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September
Paraguay president backs Taiwan joining UN system
Written by Nur Yasmin
Paraguay supports Taiwan joining the United Nations system, the South American country's president, Santiago Pena, said on Tuesday, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA).
Due to a 1971 U.N. resolution, Taiwan has been excluded from the international body, which recognizes the People's Republic of China as the legitimate representative of China to the U.N.
"The government of Paraguay expresses its support for the Republic of China - Taiwan to be an integral part of the United Nations system," Pena said.
Paraguay is the last South American country with formal relations with Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
When asked about Taiwan last week, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said exclusion of anyone can harm global goals.
"Every person matters, whether it's Taiwan or otherwise. And I think it's really important for member states to find a solution," she said.
However, Taiwan has conceded it would be "very hard" to achieve membership. (Reuters)
September
South Korea's Yoon to highlight 'illicit' N.Korea-Russia military ties at UN
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to underline "illicit, dangerous" military dealings between North Korea and Russia at the United Nations on Wednesday, his aides said, following the two countries' rare summit last week.
Yoon was set to deliver a speech to the annual U.N. General Assembly after arriving in New York on Monday, just as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un returned from a week-long trip to Russia, during which he and President Vladimir Putin vowed to boost military cooperation.
Seoul and Washington have expressed concern that Russia could be trying to fetch ammunition from the North to shore up its thinning stockpile due to its invasion of Ukraine, while Pyongyang secures technological aid over its nuclear and missile programmes.
In his remarks, Yoon would warn against any military trade between Moscow and Pyongyang and promote South Korea's efforts to help Ukraine fight Russia's aggression, a presidential official said.
"He is expected to call the international community's attention to the illicit and dangerous nature of military transactions between Russia and North Korea, and urge a united response from the international community," the official told reporters.
Any activities assisting with North Korea's weapons programmes are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions, and Putin has said his country would "never violate anything."
But the official ditched Moscow's claim, saying South Korea has been "watching military transactions take place for several months prior to the summit" between Kim and Putin.
Any new U.N. resolutions are unlikely for now, but discussions are underway with the United States and other countries to impose more sanctions on Russia and North Korea, the official said.
"The Security Council is divided as you know, and it is impossible to draw a unified position on Russia there, so for now there could be cohesive action within the solidarity of freedom, centering around allies and friends," the official said.
On Tuesday, South Korea's vice foreign minister, Chang Ho-jin, summoned Russia's ambassador to abandon any potential arms deals with the North, warning of "clear consequences." (Reuters)
September
Australia abandons efforts to eradicate deadly honey bee parasite
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Australian government said it will stop trying to eradicate the Varroa mite, a parasite that kills honey bees, and will instead try to manage its spread, which is likely to make pollination of crops such as almonds more costly.
The decision ends an A$132 million ($85.3 million)eradication plan that has destroyed more than 14,000 hives in southeastern Australia since the mite was discovered there in June 2022.
The federal government said the decision was taken on Tuesday by the National Management Group (NMG), which is driving the Varroa programme nationwide.
In a statement on Wednesday, the New South Wales government, speaking on behalf of the NMG, said non-compliant and illegal movement of hives had spread the parasite further and made it impossible to contain.
Commercial crops including almonds, apples and avocados are dependent on pollination by European honey bees, with huge numbers of hives moved during spring flowering to bring bees to plants.
The Australian government has said a widespread mite infestation could destroy most wild European honey bee nests and managed hives not adapted to Varroa, reducing pollination and causing losses of over A$70 million a year.
"The recent spike in new detections have made it clear that the Varroa mite infestation is more widespread and has also been present for longer than first thought," the New South Wales government said in a statement.
"The potential to eradicate is no longer possible ... We now need to work collaboratively to manage and minimise the impact of Varroa."
Varroa is a reddish-brown mite around 1 mm in diameter that attaches itself to European and Asian honey bees and feeds on them, weakening them and killing colonies.
The mite also carries viruses and has caused the collapse of honey bee populations around the world.
Varroa does not target native Australian honey bees. (Reuters)
September
UN records torture, deaths of detainees in Taliban custody
Written by Nur Yasmin
The United Nations has recorded over 1,600 incidents of rights violations against people detained by the Taliban authorities, nearly half of them acts of torture and ill-treatment mostly by police and intelligence agents, a report released on Wednesday showed.
The U.N. Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) said 18 people had also died in prisons and in the custody of police and intelligence in the 19 months ending July 2023.
The Taliban have staffed and controlled the police and the intelligence agency since they took over the country as foreign forces withdrew in 2021.
"In attempts to extract confessions or other information, detainees were subjected to severe pain and suffering, through physical beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation, stress positions and forced ingestion of water, as well as blind-folding and threats," UNAMA said in a statement.
Other violations included not being informed of the reason for arrest, not being able to access a lawyer and inadequate medical care in custody.
Around one in ten of the violations were against women. Journalists and civil society members accounted for nearly a quarter of the victims of the violations.
In a response published with the report, the Taliban-led ministry of foreign affairs said the number of reported violations was not accurate, especially the number of journalists or civil society advocates affected.
The ministry said the authorities and the judiciary were working to increase oversight and ensure compliance with decrees by the supreme leader that prohibited torture or forcing confessions.
The U.N. said the decrees, and allowing access to the prisons, were "encouraging signs", but called for more action to redress the situation.
"These documented cases highlight the need for urgent, accelerated action by all," said Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA. "There is a pressing need to consider more engagement with the de facto authorities to end these practices." (Reuters)
September
North Korean leader Kim returns to Pyongyang after Russia trip
Written by Nur Yasmin
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived back in Pyongyang via his private train to a cheering crowd on Tuesday night after his highly publicized Russia trip, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday.
Kim was greeted by senior officials and an honor guard at a train station, according to the report which described his trip as a significant step in strengthening North Korea-Russia relations.
His trip and the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin received global attention since the leader seldom leaves his country and drew concerns over possible arms trade and technology transfer with Russia.
Against that backdrop, South Korea on Tuesday summoned Russia's ambassador towarnMoscow against any military cooperation with North Korea.
Seoul and Washington have said military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged against it.
Last week, the head of the reclusive state during his lengthy trip visited a Russian fighter jet factory under Western sanctions and praised the country's aviation technology.
He also met Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who showed the North Korean leader Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships. (Reuters)
September
Top US diplomat Blinken meets China's VP Han at U.N. amid strained ties
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Monday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the latest in a series of meetings aimed at reducing tensions between the world's two largest economies.
In a statement after the meeting, the U.S. State Department said the talks involved "a candid and constructive discussion." The two agreed to maintain open lines of communication and discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, North Korea and the Taiwan Strait, the department added.
The talks between Blinken and Han could help set the stage for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.
They followed 12 hours of meetings last weekend between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta.
"The world expects us to responsibly manage our relationship," Blinken said in brief remarks at the beginning of his meeting with Han. "The United States is committed to doing just that," he added.
"From the perspective of the United States, face-to-face diplomacy is the best way to deal with areas where we disagree, and also the best way to explore areas of cooperation between us," Blinken said.
Blinken, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Biden climate envoy John Kerry have traveled to China this year to thaw relations and ensure continued communication between the two countries amid tensions that flared after the U.S. military shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that traveled over the United States.
Biden this month expressed disappointment that Xi had skipped a summit of Group of 20 leaders in India, but said he would "get to see him."
The next likely opportunity for Biden to hold talks with Xi is an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November, where U.S. aides for months have hoped to stage such a meeting.
Neither Blinken nor Han in their remarks explicitly mentioned whether such a meeting would materialize.
"Currently, China-U.S. relations face many difficulties and challenges," Han told Blinken, noting that China hoped the U.S. would make efforts to implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and promote the stable development of relations.
"The world needs stable and healthy China-U.S. relations," Han said.
The U.S. and China are at odds over issues ranging from Taiwan to trade, fentanyl and human rights. Critics of the Biden administration have questioned its strategy of engaging China, warning that a failure to push back on provocations, including the recent China-linked hacking of senior U.S. officials' email, could embolden Beijing.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Wray told a conference on Monday that China has a cyberespionage program so vast that it is bigger than all of its major competitors combined.
Ryan Hass, a China expert at the Brookings Institution, said the pace of high-level exchanges between Washington and Beijing suggested that efforts were "purposeful" and not just part of relationship management.
"I expect both sides are working to set the stage for a productive meeting between both leaders in November," Hass said. (Reuters)
September
U.S. business optimism about China outlook falls to record low - survey
Written by Nur Yasmin
Geopolitics and a slowing economy are fuelling pessimism among U.S. businesses operating in China, with the proportion of firms optimistic about their five-year outlook in the country falling to a record low, a survey released on Tuesday said.
Even after the ending of COVID curbs, which weighed heavily on both revenues and sentiment in 2022, the percentage of surveyed U.S. firms optimistic about the five-year China business outlook fell to 52%, according to the annual survey published by American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai.
This was the lowest level of optimism reported since the AmCham Shanghai Annual China Business Report was first introduced in 1999.
"Frankly, if there was one thing that surprised me about the survey this year it was that number," said AmCham Shanghai Chairman, Sean Stein. "By the time we did this year's survey a lot of the illusions had fallen away that we would see a sustained rebound in economic growth (post-COVID)."
Geopolitics remained a major concern for many firms, with U.S.-China tensions cited as a top business challenge by 60% of the survey's 325 respondents, equal to the number who pointed to China's economic slowdown as a top challenge.
Concern over the transparency of China's regulatory environment also grew, with one third reporting that policies and regulations towards foreign companies had worsened in the past year, though many respondents pointed to U.S. government policy rather than China's when asked about pressure to decouple.
Companies have been at the centre of deteriorating relations between the two countries for several years. China has criticised U.S. efforts to block China's access to advanced technology and U.S. firms have expressed concern about fines, raids and other actions that make doing business in China risky.
Last month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said during a visit to China that U.S. companies have complained to her that China has become "uninvestible".
Geopolitical tensions were also cited as the top risk to China's future economic growth in the AmCham report, with improved U.S.-China relations the number one factor respondents said would improve their industry's prospects in China.
AmCham's Stein said that the survey had been conducted prior to Raimondo's visit and, since then, he believed companies had begun to reconsider whether they had been "too pessimistic that there wasn't any way to get out of a constant downward slide (in U.S.-China relations)".
A larger percentage of firms, 40%, up from 34% last year, are currently redirecting or looking to redirect investment that had been earmarked for China, mainly to Southeast Asia.
This echoed a report published by Rhodium Group last week, which said that India, Mexico, Vietnam and Malaysia were receiving the vast majority of investment U.S. and European firms were shifting away from China. (Reuters)
September
China and EU hold talks on AI, cross-border data flow amid renewed tensions
Written by Nur Yasmin
China and the European Union held talks on topics including artificial intelligence and cross-border data flows on Monday in Beijing, amid disputes over an EU probe into China's electric vehicle (EV) subsidies.
The talks were part of an EU-China High-level Digital Dialogue co-chaired by China's Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing and the European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova, the first of such dialogue in three years, the European Commission said in a statement.
The meeting comes as tensions between China and the EU are heightened after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an investigation into whether to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs to protect EU producers.
Beijing criticised the probe as a "protectionist act" and warned it would damage economic relations.
The talks on Monday covered key issues including platforms and data regulation, AI, and cross-border flow of industrial data, China and the EU said.
The European Commission conveyed concerns about "difficulties faced by EU companies in China to make use of their industrial data, as a result of the application of recent legislation."
The statement did not elaborate on which legislation it was referring to. China expanded its counter-espionage law in July, with wide-ranging updates including banning the transfer of any information related to national security and broadening the definition of spying.
Zhang told the meeting that China welcomes companies from all over the world, including Europe, to share the development opportunities of its digital economy and achieve win-win results, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Both sides agreed to promote an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for the development of the digital economy, Xinhua said.
The two parties also discussed other topics including research and innovation, information and communication technology, and safety of products sold online. (Reuters)
September
Vietnam activists to seek US refuge after Biden administration deal - US officials
Written by Nur Yasmin
China and the European Union held talks on topics including artificial intelligence and cross-border data flows on Monday in Beijing, amid disputes over an EU probe into China's electric vehicle (EV) subsidies.
The talks were part of an EU-China High-level Digital Dialogue co-chaired by China's Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing and the European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova, the first of such dialogue in three years, the European Commission said in a statement.
The meeting comes as tensions between China and the EU are heightened after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an investigation into whether to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs to protect EU producers.
Beijing criticised the probe as a "protectionist act" and warned it would damage economic relations.
The talks on Monday covered key issues including platforms and data regulation, AI, and cross-border flow of industrial data, China and the EU said.
The European Commission conveyed concerns about "difficulties faced by EU companies in China to make use of their industrial data, as a result of the application of recent legislation."
The statement did not elaborate on which legislation it was referring to. China expanded its counter-espionage law in July, with wide-ranging updates including banning the transfer of any information related to national security and broadening the definition of spying.
Zhang told the meeting that China welcomes companies from all over the world, including Europe, to share the development opportunities of its digital economy and achieve win-win results, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Both sides agreed to promote an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for the development of the digital economy, Xinhua said.
The two parties also discussed other topics including research and innovation, information and communication technology, and safety of products sold online. (Reuters)
September
New Zealand election shapes up as a race of many parties
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealanders head to the polls next month in an election that looks likely to bring back the kind of coalition government the country has known in recent decades, as neither of two main parties is on track to win a majority.
Here are the key parties and potential combinations that may emerge from the Oct. 14 general election.
LIKELY BEDFELLOWS: LABOUR AND GREENS
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has headed the Labour Party since Jacinda Ardern abruptly resigned in January. She led the centre-left party to a landslide victory in 2020, forming the only single-party government since proportional representation was introduced in 1996.
But even before Hipkins took over, Labour's fortunes had started to shift, as swing voters complained the party had taken on too many minority causes at the expense of middle-class New Zealanders struggling with rising costs of living.
Hipkins, 44, has steered the party toward the centre, saying its focus is on "bread and butter issues". But with Labour trailing the centre-right National Party 28%-39% in the latest opinion poll, it looks unlikely Hipkins can hold onto power alone.
Labour has previously governed with the support of the minority Green Party. While not formally in coalition now, the Greens agreed to cooperate with Labour after the 2020 election, with one of their members becoming minister for climate change.
LEADING CONTENDERS: NATIONAL + ACT NEW ZEALAND
National, on track to be the largest party, according to polling, might be able to form a government with ACT New Zealand. The right-wing party, however, has said it would not necessarily join National in a coalition but instead provide support case by case.
Christopher Luxon, 53, the former Air New Zealand (AIR.NZ) chief who leads National, has built voter support for the party even as he personally trails Hipkins in popularity.
POTENTIAL KINGMAKERS
Winston Peters and his populist New Zealand First party are campaigning with slogans such as "Let’s take the country back." The 78-year-old, who joined the 2017 coalition that brought Ardern to power, has vowed not to put Labour in government again, while Labour has ruled out working with New Zealand First.
Te Pati Maori focuses on Indigenous solutions for the country's Indigenous people. In the past it supported a National government, but Luxon has said he would not work with the Maori party. (Reuters)