managing the relationship is complicated by Beijing's increased assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific. In February, it conducted live-fire naval drills in the Tasman Sea, near Australia and New Zealand. Albanese said at the time that he was concerned by the lack of notice from Beijing over the drills, which he also said were within the bounds of international law. He said Tuesday that he sought assurances from Xi about being better informed in the future. He didn't clarify if he received them. - Bloomberg
