This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- USS George Washington brings first significant aid to the Philippines
- China snubs Philippines on humanitarian aid, then backs down
- France and Eurozone economy falter, while Greece approaches new bailout crisis
USS George Washington brings first significant aid to the Philippines
USS George Washington nuclear powered aircraft carrier
The first significant international aid since Typhoon Haiyan hit thePhilippines started flowing Thursday with the arrival of the USSGeorge Washington aircraft carrier. Helicopters began ferrying in foodand clean water for regions that have seen little help in days. Othersupplies included tarpaulin sheets to shelter people from the sun andrain, as entire cities and towns have had roofs blown off almost everybuilding. Many people are getting increasingly angry at thePhilippine government for its failure to provide adequate aid tostarving homeless people. USA Today
China snubs Philippines on humanitarian aid, then backs down
China has been forced by international pressure to reverse a previous decision andsend much more humanitarian aid than it originally intended to thePhilippines. Following the total destruction of many Philippinecities and the deaths of thousands of people from Typhoon Haiyan, theworst typhoon on record, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Australiahave each offered $10 million in humanitarian aid. Additionally, South Korea haspledged $5 million, while the United States has given $20 million and the aid of its military, leading a massive relief effort. But China pledged only$100,000 in aid in an obvious snub to the Philippines.
China is claiming as sovereign territory the entire South China Sea,including regions that have historically belonged to other countries,including the Philippines. China has already forced the Philippinesto cede the Scarborough Shoal to China, under threat of militaryforce. So China’s obvious snub in humanitarian aid has been heavilycriticized internationally, and even its own Global Times saideditorially on Wednesday:
If it snubs Manila this time, China will suffer greatlosses. China, as a responsible power, should participate inrelief operations to assist a disaster-stricken neighboringcountry.
On Thursday, China announced:
Several days ago we also decided to send 10 millionRMB ($1.64 million) worth of humanitarian aid, including tents andblankets, to the Philippine people in the disaster zone. Theseinclude thousands of tents and hundreds of thousands ofblankets. …
The Chinese are a nation who have a lot of sympathy, a people wholove peace, who are happy to do good deeds. I believe that thevast majority of the Chinese people are understanding andsympathetic toward the situation of the Philippinepeople.
Actually, the Chinese people have a great deal of highly nationalistichatred of the Philippines, as shown by the initial snub. The Diplomat and LA Times
France and Eurozone economy falter, while Greece approaches new bailout crisis
France’s economy contracted by 0.1% in the third quarter (July,August, September) when it had been expected to grow slightly. Theentire 17-country eurozone grew by a much slower than expected 0.1% after growing 0.3% in the previous quarter.
Greece and eurozone officials are making little progress in coming upwith 2 billion euros of additional austerity measures and asset sales,as previously committed to the “Troika” of organizations bailing outGreece — the European Commission (EC), the European Central Bank(ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — in exchange for theprevious 240 billion euro bailouts. Greece is offering up 1.2 billioneuros in the form of “clamping down on loopholes that allow companiesto evade social security contributions, reducing the budgets of publicorganizations, merging state bodies and strictly implementing theacross-the-board wage structure in the public sector.”
Greekofficials are refusing the Troika request to sell off thegovernment-owned weapons manufacturer Hellenic Defense Systems. Anagreement has to be reached in time for Greece to receive a newbailout loan to pay off about 1.85 billion euros of bonds falling dueon January 11. Reuters and Kathimerini
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Philippines, China, Typhoon Haiyan,USS George Washington, Japan, Australia, South China Sea,Scarborough Shoal, France, eurozone, Greece, Troika
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.