Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 9
WORLD NEWS A9
Tuesday 9 January 2018
Macron appeals to China for partnership in climate, Africa
By JOE McDONALD French President Emmanuel Macron, second from left, and his wife Brigitte Macron, left, pose with During their meeting, Ma-
Associated Press Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan for a photo during their meeting in Beijing cron and Xi discussed cli-
BEIJING (AP) — French Pres- Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Macron said he will ask Chinese leaders to form a partnership to fight cli- mate change, Chinese-
ident Emmanuel Macron mate change and support African development during his visit. French relations and Xi’s
said Monday he hopes to “Belt and Road Initiative”
forge a partnership with (ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP) to build railways and other
China on climate, security infrastructure across Asia
and other issues during a wanted to “strengthen col- first Western country to “China and France are and Europe, state televi-
visit to expand European lective security” and pro- form diplomatic ties with both great countries with sion reported. The French
ties with Beijing. mote joint efforts to fight the Communist Beijing gov- splendid histories and the leader said ahead of the
The trip comes as Britain’s climate change. ernment and recalled that exchange and influence meeting he wanted to talk
impending departure from Xi welcomed Macron in un- then-President Charles de between us has deep his- about North Korea and
the EU and the more in- usually effusive language. Gaulle and Chinese leader torical significance for the fighting terrorist financing,
ward-looking policies of U.S. He noted France was the Mao Zedong met in 1964. world,” Xi said. but there was no immedi-
President Donald Trump ate word on whether those
have raised the prospect were discussed.
of a possible realignment Despite their public warmth,
of global influence. China Macron’s visit is overshad-
and France have promot- owed by mounting trade
ed themselves as leaders tensions.
on global warming after Britain’s departure from the
Trump pulled out of the Par- EU will deprive Beijing of a
is climate agreement. prominent ally in opposing
“I hope to strengthen our demands for tougher Euro-
mutual trust during this visit pean anti-dumping mea-
and to use the five years sures against low-cost Chi-
of my term in office to nese products.
promote Franco-Chinese Other EU members includ-
relations and European- ing France and Germany
Chinese relations,” said are pressing Beijing to give
Macron, standing with his their companies reciproc-
Chinese counterpart, Xi ity, or the same access to its
Jinping, ahead of a meet- state-dominated economy
ing at a government guest- that Chinese companies
house. Macron said he enjoy abroad.q
Smuggling boat sinks in Mediterranean, 64 feared dead
By FRANCES D’EMILIO boat hours after it started ered on Saturday. Officials search that went through urday,” Di Giacomo said,
Associated Press sinking Saturday morning at the time said the corpses the night didn’t find any saying “probably 56 missing
ROME (AP) — As many as after it took on water and were all women, but U.N. more survivors or corpses. migrants” perished at sea.
64 African migrants, includ- started deflating, a U.N. migration officials who met Flavio Di Giacomo of the In a telephone interview
ing a mother whose surviv- migration agency official the rescue ship when it ar- International Organization with The Associated Press,
ing 3-year-old child desper- said. rived Monday in Catania, for Migration said in tweet Di Giacomo said the dinghy
ately clung to her as she Specially trained rescue Sicily, said two of the eight Monday that survivors in- was packed and made of
drowned, are feared dead divers leapt into the water dead were adult men. terviewed by the agency poor quality rubber. Some
after a traffickers’ over- to pull dozens to safety, Since trafficking dinghies in Catania said 150 people eight hours into the Medi-
crowded rubber dinghy including those who man- are often crammed with had been aboard the din- terranean crossing, “water
from Libya started sinking in aged to stay aboard the far more than 100 migrants, ghy when it set out from a started pouring in, panic
the Mediterranean Sea, of- half-submerged dinghy as fears quickly arose Sat- Libyan beach east of Trip- ensued, the migrants all
ficials said Monday. well as others already flail- urday that dozens more oli. “Sixty-four migrants lost moved to one side, and
The Italian coast guard res- ing in nearby cold waters. could be missing in the sink- their life in the shipwreck the boat lost its balance
cued 86 people from the Eight bodies were recov- ing. An Italian coast guard (which) occurred last Sat- and was deflating.”q
