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☆ White House challenges House impeachment inquiry of Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden takes part in a leaders plenary meeting during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The White House on Friday challenged the validity of an impeachment inquiry run by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives into President Joe Biden's son's business dealings. A letter from White House legal counsel Dick Sauber sent to House Republicans leading the inquiry said the probe was not valid since the House did not vote to authorize it. The White House says Biden has done nothing wrong and Republicans have no basis for an impeachment inquiry. Sauber said recent subpoenas and demands for congressional testimony from various White House officials and Biden family members were irresponsible.

Persons: Joe Biden, Brittany Hosea, Joe Biden's, Dick Sauber, Sauber, James Comer, Jim Jordan, Biden, Hunter, Jordan, Steve Holland, Makini Brice, Richard Chang Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . House, White, House Republicans, Reuters, House, Republican, Republicans, Sauber, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Kentucky

☆ Biden signs stopgap spending bill to avert government shutdown - White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Leaders event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden signed on Thursday a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown, a day after the Senate passed it, the White House said. Biden signed the document on the sidelines of a dinner at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco, where leaders are attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson had produced the stopgap funding bill that drew broad bipartisan support, a rarity in modern U.S. politics. Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Gokul Pisharody ; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Brittany Hosea, Biden, Mike Johnson, Trevor Hunnicutt, Clarence Fernandez, Kim Coghill Organizations: Economic, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Legion, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, . House, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, San Francisco, Washington

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — K-pop superstar Rosé said Friday at a mental health awareness event hosted by first lady Jill Biden that it's important for the world to understand that famous people grapple with emotional struggles, too. Rosé, a part of the supergroup BLACKPINK, said having a large social media following makes her feel vulnerable, particularly when people are critical. “People who are older -- we never, ever spoke about mental health,” Biden said. Apple CEO Tim Cook opened the event but blanked briefly when the teleprompter went out. Cook recovered, telling the crowd he'd “go ahead and ad lib," then thanked everyone for coming and introduced the first lady.

Persons: —, Rosé, Jill Biden, there’s, ”, ” Biden, Vivek Murthy, Tim Cook, “, Cook, Wan, Wan Ismail, you’ve, ” Cook, ” Kim Keon Hee, Rachael Marape, Louise Araneta Organizations: FRANCISCO, Apple, Economic Cooperation, Marcos Locations: Cupertino, Asia, Pacific, California, Malaysia, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Philippines

☆ Japan's Kishida, S. Korea's Yoon Talk Tech, Cooperation in Silicon Valley
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Ann SaphirPALO ALTO, California (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged cooperation on clean-energy supply chains, quantum computing and other innovative technology during a Silicon Valley roundtable on Friday. The two have meet several times since a Camp David summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in August. Yoon and Kim met one on one and together with Biden on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, which ended on Friday. In addition to military and economic cooperation, Yoon and Kishida on Friday signaled work on science and technology would be a central to their relationship-building. "But for President Yoon and myself, this is the Big Game," Kishida said.

Persons: Ann, PALO, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Yoon, David, Joe Biden, Kim, Biden, Kishida, lecterns, Ann Saphir, William Mallard Organizations: Economic Cooperation, Stanford, San Francisco Bay Area, University of California Locations: PALO ALTO , California, Asia, San Francisco, China, North Korea, Washington, Korean, South Korea, San Francisco Bay, Berkeley

☆ China is helping the US deal with its massive fentanyl problem — sort of
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US says China is a main source of materials for fentanyl that later ends up in America. The deal, which both leaders settled at the Asian-Pacific Economic Committee summit in San Francisco, would see Beijing assist Washington by regulating fentanyl precursors in China. The Drug Enforcement Administration has warned in recent years that China is a primary source for key ingredients in fentanyl. Advertisement"Focusing on China as the source of the problem has been because it's such an easy country to criticize," Ross said. For the Biden administration, the fentanyl deal has been an issue repeatedly pushed by US officials, Liu said.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Zha Daojiong, Biden, Xi, Liu Zongyuan, Maurice R, Greenberg, Liu, Robert Ross, Ross, Eric Richardson, that's Organizations: Service, Pacific, Drug, Administration, Business, Peking University, pharma, of Foreign Relations, DEA, Boston College, UC Berkeley, INHR, United Nations, US, Bloomberg, Reuters, Forensic Public Security Institute Locations: China, America, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, India, it's, Mexico, United, Europe, Xinjiang

The board of ChatGPT-maker Open AI said Friday it has pushed out its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman after a review found he was “not consistently candid in his communications” with the board. “The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI,” the artificial intelligence company said in a statement. Mira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer, will take over as interim CEO effective immediately, the company said, while it searches for a permanent replacement. While not trained as an AI engineer, Altman, now 38, has been seen as a Silicon Valley wunderkind since his early 20s. Forrester analyst Rowan Curran said Altman's departure, “while sudden,” does not likely reflect problems with OpenAI's business.

Persons: Sam Altman, “, Mira Murati, Altman, what’s, He's, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Adam D’Angelo, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Mira, ”, Paul Graham, “ Sam, Graham, ” OpenAI, Elon Musk, Musk, Elon ”, Rowan Curran, ” Curran, Haleluya Hadero, Kelvin Chan, Michael Liedtke, David Hamilton Organizations: Associated Press, OpenAI, Economic Cooperation, Georgetown Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Microsoft Locations: openai, London, Asia, San Francisco, New York

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sometimes it can be easy to forget that President Joe Biden's original foreign policy priority was reasserting American influence in Asia. "The United States remains vital to the future of the region, and the region is more vital than ever to the United States of America," he told a gathering of business executives during one of the summit's many receptions. “From here in San Francisco, America reaches out all across the Pacific, building bridges mightier than the Golden Gate,” he said. Protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza shut down all vehicular traffic heading into San Francisco over the Bay Bridge. “We will be glad to see a confident, open, ever-growing and prosperous United States,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, “ That’s, He's, Donald Trump, ”, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kishida Fumio, Xi Jinping, Xi, “, ” Biden, Yun Sun, Aisha Nizar, San Francisco ”, ___, Colleen Long Organizations: FRANCISCO, Ukraine, Republican, Economic Cooperation, South Korean, Chinese Communist Party, U.S, Xinhua, China Program, Stimson, Palestinian Youth Movement, Biden wasn't, China, Associated Press Locations: American, Asia, Russian, Israel, San Francisco, United States, United States of America, Europe, America, China, Beijing, Bali , Indonesia, Iran, San Francisco ., Washington, Ukraine, Gaza, Bahrain, Fiji, Japan, Mexico, Peru

☆ Biden to wrap up four-day diplomatic summit by meeting Mexican president
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping waves as he walks with U.S. President Joe Biden at Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Woodside, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden concludes a four-day diplomatic push with China as well as other Pacific nations on Friday in a final meeting with world leaders and a visit with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The worsening of trade relations between Washington and Mexico City comes even as their economic integration grows. In 2022, Mexico had a $130.5 billion goods trade surplus with the United States. Reporting By Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Scott Malone and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xi, Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Biden, Xi Jinping, Dina Boluarte, Donald Trump, Jeff Mason, Jarrett Renshaw, Scott Malone, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Obrador, Mexico City, Thomson Locations: Filoli, Asia, Woodside , California, U.S, China, Peru, Mexico, Washington, Canada, United States

☆ Canada PM says he hopes to meet China's Xi one day once tensions defused
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pose for a family photo during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said he hoped to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping once the two sides had put in the work needed to repair badly strained bilateral ties. China and Canada have had poor relations for years amid disagreements over human rights and complaints by Ottawa about alleged Chinese interference in the last two elections. Xi had a four-hour meeting with President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the APEC summit. Biden subsequently said he had not changed his view that Xi was effectively a dictator.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Justin Trudeau, Carlos Barria, Trudeau, Xi, Joe Biden, Biden, David Ljunggren, Diane Craft Organizations: Canada's, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Canadian, APEC, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, Canada, Ottawa, San Francisco

☆ Biden signs a bill averting a government shutdown for now, with Israel and Ukraine aid still stalled
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden signed a temporary spending bill a day before a potential government shutdown, pushing a fight with congressional Republicans over the federal budget into the new year, as wartime aid for Ukraine and Israel remains stalled. Biden signed the bill Thursday in San Francisco, where he was hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The president signed the bill at the Legion of Honor Museum, where he held a dinner for APEC members. He portrayed the temporary funding bill as setting the ground for a spending "fight" with the Senate next year. The spending bill does not include the White House's nearly $106 billion request for wartime aid for Israel and Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Mike Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Republicans, Economic Cooperation, Legion, Honor, APEC, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Israel, San Francisco, Asia

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, two strong allies who don't always get along personally, will talk migration, fentanyl trafficking and Cuba relations on Friday. He skipped a Los Angeles summit last year where leaders tackled the issue of migration because the U.S. didn't invite Cuba, Nicaragua or Venezuela. Biden, meanwhile, was expected to bring up migration as the U.S. continues to manage a growing number of southern border crossings. The leaders also are expected to discuss deadly fentanyl trafficking, particularly after Biden secured an agreement with Xi to curb the illicit opioid. More than 100,000 deaths a year have been linked to drug overdoses since 2020 and about two-thirds of those are related to fentanyl.

Persons: Joe Biden, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Biden, Xi Jinping, López Obrador, Xi, Christopher Sherman Organizations: FRANCISCO, Economic Cooperation, APEC, U.S, Democratic, Press Locations: Cuba, San Francisco, Asia, Japan, South Korea, China, Mexico, Angeles, Nicaragua, Venezuela, U.S, Ukraine, Israel, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico City

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Leaders Retreat during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday urged Asia-Pacific economies to work together to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) brings change for the better, not to abuse workers or limit potential. Addressing the final session of a two-day summit of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, Biden said he had briefly discussed AI with Chinese President Xi Jinping in talks on the sidelines of APEC on Wednesday. The steps, he said, included committing to ensuring the security of AI systems before releasing them to the public, watermarking AI-generated content to show it has been generated by artificial intelligence and minimizing the risk AI systems posed to society, such as by promoting bias or discrimination. Meanwhile, Washington was expanding grants for AI research in key areas like healthcare and climate change, he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Loren Elliott, Biden, Xi Jinping, we've, Xi, David Brunnstrom, Don Durfee, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Asia, APEC, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Pacific, San Francisco, United States, Washington

Chang said the Biden-Xi meeting was a “good” one, pointing to their agreement to resume high-level military communications. “It should help reduce the tensions between the U.S. and China, and it should increase stability of Taiwan Strait,” Chang said. Washington has a security pact with Taiwan to deter any armed attack from Beijing and has stepped up its support for the island. Xi sought assurances from Biden that the U.S. would not support Taiwan's independence and requested that Washington support China’s peaceful reunification with Taiwan. Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based Stimson Center think tank, said Washington won’t accept Beijing’s new demand to support peaceful reunification.

Persons: Joe Biden, China's Xi, Morris Chang, ” Chang, Chang, Biden, Xi, Nancy Pelosi, ” Biden, Sun Yun, Washington won’t, Sun, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Lael Brainard, Fumio Kishida Organizations: FRANCISCO, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, U.S, Washington, Stimson, APEC, Japanese Locations: Taiwan, Asia, Pacific, San Francisco, China, Taiwan Strait, Beijing, Washington, The U.S, U.S, “ China

As the most powerful Chinese leader in generations, Xi Jinping rarely bothers to glad-hand or to try charming a crowd. His public appearances in China are carefully crafted, with fawning cadres and adoring fans positioned around him. So when Mr. Xi landed in San Francisco this week to meet with President Biden, to try to stabilize a relationship with the United States that has been spiraling downward, it provided a rare opportunity to see the Chinese leader up close and, at times, less filtered than usual. Earlier, the Chinese leader had compared presidential limousines with Mr. Biden as they met on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. And he thanked Mr. Biden for reminding him that his wife, Peng Liyuan, a famous Chinese soprano and folk singer, has a birthday on Monday, as does Mr. Biden.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Biden, Mr, Peng Liyuan Organizations: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: China, San Francisco, United States, Iowa, Hebei

Chinese President Xi Jinping waves as he walks with U.S. President Joe Biden at Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Woodside, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO/HONG KONG, Nov 16 (Reuters) - When Chinese President Xi Jinping met executives for dinner on Wednesday night in San Francisco, he was greeted with not one, but three standing ovations from the U.S. business community. All three were outcomes the United States had sought from China rather than the other way around, said two people briefed on the trip. Biden administration officials have acknowledged that creating functional military relations won't be as easy as semi-regular meetings between defense officials. That's not going to be a favor to us," one senior Biden administration told Reuters in October in the run-up to the Xi-Biden meeting.

Persons: Xi, Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Xi Jinping, Alexander Neill, Biden, Nancy Pelosi's, hotlines, Craig Singleton, That's, China's, Drew Thompson, Vladimir Putin, it's, Li Mingjiang, Michael Martina, Greg Torode, Trevor Hunnicutt, Antoni Slodkowski, Laurie Chen, Don Durfee, Tom Hogue Organizations: U.S, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, United States, Communist Party, Hawaii's, Commerce Department, Biden, Republican, ., Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Reuters, Pentagon, National University of Singapore, Analysts, Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Thomson Locations: Filoli, Asia, Woodside , California, U.S, HONG KONG, San Francisco, United States, United, China, Beijing, Chinese, Taiwan, Washington, Russia, Singapore

☆ Biden signs stopgap spending bill to avert govt shutdown- White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

☆ Philippines' Marcos, China's Xi to discuss tensions, way forward in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. President of the Philippines attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. Manila refers to the part of the South China Sea that it claims as the West Philippine Sea. Marcos said he also discussed South China Sea issues with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Philippines' foreign ministry on Thursday committed to continue resupply missions and an "upkeep" of a grounded navy ship in a disputed South China Sea atoll, saying it does not have to give prior notice to China.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Carlos Barria, Xi Jinping, Marcos, Xi, Kamala Harris, Neil Jerome Morales, Shri Navaratnam, Michael Perry Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, APEC, South China, West, U.S, The, of Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights MANILA, San Francisco, South China, West Philippine, Manila, South, China, China's, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ US, Philippines sign landmark nuclear deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Carlos Barria Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The United States and the Philippines on Friday signed a landmark deal that would allow Washington to export nuclear technology and material to Manila, which is exploring the use of nuclear power to decarbonise and boost energy independence. "Nuclear energy is one area where we can show the Philippines-U.S. alliance and partnership truly works." U.S. Congress approval is needed for the deal, which will allow a peaceful transfer of nuclear material, equipment and information in adherence with non-proliferation requirements. The Philippines wants to tap nuclear power as a viable alternative baseload power source as it seeks to retire coal plants to help meet climate goals and boost energy security. Completed in 1984, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was mothballed two years later following the ouster of the older Marcos, the deadly Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and corruption allegations.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Carlos Barria, Antony Blinken, Marcos, Neil Jerome Morales, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, APEC, International Atomic Energy Agency, Bataan Nuclear, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights MANILA, United States, Washington, Manila, San Francisco, Taiwan

☆ OpenAI's Sam Altman exits as CEO because 'board no longer has confidence' in his ability to lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

OpenAI's board of directors said Friday that Sam Altman will step down as CEO and will be replaced on an interim basis by technology chief Mira Murati. "The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI," the statement said. The board also said that Greg Brockman, OpenAI's president, "will be stepping down as chairman of the board and will remain in his role at the company, reporting to the CEO." Before taking over as CEO, Altman, 38, was president of startup accelerator Y Combinator and gained prominence in Silicon Valley as an early-stage investor. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a surprise guest appearance during the event, joining Altman on stage to discuss the startup's AI technologies and its partnership with Microsoft.

Persons: Sam Altman, Mira Murati, Ilya Sutskever, Adam D'Angelo, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, OpenAI, Greg Brockman, what's, Murati, Mira, ChatGPT, Satya Nadella, Nadella, Elon Musk, Altman, rapt, Ted Lieu, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Altman didn't, — CNBC's Lora Kolodny Organizations: Tech, Conference, Georgetown Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Microsoft, OpenAI, U.S . Senate, House Democratic Caucus, Economic Cooperation, U.S Locations: Laguna Beach , California, Mira, Silicon Valley, Indonesia, Asia, Pacific, Singapore, India, China, South Korea, Japan, San Francisco

☆ US, Indo-Pacific partners need to 'recalibrate' trade talks -USTR's Bianchi
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We’ve got to recalibrate in the new year with our partners," Bianchi said in an interview on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. USTR said later in a statement that it was seeing progress in the trade negotiations on trade facilitation, agriculture, technical assistance and economic cooperation. Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat facing a tough re-election fight in the industrial state of Ohio, last week demanded that Biden drop the trade pillar from the Indo-Pacific initiative. Brown on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the stalling IPEF trade pillar by insisting on enforceable labor provisions. Bianchi said some of the other 12 IPEF countries in the trade talks "prefer a different approach" on labor and environment chapters, but they support continued negotiations on trade.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Sarah Bianchi, We’ve, Bianchi, USTR, Joe Biden, Sherrod Brown, Biden, Brown, David Lawder, David Gregorio, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Economic, U.S . Trade, Reuters, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Pacific Partnership, Democrat, U.S ., Partners, Thomson Locations: Asia, Pacific, San Francisco , California, U.S, San Francisco, Ohio, Vietnam, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico

☆ Analysis-Indo-Pacific Trade Deal Prospects Dim as 2024 US Election Year Politics Loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By David LawderSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Biden administration has vowed to continue negotiating an ambitious Asia trade deal, but election-year pressures and resistance to tough commitments from some countries make a deal unlikely, trade experts and business groups say. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi told Reuters that IPEF partners will "recalibrate" the trade talks in 2024. But it gets harder from here, said Wendy Cutler, the former chief USTR negotiator on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal with many of the same countries. "Until they do that, the trade pillar will be a tough nut to crack." The Biden administration launched negotiations in September 2022, leaving an impossibly tight deadline ahead of the APEC summit, according to some trade experts.

Persons: David Lawder, Biden, Sarah Bianchi, Wendy Cutler, TPP, Donald Trump's, Cutler, They're, Sherrod Brown, Jake Colvin, Colvin, Lori Wallach, Xi Jinping, Don Durfee, Josie Kao Organizations: FRANCISCO, Reuters, Economic, Economic Cooperation, U.S . Trade, Pacific Partnership, Asia Society Policy Center, APEC, Democratic, National Foreign Trade Council, Trans, Pacific Locations: Asia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Donald Trump's U.S, San Francisco, China

☆ China tells Japan to reaffirm strategic relations in rare leader talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China and Japan should reaffirm their "strategic relationship of mutual benefit and give it new meaning", he added. In brief remarks at the start of the meeting, Kishida told Xi: "Japan and China coexist and prosper as neighbors and have a responsibility to contribute to world peace and prosperity." Kishida also met Biden at the summit where they discussed issues including "common challenges" that they share with China. China's push to reaffirm relations with Japan could be partly driven by Tokyo's close ties with its arch-rival Washington, said Rumi Aoyama, an expert on Japan-China relations. On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Kishida has also met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in their seventh meeting this year.

Persons: Noushad Thekkayil, Xi Jinping, Fumio Kishida, Xi, Kishida, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Rumi Aoyama, Aoyama, Yoon Suk, Yoon Organizations: Asian, Hangzhou, Olympic Sports Centre, Getty Images, Japanese, APEC, China, ., Waseda Institute of Contemporary Chinese, South, Economic Cooperation Locations: Japan, Aichi, Nagoya, Hangzhou, China's, Zhejiang, San Francisco, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Gaza, U.S, United States, Asia

☆ Apple, Disney, other media companies pause advertising on X after Elon Musk promoted antisemitic tweet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Apple CEO Tim Cook looks on following a conversation on mental health, during a spousal program on the last day of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week at Apple Park in San Francisco, California, on November 17, 2023. Apple and Disney have paused online advertising campaigns on X, formerly Twitter, after owner Elon Musk said he agreed with a social media post accusing "Jewish communities" of pushing "hatred against whites," according to sources familiar with both companies' moves. Warner Bros Discovery , Paramount Global , Lions Gate Entertainment are also suspending campaigns on the social media service, spokespeople for the company confirmed. The X Out Hate group originally urged those companies to suspend their online advertising campaigns on X in September, when Musk insinuated that he would file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League, alleging that the ADL was "trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic." Steven Kovach and Alex Sherman contributed reportingWatch: IBM pauses advertising on X after Elon Musk receives backlash for antisemitic post.

Persons: Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Apple's, Axios, Adolf Hitler, Musk, Jonathan Greenblatt, Musk's, Andrew Bates, Steven Kovach, Alex Sherman Organizations: Apple, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Global, Lions Gate Entertainment, New York Times, Media Matters, America, IBM, Bravo, Oracle, Nazi Party, Comcast, CNBC, Anti, Defamation League, ADL, Google, White House, Elon Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States and the Philippines have signed a nuclear cooperation pact under which U.S. investment and technologies are to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to cleaner energy and bolster its power supply. He said the pact, known as a Section 123 agreement, would support the development of reliable, affordable and sustainable power in the Philippines. It will also open doors for U.S. companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects, he said. With its peak energy demand expected to quadruple by 2040, nuclear energy will help it meet its needs in a sustainable way, he said. The United States has 23 Section 123 agreements in force that govern peaceful nuclear cooperation with 47 countries, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Taiwan.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Antony Blinken, ” Marcos, Blinken, ”, “, ___ Ng Organizations: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, U.S . Atomic Energy, Bataan Nuclear, United, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: MANILA, Philippines, United States, Philippine, San Francisco, U.S, Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a temporary spending bill a day before a potential government shutdown, pushing a fight with congressional Republicans over the federal budget into the new year, as wartime aid for Ukraine and Israel remains stalled. Biden signed the bill in San Francisco, where he is hosting the summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies. The president signed the bill at the Legion of Honor Museum, where he held a dinner for APEC members. He portrayed the temporary funding bill as setting the ground for a spending “fight” with the Senate next year. The spending bill does not include the White House’s nearly $106 billion request for wartime aid for Israel and Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Stephen Groves, Zeke Miller Organizations: FRANCISCO, Republicans, Economic Cooperation, Legion, Honor, APEC, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Israel, San Francisco, Asia, Washington

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