Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Etidal finds 6mn extremist content on Telegram between Jan and Mar 2023
The Saudi Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) found 6,004,218 extremist content on the social media platform Telegram between January 1 and March 30 this year.
Furthermore, the two platforms have assisted in the closure of 1,840 channels that disseminate and promote extremist ideology and are affiliated with three terrorist groups (ISIS [Daesh], Al-Qaeda and Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham), reports Saudi Gazette.
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The Etidal team identified and monitored the three terrorist organizations' activity on Telegram in Arabic, it said.
It discovered 2,773,902 pieces with extremist content on 477 Hayat Tahrir al-Sham channels, 1,807,215 such pieces on 1,040 Daesh channels, and 1,423,101 pieces on 323 Al-Qaeda channels.
The Etidal monitoring team observed a peak in broadcasting activity on Telegram on January 9 this year, with 451,911 pieces of content shared and referenced to, and a peak in account creation on March 27, with over 101 channels launched in a single day, the report also said.
Read More: Shamima Begum who joined ISIS as a teen loses UK citizenship appeal
The cooperation between Etidal and Telegram continues for the second year in a row, increasing the total number of items deleted from February 2022 until now to 21,026,169; these included extremist content and 8,664 terminated terrorist channels.
Saudis, other oil giants announce surprise production cuts; prices could go up
Saudi Arabia and other major oil producers on Sunday announced surprise cuts totaling up to 1.15 million barrels per day from May until the end of the year, a move that could raise prices worldwide.
Higher oil prices would help fill Russian President Vladimir Putin's coffers as his country wages war on Ukraine and force Americans and others to pay even more at the pump amid worldwide inflation.
It was also likely to further strain ties with the United States, which has called on Saudi Arabia and other allies to increase production as it tries to bring prices down and squeeze Russia's finances.
The production cuts alone could push U.S. gasoline prices up by roughly 26 cents per gallon, in addition to the usual increase that comes when refineries change the gasoline blend during the summer driving season, said Kevin Book, managing director of Clearview Energy Partners LLC. The Energy Department calculates the seasonal increase at an average of 32 cents per gallon, Book said.
So with an average U.S. price now at roughly $3.50 per gallon of regular, according to AAA, that could mean gasoline over $4 per gallon during the summer.
However, Book said there are a number of complex variables in oil and gas prices. The size of each country's production cut depends on the baseline production number it is using, so the cut might not be 1.15 million. It also could take much of the year for the cuts to take effect. Demand could fall if the U.S. enters a recession caused by the banking crisis. But it also could increase during the summer as more people travel.
Even though the production cut is only about 1% of the roughly 100 million barrels of oil the world uses per day, the impact on prices could be big, Book said.
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“It's a big deal because of the way oil prices work,” he said. “You are in a market that is relatively balanced. You take a small amount away, depending on what demand does, you could have a very significant price response.”
Saudi Arabia announced the biggest cut among OPEC members at 500,000 barrels per day. The cuts are in addition to a reduction announced last October that infuriated the Biden administration.
The Saudi Energy Ministry described the move as a “precautionary measure” aimed at stabilizing the oil market. The cuts represent less than 5% of Saudi Arabia's average production of 11.5 million barrels per day in 2022.
Also Read: Oil giant Saudi Aramco has profits of $161B in 2022
Iraq said it would reduce production by 211,000 barrels per day, the United Arab Emirates by 144,000, Kuwait by 128,000, Kazakhstan by 78,000, Algeria by 48,000 and Oman by 40,000. The announcements were carried by each country's state media.
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak meanwhile said Moscow would extend a voluntary cut of 500,000 until the end of the year, according to remarks carried by the state news agency Tass. Russia had announced the unilateral reduction in February after Western countries imposed price caps.
All are members of the so-called OPEC+ group of oil exporting countries, which includes the original Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries as well as Russia and other major producers. There was no immediate statement from OPEC itself.
The cuts announced in October — of some 2 million barrels a day — had come on the eve of U.S. midterm elections in which soaring prices were a major issue. President Joe Biden vowed at the time that there would be “consequences” and Democratic lawmakers called for freezing cooperation with the Saudis.
Both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia denied any political motives in the dispute.
Since those cuts, oil prices have trended down. Brent crude, a global benchmark, was trading around $80 a barrel at the end of last week, down from around $95 in early October, when the earlier cuts were agreed.
Analysts Giacomo Romeo and Lloyd Byrne at Jefferies said in a research note that the new cuts should allow for “material” reductions to OPEC inventory earlier than expected and could validate recent warnings from some traders and analysts that demand for oil is weakening.
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Gulf expert at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, said the Saudis are determined to keep oil prices high enough to fund ambitious mega-projects linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 plan to overhaul the economy.
“This domestic interest takes precedence in Saudi decision-making over relationships with international partners and is likely to remain a point of friction in U.S.-Saudi relations for the foreseeable future,” he said.
Saudi Arabia's state-run oil giant Aramco recently announced record profits of $161 billion from last year. Profits rose 46.5% when compared to the company’s 2021 results of $110 billion. Aramco said it hoped to boost production to 13 million barrels a day by 2027.
The decades-long U.S.-Saudi alliance has come under growing strain in recent years following the 2018 killing of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S.-based journalist, and Saudi Arabia's war with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
As a candidate for president, Biden had vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the Khashoggi killing, but as oil prices rose after his inauguration he backed off. He visited the kingdom last July in a bid to patch up relations, drawing criticism for sharing a fistbump with Crown Prince Mohammed.
Saudi Arabia has denied siding with Russia in the Ukraine war, even as it has cultivated closer ties with both Moscow and Beijing in recent years. Last week, Aramco announced billions of dollars of investment in China's downstream petrochemicals industry.
Death toll of Bangladeshi pilgrims who died in Saudi bus accident rises to 18
At least 18 Bangladeshi pilgrims were killed and 16 others were injured in an accident that killed 24 omrah hajj pilgrims and injured around 23 people in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia on Monday, said a Foreign Ministry official on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Shahidul Islam, son of Shariat Ulla in Senbagh from Noakhali district, Mamun Mia, son of Abdul Awal and Russel Molla of Muradnagar in Cumilla district, Mohammad Helal of Noakhali district, Sabuj Hossain of Laxmipur district, Md Asif and Shafatul Islam of Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar district, Md Imam Hossain Rony, son of Abdul Latif in Gazipur district, Ruk Mia, son of Kalu Mia of Chandpur district, Gias Hamid of Debidwar in Cumilla district, Mohammad Nazrul Islam, son of Kawsar Mia and Rony, son of Iskandar of Jashore district and Mohammad Hossain of Cox’s Bazar district, Ruhul Amin, Khairul Islam, Tushar Mazumder, Miraz Hossain, Sakib, son of Abdul Awal and Rana Mia.
Previously it was confirmed that 13 Bangladeshis were killed. Later another five Bangladeshi nationals have been identified among the 24 omrah pilgrims who died in the crash, according to information provided by the foreign ministry.
At least 16 Bangladeshi nationals are receiving medical treatments in four different hospitals across the country.
The bus was carrying 47 omrah hajj pilgrims to Makkah and among them thirty-five passengers were Bangladeshi nationals.
The accident occurred in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province - around 650 km away from Jeddah - at around 4:00 PM on Monday.
According to media reports, the bus collided with a bridge following a brake failure, overturned and burst into flames.
Hospital authorities said that it is very difficult to determine the nationality due to the burning and disfiguring of the bodies.
Two officers of the Bangladesh Consulate General, Jeddah visited the area immediately after the incident and are trying to identify the victims and contact their family members in Bangladesh, according to a press release sent from Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended its heartfelt condolences to the relatives of those who have lost their lives in this tragic accident and remains connected with the wounded and hospitalized and is working for the early repatriation of the dead.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said the number of Bangladeshi nationals who died in the crash could rise as many of the wounded -- who are receiving medical treatment in different hospitals across the country -- are in critical condition.
He hoped that the bodies of the Bangladeshi nationals would be returned as soon as possible.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the horrific bus crash that killed around 24 omrah hajj pilgrims and injured around 23 people in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia on Monday.
In a condolence message, she prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed souls and quick recovery of the injured persons.
She asked the Foreign Ministry officials and the Saudi Mission personnel to take necessary actions for recovering the bodies of Bangladeshi nationals and ensure proper treatment for the injured.
Saudi ministry urges pilgrims to limit Umrah once during Ramadan
The Hajj and Umrah Ministry of Saudi Arabia has recommended pilgrims to perform Umrah just once during the holy month of Ramadan.
To avoid crowding and guarantee that pilgrims have a simple and straightforward travel to the sites, the ministry recommended Muslims to undertake Umrah just once throughout the holy month, reports Al Arabiya.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Saudi officials were concerned about overcrowding at the holy sites because they wanted to make sure that travelers were safe at all times, it said.
Read More: Saudi govt reduces Umrah insurance cost for foreign pilgrims by 63%
The Nusuk app allows Muslims from all over the world to apply to participate in the pilgrimage and plan their whole trip there, including applying for a eVisa and arranging accommodations and flights, the report also said.
Except for during Hajj, any period of the year is permissible for Muslims to go to Makkah to perform Umrah.
Many people aspire to do Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.
Read More: Route to Mecca: MoU signed to make Bangladeshi pilgrims' Saudi visits easier
Saudi Arabia, Syria may restore ties as Mideast reshuffles
Saudi Arabia is in talks with Syria to reopen its embassy in the war-torn nation for the first time in a decade, state television in the kingdom reported late Thursday, the latest diplomatic reshuffling in the region.
The announcement on state TV comes after Chinese-mediated talks in Beijing saw Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to reopen embassies in each others' nations after years of tensions. Syrian President Bashar Assad has maintained his grip on power in the Mediterranean nation rocked by the 2011 Arab Spring only with the help of Iran and Russia, which made a historic call earlier in the day to Oman.
Saudi Arabian state television aired a report late Thursday, quoting an anonymous official in the country's Foreign Ministry, acknowledging the talks between the kingdom and Damascus.
“A source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed to Al-Ekhbariyah that ongoing discussions have begun with the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commenting on what was circulated by some international media,” an anchor said on air. “Discussions are underway between officials in the kingdom and their counterparts in Syria about resuming the provision of consular services.”
Reuters first reported on the talks Thursday, spurring the Saudi state TV announcement. The Wall Street Journal, quoting anonymous Saudi and Syrian officials, later attributed the talks to reopen the countries' embassies to Russian mediation.
Syrian state media did not immediately acknowledge the talks. Officials in both Saudi Arabia and Syria did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press early Friday.
Earlier Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, which the Kremlin called the “the first high-level bilateral contact since the establishment of diplomatic relations" between the nations. Muscat established ties with the Soviet Union in 1985.
Oman long has been an interlocutor between the West and Iran. Recent months have seen talks in Oman over Yemen's long-running war, in which Saudi Arabia backs the country's exiled government against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels that hold its capital, Sanaa.
Read more: Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to resume relations after tensions
The kingdom backed the Syrian opposition against Assad during Syria’s uprising-turned-civil war that began in 2011. However, in recent years, a regional rapprochement has been brewing. Last month’s devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey sparked international sympathy and speeded up the process, with Saudi and other Arab countries shipping aid to Damascus.
Assad visited Oman in late February. He traveled Sunday to the United Arab Emirates, another nation that earlier had backed fighters trying to topple his government.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has acknowledged publicly that there is a growing consensus among Arab countries that dialogue with Damascus is necessary. Saudi Arabia is hosting the next Arab League summit in May, where most states hope to restore Syria’s membership after it was suspended in 2011, the league’s secretary-general, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, has said.
China's and Russia's interest in the Middle East long has been a concern for U.S. officials, which view the the region as crucial to global energy prices even as America pumps more crude oil than ever before and doesn't rely on Saudi oil as much as it once did. Saudi Arabia has grown closer to Russia as Moscow has rallied allies to back production cuts by OPEC to boost global oil prices amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia also have been at a low since President Joe Biden took office calling the kingdom a “pariah” over the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The State Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Read more: Bangladesh welcomes renewed ties between Iran, Saudi Arabia: Momen
Saudi Visa Service Centre launched in Dhaka
Saudi Company for Visa and Travel Solutions, a subsidiary of Tahakom, a PIF company, has announced the formal launch of the Saudi Visa Service Centre in Dhaka.
Essa Al Duhlain, Ambassador of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh, inaugurated the centre at Jamuna Future Park in the capital.
Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed, Consul General of Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Dhaka Meshari Al Thaebi, Programme Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the KSA Fahad Abothnain, and CEO of Saudi Company for Visa and Travel Solutions Fahad Al Amoud were present.
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The Saudi Visa Service Centre in Dhaka will provide several facilities to applicants, local governments, Saudi government, the Saudi Embassy, and the broader community, said a media release on Tuesday.
The centre will provide a streamlined and efficient process for visa applications, reducing wait times and improving the overall visa application experience, it said.
This initiative will also provide a boost to tourism and business in Saudi Arabia, thereby contributing to the economic growth of the country.
Currently, the centre is accepting applications for tourism, business, family visit and other categories of visit visas, and the process for submission of work visas will commence shortly.
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Saudi Company for Visa and Travel Solutions operates Saudi Visa Service Centres in 33 countries under the brand name Tasheer.
The centres are operated in partnership with VFS Global, world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist serving 67 client governments in 145 countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Fahad Sulaiman Al Amoud, CEO of Saudi Company for Visa and Travel Solutions, expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador and the Government of Bangladesh for their support and guidance in starting the Saudi Visa Service Centre in Dhaka.
He also mentioned that the centre contributes to Vision 2030 of Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Bin Salman, towards attracting tourism and business to Saudi Arabia.
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The launch of the Saudi Visa Service Centre in Dhaka is a significant step towards realizing the goals of Vision 2030. By making it easier for Bangladeshi citizens and residents to obtain visas for Saudi Arabia, the centre is helping to attract more tourists and business visitors to the country, creating new opportunities for economic growth and development in Saudi Arabia, and strengthening the ties between the Kingdom and other countries around the world.
Al Amoud expressed his commitment to supporting the country's efforts to diversify its economy and build a more sustainable future for all.
"We are honored to be a part of the vision and mission of Saudi Arabia's leadership," he said. "We thank the leadership of Saudi Arabia for their vision, guidance, and support, and we look forward to working closely with them to achieve our shared goals."
Al Almoud also shared the future plans of setting up an additional Saudi Visa Service Centre in Bangladesh to cater to the growing demand of travel of workers and visitors from Bangladesh to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Saudi Arabia frees American imprisoned over critical tweets
Saudi Arabia on Monday freed a 72-year-old American citizen it had imprisoned for more than a year over old tweets critical of the kingdom's crown prince, his son said.
Neither Saudi nor U.S. officials immediately confirmed the release of Saad Almadi, a dual U.S.-Saudi citizen and, until his imprisonment in Saudi Arabia, a longtime retiree in Florida. There had been word since last week of progress toward Almadi's release.
Almadi on Monday night was at home with family members who live in Riyadh, said his son, Ibrahim Almadi, in the United States. Saudi officials dropped all charges against the elder Almadi, Ibrahim Almadi and advocates familiar with the case said. But it was not immediately clear whether the kingdom would lift a travel ban it had imposed to follow the prison sentence to allow the elder Almadi to return to the United States.
The Florida man's imprisonment over tweets had been one of several alleged human rights abuses that had soured relations between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Joe Biden. That included Saudi officials' killing of a U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside a Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, and prison sentences and travel bans that Saudi Arabia under the crown prince's tenure has given Saudi rights advocates and perceived rivals and critics of the powerful crown prince.
Both Prince Mohammed and the Biden administration recently have taken steps toward restoring better relations. The two countries are partners in a decades-old security arrangement in which the U.S. provides security for Saudi Arabia and the oil-rich kingdom keeps global markets supplied with oil.
Saudi Arabia had sentenced Almadi last year to 16 years in prison, saying his critical tweets about how the kingdom was being governed amounted to terrorist acts against it.
As U.S. officials worked to win his release, and after Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia last summer in an attempt to improve relations with the oil-rich nation, a Saudi appeals court increased Almadi’s prison sentence to 19 years.
A retired project manager in the United States, Almadi was arrested in 2021 when he arrived for what was to have been a two-week visit to see family in the kingdom. Once in custody, he was confronted by Saudi authorities with tweets he had posted over several years from his home in Florida, his son says.
Almadi's tweets included one noting Prince Salman's consolidation of power in the kingdom, another that included a caricature of the prince, and a tweet that remarked on Khashoggi's killing. US intelligence officials earlier concluded the crown prince authorized the hit team that killed Khashoggi inside a Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
"We are relieved that Saad Almadi has been released, but he should have never spent a day behind bars for innocuous tweets,” said Abdullah Alaoudh, Saudi director for the Freedom Initiative, a U.S.-based group that advocates for those it considers unjustly detained in the Middle East.
Alaoudh urged the U.S. to continue to press for the release of all rights advocates and others detained in Saudi Arabia.
Freedom Initiative says least four U.S. citizens and one legal permanent resident already were detained in Saudi Arabia under travel bans, and that at least one other older U.S. citizen remains imprisoned. Many of the travel bans targeted dual citizens advocating for greater rights in the kingdom, such as Saudi women's right to drive.
Ibrahim Almadi said his father had lost extensive weight in prison and that his health had worsened drastically.
Actress Mahiya Mahi arrested from Dhaka Airport after landing from Saudi Arabia
Police today (March 18, 2023) arrested popular film actress Mahiya Mahi, from Dhaka Airport, in connection with a case filed under Digital Security Act.
Mohammad Ibrahim, deputy commissioner of DB of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, said a team of Gazipur police arrested Mahi from Dhaka Airport.
Mohammad Ziaul Haque, additional superintendent (media) of Airport Armed Police, said Mahi arrived at the airport from Jeddah. “A team of Gazipur police arrested her around 12 pm.”
Earlier, Rokon Mia, sub-inspector of Bason Police Station, filed a case under Digital Security Act against Mahiya Mahi and her husband Rakib Sarkar on Friday (March 17, 2023) night on charge of “defaming police” after going live on Facebook.
Also read: 2 cases filed against actress Mahiya Mahi, husband in Gazipur
Meanwhile, Ismail Hossain, a businessman, filed the other case with Bason Police Station against 28 people including the couple on charges of assaulting, vandalism and forcibly occupying land.
Abu Torab Mohammad Shamsuddin, deputy commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, said police filed the case against the couple for “tarnishing the image of police, including Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Molla Nazrul Islam”, after going live on Facebook.
According to the case statement, Mahiya Mahi, from her Facebook page, went live early Friday — making allegations against police.
During the live session, she said Ismail Hossain and Mamun Sarkar, through their people, carried out an attack on a showroom, Sony Raj Car Palace, on Dhaka-Tangail highway near Bhawal Badre Alam Government College.
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The actress and her husband also alleged that the Gazipur Metropolitan Police commissioner “supported the attackers” after taking bribe.
She also said she feared getting arrested after returning to the country from Makkah. During the Facebook live, Mahiya’s husband Rakib alleged that police arrested security guards of the car showroom.
Meanwhile, Ismail Hossain, owner of Rod Binding Factory in Itahata area of Gazipur city, in his complaint said, he has been running a factory in the area for the past ten years after purchasing land there.
On Friday, some people on behalf of Rakib and Mahiya attacked and vandalized the factory, he said. They also beat up five people at the factory, leaving them injured, while trying to occupy the land, according to the complaint.
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Contacted, Molla Nazrul, Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, said, “Actress Mahiya brought allegations against police on Facebook and tried to draw sympathy through lies.”
After UAE, Saudi Arabia now considering 3-day weekend
Saudi Arabia is mulling a three-day weekend after the UAE enacted it last year.
According to Saudi local media, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development responded to a tweet by saying that it is evaluating the present work arrangement to extend the weekend to three days, reports Khaleej Times.
The message, according to sources, emerged on the ministry’s Twitter account, which is meant to respond to inquiries from its recipients, it said.
Read More: China’s Xi wants bigger global role after facilitating Saudi-Iran deal
According to the tweet, the ministry is conducting a periodic evaluation of the present work system in Saudi Arabia to enhance job creation and make the market more appealing to local and foreign investors. It further stated that a draft of the work system had been posted on a survey platform for public comment.
In a landmark reform, the UAE implemented a shortened workweek on January 1, 2022 UAE – adopting a Saturday-Sunday weekend, with half workday on Fridays.
The new approach was implemented throughout all government bodies, and most private-sector businesses followed suit. On Fridays, the office is only open until noon.
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China’s Xi wants bigger global role after facilitating Saudi-Iran deal
President Xi Jinping called for China to play a bigger role in managing global affairs after Beijing scored a diplomatic coup by hosting talks that produced an agreement by Saudi Arabia and Iran to reopen diplomatic relations.
Xi spoke Monday following a legislative session that installed a government of loyalists to tighten his control over the economy and society.
China should “actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system” and promote “global security initiatives,” said Xi, the country’s most powerful leader in decades, in a speech at end of the annual meeting of China’s ceremonial legislature.
That will add “positive energy to world peace and development and create a favorable international environment for our country’s development,” Xi said.
Xi gave no details of the ruling Communist Party's ambitions, but his government has pursued increasingly assertive policies abroad since he took power in 2012. It has pressed for changes in the International Monetary Fund and other entities Beijing says fail to reflect the needs and desires of developing countries.
Beijing also has built on China’s growing heft as the second-largest economy to promote trade and construction initiatives that Washington, Tokyo, Moscow and New Delhi worry will expand its strategic influence at their expanse.
Xi's government rattled the United States and Australia in early 2022 when it signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands that would allow Chinese navy ships and security forces to be stationed in the South Pacific island nation.
The foreign minister, Qin Gang, warned Washington last week of possible "conflict and confrontation” if the United States doesn't change course in relations that have been strained by conflicts over Taiwan, human rights, Hong Kong, security and technology.
Xi's speech Monday called for faster technology development and more self-reliance in a speech loaded with nationalistic terms. He referred eight times to “national rejuvenation,” or restoring China to its rightful historic role as an economic, cultural and political leader.
On Friday, Xi was named to another term in the ceremonial Chinese presidency after breaking with tradition in October and awarding himself a third-five year term as general secretary of the ruling party, putting himself on track to become leader for life. The National People's Congress session cemented Xi’s dominance by endorsing the appointment of his loyalists as premier and other government leaders in a once-a-decade change. Xi has sidelined potential rivals and loaded the top ranks of the ruling party with his supporters.
Xi said that before the ruling Communist Party took power in 1949, China was “reduced to semi-colonial, semi-feudal country, subject to bullying by foreign countries.”
“We have finally washed away the national humiliation, and Chinese people are the master of their own destiny,” Xi said. “The Chinese nation has stood up, become rich and is becoming strong.”
Xi also called for the country to “unswervingly achieve” the goal of “national reunification,” a reference to Beijing’s claim that Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy, is part of its territory and is obliged to unite with China, by force if necessary.