5 d. ago Ahead of a crunch summit with China, the EU is complaining of ‘stinking fish’

A month out from a crunch summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the European Union, senior EU officials have landed on an unsavoury term to describe their trade ties with China: “the stinking fish.” The analogy, used when briefing member state diplomats on progress in trade talks with China, refers to the European Commission’s frustration that each of its top demands from Beijing is around the removal of measures that were introduced to punish Europe or the US. Brussels...

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6 d. ago Alibaba trims partnership as company bets on younger leaders

Alibaba Group Holding has trimmed its partnership – a key corporate governance body for the e-commerce and artificial intelligence (AI) giant – as it embraces younger business leaders and strives to return to a start-up mindset. Nine executives and company veterans – including former CEO Daniel Zhang Yong, 53, and fellow co-founders Trudy Dai Shan, 48, and Lucy Peng Lei, 51, who started the company with Jack Ma in 1999 – have exited the partnership, according to Alibaba’s annual report released...

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1 week ago Will India and Canada move beyond ‘past rancour’ and normalise ties quickly?

The move by India and Canada to reinstate high commissioners in each other’s capitals marks an important step towards mending their frayed relationship after the 2023 killing of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia. Following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the sidelines of this week’s Group of Seven summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, both countries issued separate statements to pledge their commitment to strengthening...

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1 week ago China’s influence is growing in Central Asia. What does that mean for Russia?

At a high-level summit this week, China and its Central Asian partners voiced their shared security concerns and showed a united front amid a turbulent global landscape. The close ties between Beijing and the five Central Asian countries – whose leaders met at the China-Central Asia Summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday – have sparked questions about whether Russia’s regional dominance is waning as it remains preoccupied with the Ukraine war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed this possibility...

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3 w. ago Is acceptance by India’s Modi to attend G7 summit in Canada a ‘Pyrrhic victory’?

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi last week to attend the G7 summit starting on Sunday has sparked debate on whether the last-minute request came amid pressure from other countries in the group of rich nations or a sign of a thaw in ties with India. Carney extended the invitation to Modi in a phone call between the two leaders on Friday. Modi has accepted the invitation, saying his meeting with Carney will lead to “renewed vigour” in...

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3 w. ago EU pushes for ‘independence’ from China and US – but can it achieve it?

For more than four months, Europe has been one of US President Donald Trump’s favourite punchbags, absorbing bruising blows on trade, security and social issues. Over the same period, the European Union has held out an olive branch to Beijing, seeking concessions on economic matters in exchange for better political ties. The consensus now in Brussels is that China has chosen not to grab it. Sandwiched between two uncompromising superpowers, a growing number of European leaders are pushing for...

Politics

3 w. ago EU pushes for ‘independence’ from China and US – but can it get there?

For more than four months, Europe has been one of US President Donald Trump’s favourite punchbags, absorbing bruising blows on trade, security and social issues. Over the same period, the European Union has held out an olive branch to Beijing, seeking concessions on economic matters in exchange for better political ties. The consensus now in Brussels is that China has chosen not to grab it. Sandwiched between two uncompromising superpowers, a growing number of European leaders are pushing for...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Unacceptable’: Thai teachers’ group slams deal on beer discounts

A group of Thai teachers has protested against a state agency’s partnership with a beer company, claiming the deal tarnishes educators’ integrity and sends the wrong message to society. The one-year deal, signed last month by Tawandang German Brewery and the government office for improving education workers’ welfare and benefits, offers teachers a 10 per cent discount at three branches of the brewery firm. Chayapa Khunpittikana, coordinator of the Thai Teachers Against Vice-Promoting Welfare...

Politics

4 w. ago South Korea’s new leader faces tightrope act between China ties, US alliance

Hours after Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as the president of South Korea early on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a congratulatory message, emphasising that China placed “great importance” on strengthening ties with its neighbour amid an increasingly uncertain global landscape. During his campaign, Lee pledged to repair strained ties with China and North Korea and underscored China’s role as a vital trading partner. Analysts predicted more stable China-South Korea relations to...

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4 w. ago Chinese FM urges US to get ties back on track in meeting with envoy David Perdue

The US should meet China halfway and create the “necessary conditions” for bringing bilateral ties back on track, top diplomat Wang Yi has told the new American ambassador, amid White House expectations that a phone call between the two state leaders could occur this week. In a meeting with David Perdue in Beijing on Tuesday, Wang said that mutual respect and cooperation were the foundation of stable China-US relations, which he said were at a “crucial juncture”. “Equality and respect are the...

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4 w. ago Trump social media post casts uncertainty on possible call with Xi Jinping

US President Donald Trump said that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping was “extremely hard to make a deal with”, casting uncertainty over a possible phone call between the two leaders that the White House has said was expected this week. “I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform at around 2.17am local time on Wednesday. When asked about Trump’s comments, Chinese foreign...

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