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Philippines to compete in 46 events at next year’s Asian Games

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

BMX cycling will be one of the events Team Philippines will be competing in at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. (Asian Games website)

Team Philippines is set to compete in 46 sports events at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) announced on Monday.

Following consultations and driven by the mission to improve on the country’s performance in the last edition of the quadrennial sporting meet, the POC said it came up with the number of disciplines out of the 61 sports calendared for the event happening from Sept. 10 to 25 next year.

The POC submitted the list to organizers last Friday.

Filipino athletes will be competing in aquatics, archery, athletics, baseball, softball, men’s basketball, men’s 3×3 basketball, boxing, canoe-kayak and cycling MTB and BMX.

Also on Team Philippines’ list are dancesports’ breaking, men’s dragon boat, equestrian, fencing, men’s football, golf, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, judo, jiu-jitsu, kurash, karate, bridge, chess, esports, xiangqi, modern pentathlon, skateboarding, rowing and men’s rugby.

Completing the list are sailing, sepak takraw, shooting, sports climbing, squash, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.

“We submitted our list last Friday — the deadline — and we based our list on our effort to surpass our last achievement of four gold medals — in Jakarta — because we improved a lot in the Southeast Asian Games,” said POC President Abraham Tolentino in a statement.

Appointed as chef de mission to Hangzhou was Dr. Jose Raul Canlas of surfing.

In 2018 in Indonesia, the Philippines brought home 21 medals – four gold, two silver and 15 bronze medals.

Gold medals were care of weightlifting (Hidilyn Diaz), women’s individual golf (Yuka Saso), women’s team golf (Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go) and skateboarding (Margielyn Didal).

Team Philippines followed it up with an overall championship performance in the SEA Games in 2019 held here.

Team officials said they have started work in their preparation for the Asian Games to lay their plans ahead of the national elections next year.

“We started working on the Asian Games because next year is an election year, so it’s transition year for the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission),” said Mr. Canlas.

“I’m coordinating with [PSC] Chairman William Ramirez on how we are going to go about the budget right now.”

‘The Demolition Man’ Lausa to parade MMA wares in Brave CF

“THE Demolition Man” is back in mixed martial arts (MMA).

Iloilo native Jenel Lausa is returning to MMA after signing a multi-bout deal with Brave Combat Federation (CF).

A champion boxer and mixed martial artist, Mr. Lausa, 32, is looking to resume his stalled MMA career and leave his mark in the Bahrain-based promotion.

Mr. Lausa was last seen in action in 2018, where he lost to Japanese Yuta Sasaki in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

He fought in the UFC four times, finishing with a 1-3 record.

“I’ve been missing the MMA cage for too long. I’m so excited to share that I’m joining Brave Combat Federation, the fastest-growing MMA organization in the world. I will represent the Philippines in the biggest Asian event and I’m looking forward to my return to competition,” wrote Mr. Lausa on his Facebook page of his decision to sign with Brave.

“Coming back to mixed martial arts is really something that I look forward to. I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I value the trust that Brave CF has given me.”

Mr. Lausa holds a professional MMA record of 7-5 with two knockouts wins and two by way of submission. He once held the Pacific Xtreme Combat flyweight title by defeating Team Lakay’s Crisanto Pitpitunge via split decision in 2016.

He is also an accomplished boxer, holding a perfect 10-0-1 record with six knockouts. He captured the Philippine Boxing Federation Super Bantamweight Championship in 2016 and then clinched the Global Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific Super Featherweight Title three years later. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Smart device brand OPPO rallies behind Philippine esports

THE local esports scene added a new supporter with Global smart device brand OPPO partnering with Mineski Philippines for various activities and programs this year.

The collaboration is built on OPPO’s smartphone innovations and Mineski’s expertise on esports and gaming and geared towards further growing the thriving esports industry in the Philippines.

OPPO will be involved, among other things, in the staging of the biggest mobile gaming tournaments in the country — Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League and the Philippine leg of the 2021 League of Legends: Wild Rift SEA Icon Series.

While supporting sports is nothing new for OPPO, having backed FC Barcelona and Wimbledon, the partnership with Mineski has the smart device brand excited seeing it as an opportunity to help esports in the country while, at the same time, further showcase what OPPO’s products are capable of.

“Gaming is a major source of leisure among younger Filipino consumers with 74% of the country’s online population engaged in mobile gaming. OPPO is fully committed to support the growing esports industry by providing both pro-gamers and amateur gamers with the best gaming platforms and mobile phones that can provide them excellent mobile gaming experience,” said OPPO Philippines Marketing Director Raymond Xia at the virtual press conference announcing the partnership last Thursday.

The OPPO official went on to say that they have the devices to provide mobile gamers with the best gaming experience.

Among these is the A92 which is under the A Series, the smartphone variety touted as an “entertainment powerhouse.” It is packed with features capable of gaming such as the 8GB of RAM and 128GB of ROM for smoother gaming experience. It is also programmed with OPPO’s latest gaming feature Game Boost 2.0 for improved screen and touch experience while gaming.

Other smartphone series that OPPO guarantees to have the best and most immersive mobile gameplay are the all-new Reno5 4G and Reno5 5G.

For Mineski, to have OPPO on board is a welcome development on its part.

“To have OPPO on board is very significant. They have the products to supplement the esports community and their presence validates what we at Mineski are trying to do,” said Mark Navarro, Mineski Philippines country manager.  

“Our partnership with OPPO is a big step forward in our thrust to deliver excellence to Filipino gamers. OPPO’s support for our leagues ensures that gamers from different walks of life will experience professional-level esports in every level of competition,” he added.

Apart from partnering for the tournaments, OPPO is also a sponsor of Liyab Esports and signed to be one of the sponsors of the National Interschool Cyber League, one of the main projects of Mineski’s Youth Esports Program.

To know more about the partnership and the upcoming Esports events, visit OPPO’s official website at www.oppo.com/ph or via its official Facebook page at OPPO Philippines or Mineski Philippines’ official website at esports.mineski.net. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

HK prepared to waive restrictions to host Asian tournaments

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s government is considering on waiving the city’s strict 21-day quarantine requirements in a bid to host soccer matches in the Asian Champions League and other continental club competitions, a local newspaper said on Sunday.

The city’s Home Affairs Bureau “fully backed” a proposal from the Hong Kong Football Association to bid to hold tournaments for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the South China Morning Post reported.

“It’s the right time to send a signal that Hong Kong is ready to resume international mega events in a controlled environment,” the Hong Kong daily quoted an unnamed source as saying.

The mandatory quarantine — one of the strictest in the world — and a travel ban now prevent players and officials from across Asia from travelling to the Chinese city.

Hong Kong is seeking to host games in the Asian Champions League and the AFC Cup, a second-tier club competition, after the AFC requested bids after deciding to play the early phase of the competition in a series of centralized groups due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year’s AFC Cup was canceled because of the global health crisis, while the Asian Champions League was played after a series of delays in a biosecure bubble in Doha, with South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai emerging as champions in December. Hong Kong champions Kitchee have qualified for the group phase of this year’s Asian Champions League, while Eastern and Lee Man are due to play in the AFC Cup. — Reuters

Brooklyn Nets topple Los Angeles Clippers to end perfect West Coast trip

JAMES Harden had 37 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Brooklyn Nets won their sixth consecutive contest with a 112-108 victory over the host Los Angeles (LA) Clippers on Sunday.

Kyrie Irving scored 28 points with eight assists as the Nets successfully completed a five-game road trip. They also improved to 7-0 against the Pacific Division this season.

Joe Harris, DeAndre Jordan and Bruce Brown scored 13 each for the Nets. Jordan also grabbed 11 rebounds and recorded four blocks, while Brown had four steals.

Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant (hamstring) missed his fourth straight game. The Nets lost forward Jeff Green with an apparent shoulder injury after a collision with Clippers guard Patrick Beverley with 2:50 remaining.

Paul George had 34 points and seven rebounds, but sat out the game’s crucial minutes down the stretch, possibly because he was on a minutes restriction. Kawhi Leonard had 29 points with five 3-pointers and 13 rebounds, while Ivica Zubac finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Leonard’s two free throws sliced the Nets’ lead to 107-103 with 1:53 left. After a free throw by Jordan gave Brooklyn a five-point advantage, a 3-pointer by Lou Williams and two more foul shots by Leonard tied the score at 108-all with 28.6 seconds left.

Jordan tipped in an Irving miss with 11 seconds remaining for a 110-108 lead. Leonard committed an offensive foul with 8.1 seconds on the clock before Harden sealed the win with two free throws with 7.3 seconds remaining.

The Nets led 89-79 heading into the fourth quarter. They increased the margin to 96-81 after two foul shots by Harden less than four minutes into the quarter before the Clippers rallied.

The Nets owned 58-51 lead at the break. — Reuters

Hong Kong leader gets China’s Sinovac vaccine to bolster public confidence

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam appealed to all residents to take the vaccine following her vaccination. File photo/Reuters

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam received China’s Sinovac vaccine on Monday together with top officials at a live televised event to bolster public confidence ahead of the vaccine’s rollout in the global financial hub this week.

Sinovac is the first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine to be introduced in Hong Kong, ahead of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine set to arrive in the Chinese special administrative region before the end of February.

The city’s vaccine rollout has lagged other developed cities and is far behind mainland China which started last July.

Ms. Lam, dressed in a white t-shirt, was filmed receiving the first vaccine in a center set up at Hong Kong’s central library. Her cabinet ministers including Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung lined up to get vaccinated after her.

Ms. Lam appealed to all residents to take the vaccine during a press briefing following her vaccination.

“This requires the full collaboration of the people of Hong Kong to help Hong Kong’s society to recover as soon as possible.”

Health Secretary Chan told Reuters the government was trying to reassure residents worried about taking Sinovac, stating that standards had not been lowered to accept the vaccine and that there was no pressure from Beijing to get it approved.

One million doses of the Sinovac vaccine arrived from Beijing in the former British colony on Friday. Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents can get vaccinated from Feb 26 after applying online.

Residents will be allowed to choose the type of vaccine, the government said.

Anti-mainland sentiment has increased in Hong Kong since 2019 when protesters took to the streets to demonstrate against what they see as Beijing’s strengthening hold over the territory.

A January survey by the University of Hong Kong found that fewer than 30% of people questioned said they would accept the Sinovac vaccine.

Hong Kong has secured a total of 22.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZenca. The city has recorded around 10,800 cases since last January and 197 deaths. — Reuters

New Zealand to push for tariff-free trade of COVID-19 essentials at APEC

Some APEC nations committed last year to keep COVID-19 supply chains open and remove trade restrictions on essential goods, especially medical supplies. But there has been no firm action since.

WELLINGTON — New Zealand will use its platform as host of an Asia-Pacific trade group in the coming months to seek a global approach to coronavirus vaccinations that would eliminate tariffs on goods needed to fight coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Amid concerns that smaller nations may be left behind in vaccinating their populations, New Zealand—one of the most successful countries in curbing the pandemic—will make the proposals at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which it will host virtually this year.

“Our message is that to deal with a global pandemic like this we need more global participation,” said Vangelis Vitalis, New Zealand’s deputy secretary for trade and economy, who chairs the APEC2021 Senior Officials’ Meeting.

“Trade is not going to solve the crisis but trade can help,” he told Reuters in an interview.

New Zealand proposes making shipments between the 21 APEC members of medicines, medical and surgical equipment, hygiene products, and other goods tariff-free and easing other restrictions on their movement across borders.

The proposal would have to be agreed on in the next couple of weeks to get approved at the APEC trade ministers’ meeting in May, Mr. Vitalis said.

Some APEC nations committed last year to keep COVID-19 supply chains open and remove trade restrictions on essential goods, especially medical supplies. But there has been no firm action since.

Only New Zealand and Singapore took this further, eliminating tariffs on more than 120 products they deemed essential.

“It’s worrying that only two small countries have done that,” Mr. Vitalis said. New Zealand wants a ministerial statement listing pandemic-essential products and services, he said.

It would also ease the movement of coronavirus vaccines through air and sea ports, which has been a growing concern amid smaller nations like New Zealand who fear larger economies will buy up and control medical supplies.

Despite efforts by the World Health Organization to ensure smaller nations get their share of vaccines, experts say richer nations have been hoarding vaccines and essential goods, leaving poorer and smaller nations at their mercy for these products.

New Zealand began vaccinating border workers on Saturday, but most of the country’s 5 million people are not expected to get inoculated until the second half of the year.

Mr. Vitalis said “vaccine nationalism,” which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned against last month, is in no one’s interest.

Mutation risks mean a need to avoid “parts of the global population not vaccinated,” he said.

Although vaccine tariffs are low, there are significant charges on equipment like syringes, needles and gloves, which may impede the inoculation process.

The consensus-based APEC has struggled to reach agreements in recent years amid then-President Donald Trump’s trade war with China. Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump last month, has promised a more multilateral approach but is not expected to rush into trade deals with Beijing.

The trade-dependent host nation “would like to see APEC go broader on trade liberalization, but we have to be realistic on what is achievable this year,” said Alan Bollard, the New Zealand-based former executive director of the APEC Secretariat in Singapore.

“COVID-19 is an immediate concern—addressing it is also a chance to ride over ongoing trade barriers,” said Bollard, a former head of New Zealand’s central bank. — Praveen Menon/Reuters

Strike grips Myanmar, anti-coup protesters defy junta’s lethal warning

Businesses shut in Myanmar on Monday in a general strike called to oppose the military coup and thousands of protesters gathered in towns and cities despite a chilling message from the junta that confrontation would cost more lives.

On Sunday, hundreds of people attended the funeral in the capital Naypyitaw of Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, a young woman who became a symbol of resistance after being shot in the head on Feb. 9 while protesting.

On Saturday, two more protesters were killed when police opened fire in the city of Mandalay, marking the bloodiest day in the campaign for the restoration of democracy.

Yet, three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the Feb. 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

“Everyone is joining this,” said San San Maw, 46, at the Hledan junction in the main city of Yangon, which has become a rallying point for the protests. “We need to come out.”

State-owned media MRTV warned protesters against action on Monday.

“Protesters are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a path of confrontation where they will suffer loss of life,” it said.

Htet Htet Hlaing, 22, said she was scared and had prayed before joining Monday’s demonstration, but would not be discouraged.

“We don’t want the junta, we want democracy. We want to create our own future,” she said. “My mother didn’t stop me from coming out, she only said ‘take care.’”

In a country where dates are seen as auspicious, protesters noted the significance of the date 22.2.2021, comparing it with demonstrations on Aug. 8, 1988, when a previous generation staged anti-military protests which were bloodily suppressed.

The response of security forces this time has been less deadly. Aside from the three protesters that have been killed, the army has said one policeman died of injuries in protests.

The deaths in Mandalay did not discourage protesters on Sunday, when they turned out again in tens of thousands there and in Yangon and elsewhere.

Author and historian Thant Myint-U said the window for a peaceful resolution was closing.

“The outcome of the coming weeks will be determined by just two things: the will of an army that’s crushed many protests before and the courage, skill and determination of the protesters (much of society),” he said on Twitter.

RESTAURANTS SHUT
As well as local stores, international chains announced closures on Monday, including Yum Brands Inc.’s KFC and delivery service Food Panda, owned by Delivery Hero. Southeast Asian company Grab stopped delivery services too, but left its taxis running.

Protesters were also out in various towns around the country including Myitkyina in the north, Bhamo near the Chinese border and in the central town of Pyinmana, according to media reports.

Authorities were “exercising utmost restraint,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. It rebuked some countries for remarks it described as flagrant interference in Myanmar’s internal affairs.

Several Western countries have condemned the coup and decried the violence against protesters.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter the United States would continue to “take firm action” against authorities violently cracking down on opponents of the coup in the Southeast Asian country that is also known as Burma.

“We stand with the people of Burma,” he said.

Britain, Germany, Japan, and Singapore have also condemned the violence and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said lethal force was unacceptable.

Residents in Yangon said roads to some embassies, including the US embassy, were blocked on Monday. The diplomatic missions have become gathering points for protesters calling for foreign intervention.

UN special rapporteur on human rights to Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said he was deeply concerned by the junta’s warning to protesters.

“Unlike 1988, actions by security forces are being recorded and you will be held accountable,” he said on Twitter.

The army seized power after alleging fraud in Nov. 8 elections that were swept by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), detaining her and much of the party leadership. The electoral commission dismissed the fraud complaints.

Myanmar’s Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said 640 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the coup—including former members of government and opponents of the army takeover. — Reuters

Japan vaccine supplies to be limited, delaying shots for elderly — minister

Japan has negotiated to receive more than 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Western drugmakers. But domestic regulators have only approved one vaccine so far, and the nation remains dependent on imported supplies that have been held up by production snags and export controls.

TOKYO — Japan will only receive limited doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for the first months of the inoculation rollout and shots for the elderly will be distributed gradually, the country’s inoculation chief said.

Pfizer Inc., the maker of Japan’s only approved COVID-19 vaccine, is ramping up production in Europe, but those increased supplies are not likely to reach Japan until May, Administrative Reform Minister Taro Kono cautioned on Sunday in an interview with national broadcaster NHK.

“We would like to start vaccinations for the elderly in April, but unfortunately the number of doses allocated to them will be very limited at first, so we want to start slowly,” Mr. Kono said.

Japan has negotiated to receive more than 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Western drugmakers. But domestic regulators have only approved one vaccine so far, and the nation remains dependent on imported supplies that have been held up by production snags and export controls.

Since Mr. Kono, the minister for administrative reform, was tapped last month to lead Japan’s vaccination push, he has resisted giving firm timelines for when doses will arrive and be distributed. Even so, the government has stuck to a pledge to secure enough shots for the whole population of 126 million by June.

Japan has negotiated to receive 144 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine this year, and its second shipment of about 450,000 shots arrived on Sunday.

The inoculation campaign kicked off last week with doctors and nurses getting the first shots. The government is prioritizing vaccinations for around 4.7 million medical workers, about 1 million more than initially estimated. — Reuters

Strike threat by South Korean doctors fans fears of vaccine rollout disruption

SEOUL — Doctors in South Korea have threatened a protest strike against legislation to strip them of licenses following criminal convictions, sparking fears about possible disruption of a coronavirus vaccination effort set to begin this week.

Healthcare workers are set to receive the first batch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine from Friday, as South Korea looks to protect 10 million high-risk people by July, on its way to reaching herd immunity by November.

But over the weekend, the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the largest grouping of doctors, said it would go on strike if parliament passed the bill to revoke the licenses of doctors getting jail terms.

“The bill might result in ordinary, innocent doctors being stripped of their licenses and falling into hell because of an accident that has nothing to do with their job, or lack of legal knowledge,” spokesman Kim Dae-ha said in a statement on Monday.

Association president Choi Dae-zip has called the bill “cruel,” saying its passage into law would “destroy” current cooperation with the government to treat the virus and carry out the vaccine campaign.

No date has been set yet for the strike, the KMA told Reuters, however.

The standoff stoked concern that any strike of doctors could slow the rollout at a time when authorities are scrambling to allocate medical personnel to about 250 inoculation centers and 10,000 clinics nationwide.

Discord over the bill was undesirable ahead of the vaccine rollout, the health ministry said, adding that the doctors’ association was in the grip of a “misunderstanding” about it.

Parliament has been seeking to revise the Medical Service Act to ban physicians guilty of violent crimes, such as sexual abuse and murder, from practicing their skills.

Ruling party lawmakers pushing for the bill denounced the association, saying it was trying to “take public health hostage to maintain impunity from heinous crimes.”

The group of nearly 140,000 has a long history of medical policy disputes with the government.

Many hospitals were depleted of staff during the pandemic last year when it steered weeks-long walkouts over plans to boost the number of medical students, build medical schools, ease insurance coverage and increase telemedicine options.

That action spurred hundreds of thousands of Koreans to file presidential petitions urging punishment for the doctors, as polls showed 58% of respondents opposed the strike. There are no surveys yet on the latest stalemate.

Last week, a government poll showed almost 94% of 367,000 healthcare workers aged 64 or younger in priority groups said they were ready to take the AstraZeneca vaccine, despite concerns over its efficacy in older people. About 95% said they would accept Pfizer products.

South Korea reported 332 new virus infections by Sunday, taking its tally to 87,324, and a death toll of 1,562. —  Sangmi Cha/Reuters

US orders extra inspection of some Boeing 777s after United incident, Japan suspends use

US regulators announced extra inspections on Boeing Co. 777 jets using the same type of engine that shed debris over Denver on Saturday, while Japan went further and suspended their use while it considers what action to take.

The regulatory moves involving Pratt & Whitney 4000 engines came after a United Airlines 777 landed safely at Denver International Airport on Saturday after its right engine failed.

United said on Sunday it would voluntarily and temporarily remove its 24 active planes of the type from its schedule.

Images posted by police in Broomfield, Colorado, showed significant plane debris on the ground, including an engine cowling scattered outside a home and what appeared to be other parts in a field.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said its initial examination of the plane indicated most of the damage was confined to the right engine, with only minor damage to the airplane.

It said the inlet and casing separated from the engine and two fan blades were fractured, while the remainder of the fan blades exhibited damage.

Japan’s transport ministry ordered Japan Airlines Co. Ltd. (JAL) and ANA Holdings Inc. to suspend the use of 777s with P&W4000 engines while it considered whether to take additional measures.

The ministry said that on Dec. 4, 2020, a JAL flight from Naha Airport to Tokyo International Airport returned to the airport due to a malfunction in the left engine about 100 kilometers north of Naha Airport.

That plane is the same age as the 26-year-old United Airlines plane involved in Saturday’s incident.

United is the only US operator of the planes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The other airlines using them are in Japan and South Korea, the US agency said.

“We reviewed all available safety data following yesterday’s incident,” the FAA said in a statement. “Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes.”

Japan said ANA operated 19 of the type and JAL operated 13 of them.

Pratt & Whitney, owned by Raytheon Technologies Corp., was not available immediately for comment.

Boeing said its technical advisers are supporting the US National Transportation Safety Board with its investigation.

A spokeswoman for South Korea’s transport ministry said it was monitoring the situation but had not yet taken any action.

In Feb. 2018, a 777 of the same age operated by United and bound for Honolulu suffered an engine failure when a cowling fell off about 30 minutes before the plane landed safely. The NTSB determined that incident was the result of a full-length fan blade fracture.

Because of that 2018 incident, Pratt & Whitney reviewed inspection records for all previously inspected PW4000 fan blades, the NTSB said. The FAA in March 2019 issued a directive requiring initial and recurring inspections of the fan blades on the PW4000 engines. — Jamie Freed and David Shepardson/Reuters

China calls for reset in Sino-US relations

BEIJING — Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said on Monday the United States and China could work together on issues like climate change and the coronavirus pandemic if they repaired their damaged bilateral relationship.

Mr. Wang, a Chinese state councillor and foreign minister, said Beijing stood ready to reopen constructive dialogue with Washington after relations between the two countries sank to their lowest in decades under former president Donald J. Trump.

Mr. Wang called on Washington to remove tariffs on Chinese goods and abandon what he said was an irrational suppression of the Chinese tech sector, steps he said would create the “necessary conditions” for cooperation.

Before Mr. Wang spoke at a forum sponsored by the foreign ministry, officials played footage of the “ping-pong diplomacy” of 1972 when an exchange of table tennis players cleared the way for then US President Richard Nixon to visit China.

Mr. Wang urged Washington to respect China’s core interests, stop “smearing” the ruling Communist Party, stop interfering in Beijing’s internal affairs and stop “conniving” with separatist forces for Taiwan’s independence.

“Over the past few years, the United States basically cut off bilateral dialogue at all levels,” Mr. Wang said in prepared remarks translated into English.

“We stand ready to have candid communication with the US side, and engage in dialogues aimed at solving problems.”

Mr. Wang pointed to a recent call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as a positive step.

Washington and Beijing have clashed on multiple fronts including trade, accusations of human rights crimes against the Uighur Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region and Beijing’s territorial claims in the resources-rich South China Sea.

The Biden administration has, however, signaled it will maintain pressure on Beijing. Mr. Biden has voiced concern about Beijing’s “coercive and unfair” trade practices and endorsed a Trump administration determination that China has committed genocide in Xinjiang.

However, Mr. Biden has also pledged to take a more multilateral approach and is keen to cooperate with Beijing on issues like climate change and persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. — Reuters

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