Ahead of the G7 summit in England, US President Joe Biden is leading a movement to push developing countries away from China’s grip.
Offering substantial infrastructure initiatives, and millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses, experts believe the power play could potentially outweigh Beijing’s.
The leaders were promoting a new “partnership” and announced the financing of several major infrastructure projects in emerging markets.
Although there was no direct mention of China, the initiatives proposed do have significant similarities to pledges previously made by Beijing.
These pledges include China’s belt and road initiative and the country’s vaccine distribution program.
As G7 member nations prepare to convene, it is expected that leaders will continue to assert the moral and economic standards of the west.
Vaccine Donation
During the summit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson expects the Group of Seven to agree on a decision to donate one billion coronavirus vaccine doses to poorer nations.
It comes as the United States donates 500 million Pfizer shots to COVAX to battle the pandemic and strengthen the rollout around the world.
Some campaign groups condemned the plan as a drop in the ocean, with Oxfam estimating that nearly 4 billion people will depend on COVAX for vaccines, the programme that distributes COVID-19 shots to low and middle income countries.
We will only end the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone has access to vaccines.
The pandemic has claimed the lives of around 4 million people and ripped through the global economy. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
William is an Executive News Producer at TICKER NEWS, responsible for the production and direction of news bulletins. William is also the presenter of the hourly Weather + Climate segment.
With qualifications in Journalism and Law (LLB), William previously worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) before moving to TICKER NEWS. He was also an intern at the Seven Network's 'Sunrise'.
A creative-minded individual, William has a passion for broadcast journalism and reporting on global politics and international affairs.
Beijing’s latest show of force sends a stern warning to Taiwan, as the US urges restraint amid escalating tensions.
China deployed planes and ships to encircle Taiwan on Monday in military drills that Beijing described as a “stern warning” to what it called “separatist” forces on the island.
The exercises, dubbed Joint Sword-2024B, mark China’s fourth large-scale war game targeting Taiwan in the past two years.
Beijing, which has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, conducted these drills in the north, south, and east of Taiwan, focusing on sea-air combat readiness and blockading key ports.
Practicing an assault
The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said the drills also included practicing an assault on maritime and ground targets, with China’s coast guard conducting “inspections” around the island.
Taiwan condemned the exercises as “irrational and provocative,” deploying its own forces in response. The Taiwanese defence ministry stated it is fully prepared to counter any threat to its sovereignty.
The United States criticised China’s actions as “unwarranted” and warned of the risk of escalation, calling on Beijing to act with restraint. Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, who has taken a firmer stance on Taiwan’s sovereignty than his predecessor, convened a high-level security meeting to address the drills, describing them as inconsistent with international law.
Tensions between China and Taiwan continue to rise, with China ramping up its military activity around the island in recent years.
Experts discuss the EU’s challenges and opportunities ahead
Euro Bloch is a comprehensive program designed to highlight the breadth of topics and issues within the EU political landscape. It offers insightful analysis within the evolving framework of relations between the European Union and Australia/Asia-Pacific region.
In this episode, Natanael interviews Professor Bruno Mascitelli about the future of the European Union following the June elections. With Ursula von der Leyen re-elected as President of the European Commission, Mascitelli discusses the challenges she may face in her second term and the growing influence of far-right and populist parties in the EU Parliament.
As Hungary takes over the Presidency of the Council of the EU, concerns about its impact arise. The episode also considers the EU’s potential diplomatic role amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and identifies crucial policy areas where the EU must strengthen its stance to compete globally.