Five key takeaways from the Boao Forum in China - CNA

SAFEGUARDING REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Officials and experts called for efforts to safeguard and advance regional economic integration. This, they said, is crucial for regional and global peace, Global Times reported.

At a panel discussion, Mr Zeng Peiyan, the vice-chairman of the BFA’s Council of Advisors reportedly said that there were “certain countries” that were stirring tension and pushing for an economic “decoupling”.

"We should replace self-importance and dominance with communication and openness. We should especially oppose taking sides and forming small groups and cliques," Mr Zeng was quoted as saying by the Global Times.

"We, Asians, remember vividly the wounds of both cold and hot wars. We know how precious peace and stability is and how important development is."

Separately, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn warned against rising major power rivalry that may escalate into war.

"Competition and escalating tensions are major security challenges," Mr Kao reportedly said, stressing that ASEAN must ensure that it does not become "a proxy" of any party or parties in a major power rivalry.

PM Lee also noted that any clash between the US and China will have grievous consequences for themselves and the world.

“Most worrying is the state of relations between the US and China. Big powers have a heavy responsibility to maintain stable and workable relations with one another, because any clash between them will have grievous consequences, for themselves and the world," the Singapore leader said.

"And yet the US and China are at odds over many intractable issues, including trade and investments, supply chains, cybersecurity, emerging and critical technologies, as well as freedom of navigation.

"We hope that China and the United States will succeed in stabilising their relationship, and establish sufficient mutual trust and respect to cooperate in areas where their interests are aligned."

In a bid to foster closer integration, an initiative that called for more partnership between free trade zones (FTZ) across the world was also launched in Boao, China Global Television Network (CGTN) reported.

Proposed by more than 20 FTZs in China, the UAE and South Korea among others, the initiative is aimed at strengthening cooperation in aviation and shipping networks, logistics and cross-border e-commerce.

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2023-03-31 09:13:00Z
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Donald Trump indicted: What it means and what next for the former US president? - CNA

CAN TRUMP STILL RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2024?

Trump has said he plans to run for president in 2024.

There is nothing in the US Constitution to prevent Trump from running for the presidency, even if he is being charged, on trial or sentenced.

The US Constitution only lists three qualifications for presidency – he or she must be at least 35 years old, be a natural-born citizen and have lived in the US for at least 14 years.

Trump told reporters previously that he would “absolutely” stay in the race for the presidency even if he was indicted.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION?

As to how it will affect his third bid for the White House, it remains to be seen. The Republicans are united in denouncing Trump’s indictment as a politically motivated attempt to derail his campaign, AFP reported.

Even Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – seen by some as Trump’s potential rival for the Republican nominated – called the indictment “un-American” and a “weaponisation of the legal system”.

Nicholas Creel, a political analyst at Georgia College and State University, said Trump's base in the "Grand Old Party" (GOP) was "simply too bought-in" to abandon him.

"Even now, we see Trump's Republican competitors, such as former vice president Pence, actively defending him in this scandal instead of using it to attack him for his own gain," he told AFP.

"This indicates that Trump's GOP rivals fully understand how his base has an unshakable cult-like devotion to him, one that isn't letting up any time soon."

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also criticised Bragg, the Democrat who pushed the criminal inquiry against Trump.

Detractors are worried that if Trump was cleared, it could make it easier to cast any future indictment as a “witch hunt”, as some have called it.

On the left, figures like former White House strategist David Axelrod have characterised the hush money scandal as the least significant of four criminal probes of Trump.

There are also potential racketeering and conspiracy charges in a much more consequential probe of Trump’s efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.

And a quasi-independent federal prosecutor is overseeing historic investigations into Trump's mishandling of classified documents and involvement in the 2021 insurrection by his supporters at the US Capitol.

"Trump getting indicted should absolutely ruin his presidential aspirations. It should. But based on the undying support from his base, I do not believe it will," Amani Wells-Onyioha, a Democratic election strategist, told AFP.

"In fact, I think it will give him a surge in the polls and cause his base to rally around him even more."

Democrats in the House also weighed in.

Nancy Pelosi, the former Democratic House Speaker, said: "No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence. Hopefully, the former president will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right.”

Ted Lieu, another House Democrat, called the indictment a "horrible precedent" but necessary if Trump committed crimes.

Jamaal Bowman, a fellow House Democrat, said: "It's time we ensure Trump is banned from running for any public office again."

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2023-03-31 07:00:00Z
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Trump faces criminal charges in New York, a first for a former US president - CNA

Bragg's office last year won the criminal conviction of the businessman-turned-politician's real estate company for tax fraud.

Trump also faces two criminal investigations by a special counsel appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland and one by a local prosecutor in Georgia.

Trump served as president from 2017 to 2021, governing as a right-wing populist. He was impeached twice by the House of Representatives, once in 2019 over his conduct regarding Ukraine and again in 2021 over the attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.

Trump falsely claims that his 2020 re-election loss to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of widespread voting fraud.

He leads his early rivals for his party's nomination, holding the support of 44 per cent of Republicans in a March Reuters/Ipsos poll, compared with 30 per cent support for his nearest rival, Florida Governer Ron DeSantis, who has yet to announce his candidacy. Biden is expected to seek re-election.

Trump in 2018 initially disputed knowing anything about the payment to Daniels. He later acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the payment, which he called a "simple private transaction."

Cohen testified before the Manhattan grand jury, as did David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer. The tabloid publication bought the rights to McDougal's story about her alleged relationship with Trump for US$150,000 but never published it, a method known as "catch and kill" used to bury damaging information about a third party.

In the case that led to the conviction of the Trump Organization on tax fraud charges, Bragg declined to charge Trump himself with financial crimes related to his business practices, prompting two prosecutors who worked on the probe to resign.

Among Trump's ongoing legal woes are a criminal investigation led by Fani Willis, the Democratic district attorney in Georgia's Fulton County, into whether he unlawfully tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in that state.

Special counsel Jack Smith is separately investigating Trump's handling of classified government documents after leaving office and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

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2023-03-30 22:03:00Z
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US-China ties ‘most worrying’: Singapore leader Lee Hsien Loong tells Boao Forum - South China Morning Post

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1. US-China ties ‘most worrying’: Singapore leader Lee Hsien Loong tells Boao Forum  South China Morning Post
2. Regional groupings will help strengthen Asia in a troubled world: PM Lee  The Straits Times
3. Boao Forum: Chinese Premier Steps Up Charm Offensive At Key Business  Bloomberg
4. China’s premier warns against ‘chaos and conflicts’ in Asia  Al Jazeera English
5. Boao forum sends strong signal that China is back in business  The Straits Times
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-03-30 09:21:51Z
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China threatens response if US House Speaker meets Taiwan President - The Straits Times

BEIJING/WASHINGTON – China threatened to retaliate on Wednesday if US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during her planned transit of the United States in May, saying any such move would be a “provocation”.

China, which claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned US officials not to meet Ms Tsai, viewing it as support for the island’s desire to be seen as a separate country.

China staged war games around Taiwan in August 2022 when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and Taiwan’s armed forces have said they are keeping watch for any Chinese moves when Ms Tsai is abroad.

Ms Tsai is going to Guatemala and Belize, transiting through New York and Los Angeles on the way back. While not officially confirmed, she is expected to meet Mr McCarthy while in California.

Speaking in Beijing shortly before Ms Tsai left, Ms Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Ms Tsai’s “transits” of the US were not just her waiting at the airport or hotel, but for her to meet US officials and lawmakers.

“If she contacts US House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one China principle, harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” she said.

“We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back,” Ms Zhu added, without giving details.

Ms Tsai’s transits will come at a time when US relations with China are at what some analysts see as their worst level since Washington normalised ties with Beijing in 1979 and switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei.

Taiwan is China’s most sensitive territorial issue and a major bone of contention with Washington, which, like most countries, maintains only unofficial ties with Taipei.

However, the US government is required by US law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

No reason to overreact

The US says such transits by Taiwanese presidents are routine and that China should not use Ms Tsai’s trip to take any aggressive moves against Taiwan.

The US sees no reason for China to overreact to planned transits of the US this week and next month by Taiwan’s president, senior US officials said ahead of Ms Tsai’s departure.

A senior US official said that in her previous transits, Ms Tsai had engaged in a range of activities, including meetings with members of Congress, the Taiwanese diaspora and other groups.

“So, there is absolutely no reason for Beijing to use this upcoming transit as an excuse or a pretext to carry out aggressive or coercive activities aimed at Taiwan,” the official said.

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2023-03-29 11:52:06Z
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Eu Yan Sang ordered to recall Brown Rice Si Shen powder due to excess toxin, chemical presence - CNA

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has directed traditional Chinese medicine maker Eu Yan Sang Singapore to recall two batches of its Brown Rice Si Shen powder, after detecting aflatoxin and arsenic elements beyond permissible levels.

The affected batches have the numbers 120 and 121, with respective expiry dates of May 13, 2024 and May 17, 2024, according to an SFA release on Wednesday (Mar 29).

The agency said it detected the aflatoxin B1 carcinogen and arsenic chemical in samples of the powder product, at levels exceeding the maximum limit stated in Singapore's food regulations.

Long-term intake of aflatoxins can cause cancer and liver damage, while long-term intake of arsenic can cause cancer and skin changes.

“Exposure through food, especially those meant for young children, should be kept as low as possible,” SFA said.

Consumers who bought the implicated products are advised not to feed it to their children, it added.

Those whose children have consumed the products, and who have concerns about their children’s health, should seek medical advice.

Consumers may also contact their point of purchase for enquiries, said SFA.

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2023-03-29 11:01:13Z
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Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen defiant after China threatens retaliation for US trip - CNA

TAOYUAN: External pressure will not stop Taiwan engaging with the world, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday (Mar 29) as she left for the United States, hitting a defiant note after China threatened retaliation if she met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

China on Wednesday threatened to retaliate if McCarthy meets Tsai, saying that any such move would be a "provocation".

China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned US officials not to meet Tsai, viewing it as support for the island's desire to be seen as a separate country.

China staged war games around Taiwan last August when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and Taiwan's armed forces have said that they are keeping watch for any Chinese moves when Tsai is abroad.

Tsai is going to Guatemala and Belize, transiting through New York first and Los Angeles on the way back.

While not officially confirmed, she is expected to meet McCarthy while in California, at the end of her trip.

That would be the first meeting on US soil between a House Speaker and a Taiwanese leader, and the prospect has angered Beijing.

"External pressure will not hinder our determination to go to the world," Tsai said at Taiwan's main international airport at Taoyuan.

"We are calm and confident, will neither yield nor provoke. Taiwan will firmly walk on the road of freedom and democracy and go into the world. Although this road is rough, Taiwan is not alone."

Speaking in Beijing shortly before Tsai left, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters in Beijing that Tsai's "transits" of the United States were not just her waiting at the airport or hotel, but for her to meet US officials and lawmakers.

"If she has contact with US House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the 'One China' principle, harms China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," she said.

"We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back," Zhu added, without giving details.

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2023-03-29 04:05:00Z
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