House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, becoming the most senior US official to meet a Taiwanese leader on American soil since 1979.
Mr McCarthy, a Republican who through his position in the House of Representatives is number three in the US leadership hierarchy, hosted Ms Tsai at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, near Los Angeles.
At a meeting including other Republican and Democratic politicians, he called Ms Tsai “a great friend to America”.
“Their presence and unwavering support reassure the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated and we are not alone,” Ms Tsai told reporters after the meeting concluded.
Mr McCarthy added: “We will continue to find ways for the people of America and Taiwan to work together to promote economic freedom, democracy, peace and stability in Asia.”
Under a 1978 agreement that normalised relations, the US agreed to recognise Beijing as the sole seat of China’s government, while acknowledging but not endorsing the Chinese position that Taiwan is part of it.
The US has insisted that any reunification of the island with the mainland must be peaceful.
China staged war games around Taiwan last August following the visit to Taipei of then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Taiwan's defence ministry said a Chinese aircraft carrier group had entered the waters off the island's south-east coast before the meeting.
Beijing had repeatedly warned against a meeting between Mr McCarthy and Ms Tsai, although some analysts expect its reaction to be more moderate than that to Ms Pelosi's Taipei visit.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said there was nothing new about a Taiwanese president transiting through the US and Beijing should not use it as an excuse to take action or ratchet up tension.
“There’s no reason for the Chinese to overreact in any way,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ll watch this as closely as we can.”
However, the US, which is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, has stepped up interactions with Taipei in recent years as Beijing's pressure on the island has increased.
Agencies contributed to this report
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Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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The specs
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Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Suarez 85', Messi 86'
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2.
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4.
5.
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Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
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Longlisted novels: 111
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Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
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There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
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What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
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While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
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Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
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Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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