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☆ China's balloons give Japan and Taiwan a reason to share intelligence, says lawmaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The flight of suspected Chinese surveillance balloons has shown that Japan and Taiwan need to share "critical" intelligence about possible aerial threats, a senior defence policymaker for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party said. Japan said on Tuesday it suspected Chinese spy balloons had flown over Japan at least three times, most recently in 2021. The change will add unmanned aircraft to those," Minoru Kihara, one of the lawmakers, told reporters after the briefing. Japan on Wednesday said it had warned China that violations of its airspace by surveillance balloons were unacceptable. China said the balloon was a civilian weather-monitoring aircraft and it accused the United States of sending its balloons into Chinese airspace.

☆ Destiny unites us, Paraguay leader says as Taiwan ties hang in balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and visiting Paraguay President Mario Abdo Benitez arrive at the welcome ceremony in front of the Presidential building in Taipei, Taiwan, February 16, 2023. Speaking at a welcome ceremony in Taipei attended by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, Abdo said the Taiwanese people deserve the highest admiration, respect, and affection from his country. Tsai, recalling her two trips to Paraguay as president, said the two sides continued to deepen their friendship. Paraguay's Taiwan ties have been under pressure in recent years, especially from the country's beef producers and farmers, who see the relationship as an obstacle to gaining access to the world's largest market for their products. China views Taiwan as one of its provinces, with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei hotly disputes.

☆ Colombia and Venezuela sign deal to revive trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro react during a meeting for signing the Partial Scope Agreement Number 28 that will resume bilateral trade between Colombia and Venezuela at the Atanasio Girardot International Bridge on the border between Colombia and Venezuela, in San Antonio del Tachira, Venezuela, February 16, 2023. Colombian Presidency/Handout via REUTERSBOGOTA/CARACAS, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Colombia and Venezuela on Thursday signed an agreement to revive trade between the two countries during a ceremony on a border bridge at which Colombia's President Gustavo Petro and Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro both signed. The deal "updates everything having to do with tariffs, with goods traded, (and) lays the foundations for a new dynamic, for the expansion of trade between Colombia and Venezuela," Maduro said at the event broadcast on Venezuelan state television. "We have to fill these bridges with trade," Petro said, warning that "there is lots still to do because it is not a question of whether these bridges are filled with trade but rather than they are filled with people." Caracas broke off relations with Bogota in 2019 after Venezuelan opposition activists tried to send aid trucks from Colombia.

☆ Economic war with China would be MAD
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Hopefully, fear of the economic equivalent will do a similar trick when it comes to a showdown with China. To see whether MAD will be enough to prevent war between America and China, look at just how disastrous such a conflict – which could be triggered by a Chinese invasion of Taiwan - would be. THREE SCENARIOSA Chinese invasion of Taiwan would lead to economic repercussions of a totally different order. A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be hellish, but some scenarios would be especially ghastly from an economic perspective. Despite all these concerns, America might run the risk of economic war.

☆ Biden and Lula project unity on democratic values and climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Brazil "self-marginalized itself for four years" under the former president, Lula said at the White House, without mentioning Bolsonaro by name. His world, Lula said, had "started and ended with fake news in the morning, afternoon, at night," prompting Biden to laugh and interject, "sounds familiar." Lula said the two leaders could also work together to combat inequality and climate change. Lula's visit to the White House followed a meeting with Senator Bernie Sanders and other lawmakers from Biden's Democratic Party. At the White House, Lula said the Amazon rainforest had been "invaded" under the previous administration, adding that he was committed to reaching zero deforestation by 2030.

☆ Turkey and Greece have a centuries-long feud that has come close to war. But when earthquakes hit, they still come to each other's aid.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Greece and Turkey have decades of animosity, repeatedly moving towards the brink of war. Turkey is currently dealing with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, and Greece is helping. Last December Greece's foreign ministry said that Turkey was making "repeated threats of war," as Turkey responded angrily to what it said was Greece militarizing the Aegean islands. Nicholas Burns, the then-United States Ambassador to Greece, described what happened as "earthquake diplomacy" to The New York Times. Greece was previously under the control of Turkey, leading to a bitter independence fight that ended with Greece gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830.

☆ Hydrogen is elemental to U.S.-EU green compromise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Heated trade tensions could cool if the United States and the European Union make concessions on hydrogen. Right now, 99% of the near 100 million tonnes of annual commercial hydrogen output comes from old-fashioned fossil fuel energy sources. By 2030, the International Energy Agency envisages over 175 million tonnes of global production, with 35% coming from green hydrogen. Both Europe and the United States understand the role green hydrogen can play in decarbonising tricky areas like heavy industry and steelmaking. Yet Europe needs to import the same amount again as the 10 million tonnes it aims to produce domestically by 2030.

☆ Taiwan president to donate a month's salary for Turkey relief efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai will each donate a month's salary for Turkish earthquake relief efforts, the presidential office said on Thursday, adding to existing aid already sent by the island. Turkey, like most countries, has no diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, but the two maintain de facto embassies in each other's capitals and there are direct flights between Istanbul and Taipei. Last year, Tsai and Lai also both donated one month's salary to aid humanitarian relief efforts for war-torn Ukraine. Taiwan, which frequently suffers earthquakes itself, has already announced $2 million in disaster relief and has sent two rescue teams to Turkey to help in search efforts for survivors. Turkey joined international efforts and sent rescuers to Taiwan in 1999 after a massive earthquake killed more than 2,000 people.

☆ Paraguay president to visit Taiwan ahead of election that could end ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

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. Paraguay would cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and open relations with China if the opposition wins the election, its presidential candidate Efrain Alegre has said, hoping to boost economically important soy and beef exports. "Taiwan and Paraguay have had diplomatic relations for more than 65 years and a deep friendship," the ministry added. 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.

☆ China willing to restart trade dialogue with Australia after talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The virtual meeting "represents another important step in the stabilisation of Australia's relations with China," Farrell said after the first talks between the trade ministers of the two countries since 2019. Wang said China is willing to restart the mechanism facilitating dialogue with Australia on economic and trade issues and to expand cooperation in emerging areas including climate change and the new energy sectors. China's top economic planner in May 2021 suspended all activity under a China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue which was an important forum for Australia and China to work through issues relevant to bilateral economic partnership. The Chinese statement said Australia was also willing to work with China to enhance mutual trust and resolve differences through candid dialogue. Wang described China and Australia as important economic and trade partners, with a highly complementary economic structure, making cooperation mutually beneficial.

☆ Austria expels four Russian envoys for breaching international agreements
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VIENNA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Austria is expelling four Russian diplomats for behaving in a manner inconsistent with international agreements, a reason often invoked in spying cases, the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday without giving specifics. "Two diplomats at the Russian embassy have acted in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status. The two working at the Russian mission to the U.N. acted in a way that was inconsistent with the host country agreement between the United Nations and Austria, it added. Vienna is a major diplomatic centre hosting both the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and United Nations organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency. The large diplomatic presence offers the opportunity to station intelligence agents there under a diplomatic cover granting them diplomatic immunity.

☆ Czech parliament chief assures Taiwan of her support after outcry in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks with Czech President-elect Petr Pavel on a conference call in Taipei, Taiwan January 30, 2023 in this handout picture. Taiwan Presidential Office/Handout via REUTERSPRAGUE, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Czech lower house of parliament speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova on Wednesday assured Taiwan of her country's support for partner states who respect human rights and liberal democracy, ahead of a visit to Taipei planned for March. The Czechs have been intensifying relations with the self-ruled island, which giant neighbour China claims as its own, and President-elect Petr Pavel spoke with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen on Monday, drawing a sharp rebuke from Beijing. "I assured the minister that systematic support of partners who respect human rights and the principles of liberal democracy belongs among priorities of our parliamentary diplomacy," she said in a statement issued through her spokesman. Most countries avoid high-level public interactions with Taiwan and its president, not wishing to provoke China, the world's second largest economy.

☆ U.S. opens embassy in Solomon Islands, Blinken says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The United States has opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands after a 30-year absence as it seeks to boost diplomatic relations in the Pacific as a counter to China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced plans to open a diplomatic mission in the Pacific island nation during a visit to the region last year. The last U.S. embassy in the Solomons closed in 1993 amid post-Cold War budget cuts and the United States was represented there by an ambassador based in Papua New Guinea. In a statement on Wednesday, Blinken said the State Department informed the Solomon Islands' government that the opening of the new embassy in the capital Honiara became official as of Jan. 27. The reopening of the embassy in the Solomons comes as Washington has been negotiating the renewal of cooperation agreements with three key Pacific island nations, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.

☆ Czech president-elect to speak to Taiwan president in diplomatic breakthrough
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PRAGUE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Czech President-elect Petr Pavel is due to speak with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday, Pavel's spokeswoman said, a highly unusual move given the lack of formal ties and a diplomatic coup for Taipei that is likely to anger China. Most countries' leaders avoid high-level public interactions with Taiwan and its president, not wishing to provoke China, the world's second largest economy. In 2016, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Tsai shortly after winning the election, setting off a storm of protest from Beijing. Pavel's spokeswoman said he and Tsai were expected to speak at 1000 GMT. The Czech Republic, like most countries, has no official diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, but the two sides have moved closer together as Taipei seeks new friends in Eastern and Central Europe.

SYDNEY, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Australia is preparing for the arrival of thousands of Chinese students, the education minister said on Monday, days after China's education ministry warned students enrolled overseas that online learning would no longer be recognised. Tens of thousands remain offshore after pandemic restrictions and strained diplomatic relations led many to return home. Phil Honeywood, chief executive officer at International Education Association of Australia, an advocacy body for international education in Australia, said there were currently about 40,000 Chinese students still offshore. "We anticipate a lot of Chinese students will be scrambling as we speak to get on flights to Australia. The move by China's Ministry of Education has been met with anger from Chinese students.

☆ German chancellor's indecision on sending tanks to Ukraine has created a new word in Western war room politics: Scholzing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has faced criticism for delaying the delivery of tanks to Ukraine. Scholz's indecision became the topic of Ukrainian memes that coined the term "Scholzing." "Scholzing" means to communicate good intentions, but find or invent reasons to delay action. As Scholz spent weeks hesitating — and facing international pressure — over sending advanced Leopard 2 tanks to battle Russian forces in Ukraine, his name took on a new meaning. He also insisted the move be tied to a United States commitment to send their own Abrams tanks to the frontlines.

Persons: Валгалли

☆ Azerbaijan strongly protests to Iran after fatal embassy shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Nailia Bagirova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Necessary security measures have been taken to continue normal activities at the embassy and diplomats of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran," he said. [1/5] A general view of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan after an attack on it, in Tehran, Iran, January 27, 2023. It said an "anti-Azerbaijani campaign" in Iran had contributed to the attack, without elaborating, and accused Tehran of long ignoring its appeals to boost embassy security. Iran's Amirabdollahian later told Azeri Foreign Minister Jayran Bairamov in a phone call that he hoped the attack would not damage bilateral ties. Israel has had an embassy in Baku since the early 1990s and has been a significant military backer of Azerbaijan in recent years.

☆ Bahrain's crown prince calls Qatari emir in apparent step towards mending fences
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Bahrain's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa attends the inauguration of Exhibition World Bahrain at Sakhir Bahrain, November 21, 2022. BNA said that Bahrain's crown prince and prime minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, had in the call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani "emphasised the importance of joint efforts to resolve all outstanding differences". "It was also agreed that officials from both countries will continue to communicate to achieve common goals," BNA said. Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia has led efforts to rebuild ties with Qatar and, along with Egypt, re-established diplomatic relations. Bahrain, a Sunni Muslim-ruled monarchy with a restive Shi'ite population, has deep unease over Qatar's relations with Iran.

☆ Taiwan’s president says war with China is ‘not an option’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Taipei, Taiwan on Dec. 27, 2022. Tensions between China and Taiwan have been rising in recent years. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen told Pope Francis in a letter that war with China is "not an option" and said constructive interaction with Beijing, which claims the island as part of its territory, depends on respecting self-ruled Taiwan's democracy. Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war and have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars in trade and investment. A former Taiwanese vice president under Tsai, Chen Chien-jen, represented the island at this month's funeral of former Pope Benedict.

☆ The surreal worlds of Yayoi Kusama
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A girl plays at the "Guidepost to New Space" installation by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama at her exhibition titled "Yayoi Kusama - Obsessions" at the Japan Culture Foundation in Hanoi May 27, 2013. The exhibition is the first one held in Vietnam for...moreA girl plays at the "Guidepost to New Space" installation by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama at her exhibition titled "Yayoi Kusama - Obsessions" at the Japan Culture Foundation in Hanoi May 27, 2013. The exhibition is the first one held in Vietnam for Kusama, who is known as the "polka dot queen of avant garde art". It runs till July 28 as part of 40th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. REUTERS/Kham (VIETNAM - Tags: SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY POLITICS ANNIVERSARY)Close

☆ Venezuela calls off Maduro meeting with Lula, Brazil govt says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Venezuela has decided to call off a previously arranged meeting between President Nicolas Maduro and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday, Lula's press office said. Later, however, Lula's team released a new update of his agenda saying the meeting would no longer take place as Venezuela canceled it. Lula, who took office on Jan. 1, asked his foreign relations minister to restore relations with Venezuela. Diplomatic relations between the countries were broken in 2020 by Brazil's former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia downgrades relations with NATO member Estonia, expels envoy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it was downgrading diplomatic relations with NATO member Estonia, accusing Tallinn of "total Russophobia". The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had told the Estonian envoy he must leave next month, and both countries would be represented in each other's capitals by an interim charge d'affaires instead of an ambassador. It said this was in response to an Estonian move to reduce the size of the Russian embassy in Tallinn. "In recent years, the Estonian leadership has purposefully destroyed the entire range of relations with Russia. Commenting on the downgrading of ties, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "The Estonian regime has got what it deserved."

☆ Premarket stocks: What we learned at Davos: The economy is a mess, but there's still hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Friday marks the end of the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, an elite gathering of some of the wealthiest people and world leaders. The meetings between CEOs, politicians, and global figures at Davos can help set the tone for the year ahead. CEOs and political officials are also worried about the United States hitting its borrowing cap on Thursday, forcing the Treasury Department to start taking “extraordinary measures” to keep the government open. If an agreement isn’t reached, markets could plunge (like they did the last time this happened in 2011) and the United States risks having its credit rating downgraded again. China’s removal of strict coronavirus restrictions late last year is also expected to unleash a wave of spending that may offset economic weakness in the United States and Europe.

☆ Austrian foreign affairs minister on forging diplomatic relationships for EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | 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 EmailAustrian foreign affairs minister on forging diplomatic relationships for EUCNBC's Silvia Amaro speaks to Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg at Davos 2023.

☆ Iran and Britain's history of strained relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

DUBAI, Jan 14 (Reuters) - British-Iranian relations, which have been strained for decades, were back in the spotlight after Iranian authorities executed British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari for spying, charges he had denied. 1988 - Britain restores full diplomatic relations with Iran. 1994 - Britain accuses Iran of contacts with the outlawed Irish Republican Army, a charge Iran denies but relations worsen. 1999 - Iran says relations between Tehran and Britain have been upgraded to ambassadorial level. The same year, Iran accuses Britain of being behind bombings that killed six people in Iran.

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