This week saw the highest-level US visit to China for five years, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a series of meetings with senior officials in Beijing, culminating in 35 clearly productive minutes with President Xi Jinping. The State Department said Mr Blinken had had “candid, substantive and constructive discussions”, while Mr Xi commented that progress had been made and agreement had been reached on some issues. “This is very good,” he said.
If there wasn’t a huge breakthrough, the visit did mark a big improvement on recent relations. US President Joe Biden said Mr Blinken had done “a hell of a job”. Mr Xi said: “The two sides have agreed to follow through the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali.” That counts as a reset, and shows that progress is possible. Further high-level meetings are not only possible – they’re now in the pipeline. Mr Blinken even stated “we do not support Taiwan independence”, which was helpful, given his boss’s so-called slips of the tongue on the matter. The meeting marked “a new beginning”, senior Chinese diplomat Yang Tao said.
Given what has just happened, which demonstrates what is possible with goodwill from both sides, a period of silence – in fact, a very long period of silence – would be welcome from the generals, politicians and foreign policy analysts who have been maintaining with increasing ferocity that war is inevitable between China and the US.
Ever since the Harvard political scientist Graham Allison coined the term “the Thucydides trap”, based on the ancient historian’s contention that “it was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable”, armchair warriors have cited this thesis as proof that the US and China are destined for conflict. Either that, or the parallel is with Germany and the UK before the First World War. Or for some (frequently the same people), we are forever reliving the 1930s, and any perceived concession to China is always “appeasement”.
Disagreements, over a wide range of issues, will continue. But as it stands now, there is no issue that necessitates war
These analogies have been trotted out so many times they have become tedious. More importantly, however, the levels of certainty they suppose are completely unwarranted. It reminds me of my time at university, when far-left fellow students were forever stating “Chomsky says” or “according to Gramsci”, and assuming that mention of the fabled names meant their arguments needed no further justification.
But history is a guide, not a straitjacket. Human beings have agency, and we can avoid war if we want to. There may well be hardliners on both sides – ultra-nationalist Chinese, and superhawks in the US – who do see this as a “Contest for Supremacy”, as the Princeton academic Aaron Friedberg titled his 2011 book on what he saw as the US-China “struggle for mastery in Asia”. And some of them (not Prof Friedberg) may actively want military prowess to determine that contest.
But there are plenty of other people who think that any “struggle” should be confined to the economic sphere. There are even some of us who still quaintly believe that the emerging multipolar world can be defined by “win-win co-operation”.
Disagreements, over a wide range of issues, will continue. There are real fears, rarely stated frankly by leaders in South-East Asia, over how forcefully China will pursue its – disputed – claims in the South China Sea, and whether US “freedom of navigation operations” and aid to Taiwan may lead to unintended conflagrations. But as it stands now, there is no issue that necessitates war.
Anti-China feeling may appear to be growing in Washington, and Donald Trump – who could well return to the presidency – has long criticised Mr Biden as being too soft on Beijing. But despite Mr Trump’s rhetoric, the American Enterprise Institute’s Derek Scissors recently pointed out that when he was “actually in charge … in his first four years our dependence on China rose in trade, investment and supplies of essential goods like health care”.
Moreover, one of Mr Trump’s signature policies has been to end “the era of endless wars”. He has significant company on the right in this, from Senator Rand Paul to the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The Democratic presidential contender Robert F Kennedy Jr has similarly called to “bring the troops home. We will stop racking up unpayable debt to fight one war after another”. The military, he said, should “return to its proper role of defending our country”. This is probably one of the reasons why a poll from last week, released by The Economist and YouGov, showed Mr Kennedy with the highest approval ratings of any of the current 2024 presidential candidates.
Mr Xi, on the other hand, has stressed that China needs “a peaceful and stable international environment” for his country’s “great rejuvenation” to be realised.
The Global South doesn’t want war, nor do some US allies. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently warned against assuming conflict in the Asia-Pacific was bound to happen. “The fate of our region is not pre-ordained, it never was and it never is,” he said.
Sometimes it feels as though the only people who want war are those who constantly trumpet its inevitability. Perhaps they could let the reality of this week’s meetings influence their worldview. No one wants to overstate their importance, but talks that are going to lead to more talks is still a good result.
“We’re on the right trail here,” said Mr Biden, when asked about Mr Blinken’s trip. It’s time for some common sense. Surely everyone – even the doom-mongers, if they can get over themselves – can agree on that?
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
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”.
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 395bhp
Torque: 420Nm
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Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
The%20specs
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The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.5-litre%20V12%20and%20three%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C015hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C500Nm%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Early%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh2%20million%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ad Astra
Director: James Gray
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones
Five out of five stars
