Alliance against China G7 countries decide on global infrastructure plan

Status: 13.06.2021 6:38 p.m.

At the initiative of US President Joe Biden, the G7 countries agreed on a billion-dollar infrastructure initiative for the emerging countries. It should be an alternative to China’s “New Silk Road”. From Notker Blechner, tagesschau.de It sounds like a kind of “Marshall Plan” for the poorer countries of the world: At the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, the leading western industrialized countries have an infrastructure project entitled “Build Back Better World” (in German: a better world rebuild) decided. Hundreds of billions of dollars are to be invested by the G7 countries in cooperation with the private sector.

The US is the driving force behind the initiative

The project was promoted by US President Joe Biden. It is reminiscent of the billion dollar infrastructure plan adopted in the USA, which Biden promoted under the slogan “Build Back Better”. The aim is to offer poorer countries “transparent high-quality partnerships”, announced Biden at the end of the summit. The global infrastructure project of the G7 states is supposed to be an alternative to the “New Silk Road” with which China is promoting infrastructure projects from Asia to Europe. The People’s Republic has agreed “Belt and Road” projects with around 100 countries, including the construction of new train routes, ports and roads. According to the business information service Refinitiv, around 2,600 projects with a volume of 3.7 trillion dollars have already been launched. Critics accuse Beijing of driving poor countries into a debt trap and into political dependency. With the “Silk Road”, China is pursuing the goal of expanding its geopolitical influence worldwide. A US official called the new G7 alliance against China’s Silk Road a positive alternative vision that “shows our values, our standards and our way of doing business”. It is not about “the countries have to choose between us and China”.

Transparent alternative to the “New Silk Road”?

Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a less ideological justification for the infrastructure plan of the G7 countries. “We have to deal with the fact that China is running quite successfully infrastructure projects,” she admitted. “We can’t just stand by and watch.” The G7 group must show “that we are an important and successful factor in development work in the world”. She emphasized that the project was “not against something, but for something”, namely the expansion of the infrastructure, especially in Africa. The German economy has been demanding for some time that Europe react to China’s “New Silk Road” with its own infrastructure strategy. “If we want to regain spheres of influence in developing countries, it is not enough to criticize China. We have to make better deals,” said Friedolin Strack, head of the International Markets department in the Federation of German Industries (BDI), to the “Handelsblatt”. German companies usually go away empty-handed when it comes to the Silk Road projects.

Trillions of dollars are needed

According to Biden, there is a global need of 40 trillion dollars for the expansion and modernization of the infrastructure. He didn’t give any details. In a preparatory paper for the G7 summit it was said that 1.5 to 2.7 trillion dollars of additional money would be necessary every year for the developing and emerging countries to achieve the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. In fact, many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America lack modern roads, train lines, bridges and ports, as well as facilities for water supply, sewage and waste treatment. In the opinion of the G7 group, the World Bank and other international financial institutions have proven to be too clumsy when it comes to infrastructure projects. This is why national development banks in particular, such as the German Reconstruction Loan Corporation (KfW) or the US International Development Finance Corporation, are now to develop and implement projects.

Concrete projects only in 2022

It will take a few more months for the G7 countries’ global infrastructure plan to take shape. The first concrete projects are not expected to appear until next year. The new G7 task force for infrastructure projects in developing countries is to make specific proposals in 2022. “I hope that we can present such projects at the next G7 summit,” said Chancellor Merkel. Germany will take over the G7 presidency in 2022.

This statement makes what President Zelensky said earlier that NATO supports the path of membership of Kiev, still quite far. “NATO leaders have confirmed that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance and that the Member Action Plan (MAP) is an integral part. Ukraine deserves to be appreciated for its role in ensuring Euro-Atlantic security,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter. US President stressed that it is not possible to confirm Ukraine’s accession to NATO At the summit on June 14, NATO also focused all of its attention on China and climate change. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg only mentioned Ukraine twice in his speech, but both times were unrelated to the issue of the country joining the alliance. In addition to objections on security reasons from Moscow, the fact that Ukraine still has a dispute over the Crimea peninsula with Russia is also what makes it difficult for this country to join NATO. Under Article 5 of the NATO charter, member states will have the right to collective self-defence, so a territorial dispute could drag the military bloc into a potential conflict with Russia.

Insider said his nieces have captured the attention of the media. Maisy Biden and Finnegan Biden joined him at the event. They appeared with two distinct fashion styles. While Finnegan Biden is feminine with a long-sleeved light brown skirt and bandana motif, Maisy Biden wears a T-shirt with his school image with a blazer and loose pants. US President Joe Biden and two granddaughters appeared at the event in Pennsylvania. Photo: Olivier Douliery/Getty Images. The picture printed on Maisy Biden’s shirt was posted on the account of US President Joe Biden in 2014. This is a picture taken when Mr. Joe Biden was still in college. Mr. Biden’s handsome appearance in his youth attracted the attention of the online community. The photo went viral and became an internet icon. This isn’t the first time Maisy Biden has shown support for her grandfather through fashion. In October 2020, she wore a sweatshirt embroidered with the words “Biden 2020” during her visit to Michigan. Maisy Biden has a distinct fashion sense. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. Maisy Biden always stands out when appearing in important events. She often chooses quite masculine outfits. Whether pants or skirt, Maisy Biden also coordinates with dynamic Nike sneakers.

Illustration. https://kinhtexaydung.petrotimes.vn The action comes as Colonial Pipeline continues to face a ransomware attack that crippled the pipeline system, leading to widespread fuel shortages along the East Coast, prompting the Biden administration to take notice. get “the response of the whole government”. The Colonial Pipeline hack is just the latest example of criminal groups or state actors exploiting US cyber vulnerabilities. Last year, IT company SolarWinds’ software was breached, giving hackers access to communications and data within several government agencies. “We simply cannot let waiting for trouble next thing that happens is the status quo we are operating in,” an official told reporters during a conference call on the evening of May 12. Biden’s executive order takes several steps to modernize the nation’s cybersecurity: Require information technology service providers to notify the government of cybersecurity breaches that may affect U.S. networks and remove certain contractual barriers that may prevent providers from doing so. provide violations. Create a standardized guidebook and set of definitions for federal responses to cyber incidents. Push the federal government to upgrade to secure cloud services and other network infrastructure, and mandate multi-factor authentication and encryption for a specific period of time. Improve the security of software sold to the government, by requiring developers to publicly share certain confidential data. Establish a “Cybersecurity Review Board” composed of public and private sector officials, which may convene after cyber attacks to analyze the situation and make recommendations. Improve information sharing within the federal government by enacting a government-wide endpoint detection and response system. News of the President’s action came about an hour after Colonial announced it had restarted pipeline operations, although it would take several days for fuel deliveries to return to normal. “Colonial will move as much gasoline, diesel and jet fuel as possible and will continue to do so until the market returns to normal,” the statement also thanked the Biden administration “for its leadership and their cooperation”. https://kinhtexaydung.petrotimes.vn

It will not be easy for US President Joe Biden to “revolutionize the electric car” The electrification of the US transport industry is one of the commitments of President Joe Biden when running in November 2020. And a $ 2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, of which $ 174 billion is spent on electric cars and charging infrastructure, which the White House boss recently launched is considered the answer for the American people. But is that investment enough to change the shipping picture in the United States? Investment, stimulus, support With a newly announced $ 174 billion budget, President Joe Biden wants to invest and encourage Americans to switch to electric cars and trucks (EV), eliminate diesel or gasoline cars. . However, the New York Times quoted many experts as saying that although this is a large investment, it is not enough to change American perceptions about electric cars. Joe Biden’s team plans to subsidize electric car prices for individuals, businesses, and governments with tax exemptions, discounts and some other subsidies. On the other hand, US leaders set a target to build millions of charging stations by 2030. The White House owner also “opens a budget”, encourages manufacturers to participate in building electric vehicles and fuel cells at America. Bob Perciasepe, president of the US Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, said: “The United States is in a torrid time when most businesses and the state government look forward to a zero-emission future. carbon but admittedly, infrastructure is the biggest obstacle. The $ 174 billion investment alone will not be able to solve the climate problem or improve the US infrastructure, but it will be a powerful boost. The automakers have filled in their names on the list of greener trendy automakers like General Motors, Volkswagen or Ford Motor that are promising the future of EVs, but they insist they still need federal support. A representative group of manufacturers, suppliers and workers in the auto industry sent a letter to President Joe Biden saying: “The American transport revolution is not limited to one policy, it is dependent on a branch or rank in government or industry. It requires holistic strategy with a wide range of policies from legislators and regulators across economic, social, environmental, and cultural sectors. The group also calls on the government to subsidize, provide loans, and tax exemptions / reductions to stimulate electric vehicle production / research. Cognitive obstacles, technological breakthroughs are required Besides strong investment, the US government also has a big task to determine the success of the transition, which is to convince and change the perception of American people about the benefits of electric cars. According to statistics from Forbes Magazine in 2019, most Americans are not interested in electric cars. And the people’s awareness shift has not changed much despite many programs and strategies on environmental and climate protection that have been implemented during the past time. The demand for EV cars in the US has grown very fast, but in terms of overall premises is still low, accounting for only about 2% of the new car market and 1% of the total number of cars, sport utility vehicles, trucks … moving on the US road. Although the researchers point out that the full cost of owning and operating an EV vehicle will be cheaper after purchasing (fuel cost, lower maintenance frequency than vehicles using internal combustion engines) but perceptions of It is still difficult for people to change because the original electric car price is very high. The cost of buying an electric car is about $ 10,000 higher than the price of conventional trucks and cars in the same segment. The most expensive part of an electric vehicle is the battery. The average price of a battery system in a mid-range sedan is $ 15,000. Although the cost of batteries is on the decline, is expected to continue to drop deeply thanks to improvements in manufacturing and engineering, some scholars believe that, to really help electric cars lower prices to affordable prices, it takes a hit. Deep forays in technology. Most new car buyers in the US have to wait until the gas car breaks down to buy a new car. While, according to calculations from economic prediction firm IHS Markit, the average age of cars and pickups in the US has improved up to 12 years. Inadequacies about the charging station Another worrying problem hampering the U.S. transition to electric vehicles is charging. Currently in the US there are only more than 100,000 gas stations with additional charging equipment for EV vehicles. The Americans with garages will easily add chargers that allow overnight refueling, but this number is not much. Most people living in apartment buildings do not have enough dedicated chargers, or have to drive long distances to public charging stations to refuel their cars. “This is one of the top three reasons that customers often give when not choosing EV cars”, Mr. Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at Guidehouse Insights magazine pointed out and emphasized, this is what the US administration need to solve. “We need to cover charging stations in areas where ordinary people do not have their own garages, have to park their cars outside like in narrow urban areas and big cities. If we solve that problem well, there will definitely be many people buying electric cars, ”said Sam Abuelsamid. The lesson of stimulating the demand for electric vehicles from China, the biggest rival to the US, shows that increasing the charging infrastructure is the decisive factor that helps Beijing rise to the top of the world in the proportion of electric vehicle users. However, according to experts, when all factors from supporting manufacturers, expanding fast charging systems and changing people’s perceptions converge, the transition to electric vehicles in the US still takes. a decade to come true.

US President Joe Biden is determined to improve relations with European allies. (Source: Reuters)

Former President Donald Trump changed America – less than his supporters wanted, but more than the opposition had hoped.

However, over the past four years, it’s not just America that has changed. America’s allies are also changing. This makes it impossible to return transatlantic relations back to an earlier period.

The unique relationship between the US and European countries is seen by observers as not going back to the way it once was, even though Mr. Biden has become President.

Former President Donald Trump is not alone.

The first reason that the relationship between the US and the European Union (EU) is difficult to return to the past originated from before Mr. Trump took office.

That’s Brexit. For decades, the UK was the first US partner to think of in Europe. London is also the most reliable and effective support partner on the “old continent”, sometimes even accepting against the bloc’s general policy.

Now that the UK leaves the EU, the United States needs to invest more time and resources in building relationships with EU politicians and institutions.

After all, defense and intelligence relations with Britain are still of great value to the United States, causing Washington to be concerned. Besides, the UK is still the closest partner to the US in terms of geopolitical issues such as Russia and China.

On the other hand, the administration of President Biden concurred with the assessment of the EU and Ireland on the challenges Brexit brought to Northern Ireland.

The impact of Brexit on UK-EU relations poses challenges for the US, especially when London and Brussels will have many disagreements in the coming period.

The second reason for the split between the US and EU is the common value system, affecting policy choices.

Economically, the presidency of President Trump has made American politicians “awaken”, realizing they need to work towards solving their own problems. Democrats demand increased support for workers, as well as for industry.

Although the EU also takes such measures, this could provoke the EU to oppose what it calls “unfair competition”.

In addition, EU priorities in the twenty-first century such as climate change or digital services could lead to new tariffs or regulations. With different approaches to digital privacy or freedom of speech, the common value systems between the US and Europe are increasingly distant.

However, the biggest difference lies in the geopolitics, namely the friend-foe perspective.

During the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was a common enemy, the transatlantic relationship was arguably the most sustainable.

Currently, some European countries and politicians have come closer to Moscow, considering it as an important energy partner. Others want to ignore acts of aggression, or actions that the EU deems a violation of Russian human rights.

But China is the real problem. The US sees China as a major competitor in both economic and security terms.

Meanwhile, while China can be viewed as a security threat, Europe still looks forward to economic cooperation with Beijing, reflected in the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment signed in December 2020.

America and Europe will find it difficult to cooperate with each other when it is impossible to even determine which are friends and enemies.

If not united by a common threat, the transatlantic relationship will split.

European leaders can breathe when a “traditional” President like Mr. Biden is elected. However, the departure of Mr. Trump does not create a solid foundation for this long-standing relationship.

The transatlantic alliance is on the decline, as is the Western-led world order. The two sides need to understand this soon to start building a new architecture, thereby forming a stronger bilateral relationship.

(According to Nikkei Asia)

The head of the White House said in a phone call earlier this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin he made a clear stance that the US and Russia may have “gone further,” emphasizing that Washington “did not want to arrest. the beginning of a cycle of escalation and conflict “with Moscow.

Mr. Biden asserted that after direct communication between him and Putin, the US and Russia could establish “a more effective relationship” and the Kremlin boss “agreed” with this view.

According to Biden, his proposal to hold a summit with his Russian counterpart this summer in Europe will be an opportunity to launch a stable strategic dialogue.

Putin has yet to react to the White House boss’s invitation, but Biden said his cabinet is discussing the possibility now.

Before that, despite President Biden proposing a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart, on April 15, the US still announced economic sanctions against Russia and expelled 10 foreign diplomats. This was in response to actions that Washington alleged was “interference” by the Kremlin in US elections and large-scale cyber attacks.

In addition, the US Treasury Department also announced sanctions against 8 individuals and entities involved in Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

For its part, the Kremlin vowed to respond adequately to any new illegal US sanctions against Russia and noted that any new sanctions would reduce the chances of a meeting. two sides summit.

As expected, today (April 14), the administration of President Joe Biden will announce plans to withdraw all US forces stationed in Afghanistan in stages and end before September 11, full 20 years. after the horrible terror that started the war in Afghanistan.

Accordingly, thousands of US troops will continue to be stationed in Afghanistan after May 1, the deadline that former President Donald Trump’s administration has agreed with the Taliban. There are now 2,500 US troops stationed in Afghanistan, though the difference in fact could be as high as 1,000. The coalition in Afghanistan also has the presence of more than 7,000 troops, mainly NATO troops.

The administration of President Joe Biden is expected to announce plans to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan before 9/11/2021. (Source: EPA)

The above decision was made in the context of the unsuccessful peace negotiations. An unnamed US official revealed that the announcement of the plan was necessary because if the US did not make a clear roadmap of the May 1 deadline, Washington would have to fight the Taliban again.

For Joe Biden, this clearly does not serve the national interest of the US administration.

However, while withdrawing troops from Afghanistan will help the Americans end their presence in Afghanistan after two decades and help Mr. Biden score in the eyes of voters, it could also be a step backwards to Joe Biden’s foreign affairs.

first, this decision will go against what Mr. Joe Biden committed before becoming President. He once thought that Washington needed to maintain an anti-terrorist force in Afghanistan to ensure that Islamic extremist groups like Al-Qaeda would not be able to attack the United States.

However, his views changed after only two months in office. On March 17, interviewed by radio station ABC News, President Biden admitted having “difficulty” in withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan before May 1 under the agreement of his predecessor.

Now, the plan to withdraw troops is becoming clear, but the promise of anti-terrorist forces in the South Asian country has yet to be fulfilled.

Monday, the withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan leaves a great void for the Islamic extremist forces.

Speaking before the National Security Committee of the Afghan Parliament, National Intelligence Director Ahmad Zia Saraj said the number of Taliban attacks had increased by 24% since the peace agreement with the United States in February 2020. , with a total of 20,600 targeted attacks and bombings of all kinds.

According to him, this figure shows that the Taliban are not showing any change in Turkish ideology and the upcoming peace conference in Turkey may not yield any results.

Tuesday, the civil administration proved ineffective in ensuring security and political stability for development. On April 12, Afghanistan recorded 122 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number to 57,364 cases.

However, it should be remembered that the Covid-19 testing procedure in this country is limited and the actual number of cases may be much higher, while the health system is gradually overloading.

According to the World Bank, Afghanistan’s economy declines by 1.9% in 2020. Food prices increase rapidly because Covid-19, sometimes up to 17% in April 2020 alone, while tax revenue decreased by 7 , 6%.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s economic growth in 2021 is expected to reach 1%, but only possible if foreign aid and security are secured, two factors increasingly uncertain with Kabul’s governance capabilities. and after the withdrawal of US President Joe Biden’s administration.

Because of that, Washington may end its presence in the South Asian country after two decades and help Biden score points with voters, but the price will be political stability and security of Afghanistan.