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☆ White House: Still Work to Do on Israel-Saudi Normalization
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Nandita BoseABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday that U.S., Israeli and Saudi leaders have put many of the elements of a pathway to normalization on the table but there is still much work to do. Sullivan spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One as President Joe Biden flew to India to attend a G20 summit. "Many of the elements of a pathway to normalization are now on the table. There is still work to do," Sullivan said. Biden envoy Brett McGurk was in Saudi Arabia for talks this week that officials said was largely about the Yemen war but was also expected to include discussions on the potential normalization deal.

Persons: Nandita Bose, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Brett McGurk, Steve Holland, Sandra Maler, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: AIR FORCE, White House, Saudi, Air Force, United, United Arab Emirates, CNN, Biden Locations: India, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain, United Arab, U.S, Saudi, United States, Yemen

☆ Opinion: The ‘rising superpower’ myth about China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Opinion Peter Bergen | Joel Rayburn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

He was the US Special Envoy for Syria and the senior director for Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon on the National Security Council staff during the Trump administration. After that, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said it would suspend publishing youth unemployment data in the future. What does it signify that China’s national power, which today is vast, is almost certain to be weaker in the future? If Xi and his strategists have a feasible plan for nimbly averting China’s demographic doom, they are keeping very quiet about it. This brings us back to the question of national security strategies for the United States and its allies.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Peter Bergen ”, Joel Rayburn, Trump, Biden, Saddam Hussein’s, Lloyd Austin, China’s, Xi Jinping, Stephen Shaver, ”, Ng Han Guan, Xi, China “, ” Trump Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, American Center for Levant Studies, New America, US, National Security Council, CNN, Strategy, Pentagon, of Defense, Development Research Center, Communist Party, UPI, Manpower, Census Bureau, National Bureau of Statistics, Financial, China’s Southwestern University of Finance, Economics, Rocky, United Nations, Beijing, Pew Research Center, Communist, Trump administration’s National Security, Twitter, Trump Locations: New America, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Washington, China, United States, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, al Qaeda, Ukraine, People’s Republic of China, Beijing, India, Yarkent County, China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Saudi Arabia, USSR, Russia, Russia’s Ukraine, Vietnam, Korea, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong

☆ US Sanctions Deputy Leader of Sudan's RSF Over Abuses
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Michelle NicholsN'DJAMENA (Reuters) - The United States is imposing sanctions on the deputy leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over human rights abuses, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations will announce during a trip to Chad's border with Sudan on Wednesday. Previous sanctions, levied on companies, also targeted the army. While the sanctions carry political weight, it is unclear that they would have any impact on the course of the current conflict. In June, the U.S. imposed sanctions on companies it accused of fuelling the conflict in Sudan. The U.S. Treasury Department targeted two companies affiliated with Sudan's army and two companies affiliated with the RSF, accusing them of generating revenue from the conflict and contributing to the fighting.

Persons: Michelle Nichols N'DJAMENA, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, RSF, Dagalo, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Washington, Omar al, Bashir, Abdelrahim Dagalo, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Nafisa Eltahir, Daphne Psaledakis, Aidan Lewis, William Maclean Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, United Nations, Reuters, Thomas, SAF, United Arab, The U.S . Treasury Department Locations: United States, U.S, Sudan, West Darfur, Sudan's Darfur, Darfur, Chad, Khartoum, Hemedti, United Arab Emirates, Russia, The U.S

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A two-day summit in Romania began on Wednesday that brings together 12 European Union member states situated between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas, as the grouping of mostly formerly communist countries aim to boost ties and connectivity amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Three Seas Initiative, which is being held in the capital, Bucharest, brings together high-ranking officials from EU countries as well as representatives from partner countries and aims to improve interconnectivity in the transportation, energy, and the digital fields. Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu tweeted Wednesday that she had “excellent discussions” with the U.S. assistant secretary of state for energy resources, Geoffrey Pyatt, about joint projects that aim to bolster regional energy security. On the sidelines of the event, Moldovan President Maia Sandu met Wednesday with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. ___Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania.

Persons: Klaus Iohannis, isn’t, Luminita Odobescu, Geoffrey Pyatt, Odobescu, Iohannis, Maia Sandu, Marcel Ciolacu, Sandu, “, John Kerry, ___ Stephen McGrath Organizations: Union, Seas Initiative, U.S, EU, Romanian Locations: BUCHAREST, Romania, Black, Adriatic, Ukraine, Bucharest, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Estonia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Romanian, Moldova, Greece, Moldovan, Sighisoara

☆ Opinion: Why a G20 without Putin and Xi could be a fantastic opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Opinion David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —This might have been an opportunity for world leaders to bridge a host of chasms that are opening up, as G20 conferences have in the past. Yet this will be the first G20 that Xi has skipped in the decade he’s served as China’s president. The hope is that, without distractions from the presence of Xi and Putin, the G20 will be able to focus more directly on just such urgent issues. Certainly, it removes an opportunity to pressure Xi into restraining shipment of technology and equipment to Russia that could help its war in Ukraine. So, this G20 — uniquely absent Xi and Putin — is an important opportunity to showcase China’s failings, confirm Russia’s status as a pariah and ratify America’s place as a global leader.

Persons: David A, David Andelman, Vladimir Putin, Sergey Lavrov, Xi, Li Qiang, Putin, Narendra Modi, —, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, he’s, Blinken, Biden, Lavrov, ”, “, …, there’s, Michele Spatari, Biden’s, Putin — Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, David Andelman CNN, International Criminal Court, ICC, America, NBC, Putin, Indian, Sunday, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, United, Twitter, Facebook, Biden Locations: New Delhi, India, Bali , Indonesia, China, Washington, Johannesburg, South Africa, Arunachal Pradesh, Beijing, ” China, San Francisco, Russian, AFP, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Africa, Ukraine, Vietnam, Asia, American, Southeast Asia, America

☆ Biden Picks Jack Lew as Envoy to Israel During Time of Friction
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Peter Baker | More About Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden announced on Tuesday that he would nominate former Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew as his next ambassador to Israel, tapping a low-key Washington veteran for a high-charged post at a time of friction with America’s strongest ally in the Middle East. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Lew will head to Jerusalem even as Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are at odds over the president’s efforts to negotiate a new nuclear agreement with Iran and the prime minister’s plans to rein in the authority of the judiciary in Israel. Mr. Biden has sought to smooth over the rifts with Mr. Netanyahu by inviting him to visit the United States, an invitation the president had declined to issue for months. At the same time, Mr. Biden has embarked on a high-stakes diplomatic gamble to broker normalized relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a move that if successful could transform the power dynamics of the region. Mr. Biden’s envoys have been negotiating with the Saudis while keeping the Israelis informed about the progress, but the challenges for reaching such an accord remain daunting.

Persons: Biden, Jacob J, Lew, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Netanyahu, Biden’s Organizations: Washington, Senate Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, Iran, United States, Saudi Arabia

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Climate change is “relentlessly eating away” at Africa’s economic progress and it’s time to have a global conversation about a carbon tax on polluters, Kenya’s president declared Tuesday as the first Africa Climate Summit got underway. He and other leaders urged reforms to the global financial structures that have left African nations paying about five times more to borrow money than others, worsening the debt crisis for many. Africa has more than 30 of the world’s most indebted countries, Kenya’s Cabinet secretary for the environment, Soipan Tuya, said. Africa’s GDP should be revalued for its assets, which include the world's second-largest rainforest and biodiversity, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina said. “It is an African story, and I daresay it’s a global story, too.”___Follow AP’s coverage of the climate at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment and of Africa at https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Persons: William Ruto, Tuya, John Kerry, Kerry, Joe Biden, ” Ruto, ”, Ruto, “ It’s, Sahle, Zewde, Akinwumi Adesina, Adesina, Martha Lusweti, Antonio Guterres, Ursula Von der Leyen, lullabies, Sierra, Julius Maada Organizations: Africa Climate Summit, European Union, Kenyan, United, United Arab Emirates, Development Bank, ”, International Monetary Fund Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Africa, China, United States, U.S, United Arab, United Nations, Europe, U.N, Africa's, Nigeria's Niger Delta, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Congo, africa

☆ U.S. Commerce Secretary says she 'didn't pull any punches' during recent visit to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo arrives for a meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao, at the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with Chinese officials in a high-stakes visit to Beijing and Shanghai this week, and she said Sunday that the trip helped establish open lines of communication between the two nations. Raimondo is the fourth high-level U.S. official to visit China this summer, but she is the first U.S. Commerce secretary to travel to the country in five years — a period where the bilateral relationship has grown increasingly tense. The Commerce secretary's trip to China followed recent visits from U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Raimondo said Sunday that the export controls are about national security, not about gaining an economic advantage.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Wang Wentao, Raimondo, NBC's, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken Organizations: Commerce, Ministry of Commerce, . Commerce, U.S . Commerce, China, Press, U.S, Treasury, U.S . Department of Commerce's, of Industry, Security, Sunday Locations: Beijing, Shanghai, China, U.S

☆ Bill Richardson Reveled in Role of Freelance Envoy to Dictators
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Michael Crowley | More About Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and the U.S. government was urging Americans to stay away from Russia. That’s when Bill Richardson boarded a plane to Moscow. The former New Mexico congressman, governor and cabinet member was pursuing his passion: freelance diplomacy with a dangerous foreign government. In a call to Mr. Reed’s parents, an aide to Mr. Richardson said his boss was on a “guerrilla mission,” they would later recall. Either way, the Russian mission was classic Bill Richardson.

Persons: That’s, Bill Richardson, Richardson, Trevor Reed, Reed’s, ”, Reed, Richardson’s, Biden, — Organizations: U.S, New, U.S . Marine, State Department Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, New Mexico, U.S, Russian

☆ Pope, in Mongolia, sends apparent message to China on Catholic aims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On his first working day in Mongolia, the government feted the pope with traditional events such a parade including men on horseback dressed as ancient Mongol warriors. Chow, who will be a made a cardinal by the pope this month, told reporters he hoped the Church in Hong Kong could be a "bridge Church" with mainland China. "This is the Church of the world, especially for the margins, and that is a good thing," Chow said. Outside the pope's meeting with Mongolian leaders, about two dozen Catholics from China waved red, five-starred Chinese flags. Reporting by Philip Pullella in Ulaanbaatar; Additional reporting by Joseph Campbell; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Jesus, Saints Peter, Paul, Virgin Mary, Hong, Archbishop Stephen Chow, Chow, Oyun, ALBERTO PIZZOLI, I’ve, It’s, I’m, ”, Yang Guang, Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Zuppi, Philip Pullella, Joseph Campbell, William Mallard Organizations: Catholic, Communist Party, Saints, Mongolia's, REUTERS Acquire, Catholic Church, of, Thomson Locations: ULAANBAATAR, China, Mongolia, Beijing, Vatican, British, Hong Kong, Ulaanbaatar, Asia, of Rome, Shanghai, Kyiv , Washington, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ China's Premier Li Qiang will attend ASEAN summit - foreign ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends a meeting with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 1 (Reuters) - China's Premier Li Qiang will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) being held Sept. 5-8, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday. While at the summit, Li will attend several meetings, including the East Asia Summit and a key meeting that includes Japan and South Korea. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Li Qiang, John Kerry, Florence Lo, Li, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: U.S, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, East Asia Summit, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Japan, South Korea

President Biden had bet that high-level dialogue could help manage an escalating rivalry over trade, technology and the status of Taiwan. After logging all those miles, the question now is whether China will reciprocate by sending senior Chinese ministers to Washington. The United States has publicly invited China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, but he has yet to accept. The last senior Chinese official to travel to Washington was China’s commerce minister, Wang Wentao, who visited in late May. China has much to gain from dispatching officials to the United States.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Janet L, John Kerry, Wang Yi, Wang Wentao, China’s, Xi Jinping Organizations: Taiwan, United Locations: China, Beijing, Washington, United States, San Francisco

☆ In surprise move, Canada pauses talks on trade treaty with India
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Canada on Friday unexpectedly said it had paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India, just three months after the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year. Canada and India have been talking off and on since 2010 about a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. India and Canada said in May they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year to increase trade and expand investment while setting out a mechanism to deal with disputes. Last month, a top Indian trade official said New Delhi planned to hold bilateral free trade talks with Canada and other nations on the sidelines of a G20 summit next week. Neither Trudeau's office or the office of Trade Minister Mary Ng were immediately available for comment.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Chris Helgren, we've, Sanjay Kumar Verma, Trudeau, Mary Ng, David Ljunggren, Jonathan Oatis, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Canada's, Seventh Assembly of, Global Environment, REUTERS, Rights, Canadian Press, Ottawa, Trade, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, India, New Delhi, Delhi

Together, experts say, these efforts aim to enhance China’s military reach, which currently includes only one operational overseas naval base in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. “It’s a question of when – not if – China will secure its next overseas military outpost,” he said. This photo taken on August 1, 2017, shows Chinese People's Liberation Army personnel attending the opening ceremony of China's new military base in Djibouti. The Hambantota commercial port in Sri Lanka has long been considered a prime candidate for a Chinese naval base. However, China’s path to developing permanent overseas bases, if indeed that is its aim, is not straightforward.

Persons: FDD, Craig Singleton, “, –, ”, Tea Banh, FDD’s Singleton, Tang Chhin Sothy, Singleton, Xi Jinping, Stringer, ” AidData, Stephen J, Townsend, ” Townsend, Bata, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Ken Ishii, ’, ” Singleton, China’s, Aaron Favila, Isaac Kardon, Kardon, ” Kardon, BlackSky Singleton, Rob Wittman, Fu Tian, Seth Moulton, ” Moulton, Martin Meiners Organizations: South Korea CNN, People’s Liberation Army Navy, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Ream, Base, CNN, China’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ream Naval Base, ” Cambodian Defense, Cambodian, Getty, Fleet, Communist Party, US, Liberation Army personnel, William & Mary University, Sri Lankan Navy, US Africa Command, Gabonese, of, Xinhua, Naval Research Academy, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, East China Seas, China, Control, Organization, Force, Strategic, International Studies, Defense Department, Chinese Communist Party, ”, Virginia Republican, The Defense Department, Qingdao Port, People's Liberation Army Navy, China News Service, America, Pentagon, US Defense Department Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, Beijing, Washington, Cambodia, Argentina, Cuba, Djibouti, of Africa, Africa, West Asia, Gulf, Thailand, United States, Preah Sihanouk, AFP, Horn of Africa, “, South, Taiwan, Virginia, —, Sri Lanka, Bata , Equatorial Guinea, Gwadar, Pakistan, Kribi, Cameroon, Ream, Vanuatu, Nacala, Mozambique, Nouakchott, Mauritania, Colombo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, West Africa, South China, East Asia, East, Asia, Washington In Washington, Nanchang, Qingdao, Shandong province, Massachusetts

☆ Keith Spicer, Canada’s Offbeat Envoy of Reconciliation, Dies at 89
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Sam Roberts | More About Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Keith Spicer, who as a spirited government official pushed his fellow Canadians to define their national identity and reconcile their bilingual heritage more than two centuries after the British defeated the French to capture Quebec, died on Aug. 24 in Ottawa. His death, in a hospital, was confirmed to The Canadian Press by Nick Spicer, one of his three children. Raised by Protestant parents who were anti-Catholic and anti-French, Mr. Spicer began his professional career as a political science professor before being drafted by two prime ministers into ombudsman’s jobs that more risk-averse Canadians might have rejected. One task was to get all Canadians to accept their country as officially bilingual; the other was hear them out if they complained about language mandates and other irritants.

Persons: Keith Spicer, Nick Spicer, Spicer Organizations: British, The Canadian Press, Catholic Locations: Quebec, Ottawa

CNN —The military junta in Niger has canceled the visa of the French ambassador and instructed police to expel him, after ordering the diplomat last week to leave the country. The police services have been instructed therefore to proceed with his expulsion.”The decision taken on August 25 regarding the ambassador’s accreditation is “irrevocable,” the junta added in the letter. French envoy Sylvain Itte was told to leave by the junta for refusing to attend a meeting scheduled with Niger’s foreign minister, including “other actions by the French government that are against Niger’s interest,” the Nigerien foreign ministry said last week. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Itte will not leave Niger, despite the expiration of the junta’s deadline for his departure. Up to 1,500 French soldiers are stationed in Niger, which has been a major partner of the French in the Sahel region.

Persons: ”, Sylvain Itte, “, Mohamed Bazoum, Emmanuel Macron, Itte Organizations: CNN, Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerien, Embassy, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Niger, French, France, Sahel

☆ Rare protests flare in regime-held Syria as Assad seeks international rehabilitation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The protests, which are taking place in areas governed by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, have so far shown no signs of abating. The Druze are Syria’s third largest religious minority making up 3% to 4% of the country’s population, according to Minority Rights Group International. While the largest protests are clustered around al-Sir Square in Suwayda city, other, smaller ones are scattered across the governorate, Marouf said. “If protests spread deeper into regime territories, those chances (of violent crackdown) will surge.”All eyes are on Assad’s next moves. If Assad attends, it would be his first appearance on the world stage since the start of the civil war in 2011.

Persons: Bashar al, disgruntlement, Assad, haven’t, ”, Charles Lister, ” Lister, “ Long, ” Rayan Marouf, Marouf, “, ” Marouf, Hafez, Syria’s, Geir Pedersen, Pedersen Organizations: CNN, Group, Middle East Institute, UN, Arab League, Sir, UN Security Council, Sky News, ISIS, Security, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Syria’s, Syria, Washington , DC, Russia, Iran, Suwayda governorate, Suwayda, Jaramana, Damascus, “, Idlib, Aleppo, United Arab, Dubai

☆ US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urges American businesses to keep investing in China (Analysis)
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urged American businesses to keep investing in China on Wednesday, even after saying some US firms had called the world’s second biggest economy “uninvestable.”Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce event in Shanghai, the secretary encouraged companies to continue expanding in the country. “The message is to continue to do what you’re doing,” Raimondo told executives. Eric Zheng, president of AmCham Shanghai, told CNN after Raimondo’s appearance that he had not been hearing the term “uninvestable” from businesses on the ground. “In order to be globally competitive, they have to be in this market despite all the challenges.”Warm wordsRaimondo is the first US commerce secretary to visit China in five years. Andy Wong/APThe issue highlights the tightrope the commerce secretary is walking.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, ” Raimondo, Raimondo, Aly Song, ”, Wang Wenbin, Li Qiang, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Eric Zheng, Andy Wong, Wang Wentao, Lifeng, Yellen, Foreign busineses, Chen Jining, Nazak Nikakhtar, Trump, Zheng, “, —, Jadyn Sham, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — US, American, of, Reuters, Shanghai, Biden, CNN, Covid, US Commerce Department, US Department of Commerce, Foreign, Department, Department of Commerce Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, Beijing, United States, decouple, “

☆ In China, Raimondo says US will prioritise national security, does not seek decoupling
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Andy Wong/Pool via REUTERS/ Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The United States will put national security concerns first but does not seek to decouple from China, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told China's Vice Premier He Lifeng at a meeting on Tuesday. "While we will never compromise in protecting our national security, I want to be clear that we will never seek to decouple or hold China's economy back," Raimondo said during opening remarks in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. A confidant of President Xi Jinping, He took up the post of China's economy tsar in March, having earlier run the powerful state planner. Earlier on Tuesday, Raimondo and Tourism Minister Hu Hepin agreed to hold the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit in China in the first half of 2024. Such an exchange offered a platform to reduce misunderstandings of U.S. national security policies, Raimondo said on Monday, but added, "We are not compromising or negotiating on matters of national security.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Andy Wong, Biden, " Raimondo, Xi Jinping, Liu, Raimondo, Hu Hepin, Walt Disney, Matthew Axelrod, Xie Feng, Wang Wentao, Xie, Wang, David Shepardson, Joe Cash, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: . Commerce, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Harvard, U.S . Tourism Leadership Summit, Commerce Department, United, Walt, Shendi, Twitter, Intel, Micron, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, United States, decouple, Beijing's, U.S, Seattle, Shanghai, Washington

☆ US companies are finding China increasingly 'uninvestible', commerce secretary Gina Raimondo says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US companies are finding China increasingly "uninvestible", according to commerce secretary Gina Raimondo. "Increasingly I hear from businesses, China is uninvestible because it's become too risky," she said, according to Bloomberg. And then there's a whole new set of concerns, the sum total of which is making China feel too risky for them to invest," Raimondo added. AdvertisementAdvertisementUS firms are contending with new anti-spying laws introduced by Xi Jinping's Politburo, as well as more competition from state-funded Chinese companies. "It doesn't mean when we talk, I'm going to compromise or concede," Raimondo added.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, They're, Raimondo, it's, they've, Xi Jinping's, State Anthony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Joe Biden's, John Kerry Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Xi Jinping's Politburo, State Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Beijing, Shanghai, outflows

CNN —France’s ambassador to Niger is staying put in the West African country in defiance of an ultimatum by its military rulers ordering his exit within 48 hours on Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Itte will not leave Niger, despite the expiration of the junta’s deadline. Up to 1,500 French soldiers are stationed in Niger, which has been a major partner of the French in the Sahel region. “As already expressed, the European Union does not and will not recognize the authorities resulting from the putsch in Niger,” Massrali added. Also at the weekend, pro-junta demonstrators, mostly nationals of neighboring Benin and Burkina Faso thronged the streets to express support for Niger’s military administration.

Persons: CNN —, Sylvain Itte, Emmanuel Macron, Itte, Macron, ”, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Monday, “, Nabila Massrali, Massrali Organizations: CNN, Nigerien, European Union, EU, Niger, ECOWAS Locations: Niger, West, ” France, France, Sahel, European, ., Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali

☆ US commerce chief meets Chinese premier in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng head to their seats for a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, August, 29, 2023. Andy Wong/Pool via REUTERS/ Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met China's Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, her second full day of talks with top Chinese leaders on balancing business ties and national security concerns. Earlier on Tuesday, Raimondo told China's economy tsar and her direct counterpart, He Lifeng, that the U.S. does not seek to decouple from its geopolitical rival. A confidant of President Xi Jinping, He took up the post of China's economy tsar in March, having earlier run the powerful state planner. Such an exchange offered a platform to reduce misunderstandings of U.S. national security policies, Raimondo said on Monday, but added, "We are not compromising or negotiating on matters of national security.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Andy Wong, China's, Li Qiang, Raimondo, Biden, Xi Jinping, Liu, Hu Hepin, Walt Disney, Matthew Axelrod, Xie Feng, Wang Wentao, Xie, Wang, David Shepardson, Joe Cash, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: . Commerce, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Harvard, U.S . Tourism Leadership Summit, Commerce Department, United, Walt, Shendi, Twitter, Intel, Micron, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, U.S, Seattle, United States, Shanghai, Washington

The United States and China on Monday agreed to hold regular conversations about commercial issues and restrictions on access to advanced technology, the latest step this summer toward reducing tensions between the world’s two largest economies. The announcement came during a visit to Beijing by Gina Raimondo, the U.S. commerce secretary, who is meeting with senior Chinese officials in Beijing and Shanghai this week. The agreement to hold regular discussions is the latest move toward rebuilding frayed links between the two countries, a process that had already begun during three trips in the past 10 weeks by senior American officials: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and John Kerry, the president’s climate envoy. “I think it’s a very good sign that we agreed to concrete dialogue, and I would say, more than just kind of nebulous commitments to continue to talk, this is an official channel,” Ms. Raimondo said in an interview after four hours of negotiations with China’s commerce minister, Wang Wentao.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Antony J, Blinken, Janet L, Yellen, John Kerry, “, Ms, Raimondo, Wang Wentao Locations: States, China, Beijing, U.S, Shanghai

☆ Libyan PM sacks foreign minister as row over Israel meeting grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Libyan Foreign Minister Najla el-Mangoush attends a joint press conference at the conclusion of the Libya Stabilization Conference, in Tripoli, Libya, October 21, 2021. Mangoush had said her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome was unplanned and informal, but an Israeli official told Reuters it had lasted two hours and was approved "at the highest levels in Libya". The meeting is contentious because Libya does not formally recognise Israel and there is widespread public support across the Libyan political spectrum for the Palestinian cause of creating an independent state in territory Israel occupies. The Libya prime minister sees Israel as a possible bridge to the West and the U.S. administration," the official said. Libya's parliament based in the east, which rejects the GNU, said on Sunday it would hold hearings into the meeting with the Israeli minister.

Persons: Najla, Mangoush, Hazem Ahmed, Najla Mangoush, Eli Cohen, Abdulhamid, Muammar Gaddafi, Cohen, Antonio Tajani, Dbeibah, Libya's, Abraham, Francesco Galietti, Giorgia Meloni, Dan Williams, Francesca Landini, Gavin Jones, Angus McDowall, James Mackenzie, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich, Conor Humphries Organizations: Libyan Foreign, Libya Stabilization Conference, REUTERS, Rome Israeli, Israeli, Reuters, Protesters, Libya's Foreign, Palestinian, Libyan, U.S, United Arab, Abraham Accords, of National Unity, GNU, UAE, High State Council, Dbeibah, Italian, Thomson Locations: Libya, Tripoli, Rome, TRIPOLI, JERUSALEM, Israel, Benghazi, Italian, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, United States, Dbeibah's, Reuters Libya, Jerusalem

☆ Iran says U.S. should explain links to convicted dual national Sharmahd
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Iranian and U.S. flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The United States should explain its links to the Iranian-German national Jamshid Sharmahd sentenced to death in Iran, Tehran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, adding that progress had been made in a prisoner swap deal with Washington. Sharmahd, who also has U.S. residency, was sentenced to death by an Iranian Revolutionary court in February on charges of "corruption on earth". His daughter has urged Washington not to exclude Sharmahd from the developing prisoner exchange deal between the United States and Iran, under which $6 billion in Iranian funds in South Korea would also be unfrozen. Reporting by Dubai newsroom; writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jamshid Sharmahd, Nasser Kanaani's, Abram Paley, Sharmahd, Kanaani, Parisa, Andrew Cawthorne, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Iranian, REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, Dubai, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, German, Iran, Washington, Iranian, South Korea, Islamic Republic, Qatar, Oman

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