China suspended US warship visits and sanctioned American NGOs on Monday in retaliation for the passage of a bill backing pro-democracy protesters <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-series-of-week-long-lunchtime-protests-begin-265716">in Hong Kong</a>.

The financial hub has been rocked by nearly six months of increasingly violent unrest demanding greater autonomy, which Beijing has frequently blamed on foreign influence.

Last week US President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which requires the president to annually review the city's favourable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the semi-autonomous territory's freedoms are quashed.

The move came as the world's two biggest economies have been striving to finalise a "phase one" deal in their protracted trade war.

"In response to the unreasonable behaviour of the US side, the Chinese government has decided to suspend reviewing the applications for US warships to go to Hong Kong for (rest and) recuperation as of today," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing.

China had already denied requests for two US Navy ships to dock in Hong Kong in August, without specifying a reason why.

Watch: US and China clash over Hong Kong in the midst of trade talks

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Behaving 'badly'

Hua said they would also <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-summons-us-ambassador-over-hong-kong-rights-bill-264512">apply sanctions</a> to a number of US-based NGOs, although failed to give any specifics over the form sanctions would take.

Sanctions will apply to NGOs that had acted "badly" over the recent unrest in Hong Kong, she said, including the National Endowment for Democracy, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House.

There was "already a large number of facts and evidence that make it clear that these non-governmental organisations support anti-China" forces and "incite separatist activities for Hong Kong independence", Hua added.

She accused them of having "great responsibility for the chaotic situation in Hong Kong".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-protesters-turn-to-taiwan-in-search-of-new-lives-265669">Protesters in Hong Kong</a> are pushing for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability, but the city's pro-Beijing leadership has refused any major political concessions.

The increasingly violent rallies have hammered the retail and tourism sectors, with mainland Chinese visitors abandoning the city in droves.

The city's finance chief warned Monday that Hong Kong is set to record its first budget deficit in 15 years.

China suspended US warship visits and sanctioned American NGOs on Monday in retaliation for the passage of a bill backing pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The financial hub has been rocked by nearly six months of increasingly violent unrest demanding greater autonomy, which Beijing has frequently blamed on foreign influence.

China suspended US warship visits and sanctioned American NGOs on Monday in retaliation for the passage of a bill backing pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The financial hub has been rocked by nearly six months of increasingly violent unrest demanding greater autonomy, which Beijing has frequently blamed on foreign influence. Last week US President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which requires the president to annually review the city's favourable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the semi-autonomous territory's freedoms are quashed. The move came as the world's two biggest economies have been striving to finalise a "phase one" deal in their protracted trade war. "In response to the unreasonable behaviour of the US side, the Chinese government has decided to suspend reviewing the applications for US warships to go to Hong Kong for (rest and) recuperation as of today," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing. China had already denied requests for two US Navy ships to dock in Hong Kong in August, without specifying a reason why. Watch: US and China clash over Hong Kong in the midst of trade talks Behaving 'badly' Hua said they would also apply sanctions to a number of US-based NGOs, although failed to give any specifics over the form sanctions would take. Sanctions will apply to NGOs that had acted "badly" over the recent unrest in Hong Kong, she said, including the National Endowment for Democracy, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House. There was "already a large number of facts and evidence that make it clear that these non-governmental organisations support anti-China" forces and "incite separatist activities for Hong Kong independence", Hua added. She accused them of having "great responsibility for the chaotic situation in Hong Kong". Protesters in Hong Kong are pushing for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability, but the city's pro-Beijing leadership has refused any major political concessions. The increasingly violent rallies have hammered the retail and tourism sectors, with mainland Chinese visitors abandoning the city in droves. The city's finance chief warned Monday that Hong Kong is set to record its first budget deficit in 15 years.

China slaps sanctions on United States for passing Hong Kong rights bill

&nbsp;

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, an ardent conservative who worked to forge a stronger military alliance with the United States, died on Friday at the age of 101, an official at his son's office said.

In office for five years from November 1982 to November 1987, Nakasone was known for trying to transform the nation defeated in World War II into a full-fledged member of the West during the Cold War era.

His efforts to strengthen security ties with Washington came at a time of intensifying trade friction with the United States, the world's biggest economy.

Describing Washington as "the most important partner for Japan", he built a friendship with then President Ronald Reagan.

Officials at the office of his son Hirofumi Nakasone, who is a member of the Japanese parliament's upper house, confirmed the ex-premier's death to AFP, with one of them saying he died Friday, without offering further details.

He broke post-World War II taboos in Japan by deciding to provide military technology to the US and scrapping the cap on the nation's annual defence budget.

Seen as a security hawk and a nationalist, Nakasone's positions on defence angered left-wingers in Japan, at a time when anti-war sentiments were even stronger than today after the defeat in World War II.

Echoing the "Reaganomics" policies of the American president, Nakasone privatised national enterprises such as railway and telephone operators, leaning in favour of the free market and a small state.&nbsp;

He also left his mark on Japan's relations with neighbours China and South Korea, which have been haunted by wartime history.

He was the first Japanese prime minister to visit South Korea, which had been under Tokyo's colonial rule from 1910 to the end of World War II in 1945.

In 1985, he visited a controversial war shrine but did not go the next year after China strongly criticised the move as an attempt to whitewash history.

He stepped down as prime minister in 1987 as support for his government plummeted after he tried to introduce a large-scale indirect tax system.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, an ardent conservative who worked to forge a stronger military alliance with the United States, died on Friday at the age of 101, an official at his son's office said.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, an ardent conservative who worked to forge a stronger military alliance with the United States, died on Friday at the age of 101, an official at his son's office said. In office for five years from November 1982 to November 1987, Nakasone was known for trying to transform the nation defeated in World War II into a full-fledged member of the West during the Cold War era. His efforts to strengthen security ties with Washington came at a time of intensifying trade friction with the United States, the world's biggest economy. Describing Washington as "the most important partner for Japan", he built a friendship with then President Ronald Reagan. Officials at the office of his son Hirofumi Nakasone, who is a member of the Japanese parliament's upper house, confirmed the ex-premier's death to AFP, with one of them saying he died Friday, without offering further details. He broke post-World War II taboos in Japan by deciding to provide military technology to the US and scrapping the cap on the nation's annual defence budget. Seen as a security hawk and a nationalist, Nakasone's positions on defence angered left-wingers in Japan, at a time when anti-war sentiments were even stronger than today after the defeat in World War II. Echoing the "Reaganomics" policies of the American president, Nakasone privatised national enterprises such as railway and telephone operators, leaning in favour of the free market and a small state. He also left his mark on Japan's relations with neighbours China and South Korea, which have been haunted by wartime history. He was the first Japanese prime minister to visit South Korea, which had been under Tokyo's colonial rule from 1910 to the end of World War II in 1945. In 1985, he visited a controversial war shrine but did not go the next year after China strongly criticised the move as an attempt to whitewash history. He stepped down as prime minister in 1987 as support for his government plummeted after he tried to introduce a large-scale indirect tax system.

Japan ex-PM Nakasone who boosted ties with US dies at 101

Hong Kong police entered the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-polytechnic-university-searched-one-protester-found-264625">Polytechnic University</a> on Thursday at the end of a nearly two-week siege that saw some of the worst clashes between protesters and security forces.

It was unclear whether any protesters remained at the site as a team of about 100 plain-clothed police moved into the sprawling campus to collect evidence and remove dangerous items such as petrol bombs. Police said any protesters found would receive medical treatment and arrests were not a priority.

The university <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-university-seige-8-students-arrested-as-protests-fizzle-out-263764">became a battleground</a> in mid-November, when protesters barricaded themselves in and clashed with riot police in a hail of petrol bombs, water cannon and tear gas. About 1,100 people were arrested last week, some while trying to escape.

Reuters witnesses at the university said garbage and abandoned gear including sleeping bags, helmets and gas masks were strewn everywhere, but no protesters could be seen.

More than 5,800 people have been arrested since the unrest broke out in June over a proposal to allow extraditions to mainland China, the numbers increasing exponentially in October and November as violence escalated.

Demonstrators are angry at police violence and what they see as Chinese meddling in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, such as an independent judiciary.

China says it is committed to the “one country, two systems” formula put in place at the handover and has blamed foreign forces for fomenting the unrest, an allegation repeated on Thursday in response to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-hong-kong-democracy-act-china-threatens-firm-countermeasures-264966">US&nbsp;law</a>.

"This so-called legislation will only strengthen the resolve of the Chinese people, including the Hong Kong people, and raise awareness of the sinister intentions and hegemonic nature of the US.&nbsp;The US&nbsp;plot is doomed," the Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

Some analysts say any move to end Hong Kong's special treatment could prove self-defeating for the United States, which has benefited from the business-friendly conditions in the territory of 7.4 million residents.

Trade between Hong Kong and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-overtakes-united-states-in-number-of-diplomatic-missions-264784">United States</a> was estimated to be worth $67.3 billion in 2018, with the United States running a $33.8 billion surplus - its biggest with any country or territory, according to the Office of the US&nbsp;Trade Representative.

Li Ka-shing, the city’s most prominent tycoon, told Reuters he was getting used to “the unfounded verbal and text punches” thrown at him by both sides of the political divide in Hong Kong.

Li and his fellow Hong Kong tycoons are under mounting pressure from Beijing to speak out against the protests, which present the most serious challenge to Communist Party rule since Tiananmen.

Hong Kong police entered the Polytechnic University on Thursday at the end of a nearly two-week siege that saw some of the worst clashes between protesters and security forces.

Hong Kong police entered the Polytechnic University on Thursday at the end of a nearly two-week siege that saw some of the worst clashes between protesters and security forces. It was unclear whether any protesters remained at the site as a team of about 100 plain-clothed police moved into the sprawling campus to collect evidence and remove dangerous items such as petrol bombs. Police said any protesters found would receive medical treatment and arrests were not a priority. The university became a battleground in mid-November, when protesters barricaded themselves in and clashed with riot police in a hail of petrol bombs, water cannon and tear gas. About 1,100 people were arrested last week, some while trying to escape. Reuters witnesses at the university said garbage and abandoned gear including sleeping bags, helmets and gas masks were strewn everywhere, but no protesters could be seen. More than 5,800 people have been arrested since the unrest broke out in June over a proposal to allow extraditions to mainland China, the numbers increasing exponentially in October and November as violence escalated. Demonstrators are angry at police violence and what they see as Chinese meddling in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, such as an independent judiciary. China says it is committed to the “one country, two systems” formula put in place at the handover and has blamed foreign forces for fomenting the unrest, an allegation repeated on Thursday in response to the US law. "This so-called legislation will only strengthen the resolve of the Chinese people, including the Hong Kong people, and raise awareness of the sinister intentions and hegemonic nature of the US. The US plot is doomed," the Chinese foreign ministry statement said. Some analysts say any move to end Hong Kong's special treatment could prove self-defeating for the United States, which has benefited from the business-friendly conditions in the territory of 7.4 million residents. Trade between Hong Kong and the United States was estimated to be worth $67.3 billion in 2018, with the United States running a $33.8 billion surplus - its biggest with any country or territory, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. Li Ka-shing, the city’s most prominent tycoon, told Reuters he was getting used to “the unfounded verbal and text punches” thrown at him by both sides of the political divide in Hong Kong. Li and his fellow Hong Kong tycoons are under mounting pressure from Beijing to speak out against the protests, which present the most serious challenge to Communist Party rule since Tiananmen.

Hong Kong police enter Polytechnic University as siege ends

Oil&nbsp;prices fell on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session after official data showed United States&nbsp;crude and gasoline stocks rose against expectations and production hit a record.

Brent crude futures were down 16 cents, or 0.3 per cent, at $63.90 a barrel by 0141 GMT, having dropped 0.3 per cent&nbsp;on Wednesday.

US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate crude fell 21 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to $57.90, after falling 0.5 per cent&nbsp;in the previous session.

Crude stockpiles in the United States swelled 1.6 million barrels last week as production hit a record high of 12.9 million barrels per day (bpd) and refinery runs slowed, the Energy Information Administration said. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast an inventory drop of 418,000 barrels.&nbsp;

More bearish was a 5.1 million-barrel rise in gasoline stocks, compared with forecasts for a 1.2 million-barrel gain.

Oil&nbsp;prices had risen earlier this week on expectations that China and the United States, the world's two biggest crude users, would soon sign a preliminary agreement, putting an end to their 16-month trade dispute.

"The stock data overshadowed other supply-side issues and a general pick-up in sentiment regarding the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/were-in-final-throes-of-trade-deal-but-will-see-how-it-goes-in-hong-kong-trump-264769">US-China trade deal</a>," ANZ Research said in a note.

Forces based in eastern Libya said on Wednesday they had driven rival factions from the 70,000-bpd El Feel&nbsp;oilfield after attacking the area with airstrikes, leading to production being halted and raising some worries about supply.

In the United States as well, energy services company Baker Hughes reported that US&nbsp;oil&nbsp;drillers reduced the number of drilling rigs for a record 12 months in a row.&nbsp;

Drillers cut three&nbsp;oil&nbsp;rigs in the week to November&nbsp;27, bringing the count down to 668, lowest since April 2017, Baker Hughes said in its report released a day early due to the US&nbsp;Thanksgiving holiday.

Oil prices fell on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session after official data showed United States crude and gasoline stocks rose against expectations and production hit a record.

Oil prices fell on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session after official data showed United States crude and gasoline stocks rose against expectations and production hit a record. Brent crude futures were down 16 cents, or 0.3 per cent, at $63.90 a barrel by 0141 GMT, having dropped 0.3 per cent on Wednesday. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 21 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to $57.90, after falling 0.5 per cent in the previous session. Crude stockpiles in the United States swelled 1.6 million barrels last week as production hit a record high of 12.9 million barrels per day (bpd) and refinery runs slowed, the Energy Information Administration said. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast an inventory drop of 418,000 barrels. More bearish was a 5.1 million-barrel rise in gasoline stocks, compared with forecasts for a 1.2 million-barrel gain. Oil prices had risen earlier this week on expectations that China and the United States, the world's two biggest crude users, would soon sign a preliminary agreement, putting an end to their 16-month trade dispute. "The stock data overshadowed other supply-side issues and a general pick-up in sentiment regarding the US-China trade deal," ANZ Research said in a note. Forces based in eastern Libya said on Wednesday they had driven rival factions from the 70,000-bpd El Feel oilfield after attacking the area with airstrikes, leading to production being halted and raising some worries about supply. In the United States as well, energy services company Baker Hughes reported that US oil drillers reduced the number of drilling rigs for a record 12 months in a row. Drillers cut three oil rigs in the week to November 27, bringing the count down to 668, lowest since April 2017, Baker Hughes said in its report released a day early due to the US Thanksgiving holiday.

Oil drops as US inventory build, record output rekindles supply worries

Israel's drone industry becomes global force

The United States is to cut its contribution to NATO's operating budget, officials said Thursday, with Germany increasing payments as the alliance tries to appease President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-hong-kong-democracy-act-china-threatens-firm-countermeasures-264966">Donald Trump</a> ahead of a summit next week.

Trump has repeatedly criticised European members for freeloading on the US, singling out Germany,&nbsp;the continent's economic powerhouse, for lagging behind on an alliance commitment to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence.

While most of Trump's anger has been focused on European national defence budgets, there has also been American grumbling about how much Washington contributes to NATO's own running costs, and the 29-member alliance has now agreed to a change.

"All allies have agreed a new cost-sharing formula. Under the new formula, cost shares attributed to most European allies and Canada will go up, while the US share will come down," a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-says-death-greatly-exaggerated-to-adopt-new-strategies-on-space-china-263436">NATO</a> official said.

"This is an important demonstration of allies' commitment to the alliance and to fairer burden-sharing."

The US currently pays 22.1 per cent of the NATO budget,&nbsp;which totalled $2.5 billion (2.37 billion euros) in 2019,&nbsp;and Germany 14.8 per cent, under a formula based on each country's gross national income.&nbsp;

Under the new agreement, the US will cut its contribution to 16.35 per cent of the total, Germany's will rise to the same level and other allies will pay more.

Though the sums involved are small in military terms,&nbsp;the 29 alliance members spent a total of nearly a trillion dollars on defence in 2018,&nbsp;not all allies are happy with the move.

Diplomats say France has refused to go along with the new arrangement and will keep its contribution the same at 10.5 per cent, arguing that the deal to change the figures was cooked up between Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel without properly consulting other allies.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg is expected to announce new figures on Friday showing how much more allies have spent since Trump came to power in 2016 in a bid to improve the mood going into Wednesday's leaders' <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-attend-nato-summit-in-london-days-before-uk-vote-262476">meeting in London</a>.

There are fears Trump will repeat his performance at the 2016 summit in Brussels, where he launched into an extraordinary public tirade during a breakfast meeting with Merkel, berating her for weak defence spending and accusing her of cosying up to Russia.

Adding to the clouds over the London gathering are French President Emmanuel <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/poland-says-frances-macron-comments-on-nato-dangerous-261350">Macron's attack on NATO</a> as "brain dead" and ongoing tensions with fellow NATO ally Turkey over its purchase of Russian missiles and its military operation in northern Syria.

The United States is to cut its contribution to NATO's operating budget, officials said Thursday, with Germany increasing payments as the alliance tries to appease President Donald Trump ahead of a summit next week.

The United States is to cut its contribution to NATO's operating budget, officials said Thursday, with Germany increasing payments as the alliance tries to appease President Donald Trump ahead of a summit next week. Trump has repeatedly criticised European members for freeloading on the US, singling out Germany, the continent's economic powerhouse, for lagging behind on an alliance commitment to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence. While most of Trump's anger has been focused on European national defence budgets, there has also been American grumbling about how much Washington contributes to NATO's own running costs, and the 29-member alliance has now agreed to a change. "All allies have agreed a new cost-sharing formula. Under the new formula, cost shares attributed to most European allies and Canada will go up, while the US share will come down," a NATO official said. "This is an important demonstration of allies' commitment to the alliance and to fairer burden-sharing." The US currently pays 22.1 per cent of the NATO budget, which totalled $2.5 billion (2.37 billion euros) in 2019, and Germany 14.8 per cent, under a formula based on each country's gross national income. Under the new agreement, the US will cut its contribution to 16.35 per cent of the total, Germany's will rise to the same level and other allies will pay more. Though the sums involved are small in military terms, the 29 alliance members spent a total of nearly a trillion dollars on defence in 2018, not all allies are happy with the move. Diplomats say France has refused to go along with the new arrangement and will keep its contribution the same at 10.5 per cent, arguing that the deal to change the figures was cooked up between Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel without properly consulting other allies. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg is expected to announce new figures on Friday showing how much more allies have spent since Trump came to power in 2016 in a bid to improve the mood going into Wednesday's leaders' meeting in London. There are fears Trump will repeat his performance at the 2016 summit in Brussels, where he launched into an extraordinary public tirade during a breakfast meeting with Merkel, berating her for weak defence spending and accusing her of cosying up to Russia. Adding to the clouds over the London gathering are French President Emmanuel Macron's attack on NATO as "brain dead" and ongoing tensions with fellow NATO ally Turkey over its purchase of Russian missiles and its military operation in northern Syria.

US to cut spending on NATO budget, Germany to pay more

Iran arrested eight people "linked to the CIA" during <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hundreds-of-banks-and-government-sites-burned-in-iran-unrest-interior-minister-abdolreza-rahmani-fazli-264898">street violence</a> that erupted in nationwide demonstrations against a decision to hike fuel prices, state news agency IRNA reported late Wednesday.

"Some elements who tried to collect information about the recent riots and send them out of the country... were identified and arrested," IRNA quoted the director-general of the intelligence ministry's counter-espionage department as saying.

Six of those arrested were alleged to have been "attending the riots and carrying out orders", IRNA said, without naming the official.

Two others accused of trying to collect information and transfer it abroad were arrested before they could leave the country, the news agency said.

They had all been "trained in different countries on how to collect information... as citizen-journalists", it added.

Iran's arch-foe the United States said on Tuesday it had received thousands of messages from the Islamic republic about protests, including photos and videos, after issuing an appeal for them to defy internet restrictions.

"We've received to date nearly 20,000 messages, videos, pictures, notes of the regime's abuses through Telegram messaging services," Secretary of State <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beijing-slams-pompeo-for-outdated-cold-war-thinking-in-berlin-speech-against-china-261668">Mike Pompeo</a> said, referring to the encrypted app.

The unrest, triggered by a sharp rise in petrol prices, came after a year and a half of biting sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump that aim to contain Iran's regional role.

Amnesty International said Monday that at least 143 demonstrators have been killed since November 15 in Iran's crackdown.

Iran arrested eight people "linked to the CIA" during street violence that erupted in nationwide demonstrations against a decision to hike fuel prices, state news agency IRNA reported late Wednesday.

Iran arrested eight people "linked to the CIA" during street violence that erupted in nationwide demonstrations against a decision to hike fuel prices, state news agency IRNA reported late Wednesday. "Some elements who tried to collect information about the recent riots and send them out of the country... were identified and arrested," IRNA quoted the director-general of the intelligence ministry's counter-espionage department as saying. Six of those arrested were alleged to have been "attending the riots and carrying out orders", IRNA said, without naming the official. Two others accused of trying to collect information and transfer it abroad were arrested before they could leave the country, the news agency said. They had all been "trained in different countries on how to collect information... as citizen-journalists", it added. Iran's arch-foe the United States said on Tuesday it had received thousands of messages from the Islamic republic about protests, including photos and videos, after issuing an appeal for them to defy internet restrictions. "We've received to date nearly 20,000 messages, videos, pictures, notes of the regime's abuses through Telegram messaging services," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, referring to the encrypted app. The unrest, triggered by a sharp rise in petrol prices, came after a year and a half of biting sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump that aim to contain Iran's regional role. Amnesty International said Monday that at least 143 demonstrators have been killed since November 15 in Iran's crackdown.

Iran arrests eight 'linked to CIA' during unrest: State media

For the first time, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/were-in-final-throes-of-trade-deal-but-will-see-how-it-goes-in-hong-kong-trump-264769">China has more diplomatic missions</a> around the world than the United States, according to a study published Wednesday that offered fresh evidence of Beijing's global ambitions.

Australia's respected Lowy Institute reported that China's "rapid" rise up the rankings of diplomatic networks continued in 2019, boosted by the opening of diplomatic posts in countries that had previously recognised Taiwan.

"With 276 posts globally, China has for the first time surpassed the United States' network by three posts," authors of the biennial Global Diplomacy Index said.

In results likely to be read as a bellwether for geopolitical shifts, the think tank said US diplomacy had "entered a period of limbo", with President Donald Trump's budget cuts and troubles retaining career diplomats.

The United States opened no new posts and was forced to shutter its consulate in Saint Petersburg, amid tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions following the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain.

But the US remained the most popular place to have an embassy or consulate, with the 61 countries covered having a total of 342 posts versus 256 foreign <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-china-hold-trade-talks-on-phone-discuss-mutual-issues-264506">diplomatic missions in China</a>.

At the same time, Beijing's footprint continued to grow, with new missions popping up in "Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Gambia, and Sao Tome and Principe, all former diplomatic friends of Taipei".

The index may be a blunt indicator of influence,&nbsp;the number of buildings around the world offers little indication of how effective the diplomats who work there will be.

But the survey offers a snapshot of broader political trends.

Despite a pledge to develop a "Global Britain" without European Union membership, the UK has dropped to 11th in the rankings, below Italy, Spain and Brazil.

Meanwhile, Ireland and the Netherlands have boosted their diplomatic networks by more than half a dozen missions each "as part of their Brexit strategies" to take economic and diplomatic advantage of Britain's retreat.

For the first time, China has more diplomatic missions around the world than the United States, according to a study published Wednesday that offered fresh evidence of Beijing's global ambitions.

For the first time, China has more diplomatic missions around the world than the United States, according to a study published Wednesday that offered fresh evidence of Beijing's global ambitions. Australia's respected Lowy Institute reported that China's "rapid" rise up the rankings of diplomatic networks continued in 2019, boosted by the opening of diplomatic posts in countries that had previously recognised Taiwan. "With 276 posts globally, China has for the first time surpassed the United States' network by three posts," authors of the biennial Global Diplomacy Index said. In results likely to be read as a bellwether for geopolitical shifts, the think tank said US diplomacy had "entered a period of limbo", with President Donald Trump's budget cuts and troubles retaining career diplomats. The United States opened no new posts and was forced to shutter its consulate in Saint Petersburg, amid tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions following the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain. But the US remained the most popular place to have an embassy or consulate, with the 61 countries covered having a total of 342 posts versus 256 foreign diplomatic missions in China. At the same time, Beijing's footprint continued to grow, with new missions popping up in "Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Gambia, and Sao Tome and Principe, all former diplomatic friends of Taipei". The index may be a blunt indicator of influence, the number of buildings around the world offers little indication of how effective the diplomats who work there will be. But the survey offers a snapshot of broader political trends. Despite a pledge to develop a "Global Britain" without European Union membership, the UK has dropped to 11th in the rankings, below Italy, Spain and Brazil. Meanwhile, Ireland and the Netherlands have boosted their diplomatic networks by more than half a dozen missions each "as part of their Brexit strategies" to take economic and diplomatic advantage of Britain's retreat.

China overtakes United States in number of diplomatic missions

Brussels' next top official Ursula von der Leyen presents her top&nbsp;team&nbsp;to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/microsoft-increases-data-protection-responsibilities-for-european-union-262842">European Parliament</a> on Wednesday, hoping to finally put a difficult transition behind her.

The&nbsp;incoming&nbsp;president of the European Commission had hoped to take office a month ago but was thwarted by wrangling over the membership of her executive&nbsp;team.

The former German defence minister&nbsp;faces&nbsp;a daunting brief when her mandate starts on December 1, with the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;at loggerheads with Washington over trade, climate and Iran, while it grapples with a sluggish economy and frets about Russia.

The 61-year-old, a veteran from Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU party, also has to contend with growing divisions between her old boss and French President Emmanuel Macron as the&nbsp;EU's vaunted "Franco-German motor" misfires.

But first, she must convince MEPs in Strasbourg to give their backing to a&nbsp;team&nbsp;drawn from each of 27 member states, all of them bar Britain, which plans to leave the bloc.

Her own appointment to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as head of the commission was approved in July with only nine votes more than she needed, a narrow margin in&nbsp;EU&nbsp;politics.

Three of her initial nominees to the commission were rejected during the parliamentary confirmation process, an unprecedented snub, weakening her authority from the outset.

Nevertheless,&nbsp;EU&nbsp;diplomats and parliamentary leaders are cautiously optimistic she will clear Wednesday's hurdle, a public&nbsp;vote&nbsp;of MEPs at 12:30 pm.

"We will be united in our support for the commission," vowed Manfred Weber, head of the parliament's centre-right EPP bloc and himself a disappointed former presidential hopeful.

Weber was one of a small group of so-called "Spitzenkandidats" or lead candidates representing party blocs that MEPs had hoped would provide the eventual commission leader.

But&nbsp;EU&nbsp;member state leaders, spearheaded by Macron, overturned this experiment in a parliamentary democracy and imposed an outside choice.

The&nbsp;vote&nbsp;to confirm Von der Leyen was conducted by secret ballot, allowing many MEPs to&nbsp;vote&nbsp;against her in protest at the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;leaders' political tactics.

But Wednesday's roll-call to approve the commission as a whole will be conducted openly, helping the main centre-right, social democratic and liberal factions to whip support.

The leader of the Socialists and Democrats group, Iratxe Garcia Perez, noted that pressure from the left had forced von der Leyen to commit to a broad-based political platform.

Brexit cloud

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-threatens-to-deport-european-union-citizens-failing-to-comply-residency-deadline-262035">The commission</a> has members from across the political spectrum, and von der Leyen altered plans to name one portfolio "Protecting our European Way of Life",&nbsp;a title seen by many as too close to the rhetoric of the far-right.

Twelve out of 27 of the members will be women, not quite the parity that was promised but the highest number ever in the European Commission.

"We'll have the most progressive commission of recent times, the most equal and its political priorities will include those our group finds essential," Garcia Perez said.

There will nevertheless be opposition. The parliament's eurosceptic, far-left and right-wing populist parties will&nbsp;vote&nbsp;against, and the Greens have said they will abstain.

Five French socialists will also sit on their hands. "We won't sign a blank cheque," declared MEP Raphael Glucksmann.

And there is one more potential cloud hanging over the investiture: the absence of a British commissioner.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is determined to pull Britain out of the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;on January 31, after Brexit was repeatedly delayed amid wrangling in Westminster over the divorce terms.

But in the meantime he has refused to fill Britain's seat on the commission, citing advice from officials that he cannot make such an appointment during an&nbsp;election&nbsp;campaign.

Some Brussels lawyers are concerned that&nbsp;EU&nbsp;directives may be subject to legal challenge if the commission is not properly constituted with a full 28-member complement.

But von der Leyen's&nbsp;team&nbsp;hope that their threat to launch a legal challenge to London's decision will prove they made a good faith attempt to follow the treaty.

Brussels' next top official Ursula von der Leyen presents her top team to the European Parliament on Wednesday, hoping to finally put a difficult transition behind her.

Brussels' next top official Ursula von der Leyen presents her top team to the European Parliament on Wednesday, hoping to finally put a difficult transition behind her. The incoming president of the European Commission had hoped to take office a month ago but was thwarted by wrangling over the membership of her executive team. The former German defence minister faces a daunting brief when her mandate starts on December 1, with the EU at loggerheads with Washington over trade, climate and Iran, while it grapples with a sluggish economy and frets about Russia. The 61-year-old, a veteran from Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU party, also has to contend with growing divisions between her old boss and French President Emmanuel Macron as the EU's vaunted "Franco-German motor" misfires. But first, she must convince MEPs in Strasbourg to give their backing to a team drawn from each of 27 member states, all of them bar Britain, which plans to leave the bloc. Her own appointment to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as head of the commission was approved in July with only nine votes more than she needed, a narrow margin in EU politics. Three of her initial nominees to the commission were rejected during the parliamentary confirmation process, an unprecedented snub, weakening her authority from the outset. Nevertheless, EU diplomats and parliamentary leaders are cautiously optimistic she will clear Wednesday's hurdle, a public vote of MEPs at 12:30 pm. "We will be united in our support for the commission," vowed Manfred Weber, head of the parliament's centre-right EPP bloc and himself a disappointed former presidential hopeful. Weber was one of a small group of so-called "Spitzenkandidats" or lead candidates representing party blocs that MEPs had hoped would provide the eventual commission leader. But EU member state leaders, spearheaded by Macron, overturned this experiment in a parliamentary democracy and imposed an outside choice. The vote to confirm Von der Leyen was conducted by secret ballot, allowing many MEPs to vote against her in protest at the EU leaders' political tactics. But Wednesday's roll-call to approve the commission as a whole will be conducted openly, helping the main centre-right, social democratic and liberal factions to whip support. The leader of the Socialists and Democrats group, Iratxe Garcia Perez, noted that pressure from the left had forced von der Leyen to commit to a broad-based political platform. Brexit cloud The commission has members from across the political spectrum, and von der Leyen altered plans to name one portfolio "Protecting our European Way of Life", a title seen by many as too close to the rhetoric of the far-right. Twelve out of 27 of the members will be women, not quite the parity that was promised but the highest number ever in the European Commission. "We'll have the most progressive commission of recent times, the most equal and its political priorities will include those our group finds essential," Garcia Perez said. There will nevertheless be opposition. The parliament's eurosceptic, far-left and right-wing populist parties will vote against, and the Greens have said they will abstain. Five French socialists will also sit on their hands. "We won't sign a blank cheque," declared MEP Raphael Glucksmann. And there is one more potential cloud hanging over the investiture: the absence of a British commissioner. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is determined to pull Britain out of the EU on January 31, after Brexit was repeatedly delayed amid wrangling in Westminster over the divorce terms. But in the meantime he has refused to fill Britain's seat on the commission, citing advice from officials that he cannot make such an appointment during an election campaign. Some Brussels lawyers are concerned that EU directives may be subject to legal challenge if the commission is not properly constituted with a full 28-member complement. But von der Leyen's team hope that their threat to launch a legal challenge to London's decision will prove they made a good faith attempt to follow the treaty.

European Commission's president-elect faces final vote

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/next-phase-of-trump-impeachment-hearings-set-for-december-4-264748">Donald Trump</a> said in a radio interview posted online Tuesday that he planned to designate Mexican drug cartels as terror groups.

The move comes after Trump called for a "war" on the drug cartels in early November when nine women and children from an American Mormon community in northern Mexico were killed in a hail of gunfire.

"Are you going to designate those cartels in Mexico as terror groups and start hitting them with drones?" asked Bill O'Reilly, a conservative media personality in an online interview on "The O'Reilly Update."

"I don't want to say what I'm going to do, but they will be designated," Trump answered.

He added: "I will be designating the cartels... absolutely. I have been working on that for the last 90 days.

"Designation is not that easy, you have to go through a process and we are well into that process."

Mexican authorities reacted swiftly, with the foreign ministry saying that it has contacted US officials "to understand the content and the reach" of what the US president had said.

Mexico would also seek a high-level meeting with US officials to hear US concerns and present Mexico's views,&nbsp;which include stemming the flow of weapons bought in the United States and smuggled south of the border, the statement read.

US President Donald Trump said in a radio interview posted online Tuesday that he planned to designate Mexican drug cartels as terror groups. The move comes after Trump called for a "war" on the drug cartels in early November when nine women and children from an American Mormon community in northern Mexico were killed in a hail of gunfire.

US President Donald Trump said in a radio interview posted online Tuesday that he planned to designate Mexican drug cartels as terror groups. The move comes after Trump called for a "war" on the drug cartels in early November when nine women and children from an American Mormon community in northern Mexico were killed in a hail of gunfire. "Are you going to designate those cartels in Mexico as terror groups and start hitting them with drones?" asked Bill O'Reilly, a conservative media personality in an online interview on "The O'Reilly Update." "I don't want to say what I'm going to do, but they will be designated," Trump answered. He added: "I will be designating the cartels... absolutely. I have been working on that for the last 90 days. "Designation is not that easy, you have to go through a process and we are well into that process." Mexican authorities reacted swiftly, with the foreign ministry saying that it has contacted US officials "to understand the content and the reach" of what the US president had said. Mexico would also seek a high-level meeting with US officials to hear US concerns and present Mexico's views, which include stemming the flow of weapons bought in the United States and smuggled south of the border, the statement read.

Will designate Mexican cartels as 'terror groups': Donald Trump

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;on December&nbsp;4&nbsp;in the&nbsp;next&nbsp;phase&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-must-comply-with-impeachment-subpoenas-court-264495">impeachment&nbsp;inquiry</a> into Donald&nbsp;Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend.

Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives spent the last two weeks publicly questioning witnesses including White House officials and diplomats over allegations&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;abused the power of his office when he pressured Ukraine to launch investigations that would help him politically.

With that stage complete, chairman Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with considering whether to draft articles of&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;against the president, said the first public hearing before his panel would begin at 10.00 am.

"The committee looks forward to your participation in the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry as the committee fulfils its constitutional duties," Nadler said in a letter to&nbsp;Trump.

The&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;will address "the historical and constitutional basis of&nbsp;impeachment," and "whether your alleged actions warrant the House's exercising its authority to adopt articles of&nbsp;impeachment," he added.

Under procedural rules passed by the House last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrat-says-more-testimony-hearings-possible-in-trump-impeachment-264258">Trump&nbsp;is invited to attend the judiciary committee&nbsp;hearings</a>, and "the president's counsel may question any witness called."

Nadler in his letter reminded&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;that if he continued to refuse to allow administration personnel to testify or turn over documents sought by the inquiry, the chair may "impose appropriate remedies," including denying presidential requests to question witnesses.

Watch: Hill and Holmes sworn-in for impeachment hearing testimony

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hill-and-holmes-sworn-in-for-impeachment-hearing-testimony-263760/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Democrats leading the probe said ahead of Tuesday's announcement that they could present their report detailing presidential wrongdoing as early as&nbsp;next&nbsp;week when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving break.&nbsp;

House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff presided over two weeks of dramatic public&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;that he said uncovered a "massive amount of evidence" despite efforts to obstruct the investigation by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and his administration.

Schiff said the evidence "conclusively shows" that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;conditioned a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president and critical US military assistance on Kiev announcing investigations that would help&nbsp;Trump's 2020 reelection campaign.

Those include a probe of a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, the son of&nbsp;Trump's potential election rival Joe Biden, sat on the board.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-democrat-says-next-step-underway-in-trump-impeachment-probe-264274">Trump&nbsp;in recent months</a> has repeatedly described the Bidens as "corrupt" despite no evidence of the family committing any wrongdoing related to Ukraine.

The remaining transcripts from closed-door&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;interviews were released on Tuesday -- including testimony from Mark Sandy, a career official in the White House's budget office, who said an attorney at the office had resigned in part due to concerns over the hold on military aid to Ukraine.

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin hearings on December 4 in the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend.

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin hearings on December 4 in the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend. Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives spent the last two weeks publicly questioning witnesses including White House officials and diplomats over allegations Trump abused the power of his office when he pressured Ukraine to launch investigations that would help him politically. With that stage complete, chairman Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with considering whether to draft articles of impeachment against the president, said the first public hearing before his panel would begin at 10.00 am. "The committee looks forward to your participation in the impeachment inquiry as the committee fulfils its constitutional duties," Nadler said in a letter to Trump. The hearings will address "the historical and constitutional basis of impeachment," and "whether your alleged actions warrant the House's exercising its authority to adopt articles of impeachment," he added. Under procedural rules passed by the House last month, Trump is invited to attend the judiciary committee hearings, and "the president's counsel may question any witness called." Nadler in his letter reminded Trump that if he continued to refuse to allow administration personnel to testify or turn over documents sought by the inquiry, the chair may "impose appropriate remedies," including denying presidential requests to question witnesses. Watch: Hill and Holmes sworn-in for impeachment hearing testimony Democrats leading the probe said ahead of Tuesday's announcement that they could present their report detailing presidential wrongdoing as early as next week when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving break. House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff presided over two weeks of dramatic public hearings that he said uncovered a "massive amount of evidence" despite efforts to obstruct the investigation by Trump and his administration. Schiff said the evidence "conclusively shows" that Trump conditioned a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president and critical US military assistance on Kiev announcing investigations that would help Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. Those include a probe of a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, the son of Trump's potential election rival Joe Biden, sat on the board. Trump in recent months has repeatedly described the Bidens as "corrupt" despite no evidence of the family committing any wrongdoing related to Ukraine. The remaining transcripts from closed-door impeachment interviews were released on Tuesday -- including testimony from Mark Sandy, a career official in the White House's budget office, who said an attorney at the office had resigned in part due to concerns over the hold on military aid to Ukraine.

Next phase of Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4

Bolivia&nbsp;appointed its&nbsp;first&nbsp;ambassador&nbsp;to the United States in&nbsp;11&nbsp;years&nbsp;on Tuesday, officials said, as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolivia-returns-to-normal-as-protests-quell-264496">interim government</a> resets the country's foreign policy after the departure of Evo Morales.

Walter Oscar Serrate Cuellar has been given the key posting, the foreign ministry announced on Twitter, filling a position left vacant since a diplomatic spat between La Paz and Washington in 2008.

The high-profile appointment, which has to be approved by the Senate, comes as the caretaker government prepares to hold new elections that exclude Morales.

Morales' Movement for Socialism party controls the upper house of Congress.

Serrate previously served as&nbsp;Bolivia's&nbsp;ambassador&nbsp;and permanent representative at the United Nations, the ministry said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolivia-police-use-tear-gas-against-protesters-carrying-coffins-263772">Under Morales</a>,&nbsp;Bolivia's president for nearly 14&nbsp;years, ties with the United States were tense.

Relations took a turn for the worse under former US leader George W. Bush, with the expulsion of ambassadors from both countries in late 2008.

Morales resigned on November 10 and fled to Mexico where he was granted political asylum after disputed October 20 elections ignited street protests.

Morales, who had been seeking a fourth term, claimed victory, but opposition groups said the results were rigged.

Since declaring herself interim president, right-wing senator Jeanine Anez, who has been recognized by the United States, has wasted no time rewriting&nbsp;Bolivia's foreign policy.

She broke ties with socialist Cuba and Nicolas Maduro's Venezuela.

Anez's&nbsp;first&nbsp;foreign policy decision was to recognise Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's president, joining a group of around 50 countries.

Foreign Minister Karen Longaric announced Venezuelan diplomats would be sent home for "violating diplomatic norms."

Bolivia&nbsp;also fired all its ambassadors except those to Peru and the Vatican.

Easing tensions&nbsp;

Tuesday's announcement comes as some 20 former members of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolivias-congress-approves-law-for-new-elections-without-morales-264143">Morales' government</a> are holed up in Mexico's embassy in La Paz, the foreign ministry said.&nbsp;

Five of them,&nbsp;including Morales' former top minister Juan Ramon Quintana, are wanted for arrest.&nbsp;

Both Morales and Quintana have been accused of sedition and terrorism.&nbsp;

Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Morales, after arriving in Mexico, encouraged his supporters to maintain roadblocks that caused severe food and fuel shortages in La Paz.

Interior Minister Arturo Murillo played a telephone recording to journalists last Wednesday, allegedly of Morales issuing instructions to a leader of the opposition movement in&nbsp;Bolivia.

"Don't let food into the cities, we're going to block, really encircle (the cities)," says the voice Murillo attributed to Morales.

Bolivia&nbsp;has lodged a formal protest to Mexico over Morales's remarks, saying they "contravened" his political asylum status.

Looming new elections and talks between the interim government and opposition groups have helped defuse tensions after weeks of unrest that left dozens dead. &nbsp;

Normal activities are resuming in La Paz and other cities with schools and businesses reopening this week and blockades of major transport routes mostly removed.&nbsp;

An eight-point agreement released by the government pledged, among other things, to set up a commission to free protesters who had not committed any crimes.&nbsp;

Bolivia appointed its first ambassador to the United States in 11 years on Tuesday, officials said, as the interim government resets the country's foreign policy after the departure of Evo Morales.

Bolivia appointed its first ambassador to the United States in 11 years on Tuesday, officials said, as the interim government resets the country's foreign policy after the departure of Evo Morales. Walter Oscar Serrate Cuellar has been given the key posting, the foreign ministry announced on Twitter, filling a position left vacant since a diplomatic spat between La Paz and Washington in 2008. The high-profile appointment, which has to be approved by the Senate, comes as the caretaker government prepares to hold new elections that exclude Morales. Morales' Movement for Socialism party controls the upper house of Congress. Serrate previously served as Bolivia's ambassador and permanent representative at the United Nations, the ministry said. Under Morales, Bolivia's president for nearly 14 years, ties with the United States were tense. Relations took a turn for the worse under former US leader George W. Bush, with the expulsion of ambassadors from both countries in late 2008. Morales resigned on November 10 and fled to Mexico where he was granted political asylum after disputed October 20 elections ignited street protests. Morales, who had been seeking a fourth term, claimed victory, but opposition groups said the results were rigged. Since declaring herself interim president, right-wing senator Jeanine Anez, who has been recognized by the United States, has wasted no time rewriting Bolivia's foreign policy. She broke ties with socialist Cuba and Nicolas Maduro's Venezuela. Anez's first foreign policy decision was to recognise Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's president, joining a group of around 50 countries. Foreign Minister Karen Longaric announced Venezuelan diplomats would be sent home for "violating diplomatic norms." Bolivia also fired all its ambassadors except those to Peru and the Vatican. Easing tensions Tuesday's announcement comes as some 20 former members of Morales' government are holed up in Mexico's embassy in La Paz, the foreign ministry said. Five of them, including Morales' former top minister Juan Ramon Quintana, are wanted for arrest. Both Morales and Quintana have been accused of sedition and terrorism. Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Morales, after arriving in Mexico, encouraged his supporters to maintain roadblocks that caused severe food and fuel shortages in La Paz. Interior Minister Arturo Murillo played a telephone recording to journalists last Wednesday, allegedly of Morales issuing instructions to a leader of the opposition movement in Bolivia. "Don't let food into the cities, we're going to block, really encircle (the cities)," says the voice Murillo attributed to Morales. Bolivia has lodged a formal protest to Mexico over Morales's remarks, saying they "contravened" his political asylum status. Looming new elections and talks between the interim government and opposition groups have helped defuse tensions after weeks of unrest that left dozens dead. Normal activities are resuming in La Paz and other cities with schools and businesses reopening this week and blockades of major transport routes mostly removed. An eight-point agreement released by the government pledged, among other things, to set up a commission to free protesters who had not committed any crimes.

Bolivia: First ambassador to United States appointed in 11 years

Trump impeachment inquiry: What happens next?

ISRO's Cartosat-3 to address increased demand for urban planning, infrastructure development

By David Banks

President Donald Trump’s decisions to withdraw US&nbsp;troops from northern Syria – and then to send them back into action – has raised new concerns around the world about the reliability of US&nbsp;promises.

Since the beginning of Trump’s presidency, I and other foreign policy scholars have worried that Trump’s tendencies toward hyperbole, exaggeration and outright lying could disrupt a relatively stable international community.

For the last several years, I was relieved to find that didn’t happen. Some of the president’s public statements about NATO, trade and nuclear weapons were concerning, but largely didn’t result in major shifts in US&nbsp;policy or changing courses of American action.

However, by announcing that the US military in northern Syria would leave positions they occupied between Turkish and Kurdish forces – two US allies who viewed each other as enemies – and then apparently reversing that decision, Trump has likely caused US allies and rivals to view American commitments in a new, uncertain light.

Other countries have seen how quickly the US&nbsp;can reverse longstanding commitments. They may now adjust their own diplomatic and military strategies to depend less on the US. That, in turn, may reduce the power and influence the US has in the international community, increasing global instability.

Slow-moving bureaucracy

In the first several years of the Trump presidency, bureaucratic lack of action in the Pentagon and the State Department meant that statements from the president didn’t actually change what US troops and diplomats did in other countries.

The message other nations took from that was that they couldn’t totally ignore the president’s words, but they did not need to worry about their implications very much. Despite what Trump said, they felt they could continue to depend on the US for assistance, aid and support.

For instance, a Japanese foreign ministry official told the Japan Times newspaper, “The Japanese government shouldn’t react to a tweet by the president each time … If it’s their official position, we need to deal with it, but the president says various things.”

Put another way, Trump’s statements were hurting the reputation of the US, but not damaging the country’s credibility about its commitments.

To many scholars of foreign policy, this might be surprising. The behaviour of a country’s leader is expected to affect that country’s global reputation, which is usually key to international credibility. Developing consistent positions deters would-be challengers of US&nbsp;allies or interests.

That’s why national officials in the US and around the world are typically quite careful with what they say and how they say it.

(David Banks is Professorial Lecturer of International Politics, American University School of International Service) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/uk-election-2019-a-choice-between-low-tax-individualism-or-generous-state-with-unknown-price-tag-264595">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

By David Banks President Donald Trump’s decisions to withdraw US troops from northern Syria – and then to send them back into action – has raised new concerns around the world about the reliability of US promises.

By David Banks President Donald Trump’s decisions to withdraw US troops from northern Syria – and then to send them back into action – has raised new concerns around the world about the reliability of US promises. Since the beginning of Trump’s presidency, I and other foreign policy scholars have worried that Trump’s tendencies toward hyperbole, exaggeration and outright lying could disrupt a relatively stable international community. For the last several years, I was relieved to find that didn’t happen. Some of the president’s public statements about NATO, trade and nuclear weapons were concerning, but largely didn’t result in major shifts in US policy or changing courses of American action. However, by announcing that the US military in northern Syria would leave positions they occupied between Turkish and Kurdish forces – two US allies who viewed each other as enemies – and then apparently reversing that decision, Trump has likely caused US allies and rivals to view American commitments in a new, uncertain light. Other countries have seen how quickly the US can reverse longstanding commitments. They may now adjust their own diplomatic and military strategies to depend less on the US. That, in turn, may reduce the power and influence the US has in the international community, increasing global instability. Slow-moving bureaucracy In the first several years of the Trump presidency, bureaucratic lack of action in the Pentagon and the State Department meant that statements from the president didn’t actually change what US troops and diplomats did in other countries. The message other nations took from that was that they couldn’t totally ignore the president’s words, but they did not need to worry about their implications very much. Despite what Trump said, they felt they could continue to depend on the US for assistance, aid and support. For instance, a Japanese foreign ministry official told the Japan Times newspaper, “The Japanese government shouldn’t react to a tweet by the president each time … If it’s their official position, we need to deal with it, but the president says various things.” Put another way, Trump’s statements were hurting the reputation of the US, but not damaging the country’s credibility about its commitments. To many scholars of foreign policy, this might be surprising. The behaviour of a country’s leader is expected to affect that country’s global reputation, which is usually key to international credibility. Developing consistent positions deters would-be challengers of US allies or interests. That’s why national officials in the US and around the world are typically quite careful with what they say and how they say it. (David Banks is Professorial Lecturer of International Politics, American University School of International Service) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Syria military presence risks US credibility with world community

China's Vice Premier Liu He, US&nbsp;Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-strive-to-reach-phase-one-trade-deal-with-us-china-263620">held a phone call</a> on issues related to a phase one trade agreement on Tuesday, China's commerce ministry said.

Both sides agreed to maintain communication on remaining issues on phase one trade deal consultations, the ministry said.

The two sides also discussed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-dispute-could-spark-a-real-war-world-war-i-broke-out-over-relatively-minor-crisis-former-us-secretary-of-state-henry-kissinger-263637">core issues</a> of concern and reached consensus on resolving relevant problems, it said.

Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, central bank governor Yi Gang and vice head of state planner Ning Jizhe also participated in the phone call.

Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping asserted his country's interest in working out a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-strive-to-reach-phase-one-trade-deal-with-us-china-263620">preliminary trade deal</a>&nbsp;with the United States. He added that he believes in avoiding a trade war, but is nonetheless afraid of retaliating when necessary.

"We want to work for a 'phase one' agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality," Xi told representatives of an international forum, Reuters reported.

"When necessary, we will fight back, but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war. We did not initiate this trade war and this is not something we want", Jinping added.

Xi was at the Great Hall of the People responding to questions from representatives of the New Economy Forum organised by Bloomberg LP in Beijing.

(With inputs from agencies)

China's Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held a phone call on issues related to a phase one trade agreement on Tuesday, China's commerce ministry said.

China's Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held a phone call on issues related to a phase one trade agreement on Tuesday, China's commerce ministry said. Both sides agreed to maintain communication on remaining issues on phase one trade deal consultations, the ministry said. The two sides also discussed core issues of concern and reached consensus on resolving relevant problems, it said. Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, central bank governor Yi Gang and vice head of state planner Ning Jizhe also participated in the phone call. Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping asserted his country's interest in working out a preliminary trade deal with the United States. He added that he believes in avoiding a trade war, but is nonetheless afraid of retaliating when necessary. "We want to work for a 'phase one' agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality," Xi told representatives of an international forum, Reuters reported. "When necessary, we will fight back, but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war. We did not initiate this trade war and this is not something we want", Jinping added. Xi was at the Great Hall of the People responding to questions from representatives of the New Economy Forum organised by Bloomberg LP in Beijing. (With inputs from agencies)

United States-China hold trade talks on phone, discuss mutual issues

Turkey plans to have its local-made fighter jet ready for flight in the next five to six years, President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-he-told-trump-turkey-will-not-give-up-russian-s-400s-263168">Tayyip Erdogan</a> said on Tuesday, amid an ongoing dispute with the United States over the purchase of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-may-suspend-training-of-turkish-pilots-for-f-35-jets-over-russia-missile-deal-222455">F-35 jets</a>.

Erdogan also said Turkey would invest in a facility that would allow the charging and filling of the detonators produced by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/lockheed-signs-pact-with-tata-to-make-f-16-planes-in-india-17014">F-16s</a> and armed unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

Turkey plans to have its local-made fighter jet ready for flight in the next five to six years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, amid an ongoing dispute with the United States over the purchase of F-35 jets.

Turkey plans to have its local-made fighter jet ready for flight in the next five to six years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, amid an ongoing dispute with the United States over the purchase of F-35 jets. Erdogan also said Turkey would invest in a facility that would allow the charging and filling of the detonators produced by F-16s and armed unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey aims to have its own fighter jet in 5-6 years

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-bid-to-repair-ties-japan-and-south-korea-agree-to-summit-next-month-264060">South Korea and Japan</a> traded fresh barbs on Monday, just days after agreeing to salvage an important intelligence-sharing pact, highlighting the fragile ties between the former wartime foes and allies of the United States.

Officials from each side criticised or contradicted comments made by the other and in media about whether Tokyo had apologised over what Seoul said was an inaccurate weekend statement about the agreement.

Under pressure from Washington, South Korea made a last-minute decision on Friday to conditionally <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-salvages-military-pact-with-japan-at-11th-hour-263924">maintain the pact</a>, known as GSOMIA, a dramatic about-face amid a months-long feud over history and trade.

GSOMIA, or the General Security of Military Information Agreement, is a key symbol of security cooperation between the two old foes and a trilateral partnership with the United States.

Tokyo, for its part, said Seoul made a strategic choice and it hoped to hold trade talks, though it would not immediately restore South Korea's fast-track exporter status.

Officials at Seoul's presidential Blue House said on Sunday they had lodged a protest and received an apology over the Japanese trade ministry's announcement that it will continue enhanced screening on the exports of three core materials used in semiconductors, which they said was "completely different" to what was agreed.

On Monday, the Blue House singled out a report of Japan's Yomiuri newspaper quoting a Japanese foreign ministry official as saying it was "not true" that Tokyo has apologised.

"To clarify once again, we have complained and Japan apologised," senior press secretary Yoon Do-han said in a statement. "Japanese and Korean media are creating a truth game, but we know the truth."

Less than two hours later, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga contradicted Yoon's remarks, saying the export curbs were "completely unrelated to GSOMIA".

"It is not productive to comment on every remark by South Korea, but it is not true that the Japanese government apologised," Suga told a press briefing.

The feud is rooted in a disagreement over compensation for South Koreans forced to work at Japanese companies during the 1910-45 occupation. After South Korea's Supreme Court ordered compensation last year, some former labourers are seeking to seize local assets of Japanese firms, and Tokyo imposed export controls.

South Korean and Japanese trade authorities are expected to meet as early as this week to discuss the issue.

The two countries' foreign ministers agreed on Saturday to work to arrange a summit next month between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-prime-minister-abes-approval-rating-sags-due-to-accusations-of-violating-laws-for-political-spending-262813">Shinzo Abe</a> on the sidelines of a trilateral meeting with China.

Moon and Abe have not had formal talks for more than a year, though they had an 11-minute chat at an international conference in Thailand early this month.

A senior Blue House official said on Sunday it was "extremely disappointing" to see a report by Japan's Asahi newspaper, which quoted Abe as saying that Tokyo has "not conceded anything" and South Korea "simply caved to very strong US&nbsp;pressure".

"I cannot help but question whether that was something the leader of the Japanese government would say with conscience," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

South Korea and Japan traded fresh barbs on Monday, just days after agreeing to salvage an important intelligence-sharing pact, highlighting the fragile ties between the former wartime foes and allies of the United States.

South Korea and Japan traded fresh barbs on Monday, just days after agreeing to salvage an important intelligence-sharing pact, highlighting the fragile ties between the former wartime foes and allies of the United States. Officials from each side criticised or contradicted comments made by the other and in media about whether Tokyo had apologised over what Seoul said was an inaccurate weekend statement about the agreement. Under pressure from Washington, South Korea made a last-minute decision on Friday to conditionally maintain the pact, known as GSOMIA, a dramatic about-face amid a months-long feud over history and trade. GSOMIA, or the General Security of Military Information Agreement, is a key symbol of security cooperation between the two old foes and a trilateral partnership with the United States. Tokyo, for its part, said Seoul made a strategic choice and it hoped to hold trade talks, though it would not immediately restore South Korea's fast-track exporter status. Officials at Seoul's presidential Blue House said on Sunday they had lodged a protest and received an apology over the Japanese trade ministry's announcement that it will continue enhanced screening on the exports of three core materials used in semiconductors, which they said was "completely different" to what was agreed. On Monday, the Blue House singled out a report of Japan's Yomiuri newspaper quoting a Japanese foreign ministry official as saying it was "not true" that Tokyo has apologised. "To clarify once again, we have complained and Japan apologised," senior press secretary Yoon Do-han said in a statement. "Japanese and Korean media are creating a truth game, but we know the truth." Less than two hours later, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga contradicted Yoon's remarks, saying the export curbs were "completely unrelated to GSOMIA". "It is not productive to comment on every remark by South Korea, but it is not true that the Japanese government apologised," Suga told a press briefing. The feud is rooted in a disagreement over compensation for South Koreans forced to work at Japanese companies during the 1910-45 occupation. After South Korea's Supreme Court ordered compensation last year, some former labourers are seeking to seize local assets of Japanese firms, and Tokyo imposed export controls. South Korean and Japanese trade authorities are expected to meet as early as this week to discuss the issue. The two countries' foreign ministers agreed on Saturday to work to arrange a summit next month between South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of a trilateral meeting with China. Moon and Abe have not had formal talks for more than a year, though they had an 11-minute chat at an international conference in Thailand early this month. A senior Blue House official said on Sunday it was "extremely disappointing" to see a report by Japan's Asahi newspaper, which quoted Abe as saying that Tokyo has "not conceded anything" and South Korea "simply caved to very strong US pressure". "I cannot help but question whether that was something the leader of the Japanese government would say with conscience," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

South Korea, Japan in fresh spat over intelligence-sharing pact

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/luxury-brands-group-lvmh-targets-tourist-shoppers-with-revamp-of-historic-paris-store-263262">LVMH</a> has agreed a $16.2 billion deal to buy US&nbsp;jeweller Tiffany, Louis Vuitton's parent firm confirmed on Monday, in the luxury good maker's biggest purchase to date.

The deal will boost LVMH's smallest business, the jeweller and watch division, home to Bulgari and Tag Heuer.

Fashion and accessories brands including <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/luxury-brand-christian-dior-apologises-for-china-map-excluding-taiwan-256487">Christian Dior</a> generate the bulk of the earnings at the conglomerate, which is run by France's richest man, Bernard Arnault.

"The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/french-luxury-giant-lvmh-in-talks-to-take-over-us-jewellers-tiffany-258600/amp">acquisition of Tiffany</a> will strengthen LVMH's position in jewellery and further increase its presence in the United States," LVMH and Tiffany said in a joint statement.

Tiffany CEO Alessandro Bogliolo said the transaction would "provide further support, resources and momentum."

The companies said they expected to close the deal in mid-2020.

The swoop on Tiffany, which involved revised offers from LVMH after its original $120 per share bid in October, comes amid an attempted turnaround for the jewellery chain.

Founded in New York in 1837 and known for its signature robin's egg blue packaging, the brand is one of the best-known names in the sector, but has struggled to win over younger shoppers in recent years.

It now also has to contend with shifting spending patterns as Chinese shoppers retreat from the United States and spend more at home.

LVMH has agreed a $16.2 billion deal to buy US jeweller Tiffany, Louis Vuitton's parent firm confirmed on Monday, in the luxury good maker's biggest purchase to date.

LVMH has agreed a $16.2 billion deal to buy US jeweller Tiffany, Louis Vuitton's parent firm confirmed on Monday, in the luxury good maker's biggest purchase to date. The deal will boost LVMH's smallest business, the jeweller and watch division, home to Bulgari and Tag Heuer. Fashion and accessories brands including Christian Dior generate the bulk of the earnings at the conglomerate, which is run by France's richest man, Bernard Arnault. "The acquisition of Tiffany will strengthen LVMH's position in jewellery and further increase its presence in the United States," LVMH and Tiffany said in a joint statement. Tiffany CEO Alessandro Bogliolo said the transaction would "provide further support, resources and momentum." The companies said they expected to close the deal in mid-2020. The swoop on Tiffany, which involved revised offers from LVMH after its original $120 per share bid in October, comes amid an attempted turnaround for the jewellery chain. Founded in New York in 1837 and known for its signature robin's egg blue packaging, the brand is one of the best-known names in the sector, but has struggled to win over younger shoppers in recent years. It now also has to contend with shifting spending patterns as Chinese shoppers retreat from the United States and spend more at home.

LVMH agrees $16.2 billion deal for jeweller Tiffany

US&nbsp;House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Democrats have begun writing their report on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-accuses-impeachment-witness-of-lying-defends-use-of-giuliani-264142">impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump</a> - a key step moving the process forward - but still may obtain more witness depositions and hold further hearings, the panel's chairman said on Sunday.

Representative Adam Schiff, who is spearheading the inquiry that threatens Trump presidency, said the Democratic-led committee would continue investigations as it works on the report after two weeks of public hearings with testimony from current and former US&nbsp;officials. The panel has held five public hearings and has no more scheduled.

The report could pave the way for House consideration of articles of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-behaviour-worse-than-nixon-head-of-impeachment-probe-263752">impeachment - formal charges</a> - against Trump. If these are approved, the Senate, controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, would then hold a trial on whether to convict the president and remove him from office.

The inquiry centers on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate political rival Joe Biden as well as a discredited conspiracy theory promoted by Trump that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election.

"We don't foreclose the possibility of more depositions, more hearings. We are in the process of getting more documents all the time. So that investigative work is being done," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union" program.

"What we're not going to do is wait months and months while the administration plays a game of 'rope a dope' in an effort to try to stall. We're not willing to go down that road," Schiff said.

"Rope a dope" is a term originated by the late boxer Muhammad Ali referring to delaying tactics.

Trump's administration has refused to provide documents requested by House Democrats and blocked witnesses from testifying including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Other current and former officials have defied White House instructions not to testify.

Schiff said the committee learns more information every day and he expects that to continue but the evidence is already so "overwhelming and uncontested" that lawmakers wanted to begin drafting the report for transmission the Judiciary Committee.

"Even as we compile this report, even as we submit evidence to the Judiciary Committee, we're going to continue our investigation," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The Judiciary Committee could conduct more proceedings if needed, including hearings, that allow Trump and his counsel to participate. The panel would draft any articles of impeachment against Trump before they would go to the full House for a vote.

Democrats also are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the two investigations that could be politically beneficial to Trump.

The money - approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was later provided to Kiev in September after the controversy had spilled into public view.

Trump is running for re-election in 2020. Biden is a leading Democratic contender to face Trump in that election.

US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Democrats have begun writing their report on the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump - a key step moving the process forward - but still may obtain more witness depositions and hold further hearings, the panel's chairman said on Sunday.

US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Democrats have begun writing their report on the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump - a key step moving the process forward - but still may obtain more witness depositions and hold further hearings, the panel's chairman said on Sunday. Representative Adam Schiff, who is spearheading the inquiry that threatens Trump presidency, said the Democratic-led committee would continue investigations as it works on the report after two weeks of public hearings with testimony from current and former US officials. The panel has held five public hearings and has no more scheduled. The report could pave the way for House consideration of articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If these are approved, the Senate, controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, would then hold a trial on whether to convict the president and remove him from office. The inquiry centers on a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate political rival Joe Biden as well as a discredited conspiracy theory promoted by Trump that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US presidential election. "We don't foreclose the possibility of more depositions, more hearings. We are in the process of getting more documents all the time. So that investigative work is being done," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "What we're not going to do is wait months and months while the administration plays a game of 'rope a dope' in an effort to try to stall. We're not willing to go down that road," Schiff said. "Rope a dope" is a term originated by the late boxer Muhammad Ali referring to delaying tactics. Trump's administration has refused to provide documents requested by House Democrats and blocked witnesses from testifying including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Other current and former officials have defied White House instructions not to testify. Schiff said the committee learns more information every day and he expects that to continue but the evidence is already so "overwhelming and uncontested" that lawmakers wanted to begin drafting the report for transmission the Judiciary Committee. "Even as we compile this report, even as we submit evidence to the Judiciary Committee, we're going to continue our investigation," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." The Judiciary Committee could conduct more proceedings if needed, including hearings, that allow Trump and his counsel to participate. The panel would draft any articles of impeachment against Trump before they would go to the full House for a vote. Democrats also are looking into whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the two investigations that could be politically beneficial to Trump. The money - approved by the US Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country - was later provided to Kiev in September after the controversy had spilled into public view. Trump is running for re-election in 2020. Biden is a leading Democratic contender to face Trump in that election.

Top Democrat says more testimony, hearings possible in Trump impeachment

Wall Street advanced on Friday as both Washington and Beijing made positive comments on the potential for a trade deal between the world's two biggest economies and upbeat domestic economic data helped to ease investor worries.

US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frustrated-trump-lashes-out-at-impeachment-probe-263974">Donald Trump</a> told Fox News a trade deal was "potentially very close" following <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/want-to-work-out-preliminary-trade-deal-with-united-states-not-afraid-of-retaliating-chinese-president-jinping-263827">remarks by President Xi Jinping</a> that Beijing wanted to work out an initial agreement.

The S&amp;P 500 and the Dow showed their biggest daily gains in a lacklustre week marked by uncertainty, with a report suggesting the delay of a trade truce to 2020 and US&nbsp;lawmakers passing two bills <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-would-be-obliterated-in-14-minutes-if-not-for-me-donald-trump-263961">supporting protesters in Hong Kong</a>, which could complicate US-China talks.

Strategists said it helped that Trump was vague on Friday about whether he would sign or veto the bills.

Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia, attributed Friday's gains to strong US&nbsp;manufacturing data as well as the improving mood on trade. He said investors were cautious about the apparent trade progress, however.

“President Trump saying it's close is news we’ve heard before. How close is close? Close but not quite or close but I could change my mind?" he said. "That’s what’s keeping the market on its heels at the moment, keeping the move a little bit more timid.”

Manufacturing output accelerated in November to its fastest pace in seven months and services activity picked up more than expected.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;rose 109.33 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 27,875.62, the S&amp;P 500&nbsp;gained 6.75 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 3,110.29 and the Nasdaq Composite&nbsp;added 13.67 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 8,519.89.

Still, the S&amp;P snapped its six-week winning streak, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq registered its first weekly drop in eight weeks and the Dow showed a weekly loss after four weeks of gains. A largely better-than-expected third-quarter corporate earnings season contributed to recent rallies.

Seven of the 11 major S&amp;P 500 sectors closed higher, led by a 0.76 per cent&nbsp;gain in financials&nbsp;and a 0.65 per cent&nbsp;rise in consumer discretionary.

Nordstrom Inc&nbsp;rose 10.6 per cent&nbsp;after the retailer raised its 2019 forecast and reported third-quarter profit above expectations. Gap Inc&nbsp;shares rose 4.4 per cent&nbsp;as the retailer beat lowered quarterly profit estimates days after it cut its annual forecast and replaced its longtime chief executive officer.

Shares of Tesla Inc&nbsp;fell 6 per cent&nbsp;as Wall Street questioned the look of its newly unveiled electric pickup truck, whose "armored glass" windows<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tesla-suffer-mishap-during-launch-of-electric-cybertruck-263848"> shattered in a demonstration</a>.

Intuit Inc&nbsp;dropped 4.2 per cent&nbsp;after the income-tax filing software maker forecast second-quarter profit below estimates.

Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.50-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.40-to-1 ratio favoured advancers.

The S&amp;P 500 posted 17 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 60 new highs and 84 new lows.

On US&nbsp;exchanges, 5.96 billion shares changed hands compared with the 7.03 billion average for the last 20 sessions.

Wall Street advanced on Friday as both Washington and Beijing made positive comments on the potential for a trade deal between the world's two biggest economies and upbeat domestic economic data helped to ease investor worries.

Wall Street advanced on Friday as both Washington and Beijing made positive comments on the potential for a trade deal between the world's two biggest economies and upbeat domestic economic data helped to ease investor worries. US President Donald Trump told Fox News a trade deal was "potentially very close" following remarks by President Xi Jinping that Beijing wanted to work out an initial agreement. The S&P 500 and the Dow showed their biggest daily gains in a lacklustre week marked by uncertainty, with a report suggesting the delay of a trade truce to 2020 and US lawmakers passing two bills supporting protesters in Hong Kong, which could complicate US-China talks. Strategists said it helped that Trump was vague on Friday about whether he would sign or veto the bills. Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia, attributed Friday's gains to strong US manufacturing data as well as the improving mood on trade. He said investors were cautious about the apparent trade progress, however. “President Trump saying it's close is news we’ve heard before. How close is close? Close but not quite or close but I could change my mind?" he said. "That’s what’s keeping the market on its heels at the moment, keeping the move a little bit more timid.” Manufacturing output accelerated in November to its fastest pace in seven months and services activity picked up more than expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 109.33 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 27,875.62, the S&P 500 gained 6.75 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 3,110.29 and the Nasdaq Composite added 13.67 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 8,519.89. Still, the S&P snapped its six-week winning streak, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq registered its first weekly drop in eight weeks and the Dow showed a weekly loss after four weeks of gains. A largely better-than-expected third-quarter corporate earnings season contributed to recent rallies. Seven of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors closed higher, led by a 0.76 per cent gain in financials and a 0.65 per cent rise in consumer discretionary. Nordstrom Inc rose 10.6 per cent after the retailer raised its 2019 forecast and reported third-quarter profit above expectations. Gap Inc shares rose 4.4 per cent as the retailer beat lowered quarterly profit estimates days after it cut its annual forecast and replaced its longtime chief executive officer. Shares of Tesla Inc fell 6 per cent as Wall Street questioned the look of its newly unveiled electric pickup truck, whose "armored glass" windows shattered in a demonstration. Intuit Inc dropped 4.2 per cent after the income-tax filing software maker forecast second-quarter profit below estimates. Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.50-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.40-to-1 ratio favoured advancers. The S&P 500 posted 17 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 60 new highs and 84 new lows. On US exchanges, 5.96 billion shares changed hands compared with the 7.03 billion average for the last 20 sessions.

Wall Street rises with US-China trade mood, upbeat economic data

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/american-vice-president-avoids-baghdad-leaders-on-surprise-iraq-visit-264128">US Vice President Mike Pence visited Iraq on Saturday</a> to reassure Iraqi Kurds of US&nbsp;support after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria drew criticism that Washington had betrayed its Kurdish allies there.

His trip included a visit with Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, and also a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to discuss the unrest and protests over corruption that have rocked the country.

The visit also served to bolster US&nbsp;troops ahead of next Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.

Pence made two stops during his short trip, which was previously unannounced for security reasons. Traveling on a military cargo plane, he landed first at Al Asad Air Base northwest of Baghdad and talked by phone with Abdul Mahdi.

“We spoke about the unrest that’s been taking place in recent weeks here in Iraq," Pence told reporters. "He assured me that they were working to avoid violence or the kind of oppression we see taking place even as we speak in Iran.”

“He pledged to me that they would work to protect and respect peaceful protesters as ... part of the democratic process here in Iraq.”

Hundreds have been killed since early October when mass protests began in Baghdad and southern Iraq. Protesters want to dislodge a political class they view as corrupt and beholden to foreign powers at the expense of Iraqis who suffer from poverty and poor healthcare.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday the United States was prepared to impose sanctions on any Iraqi officials found to be corrupt as well as those responsible for the deaths and wounding of peaceful protesters.

The trip gave the Trump administration a chance to show it is working on foreign policy even as impeachment hearings led by Democrats consume Washington.

Pence said he reiterated Trump’s commitment to an independent and sovereign Iraq. “We continue to be concerned about the malign influence of Iran across Iraq,” he said.

Support for Kurds

The vice president went on to Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq, seeking to show US&nbsp;appreciation for Kurdish sacrifices and affirm a message of US&nbsp;support and partnership with Kurdish fighters.

Pence told Barzani at the beginning of their meeting at Erbil airport that he wanted on Trump's behalf to "reiterate the strong bonds forged in the fires of war between the people of the United States and the Kurdish people across this region".

Last month Turkey launched an offensive into northeastern Syria after Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw all 1,000 US&nbsp;troops there. Pence brokered a pause with Ankara to allow time for Kurdish fighters to withdraw.

That truce aimed to mitigate the crisis sparked by Trump's announcement, which US&nbsp;Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized as a betrayal of Kurdish allies aligned with Washington in the fight against Islamic State.

Asked whether he had to smooth over any sense of betrayal from the Kurds, Pence said: “I don’t think there was any confusion now among the leadership here in the Kurdish region that President Trump’s commitment to our allies here in Iraq as well as to those in the Syrian Defense Forces, the Kurdish forces who fought alongside us, is unchanging.”

Pence did not leave the White House's frustration about the impeachment probe at home. During remarks to US&nbsp;troops at the Al Asad Air Base, he made mention of "partisan politics and endless investigations" back in Washington slowing down the ability to get troops the reources that they need.

Pence and his wife, Karen, served a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cranberry sauce and other fixings to some 700 troops at the base, which Trump visited in a similar surprise trip last year.

Pence, on his first trip to Iraq as vice president, did not to go Baghdad to meet the prime minister personally because of safety concerns related to the protests, a US&nbsp;official said.

US Vice President Mike Pence visited Iraq on Saturday to reassure Iraqi Kurds of US support after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria drew criticism that Washington had betrayed its Kurdish allies there.

US Vice President Mike Pence visited Iraq on Saturday to reassure Iraqi Kurds of US support after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria drew criticism that Washington had betrayed its Kurdish allies there. His trip included a visit with Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, and also a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to discuss the unrest and protests over corruption that have rocked the country. The visit also served to bolster US troops ahead of next Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Pence made two stops during his short trip, which was previously unannounced for security reasons. Traveling on a military cargo plane, he landed first at Al Asad Air Base northwest of Baghdad and talked by phone with Abdul Mahdi. “We spoke about the unrest that’s been taking place in recent weeks here in Iraq," Pence told reporters. "He assured me that they were working to avoid violence or the kind of oppression we see taking place even as we speak in Iran.” “He pledged to me that they would work to protect and respect peaceful protesters as ... part of the democratic process here in Iraq.” Hundreds have been killed since early October when mass protests began in Baghdad and southern Iraq. Protesters want to dislodge a political class they view as corrupt and beholden to foreign powers at the expense of Iraqis who suffer from poverty and poor healthcare. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday the United States was prepared to impose sanctions on any Iraqi officials found to be corrupt as well as those responsible for the deaths and wounding of peaceful protesters. The trip gave the Trump administration a chance to show it is working on foreign policy even as impeachment hearings led by Democrats consume Washington. Pence said he reiterated Trump’s commitment to an independent and sovereign Iraq. “We continue to be concerned about the malign influence of Iran across Iraq,” he said. Support for Kurds The vice president went on to Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq, seeking to show US appreciation for Kurdish sacrifices and affirm a message of US support and partnership with Kurdish fighters. Pence told Barzani at the beginning of their meeting at Erbil airport that he wanted on Trump's behalf to "reiterate the strong bonds forged in the fires of war between the people of the United States and the Kurdish people across this region". Last month Turkey launched an offensive into northeastern Syria after Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw all 1,000 US troops there. Pence brokered a pause with Ankara to allow time for Kurdish fighters to withdraw. That truce aimed to mitigate the crisis sparked by Trump's announcement, which US Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized as a betrayal of Kurdish allies aligned with Washington in the fight against Islamic State. Asked whether he had to smooth over any sense of betrayal from the Kurds, Pence said: “I don’t think there was any confusion now among the leadership here in the Kurdish region that President Trump’s commitment to our allies here in Iraq as well as to those in the Syrian Defense Forces, the Kurdish forces who fought alongside us, is unchanging.” Pence did not leave the White House's frustration about the impeachment probe at home. During remarks to US troops at the Al Asad Air Base, he made mention of "partisan politics and endless investigations" back in Washington slowing down the ability to get troops the reources that they need. Pence and his wife, Karen, served a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cranberry sauce and other fixings to some 700 troops at the base, which Trump visited in a similar surprise trip last year. Pence, on his first trip to Iraq as vice president, did not to go Baghdad to meet the prime minister personally because of safety concerns related to the protests, a US official said.

On Iraq visit, Pence reassures Kurds, discusses protests with prime minister

Saudi efforts to negotiate an end to the Yemen war in a bid to open a dialogue with Iran could call into question continued Gulf support for US President Donald J. Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic republic.

Saudi officials hope that talks mediated by Oman and Britain between the kingdom and Houthi rebels will lead to a revival of stalled talks between the Yemeni insurgents and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has tasked his younger brother and Saudi deputy defense minister, Khalid bin Salman, with engineering an end to the Yemeni war as part of a broader revamp of Saudi foreign policy.

The revamp involves a return to a more cautious foreign and defense policy that embraces multilateralism after several years in which the kingdom adopted an assertive and robust go-it alone approach that produced several fiascos, including the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen 4.5 years ago.

The revamp was prompted by attacks in September on two of the kingdom’s key oil facilities as well as doubts about the reliability of the US defense commitment to the Gulf.

The kingdom’s return to a more cautious approach is also intended to allow Saudi Arabia to project itself in 2020 as president of the Group of 20 (G20) and repair its image tarnished by the Yemen War, the killing last year of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and a domestic crackdown on dissent. The G20 groups the world’s twenty largest economies.

Mr. Trump’s response to the September drone and missile attacks for which the Houthis claimed responsibility was the latest, and in some ways clearest indication, that Gulf states may not be able to count on the United States in times of crisis even though the Trump administration insisted that Iran rather than the rebels was to blame for the incident.

“That was an attack on Saudi Arabia, and that wasn’t an attack on us. But we would certainly help them. If we decide to do something, they’ll be very much involved, and that includes payment. And they understand that fully,” Mr. Trump said at the time, adopting a transactional attitude towards Gulf security.

A US official involved in Gulf policy said more recently that “the attacks made the Saudis and other Gulf states realize that escalation of US-Iranian tensions would make them targets in an environment in which the United States may not wholeheartedly come to their rescue.”

Another US official suggested that the Saudis’ “prime objective now is to lessen their involvement in Yemen, to get the Houthis to stop being some version of a proxy, so they (the Saudis) can deal directly with Iran.”

United Nations Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council this week that the number of air attacks by the Saudi-led coalition had dropped by nearly 80 percent in the last two weeks.

“We call this de-escalation, a reduction in the tempo of the war, and perhaps a move towards an overall ceasefire in Yemen," Mr. Griffiths said. He held out the hope that a negotiated end to the war could be achieved early next year.

Saudi efforts to end the war as well as gestures towards Iran in recent months by the United Arab Emirates did not stop senior Saudi and UAE officials from adopting a hard line at this week’s Manama Dialogue.

“Appeasement simply cannot work with Iran. We hold Iran responsible for the attack on Abqaiq. We do not want war, but Iran needs to be held accountable. The question is whether Iran can abandon its ambition to propagate the revolution and respect sovereignty,” Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs Adel al-Jubeir told the Bahrain gathering. By mentioning Abqaiq, Mr. Al-Jubeir was referring to one of the two Saudi oil facilities targeted in September.

Mr. Al-Jubeir’s UAE counterpart, Anwar Gargash, added: “Germany under Hitler, the Soviet Union, Iran today: revisionist states threaten international order. The key to stability is deterrence, and steadfast resolve by the international community that Iran must change. If not, sanctions must be increased, not loosened.”

The US Treasury, expanding harsh sanctions that aim to force Iran to re-negotiate on American terms the 2015 international agreement that curbed the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, sanctioned this week Iranian communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi for blocking access to the Internet as part of a bid to squash anti-government protests.

The blockage made it difficult for protesters to post videos on social media, generate support for their rejection of recent fuel price hikes, and obtain reliable reports on the extent of the unrest. Amnesty International said more than 100 protesters had so far been killed by security forces.

Mr. Al-Jubeir and Mr. Gargash’s tough remarks notwithstanding, winds in the Gulf appear to be blowing in the direction of reduced tension on all fronts, including the 2.5-year old Saudi-UAE-led boycott of Qatar.

Inevitably, reducing tension will only prove sustainable if US-Iranian friction is dialled back.

Sustainability moreover will depend on some sort of regional understanding on non-aggression that would involve Iran and create the basis for a more multilateral security architecture that would embed rather than replace the regional US defence umbrella.

Bahraini foreign minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa appeared to anticipate a more multilateral approach in his remarks at the Manama Dialogue. Rejecting an Iranian call for a security architecture that would exclusively involve regional states, Mr. Al Khalifa asserted that “Iran's regional security proposals are fundamentally flawed, especially because they do not include external powers.”

A series of Saudi and UAE gestures in recent months, beyond the Saudi-Houthi talks, signal moves towards reducing tensions not only on the Yemeni but also the Iranian and Qatari fronts.

In the latest indication, Khaled Al Jarallah, deputy foreign minister of Kuwait, the official mediator in the dispute with Qatar, said a decision this month by the Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini national soccer teams to compete in the Gulf Cup in Qatar, despite their boycott of the Gulf state, “provides a clear indication that a breakthrough has taken place.”

Similarly, a Saudi official, in a rare gesture, told reporters in Washington earlier this month that Qatar had taken a step towards resolving the crisis by passing an anti-terrorism funding law, a key demand of the boycotting countries.

Besides withdrawing forces from Yemen, the UAE refrained from blaming Iran for the attacks on the Saudi installations and earlier explosions on vessels off the Emirati coast and sent officials to Iran to discuss maritime security.

Saudi and UAE support for the US’ maximum pressure campaign is certain to weaken if Gulf efforts to reduce tensions progress, particularly with regards to Iran. A peace process in Yemen and a Gulf dialogue with Iran would be significant steps in that direction.

Dr. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

Saudi efforts to negotiate an end to the Yemen war in a bid to open a dialogue with Iran could call into question continued Gulf support for US President Donald J.

Saudi efforts to negotiate an end to the Yemen war in a bid to open a dialogue with Iran could call into question continued Gulf support for US President Donald J. Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic republic. Saudi officials hope that talks mediated by Oman and Britain between the kingdom and Houthi rebels will lead to a revival of stalled talks between the Yemeni insurgents and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has tasked his younger brother and Saudi deputy defense minister, Khalid bin Salman, with engineering an end to the Yemeni war as part of a broader revamp of Saudi foreign policy. The revamp involves a return to a more cautious foreign and defense policy that embraces multilateralism after several years in which the kingdom adopted an assertive and robust go-it alone approach that produced several fiascos, including the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen 4.5 years ago. The revamp was prompted by attacks in September on two of the kingdom’s key oil facilities as well as doubts about the reliability of the US defense commitment to the Gulf. The kingdom’s return to a more cautious approach is also intended to allow Saudi Arabia to project itself in 2020 as president of the Group of 20 (G20) and repair its image tarnished by the Yemen War, the killing last year of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and a domestic crackdown on dissent. The G20 groups the world’s twenty largest economies. Mr. Trump’s response to the September drone and missile attacks for which the Houthis claimed responsibility was the latest, and in some ways clearest indication, that Gulf states may not be able to count on the United States in times of crisis even though the Trump administration insisted that Iran rather than the rebels was to blame for the incident. “That was an attack on Saudi Arabia, and that wasn’t an attack on us. But we would certainly help them. If we decide to do something, they’ll be very much involved, and that includes payment. And they understand that fully,” Mr. Trump said at the time, adopting a transactional attitude towards Gulf security. A US official involved in Gulf policy said more recently that “the attacks made the Saudis and other Gulf states realize that escalation of US-Iranian tensions would make them targets in an environment in which the United States may not wholeheartedly come to their rescue.” Another US official suggested that the Saudis’ “prime objective now is to lessen their involvement in Yemen, to get the Houthis to stop being some version of a proxy, so they (the Saudis) can deal directly with Iran.” United Nations Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council this week that the number of air attacks by the Saudi-led coalition had dropped by nearly 80 percent in the last two weeks. “We call this de-escalation, a reduction in the tempo of the war, and perhaps a move towards an overall ceasefire in Yemen," Mr. Griffiths said. He held out the hope that a negotiated end to the war could be achieved early next year. Saudi efforts to end the war as well as gestures towards Iran in recent months by the United Arab Emirates did not stop senior Saudi and UAE officials from adopting a hard line at this week’s Manama Dialogue. “Appeasement simply cannot work with Iran. We hold Iran responsible for the attack on Abqaiq. We do not want war, but Iran needs to be held accountable. The question is whether Iran can abandon its ambition to propagate the revolution and respect sovereignty,” Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs Adel al-Jubeir told the Bahrain gathering. By mentioning Abqaiq, Mr. Al-Jubeir was referring to one of the two Saudi oil facilities targeted in September. Mr. Al-Jubeir’s UAE counterpart, Anwar Gargash, added: “Germany under Hitler, the Soviet Union, Iran today: revisionist states threaten international order. The key to stability is deterrence, and steadfast resolve by the international community that Iran must change. If not, sanctions must be increased, not loosened.” The US Treasury, expanding harsh sanctions that aim to force Iran to re-negotiate on American terms the 2015 international agreement that curbed the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, sanctioned this week Iranian communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi for blocking access to the Internet as part of a bid to squash anti-government protests. The blockage made it difficult for protesters to post videos on social media, generate support for their rejection of recent fuel price hikes, and obtain reliable reports on the extent of the unrest. Amnesty International said more than 100 protesters had so far been killed by security forces. Mr. Al-Jubeir and Mr. Gargash’s tough remarks notwithstanding, winds in the Gulf appear to be blowing in the direction of reduced tension on all fronts, including the 2.5-year old Saudi-UAE-led boycott of Qatar. Inevitably, reducing tension will only prove sustainable if US-Iranian friction is dialled back. Sustainability moreover will depend on some sort of regional understanding on non-aggression that would involve Iran and create the basis for a more multilateral security architecture that would embed rather than replace the regional US defence umbrella. Bahraini foreign minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa appeared to anticipate a more multilateral approach in his remarks at the Manama Dialogue. Rejecting an Iranian call for a security architecture that would exclusively involve regional states, Mr. Al Khalifa asserted that “Iran's regional security proposals are fundamentally flawed, especially because they do not include external powers.” A series of Saudi and UAE gestures in recent months, beyond the Saudi-Houthi talks, signal moves towards reducing tensions not only on the Yemeni but also the Iranian and Qatari fronts. In the latest indication, Khaled Al Jarallah, deputy foreign minister of Kuwait, the official mediator in the dispute with Qatar, said a decision this month by the Saudi, Emirati and Bahraini national soccer teams to compete in the Gulf Cup in Qatar, despite their boycott of the Gulf state, “provides a clear indication that a breakthrough has taken place.” Similarly, a Saudi official, in a rare gesture, told reporters in Washington earlier this month that Qatar had taken a step towards resolving the crisis by passing an anti-terrorism funding law, a key demand of the boycotting countries. Besides withdrawing forces from Yemen, the UAE refrained from blaming Iran for the attacks on the Saudi installations and earlier explosions on vessels off the Emirati coast and sent officials to Iran to discuss maritime security. Saudi and UAE support for the US’ maximum pressure campaign is certain to weaken if Gulf efforts to reduce tensions progress, particularly with regards to Iran. A peace process in Yemen and a Gulf dialogue with Iran would be significant steps in that direction. Dr. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Mending Gulf fences could weaken support for US sanctions against Iran

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/fatf-european-union-offers-technical-assistance-to-pakistan-262766">European Union</a> (EU) countries on Friday endorsed a tough line for selecting 5G suppliers, including vetting the domestic legal framework to which they are subjected, potentially dealing a blow to telecoms equipment market leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/microsoft-granted-licence-to-export-mass-market-software-to-huawei-263823">Huawei Technologies</a>.

Ambassadors meeting in Brussels agreed to the approach, a spokeswoman for Finland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said in a tweet.

EU countries should consider non-technical factors such as the legal and policy framework to which suppliers may be subject in third countries, a draft document seen by Reuters ahead of the meeting said. The document did not mention any specific countries or companies.

EU governments should also diversify their suppliers and not depend on one, the document said. EU ministers will give the green light to the approach at a meeting next month.

The United States has urged the EU to ban Huawei equipment, saying that its gear could be used by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-wants-to-take-over-australian-politics-ex-spy-chief-263762">China</a> for spying. Concerns have focused on a Chinese law on domestic companies' cooperation with the government on security matters, with critics saying that these could compel them to be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

The Shenzen-based company, which competes with Finland's Nokia&nbsp;and Sweden's Ericsson&nbsp;has denied the US&nbsp;charges and dismissed the concerns as groundless.

Last month, the EU warned of the risk of increased cyber attacks by state-backed entities but did not name any company or country. The bloc sees 5G networks as key to boosting economic growth.

The EU is now looking into a so-called toolbox of measures by the end of the year to address cyber security risks at national and bloc-wide level. The European Agency for Cybersecurity is also finalising a map of specific threats related to 5G networks.

European Union (EU) countries on Friday endorsed a tough line for selecting 5G suppliers, including vetting the domestic legal framework to which they are subjected, potentially dealing a blow to telecoms equipment market leader Huawei Technologies.

European Union (EU) countries on Friday endorsed a tough line for selecting 5G suppliers, including vetting the domestic legal framework to which they are subjected, potentially dealing a blow to telecoms equipment market leader Huawei Technologies. Ambassadors meeting in Brussels agreed to the approach, a spokeswoman for Finland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said in a tweet. EU countries should consider non-technical factors such as the legal and policy framework to which suppliers may be subject in third countries, a draft document seen by Reuters ahead of the meeting said. The document did not mention any specific countries or companies. EU governments should also diversify their suppliers and not depend on one, the document said. EU ministers will give the green light to the approach at a meeting next month. The United States has urged the EU to ban Huawei equipment, saying that its gear could be used by China for spying. Concerns have focused on a Chinese law on domestic companies' cooperation with the government on security matters, with critics saying that these could compel them to be a vehicle for Chinese spying. The Shenzen-based company, which competes with Finland's Nokia and Sweden's Ericsson has denied the US charges and dismissed the concerns as groundless. Last month, the EU warned of the risk of increased cyber attacks by state-backed entities but did not name any company or country. The bloc sees 5G networks as key to boosting economic growth. The EU is now looking into a so-called toolbox of measures by the end of the year to address cyber security risks at national and bloc-wide level. The European Agency for Cybersecurity is also finalising a map of specific threats related to 5G networks.

EU countries back tough line on 5G suppliers in potential blow to Huawei

Chinese President Xi Jinping today asserted his country's interest in working out a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-strive-to-reach-phase-one-trade-deal-with-us-china-263620">preliminary trade deal</a> with the United States. He added that he believes in avoiding a trade war, but is nonetheless afraid of retaliating when necessary.

"We want to work for a 'phase one' agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality," Xi told representatives of an international forum, Reuters reported.

"When necessary, we will fight back, but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war. We did not initiate this trade war and this is not something we want", Jinping added.

Xi was at the Great Hall of the People responding to questions from representatives of the New Economy Forum organised by Bloomberg LP in Beijing.

Yesterday, former US secretary of state <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-dispute-could-spark-a-real-war-world-war-i-broke-out-over-relatively-minor-crisis-former-us-secretary-of-state-henry-kissinger-263637">Henry Kissinger</a> warned that an armed conflict could break out between the United States and China if they fail to resolve their trade war.

Kissinger was instrumental in normalising diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing, came at a conference in Beijing on the future of the two economic giants.

"If a conflict is permitted to run unconstrained, the outcome could be even worse than it was in Europe", he said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.

"World War I broke out because of a relatively minor crisis ... and today the weapons are more powerful," the former top diplomat said. 
 
Watch: China seeks sanctions on US at World Trade Organisation

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wallet-china-seeks-sanctions-on-us-in-world-trade-organisation-257427/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Earlier, China said that it is willing to work with the United States to resolve each other's core concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and will try hard to reach a "phase one" deal.&nbsp;

"This is in line with the interests of both China and the United States, and of the world," Gao Feng, a spokesman at the ministry, told reporters.&nbsp;

Economists warn that the prolonged trade dispute between China and the United States is escalating risks to the global economy by disrupting supply chains, discouraging investment and dampening business confidence.

Completion of a phase one deal could slide into next year, trade experts and people close to the White House told Reuters previously, as Beijing presses for more extensive tariff rollbacks and the US administration counters with heightened demands of its own.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Chinese President Xi Jinping today asserted his country's interest in working out a preliminary trade deal with the United States. He added that he believes in avoiding a trade war, but is nonetheless afraid of retaliating when necessary.

Chinese President Xi Jinping today asserted his country's interest in working out a preliminary trade deal with the United States. He added that he believes in avoiding a trade war, but is nonetheless afraid of retaliating when necessary. "We want to work for a 'phase one' agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality," Xi told representatives of an international forum, Reuters reported. "When necessary, we will fight back, but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war. We did not initiate this trade war and this is not something we want", Jinping added. Xi was at the Great Hall of the People responding to questions from representatives of the New Economy Forum organised by Bloomberg LP in Beijing. Yesterday, former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned that an armed conflict could break out between the United States and China if they fail to resolve their trade war. Kissinger was instrumental in normalising diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing, came at a conference in Beijing on the future of the two economic giants. "If a conflict is permitted to run unconstrained, the outcome could be even worse than it was in Europe", he said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. "World War I broke out because of a relatively minor crisis ... and today the weapons are more powerful," the former top diplomat said. Watch: China seeks sanctions on US at World Trade Organisation Earlier, China said that it is willing to work with the United States to resolve each other's core concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and will try hard to reach a "phase one" deal. "This is in line with the interests of both China and the United States, and of the world," Gao Feng, a spokesman at the ministry, told reporters. Economists warn that the prolonged trade dispute between China and the United States is escalating risks to the global economy by disrupting supply chains, discouraging investment and dampening business confidence. Completion of a phase one deal could slide into next year, trade experts and people close to the White House told Reuters previously, as Beijing presses for more extensive tariff rollbacks and the US administration counters with heightened demands of its own. (With inputs from Reuters)

Want to 'work out' preliminary trade deal with US but not afraid of retaliating: Chinese President Xi Jinping

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-pointless-for-kim-to-attend-south-korea-asean-summit-263634">South Korea</a> is set to let lapse an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan on Saturday amid a bitter feud over history and trade, defying mounting US&nbsp;pressure to maintain a key element of their trilateral security cooperation.

The expiry of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) is likely to intensify discord between South Korea and the United States, which wants its two Asian allies to keep their dispute out of security cooperation.

Seoul gave Tokyo three month's notice in August for ending GSOMIA after Tokyo imposed export controls on South Korea over a dispute stemming from its 1910-45 colonisation of the Korean peninsula.

The accord will expire at Saturday midnight unless it is renewed. Both sides are refusing to budge, with Seoul urging Tokyo to lift its trade regulations first. Japan has called for GSOMIA to be maintained.

"Unless there's a change in Japan's attitude, our position is we won't reconsider," South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told parliament on Thursday.

Japan's Defence Minister Taro Kono said an expiry of the agreement would not have a direct impact on Japan's security.

"But given the current situation with North Korea I have the concern that this could send a mistaken message to North Korea and other countries in the region," he said, adding he thought Seoul would make a "sensible decision".

GSOMIA was sealed in 2016 after a years-long US&nbsp;push for a better joint response to North Korea's growing military threat.

Washington has been unusually strident in its public criticism of South Korea's decision, which has not been the only source of tension in the relationship.

On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-cuts-short-meeting-with-south-korea-on-military-costs-263118">US&nbsp;negotiators broke off talks after South Korea</a> rejected demands to hike its contribution five-fold to $5 billion to maintain 28,500 US&nbsp;soldiers as a buffer against North Korean aggression.

"The unprecedented breakdown showed the current state of the alliance, where money and business dealings are wearing away shared values and trust that formed its foundation," said Kim Hong-Kyun, a former South Korean deputy foreign minister.

Watch: Trump wants Japan and South Korea to pay more for defence

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-report-trump-wants-japan-and-south-korea-to-pay-more-for-defense-263015/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Deadline

Asked whether ending GSOMIA risked harming the alliance with the United States, Kang said such analysis was understandable but the decision was made "solely within the context" of Japan ties.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-wants-united-states-to-end-joint-drills-with-south-korea-to-resume-talks-263025">South Korea has pledged to continue security cooperation</a> with Japan, including via a trilateral arrangement involving the United States.

The three countries signed the Trilateral Information Sharing Arrangement (TISA) in 2014. But that is limited to information regarding Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes, whereas GSOMIA covers broader intelligence.

Kim, the former diplomat, said US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, who has insisted on South Korea contributing more to defence costs, could resort to "brinkmanship" in future talks, as he did in dealing with North Korea.

Cho Han-bum, senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said Seoul made a mistake by expanding trade rows to security issues, but Trump was unlikely to withdraw troops that are key to keeping China and Russia in check.

The United States on Thursday denied a South Korean news report it was considering cutting troop numbers if the burden-sharing talks do not go as Trump wished.

South Korea is set to let lapse an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan on Saturday amid a bitter feud over history and trade, defying mounting US pressure to maintain a key element of their trilateral security cooperation.

South Korea is set to let lapse an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan on Saturday amid a bitter feud over history and trade, defying mounting US pressure to maintain a key element of their trilateral security cooperation. The expiry of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) is likely to intensify discord between South Korea and the United States, which wants its two Asian allies to keep their dispute out of security cooperation. Seoul gave Tokyo three month's notice in August for ending GSOMIA after Tokyo imposed export controls on South Korea over a dispute stemming from its 1910-45 colonisation of the Korean peninsula. The accord will expire at Saturday midnight unless it is renewed. Both sides are refusing to budge, with Seoul urging Tokyo to lift its trade regulations first. Japan has called for GSOMIA to be maintained. "Unless there's a change in Japan's attitude, our position is we won't reconsider," South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told parliament on Thursday. Japan's Defence Minister Taro Kono said an expiry of the agreement would not have a direct impact on Japan's security. "But given the current situation with North Korea I have the concern that this could send a mistaken message to North Korea and other countries in the region," he said, adding he thought Seoul would make a "sensible decision". GSOMIA was sealed in 2016 after a years-long US push for a better joint response to North Korea's growing military threat. Washington has been unusually strident in its public criticism of South Korea's decision, which has not been the only source of tension in the relationship. On Tuesday, US negotiators broke off talks after South Korea rejected demands to hike its contribution five-fold to $5 billion to maintain 28,500 US soldiers as a buffer against North Korean aggression. "The unprecedented breakdown showed the current state of the alliance, where money and business dealings are wearing away shared values and trust that formed its foundation," said Kim Hong-Kyun, a former South Korean deputy foreign minister. Watch: Trump wants Japan and South Korea to pay more for defence Deadline Asked whether ending GSOMIA risked harming the alliance with the United States, Kang said such analysis was understandable but the decision was made "solely within the context" of Japan ties. South Korea has pledged to continue security cooperation with Japan, including via a trilateral arrangement involving the United States. The three countries signed the Trilateral Information Sharing Arrangement (TISA) in 2014. But that is limited to information regarding Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes, whereas GSOMIA covers broader intelligence. Kim, the former diplomat, said US President Donald Trump, who has insisted on South Korea contributing more to defence costs, could resort to "brinkmanship" in future talks, as he did in dealing with North Korea. Cho Han-bum, senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said Seoul made a mistake by expanding trade rows to security issues, but Trump was unlikely to withdraw troops that are key to keeping China and Russia in check. The United States on Thursday denied a South Korean news report it was considering cutting troop numbers if the burden-sharing talks do not go as Trump wished.

South Korea to terminate intelligence pact with Japan in defiance of United States

The Hong Kong police are <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/too-scared-to-escape-isolated-protesters-hold-out-on-trashed-hong-kong-campus-263740">pursuing arrests as students continue to hole up</a> in the ravaged Polytechnic University in the Kowloon peninsula. Today, eight students were arrested after they surrendered to the riot police who had surrounded the campus.

The siege at the university on the Kowloon peninsula appeared to be nearing an end with the number of protesters dwindling to less than 100, days after some of the worst violence since anti-government demonstrations escalated in June.

The mood on the nearly deserted campus was rather calm today after a night of protesting roaming the grounds looking for undercover officers. Others hid, terrified they would be arrested by infiltrators.

"We are feeling a little tired. All of us feel tired but we will not give up trying to get out," said a 23-year-old demonstrator who gave his name only as Shiba as he ate noodles with egg and sausage in the protesters' canteen.

"We spent yesterday trying to find ways to get outside but failed, so we came for some breakfast," he said.

A Reuters reporter saw six black-clad protesters holding hands walk towards police lines, while a first aid worker said two more surrendered later.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-china-diplomat-says-beijing-will-never-allow-anyone-to-destroy-hong-kongs-stability-263609">Demonstrators are angry at what they see as Chinese meddling</a> in freedoms promised to Hong Kong when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and are calling for full democracy, among other demands.

Watch: China slams US'&nbsp;Bill on Hong Kong

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-china-slams-us-bill-on-hong-kong-263458/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-police-trying-to-settle-university-scuffle-peacefully-one-country-two-systems-to-be-upheld-263534">Beijing has said it is committed to the "one country, two systems"</a> formula under which Hong Kong is governed. It denies meddling in Hong Kong affairs and accuses foreign governments, including Britain and the United States, of stirring up trouble.

One older protester, who estimated only around 30 demonstrators remained, said some had given up looking for escape routes and were now making new weapons to protect themselves in case police stormed the campus.

The Chinese-ruled city has enjoyed two days and nights of relative calm ahead of district council elections that are due to take place on Sunday.

The government has said it is committed to proceeding with the elections and is monitoring the situation to ensure the election can be held safely.

All polling stations will be guarded by armed officers in riot gear for the first time in the history of local elections, the South China Morning Post reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Hong Kong police are pursuing arrests as students continue to hole up in the ravaged Polytechnic University in the Kowloon peninsula. Today, eight students were arrested after they surrendered to the riot police who had surrounded the campus.

The Hong Kong police are pursuing arrests as students continue to hole up in the ravaged Polytechnic University in the Kowloon peninsula. Today, eight students were arrested after they surrendered to the riot police who had surrounded the campus. The siege at the university on the Kowloon peninsula appeared to be nearing an end with the number of protesters dwindling to less than 100, days after some of the worst violence since anti-government demonstrations escalated in June. The mood on the nearly deserted campus was rather calm today after a night of protesting roaming the grounds looking for undercover officers. Others hid, terrified they would be arrested by infiltrators. "We are feeling a little tired. All of us feel tired but we will not give up trying to get out," said a 23-year-old demonstrator who gave his name only as Shiba as he ate noodles with egg and sausage in the protesters' canteen. "We spent yesterday trying to find ways to get outside but failed, so we came for some breakfast," he said. A Reuters reporter saw six black-clad protesters holding hands walk towards police lines, while a first aid worker said two more surrendered later. Demonstrators are angry at what they see as Chinese meddling in freedoms promised to Hong Kong when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and are calling for full democracy, among other demands. Watch: China slams US' Bill on Hong Kong Beijing has said it is committed to the "one country, two systems" formula under which Hong Kong is governed. It denies meddling in Hong Kong affairs and accuses foreign governments, including Britain and the United States, of stirring up trouble. One older protester, who estimated only around 30 demonstrators remained, said some had given up looking for escape routes and were now making new weapons to protect themselves in case police stormed the campus. The Chinese-ruled city has enjoyed two days and nights of relative calm ahead of district council elections that are due to take place on Sunday. The government has said it is committed to proceeding with the elections and is monitoring the situation to ensure the election can be held safely. All polling stations will be guarded by armed officers in riot gear for the first time in the history of local elections, the South China Morning Post reported. (With inputs from agencies)

Hong Kong university siege: 8 students arrested after surrender

Former New York Mayor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michael-bloomberg-to-launch-100-million-digital-anti-trump-campaign-262468">Michael Bloomberg</a> admitted he was wrong to support the "stop and frisk" police practice that ensnared disproportionate numbers of blacks and Latinos, apologizing to a largely African-American church on Sunday as he weighs a presidential bid.

"I was wrong. And I am sorry," Bloomberg told the Christian Cultural Center, the New York Times reported, describing the centre as a black megachurch.

His reversal comes as he considers whether to compete for the Democratic nomination for president, a contest in which African-American voters are highly influential.

Bloomberg, 77, has not formally entered the 2020 race, with the months-long nominating contests starting in February, but he has taken steps to get on the ballot in states with early filing deadlines.

The self-made billionaire who served 12 years as New York mayor had long defended stop and frisk as an effective police tactic that saved lives, even after a federal judge in 2013 found it violated the rights of ethnic minorities.

The practice stopped and frisked more than 684,000 people at its peak in 2011, ostensibly in many cases to search for illegal weapons. But the non-profit Center for Constitutional Rights conducted a study that found blacks and Latinos were nine times more likely than white people to be stopped in 2009. The searches sometimes turned up low-level offences such as drug possession that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.

Bloomberg told the congregation the policy eroded trust with the public and he aimed to earn back that trust, the Times reported.

"Over time, I've come to understand something that I long struggled to admit to myself: I got something important wrong. I got something important really wrong. I didn't understand back then the full impact that stops were having on the black and Latino communities. I was totally focused on saving lives, but as we know, good intentions aren't good enough," Bloomberg said.

If <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bloomberg-files-papers-paving-way-for-us-presidential-bid-260916">Bloomberg does enter the race</a>, he will be the fifth most-popular candidate, and his presence may draw more support away from former Vice President Joe Biden than others, a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll found.

The November&nbsp;12-14 national poll found that three&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of Democrats and independents said they would vote for Bloomberg.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg admitted he was wrong to support the "stop and frisk" police practice that ensnared disproportionate numbers of blacks and Latinos, apologizing to a largely African-American church on Sunday as he weighs a presidential bid.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg admitted he was wrong to support the "stop and frisk" police practice that ensnared disproportionate numbers of blacks and Latinos, apologizing to a largely African-American church on Sunday as he weighs a presidential bid. "I was wrong. And I am sorry," Bloomberg told the Christian Cultural Center, the New York Times reported, describing the centre as a black megachurch. His reversal comes as he considers whether to compete for the Democratic nomination for president, a contest in which African-American voters are highly influential. Bloomberg, 77, has not formally entered the 2020 race, with the months-long nominating contests starting in February, but he has taken steps to get on the ballot in states with early filing deadlines. The self-made billionaire who served 12 years as New York mayor had long defended stop and frisk as an effective police tactic that saved lives, even after a federal judge in 2013 found it violated the rights of ethnic minorities. The practice stopped and frisked more than 684,000 people at its peak in 2011, ostensibly in many cases to search for illegal weapons. But the non-profit Center for Constitutional Rights conducted a study that found blacks and Latinos were nine times more likely than white people to be stopped in 2009. The searches sometimes turned up low-level offences such as drug possession that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. Bloomberg told the congregation the policy eroded trust with the public and he aimed to earn back that trust, the Times reported. "Over time, I've come to understand something that I long struggled to admit to myself: I got something important wrong. I got something important really wrong. I didn't understand back then the full impact that stops were having on the black and Latino communities. I was totally focused on saving lives, but as we know, good intentions aren't good enough," Bloomberg said. If Bloomberg does enter the race, he will be the fifth most-popular candidate, and his presence may draw more support away from former Vice President Joe Biden than others, a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll found. The November 12-14 national poll found that three per cent of Democrats and independents said they would vote for Bloomberg.

Bloomberg admits he was wrong, apologises for 'stop and frisk' in New York

In all the hand-wringing that critics and commentators have done since President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, one of the common refrains emphasises the breach of trust between Washington and its Kurdish militia partners.

Some scholars of international relations put little stock in trust. Countries are selfish, after all.

Others see trust in impersonal terms, embedded in the rules, norms, institutions and alliances that bind countries to each other.

It turns out, though, that trust does matter in international relations. And in the Middle East, trust is often seen in personal terms.

For the American personnel who worked, ate and lived with the Syrian Kurds, trust-building was also a deeply personal experience. Trust underpinned the crucial intelligence cooperation between the US and its Kurdish partners. That cooperation helped plan and execute the raid that led to the capture killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

As one former American special operator has written, “Trust is a powerful commodity that has saved many lives in shadowy battlefields across the Middle East. But it takes a long time to build and can be gone in an instant.”

By contrast, mistrust, even if it is based on perception alone, can linger for decades, thwarting Washington’s foreign policy goals.

Defeating the Islamic State

I observed the long-term consequences of broken trust next door to Syria, in Iraq.

I served as a US diplomat in the southern Iraqi city of Basrah during 2015 and 2016, the height of the war against the Islamic State group, also known as IS.

At the time, after years of sectarian strife, dishonest governments and their broken promises, Iraqis seemed united around the common purpose of defeating IS. The corrupt and sectarian regime of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had been ousted. And the US was leading an international coalition to help the Iraqi government in the fight against IS, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance.

You might think that a war that the US was fighting on behalf of the Iraqi people, a war that was truly an existential one for the majority Iraqi Shia, would have produced at least some goodwill toward the United States.

Instead, when I arrived in Basrah in 2015, I discovered that many Iraqis, including the majority Shia Muslim population among whom I lived, believed that the United States was somehow in cahoots with the Islamic State.

Mistrust for decades 
 
The Middle East is rife with conspiracy theories. But this one was particularly jarring given that the United States was then engaged in a costly and very public effort to defeat the Islamic State, a terrorist group which declared the Shia apostates and said they must be killed.

Over time, I began to understand the roots of these attitudes. Disinformation and propaganda, especially from Iran, fueled them to some extent.

But there were deeper issues at play.

“The United States defeated Saddam’s armies in a matter of weeks,” incredulous Iraqis I met would say to me. “So how is it that you can’t defeat a ragtag army of jihadists in two years?”

Iranian disinformation campaigns blaming the US for the Islamic State were effective because of a deep gulf of mistrust between the US and Iraqis, which led to widespread cynicism among ordinary Iraqis about US motives.

The origins of this mistrust go back decades, from tacit US support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, when Washington turned a blind eye to the dictatorship’s atrocities against Iraqi Kurds.

The lack of trust helps explain why the US had such a hard time stabilizing Iraq after 2003, despite toppling a feared despot and despite investing billions of dollars in the country.

Roots in betrayal

Iraqi Shia are the largest Muslim sect in the country, but have less political power than Sunni Muslims. The Shia in particular have painful memories of an event that they see as a massive breach of trust between them and the US.

In 1991, encouraged by then-President George HW Bush, the Shia rose up against Saddam, only to be abandoned by the US.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi Shia were slaughtered.

I visited a memorial to the victims of Saddam’s suppression of the uprising, where I saw a leaflet displayed that was dropped by US and coalition aircraft calling on Iraqi soldiers and civilians to “fill the streets and alleys and bring down Saddam Hussein and his aides.”

“We thought this meant that the Americans would help us,” my guide at the museum told me. &nbsp;Many Iraqis I met also recalled the devastating 1990s sanctions on their country that were championed by the United States. Others talked of Washington’s failure to stabilize the country after 2003. Then there was the perception that the Obama administration came late to the war against the Islamic State.

Other Iraqis I met – young ones – told me of their resentment at US&nbsp;support for a political class in Baghdad that is seen as deeply corrupt. Some of them are no doubt protesting in the streets and squares of Iraqi cities today.

I attended lots of meetings with Iraqi Sunni tribal leaders in the south. They saw the Obama administration’s 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops and general disengagement from Iraq as a betrayal of trust. They saw it as handing over Iraq to Iranian influence, which they fear.

Ultimately, Iraqis did not see the US as a credible, consistent or committed partner. Some turned to Iran for assistance, while turning against the United States. Perhaps it is no surprise that polls taken at the time I worked in Basrah showed that Iraqis saw Iran and Russia as more favourable security partners.

Can’t escape the past

Iraq is by no means a perfect analogy for the shattered trust between Washington and its Syrian Kurdish allies. Yet the Iraqi experience shows that distrust of the United States has deep roots in past US actions.

In Syria, too, the US has left a legacy of mistrust since 2011, from Obama’s failure to follow through on his call for Assad to step down, to his failure to impose meaningful costs on the Syrian regime for its use of chemical weapons. Trump’s withdrawal is just one episode in a longer story.

Despite breaches of trust, Iraqis continued to need US support. But that need paired with a lack of trust makes things difficult for American diplomats in Iraq. For me, it was often overwhelming to be at the receiving end of the immense disappointment, frustration and more rarely, hope, that the Iraqis have in the United States.

The Syrian Kurds, like the Iraqis, will still need the United States and continue to work with Washington. But the breach of trust will complicate cooperation, as it did in Iraq.

Not everything that Iraqis blame the United States for is fair. And it would be impossible for even the best-crafted US policies to satisfy all of Iraq’s diverse people.

At times I tried to remind my unfailingly hospitable Iraqi interlocutors, especially those in the government, to be a bit more introspective about their own failings and responsibility for Iraq’s post-Saddam ills. I tried to remind them that the United States invested a lot in Iraq, with limited results.

In the end, the credibility of the message was undercut by a lack of trust in the messenger.&nbsp;

(Mieczysław P Boduszyński is Assistant Professor of Politics, Pomona College)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/broken-trust-how-iraqis-lost-their-faith-in-washington-long-before-the-kurds-did-125636">original article</a>) 
&nbsp; 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

In all the hand-wringing that critics and commentators have done since President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, one of the common refrains emphasises the breach of trust between Washington and its Kurdish militia partners.

In all the hand-wringing that critics and commentators have done since President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, one of the common refrains emphasises the breach of trust between Washington and its Kurdish militia partners. Some scholars of international relations put little stock in trust. Countries are selfish, after all. Others see trust in impersonal terms, embedded in the rules, norms, institutions and alliances that bind countries to each other. It turns out, though, that trust does matter in international relations. And in the Middle East, trust is often seen in personal terms. For the American personnel who worked, ate and lived with the Syrian Kurds, trust-building was also a deeply personal experience. Trust underpinned the crucial intelligence cooperation between the US and its Kurdish partners. That cooperation helped plan and execute the raid that led to the capture killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. As one former American special operator has written, “Trust is a powerful commodity that has saved many lives in shadowy battlefields across the Middle East. But it takes a long time to build and can be gone in an instant.” By contrast, mistrust, even if it is based on perception alone, can linger for decades, thwarting Washington’s foreign policy goals. Defeating the Islamic State I observed the long-term consequences of broken trust next door to Syria, in Iraq. I served as a US diplomat in the southern Iraqi city of Basrah during 2015 and 2016, the height of the war against the Islamic State group, also known as IS. At the time, after years of sectarian strife, dishonest governments and their broken promises, Iraqis seemed united around the common purpose of defeating IS. The corrupt and sectarian regime of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had been ousted. And the US was leading an international coalition to help the Iraqi government in the fight against IS, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance. You might think that a war that the US was fighting on behalf of the Iraqi people, a war that was truly an existential one for the majority Iraqi Shia, would have produced at least some goodwill toward the United States. Instead, when I arrived in Basrah in 2015, I discovered that many Iraqis, including the majority Shia Muslim population among whom I lived, believed that the United States was somehow in cahoots with the Islamic State. Mistrust for decades The Middle East is rife with conspiracy theories. But this one was particularly jarring given that the United States was then engaged in a costly and very public effort to defeat the Islamic State, a terrorist group which declared the Shia apostates and said they must be killed. Over time, I began to understand the roots of these attitudes. Disinformation and propaganda, especially from Iran, fueled them to some extent. But there were deeper issues at play. “The United States defeated Saddam’s armies in a matter of weeks,” incredulous Iraqis I met would say to me. “So how is it that you can’t defeat a ragtag army of jihadists in two years?” Iranian disinformation campaigns blaming the US for the Islamic State were effective because of a deep gulf of mistrust between the US and Iraqis, which led to widespread cynicism among ordinary Iraqis about US motives. The origins of this mistrust go back decades, from tacit US support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, when Washington turned a blind eye to the dictatorship’s atrocities against Iraqi Kurds. The lack of trust helps explain why the US had such a hard time stabilizing Iraq after 2003, despite toppling a feared despot and despite investing billions of dollars in the country. Roots in betrayal Iraqi Shia are the largest Muslim sect in the country, but have less political power than Sunni Muslims. The Shia in particular have painful memories of an event that they see as a massive breach of trust between them and the US. In 1991, encouraged by then-President George HW Bush, the Shia rose up against Saddam, only to be abandoned by the US. Tens of thousands of Iraqi Shia were slaughtered. I visited a memorial to the victims of Saddam’s suppression of the uprising, where I saw a leaflet displayed that was dropped by US and coalition aircraft calling on Iraqi soldiers and civilians to “fill the streets and alleys and bring down Saddam Hussein and his aides.” “We thought this meant that the Americans would help us,” my guide at the museum told me. Many Iraqis I met also recalled the devastating 1990s sanctions on their country that were championed by the United States. Others talked of Washington’s failure to stabilize the country after 2003. Then there was the perception that the Obama administration came late to the war against the Islamic State. Other Iraqis I met – young ones – told me of their resentment at US support for a political class in Baghdad that is seen as deeply corrupt. Some of them are no doubt protesting in the streets and squares of Iraqi cities today. I attended lots of meetings with Iraqi Sunni tribal leaders in the south. They saw the Obama administration’s 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops and general disengagement from Iraq as a betrayal of trust. They saw it as handing over Iraq to Iranian influence, which they fear. Ultimately, Iraqis did not see the US as a credible, consistent or committed partner. Some turned to Iran for assistance, while turning against the United States. Perhaps it is no surprise that polls taken at the time I worked in Basrah showed that Iraqis saw Iran and Russia as more favourable security partners. Can’t escape the past Iraq is by no means a perfect analogy for the shattered trust between Washington and its Syrian Kurdish allies. Yet the Iraqi experience shows that distrust of the United States has deep roots in past US actions. In Syria, too, the US has left a legacy of mistrust since 2011, from Obama’s failure to follow through on his call for Assad to step down, to his failure to impose meaningful costs on the Syrian regime for its use of chemical weapons. Trump’s withdrawal is just one episode in a longer story. Despite breaches of trust, Iraqis continued to need US support. But that need paired with a lack of trust makes things difficult for American diplomats in Iraq. For me, it was often overwhelming to be at the receiving end of the immense disappointment, frustration and more rarely, hope, that the Iraqis have in the United States. The Syrian Kurds, like the Iraqis, will still need the United States and continue to work with Washington. But the breach of trust will complicate cooperation, as it did in Iraq. Not everything that Iraqis blame the United States for is fair. And it would be impossible for even the best-crafted US policies to satisfy all of Iraq’s diverse people. At times I tried to remind my unfailingly hospitable Iraqi interlocutors, especially those in the government, to be a bit more introspective about their own failings and responsibility for Iraq’s post-Saddam ills. I tried to remind them that the United States invested a lot in Iraq, with limited results. In the end, the credibility of the message was undercut by a lack of trust in the messenger. (Mieczysław P Boduszyński is Assistant Professor of Politics, Pomona College) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How Iraqis lost their faith in Washington, long before the Kurds did

Senior Chinese diplomat <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-foreign-minister-wang-yi-takes-swipe-at-us-during-un-climate-summit-251592">Wang Yi </a>said on Friday the United States should meet China halfway and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, as the countries continue to clash on multiple fronts including trade and the South China Sea.

Wang, during a meeting with former US&nbsp;Secretary of State <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-dispute-could-spark-a-real-war-world-war-i-broke-out-over-relatively-minor-crisis-former-us-secretary-of-state-henry-kissinger-263637">Henry Kissinger</a>, said some US&nbsp;politicians have deliberately attacked and smeared China to push the two countries towards a path of confrontation. Such a conflict is not in the interests of either of the countries, he added.

"We want to work for a 'phase one' agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality,"&nbsp;&nbsp;Xi Jinping told representatives of an international forum, Reuters reported.

Watch: China seeks sanctions on US at&nbsp;World Trade Organisation

&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wallet-china-seeks-sanctions-on-us-in-world-trade-organisation-257427/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

"When necessary, we will fight back, but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war. We did not initiate this trade war and this is not something we want", Jinping added.

Yesterday, former US secretary of state&nbsp;Henry Kissinger&nbsp;warned that an armed conflict could break out between the United States and China if they fail to resolve their trade war.

Earlier, China said that it is willing to work with the United States to resolve each other's core concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and will try hard to reach a "phase one" deal.&nbsp;

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said on Friday the United States should meet China halfway and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, as the countries continue to clash on multiple fronts including trade and the South China Sea.

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said on Friday the United States should meet China halfway and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, as the countries continue to clash on multiple fronts including trade and the South China Sea. Wang, during a meeting with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, said some US politicians have deliberately attacked and smeared China to push the two countries towards a path of confrontation. Such a conflict is not in the interests of either of the countries, he added. "We want to work for a 'phase one' agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality," Xi Jinping told representatives of an international forum, Reuters reported. Watch: China seeks sanctions on US at World Trade Organisation "When necessary, we will fight back, but we have been working actively to try not to have a trade war. We did not initiate this trade war and this is not something we want", Jinping added. Yesterday, former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned that an armed conflict could break out between the United States and China if they fail to resolve their trade war. Earlier, China said that it is willing to work with the United States to resolve each other's core concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and will try hard to reach a "phase one" deal.

Senior China diplomat urges US to meet Beijing halfway, improve relations

The US&nbsp;military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ordered-ukraine-deal-to-probe-biden-us-diplomat-sondland-263493">President Donald Trump</a>, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said.

A trident review board hearing is set for December&nbsp;2 to weigh whether Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was charged with committing war crimes during a 2017 deployment to Iraq, is fit to remain in the SEALs, Navy Captain Tamara Lawrence said.

She told Reuters that three of Gallagher's commanding officers face separate hearings to review whether they, too, should be removed from the SEALs.

Gallagher's civilian lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, confirmed his client was served with papers in San Diego, where he is based, informing him of the upcoming review, convened by Naval Special Warfare commander Rear Admiral Collin Green.

Parlatore said Green's move to strip Gallagher of his SEAL status marked a direct challenge to Trump's authority as commander-in-chief and an act of insubordination for which Parlatore said the admiral himself could be court-martialed.

Parlatore contested the move in a complaint filed on Tuesday with the US&nbsp;Defense Department inspector general's office.

Gallagher's notice of a trident review board hearing cited the verdict rendered in his court-martial trial in July as evidence calling into question his suitability to continue serving in naval special warfare, the Navy said.

A military jury acquitted him of charges he fired at unarmed civilians and murdered a captured Islamic State fighter by stabbing the wounded prisoner in the neck. But he was found guilty of illegally posing with the detainee's corpse.

Although spared prison time, he was sentenced to a demotion in rank and pay, from chief petty officer to petty officer first-class, along with a two-month forfeiture of his salary.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/donald-trump-says-us-is-still-talking-to-china-on-trade-263477">Trump last Friday intervened in the case</a> to restore his rank and pay, allowing Gallagher to retire later this year on a full pension. The president also granted pardons to two Army officers separately accused of war crimes in Afghanistan.

Critics said Trump's moves undermined military justice and sent a message that US&nbsp;battlefield atrocities would be tolerated.

The US military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by President Donald Trump, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said.

The US military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by President Donald Trump, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said. A trident review board hearing is set for December 2 to weigh whether Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was charged with committing war crimes during a 2017 deployment to Iraq, is fit to remain in the SEALs, Navy Captain Tamara Lawrence said. She told Reuters that three of Gallagher's commanding officers face separate hearings to review whether they, too, should be removed from the SEALs. Gallagher's civilian lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, confirmed his client was served with papers in San Diego, where he is based, informing him of the upcoming review, convened by Naval Special Warfare commander Rear Admiral Collin Green. Parlatore said Green's move to strip Gallagher of his SEAL status marked a direct challenge to Trump's authority as commander-in-chief and an act of insubordination for which Parlatore said the admiral himself could be court-martialed. Parlatore contested the move in a complaint filed on Tuesday with the US Defense Department inspector general's office. Gallagher's notice of a trident review board hearing cited the verdict rendered in his court-martial trial in July as evidence calling into question his suitability to continue serving in naval special warfare, the Navy said. A military jury acquitted him of charges he fired at unarmed civilians and murdered a captured Islamic State fighter by stabbing the wounded prisoner in the neck. But he was found guilty of illegally posing with the detainee's corpse. Although spared prison time, he was sentenced to a demotion in rank and pay, from chief petty officer to petty officer first-class, along with a two-month forfeiture of his salary. Trump last Friday intervened in the case to restore his rank and pay, allowing Gallagher to retire later this year on a full pension. The president also granted pardons to two Army officers separately accused of war crimes in Afghanistan. Critics said Trump's moves undermined military justice and sent a message that US battlefield atrocities would be tolerated.

US Navy moves to expel court-martialed SEAL commando after Trump restored his rank

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