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E-commerce app Temu is taking on the larger Shein by selling cheap Chinese-made goods to Western consumers. The company owned by $119 billion PDD (PDD.O) is more like an online dollar store. Moreover, Temu offers generous discounts and free or subsidised shipping to users. Parent company PDD, whose Pinduoduo e-commerce unit competes with Alibaba (9988.HK) and JD.com (9618.HK) in China, discloses little about its overseas business. Temu offers everything from home appliances to electronics to toys, making it more of a direct competitor to Amazon.

Persons: Shein, Breakingviews, Temu, PDD, Bernstein, Peter Thal Larsen, Aditya Munjuluru, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, United States, Wall Street, Temu, Bloomberg, HK, PDD, Thomson, & $ Locations: HONG KONG, Western, China, U.S, United States, Shein

☆ Foreign ships, aircraft in East and South China Seas escalating tensions - China's defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 29 (Reuters) - The frequent dispatch of ships and aircraft by certain unnamed countries to "show off their military force for self-interest" has raised tensions in the East and South China Seas, China's defence ministry said on Saturday. In comments about a Japanese defence report flagging Chinese threats, ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said the actions have seriously aggravated regional tensions, even as overall situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea was generally stable. Tan said Japan's annual defence paper projected a "wrong perception" of China, and "deliberately exaggerates the so-called Chinese military threat". Japan released its annual defence paper last week, offering a gloomy assessment of the threat of China's territorial ambitions, its security partnership with Russia and a belligerent North Korea. In December, Japan announced doubling its defence spending over the next five years, undertaking its biggest military build-up since World War Two.

Persons: Tan Kefei, Tan, Liz Lee, Lincoln Organizations: South China, East China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, East, South, South China, China, Tokyo, Japan, Taiwan Strait, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ Niger coup leaders dissolve govt, declare Tiani head of state
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Moussa Aksar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NIAMEY, July 28 (Reuters) - Leaders of the coup in Niger declared General Abdourahamane Tiani as the new head of state on Friday, and said they had suspended the constitution and dissolved all former institutions after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum. He represents the state of Niger in international relations," an officer said, reading out a statement. African countries, Western powers, regional and international organizations have reacted with alarm to the coup in Niger, insisting that Bazoum be freed and constitutional order restored. Niger borders three countries - Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad - that have also experienced military coups in the last two years. Niger so far has held them off better than Mali and Burkina Faso, where violence has only worsened since the military coups.

Persons: Abdourahamane Tiani, Mohamed Bazoum, Tiani, Bazoum, Josep Borrell, Kamala Harris, Boris Pistorius, Bate Felix, Anait, Nellie Peyton, John Stonestreet, Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie Organizations: National Council, Bazoum, REUTERS, Islamic, West African States, European Union, United, European, EU, German, Spiegel, Thomson Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, France, Niamey, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West Africa's, Nigeria, Guinea, United States, Africa, EU, Germany, Italy

“In the age of AI, where data is the new oil, China is the new Saudi Arabia”, venture capitalist Lee Kai-fu declared in 2018. Washington may soon tighten export restrictions to China by targeting AI semiconductors, according to the Wall Street Journal. A slowing economy and brutal price war in the fiercely competitive cloud market will only make monetising AI products harder. China’s AI moment has arrived, only with far less promise than initially hoped. China wants to become a world leader in AI by 2030, according to a 2017 roadmap released by the State Council.

Persons: Lee Kai, OpenAI's, Xi Jinping, Goldman Sachs, Robin Li, Baidu’s, Bernstein, SenseTime, Xi, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Saudi Arabia ”, OpenAI's ChatGPT, European Union, Baidu, HK, Nasdaq, Washington, Wall Street, Nvidia, AMD, Microsoft, CloudWalk Technology, Cyberspace Administration, China, State, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Republic, Saudi Arabia, United States, Beijing, York, Shanghai

July 27 (Reuters) - Royal Caribbean Group (RCL.N) raised its full-year profit forecast on Thursday, betting on higher ticket prices and resilient demand for leisure travel from affluent customers, sending shares surging. Royal Caribbean's shares were up 8.1% at $109.01 in premarket trading as it also forecast third-quarter adjusted profit above estimates. The company expects an adjusted profit between $3.38 and $3.48 per share in the third quarter, compared with estimates of $2.89 per share. Royal Caribbean expects annual adjusted profit between $6.00 and $6.20 per share, compared with its earlier forecast of $4.40 to $4.80 per share. Shares of rival operators Carnival Corp and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings rallied in tandem following Royal Caribbean's results, gaining 5.2% and 4.7%, respectively.

Persons: Caribbean's, Jason Liberty, Granth, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Royal Caribbean Group, Royal Caribbean, Carnival Corp, Cruise Line Holdings, Thomson Locations: Royal Caribbean, Bengaluru

STOCKHOLM/FRANKFURT, July 27 (Reuters) - Sweden has the financial muscle to intervene to stem any fire sale of property from companies rushing to sell out, the head of the country's debt agency told Reuters on Thursday. Karolina Ekholm, Director General at the Debt Office, said the government had a light debt load and could afford to borrow more to intervene to buoy the property sector should a threat emerge to wider financial stability. High debts, rising interest rates and a wilting economy has produced a toxic cocktail for Sweden's commercial property companies, with several cut to junk by rating agencies. The former central bank official pointed to the government's financial clout and that it could issue debt in either euros or U.S. dollars. "It would have to be something that threatens financial stability in Sweden and so far we haven't seen any of that."

Persons: Karolina Ekholm, Ekholm, Conor Humphries Organizations: Reuters, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, AAA, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, FRANKFURT, Sweden

☆ UK university marking strike leaves thousands of students stuck in limbo
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Kylie Maclellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A spokesperson for Britain's Home Office said international students without results can request a letter of confirmation from their sponsor or return to their home country and apply for another student visa. The University of Edinburgh said 27% of final year students had not received their degree at the time of graduation. International students pay much more, providing a vital source of income. Research published by Universities UK International in May found the 2021/22 intake of international students contributed 41.9 billion pounds to the UK economy. "Every year, universities in the UK are depending more and more on the finances of international students," said Hendricks.

Persons: Maja Smiejkowska, Amelia Dias, Dias, Anna Hendricks, Ailsa Watt, Watt, Gillian Keegan, Hendricks, Kylie MacLellan, Jan Harvey Organizations: London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, REUTERS, University of Edinburgh, Colleges Employers Association, University and College Union, National Union of Students, University of Cambridge, University, Scottish, International, British Council, Times Higher, Higher Education Statistics Agency, Universities UK International, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Edinburgh, British, Florida, Spanish, Shanghai

☆ China is erasing mention of Qin Gang's time as foreign minister, but it still hasn't said why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —Five weeks ago, the world watched as China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing for high stakes talks between the two powers. Qin’s whereabouts, the reason for his removal, and his ultimate fate as a member of China’s Communist Party all remain unknown. Unanswered questions about official decision-making are standard in China, where the political system is notoriously opaque and has only become more so under Chinese leader Xi Jinping. But it also suggests that the cause must be grave for (Qin) to be removed,” she added. ‘Safe hands’The Foreign Ministry shake-up comes at a particularly sensitive time in China’s international relations.

Persons: Qin Gang, Antony Blinken, –, Qin, Wang Yi, Wang, Xi Jinping ., they’ve, Xi, ”, Yun Sun, …, Neil Thomas, Bonnie Glaser, Marshall Fund’s, hashtags, Li Mingjiang, Blinken, “ I’ve, I’ve, ” Blinken, “, ” Wang, China’s, Vladimir Putin, Asia Society’s Thomas, Victor Shih Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, China’s Foreign Ministry, China’s Communist Party, Xi Jinping . Senior, China Program, Communist Party, Politics, Asia Society, Center for, Foreign, Weibo, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, University of California San, Century China Center Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Washington, Center for China, United States, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Jakarta, Moscow, Asia, University of California San Diego’s

Risk factors usually flag uncertainties in how Chinese laws are interpreted and enforced as well as the government's "substantial oversight and influence" over businesses. Chinese regulators want those boilerplate disclosures dropped; if not, offshore listing applications could be denied approval. Trying to appease both American and Chinese regulators will get tougher. On Friday, Chinese regulators held a rare meeting with KKR (KKR.N), Blackstone (BX.N), Carlyle (CG.O) and others to ensure they can continue to invest in the country. China's new offshore listing rules came into effect on March 31.

Persons: Didi Global, underwriters Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Carlyle, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Global, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, underwriters, JPMorgan, KKR, Blackstone, Bloomberg, Communist Party, China Securities Regulatory Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Hong Kong, United States, New York, China

☆ China's Qin Gang had meteoric rise and swift removal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Born in the northern city of Tianjin in 1966, Qin studied International Politics at one of China's most prestigious schools for aspiring diplomats, the University of International Relations in Beijing. After graduating, Qin entered the diplomatic service, working in several jobs at the foreign ministry as well as postings at the Chinese Embassy in Britain. Qin was twice foreign ministry spokesman, between 2006 and 2014, and chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, overseeing many of Xi's interactions with foreign leaders. After becoming foreign minister, Qin's comments on hot button issues such as Taiwan and China's relations with Russia did not diverge in any significant way from those of his predecessor. In his first comments as foreign minister, Qin said in solving challenges common to all mankind, China's diplomacy would offer "Chinese wisdom, Chinese initiatives and Chinese strength".

Persons: Qin Gang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Wang Yi, Qin, Britain . Qin, Antony Blinken, Wang, Yew Lun Tian, Martin Quin Pollard, Rob Birsel, Nick Macfie Organizations: Foreign, University of International Relations, Embassy, Washington, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Tianjin, Beijing, Britain ., United States, Washington, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Africa, Europe, Ukraine, China, American, U.S

☆ China and the US are talking -- but can they work together?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Beijing views Washington as bent on suppressing its development and global rise, while Washington has proclaimed the need to protect its national security and the world order from an increasingly authoritarian and assertive China. Washington last year imposed sweeping curbs on exports of critical technology to China in the name of security, and Beijing has responded with export controls of its own. China has refused US overtures to restore those ties, apparently until Washington removes sanctions against its defense minister Li Shangfu. US climate envoy John Kerry during a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in the Great Hall of the People on July 18, 2023 in Beijing, China. But all this doesn’t mean there’s no room to work together, according to Shanghai-based international relations scholar Shen Dingli.

Persons: Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Li Qiang, Wang Yi, –, ”, Chong Ja Ian, “, Suisheng Zhao, Kerry, Wang, ” Yellen, Li, Li Shangfu, Shi Yinhong, Florence Lo, Shen Dingli, ” Shen, Shen, Blinken, ” Blinken, Xi, Qin Gang, Yun Sun, Chong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Washington, US, Treasury, National University of Singapore, US Air Force, Air Force, South Carolina . U.S . Air Force, Department of Defense, Reuters, Center for, Cooperation, University of Denver, China’s Communist Party, Renmin University, of, CNN, ”, Economic Cooperation, Foreign, China Program, Stimson, “ Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, United States, China, Taiwan, Bali, —, South Carolina . U.S, Washington, Center for China, South, Shanghai, Asia, Singapore

☆ West Virginia’s Redneck Army Refuses to Stay Buried - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Cassady Rosenblum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Today Blair Mountain is just that: a mountain. While many battlefields are the object of exhaustive study and veneration — places and times when power wobbled and blood was shed — Blair Mountain is still largely unexplored. Despite a burst of recent interest, for most West Virginians, the story of Blair Mountain barely even exists. My family has lived more or less continuously in West Virginia since our patriarch, John Hinkle, settled his brood near Seneca Rocks around 1760. By the 2020 census, West Virginia had shrunk enough to lose one of its three congressional seats, partially because people keep fleeing.

Persons: Blair, John Hinkle, Ken Hechler, Joe Manchin Organizations: —, Army, West Virginians, Big Branch Locations: West Virginia, Seneca Rocks, Washington, Chicago

STOCKHOLM, July 20 (Reuters) - Sweden-based automaker Volvo Cars (VOLCARb.ST) reported a 54% fall in second-quarter operating earnings on Thursday as the year-ago period's profit was boosted by a one-off gain, and it forecast healthy demand for its vehicles despite pricing pressures. Volvo Cars, majority-owned by China's Geely Holding (GEELY.UL), said earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) fell to 5.0 billion Swedish crowns ($488.62 million) from a year-ago 10.8 billion. Volvo said its sales performance was driven by improved production output and that it expected supply and demand to continue to normalise in the wider markets. The company added that the normalisation would bring some additional pricing pressures, but that demand for its cars were expected to be healthy despite high interest rates squeezing its customers and overall market. Volvo reiterated its guidance of solid double-digit growth in retail sales for the full year.

Persons: China's Geely, Refinitiv, Marie Mannes, Anna Ringstrom, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Volvo, China's, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Sweden, China, Gothenburg

[1/4] President and CEO of AB Volvo Martin Lundstedt is seen on the day of the presentation of Volvo Group's Q2 2023 earnings report, in Gothenburg, Sweden, July 19, 2023. Adam Ihse/TT News Agency/via REUTERSCompanies Volvo AB FollowSTOCKHOLM, July 19 (Reuters) - Swedish truckmaker AB Volvo (VOLVb.ST) on Wednesday logged a better-than-expected 57% jump in second-quarter adjusted operating profit, helped by price hikes. "We have been successful in improving margins while managing cost inflation and increased disturbances in the supply chain," Chief Executive Martin Lundstedt said in a statement. Operating profit before restructuring charges and legal claims surged to 21.7 billion crowns ($2.1 billion), beating a Refinitiv consensus estimate of 18.4 billion crowns. Reporting by Marie Mannes; editing by Anna Ringstrom, Jason Neely and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Volvo Martin Lundstedt, Adam Ihse, Martin Lundstedt, Lundstedt, Marie Mannes, Anna Ringstrom, Jason Neely, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Volvo, TT, Agency, REUTERS Companies Volvo, STOCKHOLM, truckmaker, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Gothenburg, Sweden, Europe, North America, Stockholm

☆ The dollar won't be threatened by a multipolar geopolitical order, think tank expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Geopolitics won't diminish the dominance of the US dollar, the Atlantic Council's Carla Norrlöf wrote. Though sanctions have discouraged dollar reserves, they also may prompt them to grow. Meanwhile, talk of a rising multi-polar world order are confusing and imprecise. But, what often gets overlooked is that the conditions that prompted these sanctions can also induce a diversification into dollars, Norrlöf wrote. Even if these efforts were enough to crash the dollar's unipolar hold on trade, Norrlöf further points out that there is very little consensus on what would actually follow.

Persons: Carla Norrlöf, Norrlöf's, —, Norrlöf Organizations: Service, Atlantic Council, Project Syndicate Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, China, Ukraine

☆ Thailand's Parliament is about to pick a new prime minister — and a generation's hopes are at stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat addresses supporters ahead of the July 13 parliamentary vote to elect Thailand's next prime minister, in front of Central World in Bangkok on July 9, 2023. The installation of Wan Noor as a compromise candidate after second-placed party Pheu Thai had objected to Move Forward's choice, was just the beginning. "It puts the Pheu Thai Party in an advantageous position if Mr Pita fails to get sufficient votes from the senators to back him as prime minister." Limjaroenrat needs 376 votes to become prime minister. Pictured in this May 18 photograph are (from left) Sudarat Keyuraphan, leader of the Thai Sang Thai Party; Pita Limjaroenrat, prime minister candidate and leader of the Move Forward Party; and Cholnan Srikaew, leader of Pheu Thai Party.

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat, Thailand's, Tananchai, Wan, —, Party —, Limjaroenrat —, Prayut Chan, Wan Noor, Thai, Mr Wan, Syetarn Hansakul, Mr Pita, it's, Sudarat Keyuraphan, Cholnan Srikaew, Forward's, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Prapanth Koonmee, Nomura, EIU's, Limjaroenrat, Napon Jatusripitak, ISEAS, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Thaksin Shinawatra, — he's, Pheu, Thaksin, He's, he's, Pavin Chachavalpongpun Organizations: Forward Party, Afp, Getty, Thailand's, Representatives, Party, Harvard, Thai Party, Economist Intelligence Unit, National Assembly, Thai Sang, Pheu Thai Party, Limjaroenrat's, ISEAS Yusof, Institute, Chulalongkorn University, CNBC, Prachachat Party, Kyoto University's Center, Southeast Asian Studies, Thai Lawyers for Human Locations: Bangkok, Thai, Thai Sang Thai, Thailand, Singapore, Thai Rak Thai

[1/5] Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivers her opening remarks during a retreat session of the 56th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Minister's Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/PoolJAKARTA, July 12 (Reuters) - ASEAN foreign ministers on Wednesday called for regional unity in addressing an intensifying conflict in Myanmar, amid doubts over the bloc's capability to implement a two-year-old peace process that has yet to get off the ground. Retno's remarks come after a Thai-led meeting last month attended by Myanmar's military leaders who have been barred from high-level ASEAN meetings. Most ASEAN members shunned that meeting, which Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai defended, saying Thailand was suffering in terms of its border, trade and refugee problems. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Wednesday said the agreed peace plan should remain ASEAN's focus.

Persons: Retno Marsudi, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Suu Kyi, Rizal Sukma, Sukma, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty, Michael Perry Organizations: Indonesian, 56th Association of Southeast Asian Nations, REUTERS, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesia's, United Nations, Thai Foreign, Centre, Strategic, International Studies, Friday's East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, JAKARTA, Myanmar, ASEAN, Thai, Thailand, Aung San Suu, China, Philippines, Vietnam, South China, Friday's, United States, Russia

☆ China has a new foreign relations law. Here's what it means for business
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesBEIJING — For foreign businesses in China, geopolitics hold more sway than new Chinese laws, according to analysts. Two new laws, one on espionage and the other on foreign relations, took effect July 1. In strictly legal terms, however, the legislative changes themselves don't increase the risk for foreign businesses in China, said Jeremy Daum, senior fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center. The website's translation of the Foreign Relations Law notes that foreign organizations in China "must not endanger China's national security, harm the societal public interest, or undermine societal public order." A House committee delegation discussed China business in their meeting with executives of high-profile U.S. tech and media companies in California in April.

Persons: Jeremy Daum, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai, Antony Blinken's, Michael House, Perkins, Daum, Mintz, It's, Alex Liang Anjie, Michael Hart, he's, Hart, Janet Yellen, Jens Eskelund, Alex Liang Organizations: Visual China, Getty, Yale Law, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, U.S, China, Foreign Relations, Mintz Group, Bain, Capvision Partners, Reuters, American Chamber of Commerce, Treasury, Companies, EU Chamber of Commerce Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Washington, U.S, Shanghai, California, Broad

Erdogan's ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin have weighed on Turkey's relations with its traditional Western allies for years, along with other factors including concern over his increasingly autocratic rule. "Turkey doesn't want the Turkish-Russian relationship to be badly hurt, but this will inevitably have an impact on relations. Ankara has been important to Moscow as Erdogan has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine invasion. 'ROSE-TINTED SPECTACLES'The Kremlin said it intended to develop relations with Turkey "despite all the disagreements". In 2009, Cyprus blocked six out of the 35 chapters Turkey must conclude as part of its EU accession negotiations.

Persons: Erdogan, Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Dalay, Washington, Biden, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Evren Balta, Orhan Coskun, Tom Perry, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: NATO Russian, NATO, Western, Analysts, Ukraine, Chatham, VISA, Turkish, Reuters, Kremlin, Russia, European Union, EU, Union, Ozyegin University, Thomson Locations: Sweden, Turkey, Washington, ANKARA, ISTANBUL, U.S, Russia, Ukraine, Ankara, Moscow, Turkish, NATO, Republic of Turkey, Europe, Cyprus

REUTERS/Kim... Read moreLONDON/WASHINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) - When it comes to taking stock of global emissions, there's an elephant in the room: the world's armed forces. NATO, the 31-country Western security alliance, for example, told Reuters it has created a methodology for its members to report their military emissions. And Washington sent U.S. Army and Navy representatives to the COP27 climate summit in Egypt last year, the first time a Pentagon delegation has attended the global climate summit. Ukraine's environment ministry spokesperson said it supports the efforts and would seek backing from governments at COP28 for more transparent military emissions reporting. In the meantime, global military emissions will remain poorly understood, said Stuart Parkinson, executive director of the group Scientists for Global Responsibility.

Persons: Kim, Queen Mary, Axel Michaelowa, Meredith Berger, Neta Crawford, Deborah Burton, Lennard, Klerk, James Appathurai, Markus Ruelke, Stuart Parkinson, Sarah McFarlane, Valerie Volcovici, Sabine Siebold, Richard Valdmanis, David Clarke Organizations: REUTERS, Observatory, United Arab Emirates, UNFCCC, COP28, NATO, Reuters, Washington, U.S . Army, Pentagon, U.S . Navy, The, U.S . Defence Logistics Agency, U.S . Department of Defense, Oxford University, Oxford, Queen Mary University of London, Scientists, Global, Thomson Locations: South Korea, U.S, Pocheon, WASHINGTON, Kyoto, Paris, Lancaster, Oxford, Dubai, UAE, Zealand, Britain, Germany, Egypt, The U.S, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Singapore, Switzerland, Syria, COP28, Berlin

☆ Yellen's China trip yields long meetings, 'cordial' tone, but no consensus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The accomplishment of the meeting was the meeting itself, not specific issues," said Scott Kennedy, a China economics expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. A senior U.S. Treasury official accompanying Yellen on her first trip to China as secretary described it as "respectful, frank and constructive," adding: "She was warmly received." Her meeting on Saturday with He, China's new economic czar, was scheduled for two hours but lasted five, followed by a "cordial" dinner, the official said. In the meantime, Yellen said the talks set the stage for more frequent U.S.-China communications at the staff level about economic issues, including areas of disagreement. A possible venue for this would be the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Lifeng, Scott Kennedy, Premier Li Qiang, Pan Gongsheng, Joe Biden's, Jake Colvin, Hong Hao, Hong, Colvin, Biden, John Kerry, Gina Raimondo, Xi Jinping, Wang Yiwei, David Lawder, Andrea Shalal, Ryan Woo, Ellen Zhang, Qiaoyi Li, Stephen Coates Organizations: . Treasury, U.S, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Global Times, Treasury, Premier, People's Bank of China, National Foreign Trade Council, Grow Investment, . Commerce, Renmin University, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Washington, China's, U.S, United States, Hong Kong, Asia, San Francisco, Anchorage , Alaska

☆ Spain 2023 election: PM Sanchez and rival Feijoo in chaotic live TV debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Spanish People's Party candidate Alberto Nunez Feijoo and Spain's Prime Minister and Socialist candidate Pedro Sanchez talk before a televised debate ahead of snap election in Madrid, Spain, July 10, 2023. With just under two weeks to go until the vote, opinion polls predict Feijoo as the likely winner, although he would probably need the support of far-right party Vox. Sanchez highlighted that Spain is among only a few European countries that has tamed inflation to below the European Central Bank's 2% target by 2023. Feijoo himself was recently pilloried for saying a Vox electoral candidate convicted of gender violence had a "hard divorce". Feijoo told Sanchez: "Those men who raped in the street are in the street because of you - there are more than 1,000 of them."

Persons: Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Pedro Sanchez, Juan Medina MADRID, gesticulating, Maria Jose Canel, Sanchez, Feijoo, Vox, Feijoo's, EH, Jose Miguel Contreras, Madrid's King, Madrid's King Juan Carlos University, Belen Carreno, Corina Rodriguez, Aislinn Laing, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Spanish People's Party, Spain's, Socialist, REUTERS, People's Party, Madrid's Complutense University, Socialists, AS, Central, Vox, Madrid's, Madrid's King Juan, Atresmedia, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Ukraine, Basque

☆ China's top-ranking diplomat told Japan and South Korea their people can dye their hair blonde and make their noses sharper but that they'll 'never become Westerners,' urging them to work with Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China's top diplomat Wang Yi reminded Japanese and South Koreans of their ethnicity. "It doesn't matter how much you dye your hair blonde, how sharp you make your nose, you'll never become Europeans or Americans. You'll never become Westerners," Wang Yi told South Korean and Japanese guests at a conference in Qingdao on Monday. "We have to know where our roots are," the diplomat said, according to a recording of the conversation shared by Chinese media. Most Europeans and Americans aren't able to tell Chinese, Japanese, or Korean people apart, Wang added.

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, —, you'll, You'll, aren't, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken Organizations: Service, South, Trilateral Cooperation, White, Washington Locations: South, Japan, South Korea, Beijing, Qingdao, China, Taiwan, Washington, Asia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar

[1/6] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, Thursday, July 6, 2023. Both sides are sceptical that Yellen's visit will be able to take much heat out of U.S.-China ties, however, with officials accepting that both countries have placed safeguarding national security above economic ties. Yellen will address "unfair" practices by China, including recent punitive actions against U.S. firms and market access barriers, the official added. On Friday she will meet China's Premier Li Qiang and former economy tsar Liu He, who is widely seen as a close confidant of President Xi Jinping. They come ahead of a possible meeting between President Joe Biden and Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering scheduled for November in San Francisco.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Yellen, Nicholas Burns, Li Qiang, Liu He, Xi Jinping, Wang Huiyao, Yellen's, Zhu Feng, Xie Feng, Trump, Wu Xinbo, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Xi, Yew Lun Tian, Andrea Shalal, Joe Cash, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: . Treasury, Beijing Capital International Airport, REUTERS, U.S, Center for, Nanjing University, Global Times, Fudan University, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, REUTERS BEIJING, U.S, Center for China, United States, Russia, Washington, Asia, San Francisco

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