Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US will seek to influence China’s behaviour by shaping “the strategic environment around Beijing” in a speech that took direct aim at President Xi Jinping’s performance in leading the world’s second-biggest economy.
“This is a charged moment for the world,” Mr Blinken said on Thursday in a speech laying out the administration of President Joe Biden administration’s approach to China.
“We cannot rely on Beijing to change its trajectory. So, we will shape the strategic environment around Beijing to advance our vision for an open, inclusive international system.”
Speaking at George Washington University, Mr Blinken said that China is seeking to dominate the industries of the future and that the US response will be to bolster investment at home; work closely with allies, particularly in the Indo-Pacific; and compete with China on a “level playing field”.
He said Mr Xi’s government is actively undercutting the international system that aided China’s rise, while saying the US does not seek a new Cold War with Beijing.
“Rather than using its power to reinforce and revitalise the laws, agreements, principles and institutions that enabled its success, so that other countries can benefit from them, too, Beijing is undermining it,” Mr Blinken said.
The secretary of state’s comments were unusually direct. He praised the US for having the world’s “most powerful military” and lauded American-created Covid-19 vaccines that have been shown to be more effective than those made in China.
He also emphasised that the US is providing millions of vaccines to other nations without political strings attached.
Mr Blinken said the US does not want to “sever” China from the global economy, but warned that “Beijing, despite its rhetoric, is pursuing asymmetric decoupling, seeking to make China less dependent on the world and the world more dependent on China”.
And he said that businesses should not sacrifice western values in seeking access to China’s markets.
In terms of areas of potential co-operation, Mr Blinken cited climate change, food security, and Iran and North Korea's nuclear programmes as well as “global macro co-ordination” as the global economy recovers from the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In short, we will engage constructively with China wherever we can, not as a favour to us or anyone else, and never in exchange from walking away from our principles,” he said.
The unusually frank rhetoric against China’s government comes after tension between the nations soured further over what the US sees as China’s tacit support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and comments by Mr Biden suggesting that the US would take military action to defend Taiwan in case of invasion.
Mr Blinken said US policy towards Taiwan has not changed — “We do not support Taiwan independence,” he said — but he added that America has a “strong unofficial relationship” with Taipei.
Key unresolved issues remain, including the fate of $300 billion in tariffs Mr Biden inherited from the administration of former president Donald Trump. A top US trade official said on Wednesday that the administration’s review of those tariffs is likely to take months.
Thursday’s speech came after months of delays and internal deliberations, as well as Mr Blinken’s Covid-19 diagnosis earlier this month.
Mr Biden also unveiled a new 13-nation Indo-Pacific Economic Framework designed to counter China’s influence on a recent trip. The US did not invite China to join the economic framework and has not revealed the criteria for other nations to join.
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdullah%20Khan%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPenguin%20Random%20House%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E304%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Name: Colm McLoughlin
Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
