Xi departs Russia after 'new era' summit with Putin - CNA

"UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES"

Moscow and Beijing have over the past years ramped up cooperation, both driven by a desire to counterbalance US global dominance.

The Chinese leader's Moscow visit has been viewed as a boost for Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court warrant over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.

"I am sure that Russian-Chinese cooperation has truly unlimited possibilities and prospects," Putin said at a state dinner following the talks, where he toasted the "prosperity" of Russian and Chinese people.

He earlier gushed over the "special nature" of the relationship between the two countries in remarks broadcast on state television.

On the second day of his visit to Moscow, Xi said ties with Russia were "entering a new era".

Putin called the talks "meaningful and frank" and said that Russia, which has been largely cut out of European markets because of sanctions, would be able to meet China's "growing demand" for energy.

Energy is a key focus of Xi's visit, and Putin announced the two countries had reached an agreement on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which will connect Siberia to northwest China.

US "UNDERMINING" GLOBAL SECURITY

In a joint statement, the two leaders took aim at the West, accusing the United States of undermining global security.

"The parties call on the United States to stop undermining international and regional security and global strategic stability in order to secure its unilateral military advantage," Russia and China said in the declaration.

They also expressed "great concern" over NATO's growing presence in Asia.

On Monday, Xi and Putin held four and a half hours of talks, calling each other "dear friend".

China and Russia have often worked in lockstep at the UN Security Council, using their veto power as permanent council members to counter the West.

Russia's assault on Ukraine has also deepened fears among Western powers that China could one day try to take control of the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of its territory.

China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington has said Beijing's moves could be a "stalling tactic" to help Moscow.

The United States has also accused Beijing of mulling arms exports to Moscow, claims China has vociferously denied.

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2023-03-22 10:26:54Z
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'Guns and Roses': Bulgaria arms trade booms on Ukraine war - CNA

KAZANLAK: With its huge munitions factories and endless rose fields, Kazanlak in central Bulgaria has been really living up to its "Guns and Roses" nickname since Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Bulgaria's booming arms industry has never had it so good, with exports estimated at US$4.3 billion last year - three times its previous record.

The country's oldest arms maker Arsenal, which already employs 7,000 workers in its Kazanlak plant, is offering seaside holidays and other incentives to attract staff.

It has even been tempting back Bulgarians who left the Balkan country to find work abroad.

"When they hired us they said there's orders to keep us busy for at least five years," one of the newly hired workers told AFP at the factory gates.

"I have only been here a week myself, but I already have three new colleagues," said the woman, who would not give her name.

HISTORIC RUSSIA LINKS

While you might think it would be trumpeting its success from the rooftops, the company did not reply to AFP requests for an interview.

Although Bulgaria itself has largely not sent arms to Ukraine because of the EU member's historic ties with Moscow, that is where Kazanlak's burgeoning production is mostly destined.

Its arms and munitions are instead being bought up by neighbouring Romania and Poland before being funnelled to Kyiv.

Kazanlak and the "Valley of the Roses" around it, which is also famous for its rosewater, suffered badly when its arms makers lost their markets when the Soviet bloc collapsed in 1989, though conflicts in the Middle East revived demand for their cheap and sturdy weapons, like the AR-M1, the "Bulgarian Kalashnikov" rifle, in the 2010s.

Arsenal's upturn "benefits the whole town", Yordan Ignatov, deputy chair of the local chamber of commerce, said.

"Last year, Kazanlak had the lowest unemployment rate in the country after Sofia," he added, half the national average.

Investment is also booming.

"Everything that is built is bought," real estate agent Teodor Tenev told AFP.

Bulgaria specialises in ammunition for Soviet-era weapons - those most used by Kyiv - though it wants to modernise its ageing production facilities with European money to start churning out NATO-standard shells and other ammo.

And there was more good news on that front Monday when European Union foreign ministers agreed on a €2 billion plan that included jointly purchasing desperately needed artillery shells for Ukraine.

Even though it stands to vastly benefit from the deal, Sofia sought to save its diplomatic blushes by not signing the joint declaration.

Nor did its reticence stop EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton from starting a tour last week of European arms makers in Bulgaria.

Up the road from Kazanlak in Sopot, Breton visited the country's biggest arms maker, VMZ.

The state-owned plant has a new production line for the 155mm artillery shells that Ukraine's army needs. Breton's visit was not open to the media.

"NOT A POLITICAL PAWN"

Supplying arms to Ukraine is an extremely sensitive issue in Bulgaria.

The Socialists - the successors to the old communist party - and the ever-rising ultra-nationalists are firmly against as the country gears up for the fifth election in two years next month.

Parliament so far has authorised only one shipment of light arms and ammunition to Kyiv.

Shortly after the invasion began, pro-European then-premier Kiril Petkov walked a tightrope to try to help Kyiv.

"We estimate that one-third of the ammunition needed by Ukraine in the first phase of the war came from Bulgaria," Petkov told the German daily Die Welt.

Even after the fall of Petkov's short-lived cabinet last June, indirect arms sales continued.

Retired Bulgarian army colonel Vladimir Milenski regrets that Bulgaria has refused to openly arm Kyiv.

"This would have sent a strong political signal showing that we are not a political pawn in Russia's hands," he said.

"To belong to the EU and NATO family and behave in such a way as not to infringe on the interests of Russia, an aggressor, is in the end tantamount to supporting it."

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2023-03-22 05:53:28Z
CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdWtyYWluZS1pbnZhc2lvbi1ydXNzaWEtYnVsZ2FyaWEtYXJtcy10cmFkZS1ib29tcy0zMzY1MTUx0gEA

'I could have lost my life': Tourist's bungee cord snaps in midair in Thailand - The Straits Times

The bungee cord of a tourist leaping from a 10-storey-high platform in Thailand snapped in midair, sending him plunging into a lake in Pattaya.

The man from Hong Kong, known only as Mike, momentarily blacked out in the water, but regained consciousness and swam out of the lake with the help of the attraction’s employees. He was then taken to hospital, Hong Kong news outlet hk01 reported.

The incident reportedly happened in February in the Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park located in the popular Thai tourist destination of Pattaya.

Mike told hk01: “The pain was so intense that I felt dizzy. As my arms were stretched out, my armpit area was the worst hit.”

A video of the incident shows Mike free falling for about six seconds from a height of about 30m and approaching the surface of the lake when the bungee cord suddenly breaks.

He enters the water head first from a height of about 5m with a big splash, to the horror of his friends who were watching and filming the jump.

Pictures of his injuries show bruises on his limbs, with the skin around his armpit area appearing peeled.

Mike told hk01 he also had a lung infection and was hospitalised for three days after returning to Hong Kong.

His medical bills, which came up to about HK$50,000 (S$8,500), were covered by travel insurance. He said the park offered him only HK$2,300, comprising HK$1,800 in medical fees and a HK$500 refund of the bungee jump.

Mike said he has written an e-mail to the park and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to file a complaint but has not received a reply.

He wrote: “My friends and I suffered losses due to the accident, including changes to our travel plans, my injuries and income loss... If the accident had been more severe, I could have lost my life.”

Last November, a woman visiting Colombia accidentally leapt to her death after forgetting she was not attached to a bungee cord.

Ms Yecenia Morales Gomez, 25, allegedly heard an instructor telling her partner to jump and believed the command was for her.

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2023-03-22 02:19:02Z
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Snap Insight: Did Xi Jinping get what he wanted from Vladimir Putin in Russia visit? - CNA

WELLINGTON: All eyes have been on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s high-stakes visit to Moscow, just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin became an alleged war criminal with a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court at the Hague.

On Tuesday (Mar 21), Xi and Putin signed a joint declaration deepening the China-Russia partnership, more than a year after they proclaimed “no limits” to that relationship in Beijing before Putin launched his “special military operation” in Ukraine.

But what does Xi really want from Putin and more importantly, did Xi get what he wanted?

PLAYING PEACEMAKER

Much attention around Xi’s visit, of course, has been on Ukraine, with Western concerns that China might support Russia militarily.

China has been walking a political tightrope given its long-held principle of respecting national sovereignty. Xi has not openly supported Putin’s war, with China taking a more neutral position than what Putin might have expected from a “no limits” friend. But neither has China condemned the war, having abstained from several rounds of voting at the United Nations.

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2023-03-22 00:28:00Z
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'Unlimited possibilities': Key takeaways from Putin-Xi summit - CNA

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for two days of closely-watched talks on Monday (Mar 20) and Tuesday.

Here are five key takeaways from the Putin-Xi summit:

"A NEW ERA"

The two days of talks at the Kremlin were heavy on pomp and ceremony as Putin and Xi hailed a "new era" in the two countries' relationship. The Russian leader said that bilateral cooperation "has truly unlimited possibilities and prospects" and toasted the "prosperity" of Russian and Chinese people at a state dinner after the talks.

The summit was seen as a coup for internationally isolated Putin just days after the International Criminal Court announced it had issued an arrest warrant against the Russian leader for the "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children.

China analyst Alexander Gabuev said that the Hague-based court's arrest warrant "only increases" China's leverage over Russia.

"Xi Jinping can't be embarrassed by meeting Putin, and the verdict only puts Xi's 'dear friend' in the Kremlin deeper into his pocket," said Gabuev, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

UKRAINE CONFLICT

Xi called for dialogue over the conflict, while Putin praised China's peace initiative for Ukraine and said it could form the basis of any future settlement if both Kyiv and the West are ready for it.

"However, so far we have not seen such readiness on their part," the Russian leader added.

The two leaders also signed a declaration saying it was important to "respect the legitimate concerns of all countries".

The declaration stressed it was important to prevent the Ukraine conflict from getting out of control.

"The parties call for an end to all steps that contribute to the escalation of tension and prolongation of hostilities, to avoid a further deterioration of the crisis," it read.

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2023-03-21 23:12:00Z
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Xi, Putin begin talks at Kremlin with Ukraine on agenda - CNA

Xi's trip coincides with a surprise visit to Kyiv by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who visited Bucha, a town where Russian forces were accused of committing atrocities during their occupation last year.

Ukraine's foreign ministry described the trip as "historic" and called it "a sign of solidarity and strong cooperation between (Ukraine and Japan)".

"CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE"

On Monday, Xi and Putin held four and a half hours of talks, calling each other "dear friend".

In a rare move, Putin escorted Xi to his car after the talks, and the two were seen smiling together.

During the meeting, the Russian leader said he was open to talks on Ukraine and praised Beijing's 12-point position paper on the conflict, which includes a call for dialogue and respect for all countries' territorial sovereignty.

Xi and Putin are also expected to discuss boosting economic cooperation as Russia boosts energy exports to China after being mostly shut out of European markets.

Ahead of the talks, Russian gas giant Gazprom said that supplies through the Power of Siberia pipeline to China had reached a daily record on Monday.

Xi's three-day visit began a day after Putin travelled to Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, his first trip to territory captured from Kyiv since the start of the assault in February 2022.

China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington has said Beijing's moves could be a "stalling tactic" to help Moscow.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Xi's Moscow visit "suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the president accountable for the atrocities committed to Ukraine".

"And instead of even condemning, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those great crimes," he added.

The United States has accused Beijing of mulling arms exports to Moscow, claims China has vociferously denied.

Zelenskyy has said he would welcome talks with Xi, though there has been no indication from Beijing of any such plans.

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2023-03-21 12:17:00Z
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S$140m of expired COVID-19 vaccines was 'insurance' to avoid catastrophic economic impact, more deaths: Ong Ye Kung - CNA

SINGAPORE: About 15 per cent of Singapore's COVID-19 vaccine doses worth S$140 million have expired, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 21), calling it a price the country was prepared to pay.

"The expiry of unused vaccines was an insurance premium – the price we were prepared to pay to stave off the risk of catastrophic consequences," he added.

Mr Ong noted that before COVID-19 vaccines became available, Singapore resorted to implementing a "circuit breaker" in April 2020 in a bid to contain the pandemic. 

"The two-month circuit breaker cost us around S$11 billion in terms of GDP loss. And we spent close to another S$60 billion over two financial years to cushion the hardship for businesses and workers, not to mention all the heartaches, the difficulties families had to go through," he said.

"Without vaccines, we would certainly have had to resort to further circuit breakers during the Delta and Omicron waves of late 2021 and then throughout 2022. But we did not have to, because the vaccines - we got them early, and they protected us.

"More importantly, our approach averted many deaths due to COVID-19 infections and protected Singaporeans against that catastrophic consequence."

Speaking during the debate on the White Paper on Singapore's response to COVID-19, the Health Minister said Singapore had "deliberately over-procured" to mitigate the uncertainty of selected vaccine candidates not working, and the possibility of supply chains being disrupted.

And this meant having spare vaccine stock, which would expire.

The White Paper, which drew on a review conducted by former head of civil service Peter Ho, concluded that Singapore's COVID-19 vaccine strategy paid off.

The government recognised “very early on” that vaccines were the most promising exit strategy and worked to secure early access, according to the White Paper which was published earlier this month.

This meant Singapore had to “place bets, at substantial cost, on potential game-changers” before trials were completed, it added.

As of Dec 31 last year, Singapore's mortality rate for COVID-19 was around 300 deaths per million, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his closing speech later in the afternoon.

This was "much lower" compared to other countries with five or 10 times the mortality rate, he added.

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2023-03-21 07:13:00Z
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