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☆ White House to China: Don't use Taiwan visit as 'pretext'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The White House urged China on Wednesday not to use a "normal" stopover in the United States by Taiwan's president as a pretext to increase aggressive activity against Taiwan. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's arrival soon in the United States is the latest in a series of routine transits. "The Peoples Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any activity around the Taiwan strait," he said. It would be the first meeting on U.S. soil between a House speaker and a Taiwanese leader, and the prospect has angered Beijing. China responded to a visit last August to Taiwan by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with large-scale war games around the democratically ruled island.

☆ Migrants were locked behind bars during deadly Mexico fire, witnesses say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Lizbeth Diaz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, March 29 (Reuters) - Migrants were locked in a cell as a blaze spread killing 39 people at a detention center in Mexico, witnesses and a survivor said on Wednesday, as Mexico's president vowed to bring to justice those responsible. "There'll be no attempt to hide the facts, no attempt to cover for anyone," he told a news conference in Mexico city. All the victims were male, and Mexico's government is under pressure to find out why they died after officials said the women migrants at the center were successfully evacuated. Outside a hospital in Ciudad Juarez, which sits across the border from El Paso, Texas, family members anxiously waited for news of their loved ones who had been injured in the fire. Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz in Ciudad Juarez and Daina Beth Solomon, Dave Graham and Valentine Hilaire in Mexico City; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ No reason for China to overreact to transit by Taiwan's president, senior US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( David Brunnstrom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The United States sees no reason for China to overreact to planned transits of the United States this week and next month by Taiwan's president, senior U.S. officials said, calling them consistent with long-standing practice and the U.S. one-China policy that recognizes Beijing diplomatically, not Taipei. However, the United States government is required by U.S. law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. The U.S. official said Washington continued to exchange views with China on a broad range of issues through multiple diplomatic channels. "We urge the PRC (People's Republic of China) to keep open channels of communication," a second senior official said, also speaking on condition of anonymity. Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Edited by Michael Martina, Don Durfee and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S.-China relations are going downhill with ‘no trust’ on either side, Stephen Roach says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

US President Joe Biden and China's President Xi Jinping (L) shake hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 14, 2022. "Right now, there is no trust," he told "Squawk Box Asia" on Tuesday, who is currently attending the China Development Forum in Beijing. watch now"The balloon was a spark that really put us on a swift downhill descent," Roach added. The office did not provide details of her itinerary while in the U.S. On Taiwan, China has repeatedly said the issue is an internal affair. Every single Taiwan president in recent memory has done this," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, said at a press briefing last week.

☆ Fact Check-Photo shows Israel-Egypt border, not Mexico-Guatemala border fence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Amidst reports of a migrant rush toward the U.S-Mexico border in March 2023, social media users have circulated a photo of a barricade along Israel’s border with Egypt claiming that it shows a fortified fence that Mexico has built along its border with Guatemala. The photo, accompanied by a description that says, “This is the border fence Mexico has built on their border with Guatemala to keep out freeloaders. The original photograph is more than a decade old and was shot on Feb. 15, 2012, in western Israel, along a 150-mile-long border fence with Egypt. Reuters has reported on Mexico’s struggles to control migrants coming in through its southern border (here), (here), (here), (here). The 2012 photograph shows Israel’s border fence with Egypt and not a structure along Mexico’s border with Guatemala.

☆ Taiwan says sees no signs of PLA deployment before president's US trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, staged war games around the island last August following a trip to Taipei by then U.S.-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. On her way back to Taiwan, she will transit through Los Angeles, where she is likely to meet current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Taking lawmakers' questions in parliament, Taiwan deputy defence minister Po Horng-huei said China has three to four warships operating around Taiwan every day, which has already become a "new normal". If there are any changes in China's military deployment, Taiwan must be prepared for the worst-case scenario, he said. "So far there is no sign of any special military deployment," Po added.

☆ Honduras forms diplomatic ties with China after Taiwan break
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The national flags of Honduras and Taiwan are seen at the Republic of China Square in Tegucigalpa on March 15, 2023. Honduras formed diplomatic ties with China on Sunday after breaking off relations with Taiwan, which is increasingly isolated and now recognized by only 13 sovereign states, including Vatican City. Relations between Taiwan and Honduras were once stable, he said, but China had not stopped luring Honduras. "The Castro government dismissed our nation's longstanding assistance and relations and carried out talks to form diplomatic ties with China. The U.S. doesn't have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but has maintained that Taipei is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific.

☆ Factbox: And then there were 13: Taiwan's diplomatic allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 26 (Reuters) - Honduras has ended its decades-long relationship with Taiwan and said it only recognised China, leaving Taiwan with formal diplomatic relations with only 13 countries. China views democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan's government strongly disputes. Over the years, China has slowly whittled away at the number of countries that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Following is a list of states that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan:LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEANBelizeGuatemalaParaguayHaitiSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesPACIFICMarshall IslandsNauruPalauTuvaluAFRICAEswatiniEUROPEVatican CityReporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taiwan says China's involvement in Honduras is obvious
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, March 23 (Reuters) - Taiwan sees China's involvement in Honduras' decision to seek to end relations with the island as very obvious and the situation does not look good with Honduras demanding a "high price", the island's foreign minister said on Thursday. Honduras denied on Wednesday it had demanded $2.5 billion in aid from Taiwan before its announcement to seek to open relations with China, instead saying the country had repeatedly requested Taiwan buy Honduran public debt. read moreSpeaking to reporters at parliament, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the situation with Honduras was "not very good". Honduras Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said last week Honduras' decision was partly because the Central American country was "up to its neck" in financial challenges and debt - including $600 million it owes Taiwan. Wu, answering a lawmaker question, said Honduras did not just owe Taiwan money.

☆ Taiwan says it has contingency plans for China moves while president abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ann Wang/File PhotoTAIPEI, March 22 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry has contingency plans for any moves by China during Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's overseas visit, Deputy Defence Minister Po Horng-huei said on Wednesday ahead of Tsai going to the United States and Central America next week. Asked by reporters on the sidelines of a parliament session whether China was likely to stage more drills when Tsai is abroad, Po said the armed forces were prepared. "When it comes to what the Chinese communists have done in the past, the defence ministry can have a grasp on it, and will consider the worse scenario," he said. "During the president's overseas visit, the defence ministry has contingency plans for all moves" by China, Po added, declining to give details. China, which has condemned Tsai's planned U.S. stop over, has continued its military activities around Taiwan since August, though on a much reduced scale.

☆ U.S. Warns China Against Using Taiwan President’s U.S. Stop to Raise Tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Charles Hutzler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen plans to stop in New York and Los Angeles on her way to and from formal visits to Belize and Guatemala. WASHINGTON—The Biden administration is urging China not to use a U.S. visit by Taiwan’s president to raise tensions, with a senior official saying the trip is consistent with previous ones that passed without incident. Taiwan President Tsai Ing -wen plans to stop in New York and Los Angeles in coming weeks on her way to and from formal visits to Belize and Guatemala. These stops, often called transits, are part of the strained diplomatic choreography over Taiwan and are intended to hew to a U.S. commitment to Beijing to maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan, while allowing its leaders to meet with supporters, including members of Congress.

"We truly don't know whether it will be days or weeks or months," a U.S. government official told Reuters on background. Since 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen was elected Taiwan's president, Panama, El Salvador and most recently, Nicaragua, have changed sides. China does not allow countries to hold diplomatic ties with both itself and Taiwan, regarding the island as its territory. "If Honduras' switch to Beijing is formalized, Taiwan will have just 13 diplomatic allies, including Belize and Guatemala. Reporting by Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Dave Graham and Lincoln Feast.

☆ Honduras ditching Taiwan raises larger geopolitical concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The national flags of Honduras and Taiwan are seen at the Republic of China Square in Tegucigalpa on March 15, 2023. Stringer | AFP | Getty ImagesHonduras' decision to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China is yet another sign of growing Chinese influence in Latin America. But some of the few remaining in Latin America, like Paraguay and Guatemala, promised Wednesday to keep their support for Taiwan. "It is a complex decision, we understand, but Honduras' foreign policy should seek to benefit the people. In that sense, Tuesday's announcement also exemplifies the American government is "losing its grasp on" Latin America, said David Castrillon-Kerrigan, research-professor on China-related issues at Colombia's Externado University.

☆ Cocaine production is taking root in a new region
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Gavin Voss | Insight Crime | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The countries are still not major cocaine producers, but the seizures reflect the crop's hardiness. Honduras, on the other hand, has shown minimal cocaine production capabilities, with rudimentary labs capable of producing small amounts of cocaine. While they have limited cocaine production ability, increasing coca cultivation in traditionally non-producing countries could be a sign of bigger things to come. For anti-narcotics authorities around the region, the danger posed by up-and-coming coca producers is palpable. The US State Department has recognized this in its latest report, dubbing coca production in Honduras and Venezuela "troublesome."

☆ Factbox: Taiwan's diplomatic allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 15 (Reuters) - Taiwan faces losing another diplomatic ally after Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had instructed the country's foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China. China views democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan's government strongly disputes. Over the years, China has slowly whittled away at the number of countries which maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. If Honduras does end relations with Taiwan, it will leave the island with only 13 diplomatic allies. Here is a list of the states that still maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan:LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEANBelizeGuatemalaHondurasParaguayHaitiSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesPACIFICMarshall IslandsNauruPalauTuvaluAFRICAEswatiniEUROPEVatican CityWriting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." REUTERS/Christinne Muschi Acquire Licensing RightsThe Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. The federal government said it has relocated more than 5,500 asylum seekers to other provinces since June, the first time it has done so. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

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☆ 103 unaccompanied minors found in abandoned trailer in Mexico, govt says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, March 6 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities found 103 unaccompanied minors mostly from Guatemala inside an abandoned truck trailer in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, the government said on Monday, in one of the biggest recent discoveries of migrant children traveling through Mexico. In addition to the 103 children, authorities found 212 adults from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Ecuador in the trailer, the National Migration Institute (INM) said in a statement. Another 28 migrants traveling as families from Guatemala and El Salvador were also in the trailer, bringing the total number of passengers to 343. It was outfitted with fans, a partially ventilated roof and a structure that created a second level inside the trailer. Earlier this year, Mexican authorities found 57 unaccompanied minors from Guatemala at a checkpoint near the U.S.-Mexico border, and 20 other unaccompanied minors in a group of mostly Central Americans in the southern state of Chiapas.

☆ Biden administration to crack down on child labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Laura Strickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

More than 3,800 children were found to be working at U.S. companies last year in violation of federal law, the Labor Department said Monday in announcing a crackdown on child labor. Some 835 companies were founded to be illegally employing minors last year, the Labor Department said, and more than 600 child labor investigations remain ongoing. In stepping up its efforts to target companies that use child labor, the Labor Department will use new strategies to launch investigations where child labor violations are most likely to occur. The agency called on Congress to increase the maximum penalty for child labor violations, which is currently $15,000. "That's not high enough to be a deterrent for major profitable companies," the Labor Department said in a press release.

☆ Mexico's president is being mocked for sharing a photo that he claimed was of a woodland spirit creature similar to an elf
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mexico's president shared a photo on social media of what he said was an elf-like woodland creature. His widely viewed tweet sparked confused and mocking responses. Journalist Mauricio Schwarz responded to the tweet to debunk the sighting, telling the president that the image has actually circulated on social media since February 2021. López Obrador, who has been president since 2018, has previously expressed an interest in and respect for indigenous cultures. The tweet spread widely in Mexico, being viewed over three million times at the time of writing and sparking confused and mocking responses.

☆ Yellen says EV battery mineral trade pacts can likely bypass Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BENGALURU, Feb 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen said on Friday that she expects that future limited free trade agreements focused on battery minerals with the European Union and other trusted allies would not need approval from Congress. The law specified that the tax credits were only available to North American-assembled vehicles that meet certain local battery production and mineral extraction processing standards. Countries with U.S. free trade agreements can also access the credits, and this is a provision that the Biden administration hopes to exploit by negotiating limited trade deals focused on battery minerals. Over time, she said she hoped that trade agreements would allow more sold vehicles to qualify over time. The Treasury in March is due to put out guidance on the sourcing of battery minerals and Yellen said this will include guidance on free trade areas that can qualify.

REUTERS/Jacob GarciaMEXICO CITY, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Mexico's overwhelmed asylum agency is strengthening efforts to weed out high numbers of applicants who "abuse" the system while passing through Mexico to reach the United States, Mexico's top asylum official said on Monday. Mexico has the world's third highest number of asylum applications after the United States and Germany, reflecting growing numbers of refugee seekers that have strained resources at the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR). Once migrants request asylum, they are exempt from deportation and are eligible to seek work, motivating many to file applications even without the intent to stay in Mexico, said Andres Ramirez, COMAR's director. "It's an abuse of the asylum system," he told reporters at COMAR's busy Mexico City office. "In the United States, there's a much bigger Afghan community than what we have here."

☆ Netflix clamps down on password sharing in four countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Netflix (NFLX) has extended its crackdown on password sharing to Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. Users in these countries will now have to pay to give people they don’t live with access to their account, after similar rules were trialed in Latin America last year. Netflix started introducing the change last year in Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The streaming giant, which suffered heavy subscriber losses last year, said in a blog post Wednesday that password sharing hurt its revenues and therefore limited its ability to invest in new content. The company, which has turned a blind eye to password sharing for a number of years, said there was “confusion” among users about “when and how” they could share their accounts.

☆ U.S. VP Harris highlights $4.2 bln private sector investment in Central America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Private companies have committed to invest $4.2 billion in northern Central America as part of an effort by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to reduce migration by targeting economic development, the White House said on Monday. In her remarks on Monday, Harris said migrants come to the United States to flee harm or because they cannot meet basic economic needs. Before a meeting with U.S. officials and private sector representatives, Harris announced a new phase of the effort called Central America Forward, which will focus on broader economic development, corruption and labor rights. Arrivals from northern Central America have steadily declined following a sharp rise in 2021 after Biden took office. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg, Chizu Nomiyama and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. VP Harris touts $4.2b private sector investment in Central America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Private companies have committed to invest $4.2 billion in northern Central America as part of an effort by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to reduce migration, the White House said on Monday. Harris focused her efforts on addressing the factors that led migrants to leave the three countries, known as the northern triangle, including a lack of economic opportunity. Corruption and governance concerns in the three nations have limited the effectiveness of the Harris push, leading to the cancellation or suspension of projects likely worth millions of dollars. Arrivals from northern Central America have steadily declined since mid-2021. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Video does not show Ted Cruz making Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of a speech made by Senator Ted Cruz about immigration and border protection is being used to make the claim that he made U.S. House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cry. However, the video is unrelated and there is no footage showing Ocasio-Cortez crying. The image shows Ocasio-Cortez wiping away tears after hearing the testimony of Yazmin Juarez from Guatemala, who lost her infant daughter at a detention facility at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to reports. The video being shared shows Cruz talking at a Senate Session more than two years later on Sept. 22, 2021, as seen on C-SPAN at around the 10:58 mark (here). The video does not show Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez crying because of Senator Ted Cruz.

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