Pope names Chinese bishop as he keeps historic Vatican-Beijing deal
China has some 10 million Catholics.Currently, they face the choice of attending state-sanctioned churches approved by Beijing or worshipping in underground congregations that have sworn allegiance to the Vatican.On Wednesday, the Vatican said Yuntuan's ministry had been "recognised" by Chinese law."This event constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese Authorities and is an important step in the journey of communion of the Diocese," the Vatican said.When asked about Yuntuan's appointment, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters on Thursday that this showed how the 2018 agreement had been "smoothly implemented", state media reported.China is willing to work with the Vatican to continue improving relations, he said.The Pope's move shows a "willingness to support reconciliation instead of antagonism", Michel Chambon, a research fellow at the Asia Research Institute in Singapore who has written extensively about the Catholic Church, told Reuters news agency.In September 2018, Pope Francis recognised seven bishops appointed by China. The Vatican also posthumously recognised an eighth bishop who died the year before.China first broke off diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1951, and many Catholics were forced to go underground during former communist leader Mao Zedong's rule, emerging only in the 1980s when religious practices were tolerated again.
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Trump tariffs: They made America's clothing. Now they are getting punished for it.
Already living from hand to mouth, millions of garment workers across Asia fear for their jobs as a deadline to strike a trade deal with the US - or face punishing tariffs - looms 9 July, following a 90-day pause on tariffs for countries to negotiate deals, the US president notified several countries in the region of new levies set to begin on 1 August. The new rates, while lower than those proposed in April, have done little to allay nations that received letters from Donald Trump were apparel hubs like Cambodia and Sri Lanka, which are heavily dependent on the US as an export market. The letters said that the two nations would face tariffs of 36% and 30% Levi's and Lululemon are among big-name US brands that have the bulk of their clothing made in these countries. "Can you imagine what will happen if [we] lose our jobs? I'm so worried, especially for my kids. They need food," says Nao Soklin, who works in a garment factory in southeastern Soklin and her husband Kok Taok make a living sewing bags for 10 hours a day. Together, they earn about $570 a month – barely enough to cover rent and provide for their two young sons and aged parents."[I want to] send a message to President Trump, to tell him to please lift the tariff on Cambodia... We need our jobs to support our families," she told the which has become a popular alternative to Chinese retailers because of its ready supply of low-wage labour, exported more than $3bn worth of apparel to the US last year, according to the Asean Statistics Division. The sector, which employs more than 900,000 people, makes up more than a tenth of the country's overall Sri Lanka, exports to the US helped the garment industry – which directly employs some 350,000 people – earn $1.9bn last year, making it the country's third-largest foreign exchange earner."If [30%] is the end number, Sri Lanka is in trouble because our competitors, such as Vietnam, have received lower tariffs," Yohan Lawrence, secretary general of Sri Lanka's Joint Apparel Association Forum, told the Reuters news agency. Last-ditch negotiations Sri Lankan authorities are hopeful of negotiating a further reduction to the tariffs but have not disclosed what they would consider an acceptable of its leaders have noted that the country has received the highest concession – of 14 percentage points – so far as a result of earlier negotiations. "We see this as the beginning of a very good situation," secretary to the Finance Minister Harshana Suriyapperuma said last which got a 13 percentage point concession, is also seeking further talks. "We are doing everything we can to protect the interests of investors and workers," said Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, who leads the negotiating team."We want the tariff to be zero... But we respect their decision and will continue trying to negotiate a lower rate," he said. Trump says the tariffs are needed to reduce the gap between the value of goods the US buys from other countries and those it sells to them."Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal," the US leader wrote in letters to various countries last week, which he also posted on his Truth Social analysts tariffs overlook the benefits that the US enjoys from existing trade agreements, including lower-priced clothing and higher profits for US companies sourcing from countries like Sri Lanka or Cambodia, says Mark Anner, dean at Rutgers' School of Management and Labor decades, the US, European Union and Canada had in place a quota system that reserved a certain share of their markets for developing countries like Sri Lanka. The system, which was phased out in 2005, helped Sri Lanka's garment sector flourish despite stiff competition."For the US to now impose prohibitive tariffs that effectively shut these countries out of the market goes against the very development path it once prescribed," Prof Anner said. It is unrealistic to expect small, developing economies to not run a trade deficit with the US, says Sheng Lu, a professor at the University of Delaware's Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies."How many Boeing airplanes does Cambodia or Sri Lanka need and can afford to purchase each year?" he Prof Lu believes the strategic rivalry between the US and China is also a factor in trade talks, given how these garment-exporting countries are integrated into supply chains that rely heavily on Chinese now have to "strike a delicate balance" between maintaining economic ties with China while also meeting new US demands, which may include cutting the use of Chinese inputs in production, he says. Women bear the brunt Washington's tariffs add new pressures to familiar challenges in the industry: poverty and weak labour rights in Cambodia, and an ongoing economic crisis in Sri who make up seven in 10 of garment workers in the region, are set to bear the brunt of the tariffs. More downward pressure on their already chronically low wages mean their children could go hungry, while potential layoffs would be even more devastating. Surangi Sandya, who works in a factory in the Sri Lankan town of Nawalapitiya, says she feels an axe hanging over her."Companies don't work at a loss... If orders decrease, if there is a loss, there may be a possibility that the company will shut down," she says. Ms Sandya started out as a rank-and-file seamstress in 2011, then worked her way up to become the supervisor of a 70-women push comes to shove, some Cambodian workers say they will consider moving to Thailand to find jobs – even if they must do it illegally."Our livelihoods depend on the garment factory. We won't survive if our boss shuts it down," An Sopheak tells the BBC from her tiny 16 sq m room in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh."We have little education. We can't find other jobs. We pray every day that President Trump will lift the tariff. Please think about us and our poor country."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Starmer set to unleash billions of investment into UK as he signs India trade deal
Sir Keir Starmer is set to sign one of his landmark trade deal with India prime minister Narendra Modi which has already unleashed billions of investment in the UK. The signing of the trade deal with India after years of negotiation marks a triumph for Sir Keir who has also achieved a Brexit reset agreement with the EU and a deal with Donald Trump to tackle the US president's new tariffs. It comes as the India prime minister visits the UK on a trip aimed to build relations between the two countries. According to the government, the deal which was agreed in May, has already resulted in £6 billion in investment for the British economy. The prime minister and his Indian counterpart also agreed ahead of their meeting on Thursday to ramp up joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and organised crime. The UK-India trade deal is understood to be the largest of its kind for its economic impact on Britain. It will see tariffs on an array of British goods reduced from an average of 15 per cent to 3 per cent, with the aim of boosting the £11 billion of imports into the south Asian nation which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Whisky tariffs will be slashed in half, according to the government, and will fall further over successive years, while other industries including soft drinks, cars and cosmetics are also expected to see cheaper duties. Before his meeting with Mr Modi to confirm the deal, Sir Keir said: "Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change. "We're putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we're determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK." The deal is expected to result in 2,200 jobs across the country and £6 billion investment by British and Indian businesses. Meanwhile, 26 British companies have secured new business in India. Airbus & Rolls-Royce will soon begin delivering Airbus aircraft – with over half powered by Rolls-Royce engines – to major Indian airlines as part of around £5 billion worth of contracts recently agreed. These orders will help sustain hundreds of jobs across their respective sites in Filton, Broughton and Derby. A total of 18 firms have confirmed new investment including Zerowatt Energy, AI powered energy intelligence platform is setting up its Global HQ in Leicester. The firm will invest £10m and create 50 new jobs across Leicester, Manchester, Edinburgh and London over the next three years. Among the other businesses to benefit are Carbon Clean, a UK-based leader in carbon capture, with projected UK export contributions of £83 million over the next five years, has invested £7.6 million in a Global Innovation Centre in Mumbai. The deal will unlock 250 jobs across London, Glasgow and Huddersfield as well as 100 jobs in Mumbai. AI and data services company, DCube AI, is investing £5 million in the UK, unlocking 50 jobs across Manchester and London in the next three years to strength its technology offering to UK customers. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the investment will "reach all regions and nations of the UK so working people in every community can feel the benefits". He added: "The almost £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today will deliver thousands of jobs and shows the strength of our partnership with India as we ensure the UK is the best place in the world to invest and do business." The UK and India are also bolstering co-operation on tackling corruption, fraud, organised crime and illegal migration, by sharing criminal records and other intelligence. The deal has not given the UK as much access as it would have liked to India's financial and legal services industries. The agreement promises some benefits for the UK's financial services, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves understood to have pushed on behalf of the sector in discussions with her Indian counterpart. But more wide-ranging access was not agreed, and talks continue on a bilateral investment treaty aimed at protecting British investments in India and vice versa. The two nations also continue to discuss UK plans for a tax on high-carbon industries, which India believes could hit its imports unfairly. Negotiations on the deal began when Boris Johnson was prime minister in 2022, and were concluded in May this year. Labour sought to portray closing the deal, as well as trade agreements with the US and the EU, as evidence of the Government's pragmatism and global outlook. But shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said it had only been made possible "because of Brexit delivered by the Conservatives". He added: "Any trade deal that can successfully cut regulation which stops Britain's makers from creating new jobs and wealth will be a step in the right direction. "But the irony should not be lost on anyone that any gains from this trade deal will be blown out of the water by (Deputy Prime Minister) Angela Rayner's union charter, stifling business with red tape, the jobs tax and, come autumn, Rachel Reeves' inevitable tax hikes that will punish Britain's makers just to reward those who do not contribute." Elsewhere, Sir Keir is facing calls to raise the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen who has been detained in India since 2017, when the Prime Minister meets Mr Modi. The Scottish Sikh is accused of being a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force, which is banned as a terror group in India. His family say he is being arbitrarily detained, with his brother Gurpreet Singh Johal insisting the matter should be "high on the agenda when the prime ministers meet"
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘People said it would never be done': UK and India trade agreement defies expectations
Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi will sign their £4.8bn trade deal on Thursday morning, concluding three and a half years of negotiations and opening up trade between the UK and India for cars, whisky, clothing and food products. For the UK, the agreement promises a much-needed economic boost and serves as proof that the country can be nimble on the international stage after Brexit. For India, it acts a signal to governments and international investors that its £3tn economy is opening up after decades of protectionism. India's average tariff rate is 13%, compared with the UK's 1.5%. Labour ministers clinched the deal within 10 months of entering government, defying expectations – above all their own – about how quickly it could be done. The negotiations were led by Jonathan Reynolds, the trade secretary, and his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal. Half a dozen UK officials and aides said the rapport between the pair and a focus on building trust and good relationships were critical to getting it over the line. That sometimes happened in creative ways. After Goyal told them he was a huge fan of Yes Minister, British negotiators brought him a handwritten note from Jonathan Lynn, one of the show's co-creators. 'Negotiating with India is not the same as negotiating, say, with Australia, or the USA, or Canada. It's a relationship-based system, very much about who gets on with who and ensuring that you don't insult anyone in any way,' said one senior UK official who has been closely involved in talks. 'People want to get to know you, they want to look you in the eye and be convinced that you are someone they can do business with,' another senior UK official said. 'And to some extent, the last year has been a bit of the two governments looking each other in the eye.' This meant a key task for British diplomats in India – including the high commissioner, Lindy Cameron, and the trade commissioner, Harjinder Kang – was to provide UK ministers and officials with something akin to relationship advice on dealing with their Indian counterparts. There were moments of comedy. At one point after a difficult set of negotiations, UK and Indian officials let off steam by doing yoga in the corridor outside the room. On another occasion, the British negotiators led by Kate Thornley were at the airport in Delhi about to fly home when they received a call from the Indian side saying they were prepared to make key concessions on food and drink. A negotiator who had not yet gone through airport security turned on his heels to rush back to the negotiation room. 'You have moments where it's almost collapsing, and you have moments where you think you've got it over the line,' the first senior official said. 'Until there's ink on a piece of paper, it's fluid.' Political signalling was crucial. Reynolds first met Goyal when Labour was in opposition, while he and David Lammy were visiting Delhi in February 2024. India and the UK were due to hold elections that year, with Modi widely expected to win a third term and Labour on course to end 14 years of Tory government. The trip was a particularly sensitive one for Labour, which was working to mend relations with India after a nadir in 2019 when Jeremy Corbyn was perceived to have sided with Pakistan over Kashmir. Lammy and Reynolds were having dinner with Indian investors and had not expected to meet Goyal, who like other ministers was occupied with the budget debate in parliament. But during dinner they got a message from Goyal inviting them to his home nearby for a nightcap. Over 11pm chai and kheer, Reynolds and Lammy made it clear that they would support the Conservative government if it finalised a trade deal with India – and would pick up the negotiations after the election if it didn't. A few months later, during the thick of the UK election campaign, Lammy addressed the India Global Forum and said a trade deal with the country was 'a floor, not a ceiling, of our ambitions'. He travelled to Delhi in late July, having promised Modi's government that he would visit in his first month as foreign secretary. 'There was an element of, these guys actually mean what they say,' a senior UK official recalled. 'In their manifesto, there's only one country that gets a mention – that's India. All these positive signals were received.' In November, Starmer and Modi met on the margins of the G20 summit in Brazil and reiterated their ambition for a deal. But, in the months that followed, there was a lull in negotiations which created some frustration on the Indian side, fuelling suspicions that it was not as much a priority for Labour as it had been for the Tories. In truth, Reynolds's team considered a trade deal with India to be a medium-term goal, one that was unlikely to materialise until later in the parliament. And instead of getting back around the negotiating table straight away, ministers spent several months combing through what had been already agreed under the Conservatives. 'We were going through it and bringing ministers of all departments up to speed,' said a senior UK official. In February, a year after first meeting Goyal, Reynolds travelled to Delhi to formally restart negotiations. Progress in those talks significantly exceeded officials' expectations – and crucially the two sides agreed not to reopen the aspects of the deal negotiated under the Tories. 'Things started to fall into place at such a pace,' a government source recalled. A few weeks later Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, who has also been closely involved in the talks, hosted the Indian finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in 11 Downing Street. Significant headway in the negotiations had been made under Rishi Sunak, whose chief economic adviser, Douglas McNeill, would travel to India every other month for talks. Before the Indian and UK elections stopped things in their tracks, Conservative officials had hoped a deal could be struck by the autumn of 2024. The Tories were hamstrung by two obstacles which disappeared when Labour came into power. The first was Sunak's political weakness and sense he was on borrowed time. The second and most significant was Tory angst that the deal would trigger an influx of Indian migration. Suella Braverman, as the home secretary, nearly blew up the talks over the issue in 2022. Kemi Badenoch claimed this year that as Sunak's trade secretary, she stopped a deal with India because of immigration concerns – a claim which some of her former cabinet colleagues have disputed. A Labour source said Goyal 'found her disingenuous in that she would always try to present Indian asks around visas as much more than they are'. The final deal does not change immigration policy beyond facilitating visa routes in certain sectors and allowing up to 1,800 extra visas for Indian chefs, musicians and yogis a year. The agreement was finalised on 2 May by Goyal, Reynolds and their teams of negotiators over ice-cream on a sunny walk in Hyde Park. They celebrated with coffee by the lido and took pictures together in the park cafe. Civil servants worked intensively that bank holiday weekend before Starmer and Modi spoke on Tuesday to confirm the deal was done. UK hopes have since faded, however, about the chances of agreeing a separate bilateral investment treaty with India, coveted by the UK because of the benefits for the City of London. While negotiations over a treaty continue, multiple ministers and officials privately told the Guardian that they are unlikely to yield anything unless there is significant movement on the Indian side. Nonetheless, officials are bullish about what has been achieved. 'People said it would never be done,' one said. 'People said this is a country that doesn't like to do deals, it's a very protectionist society. They're changing, they're growing, they're developing to become a much more modern economy. They need this is much as we do.'
