Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
Trade tensions between the United States and China will create a "domino effect" and prompt other countries to turn protectionist, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business and Investment Summit in Singapore, Mahathir said other developed countries will follow the footsteps of the United States and China by imposing protectionist measures against developing countries, like ASEAN member states.
"The trade tension between the two world powers is bound to create a domino effect that will affect trade reactions and will be a reason for other developed countries to adopt protective measures against developing countries, including the ASEAN countries," Mahathir said.
"This is not the time to close our doors by invoking trade protectionism measures," he added.
The world should ignore "gossip" about China's Xinjiang region and trust authorities there, the Chinese government's top diplomat said on Tuesday when asked if Beijing would allow international observers to inspect camps holding Muslims there.Western countries including Canada, France, Germany, and the United States have called on China to close down camps in Xinjiang, where activists say as many as 1 million members of the Uighur minority and other Muslims are being detained.China has said in the past that Xinjiang faces a threat from Islamist militants and separatists. It rejects all accusations of mistreatment and denies mass internment.Germany cannot accept China’s camps for Uighur MuslimsAfter initial blanket denials, however, Chinese officials have said some people guilty of minor offences were being sent to "vocational" training centres, where they are taught work skills and legal knowledge aimed at curbing militancy.State Councillor Wang Yi told reporters after a meeting with Germany's foreign minister, Heiko Maas, that he hoped people would understand and support the Xinjiang regional government's efforts to combat terrorism, put an end to the spread of extremism and provide for social stability."(People) should not listen to gossip or rumour, because the Xinjiang regional government, of course, understands the situation in Xinjiang best, and not some other people or organisations," said Wang, who is also foreign minister.China triples spending to expand detention camps for Uighur Muslims"The efforts are completely in-line with the direction the international community has taken to combat terrorism, and are an important part of the global fight against terrorism," Wang said."If we can take care of prevention, then it will be impossible for terrorism to spread and take root," he said.Reports of mass detentions and strict surveillance of Uighurs and other Muslims have prompted the United States to consider sanctions against officials and companies linked to suspected human rights abuses.Researchers have noted that spending on security-related construction in Xinjiang tripled in 2017, and that despite the "vocational training" campaign, Xinjiang government data shows employment has not markedly improved.China rejects Western concerns on alleged Uighur mass detentionsWest calls on China to close Uighur detention campsSecurity spending soars in China's troubled Xinjiang region: reportActivists urge deep scrutiny of China at UN rights gathering this week
China says world should ignore 'gossip' about Xinjiang
"DOJ will help return money Goldman Sachs charged for 1MDB dealings"
Mohamad also said on that U.S. prosecutors had promised to help return money that Goldman Sachs charged for its dealings with troubled Malaysian state fund 1MDB.
The U.S. investment bank has been under scrutiny for its role in helping raise funds through bond offerings for 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), which is the subject of corruption and money-laundering investigations in at least six countries.
The U.S. Department of Justice has said about $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB, including some money that Goldman helped raise, by high-level officials of the fund and their associates from 2009 through 2014. U.S. prosecutors filed criminal charges against two former Goldman Sachs bankers earlier this month.
Asked if he had officially requested the U.S. DOJ to help return money that Goldman charged for its dealings with 1MDB, Mahathir said:
"It takes a little bit of time but they (DOJ) have promised that they will give back the money." He was speaking on the sidelines of a speech he delivered in Singapore.
Bankers at Goldman Sachs Group "cheated" Malaysia in dealings with state fund 1MDB, Mahathir said in an interview with U.S. news channel CNBC aired earlier on Tuesda
The United States objects to China's unilateral military steps in the South China Sea and the pace of U.S. freedom of navigation operations in the disputed waterway has increased, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Tuesday.He said also that U.S. President Donald Trump was prepared to hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The comments came after the release of a report detailing undeclared missile sites in the North that had been undergoing maintenance.Bolton was speaking to reporters in Singapore on the sidelines of meetings this week between the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and external partners, including the United States and China. China's trade faces more severe, complicated situation in 2019Labour activists missing in China after suspected coordinated raidsChina says will further open up its economy, slams rising protectionism
Bolton says US objects to China's military steps in South China Sea
The world should ignore "gossip" about China's Xinjiang region and trust authorities there, the Chinese government's top diplomat said on Tuesday when asked if Beijing would allow international observers to inspect camps holding Muslims there.Western countries including Canada, France, Germany, and the United States have called on China to close down camps in Xinjiang, where activists say as many as 1 million members of the Uighur minority and other Muslims are being detained.China has said in the past that Xinjiang faces a threat from Islamist militants and separatists. It rejects all accusations of mistreatment and denies mass internment.Germany cannot accept China’s camps for Uighur MuslimsAfter initial blanket denials, however, Chinese officials have said some people guilty of minor offences were being sent to "vocational" training centres, where they are taught work skills and legal knowledge aimed at curbing militancy.State Councillor Wang Yi told reporters after a meeting with Germany's foreign minister, Heiko Maas, that he hoped people would understand and support the Xinjiang regional government's efforts to combat terrorism, put an end to the spread of extremism and provide for social stability."(People) should not listen to gossip or rumour, because the Xinjiang regional government, of course, understands the situation in Xinjiang best, and not some other people or organisations," said Wang, who is also foreign minister.China triples spending to expand detention camps for Uighur Muslims"The efforts are completely in-line with the direction the international community has taken to combat terrorism, and are an important part of the global fight against terrorism," Wang said."If we can take care of prevention, then it will be impossible for terrorism to spread and take root," he said.Reports of mass detentions and strict surveillance of Uighurs and other Muslims have prompted the United States to consider sanctions against officials and companies linked to suspected human rights abuses.Researchers have noted that spending on security-related construction in Xinjiang tripled in 2017, and that despite the "vocational training" campaign, Xinjiang government data shows employment has not markedly improved.China rejects Western concerns on alleged Uighur mass detentionsWest calls on China to close Uighur detention campsSecurity spending soars in China's troubled Xinjiang region: reportActivists urge deep scrutiny of China at UN rights gathering this week China says world should ignore 'gossip' about Xinjiang