Richard Javad Heydarian is a Manila-based academic, columnist and author
November 17, 2022
Bali is famed for many things. It served as the backdrop for the best-selling memoir and, later, Hollywood blockbuster Eat, Pray, Love, starring Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem and James Franco. This week, the Indonesian island made another mark on global imagination following a major diplomatic breakthrough between the world’s two most powerful nations.
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an hours-long meeting ahead of the Group of 20 summit, which underscored both sides’ commitment to heading off a “New Cold War” in the 21st century. In what was, to everyone’s surprise, a genuinely cordial meeting, the two leaders agreed on the need to develop a modus vivendi in order to manage their differences while deepening co-operation in areas of shared interest.
Buoyed by their recent domestic political successes, with Mr Xi securing a third term in office and Mr Biden emerging as the most successful Democratic president in a midterm elections in half a century, both men projected global leadership like never before. For his part, the American president underscored the need to ensure that inevitable competition between the two behemoths “should not veer into conflict” and that the two superpowers “must manage the competition responsibly and maintain open lines of communication”.
Meanwhile, Mr Xi recognised how “the current state of China-US relations is not in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, and is not what the international community expects”.
By all indications, the US and China have managed to transcend, at least for now, recent geopolitical kerfuffle, most dramatically the outgoing US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan earlier this year, by focusing on the big picture of global governance in the 21st century. And this has been music to the ears of smaller regional states, especially in South-East Asia, which fear getting caught in the dragnet of a great power competition.
In many ways, the detente in Bali shouldn’t have come as a total surprise. Mr Biden made it clear, after only months in office, that he is committed to a new era of global diplomacy. In a speech early last year at the State Department, the newly elected US president vowed to “move quickly to begin restoring American engagement internationally and earn back our leadership position, to catalyse global action on shared challenges”.
Crucially, Mr Biden made clear that this would entail “engaging our adversaries and our competitors diplomatically, where it’s in our interest, and advance the security of the American people".
Specifically, the US president said he is “ready to work with Beijing when it’s in America’s interest to do so”, thus extending an olive branch to the Asian superpower after years of acrimonious relations and unilateralist policies under former president Donald Trump's administration.
US-China tensions over the status of Taiwan have risen this year. AFP
The US and China have managed to transcend, at least for now, recent geopolitical kerfuffle
It didn’t take long, however, for the new US administration to reveal a more confrontational policy towards China. In his first few months in office, Mr Biden and his top deputies rapidly fortified strategic relations with likeminded powers across the Indo-Pacific, further institutionalising defence and economic co-operation with the fellow Quadrilateral Security Dialogue partners of India, Australia and Japan. Then came the surprise signing of the Aukus nuclear submarine deal.
As if that weren’t enough, the Biden administration’s Interim National Security Strategic Guidance identified China as a major strategic threat to the US. Less than two years into Mr Biden’s tenure, the White House and the Pentagon also released the National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defence Strategy (NDS), which openly embraced a new era of “great power competition” with China.
The release of the NSS coincided with a new round of sweeping sanctions, which targeted China’s burgeoning semiconductor industry, thus potentially hamstringing Beijing’s industrial policy for the foreseeable future.
In many ways, the Biden administration’s foreign policy began to echo its Republican predecessor, who unleashed trade wars and military counter-measures against China. Unlike the Trump administration, however, the Democratic leadership in Washington had now also begun to embrace a more ideological tilt in its global strategy, which placed “democracy promotion” at the heart of American foreign policy.
To this end, the Biden administration has, inter alia, hosted a global “Summit of Democracy”, which notably excluded China and its key allies, as well as expanded strategic assistance to democracies around the post-colonial world.
In response, the Chinese paramount leader recently warned of “high winds, choppy waters, and even dangerous storms”, a thinly veiled criticism of what the Beijing leadership perceives as a containment strategy by the Biden administration and key US allies. Tensions reached a fever-pitch following Ms Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which triggered large military drills by China as well as expanded US military assistance to Taipei in recent months.
Perturbed by rising tensions between the two superpowers, South-East Asian leaders began to warn of the possibility of US and China “sleepwalking into conflict”. In particular, Indonesia and Singapore took up the cudgels for smaller nations hoping to head off an all-out conflict.
Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan called for a revitalised global “Non-Aligned Movement”, which could mediate among the superpowers as well as shield smaller nations from the negative repercussions of the Sino-American relations, including disruptions to regional trade and technological investments due to new US sanctions on Beijing.
Meanwhile, Indonesia, the current G20 chairman, prepared the ground for an historic summit between the American and Chinese leaders before the end of the year. Recognising deepening strategic anxieties among regional states, Mr Biden, during the Association of South-East Asian Nations Summit in Cambodia over the weekend, clarified that “the United States … does not seek confrontation [and] wants to make sure that we manage that competition responsibly … ”
He also signalled his administration’s “genuine willingness to work together in areas where US and [Chinese] interests converge and where it’s in the interest of the broader public good as well, whether it be climate change or public health or other issues”.
To everyone’s delight, the American leader stood by his promise just a day later, when he held in-depth and constructive dialogue with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia.
Mr Biden and Mr Xi, both deeply proud and unquestionably patriotic, seemed to have peered into the abyss, only to quickly realise that both superpowers have a shared interest in responsibly managing their differences. Following months of escalating tensions, the two superpowers have now zeroed in on practical and realistic means to co-operate while competing for global influence. Only time will tell if great statesmanship could head off what many see as an inevitable showdown between the 21st century’s two most powerful nations.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds
Replacements 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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.
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 2,410m |Winner: Bin Battuta, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m | Winner: Al Hayette, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m | Winner: Faatinah, Jim Crowley, David Hayes
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m | Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m | Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m | Winner: Another Batt, Connor Beasley, George Scott
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood. Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues. Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity. Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
