Paul Antonopoulos, a noted Greece Economist stated that after seven years of tough negotiations, the European Union and China were close to signing an investment agreement. However, at the last moment, it hit a road block as it faced pressure from those wanting the United States’ involvement, or those wanting to impose Western Liberalism on China.
Paul Antonopoulos also noted that a strategic analysis document by the European Union in November 2019 claimed that China is “a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance.” Josep Borrell, the head of the European Union’s diplomacy, called on Brussels to adopt in May 2020 a “more robust strategy” vis-à-vis Beijing. The investment agreement that was hoped to be reached between the European Union and China seems to reflect this European ambition.
Launched in November 2013, negotiations accelerated in mid-December and was leading to the imminent conclusion of a compromise to mutually protect European investments in China and Chinese investment in the European Union. During a press briefing on 18 December 2020, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said “negotiations are in the final stage”.
Significant progress was made during the ten negotiation sessions organized in 2020, and the European Commission seemed confident that an agreement could be reached. “We are not quite there yet but it is definitely feasible that, if things move forward as they are moving now, that we can conclude still this year,” Valdis Dombrovskis, the vice-president of the European Commission in charge of the Economy, said to Bloomberg in mid-December 2020.
According to Paul Antonopoulos, it is likely that if China makes real concessions by opening its market to Europeans in the biotechnology, electric automotive and the medical sectors, the European Union would allow the presence of Chinese companies in the renewable energy market. The European Union’s objective is to ensure reciprocity as certain economic sectors must not become completely dependent on China.
While it was essential to speed up the timetable for talks in order to crown the end of the German presidency of the European Union, whose six-month mandate has only been marred by failure to protect European interests and servitude to Washington’s demands, it evokes just a purely symbolic text. The terms of the agreement remain vague as ratification by the European Parliament is unlikely because many European Members of Parliament continue a hostile policy against China due to its alleged human rights violations.
Some speculate that an agreement was never supposed to be reached but is rather an exercise to maintain dialogue between the two economic powerhouses. For the Chinese, their desire is to quickly conclude these negotiations, particularly during the American presidential transition period. However, despite this Chinese desire, certain European countries are resisting efforts to make an agreement with China before the self-imposed deadline on 31 December 2020.
Unsurprisingly, Poland was the first European Union member to openly resist the “premature” investment deal with China. “Europe should seek a fair, mutually beneficial Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China. We need more consultations and transparency bringing our transatlantic allies on board. A good, balanced deal is better than a premature one,” Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau tweeted on 22 December 2020. He effectively called for a European-Chinese deal to have the United States’ blessing and involvement by highlighting the necessity to have “transatlantic allies on board.”
President Elect Joe Biden’s incoming national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, expressed his satisfaction that Poland wants to involve United States in a European-Chinese trade deal, stating in a tweet that “The Biden-Harris administration would welcome early consultations with our European partners on our common concerns about China’s economic practices.”
Robert MacBride of Leeds University stressed that the skepticism was not only reduced to Poland as France also joined the fray, albeit for different reasons. Franck Riester, France’s Junior Minister for trade, said to Le Monde: “We can’t facilitate investment in China if we don’t work to abolish forced labor.” He also admitted that trade deals should be used as a tool to “advance social issues” in China. In fact, it is this demand that trade deals be connected to domestic issues of a country that has resulted in France losing influence in Africa, while China, which makes no such demands in trade agreements, continues to advance on the continent as it does not interfere in the internal running’s of a country.
The French and Polish skepticism also has the support of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and many Members of the European Parliament, such as Germany’s Reinhard Butikofer who challenged the trade deal by questioning whether Europe should “really help Chinese President Xi Jinping show Joe Biden the middle finger?”
According to Robert MacBride, what this demonstrates is that the European Union is stuck with a 20th century outlook for the 21st century. Whereas Western Liberalism was protected and projected by Washington during the Cold War and the unipolar-era after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, European leaders and lawmakers are unwilling to relinquish this antiquated thinking. Poland’s insistence that Washington be involved in negotiations between Europe and China demonstrates that many countries in the Old Continent lack the confidence to engage in the multipolar system as part of an independent European bloc.
Although the French are attempting to make the European bloc independent, it faces tough resistance by those wanting Washington’s approval. However, France also limits itself by imposing Western Liberalism as a condition for trade negotiations, not only with China, but with most post-colonial countries.
As well anticipated by many analysts and observers, China and the European Union fail to reach an agreement by the self-imposed deadline of 31 December 2020. This is due to Europe’s own lack of confidence as a Great Power, insistence that they do not act independently by continuously wanting United States input, and the insistence of imposing Western Liberalism on a Far East country. If European strategic thinking could change, an agreement could rapidly be made, however, it is highly unlikely to occur by the end of the year.
Signing trade agreement between the European Union and China
Festival of Israeli-Ethiopian culture keeps the beat, even online
The annual Hullageb arts festival, hosted by Jerusalem’s Confederation House, includes vocalists from the ‘Ethiopian Banai’ family and a play that echoes the community’s protests
Vocalist Tamar Rada feels more Israeli than Ethiopian, but the language, beats, and rhythms of her native land are what move the singer-songwriter.
It all comes to life in her second album, “Adisge,” which will be celebrated December 28, at this year’s Hullageb Israeli-Ethiopian Arts Festival, December 24-30, though the coronavirus pandemic has forced the festival online, and with no visiting artists this year. The performances will be available on the Confederation House Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Hullageb, which means “multifaceted,” is a creation and production of Jerusalem’s Confederation House, whose mission is to create artistic harmony among the more than 100 ethnic groups in Jerusalem. The festival is dedicated to musical, theatrical, and dance creations by artists of Ethiopian origin, with an emphasis on the artists’ dialogue with surrounding Israeli culture and the influences from Western and African art.
Decades have passed since the large influx of Ethiopian immigrants to Israel, and many of the younger artists performing this year do not have the same memories as their elders. making the show into more of an Ethiopian-Israeli meld.
“I almost don’t remember Ethiopia,” said Rada, who came to Israel with her family on Operation Solomon, when she was not quite 4 years old. “I’m much more Israeli, but the culture in our house was Ethiopian.”
“Adisge” is that Ethiopian-Israeli mix come to life, with songs that Rada composed to words by Israeli poets David Avidan, Yehuda Amichai, and Eli Eliyahu. Her own original works feature as well, playing with Hebrew, slipping in some Amharic and embellished with her love of African and electronic music.
“I don’t have control over it, it takes over me, it just goes there,” she said of her sound.
Rada and the Tamarada Band are slated to perform on Monday, December 28 at 9:00 p.m.
Music has always been part of Rada’s life, brought to her from her father, who always sang at home, and played his cassettes and video tapes of Ethiopian jazz and fusion as the background to impromptu Rada family dance parties on Friday afternoons.
“We only spoke Amharic in the house, Dad didn’t let us speak Hebrew at home,” said Rada. “He wanted us to speak Hebrew perfectly outside, but to never forget our Ethiopian language and culture.”
During a post-army trip to Mexico, Rada was unexpectedly pulled onstage for a spontaneous performance. The audience’s response awoke a desire in her to sing professionally.
She studied at Israel’s Rimon School of Music, having never learned music notes or studied voice, and was sure that each year would be her last.
She struggled to find her sound, wondering whether she should lean toward artistic independence or try to find fame via the type of music popular on televised singing contests.
“How do you start,” she asked. “Do you go indie or reality?”
It was her instructor Ariel Horowitz, son of legendary singer-songwriter Naomi Shemer, who helped guide Rada, now 33, on her singing and songwriting path. He was the one who encouraged Rada to use some Israeli texts and add her own vibe, “something tribal from her past.”
Rada has several singers in her family including her brother, who sings professionally, and her cousin Ester Rada, who will kick off the festival on December 24.
“I call us the ‘Ethiopian Banai family,’” she said. “Music and singing are part of us.”
Other Hullageb performances at the festival, marking its 11th year, include bass player Yossi Fein with Aveva Dese, Oshi Masala and Adoniya, Abatte Barihun and the Tesfa Ensemble, actor-dancer Tzvika Iskias and choreographer-dancer Ofra Idel; dance-hall artist Ayalew with his first album; Dege Feder and the Beita Dance Ensemble; former members of the Idan Raichel project; vocalist Avi Wogderess-Vasa; and bass player-producer Yankele Segal.
The festival also includes two original productions by the Hullageb Theater Ensemble, including “Sand Stories,” a play without words that uses animation, clowning, music, and movement, set for Friday, December 25 at 12 p.m.
The play tells the story of a girl drawing in the sand, whose drawings become animated characters — shown on a screen that serves as the play’s backdrop — acting out their own story, and are then erased.
The other performance is “The Mark of Cain,” a minimalist play that echoes the anger and protest of the members of the Ethiopian community who have experienced racism in Israeli society.
The play tells of a family with a social stain, whose father decides to return to Ethiopia, as the mother and three children find themselves descending into crisis. It will be performed Wednesday, December 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Both plays are directed by Moshe Malka, who is not Ethiopian, but has been directing actors of Ethiopian descent for the last 20 years.
“I don’t like to tell the stories of Ethiopians,” said Malka. “I prefer telling the story of a person. We live enough with separations in our society; you have to present the conflict, but it’s not the most important thing.”
“After 20 years of working with Ethiopians, I’m happy that the best thing I can do on stage is to not think about who they are — they could be Chinese or Indian as far as I know, they’re people and where they’re from doesn’t really matter,” said Malka.
It is an idea that jibes with Tamar Rada’s upbringing, she said.
“Dad emphasized that we were Ethiopian, but he wanted me to be Israeli outside the house,” said Rada. “‘You’re Tamar Rada, a Jew, and Israeli from Ethiopia. You are who are. You’re who’s interesting, not where you came from.’ That’s my hope, and my energy.”
(The Times of Israel)
Constitutional violence is unacceptable
BY ABRAHAM NEGA, ILI, IIRAD,
Email: abrahamnegah@gmail.com
The National Defence Force that has been in the bunkers for the past 20 years defending its people and the country by paying heavy sacrifices with its blood and bone has been attacked, in Tigray region of Mekelle and many other places, by group of TPLF who betrayed their country Ethiopia.
TPLF’S Advocates of aggression towards Northern Command Force is a terrorist attack. The army has been attacked from behind by its own colleagues & brothers and many have been martyred, wounded and properties destroyed as well as looted assets.
The Ethiopian Defense Force Northern Command were active in participating of social affairs with Tigrian brothers in burning the grass to create smoke, to signal aircraft, to spray chemicals and to drive away grasshoppers from fields of farmers., soldiers of the command were also engaged in the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields of Tigray
As Ethiopian Defense Force Northern Command finds itself under attack by TPLF as a result of protecting Northern part of Ethiopian border and Tigrian people from any possible foreign aggression, then the last red line has been crossed.
The government tried to avoid war, but war cannot be avoided by one side,” PM Abiy said. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that the National Defence Forces (ENDF) was given an order to start a military offensive against the Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Defense Force responded properly.
Ambassador Dina Mufti Spokesperson of MOFA claimed that the offensive comes after the TPLF “took measures” and tried to “rob the Northern Command of artillery and military equipment.”
Mai Kadra, one of the towns in Tigray killing by TPLF a group of Youth calling themselves SAMRI slaughtered more than 700 innocents Amharic descent was ethically motivated, grave human rights violations which may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. The victims were constricted throat, stabbed and beaten to death. The roads were strewn with a number of dead bodies.
TPLF is dressing its solders in uniforms resembling those of the Army of neighboring Eritrean to implicate the Eritrean government in false claims of aggression against the people of Tigray.
There is no doubt that aggressive nationalism (a strong love of Ethiopia) has dramatically increased to a level that many have never seen before due to the 100% of Tigray region became under the Federal Defense Force, said, Amb. Dina Mufti.
In one video, widely circulated on Ethiopian social media a young men said they were “Extremely happy” to see the main cities like Adwa, Shire, Axum, Adigrat and Mekele the capital of Tigray and more than 90% of the regional state are liberated from TPLF by Defense force, smiling as they pointed at the Northern part of the country where the military base direction of the Tigray region is.
Many waved the Ethiopian flag and holding up posters while others belting out Ethiopian National Anthem, the crowd sings cheerfully “Respect for Citizenship” is strong in our Ethiopia, National Pride is seen, shining from one side to other side. For peace, for justice, for the freedom of peoples, in equality and in love we stand united.
In another video, on the victory of the Federal Defense Force, a group belting out a patriotic Ethiopian song. The crowd sings cheerfully “praising our beloved motherland as it goes towards prosperity and power.” A crowd was also praising VIVA PM Abiy Ahmed the Commander – in – Chief the Federal Defense Force, Field Commanders and the entire Federal Defense Force on your wonderful performance; we are at your side.
In Joyful demonstrations and support towards the Defense ForceTens of thousands of residents flooded the streets across the Country including Addis Ababa and in other cities of Ethiopia, people in cars honked their horns, many of them whistled and played loud music and dancing in public spaces to marc the occasion.
After the attack on Northern Command Force by TPLF the reaction of the people shows that Ethiopians united together for their integrity, can never be defeated by any means and logic, we have seen how good we can be when we come together, said, Ambassador Fesseha Shawol, DG, IGAD and Neighboring countries in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Orchestrated and Ethnically motivated killings are certainly nothing new for Africa, but this particular murder of Mai-Kadra on ethnical line by TPLF has touched one of the biggest nerves in decades, and the incident has been conducted when the Ethiopian people and government attention was fully focused on peace and development.
It does not make all of us to feel good and save. It is not just only about Mai-Kadra killings on their ethnical line but you look back Shashemene, Benshangul, Guraferda, Wollega, 86 innocents in Addis Ababa and many others, let their house count them, how many times are we seen the same situation, just the names change but the colour does not and that is the painful reality of the situation. It is not in the past but it is in this TPLF generation history of discrimination and hate rate on ethnic line, sponsored by foreign entity and implemented by forces that are against the reform.
That is the honest truth behind this attack and frustration, somebody with the right mind can share the outrage at this fundamental injustice.
We have Covid-crisis, we have locust crisis, we have issue with our own resource of ABAY River (Blue Nile) and we have the situation of incident by foreign entities and in close collaboration with people who lost their advantages of corrupt practices due to reform, they incited violence and Riots in Addis Ababa and in Oromia, that is the honest truth and that is what is behind this anger and frustration and somebody with the right mind share the outrage at this fundamental crisis, they do.
BUT CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER, LAUNCHING MILITARY ATTACK ON NATIONAL DEFENSE FORCE IT NEVER IS THE ANSWER. Constitutional Violence obscures the righteousness of the message and the mission. We lose the point by attacking military base and looting assets the violence in response and allows people who chose to scapegoat the point of violence rather than the action that created the reaction.
The constitutional violence allows people to talk about the violence as a pose to honestly to address the situation that incited the violence.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE DOES NOT WORK AND THE MILITARY ATTACK ON YOUR OWN BROTHERS & COLLEAGUES ALSO DOES NOT SOUND GOOD. CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE AND POLITICAL SABOTAGE IS NOT THE ANSWER FOR ANY QUESTION ON THIS ERA OF CIVILIZED SOCIETY.
Dr. Luther King has taught us this, he knows better than anyone who is speaking to us today on this issue, RETURNING HATE FOR HATE MULTIPLIES HATE. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that, yes outrage, yes frustration, yes anger but not VIOLENCE AND RIOT. As well as attack on your own citizens.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has ordered the military to review the actions and the procedure on enforcement of Rule of law because the Ethiopian people do deserve answer and accountability.
Those who are working for their own interests not for the Country to betray their country by committing treason, turning against their government and people, perhaps by selling secret information and destabilizing of their own country with the sponsors of foreign entity became the temporary challenge of Ethiopia which will be solved soon or later by strong sense of solidarity of the Ethiopian Nation and Nationalities, said, Ambassador Dina Mufti, Spokes Person of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA
