Latest news with #DepartmentofInternationalandStrategicStudies
Scoop
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Yousef M. Aljamal Visit To Aotearoa New Zealand
PSNA is delighted to announce the visit to Aotearoa New Zealand by Palestinian journalist and author Yousef Aljamal. Yousef will address public meetings across the country as well as talking with faith communities, trade union representatives and media organisations. Yousef will be here from 16 to 30 June and will have public events in Whangarei, Waitangi, Ngāmotu/New Plymouth, Whanganui, Tauranga-Moana, Thames, Ōtautahi/Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. 'This is an opportunity for New Zealanders to hear directly from a key Palestinian journalist and author at a time when Palestinian voices are almost totally absent from our mainstream media' says PSNA Co-national Chair Maher Nazzal. 'For 18 months our media has been flooded with Israeli narratives, Israeli explanations, Israeli justifications and Israeli spokespeople. Israeli propaganda points are relentlessly covered while Palestinians – as the victims of 77 years of brutal oppression, ethnic cleansing and apartheid polices – have been rendered all but invisible'. If they are shown, it is a incoherent victims of overwhelming suffering. They rarely have the opportunity for their humanity to shine. 'New Zealanders need to hear from Yousef Aljamal and our mainstream media has a responsibility to report his visit and what he has to say' 'Palestinians face the most horrendous conditions imaginable with the genocidal attacks on Gaza; the blockade on food, water, fuel and medical supplies to 2 million people; the pogroms against Palestinian towns and villages in the Occupied West Bank; complicit silence from Western governments, New Zealand included, and western media indifference' Yousef's biographical details: Yousef is a Palestinian journalist and author. He holds an MA degree from the Department of International and Strategic Studies at the University of Malaya in Malaysia. He was awarded his PhD from the Middle East Institute at Sakarya University in Turkey. In addition to his research interests in diaspora, security, and indigenous studies, Yousef Aljamal has been involved on a number of book projects including translations of books on Palestinian prisoners, among them Dreaming of Freedom: Palestinian Child Prisoners Speak (2016), and a collection of stories about the shared struggle of Palestinian and Irish Hunger Strikers. Most recently he edited If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by the recently assassinated Refaat Alareer. Yousef Aljamal has published a number of journal articles on topics that include Palestinians in the diaspora, travel restrictions imposed on Palestinians, and struggles for liberation. He is also the Gaza Coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee. Yousef has visited Aotearoa New Zealand before and is familiar with our political landscape.
Observer
16-04-2025
- Business
- Observer
China's Xi meets Malaysian leaders, vows to 'safeguard' Asia allies
KUALA LUMPUR: President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged greater cooperation with Malaysia in the face of "shocks to the global order", during the Chinese leader's regional tour against the backdrop of a US trade war. "China and Malaysia will stand with countries in the region to combat the undercurrent of geopolitical and camp-based confrontation, as well as the counter currents of unilateralism and protectionism," he said. "And together, we will safeguard the bright prospects of our Asian family," Xi added during a speech in Malaysia's administrative capital Putrajaya. Xi embarked this week on a Southeast Asia tour that has already taken him to Vietnam and will also include Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to US President Donald Trump's punitive tariff regime. Malaysia premier Anwar Ibrahim said China has been "a rational, strong and reliable partner" amid the tariff turbulence. His nation will "remain an unwavering and principled friend to China", Anwar said as he hosted Xi for dinner at his official residence. Xi was welcomed to Malaysia by the country's king, Sultan Ibrahim, in a colourful ceremony at the golden-domed palace. He later held talks with Anwar and witnessed the exchange of 31 cooperation agreements on sectors including emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, media and tourism. "It's not just about friendship, it's about realigning the regional centre of gravity towards Beijing," said Khoo Ying Hooi from Malaya University. The visit was a calculated move to "test the waters for regional solidarity at a time when US trade measures are disrupting global markets", said Khoo, an associate professor in the Department of International and Strategic Studies. Malaysia is this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc, whose members have been among the hardest hit by US tariffs. Asean member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46 per cent tariffs and Cambodia — a major producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands — was hit with a 49 per cent duty. The levies have been paused for 90 days but Trump has said no country is "off the hook". "Regionally, Xi is likely to frame China as a partner in stability and development, not a hegemon," Khoo said. "At the same time, his message carries an implicit warning, that is: don't let Washington's tariffs or alliances undermine Asia's own regional cohesion," she said. Oh Ei Sun, from the Pacific Research Centre of Malaysia think tank, said Xi's visit is like "a group of friends huddling together for warmth against harsh weather". China and Malaysia celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations last year and enjoy robust trade ties, although Malaysia claims parts of the South China Sea over which Beijing has staked out near-blanket sovereignty. — AFP
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's Xi meets Malaysian leaders in diplomatic charm offensive
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Malaysia's king on Wednesday in a state visit analysts said was aimed at burnishing Beijing's credentials as a reliable partner and "not a hegemon". Xi embarked this week on a Southeast Asia tour that has already taken him to Vietnam and will also include Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to US President Donald Trump's punitive tariff regime. Xi was welcomed by Malaysia's king, Sultan Ibrahim, in a colourful ceremony at the golden-domed palace on Wednesday. The Chinese leader walked on a red carpet as he inspected an honour guard on the sprawling palace grounds as a Malaysian royal band played. After an audience and lunch with the king, Xi met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the administrative capital of Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur to discuss bilateral cooperation and other regional matters. They witnessed the exchange of a range of agreements to cooperate on sectors such as emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, media, film and tourism. Anwar will host Xi for dinner at his official residence in Putrajaya later on Wednesday. "It's not just about friendship, it's about realigning the regional centre of gravity towards Beijing," said Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Malaya University. She told AFP that the visit was a calculated move to "test the waters for regional solidarity at a time when US trade measures are disrupting global markets". Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc have been among the hardest hit by the US tariffs, which risked alienating even Washington's friends and allies. Malaysia is this year's ASEAN chair. - 'Implicit warning' - ASEAN member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46 percent tariffs and Cambodia -- a major producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands -- was hit with a 49 percent duty. Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, was hit with a 24 percent tariff. The tariffs have been paused for 90 days but Trump has said no country is "off the hook". "Regionally, Xi is likely to frame China as a partner in stability and development, not a hegemon," Khoo said. "At the same time, his message carries an implicit warning, that is: don't let Washington's tariffs or alliances undermine Asia's own regional cohesion," she said. Oh Ei Sun from the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia think tank said Xi's visit is like "a group of friends huddling together for warmth against harsh weather". Xi said on his arrival on Tuesday that he hopes his visit will usher in another "50 golden years" in China-Malaysia relations. "I am confident that with our joint efforts, this will be a fruitful visit," Xi said in a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. China and Malaysia celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations last year and enjoy robust trade ties, although Malaysia claims parts of the South China Sea over which Beijing has staked out near-blanket sovereignty. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with total trade between the two countries accounting for 16.8 percent of Malaysia's global trade last year, according to the Malaysian foreign ministry. Xi vowed in an opinion piece published in Malaysia's The Star newspaper on Tuesday that China will work with Southeast Asian countries to fight protectionism and keep global supply chains stable. "We must uphold the multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and maintain an international environment of openness and cooperation," Xi said. Xi will travel on Thursday to Cambodia, one of China's staunchest allies in Southeast Asia and where Beijing has extended its influence in recent years. llk-mba/skc/pbt
Japan Times
16-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
China's Xi meets Malaysian leaders in diplomatic charm offensive
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Malaysia's king Wednesday in a state visit analysts said was aimed at burnishing Beijing's credentials as a reliable partner and "not a hegemon." Xi embarked this week on a Southeast Asia tour that has already taken him to Vietnam and will also include Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to U.S. President Donald Trump's punitive tariff regime. Xi was welcomed by Malaysia's king, Sultan Ibrahim, in a colorful ceremony on Wednesday at the golden-domed Istana palace. The Chinese leader walked on a red carpet as he inspected an honor guard on the sprawling palace grounds as a Malaysian royal band played. Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim walks with Xi during a welcoming ceremony at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. | AFP-JIJI After talks with the king, Xi is due to meet with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who will host him for dinner at the administrative capital of Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur. Both leaders will witness the signing of a range of bilateral agreements, according to the Malaysian foreign ministry. "It's not just about friendship, it's about realigning the regional center of gravity towards Beijing," said Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Malaya University. She said that the visit was a calculated move to "test the waters for regional solidarity at a time when U.S. trade measures are disrupting global markets." Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc have been among the hardest hit by the U.S. tariffs, which risked alienating even Washington's friends and allies. Malaysia is this year's ASEAN chair. ASEAN member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46% tariffs, and Cambodia — a major producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands — was hit with a 49% duty. Xi shakes hands with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as he arrives for a three-day state visit to Malaysia, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, in Sepang, Malaysia, on Tuesday. | Department of Information Malaysia / via REUTERS Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, was hit with a lower tariff of 24%. The tariffs have been paused for 90 days, but Trump has said no country is "off the hook." "Regionally, Xi is likely to frame China as a partner in stability and development, not a hegemon," Khoo said. "At the same time, his message carries an implicit warning, that is: Don't let Washington's tariffs or alliances undermine Asia's own regional cohesion," she added. Oh Ei Sun from the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia think tank said Xi's visit is like "a group of friends huddling together for warmth against harsh weather." Xi said on his arrival Tuesday that he hopes his state visit will usher in another "50 golden years" in China-Malaysia relations. "I am confident that with our joint efforts, this will be a fruitful visit," Xi said in a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. China and Malaysia celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations last year and enjoy robust trade ties, though Malaysia claims parts of the South China Sea, where Beijing has staked out near-blanket sovereignty. Xi and Anwar watch a cultural performance at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, in Sepang, Malaysia, on Tuesday. | Department of Information Malaysia / via REUTERS China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with total trade between the two countries accounting for 16.8% of Malaysia's global trade last year, according to the Malaysian foreign ministry. In an opinion piece published Tuesday in The Star newspaper in Malaysia, Xi vowed that China will work with Southeast Asian countries to fight protectionism and keep global supply chains stable. "We must uphold the multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and maintain an international environment of openness and cooperation," Xi said. On Thursday, Xi will travel to Cambodia, one of China's staunchest allies in Southeast Asia and where Beijing has extended its influence in recent years.
