U.S. Vice President Pence vows no end to tariffs until China bows The Saigon Times Daily U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrives at APEC Haus, during the APEC Summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea November 18, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS PORT MORESBY (REUTERS) - The United States will not back down from its trade dispute with China, and might even double its tariffs, unless Beijing bows to U.S. demands, Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday. In a bluntly worded speech at an Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea, Pence threw down the gauntlet to China on trade and security in the region. “We have taken decisive action to address our imbalance with China,” Pence declared. “We put tariffs on US$250 billion in Chinese goods, and we could more than double that number.” “The United States, though, will not change course until China changes its ways.” The stark warning will likely be unwelcome news to … [Read more...] about U.S. Vice President Pence vows no end to tariffs until China bows
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Vice President Pence seeks ‘update’ on trade talks with Japan
Vice President Pence seeks 'update' on trade talks with Japan U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the joint news announcement with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (not pictured) at Abe’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan November 13, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS TOKYO (REUTERS) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday that he was looking forward to an “update” on talks about a bilateral trade agreement that President Donald Trump hopes will cut Tokyo’s trade surplus with Washington. Pence, who is in Tokyo at the start of a broader Asian visit, also said he would discuss with Abe how Tokyo and Washington could work to advance the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and said the United States remained committed to a “free and open Indo-Pacific”. “I look forward to our candid conversation and to an update on the discussions toward a bilateral trade agreement” that Trump … [Read more...] about Vice President Pence seeks ‘update’ on trade talks with Japan
International friends share grief over President Quang’s death
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen bowed before President Tran Dai Quang's coffin. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Many foreign leaders, officials and international friends have shared in the grief of the Vietnamese people over the passing of President Tran Dai Quang, and expressed their respect for the Vietnamese leader. During the State funeral for President Tran Dai Quang on September 26, more than 1,000 domestic and international delegations paid tribute to the President in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and his home province of Ninh Binh. Among them there were representatives from many foreign parties, States and Governments, along with ambassadors, charge d’affaires and representatives of international organisations in Vietnam. Politburo member and Vice President of Laos Phankham Viphavanh led a high-level delegation from Laos to the funeral, while the Cambodian delegation was led by Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen. The Chinese delegation was headed by Politburo … [Read more...] about International friends share grief over President Quang’s death
Trump, Kim pile on charm at summit, but no word on progress
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had forged a "good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the start of a historic summit in Singapore on Tuesday, as the two men sought ways to end a nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula. Kim said the meeting was "a good prelude to peace", but there was no immediate word on any substantive progress in their discussions. Should they succeed in making a diplomatic breakthrough, it could bring lasting change to the security landscape of Northeast Asia, like the visit of former U.S. President Richard Nixon to China in 1972 led to the transformation of China. Both men had looked serious as they got out of their limousines for the summit at the Capella hotel on Singapore's Sentosa, a resort island with luxury hotels, a casino, manmade beaches and a Universal Studios theme park. But, with cameras of the world's press trained on them, they displayed an initial atmosphere of bonhomie as they met on the verandah of the Capella, a refurbished … [Read more...] about Trump, Kim pile on charm at summit, but no word on progress
U.S. farm lobby turns up heat on Trump team as NAFTA talks near
With talks to renegotiate the NAFTA trade pact just weeks away, U.S. farm groups and lawmakers from rural states are intensifying lobbying of President Donald Trump's administration with one central message: leave farming out of it. FILE PHOTO - U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer speaks during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, U.S. on May 15, 2017. Trump blames the North American Free Trade Agreement - the "worst trade deal ever" in his words - for millions of lost manufacturing jobs and promises to tilt it in America's favor. But for U.S. farmers the 23-year old pact secures access to stable, lucrative markets in Mexico and Canada that now account for over a quarter of U.S. farm exports. Now they fear this access could become a bargaining chip in efforts to get a better deal for U.S. manufacturers. "Perhaps some … [Read more...] about U.S. farm lobby turns up heat on Trump team as NAFTA talks near