Opinion

Can Trump and Xi Jinping mend their strained “loving” relationship?
20Nov By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Can Trump and Xi Jinping mend their strained “loving” relationship?

In a sports park next to the red walls and glossy blue tiles which surround Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, a group of pensioners are working out. “I’m 74 and I hope this helps me live a long time,” one man says after he finishes his pull-ups, just as a cold wind blows leaves from cypress trees across the park, disrupting another man who is mid-headstand. Women reach for gloves and sweaters as they take turns hanging from an overhead assault course. Chinese emperors once came to this Ming dynasty holy site to pray for a good harvest. Now the park is used by locals to enjoy their retirement after spending decades contributing to China’s spectacular growth. They’ve watched their country open up to the world and their factories propel its economy, which nips at the heels of the United S
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“We want a’strong’ relationship between the UK and China,” Starmer adds.
19Nov By Grace TsoiNo Comments

“We want a’strong’ relationship between the UK and China,” Starmer adds.

Sir Keir Starmer has met President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit, and emphasised the importance of a "strong UK-China relationship" for both countries. The meeting was the first time a UK prime minister has met the Chinese president in person since 2018, following a recent souring in relations. Sir Keir raised the case of the jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist, Jimmy Lai, saying he was concerned about reports of a "deterioration" in his health. The PM also signalled a desire for greater business co-operation, particularly on "areas of mutual cooperation" such as international stability, climate change and economic growth. Sir Keir met President Xi on the fringes of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and, speaking at the start of the meeting, said: "We want our r...
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In his final meeting with Biden, Xi stated that he will collaborate with Trump.
18Nov By Grace TsoiNo Comments

In his final meeting with Biden, Xi stated that he will collaborate with Trump.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pledged to work with incoming President Donald Trump in his final meeting with current US leader Joe Biden. But president Xi also took the opportunity to state China’s objectives in what appears to be a message to Donald Trump and the next administration in Washington. In a robust readout of the meeting released afterwards, Beijing said President Xi had underscored that "a new Cold War should not be fought and cannot be won. Containing China is unwise, unacceptable and bound to fail". Xi also said a stable relationship between China and the United States was "critical to both parties and the world". The two met on Saturday on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru where they acknowledged "ups and downs"
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As it transpired, Keir Starmer claims he wants a “serious and pragmatic” relationship with China.
18Nov By Grace TsoiNo Comments

As it transpired, Keir Starmer claims he wants a “serious and pragmatic” relationship with China.

Keir Starmer has said that he wants a “serious and pragmatic” relationship with China while “being clear about the issues that we do not agree on”. Speaking to broadcasters after his meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping on Monday, the prime minister said: “I’ve been clear that I want a serious and pragmatic relationship with China. It’s the second biggest economy in the world, it’s one of our biggest trading partners, and therefore we have issues that we clearly need to discuss.” China’s president, Xi Jinping, has heaped praise on Keir Starmer’s economic policy, as the UK prime minister used their first meeting to raise concerns about sanctions on MPs and the treatment of the pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai. In conversation at the G20 summit in Rio, the first meeting between t
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Biden’s last meeting with Xi in Peru is threatened by Trump.
17Nov By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Biden’s last meeting with Xi in Peru is threatened by Trump.

President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, closed the book on their diplomatic relationship Saturday, meeting for a final time amid uncertainty over what the next Donald Trump presidency might portend for their two countries’ ties. As they opened the talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit of Pacific leaders in Lima, both men described the relationship between Washington and Beijing as “the most important” in the entire world, one that could quickly tilt into global conflict if not carefully managed. Behind closed doors, the leaders hashed out a range of contentious issues that will undoubtedly continue into the next administration. As the talks concluded, the men put down their notes for a moment of reflection on what has been a lengthy and laye
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Chinese leader Xi tells Biden he’s “ready to work” with Trump at APEC 2024.
17Nov By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Chinese leader Xi tells Biden he’s “ready to work” with Trump at APEC 2024.

In his encounter with Biden on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, Peru, Xi emphasised the importance of the US and China maintaining “mutual respect”. While Xi did not mention Trump by name, he gave a nod to the incoming US president’s victory in the November 5 election. “The United States has recently concluded its elections. China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship remains unchanged,” Xi said. But, he warned, “If we take each other as rival or adversary, pursue vicious competition and seek to hurt each other, we would roil the relationship or even set it back.” Trump, who served as president previously from 2017 to 2021, oversaw a period of heightened tensions with China, including a trade war spark
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17Nov By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

According to Trudeau, APEC leaders concentrated on how to do business with the Trump administration.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru have been dominated by worries about how to navigate Donald Trump's return to the White House. In particular, the prime minister says discussions have centred on how to continue trade with an incoming president who's promised sweeping tariffs on all U.S. imports. Trudeau is one of few world leaders who was also in power during Trump's first administration, and he says his message to his colleagues is to emphasize the "win-wins" of trade deals. Canada signed a new trade deal with Mexico and the U.S. in 2018 after Trump ended the North American Free Trade Agreement, and all three countries will have to review that deal in 2026. Trudeau also says Trump asked him specifically about Can...
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The Implications for Bangladesh of a Second Trump Presidency
15Nov By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

The Implications for Bangladesh of a Second Trump Presidency

In the U.S. presidential election on November 5, Donald Trump of the Republican Party won a decisive victory, and he is scheduled to succeed Joe Biden as the U.S. president on January 20, 2025. The upcoming change in the U.S. administration is likely to substantially affect ties between Bangladesh and the United States, in areas including politics, the economy, migration, strategic and security ties, climate change, and humanitarian cooperation. Effects on Bangladesh’s Internal Politics In contrast with the Biden administration’s moral and ideological emphasis on democracy and human rights in U.S. foreign policy, Trump is more pragmatic and transactional. The Biden administration has actively supported the interim government of Bangladesh under Chief Adviser
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On Xi Jinping: How the World and China are Being Shaped by Xi’s Marxist Nationalism
15Nov By Grace TsoiNo Comments

On Xi Jinping: How the World and China are Being Shaped by Xi’s Marxist Nationalism

Kevin Rudd’s new book, “On Xi Jinping,” offers insightful analysis of the transformation of Chinese politics, economics, and foreign policy under Xi Jinping’s leadership, highlighting the renewed role of ideology in shaping policy.  Under the leadership of Xi Jinping since 2012, much of Chinese politics, economics, and foreign policy has been turned on its head relative to the previous thirty-five years when China was led by Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao. According to Kevin Rudd in his new book, “On Xi Jinping,” Xi has embarked on an integrated ideological campaign of “Marxist Nationalism.” This means “taking Chinese politics to the Leninist left, Chinese economics to the Marxist left, and Chinese foreign policy to the nationalist right.” Rudd’s book is the latest o
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Trump’s first week as president-elect: Five things to remember
15Nov By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Trump’s first week as president-elect: Five things to remember

Donald Trump has moved speedily since winning the US presidential election to set the foundations of his second term in the White House. 1) He’s building a loyal team to shake up government Trump started building his top team almost immediately, nominating cabinet picks for Senate approval and appointing White House advisers and other senior aides. But that doesn’t tell the full story. His selections make clear that he plans a radical shake up of government, eschewing more conventional and experienced picks for those who are loyal to him and share his vision for a second term that will upend the status quo in Washington. His choice for defence secretary, for example, has called for a purge of military chiefs enacting “woke” policies. His nominee for health secretary, Robert
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