Parting the Red Sea: Why the Chinese and U.S. armies are fortifying this tiny African country
Djibouti is home to less than a million people – and it’s the only place in the world where Beijing and Washington have large-scale military bases so close together. The reason? Located at the intersection of Africa and the Middle East, the country is in a global hot spot where the two sides are seeking to expand geopolitical influence.
Tensions are already rising, with Beijing complaining of low-flying U.S. aircraft near its base – which has room for up to 10,000 soldiers – and Washington alleging that the Chinese shined lasers into the eyes of U.S. pilots.
The Globe’s Africa correspondent Geoffrey York reports on what’s at stake and why there is concern that the close proximity could trigger an accidental conflict.
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Trudeau says he hopes to talk to China’s top ruler at the G20 summit
The Prime Minister says he hopes to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the coming G20 summit to discuss the steadily worsening relations between China and Canada.
Over half a year ago Canada detained Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition request. Two Canadians were detained just days after Meng on charges that Ottawa has said were “arbitrarily” doled out – and are still being held – and China has banned and restricted the import of several significant Canadian commodities. Meng’s extradition hearing has been set for 2020. (for subscribers)
Trudeau said he looks forward to meeting Xi at the Group of 20 meeting in Japan, which begins June 28. “The continued detention of two Canadians in an arbitrary manner by the Chinese government is of utmost concern to us,” he said yesterday.
But some don’t think the one-on-one will happen at all – former Canadian ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques predicts that the Chinese will not let a meeting occur, and says China did not respond to a previous request.
Ontario is moving to transfer recycling costs to waste-producing companies
Today Ontario will name a special adviser on plastic waste and recycling as part of an attempt to make large food retailers and product manufacturers pay the full cost of recycling their products. The move reflects increasing concerns about pollution and the effectiveness of municipal waste programs that experts say have been overwhelmed by a flood of single-use plastics and other hard-to-recycle packaging. (for subscribers)
Ontario’s recycling rates have been stalled for 15 years and up to one third of what is put into blue boxes ends up in landfills instead, according to a letter from Environment Minister Rod Phillips, obtained by The Globe and Mail.
“This is unacceptable – both industry and government must do better,” wrote Phillips in the letter. Usman Valiante, a senior policy analyst at consultancy Cardwell Grove who helped design B.C.’s recycling system, said the approach “will transform recycling in Ontario."
