China, Gulf Cooperation Council negotiating free trade pact: report
Readjustment to American Weakness: Signs of a Power Vacuum points out that a reversal of policy on the North Korea nuclear issue and failure of the United States to renew its exemption from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court at the United Nations Security Council show in different ways a slackening of American influence. Neither of them marks a decisive readjustment and realignment, but together they point to a tendency that moves in a single direction -- the erosion of American power.
Bush the man who tenaciously sought hegemony will go down in history as the cause of the fall of the United States albeit at present unnoticed by the coarse American mind all too incapable of recognizing the subtle nuances taking place and able only to focus on the roar of artillery and what is perceived to be the evils of Islam.
A loosening of structured power relations does not signal a collapse, but a multitude of readjustments, barring some calamitous event. Those readjustments will center on other powers testing the United States, forcing it to generate a new strategy.
One such test is taking shape as China woos Pakistan and other countries pertinent to the United States. #msg-3486656
This is the first time that these U.S. allies in the following text have been faced with the prospect of being seduced by a country that has the potential to become a bigger consumer of oil and gas than the United States. That is a powerful carrot and this carrot is being dangled at a time when the world has begun to realize that the power of America is becoming eroded. #msg-3485481
-Am
China, Gulf Cooperation Council negotiating free trade pact: report
Time is GMT + 8 hours Posted: 05 July 2004 1310 hrs
BEIJING : China is in discussions with a group of six Middle Eastern countries to establish a free-trade pact, state media reported.
A Middle East delegation led by Kuwait's Finance Minister Mahmoud Al-Nouri is in Beijing and meeting with the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Finance to discuss the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the China Daily said.
Citing Kuwait's ambassador to China Faisal Al-Ghais, it said the delegation included finance ministers and others from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries -- United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
"It will be a historic visit which will surely comprehensively promote bilateral trade and economic relations ," Al-Ghais said.
Al-Ghais said the two sides would sign a comprehensive trade and economic cooperation framework agreement during the visit and begin discussing an FTA.
The FTA would include tariff reductions and simplification for flows of goods and facilitation of mutual investments, the newspaper said.
If established, it would be China's second FTA with a regional group after signing a framework free trade accord with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) last year.
China is currently in talks with several other possible FTA partners, including New Zealand, Australia, Chile and South Africa.
However, an FTA between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council, which holds 45 percent of the world's oil reserves and accounts for 20 percent of oil production, would help shore up China's energy supplies.
China is increasingly importing oil due to strong domestic demand, stemming from a fast growing economy. Growth in car sales has also led to higher oil consumption.
"We are prepared to provide China with its energy needs," Al-Ghais said.
"Both sides are practical. They have realized the importance of each other. I don't see any reason for the negotiations not to proceed very well and smoothly."
China-Gulf Cooperation Council trade volume rose 46 percent to 17 billion dollars last year, the newspaper said.
China to work with Kuwait to further bilateral ties
www.chinaview.cn 2004-07-05 21:46:24
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhuanet) -- China is willing to work with Kuwait to push forward the comprehensive development of the friendly relations between the two countries as well as other Arab states of the Gulf, said Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing here Monday.
In his meeting with visiting Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Muhammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Li expressed appreciation for Kuwait's support for China on the Taiwan and human rights issues, and China's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.?
Li said China spoke positively of the efforts of Kuwait, which is currently holding the rotating presidency of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, to push forward the bilateral cooperation.
Muhammad appreciated China's successful holding of the third foreign ministers' meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue on June 21 and 22 in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province.
He emphasized the importance of their current China tour, noting that it is the first leg of the first official visit of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah since he took office in 2003.
Muhammad said Kuwait is ready to further develop the friendly cooperative relations with China in various fields.
Muhammad is visiting China with Sheikh Sabah. During their eight-day official visit to China, Sheikh Sabah will have talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo. Sheikh Sabah and his delegation will also visit Shanghai in east China. Enditem
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