🇨🇳 China appears to be building an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island

China appears to be constructing an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, according to satellite photos.

The work on Triton island in the Paracel group mirrors construction on seven human-made islands in the Spratly group to the east which have been equipped with airstrips, docks and military systems.

Satellite photos show construction on the airstrip first visible in early August. The runway, as currently laid out, would be more than 600 meters in length.

#China

@asianomics

🇵🇾🇹🇼 New Paraguay president stresses South American country’s ties with Taiwan

President Santiago Peña said Paraguay and Taiwan are “not just allies, but also brothers” when he was sworn in as the South American country’s new president.

Peña took the presidential oath outside the government palace in the capital of Asunción in a ceremony attended by several regional leaders and Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai.

“We will build alliances and cooperation with a geostrategic vision, seeking horizontal agreements,” Peña said, noting that the country’s relationship with Taiwan “is an example of this.”

Taiwan had become a thorny issue during Paraguay’s presidential campaign as Peña’s main challenger argued the alliance had become too costly because it prevented the small country from pursuing business opportunities with China.

#Paraguay #Taiwan

@asianomics

🇨🇳 Xi Jinping speech calling for patience released amid economic gloom

As China’s economic slump worsens, a Communist Party mouthpiece has highlighted a speech given by President Xi Jinping calling for patience and resilience in the pursuit of “the national rejuvenation”.

Xi was addressing hundreds of top party members during the February 7 speech, part of which was published in the official Qiushi journal on Tuesday. The article emphasized the difficulties of modernizing a country of China’s size and said its unique development model was still its best hope.

The article came after China published a raft of weak economic data showing sluggish retail sales, industrial production and property investment. Beijing has stopped releasing youth unemployment data, which hit a record high of 21.3% in June.

#China

@asianomics

🇨🇳🇨🇦 China snubs Canada as it lifts travel bans

China – a major source of outbound tourists – has left Canada off a list of countries now approved for travel by tour groups, its embassy in Ottawa said.

Last week Beijing lifted a Covid-era ban on group tours to dozens of countries including the United States, Germany, Japan and Australia, but not Canada.

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa said in a statement that the reason behind the snub was “the Canadian side has repeatedly hyped up the so-called ‘Chinese interference’.” China-Canada relations hit a new low this year amid accusations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections and the attempted intimidation of MPs that led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May.

#China #Canada

@asianomics

#Colombia 🇨🇴: "Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — People's Army" (#FARC-EP) carried out an attack on Colombian Police Forces in Morales, #Cauca.

As a result, two Galil ACE 22 rifles, a Galil AR rifle, three Sig Sauer P220/Norinco NP-22 pistols etc... were captured by FARC.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1692324777417908486

⚡🇪🇬🇸🇩 1 Million Sudanese people have entered Egypt for safety and refugee since the start of the conflict.

This doesn't include the preexisting 5 million.

That adds up to 6 million Sudanese people, where at least 4 of them came here for asylum.

Add in the millions of Palestinians, Syrians, Libyans, Africans, and we're going on a count of over 12 million Middle Eastern/African nationals here, Europe doesn't have more than 9 million refugees across all of the continent, and they can't even integrate them.

I want to think best of my country, but that's simply too much mouths to feed, and over 120 million people live on land the size of Benelux, I think that the Egyptian government may threaten Europe the same way Libya threatened them.

Libya was guaranteed free food shipments from Italy, investments, money, etc, for keeping people at bay from trying to seek illegal residency in Europe, Egypt may try to do the same, already, Europe is dumping tens of millions of Euros to Egypt in establishing food aid and border security, but maybe that's not enough.. if billions of euros can't keep out hundreds of thousands a month, how are 23 million euros going to ensure that a few million stay here?

By the way, about the Sudanese who've come here since the start of the conflict, to the best of my knowledge, that's 5,000 people going to Cairo every day, and we can't close down the border for humanitarian reasons.

@themediterraneanman

— "Sarkozy also dismissed Ukraine’s EU membership bid and compared it to Turkey’s doomed attempt to join the union.

“We are selling fallacious promises that will not be held,” he said. He also cast doubts on whether Ukraine should seek to reconquer Crimea."

https://archive.is/q7wzJ

🇻🇪🛢PDVSA: Oil production has increased 10.65% this year

https://bit.ly/3QDXu3B

Venezuela rejects auction process that could lead to the breakup of Citgo

https://elpublicotv.com/reuters-venezuela-rechaza-proceso-de-subasta/

🇻🇪🇺🇸 Maduro's government appeals to the US Supreme Court to try to stop Citgo auction