In Trump-Xi summit, a shifting US-China power dynamic on display

During the trade truce between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea, experts debated which leader prevailed.

There is hardly any disagreement about the shifting power balance between the leaders, though.

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Xi and the US president had a much stronger bargaining position at their previous face-to-face meeting in 2019 and he left with some uncommon concessions, such as a partial rollback of technology-related export controls.

The Chinese leader appeared to emphasize their equality while Trump and Xi exchanged handshakes and niceties on the APEC summit’s side, drawing inspiration from two ship captains.

We should maintain the right course in the face of the current conditions, navigate through the challenging landscape, and ensure the giant ship’s forward momentum, according to Xi.

China believes it is “far, far closer to a peer now,” according to Dexter Roberts, a senior non-resident at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.

He told Al Jazeera, “I believe that China has definitely increased its stature while the US has definitely decreased.”

Beijing has strengthened the Chinese economy to better withstand US pressure and put additional pressure on it against Washington since Trump started his first trade war with China in 2018.

Beijing announced that businesses anywhere in the world would need approval to export goods containing even trace amounts of its rare-earth metals shortly after the Trump administration dramatically expanded the scope of its export blacklist to include thousands of Chinese subsidiaries last month.

Beijing’s willingness to use its effective stranglehold on the crucial minerals to defend its interests, which are essential for everything from smartphones to electric cars and fighter jets.

The restrictions had raised the possibility of a catastrophic disruption to global supply chains because China had a controlling interest in 90% of rare earth mining and 90% of separation and processing.

According to Gabriel Wildau, senior vice president at global business advisory firm Teneo, “Beijing’s ability to use export controls on rare earths as leverage has been decisive in shifting the balance of negotiating leverage.”

According to Wildau, “Beijing’s leverage over global supply chains will serve as a restraint on other governments that are considering imposing tariffs, export controls, or other coercive measures against China,” adding that it was unclear whether China “intends to go on the offensive.”

Prior to the summit, China had also significantly reduced its dependence on US agricultural products, particularly soya beans, which had also grown stronger.

Due to tit-for-trade disputes between Washington and Beijing, China had already been able to more than halve the share of American beans imported by turning to Brazil and Argentina by the end of May, when it stopped purchasing them.

Farmers in states across the midwestern US, including Iowa, Nebraska, and Indiana, were negatively impacted by China’s effective embargo, making them a political liability ahead of the midterm elections in 2026.

The Atlantic Council fellow Roberts claimed that China had figured out how to manipulate Trump’s “transactional nature and proclivity.”

According to Roberts, “I believe they figured out that Trump actually has some things in mind.”

And I believe that the US president gains legitimacy from negotiation, and that China is willing to do so if cooperating with the US is what they want.

He continued, “I believe they played this all very well to their advantage.”

The agreement largely restores the two countries’ relations to the status quo that existed prior to Trump’s crippling “liberation day” tariffs in April, while China is scheduled to resume purchases of US soybeans and postpone planned export controls on five of its 12 rare earths under the truce.

China benefits from a 20% to 10% reduction in his fentanyl-linked tariff, which is the only major concession that precedes Trump’s April trade war.

While China has bolstered its position over the past ten years, it was difficult to predict whether either superpower would have a clear advantage in their heated strategic conflict, according to Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.

The US was able to control technology more effectively the last time. The People’s Republic of China, or PRC, was then discovered a way to control rare earths, Chong told Al Jazeera.

“In the future, the US will change and discover something new. That is how things operate.

Some analysts in China are much less equivocal.

The power balance between China and the US has changed since Trump’s first term, according to Wang Wen, dean of the Renmin University of China in Beijing, and his trade war may now be deemed a failure.

Wang told Al Jazeera, “The US has to learn respect because of China’s strength.”

American Mayer becomes three-weight world champion

Eye of the Tiger/Vitor Munhoz

In Canada, Mikaela Mayer defeated Mary Spencer to become a three-division world champion and unified light-middleweight champion.

The 35-year-old American outlasted the hometown favorite over 10 rounds at Montreal Casino.

As Mayer claimed the WBC and WBO belts after retiring trailblazer Cecilia Braekhus, judges scored the contest 100-90, 98-92, and 98-92.

This is extra special because I’ve previously won a WBO, but I’ve never had the WBA or WBC put around my waist, Mayer said.

    • 7 April 2022
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The Californian varied her body and head attacks before finding her rhythm behind a sharp jab.

She maintained control of the range and tempo throughout despite being only two inches taller than the 5’11” Spencer.

Mayer reawakened after a pair of right-handers connected in the fourth round to close the eighth round with four potent hooks, which appeared to be inevitable.

At the conclusion of the 13th bout, Spencer suffered a third defeat and was left with a mark under both eyes.

Undisputed after two shots at it? What will Mayer do next?

Mikaela Mayer celebrates with her new belts in CanadaEye of the Tiger/Vitor Munhoz
Following her second successive victory over Briton Sandy Ryan earlier this year, Mayer once more reaffirmed her lifelong desire to become an undying champion.

In a contested fight, she had hoped to face Wales’ WBC welterweight champion Lauren Price.

Promotional and broadcast issues largely caused the fight to fail.

If Mayer’s next fight with Price, who is scheduled to return to the UK in December, does not materialize, she may fight IBF champion Oshae Jones, who is unbeaten.

Mayer said, “The most crucial thing is that I have choices.”

“I’d love to do both: go back to 147 pounds for undisputed and then come back to 154 pounds to defend.”

Claressa Shields, the self-declared “Greatest Woman of All Time” and undisputed three-weight world champion who currently holds titles at heavyweight, could also face off in a potential super-fight.

Several promoters are interested in American Shields, who is currently a free agent, including co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian Most Valuable Promotions.

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The La Liga innovator out to prove his old club wrong

Elche’s 4-0 victory at Deportivo in June sealed their automatic relegation from La Liga after two years away from Spain’s top flight.

Elche could hardly be categorized as one of those clubs pundits like to call “punching above their weight” because it is the 20th largest city in the Comunidad Valenciana and the third-largest city in the entire of Spain.

Most pundits continued to give them the questionable distinction of being – along with Real Oviedo – favorites to drop right back into the second tier, despite that.

So far, that is completely incorrect. With more than a quarter of the regular season up, Eder Sarabia’s side are eighth in La Liga heading into Sunday’s game against Barcelona, with three victories, five draws, and just two losses.

The Bilbao-born coach will make a moving debut with the Catalan club after a turbulent seven-and-a-half month stint as Quique Setien’s assistant in 2020.

What is known about Eder Sarabia?

According to legend, the apple never falls far from a tree, despite the fact that Eder Sarabia’s skills were different from those of his father Manu.

Manu is a legend at his hometown Athletic Club, having won two league and two cups in 1983 and 1984 between 1982 and 1984.

Eder never even attempted to match his father’s footballing prowess as a player and never played in the third division, despite his best efforts.

He claims that “I didn’t realize I was going to play football,” but the plan didn’t work out. I started coaching and felt content from the beginning because I ended up being an amateur. I’ve continued to do so, and I’m delighted.

My parents were concerned that failing to fulfill that dream would traumatize me, but they were relieved to see that coaching was right for me.

When it became clear that he was not going to reach the playing heights his father had previously achieved, things started to get worse.

He credits his mother for convincing him to pursue engineering studies when it might have seemed more logical to pursue a course in physical education.

We had nothing to offer, but he says, “We lacked when I wanted to buy a car, but I had to work hard before I could buy it.”

My parents told me to get a job after I finished engineering, so I decided to pursue a master’s degree.

He eventually took over the fruit counter in a Bilbao supermarket after taking over as a shelf stacker.

What brought him to Elche?

At the age of 24, Sarabia knew from beginning to end his professional career that he would never be able to reach the heights he had hoped.

Instead, he began to instruct young people at Cruces before moving on to Danok Bat, one of the Basque country’s main feeder clubs that promotes player development for the region’s senior teams.

Sarabia relocated to Villarreal in 2011, and in October 2013 he was appointed manager of their C team.

His subsequent meeting with Setien, who had played alongside Sarabia senior at Logrones and with whom he would spend the next five years working, was crucial to his development.

Setien had a significant impact on younger Sarabia.

He tells me, “My father and Quique were my two footballing fathers.”

We were close for a long time because I met Quique when I was eight years old and he was probably my father’s best friend when he played football.

He contacted Setien, who was the coach at Lugo, to discuss how he could make things better while he was at Villarreal.

Setien, in turn, promised him a job whenever he left the Galician club and watched Sarabia’s Villarreal youth team play.

True to his word, Setien immediately contacted Sarabia, a 34-year-old resident of Las Palmas, to offer him the position of assistant when he first called in October 2015.

A “learning curve” at Barca

Eder Sarabia and Lionel MessiGetty Images

Sarabia immediately became aware of what it would feel like to be outside of his comfort zone while Lionel Messi was in charge of a Barcelona.

Messi was later identified by the media as the main cause of a rift between the club’s dressing room and coaching staff, which was highlighted during a game against Celta Vigo when he was shown in public ignore him and admit to an argument with the squad and staff after the game.

However, he only has positive things to say about his time with Messi and the Blaugrana these days.

Leo is probably the one who comprehends [football] the best of all time, according to him, referring to the Argentine genius. He was incredibly well-versed in the situation.

He is a fantastic winner, he claims. We had our ups and downs, and he would become angry if you made a whistle-out against his team during a training session or if they lost.

He wished for better things for the team, for the good of the team, and because he hoped to keep winning. He aspired to win another Champions League title.

I want to leave a legacy.

Eder Sarabia and his father Manu after the Elche boss was named La Liga manager of the month for OctoberGetty Images

Eder left Gerard Pique’s FC Andorra for a three-year contract with second-tier Elche.

After a two-year hiatus, the team regained control of La Liga, earning him a contract extension through June 2027.

Sarabia’s Elche side have shown that their innovative, adaptable attacking style should be more than enough to stay up despite a recent blip that saw his side lose two and draw one of their previous three.

Some promoted clubs have a propensity to launch defensive campaigns in survival mode rather than pursue them. However, Elche won’t be able to do that.

They will at least go down swinging, playing their own style of football, and remaining true to Sarabia’s ethos, which is to make fans happy, if they are going to go straight back down, which seems unlikely at the moment.

We have a general idea and a model, he says, but we never play the same way.

A non-negotiable requirement that players be honest about their competition is fundamental to his philosophy.

There is a word called “jatorra” in Basque, he says. Although there is no precise translation, it is similar to being decent, sincere, and doing it the right way.

“Not everything continues as long as you win.” Football is for intelligent people, but not for cheaters, which is a trait that my father taught me.

Sarabia believes that the wellbeing of a club should be the main concern in football rather than just outcomes, wins, or transactions in the transfer market.

He says, “I consider the club’s potential both short- and long-term.”

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Triple up on Crystal Palace? The FPL talking point

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Is it time to combine your fantasy Premier League team with Eagles assets since Oliver Glasner’s FA Cup-winning Crystal Palace are a force to reckon with?

Although Palace is 10th in the Premier League, a favorable schedule of games will be played in November.

Before visiting Wolves and Manchester United, they play Brentford and Brighton.

Is there a chance the Eagles manager will need to switch teams now that Glasner’s side is competing in the Conference League this year and has reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after beating Liverpool on Wednesday?

    • 23 hours ago

Triple Palace is a case of “excellent value for money.”

FPL Heisenberg: Crystal Palace have excelled under Glasner, and this is the right time to invest. In their next four games, they will travel home three times, and they won’t face a top-six team in any of their six gameweeks.

My top three picks for the Crystal Palace assets are Daniel Munoz, Ismaila Sarr, and Jean-Philippe Mateta, who are all excellent value for money.

No defenseman has contributed more goals to Munoz’s last two seasons, which makes him incredibly attacking. In nine games so far this season, he has one goal and three assists.

He scores those points in three of his nine games this season, which is impressive for an attacking wing-back.

Sarr, a midfielder with a brace at Anfield this week, shows his potential. With three goals and one assist in seven starts, he has also had a solid league start.

I’m backing him to improve on these numbers now that the fixtures are getting better.

Table showing Crystal Palace's next five fixtures

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FPL Heisenberg: Despite all the competitions they are competing in, Crystal Palace will struggle to keep their squad balanced. They will also compete in both domestic cup competitions because they are still in Europe.

Overall, it’s still worthwhile to choose the triple, with their main men unlikely to miss any Premier League games, Munoz, Sarr, and Mateta.

Statman Dave: Because there is no rotation at the moment, my only concern with Crystal Palace is the Conference League and these cup competitions. On Thursday and the weekend, Oliver Glasner will play his first XI, which will be followed by his final XI.

The wing backs and central midfielders, who play twice a week, are very energetic, which is a bit of a problem.

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Prescribing the beautiful game: Can free tickets help mental health?

Robbie Savage defends the claim that “people think I’m a pantomime villain and that I should be able to take the abuse.” However, it has an impact on me, particularly if I’m isolated and living alone with my family.

The manager of Rovers of Forest Green, a frequently antagonistic player in football, is talking about mental health and the “vile abuse” some opposition fans have directed at him.

Patients with depression can now order tickets to Forest Green home games thanks to a pilot NHS pilot scheme in Gloucestershire.

Savage, who was released by Manchester United and captained four Premier League clubs, is open about his own mental health.

He has previously addressed his father’s passing and dealing with anxiety and panic attacks.

The former Wales midfielder, 51, has been away from his wife Sarah and youngest son Freddie for most of the week since taking the full-time position at Forest Green in July.

It can be difficult for me to return to my apartment when I’m alone or isolated, Savage says.

“You can go out with your team-mates when you’re a player.” You can’t go out with your players as a manager, which makes it quite lonely, especially when you’re being abused.

Savage claimed earlier this month that he was abused while playing away at Carlisle United, and the Cumbrian club has agreed to provide the Football Association with video, audio, and CCTV footage.

“The humor, the banter, and the camaraderie are what I like most about football,” I said. Savage says it’s with away fans and that’s what we do at this football team.

There is a line, though. That line was crossed [against Carlisle], and that is unacceptable. We’re not talking about the daily abuse that football fans endure.

Then there is a “social media pile-on.” Even the negative energy that other people have around me occasionally strikes me.

What should I do about it? Although it’s challenging, speaking to people and being in front of people at the training facility are what I value most.

Savage supports his club’s efforts to provide free tickets to people with mild to moderate depression. He believes it is crucial to address mental health issues.

He continues, “People do struggle mentally in life.”

Rovers of Forest Green boss Robbie Savage interacts with fans before a gameGetty Images

Modernity “cuts us off from people”

Antidepressants are prescribed to more than eight million adults in England, according to NHS figures.

The Cotswolds-based club collaborated with Dr. Simon Opher, a Labour MP for Stroud, for the “Fool on Prescription” scheme.

Patients are given match tickets instead of pills in the hope that the sense of belonging that comes with cheering on a team can improve their mental health.

Football, according to Dale Vince, the owner of Rovers of Forest Green, “football brings people together like nothing else.”

Nature and people are the two things that modern life separates us from. Being alone and lonely is a very common trait.

I’ve had times where I’ve felt a little let down and excluded from time to time throughout my life. When you’re not in contact with people, things can easily spiral downward.

The sense of community that it brings about is one of the best aspects of running a football club, according to me. It’s about community, not making money, at this point.

A conversation between Vince and Dr. Opher led to the development of the social prescribing practice, which includes giving patients match tickets.

According to Dr. Opher, “social prescribing is essentially about trying to get people better without using drugs – art classes, exercises, gardening.”

I’m not denying that antidepressants are effective. Some people consider them to be very important, but I believe we overuse them and overuse them because there isn’t anything else available.

Let’s try something different, please. “Being at a football stadium and feeling like a part of a club,” is what this is about.

Critics contend that social prescribing may have short-term advantages, but there is inconsistent evidence of its long-term efficacy in reducing GP visits or improving social support.

Vince, who claims the scheme is the first of its kind in the UK and possibly the entire world, says, “We try to follow up with people who come here and see if they want a repeat prescription.”

Robbie Savage (right) and his players applaud Rovers of Forest Green fans after the 2-1 win over Boreham WoodBBC Sport

Savage is “a breath of fresh air,” according to the statement.

Savage enters a hospitality box at Forest Green’s ground, which is set high on a hill and offers breath-taking views of the Gloucestershire countryside, as he enters a hospitality box.

Although he will soon be in charge of a top-of-the-table game against Boreham Wood, he still finds time to meet and photograph Sally, who has been given a match ticket by her neighborhood GP.

Sally, 55, was struck by a car when she was 11 years old and has occasionally struggled with her mental health.

Savage, a veteran of 346 Premier League games for Leicester City, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, and Derby County, says, “Wait here, Sally, I’ll be back in two minutes.”

Sally receives a green and black scarf from the club shop.

Rovers of Forest Green manager Robbie Savage with Sally, who has been prescribed a match ticket as part of the 'Football on Prescription' initiativeBBC Sport

Boreham Wood defeated Forest Green 2-1 to the cheers of the 1,825-person crowd, putting them two points clear of Rochdale.

The manager spends the majority of the game standing in his technical area, looking as though he wants to kick every ball, and cheering his players whenever they can, which makes Savage’s antics on the sidelines as entertaining as the game itself.

Niels, who also received a game ticket, says, “He is a breath of fresh air.”

He is Mr Motivator, as he is referred to as in the video.

Would Niels, who has battled addiction issues, suggest “Fool on Prescription”?

“This is my third Forest Green game, and I’m using social prescribing again.” Your spirits are lifted when you visit this place. It almost feels like a reset. A complex subject is mental health. But at least Forest Green are attempting to do something.

Sally will attend another game, or not?

“I’m eager to return,” I said. It’s a chance to meet new people and get outside. Better than any medication I’ve ever taken, in my opinion.

In the first round of the FA Cup, Rovers of Forest Green travel to League One Luton Town on Friday (3:30 GMT kick-off).

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China’s Xi defends multilateralism at APEC after striking deal with Trump

At an annual economic regional forum that Donald Trump had pointedly snubbed, Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded efforts to promote economic globalization and multilateralism.

As Trump left the nation a day earlier after reaching agreements meant to end the escalating trade war with China, Xi took center stage at the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit that kicked off Friday in the south Korean city of Gyeongju.

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During the opening session, Xi said, “The more turbulent the times, the more we must work together.” “The world is going through a period of rapid change, with the world’s situation becoming more complex and volatile.”

The Chinese leader positioned his nation as the protector of free trade agreements, which according to observers are threatened by Trump’s “America first” and “treasure first” policies.

Xi urged other nations to work together to expand cooperation in green industries and clean energy, as opposed to US efforts to decouple its supply chains from China.

Solar panel exports from China, electric vehicles, and other green technologies have received criticism for undermining domestic industries in the nations they export to.

After striking a number of deals with Xi to ease their growing trade war, the US president left the nation before the summit. Trump claimed that Beijing had agreed to allow the export of rare earth elements and to begin purchasing US soya beans in exchange for lowering tariffs, and that his meeting with Xi on Thursday was a roaring success.

The US president’s decision to skip APEC, a forum that accounts for nearly 40% of the world’s population and handles more than 50% of global goods trade, is in line with his well-known dislike of large, multi-nation forums, which have traditionally been used to address enormous global issues. He favors grand spectacle one-on-one meetings that generate broad media coverage.

According to Al Jazeera’s Jack Barton, who is based in Gyeongju, Xi is “filling the vacuum” that Trump has created.

Xi will meet with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung separately on Friday for his first visit to the country in 11 years. On Saturday, Xi and Lee will have a meeting to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Barton claimed that the meeting with Takaichi would “set the tone for the foreseeable future” in terms of diplomatic relations. Chinese media portrays the Japanese prime minister as a far-right nationalist who has visited the polarizing Yasukuni Shrine.

A political bulwark in East Asia, the site is dedicated to 2.5 million Japanese who perished in conflicts that started in the 19th century. Among those honored are former World War II leaders who were found guilty of crimes against humanity as “Class A,” some of whom committed atrocities in China during the 20th century under the Imperial Japan flag.

According to Barton, “South Korea and China have some of these historical misunderstandings with Japan.” They basically stated, “We’re going to put legacy issues on one side and diplomacy on the other, so there’s room for a positive outcome.”

On Friday, Xi had a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to talk about trade. According to Barton, “We’re anticipating the conclusion of perhaps the most significant significant economic deal.”

At the APEC meeting, leaders from 21 Asian and Pacific Rim countries and representatives of their respective countries will discuss ways to promote economic cohesion and address common issues.

The APEC region is plagued by a number of issues, including the US-China strategic competition, supply chain flaws, ageing populations, and job-killing AI effects.

To prevent repeating the failure to issue a joint statement in Papua New Guinea in 2018 due to US-China trade friction, South Korean officials said they have been in contact with other nations.

Due to the divergent opinions of APEC members, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated last week that issuing a joint statement strongly supporting free trade would be unlikely.

The outcome, according to Al Jazeera’s Barton, might be a “watered-down version.”