US determined to face China's move, Korea-EU Summit, developments in Thailand

Developments in Thailand, the Korea-European Union (EU) Summit, the US's concerns about the actions of Israeli officials... are some notable world news in the past 24 hours.

Leading US chipmaker banned in China. (Source: Reuters)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

US-China

* The US is determined to protect the chip market : On May 22, the US Department of Commerce affirmed that it will cooperate with allies to address "chip market distortions caused by China's actions".

The ministry's statement also stated: "In addition to recent attacks and targeting of US companies, China's above move is inconsistent with its assertions of market openness and commitment to legal transparency."

The US action came shortly after China's cyberspace regulator announced that products from US chipmaker Micron had failed a cybersecurity assessment.

For his part, speaking at a conference in Shanghai attended by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, Johnson & Johnson and Honeywell International (US), Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said that Beijing will continue to welcome American companies to develop in the country.

“China’s economy is recovering and improving. Market potential continues to be unleashed. This will bring more development opportunities to businesses from all over the world, including American companies,” the official said. (Reuters)

Russia-China

* Russia emphasizes relations with China : Speaking on May 22, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev said that developing and deepening relations with China is a strategic roadmap for the country of birch trees.

He also stressed that bilateral cooperation is not aimed against other countries. On the same day, Mr. Patrushev is expected to meet with Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Chen Wenqing to discuss security issues.

Earlier, on May 19, commenting on Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's visit to Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated that bilateral cooperation is very strong and has great potential. (Reuters/TASS)

Southeast Asia

* Thai election: Forward Party leader sued: On May 22, the Thai Election Commission (EC) is reviewing information about whether Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat is eligible to run for election as he owns shares in a media company.

Previously, Bangkok Post quoted a source as saying that the EC was considering a petition by People's Power Party (PPRP) MP Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, regarding Mr. Pita's failure to declare his ownership of 42,000 shares in the media company iTV to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) before taking office as an MP in 2019. These shares are worth 5 baht/share.

The petition also raises the question of whether the registration of MFP parliamentary candidates in all 400 constituencies could also be declared invalid if Mr Pita, who approved their registration, is disqualified over the iTV shareholding issue.

For his part, Mr. Pita said he did not own the shares because he inherited them from his father. The shares were listed in Mr. Pita’s name because he was appointed executor of the deceased’s estate. He also said he had explained the matter to the election authority before being sworn in.

The Bangkok Post also quoted an EC source as saying that the commission cannot invoke the law on the organization of parliamentary elections in Mr. Pita’s case, because Section 61 of the law stipulates that the EC can only disqualify an individual as a parliamentary candidate before the election ends. Now that the election has ended, the EC has no legal basis to disqualify a candidate or elected MP.

Additionally, Section 82 of the Constitution states that the EC can only disqualify someone from being an MP after their case has been referred to the Constitutional Court for a ruling. Since Mr Pita has not been formally confirmed as an MP since the latest election, the EC must wait until Mr Pita is confirmed before it can invoke this section.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ruangkrai said that on May 24, he will submit to the EC additional documents, including a list of iTV shareholders since 2006 and a chart showing iTV's income from 2006 to last year, to support the report, in the hope that the EC will be able to speed up its investigation and refer the Pita case to court. (Bangkok Post)

South Pacific

* US: Pacific deal not aimed at third parties: On May 22, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with leaders of Pacific island nations in Papua New Guinea.

At the meeting, Mr. Modi emphasized that India will continue to be a reliable partner in the difficult context of supply chain disruptions and climate change, while affirming its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Earlier, writing on Twitter , Mr. Modi said he discussed “ways to enhance cooperation on trade, technology, healthcare and addressing climate change” with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape during a meeting the same day.

For his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the US-Papua New Guinea Defense Cooperation Agreement and attended a meeting with Pacific Island leaders. At the same time, he affirmed that the above agreements are not related to or aimed at any other third party.

Accordingly, the US State Department said it will provide $45 million in new funds to cooperate with Papua New Guinea to strengthen economic and security ties, including protective equipment for the island nation's defense forces, mitigate climate change, and address transnational crime and HIV/AIDS. (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

* China summons Japanese ambassador to protest G7 statement : On May 22, the Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Tarumi Hideo to protest the G7 statement on Taiwan and issues related to Beijing.

Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong expressed Beijing's "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to statements made at the Japan-hosted Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima.

In response, Ambassador Tarumi asserted that unless China changes its behavior, the G7 countries will continue to express their common concerns about Beijing. (Kyodo)

* Korea, EU to boost security ties : On May 22, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a summit in Seoul with European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council (EP) President Charles Michel. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the areas of climate change, health and supply chains.

President Yoon stressed: “Korea and the EU are important partners who share universal values ​​of freedom, human rights and the rule of law.”

At the conference, the two sides also agreed to establish a foreign ministerial-level strategic dialogue to strengthen cooperation for global peace and security. (Reuters)

* South Korea, Germany discuss economic relations, supply chain : On May 22, in Seoul, South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and German Parliamentary Secretary of State for Economic, Financial and European Affairs Jorg Kukies discussed bilateral cooperation in the economic field and industrial supply chain.

The two sides shared policy measures in response to supply chain disruptions and agreed to continue consultations on how to coordinate to maintain supply chain stability.

Mr. Ahn also asked for Germany's cooperation regarding new EU regulations on emissions, foreign subsidies and other issues, stressing that these regulations should not discriminate against Korean and other foreign businesses.

Germany is South Korea's No. 1 trading partner in Europe, with bilateral trade hitting a record $33.7 billion last year, according to government statistics. (Yonhap)

Europe

* EU sets conditions for bringing a Russian bank back to SWIFT : On May 22, Izvestia (Russia) quoted EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano as saying that the bloc could restore access to the SWIFT payment system for a Russian agricultural bank on condition that the current conflict in Ukraine ends.

Last week, the parties agreed to extend the Black Sea grain deal by two months. However, Moscow said it wanted to see more easing of sanctions against Russia, including the return of Russian agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT system. (Izvestia)

*Europe -US data transfer deal could be finalised soon : An EC spokesperson said at a daily press conference on May 22 that the agency expects to finalise a data transfer deal with the US before this summer, after Ireland's privacy regulator gave tech giant Meta five months to stop transferring user data across the Atlantic.

“We hope that this EU-US data protection framework will come into force before the summer, thereby ensuring stability and legal certainty,” the official said.

Earlier in the day, Ireland's Data Protection Commission said Facebook owner Meta had been fined a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for transferring EU user data to the United States, in violation of the bloc's privacy rules. (Reuters)

* Greek Prime Minister urges new elections : On May 22, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that a new election "could take place on June 25".

Speaking to Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Mr. Mitsotakis stated: “We will hold new elections… as soon as possible.” This politician also said that there is no possibility of forming a new government under the current Parliament.

Earlier, preliminary results of the May 21 election showed that Mitsotakis's ruling New Democracy party won a landslide victory (with 40.8% of the vote). However, the party may still have to form a coalition, or enter a second round because it did not achieve a majority of votes to form a government on its own. (AFP/Reuters)

America

* Negotiations on the US debt ceiling continue on May 22: On May 21, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that the phone call earlier in the day with President Joe Biden on raising the debt ceiling was “productive”. As soon as Mr. Biden returns from the G7 Summit, the two sides will meet to continue discussing this issue.

On the same day, the White House announced that working-level negotiations would resume on the evening of May 21 (US time), before House Speaker McCarthy and President Biden met in person. Meanwhile, McCarthy said that Republican congressmen Garret Graves and Patrick McHenry would attend the talks. (VNA)

Middle East-Africa

* US criticizes visit to Temple Mount by Israeli National Security Minister : On May 22, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated: “We are concerned about the controversial visit to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the inflammatory rhetoric that accompanied it. This sacred space should not be used for political purposes and we call on all parties to respect its sacredness.

More broadly, we reaffirm the United States' support for historic normalcy at holy sites in Jerusalem and underscore Jordan's special role as custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.”

Earlier, on May 21, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount, a site considered sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

This is the second visit by an official from the Jewish state to the site since January. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have voiced their opposition to the operation. (Sputnik)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-225-my-kien-quyet-truoc-dong-thai-cua-trung-quoc-thuong-dinh-han-quoc-eu-dien-bien-tai-thai-lan-228117.html