China expresses support for Palestine's full UN membership
China expresses support for Palestine’s full UN membership
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and also expressed China’s support for Palestine over the upcoming UN Security Council (UNSC) vote on its full UN membership, which is likely to be blocked by Israeli ally the US.
Although the Palestinian Authority is unlikely to be granted full UN membership, which would mean a recognition of statehood, analysts said the UN vote would bring the issue of Palestinian statehood back to the UN stage, which is of positive significance for pushing the international community to forge more consensus on the issue.
Regardless of the result, the vote will also put further moral and political pressure on the US and Israel, increasing the isolation of the two countries on the global stage when the majority of the world’s countries have already recognized a Palestinian state, analysts noted.
After a meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta on Thursday, Wang told media that China is deeply saddened by the humanitarian disaster caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and an unconditional and lasting cease-fire should be immediately realized and civilians should be effectively protected.
Wang said humanitarian relief mechanism should be established as soon as possible to ensure rapid, safe, barrier-free and sustainable access of humanitarian supplies to Gaza. Wang, China’s top diplomat, also called on relevant parties to maintain calm and restraint, avoid escalation of the situation and prevent spillover of the conflict.
US targets Chinese steel with ‘overcapacity’ fallacy amid escalating trade tensions
US President Joe Biden is reportedly pushing for tariffs to triple on Chinese steel and aluminum, a new sign that Washington – disregarding WTO multilateral rules, domestic inflation pressure and global supply chain stability – is targeting Chinese industries under the guise of “overcapacity” fallacy.
There is a chance that the tariff hike will be imposed, observers said, as Biden is in the rush to win more support in his presidential campaign from the steel industries, which account for a large number of voters in the swing states, and as the potential tariff rise could also pave the way for more ongoing probes into relevant Chinese advantageous industries such as shipbuilding and new-energy vehicle.
Biden’s tariff threat adds to an array of escalating trade tensions between China and the US, and it runs in parallel with recent phased progress across multiple military, financial and economic aspects, which has been achieved through the two countries’ intensive interactions.