online today!robplum Blog Comments (917)

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the Belt and Road Forum in China on October 17, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi announced.

"Tomorrow, President Putin will participate in the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping," Wang said during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"We are confident that President Putin’s participation will add a lot to the forum’s success and will also contribute to promoting our strategic interaction," Wang added.

He pointed out that the Russian leader had praised cooperation between the two countries and joint work within the Belt and Road initiative at the recent session of the Valdai Discussion Club.

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From 1947 to 2023: Retracing the complex, tragic Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was reignited once again on October 7 after a surprise offensive launched by Hamas against Israel. In retaliation, Israel ordered air strikes and a "complete siege" of the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave. This is a new deadly episode in a conflict that has its roots deep in the mid-20th century. FRANCE 24 traces its history.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Israeli forces were Sunday readying for a looming ground invasion of Gaza, amid a brutal eight-day bombing campaign of the densely populated enclave that has killed over 2,450 people, including hundreds of children.

Entire Gaza city blocks lie in ruins and hospitals are overflowing with thousands of wounded in the besieged territory, but there were fears of worse to come.

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Venezuela, has demanded that Israel immediately halt the occupation of Palestine, and Bolivia, which said it was following developments with concern and accused the international community of inaction.

On Monday, the Mexican leader reiterated his position of "not taking sides" in the Israel-Gaza after the Israeli ambassador to Mexico criticised his response.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric also released a statement condemning the attacks and called for an end to the Israeli occupation.

Other countries including Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay condemned the attack on Israel through statements issued by their foreign ministries.

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China and Saudi Arabia launched a joint naval exercise on Monday

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Infantry Patrol Competition in the Falklands' capital Stanley
Starting on Saturday, 14 October 2023, until 22nd October, the British Army Roulement Infantry Company currently stationed at Mount Pleasant Complex will be running a patrol competition mainly through the capital Stanley.

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Khunjerab in Pakistan is a high-altitude desert, a region that is both dry and cold. Surrounded by towering mountains, pristine glaciers and alpine meadows, this rocky landscape is home to some of the world's highest peaks.

Snaking through it is a highly strategic road that connects China to Gwadar port on Pakistan's south-west coast.

The Silk Road route has been used for trade and travel for centuries, and in the last 10 years, it has become central to Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Described as "one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever conceived", President Xi Jinping's vision to rebuild the ancient route heralded the construction of transport links across South Asia, in the process developing poorer countries and helping Beijing win allies abroad.

The West has long been wary of Beijing's moves - concerned these investments would actually help China develop a string of ports through the South China Sea, Arabian Sea and on to Africa to be used by its navy. China has denied this.

To date, more than 145 countries, accounting for almost 75% of the world's population and more than half of global GDP have signed up for the BRI.

The largest project so far is the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - $60bn (£49bn) was initially pledged to build a network of roads, railways and pipelines through this remote and rugged part of Pakistan.

The eventual plan was to connect to oil and gas pipelines from central Asia and the Middle East directly into western China, cutting out lengthy sea routes around South and South East Asia.

Developing this region of Pakistan made a lot of sense for China. It could act as a counterweight to long-time rival India, it offered a gateway to Afghanistan and the rare earths potentially buried there, and an opportunity to secure the porous border with its own restive Xinjiang region.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

RT round up:
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered an additional aircraft carrier to deploy to the Eastern Mediterranean, seeking to put pressure on Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other pro-Palestinian forces to stay out of the Israel-Gaza war.

The Pentagon chief announced on Saturday night that the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrying nine aircraft squadrons, as well as two guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser, will soon join the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group in the region to “deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas's attack on Israel.”

The leader of Pakistan’s largest religious political party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF), pledged its financial support to Hamas and vowed to join the Palestinian militant group “on the frontlines” in the fight against Israel during a massive rally in the city of Peshawar on Saturday, local media reported.

The Middle East is on the verge of a major war, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has warned, commenting on the recent flare-up of hostilities between Israel and Hamas. The diplomat also condemned the “terrifying” level of violence witnessed in the region of late and called for an immediate ceasefire.

Speaking to the media following a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, Nebenzia said that the “region is on the brink of a full-fledged war and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” He noted that Russia “unequivocally condemns” the killings of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. “What happened on Israeli territory on October 7 is unacceptable,” the official stressed.

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Last updated: 13 Oct. 2023 16:39

NATO will launch its long-planned annual nuclear exercise “Steadfast Noon” on Monday (16 October 2023) with up to 60 aircraft taking part in training flights over southern Europe.

The exercise is a routine training activity that has been conducted annually for over a decade. The manoeuvres will involve 13 Allied countries and a mix of aircraft types, including advanced fighter jets and U.S. B-52 bombers that will fly in from the United States. Conventional jets and surveillance and refuelling aircraft also take part. A different NATO Ally hosts Steadfast Noon each year. Training flights will take place over Italy, Croatia and the Mediterranean Sea.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

this is not a thread for debate, it is for recording qualified thread related information, your not welcome here Ken, When someone asks a question of another person who posted information in this thread it cannot attract abuse by the likes of you and fargo on sight are going to removed.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

I have again removed comments that abuse members exchanging views relative to the One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger threat collection

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

If your interested Ken then by all means check out what is actually going on with out bulldust from non members states,
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a unique forum where the governments of 37 democracies with market-based economies collaborate to develop policy standards to promote sustainable economic growth.



Australia has been an active member of OECD since 1971 and continues to work with the OECD and OECD members to find solutions to common problems through independent analysis and information sharing.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

China's trade surplus in September 2023 narrowed to USD 77.71 billion from USD 82.67 billion in the same period the previous year, but it exceeded market forecasts of USD 70 billion, as both exports and imports declined at the same rate, reflecting persistent weak demand both domestically and internationally. Exports fell by 6.2% year-on-year, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline, which was better than the market consensus of a 7.6% drop. Meanwhile, imports declined by 6.2%, which was broadly in line with the expected 6% drop and marked the seventh consecutive month of decrease. The trade surplus with the United States widened to $33.2 billion in September from $33.1 billion in August. source: General Administration of Customs


China Economic Roundup – August 2023
China’s economic data for August 2023 indicates an encouraging trend towards stabilizing growth and suggests improving conditions. Surpassing expectations, industrial output and retail sales have exhibited robust growth, instilling renewed confidence in the Chinese economy’s ability to achieve its annual growth target. Nevertheless, challenges persist in sectors such as real estate and trade.



Please don't post video in this thread Ken, I'm not downloading that sort of crap into my computer.
The less China sells to the USA the US debit will increase, just depends who is reporting what matters, National US Debt currently creater than US$33,55,110 600,900 trillion that's the figure you should be watching

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

A CNN journalist who reported live that the office of Benjamin Netanyahu could confirm that babies were beheaded has apologised for reporting the claims, saying she had been mislead.
Claims that children were beheaded at the Kfar Aza kibbutz first circulated following a live broadcast by Israeli news channel i24News.

Its reporter stated that "babies, their heads cut off" were among those found following the Israeli army's recapture of the kibbutz, citing testimonies from Israeli soldiers.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

The native referendum scam put up by leader of the preference voting scam Albanese and has rightfully been rejected. It would have set up even more racism here is Australia.Howard's clowns have already transferred all or most all remaining Aboriginal land to 99 year leases...EOE
The first peoples of NZ were Moriori not Maori. I was taught at school, that Moriori first inhabited the South Island that they predated Maori by well over 100 years. The Maori on the other hand first landed at or near Whitianga around 1350AD.
Maori later visited the South Island and killed all the non violent Moriori, Maori enslaved shagged Moriori women and eventually over many years what that produced would as has been said quite recently became Maori's.
Many years later a Lieutenant William Broughton, being commander of the armed tender Chatham, took Maori's from Taranaki to the Chatham Islands and killed the last remaining Moriori. Besides that Moriori were Melanesian with short curly reddish hair.
The crap that is been peddled today that Maori were first peoples of NZ is a blatant lie the lie was first created by the founder of the Ratana Jehovah church became a political movement that was founded by Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, you might have noticed Hipkins took over prime minister ship from Ardern at the Ratana Marae, Both PM's Ardren and Hipkins were advisers to Helen Clark when she was PM.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is scheduled to attend China's Belt and Road Forum next week, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhammad Iqbal.

China will host its third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Oct. 17-18. The event marks one decade of the Belt and Road Initiative, in which China invests in the infrastructure development program across the globe. This colossal program has now stretched across over 150 countries, including Indonesia. Projects under this initiative include the recently launched $7.3 billion Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway or Whoosh.

“President is confirmed to attend [the Belt and Road Forum],” Lalu told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.

“To Indonesia, this forum is related to our domestic infrastructure development. We want to build the best possible infrastructure in the country, but that would not be possible without partnering with other stakeholders, be it at home or abroad,” Lalu said.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Paris:
France will deploy 7,000 soldiers after a Chechen-origin man fatally stabbed a teacher and severely wounded three other adults at a school in the northeastern town of Arras, the Elysee presidential palace said Saturday. The attack on Friday was denounced by President Emmanuel Macron as an act of "Islamist terror" in Arras, which has large Jewish and Muslim populations.

The deployment of the soldiers will be completed by Monday evening.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

International airports in the Syrian capital of Damascus, and the western city of Aleppo, have been hit in “simultaneous” missile strikes by Israel, the state SANA news agency reported on Thursday, citing a source within the Syrian military. The incident comes amid a major flareup of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The airports were struck at around 2pm local time, a source told SANA, adding that an attack on each of the two airports involved several missiles that damaged their landing strips and forced both facilities to close.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Jordan's King Abdullah II said on Wednesday that peace without a Palestinian state would not be possible after pro-Palestine protests rocked the Jordanian capital of Amman a day earlier.
He told Jordan's parliament that a two-state solution with a sovereign Palestinian state established on land that Israel had captured in 1967 and since occupied was the only option.

"Our region will never be secure nor stable without achieving just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution," he said in a speech at the opening of a new parliamentary session.

"A Palestinian independent and sovereign state should be on June 4th, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and so that the cycles of killing, whose ultimate victims are innocent civilians, end."

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Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman separately on Wednesday.

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China calls for ‘immediate’ cease-fire between Israel, Palestine

Expressing “deep concern” over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Palestine, China has called for an "immediate" cease-fire between the warring parties.

“The most pressing task is to cease fire immediately and protect civilians,” said Zhai Jun, China’s special envoy on the Middle East.

Zhai was speaking to Amal Jadou, Deputy Foreign Minister of Palestine, late Wednesday when the two discussed the latest Palestine-Israel situation, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“China is deeply saddened by many innocent civilian casualties caused by the current escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict,” Zhai said.

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‘Netanyahu let us down’: Trump criticizes Israeli premier, intelligence
Israel needs to ‘straighten it out because they're fighting potentially a very big force, they're fighting potentially Iran,’ says former US president

Former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence in a speech in Florida.

“You talk about the intelligence, or you talk about some of the things that went wrong over the last week, they’ve got to straighten it out because they’re fighting potentially a very big force. They’re fighting potentially, Iran,” Trump said, referring to the latest developments in the Middle East.?

?Accusing the Israeli leader of not helping the US assassinate top Iran commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Trump said: “So, we were disappointed by that, very disappointed, but we did the job ourselves. And it was absolute precision, magnificent, beautiful job, and then Bibi tried to take credit for it. That didn't make me feel too good. But that's all right.”

?“I'll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down,” the former US president said.

The former president also slammed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, saying: “They have a national defense minister or somebody saying, ‘I hope Hezbollah doesn’t attack us from the north.’ So, the following morning, they attacked. If you listen to this jerk, you would attack from the north because he said, ‘That’s our weak spot.’”

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Australia ABC news:

What is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah is a militant Shia Muslim group and a major political party based in Lebanon.

It was formed in 1982 amid the Lebanese civil war when Israel invaded Lebanon, and backed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The group remains backed by Iran and has significant sway over the Lebanese state.

Its military power grew after deploying to Syria in 2012 to help President Bashar al-Assad fight mostly Sunni rebels.

In 2021, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the group had 100,000 militants.

While Hezbollah has its roots in the Shia sect of Islam, which is predominant in Iran, Hamas is a mainly Sunni Muslim group.

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China saves billions of dollars from record sanctioned oil imports

China has reaped savings this year of nearly $10 billion through record purchases of oil from countries under Western sanctions, according to Reuters' calculations based on data from traders and shiptrackers.

An unintended consequence of sanctions imposed by the United States and others on Russia, Iran and Venezuela has been to lower the oil import costs for refiners in top economic rival China, which often criticises such "unilateral" penalties.

China shipped in a record 2.765 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude by sea from Iran, Russia and Venezuela in the first nine months of 2023, according to an average of data provided by tanker trackers Vortexa and Kpler.

The three countries accounted for a quarter of China's imports between January and September, up from about 21% in 2022 and double the 12% share in 2020, Reuters' analysis found, displacing alternatives from the Middle East, West Africa and South America.

From January to September, total Russian shipments grew by over 400,000 bpd from a year earlier, led by Urals, according to Vortexa, as sanctions triggered by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine sparked a massive diversion of its oil flows from Europe to India and China.

China has this year saved $4.34 billion by importing Russian oil, based on Reuters' comparison of the monthly price differentials between ESPO and Tupi crude from Brazil, and Urals versus Oman, using price information provided by traders.

For imports of Venezuelan oil, mostly heavy grade Merey, China saved an average of $10 a barrel versus comparable Colombian Castilla crude, the calculations based on the trader data showed. The country saved roughly $15 a barrel buying Iranian crude versus Oman oil.

China has saved roughly $4.2 billion by importing a record 1 million bpd during the same period from Iran, 60% above pre-sanction peaks recorded by Chinese customs in 2017 at 623,000 bpd, as Tehran raised output to near-maximum levels and offered discounts as steep as $17 a barrel versus Brent.

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China's Belt and Road generated over $2 trillion in contracts: Beijing

China is hailing this month the 10th anniversary of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has seen Beijing pour a trillion dollars into projects around the world in a defining geopolitical project for President Xi Jinping.
"the actual turnover of Chinese contractors reached $1.3 trillion," it said.

It also said the balance of loans for BRI projects from Eximbank -- a key BRI creditor -- now totalled 2.2 trillion yuan ($307.4 billion).

That total covers "130-plus participating countries and driving more than $400 billion of investment and more than $2 trillion of trade," the white paper said, suggesting an average of $2.4 billion in debts per country.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Hezbollah is capable of firing 3,000 rockets per day across Israeli territory, and can reach targets at any distance.


South Africa’s population grows by more than ten million


China spreads its wings
Despite Western attempts to hold its economy back, the Asian giant is improving its balance of trade in an important economic zone
In the first four months of 2023 alone, China’s trade turnover with these five post-Soviet countries increased by 37% compared to the same period last year and amounted to over $25 billion, China’s General Administration of Customs reports. This is even more striking when we consider that by the end of 2022, trade turnover with the summit participants has already exceeded $70 billion. Moreover, comparing the export statistics for the end of 2021 with those for mid-2023, we see that Chinese exports to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have almost doubled. Regarding Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, the exports increased by more than half in the same period.

The robust expansion of Chinese trade has impacted not just the Central Asian countries. China’s exports to Georgia and Belarus have more than doubled, while exports to Armenia have grown by over 60%. In this respect, only the Baltic states and Ukraine stand apart from other post-Soviet nations. These countries turned out to be in the opposing camp, where the US and EU are increasing their export flow.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assured Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas that the country will "stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace," a report said. The leader said he was working to prevent "an expansion" of war that broke out after the Hamas attack.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

BLA BLA BLA

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

In part the communist Chinese inspired One Belt and Road Initiative, my recollection is IMF kicked the ball off when it loaned third world nations money to buy gold bullion: When the silver manipulation employed by Hunt Brothers, then later the US Fed opening fort knox federal reserve doors floating the world with gold and silver. Directly in consequence (the causes) Hunt brothers' accumulation of the precious metals prices silver futures contracts (and Gold) silver bullion price rose from $11 an ounce in September 1979 to $50 an ounce in January 1980. Hunt Brothers sold out of Gold at or about US$750.00 oz then silver collapsed it peaked on Jan. 21, 1980, silver prices reached US$52.50 per ounce. Fort knox doors opened when gold was about US$920.00, floating world with gold and silver well below $11 an ounce just two months after the Hunt Brother took profits. then also USA Fed was able to repurchase its reserves at or about US$50.00 for Gold on he day was known as "Silver Thursday" refers to March 27, 1980, an infamous trading day in which the price of silver collapsed and gold, and US of A claimed worldwide goods and services prices are to be set according to supply and demand. Both Australia & New Zealand's social welfare systems collapsed, the community lost what it had paid for such as hospitals, railways, power and so that was sold off to political rich mates and the expense of the populous. It the Americans that lead to the Chinese inspired One Belt and Road Initiative and IMF as mentioned above funded thirds world nations purchase of gold reserves. (E&O) Then 1991 Gulf War was accompanied by talk of a 'New World Order', not least in the USA. The implied promise was one of a greater respect for international law, a strengthening of the United Nations and a determined effort for arms control and disarmament, both globally and regionally. The paper evaluates developments since then, with a special focus on the accomplishments in the military sphere. In particular, it assesses the contribution of the United States to the creation of this new world (military) order. In conclusion, the US is found to be both part of the problem, because of its excessive military spending and penchant for unilateralism, and an indispensable part of the solution. 1. Introduction: George Bush and the New World Order In his message to a joint session of the US Congress, 11 September 1990 (i.e. during the 'Desert Shield' phase of the Gulf conflict), President George Bush described the 'new world order' in the following words: Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective-a new world order-can emerge: a new era, free from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace. An era in which the nations of the world, East and West, North and South, can prosper and live in harmony

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

The Pentagon is dispatching an aircraft carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean as a sign of support for Israel during its ongoing battle with the Palestinian militants.

The armada led by the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford includes five guided missile destroyers. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Sunday that Washington would also deliver ammunition and other military equipment to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

“Strengthening our joint force posture, in addition to the materiel support that we will rapidly provide to Israel, underscores the United States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people,” Austin said in a statement.


Also:

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Turkey's central bank on Thursday raised its key lending rate to a 20-year high following a sudden turn towards conventional economics by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The bank lifted its policy rate to 30 percent from 25 percent and promised more belt-tightening measures in the future.

It followed a new surge in inflation that came in partial response to tax increases that Erdogan's government imposed to help pay for the promises of his May re-election campaign.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Occupied Japan along with South Korea will the biggest losers if it all blows up in that region.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

JAKARTA: Indonesia called for an immediate end to violence on Sunday amid deadly bombardment in Gaza, after the Indonesian-run hospital on the strip was damaged by an Israeli airstrike.

The latest cycle of escalating violence between Palestinian group Hamas and Israeli forces broke out after the former launched a multi-front attack over the weekend against the latter, as Israel responded with air raids on the Gaza Strip, where around 2.2 million people live.

“Indonesia is deeply concerned with the escalation of conflict between Palestine and Israel. Indonesia urges the immediate end of violence to avoid further human casualties,” the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“The root of the conflict, namely the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, must be resolved, in accordance with the parameters agreed upon by the UN.”

“The direct attack on the Indonesia Hospital complex in Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip on Saturday appears to amplify how in the Israel-Palestine war, international humanitarian law is never under consideration for Israel.”

Israeli forces also struck other facilities on the strip, including an ambulance in front of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, according to Doctors Without Borders.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

$17,400,000,000 in US Treasuries Dumped by BRICS Nations China, Brazil and Saudi Arabia in One Month Henry Kanapi, October 6, 2023
Founding BRICS members China and Brazil along with newcomer Saudi Arabia are quietly unloading their US Treasury holdings.

New numbers from the U.S. Treasury Department show China’s ownership of Treasury securities dropped from $835.4 billion at the start of July to $821.8 billion at the end of the month – a decline of $13.6 billion.

Meanwhile, fellow BRICS member Brazil pared its Treasury holdings by $2.7 billion in the same time frame, from $227.4 billion to $224.7 billion.

And Saudi Arabia trimmed its holdings from $108.1 billion to $109.2 billion, for a $1.1 billion reduction.

In addition, BRICS founding member India saw its treasury trove shrink from $235.4 billion in June to $233.1 billion in July.

And the United Arab Emirates, another incoming BRICS member, reduced its treasury holdings by $300 million from $65.2 billion in June to $64.9 billion in July.

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$18,900,000,000 in US Treasuries Dumped by BRICS Members China, Brazil, India and UAE in One Month
Henry Kanapi September 22, 2023

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As central banks are demonstrating in 2023, trust in gold and a degree of mistrust in the greenback are underlying recent trends. And by demonstrating the most fervent appetite for additional gold—and the leastdesire for dollars—China is leading the way in this regard. Having raised its gold reserves for a ninth consecutive month in July by 23 tons, the official quantity of bullion now held by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sits at 2,137 tons, with around 188 tons having been added since the beginning of its bull run in November 2022. Meanwhile, the latest official US data for major foreign holders of Treasury securities to May 2023 shows a near-continuous dumping of China’s Treasury holdings to $846.7 billion from $951.8 billion a year earlier and well over $1 trillion at the beginning of 2022.

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Pakistan has urged to immediately end the bloodshed between Hamas militants and Israel, which broke out on Saturday morning. At the same time, Pakistani senior officials condemned Israel for the “brutalization” of Palestinians.

“We are concerned about the human cost of the escalating situation,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It added that Islamabad had been “consistently” calling for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

“A viable, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine should be established on the basis of pre-1967 borders,” the ministry said.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday that 198 people were killed and 1,610 were injured in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip following a major Hamas attack, announcing preparations.

Israeli media reported that between 70 and 100 Israelis were killed and at least 1,000 were injured in the Hamas attack, which the group called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”.

The advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Yahya Rahim Safavi, said that Iran 'supports' the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, which was launched by Hamas from Gaza into Israel on Saturday.

Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years, killing more than 100 Israelis. The attack comes amid a recent wave of normalisation between Israel and Arab states. So how did major Arab countries react?



GAZA: Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, said on Saturday that armed Palestinian factions intend to expand the ongoing battle in Gaza to the West Bank and Jerusalem.

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Bangladesh is building the first of two nuclear power plants in collaboration with Russia.

Sudanese paramilitaries attacked civilian homes in a village of south Khartoum on Saturday, killing 10 people, increasing he conflict's total death toll to 9,000.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Vietnam to train up to 50,000 semiconductor engineers


Vietnam accounted for 10% of semiconductor chip exports to the U.S. in the 12 months ending this February, ranking third after Malaysia and Taiwan.

The Vietnam chip industry’s revenue from the U.S. market rose by 74.9% during the period, from $321.7 million in February 2022 to $562.5 million this February, according to a report by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Vietnam is also among the countries with the highest growth rate of chip exports to the U.S., alongside Thailand, India and Cambodia.

Cambodian chip exports to the U.S. grew in value 7-fold over the period, from $20.8 million to $166.3 million, while Indian revenues from the market grew 34-fold to $152 million in February.

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Over two dozen Nigerien soldiers have been killed in an attack near the Mali border, as Niger denied reports about accepting Algerian mediation efforts.

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Submarines and carriers? Upcoming French Deployments to the Pacific

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

The Pentagon has warned Congress that it does not have adequate funds to replace weapons sent to Ukraine, prompting concerns about Washington’s ability to adequately resupply its own troops, Associated Press reported on Monday.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose budget legislation was signed by Biden to prevent the government shutdown, said on CBS on Sunday that while he supports Kiev in its fight against Moscow, he believes issues closer to home – such as the security of the United States’ southern border – are more pressing concerns.

Florida Republican Matt Gaetz introduced a motion to oust McCarthy on Monday, two days after McCarthy rallied GOP lawmakers to pass a bill funding the US government until November 17. Gaetz and a cohort of hardline conservatives opposed any attempt to combine funding for different government agencies into a single bill, with Gaetz warning that he would move to oust McCarthy if the bill passed.

Gaetz was able to launch the removal of McCarthy thanks to a compromise reached between the California Republican and Gaetz’ ‘Freedom Caucus’ allies in January, in which the hardliners agreed to back his bid for speakership in exchange for the ability to remove him from office if they lost confidence in his leadership.

Gaetz denounced McCarthy as “a feature of the swamp” shortly after the vote. “It’s the benefit of this country that we have a better speaker of the House than Kevin McCarthy,” he told reporters.
Even though McCarthy dropped military aid for the Ukrainian army from the funding bill, Gaetz still accused the now ex-speaker of cutting “a secret side-deal” with President Joe Biden, claiming on Monday that McCarthy had shared details of the apparent deal with Republican lawmakers.

By agreeing to pass a last-minute 45-day stopgap spending bill on Saturday night, the Republicans averted a looming government shutdown. “I kept government open so the families of our troops and border agents could get paid,” McCarthy said, while defending his record. “If a handful of Republicans side with Democrats to remove me for that it's – a fight worth having.”

Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, was declared acting speaker until the election of McCarthy’s replacement.

McCarthy was elected speaker on the 15th ballot in January despite attempts by hardline Republicans, including Gaetz and Representative Lauren Boebert, to block him. McCarthy’s 269 days as House speaker is the second-shortest tenure in US history after Michael C. Kerr, who served as speaker for 257 days and died in office in 1876.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

Speaking from the White House on Sunday after signing the last-minute government funding package that omitted assistance to Ukraine, Biden said that he expected the Republican House Speaker Keven McCarthy to “keep his commitment to secure

However, critics long argued that Americans have more important priorities to worry about, and that Washington should have stronger safeguards against the misappropriation of the funds and supplies it sends to Kiev. Many lawmakers noted that winning approval for Ukraine assistance in the Congress is proving increasingly difficult.

Kevin McCarthy, the House GOP leader, said that while he remains committed to helping Ukraine, the US own security issues should be a “bigger priority for US lawmakers.”

Washington has provided Ukraine with at least $46 billion in military supplies alone since the escalation of the conflict, in addition to many billions in other kinds of financial aid.

The EU top diplomat insisted that the bloc's military aid to Ukraine will not depend on the decisions taken by the US. Brussels plans to continue and further increase its military assistance to the Ukrainian forces, Josep Borrell, told journalists during his visit to Kiev on Sunday.

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Russia is increasing the share of the Chinese yuan in foreign trade and not exclusively with China, RBK reported on Thursday, citing a data from the Economic Development Ministry.

Data from other sources also point to the growing popularity of the Chinese currency in Russia’s foreign trade. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) published a study this week based on 12 million import transaction records from Russia.

According to the figures, the yuan overtook the dollar in Russia’s import settlements with China back in 2022 and has since been used in Russian trade with Mongolia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Tajikistan, and Singapore. Moreover, the Chinese currency has even appeared as a means of payment in Russia’s occasional import settlements with the US, EU, and UK (about 1-2% of transactions).

The Russian ruble is currently the main currency in Russia’s export settlements – its share this year has increased more than threefold and now exceeds 40%. According to data from the Bank of Russia, as of July of this year, the combined share of the ruble and currencies of friendly countries in Russia’s foreign trade had reached 72% in exports (up from 15% in early 2022) and 69% in imports (up from 33% in early 2022).

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NATO is to deploy 600 British soldiers to Kosovo after armed clashes marked a serious escalation in the conflict with Serbia.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

The Netherlands will deploy around another 120 soldiers and three Chinook transport helicopters to the ongoing NATO alliance mission in Iraq, the Dutch government said on Friday.

The deployment is in addition to the infantry unit of around 145 soldiers the Netherlands said in July they would send to Iraq from 1 January 2024.

NATO says its non-combat mission in Iraq is aimed at strengthening Iraqi security institutions and forces so they can prevent the return of ISIS, fight terrorism and stabilise the country.

The new Dutch unit will primarily be used to supply food and equipment to troops and for the transport of military staff and equipment

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

The US government has avoided a shutdown for at least 45 days
The federal government's fourth partial shutdown in a decade, set to begin at 12.01am on Sunday, will now be averted providing the Democratic-majority Senate passes the bill and President Joe Biden signs it into law.
The US House of Representatives approved a draft government funding bill for 45 days, which does not include aid to Ukraine.
The bill was supported by 335 lawmakers, with 91 voting against. Now, the initiative must be approved by the Senate. Then, it will be forwarded to US President Joe Biden, who will need to sign it before midnight.

One Belt and Road Initiative growing stronger

IMF delivers rare public rebuke to Massa over cash handouts
The International Monetary Fund issued a rare public rebuke to Economy Minister Serigo Massa on Thursday, declaring that his new electioneering measures to bolster the purchasing-power of suffering Argentines would only add to the challenges facing the crisis-stricken nation.

With less than a month to go before the October 22 presidential elections, the IMF is concerned that "the economic situation remains very difficult and complex" in Argentina, said Julie Kozack, the multilateral lender’s communications chief during a press conference in Washington.
she assured that Argentina’s US$44.5-billion debt programme "is not broken" and that the IMF's objective "continues to be to help Argentina during this difficult time" and to work "in the search for consensus" in the midst of an electoral process that has many tensions.
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Lithium boom in Argentina hinges on politics, Zijin unit says

Hurdles to lithium development in neighbouring Chile and Bolivia have opened the door for Argentina, says top industry official

Argentina is already the world’s fastest-growing producer lithium producer. But if the country wants to overtake some of its regional rivals, it needs the incoming administration to ensure business conditions are ripe for developers, according to the local unit of China’s Zijin Mining Group Co.

Argentina is currently the fourth-biggest producer of lithium. Some experts say the nation has the potential to propel itself within a few years into second place behind Australia, if the country is able to take advantage of its considerable reserves. Meanwhile, demand for lithium is soaring as the metal is a key component in batteries for electric vehicles.

De Pablos Souza implored Milei, Bullrich and Sergio Massa — running for the incumbent, leftist Peronist party — for clear rules and legal protections for companies, as well as approval in congress of so-called electro-mobility legislation to encourage lithium investments. His call for better business conditions echoed recent public comments by shale oil drillers including Chevron Corp and crop traders.

Zijin unit Liex is developing the Tres Quebradas site on the Argentine side of South America’s lithium triangle. A project majority-owned by Ganfeng Lithium Group Co became the third Argentine lithium project to enter production earlier this year. Zijin is also planning to build a cathode plant in Argentina.