More World Leaders Flock to Beijing

On February 02, I blogged that in January, world leaders had flocked to China. In fact, five of them. 

The visits to China – China Daily refers to them as the "China travel rush" – have not stopped. 

In February, two leaders descended upon the Middle Kingdom (Zhōngguó, 中国). They were Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi (1st-7th) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (25th-26th). [Note that the month was relatively quiet owing to the Spring Festival break].   

And in March, Chinese President Xi Jinping's diplomatic schedule was focused domestically during this month. He and other senior officials were engaged in the annual "Two Sessions" political meetings, which are the annual plenary sessions of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. 

The following month, distinguished travelers who journeyed to China included: Thailand’s Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (April 04-11); Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (April 11-15); Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (April 12-14); To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam (April 14-17); and Mozambican President Daniel Chapo (April 16-22).

And in May, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon was in China, completing a four-day state visit to Beijing from 11th to 14th. 

Of course, the US didn't want to be left out. And so, its president invited himself to China. He was there from May 13 to 15, and incredibly, he was well-behaved.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was there as well for a two-day state visit, running from May 19 to May 20. And more than 40 documents and cooperation agreements were signed between China and Russia.

Then, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to China for a four-day official trip from May 23 to 26.

And Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić too from May 24-28. 

This isn't just about China being "open". 

As global uncertainty deepens, the world is gravitating toward a country that, weathering its own storms, continues to project a clear sense of purpose and progress.

The high-profile visits to Beijing by world leaders underscore China's leverage and centrality in shaping a multipolar world order. And Xi Jinping is at the centre of it all.

China's real power comes through Xi championing initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative – in fact, the country offers an alternative model for economic growth and state relations without political conditionality.

Donald Trump Really Believes He is Peacemaker-in-Chief

US President Donald Trump really believes he is the “peacemaker-in-chief”, even boasting he has ended six wars since he became president. Of course lah, Trump is playing fast and loose with the truth. As he often does. 

Trump and his administration have claimed to have helped settle the conflicts between Israel and Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Cambodia and Thailand, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia. 

Yet the claim to have settled those conflicts is egregiously embellished and in some cases contradicted by continued violence in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where both its government and Rwanda-backed rebels, M23, failed to sign a final peace accord in Doha, Qatar scheduled for Monday. 

In Iran, the US carried out its own strikes using bunker-buster bombs against military and nuclear facilities before strong-arming Iran to accept a ceasefire in June. The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia saw a ceasefire reached in July that was mediated by Malaysia. India has denied that Trump played any role in reaching a ceasefire deal with Pakistan to end days of strikes over the disputed Kashmir territory in May. Egypt and Ethiopia have no deal to settle the root of their quarrel – a Nile River dam constructed by Ethiopia that would divert water from Egypt. And Serbia has denied it had any plans to pursue a war with Kosovo, although Trump took credit for preventing one. 

I've no doubt he is seriously eyeing the Nobel Peace Prize. In fact, he covets it!

Citizenship of 3 Countries

I must admit this is the first time I've heard of someone with triple citizenship. Hit maker Dua Lipa now has citizenship for Britain, Albania and Kosovo.

Yes, I checked and it is possible to have triple citizenship. While some countries restrict dual citizenship, meaning a person can only have one other citizenship besides their own, there are countries that permit holding three or more citizenships. This is often referred to as multiple citizenship, and it's a status where a person is simultaneously recognized as a citizen by multiple countries.  

The 29-year-old pop star (right) was born in London, UK to Kosovan-Albanian parents, Anesa and Dukagjin Lipa, and moved to Pristina, Kosovo’s capital aged 11, when her family returned after it "gained" independence in 2008, before moving back to London aged 15. 

Since finding fame with hits like New Rules, Be The One, Don't Start Now and Levitating, the singer has made a point of honoring her heritage. 

In 2022, she was granted Albanian citizenship for promoting the country through her music and fame. On Friday, she was granted Kosovo citizenship. 

And Lipa reportedly said she "feels like my two sides are now one".  

Kosovo is a landlocked country bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the south, Albania to the west, and Montenegro to the northwest. 

International governments are divided on the issue of recognition of the independence of Kosovo from Serbia, which was declared in 2008. The Government of Serbia does not diplomatically recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state, although the two countries have enjoyed normalised economic relations since 2020. At least, that's what I've read. 

It has been claimed that Kosovo has received 116 diplomatic recognitions by UN member states; however disagreements have arisen regarding the exact number of countries recognising Kosovo. Kosovo claims that the number of countries recognising its independence is 119, whilst Serbia claims the number is 84, stating that some countries have withdrawn recognition. Third party sources give the number of recognising countries as around 110. FYI, Malaysia under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi officially recognized the Republic of Kosovo on October 30, 2008.

Donald Trump’s New Tariffs

We're seeing another TACO moment! 

United States President Donald Trump on Monday extended a pause on his sweeping reciprocal tariffs to August 01, while also sending “tariff letters” to fourteen countries, warning they would be subject to the new tariff rates if they failed to reach a trade deal with the US by the new deadline. 

As he spelt out in the letters, the rates could be modified "upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your country". I'm not even sure anymore what he actually means. 

[Note: The term TACO – Trump Always Chickens Out – was coined by Financial Times commentator Robert Armstrong to describe what he says is the president's tiresome pattern of announcing heavy tariffs on countries causing economic shock, panic and stock market hits and then later reversing course with pauses or reductions that create a market rebound]. 

For South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia, these tariff rates are identical to what Trump had announced on April 02. Malaysia and Japan saw a 1 percent increase and the other eight countries – Kazakhstan, Laos, Myanmar, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Serbia and Cambodia – will now encounter lower tariffs than they did on "Liberation Day". 

FYI, during the 90-day pause, the US only managed to broker two "deals" (if you can call them deals!) with the United Kingdom and Vietnam. 

The first deal was secured on May 08, between the US and the UK, setting a 10 percent tariff on UK exports to the US. The deal states that the first 100,000 vehicles imported into the US from the UK each year will face a 10 percent tariff, down from the 27.5 percent imposed earlier. Additional vehicles imported each year will face a 25 percent tariff. 

On July 02, Trump announced that he had secured a deal with Vietnam, which now faces a minimum 20 percent tariff in exchange for opening its market up to the US. Transshipments from third countries through Vietnam will face a 40 percent levy, while US products will not face any tariff in Vietnam. Specific details for this deal are unclear. On April 02, Trump had announced a 46 percent tariff on Vietnam. 

Meanwhile, US stocks, based on the three major indices, fell on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.94 percent; S&P 500, which tracks the stock performance of 500 leading US companies, fell by 0.79 percent; and the Nasdaq Composite saw a 0.92 percent drop.

May 09 is Russia’s Victory Day

Foreign leaders from 27 countries graced Russia’s Victory Day parade on Friday. 

[Two Heads of State, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith did not turn up – the former pulled out at the last minute and the latter due to illness]. 

As well as military contingents from 13 countries – Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Egypt, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam – joined in to march alongside Russian forces on the day of the parade. 

The May 09 event commemorates 80 years since the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in the Second World War (referred to by the Russians as the Great Patriotic War). 

[Notes: The Soviet Union lost around 27 million people during the Great Patriotic War (40% of all human losses in World War II), with civilian deaths accounting for the larger part of these losses. According to data of the Extraordinary State Commission for the Establishment and Investigation of Atrocities of the German Fascist Invaders, the German troops destroyed fully or partially over 1,700 cities and towns, more than 70,000 villages and settlements in the USSR. 

And Western revisionists are deliberately downplaying the USSR's vital contribution to World War II. Partly because of the Cold War rivalry but more due to a Western bias to focus on the Western front and American and British victories]. 

The twenty-seven leaders who came: 

In case you're wondering, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are "separatist" regions of Georgia in the Caucasus. Most countries recognise them as part of Georgia, while Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria regard them as independent.

Ukraine Threatens Moscow's Red Square on May 09

Ukrainian lawmaker Yury Pavlenko threatened on Wednesday that Kiev could target Moscow’s Red Square during the country's Victory Day celebrations. May 09 marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. 

Pavlenko (right) noted that the final decision rests with Ukraine’s military leadership, taking into account the presence of foreign dignitaries from neutral countries. This year’s Victory Day parade is expected to be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, among others.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President [V]olodymyr [Z]elensky (left) himself made it known that Ukraine cannot ensure the safety of world leaders planning to attend Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow, as reported by Interfax Ukraine on Saturday. 

"Our position is very simple for all countries planning to go or already heading to Russia on May 09: we cannot be held responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation. They are the ones providing security, and therefore, we will not offer any guarantees...", he explained. I'm recognizing it as a dangerous threat!

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Kiev has conducted a number of drone attacks on Moscow. On May 03, 2023, Ukraine had made an assassination attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin by targeting the Kremlin with two drones, which were shot down before they could cause significant damage. 

A poor game from newly-crowned champions Liverpool as they played without urgency. And so, Chelsea beat them 3-1 in this Premier League match yesterday. 

Actually, the Reds generously contributed two of the Blues' three goals. Captain Virgil van Dijk's attempted clearance bounced off teammate Jarell Quansah and into his own net in the 56th minute. And then, from the spot in the 96th minute after Quansah's foul on a Chelsea player.

Van Dijk did however, pulled one back in the 84th minute from a corner for Liverpool.

Hypocrisy of Media Coverage of Ukraine

“This is not a developing Third World nation. This is Europe…”.

This and many other media commentaries about Ukranians fleeing the country illustrate the hypocrisy of media coverage on the ongoing Ukraine conflict:

And during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg football match between Red Star Belgrade and Rangers on Thursday, Serbian football fans displayed banners to show US and NATO interventions around the world in the past decades!

As for what's happening in Ukraine right now, STOP BLAMING RUSSIA! Kindly know which country started it all!?!?

Image credit: Xinhua News, China

Besides, as the world's top arms exporter, the US and its military-industrial complex are profiteering from Ukraine’s strife (as well as many other conflicts elsewhere). Many countries have tirelessly called for a peaceful resolution through dialogue, but some love to fuel the fire for profit. 

The military-industrial complex in the United States are skilled at lobbying the powers that be to get more defense contracts as they routinely cheer on the government to incite and provoke tensions around the world. They never care about the tears of the populace trapped by war but only money filling their fat pockets.

Image credit: Xinhua News, China

The following Quote sums it up!

Serbia Gets It Right with Covid Vaccine Rollout

For a small European country like Serbia with a population of only 8.7 million (2021), it is doing very well with its Covid vaccination rollout. 

Other countries in the Western Balkans have struggled to secure any vaccine supplies, having placed their hopes on the EU or the international COVAX program. In contrast, Serbia looks on target to inoculate at least a tenth of its population by the middle of February. 

Of course, it helps a lot when Belgrade's warm relations with Beijing and Moscow have undoubtedly helped bring in quantities of vaccine that even EU countries envy. 

"I would be equally happy if we got a million vaccines from Pfizer", says Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. "But our foreign policy paid off; I think it was smart and I have to say I'm proud of what we achieved". 

She herself admitted: "We are not an EU member, and with all the solidarity there is in the EU, we are bound to be the last to get the vaccines from the EU. That's the downside of not being an EU member”. 

Still, at least one EU country, Hungary, is following Serbia's example by procuring Chinese and Russian vaccines. You never know but others may take the same approach too. If they're smart! 

Serbia's US-educated prime minister was the first European leader to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country's Russophile internal affairs minister rolled up his sleeve for an armful of Sputnik V. And the health minister happily posed for his injection with Sinopharm's coronavirus shot. 

In fact, the country cleverly staged photo-ops to reassure a Serbian population on the safety of vaccinations. But they also illustrated an omnivorous approach to procurement that has put Serbia at the front of the race to inoculate people in continental Europe. 

"Whether [vaccines] come from China, the US or EU – we don't care as long as they're safe and we get them as soon as possible", Brnabic tells the BBC. 

"For us, vaccination is not a geopolitical matter. It is a healthcare issue". And she is spot-on!

The Day Venom Dispatches Spider-Man

Warning: Strictly for Venom fans only. 

One of Marvel's most enigmatic and complex characters, his origins can be traced to a race of symbiotes from the planet Klyntar. These beings merge with hosts, and the combined entity tends to have a personality based on both the symbiote and the host itself, though sometimes one side or the other tends to dominate. 

A hulking and twisted distortion of Spider-Man, Venom is the result of an alien symbiote merged with a human – a newspaper reporter named Eddie Brock – holding a bitter grudge against Peter Parker. This combination has proven nearly lethal to the wall-crawler on multiple occasions. 

Despite his hatred of Spider-Man, Venom has a twisted sense of morality, avoiding harming anyone he deems to be innocent and even performing heroic deeds. However, it is never clear how long Venom's darker impulses can be held in check. 

No matter how hard anyone tries to keep the symbiote down, Venom always manages to come back, like a plague. 

I am not a fan of Spider-Man, so this clip where Venom goes toe-to-toe with him and kills Peter Parker gets my thumbs-up! [Manic laughter in the background].

Of course, the above is fiction – but with the comic world, you never know!

Covid-19 infections are still piling up. 

Yesterday, India reported more than 70,000 confirmed cases and Chile surpassed 30,000 cases: 

And a cluster of countries all reached 10,000 cases – Denmark on Thursday, Serbia on Saturday, and both South Africa and Dominican Republic on Sunday:

China to the Rescue

Beijing was widely criticized for mishandling the SARS outbreak back then in 2003. This time around with Covid-19, China was quicker and more responsive. And draconian measures were taken. 

After it contained the pandemic, it turned its attention to countries who are going through this painful period of contagion. 

On March 20, 2020, China announced it is offering help to 82 countries, the World Health Organization and the African Union in the fight against the coronavirus. Malaysia was one of those countries which benefited. 

The medical supplies China has sent and is sending include test kits, masks and protective clothing.

Masks destined for Daegu, South Korea, February 27, 2020. Image credit: Xinhua 


A planeload of medical supplies arrived in Athens on March 21, 2020 from China – at the urgent request of the Greek government – via Air China flight CA 863. Image credit: Greek City Times 

Medical supplies for Malaysia donated by China, March 24, 2020. Image credit: Yusof Mat Isa

In terms of medical technology cooperation, it has shared diagnosis and treatment plans, held video conferences with health experts, and dispatched medical specialists to Iran, Iraq and Italy, among others.

Medics from China at a local hospital in Bergamo, Italy, March 20, 2020. Image credit: Li Yaoyang/CMG 

Chinese medical team set off for Serbia, March 21, 2020. Image credit: Global Times, China 

Medics and medical equipment arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 23, 2020. Image credit: CGTN, China

Ireland is taking one step further. The country’s flag carrier will fly to China 60 times to collect medical supplies. 

The purpose is to prepare for and fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The plan is simply “Fly, get the gear, and come home”.

The above pic shows Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at Ireland’s Department of Health, pointing to a graph during a Covid-19 briefing on March 23, 2020 showing where Ireland was as the coronavirus pandemic rages on throughout the world. 

Five days on, the situation has decidedly turned grave. In fact, this morning itself, citizens of the Republic of Ireland woke up to herald in their country's version of the Movement Control Order.

It's understood Aer Lingus will make the first trip from Dublin Airport to Beijing today, with the airline's chiefs hoping to begin five daily return journeys from Tuesday onwards. 

The passenger planes to be deployed are Airbus A330s where the seats will carry medical equipment such as ventilators, PPE, masks, goggles, testing kits and more. 

Their pilots won't even get off the aircraft or else they'll be put into quarantine. 

Anyway, the point I'm making is that we should be thankful that China is demonstrating global aid response leadership since the US prefers to bury its head in the sand. China knows that action speaks louder than words. 

It’s good to see China turning the tables on Donald Trump and his sickening splurge of bloated self-importance. 

Thumbs-up for China!

The Two-Hand Gesture

(L-R) Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, Stephan Lichtsteiner 

Three Swiss footballers at the World Cup were penalized for their goal celebrations in their side’s 2-1 victory over Serbia on Friday. 

They locked their thumbs and spread their fingers to make their hands look like the double-headed eagle seen on the Albanian flag. 

Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri showed the two-hand gesture after they scored in the Group E match in the 52nd- and 90th- minute respectively. And Stephan Lichtsteiner too showed the same sign after the winning goal.

If you wish to find fault, it is a political expression. 

After all, Xhaka and Shaqiri are ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, where a Serbian crackdown on the Albanian population ended with NATO military intervention in 1999. 

But to others, it is an Albanian expression of elation. 

"It's just emotion", Shaqiri had said about his celebration. "I'm very happy to score this goal”. 

Still, football's world governing body FIFA on Monday fined Shaqiri and Xhaka CHF10,000 each and their captain Lichtsteiner CHF5,000 for “unsporting behaviour contrary to the principles of fair-play”. 

All three players also received a warning – but were cleared to play in Switzerland's next match against Costa Rica today. 

The FIFA disciplinary panel had the power to impose two-match bans if the actions of the players were judged to have provoked the general public. 

Anyway, Switzerland fans promptly started a crowdfunding appeal to pay the fines totalling CHF25,000 imposed on the threesome – and within 18 hours, more than 60 percent of the money was already raised. 

The crowdfunding initiative was set up because the trio "brought joy and happiness to all Swiss and Albanians across the globe". 

Organizers have said they will donate the money raised to charity should the Swiss Football Association reject it. 

Personally, I think we shouldn’t read too much into the gesture. In fact, any gesture for that matter.

Yesterday, I was in Shah Alam, Selangor for the Fonterra Brands Toastmasters meeting. 

But it was a meeting with a difference – we had it in two locations. One at their HQ in the Subang Hi-tech Industrial Park and the other at their shared services center in Puchong. 

This was my first time experiencing a Toastmasters videoconference – and it was interesting. 

More than interesting – it was special because I presented my 600th project speech! It was a CC #7 speech titled “12 Zeros” and my 48th round of the CC manual. 

Special thanks to club president Aimi Rashidah for letting me have a speaking slot. I'm so-o-o grateful!