CHINA
Palestinian leader visits
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday began a visit to China that comes as Beijing is seeking a larger role in Middle East politics and competing for energy resources. In announcing the visit, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Beijing was willing to help broker relations between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government that have deteriorated to the lowest level in recent years. The ministry did not say who Abbas would meet in Beijing or give other details of his four-day visit. Increased fighting over the past year between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank has resulted in the deadliest period of violence between the sides in years. The visit also comes after China hosted talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia that resulted in the two restoring diplomatic relations. That development was seen as representing a diplomatic victory for China as Gulf Arab states perceive the US slowly withdrawing from the region, but it remains to be seen how far the reconciliation efforts between Iran and Saudi Arabia would progress. The rivalry dates to the 1979 revolution that toppled Iran’s Western-backed monarchy, and the two nations have backed rival armed groups and political factions across the region. State broadcaster China Central Television quoted Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang (秦剛) as saying that “China supports the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel as soon as possible on the basis of the ‘two-state solution,’ and is willing to play an active role in this regard.”
SOUTH KOREA
Yoon pans Chinese envoy
President Yoon Suk-yeol yesterday said that he was doubtful whether China’s ambassador had an attitude of mutual respect after the envoy warned Seoul against making “wrong bets” in the Sino-US rivalry, Yonhap News Agency reported. Yoon made the comment during a Cabinet meeting, Yonhap reported, citing multiple people who attended the session. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week summoned Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming (邢海明) after he blamed South Korea for worsening bilateral ties due to US influence and urged the nation to stop “decoupling” from China. “Looking at Ambassador Xing’s attitude, it’s doubtful if he has an attitude of mutual respect or promotion of friendship as a diplomat,” Yoon was quoted by Yonhap as telling the meeting. “Our people are displeased with his inappropriate behavior.” When asked about the situation, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin (汪文斌) on Friday last week said that the challenges in China-South Korea relations were “not caused by China.”
CAMBODIA
Election law to be amended
Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered that an election law be amended to penalize anyone who boycotts next month’s poll, which critics have said would be a sham because of the prime minister’s moves to stamp out all opposition. The revision is likely to be approved in the coming days by the rubber-stamp parliament and would bar those who do not cast votes from becoming candidates in future elections, the latest move by the long-serving leader to stifle dissent. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party is to run virtually unopposed next month, after the election commission disqualified the sole opposition Candlelight Party from running, citing improper paperwork. “Those who wish to stand for election must be responsible as good citizens of the nation in a democratic society, starting from the consistent exercise of the right to vote,” Hun Sen, 70, said on social media.
‘GREAT OPPRTUNITY’: The Paraguayan president made the remarks following Donald Trump’s tapping of several figures with deep Latin America expertise for his Cabinet Paraguay President Santiago Pena called US president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming foreign policy team a “dream come true” as his nation stands to become more relevant in the next US administration. “It’s a great opportunity for us to advance very, very fast in the bilateral agenda on trade, security, rule of law and make Paraguay a much closer ally” to the US, Pena said in an interview in Washington ahead of Trump’s inauguration today. “One of the biggest challenges for Paraguay was that image of an island surrounded by land, a country that was isolated and not many people know about it,”
DIALOGUE: US president-elect Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform confirmed that he had spoken with Xi, saying ‘the call was a very good one’ for the US and China US president-elect Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) discussed Taiwan, trade, fentanyl and TikTok in a phone call on Friday, just days before Trump heads back to the White House with vows to impose tariffs and other measures on the US’ biggest rival. Despite that, Xi congratulated Trump on his second term and pushed for improved ties, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The call came the same day that the US Supreme Court backed a law banning TikTok unless it is sold by its China-based parent company. “We both attach great importance to interaction, hope for
‘FIGHT TO THE END’: Attacking a court is ‘unprecedented’ in South Korea and those involved would likely face jail time, a South Korean political pundit said Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol yesterday stormed a Seoul court after a judge extended the impeached leader’s detention over his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law. Tens of thousands of people had gathered outside the Seoul Western District Court on Saturday in a show of support for Yoon, who became South Korea’s first sitting head of state to be arrested in a dawn raid last week. After the court extended his detention on Saturday, the president’s supporters smashed windows and doors as they rushed inside the building. Hundreds of police officers charged into the court, arresting dozens and denouncing an
CYBERSCAM: Anne, an interior decorator with mental health problems, spent a year and a half believing she was communicating with Brad Pitt and lost US$855,259 A French woman who revealed on TV how she had lost her life savings to scammers posing as Brad Pitt has faced a wave of online harassment and mockery, leading the interview to be withdrawn on Tuesday. The woman, named as Anne, told the Seven to Eight program on the TF1 channel how she had believed she was in a romantic relationship with the Hollywood star, leading her to divorce her husband and transfer 830,000 euros (US$855,259). The scammers used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, as well as artificial intelligence image-creating technology to send Anne selfies and other messages
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