Southeast Asia Watch
News Source
EXCERPT:
The Trump administration is rehauling its approach to wrestling influence in sub-Saharan Africa from China, an uphill battle against decades of Chinese momentum.
While the end of the Cold War saw the United States assert its unipolar moment over much of the world, this didn’t extend to sub-Saharan Africa, which ranked low on the list of U.S. priorities. The lack of U.S. interest helped facilitate China’s rise in the region, which has exploded since 2000. China’s dominance in sub-Saharan Africa has now exceeded anything ever achieved by the U.S. in the region.
The Trump administration is looking to buck this trend by drastically reworking its approach from previous administrations, switching from an aid-focused model to one of trade, a focus on critical mineral acquisition, and transactional economic cooperation.
News Source
EXCERPT:
EU lawmakers and countries agreed to double tariffs on foreign steel on Monday, to shield the bloc’s struggling industry from a flood of cheap Chinese exports.
European Union governments and parliament representatives reached a late evening deal to hike levies on steel imports to 50 percent and slash the volume allowed in before tariffs apply by 47 percent.
“The shape and global standing of Europe‘s steel sector are fundamental to our strategic autonomy and industrial strength. We therefore cannot afford to turn a blind eye to global overcapacity reaching critical levels,” commented the EU’s trade chief, Maros Sefcovic.
“Today’s outcome helps bring much-needed stability for our producers to thrive in Europe”.
US Debt: China sells off 623 billion $ Cointribune
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Russia and China on Tuesday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz that had been repeatedly watered down in hopes those two countries would abstain.
The vote — 11-2, with two abstentions from Pakistan and Colombia— took place just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an unprecedented threat that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran does not open the strategic waterway and make a deal before his 8 p.m. Eastern deadline. One-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the strait, and Iran’s stranglehold during the war has sent energy prices soaring.
As the United States-Israel war on Iran — paused for two weeks on Wednesday amid fresh diplomatic talks — has roiled the global economy for more than a month, Iran and China have seized the opportunity to address a shared gripe about the global financial system.
Their common cause: ending the hegemony of the US dollar.
BEIJING — China’s government said Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed not to escalate their conflict and to “explore a comprehensive solution” after several weeks of cross-border fighting between the two countries that has left hundreds of people killed.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday that after seven days of peace talks in the western Chinese city of Urumqi under China mediation, all the parties also agreed to keep the dialogue.
Chinese Drone Deal Behind Downfall of Myanmar Junta’s Chief Propagandist The Irrawaddy
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Xi’s article on correct understanding of governance performance to be published China Daily
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GM’s China venture seeks to build vehicles in Mexico to advance global expansion Automotive News
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China reaffirms unwavering ties with Ghana as Ambassador presents credentials MyJoyOnline
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U.S. Senators Press Taiwan to Raise Military Spending, as China Protests The New York Times
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Xi Jinping Purges Top Weapons Scientists, Western Intellectuals as China’s Proxies, Militant ROK Labor Union Affects Geopolitics Hudson Institute
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BEIJING: China warned the United States on Thursday (Mar 26) against bringing “conflict and the chaos of war” to the Asia-Pacific, after Washington and its allies said they would weigh building a weapons base in the Philippines.
A US-led intergovernmental defence group agreed last week to assess funding for a new ammunition assembly and production line in the Philippines, according to a joint statement.
The decision was made by the 16 members of the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), which also includes Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
US Indictment Says China’s Fentanyl Suppliers Engineered Addiction Through Cartels. Their Websites Are Still Online Todayville
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