Latest news with #Li
Kuwait Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Kuwait Times
ASEAN face US tariffs as united front
Leaders embrace 'multi-alignment diplomacy'; East Timor to join next year KUALA LAMPUR: Southeast Asian leaders met Monday in Kuala Lumpur for their first summit since US President Donald Trump's tariffs upended global economic norms, with the trade-dependent nations expected to issue a joint message of deep concern. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN's) strategy of nurturing diverse economic alliances was on full display as Chinese Premier Li Qiang was warmly welcomed along with Gulf state dignitaries for a lavish gala dinner ahead of talks on Tuesday. Trump cast international markets into turmoil in April when he announced wide-ranging tariffs, before agreeing to pause them for most countries for 90 days. In summit opening remarks given to media but not delivered in his speech, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said: "A transition in the geopolitical order is underway and the global trading system is under further strain, with the recent imposition of US unilateral tariffs." "Protectionism is resurging as we bear witness to multilateralism breaking apart at the seams," he added. Bilateral talks between the ASEAN member states and Washington are in progress, but the bloc is still presenting a united front, according to Malaysia, which holds the rotating ASEAN chairmanship this year. According to a draft statement seen by AFP, ASEAN will express "deep concern ... over the imposition of unilateral tariff measures", saying they "pose complex and multidimensional challenges" to the bloc. But it said earlier this year it would not impose retaliatory duties. Instead, it is looking at broadening its scope with other trading blocs, including the European Union, as well as beefing up trade between member states, Malaysia's trade minister said Sunday. 'Not just a photo-op' Tuesday's talks with Li and the Gulf Cooperation Council — a bloc made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — underscores this effort to maintain a broad network of trading partners. "It's not just a photo-op. It actually demonstrates how ASEAN is attempting to engage strategically with various blocs, a strategy we might term multi-alignment diplomacy," said Khoo Ying Hooi from Malaya University. Anwar said Monday he had written to Trump to request an ASEAN-US summit this year — showing "we observe seriously the spirit of centrality". His foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said Washington had not yet responded. Despite smiles all round at Monday night's dinner — and Premier Li donning a matching traditional batik shirt to the ASEAN leaders — the bloc's relationship with China is a complicated one. "Please be assured that whatever is being said, or circumstances and complexity, we are here as a friend of China," Anwar said at the dinner. But on Monday, Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos told his regional counterparts there was an "urgent need" to adopt a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea. Beijing has territorial disputes in the area with five ASEAN member states, with China and the Philippines having engaged in months of confrontations in the contested waters. The adoption of the code should be accelerated "to safeguard maritime rights, promote stability, and prevent miscalculations at sea", Marcos said. Myanmar conflict ASEAN also has internal matters to deal with, including an attempt to increase pressure on member state Myanmar's military junta, whose leaders are barred from summits over a lack of progress on a five-point peace deal agreed on by the bloc in 2021. "One thing for sure that we agreed is that Myanmar's government ... must comply with the five points consensus which they themselves agreed on as one of the signatories," Mohamad said Sunday. ASEAN has led so far fruitless diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, triggered when the junta staged a coup deposing civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Mohamad called Sunday for an extension and expansion of a ceasefire declared after a deadly earthquake, despite ongoing fighting bringing its effectiveness into question. Also on ASEAN's agenda was the prospect of adding an 11th member state before the end of the year. East Timor, Asia's youngest nation, "has made meaningful progress" for it to "hopefully" join the bloc by the next summit in October, Mohamad said. After meeting leaders on Monday, East Timor's prime minister said he believed his country would become a full member this year. "Because everyone supports. Everybody. It was incredible," Xanana Gusmao told reporters. — AFP
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Aims To Transform Urgency Into Action At Nice Ocean Conference
27 May 2025 The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) from 9-13 June will bring together Heads of State, scientists, civil society and business leaders around a single goal: to halt the silent collapse of the planet's largest – and arguably most vital – ecosystem. The ocean is suffocating due to rising temperatures, rampant acidification, erosion of biodiversity, plastic invasion, predatory fishing. 'A state of emergency' ' Our planet's life support system is in a state of emergency,' said Li Junhua, head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Secretary-General of the upcoming summit. He insisted that there is still time to change course. ' The future of the ocean is not predetermined. It will be shaped by the decisions and actions that we are making now,' Mr. Li said on Tuesday during a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. In the eyes of the senior official, UNOC 3 'will not be just another routine gathering.' 'We hope that it proves to be the pivotal opportunity to accelerate action and mobilize all stakeholders across the sectors and borders.' World-class conference More than 50 world leaders are expected on the Côte d'Azur, alongside 1,500 delegates from nearly 200 countries. The programme includes 10 plenary meetings, 10 thematic roundtables, a blue zone reserved for official delegations, and a series of parallel forums during five days of negotiations. For France, which is co-hosting the conference alongside Costa Rica, the challenge is clear: to make Nice a historic milestone. 'This is an emergency,' declared Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative of France to the UN, during the press conference. 'An ecological emergency: we are witnessing the deterioration of the quality of the oceans as an environment, as a reservoir of biodiversity, as a carbon sink.' France hopes to make the conference a turning point and the goal 'is to produce a Nice agreement that is pro-oceans, as the Paris Agreement 10 years ago now was for the climate.' This agreement will take the form of a Nice Action Plan for the Ocean, a 'concise action-oriented declaration,' according to Mr. Li, accompanied by renewed voluntary commitments. Three milestones Three events will prepare the ground for UNOC 3. The One Ocean Science Congress, from 4-6 June, will bring together several thousand researchers. The Summit on Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience to be held the following day will explore responses to rising sea levels. Finally, the Blue Economy Finance Forum, on 7-8 June in Monaco, will mobilize investors and policymakers. For Costa Rican Ambassador Maritza Chan Valverde, there is no more time for procrastination. ' We're expecting concrete commitments with clear timelines, budgets and accountability mechanisms. What is different this time around, zero rhetoric, maximum results,' she said. 'Transform ambition into action' The conference's theme Accelerating Action and Mobilizing All Stakeholders to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean will address several topics, ranging from sustainable fishing to marine pollution and the interactions between climate and biodiversity. ' This is our moment to transform ambition into action,' Mr. Li concluded, calling for governments, businesses, scientists, and civil society to come together in a common spirit. He also praised the 'visionary leadership' of France and Costa Rica, without whom this large-scale mobilization would not have been possible. A slogan promoted by Costa Rica seems to sum up the spirit of the summit: 'Five days. One ocean. One unique opportunity.'
New York Post
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Karate Kid: Legends' review: Awful Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan sequel KO'd my will to live
movie review KARATE KID: LEGENDS Running time: 94 minutes. PG-13 (martial arts violence and some language). In theaters May 30. 'Karate Kid: Legends' continues a grand old tradition. And I don't mean that of one generation handing down ancient martial arts skills to the next. No, 'Legends' is the latest in a long line of terrible 'Karate Kid' movies. A passing of the torch, such as it is, to the next inferior ripoff. None of the past five films can touch the 1984 original starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel and Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi — the perfect high-school summer flick set to the soothing sounds of Bananarama. All of them since, save for the feel-good TV show 'Cobra Kai,' have been: Wax on, turn off. That's especially true of the embarrassing 'Legends,' which tries and fails to futz with the established formula. 6 Ben Wang stars as Li Fong in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The first of many, many questionable choices: This time, the title teen begins as a formidable fighter. Guess we can all go home then! Li Fong (Ben Wang) has trained in Kung Fu for years with Mr. Han (Jackie Chan, back from the Jaden Smith one) in Beijing. But because of a past trauma, his mom demands that Li give up his passion. So she moves the family to New York City, a calm place that's completely free of violence. 6 Li trains Victor (Joshua Jackson), a local pizza shop owner. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection When they arrive in a neighborhood along the L train that looks conspicuously like Montreal, director Jonathan Entwistle and screenwriter Rob Lieber treat a metropolis of 8 million like it's Main Street, USA. Actors speak dialogue that was written in Crayola, and the events that unfold are unbearably hokey and fake. All the school kids, including throwaway villain Connor (a poor man's Johnny), absurdly still hang out at the local dojo. Within days of getting his passport stamped, Li is accosted by his new bullies on the subway, a transit system ridden by 3.6 million people a day. 6 The film's New York antics are hokey and fake. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection He wanders into a retro pizzeria, straight outta Peoria, that's owned by former boxer Victor (Joshua Jackson) and his daughter Mia (Sadie Stanley) — flat, silly characters broadly performed by the actors like they're mugging for the opening credits of 'Full House.' This restaurant, surely to save on prop costs, seemingly just serves pepperoni. Smitten with Li, Mia whisks him to cool New York youth's hottest spots: Times Square and the San Genaro Festival. Victor needs to pay back his debt to one of New York's many MMA street fighter gangs, so Li offers to teach him Kung Fu. That's another flip of the script that flops. The montage of swatting at pizza paddles and punching olive oil cans is dumb and free of 'Rocky'-type chills. Against strict mom's wishes, Li eventually enters a karate tournament called the 5 Boroughs to help earn Victor his cash. Since Li is already brilliant at Kung Fu, it only takes a week for Mr. Han and Daniel (Macchio, suffering from fatigue) to get him ready. Easy peasy. 'Legends' is tense as plain Jello. 6 Jackie Chan's Mr. Han trained Li in Kung Fu. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 6 Ralph Macchio was better used in the TV series 'Cobra Kai.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Wang, for what it's worth, is a charismatic and likable lead, who doesn't go overboard like all the ham sandwiches around him. He's not hilarious like Macchio was back in the day, but his smile is as powerful as his kicks. The 25-year-old newcomer is also actually proficient in martial arts, which lends reality to the fights. But the quick-cut way Entwistle depicts them doesn't take full advantage of Wang's abilities. They're not human enough; too 'Mortal Kombat.' Who, exactly, is this lazy, trotted-out exercise for? Macchio's dazed return would suggest it's nostalgia bait for older 'Karate Kid' fans, but 'Cobra Kai' already did that far better for six seasons. And it's hard to imagine the 'Euphoria' generation going gaga for a hackneyed teen movie that's, in fact, not nearly as edgy as the 1984 film was. Here there are less nunchucks, and more 'aww shucks.' 6 Wang is the best part of the film. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The 'Legends' are let downs. All the film's got going for it is Wang. To almost quote Mr. Miyagi, there's no such thing as a bad student, only a bad movie.
San Francisco Chronicle
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: With Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, ‘Karate Kid: Legends' brings formulaic kicks
'Karate Kid: Legends' is steeped in nostalgia, which helps paper over a formulaic script and the strange reality that its domestic scenes are more effective than its fight action. It opens with a scene between a young Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita, who got his start as a stand-up comic in San Francisco) from ' Karate Kid Part II ' (1986). By the film's second half, a much older Daniel and Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) team up to train a teenager, Li Fong (Ben Wang of ' American Born Chinese '), ahead of a big tournament. Macchio and Chan are two people you might have thought would never be in the same room together. In the 1980s, while Macchio was making 'Karate Kid' movies, Chan was half a world away, causing mayhem as Hong Kong's top martial arts star. Chan first introduced the Han character in ' The Karate Kid,' the 2010 remake starring Jaden Smith. In that first scene in 'Legends' from 1986, Mr. Miyagi explains to Daniel that generations ago, as the Miyagi clan developed karate in Japan, they came in contact with the Han family of China and they shared their martial arts wisdom. 'Two branches, one tree,' Miyagi says. Thus when Mr. Han's prized pupil, Li, moves to New York with his mother, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen), and promptly finds himself in trouble with the local tough guys, Mr. Han summons Daniel to help. But it's the first part of 'Karate Kid: Legends' that is most pleasing. Li instantly befriends a pretty high school girl, Mia (Sadie Stanley), and becomes a fixture at the pizza place run by her father, Victor (Joshua Jackson, star of the ABC series 'Doctor Odyssey'). The relationship that slowly develops between Li and Mia — and Li and her father — is cute and convincing, even if it occasionally relies on afterschool special tropes. But drama ensues because Victor is an ex-boxer who is in deep with a loan shark (Tim Rozon) whose son (Aramis Knight) used to date Mia and, oh yes, happens to be the defending '5 Boroughs' martial arts champion. Thus, Li decides to enter the '5 Boroughs' himself to settle a few scores. The fighting in the 'Karate Kid' movies and its Netflix series offshoot, ' Cobra Kai,' has always been quality, but in 'Legends' it's too quick-cutting and chaotic, hard to follow and over much too quickly. Curious what Chan, who not only helped choreograph his energetic and creative fight scenes over the years but directed many of his own films, thought when he saw the final cut of the at times incomprehensible action in 'Legends.' Fighting, though, is just part of why people go to 'Karate Kid' movies. Relationships, honor, and good ol' nostalgia also factors in. As such, 'Legends' is a serviceable entry in the venerable franchise.
Malaysia Sun
12 hours ago
- Business
- Malaysia Sun
Chinese premier returns to Beijing after official visit to Indonesia, ASEAN-China-GCC summit in Malaysia
BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang returned to Beijing on Wednesday aboard a chartered plane after paying an official visit to Indonesia and attending the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-China-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council) Summit in Malaysia. Li was seen off from the airport by Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing and Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Hou Yanqi.
