Latest news with #XinhuaNewsAgency
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Beijing approves convention establishing global mediation organisation in Hong Kong
Beijing has approved the convention establishing the world's first intergovernmental organisation on mediation in Hong Kong, while indicating it would not bring forth World Trade Organization (WTO) disputes to the new body. Observers said on Friday the move was an indication of Beijing's support for the WTO and that it would still bring other disputes to the new organisation. The state-run Xinhua News Agency said the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress had approved the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation, which was signed in Hong Kong at the end of May. At the same time, the country's legislature declared that under Articles 25 and 29 of the convention, the government would not submit its disputes under the WTO to the new body. The articles state that the new body shall not provide mediation services to jurisdictions that have made a declaration indicating disputes they would refuse to submit to the body, such as those concerning territorial sovereignty or maritime interests. Lau Siu-kai of the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank said Beijing had always underscored the centrality of the WTO in promoting international trade and resolving disputes that arose from it.
Black America Web
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Peach Papa Trump Uses Usher Song In Lame NATO Recap Video, Social Media Demands Cease & Desist
Source: Xinhua News Agency / Getty Donald Trump has a long, sordid history of doing things without permission (read between the lines). The latest is Team Cheeto using Usher's song 'Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home),' in a lame propaganda video, shared by the official White House X (formerly known as Twitter) account, no less. The cheesy clip features footage of Trump's visit to the NATO Summit in the Hague, where NATO chief Mark Rutte, the Dutch secretary general of the military alliance, referred to the racist in chief as 'daddy' on Wednesday (June 26). 'And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop,' said Rutter after Trump went on a rant about Israel and Iran. That was all the administration needed to hear to try to seize the moment by turning it into this lame meme attempt. It's certainly going to spread far, but not for the reasons Trump is hoping for. The clip features Usher's song 'Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home),' from his 2010 Raymond v. Raymond album, prominently. And there is no question that the administration never bothered to ask for permission to use the song. So naturally, social media immediately called for a cease and desist on 'Ursher's' behalf. To be fair, considering Trump's alleged weaponization of the Department of Justice in his favor, Usher's lawyers may not want the smoke. However, the odds are certainly in their favor. Check out social media's reaction to the Trump administration's latest exercise in corniness in the gallery. Peach Papa Trump Uses Usher Song In Lame NATO Recap Video, Social Media Demands Cease & Desist was originally published on
Wall Street Journal
19 hours ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
China to Approve Exports of ‘Controlled Items' to U.S.
China will approve exports of 'controlled items' to the U.S., its commerce ministry said Friday in response to a question about rare-earth supplies that have been a sticking point in trade negotiations. Answering a question about Beijing's reported move to expedite rare-earth exports to the U.S., the Chinese Commerce Ministry said it 'would review and approve eligible export applications for controlled items in accordance with the law,' according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
China is building a ‘mega-sized' consumer economy, Premier says
Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a speech during opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum's meeting in Tianjin on June 25. PHOTO: AFP - Premier Li Qiang has projected confidence that China can turn consumption into a driver for the economy, while also portraying his nation as a stabilising force in a rapidly shifting global trade landscape. Policymakers were growing the nation 'into a mega-sized consumer powerhouse on top of its solid foundation as a manufacturing power', Mr Li said in a speech at the World Economic Forum's meeting in Tianjin on June 25. 'This will bring vast markets to enterprises from all countries.' He added that while the world was seeing a host of global trade frictions, China was positioned 'to cross cycles, move forward steadily, and continue to inject more stability and certainty into the world economy'. Mr Li did not directly mention the Trump administration's tariffs or Washington's tech curbs, but called for 'all parties to avoid the politicisation of economic and trade issues', saying Beijing's approach offered win-win outcomes. Chinese officials often express confidence that they can build the consumer sector into a key engine of the economy, but the task is becoming more urgent as governments around the world push back on China's huge amount of exports. Those tensions have been highlighted by a trade war with the US that is now amid a fragile truce. The world's second-largest economy continues to struggle with weak consumer sentiment and deflationary pressures, although strong retail sales in May gave it some relief from US tariffs. Consumer enthusiasm for a government-subsidised home goods trade-in programme has been so great that provinces are quickly running out of funds the national government has distributed. State media has said China will allocate the remaining 138 billion yuan (S$24.6 billion) in planned funds to provinces to ensure consumer access to subsidies throughout 2025. Underscoring China's push to revamp its economy, Vice-Premier He Lifeng said while on a trip to the northern province of Hebei earlier this week that the nation would 'actively expand domestic demand to boost consumption', the official Xinhua News Agency reported. He added that promotion of the trade-in programme needed further implementing. In his address at the World Economic Forum event, Mr Li also touted China's advances in areas such as electric vehicles (EVs) and artificial intelligence (AI). He added that the nation would 'share indigenous technologies and innovative scenarios with countries around the world'. That remark may have been intended to contrast with the US, which is trying to deprive China of advanced semiconductors and other high-tech equipment on national security grounds. Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek has released an open-source model that it says rivals software from the top American AI developers, a move that could allow others to see, freely use and build on top of the code. Critics of the open-source software say it is less secure. Bloomberg News reported in 2024 that China strongly advised its carmakers to make sure advanced EV technology stays in the country. Beijing apparently encouraged the automakers to export so-called knock-down kits to their foreign plants, meaning key parts of a vehicle would be produced domestically and then sent for final assembly in their destination markets. Global business executives and world leaders, including Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, are attending the meeting also known as Summer Davos in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Climate
- Bloomberg
Six Dead in Destructive China Floods as More Heavy Rain Forecast
Flooding in southwest China has led to the deaths of six people, and weather officials warn more heavy rainfall is expected in the coming days. Townships and infrastructure in Rongjiang County, Guizhou province, suffered ' significant damage,' the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday, adding that water in the county seat had receded below warning levels.
