Friday 31 May 2024

ANDREW NEIL-டிரம்பின் வெடிகக்கும் `குற்றவாளி தீர்ப்பின்` உடனடிப் பகுப்பாய்வு

Doctoring corporate book-keeping entries under New York law is only a misdemeanor or minor crime, usually involving just a slap on the wrist.



ANDREW NEIL's expert instant analysis of Trump's explosive guilty verdict - and why the real battle for the soul of America begins NOW

அமெரிக்க ஜனாதிபதித் தேர்தலில் இப்போது தீப்பிடித்துள்ளது:

டிரம்பின் வெடிகக்கும் `குற்றவாளி தீர்ப்பின்` உடனடிப் பகுப்பாய்வு

அமெரிக்காவின் ஆன்மாவுக்கான உண்மையான போர் ஏன் இப்போது தொடங்குகிறது


அமெரிக்க முன்னாள் அதிபர் டொனால்ட் டிரம்ப், குற்றம் புரிந்ததற்காக தண்டிக்கப்பட்ட முதல் அமெரிக்க அதிபர் ஆவார்.

ஒருமித்த நியூயார்க் நடுவர் மன்றம், அமெரிக்கா தேர்தலுக்குச் செல்வதற்கு சில நாட்களுக்கு முன்பு, 2016 ஜனாதிபதி பிரச்சாரத்தைத் தடம் புரளச் செய்யும் என்று அஞ்சி தனது பாலியல் ஊழலைத் தடுக்க, ஆபாச நட்சத்திரமான ஸ்டோர்மி டேனியல்ஸுக்கு $130,000 செலுத்தியதை சட்டவிரோதமாக மறைக்க முயன்ற 34 குற்றச்சாட்டுகளிலும் அவர் குற்றவாளி என்று தீர்ப்பளித்தது.

ஹஷ் பணத்தை செலுத்துவது சட்டவிரோதமானது அல்ல, ஆனால் அது தேர்தல் முடிவுகளை பாதிக்கும் வகையில் வடிவமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது என்று அரசுத் தரப்பு வெற்றிகரமாக வாதிட்டது - இது தேர்தல் சட்டங்களை மீறுவதாகவும், வழக்குரைஞர்கள் வாதிட்டனர். தேர்தல் சட்டங்களை மீறுவது அடிப்படைக் குற்றமாகும்.

இது மிகவும் சர்ச்சைக்குரிய பிரதேசமாகும் - குறிப்பாக பிரச்சார சட்ட மீறல்கள் பற்றி விசாரணையில் எதுவும் கேட்கப்படவில்லை - அதனால்தான் குற்றவாளி தீர்ப்பு உடனடியாக மேல்முறையீடு செய்யப்படவும், டிரம்பின் வழக்கறிஞர்கள் மேல்முறையீடு செய்ய 30 நாட்கள் அவகாசமும் கிடைத்துள்ளது.

`34 குற்றச்சாட்டுகளிலும்  குற்றவாளி` என்பது ஏதோ பாரதூரமான ஒன்று போல் தோன்றுகின்றது. ஆனால்  ட்ரம்ப் தனது அப்போதைய வழக்கறிஞரும், மோசமான ஃபிக்ஸருமான மைக்கேல் கோஹனுக்கு டேனியல்ஸுக்குச் செலுத்திய பணத்தைத் திருப்பிச் செலுத்துவதற்கு ஏற்பாடு செய்த தவணைகளின் எண்ணிக்கையை மட்டுமே இது குறிக்கிறது.

ட்ரம்பும் அவரது கூட்டமும் தங்கள் உண்மையான நோக்கத்தை மறைக்க இந்தத் திருப்பிச் செலுத்துதலை மூடிமறைத்துள்ளனர் என்று அரசுத் தரப்பு உறுதியாக வாதிட்டது. ஆனால் நியூயார்க் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் கார்ப்பரேட் புத்தக பராமரிப்பு உள்ளீடுகளை `மருத்துவம் செய்வது` (மாற்றியமைப்பது) ஒரு தவறான செயல் அல்லது மாறாக மிகச் சிறிய ஒரு குற்றமாகும், இது பொதுவாக மணிக்கட்டில் அடிக்கின்ற தண்டனைக்கு ஒப்பானது.

இது பணம் செலுத்துவதை பிரச்சார நிதிச் சட்டத்தின் மீறலுடன் இணைக்கிறது, இது விஷயத்தை சரியான குற்றத்திற்கு உயர்த்தியது. பல பார்வையாளர்களுக்கு இணைப்பு மிகவும் பலவீனமாக உள்ளது. விசாரணையின் போது இது அரிதாகவே விவாதிக்கப்பட்டது மற்றும் அத்தகைய இணைப்பு இருப்பதாக யாரும் சாட்சியமளிக்கவில்லை.

ட்ரம்ப் இப்போது சிறையில் இருப்பார் என்ற எதிர்பார்ப்பில் எச்சில் ஊறுபவர்கள் பொறுமையாக இருக்க வேண்டும்.

ட்ரம்ப் தண்டனை நிலுவை காலத்தில் தடுப்புக் காவலில் வைக்கப்பட மாட்டார். அவர் நாட்டுக்கு வெளியே பயணிப்பது கூட சாத்தியமானதுதான். இது முன்னென்றும் தண்டனைக்குள்ளாகாத  ஒருவரை உள்ளடக்கிய `வெள்ளை காலர்`-மென்மையான- குற்றமாகும். சிறைத்தண்டனை ஒரு அசாதாரண விளைவாகவே இருக்கும்.

ஆனால் இந்த முழு விசாரணையும் அசாதாரணமானது.

ஜூலை 11 ஆம் தேதி வரை தண்டனை வழங்கப்படாது, அப்போது டிரம்ப் தகுதிகாண் முதல் நான்கு ஆண்டுகள் சிறைக்குப் பின் எதையும் எதிர்கொள்ளலாம்.

ஆனால் நீதிபதி  சிறைத்தண்டனை என்று முடிவெடுத்தாலும், `குற்றவாளித் தீர்ப்பு` மேல்முறையீடு செய்யப்படும் மற்றும் மேல்முறையீட்டு செயல்முறை முடியும் வரை டிரம்ப் சுதந்திரமாக இருப்பார்.

டெய்லி மெயில் ஆன்லைனில் வெளியான ஆங்கிலக் கட்டுரையின் முழுமை கீழே. 
தமிழாக்கம் சுபாகிள்

Biden Denounces ‘Reckless’ G.O.P. Efforts to Discredit Trump Conviction

President Biden said the verdict in Donald J. Trump’s trial reaffirmed 

“the American principle that no one is above the law,”

and he criticized the former president and his allies for their complaints about the outcome.

 

 Video 
Breaking his long silence over Mr. Trump’s legal troubles, Mr. Biden directly and unambiguously characterized the putative Republican nominee as a lawbreaker whose conviction amounted to a victory for the rule of law. And he rejected assertions that the prosecution was a political witch hunt, noting that it was not a case brought by his own administration.

“The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed,” Mr. Biden said in a hurriedly arranged televised statement at the White House before outlining his latest efforts to end the war in Gaza. “Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. It was a state case, not a federal case. And it was heard by a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you, like millions of Americans who’ve served on juries.”

“This jury,” he went on, “was chosen the same way every jury in America is chosen. There’s a process that Donald Trump’s attorney was part of. The jury heard five weeks of evidence — five weeks. And after careful deliberation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict. They found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts.”

While he may have relished noting that his opponent in this fall’s election was found guilty on all counts, Mr. Biden made no mention of the substance of the case, in which Mr. Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to a pornography actress who claimed to have had an affair with him.

Read


Instead, Mr. Biden focused on the orchestrated efforts by the former president and his allies to discredit the prosecution and the judgment of the jury by painting the process as a political persecution that supposedly treated Mr. Trump unfairly.

“It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” Mr. Biden said. “Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it literally is the cornerstone of America. Our justice system, the justice system, should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. As simple as that. That’s America. That’s who we are.”

The president’s decision to address the outcome of the trial directly was a major strategic shift. Ever since Mr. Trump was charged in this first of four indictments brought against him by state and federal prosecutors over the past year, Mr. Biden has resolutely refused to discuss the matters. He had hoped to stay above the fray and avoid fueling the former president’s false claims that the White House was directing the prosecutions.

As late as Thursday evening, a Biden adviser, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity while describing internal deliberations, said the president was not expected to make a formal, scripted statement on television about the verdict. The adviser added it was possible that the president might respond to questions from reporters about it.

Even so, Jennifer Palmieri, a former communications director for Hillary Clinton, cautioned that Mr. Biden’s words would not convince his opponent’s backers, since they were already unbothered by four criminal indictments, including charges of mishandling classified documents and illegally trying to overturn the 2020 election that he lost.

“A Trump supporter who’s outraged by the verdict is not going to be moved for calm by any Democratic president or Republican president who does not back Donald Trump,” she said. “Even if Biden were not his political opponent, if you’re so outraged by the verdict that you’re ready to take to the street, a Democratic president is not going to reach you. That’s the sad reality of being president today.”

Indeed, Mr. Trump has been trying to goad Mr. Biden into engaging on the New York case as well as the other indictments by falsely accusing the president of masterminding them. While Mr. Biden appointed the attorney general who has overseen the two federal cases against Mr. Trump, there is no known evidence that the president himself or his White House have played any role in them. And the New York case, like the Georgia election subversion case, was brought by a local prosecutor who does not answer to the president.

That, of course, did not stop Mr. Trump from claiming the opposite moments after his conviction on Thursday evening. “This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent,” he said outside the courthouse. His allies quickly amplified the assertion. On Fox News, the hosts and guests talked about the “evil forces” and “wicked people” pursuing Mr. Trump, blaming the prosecution on Mr. Biden, “who is now the villain.”

The notion that the Justice Department is simply a political weapon surely comes as something of a surprise to Mr. Biden given that the same department is putting his own son, Hunter, on trial on Monday on federal gun charges.

Mr. Biden and his team have shown more willingness to poke at Mr. Trump’s criminal troubles in recent weeks even without taking them on frontally. The president has mocked his predecessor for falling asleep during the trial (“Sleepy Don”) and sent the actor Robert De Niro to hold a feisty news conference at the courthouse assailing Mr. Trump (“guilty and we all know it”).

And they quickly sought to capitalize on the verdict on Thursday with a string of fund-raising appeals, just as Mr. Trump did. “Despite a jury finding Donald Trump guilty today, there is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box,” Mr. Biden said in one solicitation email just hours after the jury announced its judgment, adding that “Donald Trump’s supporters are fired up and likely setting fund-raising records for his campaign.”

Still, the Biden campaign did not predict that the verdict will change the contest, which polls show is exceedingly tight, especially in the critical battleground states needed to prevail in the Electoral College. Instead, advisers said Mr. Biden will continue to frame his argument to voters around issues like the economy, abortion rights and democracy.

One adviser said he did not expect the campaign to run advertisements focusing on Mr. Trump’s status as a convicted felon, nor did he imagine that Mr. Biden would try to back out of the June 27 debate on the grounds that he should not appear onstage with a criminal, as some Democrats have urged. It says something about today’s politics that running against a felon is not seen as a winning strategy.

Asked by a reporter at a later event on Friday whether the contrary were true, that the conviction might actually help Mr. Trump win the election, Mr. Biden demurred. “I have no idea,” he said.

But he said he was not worried that the case could set a precedent for a local prosecutor pursuing him someday. “Not at all,” he said. “I didn’t do anything wrong. The system still works.” And he scoffed at the notion that he was somehow pulling the strings behind the scenes. “I didn’t know I was that powerful,” he said.

The president’s formal statement came at the start of an announcement about the latest cease-fire proposal in the Middle East and shortly before meeting with the visiting prime minister of Belgium and hosting a celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs. Mr. Biden then left for Rehoboth Beach, Del., for the weekend before heading to France next week for ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

That is a contrast the Biden campaign is all too happy to foster: On the one hand, a commander in chief welcoming foreign leaders and football champions to the White House, grappling with momentous questions of war and peace and traveling to the iconic beaches of Normandy to pay tribute to American heroes. On the other hand, a challenger railing against the system and preparing for a sentencing hearing where he may get prison time, just as convicted felons typically do.

“Trump will descend even more deeply into rage and self-pity. He cannot help himself,” Mr. Axelrod said. “Biden and the campaign would be well served to lean more deeply into the contrast between a president fighting to address the pressing concerns of people, and Trump, who fights only for himself.”⍐

By Peter Baker Reporting from Washington May 31, 2024 New York Times

Thursday 30 May 2024

Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case

 


Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case

Donald J. Trump, the former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a case stemming from a payment that silenced a porn star.

The former president’s sentencing is scheduled for July. Here’s the latest.

Donald J. Trump was convicted on Thursday of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his 2016 presidential campaign, capping an extraordinary trial that tested the resilience of the American justice system and will reverberate into November’s election.

Mr. Trump was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records by a jury of 12 New Yorkers, who deliberated over two days to reach a decision in a case rife with descriptions of secret deals, tabloid scandal and an Oval Office pact with echoes of Watergate. The former president sat largely expressionless, a glum look on his face, after the jury issued its verdict.

His sentencing was scheduled for July 11.

The jury found that Mr. Trump had faked records to conceal the purpose of money given to his onetime fixer, Michael D. Cohen. The false records disguised the payments as ordinary legal expenses when in truth, Mr. Trump was reimbursing Mr. Cohen for a $130,000 hush-money deal the fixer struck with the porn star Stormy Daniels to silence her account of a sexual liaison with Mr. Trump.

The felony conviction calls for a sentence of up to four years behind bars, but Mr. Trump may never see the inside of a prison cell. He could receive probation when he is sentenced, and he is certain to appeal the verdict — meaning it may be years before the case is resolved. Still, the jury’s decision is an indelible moment in America’s history, concluding the only one of four criminal cases against Mr. Trump that was likely to go to trial before Election Day.

At a park outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, crowds had gathered for weeks.Credit...
Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Here’s what to know:

  • Trump can still be president: Nothing in the Constitution prevents a felon from running for president, or serving in the White House. Mr. Trump — who has long claimed the case against him is politically motivated — is expected to try to leverage the verdict to his advantage on the campaign trail, painting himself as the victim of a Democratic cabal.

  • Trump’s reaction: Mr. Trump showed little emotion as the verdict was read, then shook his son Eric’s hand after being dismissed from the courtroom. Outside, he appeared somber as he repeated a litany of complaints about the case, including that the judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, was biased against him. “The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5, by the people,” he told reporters, without responding to a shouted question about why Americans should vote for a felon.

  • Celebration and outrage: Reaction to the historic verdict was immediate. A demonstrator outside the courthouse raised a large “Trump Convicted” sign, while others pumped their fists. Mr. Trump’s campaign emailed out a fund-raising appeal calling him a “political prisoner.” And President Biden’s campaign urged supporters not to sit idle, saying on social media that the only way to keep Mr. Trump out of the White House is at the ballot box.

  • A proud prosecutor: The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, thanked the jury for convicting Mr. Trump, who he said had falsified business records to “conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election.” He added, “There are many voices out there but the only voice that matters is the voice of the jury, and the jury has spoken.”

  • The jury deliberated for roughly 10 hours: The jurors asked to again hear portions of testimony by Mr. Cohen and David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer, who prosecutors say was part of a conspiracy to suppress unflattering stories on Mr. Trump’s behalf during the 2016 campaign. Read about what the jury wanted to hear again.

    The jury also wanted Justice Merchan to repeat some of the instructions he gave the jury on Wednesday, which serve as a guide to their deliberations. But the jurors don’t have a copy of his instructions, which the law does not allow.

  • Dueling views of the case: A prosecutor from the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in closing arguments that Mr. Trump had tried to “hoodwink the American voter” with a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election. “All roads lead to the man who benefited the most: Donald Trump,” the prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, told the jury.

    Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, argued in his closing that Mr. Trump’s actions were not crimes, but merely business as it is commonly practiced. The case, he told jurors, hinged on the testimony of Mr. Cohen, whom he called “the greatest liar of all time.” Take a look back at the words that defined the closing arguments.

  • The core of the charges: Prosecutors say Mr. Trump tried to disguise repayments to Mr. Cohen as ordinary legal fees. Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies sleeping with Ms. Daniels, despite her testimony, under oath, about a sexual encounter with him in Lake Tahoe, Nev., in 2006. This is a refresher on the case.⍐

  • Jonah E. Bromwich and 

Wednesday 29 May 2024

Israel seizes Gaza's entire border with Egypt, presses with raids into Rafah

Israel seizes Gaza's entire border with Egypt, presses with raids into Rafah


CAIRO, May 29 (Reuters) - Israeli forces have taken control of a buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the country's military said on Wednesday, giving Israel effective authority over the Palestinian territory's entire land border.
Israel also continued deadly raids on Rafah in southern Gaza despite an order from the International Court of Justice to end attacks on the city, where half of Gaza's 2.3 million people had previously taken refuge.
In a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces had gained "operational" control over the "Philadelphi Corridor", using the Israeli military's code name for the 14 km-long (9 mile) corridor along the Gaza Strip's only border with Egypt.
"The Philadelphi Corridor served as an oxygen line for Hamas, which it regularly used to smuggle weapons into the area of the Gaza Strip," Hagari said. Hamas is the armed Palestinian group that governs the blockaded territory.
Hagari did not spell out what "operational" control referred to but an Israeli military official earlier said there were Israeli "boots on the ground" along parts of the corridor.
The border with Egypt along the southern edge was the Gaza Strip's only land border that Israel had not controlled directly.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel sent tanks on raids into Rafah. They had moved into the heart of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday despite an order from the top United Nations court to immediately halt the assault on the city.
The World Court said Israel had not explained how it would keep evacuees from Rafah safe and provide food, water and medicine. Its ruling also called on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release hostages taken from Israel on Oct. 7.
Rafah residents said Israeli tanks had pushed into Tel Al-Sultan in the west and Yibna and near Shaboura in the centre before retreating towards a buffer zone on the border with Egypt, rather than staying put as they have in other offensives.
"We received distress calls from residents in Tel Al-Sultan where drones targeted displaced citizens as they moved from areas where they were staying toward the safe areas," the deputy director of ambulance and emergency services in Rafah, Haitham al Hams, said.
Palestinian health officials said 19 civilians had been killed in Israeli airstrikes and shelling across Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas militants of hiding among civilians, something Gaza's ruling Islamist group denies.
Health Minister Majed Abu Raman urged Washington to pressure Israel to open the Rafah crossing to aid, saying there was no indication that Israeli authorities would do so soon and that patients in besieged Gaza were dying for lack of treatment.
Fighting in Gaza will continue throughout 2024 at least, Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said, signalling Israel was not ready to end the war as Hamas has demanded as part of a deal to exchange its hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
"The fighting in Rafah is not a pointless war," Hanegbi said, reiterating that Israel aimed to end Hamas rule in Gaza and stop it and its allies attacking Israel.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel needed to craft a post-war plan for Gaza or risk lawlessness, chaos and a Hamas comeback in the enclave.
The U.S., Israel's closest ally, reiterated its opposition to a major ground offensive in Rafah on Tuesday while saying it did not believe such an operation was under way.
More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's Gaza offensive, the enclave's health ministry said.
Israel launched its war after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
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CEASEFIRE NEGOTIATIONS STRUGGLE ON

There was no word on Wednesday on developments in the ceasefire and hostage release talks. Hamas has said talks are pointless unless Israel ends its offensive on Rafah.
The armed wing of Hamas and that of allies Islamic Jihad said they confronted invading forces in Rafah with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs and blew up explosive devices they had planted, resulting in numerous successful hits.
The Israeli military said three Israeli soldiers were killed and three badly wounded. Public broadcaster Kan radio said an explosive device had been set off in a Rafah building.
Palestinian health officials said several people were wounded by Israeli fire and stores of aid were set ablaze in eastern Rafah, where residents said Israeli bombardment had destroyed many homes in an area Israel has ordered evacuated.
Around a million Palestinians who had taken shelter in Rafah at the southern end of the Gaza Strip have now fled after Israeli orders to evacuate, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA reported on Tuesday.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said it had evacuated its medical teams from its field hospital in the Al-Mawasi area, a designated civilian evacuation zone, because of continued bombardments.
PRCS said two of its staff were killed when an ambulance was struck while on a mission to rescue people in Rafah. In another Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City, medics said five other Palestinians were killed.
In the nearby city of Khan Younis, an Israeli air strike killed three people overnight, including Salama Baraka, a former senior Hamas police officer, medics and Hamas media said. Another killed four people, including two children, medics said.
In northern Gaza, Israeli forces shelled Gaza City neighbourhoods and moved deeper into Jabalia, where residents said large residential districts were destroyed.
Malnutrition has become widespread in Gaza as aid deliveries have slowed to a trickle. The U.N., which has warned of famine, said on Wednesday the amount of humanitarian aid entering the enclave has dropped by two-thirds since Israel began its assault on the Rafah region this month.⍐

வெசாக்: 'தமிழ்` முதலாளியும், `சிங்கள`ப் பிக்குவும்.

Lyca charity celebrates Vesak in Batticaloa, with a helping hand

The philanthropic arm of telecoms giant Lyca celebrated the Buddhist festival of Vesak in Batticaloa last week, with extremist Buddhist monk Ampitiye Sumanarathana seen distributing ice creams for the charity.

Gnanam, the charity wing of Tamil-owned Lyca, opened the stall to celebrate the Buddhist festival,  where food is shared throughout the day. The festival comes just weeks after Tamils were arrested for distributing Mullivaikkal kanji, a rice porridge that is usually distributed to commemorate Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.

Sri Lankan officials however were seen partaking in festivities, alongside racist Buddhist monk Ampitiye Sumanarathana The monk, notorious for his racist outbursts and assaults, was seen speaking to Gnanam officials and helping distribute free food to residents in the area. 


Sumanarathana is known for his anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim remarks.

Last year, he threatened that "every single Tamil person will be cut into pieces!" in an outburst that was caught on camera. "They will all be killed! All the Tamils in the south will be cut into pieces and butchered! The Sinhalese will massacre them."

In 2016, the monk threatened to kill a Tamil government official in Batticaloa, subjecting him to verbal slander when he described him as a “Tamil dog” and a “bloody tiger”, while a Sri Lankan police officer watched. Tamils pursued a demonstration in Batticaloa calling for his arrest.

Lyca, meanwhile, has continued to pursue several business interests on the island.




Xi meets Sisi as China, Arab countries to hold conference

 

Flags hang in Tian'anmen Square on May 29, 2024 to welcome Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Tunisia's President Kais Saied, and United Arab Emirates' President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on their state visit to China. Photo: VCG

Yang Sheng is a 

chief reporter 

at the Global Times 

covering Chinese 

politics, diplomacy 

and military.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Beijing on Wednesday. Multiple top leaders from Arab countries are expected to pay state visits to China and attend the opening ceremony of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, which will be held on May 30. Experts said that China and Arab countries will boost cooperation at the conference, and discuss the ongoing crisis in Gaza as Israel bombed Rafah, causing serious civilian casualties. 

During the meeting, Xi noted that, 68 years ago, Egypt was the first Arab and African state to establish diplomatic relations with China. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership, he said, adding that over the past decade, the two heads of state have worked together to guide the vigorous development of bilateral relations.

China-Egypt relations have become a vivid illustration of China's solidarity, coordination, and mutually-beneficial win-win cooperation with Arab, African, Islamic and developing countries, Xi said, adding that under the new circumstances, building a more enriched and dynamic China-Egypt relationship meets the common expectations of the two peoples. 

Xi said that China is ready to work with Egypt to deepen mutual trust, advance cooperation, build a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era, and contribute to regional and world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Xi said that the current round of conflict has caused massive losses of innocent Palestinian civilians, while the humanitarian situation in Gaza is extremely dire. The most urgent task is an immediate cease-fire and cessation of conflict to prevent escalating impacts on regional peace and stability, and prevent an even graver humanitarian crisis. The "two-state solution" remains the fundamental path to resolving the Palestinian issue. China firmly supports Palestine's bid to become a full member state of the United Nations, Xi said. 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that apart from the Egyptian president, Arab leaders including Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Tunisia's President Kais Saied, and the UAE' President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will pay state visits to China. The ministry also announced that President Xi will attend the opening ceremony of the conference with the four Arab heads of state and deliver a keynote speech.

Palestine issue

"These four countries are either actively involved in pushing for a cease-fire in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or are somewhat involved in the crisis. The participation of the leaders of these four countries at the Beijing-held conference, on one hand, reflects the importance that these countries attach to promoting cooperation with China. On the other hand, this shows that the leaders intend to take this opportunity to discuss a political settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli issue with China," said Li Xinggang, a research fellow at the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University.

China and Arab States could form a joint statement on urging Israel to stop the attack on Rafah and to call for a fundamental settlement of the issue of Palestine, Li said.

The common stance to support the just cause of the Palestinian people shared by China and Arab countries has always been a significant element in China-Arab cooperation, experts said. 

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li on Tuesday met Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN Riyad Mansour, who is in Beijing to attend the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, according to the  Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Deng said at the meeting that China has always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights for their nation, and stands ready to work with Palestine to take this ministerial meeting as an opportunity to push for greater development of the China-Palestine strategic partnership and elevate China-Arab cooperation to a new level.

China is deeply saddened by the prolonged Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The pressing task now is to effectively implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and immediately realize an unconditional and lasting cease-fire and ensure humanitarian relief, Deng said.

China supports Palestine in becoming a full member state of the UN and stands ready to continue to work with the international community for an early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-State solution, Deng noted.

Mansour appreciated China's efforts to support the just cause of Palestine, and said that the ministerial conference will set a milestone for China-Arab friendly cooperation. He expects the conference will conclude with fruitful achievements.

Israel has conducted at least two strikes against Rafah city in the Gaza Strip recently and caused serious casualties on local civilians, according to Palestinian security and medical sources. 

Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that if China and the Arab countries can form a joint statement on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the conference, it will greatly help the international community to reach a clear and firm consensus. This in turn will allow other nations to put more pressure on Israel to stop the attack in Gaza. 

Mao Ning, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at the routine press conference on Wednesday that "China expresses grave concern over Israel's military operations against Rafah and strongly calls on Israel to heed the overwhelming call of the international community and stop attacking Rafah." 

"As the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues to drag on, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely grave. We call on all parties to immediately cease fire and stop fighting and spare no effort to avoid the casualties of innocent civilians and prevent an even more serious humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip," Mao noted.

China-Arab cooperation

Aside from hot-spot issues, China-Arab cooperation is always a focus of the forum. Chinese analysts said that China and Arab countries will deepen cooperation in fields like traditional energies and will explore cooperation in other fields like solar power, wind energy, civil nuclear power, finance and infrastructure.  

Cooperation between China and Arab countries is likely to also focus on high-tech fields like artificial intelligence and electric vehicles. "If there are any breakthroughs we can expect they might be related to the aerospace industry and space cooperation," said Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University. 

"In addition, there are also many achievements in the field of cultural exchanges. At present, many people in Arab countries are studying Chinese, and they love to watch Chinese films and TV series, so cooperation in these fields could further boost ties between the peoples," Niu noted.

Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, said that "there are a few points where we can expect new growth, such as the digital economy and bio-pharmacy." 

China has been the largest trading partner of Arab countries for years. The volume of trade between the two sides reached $398 billion in 2023, compared to $36.7 billion in 2004, according to data released by China's Foreign Ministry.

In December 2022 at the first China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh, Chinese President Xi called for fostering a closer China-Arab community with a shared future.

"If we compare Arab-Chinese relations in 2004 and those of 20 years later, we find there is a vast difference. Of course, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) contributed to this growth," said Magdy Amer, former Egyptian ambassador to China, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Amer, also a former deputy foreign minister of Egypt, said that "The establishment of the forum in 2004 and then the launch of the BRI in 2013 were the two key factors that together promoted Arab-Chinese relations to a completely different level."⍐

 May 29, 2024 Global Times

அநுரா ஆட்சியில் செல்வினின் பனை அபிவிருத்தி சபைத் தலைவர் பொறுப்பு பறிப்பு!

அநுரா ஆட்சியில் செல்வினின் பனை அபிவிருத்தி சபைத் தலைவர் பொறுப்பு பறிப்பு! பனை அபிவிருத்தி சபைத் தலைவராக இரானியேஸ் செல்வின் அவர்களைப் பொறுப்ப...