Donald Trump to meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un on June 12 in Singapore

President Donald Trump said Thursday he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore.

“The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong Un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th,” the president wrote on Twitter. “We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!”

Singapore -- almost 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) south of Pyongyang -- represents neutral turf for the two leaders. The city-state of 5.5 million people boasts security partnerships with the US, a North Korean embassy and strong ties with China.

The government there also has a history of putting together high-profile diplomatic events at short notice, hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s historic 2015 meeting with his then-counterpart from Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou. Still, Kim’s agreement to travel so far from the safety of Pyongyang -- the farthest he’s ever been as leader -- could be seen as a concession by North Korea.

US finally agrees to consult China on tariff policies; informs WTO

The United States has told the World Trade Organization it has agreed to discuss with China the Trump administration's efforts to slap tariffs on steel, aluminum and an array of goods from China.

A Geneva-based trade official said today that the move was an expected, but not mandatory, step that buys Washington time to flesh out its differences with Beijing.

China requested the discussions about U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that the administration has defended on national security grounds, and the possibility of U.S. tariffs on 1,300 Chinese goods.

The tariffs on the goods have been billed as a penalty for Beijing forcing US companies to hand over technology to obtain access to China's market.

The official said the United States had agreed to the discussions, known as consultations in WTO parlance, without yielding about its belief that the tariffs are justified. The official requested anonymity since he was not authorized to speak publicly about the discussions.

The United States has argued that the proposed tariffs on goods like electronics and machinery have not been levied yet, so China's request wasn't justified under WTO dispute settlement rules.

China announces live-fire military drills in Taiwan Strait amid tensions

China on Thursday announced live-firing military exercises in the Taiwan Strait amid heightened tensions over increased American support for Taiwan's government.

The announcement by the maritime safety authority in the coastal province of Fujian coincided with a statement from their counterparts in Hainan province that the navy was ending a three-day exercise in the South China Sea one day early.

No explanations were given in either case and the Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to questions. The Fujian authorities said the one-day Taiwan Strait drill will be held next Wednesday.

While Beijing responded mildly to US President Donald Trump's early outreach to Taiwan's independence-leaning government, recent developments have prompted a tougher response. China claims Taiwan, which separated from the mainland during the Chinese civil war in 1949, as its own territory and says the sides must eventually be united, by force if necessary.

Belt and Road Initiative not a 'Chinese plot': Xi tries to allay concerns

President Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy plan to build a new "Silk Road" of infrastructure and trade links between China and Eurasia is not a "Chinese plot", Xi said on Wednesday, according to state media.

Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, unveiled in 2013, aims to bolster a sprawling network of land and sea links with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

At a summit last May, Xi pledged $126 billion for the plan, but has failed to overcome suspicion in Western capitals, where officials suspect the professed desire to spread prosperity in the region is foremost an attempt to assert Chinese influence.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is not a Chinese plot, as some people internationally have said," Xi told a gathering at the annual meeting of the Chinese Boao Forum for Asia in the southern province of Hainan.

"It is neither the post-World War Two Marshall Plan, nor is it a Chinese conspiracy. If you had to (call it something), it's an 'overt plot'," he added, the official news agency, Xinhua, said.

Good chance Kim Jong Un will give up his country's nuclear weapons: Trump

US President Donald Trump, who has agreed to meet with Kim Jong Un, said on Wednesday there is a now a good chance the North Korean leader will give up his country's nuclear weapons.

"For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility," Trump wrote in an early morning tweet.

This is what he tweeted:

For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility. Now there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity. Look forward to our meeting!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 28 March 2018

His comments came as Kim completed a secretive and unprecedented visit to Beijing on Wednesday as the two countries seek to repair frayed ties before Pyongyang's landmark summits with Washington and earlier with South Korea.

Putin wins 6th term: Xi congratulates him; only Stalin ruled Russia longer

hinese President Xi Jinping on Monday congratulated Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his re-election, saying Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to bring ties to a "higher level".

"Currently, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is at the best level in history, which sets an example for building a new type of international relations," Xi said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin won a landslide re-election victory on Sunday, extending his rule over the world’s largest country for another six years at a time when his ties with the West are on a hostile trajectory.
Putin’s victory will take his political dominance of Russia to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer. Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia’s defenses against the West and to raise living standards.

Xi Jinping can now be President for life: China's parliament removes limits

In a historic decision, China on Sunday removed the two-term limit on presidency, clearing the decks for the all-powerful President Xi Jinping to rule the world's most populous country for life.

Scrapping the 35-year old rule brought by "paramount" leader Deng Xiaoping to prevent the country from returning to one-man rule like that of Mao Zedong, China's largely ceremonial parliament amended the Constitution by lifting the two-term limit.

With term limits gone, Xi can rule China until he retires, dies or is ousted.

He is already dubbed as the country's next Mao, founder of modern China who ruled from 1949 until his death in 1976.

Xi as Prez for life: As China gets assertive, India must focus on reforms

When China’s National People’s Congress – the rough equivalent of India’s Lok Sabha, but toothless - meets in the coming week it has to deal with a proposal by the ruling Communist Party of China to amend the state constitution to remove term limits for the President of the state. Coming from where it does, this is pretty much a direct order to the NPC to remove the term limits.

Removing term limits for the President, imposed in 1982, is a roundabout way of saying that the norm of two terms for the CPC General Secretary – Xi’s more powerful avatar – too, is not set in stone.

Indeed, term limits were imposed in the first place to signal to the Party that no leader should be able to continue indefinitely in power as Mao had much to the detriment of China and its people. Now, Xi appears to be seeking the removal of term limits with the opposite message – that China requires a strong leader capable of cleaning up corruption, modernizing the military, stabilizing the economy and standing up to aggressive neighbours and especially, to the United States.

Like Xi in China, maybe we'll give 'Prez for life' a shot someday: Trump

US President Donald Trump appeared to praise Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping’s efforts to extend his tenure in a speech to donors, according to a recording released by CNN.

“Don’t forget China’s great and Xi is a great gentleman. He’s now president for life,” Trump told Republican backers, who erupted in laughter in response to the remarks made Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

The comments come as China’s national parliament gathers in Beijing for two weeks of meetings expected to culminate in Xi’s appointment to a second term and a constitutional change allowing him to stay on indefinitely. The Communist Party announced the planned amendment Feb. 25, in a surprising break with succession practices set up after Mao Zedong’s fraught tenure.

China kicks off parliament season to remove term limit for Xi Jinping

As he set to cement his power removing two term limit, Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to appoint four Vice Premiers to work on popular programmes like poverty relief, environmental protection and improving economy which would enhance his image at home.
Speculation about the appointment of four Vice Premiers came as China today commenced its well-choreographed annual parliament which was expected to endorse the ruling the Communist Party of China (CPC) proposal to amend the Constitution removing the two-term rule for President and Vice President.
China now has two Vice Premiers.
The proposal sparked off speculation that Xi who is on course to become modern China's Emperor, wielding unquestionable power exercised by the party founder, Mao Zedong in the heydays of revolution is working on populist agenda which would contribute to his public image.

China set to make Xi era permanent with sweeping legal overhaul

In his first five years, President Xi Jinping has seized control of economic policy, reasserted the Communist Party’s authority and sidelined potential rivals in an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign.
Now, he’s set to make the Xi era permanent.
In a two-week session starting Monday, China’s rubber-stamp parliament is expected to enact sweeping legislative changes that would allow Xi to rule indefinitely and give him greater control over the levers of money and power. The agenda includes repealing presidential term limits, creating a powerful new agency to police officials and possibly approving the biggest regulatory overhaul of the $43 trillion finance-and-insurance sector in 15 years.
Xi is also reportedly planning to use the annual meeting of the 3,000-member National People’s Congress to install allies in key government posts, including the vice presidency, the central bank governorship and dozens of minister-level positions. It’s unclear when exactly specific decisions will be announced.

China shares slip on uncertainty over unlimited rule for Xi Jinping

Chinese stocks slipped today despite gains in most other world markets as uncertainty lingered over the removal of term limits for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Shanghai Composite sank 1.1 per cent to close at 3,292.07, while Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index lost 0.7 per cent to finish at 31,268.66.

Benchmarks elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region were mixed, with Australia's S&P/ASX 200 and Japan's Nikkei 225 ending higher but South Korea's Kospi slightly lower.

European shares rose in early trading but futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street, a day after the Standard & Poor's 500, Dow Jones industrial average and Nasdaq gained more than 1 per cent.
Investors are still mulling the implications of the decision by China's Communist Party to scrap presidential term limits, ensuring party chief Xi Jinping can remain head of state indefinitely and setting the stage for him to become the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

Trump trade war: China's most powerful weapon may cause worldwide turmoil

As tensions escalate between the US and China, one crop is emerging as the most powerful weapon in a potential trade war: the soybean.China is the biggest buyer of American soybeans, picking up about a third of the entire US crop, which it uses largely to feed 400 million or so pigs. President Xi Jinping’s administration is studying the impact of restricting soybean imports in retaliation for US tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, people familiar with the situation told Bloomberg last week.Any China soybean curbs would directly hit farmers in the Midwestern US states that President Donald Trump needs to win re-election in 2020. Yet they would also pose a big risk for Xi: His nation is the world’s largest pork producer and consumer, and higher costs for pig farmers could increase prices of meat for his nation’s 1.3 billion citizens.

Does BJP's polarising politics weaken India's strategic edge in Maldives?

The Narendra Modi government is currently experiencing a near-perfect storm of domestic and foreign policy setbacks. The ruling BJP has been drubbed in recent parliamentary bypolls in Rajasthan after an underwhelming result in Gujarat elections. The economy continues to struggle with the effects of demonetisation and GST, global fuel prices are high, the stock market is wobbly, the Union budget disappointed even BJP’s supporters and remarks by Modi that making pakodas (fritters) constituted gainful employment for citizens has become a source of mirth and anger.

The foreign affairs scene is not comforting either. China is reinforcing its military presence near Doklam, belying claims that India had “won” the standoff last year, Beijing is negotiating a military base in Afghanistan, and a Chinese company has formally signed the lease for the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka while experts say that Delhi has lost “all its leverage” in Nepal.

China punishes 159,100 people for corruption, indiscipline during 2017

China punished a total of 159,100 people for corruption and indiscipline during 2017, the country's top anti-graft body has said.

Of the 122,100 cases, 48,700 were related to corruption in poverty alleviation work, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said.

China has over the years massively cracked down on graft, with the dreaded anti-graft body nabbing country's top officials for wrongdoings.

Last year, Sun Zhengcai, China's top politician and dubbed as Chinese President Xi Jinping potential successor, was arrested on graft charges.

According to Xinhua news agency, some 61,000 officials were punished for violating the Party's eight-point frugality code from January to November last year in 43,400 cases.

Moreover, since the start of 2017, a total of 1,300 fugitives have returned to China, including 347 party members and state functionaries, as well as 14 who are on the list of 100 "red notice" corruption suspects.

Around 980 million yuan ($151 million) of illicit money has been recovered in the process.

China also held more than 50 consultations with foreign law enforcement departments in 2017 on major cases involving fugitives and illicit money, according to CCDI.

At least 18 centrally-administered officials have been investigated and nearly 40 others have been punished since 2017, it said.

The anti-corruption drive is Xi's centrepiece of his policy ever since he took power in 2013.

At the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi said the anti-graft body will tighten its noose around the wrongdoers.
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Boeing signs deal to sell 300 planes worth $37 bn to China

Boeing signed an agreement on Thursday to sell 300 planes to China Aviation Supplies Holding Company worth $37 billion at list prices — part of a slew of deals announced during US President Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing.

State-run China Aviation Supplies, which leases planes to Chinese airlines, said the order was for 260 B-737s as well as 40 B777s and B787s.

Analysts said, however, that some of the order may be among the more than 300 from undisclosed buyers posted this year and that it was not yet understood how much of the China deal would be entirely new business.

Boeing had 334 orders by unidentified customers as of October 24, of which 290 were for its 737 narrow body family.

Representatives for Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the planes were new or existing orders.

Aircraft orders are also announced at list prices but buyers usually get discounts.

China Aviation Supplies has also played a prominent role in deals announced during previous government exchanges.

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Trump's granddaughter becomes envoy as she sings for 'Grandpa' Xi Jinping

While media coverage of Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping today focused on trade and North Korea, it was the wide-eyed crooning of the US leader's granddaughter that stole Chinese netizens' hearts.

In a video that Trump showed Xi during their stroll through the historic Forbidden City yesterday, his granddaughter, Arabella Kushner, greets "Grandpa Xi and Grandma Peng (Liyuan)" with several Mandarin ballads and a recitation of ancient Chinese poetry.

China's Xinhua state news agency, which circulated the clip widely on social media, reported that Xi said the six-year-old girl's Mandarin skills deserved an "A+".

The Chinese public agreed, according to Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

"As a little ambassador of Chinese-American friendship, Arabella has already received the love of a vast number of Chinese people," Hua said during a regular press briefing today.

"This kind of special arrangement is actually very sweet and warm-hearted. We believe that this has helped to further bring closer the affection and distance between the Chinese and American people."

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China slams US anti-dumping duty on aluminium foil ahead of Trump visit

China has criticised new United States anti-dumping duties on aluminium foil, saying it was "extremely dissatisfied" with the new measures, just days before President Trump visits Beijing.

The tariff was announced Friday by the US following concern that China was undercutting American manufacturers by flooding the country with underpriced aluminium products.

But the timing has raised fears of a trade dispute during Trump's first visit as president to the Chinese capital next week, when commerce between the nations is expected to be high on the agenda.

On Saturday evening, China's Ministry of Commerce said the US was ignoring World Trade Organization rules by introducing the duties, and not fulfilling its international obligations.

"The US is not only harming the interests of Chinese companies, it is also damaging the seriousness and authority of multilateral rules and regulations," said Wang Hejun, Director of the Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau, in a statement.

The US Commerce Department plans to impose fresh duties of 96.81 per cent to 162.24 on Chinese aluminium foil imports to the US.

The new tariff will affect the type of aluminium foil found in kitchens, packaging and automobiles.
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China to benefit more from CPEC than Pakistan will: Report

The multibillion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's 'Belt and Road Initiative', will benefit China more than Pakistan due to lack of Pakistani input in the project.

The lack of Pakistani input into the CPEC, which the government said would drive economic growth to a targeted 6 per cent this financial year, adds to concerns that its benefits might not be as widely distributed as initially thought, the South China Morning Post reported, adding that it runs the risk that Islamabad will be left paying interest on loans to Chinese banks way into the future.

According to the news report, Chinese banks are keenly waiting to get their share of the pie, holding more than $20 billion for potential financing, much of it has already been filled by the Chinese, with Pakistani lenders getting a little look in.

"As of now, around $6 billion to $7 billion worth of projects are likely going on. Out of that, 10 per cent, or around 50 billion rupees ($470 million), can be local financing," the South China Morning Post quoted Saad Hashemy, research director at Karachi brokerage Topline Securities, as saying.
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In Mao's league? Xi Jinping's BRI a political masterstroke, says expert

The One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative must be seen as a political and economic masterstroke by Chinese President Xi Jinping, in terms of its domestic as well foreign impact, an expert has said.

"The singular contribution of the man now vying for a place next to Mao in the pantheon of Chinese leaders, Xi Jinping, is the One Belt, One Road project. It was a public relations triumph: Mao destroyed the old order, Deng Xiaoping laid the foundations of a modern economy, Xi is making China great again," said Philip Bowring, who has been writing on regional financial and political issues successively as correspondent for the Financial Times, editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review and columnist for the International Herald Tribune, in an article published in nybook.com.

"This plan, now more often known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), to use China's money and know-how to develop relations with a host of developing countries across Eurasia and to the coasts of Africa has proved a political masterstroke at home and abroad," he added.

He mentioned that for foreigners, China appears to be extending a hand of friendship, economic development, and trade across half the world.

ALSO READ: China: Activists fear more arrests and crackdowns in Xi's 'new era'

Bowring said for the Chinese people, it is an expression of new-found pride in the nation's power and wealth.
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