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Xi’s overseas trip demonstrates China’s commitment to global growth, governance

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BEIJING – President Xi Jinping returned to China on Saturday evening from a six-day trip, during which he attended the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit and the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, and paid a visit to Thailand.

After the successful launch of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China’s major-country diplomacy embarked on a new journey, said Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, state councilor and foreign minister of China.

During his six-day trip, Xi participated in more than 30 events, which has sent out a loud voice for promoting global development and leading global governance, demonstrating China’s role as a rational, confident and responsible major country, Wang said.

While addressing multilateral meetings and talking with leaders of other countries, Xi elaborated on the 20th CPC National Congress, Chinese modernization, win-win cooperation between China and the rest of the world, and championed bright prospects of China’s high-quality development and high-standard opening up, sending a strong signal that China will always advance world peace and development and deepen opening up and cooperation with other countries, Wang said.

The G20 summit has brought together world and regional major countries and is also a platform for international economic cooperation, Wang said.

At the summit, Xi called on all countries to embrace the vision of building a human community with a shared future, and to advocate peace, development and win-win cooperation, so as to replace division with unity, confrontation with cooperation and exclusion with inclusiveness, and make global development more inclusive and beneficial to all and more resilient.

Xi noted that modernization is not a privilege reserved for any single country, and frontrunners in development should sincerely help others develop, Wang said.

The Chinese president proposed building a global partnership for economic recovery and the International Cooperation Initiative on Global Food Security, and supported the African Union (AU) in joining the G20, showing that Xi has always cared for developing countries and stayed committed to the vision that “development is real only when all countries develop together” in diplomatic actions, which has received warm responses from developing countries, Wang said.

APEC is the most important platform for economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, Wang said.

Wang said that Xi wisely summarized the successful experience of Asia-Pacific economic cooperation, underlining that the Asia-Pacific is no one’s backyard and should not become an arena for big power contest. The Chinese president said no attempt to wage a new Cold War will ever be allowed by the people or by the times.

Wang said Xi called for building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future that is peaceful, stable, clean and beautiful, a region where all are ready to help each other and that brings prosperity for all.

Xi also elaborated on the six points to promote Asia-Pacific cooperation facing new developments, including bolstering the foundation for peaceful development, taking a people-centered development approach, pursuing higher-level opening-up, striving for higher-standard connectivity, building stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains, and promoting economic upgrading.

Wang said Xi announced that China is considering holding the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation next year to provide fresh impetus for the development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific and the world.

Xi held face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden in Bali, where they had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on issues of importance in China-US relations and in world peace and development, Wang said, adding that the meeting was constructive and strategic. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of state of the two countries over the past three years, particularly since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Wang said Xi stressed that China-US relations should be viewed and handled from the perspective of grasping the general trend of the world, abandon the zero-sum mentality of “you lose, I win,” and “you rise and I fall,” and set a tone of exchanges featuring dialogue rather than confrontation and win-win rather than zero-sum relations.

The two sides should uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to jointly ensure that bilateral relations will stay on the right course without deviating, stalling, not to mention colliding, he added.

In response to the erroneous words and deeds made recently by the US side concerning the Taiwan question and to make clear where the red lines are for China-US relations, Xi gave a full account of the origin of the Taiwan question and China’s principled position, stressing that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that can not be crossed in China-US relations.

Wang said that Xi urged the US side to match its words with action, abide by its commitment of “five noes” (i.e., not seek a new Cold War; not seek to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support “Taiwan independence”; not look for conflict with China).

Biden said that a stable and prosperous China is good for the United States and the world. The United States and China have a shared responsibility to show the world that they can manage their differences, and avoid misperceptions or fierce competition from veering into confrontation or conflict, Wang added.

The US side reiterated its “five noes” commitment, and went on to state that the US side does not support “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan,” does not seek to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China, and has no intention to seek “de-coupling” from China, to halt China’s economic development, or to contain China.

The trip to Indonesia is Xi’s first overseas visit since the 20th CPC National Congress, reflecting the high-level and special feature of China-Indonesia relations, said Wang.

After a meeting between Xi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the two countries released a joint statement, signed the new five-year Plan of Action for Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Indonesia and forged important consensus on striving towards building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, Wang said.

The two leaders also witnessed the trial operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, which will cut travel time between Jakarta and Bandung to 40 minutes from more than three hours, he added.

During Xi’s visit to Thailand, the first since he became Chinese president, he met with Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, respectively.

The two sides agreed to build a more stable, prosperous and sustainable China-Thailand community with a shared future, adding new dimensions to their family-like relations.

During the 17th G20 Summit and the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, Xi met with leaders of various countries and international organizations. In response to their concern about the Ukraine crisis, Xi reiterated “the four points” about what must be done and “the four things” the international community must do together in response to the situation in Ukraine, Wang said.

The Chinese president also shared three important thoughts: First, conflicts and wars produce no winner; second, there is no simple solution to a complex issue; and third, confrontation between major countries must be avoided, he added.

Underlining that China will continue to make objective and fair judgments based on the merits of the issue itself, Xi said China has all along stood on the side of peace and will continue to promote peace talks.

During Xi’s trip, the Chinese foreign minister said, Professor Peng Liyuan, Xi’s wife, participated in a series of activities together with the spouses of other leaders and representatives attending the G20 summit and the APEC meeting, which has played a unique and positive role in boosting China’s international image.

Xi’s visit has effectively enhanced China’s international influence and discourse, Wang said.

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UN court orders Israel to stop Gaza famine, Hamas urges ceasefire

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The International Court of Justice on Thursday unanimously ordered Israel to take all necessary and effective action to ensure basic food supplies to Gaza’s Palestinian population and stop the spread of famine.

The ruling is an addition to a January 26 verdict, in which the ICJ ordered Israel to take all possible measures to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, to halt incitement against Palestinians as a group, to preserve evidence and to take immediate measures to ensure humanitarian aid.

The order from the ICJ came as Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters battled in close combat around Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, where the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they attacked Israeli soldiers and tanks with rockets and mortar fire.

Judges at the court said the people in the coastal enclave face worsening conditions.

“The court observes that Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but that famine is setting in,” the judges said in their order.

The new measures were requested by South Africa as part of its case that accuses Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said the ruling did not go far enough and Israel must be ordered to end its military offensive to halt the suffering.

“We welcome any new demands to end this humanitarian tragedy in Gaza and especially in the northern Gaza Strip, but we hoped the court ordered a ceasefire as an absolute solution to all the miseries our people in Gaza are living through,” Naim told Reuters.

There was no immediate comment from Israel’s Foreign Ministry on the ICJ ruling. Israel has said it is making efforts to expand access for humanitarian groups to Gaza overland, through air drops and by ship.

Shortages of food, water and medicine

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday that more than 1.1 million people in the Gaza Strip are facing “an extreme level of food insecurity,” as Israel prevents aid from entering the enclave.

The statement, posted on social media platform X, emphasized the need to distribute sufficient food aid via land routes to save lives, especially in the northern areas of the Strip.

However, “access impediments persist, and time is running out,” the OCHA said.

Meanwhile, medical sources announced on Thursday the death of a child in the northern Gazan city of Beit Lahia due to famine and lack of available treatment, raising the number of deaths due to malnutrition in the enclave to 30.

The Israeli army said it continued to operate around the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza City after storming it more than a week ago. Its forces had killed around 200 gunmen since the start of the operation, “while preventing harm to civilians, patients, medical teams and medical equipment,” it said.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said wounded people and patients were being held inside an administration building in Al-Shifa Hospital complex, which the Israeli army has stormed more than a week ago. Five patients had died since the Israeli raid began due to shortages of food, water and medical care, the Hamas-run ministry said.

Al-Shifa, the Gaza Strip’s biggest hospital before the Israel-Hamas conflict, had been one of the few healthcare facilities even partially operational in north Gaza before the latest fighting. It had also been housing displaced civilians.

Source(s): CGTN

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Russia says NATO preparing for potential conflict in Eastern Europe, Black Sea

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NATO’s activities in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region are focused on preparing its allies for a potential confrontation with Russia, said the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday, citing militarization activities in the region.

The Romanian authorities have previously announced their readiness to invest 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) into modernizing the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base in Constanta County. The base is set to expand into a military town capable of accommodating the families of 10,000 military personnel, with plans to create urban infrastructure, said the ministry.

Construction has begun in the southern part of the future military town, where access roads and a robust power grid are currently being built. The modernization of the air base could make it the largest North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base in Europe by 2040. The U.S. military has been using this base since 1999, it said.

“The expansion of the Romanian air base is yet another proof that the North Atlantic bloc continues its unrestrained militarization of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region,” said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The ministry added that “the forced enhancement of coalition capabilities is also taking place in Poland and the Baltics.”

“Such activity by NATO members is provocative, exacerbates military tension along our borders and creates additional security threats to Russia. All this is aimed at preparing the bloc’s allies for a potential collision with our country,” the ministry said.

“We will monitor the developments in Romania, assess the emerging risks and take them into account during military planning,” the ministry added.

Source(s): CGTN

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Israel truce team leaves Doha, official blames Hamas for ‘dead end’

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Israel has recalled its negotiators from Doha after deeming mediated talks on a Gaza truce “at a dead end” due to demands by Hamas, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday.

The official, who is close to the Mossad spymaster heading up the talks, accused Hamas’ Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar of sabotaging the diplomacy “as part of a wider effort to inflame this war over Ramadan”.

The warring sides had stepped up negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a six-week suspension of Israel’s offensive in return for the proposed release of 40 of the 130 hostages still held by the Palestinian militant group in Gaza.

Hamas has sought to parlay any deal into an end to the fighting and withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel has ruled this out, saying it would eventually resume efforts to dismantle the governance and military capabilities of Hamas.

Hamas also wants hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled Gaza City and surrounding areas southward during the first stage of the almost six-month-old war to be allowed back north.

The Israeli official said that Israel had agreed to double the number of Palestinians it would release in exchange for the hostages to 700-800 prisoners and allow some displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday that Hamas had made “delusional” demands, which it said showed the Palestinians were not interested in a deal.

In Tel Aviv, a crowd of around 300 family members of hostages and their supporters gathered outside the Israeli defense headquarters demanding a deal be done to release the captives. Some locked themselves inside cages in protest, holding placards with photos of their loved ones. “No price is too high,” one of the signs said.

Hamas has accused Israel of stalling at the talks while it carries out its military offensive.

The discussions in Doha are continuing as Palestinians in Gaza face severe shortages of food, medicine and hospital care, and concerns grow that famine will take hold.

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The vote was abstained by the U.S., prompting Netanyahu to cancel a planned visit by a government delegation to Washington.

Source(s): CGTN

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