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geopolitics


China left out of Obama free trade party
Obama’s new trade approach might be characterised as ABC – Anyone But China.
Experts call for BRICS free trade pact
"BRICS should consider proposing a free trade agreement at the summit, regardless of whether it’s feasible right now," said Wang Junwen, chairman of the China Association of International Trade.
Australian-US alliance a factor in Chinese investment decisions
The growing size and value of China’s investments in Australia makes the case for a bilateral investment treaty increasingly urgent, according to a leading China expert.
EU-Ukrainian Association Agreement: To sign or not to sign?
The leak of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (AA) turns the focus of their relations to a Shakespearean question: to sign or not to sign.
Pak-US hectic talks on BIT draft
Pakistan and the United States remained engaged on Friday to narrow their differences over the draft of Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) which Islamabad and Washington have been discussing since March 2012
S. Korea says Japan free trade talks ‘difficult’ due to tensions
South Korea said resuming negotiations with Japan over a free trade agreement will be difficult given a maritime territorial spat.
Geopolitical tsunami in the Southern Cone
When the Paraguayan Senate approved the “political judgment” against Fernando Lugo on June 22, it unleashed the biggest political crisis in the Mercosur in the last 20 years. The dust still hasn’t settled, but it’s clear that nothing will be the same since the shake-up.
Asia Pacific talks not aimed at containing China - US official
Some in China see the Trans Pacific Partnership as a US attempt to rewrite the rules of trade for the region to economically contain China, whose rapid growth continues to rattle many lawmakers and companies in the United States. Deputy USTR Demetrios Marantis rejects the charge.
Goods from occupied lands should not be part of trade deal with Israel
In late 2010, former trade minister Peter Van Loan announced that Canada and Israel would start exploratory talks to upgrade the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). Earlier this year, the Ministry of International Trade finished public consultations and is now in internal discussions to implement the upgrades.
Heart breaker: US says Pakistan cannot offer much in free trade
The United States has said that a free trade accord is too big for Pakistan as there is no match between the economies of the two countries, says a top official of the commerce ministry.
Taiwan’s Ma seeks to join Trans-Pacific Partnership
US President Barack Obama’s promotion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral free trade agreement, put forward in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Hawaii, is seen as a strategic tool to drive a wedge between the US and its Asia-Pacific friends on one side and China on the other.
Tensions grow ahead of EU-Ukraine summit
Days before a crunch EU-Ukraine summit on 19 December, Kyiv is under increased pressure as Brussels urges its leaders to release political prisoners and Russia moves to take control of its gas pipeline network, diplomats told EurActiv.
Linking Kashmir to trade
The European Parliament has passed a resolution linking a Free Trade Agreement with India to an improvement in its human rights records, and to greater democracy.
India, Pakistan agree to enhance trade
India and Pakistan agreed Thursday to set up a joint working group to enhance trade, in a further move designed to ease tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals, officials said.
Tackling trans-Pacific trade
With a third round of negotiations scheduled to be held in Brunei in October, the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) still faces ambiguity in promoting its intentions.
Free trade, disputed waters
The full story of China-Asean relations is a mix of good and bad.
Politics behind trade
When politicians and bureaucrats make frequent remarks about the welfare and interests of citizens, one senses another election season is coming. That seems to be the case with the United States these days.
Is the US ready to challenge China’s Asean influence?
Proposals by a prominent Washington senator to push the US government into a free trade agreement with Asean may be no more than a political prod to get President Barack Obama more engaged in Southeast Asia.
Taiwan and China: Reunification by trade?
Free-trade agreements are often contentious but rarely would one have as much strategic significance as that proposed between China and Taiwan.
AIPAC and the US-Colombia free trade deal
By paying off IAI and laying the groundwork for future Israeli weapons purchases, the Colombian government clearly hopes to win the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to help pass the US-Colombia FTA.