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Fears of war spillover ease after Nato says missile on Poland was Ukrainian stray

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2022

A missile that crashed inside Poland was probably a stray fired by Ukraine’s air defences and not a Russian strike, Poland and military alliance Nato said on Wednesday, easing international fears that the war could spill across the border.

Nevertheless, Nato’s chief said that Moscow, not Kyiv, was still to blame for starting the war in the first place with its February invasion and launching scores of missiles on Tuesday that triggered Ukrainian defences.

“This is not Ukraine’s fault. Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine,” Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

Nato ambassadors held emergency talks to respond to Tuesday’s blast that killed two people at a grain facility in Poland near the Ukrainian border, the war’s first deadly extension into the territory of the Western alliance.

“From the information that we and our allies have, it was an S-300 rocket made in the Soviet Union, an old rocket and there is no evidence that it was launched by the Russian side,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said. “It is highly probable that it was fired by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defence.”

Stoltenberg also said it was likely to have been a Ukrainian air defence missile. Earlier, US President Joe Biden had said the trajectories suggested the missile was unlikely to have been unleashed from Russia.

Not our missile, says Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy demurred, saying “I have no doubt that it was not our missile”, Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday. He said he based his conclusion on reports from Ukraine’s military which he “cannot but trust”.

He gave no evidence for his position, while saying he believed Ukraine should already have been given access to the site of the explosion as Kyiv had the right to be there.

The incident occurred while Russia was firing scores of missiles at cities across Ukraine, targeting its energy grid and worsening power blackouts for millions, in what Kyiv says was the most intense volley of such strikes of the nine-month war.

Kyiv says it shot down most of the incoming Russian missiles with its own air defence systems. Ukraine’s Volyn region, just across the border from Poland, was one of many Ukraine says was targeted by Russia’s countrywide fusillade.

The Russian Defence Ministry said none of its missiles had struck closer than 35km from the Polish border, and that photos of the wreckage in Poland showed elements of a Ukrainian S-300 air defence missile.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday some countries had made “baseless statements” about the incident, after having accused Poland of an “absolutely hysterical” reaction on Tuesday, but that Washington had been comparatively restrained.

Zelenskiy also said Kyiv had received no offer from Moscow to start peace talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week Ukraine was not interested in such talks.

Zelenskiy’s top adviser Mykhailo Podoloyak dismissed the notion of talks. “Putin’s Russia is a key threat to the global world. Ukraine is trying to restrain Russian outrages, stop the escalation and growth of the war. Do not look for ‘compromises’ between the killer-country (Russia) and the civilized world. This is the path to a global tragedy,” Podolyak tweeted.

Relief

The news that Western officials had concluded the missile was Ukrainian brought some relief to the inhabitants of the Polish village hit by the missile, with some saying they had feared being dragged into the war.

“Everyone has in the back of their head that we are right near the border and that an armed conflict with Russia would expose us directly,” said Grzegorz Drewnik, the mayor of Dolhobyczow, the municipality to which Przewodow belongs.

“If this is a mistake of the Ukrainians, there should be no major consequences, but I’m not an expert here.”

Some Western leaders at a summit of the G-20 big economies in Indonesia suggested that whoever fired the missile, Russia and President Vladimir Putin would ultimately be held responsible for an incident arising from its invasion.

G-20 leaders issued a closing declaration saying “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine”, although it acknowledged that “there were other views”.

Moscow carried out Tuesday’s missile volley just days after abandoning the southern city of Kherson, the only regional capital it had captured since the invasion.

The barrage echoed a pattern of Moscow lashing out with longer-range missile salvoes after losses on the battlefield to a continuing Ukrainian counter-offensive in the east and south.

However, the top US general played down the odds of any near-term, outright military victory by Ukraine, cautioning that Russia still had significant combat power inside Ukraine despite a string of setbacks.

“Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That’s possible,” Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference in Washington.

Russia “right now is on its back”, Milley added.

Reuters

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Germany looks to Asia-Pacific to strengthen economy

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2022

Diversification, however, will not mean decoupling, the German Chancellor said.

Germany is keen on strengthening its economic ties with the Asia Pacific region, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in his opening address during the 17th edition of Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) held in Singapore on Monday.

Scholz noted the consequences left in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war; hunger, energy shortages and inflation are global, despite the fact that the conflict might be far away geographically.

“Reducing risky, one-sided dependencies when it comes to certain raw materials or critical technologies will play an important role in the National Security Strategy that we are currently working on. Our view of the matter is clear: the best way to achieve more resilient supply chains is to diversify our trade relations,” he said.

The German chancellor is making his rounds in the Asia-Pacific region. Having visited China on Nov 4, Scholz also touched base with Vietnam and Singapore last weekend, before proceeding to the G20 summit hosted by Indonesia.

The APK is jointly organised by the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action, and the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad in Asia-Pacific.

“The Asia-Pacific region is much more than China. The Asia-Pacific Conference has been looking at the entire region for over 30 years now, and that is precisely why my government has decided to strengthen our support for this conference,” said Scholz.

Earlier this year, Scholz also met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, Japan. Moreover, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi paid the chancellor a visit in May.

Condemning Russia’s war aggression whilst stressing the need to intensify partnerships with Asia, Scholz’s approach to these visits is to prepare Germany to be more shockproof in dealing with crises.  

According to current forecasts, Asia will contribute around half of global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2050.

German Asia-Pacific Business Association regional manager Asean, Daniel Mueller stated it is a well-known and accepted fact in Germany that Asia will be the heart of the new world order both politically and economically.

“Germany does not want to stand back and tries to increase its engagement in the region. The signal is that we have understood the importance of the region and are willing to defend our interests. It is also a subtle signal to China that there are many opportunities beyond the People’s Republic,” he told StarBiz.

Mueller also stated that Asia-Pacific countries should also, like Germany, actively diversify their markets in order to strengthen economic capabilities.

“Asia-Pacific countries should also take into account the imperative of risk mitigation in an uncertain geopolitical environment and consider “economic security” and likewise further diversify their external economic relations.

In regards to Malaysia’s progress in building resilience across supply chains, Mueller opined that it is well on track.

“Malaysia is already relatively well positioned in this regard, both in terms of the various sources of economic growth and the various export markets,” he said.

Russia has been a reliable natural gas supplier to Germany for decades. When the war broke out, Germany found itself in a quandary as it struggled to either be weaned from Russia or seek an alternative source.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Director of Media Programme Asia, Ansgar Graw concurred and told StarBiz, “Following the energy crisis, Germany is now trying to avoid becoming entirely dependent on China for the manufacturing and production of goods. While Germany does not intend to decouple from China, it sees the need to seek for alternative markets in other countries.”

Scholz added that diversification does not mean decoupling, which he warned could be protectionism in disguise.

Among the German delegation, it could also be heard that German business leaders would resist heavily if Germany attempted to decouple China.

“As long as China is not doing something like attacking Taiwan, the government cannot stop German businesses from investing in China. The government may only be able to resort to decline providing investment guarantees for German businesses.

“This was the case with carmaker Volkswagen AG when credit insurance to invest in Xinjiang, China was denied due to allegations of human rights violation in the Chinese province.”

Meanwhile, vice chancellor and federal minister for economic affairs & climate action Robert Habeck noted leaving China out of the equation will only backfire as it will lose out on the opportunities the second largest global economy brings.
 
“In the past, Germany invested a lot of money to build up the battery industry in Germany. We thought that by doing so, we would be able to be independent of China in the sector. The truth is we are not, as the raw materials that we use for that development are from China,” he said.

He further elaborated that the exchange of goods between Germany and this region is 550 billion euros. Out of which, more than half of the goods exchanged are with China.

“China’s exchange of goods with the European Union is decreasing, or at least not increasing. This means that while China is orientated to the whole world, Europe is orientated to China. Hence, we need to continue to find ways to trade and do business with China,” he said.

By Elim Poon

The Star

Asia News Network

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Khmer makeup artist lives Hollywood dream

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Kim Kardashian is one of the most famous reality stars on the planet. She is also known as the queen of unique makeup. For Halloween, she caused a stir when she dressed up as Mystique, a character from the X-Men movies.

To create the blue body paint and gold hair ensemble, a team of four makeup artists worked on her for four hours. One of the team was a Cambodian girl from Stung Treng province.

Almost halfway through the world, the young Cambodian woman posted pictures of the costume to her Instagram account, with a simple caption.

“From Stung Treng province, Cambodia, to here, Hollywood, this is a dream,” she wrote.

Dou Poth Molita, better known as “Apple Love”, has followed her dream to the top of the Hollywood ladder.

“Because Kim Kardashian is a busy personality with a lot of work to do, we only had limited time,” Apple said.

“To speed up the application of the makeup, we formed a team of four artists,” she added.

Thanks to a non-disclosure agreement – standard protocol when dealing with A-list celebrities – she cannot reveal too much but explained that her team works on many similar projects, although no one with the profile of a Kardashian.

Apple Love, whose mother is an accounting clerk at the provincial education department and whose father is a construction worker, said there were not many experts in the area she specialises in, even in Hollywood.

Therefore, she was directly responsible for focusing on Kardashian’s bald head and making sure the gold hair was applied just so.

“I did make up for her and her children. I had to be very careful preparing her daughter North West’s hair,” she said.

She discovered her love for makeup artistry when her friend asked her to join a makeup team on a movie. Since then she has worked on many films and music videos. Lately, she collaborated with Cambodian director Cayleeso on a feature film called “The Harvest”, which will be screened in Cambodia next year.

In the late 2000s, Apple left her hometown in Stung Treng province to study in Phnom Penh, alone.

In 2011, she was honoured to work on Angelina Jolie’s “First they Killed my Father”.

With six or seven years of experience as a makeup artist in Cambodia, in 2017 she received a scholarship to study special effects at the Cinema Makeup School, a well-known makeup school in the US. After graduating in 2018, she decided to stay in Hollywood and pursue her dream.

“The demand for special effects in the US is much higher than it is in Cambodia. I would struggle to earn a living in the kingdom because our film producers do not have as much experience utilising advanced make-up and special effects,” she said.

Apple told The Post that she promised to return to Cambodia soon to run special classes for Khmer who want to acquire her skills, just as she did earlier this year.

“I taught eight students in Cambodia during February and March. However, I am not sure there is demand for full-time classes. In addition, I provided most of the materials, which were expensive, out of my own pocket,” she said.

“I am not discouraged. I know that this kind of makeup is not yet popular in the film industry there – and US productions have much larger budgets,” she added.

“If production budgets remain limited in the kingdom, then it may be many years before there is any demand for my skills,” she continued.

As one of Apple’s eight students, Sin Thuokna has been interested in special effects makeup ever since he was young, thanks to a love of movies.

The 27-year-old from Pralay Sdao village, Talos commune, Moung Russey district, Battambang province, said he had always wanted to learn from a professional.

“I started learning to paint on paper, before practising on peoples’ skin. When I heard Apple was visiting the kingdom and offering a course, I contacted her and asked for the details. Unfortunately, the four-day course cost $800 [28,445 baht], and I could not afford to participate,” he explained.

Just a few days before the course began, Apple messaged Thuokna personally, offering him free admission, with all study materials included.

Although the course was short, he said his solid foundation in painting meant he was able to learn a lot from the classes.

He said he was very happy to learn more about his passion and to have a chance to use expensive professional dyes and colours.

“I think special effects makeup is an important skill in any film industry. Cambodia needs to let the world know that we have the skills to match the world, but we need the capital to support us,” he said.

“If an opportunity for sponsorship to study abroad became available, I would pursue it. Unfortunately, I lack the funds to do it on my own,” said the painter, who is becoming well-known in his own right for his comedic paintings.

Although at first glance, applying makeup does not appear to require a lot of physical effort, Apple said the job often involved standing for long periods and lifting heavy cases.

She said the job required a lot of creativity and high energy levels. Many of the most difficult aspects involve working with glue and chemicals and using one’s own judgement to produce practical, but realistic, results.

“For example, after being made up, Kim Kardashian went to functions with three or four Hollywood stars in one night. It required a high degree of skill on my part to make sure the dyes lasted up to five or six hours, even if she was sweating. Most of my work involves transporting a lot of materials. I have to carry large things, as well as work long hours,” she explained.

“I need to make sure I get enough rest and eat a lot because sometimes I have to work 12 hours on location, or stand for four or five hours without being able to sit,” she added.

Apple Love hoped Cambodia’s film industry would embrace modern effects, as she believed they have led to more creative, unique productions.

“Combining western techniques with the quality of the producers and writers working in Cambodia would create incredible spectacles which would elevate the growth of the kingdom’s industry,” she said.

“Thank you for your continued support. After my success with Kim Kardashian, I was pleased to see so many Cambodian fans sharing my excitement on social media,”

The Phnom Penh Post

Asia News Network

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Leaders at G-20 summit condemn war in Ukraine, call for ceasefire

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Leaders of the Group of 20 (G-20) nations on Tuesday condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, deploring its devastating impact on the global economy, as Moscow launched new missile attacks on Kyiv.

Without making a direct mention of the conflict, Indonesian President Joko Widodo warned that ending the war was the responsibility of nations for the sake of current and future generations.

“If the war doesn’t end, it will be difficult for the world to move forward,” he said in his opening address at the two-day G-20 Leaders’ Summit at the Apurva Kempinski hotel in Bali.

“We should not divide the world into parts. We must not allow the world to fall into another Cold War,” he added.

Seventeen leaders gathered for the summit, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and United States President Joe Biden. But Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen cut short his trip after testing positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin skipped the summit, despite Widodo’s efforts to persuade them to come to Bali to start a dialogue.

Putin is represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who reportedly flew out of Bali on Tuesday.

Missiles rained down on Ukraine on Tuesday as the G-20 summit was underway, hitting many parts of the country, including Kyiv in north-central Ukraine and Lviv in the west.

In a special video address on Tuesday morning before the latest countrywide bombings in Ukraine, Zelensky appealed to the G-20 leaders to pressure Russia to withdraw its troops after nine months of fighting.

“I am convinced now is the time when Russia’s destructive war must and can be stopped,” he said.

He also called on G-20 leaders to adopt a 10-point peace formula and end the war on the basis of the United Nations Charter and international law.

The pleas for peace and unity were echoed by other leaders.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak slammed Russia’s “barbaric war” and called its “weaponisation of energy and food” totally unacceptable.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi renewed his calls for a “return to the path of ceasefire and diplomacy in Ukraine”.

India, which will take over the G-20 presidency and host the summit next year, has been widely seen as a potential broker for peace due to its good relationship with both the West and Russia.

In talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the summit, Xi stressed China’s position on the Ukraine crisis was “clear and consistent” – it stood for a ceasefire, cessation of the conflict and peace talks.

The French presidency said in a statement that the consequences of this conflict went beyond Europe’s borders and should be overcome with close cooperation between France and China, Reuters reported.

A draft leaders’ declaration seen by The Straits Times said that “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine”. It also stressed the war “is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy – constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks”.

“Today’s era must not be of war,” said the document, which also noted that some countries have “other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions”.

The document must still be approved by G-20 leaders before it is officially issued at the close of the summit on Wednesday.

The Bali meeting focuses on three main areas – global health systems, sustainable energy transition and digital transformation – but the Ukraine crisis has marred a few G-20 meetings due to a lack of consensus among member states.

For example, the finance ministers’ meeting in July and the climate talks in August ended without a joint communique.

Widodo urged the leaders to put aside their differences and come up with concrete actions to heal the global economy, stressing that Indonesia “has made every effort to bridge very deep, very wide differences”.

“However, success will only be achieved if all of us, without exception, are committed, work hard, and put aside our differences to produce something concrete, something that is beneficial to the world,” he added.

The Straits Times

Asia News Network

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Blast kills two in eastern Poland as Russian missiles batter neighbouring Ukraine

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Two people died in an explosion in a Polish village near the border with Ukraine on Tuesday, firefighters said, with the United States and western allies saying they were investigating unconfirmed reports the blast was caused by stray Russian missiles.

The explosion occurred after Russia hammered cities across Ukraine with missiles on Tuesday, attacks that Kyiv said were the heaviest wave of missile strikes nearly nine months into its invasion of its neighbour. Some hit the western city of Lviv, less than 80km from the border with Poland.

The explosion was in Przewodow, a village in eastern Poland about 6km from the border with Ukraine, firefighters said. Media reports said the strike hit a grain-drying facility.

Poland is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) Western military alliance. Members of Nato are committed to collective defence, so a Russian strike on Poland could risk widening the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began with Moscow’s invasion in February.

A Nato official said the alliance was looking into the report and was closely coordinating with Poland.

Germany and Canada said they were monitoring the situation, and the European Union, the Netherlands and Norway said they were seeking more details. French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a verification effort.

Fabrice Pothier, former head of policy planning in the Nato secretary-general’s office, told Sky TV that it was too early to say whether the possible strike was intentional or accidental.

But the events were enough to trigger Nato’s Article 4 under which Poland would call a Nato meeting “to consult each other, to assess the threat and to take concrete action”, Pothier said. Nato ambassadors were due to hold a regular weekly meeting on Wednesday.

The Associated Press earlier cited a senior US intelligence official as saying the blast was due to Russian missiles having crossed into Poland.

Russia’s defence ministry said no strikes occurred against targets near the Ukrainian-Polish border that had been carried out by Russian weapons, IFX news agency reported.

In Washington, the Pentagon said it could not confirm Russian missiles had landed on Polish territory.

“We are aware of the press reports alleging that two Russian missiles have struck a location inside Poland near the Ukraine border. I can tell you that we don’t have any information at this time to corroborate those reports and are looking into this further,” Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called an urgent meeting of a government committee for national security and defence affairs on Tuesday night, Nato spokesman Piotr Muller said on Twitter.

Polish Radio ZET reported that two stray missiles hit Przewodow, killing two people, without elaborating.

“Firefighters are on the spot, it’s not clear what has happened,” said Lukasz Kucy, an officer on duty at a nearby firefighters’ post.

Air raid sirens blared and explosions rang out in nearly a dozen major Ukrainian cities, echoing a pattern in recent weeks of Moscow lashing out far from the front after losses on the battlefield, most recently the major southern city of Kherson.

Russia had launched 110 missiles and 10 Iranian-made attack drones into Ukraine by early evening, Ukraine’s armed forces general staff said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the main target of the missile flurry was energy infrastructure, as before.

“It’s clear what the enemy wants. He will not achieve this,” he said in a video address on the Telegram messaging app. The capital Kyiv has said such strikes only stiffen its resolve to repel Russian forces that invaded in February.

In Kyiv, flames funnelled out of a five-storey apartment block after being hit by what residents said appeared to be shot-down pieces of missile. The emergency service said one person was confirmed killed and another injured. Kyiv’s mayor said half the capital was left without electricity.

Other strikes or explosions were reported in cities ranging from Lviv and Zhytomyr in the west to Kryvy Rih in the south and Kharkiv in the east. Regional officials reported that some of the attacks had knocked out electricity, water and heating.

The attacks had left millions of Ukrainians without energy in 16 of the country’s 24 regions including Kyiv, said the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA) said.

“The damage to civilian infrastructure comes at a critical time when the temperature is dropping below zero, raising concerns about a serious humanitarian crisis during the harsh Ukrainian winter if people are unable to heat their homes.”

Just four days ago, Russian troops abandoned Kherson city in the south, the only regional capital Moscow had captured since its invasion, and six weeks after President Vladimir Putin declared it an eternal part of Russia.

Moscow had said last week its troops would occupy positions easier to defend on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River that bisects Ukraine. But video images filmed in the town of Oleshky, across a collapsed bridge from Kherson, appeared to show Russian forces had vacated their bunkers there too.

Further east, Russian-installed administrators said they were pulling civil servants out of Kherson province’s second biggest city, Nova Kakhovka, on the river bank next to a huge, strategic dam.

Natalya Humenyuk, a Ukrainian military spokesman, said Moscow seemed to be repositioning troops and artillery 15-20km further from the Dnipro, to protect its guns from Ukrainian counter-strikes.

Russia had artillery still capable of striking Kherson from those new positions, but “we also have something to answer with”, she said. 

Reuters

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Thailand abstains in UN vote against Russia over Ukraine war

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Thailand abstained from voting as the UN General Assembly called on Russia to make reparations to Ukraine over the war there.

The General Assembly on Monday adopted the resolution after ambassadors met to resume their emergency special session devoted to the conflict.

The resolution, supported by 94 of the assembly’s 193 members, said Russia, which invaded its neighbour in February, “must bear the legal consequences of all of its internationally wrongful acts, including making reparation for injuries, including any damage, caused by such acts”.

Thailand was among 73 countries which abstained from voting, while 14 nations voted against the resolution.

The Asean countries which voted for the resolution were Myanmar, The Philippines and Singapore. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam joined Thailand in abstaining.

In presenting the resolution, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya insisted Russia must be held accountable for its violation of international law.

“Seventy-seven years ago, the Soviet Union demanded and received reparations, calling it a moral right of a country that had suffered war and occupation,” he said.

“Today, Russia, which claims to be the successor of the 20th century’s tyranny, is doing everything it can to avoid paying the price for its own war and occupation, trying to escape accountability for the crimes it is committing.”

Kyslytsya pointed out that Russia also supported the creation of the UN Compensation Commission, established in 1991 after Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait.

The commission completed its mandate in February, he reported, having paid out more than US$52 billion (1.84 trillion baht) in reparations to the victims.

The ambassador outlined the impact of the Russian war on his country, including bombings targeting residential buildings and infrastructure, the demolition of nearly half of the power grid and utilities, massive displacement and atrocities such as murder, rape, torture and forced deportations.

“This proposal is not about Russia alone. It will work for the benefit of all those who are being threatened now or might be threatened later by use of force,” he said.

Speaking before the vote, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya characterised the draft resolution as “a classic example of a narrow group of states acting not on the basis of international law but rather trying to consecrate something that is illegal”.

He said countries backing the resolution were attempting to position the General Assembly as a judicial body, which it is not.

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Zelenskiy urges G20 to adopt Ukraine’s plan to restore peace

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday urged world leaders to back a plan to end the war in his country, saying now was the time to push for peace after Russia’s defeat in the southern city of Kherson.

At the same time, he said Ukraine would not allow Russian forces to regroup after their withdrawal from Kherson, and said there would be more fighting until Ukraine reclaims control of all of its occupied territory.

Zelenskiy made his remarks in a speech to a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Indonesia, where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a key focus of discussion among leaders of the world’s major economies.

A day earlier he shook hands with soldiers and waved to civilians during a visit to Kherson, where he said Ukraine had gathered evidence of at least 400 war crimes committed by Russian troops including killings and abductions.

“I am convinced now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped,” he said via video link to the summit on the island of Bali, according to a copy of his speech reviewed by Reuters.

Zelenskiy told the summit that now was the time to stop Russia’s war in his country under a plan he has proposed “justly and on the basis of the UN Charter and international law“.

He called for restoring “radiation safety” with regard to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and proposed that “International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) missions are sent to all Ukrainian nuclear plants”.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who headed the Russian delegation to the summit, remained in the room while Zelenskiy was speaking, delegates said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the G20 saw international condemnation of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“With Russia’s Foreign minister sitting there we highlighted both the illegality and the barbaric nature of Russia’s war and also the devastating impact that it is having on people around the world through higher food and energy prices,” Sunak said.

Sunak arrived at the summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Monday (November 14) and is expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The British PM on Tuesday extended his support for Ukraine at the G20 summit while confirming a long-planned order for warships from British defence contractor BAE Systems.

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Biden-Xi meeting a step towards easing tensions despite differences

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first in-person bilateral meeting on Monday, where they both showed a desire to improve bilateral ties that have hit rock bottom in recent years.

While they continue to stand at odds on key issues, including Taiwan, experts assess that Monday’s meeting will positively improve bilateral ties and reduce tensions.

On the eve of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, Biden and Xi met for about three hours, according to officials.

In the first US-China meeting since January 2017, the two leaders agreed on the need to reduce tensions in their bilateral relations, and to work together to address transnational challenges.

In that effort, they said they would have senior officials maintain communication to deepen constructive efforts on a wide range of issues, including climate change, global macroeconomic stability, debt relief, health security, and global food security, the White House said.

According to a readout of the meeting, Biden told Xi that the US would continue to “compete vigorously” with China. At the same time, the US and China must manage the competition responsibly, and maintain open lines of communication so that the competition does not veer into conflict, Biden said.

Xi pointed out that the current bilateral relations the two countries have “is not in the fundamental interest of the two countries and peoples, and is not what the international community expects”.

So for the world and for the people, they should find the right way to get along with each other and “bring it back to the track of healthy and stable growth” for everyone’s benefit, Xi said.

The two leaders also agreed that their respective countries should work together to tackle transnational challenges, such as climate change,

“China-US relations should not be a zero-sum game where one side out-competes or thrives at the expense of the other,” Xi said.

“The successes of China and the United States are opportunities, not challenges, for each other. The world is big enough for the two countries to develop themselves and prosper together,” he added.

As the two leaders confirmed their desires to improve ties, they still were at odds over a series of pending issues, including the security situation of Taiwan.

While the US president reiterated the US upholds the one China policy, he objected to the “coercive” and “increasingly aggressive” actions of Beijing toward Taiwan. He said those hostile actions undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region and jeopardise global prosperity.

Biden also raised concerns over Beijing’s conduct harming human rights in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and also pointed out China’s non-market economic practices harm workers and families in America and around the world.

Xi gave a “full account” of the origin of the Taiwan issue, and China’s principled position, according to China’s State Council.

Stressing that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, Xi said it is “the first red line” that must not be crossed in China-US relations.

Xi stressed that China also supports and is committed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but that and the idea of Taiwan’s independence are as “irreconcilable as water and fire”.

The two leaders agreed that nuclear war should never be fought and can never be won. They also underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

But as the White House readout explained how Biden criticised North Korea’s military provocation and urged China to play a “constructive role” to deter Pyongyang‘s threats, China’s side did not mention it.

Experts viewed Monday’s meeting as an opportunity for the two sides to explore their desire for improvement in their bilateral relations.

“In several months, we may look back on the Biden-Xi meeting as the first signs of an inflexion point that began to decelerate the spiral towards conflict,” Jessica Chen Weiss, a China expert at Cornell University, said in an interview with the Financial Times.

“It’s encouraging that both sides agreed to empower senior officials to develop foundational principles for the relationship and working groups to make progress on specific issues,” Chen Weiss added.

Citing analysts’ opinions, China’s state-operated English news outlet Global Times said Monday’s bilateral summit plays positive for the relations between the two countries.

While tension remains between the two countries, Xi-Biden summit sent a “positive signal” to the world, that the world’s two biggest economies remain in communication and share the consensus of avoiding direct conflict, the Global Times said.

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40022093

The latest news on what’s happening in the region

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022

Check out what’s hot in the region on November 15, as The Nation puts together headlines from members of Asia News Network (ANN). Click to read more:

ANN news highlights: Tue, Nov 15, 2022
Bringing Asia Closer

Diplomacy China-US

Xi, Biden hold candid, in-depth exchange of views on bilateral ties, major global issues – China Daily
 

Xi, Biden vow to avoid conflict and get China-US relations back on track – Straits Times
 

Opinion: Can the Island of the Gods pacify Xi and Biden? – Jakarta Post
 

Diplomacy Japan-Korea
Kishida, Yoon agree on early resolution of issue of wartime requisitioned workers – The Japan News
 

Myanmar Crisis I
Malaysia seeking UN’s help to set up humanitarian donor forum for Myanmar – The Star
 

Myanmar Crisis II
Editorial: ASEAN paralysis over Myanmar – Jakarta Post

Apec 

Global spotlight on Bangkok as Apec 2022 opens – The Nation
 

Kishida, Xi to hold talks in Bangkok – The Japan News
 

Asean Summit
A recap of bilateral meetings on sidelines of ASEAN Summit hosted by Cambodia | Phnom Penh Post
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/recap-bilateral-meetings-sidelines-asean-summit-hosted-cambodia

Economy Asean
Interview: ASEAN a bright spot in gloomy global outlook, says IMF chief | Phnom Penh Post
 

Politics US
Opinion: US elections: Lessons for the Philippines | Inquirer Opinion
 

Jobs SE Asia
Sea e-commerce arm Shopee cuts jobs in third round of layoffs this year, including in Singapore – Straits Times
 

Business Saudi-Korea
Saudi crown prince to meet with biz moguls in Seoul – Korea Herald

Business Japan
Keidanren faces crucial challenges 20 years after founding – The Japan News
 

PPP Vietnam
Airport infrastructure investment needs private involvement: insiders – Vietnam News
 

Business China
Nation moves to level playing field for foreign investors – China Daily
 

Startup India
54 companies back by Venture Catalysts surpass $50 million valuation – The Statesman

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asean/40022095

‘End the war’, Jokowi urges G20 leaders as Bali summit opens

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Tuesday urged G20 leaders to “end the war” as he opened a summit dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Washington and allies heaping pressure on Moscow.

“Being responsible means creating not zero-sum situations, being responsible here also means that we must end the war,” Jokowi said.

The United States and its allies are looking to blame painfully high global food and fuel prices squarely on President Vladimir Putin during the gathering.

Eyeing a joint G20 declaration that would condemn the eight-month-old invasion and threats to use nuclear weapons, US and European officials have painted the summit as evidence of Russia’s deepening isolation.

“I think you’re going to see most members of the G20 make clear that they condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine,” a senior US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Russia’s war of aggression is being condemned in the strongest possible terms,” the official said, adding that many “see Russia’s war in Ukraine as the root source of immense economic and humanitarian suffering in the world.”

It remains to be seen whether Russia’s G20 allies China, India and South Africa will sign up to language that would condemn Putin’s war so explicitly.

Such a condemnation at the G20 would be a heavy diplomatic defeat for Moscow, which has been keen to paint opposition to the conflict as Western-dominated.

There was a hint of growing Chinese unease with Russia’s war, though, when presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden met late Monday.

Both men voiced opposition to the “use or threat of use“ of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the White House said.

European Council president Charles Michel signalled that while a draft agreement had been agreed to in principle, there was still work to be done.
“I am absolutely convinced that we should try to use the meeting today and tomorrow to convince all of the parties to put more pressure on Russia,” he told the media as the summit opened.

Inflation woes

G20 leaders are gathered in Bali as soaring inflation drives millions more into poverty and tips several nations toward recession.

US allies hope to find common ground with G20 nations who, while cautious about denouncing Russia, are deeply concerned about rising prices.

G20 members Argentina and Turkey are among countries worst hit by food inflation, while India and South Africa have avoided criticising Moscow.

Putin is skipping the summit after a string of embarrassing battlefield defeats in a war that his supporters had believed would be over in days.
Rubbing salt in the wound, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky – fresh from a visit to liberated Kherson – addressed G20 leaders in a video message.

Russia is represented by Sergei Lavrov, despite the veteran foreign minister making two Bali hospital trips in as many days for an undisclosed ailment.

Moscow denied the top diplomat had been hospitalised.
Lavrov is not seen as part of Putin’s inner circle – meaning the chance of a diplomatic breakthrough to end the war is vanishingly small.

With Zelensky and Putin absent “there is little chance of any real peace diplomacy in Bali”, said Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group.

Still, French President Emmanuel Macron has kept an olive branch extended. He will call Putin after the G20 summit, according to a senior French official.

Grain corridor

The deal allowing Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea is likely to be another focus of conversation.

It expires on November 19, and Russia has already threatened to rip it up.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he was “hopeful” the deal would be extended, calling it crucial for food security.

Ukraine is one of the world’s top grain producers, and the Russian invasion had blocked 20 million tonnes of grain in its ports before the UN and Turkey brokered the deal in July.

“We need urgent action to prevent famine and hunger in a growing number of places around the world,” Guterres said.
The summit build-up has focused on Xi, who is making only his second overseas trip since the pandemic.

He is meeting with Macron and Australia’s Anthony Albanese on Tuesday, a day after a first presidential sit-down with Biden.

The pair cooled Cold War rhetoric in a three-hour summit as they tried to take some of the heat out of their simmering superpower rivalry.

“The world expects that China and the United States will properly handle the relationship,” Xi told Biden.

Former US diplomat Danny Russel described the meeting as broadly positive.

“We should beware of prematurely declaring the strategic rivalry over. However, we saw a deliberate effort to stabilise a dangerously overheated relationship.”

The Jakarta Post
Asia News Network