VIF Information Alerts - 7 Feb 2018

China sees new Silk Road in Arctic
Taipei Times
07 Feb 2018

China’s State Council on Jan. 26 published a white paper, titled “China’s Arctic Policy,” in which Beijing promises to become an “active participant” in Arctic affairs and seek to establish “a community with a shared future for humankind.”

China is not a coastal state of the Arctic Ocean, so the white paper from the outset excludes existing structures, such as the Arctic Council, and declares that “there is no single mechanism for managing Arctic affairs.” It invokes the UN Charter, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Spitsbergen Treaty, signed in 1920 and now known as the Svalbard Treaty, as laws governing Arctic affairs. Click here to read... [2]

China becomes world’s largest oil importer
The Global Times
06 Feb 2018

With China having overtaken the US to become the world's largest oil importer in 2017, experts forecast a marginal increase in 2018 with a cyclical peak possible in 2020 or shortly thereafter.

China surpassed the US, the former No.1 crude importer, in annual gross crude oil imports in 2017, importing 8.4 million barrels per day (bpd) compared with 7.9 million bpd for the US, according to a report by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) published on Monday. Click here to read... [3]

U.S.-China Trade Deficit Hits Record, Fueling Trade Fight
The New York Times
06 Feb 2018

The United States trade deficit with China climbed to its highest level on record in 2017, a trend that could prompt the Trump administration toward tougher trade actions in the coming months.

The gap between Chinese goods imported to the United States and American goods exported to China rose to $375.2 billion last year, up from $347 billion the prior year, data released Tuesday morning by the Commerce Department showed. Click here to read... [4]

Asean defence chiefs to increase cooperation against terrorism, hold maritime exercise with China
The Straits Times
06 Feb 2018

Identifying terrorism as the region's most serious security threat, Asean defence ministers on Tuesday (Feb 6) agreed to step up cooperation to fight it, and conduct their first maritime exercise with China to strengthen regional security.

In a joint statement following the two-day Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat, defence chiefs from the regional bloc condemned terrorist attacks around the world, noting: "Terrorism is a severe threat to ASEAN's progress, prosperity, and very way of life." Click here to read... [5]

Chinese bidders fight over Quetta safe city project
DAWN
05 Feb 2018

A much delayed Rs3 billion strategic project to secure the Balochistan capital from terrorism and smuggling appears to have become a turf war between two Chinese contractors and their influential supporters. Click here to read... [6]

7 Army officers fired over attack on Kabul military base
The Hindu
06 Feb 2018