The United States on Friday penalized two Chinese firms that acquired US chipmaking equipment for China’s top chipmaker SMIC, including them among 32 entities that were added to the Commerce Department’s restricted trade list, according to a US government posting. Twenty-three of the 32 were in China. GMC Semiconductor Technology (Wuxi) Co and Jicun Semiconductor Technology were placed on the list, formally known as…
Beijing has warned against “unilateral actions” targeting Chinese interests, as the US intensifies pressure on Western allies to impose steep tariffs on China and India for allegedly “enabling” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by continuing to buy Russian oil. US President Donald Trump issued a letter to Nato members on Saturday, urging them to stop buying…
Group of Seven nations’ finance ministers discussed in a call on Friday further sanctions on Russia and possible tariffs on countries that they consider “enabling” its war in Ukraine, as the U.S. called on its allies to impose tariffs on purchasers of Russian oil. Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne chaired the G7 meeting, which was…
A recent discussion paper floated by the Danish presidency of the Council of the EU, seen by POLITICO, explored whether capitals would be open to imposing tariffs on Moscow as part of the bloc’s 19th sanctions package. That idea, according to several diplomats briefed on the talks, won little traction among ministers when it was…
Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed an agreement Tuesday in Cairo to pave the way for renewed cooperation, including steps toward relaunching inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities months after relations collapsed during a war with Israel. The announcement followed a meeting among Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and…
That is why the Russian president has for months sidestepped Trump’s proposals to freeze the fighting with a territorial compromise that the U.S. thought would be attractive for Moscow. Instead, the Kremlin is sticking to its maximalist demands, which would effectively make Ukraine its vassal and change the balance of power in Europe. Trump’s latest…
The United Kingdom on Wednesday imposed sanctions on eight Russian individuals and three organizations, accusing them of participating in the alleged deportation and “indoctrination” of Ukrainian children. The new measures target a network of officials and state-backed groups that London claims are central to a systematic campaign to relocate children from occupied Ukrainian territories to…
This year the summit will focus largely on U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. Trump has slapped 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil. Putin meanwhile is facing fresh Western sanctions tied to his ongoing war in Ukraine. “How in the hell did Trump so alienate Modi that…
China questioned Europe’s plan to snap back into place sanctions on Iran over the nation’s nuclear program, warning it could make the situation worse. “The Iran nuclear issue is at a critical juncture,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a daily press briefing in Beijing on Friday. “Initiating a snapback of sanctions in…
A judge has argued that an interpretation of Hong Kong’s national security law by Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s defence team may not reflect Beijing’s true intentions, after the former media boss’ lawyers argued that the legislation did not penalise calls for sanctions against select Chinese officials. Lai’s lawyers on Monday argued that a strict literal approach…