[ad_1]
A warmer winter. Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan attended the Bloomberg New Economy Forum this week, which had moved to Singapore from its original location in Beijing. At the forum, Wang called for the U.S. to “abandon the Cold War mentality” and pledged to push for a “mutually acceptable” resolution to the Trade War. At the same event, former Secretary of State and veteran of Sino-U.S. relations Henry Kissinger advised the feuding nations to be frank about their ‘red lines’ in order to avert falling into a Thucydides Trap. On Thursday in Beijing, Kissinger met with Xi to discuss the same issue. Caixin
Call that a fund? Late last month, the Australian state of Victoria signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese ambassador to support the Belt and Road Initiative, becoming the only Australian state to do so. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has criticised the Victorian government’s independent action as Australia has grown increasingly wary of China. This year Canberra has blocked Huawei from domestic infrastructure problems, passed a law targeting Chinese spies, and bolstered military ties with pacific islands. Now Canberra has launched a $2.8 billion fund to counter the BRI, stating, “This is our patch of the world”. Reuters
The score on security. A National Security Agency official said that China has likely violated an Obama-era pact to reduce cyber espionage. The 2015 agreement has dramatically reduced the amount of cyber interference coming out of China, but NSA official Rob Joyce says China is clearly still “beyond the bounds” of the accord. Yesterday, Mike Pompeo and Jim Mattis met with their Chinese counterparts to hold talks on security, concluding a meeting originally billed for October, which was cancelled abruptly. Wall Street Journal
Source link
