. | . |
EU ministers to back Lithuania in China trade battle by AFP Staff Writers Marseille (AFP) Feb 13, 2022 France, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said on Sunday that the European Union would firmly back its fellow member Lithuania in its brewing trade war with China. French Trade Minister Franck Riester told AFP that his counterparts meeting in the French port city of Marseille felt strongly that the small Baltic nation was a victim of coercion from Beijing and would fast-track plans that could give Europe new powers to fight back. Relations between Brussels and Beijing are at a low point after a failure to ratify a long negotiated investment deal was followed by a round of tit-for-tat sanctions that was sparked by European concern for the plight of the Uighur minority in China. "What China is doing with Lithuania is clearly coercion. The Chinese are using trade and economic weapons to put political pressure on us," Riester said before EU trade ministers were to discuss the matter. Lithuania's fight with China began when a newly opened mission from Taiwan in Vilnius explicitly referred to the self-ruled democratic island instead of just Taipei, its capital city, as is common practice to placate Beijing. In retaliation, Beijing downgraded diplomatic ties and Lithuanian exports have been stopped at China's border, with widespread reports that European exporters have been cautioned by Beijing clients to cut all ties with the country. "It doesn't matter what happened between China and Lithuania. That's not the point. The point is how China has chosen to address (its grievance)," Riester added. The European Commission, the EU executive that handles trade policy for the 27 member states, has already filed a case at the World Trade Organization, though that process could take months or years. The EU said it is also pursuing diplomatic solutions, but Reister said that a proposal for Europe to give itself a so-called anti-coercion capability was well on track. The tool could include freezing access to public contracts, holding up health and safety authorisations on certain products or bans from EU-funded research projects. Riester said the tougher strategy on China and other "disloyal" actors was part of a "paradigm shift" in EU trade policy that for too long saw free trade and opening new markets as an end in itself. Trade was an essential part of the European economy, he said, "but not at any price... not at the price of unfair competition, not at the price of our values."
US withdraws nearly all remaining soldiers from Ukraine: Pentagon Washington (AFP) Feb 12, 2022 The United States is withdrawing nearly all of its remaining soldiers from Ukraine, the Pentagon announced Saturday, as tensions soar over a possible Russian invasion of the eastern European country. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "has ordered the temporary repositioning of the 160 members of the Florida National Guard" who were in the country "advising and mentoring Ukrainian forces," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. The troops - who Kirby said were being withdrawn "with the ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |