The Prime Minister of Israel has issued a stark warning: America and Europe could be next; Britain seeks a balance between security and business; a crucial trade agreement between the U.S. and Asia is at risk of collapse; ahead of the Xi-Biden meeting, the U.S. softens its anti-China stance; polluting industries warn that clean air will come at a high cost. This is what global media are discussing.
No Alternative to War
Fox News reports that during an interview, the Israeli Prime Minister made a dire warning to America, stating that it could be the next target if the IDF does not destroy Hamas.
«We must win not only for ourselves but for the Middle East, for our Arab neighbors. Hamas rule has brought them nothing but bloodshed, poverty, and suffering,» Netanyahu declared.
«We must win to protect Israel. We must win to protect the Middle East. We must win for the civilized world. This is the battle we are fighting, and it is happening right now. There is no alternative to complete and final victory. If we do not win now, then Europe will be next, and then you, Americans. Therefore, we must win,» he added.
In Search of the Golden Mean
The Guardian reports that the UK government intends to relinquish powers to control company takeovers. The National Security and Investment Act, which only came into force in January 2022, allowed for much tighter scrutiny of foreign investments in British companies.
The rules cover 17 critical sectors that could have implications for national security — from military technologies and cryptography to energy, computing, quantum technologies, and even transport. The government intervened to block the acquisition of semiconductor manufacturer Newport Wafer Fab by a Chinese company, as well as the purchase of electronic equipment design company Pulsic by a Hong Kong competitor.
The introduction of these rules led to a sharp decline in foreign investments, as investment advisors around the world stopped recommending Britain to their clients.
Repealing the strict investment control will represent another policy shift for a government oscillating between a desire to be open for business and a need to block takeovers of enterprises in strategically important sectors.
Nothing Personal, Just Politics
The Wall Street Journal reports that a sharp pivot by the Biden administration in global technology rules has weakened a crucial trade agreement in Asia, which was intended to help counter China’s growing influence in the region.
It was expected that rules facilitating digital trade, including cross-border data transfer about customers and supply chains, would be a central element of the so-called Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a group of 14 countries led by the U.S. However, the U.S. has backed away from supporting these provisions, contradicting the desires of some Asian allies who see common rules governing business data as a cornerstone of economic cooperation. According to the publication’s political commentator, the withdrawal from agreements within IPEF may be a move to appease China or one of the conditions set by China for the meeting between Biden and Xi.
A Step Forward
Bloomberg reports another fact indicating that the upcoming Beijing-Washington summit might be more critical for the U.S. In particular, America allowed a significant number of Chinese journalists to enter the country to cover the first meeting in a year between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden.
The U.S. issued «hundreds» of visas to Chinese journalists to cover the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in San Francisco, where the talks will take place. Previously, Chinese journalists faced strict restrictions on visa issuance and a relatively low limit for attending even international events within the U.S.
The rhetoric of official representatives of the White House has also notably changed. The previously clear line that China poses a threat to the world order has disappeared from their speeches.
Economic Blackmail
The New York Times writes that polluting industries in the U.S. argue that the cost of cleaner air is too high as the Biden administration prepares to tighten air quality standards.
Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency revisits scientific data on certain harmful pollutants every five years. The Biden administration decided to shorten the review cycle, and as the decision approaches, business groups are intensifying their resistance.
They claim that there is no technically safe level of particulate matter and that new standards will only force billions to be spent on a fundamentally pointless effort, thereby creating a threat of bankruptcy for companies. Representatives of «dirty» industries have warned of possible economic consequences — businesses will have to reduce production, leading to further price increases due to the resulting shortage and layoffs.
