World
British PM Sunak says ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations is over
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has mentioned China poses a “systemic” problem to UK values and pursuits as his authorities condemned Beijing after a BBC journalist was crushed whereas overlaying Shanghai protests.
In his first main overseas coverage speech, Sunak mentioned the so-called “golden period” of UK relations with China was “over, together with the naive concept that commerce would mechanically result in social and political reform”.
The UK would “must evolve our method to China” because of this, he mentioned in his speech on the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, including that Beijing was “consciously competing for world affect utilizing all of the levers of state energy”.
“Let’s be clear, the so-called ‘golden period’ is over, together with the naive concept that commerce would result in social and political reform,” Sunak mentioned, a reference to former Finance Minister George Osborne’s description of Sino-British ties in 2015.
His authorities will prioritise deepening commerce and safety ties with Indo-Pacific allies, he mentioned, including that “economics and safety are indivisible” within the area.
Some in Sunak’s Conservative Occasion have been important of the prime minister, concerning him as much less hawkish on China than his predecessor Liz Truss.
Whereas operating for the highest job in opposition to Liz Truss, he promised to get robust on China if he received, calling the Asian superpower the “primary menace” to home and world safety.
Nonetheless, a deliberate assembly between Sunak and China’s President Xi Jinping at this month’s G20 summit in Bali fell by means of, and final week London banned Chinese language-made safety cameras from delicate authorities buildings.
“We recognise China poses a systemic problem to our values and pursuits, a problem that grows extra acute because it strikes in direction of even larger authoritarianism,” he mentioned, referring to the BBC assertion that one in all its journalists had been assaulted by Chinese language police.
“In fact, we can not merely ignore China’s significance in world affairs — to world financial stability or points like local weather change. The US, Canada, Australia, Japan and plenty of others perceive this too.”
The speech got here as tensions have been additional strained between the 2 nations after Ed Lawrence, working in China as an accredited BBC journalist, was arrested at a COVID lockdown demonstration in Shanghai and detained for a number of hours.
The UK public broadcaster says he was assaulted and kicked by police.
After his launch, Lawrence tweeted on Monday to thank his followers, including he believed “a minimum of one native nationwide was arrested after making an attempt to cease the police from beating me”.
An announcement from the BBC on what occurred to me in Shanghai final evening whereas doing my job.
I perceive a minimum of one native nationwide was arrested after making an attempt to cease the police from beating me.
Thanks very a lot for the sort phrases and messages of concern. https://t.co/weoDAMakvO
— Edward Lawrence (@EP_Lawrence) November 28, 2022
UK International Secretary James Cleverly referred to as the incident “deeply disturbing”.
“Media freedom and freedom to protest should be revered. No nation is exempt,” he tweeted.
“Journalists should have the ability to do their job with out intimidation.”
A whole lot of individuals took to the streets in China’s main cities on Sunday in a uncommon outpouring of public anger in opposition to the state over its dogged dedication to zero COVID.
China’s overseas ministry mentioned on Monday that Lawrence had not recognized himself as a journalist.
“Primarily based on what we discovered from related Shanghai authorities, he didn’t determine himself as a journalist and didn’t voluntarily current his press credentials,” mentioned International Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian.
He informed worldwide media to “comply with Chinese language legal guidelines and laws whereas in China”.
World
Orbán's meeting with FPÖ leaders in Vienna sparks controversy
The Hungarian prime minister arrived in Vienna on Thursday, where he was received by parliamentary president Walter Rosenkranz in a meeting condemned by several Austrian political parties.
Despite criticism from other political parties, Austria’s newly elected parliament president, Walter Rosenkranz of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Vienna as his first official guest.
The controversial visit took place in the Austrian parliament’s reception room, with the entire leadership of the FPÖ, including leader Herbert Kickl, reportedly in attendance.
After the meeting concluded, Orbán had a separate, private meeting with Kickl. However, nothing was initially revealed about the content of their conversation.
Rosenkranz said the meeting had been arranged before he took office.
Other Austrian parties, including the Greens and Social Democrats, had resisted Orbán’s visit. Green party parliamentary leader Sigrid Maurer said the FPÖ views Orbán as a role model, which should be considered “an absolute warning signal.”
FPÖ finished first in the recent Austrian parliamentary elections, garnering 29.2% of the vote in the country’s first far-right election win since World War II.
Experts say the party managed to tap into Austrian anxiety on housing and healthcare, as well as often successfully blaming migration for a host of other issues.
As is customary within Austria, the group with the highest number of votes appoints the President of Parliament – hence Rosenkranz being elected to the second-highest state office in the country last week.
Orbán will reportedly not meet with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer during the visit.
Far-right alliance in Europe
Austria’s Freedom Party and Orbán’s Fidesz party both belong to the new European far-right group Patriots for Europe.
The party shares a deep aversion to the Green Deal, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s flagship initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and have challenged the project of European integration as well as the power granted to EU institutions.
Patriots for Europe are also opposed to providing Ukraine with military equipment, question the efficiency of Western sanctions against Moscow and want to maintain close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government.
It is the third-largest group in the European Parliament, boasting dozens of MEPs from countries like France, Italy and the Netherlands.
World
Analysis-US Crypto Industry Expects Friendlier Washington, Whoever Wins White House
World
Iran and Russia close in on deal as Tehran threatens revenge against Israel
Iran and Russia are closing in on a deal that will bolster their defensive cooperation and strengthen military ties at a time when Western nations are increasingly concerned about regional wars in Europe and the Middle East.
“The treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran that is being prepared will become a serious factor in strengthening Russian-Iranian relations,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, according to a Reuters report.
The foreign minister, who said the treaty would be signed “in the near future,” claimed that the deal will “confirm” both Iran and Russia’s “interests of peace and security at the regional and global levels.”
PENTAGON SAYS IRAN SUPPLYING RUSSIA WITH BALLISTIC MISSILES
The details of the treaty remain unclear and Lavrov did not expand on what form this defensive partnership would take.
A similar agreement signed between Russia and North Korea earlier this year was followed by Pyongyang’s decision to send some 10,000 soldiers to its warring neighbor, which may potentially be deployed to fight in Ukraine, according to concerns signaled by the Pentagon.
But given that Iran already supplies Russia with defensive aid to propel its brutal war in Ukraine, it’s not only the repercussions this partnership could have for the war in Europe that concern Western security officials.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who once shared a solid relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has not appeared to be overtly involved in the unfolding fight in the Middle East, unlike Russia’s top adversary, the U.S.
But a report by the Wall Street Journal earlier this month found that Moscow has been providing the Houthi terrorist group with satellite data to assist it in its repeated attacks on Western ships in the Red Sea. According to the report, the information was passed from Russia to “members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)… embedded with the Houthis in Yemen.”
PENTAGON THREATENS NO NEW LIMITS ON UKRAINE WEAPONS IF NORTH KOREA JOINS RUSSIA’S WAR
Russia has also increasingly called on Israel to show “restraint” when it comes to escalating tensions in the Middle East as it launched an incursion into Lebanon and struck Iran – which directly funds and arms the terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, warring with Jerusalem.
Tehran has once again threatened Jerusalem with a retaliatory hit after Israel launched aerial strikes on Friday. The series of tit-for-tat attacks continue as Israel pushes to eliminate Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on Tuesday responded to these threats and said, “If Iran makes the mistake of launching another missile barrage at Israel, we will once again know how to reach Iran.”
Halevi warned Israel will continue to escalate its attack “capabilities and locations” previously “set aside” if Iran responds with another strike on the Jewish state.
“We did this for a very simple reason, because we may be required to [strike] again. This event is not over, we are still in the midst of it,” he said while speaking from the Ramon Airbase in Israel. “I say this to you: we are highly prepared across all fronts.”
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