. Earth Science News .
WATER WORLD
China 'highly appreciates' Kiribati cutting ties with Taiwan
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Sept 20, 2019

China on Friday praised the Pacific island of Kiribati for cutting ties with Taiwan, the second diplomatic defection from Taipei to Beijing in less than a week.

The move is a coup for Beijing just weeks before it marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and comes just days after the Solomon Islands also dropped diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island.

Beijing "highly appreciates the decision to resume diplomatic relations with China", foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press briefing Friday.

Taiwan has been a de facto sovereign nation since the end of a civil war in 1949, but China still views the island as its territory awaiting reunification.

At a hastily arranged press conference in Taipei, Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said Beijing had "lured Kiribati to change its diplomatic ties" with promises of investment and aid.

When asked if China had promised investment to Kiribati if it cut ties with Taipei, Geng said people in Taiwan had used the same words regarding the Solomon Islands to "create confusion and distort the facts".

"Those who are accustomed to buying diplomatic allies with money may not understand that principles cannot be bought and trust cannot be bought," Geng said.

He added that the establishment of diplomatic relations would "surely bring unprecedented opportunities to Kiribati's people" but that the move "demonstrates that adhering to the one-China principle is the... general trend of the times."

Taiwan now has just 15 states left that recognise it.

China, Solomon Islands establish diplomatic relations
Beijing (AFP) Sept 21, 2019 - China and the Solomon Islands established diplomatic relations Saturday, days after the Pacific island nation severed ties with Taiwan.

"We look forward to the quick development of bilateral relations between China and the Solomons," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said at a ceremony in Beijing alongside his Solomons counterpart Jeremiah Manele.

"We welcome this decision by the Solomon Islands and support the country to move forward in the development path it has chosen for itself."

Solomon's foreign minister said his country's decision to switch diplomatic recognition to China -- its largest trading partner -- was based on "national needs."

"The development challenges for our country are huge. We need a broader partnership with countries that also includes China," he said.

The switch is a major coup for Beijing just weeks before it celebrates the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

And it leaves Taiwan more isolated than ever with just 15 states left that recognise it.

Taiwan has been a de facto sovereign nation since the end of a civil war in 1949, but China still views the island as its territory and has vowed to seize it -- by force if necessary.

Over the decades, as China's economic and military power have grown, most countries, including the United States and most Western nations, switched recognition to Beijing.

Only a handful still recognise Taiwan, largely in Latin America and the Pacific.

Taipei has accused Beijing of using "dollar diplomacy" to buy off its few remaining allies.

Kiribati, another tiny Pacific island nation announced it has switched diplomatic recognition to China on Friday.

Trump, backed by Australia's Morrison, talks tough on China
Washington (AFP) Sept 21, 2019 - President Donald Trump said Friday that only a "complete" deal with China on trade will be acceptable and his tough approach won support from visiting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"I'm not looking for a partial deal. I'm looking for a complete deal," Trump told reporters during a joint news conference with Morrison at the White House.

Trump denied that he was under pressure to resolve the massive trade dispute between the world's two main economic powers, saying "I don't think I need it before the election" in 2020.

Morrison, enjoying an unusually lavish reception and state dinner, said he backed the US push to force China to reform on issues that include routine violation of foreign companies' intellectual property.

"We need to make sure that we all compete on the same playing field," he said. China can't have "special rules."

Morrison's supportive stance contrasted with worries he expressed in June about smaller economies suffering collateral damage in the US-China standoff and the global system coming "under real pressure."

Later the United States Trade Representative's office issued a statement announcing that deputy-level US and Chinese negotiators had completed "productive" talks in Washington on Thursday and Friday.

Top level talks are expected in October.

- Dinner under the stars -

This was only the second state-level visit to the White House granted under Trump and the first for an Australian premier here since John Howard in 2006.

In a shift from tradition, and taking advantage of perfect end-of-summer weather, the dinner was served under the stars in the Rose Garden.

Pale yellow tablecloths and floral arrangements decorated the tables, bathed in a golden glow from the outdoor lighting.

Trump gave a toast praising the "free and proud spirit" shared by the two nations.

Earlier, Morrison and his wife were greeted with an honor guard, military band and 19 gun salute on the South Lawn.

"Australians and Americans understand each other like few other peoples," Morrison said, adding that he and the Republican US president had also "established a very early understanding."

In addition to Friday's festivities, Morrison and Trump are due to reunite Sunday for a visit at a new Australian-owned factory in Wapakoneta, Ohio, that the White House says will "demonstrate the strong trade and investment relationship."

- Conservatives club -

Trump's relations with the previous Australian premier, Malcolm Turnbull, got off to a bad start.

But Morrison has already cemented his place in a growing conservative club -- also including the likes of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson -- drawn into Trump's orbit.

Trump and Morrison agree on much, with Australia joining the US-led patrols of the Strait of Hormuz off Iran and following Washington's lead to exclude China's Huawei from its 5G phone market.

Trump has defied controversy over his push to prevent illegal immigrants and asylum seekers from crossing the Mexican border. Similarly, Morrison, a former immigration minister, has worked to make Australia less attractive to would-be asylum seekers.

His Liberal-National coalition also has much in common with Trump's climate change skepticism, rejecting overwhelming scientific warnings to encourage lucrative fossil fuel industries. Australia is the world's largest coal exporter.

This is "one of our strongest and most enduring relationships anywhere in the world," a senior Trump administration official said Thursday, asking not to be identified.

One area that Trump especially appreciates is trade where the United States enjoys a surplus. The trade conflicts proliferating under Trump have bypassed Australia.

The administration official said that cooperation between Australia's space agency and NASA on a return to the Moon and joint efforts to ensure "stable and secure" access to rare earth metals were on the agenda Friday.

The relationship gets more complicated over how to deal with China.

Under Trump, the United States has embarked on what some are comparing to a new Cold War. Huge trade tariffs and growing competition in the military-strategic sphere are sending ripples through the entire Pacific region.

As China rises, there are even worries in some quarters that Australia may not always be able to rely on its US security umbrella.

A hard-hitting report from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney in August said the US military is an "atrophying force" that is "dangerously overstretched" and "ill-prepared" for a confrontation with China.


Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


WATER WORLD
Australia, Fiji attempt to bury climate hatchet
Sydney (AFP) Sept 16, 2019
The leaders of Fiji and Australia agreed to boost bilateral ties Monday as they sought to smooth relations following a highly publicised clash over climate change at a Pacific summit last month. Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed his Fijian counterpart, Frank Bainimarama, just weeks after the Pacific leader branded him "very insulting, very condescending" for his response to criticism of Australia's reluctance to make climate change a policy priority. There was uproar at the Pacific Islands ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

WATER WORLD
Intelsat And Team Rubicon: Connecting Communities Through Rapid Disaster Response

Technologies for crisis management in the event of a disaster

Sheet roofs: Puerto Rico reels 2 years after Hurricane Maria

US veteran and hunter becomes unlikely gun control advocate

WATER WORLD
Bolivia, with huge untapped reserves, gears up for soaring lithium demand

Spider silk, wood combination replicates material advantages of plastic

Shaken but not stirred: Konnect satellite completes vibration tests

China data centres set to consume more power than Australia: report

WATER WORLD
Trump repeals Obama-era waterway protections

Australia, Fiji attempt to bury climate hatchet

Coral parents pass algae to their offspring to help cope with climate change

Climate signature detected in Earth's rivers

WATER WORLD
Arctic sea ice coverage drops below 1.5M square miles for second time since 1979

Canada pledges to boost military in Arctic

In Greenland village, shorter winters cast doubts over dog sledding

Siberian region fights to preserve permafrost as planet warms

WATER WORLD
China to exempt US pork and soybeans from added tariffs: state media

China taps pork reserve as swine fever hits industry

Meaty issue: Mock pork edges onto Southeast Asian plates

Poor countries will need to increase carbon footprint to address hunger: study

WATER WORLD
Niamey residents flee after the worst floods in 50 years

Lorena makes landfall in southwest Mexico as Category 1 force hurricane

Hurricane Humberto strengthens to Category 3 storm

Storm Humberto strengthens but moves away from Bahamas and US

WATER WORLD
In Ivory Coast, telemedicine revolution proves blessing for heart patients

S.Sudan rebel leader to meet president in Juba: sources

Nigeria urged to free children detained over Boko Haram ties

Videos accusing Egypt's Sisi, military of graft go viral

WATER WORLD
Scientists use DNA methylation to determine what Denisovans looked like

Humans arrived in Americas earlier than thought, new Idaho artifacts suggest

Face of Lucy's ancestors revealed by 3.8-million-year-old hominin skull in Ethiopia

20M year-old skull suggests complex brain evolution in monkeys, apes









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.