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Two lawmakers with knowledge of the exports and two former officials said the approvals reflected Britain’s increased willingness to support Taiwan. One of the lawmakers, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said authorising the export licences amounted to giving a "green light" to better equip Taiwan. It shows the government authorised 25 export licences to Taiwan during the first nine months of 2022 under the categories "components for submarines" and "technology for submarines." Taiwan has for decades been unable to buy conventional submarines from other countries because of their concerns of angering China. Asked about the decision to approve the increase in export licences, the official said: "You just don't do something like this without thinking through the implications very carefully."

☆ Saudi Arabia-Iran Pact Marks Setback to Israel’s Efforts to Counter Tehran
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Shayndi Raice | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM—Saudi Arabia’s surprise agreement to renew diplomatic relations with Iran marks a significant blow to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s key foreign-policy goal: creating a regional alliance built around isolating Iran. Mr. Netanyahu has long led the charge to garner international support for isolating Iran and halting its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. Israel views Iran as its primary global foe due to its support for proxy militias across the Middle East that target Israel, such as Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Gaza-based Hamas, both designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S.

☆ Nicaragua closes Vatican embassy in Managua, Nicaraguan embassy to Vatican
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A bishop sprinkles water on the catholic parishioners at the Metropolitan Cathedral, as a suspension of diplomatic ties between Nicaragua and the Vatican has been proposed according to a Nicaragua's foreign ministry statement, in Managua, Nicaragua March 12, 2023. REUTERS/StringerVATICAN CITY, March 12 (Reuters) - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has ordered the closure of the Vatican Embassy in Managua and that of the Nicaraguan Embassy to the Vatican in Rome, a senior Vatican source said on Sunday. Nicaragua signalled that the move, which came a few days after Pope Francis compared the Nicaraguan government to a dictatorship, was "a suspension" of diplomatic relations. The Vatican source said that while the closures do not automatically mean a total break of relations between Managua and the Holy See, they are serious steps towards that possibility. A year ago, the Vatican protested to Nicaragua over the effective expulsion of its ambassador, saying the unilateral action was unjustified and incomprehensible.

☆ Nicaragua closes Vatican embassy in Managua, Nicaraguan embassy to Vatican - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Iran's behaviour will be under microscope in coming months, say Saudi columnists
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RIYADH, March 12 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will watch Iran's behaviour during the two-month window agreed upon to restore relations, Saudi columnists said on Sunday, reflecting continued wariness in the longtime rivalry between the region's Sunni Muslim and Shi'ite powers. Gulf states have grown increasingly disillusioned with key ally and security guarantor the United States, including over global powers' 2015 nuclear pact with Iran which they deemed flawed for not tackling Iran's missile programme and proxies. "It is natural to have diplomatic ties even if at a low level because Iran's expansionist approach has created many touch points with Saudi Arabia....(But) we have to keep our eyes open," wrote Saudi columnist Tariq al-Homayed. The United States has voiced reservations about deepening ties between Gulf states and its economic rival China, whose president attended a Gulf summit in Riyadh last year at a time of severe strains in the strategic U.S.-Saudi relationship. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have repeatedly said they are looking to diversify their strategic partners while pressing Washington for concrete commitments to regional security.

In Tehran, a man holds a newspaper with news of Iran and Saudi Arabia’s agreement to re-establish diplomatic relations. China’s brokering of a détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia accelerates a geopolitical realignment in the Middle East, as rivalries that erupted during the Arab Spring fade and outside powers besides the U.S. vie for influence. The restoration of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh, announced Friday in Beijing after years of enmity between the two capitals, reflects the new reality: With Washington increasingly preoccupied in Ukraine and Asia, the region is trying to move past its old divisions, resolving conflicts and easing tensions.

☆ Saudi Arabia, Iran Restore Relations in Deal Brokered by China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Stephen Kalin | Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Under the agreement, Iran and Saudi Arabia will reopen their embassies within two months. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations Friday in a deal brokered by China, ending seven years of estrangement and jolting the geopolitical alignment of the Middle East. The deal, which comes after other unsuccessful attempts by Iraq and others to mend fences, marks a diplomatic victory for Beijing in a region where the U.S. has long dominated geopolitics.

☆ Reaction to Iran and Saudi Arabia resuming ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

STATEMENT ISSUED BY IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA AND CHINATehran and Riyadh agreed "to resume diplomatic relations between them and re-open their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months". HEZBOLLAHThe head of Lebanon's powerful armed group said the resumption of ties between its backer Iran and longtime rival Saudi Arabia was a "good development". ANWAR GARGASH, DIPLOMATIC ADVISER TO UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PRESIDENT"We welcome the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations, and we hail the Chinese role in this regard," he tweeted. QATARPrime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also acts as foreign minister, called the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia to welcome the deal. IRAQ STATE NEWS AGENCYIraq welcomes "turning a new page" between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

☆ Saudis kept U.S. informed on talks with Iran - White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia kept Washington informed of its talks with Iran to restore diplomatic relations but the United States was not directly involved, White House spokesman John Kirby said on Friday. The White House believes that internal and external pressure, including effective Saudi deterrence against attacks from Iran or its proxies, ultimately brought Iran to the table, Kirby said. "We support any efforts to de-escalate tensions there and in the region. We think it's in our interests, and it's something that we worked on through our own effective combination of deterrence and diplomacy." Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Steve Holland; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pacific's Micronesia in talks to switch ties from Beijing to Taiwan- letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

We can and will receive this, over a three year period, if and when we establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan," he wrote. In the letter, Panuelo accused China of waging "political warfare" in his country, and bribing his government's officials. Beijing and Taiwan have a history of competing in the Pacific islands, where four of Taiwan's 14 diplomatic allies are located. Two Pacific island nations, Kiribati and Solomon Islands, cut diplomatic ties with democratically ruled Taiwan in 2019 after offers of aid from China, which views Taiwan as its own territory. Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

☆ Arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to revive ties, reopen embassies in China-brokered deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"As a result of the talks, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations and re-open embassies ...within two months," Iran's news agency IRNA reported Friday. Saudi Arabia's state Saudi Press Agency confirmed the announcement in its own statement. The Saudi statement profusely thanked Beijing for its leadership in the talks. The Saudi statement also expressed thanks to Riyadh's neighbors Iraq and Oman, which it said had hosted "rounds of dialogue that took place between both sides during the years 2021-2022." Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016, after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran in response to Saudi authorities executing 47 dissidents, including a leading Shia cleric.

Tehran and Riyadh agreed "to resume diplomatic relations between them and re-open their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months", according to a statement issued by Iran, Saudi Arabia and China. Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for missile and drone attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities in 2019 as well as attacks on tankers in Gulf waters. In Friday's agreement, Saudi Arabia and Iran also agreed to activate a security cooperation agreement signed in 2001, as well as another earlier accord on trade, economy and investment. The agreement was signed by Iran's top security official, Ali Shamkhani, and Saudi Arabia's national security adviser Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

☆ Saudi Arabia making peace with Iran in a deal brokered by China is a 'middle finger to Biden'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to restore diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by China. The US and Saudi Arabia have a close relationship and have been security partners for years. Saudi Arabia ultimately moved to cut oil production instead, which was viewed as a diplomatic embarrassment for the Biden administration and sparked outrage in Congress. Bandar Algaloud/ReutersThe deal also comes as the US contends with historic tensions with both Iran and China. The agreement also has the potential to throw a wrench in efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, given the latter and Iran are longtime enemies.

President Biden in a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last year. Saudi Arabia is asking the U.S. to provide security guarantees and help to develop its civilian nuclear program as Washington tries to broker diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Israel, people involved in discussions between the two countries said. Striking a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia has become a priority for President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid a looming confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program and military aid to Russia during the Ukraine war. The Biden administration is deeply involved in the complex negotiations, the people said, and any deal would reshape the Middle East’s political landscape.

☆ Factbox: Why is Georgia in turmoil over a "foreign agents" law?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jake Cordell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

TBILISI, March 9 (Reuters) - Ruling lawmakers in the South Caucasus country of Georgia on Thursday scrapped plans to introduce what critics called a Russian-inspired "foreign agents" law after two days of intense street protests in the capital Tbilisi. Here is a guide to what's going on:WHAT IS THE PROPOSED 'FOREIGN AGENTS' LAW? - Swathes of Georgian civil society, including election monitors, corruption watchdogs and independent media outlets would have been covered by the law. - Rights groups say the "foreign agent" tag is a designed to make it easier for the government to discredit its opponents. - It says it is modelled on the U.S. 1938 "Foreign Agents Registration Act", which primarily covers lobbyists and organisations directly working for or under the control of foreign governments.

☆ Dutch trade minister: China protest over export rules is 'understandable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM/AMSTERDAM, March 9 (Reuters) - The Netherlands' Trade Minister said a Chinese protest over the Dutch decision to impose restrictions on computer chip technology exports was "understandable", but on Thursday said she expected diplomatic relations would remain good. Liesje Schreinemacher was speaking in Stockholm after the Netherlands said on Wednesday it would follow the U.S. in imposing stricter export rules. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Dutch rules would "limit normal economic and trade exchanges between Chinese and Dutch companies". Asked whether Dutch restrictions, which are expected to be in place by this summer, will actually be more lax than comparable U.S. restrictions imposed on its own companies last year, she avoided the comparison. Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Writing by Toby Sterling; Editing by Alex Richardson and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ S.Korea's Yoon to visit Japan for summit, first such trip in 12 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 9 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife will visit Japan from March 16-17 at Tokyo's invitation, his office said on Thursday, the first such visit in 12 years after Seoul announced a plan to end a protracted dispute over wartime forced labour. Yoon will hold a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "The visit... will be an important milestone in the improvement and development of relations between South Korea and Japan," Yoon's office said in a statement. “South Korea is an important neighbour with which we should cooperate in addressing various issues in the international community,” Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a briefing. South Korea's defence ministry said on Tuesday it would work with Japan to enhance security cooperation, including trilateral relations with the United States.

☆ Taiwan says working on president's 'transit' plans amid reported U.S. trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, March 8 (Reuters) - Taiwan's presidential office said on Wednesday that it is working on "transit" plans for an overseas visit by President Tsai Ing-wen, amid reports she will meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States. McCarthy plans to meet Tsai in the United States in coming weeks, two sources told Reuters on Monday. That could be instead of the Republican Speaker's anticipated but sensitive trip to the democratically governed island claimed by China. McCarthy on Tuesday confirmed plans to meet Tsai in the United States this year and stressed this did not preclude a later visit to Taiwan, Bloomberg news agency reported. The United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

☆ Canada will 'never tolerate' foreign interference, minister tells China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OTTAWA, March 3 (Reuters) - Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told her Chinese counterpart that foreign interference will not be tolerated in Canada's internal affairs, amid calls for a broad public inquiry into China's alleged meddling in the past two elections. "Canada will never tolerate any form of foreign interference in our democracy and internal affairs by China," Joly told China's foreign minister, Qin Gang, in their first-ever meeting, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, according to a statement on Friday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's top security officials acknowledge interference attempts by China, but they insist that election outcomes were not altered. Earlier on Friday, Qin refuted allegations that Chinese embassies and consulates in Canada were trying to interfere in Canadian elections, saying the alleged interference was "completely false and nonsensical." Canada's main opposition party slammed Trudeau for not endorsing a public inquiry, accusing him of trying to cover-up Chinese influence.

[1/3] Students walk past stalls during the orientation week at The University of Sydney, in Camperdown, Australia February 15, 2023. 'BIG RUSH'The shortage has meanwhile jumpstarted one of the few subsets of Australian residential property, the student accommodation sector, that languished during COVID. Before 2020, Chinese students accounted for about 40% of the A$40 billion ($27 billion) Australia made educating foreigners annually. But China's reopening has raised the issue about the availability of beds in a "welcome sign" for investors, said Brad Williams, managing director of AMP Capital's diversified infrastructure trust, Australia's third-largest owner of purpose-built student accommodation. Tomas Johnsson, CEO of UniLodge Australia, the country's biggest operator of purpose-built student accommodation, said some developers were even paying more to speed up construction.

Summary Egyptian FM says 'goal of visit primarily humanitarian'And to 'pass on our solidarity' from people of EgyptArab League suspended Syria in 2011DAMASCUS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday in the first visits to Syria and Turkey by a top Egyptian diplomat in a decade. "The goal of the visit is primarily humanitarian, and to pass on our solidarity – from the leadership, the government and the people of Egypt to the people of Syria," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters in Damascus. "When the foreign minister of Egypt comes to Damascus, he comes to his home, his people, and his country," Mekdad said. Shoukry also visited Turkey, pointing to another shift in Egypt's foreign ties. "Foreign minister offers condolences for the victims of earthquake, affirms solidarity of Egyptian leadership, government and people with Turkey, and asserting continuity of aid for supporting Turkey and its brotherly people," Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesperson for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, said.

☆ Egypt's foreign minister to visit Syria, Turkey on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Egypt's Sameh Shoukry will travel to Damascus on Monday in the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry. Shoukry will visit Turkey and Syria - both hit hard by a deadly earthquake on Feb. 6 - to "convey a message of solidarity from Egypt with the two countries" according to the foreign ministry statement. Turkey's foreign ministry confirmed the visit, saying Shoukry will hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and visit the southern province of Adana and the port of Mersin, where an Egyptian aid ship is set to arrive. Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi spoke with Assad by phone for the first time on Feb. 7 and on Sunday, a delegation of top parliamentarians from around the region - including Egypt's parliament speaker - met Assad in Damascus. Relations began thawing in 2021, part of a push by Turkey to ease tensions with several regional powers.

☆ Rewards don't outpace risk for investors in China, says Hayman's Kyle Bass
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRewards don't outpace risk for investors in China, says Hayman's Kyle BassKyle Bass, founder and CIO at Hayman Capital Management, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss strains on our diplomatic relationship with China, long term viability of investments there and bullish sentiment toward European markets.

☆ Factbox: Jimmy Carter's biggest challenges while president
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces new sanctions against Iran in retaliation for taking U.S. hostages, at the White House, Washington, D.C., U.S., April 7, 1980. Library of Congress/Marion S. Trikosko/Handout via REUTERSWASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, 98, has decided to receive hospice care, the Carter Center said on Saturday. Here are several key events from the Georgia Democrat's time in office from 1977 to 1981. CAMP DAVID ACCORDSThe Camp David Accords were a series of agreements signed in 1978 between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The hostages were released minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn into office to replace Carter in 1981.

☆ Paraguay president seeks to calm China jitters on Taiwan trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and visiting Paraguay President Mario Abdo Benitez attend a welcome ceremony in front of the Presidential building in Taipei, Taiwan, February 16, 2023. Paraguay is one of only 14 countries to have formal diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, and Beijing has been stepping up efforts to get those remaining allies to abandon Taipei. "Nobody is going to dare to go ahead with a process of diplomatic rupture with the Republic of China, Taiwan," he said, referring to Taiwan's official name. Santiago Pena, the ruling Colorado Party candidate, has said Paraguay's relations with Taiwan would remain intact if he wins on April 30. China views Taiwan as one of its provinces, with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei hotly disputes.

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