 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 by Staff Writers Beijing (AFP) Nov 2, 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping greeted his Dominican counterpart Danilo Medina with a raft of economic deals in Beijing on Friday, meeting a Latin American leader who recently diplomatically ditched Taiwan for a second consecutive day. Xi met Medina at the opulent Great Hall of the People, where they reviewed Chinese troops before holding talks, a day after treating El Salvador's president to a similar welcome. During their talks, Medina pledged to support Beijing's "One China Principle" and agreed to participate in Xi's pet trade infrastructure project -- the Belt and Road Initiative -- a Chinese official told reporters. The leaders also oversaw the signing of 18 agreements, including on infrastructure, investment, finance and civil aviation, the official said, without providing details. The Dominican Republic abandoned Taiwan in May, as part of a campaign by Beijing to split the self-governed democratic island from its few remaining diplomatic allies. El Salvador followed suit in August. Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela, who already met the Chinese leader in Beijing late last year after ditching Taiwan, will attend a massive import expo hosted by Xi in Shanghai next week. The recent Latin American defections from Taiwan has irked the United States, which recalled its envoys from El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Panama in September. Beijing has tried to paint the moves as economic and not motivated by any desire to undermine Taiwan. The Dominican Republic's choice to switch its allegiance from Taipei to Beijing was "a political decision without any preconditions... The same as with El Salvador and Panama," the Chinese official told reporters. The new relationship "does not target third parties," he said, reiterating a line the government used following the meeting with El Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren on Thursday. Medina will inaugurate the Dominican Republic's new embassy in Beijing Saturday. Only 17 countries remain in Taiwan's diplomatic circle as the self-ruling democratic island struggles to fend off Beijing's growing influence around the globe. China and Taiwan have been governed separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949, but Beijing sees the island as part of its territory to be brought back into the fold. Taiwan and China have been engaged for years in a diplomatic tug-of-war in developing countries, with economic support and other aid often used as bargaining chips for diplomatic recognition. Central America has been a key bastion for Taiwan, with Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua still recognising Taipei rather than Beijing, which has used its economic muscle and promises of investment to entice governments. The United States recognises Beijing but is congressionally bound to ensure Taiwan's defence, with President Donald Trump's administration especially vocal on defending Taipei diplomatically.
Cornell cuts ties with China's Renmin university over student crackdown New York (AFP) Oct 31, 2018 Cornell University said Tuesday it had suspended two exchange programs with the Beijing's Renmin university over allegations it had cracked down on students for defending workers' rights. The decision to suspend the programs, established in 2014, "stemmed from concerns that students at the Chinese institution were being penalized for speaking out about labor rights," Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations said. It was a rare rebuke of a China over its rights record as increasing numb ... 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. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
