News Round-Up June 11, 2019
作者： 来源：
Africa
Why Huawei’s Google Woes Worry
Africa?
(Dickens Olewe,
BBC News, 26 May 2019)
Google’s blockage of
Huawei’s access to its Android updates seems that it is forcing African
countries to choose between US and Chinese technology. Huawei is not only a
major seller of smartphones in Africa, but also an important partner as it has
built most of Africa’s 4G internet network and has established a good
relationship with African governments. Despite cybersecurity suspicion, there
is no evidence that Huawei’s computer system was hacked. Scholars suggest that
instead of picking a side, African countries should develop their own
technologies. African countries using China’s closed internet model present
difficulties, and some experts are concerned about Africa’s reliance on Chinese
investment in technology.
China Set to Cash in on New African
Free Trade Agreement
(Chris Devonshire-Ellis, China
Briefing, 27 May 2019)
https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-set-cash-new-african-free-trade-agreement/
On May 30, the
African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)
will go into effect. China helped to negotiate the deal using its diplomatic,
political, and economic influence. Ultimately, 52 out of 55 African countries
signed on to the deal-although Nigeria (the biggest economy in Africa) is a key
exception. The AfCFTA will incentivize more Chinese companies to work and invest in Africa because
they can benefit from low tariff trade with other African countries.
Africa’s new-found fondness for
hair extension offers cover to Xuchang,
China’s hub for wigs and weaves, as US tariffs loom
(Yujing Liu, South China Morning Post, 25 May 2019)
As the US-China trade
war continues to intensify, the Xuchang wig industry in Hunan is shifting its focus on exports from the US to Africa.
The Trump administration could soon impose a 25% tariff on wigs and other human
hair products entering the US from China. Human hair product exports to the US
account for 39 percent of the market share. Because of rising living standards,
growing e-commerce, and the BRI, exports to Africa have grown to a 37 percent
share of the market, up from 30 percent 8 years ago. Factories in Xuchang are shifting their focus to trade with Africa due to the perception that the
trade war with the US is becoming more serious each day. Companies are looking
to set up factories in Africa and expand into the continent’s e-commerce.
South Africa Is Collateral
Damage in U.S.-China Trade War
(Roxanne Henderson
and Amogelang Mbatha, Bloomberg, 23 May 2019)
The US-China trade
war is harming South Africa’s financial companies and inducing fears about the economy’s future. South Africa is an open economy which sells
to the global demand, so the trade war has affected it even though South Africa
is not directly involved. The South African Reserve Bank has curtailed the
full-year economic growth forecast. Liberty Holdings Ltd, a South African
investment company, has reported that the trade war is causing fears about
equity prices, which is harming their business.
The UNESCO-Africa-China Forum on
World Heritage Capacity Building and Cooperation
(UNESCO Documents, 2
June 2019)
In order to protect
the World Heritage sites in Africa, UNESCO is collaborating with Africa and
China to host this forum. It is guided by the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 on
Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063. The objective
of the Forum is to establish a platform for Africa and China to identify the
challenges and opportunities of sustainable development, strengthen South-South
cooperation, ensure that development projects do not affect World heritage
sites, and facilitate policy conversations. The Forum expects that
UNESCO-Africa-China would announce a joint declaration on heritage protection,
implement 10 cases in culture and nature, enhance visits and training, and
publish more scientific journals regarding Chinese and African heritage
studies.
USAFRICOM hosts APORA 2019
(Master Sgt Andy Kin,
U.S. Air Force, 29 May 2019)
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1859880/usafricom-hosts-apora-2019/
On May 20-23, US
Africa Command hosted the 7th Semi-Annual African Partner Outbreak Response Alliance in Kigali, Rwanda. The
conference was established after the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and
aims to provide partner nations with training to give them the tools to
prevent, detect, and respond to emerging infectious diseases. Through sharing
best practices, 27 African nations and the US government discussed current
challenges, identified needs, and worked to promote regional stability. In
breakout groups, African nations exchanged ideas about what a coordinated,
regional response to an outbreak could look like.
China, Russia block UN
action on Sudan
(MSN/AFP, 5 June 2019)
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/middleeast/top-stories/china-russia-block-un-action-on-sudan/ar-AACpdKG
China firmly objected to the text of the press statement ,
while Russia called for a response from the African Union. The
initiative was led by Britain and Germany, in concert with UN envoy Nicholas Haysom who has
been working with the African Union Peace and Security Council on a solution to
the crisis. Britain and France circulated a press statement calling on further
negotiation between Sudan’s military rulers and protesters. Finally, Belgium,
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, The Netherlands and Sweden proposed a
statement calling for a transfer of power from the military to
civilian-led government.
Latin America
China, Mexico Signal Willingness
to Step Up Trade Talks with U.S.
(Josh Zumbrun and
Yoko Kubota, The Wall Street Journal, 2 June 2019)
On Sunday, China
released a white paper on its position on economic and trade consultations with
US, but it suggested that cooperation is the only correct choice. The policy
paper reiterated that the US must remove “all additional tariffs” of Chinese
exports, give a “realistic” number of Chinese purchases of US exports, and
write a “balanced” text of final agreement. As the G20 Summit 2019 will be held
on June 28 and 29 in Japan, a meeting between Mr. Trump and President Xi
Jinping might be possible. Meanwhile, Mexico sent a delegation to the US after
Trump threatened to impose tariffs on all Mexican imports last week. The
tariffs on Mexican goods are used to restrict migrants into the US, which could
harm the new trade agreement signed by the US, Mexica, and Canada in October 2018.
U.S. Imposes New Travel Curbs on
Cuba
(José de Córdoba and
Ian Talley, The Wall Street Journal, 4 June 2019)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-rolls-out-cuba-travel-export-bans-11559656620
American cruise ships
will be barred from going to Cuba by the U.S. to pressure Havana to stop
supporting for Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. This move will further squeeze the
tourism industry, including burgeoning tourist operations in Cuba, whose
economy is suffering due to the decreased economic aid from Venezuela, Havana’s
main ally. The White House criticizes Cuba for its effort in keeping Mr. Maduro
in power, who is against Venezuela’s U.S.-backed opposition. Mr. Trump’s
sanctions are likely to impact older and more conservative Cuban-American
voters in Florida, who helped him to win re-election in 2020. According to
Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism, around 800,000 passengers visited Cuba via cruise
in 2018, and 586,000 Cuban-Americans came to Cuba.
Venezuela crisis: Four million
have fled the country, UN says
(BBC News, 7 June
2019)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48559739
More than four
million Venezuelans have fled their country given rise to economic and
humanitarian crisis, UN agencies say. The conflict between the government and
opposition has aggravated the situation. Latin American and Caribbean countries
hosting the Venezuelans ask for international help. Under the government of
Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelans are facing shortages of food, medicine, fuel
and electricity, but the government blames them on US sanctions.
来源时间：2019/6/26 发布时间：2019/6/26
旧文章ID：18841
