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إعلام المنتدى

KL Summit to address Muslim issues

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 19, 2019

The Kuala Lumpur Summit (KL Summit) 2019 can potentially take cooperation between Muslim nations to new heights, ultimately reviving the spirit of the Muslim world.

In his message to the participants on the event website, klsummit.my, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad highlights the challenges faced by Muslim nations.

Among them are abuse of power, corruption and being accused of becoming a breeding ground for terrorism.

Due to those reasons and others, Dr Mahathir said the most important task was to turn the decisions taken at the summit into reality.

“We proclaim that all Muslims are brothers and yet, our nations are involved in endless civil wars, sectarian wars, wars with our Muslim neighbours and inviting non-Muslim nations to assist us in our wars with fellow Muslims.

“For far too long we have been associated with bad governance, endemic corruption and a breeding place for terrorism,” wrote the prime minister, who is also the chairman of the summit.

The summit is scheduled to take place from Wednesday to Saturday.

Dr Mahathir also addressed the issue of terrorism.

“We can keep on shouting that such labels, especially being breeders of terrorism, as callous anti-Islam propaganda.

“We know that it is really true but our weakness and disunity have given credence to this propaganda.

“Such is the state of affairs among our nations that Muslims end up on the shores of nations governed by those from other faiths and our brethren’s fate rests solely on their mercy.

“It is against these backdrops that the KL Summit was hatched and it is earnest in wanting to contribute in the improvement of the state of affairs among Muslims and the Muslim nations.

“We have always reflected on how great, enriching and powerful the Islamic civilisation was. It is a chapter in history and we yearn for its return. It will remain a yearning unless we do something about it.

“The KL Summit, which gathers Muslim leaders, intellectuals and scholars, was conceived with the noble objectives of identifying the problems afflicting the Muslim world and finding solutions to them.

“But, no matter how many brilliant ideas the KL Summit hatches, without the support of leaders and governments of the Muslim nations, these ideas will remain ideas.

“It is my fervent hope that participants at this KL Summit will take this challenge of turning all our declarations and decisions into realities.”

Among the most recognisable Islamic leaders who are expected to attend the summit are Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Early indications are positive with more than 50 countries confirming their presence.

There will be 400 participants, half of them from abroad.

The event will give a chance not only to Muslim leaders but also intellectuals and scholars to discuss and exchange ideas. The aim is to produce new, creative and viable solutions to the problems facing Muslims.

The summit will focus on seven areas, or “pillars”, including development and sovereignty, integrity and good governance, culture and identity, justice and freedom, peace, security and defence, trade and investment and lastly, technology and Internet governance.

From: NST

?Is Israel facilitating ‘genocide’ in Myanmar

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 13, 2019

Israel has gone after people across the world for genocide denial, but now it seems to be supporting Myanmar, a state accused of genocide.

Myanmar has strong ties with Israel going back to the 1940s and has purchased sophisticated weaponry from Tel Aviv to facilitate its operations against the country’s long-oppressed minority.

Despite numerous condemnations from the international community and an arms embargo and sanctions over Myanmar by the US and the EU, Israel has kept its relations with the troubled country intact, allegedly continuing to supply weapons to the state.

In June 2019, Myanmar’s military officials were seen at a Tel Aviv weapons expo despite Israel publicly saying they would stop selling weapons to the country.

The latest evidence of Israel’s relationship with Myanmar surfaced as the country’s ambassador to Myanmar, Gilor Ronen, wished “good luck!” to Aung San Suu Kyi, the state counsellor, who was at The Hague to face charges of genocide and war crimes for her state’s conduct against the Rohingya people in the International Criminal Court (ICJ).

The Rohingya people are a predominantly Muslim minority, living mostly in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Their population was estimated to be around one million before the Myanmar regime’s crackdown against them began in 2016.

Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar’s founding father, was long persecuted by the country’s military rulers and her democratic resistance earned her a Nobel prize in 1991. But after she came to power in 2016, Suu Kyi justified what the UN has termed as ‘genocidal intent’ regarding the military’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims. Suu Kyi’s reputation has taken a massive hit and people have called for the Nobel prize to be rescinded.

The Israeli envoy later deleted the controversial tweet. The country’s foreign ministry claimed that his tweet was written “in error”.

“Israel, founded in the embers of the Jewish people’s genocide, failed to live up to that ideal,” wrote Charles Dunst, a researcher and journalist, in an article published by Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper.

“Never again should the Jewish State enable any country, particularly one of its allies, to carry out a genocide,” Dunst concluded in his article.

The plight of Rohingya Muslims

While the Rohingya are a protected people under the UN Genocide Convention, since 2016 Myanmar’s Buddhist-dominated government has waged a brutal campaign against them, which amounted to a genocidal conduct according to the UN.

According to a recent report of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, they were the victims of: “Numerous underlying acts of genocide, including killing, serious bodily and mental harm, and conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction, and may also have been victims of measure intended to prevent births.”

“Those acts were attributable to the State and committed intentionally,” the report continued, concluding: “The State engaged in a pattern of conduct with, through inference, the genocidal intent to destroy the Rohingya in whole or in part as a people.”

At the UN court, Suu Kyi defended Myanmar’s conduct, rejecting the charges.

Since 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya, who were living in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, were forced to leave their homelands for neighbouring Bangladesh, where they live in refugee camps. Hundreds of them have been killed by Myanmar security forces.

“It is an ongoing genocide that is taking place at the moment,” Marzuki Darusman, the head of the international fact-finding mission for Myanmar, said during a UN Security Council meeting in late October.

Myanmar, formerly Burma, has been on good terms with Israel for decades. Burma’s prime minister, U Nu, became the first premier to visit Israel back in 1955, when he also urged the communist Soviets to allow its Jews to emigrate to Israel.

From: TRT World

“KL Summit a new marker for Muslim cooperation”

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 6, 2019

The defence sector of Malaysia and Turkey would be further boosted during the Kuala Lumpur Summit (KL Summit), as five Islamic leaders will discuss Muslim revivalism, say observers.

The summit is also expected to set a new marker for closer relations with bilateral and multilateral memorandums inked in other areas, including food security, youth, industry and technology.

Turkey’s Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank said Ankara and Kuala Lumpur would sign various deals to strengthen cooperation during the summit together with Pakistan, Qatar and Indonesia.

Heightening expectations, Varank said “thrilling projects will come to life during the summit”.

“There is also a plan to establish centre of excellence premises between research centres,” said Varank during his visit to Qatar for a preparatory meeting before the summit.

“These steps will be returned to the participating countries as added value, both through trade growth and technology transfers.

“Therefore, this summit aims to take Islamic countries even further by setting up effective communication channels in the fields of industry, technology and innovation.”

The summit will be held from Dec 18 to 21 to discuss sustainable development and result-oriented policy solutions.

The Asia Times portal expounded on the significance of the emergence of this potential new bloc led by the KL Summit participants.

“One needs to understand how the last decade has seen a rapid decline in Arab influence in the wider Muslim world.

“Despite the initial hope imbued in the Arab Spring, much of the Middle East has now descended back into civil war or authoritarianism,” said the portal.

The KL Summit was the culmination of diplomatic overtures by Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey since the elections of leaders Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Imran Khan last year.

Recently, Dr Mahathir, Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss issues afflicting Muslims.

It led to an agreement to establish a new international television station dedicated to combating Islamophobia and voicing a more positive view of Islam.

From: NST

Vietnam to promote ASEAN unity during ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 6, 2019

Vietnam wants ASEAN to unite in all aspects, from institutions to economy and human resources, which is very important for ASEAN to uphold its central role, said Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung.

The diplomat recently granted an interview to the press on the country’s role and position in 2020, when Vietnam will serve the double roles of Chair of ASEAN and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, which is both an honour and a heavy task.

According to Deputy FM Dung, the theme of Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 is “Cohesive and Responsive,” which reflects Vietnam’s wish to have an ASEAN standing firmly against impacts of regional and international situations.

When uniting, ASEAN will share a common stance and interests, and respond in a consistent manner to regional and global issues, Dung said.

Asked about preparations for Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020, the Deputy FM said Vietnam will promote five priorities, first of all bringing into play ASEAN’s role and positive contribution in maintaining a peaceful, security and stable environment in the region.

The second priority is enhancing linkages and connectivity in the region, as well as adaptability to the Fourth Industrial Revolution; and promoting sustainable and inclusive growth in economics, finance and society based on innovation and the application of digital and new technologies.

The third priority is to promote the sense of community and ASEAN characteristics, create common values of ASEAN and popularize those values among ASEAN people, thus raising awareness of the ASEAN Community and the image of the community in the region and the world.

Fourthly, strengthening partnership relations for peace and sustainable development with countries, and increasing ASEAN’s role and contribution in the international community.

The fifth priority is to improving ASEAN apparatus’s adaptability and operation efficiency.

Deputy FM Dung noted that assuming two roles at the same time means more tasks but there are also some advantages. He pointed out that as ASEAN Chair, Vietnam can work for ASEAN consensus, thus adding more weight to its voice in the UN Security. Meanwhile, UN programmes and plans will be better implemented by ASEAN, and the bloc’s plans will be more aligned with the UN’s.

He added that as the situation now is very different from when Vietnam chaired the ASEAN for the first time in 2010, the country will face both new difficulties as well as have new advantages in the task.

From: Vietnam+

Pakistan, Bangladesh vow to stand behind Palestine

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 4, 2019

Pakistan and Bangladesh on Thursday rejected Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank and reaffirmed their full support for Palestine.

Responding to a question regarding the announcement by the U.S. on Monday that the establishment of Israeli settlements in the West Bank is not inconsistent, per se, with international law, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said his country’s position remains unchanged.

“Pakistan’s position regarding illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories remains unchanged in line with several UN Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution 465 (1980), 1860 (2009) and more recently resolution 2334 adopted in December 2016,” Faisal told reporters during his weekly briefing.

He added that Pakistan considers all Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law, and it would further hamper the viability of the two-state solution and prospects of lasting peace in the region.

“Moreover, the OIC has also repeatedly pronounced on the issue of illegal settlements, considering it a violation of international law. Being a founding member, Pakistan’s position is also aligned with that of the OIC,” Faisal said, referring to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a coalition of 57 nations with significant Muslim populations.

Bangladesh reiterates support

Bangladesh meanwhile reaffirmed its position of supporting Palestine’s territorial integrity and rejecting Israeli occupation and settlement activities in the Palestinian territories.

“Bangladesh reiterates its unflinching support for Palestine and its territorial integrity as established through UNSCR 242 and other UNSC resolutions, including UNSCR 338, 425, 1397, 1515 and 1544 and the principle of land for peace,” Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Thursday.

“The Security Council, the UNGA, the HRC and the International Court of Justice have all confirmed that the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements and other settlement related activities in the Occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law,” it said, referring to the UN General Assembly and United Nations Human Rights Council.

“Bangladesh is convinced that there is no ambiguity about the illegal status of Israeli occupation and settlement activities in the Palestinian territories,” it added.

Bangladesh also urged Israel to comply with international law in this regard, the statement said, adding “Bangladesh reaffirms its support towards the inalienable rights of the People of Palestine to their homeland.”

The U.S. on Monday reversed course on its position regarding Israeli settlements built in the occupied West Bank, breaking with over four decades of precedent in saying that they will no longer be viewed as illegal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the move, doing away with the State Department’s 1978 legal opinion which held that settlements are “inconsistent with international law.”

Roughly 650,000 Israeli Jews currently live on more than 100 settlements built since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Palestinians want these territories along with the Gaza Strip for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

International law views both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there illegal.

From: Anadolu Agency

S. Korea, ASEAN strive for free trade, anti-protectionism

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 3, 2019

South Korea — South Korea and the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) strived for free trade and anti-protectionism during their special summit that ran for two days through Tuesday in the South Korean southern port city of Busan.

“Amid growing concerns over protectionism around the world, we reaffirmed that free trade is the way leading to common prosperity,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a joint press conference with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha after wrapping up the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit.

“(South) Korea and ASEAN will build on free trade to move toward an innovative community of mutual prosperity,” said Moon who repeatedly welcomed the conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) during the two-day summit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations between the two sides.

Fifteen RCEP participating countries concluded text-based negotiations and all market access issues early this month in Bangkok, Thailand, with an aim to sign the mega free-trade pact next year.

Initiated in 2012, the RCEP brought together the 10 ASEAN member countries and their six trading partners in the region, including China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand.

“We welcomed the conclusion of text-based negotiations for all 20 chapters of the RCEP by 15 participating countries earlier this month in Thailand with a view to signing the agreement in 2020,” the Thai prime minister told the joint press conference.

Asked about the repeated emphasis on the RCEP, Chung Hae-moon, former South Korean ambassador to Thailand and former chief of the state-run ASEAN-Korea Center, said in an interview with Xinhua in Busan that the regional trade deal would benefit both the ASEAN and South Korea, which depends on export for about half of its economy.

“We are in the middle of uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. This RCEP will breed a new air into the world community that must be very anxious about the uncertainties,” said Chung.

“I believe RCEP will serve as an anchor for an open, inclusive, transparent, rules-based, multilateral trading system, from which (South) Korea, ASEAN and China have benefited tremendously over the last several decades,” said the former career diplomat.

In the joint vision statement released after the ASEAN-ROK summit, the two sides agreed to their “commitment to support for the enhancement of trade and investment and the resistance to all forms of protectionism in order to improve regional development and prosperity.”

South Korea’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the ASEAN came into force in 2012, with the country already signing separate bilateral FTAs with some of the ASEAN member countries or pushing for negotiations for new bilateral free-trade deals.

Chung said the ASEAN and South Korea had clearly expressed their support for the “expansion of multilateralism and international trade” in several occasions as the multilateral trade system “has benefited so much to all of us.”

“Every country has a common interest in spreading the philosophy of multilateral trade… No country should be an exception,” Chung noted.

The South Korean president advocated a so-called New Southern Policy since his inauguration in May 2017 as part of efforts to raise the country’s strategic partnership with ASEAN to a higher level.

ASEAN is South Korea’s second-biggest trading partner, with trade between the two sides reaching about US$ 160 billion in 2018. South Korea is the fifth-largest trading partner for ASEAN.

Moon said in a formal session of the group summit that his country and ASEAN can overcome such challenges as “trade protectionism, transnational crimes and the Fourth Industrial Revolution” through cooperation and solidarity.

The South Korean leader offered to his ASEAN counterparts building a fair, free “trade community” to prevent trade protectionism from shrinking trade and investment in the region.

“Every relation has both opportunities and challenges. The wisdom is how to cooperate overcoming the challenges,” said Chung.

From: China Daily

Hyundai Motor to invest US$1.55 billion in first Indonesia car plant

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 3, 2019

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor said on Tuesday (Nov 26) it has signed a preliminary deal to build a new factory in Indonesia, which would be its first car plant in Southeast Asia and a crack at Japanese rivals that dominate the market.

The deal comes as Hyundai and affiliate Kia Motors struggle with a prolonged sales downturn in China, where they suspended two factories this year.

Hyundai Motor said it will invest about US$1.55 billion in the Indonesia auto manufacturing plant from now until 2030, including product development and operation costs.

The facility, to be built in the city of Bekasi, east of Jakarta, will start production in late 2021, with an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles and a plan to grow that to 250,000 vehicles a year, Hyundai said.

Hyundai plans to make small sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), while electric vehicles (EVs) tailored to Southeast Asian market are under consideration.

Hyundai said it is building the production facilities to avoid import tariffs ranging from 5 per cent to 80 per cent in the ASEAN region. The plant will cater to Indonesia, the region’s largest automobile market, and other countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), it said.

The plant will allow the automaker to secure future growth to help it “combat slowing demand in the global automotive market”, Hyundai said in its statement.

The deal was signed at an event attended by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Hyundai Motor Executive Vice Chairman Euisun Chung. Widodo is in South Korea for a meeting of ASEAN leaders hosted by South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Moon has been pushing a “New Southern Policy” aiming to deepen ties with Southeast Asia as Seoul seeks to curb its reliance on traditional trading partners like China and the United States.

Hyundai is far behind Japanese rivals in Southeast Asia, with its sales reaching 122,883 vehicles versus Toyota’s 854,032 from January to September this year, according to research firm LMC Automotive.

LMC Automotive forecast a 4 per cent year-on-year decline in total vehicle sales in the ASEAN region in the fourth quarter, partly because the slowdowns in the Thai and Indonesian economies show no signs of abating.

Hyundai said key ASEAN countries including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore are expected to see combined vehicle sales grow to 4.49 million units in 2026, from 3.16 million in 2017.

From: CNA

Watch: First Global Conference on Israeli Apartheid

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 2, 2019

Activists, politicians and supporters of the Palestinian cause gather in Istanbul to discuss the Israeli Apartheid.

Use the links below to watch the conference!

Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1jZjcYFlHc&feature=emb_err_watch_on_yt

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXveWkxuOBM

Part 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pydXuxvVMSw

Part 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRWYQaY5xMs

MEMO

Istanbul Finance Center to be role model: Malaysian CEO

إعلام المنتدىديسمبر 2, 2019

A top Malaysian businesswoman has expressed high hopes from the Istanbul Finance Center, an upcoming project that will add to the growing dominance of Turkey’s commercial capital.

The project, expected to to be completed as of early 2022, will serve as a global hub for financial systems and non-banking financial methods including Islamic finance.

Farah Jaafar-Crossby, CEO of Malaysia’s Labuan International Business and Financial Center, told Anadolu Agency in an interview that the Istanbul center could be a role model for Islamic finance because it sits in the middle of Asia, Europe and the Middle East

“In this globalized world, people forget that cultural affinity is still important. Istanbul sits in the middle of the confluence and has always been a center, it is only natural that it will succeed,” she said.

Islamic finance has grown tremendously over the last 20-30 years but in the last five years, there was a slight reduction, she noted.

“Corporates are still raising capital by an Islamic method. But I think on the personal side, the adoption may not be as ideal as we want it to be,” she said.

She added that digitalization helps adoption of Islamic finance and personal demand will change.

Trade more

Touching on the global trade tensions, she said: “This whole East-West war allows us to stop idolizing the West.”

“It allows us to start doing business together, which we started 300-400 years ago, and the timing is perfect,” she added.

She also said that Asian countries can trade more with each other and understand each other better.

“Malaysia sits in an important role because it is one of the leading country within Asia,” she said.

She added: “We don’t need a global superpower, so called Western superpower. We do it ourselves.”

From: Anadolu Agency

Asean’s share of global GDP may overtake eurozone’s in 5 years

إعلام المنتدىنوفمبر 29, 2019

ASEAN could add nearly as much to global output as the eurozone over the next five years, a HSBC report has suggested, as it called the region’s growth in importance “too big to ignore”.

“If policymakers enact the right reforms the region can lift its share of global GDP (gross domestic product) to as much as 5 per cent by 2030 in nominal USD terms and more than 8 per cent in PPP (purchasing power parity) terms,” HSBC Global Research said in its “Asean and the world” report published on Wednesday.

“In addition to the demographic boom, we believe Asean is set to see a surge in investment after years of neglect,” HSBC economists wrote in the report, noting that this has already come through a mix of public infrastructure spending, booming manufacturing foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Japanese infrastructure financing.

Asean, which is very open to FDI and trade, is also a driving force for global trade integration against a backdrop of growing protectionism, the economists noted, especially given it lies at the core of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

“A large share of the region’s success can be attributed to its general receptiveness to FDI inflows and ability to play a role in broader supply chains,” the report said.

By far, electronics is the region’s largest single industry, with almost every country here involved in regional supply chains, albeit in different capacities and to differing extents. HSBC economists said it could be argued that developments in the semiconductor sector have been a type of leading indicator for the broader trade diversion narrative.

One example is US semiconductor maker Micron’s apparent shift in production away from China to Southeast Asia in response to intellectual property protection concerns in the former, moving instead to carry out multiple capacity expansions in Singapore and Malaysia.

“Thanks to English-speaking workforces, familiar legal systems, and free trade within the region, we believe these countries will likely see continued growth in semiconductor activity, and with it, increasing global supply chain relevance,” the report said.

One challenge Asean would need to overcome is the extent of its regional integration, as “progress in services, investment and skilled labour flow liberalisation has been slow”, HSBC said.

In addition, if the pace of reforms is not quick enough, growth may disappoint, leading to a lack of employment opportunities that could result in political unrest and growing inequality.

“These risks notwithstanding, Asean’s influence is likely only to rise further given its strategic geopolitical location, its growing industries, and an unstoppable wave of new spenders coming from the region.

“Global corporations and investors will not fail to take note of the region, a boon for local asset markets. We estimate that Asean GDP as a whole should grow by close to 4.5 per cent per year out to 2030 in real terms – numbers that much of the world will envy,” the report said.

From: The Business Times

Study says China’s diplomatic clout has overtaken the US

إعلام المنتدىنوفمبر 28, 2019

According to the 2019 Global Diplomacy Index, released by the Lowy Institute in Australia on Wednesday, China has 276 embassies, consulates and other missions globally, surpassing the US with 273 missions. France was third with 267.

Bonnie Bley, the index report’s lead researcher, said that while a country’s total did not equate to diplomatic influence, “diplomatic infrastructure is still important”.

“China’s newly held lead serves as a telling metric of national ambition and international priorities,” Bley said.

Beijing has 169 embassies or high commissions, while Washington has 168. However, China had 96 consulates while the US had 88, suggesting that Beijing’s diplomatic expansion was closely linked to its economic interests, she said.

Renmin University international relations professor Shi Yinhong said China had close and growing trade and investment ties with many developing countries, especially those taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, increasing the need for consulates.

“One of the consulates’ main goals is to serve the citizens and businesses located in those countries,” Shi said.

Beijing has also expanded its reach at Taipei’s expense. Since 2016, when the index was first published, Taiwan’s total number of embassies fell from 22 to 15, the biggest drop among the 61 places ranked.

China opened five new embassies – in El Salvador, Burkina Faso, Gambia, São Tomé and Príncipe and the Dominican Republic – countries that severed official diplomatic ties with Taiwan. This directly contributed to China’s lead over the US, the report said.

Beijing’s diplomatic expansion also comes as the US, under the administration of President Donald Trump, is taking an “America first” approach to foreign policy.

Trump has sought to cut funding to the US State Department and the White House has not appointed US ambassadors for at least 17 countries, including Brazil and Egypt, according to the American Foreign Service Association.

“Even though the US has a strong diplomatic base but it is not so proactive any more. It has fewer consulates and fewer foreign service workers,” Shi said.

“For the long term, China is in a more advantageous position.”

But a country’s diplomatic ability and influence did not rest on the number of foreign service postings and the US still held more international diplomatic sway than China, he added.

Some of China’s biggest diplomatic missions include Islamabad in Pakistan, Washington and London.

From: TRT, SCMP

Beijing says US ‘one-sided policy’ continues to fuel crisis in Middle East

إعلام المنتدىنوفمبر 28, 2019

The Middle East remains turbulent, but the “one-sided policy” carried out by the United States only continues to worsen the crisis in the region, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said on Wednesday, speaking at the Middle East Security Forum in Beijing.

“The United States, having tremendous influence in the Middle East, pursues a selfish and one-sided policy that benefits the strong at the expense of the weak, which remains the main factor in the difficult security situation seen in the region,” Chen said.

The official added that the current situation in the Middle East is the outcome of many different factors, including ethnic, religious and geopolitical differences.

“The situation in the Middle East today is far from peaceful. The tensions in the hotspots are increasing, while the political instability and the crisis continue to harm a number of countries in the region,” he said.

The minister emphasized that global peace would remain an illusion if conflicts in the Middle East continue.

The Middle East Security Forum is being held by the Chinese Institute of International Studies at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing from 27-28 November. Over 200 guests from more than 30 countries and international organizations, including China, Russia, the US, Turkey, Iran and the European Union are attending the forum.

From: The Nation