(2021-01-29). Biden administration shifts focus from Middle East to confronting China: Report. middleeasteye.net 
Biden administration shifts focus from Middle East to confronting China: Report | National Security Council has reorganised with more resources and staff dedicated to Asia, Politico reports | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 18: 12 | Biden, then vice president, toasts Chinese President Xi Jinping during state luncheon in 2015 (AFP/File photo) | The Biden administration has reoriented its foreign policy priorities with a new…
(2021-01-29). China invalidates British National Overseas passports. yenisafak.com China on Friday announced to invalidate British National Overseas (BNO) passports."China will no longer recognize so-called BNO passports as valid travel documents and identity certificates, starting Jan. 31," China's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news conference in Beijing.The move comes after the UK announced to issue special BNO visas to Hong Kongers from Sunday, allowing them to live and work in the country and eventually apply for British nationality."Despite the fact that it has been 24 years since Hong Kong returned to the motherland [China], the UK has blatantly broken its commitment by in…
(2021-01-29). Pakistan denies role in India farmers' protest. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Thursday rejected New Delhi's claim that Islamabad and Beijing are backing the ongoing protests by farmers in India.In a weekly news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said the "baseless and irresponsible" accusations are a continuation of India's tactic of blaming others for its "internal failings.""It may be recalled that Indian Union Minister Raosaheb Danve had alleged that China and Pakistan were behind the ongoing protests by farmers," Chaudhri said in response to a question."Such a baseless and irresponsible statement from Indian Minister reflects the true mindset of t…
(2021-01-29). Being denied care for wife, Chinese activist starts hunger strike. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- A Chinese activist started a hunger strike Friday to protest the country's authorities for barring him from travel to the United States, where his wife is receiving chemotherapy. The China Human Rights Lawyers Support Group (CHRLCG) told EFE that security agents prevented Yang Maodong, or Guo Feixiong, from boarding a Thursday …
(2021-01-29). China won't recognize British overseas passports issued to Hong Kongers. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- China will not recognize British overseas passports from Sunday, when the United Kingdom will begin to accept applications from Hong Kongers, who are offered residence and residence permits to work for five years. At his daily press conference, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said "China will stop recognizing the British …
(2021-01-29). UK launches settlement scheme for Hong Kong citizens. yenisafak.com The new scheme, introduced after China imposed a new national security law in Hong Kong in June 2020, will give Hong Kong citizens the right to live and work in the UK."I am immensely proud that we have brought in this new route for Hong Kong BN(O)s to live, work, and make their home in our country," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement on Friday."In doing so we have honored our profound ties of history and friendship with the people of Hong Kong, and we have stood up for freedom and autonomy — values both the UK and Hong Kong hold dear."With the new visa scheme, around 3 million people from Hon…
(2021-01-29). Singaporean Prime Minister Calls for Upgrade in US-China Ties With Biden Administration. sputniknews.com GENOA (Sputnik) – The United States and China should build a constructive relationship, which will be a challenge for the new US leadership, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday.
(2021-01-29). Joshua Wong pleads guilty to Hong Kong anti-mask protest charges. laprensalatina.com By Shirley Lau Hong Kong, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, currently in jail, appeared in a court Friday and pleaded guilty to charges related to a street protest held during the height of the city's pro-democracy movement in 2019. The 24-year-old, and renowned activist Koo Sze-yiu, 74, were accused of taking …
(2021-01-29). Suspicion Of Chinese-Born Researchers Threatens US Innovation. popularresistance.org The arrest of MIT engineering professor Gang Chen on Jan. 14 has drawn attention to the role of China in U.S. science and technology system. It's not the first time suspicions have fallen on a Chinese-born scientist — Chen is a naturalized U.S. citizen — for work they conduct openly in the United States. | The charges against Gang Chen — wire fraud, failing to report a foreign bank account and a false statement on a tax return — stem from failing to disclose Chinese funding for his research. MIT called the allegations "distressing," and the school's president and 100 faculty members are de…
(2021-01-29). Fiji wins presidency of UN Human Rights Council. wsws.org The diplomatic maneuvering around Fiji's appointment underscores the tensions produced by the escalating US-led offensive against China, which is set to deepen under the Biden administration.
(2021-01-29). China bans single-use plastic straws and shopping bags. nationofchange.org China is one of the world's biggest users of single-use plastic and in 2010, produced 60 million tonnes of plastic waste.
(2021-01-28). Headlines for January 28, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Records Another 4,000 COVID-19 Deaths as White House Warns Vaccinations Will Take Months, DHS Warns of Threat from "Violent Extremists" as More Arrests Are Made over Jan. 6 Insurrection, Leader of Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, Was a Government Informer , Biden to Reverse "Global Gag Rule," Expand Reproductive Healthcare in U.S., Democrats Reintroduce Bill to Make Washington, D.C., the 51st State, Western Hemisphere COVID-19 Deaths Top 1 Million , 4th Zimbabwean Cabinet Official Dies of COVID-19; WHO Begins Probe into Pandemic Origins in Wuhan, Hungry Lebanese Protesters Clash with Police over Coronavirus Lockd…
(2021-01-28). As pandemic continues in China, lack of resources provokes social media protests. wsws.org The government's COVID-19 prevention and control system is facing tremendous pressure and fuelling popular discontent.
(2021-01-28). New Zealand trade minister calls on Australia to 'show respect' to China amid Beijing-Canberra trade war. rt.com 
New Zealand's Minister for Trade Damien O'Connor has called on Australia to follow his country's lead, relax its assertive approach and "show respect" to China in order to make more diplomatic progress with Beijing. | Speaking in an interview with CNBC, O'Connor highlighted New Zealand's recent successful trade negotiations with China, signing a deal that updates their current free-trade agreement and opens up further exports from Wellington to Beijing. | "I can't speak for Australia and the way it runs its diplomatic relationships," O'Connor said, stating that "if they were to follow us and show respect, I gu…
(2021-01-28). Turkey sends 20,000 more vaccine doses to N.Cyprus. yenisafak.com Turkey on Thursday delivered another batch of coronavirus vaccine produced by China's Sinovac to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).As many as 20,000 doses of CoronaVac were brought to the TRNC in air ambulance belonging to the Turkish Health Ministry."Turkey has always been by our side, and the supply of vaccines is further proof," TRNC Health Minister Ali Pilli told Anadolu Agency.He appreciated the Turkish leadership for their efforts, adding that thanks to Ankara the vaccination campaign will continue.On Jan. 14, Turkey sent the first shipment of 20,000 doses, soon after which TRNC began the immun…
(2021-01-28). China and Bolivia To Cooperate on COVID-19 Vaccines. telesurenglish.net President Xi Jinping assured that China and Bolivia would enhance cooperation on the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday. | RELATED: | During a phone conversation, the Chinese president and his Bolivian counterpart Luis Arce highlighted the 36 years old diplomatic relations between both countries, which strengthened during Evo Morales's mandate, primarily through trade agreements. | [Hilo] Conversamos con el hermano Xi Ji…
(2021-01-28). WHO begins Wuhan mission to hunt for origin of Covid amid heavy secrecy. laprensalatina.com By Javier Garcia Wuhan, China, Jan 28 (efe-epa).- International scientists with the World Health Organization on Thursday began their mission on the ground in Wuhan, China, to investigate the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus but the team made no public statement and did not provide information about its agenda amid considerable secrecy. China and the …
(2021-01-28). New Zealand tops global Covid-19 management rankings. laprensalatina.com Sydney, Australia, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- New Zealand has topped the rankings of almost 100 countries and territories that have best managed the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an index published Thursday in Australia. The Oceanian country was followed by Vietnam and Taiwan in second and third place. The Covid Performance Index compares the response of governments …
(2021-01-28). NY Times' pseudo-expert accusing China of genocide worked for publicity arm of far-right cult Falun Gong. thegrayzone.com The New York Times recycled flimsy claims by a right-wing apocalyptic extremist to accuse China of "genocide," in an op-ed by an American with 1/8th Uighur heritage who worked for Epoch Times, a far-right, pro-Trump outlet backed by cult Falun Gong. The New York Times published a factually challenged op-ed accusing China of committing "genocide" against its Uighur minority. The article sourced its spurious accusations to a right-wing operative who insists his research is part of a divine "mission" against …
(2021-01-28). UK: Corbyn and Owen Jones line-up with anti-China campaign. wsws.org The Labour left's stance has nothing to do with defending the rights of Uighur Muslims, much less the super-exploited Chinese working class. It articulates the interests of a layer of the upper middle class, represented by the Labour and trade union bureaucracy, which advocate economic protectionism to defend British capitalism…
(2021-01-28). House Republicans Urge University of Pennsylvania's Biden Centre to Disclose Ties With China. sputniknews.com Biden's family members became the focus of some media reports last year that suggested they had strong ties to Chinese businesses and potentially the Communist Party, up to the point of a potential conflict of interests. The Bidens, however, dismissed all the claims.
(2021-01-28). Biden Team to Postpone Trump-Era Ban on Chinese Firms Allegedly Linked to Military, Communist Party. sputniknews.com The delay will give the Biden administration time to review Trump's executive order, launched in November with a 28 January deadline, which blocked US companies from investing in China and slapped numerous mainland firms with restrictions, barring access to key US technologies.
(2021-01-28). Biden commits to US defense of Japan in maritime dispute. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Jan 28 (efe-epa).- In a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday, United States President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's "unwavering commitment" to defending the Asian country under their joint security treaty. This includes a group of small islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Tokyo and claimed by …
(2021-01-28). The Putin-Biden Strategic Telephone Call: How Long Before Washington's Demonization of Russia, China, and Iran Leads to War? globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles including the E-Book can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Biden, the current occupant of the White House, …
(2021-01-28). The Angry Arab: Machinations in the Gulf. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles including the E-Book can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Trump was too busy nursing his grudge to …
(2021-01-28). The Biden climate plan, Part 2: Preparation for war. wsws.org Elevating longtime defender of US imperialism John Kerry as his international "climate envoy," Biden proposes to "rally the world" to fight climate change by isolating China and conducting military exercises on Russia's newly-melted Arctic Ocean coast.
(2021-01-27). Global and domestic tensions fuel moves to oust Australian Labor Party leader. wsws.org Plans to dump Albanese are intensifying as the worldwide COVID-19 catastrophe worsens, fuelling working class unrest internationally, and the incoming Biden administration steps up the US confrontation with China.
(2021-01-27). China: Enemy Du Jour? But Why? counterpunch.org 
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States has not faced an existential threat—nothing to justify the trillions of dollars given to the Pentagon to maintain military predominance over the entire global community. The United States requires a foil for its foreign policy declarations and for maintaining the allegiance of the U.S. citizenry. Has China become that foil?
(2021-01-27). Different Models, Single Payer: Health Care for All. dsausa.org We often look to Canada as an example of how Single Payer Medicare for All (SP) could function in the United States. Like Medicare for people over 65 and people with disabilities, Canadian Medicare is federally funded. Unlike U.S. Medicare, each Canadian province or territory manages its own program. | But there is another model we look at less frequently: SP in Taiwan. There, the Ministry of Health and Welfare determines the global budget and negotiates fees for medical services and supplies and keeps administrative costs low for the National Health Insurance (NHI). Stakeholders are involved in the budget pro…
(2021-01-27). Tracing the origin of the coronavirus: WHO begins field visit in Wuhan. laprensalatina.com By Javier García Wuhan, China, Jan. 27 (efe-epa).- An international team of 13 experts of the World Health Organization is set to begin its ground visit in Wuhan on Thursday to investigate the origins of the new coronavirus, after completing a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a hotel in the city. The complicated mission — marred …
(2021-01-27). China urges Indonesia to infrom of seized tankers crew. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 27 (MNA) — China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday it was seeking details about 25 of its nationals who were among 61 crew on two supertankers seized by Indonesia on suspicion of illegally transferring oil.
(2021-01-27). Chipmaker Group Urges Biden Government To Reassess 'Unilateral' Trump-Era Trade Ban, Policy On China. sputniknews.com The letter from the major trade association representing industry leaders such as Intel, NXP Semiconductors, Samsung Electronics, Broadcom and Micron Technology slammed the former Trump administration's trade policy in an open letter as being imposed without public input and doing harm to the long-term competitiveness of tech firms.
(2021-01-27). Two deaths reopen debate on exploitation in Chinese technology. laprensalatina.com By Victor Escribano Shanghai, China, Jan 27 (efe-epa).- The death of two employees of the e-commerce giant Pinduoduo, allegedly related to stress and overwork, has reopened the exploitation debate in China in a sector whose leaders proudly defend endless working hours. Social networks and even the official press have dealt with the controversy profusely, which …