Xi extolls free trade at Asia meet

Bloc seeks to challenge Western-led order

QINGDAO, China, June 10, (Agencies): Chinese President Xi Jinping extolled free trade and criticized "selfish, short-sighted" policies Sunday during a closely orchestrated gathering of a Beijing-led bloc, standing in stark contrast with the G-7 summit that ended in disarray over trade tensions.

"We should reject selfish, shortsighted, narrow and closed-off policies. We must maintain the rules of the World Trade Organization, support the multilateral trade system and build an open global economy," Xi said.

Though his remarks did not mention US President Donald Trump, Beijing has sought to portray itself as a defender of free trade in response to the American leader's support for import controls. This is despite China's status as the most-closed major economy.

Xi also hailed the entry of new members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, calling the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain "of great historic significance" in opening remarks at this weekend's summit of in the northern Chinese port of Qingdao. Their two South Asian nations joined the bloc as full members last year.

With tight security, closed roads and restricted press access, the summit's choreographed show of unity was a striking contrast to the tumultuous Group of Seven summit of leading industrialized nations that concluded Saturday in Quebec and saw the US and its allies divided by escalating trade tensions.

Trump lashed out at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an extraordinary set of tweets from Air Force One, calling him "dishonest & weak" and retracting the US endorsement of the G-7 summit's communique.

US to unveil Taiwan embassy:

An assistant US secretary of state will attend the unveiling of a massive new complex for Washington’s de facto embassy in Taiwan, a visit less likely to unnerve Beijing which was concerned that higher-level American

The Beijing-led bloc, which experts see as seeking to challenge the Western-led order, is dominated by China and Russia and also includes Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Founded in 2001, it was originally conceived as a vehicle for resolving border issues, fighting terrorism, and – more implicitly – to counter American influence in Central Asia following its invasion of Afghanistan.

The summit comes as Russia and China have boosted ties in response to the US national security strategy that describes them as America's top adversaries.

"We should reject the Cold War mentality and confrontation between blocks," Xi said, adding that the countries should "oppose the practices of seeking absolute security of oneself at the expense of the security of other countries."

Component

In recent years, the Shanghai bloc's economic component has grown more prominent, embodied in Xi's signature, trillion-dollar foreign policy and infrastructure drive known as the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi announced that China would offer 30 billion yuan ($4.7 billion) in loans through the bloc, highlighting its economic aspect.

Beijing's infrastructure projects in Central Asia make some in the bloc uncomfortable – particularly India, which alone among members has refused to endorse the program. Russia, too, is wary of China's expanding influence, and though it has somewhat reluctantly embraced the Belt and Road, it is also seeking to expand its own economic and political leverage in the region through a customs union it dominates known as the Eurasian Economic Union.

officials may attend.

There was speculation that US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton may attend the unveiling ceremony at the American Institute of Taiwan (AIT) on June 12, which would have made

Passengers wait for their flights at the Juanda Surabaya International airport in Sidoarjo, East Java, on June 10, as Indonesians begin the mass exodus to their respective hometowns ahead of the Eid ul-Fitr festival. Cities in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country empty every year at the end of the holy month of Ramadan

as people head to villages to celebrate Eid with their families. (AFP)

In related news, the leaders of China and Russia Sunday praised the expansion of their regional security bloc at a summit which put on a show of unity in stark contrast to the acrimonious G7 meeting.

President Xi gave the leaders of Pakistan and India a "special welcome" to their first summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, since their countries joined the group last year.

Founded in 2001, the SCO also includes the former Central Asian Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, whose country is an observer member, also attended the meeting as he seeks Chinese and Russian support following the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Tehran.

Warning that "unilateralism, trade protectionism and a backlash against globalisation are taking new forms", Xi spoke up for the "pursuit of cooperation for mutual benefit".

While never mentioning the United States by name, he added: "We should reject the Cold War mentality and confrontation between blocs, and oppose the practice of seeking absolute security of oneself at the expense of others, so as to obtain security of all."

Xi, whose government is locked in tough negotiations with the United States to avoid a trade war, said World Trade Organisation rules and the multilateral trading system should be upheld to build an open world economy.

"We should reject self-centred, shortsighted and closed-door policies," said Xi, whose own country has been accused of restricting broad access by foreign firms to its huge market.

him one of the most senior American officials to visit Taiwan since 1979 and likely drawn China’s ire.

Local media also reported last week that a visit by a member of Trump’s cabinet — secretary of health and human services Alex Azar — was a possibility.

But the AIT said in a statement Sunday that Marie Royce, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, will visit Taiwan June 10-14 and attend the ceremony.

Washington gave up official diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979 to recognise Beijing, but it remains the island’s most powerful ally and top arms supplier. (AFP)

S. Korean hiker shares tale:

A young South Korean hiker lost in dense Australian bushland for six days without food and in near-freezing temperatures has spoken about how dreams of a warm bed and her parents kept her alive.

Joohee Han, a 25-year-old tourist, shared her improbable tale of survival after she fell into a deep ravine while taking photos from a mountaintop south of Cairns in northern Queensland state.

Rescuers had said her chances of staying alive in the rugged terrain, where temperatures dropped to nine degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit), had been “near zero”.

She disappeared on June 1 after telling friends she was going to climb Mount Tyson, but was only reported missing on Wednesday with rescuers eventually finding her on Thursday. (AFP)