Lawmakers in Tuvalu have selected Feleti Teo as the Pacific island nation’s new prime minister, weeks after an election that put ties with Taiwan in focus. Former attorney general Teo secured the support of lawmakers who were elected last month, government secretary Tufoua Panapa told AFP on Monday. There has been speculation that Tuvalu, one of just 12 states that still formally recognise Taiwan, could consider establishing relations with Beijing. Pacific observers will be looking to see whether Teo calls for a policy rethink. Teo’s elevation to prime minister comes…
Day: February 25, 2024
Taiwan Ally Tuvalu Names Feleti Teo as New Prime Minister
SYDNEY — Tuvalu on Monday announced former attorney general and fisheries official Feleti Teo as its new prime minister, after he was elected unopposed by lawmakers in the Pacific Islands nation, officials said. Former Prime Minister Kausea Natano lost his seat in a general election on Jan. 26 closely watched by Taiwan, China, the U.S. and Australia, amid a geopolitical tussle for influence in the South Pacific. Tuvalu, with a population of about 11,200 spread across nine islands, is one of three remaining Pacific allies of Taiwan, after Nauru cut…
Chinese cinema projector maker says electric vehicles have box office potential
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Electric vehicles myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. China’s top maker of laser cinema projectors is turning its beams on electric vehicles, as cut-throat competition among domestic carmakers creates demand for advanced displays and new kinds of in-car entertainment to make their models stand out. Appotronics — laser display tech provider to more than 30 per cent of China’s cinemas and with a 70-80 per cent share of the country’s market for laser movie projectors — is now…
‘Curly Tales’ and ‘BeerBiceps’: Modi’s BJP taps influencers ahead of India election
Nitin Gadkari, India’s road minister and a senior figure in the governing Bharatiya Janata party, sat down for a Chinese meal last month with food-and-travel-focused social media influencer Kamiya Jani. In a nearly hour-long video on Jani’s “Curly Tales” YouTube channel that has been watched 2.5mn times, the pair discussed Gadkari’s favourite dishes and holiday destinations, while gently touting his work building motorways and reducing vehicle emissions. “He is a foodie first, and a politician second,” went the video’s blurb. The dinner was one of a flood of such encounters…
China on alert for cold weather damage to spring vegetable crops
Agricultural advisers have been sent out across China to help farmers minimise damage from freezing weather to their spring vegetable crops. The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences said on Friday that 40 teams of experts had fanned out across the country to assess damage and offer technical advice. “The country has continued to experience extreme meteorological disasters and several sudden temperature drops, which has had a great impact on our vegetable production,” said the academy, a research organisation affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Authorities are expecting…
Facing Chinese EV Rivals, Europe’s Automakers Squeeze Suppliers on Costs
London — Europe’s automakers and their already-stretched suppliers face a tough year as they race to cut costs for electric models to counter leaner Chinese rivals which are bringing cheaper vehicles to challenge them on their home turf. A big question is how much more Europe’s automakers can squeeze out of suppliers that have already started laying off workers, with many smaller companies hard hit by supply chain issues during the pandemic. The difference between Europe’s legacy automakers and more EV-focused Chinese manufacturers will be on stark display this week…
Zong Qinghou, Once China’s Richest Person, Dies at 79
Beijing — Zong Qinghou, a Chinese business magnate whose leading beverage firm once made him the richest person in the country, died Sunday, his company said. He was 79. Zong was the founder of the Wahaha conglomerate, which specializes in bottled water, soft drinks, tea and other products. He died Sunday morning after “treatment for an illness proved ineffective,” the company said in an obituary on its Weibo social media account. A memorial service for Zong will be held Wednesday at the company’s offices in the eastern city of Hangzhou,…
Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake Strikes China’s Xinjiang Region
A 5.8-magnitude struck Akqi County in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region at 12:14 p.m. (0414 GMT) Sunday, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said. The quake’s epicenter was monitored at 41.15 degrees north latitude and 78.41 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 11 kilometers (6.84 miles), CENC said. No casualties or collapsed houses had been reported as of 1 p.m., Xinhua reported citing local authorities, adding that the areas around the epicenter are sparsely populated. The local main grid and power distribution networks are operating as normal, and local train…
FirstFT: Drop in global house price bottoms out as economists predict turning point
Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Global Economy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Good morning. The widespread drop in global house prices that hit advanced economies has largely bottomed out, according to an FT analysis of OECD data, leading economists to predict that the deepest property downturn in a decade has hit a turning point. Across the 37 industrialised OECD countries, nominal house prices grew 2.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2023 compared with the previous three months, up from near…
Palestinians call for China to step up pressure on Israel as they seek an end to ‘collective punishment’ on Gazans
“The Palestinian sense of marginalisation and vulnerability, stemming from US policies that support Israel’s crimes, have prompted them to find potential alternatives for support and solidarity, and they find it in China,” the Cyprus-based Palestinian academic said. Beijing’s reactions signified both its support as well as its policy of not interfering or meddling in other countries’ affairs. But that should not be construed as an unwillingness to facilitate negotiations in international conflicts, Shawamreh said. 03:02 Gaza’s Rafah zoo: Humanitarian crisis takes toll on both people and wildlife Gaza’s Rafah zoo:…