Tag Archives: Geopolitics

Anti-China riots in Vietnam ease after 1,400 protesters arrested

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“Anti-China protests in Vietnam eased yesterday after the arrest of more than 1,400 demonstrators.  There were no reports of fresh violence following the deadly wave of unrest that swept through 22 of Vietnam’s 63 provinces from Tuesday.  It was triggered by China’s deployment of an oil rig in the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.  More than 400 factories were damaged by mobs and the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed yesterday that two Chinese nationals had been killed.  Many Chinese in Vietnam were still fearful for their safety yesterday as speculation mounted about another demonstration tomorrow.”

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1513906/anti-china-riots-vietnam-ease-after-1400-protesters-arrested

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Vietnamese Take to Streets to Protest China Oil Rig

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“Vietnam’s communist government allowed thousands of citizens to protest in the nation’s biggest cities to denounce a Chinese oil rig placed in contested waters that has led to clashes between ships from the two countries.  Vietnam said Chinese boats rammed its vessels, fired water cannons and used low-flying aircraft in a confrontation over the rig close to the Paracel Islands that both countries claim. China the next day accused Vietnamese ships of provoking the clash by crashing into its boats.  The U.S. has criticized China for taking ‘provocative’ and ‘unilateral’ actions. Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that China had engaged in ‘dangerous conduct and intimidation.'”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-11/vietnamese-take-to-streets-to-protest-china-oil-rig.html

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H.K. issues Vietnam travel warning after mobs torch Chinese factories

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“The Hong Kong government issued an amber travel warning for Vietnam after protesters there vandalised hundreds of foreign-owned factories and torched at least 15 of them.  The riots followed a large protest by workers on Tuesday against China’s recent placement of an oil rig in disputed waters around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.  The rioting in Binh Duong province followed protests by up to 20,000 workers at industrial parks near Ho Chi Minh City. Smaller groups of men attacked factories they believed were mainland Chinese-run, but many were Taiwanese or South Korean, the provincial government said.”

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1511834/factories-set-ablaze-during-anti-china-protests-vietnam

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Putin, gold and silver: What you need to know right now

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“During not-so-normal times like we have today, the flow of capital is what determines major market moves.  Not supply/demand fundamentals. Not GDP, inflation, central bank policies.  Not even price-to-earnings ratios, or corporate balance sheets or anything most analysts use to predict market movements.  It’s capital flows, from one nation to another, from one stock market to another, from one savvy investor’s pockets to any investment that can help that investor get their money to safety, off the grid to a market that is liquid, that offers a decent chance at some type of return, and where preservation of capital is also of utmost importance.”

http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/putin-gold-and-silver-what-you-need-to-know-right-now-60797

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The new Russia sanctions: stalled FATCA talks

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“The U.S. may have discovered a new secret weapon against Russia.  A quiet round of what some call unofficial sanctions are about to be lobbed on Russian banks, sending them reeling as President Barack Obama and top lawmakers this week discuss another sanctions round.  Obscure tax negotiations the U.S. suspended with Russia amid the Ukraine-Crimea standoff earlier this month will hit the banking sector hard in the coming weeks, experts say — so hard that they’d actually do more damage than the widely publicized official sanctions levied on a few dozen select Russian officials and one bank. More than 800 Russian banks could take a hit, with customers running for the exits.”

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=B0E0B7F9-7222-45E3-8EAE-E18B15FB9C9B

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China’s Dollar Trap: Foreign Exchange Reserves Hit $3.8tn

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“Beijing accumulated the biggest foreign exchange reserves in the world over the last couple of decades, by running huge trade surpluses and keeping the yuan’s value low. Beijing’s forex reserves had stood at a mere $100bn in 1996, but the country’s emergence as the world’s biggest exporter helped it overtake Japan as the biggest holder of foreign exchange in ten years.  In 2013, the forex reserves saw a jump of $510bn, compared with $130 billion net increase in the previous year.  Barclays Capital said in a research note the massive rise in China’s foreign reserve came on the back of capital inflows amid large interest rate differentials and a wide trade surplus.”

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/chinas-dollar-trap-foreign-exchange-reserves-hit-3-8tn-1432428

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The Future of Countries

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“We tend to forget that, although the world map has looked more or less the same since the end of World War II, it has been the norm, throughout history, for large parcels of property to change hands fairly often. Boundaries move. Countries become larger, smaller, or disappear altogether. Large empires are created, swallowing up smaller countries, sometimes lasting for 200 years or more, then inexorably breaking up into smaller remnants.  Certainly we are heading into a period of dramatic change—economic change, social change, and certainly political change. Whenever such a period occurs in history, changes in the lines on the map inevitably also occur.”

http://www.internationalman.com/articles/the-future-of-countries

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France vows to defend jobs as GE bids for bailed-out energy company

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“‘We won’t let Alstom sell this national champion behind the back of its shareholders, its employees and the French government,’ Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg wrote on Twitter before the meetings, accusing Alstom CEO Patrick Kron of ‘a breach of national ethics’.  Alstom, which is suffering from debt and falling demand, was bailed out by the French government in 2004, but needs help again. Smaller than its rivals, it was hardest hit by a slump in orders for power equipment since the 2008 economic downturn depressed electricity prices.  At the weekend, Alstom’s German rival Siemens proposed a swap of power and rail assets to counter a potential Alstom-GE energy tie-up.”

http://www.bdlive.co.za/world/europe/2014/04/29/france-vows-to-defend-jobs-as-siemens-and-ge-battle-for-alstom

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NATO: No Sign Russian Troops Are Pulling Back From Ukraine

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“The Russian ministry said Mr. Shoigu had told Mr. Hagel to ‘turn down the rhetoric,’ while the Pentagon said Mr. Hagel had ‘repeated his call for an end to Russia’s destabilizing influence inside Ukraine.’  The NATO official said the alliance continued to urge Russia ‘to pull back all its troops along the Ukrainian border in favor of diplomacy and dialogue.’  Six Canadian F-18 fighters are due to arrive shortly in Romania, while four French Rafale jets have arrived in Poland. Four British Typhoon jets and Four Polish MiG-29s are due to take over Baltic air patrolling tomorrow from a U.S. contingent of 10 F-15s, while Denmark is sending four F-16s to Estonia.”

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304163604579531431253842224

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US troops arrive in Poland, Latvia for ‘drills’

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“The first two waves of US troops have arrived in Poland and Latvia to begin military drills ‘promoting peace and stability’ across Eastern Europe. Tensions continue to mount in the region, as Ukraine teeters on the brink of a civil war.  A contingent of 150 American soldiers arrived in the Polish town of Swidwin on Thursday. Later in the evening another 150 US troops arrived in Riga, Latvian defence ministry confirmed. The two groups will be shortly joined by another 300 troops.  The soldiers will participate in military exercises in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia over the next three months, with a view to reassuring NATO allies in the region.”

http://rt.com/news/154556-us-troops-drills-poland/

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