Among the people socializing in a tavern in Alexandra township in Johannesburg is Karabo Sathekge, who asked that VOA not give her real name. She is a slight, attractive 19-year-old in a veil of an orange dress, defying the winter chill. Sathekge often meets one of her partners here. He is more than twice her age. Sathekge explains that sex with older men is sometimes “rough,” and always without a condom. South Africa has almost 7 million people living with HIV and manages the globe’s largest antiretroviral program, keeping about 4 million people alive with the drugs. At the South African National AIDS Conference in Johannesburg this week, specialists voiced their concern about the spiking rates of infections among young women, a trend reflected throughout the continent. “What does it tell you about the lack of knowledge about HIV, 20, 30 years into the HIV epidemic?” said Mark Heywood, the director of the Section 27 social justice movement. “We have seen, shockingly, a decline in knowledge of HIV amongst young people. It is like we have taken our foot off the accelerator, in certain respects.” Heywood says more than 200 young women, ages 15 to 24, are infected with HIV each day in South Africa. In 2015, that demographic accounted for the largest segment of new HIV infections in South Africa and a disproportionate number of new cases in the region. Adolescent and young women made up a quarter of the new cases in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNAIDS most …
Reports: US Job Market Stronger, But Credit Card Bills Rising
New data show the U.S. job market becoming a bit stronger, while credit card costs are increasing for American consumers. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department says the number of newly-laid off workers signing up for assistance fell 8,000 last week to a nationwide total of 237,000. Experts say any level below 300,000 indicates strong demand for workers and a healthy job market. Jobless claims have been under this benchmark now for well over two years, the longest streak since 1970. On Wednesday, the U.S. central bank cited the improving job market as evidence that the economy no longer needs the boost it has been receiving from ultra-low interest rates. The Federal Reserve increased the key interest rate by a quarter of a percent. It is the latest in a series of gradual increases intended to bring interest rates closer to the average rates seen over the past few decades. While economists say the increases are a vote of confidence in the economy, higher rates also raise costs for consumers who have run up credit card bills. The business group WalletHub says U.S. consumer credit card debt will likely exceed $1 trillion this year, a record high. The company says that means a quarter of a percentage point interest rate hike will cost consumers an extra $1.5 billion this year. Wednesday’s action is the latest of several rate increases, and if all the higher costs are tallied, the bill for consumers will be $6 billion more this year than it …
US Senate Approves Russia Sanctions
The U.S. Senate voted 98-2 Thursday to approve sweeping sanctions against Russia and make it harder for President Donald Trump to ease punitive measures against Moscow. “We have no time to waste,” said Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona. “The United States of America needs to send a strong message to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and any other aggressor that we will not tolerate attacks on our democracy.” “We must not allow this kind of interference in our elections become a normal process,” said Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. Adopted overwhelmingly as an amendment to an Iran sanctions bill, the measure targets Russia’s cyber espionage entities, energy sector, financial interests, and the flow of Russian weaponry to war zones like Syria. “It expands the list of where sanctions can apply to the energy projects and foreign financial institutions,” said Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It provides for actors undermining cyber security being subject to sanctions. It provides sanctions against suppliers of Russian arms to Syria. It’s comprehensive.” The measure also asserts a role for Congress if the White House opts to ease any sanctions against Moscow. “The president can’t remove a sanction until he’s given Congress notice and an opportunity to review,” Cardin said. “We can have congressional hearings, we can put a spotlight on it. And then we have an expedited process where we could reject the president’s decision to give relief. And all during that process, the sanctions …
Trump Orders More Cash, Industry Input, for Apprenticeships
President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered more money and a bigger role for private companies in designing apprenticeship programs meant to fill some of the 6 million open jobs in the U.S. Trump signed an executive order to roughly double to $200 million the taxpayer money spent on learn-to-earn programs. The money would come from existing job training programs. The executive order would leave it to industry to design apprenticeships under broad standards to be set by the Labor Department. “We’re training people to have great jobs and high paying jobs,” Trump said at a White House ceremony. “We’re here today to celebrate the dignity of work and the greatness of the American worker.” Trump is directing the government to review and streamline some 43 workforce programs across 13 agencies. Senior administration officials have said Trump was reluctant to spend more federal funds on apprenticeships, so the boost would come from existing money, perhaps from the streamlining process. The officials spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity to preview Trump’s order. Companies have long complained that they can’t find trained people to fill highly technical jobs, and apprenticeship programs have sprung up around the country. Companies now have to register with the Labor Department and adhere to government guidelines. There are about 500,000 apprenticeship positions in the U.S. Trump had campaigned on creating jobs. The executive order addresses the nation’s “skills gap” that have left millions of open jobs unfilled. Apprenticeships would give students a …
Oxygen-Producing Bacteria Could Help Heart Attack Sufferers
Photosynthetic bacteria and light may offer hope to heart disease patients, a new study suggests. Researchers at Stanford University say that after injecting the bacteria into the hearts of rats with cardiac disease and using light to start photosynthesis, they were able to increase the flow of oxygen, improving heart function. “The beauty of it is that it’s a recycling system,” said Joseph Woo, senior author of the study. “You deliver the bacteria, they take up carbon dioxide, and with energy from the light, they form oxygen.” The findings could help many who have a condition called cardiac ischemia, which restricts blood flow and the delivery of oxygen to the heart muscles. “We thought there is an interesting relationship in nature,” Woo said. “In nature, humans exhale carbon dioxide and plants convert it back to oxygen. During a heart attack, the muscle is still trying to pump. There’s carbon dioxide but no oxygen. We wondered if there were any way to use plant cells and put them next to heart cells to produce oxygen from the carbon dioxide.” At first, the researchers tried to use spinach and kale cells, but the chloroplasts, the structures where photosynthesis occurs, were not stable enough to live outside the plant. “So we kept looking around,” Woo said, saying the next option was photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria because it is “more rugged” and could survive with heart cells in a petri dish. After that, Woo and his team injected cyanobacteria into the beating hearts of …
Video Game Shows Importance of Color Vision in Finding Prey
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UN: Trucks Readied to Send Polio Vaccine For IS-Held Syria
A U.N. humanitarian aid adviser for Syria says trucks are being prepared to ship polio vaccine into Islamic State group-held areas of Deir Ezzor governorate following confirmation of a “very dangerous” outbreak of the virus. Jan Egeland made the comment to reporters Thursday in the wake of the confirmation announced last week by the World Health Organization of two cases in Deir Ezzor of a polio strain derived from vaccines that mutated under weakening health and immunization conditions. He said 58 acute flaccid paralysis cases, a possible symptom of polio, had been reported in Deir Ezzor this year through June 6. Egeland said “it’s one of the remarkable things” of Syria’s war that people have been reached with vaccines, even in the Deir Ezzor and Raqqa governorates held by IS. …
СБУ: посадовці «Укрзалізниці» купили неякісної продукції на майже 100 мільйонів гривень
У Службі безпеки України заявляють про викриття спільно з Генпрокуратурою механізму регулярного придбання посадовцями «Укрзалізниці» неякісної продукції, що могло загрожувати функціонуванню залізничної інфраструктури. Про це йдеться у повідомленні на сайті відомства. За даними СБУ, йдеться про купівлю контрафактних запасних частин для тягового рухомого складу на суму в майже 100 мільйонів гривень. «Використання неякісних запасних частин виробничими підрозділами «Укрзалізниці» – одного з тепловозоремонтних заводів та сімома локомотивними депо – призводило, зокрема, до постійного виходу з ладу десятків тепловозів та тривалих простоїв на позапланових ремонтах. Унаслідок оборудки посадовців «Укрзалізниця» не змогла забезпечити в повному обсязі перевезення продукції металургійних комбінатів. Це, відповідно, призвело до недоотримання держпідприємством прибутків, скорочення обсягів валютної виручки та зменшення надходжень до бюджетів усіх рівнів», – повідомили в СБУ. Раніше цього тижня Генеральна прокуратура України проводила обшуки в ПАТ «Укрзалізниця». Під час обшуків співробітники Генпрокуратури передали підозру одному з керівників департаменту локомотивного господарства. В «Укрзалізниці» тоді заявили, що епізод, за яким триває слідство, стосується 2015-2016 років, і наголосили, що сприяють проведенню слідчих дій. …
Child Poverty, Hunger Widespread in World’s Richest Countries
A new report by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) finds child poverty and hunger are widespread in 41 of the world’s richest countries. The report says one in five children in rich countries lives in poverty, while one in eight often do not have enough to eat. The report finds high income does not necessarily lead to a good outcome for children and often serves to widen the gap between rich and poor. UN Children’s Fund Chief of Social Policy and Economic Analysis, Jose Cuesta says all 41 countries surveyed, in one way or another, are failing to protect the well-being of their children. “If I were to grade all countries, no one will get an A,” he said. “There is good news, of course, in quite a number of targets and areas. For instance, childhood learning or reductions in neonatal mortality rates. But, there are also substantive gaps in some targets. For instance, poverty reduction of children, increasing inequality, increasing obesity and worsening mental health.” The seven top ranked countries in UNICEF’s League Table of 41 countries includes all the Nordic countries — Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, as well as Germany and Switzerland. The seven countries holding up the bottom are Chili, Mexico, the United States, Bulgaria, Romania, Israel and Turkey. Cuesta tells VOA the United States, which ranks 37th does not perform well in areas such as poverty, hunger, good health and well-being, and quality education. “Actually, it is a surprise and it is not a …
Thai Local Communities Want Their Say in Fighting Pollution
Thailand’s industrial development faces fresh calls for greater local community participation in addressing the challenges of environmental pollution, especially as reports point to an escalation in the production of hazardous industrial pollution. Industrialization has been a core of Thailand’s economic progress over the past three decades as the country progressed from agricultural to industrial and manufacturing development. Investments in major chemical and manufacturing industries have been marked by industrial estates, especially in the Eastern Seaboard some 150 kilometers from Bangkok. The military government is now looking to expand industrial development to boost the economy through 10 special economic zones throughout the country and further investment near Bangkok by way of an Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). But Thailand’s push for growth has raised concerns by local communities about increasing pollution, despite controls and legislation. Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD), in its latest report, estimates some 37.4 million metric tons of industrial waste was generated nationwide in 2015, of which 2.8 million tons — or 7.5 percent of the total, were hazardous industrial waste. Hazardous waste At the same time, hazardous waste — covering all waste from communities, industrial activities and infectious waste — stood at 3.45 million tons, an increase of 28 percent from the previous year. “The production and use of hazardous substances in the country has caused pollution as hazardous substances were released into the environment and may cause contamination or remain in the environment,” the PCD said. A European Union funded report with the Thai-based Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH) …
US Central Bank Hikes Key Interest Rate Amid Weaker Than Expected Data
The U.S. central bank raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday amid concerns about sluggish growth, a slowdown in consumer spending and low inflation. But the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve says the one-quarter of 1 percent increase in the federal funds rate demonstrates the committee’s confidence in the overall health of the U.S. economy. Mil Arcega has more. …
Kushner Company Drops Tax Break Request in New Jersey
The real estate firm owned by the family of Jared Kushner has withdrawn a request for a big tax break for one its buildings in Jersey City, New Jersey, the latest setback for the company in the area. The Kushner Cos. sent a letter withdrawing its application for a 30-year break from city taxes for a planned two-tower project in the struggling Journal Square section of the city, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said Wednesday. Opponents of the tax breaks marched downtown earlier this year and the city’s mayor recently came out against the Kushner request. Jared Kushner was CEO of the family company before stepping down to become a senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump. Committed to area Kushner Cos. spokesman James Yolles said the company is committed to the “much-needed investment” in that area of the city. The loss of the tax break is the latest blow for the company in a city where it is major real estate developer. The 79-story building, One Journal Square, gained attention last month after Jared Kushner’s sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, mentioned her brother in a presentation in Beijing where she had hoped to attract Chinese investors in the building. Marketing material noted the “celebrity status” of her family. Government ethics experts blasted the family for what they said was an attempt to profit off Jared Kushner’s position in Washington, and the Kushner Cos. canceled upcoming investor presentations in the country. The company …
Report: More Women in Workforce Would Add Trillions to World Economy
A new report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) says getting more women into the world labor market would add trillions of dollars to the global economy and boost tax revenues. According to the report, the ILO World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends for Women 2017, just more than 49 percent of women globally are in the labor force, a rate nearly 27 percent lower than that for men. The ILO is calling for a narrowing of the gender gap, which it says is widespread, persistent and substantial, in the world of work. But unfortunately, ILO says, this situation is expected to remain unchanged in 2018. G-20 commitment Deborah Greenfield, ILO deputy director for policy, says the Group of 20 (G-20) leaders have committed themselves to reducing the gender gap in work participation rates between men and women by 25 percent by the year 2025. Greenfield says huge benefits would accrue to women, society and the economy if this goal is met. “This would have the potential to add $5.8 trillion, measured in U.S. dollars, to the global economy,” Greenfield said. “This could also unlock large potential tax revenues. We estimate roughly $1.5 trillion globally, most of it in emerging and developed countries.” Areas that would benefit most The report says North Africa, the Arab states and southern Asia have the lowest number of women in paid labor. It says these regions would benefit most from narrowing the gaps, which exceed 50 percentage points, in participation rates between men and …
Educators Aim to Reach 6M Children With Visual, Hearing Impairments
Imagine that you could not see. Or hear. And that you were just a child. What would your world be like? How would you communicate? Who would teach you to speak, to sign or to read Braille? To play? For more than 6 million children around the world, many in developing countries, this is their reality. Experts say the overwhelming majority of children with multiple disabilities are falling through the education system. “These children for the most part don’t get an education — something on the order of 90 percent,” said Dave Power, president and chief executive officer of Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, the United States’ oldest academic institution serving blind, deaf-blind and low-vision students. Children with these disabilities have tremendous potential, he and other educators say, but they need the right education to realize it. Challenges “The stigma and discrimination that exists around disabilities — it is the attitudinal barrier — it has a wide-ranging impact,” said Gopal Mitra, senior adviser on disabilities at UNICEF, the U.N. Children’s Fund. Another hurdle is the availability of resources from governments and within families, which often means educating a disabled child becomes a lower priority. “Within the family, often parents do not see the value of educating the child who cannot see or cannot hear,” Mitra said. There also is a general lack of programs to provide teachers with the specialized training required for teaching children with visual or hearing impairments. “I think that the greatest challenge across …
Qatari Businesses Find New Suppliers After Gulf Boycott
The sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states on Qatar have been a blessing for Mohammed Kuwari and his al-Rawa brand of yoghurt. With competing Saudi products off the shelves, his business is booming. “Our sales doubled! There’s lots of production as you can see and we have a big share in the market now,” said the 30-year-old dairy factory owner. Previously he struggled to compete against products trucked in from Saudi firms like the Middle East’s biggest dairy, Almarai. But last week Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed an economic and diplomatic boycott on Qatar, accusing the small Gulf state of funding terrorism and cosying up to their enemy Iran, which Qatar denies. The measures have disrupted imports in Qatar, which buys most of its food from the neighbors that have ostracized it. Change in trading patterns? Qatar’s own mostly small consumer businesses say they are finding new suppliers, which could alter established trading patterns in the Gulf. Plastic and cardboard that Kuwari’s company uses to make packaging are stuck in containers in Dubai, he said. “We were stunned at first. Our supply of raw materials was completely cut off,” said Kuwari. “But we took action.” Kuwari says he will terminate contracts for raw materials from the Dubai-based conglomerate JRD international worth 30 million riyals ($8.21 million) a year. Instead he is forging deals with Turkish, Indian and Chinese companies to secure future supplies that will be shipped to Qatar via ports in …
EIA: Wind, Solar Surpassed 10 Percent of US Electricity in March
Wind and solar accounted for more than 10 percent of U.S. electricity generation for the first time in March, the Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Wind and solar power capacity has been growing in the United States, accounting for an average of up to 7 percent of electricity in 2016. Texas, a wind power giant, accounted for the largest total amount of wind and solar electricity generation in 2016, according to the EIA. Meanwhile, Iowa ranked as the state with the highest share of renewable energy in its electricity mix, with 37 percent of electricity generation from wind and solar. A separate report released on Wednesday by Deloitte found that consumer and business preference will continue to drive demand for renewable energy. The report found that 61 percent of customers wanted a certain percentage of electricity to come from renewable energy. …
Broccoli Ingredient Found to Reduce Blood Sugar in Diabetics
There’s not much middle ground on broccoli — people either love it or hate it. U.S. President George H.W. Bush, for instance, was not a fan. “I do not like broccoli,” he famously said. “And I have not liked it since I was a little kid. And my mother made me eat it. And I am president of the United States. And I am not going to eat any more broccoli.” But there’s no denying that it’s a superfood. And today, there’s one more reason to love it: A compound found in broccoli appears to be at least as effective as a widely used drug to treat diabetes, according to Swedish researchers who think the ingredient could be a safe alternative for lowering blood sugar. It turns out the green vegetable contains a chemical, called sulforaphane, that appears in clinical trials to work as well as metformin at reducing blood sugar levels in diabetics. That could be good news for a significant percentage of the 300 million Type 2 diabetics around the world who cannot take metformin, a first-line therapy, because of potential kidney damage and stomach upset. Dr. Anders Rosengren of the Lund University Diabetes Center in Sweden helped discover the potential of sulforaphane in lowering HA1c, a blood biomarker of long-term glucose control. He led a team of researchers who used a computer model to sort through a public database of more than 3,800 promising compounds to find sulforaphane. ‘Very exciting’ “We think this is very exciting. because …
Scientists Find ‘Achilles Heel’ in Malaria Parasite
Researchers have identified an “Achilles heel” in the malaria parasite — a weakness that could stop the mosquito-borne infection in its tracks. The discovery offers the possibility of a cure, as well as a way to halt transmission. The malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, uses a protein to infect red blood cells. By blocking the protein, called PfAP2-I, the malaria parasite can’t enter the cells where it replicates billions of times before bursting forth into the bloodstream, according to researchers. The hallmark symptoms of malaria, including high fever and chills, come in waves every 48 hours — which is every time the parasite reproduces. Halting the so-called invasion phase, according to lead researcher Manuel Llinas, could potentially stop the infection. “Invasion has for a long time been considered … one of the key parasite-specific processes that, if inhibited, would then prevent the full-blown, massive infections that one normally gets,” Llinas said. Llinas and his colleagues at Pennsylvania State University have identified and characterized PfAP2-I, finding that it regulates more than 150 parasitic genes — nearly 20 percent of which are known to be involved in red cell invasion. The protein appears to hold the key to activating those parasitic genes, allowing them to gain a foothold during a critical stage of infection. “It’s like we’re taking a step back and looking at what actually establishes that program in the first place, preventing any of those molecules from being made in the first place,” said Llinas. “And that’s really I think the …
Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rate Slightly
Top officials of the U.S. central bank raised the benchmark interest rate slightly on Wednesday, as the recovering economy no longer seems to need quite as much of the boost it gets from ultra-low rates. The Federal Reserve raised its short-term rate a quarter of a percent, to a range between one and 1.25 percent. To cope with the recession that started in 2007, the Fed cut interest rates nearly to zero, a record low, in a bid to cut the cost of borrowing and encourage economic activity and cut unemployment. With the jobless rate cut from 10 percent to just 4.3 percent recently, the recovering economy no longer needs so much help from low interest rates. Wednesday’s action is just the latest in a gradual series of rate hikes that are moving interest rates back toward the rates usually seen over the past few decades. Officials worry that keeping rates too low for too long could spark a burst of inflation that could hurt the economy. Fed officials have been trying to get inflation to rise to a low but manageable rate of about two percent. The inflation rate remains below this target. Fed officials also said they would reduce the central bank’s huge holding of bonds and other securities later this year. During the recession, the Fed purchased $4.3 trillion worth of financial products in a complex bid to further boost growth by cutting long-term rates. The plan calls for gradually reducing these holdings …
Big Data Gives China’s Top 3 Internet Firms Big Leverage
China’s three big Internet-driven companies, Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu, are set to influence a vast section of the country’s business because they control data concerning the consumer and social behavior of millions of people. The awesome power comes from the government’s drive to develop a “big data” industry, which is thriving in China. Several other players, including utilities like phone companies and retail chains, are also trying to dip into the newly discovered pot of money from buyers who need information to understand buying preferences of potential customers, and design their products and strategies in line with the data flows. “It [big data] is an improvement to do [a] better job, but unfortunately your [consumer’s] lifeline is more and more dependent on these big three guys,” said Chiang Jeongwen, a professor of marketing at the China Europe International Business School. Recent studies have shown that nearly 90 percent of China’s 731 million online users have made at least one online purchase, often involving the use of Baidu’s search facilities, e-commerce sites and third-party transactions using mobile phone apps. Predicting trends “People are buying things and using their third party payment systems. [That] information [is] also being captured by Tencent and Alibaba. That is huge because now they know both offline and online information of consumers,” said Chiang. These companies own a wide range of businesses that makes it possible for them to gather both online and offline data that is generated when a customer uses a phone app to make payments at a physical shop. Alibaba owns Alipay while Tencent runs the highly popular …
Данилюк: Державний борг України на 70% складається із валютних запозичень
Боргове навантаження України є надзвичайно високим відносно до ВВП, більш ніж наполовину складаючись із валютних запозичень, заявив під час засідання уряду міністр фінансів Олександр Данилюк. «Частка валютного запозичення у боргу є майже 70%. А фіскальні ризики – як явні, так і приховані – вимагають прозорого оприлюднення та ефективного управління. Як результат, разом із бюджетом ми вперше подамо два нових документи: стратегію управління боргом і звіт про фіскальні ризики», – сказав він. Кабінет міністрів України схвалив проект бюджетної резолюції до 2020 року, яка започатковує процес планування державних фінансів на середньострокову перспективу. Документ передбачає ріст економіки України на 4% до 2020 року, зниження інфляції до 5% до 2020 року, зниження дефіциту бюджету до 2% та зниження частки боргу до 55% ВВП. У Кабміні очікують, що протягом трьох днів резолюцію передадуть до Верховної Ради. Бюджетна резолюція – постанова Верховної Ради України, що визначає основні напрями бюджетної політики на наступний бюджетний рік. Бюджетна резолюція розробляється урядом. …
Кабмін схвалив проект бюджетної резолюції до 2020 року
Кабінет міністрів України схвалив проект бюджетної резолюції до 2020 року, яка започатковує процес планування державних фінансів на середньострокову перспективу. Документ передбачає ріст економіки України на 4% до 2020 року, зниження інфляції до 5% до 2020 року, зниження дефіциту бюджету до 2% та зниження частки боргу до 55% ВВП. «Ми вирішили змінити підхід – перейти до середньострокового бюджетування, не на один рік, а на три. Ми чітко визначаємо, які економічні показники прогнозуємо на 3 роки, які пріоритети ставимо», –сказав прем’єр Володимир Гройсман під час презентації документа. «Це черговий системний крок. Розпочинаємо новий бюджетний процес, і у вересні внесемо новий проект державного бюджету на 2018 рік відповідно до Бюджетної резолюції», – додав він. У Кабміні очікують, що протягом трьох днів резолюцію передадуть до Верховної Ради. Бюджетна резолюція – постанова Верховної Ради України, що визначає основні напрями бюджетної політики на наступний бюджетний рік. Бюджетна резолюція розробляється урядом. …
Seattle Passes Sugary Drink Tax to Fight Childhood Obesity
Nearly one third of all humans are now classified as overweight or obese. That’s the conclusion from a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that dropped this week. When it comes to childhood weight problems, the U.S. tops the list. 13 percent of U.S. kids are now classified as obese. To combat the problem, the city of Seattle in Washington state is taking what some consider a drastic measure. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
Panama’s Business Chiefs Hope for Big Return From New Ties to Beijing
Panama’s business community on Tuesday cheered the Central American country’s decision to establish full diplomatic ties with China and ditch Taiwan, hoping to deepen links with a key customer of the nation’s shipping canal. Although there was regret at the cost to Taiwan, an ally of various Central American nations, there was broad support for President Juan Carlos Varela’s decision to throw his lot in with China, whose growing global ambitions contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump’s isolationist rhetoric. “I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision, given the long-term links we’ve had with Taiwan, but nonetheless, [China] is a global superpower, the world’s No. 2 economy, the second biggest user of the canal – and so we think this is a positive development that will result in more business and investment in Panama,” said Inocencio Galindo, president of Panama’s Trade, Industry and Agriculture chamber. The diplomatic U-turn comes as China attempts to position itself as a defender of free trade in the face of the “America First” policy of Trump, who was elected in November 2016. Chinese officials also celebrated the news. Wang Weihua, the permanent representative in the Office of China-Panama Trade Development and Beijing’s top representative in the country, said various attempts had been made over the years without success to establish formal ties. Late last year, more advanced talks began with Varela’s team that concluded only this week, said Wang, who added he was involved in the discussions. China is interested in Panama for its strategic location, …