Connexion
The complete supply chain for any part of a product is within 5 kilometers of the many assembly shops. That is why any one city in China can outcompete whole countries.
PressTV Interview with Peter Koenig
Background
Venezuela has strongly condemned the US seizure of an oil tanker off the country’s coast in the Caribbean, calling the move an act of international piracy. Diosdado Cabello Rondón, Venezuelan Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, said the real reasons behind the prolonged aggression against Caracas have now been exposed. He said fighting drug trafficking is just a justification. Cabello said the reason has always been about Venezuela’s natural wealth, its oil, its energy, and the resources that belong solely to the Venezuelan people. He added that Caracas will appeal the seizure to all available international bodies. The condemnation follows a statement by US President Donald Trump, announcing the seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.
PressTV Iran: Trump said, US military forces conducted a large-scale operation to seize the oil tanker, without offering any more details. U-S Attorney General Pam posted the video of the seizure on social media, claiming that the vessel had been involved in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.
She also alleged that the tanker was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Reacting to the seizure, Iran’s Embassy in Caracas has expressed solidarity with Venezuela and condemned the U-S takeover of the vessel as an act of piracy.
The Iranian embassy called it a violation of Venezuela’s national sovereignty and a blatant breach of international laws. Trump recently threatened Venezuela with an imminent land invasion, accusing the country of aiding the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States which Caracas denies.
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PressTV: Mr. Koenig, what is going on here?
What legal possibilities does Venezuela have to claim its vessel back?
>PK response:
This is clearly a crime on High Sea; it could be a modern version of the movie series Pirates of the Caribbean.
Seriously. Mr. Trump has way passed the Rules-based-order, also invented by the ever-domineering west, and has gone to the “Trump-based Order” – making local as well as international laws as he sees fit.
Storming by helicopter and taking over a Venezuela Oil tanker is a crime of first degree. The problem is, will the Venezuelan government find an international Court that is willing to take on their case, not being afraid of sanctions from Trump, and as you know sanctions can take all kinds of very nasty forms – or will they just bow to the United States, or to Trump’s will?
What other means, legal or political, does Mr. Maduro have to claim back the oil vessel? – If he has not already done so, which I believe he has – he may want to consult with his closest allies, China and Russia.
It is no secret, I believe to no one in the world, that the real reason for wanting to take over Venezuela are her enormous hydrocarbon reserves and other immeasurable natural resources.
What is amazing, that while protests can be heard, nobody, but nobody intervenes, not from the west, nor from the east. International “silence” so to speak, the non-interference – gives Trump Carte Blache to do whatever he wants and wherever he wants. And it is OK. – Or is it? Cleary not.
The contradiction glares in your eyes: President Trump just a few days ago pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, the former President of Honduras, who is a known and proven drug dealer. He was convicted in the U.S. of being a major international drug trafficker, who helped flood the US with 500 tons of cocaine.
In a nutshell: On 8 March 2024, Hernández was convicted of three counts of drug trafficking and weapons conspiracy, and on 26 June of that year, he was sentenced to 45 years of prison. On 1 December 2025, he was released from prison after being formally pardoned by President Donald Trump.
Yet, Trump pursues Venezuela for major drug trafficking and networking of terrorism, without any proof.
The U-S Attorney General, Ms. Pam, as well as Trump’s War Minister, Pete Hegseth, are all part of Trump’s entourage. They will not contradict their master, even if they think something may be not quite right.
That is submission to the bully, for respect — or for fear?
The world lets Trump get away with murder. Literally. Through his war Minister, Pete Hegseth, within the last couple of months he has killed more than 100 innocent people by blowing up their boats in the Caribbean – under the pretext they were drug smugglers. Killed without trial, without justice, because the self-styled emperor orders it.
Our civilization has fallen back into pre-Middle Ages, when killing was a matter of being the “stronger”.
Well, today, a braindead society buys anything. And, indeed may become a pre-Middle Age populous. See this
https://www.globalresearch.ca/thinking-capacity-damaged-covid-mrna-vaccines/5908325
It may be part of this epoch of Dystopia – the 2030 Agenda – the world passes through right now.
This Epoch of Dystopia, George Orwell’s “1984” prediction, is not “sustainable”. to use one of the elite’s “passwords”, and, therefore, will not succeed.
And Trump will not succeed conquering Venezuela.
——
Peter Koenig is a geopolitical analyst, regular author for Global Research, and a former Economist at the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), where he worked for over 30 years around the world. He is the author of Implosion – An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed; and co-author of Cynthia McKinney’s book “When China Sneezes: From the Coronavirus Lockdown to the Global Politico-Economic Crisis” (Clarity Press – November 1, 2020).
Peter is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). He is also a non-resident Senior Fellow of the Chongyang Institute of Renmin University, Beijing.
Trump’s White House just released its National Strategy paper. No doubt Brian Berletic will prepare a full analysis. No, the US is not retrenching or intending to pull punches in this area.
There is a lot of blunt discussions about mainland China, Taiwan, allies in the region, South China Sea etc.
This is real politik:
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The United States prioritizes deterring military threats in the Indo-Pacific region, with a particular focus on Taiwan due to its critical role in global semiconductor production and strategic location providing access to the Second Island Chain.
Taiwan splits Northeast and Southeast Asia into two distinct theaters.
Taiwan’s position is vital for U.S. economic interests, as it influences one-third of global shipping through the South China Sea.
The strategy aims to build a U.S. military capable of denying aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain, including Taiwan, to prevent any competitor from controlling key commerce lanes.
Investments in undersea, space, nuclear, AI, quantum computing, autonomous systems, and energy domains are emphasized to restore U.S. military overmatch and support deterrence efforts related to Taiwan.
The U.S. maintains its longstanding policy of not supporting any unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
Robust diplomatic efforts are directed at First Island Chain allies and partners to grant greater U.S. military access, increase their defense spending, and develop capabilities specifically to deter aggression against Taiwan.
Strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific, including through recent agreements signed in October 2025, forms the bedrock of security and prosperity, with implications for Taiwan’s defense.
The strategy calls for greater burden-sharing from allies like Japan and South Korea to enhance collective defense focused on protecting the First Island Chain, including Taiwan.
Cooperation through frameworks like the Quad (with Australia, Japan, and India) is encouraged to align actions against domination by any single competitor, indirectly bolstering Taiwan’s security.
Economically, the U.S. seeks to rebalance relations with competitors like China to protect supply chains, intellectual property, and critical materials, ensuring long-term deterrence and support for Taiwan’s role in global prosperity.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf
The White House published “The Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity” signed today (https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/162950) in Egypt.
We, the undersigned, welcome the truly historic commitment and implementation by all parties to the Trump Peace Agreement, ending more than two years of profound suffering and loss — opening a new chapter for the region defined by hope, security, and a shared vision for peace and prosperity.
We support and stand behind President Trump’s sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza and bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Together, we will implement this agreement in a manner that ensures peace, security, stability, and opportunity for all peoples of the region, including both Palestinians and Israelis.
We understand that lasting peace will be one in which both Palestinians and Israelis can prosper with their fundamental human rights protected, their security guaranteed, and their dignity upheld.
We affirm that meaningful progress emerges through cooperation and sustained dialogue, and that strengthening bonds among nations and peoples serves the enduring interests of regional and global peace and stability.
We recognize the deep historical and spiritual significance of this region to the faith communities whose roots are intertwined with the land of the region — Christianity, Islam, and Judaism among them. Respect for these sacred connections and the protection of their heritage sites shall remain paramount in our commitment to peaceful coexistence.
We are united in our determination to dismantle extremism and radicalization in all its forms. No society can flourish when violence and racism is normalized, or when radical ideologies threaten the fabric of civil life. We commit to addressing the conditions that enable extremism and to promoting education, opportunity, and mutual respect as foundations for lasting peace.
We hereby commit to the resolution of future disputes through diplomatic engagement and negotiation rather than through force or protracted conflict. We acknowledge that the Middle East cannot endure a persistent cycle of prolonged warfare, stalled negotiations, or the fragmentary, incomplete, or selective application of successfully negotiated terms. The tragedies witnessed over the past two years must serve as an urgent reminder that future generations deserve better than the failures of the past.
We seek tolerance, dignity, and equal opportunity for every person, ensuring this region is a place where all can pursue their aspirations in peace, security, and economic prosperity, regardless of race, faith, or ethnicity.
We pursue a comprehensive vision of peace, security, and shared prosperity in the region, grounded in the principles of mutual respect and shared destiny.
In this spirit, we welcome the progress achieved in establishing comprehensive and durable peace arrangements in the Gaza Strip, as well as the friendly and mutually beneficial relationship between Israel and its regional neighbors. We pledge to work collectively to implement and sustain this legacy, building institutional foundations upon which future generations may thrive together in peace.
We commit ourselves to a future of enduring peace.
Donald J. Trump
President of the United States of America
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani
Emir of the State of Qatar
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
President of the Republic of Türkiye
“MAGA” Duped Again as Trump Fulfills “Project 2025” NATO “Burden Sharing” Objective through 5% GDP Military Spending vs. Russia
As warned, and as US Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth pronounced in Feb. 2025, the US has forced NATO members to commit to 5% of their GDP to military spending specifically as part of a “division of labor” amid the continued US proxy war against Russia in Ukraine;
This follows the US using “negotiations” as cover to launch an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran and as the US openly declares its intention to “pivot” toward China and more directly interfere in the Asia-Pacific region;
The goal is for NATO to maintain/freeze the conflict with Russia until the US – through strategic sequencing – sufficiently contains China and can circle back around to Russia;
All US wars/proxy wars inherited from the Biden administration have been CONFIRMED obediently continued under the Trump administration;
Notes: Brian is receiving much criticism for his strong stance that this is only a strategy of ‘division of labor’. Many do not understand it and therefore reject and resist it.
In fact, China agrees. In different words and more from an economic perspective, China says:
“The era of NATO is long gone. Under the guiding principle of “America First,” Washington repeatedly wields a “no money, no protection” stance, reducing NATO to a bargaining chip in US geopolitical trades. Allocating 5 percent of GDP to military spending is a heavy burden for European countries, but it still falls far short of satisfying Washington’s geopolitical appetite and will only make the US ask for more from Europe. European nations, especially those unwilling to be dragged into wars, must remain clear-headed. ”
This logic of “engaging in military expansion while accusing others of being a threat” is not only foolish but also malicious.
Wang Wen is one of the best analysts of the People’s Republic of China, the author of hundreds of articles on social and economic policy of the Celestial Policy, as well as the Dean of the Chunyong Institute of Financial Studies at the People’s University of China. On the eve of SPIEF 2025, within the framework of a special project “Global Development: From a Crisis to a Partnership Economy,” Wen told Vedomosti about Russian-Chinese relations and economic confrontation with the United States.
Reducing the trade turnover between Russia and China
Based on data for one quarter, it is impossible to conclude whether trade between the two countries has reached its peak. Over the past three years, it has grown by more than 30% annually, reaching almost $ 250 billion, which can be called explosive growth. The decline in trade in the first quarter of 2025 is mainly due to the impact of the exchange rate and does not reflect the future trend.
I am full of optimism: the potential in many areas has not yet been realized. For example, thanks to the investments and long-term purchases of major liquefied natural gas projects such as Yamal and Arctic-2, as well as the construction of new pipelines, energy trade will increase significantly. With the increase in Chinese investments in Russian agriculture, the export of Russian products will also grow significantly. In addition, high-tech cooperation in such areas as aerospace, nuclear energy, new materials and biotechnology has great potential. Finally, with the expansion of settlements in national currencies and the improvement of the infrastructure of “de-dollarization” there is significant scope for growth in payments, cross-border e-commerce and trade in services.
In my opinion, thanks to the efforts of governments and trade organizations of both countries, the trade turnover between China and Russia in the coming years will reach $ 300 billion or even $ 350 billion.
Development of financial infrastructure
Strengthening cooperation in this area is an inevitable direction for the implementation of the demands of the leaders of Russia and China. In this matter, we need to be more confident. It is now necessary to focus on overcoming current difficulties and increasing the scale of financial cooperation. For example, the four largest Chinese banks – the Bank of China, the Chinese Construction Bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and the Agricultural Bank of China – have representative offices or branches in Russia, but because of the risk of secondary sanctions from the West, they have partially reduced the scale of their activities.
I believe that in the future, China will expand the creation of banks specializing in yuan and rubles in order to minimize the risk of sanctions. At the same time, both countries should deepen the clearing mechanism for direct transactions of the yuan – ruble, improve interaction between CIPS and SPFS systems, as well as introduce innovative payment instruments and non-bank channels, such as the compatibility of the digital yuan, UnionPay and the Russian Mir payment system.
On the creation of a single BRICS payment system
At the moment, there are many obstacles, such as the complexity of coordination of interests, high costs of technical integration, geopolitical risks and difficulties in managing liquidity. In this regard, India’s position is the greatest obstacle. Thus, in the short term, settlements in national currencies on a bilateral basis remain a rational and pragmatic choice. In the long term, it is possible to promote the creation of a regional settlement convention within the framework of the SCO.
About mutual investments
The Mutual Investment Agreement, which was updated in April 2025, is extremely important. It will provide more stable legal protection and more open market access for investors in both countries. I have repeatedly mentioned that China’s investment in Russia accounts for less than 1% of China’s global investment, and Russia’s investment in China is less than 0.1 percent of foreign investment. This situation must change. I am confident that with the deepening of this agreement, mutual investments between the two countries will grow rapidly.
In my opinion, if this agreement is implemented, China will be interested in many areas in Russia. The most interesting are resources and energy. China is ready to invest in the development of oil, gas and minerals, nickel, copper and palladium. China is ready to promote the localization of investments in the Russian industry, for example, to invest in the production of electric vehicles, batteries, household appliances, testing of semiconductors, etc., in order to get closer to the Russian market.
Investments in Russian agriculture will also be in the spotlight. In the Russian Far East there are vast fertile lands, and China is ready to invest in the cultivation of soybeans, corn, rapeseed, pig farms and processing of water products. China is interested in Russian infrastructure. These are, for example, the port of Murmansk, the Trans-Siberian Railway and the road from Novosibirsk to Xinjiang, the construction of cross-border data centers and smart border ports. Finally, China is ready to invest in new technologies such as the aerospace industry, nuclear energy, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
About technological competition
In the future, a global “new cold war in high technology” will lead to at least two important changes. First, two highly competitive groups will be formed. On the one hand, the Western camp led by the United States seeks to monopolize accurate production and digital technologies, promoting the absolute dominance of Western companies such as Nvidia and Google in the global market. On the other hand, the new camp, presented by China+Russia and other countries with resources, seeks to break the monopoly in high-tech while increasing its leading position in the field of electrification and new energy sources, as well as occupying a large share in the international market. This “geopolitical technology coalition” does not contribute to global innovation and ultimately leads to a fragmentation of investment in research and development and the creation of “parallel worlds” in high technologies.
Secondly, the future “block” structure of high technologies must adapt to the hegemonic logic of the United States, where “security prevails over the market.” The technical nationalism promoted by the U.S. can be picked up by Europe and Japan, leading to a partial rupture and deep separation of supply chains in high-tech technologies such as military technology, quantum encryption, 6G core technology, etc. China has become an important representative of the international inclusive approach to high technology. China has always sought to share them with all countries, thereby expanding the production capacity and size of markets in different countries.
In this regard, developing economies are in the intermediate technological zone and face difficult strategic choices. Some countries choose a double bet: for example, India simultaneously attracts TSMC for the construction of a packaging plant (American style) and BYD for the construction of an electric vehicle plant (in Chinese style). Some countries face pressure from the United States. For example, in 2024, the US Department of Commerce forced the UAE Group G42 to refuse to invest in Chinese supercomputing.
The “block” world of high technologies requires each country to establish new rules for survival in this area. Russia needs to strengthen cooperation with China, avoiding Western sanctions, attracting more Chinese high-tech investment through technological isolation and other measures, as well as exporting more resources and minerals to China to achieve environmental integration in high-tech blocks and ultimately achieve a mutually beneficial result.
On major international projects
With the growth of China’s national power, the country’s role in them has undergone dynamic evolution and adaptation. China does not reject international cooperation, but, faced with market uncertainty and pressure from the United States, is inclined to a more independent and controlled model of cooperation.
Over the past few years, China has accumulated some experience in major international projects and learned a lot of lessons. In terms of successful “independent implementation”, the share of projects with a “full output of the production chain” in foreign engineering contracts increased from 32% in 2016 to 61% in 2024. In particular, in 2023. China has independently built the Jakarta-Bandong high-speed railway in Indonesia. However, he also faced painful lessons due to obstacles. For example, the high-speed railway project in Mexico was disrupted due to US intervention, and the project of the port of Haifa in Israel was subject to US security check. From this point of view, China’s choice of a more independent and controlled model of cooperation to minimize geopolitical risks is understandable.
In the future, China will have to face de-China measures by some traditional partners in the future. For example, the EU’s Global Gateway Plan aims to replace Chinese capital in the construction of the Balkan Railway. India is using a “promoting production plan” to subsidize the movement of Apple’s supply chain outside China. The US is promoting the policy of “friendly offshore” of high-tech alliances, which creates new risks for China’s international cooperation in the future.
Nevertheless, we must believe in the wisdom of the Chinese and the friendly attitude of the international community towards China. Currently, most countries welcome its production facilities and cooperation in major projects. For example, Chinese low-value-added industry and new energy car companies have created new opportunities for cooperation in many developing countries.
From this point of view, the model of major foreign cooperation projects in the future will have a variety of forms. Some projects will be fully created by China, such as 5G base stations and ultra-high voltages. Some will be jointly developed, for example, the project of the International Lunar Research Station of China and Russia. In some, China’s role will be limited, for example, the participation of its capital in financial infrastructure projects in some countries.
Diversification of Markets
The markets of Asia and Europe have great strategic value for China’s export substitution process, but their importance varies greatly depending on the type of product. For example, major substitute products in the ASEAN market are consumer electronics, photovoltaic components, etc., which can compensate for about 65% of China’s decline in U.S. exports. In the EU market, the main substitute products are lithium batteries, which can compensate for about 40%. In the Russian market – mainly engineering equipment, cars, household appliances, etc., which can replace about 20%. Thus, efforts to absorb exports to the US market are concerted efforts by domestic and international markets.
I believe that Trump’s tariff policy is forcing China to accelerate its global supply chains. Famous Chinese companies such as BYD, Huawei and CATL are investing in manufacturing workshops in countries around the world. By 2028, the degree of globalization of Chinese companies will reach a new level.
Of course, I do not downplay the importance of the United States. In fact, they still have significant advantages in technical standards, cross-border logistics and resource allocation. To really weaken the position of the United States, a significant process of “de-Unament” in all three areas is needed. In the field of technical standards of international innovation, digital yuan + transboundary clearing CIPS, 6G standards and standards of photovoltaic silicon plates are required. In the field of cross-border logistics, the development and expansion of China-Europe trains and the Arctic routes are also becoming important. In the field of resource allocation, the development of rare earth resources should, if possible, get rid of American hegemony.
The Regional Economic Association
Creating such an association with its own payment, trade and transport infrastructure in the short term remains a challenge. In the existing mechanisms there are still disadvantages in payment and settlement systems, as well as in the system of trade rules. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to seek a “limited replacement”.
The most likely direction for positive progress is the triangular mechanism “energy – transport – payments”, that is, the use of the advantages of settlements in national currencies for the export of Russian energy, the autonomy of trade and the closed cycle of trains China – Europe for achieving greater interaction between the Eurasian Economic Union and the One Belt, One Road region.
I assume that by 2028, regional economic alliances will be established in such areas as “equipment for energy” and “infrastructure in landlocked countries of Central Asia”, regional economic alliances demonstrating differentiated advantages. By 2035, it is possible to create a “limited alliance of economic sovereignty” in Eurasia and the achievement of a closed cycle in the areas of energy and basic industrial products, but high technology and finance will remain linked to the global system. The main reason for these new changes in the international structure is the hegemony of the United States. From this point of view in the next decade, countering US hegemony will remain a priority for many developing economies.
Читайте подробнее: https://www.vedomosti.ru/economics/characters/2025/06/08/1115502-van-ven-protivodeistvie?from=copy_text
Day two posted: ICJ hears case on Israel’s obligations in occupied Palestine. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is holding public hearings on the request for an advisory opinion regarding Israel’s obligations concerning the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organisations and third states in and in relation to occupied Palestine. Proceedings are taking place from 28 April to 2 May 2025 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, under the presidency of Judge Iwasawa Yuji.
Even in mainly lawyerly language, it is a genocide. Over 40 countries will testify.
We look forward to the results and recommendations.
Day One
Day Two – directly from The Hague link, as the YouTube videos are beginning to slant. This testimony from experienced legal international law practitioners from 40 countries is devastating to Israel. Yesterday the main commentary came from South Africa; Algeria; Saudi Arabia; Belgium; Colombia
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1b/k1bqp5ffpz
Day 3
<iframe width=”640″ height=”360″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/IeYPe7qxJhk” title=”LIVE: ICJ hears Maldives, Mexico, Namibia and Norway on Israel’s obligations in occupied Palestine” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>Demonstrations continue Worldwide for Palestine pic.twitter.com/sVxBb0bFP9
— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) April 27, 2025
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