Day: July 8, 2019

(Xinhua)14:10, June 27, 2019

SUVA, June 26 (Xinhua) — The U.S.-initiated trade war with China would not be able to make America great again, but would damage the global economy seriously, and it is in the two countries best interests to reach an agreement to end the trade war, a former Tongan diplomat said on Wednesday.

Siamelie Latu, former Tongan ambassador to China and former acting secretary of Foreign Affairs, said in an article on a local leading news website Matangi Tonga Online that the trade war, initiated by the United States, would do serious damage to the global economy as protectionist actions escalate.

Countries imposing tariffs and countries subject to tariffs would experience losses in economic welfare, while countries on the sidelines would experience collateral damage, said Latu. If tariffs remain in place, losses in economic output would be permanent, as distorted price signals would prevent the specialization that maximizes global productivity.

Latu, who is now secretary general of the Tonga China Friendship Association, said that a trade war between the two biggest economies in the world would have very serious repercussions globally. The trade war could derail the current global economic expansion and cripple American businesses that depend on business with China.

Pointing out that the U.S. trade bullying harms the world, Latu said that economic globalization is a firmly-established trend of the times, while unilateralism and protectionism are unpopular.

The trade protectionist measures taken by the United States go against the WTO rules, damage the multilateral trading system, seriously disrupt global industrial chains and supply chains, undermine market confidence, and pose a serious challenge to global economic recovery and a major threat to the trend of economic globalization, he said.

Latu added that the tariff measures imposed by the United States harm others without benefitting itself.

Since the beginning of the trade war initiated by the United States, the tariff measures have not boosted American economic growth. Instead, they have done serious harm to the U.S. economy, he said.

From his point of view, the tariff measures have significantly increased production costs for U.S. companies, which caused domestic price hikes in the United States, impacted U.S. economic growth and peoples livelihood, and led to barriers to U.S. exports to China.

Latu stressed the importance of mutually beneficial and win-win relationship between the two countries, saying that it would benefit not only the two countries but also the entire world.

In fact, in todays globalized world, the Chinese and American economies are highly integrated and together constitute an entire industrial chain. The two economies are bound in a union that is mutually beneficial and win-win in nature, he said.

China and the United States have the most at stake, and it is in their best interests to reach an agreement that addresses key issues, said the former ambassador.

(Xinhua)08:29, June 28, 2019

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — China firmly opposes U.S. abuse of export control measures and urges the United States to stop suppression and remove sanctions on Chinese firms, a commerce ministry spokesman said Thursday.

The U.S. government earlier this month added five Chinese entities to its Entity List, restricting the sale or transfer of American technology to the listed companies. A total of 47 Chinese companies and institutions have been put on the list.

Generalizing the concept of national security and abusing export control measures by the U.S. side are against market competition principles, disrupt normal scientific and trade exchanges, hurt the interests of companies from both countries, and will not help address the U.S. concern of the trade imbalance issue, Gao Feng, spokesman with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), told a press conference. China is firmly against such practices.

It has been Chinas consistent belief that deepening cooperation in high-tech fields and expanding effective interaction help improve peoples well-being and serve the interests of both countries and the rest of the world, Gao said.

We urge the United States to stop wrong practices immediately and go back to the track of cooperation, he said.

Responding to questions about whether FedEx will be put on Chinas list of unreliable entities, Gao said details of the list will be released soon.

Entities abiding by Chinas laws and regulations, market rules and contracts do not need to worry at all, Gao said, adding that China would protect enterprises legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law and safeguard market order based on rule of law and contract spirit.

(Xinhua)08:37, June 28, 2019

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — The photo of drowned father and daughter broke hearts around the world, reminding people of tragedies still happening on daily basis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The tragedy stirred up a new wave of outcry against the chaotic U.S. immigration policies, but the tug of war between Republicans and Democrats on immigration is only going to get worse as the battle for White House in 2020 draws near, experts say.

LIVES AT STAKE

Still clinging to each other, Salvadoran migrant Oscar Martinez and his 2-year-old daughter Angie Valeria were found floating face down on the banks of the Rio Grande River.

Their drowning came under spotlight after a photo of their bodies went viral on social media around the world. Yet hundreds more immigrants have died quietly along the U.S.-Mexico border.

On Tuesday, U.S. Border Patrol recovered a mans body from another stretch of the Rio Grande in Texas. Several more have drowned this year. Border patrol reported about more than 280 migrant deaths on the border in 2018. Activists say the real death toll is much higher as the remains of many migrants were never found in the rugged terrains of the U.S.-Mexico border of some 3,000 kilometers.

Millions of people in the so-called northern triangle of central America — Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras — have pegged their hope to escape famine, poverty and violence on going north, Wang Peng, an expert with China Academy of Social Sciences said.

Yet the road to the United States is no easy cruise. They have to brave through desert heat, treacherous water and violent criminals. The Trump administrations zero tolerance policy on illegal immigrants have added to their difficulties, but it is not enough to deter the people who are determined to change their fate, Wang said.

A record number of central American immigrants are swarming to the United States despite the crackdown.

TUG OF WALL

U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders blamed the death of Martinez and his daughter on Trumps immigration policies. He wrote on Twitter, Trumps policy of making it harder and harder to seek asylum — and separating families who do — is cruel, inhumane and leads to tragedies like this.

Trump in turn blamed the Democrats, whom he said were blocking his governments attempts at closing loopholes in U.S. law that encourage migrants to apply for asylum.

Trump had promised to replace the rusty fences on the U.S.-Mexico border with massive walls of 15 meters tall. The border wall needs some 5.7 billion U.S. dollars to start with and will eventually cost more than 20 billion. The Republicans and Democrats have fought battles in Congress over the funds, resulting in record-breaking government shutdowns that halted U.S. public institutions and sent numerous government employees home.

Keeping the promise on building the wall is vital to Trumps reelection. Meanwhile, the Democrats are dead set against it to court Latino voters, says Zhang Wenzong, an expert with China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

As the 2020 general election nears, immigration can be a key factor that may tip the balance for presidential hopefuls. A recent Gallup poll showed 23 percent of Americans see immigration as the nations biggest problem, the highest level in decades.

In the end, its a game of power. Instead of trying to reconcile and resolve the issue, both the Democrats and Republicans are making biased accusations and fanning irrational emotions just to grab votes, Zhang said.

The immigration issue is part of the war looming large in U.S. politics as the Democrats and Republicans fight for the 2020 election. Such struggles over U.S. domestic politics carry far-reaching significance to the world, he added.

(Xinhua)08:58, June 28, 2019

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — A foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday refuted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos criticisms against the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying that the international community is clear about which country is actually helping build infrastructure and promoting economic development.

Nobody seems to buy Pompeos attacks against the Belt and Road Initiative and his efforts of persuading other countries to withdraw from the Belt and Road cooperation seems to be in vain, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing.

Gengs remarks came after Pompeo criticized Chinas Belt and Road Initiative saying that it came not with strings attached, but with shackles during his visit to India.

If the Belt and Road Initiative is indeed a shackle like he said, why could the initiative receive positive support from so many countries and international organizations? If these countries do not join the Belt and Road cooperation, who would help them build infrastructure and promote economic development? Would it be the United States who always holds the banner of America First? Is the United States willing to earmark the money and propose concrete measures? Geng said.

He urged certain individuals in the United States not to sing to ones own with no audience and ask for snub.

(Xinhua)09:09, June 28, 2019

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) — China expects the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit in Osaka, Japan to send positive signals of combating climate change, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Thursday.

Media reported that the draft communique of the G20 Osaka summit did not include the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

In response, spokesperson Geng Shuang said tackling climate change has always been an important issue for G20, and as a major platform for global economic cooperation, G20 has played an important role in promoting cooperation on climate change.

We expect the G20 Osaka summit could send positive political signals of combating climate change, he said.

China always actively participated in the multilateral process of tackling climate change and taken part in relevant negotiations under multilateral mechanisms such as G20, Geng said.

Referring to the G20 summit in Buenos Aires last year, he said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated their firm commitment to working together in combating climate change in a press statement.

During the upcoming summit in Osaka, Geng said the three parties might again hold a meeting on climate change, expressing hope that the meeting will play an active role in promoting discussions on climate change under multilateral mechanisms including G20.