#apec 2023 summit

[craigleephoto]

Heads of state, including U.S. President Joe Biden and China President Xi Jinping, pose for a "family portrait" of APEC's 21 member economies at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. (Craig Lee/The San Francisco Examiner)

Left-right, back row: Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal of India, President Gustavo Petro of Columbia, Minister of Trade Damien O'Connor of New Zealand, Financial Secretary Paul Chan of Hong Kong, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines, President Vo Van Thuong of Vietnam, Morris Chang founding chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk of Russia, and Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka of Fiji.

Left-right, front row: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, President Dina Boluarte of Peru, President Joe Biden of the United States of America, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand, Prime Minister Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei, President Gabriel Boric of Chile, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, and President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea.

[d-criss-news]

trumpetgebo: While performing for the APEC Summit in San Francisco last night with The U.S. Army Brass Quintet, I had the pleasure of meeting fellow Michigan alum Darren Criss.

Super nice guy and he approved of my Michigan colored mouthpiece. 🎺 Go Blue!

•••

@pickettblackburn #pickettblackburn #trumpet #trumpetplayer #trumpetlife #brassquintet #chambermusic #musiclovers #mgoblue #goblue @ michiganalumni @michigansmtd #apecsummit #sanfrancisco #california #alumni #usarmybrassquintet

[kesarijournal]

Diplomatic Dramas and Sonar Sagas: Navigating the High Seas of Global Politics

# The Geopolitical Chessboard: A Witty Take on the Global Game of ThronesWelcome to the grand theater of global politics, where every move is a plot twist in a never-ending saga of power plays, strategic alliances, and occasional diplomatic faux pas. Let’s embark on a whirlwind tour of recent events that have left political analysts, armchair experts, and conspiracy theorists alike scratching…

[head-post]

Leaders of the US, Japan and South Korea met at APEC

US President Joe Biden met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday in San Francisco, Reuters reported.

The leaders posed for a joint photograph before departing without making any statements at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, according to the Yonhap news agency.

At a separate meeting earlier on Friday, Yoon and Kishida pledged to push for deeper cooperation. Kishida expressed hope for further co-operation in politics, security guarantees, economy and culture, while Yoon stated the need to re-establish consultative bodies between the two governments.

This year, bilateral cooperation is deepening with the reactivation of exchanges at each level, including at the summit level, and the restoration of consultation bodies between our governments.

Read more HERE

[catdotjpeg]

San Francisco ... thousands protesting #APEC2023 and demanding #CeasefireNOW in joint pro-Palestine action, many groups in solidarity of collective struggles

-- renepakmorrison, 12 Nov 2023

From the No 2 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) campaign IG, "From Nov. 12th to Nov. 17th in San Francisco, CA, 21 heads of state, over 1200 CEOs of global corporations, and thousands of corporate lobbyists, government officials and “free trade” delegates will come to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Summit to further their drive for profits, and their control over our political, economic, and cultural life, as well as the rapidly deteriorating climate.

Thousands will descend on the San Francisco Bay Area in a mass of community, creativity, and resistance to demonstrate what's possible in the face of poverty, human rights abuses and the climate crisis. There will be a week of action beginning with the Peoples’ Counter Summit on Nov. 11th, then the November 12th Mass Mobilization, a variety of actions around the Bay Area and a mass direct action at APEC’s CEO summit on Nov. 15th."

For more information about No 2 APEC and the impact of APEC on workers, students, and colonized people everywhere, check out the campaign linktree.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

November 15, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

NOV 16, 2023

Extremist Republicans today shut down House business by refusing to pass a procedural vote to take up a spending bill, as they had threatened to do in retaliation for the passage yesterday of the continuing resolution to fund the government into the new year. This is the fourth time the extremists have defeated special rules in the House this year, and as deputy chief of staff for Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) Aaron Fritschner pointed out, their doing so is highly unusual. In the previous 20 years the House voted down no such measures at all. 

Although they were in the middle of a 17-vote series, the Republicans then recessed the House until after Thanksgiving. 

Members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus made it clear they are angry that their own demands are not being met. “We’re sending a shot across the bow,” caucus chair Scott Perry (R-PA) told reporters. “[W]e are done with the failure theater here.” 

Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) angrily said to his colleagues: “One thing. I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing. One. That I can go campaign on and say we did. One! Anybody sitting in the complex, if you want to come down to the floor and come explain to me, one material, meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done besides, ‘Well, I guess it’s not as bad as the Democrats.’” 

In contrast, the Democrats with the same slim majority in the last Congress passed a series of sweeping bills that are already changing the country. Today marks the second anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act that invested $1.2 trillion—$550 billion of it new spending—in roads, water systems, electrical grids, broadband, bridges, and so on.

So far, that act has seen the start of more than 37,000 projects across the country. Bridges, airports, and supply chain projects are underway, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. The Democrats today emphasized that they are delivering on the things that make people’s lives easier, and the White House listed a number of Republicans who voted against the measure only to boast of the benefits of the infrastructure investments to their constituents.

 “And,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a video in which he echoed the tagline of the administration: “the great news is, we’re just getting started.” 

The investment in infrastructure is part of what has created a booming U.S. economy. Growth is far better in the U.S. than in Europe or China, where a property bubble and local government debts have led to deflation. 

That economic strength is standing behind President Joe Biden in San Francisco, where he traveled yesterday for a summit of the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum (APEC groups economies, not nations). APEC economies make up almost half of world trade and about 62% of global gross domestic product. 

Today, Biden met with Chinese president Xi Jinping in a much anticipated second meeting since Biden took office. But even before today’s discussion, the two leaders announced a new climate agreement. The U.S. and China are the world’s two largest climate polluters, accounting for 38% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

China did not agree to phase out coal, which is the dirtiest fossil fuel, but both countries agreed to ramp up renewable energy capacity around the world and to reduce emissions in their power sectors overall. This is the first time China has agreed to cut emissions. In two weeks the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Dubai. Observers hope the willingness of China and the U.S. to make this announcement, even with its limitations, will jump-start negotiations there. 

Remarks by Biden and Xi before their meeting were cordial but tense. Biden emphasized that their “meetings have always been candid, straightforward, and useful,” telling Xi: “I value our conversation because I think it’s paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader to leader, with no misconceptions or miscommunication. We have to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict. And we also have to manage it responsibly—that competition.”

Xi responded that the China-U.S. relationship “is the most important bilateral relationship in the world,” and while it “has never been smooth sailing over the past 50 years and more…, it has kept moving forward amid twists and turns. For two large countries like China and the United States, turning their back on each other is not an option. It is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other, and conflict and confrontation has unbearable consequences for both sides.”   

In their four-hour meeting, the two leaders agreed to recommence military communications more than a year after China broke them off when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. The two countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation on stopping the flow of what are known as precursor chemicals—the chemicals needed to make street fentanyl—which are produced in China and shipped to drug operations primarily in Latin America. The U.S. has cracked down hard on that trade; additional Chinese cooperation will be welcome. 

They agreed to continue to work together to address climate change, as well as to address the risks of artificial intelligence. 

On the rest of their discussions, concerning Taiwan, human rights, the Middle East, and Ukraine, the two leaders “exchanged views,” according to the White House readout. Later in the day, meeting with business leaders who have grown nervous about investing in China, Xi assured them that China wants to be friends with the U.S., and “does not seek spheres of influence, and will not fight a cold or hot war with any country.”

In his remarks welcoming APEC leaders this evening, in the city of the famous Golden Gate Bridge, Biden emphasized the power of building bridges to span space and time, the past and the future. He spoke of connecting diverse communities: “All across the traditions, cultures, and languages, we find the common dreams we share for ourselves and for our children.” 

Biden urged his audience to “take full advantage of this summit to make new connections and spark new partnerships, because every step we take to deepen our cooperation, to launch a new venture, to tackle the challenges that impact on all of us is a step toward realization of the enormous potential of our Asian Pacific future…, a future where our economics are strong, vibrant, and sustainable because our workers are empowered and protected; women and girls are full and equal participants in every aspect of our society; young people…can envision for themselves the lives and hope for unlimited possibilities.”

The strongest tools we have to meet this era’s challenges, he said, are “connection, cooperation, collective action, and common purpose. That’s why we’re all here.”  

Late tonight, by a vote of 87 to 11, the Senate passed the continuing resolution to fund the government into the new year. One Democrat and ten Republicans voted no.

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[libertariantaoist]

News Roundup 11/15/2023 | The Libertarian Institute

Here is your daily roundup of today's news:

News Roundup 11/15/2023

by Kyle Anzalone

Russia

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been trained across Europe for the war with Russia. French trainers say they are careful not to get close to the Ukrainian cadets over fears they will be killed on the frozen front lines. The AP reported that Ukrainian soldiers preparing for deployment have resigned themselves to the “grimness of the future.” The Institute 

A facility to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets was officially opened in Romania on Monday as NATO countries are working to get the US-made warplanes to the battlefield in Ukraine. AWC

China

Biden Hopes Normal Coorspondace Between Washington and Beijing Can Be Reestablished During Meeting with Xi. X

Expectations are low for the meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping that will take place Wednesday in San Francisco during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. AWC

Israel

The UN says 100 of its staff have been killed in Gaza. X

A group of US-based aid, advocacy, and religious groups sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urging the Pentagon to scrap plans to provide Israel with 155mm artillery rounds due to the massive civilian casualty rate in Israel’s war on Gaza. AWC

A State Department dissent memo obtained by Axios slams President Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza, saying the US is backing Israeli “war crimes.” AWC

Dozens of State Department Employees Have Signed Dissent Cables Slamming Biden’s Support for Israel. X

More than 400 US officials from 40 government agencies have sent a letter to President Biden criticizing his unconditional support for Israel’s war in Gaza in the latest example of dissent from within the US government. AWC

Hamas’s armed wing said Monday that it discussed with Qatari mediators a deal to free up to 70 Israeli hostages in exchange for a five-day ceasefire and the release of some Palestinian prisoners. AWC

Doctors at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital are pleading for help as the medical facility has ceased functioning after its power failed over the weekend amid an Israeli siege. The medical staff has refused to evacuate the hospital due to fears that the approximately 700 hundred patients they would leave behind will die. AWC

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is expected this week to introduce a bill to block an arms transfer to Israel, which will mark the first piece of legislation aimed at reining in President Biden’s strong support of Israel’s brutal war on Gaza. AWC

Two members of the Israeli Knesset wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal arguing for Western countries to take in refugees from Gaza as Israeli officials continue to call for Palestinians to be pushed out of the enclave. AWC

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other members of Congress spoke at a pro-Israel rally at the National Mall in Washington DC on Tuesday, where demonstrators made clear their opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza. AWC

Dutch Defense official in Israel says violates “international treaties and laws of war” and increases the chance of regional escalation. X

Around 180 decomposing bodies at the al-Shifa hospital will be buried in a mass grave at the hospital. X

Middle East

US Forces in Iraq and Syria Targeted at least Four Times After US Airstrikes on Sunday. XAWC

A US official told Reuters on Tuesday that up to seven people were killed in the US airstrikes in eastern Syria on Sunday that targeted Shia militias. AWC

Read More

[jeneveuxrein]

Let's get some positivity going! What are some of your personal favorite K-pop moments from 2023?! An interaction? A song or album? Meet your fave? Attended a concert, festival or fansign?

ooooh, this one made me think.

favorite songs of this year would have to be i do by (g)i-dle, fast foward by somi, and you & me by jennie (all versions)

i saw blackpink twice this year. the first at coachella weekend 2 (which imo was better than weekend 1) and that was intense since i literally went for that day. the second was when they had a show where i live.

favorite moment? hands down, rosie's talk on mental health during the APEC summit; a close second was jennie's calvin klein release, the photoshoot killed me

[roboe1]

News and Headlines. 11/3/2023.

US, World News. Politics, Commentary and Videos. Often covering what the mainstream media misses. US News. San Francisco is slammed as ‘ruined city’ and ‘hell’ in Chinese media ahead of APEC summit  Drug addicts and the homeless congregate in the Tenderloin District of the California city  San Francisco has been blasted as a ‘ghost town’ and a ‘ruined city’ by Chinese media outlets, as city…

[craigleephoto]

Laser light show over the San Francisco skyline by Illuminate SF to celebrate the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2023 Summit in San Francisco as seen on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. (Craig Lee/The San Francisco Examiner)

[d-criss-news]

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol Attends APEC Leaders’ Dinner

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Gun-hee graced the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ dinner in San Francisco on November 16, as reported by Kim Eun-hye, the presidential press secretary. The APEC dinner, hosted in the illustrious Legion of Honor museum, was a galaxy of world leaders and their spouses, all gathered around a long table, broaching matters of international intrigue and camaraderie. ------ Post-Dinner Interactions After the dinner, First Lady Kim congratulated President Boluarte on Peru’s upcoming chairmanship of APEC and received an invitation to visit Peru next year. The cultural exchange continued as American actor Darren Criss greeted President Yoon and the First Lady in Korean, expressing his gratitude.

[daohfgnjk]

Thailand's general election has already begun, and US intervention has set off a crisis of change The general election in Thailand in 2023 is approaching, and various preparations are underway in an orderly manner. Facing the struggle between political parties, Thailand's political situation and general election results are full of variables.Recently, the National Institute of Development Administration Poll Center (NIDA Poll) announced the results of a poll.The survey found that 62.6% of the respondents believed that there would be a trend of bribery in the upcoming civil elections in 2023.36.56% of the respondents believe that influence or government power will be used when canvassing votes, and 33.74% of the respondents believe that there will be fraud.
For this year's election, people think bribery is a given. This negative signal is not without reason. Every general election, there is always a storm of bloody party struggles, which not only involves the well-being of the people, but also implies a dark war between countries.It has always been the practice of the US government to take advantage of the occasion of regime change and use funds to support friendly parties to come to power to achieve specific political goals, and then interfere in its own internal affairs. In this regard, the former deputy prime minister publicly opposed the new US ambassador and suggested that the Thai government protest this behavior. The reason is that the new US ambassador to Thailand not only has an improper attitude, but also blatantly interferes in Thai affairs. When a former prime minister of a country publicly stood up to safeguard the complete sovereignty and principled dignity of the country, we should think about how serious the US government's interference in Thailand's internal affairs and the penetration of power within the ruling party have been.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Pongpol Adireksarn In addition, Prayuth has been in power for a long time, which seems to have caused displeasure in the capital market and Western countries. ThaiPBS World quoted an analysis saying that US President Biden's decision not to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Thailand in November this year reflected "the consequences of the Thai government's weak international image and democratic deficit." When the general election is approaching and the political situation changes, the United States suddenly wins over Thailand on the grounds of economic cooperation and environmental protection cooperation. Shen Zhi decides to provide technical assistance to Thailand to help promote the nuclear energy program. This move seems to be supporting Thailand, which is highly vulnerable to climate change, to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2065, but promoting the nuclear program at the time of the general election is more like laying out the US military plan based on Thailand, which will plunge Thailand into geopolitics The dilemma caused by the "nuclear panic" caused the people to suffer serious threats to the environment and health. Elections are supposed to be an act of "returning power to the people", but they often face a "renewal crisis" under the intervention of the United States, which even overrides the safety and well-being of the people of the country. The road ahead is complicated and confusing. Under the crisis of the general election, the future of Thailand may no longer belong to the Thai people themselves.

.. <- two ants hanging out

[globalnews1]

Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks in conversation with Emily Chang during the APEC CEO Summit at Moscone West on November 16, 2023 in San Francisco, California. The APEC summit is being held in San Francisco and runs through November 17. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesAlphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is challenging Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to an AI duel.Well, sort of."I'd love to do a side-by-side comparison of Microsoft's own models and our models any day, any time," Pichai said, speaking at the The New York Times' Dealbook Summit on Wednesday with interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin.Pichai's comments came after Sorkin read aloud comments from an interview Nadella did earlier this year, in which the Microsoft CEO questioned Google's place in the AI arms race following the search giant's AI product mishaps earlier this year."Google should have been the default winner in the world of big tech's AI race," Nadella said in March on the Norges Bank Investment Management's podcast. "Google's a very competent company and obviously they have both the talent and the compute. They're the vertically integrated player in this. They have everything from data to silicon to models to products and distribution.""You guys were the originals when it comes to AI," Sorkin told Pichai after reading Nadella's comments. He asked Pichai, "Where [do] you think you are in the journey relative to these other players?""They're using someone else's models," added Pichai after saying he'd love to do the side-by-side comparison."You're throwing down the gauntlet," Sorkin responded.Laughing, Pichai shook his head adding, "I'm just — I have a lot of respect for them and the team." Large Language Models are a type of artificial intelligence that can analyze and generate human language, trained by vasts amount of data. While Microsoft does have its own AI models, much of the advanced capabilities in its recent offerings are powered by OpenAI's LLMs.The market for chatbots and related AI tools has exploded since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT in late 2022, giving consumers a new way to seek information online outside of traditional search. Shortly after, Microsoft it announced a partnership with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into the Bing search engine.Google has used its own LLMs for years to power its artificial intelligence and search products. Google latest LLMs is its Gemini series, which powers its conversational AI that competes with OpenAI's GPT models. The company announced more advanced Gemini products in May. The latest comments come as tech companies spar amid the escalating AI arms race, particularly between Microsoft and Google.In October, Microsoft took the unusual step of publicly accusing longtime rival Google of running "shadow campaigns" in Europe, claiming those efforts were designed to discredit the search giant with regulators.Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Pichai's comments.WATCH: Google subpoenas AI rivals after DOJ forces Chrome spinoff

[head-post]

Significance of the APEC summit for the US, China and other countries

US officials seek Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to become a landmark moment in US President Joe Biden’s efforts to strengthen relations with China and increase economic influence.

Next week’s meeting of representatives from 21 countries in San Francisco will be the first time the US has hosted the event in 12 years. It will feature the first conversation in a year between Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

It is also an important moment for Xi Jinping, who is making his first visit to the US territory since 2017. In addition, top executives from major companies will attend the event, offering an opportunity to attract foreign investment.

The APEC CEO Summit will also be attended by US and global CEOs, including Jane Fraser of Citigroup, Darren Woods of ExxonMobil and Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX.

Learn more HERE