Page 21 of 63 FirstFirst ... 11131415161718192021222324252627282931 ... LastLast
Results 501 to 525 of 1574

Thread: Eurasia Topics

  1. #501
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    Talking of the chinkies, kudos to the Hong Kongers having a vigil for the massacred of Tiananmen Square knowing that the in the near future the chinky goons will be along shortly to assault them and worse.

    Especially after the chinky lackey in charge had banned it and tried to close the venue.

    Hong Kong: Tens of thousands defy ban to attend Tiananmen vigil - BBC News

  2. #502
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    They'll end up like the Uighurs . . . just disappearing in massive prisons to be 're-educated'. Something our Russia-bot Klondyke gets off on

    Eurasia Topics-screen-shot-2020-05-31-13-a

  3. #503
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    Chinky propaganda made to look dumb again.



    TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In a string of tit-for-tat tweets, Independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) on Thursday (June 4) posted a snappy comeback to the editor of a Chinese-state-run tabloid claim that Taiwanese must feel "upset and hopeless" because of China's allegedly superior economy.

    On Thursday (June 4), President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took to Twitter to write the Tiananmen Square massacre is "purposely forgotten each year." She acknowledged that during Taiwan's martial law era, anniversaries of brutal crackdowns such as the February 28 incident were also covered up, but since the lifting of martial law the country has "worked to bring them to light."

    In an attempt to distract world attention from the 31st anniversary of the bloody day in Beijing, Hu Xijin (胡錫進), the editor in chief of the Global Times retweeted Tsai's post and wrote that at the time of the massacre in 1989, China had a GDP that was only twice the size of Taiwan. However, he said now the communist country's GDP is 23 times the size of Taiwan's and asked if Taiwanese felt "upset and hopeless" due to the huge gap.

    Hu's implication is that the reassertion of control by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1989 facilitated the dramatic explosion of China's economy, while democratic Taiwan has been left behind. He left out the fact that billions of dollars of investment by Taiwanese businesspeople over the decades contributed greatly to China's rise.

    That same day,
    Lim answered Hu's question by saying that he does not feel "upset and hopeless" because Taiwan is a free country that protects human rights and "doesn't shoot their people just to stay in power." He then pointed out the fact that given Taiwan's population of 23 million, its GDP per capita is actually "2.5 times that of China" and then admonished him to "do the fking math."
    Taiwan legislator tells China mouthpiece to &... | Taiwan News

  4. #504
    I'm in Jail

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Last Online
    14-12-2023 @ 11:54 AM
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    13,986

  5. #505
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    Good job!




    The Chinese government said it will take “necessary measures” to safeguard the interests of domestic companies, after fresh U.S. restrictions on a blacklist of 33 companies took effect Friday.

    Without specifying what the measures would be, the Ministry of Commerce issued a statement saying that it opposed moves to make 33 Chinese companies subject to curbs on access to U.S. technology on the grounds that they have ties to the military or are involved in human rights violations.The U.S. “has repeatedly used so-called national security grounds, abused export controls and other measures to strike at companies in other countries, causing serious damage to the international economic and trade order,” according to the statement. “This does not help China, the U.S. or the world.”

    The U.S. Department of Commerce in May expanded its so-called entities list, which restricts access to American technology and other items, to include 24 Chinese companies and universities it said had ties to the military and another 9 entities it accused of human rights violations in Xinjiang. China has for the past year threated to produce its own “unreliable entities” list, but has so far not done so.
    China Says It Will Take ‘Necessary Measures’ on U.S. Blacklist - BNN Bloomberg

  6. #506
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    Silly chinkies throwing their toys out of the pram again.

    China has issued a travel alert warning its citizens not to travel to Australia due to a significant increase in racist attacks on Chinese and Asian people, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

    The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued the statement on Friday, saying the alleged attacks came in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, ABC News reported.

    The warning is the latest sign of deteriorating relations between Australia and its largest trading partner after Prime Minister Scott Morrison led calls for an independent probe on the origins of the coronavirus in Wuhan. Australia is the most China-reliant economy in the developed world, leaving it vulnerable to diplomatic blowback.


    The warning comes after Australia announced a tough new screening regime on foreign investors seeking to buy sensitive assets as it bids to bolster national security. Telecommunications, energy, technology and defense-manufacturing companies will be included in the zero-dollar threshold for screening.


    The changes, intended to be legislated this year and enforced from Jan. 1, will include a new national security test and give the treasurer last-resort powers to force asset sales. Beijing responded with verbal attacks on the conservative government, saying it was doing the bidding of key ally the U.S.

    New tariffs on Australian barley and a ban on beef from four meatworks have raised fears in Canberra that the Chinese government is using “economic coercion” in retaliation.


    Before Australia’s calls for a probe into the origins of the coronavirus, its diplomatic ties with China were already under stress. The government cited Beijing’s “meddling” into national affairs as a catalyst for its anti-foreign interference laws passed in 2018, the same year it banned Huawei Technologies Co. from helping build its 5G network.
    China issues alert warning against travel to Australia: Report - world news - Hindustan Times

  7. #507
    Thailand Expat helge's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    11,648
    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Silly chinkies throwing their toys out of the pram again.
    Could be worse than that
    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Australia is the most China-reliant economy in the developed world, leaving it vulnerable to diplomatic blowback.
    Are they going to set an example with Australia ?

    Are their love of money second to their pride ?

    Will Morrison retract and humiliate Australia ?

    Remember that they have learned from the best

    I don't know

  8. #508
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    Are they going to set an example with Australia ?
    1.3 billion people vs 25 million - yea, they'd be happy with those numbers . . . just

    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    Are their love of money second to their pride ?
    Aussies? Nope. From how I know them they'd rather take a whacking than become little slaves. Corporate Oz? Different story

    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    Will Morrison retract and humiliate Australia ?
    Also nope - he'll get a no-confidence motion so quickly and be out on his arse if he does

  9. #509
    Thailand Expat helge's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    11,648
    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    Are their love of money second to their pride ?
    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Aussies? Nope. From how I know them they'd rather take a whacking than become little slaves.
    I meant the chinese

    It'll cost them too


    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Corporate Oz? Different story
    And they surely decide the route taken ?

  10. #510
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    I meant the chinese

    It'll cost them too
    Right. Of course. Seeing as the Chinese have this thing about saving face they will rather suffer than give in. After all, their politicians don't answer to the people and Xi is president for life.


    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    And they surely decide the route taken ?
    Not quite sure what that means but they're answerable to their shareholders, many of whom are not Australian, so their motivation is different

  11. #511
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Last Online
    Today @ 08:43 PM
    Location
    Where troubles melt like lemon drops
    Posts
    25,222
    G7 Walks Towards A Long Sunset

    M. K. BHADRAKUMAR on 08/06/2020

    "
    The US President Donald Trump will be completing his first term with foreign-policy legacies, which, even detractors must grudgingly admit, are game-changing for world politics. Debris of monumental proportions surrounds him — Paris Accord on climate change, Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, JCPOA, World Health Organisation and so on.
    But Trump’s demolition of the transatlantic alliance system will stand out as his most defining legacy in current history. The G7 has been in his crosshairs since the summit meeting of the grouping at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, Canada (June 8-9, 2018), where he stormed out even before the event’s ceremonial closing, rejecting its communique and publicly insulting its host, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “very dishonest and weak.”

    The squabble was over the steel and aluminium tariffs on every other G7 member that Trump had imposed. (“We’re like the piggy bank that everybody’s robbing — and that ends.”) Trudeau calmly held his ground: “As Canadians, we are polite, we’re reasonable, but also we will not be pushed around.” The drama was hard to miss and it was all too obvious that the bell had begun to toll for G7.
    Trump’s grouse that G7 did not serve US interests deepened recently when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stepped up his stigmatisation of China in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic at a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on March 25, calling on member states to refer to the virus as “Wuhan virus.” The foreign ministers balked and the meeting failed to issue a joint statement.

    Trump, therefore, forced the issue with his suggestion to host the annual G7 summit in late June in person rather than by videoconference. Trump tweeted, “Now that our Country is ‘Transitioning back to Greatness,’ I am considering rescheduling the G-7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, D.C., at the legendary Camp David. The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK. It would be a great sign to all – normalization!”

    Trump’s spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that a face-to-face summit would be a “show of strength and optimism” where leaders would “pursue business as usual as we move forward through this pandemic.”
    But other G7 leaders didn’t quite see things that way. Trudeau, who hosted the 2018 summit, reacted saying any in-person gathering would have to prioritise safety — “We’ll certainly take a look at what the US is proposing as host of the G7 to see what kind of measures will be in place to keep people safe, what kind of recommendations the experts are giving in terms of how that might function.”

    A relatively positive response came from Paris, with an Elysee official saying President Macron was “willing to go to Camp David if the health conditions allow.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel was categorical: “Whatever form the G7 meeting takes, a video conference or whatever, I will certainly fight for multilateralism.”
    A day later, Merkel rebuffed Trump’s invitation. “The federal chancellor thanks President Trump for his invitation to the G7 summit at the end of June in Washington. As of today, considering the overall pandemic situation, she cannot agree to her personal participation, to a journey to Washington,” German government spokesman stated.

    Merkel’s refusal to accept Trump’s invitation reflects the difficult relationship between the two leaders. Trump has been caustic about Germany, and Merkel specifically, over issues ranging from Berlin’s trade surplus to its defense spending. Merkel also has taken issue with the Trump administration’s unilateral approach to a range of foreign policy issues, from climate change to the Iran nuclear deal.
    In a phone call between Trump and Merkel earlier in the week, the two leaders reportedly had “heated disagreements” on topics including NATO, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, and relations with China.

    Trump is not someone to take a slight lightly. He has since come up with a proposal to reschedule the G7 summit for September — but with the caveat that it could be in an expanded format that includes Russia. Trump insisted that it is “common sense” to invite Russia back into the G7, as it would make solving various issues much easier if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to rejoin the group.

    Canada, UK and the European Union have since vehemently objected to Russia’s return to the G7 group; Japan, France and Italy are yet to weigh in; Germany has dug in maintaining that the current global climate is just not the right time to change the G7’s format. Nonetheless, Trump went ahead to phone Putin and extend the invitation personally.
    Notionally, Trump could “tweak” his invite to Putin to join the G7 summit as an “observer” (along with Australia, Israel and India.) Indeed, there is a “G7-plus” mechanism and the host country is free to issue invitations.

    But it will be a bitter pill to swallow for Russia that after having been one kicked out while a full member, it is invited back as “observer”. Yet, Putin is also eager to meet Trump. There are pressing issues where progress is possible only with Trump’s intervention — such as arms control. New START is coming up for renewal on 5th February 2021.
    Russian pundits estimate that Trump is sure to get re-elected and a historic opportunity could be at hand to mend Russian-American relations. This is precisely what the other G7 leaders fear — that at G7 summit in September, they may end up as mute witnesses to a renaissance of US-Russia elations, which can of course happen only at their own cost.

    Trump has already put Germany on notice by approving a plan to withdraw 9,500 American troops from bases in Germany by September. This is almost a third of the country’s troops currently based in Germany. (Germany currently hosts by far the largest number of US forces in Europe.)
    Trump’s decision deals a blow to solidarity within NATO. He is retaliating against the EU and NATO’s refusal to follow US’ footfalls on China.

    To be sure, Beijing is taking note. On successive days this week, President Xi Jinping telephoned Merkel and Macron.

    Trump’s invitation to Putin has caught Beijing by surprise. Beijing didn’t expect an easing of US-Russia tensions anytime soon. Moscow moved swiftly to assuage the angst in the Chinese mind with Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova commenting last Tuesday that Trump’s proposal to expand the G7 summit is “a step in the right direction,” but it will fail to “provide a truly universal representation.”

    Zakharova said, “It is hardly possible to implement serious undertakings of global significance without China’s participation.”
    Russia sees no glamour in rejoining the G7 and probably has no illusions that an equal relationship with Washington is not to be expected now or ever — which makes Trump’s invitation more a tactical ploy to isolate China than a coherent strategy to reset relations with Moscow from a long-term perspective.

    Curiously, the day after Trump invited Putin to G7, the latter signed a decree on its upgraded nuclear doctrine which conceptualises the use of atomic weapons in response to a conventional strike by the US. Having said that, the unraveling of the western alliance system as such has been a dream project for Moscow and the door now opens for a new pattern of relations with European countries at the bilateral level

    However, Moscow has also been reminded last week that continued US interference in its ties with Europe remains a fact of life. A proposed new US legislation aims to expand sanctions on the mega Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline under construction from Russia to Germany — and that too, just as the Russian pipe-laying vessel Academic Cherskiy moored near the German logistics hub in Mukran to finish the project.
    Equally, it seems highly improbable that Moscow will put at risk its deepening entente with China. In the final analysis, both Russia and China stand to gain as G7 walks into the sunset and the concept of the “West” itself disappears in the contemporary world order.

    Suffice to say, the sun is setting on G7. But this will also be a long sunset. Significant decisions at the grouping’s summits used to set the compass for other international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, International Energy Agency and of course the NATO.
    The G7 summits provided the business forum with power brokers from the most influential nations and financial institutions in the world all in one place, which could lead to real breakthroughs in a relatively short period of time.

    When the member countries go their own ways, these organisations become rudderless, cut adrift. Bluster aside, Trump too won’t want the G7 sunset to cast shadows on the status of the US dollar as the world currency."

    https://indianpunchline.com/g7-walks...a-long-sunset/
    A tray full of GOLD is not worth a moment in time.

  12. #512
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    G7 Walks Towards A Long Sunset
    . . . hand in hand without Trump, Xi and Putin . . . enjoying the warmth and enjoying the approaching sunrise

  13. #513
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    . . . hand in hand without Trump, Xi and Putin . . . enjoying the warmth and enjoying the approaching sunrise
    Fucking right. None of those three should have a say in global policy on just about anything.

  14. #514
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Last Online
    Today @ 08:43 PM
    Location
    Where troubles melt like lemon drops
    Posts
    25,222
    FM: National security law a litmus test


    "China urged the United Kingdom to respect the country's legitimate rights to safeguard national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and said the UK must behave with extreme prudence on this issue.State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remark in a phone conversation with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday.

    As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the UK should set an example in abiding by the basic norms governing international relations and not interfering in other countries' internal affairs, he said.

    Wang said that China, in its relations with the UK, has neither interfered in nor pointed a finger at the UK's domestic affairs, adding that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs that allow for no external interference.

    China hopes that the UK will respect the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law enacted in accordance with the Constitution, respect China's legitimate rights to safeguard national security on its territory, and respect the Chinese central government's administration of Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems", he said.

    Wang also noted that the national security legislation for the SAR aims to better implement the "one country, two systems" principle.

    He said that Article 1 of the decision passed by the National People's Congress late last month made it clear that the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy will be fully and faithfully honored.

    He said that China will never accept the groundless accusation that the national security legislation will change "one country, two systems".

    Calling the national security legislation a litmus test, Wang said that if one expects lasting peace and stability in the SAR, they should support rather than worry about the legislation. If one wants "one country, two systems" to go a long way, they should support rather than oppose the legislation.

    Raab said in the phone conversation that the UK is committed to developing a strong bilateral relationship with China and the two sides can have a candid exchange of views on any topics within the framework of a mature UK-China relationship.
    He added that his country is willing to deliberate on the contents of Monday's in-depth exchanges, and continue to communicate with China in the spirit of mutual respect.

    In another development, while attending the 10th China-EU High Level Strategic Dialogue, Wang said that China and the European Union are long-term comprehensive strategic partners, instead of institutional competitors.

    The dialogue, convened via videoconference on Tuesday, was held by Wang and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

    Over the past years, the China-EU relationship has kept cooperation as its main keynote with fruitful results achieved in dialogue and cooperation in all areas, Wang said, noting that China and the EU have more cooperation and consensuses than competition and differences.

    Borrell said the EU will ensure the completion of negotiations on the bilateral investment agreement within this year and build a closer EU-China relationship."

    FM: National security law a litmus test - World - Chinadaily.com.cn

  15. #515
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Last Online
    Today @ 08:43 PM
    Location
    Where troubles melt like lemon drops
    Posts
    25,222
    Outbreak poses no impediment to power plant

    By Kaswar Klasra in Islamabad | China Daily Global | Updated: 2020-06-10 09:07

    "Not a single case of COVID-19 reported so far at coal-fired station in Pakistani's city of Karachi

    For Fazal Rahim, a business manager at the Port Qasim Power Plant, 37 kilometers southeast of Karachi, capital of Pakistan's Sindh province, the pandemic was no impediment.

    "COVID-19 has not slowed down the pace of our work," he said. "The credit goes to the management and workers, both Pakistanis and Chinese."

    Out of a total of 1,060 employees at the plant, 768 are Pakistanis and 292 are Chinese.
    "Stable operations continue at the power plant. Not a single worker has contracted the virus so far," said Xi Peng, deputy chief representative of China's Power Construction Corp. "We have made sure every worker complies with the standard operating procedures to keep the virus at bay."

    "All employees have been taking precautionary measures, such as wearing masks in public places, washing hands frequently and avoiding large gatherings," Xi said.

    Until now, the plant has reported no cases of COVID-19 and no suspected cases either.

    The coal-fired power plant, an independent power producer, is one of the key energy projects on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that has been jointly developed by Powerchina Resources Ltd and Qatar-based investment company Al Mirqab Capital Ltd.

    Once complete, it can meet the electricity needs of 4 million households.

    "Since the operations began in April 2018, we have steadily increased the number of Pakistani employees, especially for technical operations," Xi said.

    Local people are working at the plant as skilled laborers and logistics service providers.

    Fazal is happy to work here. "The Chinese workers' dedication and commitment to work has almost transformed a dream into reality."

    Hu Ling, a manager at the plant's corporate culture department, chose to stay at the plant during the Lunar New Year this year.

    "One needs to serve the company with devotion and enthusiasm," Hu said. "We have to accomplish the CPEC."
    "I stay in touch with my family on video call," she said. "Although the epidemic is severe, I firmly believe that through wise decisions, the society's unity and strong support of the people from all walks of life, we can surely overcome the epidemic," she said.

    "The CPEC is a priority," said Mohammad Saad, a senior Pakistani official. "We have made sure the COVID-19 pandemic doesn't affect the progress of projects under the CPEC."

    Projects under the CPEC are in the process of completion.

    Pakistani authorities said recently that work on the western route of the CPEC was in full swing. A four-lane expressway from Hakla near capital Islamabad to Dera Ismail Khan, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest, is set to be completed next year.

    It can cut travel time from 5 hours to 2.5 hours, said Asim Saleem Bajwa, a retired lieutenant general and special assistant to the prime minister on information and broadcasting.

    Experts believe the CPEC's 292-km western route will help bring prosperity to some of the most underdeveloped regions in Pakistan.

    "The potential of Gwadar port (Balochistan province) will not be fully realized until the western route of the motorway from Gwadar to Chaman (Balochistan province) is constructed. Thereafter, a majority of the Middle East countries would be connected,"

    Zhang Baozhong, chairman of China Overseas Ports Holding Co Ltd.

    The COPHC Pakistan operates the Gwadar Port and the Gwadar Free Zone.

    Work on the 874-MW Suki Kinari-KP Hydel Power Project is in full swing. "Unaffected by COVID-19,50 percent of the work (on the project) has been completed, the special assistant tweeted recently.

    In Multan, a city in Punjab province, the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway project, built by China State Construction Engineering Corp, is the largest transportation infrastructure project under the CPEC.Since its opening on Nov 5 last year, it became the country's most advanced motorway.

    "Our company values highly the health and safety of every employee," the Pakistan Observer newspaper quoted Muzzamil, the Pakistani logistics supervisor of the motorway project's HQ camp, as saying.
    After the outbreak, the employees carried out epidemic prevention activities, conducted disinfection measures, and recorded everybody's temperature and health data every day. All employees actively performed their duties and complied with the epidemic prevention requirements.

    "So far, there have been no cases of infection in our camp," he said.

    Xiao Hua, general manager of the motorway project, told Pakistan Observer that they attach great importance to the life, health and safety of every employee.

    "We shall always be cautious, strictly implement epidemic prevention measures, and make every effort to ensure the safe operation of PKM motorway," Xiao said.
    On the eve of Eid al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the management ensured the supply of flour, peanut oil, milk and face masks to the families of Pakistani employees. Earlier, the company donated 1 million rupees to the PIMS Hospital, Islamabad, through the All-Pakistan Chinese Enterprises' Association."

    Outbreak poses no impediment to power plant - Chinadaily.com.cn
    Last edited by OhOh; 10-06-2020 at 04:11 PM.

  16. #516
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    FM: National security law a litmus test


    "China urged the United Kingdom to respect the country's legitimate rights to safeguard national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and said the UK must behave with extreme prudence on this issue.State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remark in a phone conversation with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday.
    There's not a whole lot the UK or anyone else can do about it.

    Except give a load of them a get out of Chinastan free card.

  17. #517
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    The coal-fired power plant
    Good old Chinastan pretending it gives a fuck about climate change while building coal fired power stations in every shithole where it can leverage a bit of "debt diplomacy".

  18. #518
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Last Online
    Today @ 08:43 PM
    Location
    Where troubles melt like lemon drops
    Posts
    25,222
    Syria: Russia challenges the US through the Levant Gate

    By Elijah J. Magnier

    "In 2011, a significant Western-Arab coalition joined together and invested huge finance, media support and military resources in attempting to topple the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. For this purpose, the alliance had established military operating rooms where US, British, Turkish and Arab intelligence services were established in northern Syria, Jordan and Turkey to prepare for the post-Assad stage. But this President had already refused any concessions to US Secretary of State Colin Powell when he visited him in 2003 after the occupation of Iraq. Two years after the beginning of the war, the Syrian President asked his allies in Iran and Lebanon (and then later on Russia) for help for each of them to preserve their interests, strategic goals and obligations with their Syrian partner. The Russian military intervention came in September 2015. It was due to several factors: while the Iranian and allied forces dominated the ground, the troops of Moscow were needed to dominate Syrian airspace, and this turned the tables on the Arab – international coalition. Has the situation changed today for President Assad, now that most parts of Syria have been liberated? What does Russia want: control of the Levant and the removal of Assad?

    President Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar did not offer concessions on the Golan Heights, and refused to reconcile with Israel: they would not give up Syrian territory in return for a peace deal. Many years later, President Bashar al-Assad refused to hand over the head of Hamas and “Hezbollah” as he was requested to do by the US in 2003, 2008 and even 2018. During the Syrian war, the United Arab Emirates mediated for a US delegation to visit Damascus in a proposal to end the war and rebuild what was destroyed in Syria in exchange for expelling Hezbollah, Iran and Russia from the Levant.

    At the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011, Russia was not ready to emerge from its self-imposed hibernation and kept on ice its international and Middle Eastern role. The then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev allowed NATO to destroy Libya in 2011. However, in 2015 when President Vladimir Putin was in power, the screws were tightened on Syria’s allies in the vast Syrian countryside with the deployment of tens of thousands of jihadists and militants financed and trained by dozens of western and Arab countries. The Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani travelled to Moscow and was able to persuade President Putin to send his planes to the Levant to defend Russia’s interests (naval base in Tartous that the jihadists threateneded to remove) and its Syrian ally.

    Since that date, Western and Arab media have not stopped mocking Russia’s military capabilities. Western think tanks hoped that Russia would fail, and predicted its descent into the Syrian quagmire. When Russia proved its efficient air superiority (Iran was committed to securing ground forces to follow through the Russian airstrikes), reckless analysts claimed, in a mirror image of the US intentions, strategy and wishful thinking that Russia wanted to remove President Assad and impose whoever it wanted because Moscow has become the dominant force in the Levant.

    And when this theory is exhausted, another naive approach begins, that there is an American-Russian understanding in Syria to displace or marginalise President Assad. Naturally, those – who have spent nine years believing, promoting and foretelling the fall of President al-Assad and the government of Damascus every month or every year – are in a permanent state of wishful thinking. They ignore what the former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassem said when he bravely admitted defeat: “the [quarry] has escaped the trap, and the time has come to acknowledge the reality of our defeat”, he said.

    Leading sources within the “Axis of the Resistance” in Syria said “there is no Russian-US understanding, but a clear challenge to Washington’s influence in the Middle East. Russia is harassing US planes, approaching these at a critical distance. Russia aims to be granted Assad’s approval of expanding Hmeimim airport, its Tartous naval base and to create more static bases in northern Syria. Russia has decided that the Middle East is part of its strategic interests for confronting the US forces that are based in the Middle East and Europe. It is only possible for Russia to survive in the Levant if it establishes a strategic relationship with President Assad, Iran and its allies. Iran’s allies take every opportunity to challenge the authority of the US in the Middle Eastern region, which falls perfectly well within Russia’s objectives. “

    Since Russia decided to engage within the Syrian arena, its leadership was nevertheless concerned about falling into the Middle East quagmire. Thus, it has depended on Iran and its allies to restore power to President Assad over all the Syrian occupied territories. Therefore, Russia has no intention to earn the hostilities of the Sunni jihadists as well as confronting Shia and Alawites in an unpredictable war of attrition. If this happened, Russia would be facing another 1981-Afghanistan war, an “objective” contrary to Putin’s plan to establish himself in the Middle East. It is essential to add that Russia does not control the land or need an army to spread, protect, or even start a new costly war, after seeing the confirmed capabilities of Syria and its allies in the battlefield throughout the years of the Syrian conflict.


    “Russia has promised to modernise the Syrian air fleet and the defensive-offensive missile capability of the Syrian army. Furthermore, Moscow will invest in rebuilding part of the Syrian infrastructure projects, mainly in the field of energy. In exchange, Russia will expand its combat capability to confront the US and NATO. The Syrian President is dealing with the Russian President as a strategic ally even if Russia has allies – such as Israel – that are the enemies of Syria. Russia has decided to cooperate with several Middle Eastern countries, and this means that it wants strong allies in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. That could only be possible through its relationship with President Assad and with Iran, a strong and influential position in their respective countries,” explained the source.

    President Putin has assigned the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence to negotiate with the Syrian state on expanding the military presence and deployment in other bases because Russia certainly does not wish to move away from the Middle East. American unilateralism has ended its era, and Russia’s new robust position in Syria and Libya has created a gap in ​​the NATO area of influence. Russia is no longer passive but, with its positioning, has moved to the confrontation phase. Hence, the expansion of the Russian strategic positioning has little to do with the continuity of President Bashar al-Assad in power.

    And Assad has decided to hold the forthcoming presidential elections notwithstanding the international attempt, which includes the United Nations, to prevent the return and vote of the Syrian refugees from nearby countries.

    Russia believes the US is weak now. Therefore, it should take advantage of President Donald Trump’s domestic struggle and the challenge he is facing in the coming months when the elections will be knocking on US doors. Russia would like to take advantage of this opportunity to progress on the Middle Eastern front, and thus establish a robust position in the warm waters of the Mediterranean.

    President Trump is struggling domestically due to the mismanagement of the “Coronavirus” pandemic and the large number of Americans finding themselves jobless. Furthermore, for more than a week, he is facing a real challenge to his ruling based on his provocative response to state-sponsored racial discrimination. He is in crisis with China and Russia. He has to swallow Iran’s challenges: not only has it bombed the largest US base in Iraq, but also violated the US sanctions on Venezuela by sending five oil tankers and spare parts to repair the refineries. The US president is showing severe weakness on several fronts and has managed to draw together both the Russian bear and the Chinese dragon to confront him. A new and solid strategic alliance – not a blind alliance – between Russia, China, Iran, Syria, and its allies in the Middle East is picking up and is challenging the US hegemony.

    President Putin has appointed a special envoy as a go-between him and President Bashar al-Assad so that there is no hindrance between messages, agreements, and quick decisions that must be taken or to remove any obstacles as quickly as possible. It is the era of partnership between allies, not the age of domination and bullying or dominance, in contrast with the style of America’s usual dealings with the Middle East. The Middle East is living a new era: a balance has been created which was missing for decades."

    Syria: Russia challenges the US through the Levant Gate. – Elijah J. Magnier

  19. #519
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    It's quite comical how you manage to dredge up the most desperately inept whackjobs.

    I was struggling to work out which bit is the most comical, but on reflection it's definitely:

    Moscow has become the dominant force in the Levant.
    I think better wording would be "Moscow has become the patron of all the shitholes whose arses Israel have kicked numerous times over the years".

    I look forward to Putin asking Israel to hand back the Golan Heights using its new found "dominant force".


  20. #520
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    Another scumbag taking dirty chinky money to betray his country and his employer.

    Let's hope some decent jail time is the result.

    Harvard chemistry professor indicted for concealing connection to China's Thousand Talents Plan

  21. #521
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    It's quite comical how you manage to dredge up the most desperately inept whackjobs.
    It's admirable how you find the time and patience to dredge through all of OhOh and Klondyke's crap - kudos

  22. #522
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    96,555
    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    It's admirable how you find the time and patience to dredge through all of OhOh and Klondyke's crap - kudos
    klondyke is on my ignore list. I stopped trying to disentangle his cretinous word salads a long time ago.

    As for hoohoo, it doesn't take very long because he has no idea what he is posting most of the time.


  23. #523
    I'm in Jail

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Last Online
    14-12-2023 @ 11:54 AM
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    13,986

  24. #524
    Thailand Expat
    Klondyke's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Last Online
    26-09-2021 @ 10:28 PM
    Posts
    10,105
    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    to dredge through all of OhOh and Klondyke's crap
    The Klondyke has to haunt you even in your nightmares, you cannot get your thoughts rid of him...



    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    klondyke is on my ignore list. I stopped trying to disentangle his cretinous word salads a long time ago.
    The one who disseminates only demagogical BS will surely not like to hear the facts, better to leave the auditorium while having full mouth of democracy. And if replies, then just ad hominem...

    It always reminds me what I watched live from UN GA 2009 the famous 100 min. speech of Kaddafi with facts that many did not like to hear, better to leave the auditorium...

  25. #525
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Last Online
    Today @ 08:43 PM
    Location
    Where troubles melt like lemon drops
    Posts
    25,222
    Party chief gives village a prosperous future


    "Towering above Tangyue village is a sign reading: "Poverty gives rise to the desire for change". It is a Chinese idiom that has been driving the village's sweeping development.

    The village lies in Anshun, Southwest China's Guizhou province. Just six years ago, it was a national-level impoverished village, with an annual income per capita of less than 4,000 yuan ($565).

    In 2014 a flood hit the village, causing substantial damage to the fields, the houses and the roads, but the year also marked the beginning of the village's revitalization.

    Zuo Wenxue, born in 1971, has been the Party chief of Tangyue village since 2002. He is a major contributor in helping the village transform into one of the most iconic examples of poverty alleviation today.

    Zuo used to own a wood-processing factory and has one of the most well-to-do households in the village, but he decided to become a village cadre and work for the collective interests of its residents.

    "I often told our cadres that it doesn't really matter how much money you earn. It's how much you have done that matters. As long as your family is provided for, you should do something for your hometown and society," Zuo says.
    After the flood, Zuo and other village leaders decided to adopt a new approach to resuscitate the village effectively.
    The village had only 40,000 yuan in total, so the 11 cadres together took a loan of 1,100,000 yuan and established a cooperative. The villagers were encouraged to join the cooperative and transfer their farmland for collective use, and the earnings were distributed in dividends at the end of each year.

    Within the first year, the cooperative earned 860,000 yuan from growing lotus roots, and more villagers were attracted to join the cooperative.

    The village also set up a construction team, a transportation team and a career center to offer villagers more job opportunities. Before the establishment of the cooperative, around nine hundred villagers left the village looking for work. Today the number is less than 50.

    By the end of 2019, the collective revenue of Tangyue village exceeded 6,380,000 yuan and the revenue per capita reached 20,140 yuan.

    As a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress, Zuo brought to this year's two sessions a range of suggestions to attract young talent to work in the countryside.

    He proposed emphasizing countryside education and improving the welfare of university graduates working as village cadres.
    "To consolidate the hard-won achievements in poverty alleviation, we must improve the employment policies so that talent is willing to come and stay in the countryside," Zuo says.

    Peng Yuanke, head of Tangyue village, has been working with Zuo for seven years. He says that without Zuo, the village would not have become what it is today.

    "He is a very democratic leader. When it comes to anything in the village, big or small, he always discusses it with the team. He closely monitors the village's development and deals with things objectively," Peng says.

    Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Zuo has worked hard to strike a balance between disease prevention and local economic development.

    The villagers are encouraged to sell the local agricultural products through online platforms, and as a result, Zuo says that the local economy has not been substantially affected.

    The village is now building a processing plant, a handbag factory and a clothing factory. Upon completion, the factories are predicted to provide around a thousand jobs for the six neighboring villages.

    In the near future, Zuo aims to establish a research base and build guest houses, to turn Tangyue village into a travel destination for both learning and leisure."


    Party chief gives village a prosperous future - Chinadaily.com.cn

    "Just six years ago, it was a national-level impoverished village, with an annual income per capita of less than 4,000 yuan ($565)."

    "By the end of 2019, the collective revenue of Tangyue village exceeded 6,380,000 yuan and the revenue per capita reached 20,140 yuan.
    "

    Less of the need to leave their village, if the "annual income" and "revenue" are calculated similarly.

Page 21 of 63 FirstFirst ... 11131415161718192021222324252627282931 ... LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •