Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will look to continue ramping up ties with the Philippines with direct talks with the country’s President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sept. 8. This follows the announcement in August that Australia would look to work more closely with the Philippines on defence and security-related issues. “The Philippines is a critical nation for Australia’s interest,” Mr. Albanese said on Sept. 7. “We have strong economic relations with the Philippines. We also have strong cooperation when it comes to defence arrangements, and in addition to that, we have a strong diaspora in Australia.” Mr. Albanese noted that he will be the first Australian prime minister in 20 years to hold formal bilateral talks with the Philippines’ leader....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/australia-continues-ramp-up-of-ties-with-philippines-5488037
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned Anthony Albanese against accepting an invitation to visit Beijing saying it will look like the Australian government is kowtowing to the Chinese authorities. The warning comes after Mr. Albanese accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit China before the end of the year. During a Coalition party meeting on Sept. 5, Mr. Morrison told members that the Albanese government’s “acquiescent and concessional approach” towards Beijing, particularly the government’s “keenness” in restoring relations, was concerning, “He was warning us about [Chinese leader] Xi and his regime—urging us to hold the line and not follow Labor’s approach,” one opposition MP who listened to Mr. Morrison’s speech told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)....
From a new counter-intelligence law to policies targeting foreign firms through fines and raids, how determined is China to become self-sufficient? As China separates itself from the West, can Beijing keep its economy stable? And what would the detangling really cost? Topics in this episode: iPhone Partially Banned in China, Share Price Falls Law Empowers Beijing to Seize Foreign State Assets China’s Anti-Spy Law Unnerving Foreigners Chinese Police Raids of U.S. Firms Raise Fears Exec. Order Limits China’s Access to Tech Know-How U.S. Says No to Decoupling with China as American, Western Companies Flee New Details: Chinese Email Hack on U.S. Officials China Attends Asean Summit Amid Mapping Disputes U.S.-China ‘Cold War Is Going to Intensify’: Thayer on Partnering with India to Counter Beijing ...
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that achieving a political rapprochement with China is currently unfeasible, citing political decisions by the Chinese regime that have further strained its global relationships. “A rapprochement? No. Certainly not at this particular moment,” Mr. Trudeau said during an interview with Bloomberg’s Erik Schatzker in Singapore on Sept. 7. “China has made decisions over the past years that have made it more difficult—not just for Canada, but for other countries—to engage.” He highlighted Beijing’s arbitrary detention of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Their imprisonment of more than 1,000 days was widely regarded as an instance of China’s hostage diplomacy, in response to Canada’s arrest of Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou....