Conor Thompson

Putin, Xi firmly said NO to Western diktat — expert Alexey Maslov described as an important outcome China’s statement that it was meaningless to participate in the peace conference in Switzerland without Russia MOSCOW, May 21/ Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping said a firm NO to the West's diktat during the Russian leader's visit to China, Alexey Maslov, the director of the Institute of Asian and African Countries at the Moscow State University, has told TASS. "Positions on the most important international issues were agreed upon. This, perhaps, was the main agenda. It is obvious that Russia and China share the understanding of the multipolarity of the external world and how the global world should develop in the future - a world without economic borders, isolation or sanctions," Maslov said. It is obvious that Russia and China see eye to eye as to how major international conflicts should be resolved, he pointed out. "First of all, through negotiations and security guarantees to all parties. In this case, we do not have any disagreement," he said. Putin and Xi Jinping also agreed during the talks that it was necessary to jointly develop approaches to resolving all economic and political contradictions between the countries, and this is a very important outcome, he noted. Strength of positions Maslov drew attention to the fact that China proposed the most realistic position on conflict resolution in general and on Ukraine in particular. "The Chinese position in many respects is that without any preliminary requirements addressed to one of the parties, first there should be a stop to military operations, followed by negotiations on this basis," he explained. "Also, China demands non-interference of any third countries in such conflicts. Russia shares this viewpoint 100%" This approach, he said, "noticeably strengthens both the Russian and Chinese position on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict." "We see that against the background of such agreements, many countries, including some BRICS countries, refused to participate in the Swiss summit on Ukraine," Maslov said. He also pointed out that now there was "a consolidated position of Russia and China on the entire agenda of international cooperation," while for the last five years all initiatives on how to solve conflicts and how to communicate with countries came only from the American side. Maslov described as an important outcome China’s statement that it was meaningless to participate in the peace conference in Switzerland without Russia. "It will be unconstructive absolutely. Brazil and South Africa adhere to this point of view, too," he pointed out. (Part One, Continued in Part Two in the next post) #business #finance #financialservices

Alberta a 'very attractive' target for foreign interference: CSIS presentation 'Canada and specifically Alberta are very attractive to many hostile foreign states' https://lnkd.in/e-PcqdeS

President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking their first direct conversation since Trump’s election. The discussion, held from Trump’s Florida resort, covered the conflict in Ukraine. Trump advised Putin not to escalate tensions and emphasized the U.S.’s strong military presence in Europe. Both leaders expressed a shared goal of peace in Europe, and Trump showed interest in further discussions to find a resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Sources familiar with the conversation revealed details under anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. #USRussiaRelations #DonaldTrump #VladimirPutin #ForeignPolicy #UkraineConflict #PresidentialDiplomacy #EuropeanSecurity #PeaceNegotiations #MilitaryPresence #InternationalRelations

Tensions between China and the United States are nowhere near as bad as they were a year ago, after the United States intercepted a Chinese spy balloon transiting the country. But this “short-term thaw with China’s leaders” should not lead to complacency, warn former Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger and U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher. “The United States shouldn’t manage the competition with China; it should win it,” they write. Together, they outline what they think winning would look like—and what it will take for the United States to get there. “China isn’t aiming for a stalemate,” they write. “Neither should America.” https://lnkd.in/gHPjUNcS Last year, we sat down with Ambassador Freeman in a wide-ranging Zoom call, posing questions on a series of subjects relating to U.S. relations with China and the state of U.S. diplomacy. “I like an analytical framework that distinguishes forms of competition, and I identify three. One form is rivalry. That can be very healthy because it consists of each side — sometimes more than two sides — but each side striving to improve its own performance, and thereby out-compete, outdo the others. That is a competition which is not a zero-sum game. It is positive in its outcomes. And that is what we had for a considerable period of time in the U.S.-China relationship.” “[There is] ‘adversarial animosity.’ Adversarial animosity is what happens when a runner in a race decides that he or she can win only by tripping up or hamstringing the competitor. Rather than trying to improve his or her own performance, someone who practices this form of competition strives to cripple the opposition. That is where we are with China at the moment. “[Then, there] is enmity, which implies a desire to annihilate the other side. Perhaps this is the word to describe the total wars that the United States has fought — the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War — in which the objective was to destroy the enemy and reconstitute the enemy in a form more congenial to the values of the United States.” “So, with China, we have moved from rivalry — healthy competition — to a very unhealthy competition in which our basic effort to compete is not to improve ourselves very much but to cripple the Chinese.” https://lnkd.in/geuMatJb

Tensions between China and the United States are nowhere near as bad as they were a year ago, after the United States intercepted a Chinese spy balloon transiting the country. But this “short-term thaw with China’s leaders” should not lead to complacency, warn former Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger and U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher. “The United States shouldn’t manage the competition with China; it should win it,” they write. Together, they outline what they think winning would look like—and what it will take for the United States to get there. “China isn’t aiming for a stalemate,” they write. “Neither should America.” https://lnkd.in/gHPjUNcS Last year, we sat down with Ambassador Freeman in a wide-ranging Zoom call, posing questions on a series of subjects relating to U.S. relations with China and the state of U.S. diplomacy. “I like an analytical framework that distinguishes forms of competition, and I identify three. One form is rivalry. That can be very healthy because it consists of each side — sometimes more than two sides — but each side striving to improve its own performance, and thereby out-compete, outdo the others. That is a competition which is not a zero-sum game. It is positive in its outcomes. And that is what we had for a considerable period of time in the U.S.-China relationship.” “[There is] ‘adversarial animosity.’ Adversarial animosity is what happens when a runner in a race decides that he or she can win only by tripping up or hamstringing the competitor. Rather than trying to improve his or her own performance, someone who practices this form of competition strives to cripple the opposition. That is where we are with China at the moment. “[Then, there] is enmity, which implies a desire to annihilate the other side. Perhaps this is the word to describe the total wars that the United States has fought — the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War — in which the objective was to destroy the enemy and reconstitute the enemy in a form more congenial to the values of the United States.” “So, with China, we have moved from rivalry — healthy competition — to a very unhealthy competition in which our basic effort to compete is not to improve ourselves very much but to cripple the Chinese.” https://lnkd.in/geuMatJb

Tensions between China and the United States are nowhere near as bad as they were a year ago, after the United States intercepted a Chinese spy balloon transiting the country. But this “short-term thaw with China’s leaders” should not lead to complacency, warn former Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger and U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher. “The United States shouldn’t manage the competition with China; it should win it,” they write. Together, they outline what they think winning would look like—and what it will take for the United States to get there. “China isn’t aiming for a stalemate,” they write. “Neither should America.” https://lnkd.in/gHPjUNcS Last year, we sat down with Ambassador Freeman in a wide-ranging Zoom call, posing questions on a series of subjects relating to U.S. relations with China and the state of U.S. diplomacy. “I like an analytical framework that distinguishes forms of competition, and I identify three. One form is rivalry. That can be very healthy because it consists of each side — sometimes more than two sides — but each side striving to improve its own performance, and thereby out-compete, outdo the others. That is a competition which is not a zero-sum game. It is positive in its outcomes. And that is what we had for a considerable period of time in the U.S.-China relationship.” “[There is] ‘adversarial animosity.’ Adversarial animosity is what happens when a runner in a race decides that he or she can win only by tripping up or hamstringing the competitor. Rather than trying to improve his or her own performance, someone who practices this form of competition strives to cripple the opposition. That is where we are with China at the moment. “[Then, there] is enmity, which implies a desire to annihilate the other side. Perhaps this is the word to describe the total wars that the United States has fought — the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War — in which the objective was to destroy the enemy and reconstitute the enemy in a form more congenial to the values of the United States.” “So, with China, we have moved from rivalry — healthy competition — to a very unhealthy competition in which our basic effort to compete is not to improve ourselves very much but to cripple the Chinese.” https://lnkd.in/geuMatJb

Treasury rejects call for NDA ban ❌ in harassment cases after Sexism in the City inquiry. The Treasury has decided not to implement the recommendation set out in the Treasury Select Committee's ‘Sexism in the City’ report ✍, which called for a ban on non-disclosure agreements in financial services. Harriett Baldwin. Check out Cristian Angeloni's latest article 👇 https://incm.pub/3JZsINM #investing #assetmanagement #wealthmanagement #finance

https://lnkd.in/eXi9quVE Speaking on the podcast All In last Friday, Presumptive GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said, “What I wanted to do, and what I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma a green card to be able to stay in this country.” A Green Card, a.k.a a permanent resident card, is an identity document showing that its holder has permanent residency in the United States. Green Card holders are formally known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs). There are an estimated 14 million Green Card holders, of whom more than 9 million are eligible to become United States citizens. An estimated 20,000 serve in the US Armed Forces. Trump’s campaign heavily emphasizes immigration as a central issue. He frequently criticizes existing visa programs, alleging widespread misuse. In his rhetoric about unauthorized immigrants, Trump often employs harsh and controversial language, portraying them as a collective threat to public safety and national security. He has characterized this group as being predominantly composed of dangerous individuals, including those he claims are criminals, terrorists, and carriers of disease, as well as those with mental health issues. Trump has even suggested using military resources to implement a large-scale deportation plan. This strategy would involve extensive search and apprehension operations, as well as the establishment of detention facilities to hold those awaiting deportation proceedings. Back in 2016, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton promised to launch a “start-up” visa and staple Green Card for foreigners who achieve master’s and PhD degrees in science and technology. The substantial influx of Indian students to US universities, particularly in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math), positioned them as potential major beneficiaries of Hillary Clinton’s proposed immigration policy, and now Trump’s policy. With more than 100,000 Indian students enrolling annually, they form the largest group of international STEM students in the United States. Clinton’s plan included support for ‘start-up’ visas, aimed at attracting top global entrepreneurs to the US. These visas would enable foreign innovators to establish companies in technology-oriented sectors with global reach, potentially creating more jobs and opportunities for Americans.

No one wins in trade war, says Chinese embassy in US Earlier, Trump promised to impose an additional 10% tariff on all goods from China due to the alleged large-scale drug smuggling from China into the US WASHINGTON DC, November 26/ China believes that neither side can win the trade war, embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu told TASS. Commenting on US President-elect Donald Trump's remarks about his intention to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods due to the fact that the US allegedly receives large-scale drug smuggling from China, the spokesman said: "About the issue of US tariffs on China, China believes that China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. No one will win a trade war or a tariff war." "Carrying out counternarcotics cooperation is one of the important common understandings reached between President Xi [Jinping] and US President [Joe] Biden during their meeting in San Francisco in 2023. The counternarcotics authorities of China and the US have resumed regular communication since the San Francisco Summit. The Chinese side has notified the US side of the progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics," the Chinese diplomat added. "China has responded to the US request for verifying clues on certain cases and taken action. All these prove that the idea of China knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States runs completely counter to facts and reality," Liu Pengyu emphasized. Earlier, Trump promised to impose an additional 10% tariff on all goods from China due to the alleged large-scale drug smuggling from China into the US. #business #finance #financialservices

DRAGON BREATHES FIRE: #China has announced #sanctions on #American companies selling arms to #Taiwan, escalating tensions in the region. #Taiwan, which China claims as its own, is awaiting deliveries of #F16 #fighterJets, #Abrams #tanks, and various missiles from the #US. Despite the lack of formal #diplomatic ties, the US remains a key provider of #armaments to #TaiPei, ensuring the island can defend itself. Taiwan is also reviving its domestic #armsIndustry, including a fleet of #submarines and extended mandatory military service. #TaiwanDefense #USArmsDeal #BeijingPolitics #TaiwanIndependence #Geopolitics #InternationalRelations https://loom.ly/NAoVgQE

Dollar Boosted by ‘Trump Trade’ Resurgence, but Gains Likely Temporary: UBS The dollar has been buoyed by the return of the “Trump trade” as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s chances of returning to the White House appear to be increasing. However, UBS believes that stronger gains should be sold as Trump is not necessarily positive for the greenback. “We continue to expect a dollar recovery in the event of a Trump victory. However, we do not see Trump as an outright USD positive in the medium term and therefore advise selling stronger dollar rallies,” UBS said in a note on Friday. This view comes as the US election, which takes place in just over two weeks, is still too uncertain to predict a winner, although Trump has gained ground in recent weeks and now has a narrow lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in some polls. The dollar’s recent rise has been attributed in part to the market pricing in a higher probability of a Trump victory, with the greenback seen as one of the so-called Trump trades that have gained traction. The dollar’s boost from the “Trump trades” may prove fleeting, says UBS. The euro-dollar ratio is likely to move toward 1.16 in 2025, suggesting limited upside for the greenback in the long term. In the broader FX market, some emerging market currencies that have struggled against the dollar in recent weeks are likely to remain popular. “We think the South African rand, supported by a more reform-minded government, and the Mexican peso, which already prices in a high risk premium for political unrest, are good options to collect carry over the medium term,” UBS said. https://lnkd.in/eEibp4dY

In his review of “Caravan of Martyrs: Sacrifice and Suicide Bombing in Afghanistan” by David B. Edwards, Naveed Shinwari highlights the psychological and cultural elements that have shaped the use of suicide bombing as a military strategy. Read more👇 https://lnkd.in/dAqb4vt3