Page 9 - Aruba Today

WORLD NEWS 9
Thursday 3 December 2015

Chinese president Xi visiting Russian top military officials speak to the media in front of an aerial images of what they say
are oil trucks near Turkey’s border with Syria is displayed by the Russian Defense Ministry at a
South Africa to discuss trade briefing in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015. (Vadim Savitsky/ Russian DMPS via AP)

LYNSEY CHUTEL Russia:
Associated Press
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Welcomed by a mili- Turkey president benefits from IS oil trade
tary band and a guard of honor, Chinese President Xi
Jinping began a state visit to South Africa on Wednes- V. ISACHENKOV trucks streaming from the Ministry made the claims.
day, part of China’s effort to strengthen economic M. HADJICOSTIS IS-controlled deposits in “Those who make such
ties with Africa. Associated Press Syria and Iraq into Turkish slanderous claims are
The Chinese government became Africa’s largest in- MOSCOW (AP) — Sharply sea ports and refineries. obliged to prove them. If
ternational trading partner in 2009, according to the raising the stakes in Mos- “The main customer for this they do I would not remain
South African Institute of International Affairs. Trade cow’s spat with Ankara, oil stolen from Syria and on the presidential seat for
was valued at over $201 billion last year, a sharp rise Russia’s top military brass Iraq is Turkey,” said Deputy one minute. But those who
from just $10.6 billion in 2000. This is Xi’s second visit to on Wednesday accused Defense Minister Anatoly make the claim must also
the country — the first was in 2013 when the Chinese Turkish President Recep Antonov. “The top political give up their seat if they
president toured several African states. Tayyip Erdogan and his leadership of the country, can’t prove it.”
Xi met his South African counterpart President Jacob family of personally profit- President Erdogan and his The Russian plane’s down-
Zuma in an official ceremony in the capital Pretoria. ing from oil trade with Is- family, is involved in this ing has badly strained
After the red carpet procession, each president was lamic State militants. criminal business.” the relationship between
flanked by row of cabinet ministers, who were part The bluntly-worded ac- The Turkish leader has de- the two nations that had
of the talks on issues such as financial cooperation cusations follow Turkey’s nied Russian President earlier developed close
and infrastructure projects. Xi’s visit comes ahead of downing of a Russian war- Vladimir Putin’s earlier economic ties. Russia has
the Forum onChina Africa Cooperation, a meeting plane at the Syrian border claims of Turkey’s involve- responded by deploying
that brings together African and Chinese leaders ev- last week, the first time a ment in oil trade with the IS, long-range air defense
ery three years. The two leaders watched as cabi- NATO member shot down and has pledged to step missiles at its air base in
net ministers and industry leaders signed 26 bilateral a Russian aircraft in more down if Moscow proves its Syria and slamming Turkey
agreements worth about $6.5 billion, that include a than half a century. The accusations. with an array of economic
$500 million loan to Eskom, South Africa’s struggling fierce personal attack on “No one has the right to sanctions.
national power supplier, according to a statement Erdogan reflects the Krem- make such a slander as to Erdogan warned Wednes-
released by the South African government. Xi’s visit lin’s anger and signals that suggest that Turkey buys day that “if Russia’s dispro-
to South Africa comes a day after meeting Zimba- Russia-Turkey tensions will Daesh’s oil. Turkey has not portionate reactions con-
bwe’s President Robert Mugabe in Harare, where the likely continue to escalate. lost its moral values as to tinue, we will be forced to
Chinese leader signed deals worth more than $4 bil- The Russian Defense Min- buy oil from a terror orga- take our own measures.”
lion, according to Zimbabwean newspapers. In ad- istry invited dozens of for- nization,” Erdogan said in Antonov, meanwhile, said
dition to China’s mining interests in cash-strapped eign military attaches and Wednesday’s speech at that IS militants make $2 bil-
Zimbabwe, the 12 agreements cover industries such hundreds of journalists to Qatar University, using the lion a year from the illegal
as power and transport, and prevent double taxa- produce what they said Arabic acronym for the Is- oil trade, and he squarely
tion for investors, according to the Herald, a state- were satellite and aerial lamic State group, shortly put the personal blame on
owned Zimbabwean newspaper. Nigerian President images of thousands of oil after the Russian Defense Erdogan.q
Muhammadu Buhari is travelling to South Africa this
week, where he will also meet Xi, his office said in a
statement. The two leaders are to discuss a coastal
railway project in Nigeria, which Buhari’s government
hopes will be financed by a $12 billion Chinese loan,
the statement said. China’s economic downturn has
had a knock-on effect on African countries that ex-
port raw materials toChina’s once-booming indus-
tries. “I think that we’re all in the same boat if you’re a
producer in the global economy,” said South Africa’s
Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies. “The de-
mand is lower so the prices are lower.” Xi may have
to spend some time on this trip reassuring African
leaders that trade relations will remain strong, said
Aubrey Hruby, a Washington D.C.-based economist.
The Chinese government is unrivalled in its willingness
to fund big infrastructure projects in Africa, although
American companies still provide the highest foreign
direct investment to African countries, she said.q