Month: June 2023

The highest-ranking US visitor to Beijing in nearly five years, Blinken spoke to his Chinese counterpart for seven and a half hours — an hour more than expected — at an ornate state villa, including over a banquet dinner.

The two sides said Foreign Minister Qin Gang agreed to pay a return visit to Washington at a later date and that the two top diplomats would work together to expand flights between the world’s two largest economies, which remain at a bare minimum since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Blinken stressed “the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation”, State Depart­ment spokesman Matthew Miller said, calling the talks “candid, substantive and constructive”.

Blinken will hold a second day of meetings on Monday and address reporters before leaving. He and Qin made no comments on their first day as they shook hands at the state guesthouse before their respective flags in front of a painting of craggy mountains and wispy clouds.

Behind closed doors, Qin told Blinken that relations between the United States and China “are at the lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations,” according to state-run broadcaster CCTV.

“This does not conform to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, nor does it meet the common expectations of the international community,” Qin said during the talks at the ancient Diaoyutai gardens.

But he issued a warning on Taiwan, the self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing, which has launched live-fire military drills twice near the island since August in anger over actions by top US lawmakers.

“The Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests, the most important issue in China-US relations and the most prominent risk,” Qin said.

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the discussions went beyond the usual talking points, including on Taiwan. “This was a real conversation,” he said.

Turning page from showdown

Blinken was originally scheduled to visit in February but abruptly scrapped his plans as the United States protested — and later shot down — what it said was a Chinese spy balloon flying over its soil.

US President Joe Biden played down the balloon episode as Blinken was heading to China, saying: “I don’t think the leadership knew where it was and knew what was in it and knew what was going on.” “I think it was more embarrassing than it was intentional,” Biden told reporters on Saturday.

Biden said he hoped to again meet President Xi Jinping after their lengthy and strikingly cordial meeting in November on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Bali, where they agreed on Blinken’s visit.

“I’m hoping that, over the next several months, I’ll be meeting with Xi again and talking about legitimate differences we have but also how there are areas we can get along,” Biden said.

The two leaders are likely to attend the next G20 summit, in September in New Delhi, and Xi is invited to travel to San Francisco in November when the United States hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Beijing has been especially irritated by Biden’s restrictions on the export of high-end semiconductors to China, with the United States fearing possible military applications and aiming to prevent the communist state from dominating next-generation technologies.

In a rising domestic priority for the United States, an aide said Blinken is expected to press China to curb precursor chemicals sent to Latin America to produce fentanyl, the powerful painkiller behind an addiction pandemic that kills tens of thousands of Americans per year.

Washington has also lashed China over human rights, with Blinken’s visit the first by a cabinet member since the United States accused Beijing of genocide against the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority.

Keeping allies close

As part of the Biden administration’s focus on keeping allies close, Blinken spoke by telephone with his counterparts from both Japan and South Korea during his 20-hour trans-Pacific journey and met in Washington before departure with Singapore’s foreign minister.

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, travelled to Tokyo for separate three-way meetings involving Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.

In recent months, the United States has reached deals on troop deployments in southern Japan and the northern Philippines, both strategically close to Taiwan.

Blinken is the first top US diplomat to visit Beijing since a stop in 2018 by his predecessor Mike Pompeo, who later championed no-holds-barred confrontation with China in the final years of Donald Trump’s presidency.

The Biden administration has gone further than Trump in some areas, notably with semiconductor sanctions, but has remained open to cooperation in limited areas such as climate.

Experts say China sees more predictability with Biden than with Trump, who is running for re-election next year.

Nusrat Jahan Choudhury, a civil rights attorney, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Muslim woman to serve as a federal judge in the United States.

Her confirmation by the Senate marks a significant moment in the country’s judicial history.

Choudhury currently serves as the legal director of the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She has been a vocal advocate for racial justice and protecting civil liberties throughout her career. Her tireless efforts in challenging discriminatory practices and securing important court rulings have earned her the recognition of being a trailblazing civil rights lawyer.

The ACLU, where Choudhury has dedicated her expertise, has expressed their support and excitement for her confirmation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who recommended her for the position, commended her as an exceptional embodiment of the American Dream. He highlighted her educational background and her commitment to ensuring that everyone has equal access to justice.

While Choudhury received broad support, her confirmation also faced opposition from some senators. Senator Joe Manchin expressed concerns about her past statements on criminal justice reform, raising questions about her ability to remain unbiased towards law enforcement officials. However, the majority vote favored her appointment, solidifying her historic achievement.

Choudhury’s career has been marked by significant accomplishments. One notable example is her instrumental role in challenging the US government’s no-fly list procedures, resulting in a federal court ruling that declared them in violation of due process. She has also been actively involved in litigation against the discriminatory profiling of Muslims for surveillance by the New York City Police Department.

Her appointment aligns with President Joe Biden’s commitment to prioritizing diversity in judicial appointments. Biden has emphasized the importance of having a judiciary that reflects the diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders of the American population. Choudhury’s confirmation is a step forward in realizing this vision and promoting inclusivity within the US judiciary.

Choudhury follows in the footsteps of Zahid Quraishi, who became the first federal Muslim judge in the US two years ago when he was confirmed as a district court judge in New Jersey. Quraishi’s precedent has opened doors for increased representation of Muslim Americans in the judicial system.

Nusrat Choudhury’s confirmation as the first Muslim female federal judge in the US is a momentous occasion. Her dedication to civil rights, commitment to justice, and groundbreaking achievement will serve as an inspiration for aspiring lawyers and advocates. With her appointment, the US judiciary takes a significant stride towards greater diversity and representation on the federal bench.

The Indian American Muslim Council, Peace Action, Veterans for Peace and Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition plan to gather near the White House on June 22 when Modi is due to meet US President Joe Biden.

Washington hopes for closer ties with the world’s largest democracy, which it sees as a counterweight to China, but rights advocates worry that geopolitics will overshadow human rights concerns. The United States has said these include government targeting of religious minorities, dissidents and journalists.

The groups prepared flyers that said “Modi Not Welcome” and “Save India from Hindu Supremacy.”

Another event is planned in New York featuring a show titled “Howdy Democracy,” a play on the name of the 2019 “Howdy Modi!” rally in Texas featuring the Indian prime minister and then-US President Donald Trump.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have invited policy makers, journalists and analysts next week to a screening in Washington of a BBC documentary on Modi that questioned his leadership during the deadly 2002 Gujarat riots.

All of this is unlikely to change the Biden-Modi discussions, said analysts.

“My guess is that human rights will not be much of a focus of the conversation,” said Donald Camp, a former State Department official and part of Washington think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Camp said that for the Modi trip to be seen as successful on both sides, there would be a reluctance from Washington to raise human rights issues.

The US State Department has said it regularly raises human rights concerns with Indian officials and respects the free speech rights of US residents to demonstrate against Modi.

A spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Press freedom concerns

Since Modi took office in 2014, India has slid from 140th in the World Press Freedom Index, to 161st this year, its lowest ever, while also topping the list for the highest number of internet shutdowns globally for five consecutive years.

The Indian government dismisses the criticism, saying its policies are aimed at the welfare of all communities and that it enforces the law equally. Modi remains India’s most popular leader and is widely expected to remain in office after next year’s elections.

Advocacy groups have, however, raised concerns over alleged human rights abuses under the Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

They point to a 2019 citizenship law that the United Nations human rights office described as “fundamentally discriminatory” by excluding Muslim migrants; anti-conversion legislation that challenged the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief; and the revoking of Muslim-majority occupied Kashmir’s special status in 2019.

The administration of President George W. Bush denied Modi a visa in 2005 under a 1998 US law barring entry to foreigners who have committed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”

 

In 2002, when Modi had just become Gujarat’s chief minister, at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots.

Modi denied wrongdoing. An investigation ordered by India’s supreme court found no evidence to prosecute him. When he became prime minister, the US ban was lifted.

Under Biden, Washington has raised some muted concern, including by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and by the State Department in its 2023 reports on human rights and religious freedom.

“The China factor is certainly a prime reason why the US treats rights and democracy issues in India with kid gloves, but it goes further than that,” said Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington.

“The US views India as an important long-term partner.”

The South Korean military on Thursday said that North Korea fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast — for the first time after two months — which landed at Japan’s EEZ

The two short-range ballistic missiles were launched following a warning issued by Pyongyang, saying that it would respond in an “inevitable” way to military drills jointly staged by South Korea and the United States.

The two nations, in their response to the increasing threats from the nuclear-armed North, are jointly carrying out large-scale live-fire “annihilation” exercises.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the “two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area into the East Sea between 19:25 and 19:37 (1025 to 1037 GMT).”

“We have stepped up monitoring in case of further provocations and are maintaining readiness in close coordination with the United States,” it said, terming the launches as a “grave provocation” violating UN sanctions.

The missile launches were also confirmed by Tokyo, saying that they had landed in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

“The missiles may have flown on irregular trajectories,” Japan’s top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters, adding that one had flown 850 kilometres (530 miles) and the other around 900 kilometres at altitudes of 50 kilometres, before landing in Japan’s EEZ.

Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with diplomacy stalled and the North’s leader Kim Jong Un declaring his country an “irreversible” nuclear power, as well as calling for ramped-up weapons production, including of tactical nukes.

North Korea has conducted multiple sanctions-busting launches this year, including test-firing its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, and last month attempting to put a military spy satellite into orbit.

In response, the hawkish administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has bolstered defence cooperation with the United States and Japan, including expanding joint drills, which had been scaled back because of Covid-19, and during a bout of ill-fated diplomacy.

Yoon personally watched South Korean and US troops take part in the live-fire exercises Thursday.

All such drills infuriate Pyongyang, which regards them as rehearsals for invasion.

North Korea released a statement Thursday slamming the drills, with a defence ministry spokesperson saying they were “targeting the DPRK by massively mobilizing various types of offensive weapons and equipment”, referring to the country by its official name.

“Our response to this is inevitable,” it added in the statement, which was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

It added that the drills were “escalating the military tension in the region”, and warned: “Our armed forces will fully counter any form of demonstrative moves and provocation of the enemies.”

Lawsuit

On Wednesday, South Korea filed a lawsuit seeking damages from North Korea for the 2020 demolition of a liaison office.

The office was established in 2018 with funding from Seoul at an industrial zone near the border in North Korean territory, as South Korea’s then-president Moon Jae-in pressed for a diplomatic breakthrough with Pyongyang.

But after that process collapsed and relations deteriorated, North Korea demolished the building in June 2020.

Seoul said it was seeking 44.7 billion won ($35 million) in damages, with the country’s Unification Ministry describing the demolition as “clearly an illegal act”.

North Korea is likely to ignore any ruling by the court, but there is precedent in South Korea and the United States for damages being awarded against its government.

“Given the timing, the launch seems like the North’s expression of discontent or protest at Seoul’s legal action seeking compensation (for) the North’s demolition of the Kaesong office,” Choi Gil-il, professor of military studies at Sangji University, told AFP.