Latest news with #mediation
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.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Here's the latest in a human rights tribunal case launched by a Windsor police officer
A Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario mediation between the city's first Black inspector and the Windsor Police Service has been unsuccessful. CBC's Pratyush Dayal reports.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Israel-Iran conflict exposed China's ‘limited leverage', say analysts
Through the 12 days of the recent Israel-Iran conflict, China moved quickly to position itself as a potential mediator and voice of reason amid a spiralling regional crisis. The day after Israel's unprovoked attack on Iran on June 13, Beijing reached out to both sides to express its desire for a mediated solution even as the country's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, condemned Israel's actions as a violation of international law. Chinese President Xi Jinping soon followed with calls for de-escalation, while at the United Nations Security Council, China joined Russia and Pakistan in calling for an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire'. When Iran threatened to blockade the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world's oil passes, Beijing was also quick to speak out. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead called for the 'international community to step up efforts to de-escalate conflicts and prevent regional turmoil from having a greater impact on global economic development'. Beijing's stance throughout the conflict remained true to its longstanding noninterference approach to foreign hostilities. But experts say it did little to help shore up its ambition of becoming an influential player in the Middle East, and instead exposed the limitations of its clout in the region. Why China was worried Unlike some countries, and the United States in particular, China traditionally approaches foreign policy 'through a lens of strategic pragmatism rather than ideological solidarity', said Evangeline Cheng, a research associate at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute. This approach means China will always focus on protecting its economic interests, of which it has many in the Middle East, Cheng told Al Jazeera. China has investments in Israel's burgeoning tech sector and its Belt and Road infrastructure project spans Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Critically, China relies on the Middle East for more than half of its crude oil imports, and it's the top consumer of Iranian oil. A protracted war would have disrupted its oil supplies, as would an Iranian blockade of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz – something threatened by Tehran's parliament during the conflict. 'War and security instability not only undermines Chinese investment and trade and business… but also the oil price and gas energy security in general,' said Alam Saleh, a senior Lecturer in Iranian Studies at the Australian National University. 'Therefore, China seeks stability, and it disagrees and opposes any kind of military solution for any type of conflict and confrontations, no matter with whom,' he said. John Gong, a professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, told Al Jazeera that China's top concern through the conflict was to avoid 'skyrocketing oil prices' that would threaten its energy security. Flexing diplomatic muscle, protecting economic might Aware of China's friendly relations with Iran and Beijing's economic fears, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Beijing to keep Tehran from closing the Strait of Hormuz as ceasefire negotiations stumbled forward this week. It was a brief moment of acknowledgement of Beijing's influence, but experts say China's overall diplomatic influence remains limited. 'China's offer to mediate highlights its desire to be seen as a responsible global player, but its actual leverage remains limited,' Cheng said. 'Without military capabilities or deep political influence in the region, and with Israel wary of Beijing's ties to Iran, China's role is necessarily constrained.' To be sure, Beijing has demonstrated its ability to broker major diplomatic deals in the region. In 2023, it mediated the normalisation of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. While seen as a huge diplomatic win for China, experts say Beijing owed much of its success to fellow mediators, Oman and Iraq. China also mediated an agreement between Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, in July 2024, under which they committed to working together on Gaza's governance after the end of Israel's ongoing war on the enclave. But William Yang, a senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, said the odds were stacked against China from the beginning of the latest conflict due to Israel's wariness towards its relationship with Iran. In 2021, China and Iran signed a 25-year 'strategic partnership', and Iran is an active participant in the Belt and Road project. Iran has also joined the Beijing-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and this year took part in China's 'Maritime Security Belt' naval exercises. Iran's 'resolute opposition to American hegemony' also aligns well with China's diplomatic interests more broadly, compared with Israel's close ties to the US, Yang said. China's dilemma It's a scenario that could be repeated in the future, he said. 'This case also reinforces the dilemma that China faces: while it wants to be viewed as a great power that is capable of mediating in major global conflicts, its close relationship with specific parties in some of the ongoing conflicts diminishes Beijing's ability to play such a role,' Yang said. For now, Beijing will continue to rely on the US as a security guarantor in the region, he added. 'It's clear that China will continue to focus on deepening economic engagement with countries in the Middle East while taking advantage of the US presence in the region, which remains the primary security guarantor for regional countries,' Yang said. 'On the other hand, the US involvement in the conflict, including changing the course of the war by bombing Iranian nuclear sites, creates the condition for China to take the moral high ground in the diplomatic sphere and present itself as the more restrained, calm and responsible major power,' he said.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Interstate mediation in a multipolar world: how can Hong Kong best play a role?
If there is any consistent theme at all in international relations and global affairs throughout these past years, it is that we are now living in a multipolar world. With the end of the Cold War, the world entered a period of Western dominance that is now giving way to a more complex and fragmented world order. Disputes and differences between states will only continue to proliferate, but with a multipolar world comes an increasing number of them questioning the role of international law in interstate relations. Discussions on the role of international law can often be unduly premised on its enforceability or capacity to bind states. Mediation, as a method of non-binding dispute resolution facilitated by a third party, presents a valuable alternative. There is, in fact, a long tradition of mediation in international relations, which can encompass everything from boundary delimitation to even armed conflicts. 01:56 China and 30+ countries establish international mediation organisation in Hong Kong China and 30+ countries establish international mediation organisation in Hong Kong For example, as far back as 1825, the United Kingdom acted as a mediator between Brazil and Portugal, culminating in the signing of the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro, which established Brazil as an independent state.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Chow-Ramasamy defamation mediation resumes July 2
P Ramasamy initiated defamation proceedings against Chow Kon Yeow on July 18 last year over a Facebook post which he claims seriously harmed his reputation. GEORGE TOWN : The Penang Court Mediation Centre has fixed July 2 for a further mediation session between chief minister Chow Kon Yeow and former deputy chief minister P Ramasamy in connection with defamation proceedings linked to the disputed Batu Kawan land deal. Ramasamy's lawyer, Shamsher Singh Thind, confirmed that an e-review is scheduled for tomorrow before sessions court judge Helmi Ghani to provide an update on the proceedings. 'The new date was fixed as both parties need to confirm something. 'Today is the second mediation session after the first one on April 14,' he said. Chow also confirmed that mediation is ongoing, with the next session scheduled for July 2. 'Today's mediation involved defamation suits stemming from the cancelled land deal between Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and Umech Land Sdn Bhd. 'Ramasamy filed the first defamation suit against me, while PDC filed the second suit against him,' he said. Today's session was presided over by mediator S Selvaranjini, with V Sithambaram representing both Chow and PDC. The mediation concerns remarks made by Chow about the now-scrapped land transaction between PDC and Umech Land. Ramasamy initiated defamation proceedings against Chow on July 18 last year over a statement published on the latter's official Facebook page on Oct 3, 2023, which Ramasamy alleged gravely damaged his reputation.
