英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总 2023-10-31
November 1, 2023 19 min 4006 words
根据提供的新闻报道,我对内容做出以下客观评论- 标题-[World] What China wants from Israel-Hamas war 内容摘要-报道分析了中国在以色列和哈马斯冲突中充当调停角色的动机,指出中国希望通过在冲突中发挥建设性作用来提升其国际形象和影响力。但是中国在中东政治中的作用仍然非常有限。 评论-这篇报道对中国在以巴冲突中的作用做出了相对客观的分析,指出了中国介入的积极动机,同时也认识到中国在此事中的影响力有限。报道基本公正,没有表现出对中国的明显偏见。 标题-[Business] Fukushima- US buys Japan seafood to counter China ban 内容摘要-报道称,美国开始大量购买日本海鲜,以应对中国禁止进口日本食品的做法。文章引述美国大使的言论,描述中国的做法是“经济战争”的一部分。 评论-这篇报道在引用美国官员的言论时,使用了带有负面色彩的词语“经济战争”,预设了中国的动机不纯。但报道没有提供证据支持这一点,也没有给予中国回应的机会,存在一定的偏见。更公正的报道应该 neutrally 描述各方立场,给予平衡的观点表达机会。 标题-Australia’s support to Pacific surges as China focuses on ‘friendly’ states, aid map shows 内容摘要-报道称,低ィ研究所的援助地图显示,当中国将援助重点放在“最友好”的太平洋岛国时,澳大利亚2021年对太平洋地区的支持大幅增加。报道强调中国援助额下降,而澳大利亚取代中国成为太平洋地区最大的基础设施融资国。 评论-这篇报道使用了带有偏见的词语“最友好”,暗示中国的援助存在政治动机,但没有提供证据。报道过于强调中国援助下降和澳大利亚的取代作用,忽视中国仍是区域第三大援助国的事实。应该更全面地反映各方SUPPORT情况,避免引导读者产生对中国的负面看法。
- [World] What China wants from Israel-Hamas war
- Stocks in Asia slide on weak China data, yen dives as BOJ tweaks yield control
- Asia stocks skid on weak China data, yen dives as BOJ tweaks yield control
- [Business] Fukushima: US buys Japan seafood to counter China ban
- Australia’s support to Pacific surges as China focuses on ‘friendly’ states, aid map shows
[World] What China wants from Israel-Hamas war
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-67237146?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGAAs the conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifies, an unlikely development has emerged - China playing the part of peace broker. But there are limits to what it can achieve.
China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, discussed the conflict with officials in Washington at the weekend amid fears of a bigger regional war. The US has pledged it would work with China on trying to find a resolution.
Mr Wang has also spoken to his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts after China's Middle East special envoy Zhai Jun flew to the region to meet Arab leaders. It has also been one of the most vocal proponents of a ceasefire in UN meetings.
There are hopes China could tap into its close relationship with Iran, which backs Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, to de-escalate the situation. US officials apparently pressed Mr Wang to "urge calm" with the Iranians, reported the Financial Times.
China is Iran's biggest trade partner, and earlier this year Beijing brokered a rare détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Tehran says it "stands ready to strengthen communication with China" on resolving the situation in Gaza.
As the Chinese government has had a relatively balanced relationship with all actors in the conflict, they could be perceived as an honest broker, said Dawn Murphy, an associate professor who studies Chinese foreign policy at the National War College under the US Department of Defense.
In particular, China has positive relations with the Palestinians, Arabs, Turkey and Iran, she said. "Together with the US which has good relations with Israel, they could bring all of the players to the table."
But other observers point out that China remains a minor player in Middle East politics.
"China is not a serious actor on this issue. Talking to people around the region, nobody expects China to contribute to the solution," said Jonathan Fulton, a non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council who specialises in China's relations with the Middle East.
More on Israel-Gaza war
- Follow live: Latest updates
- Watch: Israel's UN envoy pins yellow star to chest
- Reporting on Gaza: 'Sometimes from behind camera I just stand and cry'
- Explained: What is happening in Israel and Gaza, and why now?
- History behind the story: The Israel-Palestinian conflict
China's first statement on the conflict angered Israel which expressed "deep disappointment" that China did not condemn Hamas nor mention Israel's right to defend itself.
Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip on 7 October, killing more than 1,400 people and taking at least 239 hostages.
Since then, Israel has been carrying out retaliatory strikes on Gaza, in which more than 8,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel has now also sent troops and tanks into the territory.
After the furore over its first statement, Mr Wang later told Israel that "all countries have the right to self-defence" - but he also said elsewhere that Israel's actions have gone "beyond the scope of self-defence".
China faces a difficult balancing act because it has long openly sympathised with the Palestinian cause.
It stretches back to Chinese Communist Party founder Mao Zedong, who sent weapons to Palestinians in support for so-called "national liberation" movements around the world. Mao even compared Israel to Taiwan - both backed by the US - as bases of Western imperialism.
In later decades China opened up economically and normalised relations with Israel, with whom it now has a billion-dollar trade relationship.
But China has made it clear it continues to support the Palestinians. In their remarks on the latest conflict, Chinese officials and even President Xi Jinping have stressed the need for an independent Palestinian state.
One side effect is an uptick in antisemitism online, fanned by nationalist bloggers. Some on Chinese social media have equated Israel's actions to Nazism by accusing them of carrying out a genocide on Palestinians, prompting a rebuke from the German embassy in Beijing.
The stabbing of a family member of an Israeli embassy employee in Beijing has also added to the unease.
All this may not be a good look for China when it's trying to engage the Israeli government.
Given the uncertainties, why is China getting involved?
One reason is its economic interests in the Middle East, which would be endangered if the conflict widens.
Beijing is now heavily dependent on foreign imports for oil, and analysts estimate about half of that comes from the Gulf. Middle Eastern countries have increasingly become important players in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a cornerstone of its foreign and economic policy.
But another reason is the conflict presents a golden opportunity for Beijing to burnish its reputation.
China believes that "standing up for the Palestinians resonates with Arab countries, Muslim-majority countries and large portions of the Global South", pointed out Dr Murphy.
The war has erupted at a time when China is presenting itself as a better suitor for the world than the US. Since the start of the year, it has promoted a vision of a Chinese-led world order while criticising what it sees as the failures of US "hegemonic" leadership.
Officially, China has refrained from attacking the US for its support of Israel. But at the same time state media is "ginning up the nationalist response… tying what's happening in the Middle East with the US' support of Israel," noted Dr Murphy.
Chinese military newspaper PLA Daily accused the US of "adding fuel to the fire" - the same rhetoric Beijing has used to criticise Washington for helping Kyiv in the Ukraine war. The state-run, English language newspaper The Global Times published a cartoon of Uncle Sam with bloodstained hands.
One view among observers is that Beijing is contrasting its position against the US so it can lower its western rival's global standing. But by not explicitly condemning Hamas, China also risks undermining its own position.
There are, however, challenges China faces in its long-term ambitions.
One is how it can square its diplomatic position with its own track record. While it expresses solidarity with Muslim-majority nations and opposes Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, Beijing remains accused of committing rights abuses and genocide of the Uyghur Muslim minority, as well as forced assimilation in Tibet.
Observers say however that this would not likely be an issue for the Arab world, given the strong relations China has built with them.
The bigger problem is Beijing risks being seen as superficial in its engagement, or even worse, capitalising on the Israel-Hamas conflict to advance its own interests.
China assumes that "by saying you support Palestine you'll score points with Arab countries, and that is a cookie-cutter approach," said Dr Fulton, noting "there is not some unified voice" among Arab states on the highly divisive issue.
Mr Wang has claimed China only seeks peace for the Middle East and has "no selfish interests on the Palestinian question".
The challenge will be to convince the world this is true.
Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring.
Stocks in Asia slide on weak China data, yen dives as BOJ tweaks yield control
https://reuters.com/article/global-markets/stocks-in-asia-slide-on-weak-china-data-yen-dives-as-boj-tweaks-yield-control-idUSKBN31V04ZAsian equities slid on Tuesday as disappointing activity data from China revived some worries over the world's second-largest economy, while the yen weakened past 150 per dollar after the Bank of Japan tweaked its bond yield control policy.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was 0.86% lower, hovering close to the one-year low it touched last week. The index is down 4% in October and on course for third straight month in the red.
The yen fell 0.8% against the dollar to touch a session low of 150.25 after the central bank said the 1% ceiling on benchmark 10-year yields would be an upper bound rather than a rigid cap. It maintained the 0% target for the yield under its yield curve control (YCC) policy.
Under criticism that its heavy defence of the cap is causing market distortions and an unwelcome yen fall, BOJ had raised its de-facto ceiling for the yield to 1.0% from 0.5% in July.
Analysts viewed the move by the central bank on Tuesday as a small step towards dismantling the long-running and controversial YCC policy.
"The BOJ apparently feared that sticking to 1% would force the Bank to purchase a large amount of government bonds and further weaken the yen," said Hirofumi Suzuki, chief FX strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
"As a result, the YCC framework seems to have become more of a dead letter."
A report from the Nikkei newspaper on Monday that said BOJ is considering adjusting its yield curve control policy helped push the yen to a two-week peak of 148.81 per dollar but the fragile currency gave up all its gains after the BOJ decision.
Nicholas Chia, macro strategist at Standard Chartered, said most of the "good news" were already in the price, after the Nikkei report.
"The immediate price action in dollar/yen suggests that markets were disappointed by the tweak and the absence of a new ceiling - gives the impression the BOJ will massage the run up in yields going forward."
The yield on 10-year JGB eased a bit following the announcement but remained at decade-high levels.
The central bank, which maintained its ultra-loose monetary policy, also removed a pledge to defend the 1% level with offers to buy unlimited amount of bonds.
Data on Tuesday showed that manufacturing activity unexpectedly returned to contraction in October, casting a cloud over recent indicators that showed a nascent recovery in China.
The Shanghai Composite Index (.SSEC) fell 0.37% lower, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) sank 1.85% after the data.
Nomura analysts said it was still too early to call the bottom, noting that they expect economic conditions to remain poor or even deteriorate further in coming months.
Futures indicated stocks in Europe were set for a subdued open, with the Eurostoxx 50 futures down 0.15%, German DAX futures down 0.05% and FTSE futures 0.08% lower ahead of inflation data for euro zone.
Investor focus this week will mainly be on the major central bank meetings, with the U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of England also due to meet.
Later on Tuesday, the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) will convene for a two-day monetary policy meeting, which is expected to culminate in a decision to let the Fed funds target rate stand at 5.25%-5.50%.
A slew of recent data showed the U.S. economy remains resilient and comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell will be scrutinized to gauge how long interest rates are likely to stay elevated.
The Treasury Department said on Monday it expects to borrow $76 billion less this quarter than anticipated in the third quarter on expectations of higher revenue receipts.
The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was up 0.9 basis points at 4.886%.
The dollar index , which measures U.S. currency against six rivals, rose 0.16%. Sterling was last at $1.2147, down 0.17% on the day, while the euro was down 0.08% at $1.0605.
In commodities, oil prices rose in Asian trade after a drop of more than 3% in the previous session, as worries over supply stirred by conflict in the Middle East blunted a dismal showing of China data.
U.S. crude rose 0.68% to $82.87 per barrel and Brent was at $88.10, up 0.74% on the day.
Spot gold eased 0.2% to $1,991.39 after slipping below the $2,000/ounce milestone in the previous session.
Asia stocks skid on weak China data, yen dives as BOJ tweaks yield control
https://reuters.com/article/global-markets/asia-stocks-skid-on-weak-china-data-yen-dives-as-boj-tweaks-yield-control-idUSKBN31V04ZAsian equities slipped on Tuesday, hovering close to a near one-year low, as manufacturing activity data from China disappointed while the yen weakened past 150 per dollar after the Bank of Japan tweaked its bond yield control policy.
The yen fell 0.7% against the dollar to touch a session low of 150.12 after the central bank maintained its target for the 10-year government bond yield around 0% set under its yield curve control (YCC) but redefined 1.0% as a loose "upper bound" rather than a rigid cap.
Under criticism that its heavy defence of the cap is causing market distortions and an unwelcome yen fall, BOJ had raised its de-facto ceiling for the yield to 1.0% from 0.5% in July.
Saxo market strategist Charu Chanana said the new reference range suggests the BOJ will allow yields to rise above 1%, while still trying to keep the changes to policy very subdued.
"Speculation of an eventual removal of YCC will continue to build ... last week proved that dollar/yen at 150 is not a line in the sand, and this could bring a test of 152," Chanana said.
The 10-year JGB had yet to trade following the announcement. The yield jumped 6.5 basis points earlier in the day to 0.955%, its highest since May 2013.
A report from the Nikkei newspaper on Monday that said BOJ is considering adjusting its yield curve control policy helped push the yen to a two-week peak of 148.81 per dollar but the fragile currency gave up all its gains after the BOJ decision.
The central bank, which maintained its ultra-loose monetary policy, also removed a pledge to defend the 1% level with offers to buy unlimited amount of bonds.
"(The) BOJ will buy some bonds around that (1%) level but not unlimited and they’ve shown their hand," said Tom Nash, portfolio manager at UBS Asset Management in Sydney.
"Through all the linguistic contortions, the fact is that they are dismantling YCC. A yield cap isn’t a yield cap if you change it every time the market gets close."
Stocks in Asia fell, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) 0.86% lower, hovering close to the one-year low it touched last week.
The Shanghai Composite Index (.SSEC) was 0.38% lower, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) fell 1.77% after China's manufacturing activity unexpectedly returned to contraction in October, an official factory survey showed on Tuesday.
The data cast a cloud over recent indicators that showed a nascent recovery in the world's second-largest economy.
Investor focus this week will mainly be on the major central bank meetings, with the U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of England also due to meet along with BOJ.
On Tuesday, the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) will convene for a two-day monetary policy meeting, which is expected to culminate in a decision to let the Fed funds target rate stand at 5.25%-5.50%.
A slew of recent data showed the U.S. economy remains resilient and comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell will be scrutinized to gauge how long interest rates are likely to stay elevated.
The Treasury Department said on Monday it expects to borrow $76 billion less this quarter than anticipated in the third quarter on expectations of higher revenue receipts.
The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was flat at 4.875%.
The dollar index , which measures U.S. currency against six rivals, rose 0.226%. Sterling was last trading at $1.2145, down 0.18% on the day, while the euro was down 0.2% at $1.0594.
U.S. crude rose 0.36% to $82.61 per barrel and Brent was at $87.81, up 0.41% on the day.
Gold prices were flat after slipping below the $2,000/ounce milestone in the last session. Spot gold eased 0.2% to $1,991.39.
[Business] Fukushima: US buys Japan seafood to counter China ban
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67269794?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGAThe US military in Japan has started to bulk buy the country's seafood in response to a Chinese import ban after the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said Washington may also look into other ways to help counter China's ban.
He described it as part of Beijing's "economic wars".
China, which was the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood, said it barred imports due to safety fears.
Last year Japan exported more than 100,000 tons of scallops to China. The first purchase under the US scheme is a fraction of that - just under a metric ton of the shellfish.
Mr Emanuel told the Reuters news agency it is the start of long-term contract that will extend over time to all types of seafood.
The purchases will be used to feed military personnel and be sold in shops and restaurants on military bases in Japan.
"It's going to be a long-term contract between the US armed forces and the fisheries and co-ops here," Mr Emanuel said.
"The best way we have proven in all the instances to kind of wear out China's economic coercion is come to the aid and assistance of the targeted country or industry," he added.
The US military had not previously bought Japanese seafood in Japan and Washington may also look at its fish imports from Japan and China, Mr Emmanuel said.
In response to Mr Emanuel's comments, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a news conference on Monday: "the responsibility of diplomats is to promote friendship between countries rather than smearing other countries and stirring up trouble".
In recent months, Mr Emanuel has spoken out about China on various issues including its economic policies and treatment of foreign businesses.
His comments come as several top US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have visited Beijing in an effort to ease tensions between the world's two biggest economies.
More than a million tonnes of treated waste water accumulated at the Fukushima nuclear plant after it was severely damaged in a 2011 tsunami..
The Chinese import ban came despite Japan saying the water was safe, and many scientists agreeing. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog also approved the plan.
Tokyo has also stressed that similar releases of waste water are common from other nuclear power plants in China and France.
Japan makes regular reports to show that the seawater near Fukushima is showing no detectable levels of radioactivity.
On Sunday, trade ministers from the Group of Seven (G7), an organisation of the world's largest so-called "advanced" economies, called for the immediate repeal of bans on Japanese food.
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Australia’s support to Pacific surges as China focuses on ‘friendly’ states, aid map shows
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/31/australias-support-to-pacific-surges-as-china-focuses-on-friendly-states-aid-map-showsAustralia dramatically increased its overall support to the Pacific in 2021, while Beijing is targeting its development financing to “the most China-friendly Pacific island states”, the latest Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map shows.
The map, released on Tuesday, also revealed that at a time of elevated debt sustainability risks in the Pacific, Australia has become the leading source of loans and contributed to a surge in infrastructure support.
“Australia looks set to become the region’s dominant infrastructure financier, having committed an additional $780m in new projects,” the Lowy Institute research associate and map co-producer, Riley Duke, said.
The map draws on more that 70m data points, from publicly available documents and other sources, to track the flow of aid and development funds to the region. The 14 Pacific Island nations tracked received a record $4.8bn in official development finance (ODF) in 2021.
Alexandre Dayant, a Lowy Institute research fellow and project director of the Pacific Aid Map, said the map revealed a “new era” of development financing with supporting nations introducing new financing instruments. In the past, Pacific development financing relied heavily on grants from donors for governance and human development. This has shifted, with donors increasing their use of direct budget support and loans to deliver ODF, the Lowy Institute said. This type of funding shift can increase debt sustainability risks for the region, the institute added.
Australia is the Pacific’s largest development partner, disbursing $17bn between 2008 and 2021, making up nearly 40% of the region’s ODF. The Lowy Institute said Australia’s high level of ODF support to the Pacific was “followed at a distance” by the Asian Development Bank, China, New Zealand and Japan.
In 2021, Australia committed $1.89bn in ODF – up from $968m in 2020 and $1.34bn in 2019. Australia extended a $466m loan to Papua New Guinea in 2021, making it the largest transaction ever recorded in the Pacific Aid Map.
The 77% increase in Australia’s infrastructure commitments in the Pacific comes as Pacific Island governments need “significant external support” to build new and maintain existing roads, ports and telecommunications infrastructure, Duke said.
In 2021, Papua New Guinea was the top aid recipient, receiving nearly half of all financing (44%), followed by Fiji (15%), Solomon Islands (7%) and Vanuatu (5%). The most aid received per capita went to Tuvalu and Niue with Papua New Guinea ranking last per capita, even though the overall amount was highest.
The map showed China’s total development finance disbursements fell to $241m in 2021, below its pre-pandemic historical average of $285m a year. The Lowy Institute said Beijing’s financing had become “more strategically targeted at the most China-friendly Pacific Island states”.
The institute also noted that China’s decreasing ODF engagement “has not signalled a wholesale departure from the region, but rather a strategic shift to reduce risk, cement political ties, and enhance capital returns”.
With Pacific Island states facing enormous infrastructure financing gaps, China’s once dominant role has dwindled as Australia and like-minded partners provide more support in the region. Between 2008 and 2021, China was the third largest Pacific donor, but only the seventh largest for 2021 alone.
Reaching its high-water mark in 2016, China’s share of Pacific development financing has declined significantly. At its peak, China accounted for 14% of annual support to the region, but in 2021 it contributed less than 5%.
China’s infrastructure spending has almost halved over the past five years. Meanwhile, China is funding much of the 2023 Pacific Games, which will be hosted by Solomon Islands in November.
Citing Samoa’s 2021 cancellation of a $100m infrastructure loan from China as an example, Dayant said the decline in demand for Chinese loans amid an economic slowdown makes domestic spending more appealing for Beijing.
In a vast region with small, dispersed populations, for Pacific Island states reliant on tourism and labour mobility, development financing plays an outsized role as they recover from pandemic impacts and face existential threats from the climate crisis.
This year, for the first time, the map includes figures on climate development financing and a new feature tracking gender equality funding. Dayant said that funding to meet the goals of climate adaptation and mitigation, and gender equality projects is slowly increasing but still far from what is needed.
He notes that Australia now requires gender equality objectives in all ODF projects over $3m, potentially increasing Pacific regional gender initiative financing by one-third.