#THEPHILIPPINES: Marcos Visits China To Deepen Ties

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Beijing yesterday for a 48-hour visit, during which he is expected to meet Chinese leader Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 and his No. 2 Lǐ Kèqiáng 李克强 in a bid to deepen ties with the world’s second-largest economy.

The visit will be Marcos’s first foreign trip for 2023 and his first bilateral visit to a non-ASEAN country, ever since the son of the former dictator won a sweeping election victory in May.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#OMAN: Lower House Expands Israeli Boycott Rules

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Oman’s lower house of parliament voted to expand its Israel boycott law on Monday, amid speculation in Israeli press that certain restrictions could be lifted.

The Majlis al-Shura, or Consultative Assembly, voted to amend the first clause of its Israel boycott law to include any sports, cultural or economic contact. The amendment also specifically bans in-person or online interaction with Israelis.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#CANADA: Commissioner Says Trade Minister Violated Conflict Of Interest Rules

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Canada's federal conflict of interest and ethics commissioner says Trade Minister Mary Ng broke the rules when her office awarded a contract to one of her friends.

Commissioner Mario Dion released a report Tuesday after the federal Conservatives filed a complaint back in the spring, raising concerns over the fact that Ng’s office awarded media training contracts to the firm Pomp and Circumstance.

The firm was co-founded and run by Amanda Alvaro, a friend of Ng’s.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#EU: Parliament Passes Tougher Deforestation Law

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The European Parliament has voted for a stricter deforestation law to help better protect the world’s forests. The law aims to ensure that agricultural products sold in Europe are free of deforestation and human rights violations. Companies will be required to guarantee that the products they sell in Europe are not driving deforestation or human rights abuses. 

The Parliament voted to strengthen the initial draft law prepared by the European Commission, particularly by widening the scope of commodities to include natural rubber, maize and leather; extending the definition of “forests” to include other wooded lands (such as the Cerrado savannah in Brazil); and ensuring companies undertake due diligence with regards to upholding human rights and Indigenous peoples’ rights in their supply chains.  

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#INDIA: Gov't Plans Commerce Dep't. Restructure

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In order to achieve the government's goal of expanding exports to $2 trillion  a year by 2030, it has announced plans to restructure the commerce department.

"As part of the restructuring exercise, a dedicated trade promotion body would be set up to advise an overall strategy to achieve targets and make it future ready," said union minister Piyush Goyol.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#NORTHERNIRELAND: DUP Ag Minister Ends Border Inspections For UK Food

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Irish Sea border checks on British agricultural food exports to Northern Ireland have been ordered stopped by the Democratic Unionist Party, undermining the hard Irish border.

Agriculture minister Edwin Poots, also the party's Leader, has called on his officials to halt the checks, which are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#LITHUANIA: China Blocking Goods With Lithuanian Parts Over Taiwan Embassy

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The European Union says China is blocking imports from European Union countries when they contain components from Lithuania.

A European official says there have been many cases where imports from Lithuania and the EU are blocked in Chinese ports.

"Apparently, Chinese customs refuse to clear goods from other EU countries if they contain parts from Lithuania," said 

EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

The dispute is occurring because Lithuania opened an consulate in the capital, Vilnius, for the island of Taiwan in July. China claims the island as part of the mainland Communist Chinese Nation. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#TAIWAN: Membership Application To Regional Trade Group Likely To Be Opposed By China

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Taiwan has sparked controversy by applying to join an 11-nation Pacific trade group, setting up a potential clash with rival Beijing over the status of the self-governing island democracy.

Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership might be disrupted if China, which applied last week, is admitted first, said John Deng, a minister without portfolio. 

China claims that Taiwan is part of the Communist mainland nation. Taiwan, while stopping short of declaring independence, is self-governing, though only recognized as independent by the United States and few other nations.

Granting membership to Taiwan would likely give it a legitimacy as a self-governing nation, which China is likely to oppose.

The CPTPP, which took effect in 2018, includes agreements on market access, movement of labor and government procurement.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#USA: Biden Announces Partnership With UK, Australia, To Share Tech, Counter China

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Pres. Joe Biden has announced a new working group with Britain and Australia to share advanced technologies — including the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines by Canberra — in a thinly veiled bid to counter China, four U.S. officials said.

The trio, which will be known by the acronym AUKUS, will make it easier for the three countries to share information and know-how in key technological areas like artificial intelligence, cyber, quantum, underwater systems, and long-range strike capabilities.

Missing from the group are Canada and New Zealand, team members with the others in the "Five Eyes" technology organization designed to keep an eye on China and its expansionist agenda.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#UK: Chinese Firm's Takeover Of UK Chip Company Investigated

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The Chinese firm behind the purchase of Britain's largest chip manufacturing facility earlier this summer has admitted that the acquisition could be unwound as the U.K. government reviews the takeover.

Shanghai-headquartered Wingtech Technologies warned shareholders in a note this week that "domestic and foreign industry policies" present a risk to the takeover of Newport Wafer Fab, which is located in South Wales. The news was first reported by The Telegraph newspaper.

The warning comes after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Stephen Lovegrove, the U.K.'s national security advisor, to investigate the deal. A decision could be announced in the coming days.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#PERU: New Leftist President To Strengthen Trade Ties With China

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In his first week in office, Peru’s new left-wing administration under President Pedro Castillo has been quick to extend a friendly hand to China, the Andean nation’s most important commercial partner and the main buyer of its copper, a crucial source of tax revenue. 

Since Castillo was inaugurated on July 28, administration officials have met with the Chinese ambassador and Chinese mining executives to discuss not just policies for their industry but also to strengthen a previous free trade agreement first signed in 2009, government sources told media.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#CANADA: US/Canada Border Closure Extended To July 21, Says Public Safety Minister

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The Canadian government has confirmed it is extending restrictions on non-essential travel from around the world and the United States until July 21.

Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of public safety confirmed the news Friday morning via Twitter.

:

"Our number one priority as we fight #COVID19 is keeping Canadians safe. In coordination with the U.S., we are extending restrictions on non-essential international travel and with the United States until July 21st, 2021."

Blair also tweeted that more information will become available this Monday: “As we have said, the government is planning measures for fully vaccinated Canadians, Permanent Residents, and others who are currently permitted to enter Canada and will provide further details on Monday, June 21."

Canada has greatly lagged behind the United States in vaccinations, with those having recieved both shots against the Coronavirus remaining in the single digits.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#UK: Trade Deal With Australia Inked

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The broad terms of a trade deal between the UK and Australia have been agreed to, the BBC has reported, with a formal announcement expected this week.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison agreed the deal over dinner at Downing Street.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#EU: European Parliament "Freezes" China Investment Deal Over Sanctions

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The European parliament has voted overwhelmingly to “freeze” any consideration of a massive investment deal with China, following recent tit-for-tat sanctions over Beijing’s treatment of its Uyghur population in Xinjiang province.

According to the resolution, the parliament, which must ratify the deal, “demands that China lift the sanctions before parliament can deal with the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI)”.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#UK: Britain To Apply For Membership In Trans-Pacific Partnership Trading Bloc

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The UK will shortly submit its formal request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trading bloc, said UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss.

The CPTPP is a trading bloc established in 2018 between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The United States withdrew from the TPP in 2017, leading to the failure of the original trade deal, which required all signatories to agree. It was reconstituted in December, 2018 with the current members.

[FULL STORY HERE] 

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#JAPAN: Gov't Agency Unveils Aid For 87 Companies To Relocate From China

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Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has unveiled the first group of Japanese companies to subsidize for shifting manufacturing out of China to Southeast Asia or Japan.

Eighty-seven companies or groups will receive a total of 70 billion yen ($653 million) to move production lines, in a bid to reduce Japan's reliance on its large neighbor and build resilient supply chains.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#NEWZEALAND: Prime Minister Confuses China And Japan On Arrival In Japan

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made an awkward faux pas after touching down in Tokyo - muddling Japan with China in her first media standup in the country.

Ardern said it was an "incredibly exciting time for New Zealand in its relationship with China - excuse me sorry, with Japan".

She reportedly blamed jetlag for her mistake, which comes at a sensitive time in relations between New Zealand and Japan, as New Zealand pursues greater trade with China.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#BRAZIL: Negotiations Begin On Brazil/Mexico Free Trade Agreement

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The Brazilian government have announced that it had begun negotiations for a free trade agreement with Mexico, a pact that would be between the two biggest economies in Latin America.

The two countries began formal talks this week and it is hoped that the South American country will be able to increase trade with Mexico, mainly in agricultural products, Marcos Troyjo, special secretary for Foreign Trade and International Affairs at Brazil's Ministry of Economy, told reporters.

He explained that the exchanges are part of his government's efforts to open up its economy and be able to negotiate with all countries. A free trade agreement between the two countries for the import of automobiles and auto parts came into force in mid-March.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#EU: France, Ireland Threaten To Block EU/South American Trade Deal Over Rainforest Destruction

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Members of the European Parliament from France and Ireland are threatening to block a trade deal between the Europe and South America's trading blocs over rampant destruction of the rainforests in Brazil.

Environmentalists accuse Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro of cutting protection to the area deemed crucial to combating climate change. The rainforests are being clear cut for farming at a record pace, say environmentalists. NASA, however, has said that overall fire activity across the Amazon basin this year has been close to the average compared to the past 15 years.

For now,E officials are defending the deal, which has taken 20 years to hammer out with the Mercosur trading bloc, because they say it ties them into honoring the Paris Agreement's environmental rules.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#SOUTHKOREA: Pres. Moon Jae-in Offers Olive Branch In Trade Talks

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in offered an olive branch to Japan to end an ongoing trade dispute Thursday, saying Seoul will "gladly join hands" if Japan wants to talk.

Moon's government has been accusing Japan of weaponizing trade to target its export-dependent economy and retaliate against South Korean court rulings calling for Japanese companies to offer reparations to South Koreans forced into labor during World War II. Tokyo's measures struck a nerve in South Korea, where many still harbor resentment over Japan's ruthless colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.

After threatening stern countermeasures and declaring that South Korea would "never lose" to Japan again, Moon has taken a more conciliatory tone over the past week as there was relief in Seoul that the impact of Japan's trade measures might not be as bad as initially thought.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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