China’s President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to resist US trade restrictions on the export of advanced technologies and to ensure supply chain stability.
“Facing the risks of ‘small yard, high fence,’ we need to defend our rights to develop,” Mr Xi said in speech at the Eurasia-focused political and economic group’s two-day summit in Kazakhstan, Bloomberg reported, citing local state media.
Mr Xi encouraged officials from developing nations to collaborate in advancing technological innovation.
The Chinese leader’s comments come as the US tightens restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductors and equipment used to manufacture them to the Asian country.
The move could slow China's progress in chip-making, a crucial technology for military and economic applications.
Meanwhile, Beijing, a leading producer of rare earth elements essential for chip-making, has introduced licensing requirements for their export, potentially restricting access for US companies.
China is also continuing to promote its flagship foreign policy programme – the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a mega project launched in 2013 that aims to connect several countries in Asia, Europe and Africa through a network of infrastructure and trade-related projects.
The BRI encompasses about 65 nations and represents 30 per cent of the world's gross domestic product.
The SCO, which was founded by China and Russia in 2001 to address security concerns in Central Asia, added Belarus, Moscow’s closest ally, to the group on Thursday.
It also includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan and Iran.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend this year's meeting, sending his foreign minister in his place.
At the summit, the foreign ministers of Russia, China and Mongolia reaffirmed their interest in integrating joint economic projects, the Russian Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by state news agency Tass.
“We are interested in interconnecting the development of trilateral projects with the activities of the Eurasian Economic Union, with China’s implementation of One Belt – One Road initiative and with Mongolia’s Steppe Road Plan,” Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, said in a ministerial meeting.
“This reflects our common interests and will contribute to harmonising various information processes as part of creating the Greater Eurasian Partnership. I expect us to make a contribution into these efforts today,” Mr Lavrov added.
On Wednesday, Mr Xi met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Eurasian security group as a force for global stability.
China and Russia have forged a “no limits” friendship since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Beijing is now Russia's top trading partner, buying a significant portion of its oil and gas.
“Russia-China relations are at their highest period in history. Our co-operation is not aimed against anyone. We do not create any blocks or unions … we just act in the interests of our nations,” Mr Putin said during a speech at the event.
“[The relationship] is built on principles of mutual equality, mutual benefit, and respect to the sovereignty of each other,” he added.
The US and EU have called on China to leverage its influence with Russia to advocate for a ceasefire and negotiations.
Beijing has publicly called for peace talks while steering clear of directly criticising Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain
Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
EXPATS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
