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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 23 december 2020
EU-UK leaders seek way out of Brexit trade impasse

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Euro- of those fishing quotas as
pean Union and the United they can. If Britain insists on
Kingdom kicked efforts into keeping too much for itself,
higher gear on Tuesday to it could see itself punished
settle a fight over EU fishing with tough seafood export
quotas in British waters, the tariffs and other measures.
main obstacle to a trade The EU now realizes that it
deal that would avoid a will have to give up some
chaotic New Year's Day its fishing quotas, up to a
economic divorce be- quarter, while Britain wants
tween the two. it to be much more. The
EU nations insisted that they sides are also bickering
would even consider ne- over a transition period,
gotiating beyond Jan. 1 if which Johnson wanted to
necessary, acknowledging limit to three years while the
that an agreement that EU was pushing for seven.
would safeguard hundreds "Differences on fisheries re-
of thousands of jobs on main difficult to bridge," the
both sides should not fall EU diplomat said.
apart over the small fisher- A diplomat from an EU
ies sector. coastal state said that the
"We are really in a crucial latest British offer was still
moment and we are giving European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, left, speaks with Ambassador Michael well beyond the red lines
it a final push," said EU chief Clauss, Permanent Representative of Germany to the European Union, during a meeting of EU that Barnier has in his man-
negotiator Michel Barnier ambassadors in Brussels, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. date, and insisted that the
before he briefed EU mem- Associated Press chief negotiator has not
ber states on the state of asked for an expansion of
negotiations. among other issues not fully cles and tariffs as possible ris Johnson and EU Com- that mandate to meet the
After Barnier's briefing, closed are a few disputes after Britain's Jan. 31 depar- mission President Ursula UK demands.
an EU diplomat said that over fair competition rules. ture from the EU and a tran- von der Leyen have been On Monday, Johnson in-
"progress has been made. A British official said that sition period that runs out at drawn more and more into sisted it didn't really matter
Most issues are preliminar- "significant gaps remain," year's end. the talks and have been in whether an agreement is
ily closed or close to being and poured cold water on If talks go on beyond that contact by phone seeking reached or not, saying Brit-
agreed," with fisheries be- any idea to negotiate past point, it's unclear under to unblock negotiations on ain would "prosper mightily"
ing the most notable ex- Jan. 1. "We would need to what conditions trade the last major hurdle of EU even if the talks collapsed
ception. have any agreement in would take place in the in- fishing rights in U.K. waters. overnight. Britain is still in-
The diplomat, who spoke place ahead of 1 January. terim. The European Parlia- Up to Jan. 1, the rights were sisting its sovereignty trumps
on condition of anonym- We will not extend the tran- ment, which must approve shared among all EU na- concessions granting EU
ity because the talks were sition period." any deal, already said it tions, but with the Brexit vessels rights in U.K. wa-
ongoing, said the 27-nation Nine months of talks have would be impossible to departure, the U.K. regains ters, and the EU is refusing
bloc "remains ready to ne- boiled down to just a few give the go-ahead on such control over some of its to open its lucrative single
gotiate even beyond Janu- days to reach a compro- short notice. fish-abundant waters. Now market to the U.K. unless it
ary 1." mise on how to carry on Over the past few days, both sides are haggling, commits to playing by the
Another diplomat said that trading with as few obsta- British Prime Minister Bo- seeking to grab as much bloc's rules.q

China imposes new visa limits in back-and-forth with U.S.

BEIJING (AP) — China hit norities, dissidents or oth- Congress approved the es taking place in Xinjiang, forces should interfere," he
back with reciprocal ac- ers. bill Monday as part of a restrictions on access to said. Earlier in December,
tions Tuesday against un- "China has taken recip- $900 billion coronavirus Tibet, and the destruction the U.S. announced plans
named American officials rocal countermeasures relief package that also of Hong Kong's promised to limits visas for members
in the latest back-and- against the U.S. individuals included other unrelated autonomy," Secretary of of the Chinese Communist
forth, following a U.S. an- and their family members year-end legislation. State Mike Pompeo said in Party and their families to
nouncement of new visa who are primarily responsi- The U.S. has placed an Monday's statement. one month, instead of 10
restrictions on Chinese of- ble for recent interference escalating series of sanc- "Today's action creates years. The State Depart-
ficials. in China's internal affairs," tions, visa bans and finan- additional restrictions ap- ment also said it would
The Foreign Ministry also Foreign Ministry spokesper- cial restrictions on Chinese plicable to all (Communist deny visas to Chinese citi-
called on President Don- son Wang Wenbin said. government officials and Party) officials engaged in zens linked to overseas in-
ald Trump not to sign into He did not say who or how Communist Party mem- such repressive activities, fluence operations involv-
law legislation approved many people were affect- bers this year. The U.S.- no matter their location," ing violence and other
by Congress on Tibet. ed. China relationship has be- he said. means of intimidation.
The visa action came in Wang also said China op- come increasingly fraught Wang criticized the U.S. for The U.S. side has also put
response to a State De- posed the Tibetan Policy as the two countries battle having "weaponized" visa economic restrictions on
partment announcement and Support Act, which over issues from human policy. Chinese companies. Chi-
Monday that said the U.S. calls for the establishment rights to the coronavirus "The issues of Tibet, Taiwan nese tech giant Huawei
will deny visas to Chinese of a U.S. consulate in Tibet and trade. and Hong Kong concern- has been shut out of the
Communist Party officials as well as support for Ti- Previous visa restrictions ing Chinese sovereignty U.S. market and the U.S.
whose policies or actions betans to choose the next and financial sanctions and territorial integrity has lobbied other coun-
are aimed at repressing Dalai Lama, their spiritual applied to officials "in- are purely internal affairs tries to follow suit, with
religious groups, ethnic mi- leader, on their own. volved in the horrific abus- of China, and no foreign mixed results.q