Day: November 24, 2023

Australia Climate Change Activists Disrupt Shipping at Coal Port

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SYDNEY —  A climate change protest off the coast of Australia’s New South Wales state disrupted operations at the country’s biggest coal export port on Saturday, the port operator said. Climate activist group Rising Tide, which claimed responsibility for the action, said more than 200 protesters were in the shipping channel near the Port of Newcastle, as part of a 30-hour blockade set to run until 4 p.m. Sunday. The Port of Newcastle, some 170 kilometers from the state capital, Sydney, is the largest bulk shipping port on Australia’s east…

China Holds Military Drills Near Myanmar Border After Convoy Fire

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SHANGHAI —  China’s military will begin “combat training activities” from Saturday on its side of the border with Myanmar, it said on social media, a day after a convoy of trucks carrying goods into the neighboring Southeast Asian nation went up in flames. The incident, which Myanmar state media called an insurgent attack, came amid insecurity concerns in China, whose envoy met top officials in Myanmar’s capital for talks on border stability after recent signs of rare strain in their ties. The training aims to “test the rapid maneuverability, border…

EU-China Summit: the trust deficit threatening trade and diplomacy

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The exasperation came to the surface on Thursday at another event hosted by Chinese diplomats to toast 20 years of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with the EU. A glossy magazine was printed for the occasion, filled with long articles about how the two sides needed to get along, and touting ground for collaboration. But officials clashed over subsidies and Beijing’s alleged use of economic coercion against Lithuania over Taiwan, suggesting the EU-China Summit could be a bruising affair. EU lawmakers demand answers on Chinese links to bloc’s response to belt…

India’s ruling party leans on Modi’s popularity in state elections

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party is fighting a series of tough state elections this month as it tries to quash a reinvigorated opposition and shore up its political dominance ahead of national polls next year. Five state elections are taking place in November, including head-to-head contests between the BJP and its arch-rival, the opposition Indian National Congress. Three of the polls are in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh…

China’s aerospace information industry is soaring, but financing needed to reach new heights

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China has ramped up efforts to develop an aerospace information industry as Beijing aims to steer economic growth toward a tech-heavy path and gain a stronger footing amid its space technology rivalry with the United States. But more private capital and entrepreneurship are needed as a catalyst to boost the industry, analysts said. Listed as one of the eight frontier areas in the 14th five-year plan for 2021-25, the aerospace information industry infuses data captured in space with ground-based big data analytics to cater to a wide range of applications,…

North Korea’s Kim Inspects Spy Satellite Photos of ‘Target Regions’

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seoul, south korea —  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected photos taken by the country’s new spy satellite of “major target regions,” state media reported Saturday, including the South Korean capital of Seoul and cities that host U.S. military bases. Nuclear-armed North Korea launched the satellite Tuesday, but South Korean defense officials and analysts said its capabilities have not been independently verified. Kim examined the photos, as well as imagery taken of some areas within North Korea, during a visit to the control center of the National Aerospace Technology…

Chinese Premier Li Qiang picked to head finance commission as Xi Jinping continues to delegate duties

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The CFC was set up in March to oversee the country’s banking, insurance and securities assets and to establish the Central Financial Work Commission, which serves as its general office. The who, what and how of China’s new financial watchdog A mainland-based political analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Li’s appointment as head of the CFC was unexpected, considering Communist Party practices over the past decade. Since becoming top leader, Xi has transferred more decision-making power from government bodies to party organs. A number of leading groups and…

Taiwan Presidential Election Heats Up After Opposition Parties Announce VP Candidates

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COPENHAGEN, DENMARK —  Taiwan’s January presidential election is emerging as a three-way race analysts say will be a referendum on China relations. The opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party, both of whom want to renew talks with China, failed this month to agree on a joint presidential ticket. The Kuomintang will run Hou Yu-ih, a former police chief, for president with media commentator Jaw Shaw-Kang as his running mate. The Taiwan People’s Party ticket will be former doctor and mayor Ko Wen-je for president with Cynthia Wu, a member of…

New Argentine leader and China critic Javier Milei unlikely to dial back bilateral ties: analysts

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But his Liberty Advances coalition won only 39 of the lower house’s 257 seats and eight of the Senate’s 72 seats, suggesting he would not be able to govern without the support of Macri and his backers. After Milei’s victory, Diana Mondino, one of his top aides, told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Argentina would forsake its application to Brics, an association of leading emerging markets comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Mondino, a leading contender to serve as Milei’s foreign minister, said Buenos Aires “will stop…

French Foreign Minister: China’s Cooperation Vital to Ending Russia-Ukraine War

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BEIJING —  French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Friday that China’s cooperation is vital on an issue that has divided it and much of Europe: ending the war in Ukraine. She encouraged China to continue working on its Ukrainian peace proposal while also ensuring that Chinese entities do not aid Russia in what she called “the ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine” — phrasing the Chinese side would disagree with. “France underlines once again how its cooperation with China is essential to promote a just and lasting peace,” she said…