Tag: Joe Biden

Biden administration declares Chinese actions in Xinjiang as ‘genocide’
World

Biden administration declares Chinese actions in Xinjiang as ‘genocide’

US President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday declared Chinese actions against the Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang as ‘genocide’.The US Department of State, in a 2020 report on Human rights practices, said: “Genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang”.Chinese authorities’ genocide in Xinjiang was first officially declared by Michael Pompeo during the waning days of the Donald Trump administration. Now, Antony Blinken affirmed Pompeo’s assessment during his confirmation hearing, but the word’s inclusion into Tuesday’s report formalizes the outlook as an official U.S. government assessment.The State Department said the crime inc...
US-China tensions over South China Sea to continue under Biden administration: Report
China, World

US-China tensions over South China Sea to continue under Biden administration: Report

With Chinese military conducting a live-fire drill to test its response to repeated missile attacks in a “far sea” and US stepping up reconnaissance activities, it seems that tensions between Beijing and Washington over the South China Sea will continue under the new Joe Biden administration.There are fresh signs from the Chinese and the American armed forces that tensions over the South China Sea will continue, according to media reports.The Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command conducted a live-fire drill to test its response to repeated missile attacks in a “far sea”, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday without saying when or where the exercise took place.The drill involved the guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan, guided-missile frigate Hengyang, the amphibious dock landing ...
‘Let’s each manage our own business’: Top Chinese diplomat on US’ remarks on human rights abuses
China, World

‘Let’s each manage our own business’: Top Chinese diplomat on US’ remarks on human rights abuses

In a sharp response to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling out Beijing for its gross human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, the top foreign policy aide to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Yang Jiechi has said “let’s each manage our own business.”Yang told Blinken during their Friday call that the US should “correct recent mistakes, and work with China to promote the healthy and stable development of China-US relations by upholding the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation,” according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.Yang said that both sides should respect the other’s core interests, as well as political systems and developmental paths of their own choosing, according to the statement.“Each side should focus ...
Quad countries working to arrange first meeting amid China’s growing influence
Asia, China, World

Quad countries working to arrange first meeting amid China’s growing influence

Amid China’s growing influence, members of the Quad countries - the US, India, Japan and Australia - are working to arrange the first meeting of their leaders, according to media reports.This comes as the US President Joe Biden’s new administration has expressed its eagerness to build on renewed attention to the grouping of the four major Indo-Pacific democracies. National security adviser Jake Sullivan even called it “a foundation upon which to build substantial American policy in the Indo-Pacific”.According to a source, the US has already proposed to other countries the idea of holding an online meeting of the Quad leaders.During the envisioned meeting, the Quad members are expected to discuss cooperation for the realisation of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” amid concerns over China’s ma...
US may re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following coup: Biden
World

US may re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following coup: Biden

The United States might re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following the military coup there in which Counsellor Aung Suu Kyi along with other top politicians were detained and a state emergency of one-year was imposed.In a statement dated Monday, US President Joe Biden said that Washington will “stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack.”“The military’s seizure of power in Burma, the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials, and the declaration of a national state of emergency are a direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and the rule of law,” Biden said in a statement.“The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy. The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanctio...
India aims to tackle terrorism, climate change with US under Biden’s administration: MEA
World

India aims to tackle terrorism, climate change with US under Biden’s administration: MEA

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that the country will closely work with the United States on combating the scourge of terrorism, maritime security, cybersecurity, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region under President Joe Biden’s administration.At a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that India-US will continue to remain engaged at all levels to further strengthen the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership.“PM had congratulated then-President-elect Biden on his election on November 8. They had a telephone call on November 17 where both leaders exchanged views on working together on shared priorities and global challenges,” said Srivastava.Srivastava recalled how Prime Minister Modi held a telephone conversation wi...
Take action against China, top Republicans tell US President Joe Biden
China, World

Take action against China, top Republicans tell US President Joe Biden

In retaliation to Beijing’s sanctions against outgoing American officials, top Republicans of the US have urged US President Joe Biden to take tougher action against China.Michael McCaul, the leading Republican of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Friday tweeted that Beijing had shown its true colours by sanctioning US officials for telling the truth – that the Communist Party was “guilty of crimes against humanity and genocide”.“I strongly urge the Biden administration to quickly condemn these baseless, impotent sanctions and make good on its early commitments to prioritise strategic competition with the [Communist Party],” he said.China had announced sanctions against a list of US individuals and their families just minutes after Biden was sworn in on Thursday.The list included for...
Biden Administration to place US-India ties on ‘high priority’
World

Biden Administration to place US-India ties on ‘high priority’

In a major policy document on Indian-Americans, the Joe Biden administration’s campaign has said that it will place a "high priority" on continuing to strengthen the India-US relationship, asserting that no common global challenge can be solved without the two countries working as responsible partners.The campaign also said Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden believes there can be no tolerance for terrorism in South Asia, cross-border or otherwise.A Biden administration will also work with India to support a rules-based and stable Indo-Pacific region in which no country, including China, is able to threaten its neighbors with impunity, it said."Biden will deliver on his long-standing belief that India and the United States are natural partners, and a Biden administration will place...