DefenceTalkEconomic cooperation and the disputed South China Sea will be on the agenda when Southeast Asian foreign ministers meet their Chinese, Japanese and South Korean counterparts for ASEAN-plus-three talks on Thursday. China will be represented at the talks by top diplomat Wang Yi instead of Foreign Minister Qin Gang after Qin pulled out for “health […]https://www.defencetalk.com/asean-plus-three-to-meet-on-south-china-sea-economic-ties-80055/

DefenceTalkThe world’s biggest weapons manufacturers largely avoided the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 and recorded a growth in profits last year for the sixth year in a row, according to a report published on Monday. Governments around the world have continued to buy arms during the pandemic and some also passed measures to help their […]https://www.defencetalk.com/governments-help-arms-firms-avoid-covid-slump-report-77535/

DefenceTalkUS President Joe Biden’s top Pacific envoy on Wednesday accused China of trying to “drive Australia to its knees” through a barrage of sanctions that amounted to “economic warfare”. In remarks to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute, veteran diplomat Kurt Campbell lampooned Beijing for strong-arm tactics. Painting China as increasingly bellicose and determined to impose its […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-accuses-china-of-economic-warfare-against-australia-77523/

DefenceTalkBeijing on Wednesday accused Washington of “paranoid delusion” after the US Senate passed a sweeping industrial policy bill aimed at countering the surging economic threat from China. America’s political parties overcame partisan divisions to support pumping more than $170 billion into research and development, one of the most significant achievements in Congress since Joe Biden’s […]

DefenceTalkThe US Senate passed a sweeping industrial policy bill Tuesday aimed at countering the surging economic threat from rival China, overcoming partisan divisions to support pumping more than $170 billion into research and development. With both American political parties increasingly worried about competition from Asia’s largest power, the measure cleared the chamber on a 68-32 […]

DefenceTalkChina on Thursday suspended an economic agreement with Australia, worsening an already-troubled relationship fractured by spats over the Covid-19 pandemic and human rights abuses. Tensions between the two sides have have soared after Canberra called for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and banned telecoms giant Huawei from building Australia’s 5G […]

DefenceTalkThe EU on Wednesday forecast a historic recession on the continent battered by the deadly coronavirus pandemic, as the US and China escalated their war of words over the origins of the disease. The grim prediction from Brussels came as Europe’s biggest economy Germany unveiled plans for a near-return to normality, even as fresh data […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eu-economy-faces-historic-recession-as-china-and-us-spar-over-virus-origins-75441/

DefenceTalkWorld stock markets were a mixed bag on Wednesday as some investors fished for bargains and others gave in to anxiety over simmering trade tensions between China and the United States. London and Frankfurt edged higher, mirroring earlier gains in Asia, while Paris was down at the European close. Wall Street stocks were also mixed, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/global-stocks-mixed-amid-lingering-trade-war-fears-71753/

DefenceTalkChinese President Xi Jinping signed a slew of multi-billion-dollar deals with Egypt Thursday as part of a regional tour aimed at bolstering Beijing’s economic ties and clout in the Middle East. After arriving late Wednesday from Saudi Arabia, Xi held talks with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and was to address the Cairo-based Arab League. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/xi-signs-egypt-deals-as-china-looks-to-boost-mideast-clout-66533/

DefenceTalkChinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the first stop on a trip to raise the economic giant’s political profile in a troubled Middle East. Xi, making his first presidential visit to the region, will also travel to Egypt and Iran during his five-day tour. State television showed Xi meeting with King […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinese-president-in-saudi-arabia-to-bolster-ties-66437/