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WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will resume a long-suspended Peace Corps program in the North Pacific island of Palau as the Biden administration continues moves to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. “Volunteers will live and work side-by-side with community partners to improve childhood literacy and math and science skills, along with teaching English as a foreign language,” Peace Corps director Carol Spahn said in a statement. Palau’s president, Surangel Whipps, said the return of the Peace Corps reflects the strong relationship between his nation and the United States. Peace Corps officials said they hope that with congressional funding the Palau reopening will be the first of several new programs it will restart in the Pacific. The Peace Corps, a creation of the John F. Kennedy administration, currently has Pacific island programs in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Persons: Biden, Carol Spahn, Surangel Whipps, “, ” Whipps, John F, Kennedy, Didi Tang Organizations: WASHINGTON, Peace Corps, “ Volunteers, Peace, Corps, Pacific, Marshall, Associated Press Locations: United States, North, Palau, Taiwan, Federated States, Micronesia, China, Marshall Islands, Beijing, U.S, Pacific, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu

In repelling disinformation, Chinese and domestic, Taiwan offers an example to other democracies holding elections this year. And when the election results came out, they thought something was up,” said Eve Chiu, the editor-in-chief of Taiwan’s FactCheck Center, a nonprofit journalism organization. Taiwan's FactCheck Center debunked multiple videos of alleged voter fraud, including another one in which voting officials make a human error caught on camera. Taiwan has been able to effectively respond to Chinese disinformation in part because of how seriously the threat is perceived there, according to Kenton Thibaut, a senior resident fellow and expert on Chinese disinformation at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. Others like, Taiwan FactCheck Center, are careful to not take government money so as to preserve their independence, said Chiu.

Persons: miscounting, “, ”, Eve Chiu, Ko Wen, Taiwan's FactCheck, Kenton Thibaut, Thibaut, Alexander Tah, Ray Yui, Yui, ” Yui, Charles Yeh, Chiu, Donald Trump, they’re, Jim Ludes, Ko, DoubleThink, GaChuDao, Wu, ___ Wu, Didi Tang Organizations: WASHINGTON, Taiwan’s, Taiwan People’s Party, Facebook, DoubleThink, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan can’t, Atlantic, Forensic Research, Associated Press, Taiwan FactCheck Center, Google, Media, ”, Pell Center for International Relations, Salve Regina University Locations: Taiwan’s, China, Taiwan, India, Mexico, Russia, America, Kenton, U.S, United States, Iran, Bangkok

The coronavirus pandemic exposed frailties in their supply chains. Chinese President Xi Jinping, too, met with American business leaders — at a $2,000-per-plate dinner Wednesday evening. “The global economy is recovering, but its momentum remains sluggish,” Xi said. “Industrial and supply chains are still under the threat of interruption and protectionism is rising. The new framework has four major pillars: supply chains, climate, anti-corruption and trade.

Persons: Fresh, Joe Biden, “ We've, ” Biden, hasn't, Bill Clinton, Biden, Kamala Harris, Alexei Overchuk —, “ Will, Xi Jinping, —, ”, Xi, ” Xi, Josh Boak, Didi Tang Organizations: FRANCISCO, APEC, Russia's, U.S, Smithsonian National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, Biden, Pacific, won’t, Associated Press Locations: China, U.S, Bangkok, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, United States, Northern California, Tokyo, Washington, San Francisco

Experts say new steps China has agreed to will eventually reduce the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl into the U.S., but that alone will not stem the overdose crisis killing Americans at a record rate. Synthetic opioids are now the biggest killers in the deadliest drug crisis the U.S. has ever seen. More than two-thirds of those deaths — more than 200 per day — involved fentanyl or similar synthetic drugs. It's in counterfeit pills and cocaine, in some cases causing overdoses in people who have no idea that they're using fentanyl. A growing number of places are allowing drug screening kits so users can find out if their drugs include fentanyl.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, ”, Adam Wandt, “, Wandt, Kevin Roy, ” Roy, Rahul Gupta, it’s, Donald Trump, It's, Xi, ” Biden, Xi’s, Wang Wenbin, they're, we’re, Regina LaBelle, Biden, Andres Manuel Lopez, LaBelle, Didi Tang Organizations: John Jay College of Criminal, of National Drug Control, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, San Francisco Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry, International Narcotics, U.S, Georgetown University’s O’Neill, Associated Locations: China, U.S, California, America, Mexico, U.S . China, San Francisco, United States

The San Diego Zoo sent its pandas home in 2019 and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. Whatever the reason, San Diego Zoo officials were hopeful. "It is a moment with some heartbreak in it,” National Zoo Director Brandie Smith said at the time. The San Diego Zoo has been panda-less for four years and may need to upgrade or refurbish its facilities. The National Zoo had announced plans to renovate its panda house and outdoor enclosure, but the timing on those plans is unclear.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji —, ”, Daniel Ashe, ” Dennis Wilder, ” Wilder, Wilder, Gavin Newsom's, Xi’s, Paul A, Baribault, Ling, Hsing, Brandie Smith, Le Le, Didi Tang, Amy Taxin Organizations: WASHINGTON, San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, Veteran, Economic Cooperation, Association of Zoos, Aquariums, Georgetown University’s Initiative, U.S, California Gov, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, “, Zoo, Associated Press Locations: America, California, San Diego, U.S, Memphis , Tennessee, China, Veteran China, People's Republic, Asia, San Francisco, United States, Washington, Memphis, Santa Ana , California

The two leaders will meet Wednesday at Filoli, a secluded estate along Northern California’s coastal range. It was built in 1917 as a private residence and later became a National Trust for Historic Preservation site. The estate is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco, where leaders are gathering for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference this week. “It appears to be a quiet, secluded estate, where Biden and Xi can have an intimate conversation in a relaxed environment,” Glaser said. The gardens feature in Jennifer Lopez’s film “The Wedding Planner.”——AP writers Didi Tang and Colleen Long in San Francisco, and Zeke Miller and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Persons: Joe Biden, China’s Xi, Bonnie Glaser, Biden, Xi, ” Glaser, ”, Jeremi Suri, “, ” Suri, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Suri, William Bowers Bourn, Jennifer Lopez’s, Didi Tang, Colleen Long, Zeke Miller, Matthew Lee Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, National Trust for Historic, Economic Cooperation, German Marshall Fund, APEC, University of Texas Locations: Filoli, Northern, San Francisco, Asia, Austin, Soviet Union, Reykjavik, Washington

Their last meeting was at the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia last fall. The U.S. has consistently viewed military relations with China as critical to avoiding any missteps and to maintaining a peaceful Indo-Pacific region. Sullivan also said there were other areas where U.S. and Chinese interests overlap, particularly on the effort to combat fentanyl trafficking. The White House announced Monday that Biden would also meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador later this week. Associated Press Writers Janie Har in San Francisco and Lolita C. Baldor and Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, The, Biden, Xi, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, “, Sullivan, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Janet Yellen, ___ Madhani, Janie Har, Lolita C, Baldor, Didi Tang Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Economic Cooperation, The Biden, Group, Biden, White House, U.S . Navy, Air Force, Disease Control, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S, Democratic, White, Moscone Center, APEC, Finance, San Francisco Police Department, Union Square, Associated Press Locations: Asia, San Francisco, Indonesia, China, U.S, Pacific, Washington, Mexico, Iran, Taiwan, Beijing, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Tehran, Israel, Union

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The U.S. announced a $553- million project Wednesday to build a new, deep-water shipping container terminal in the Port of Colombo as it competes with China in international development financing. The U.S.-backed financing comes at a time when Sri Lanka is struggling to recover from a dire financial and economic crisis. Sri Lanka borrowed heavily from China to build the port and other infrastructure including an airport and a city being built on reclaimed land. Both neighboring India and China are jostling for influence in Sri Lanka and both have already invested in expanding facilities at the Colombo port. Colombo port also has a terminal run by China Merchants Port Holdings.

Persons: ”, Scott Nathan, Sri Lanka’s John Keells, Lanka’s, Wang Wenbin, William & Mary, AidData, China's, saysChina, Bradley Parks, “, ” ___ Didi Tang Organizations: South, U.S . International Development Finance Corp, West, Local, Sri, Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings, Initiative, Foreign Ministry, China Merchants Port Holdings, CHEC Port City Colombo Co, China Communications Construction Company, William & Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, U.S, Port, Colombo, China, Bay, Bengal, Beijing, Hambantota Port, Hambantota, India, oceanside, Port City, Virginia, “ Beijing, Washington

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — The opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday in China offered all the staples of a major international sports event. One big thing, however, was missing: real fireworks, the exploding kind that smell of power and burnt fuses. Instead, the high-tech games — billed of course as “green games” — offered electronic flash, 3D animations and a virtual torchbearer. Delayed for a year by the pandemic, the Asian Games are China's largest sports event since the country scrapped its zero-COVID-19 policy early in the year. China won almost 300 medals in the Asian Games five years ago and is sure to dominate again followed by Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, —, Xi, Bashar al, Assad, Thomas Bach, King Norodom Sihamoni, Bach, Vladimir Putin, there’s, ___ Didi Tang Organizations: Asian Games, Sports Center, International Olympic, Olympic Council of, Hangzhou Asian, Xinhua, Olympics, China, —, Afghan, ___ AP Asia Locations: HANGZHOU, China, Hangzhou, Taiwan, North Korea, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Olympic Council of Asia, Russia, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, “, Hangzhou Asian Games, Los Angeles, Brisbane, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Afghanistan, Washington, ___, asia

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