Sino-US Relations Stand at Historic New Starting Point

Posted by AsiaViews | Nov 13, 2017 | 0 |

China Daily

Nov 9, 2017

From the Chinese and US first couples’ meticulously arranged and memorable private visit to the Forbidden City to the $250 billion business deals announced on Thursday, Donald Trump’s maiden trip to China as US president has indeed been a “state visit plus”.

There was no reason for it not to be.

Although the differences that had been pestering bilateral ties have not instantly disappeared, the most important takeaway from their talks in Beijing has been the constructive approach to these issues the two leaders demonstrated.

Both expressed their willingness to work with, instead of against, the other in dealing with the differences between their two countries, in particular over trade and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear program.

Beijing and Washington have been working hard to find convergences on these two prominent issues, in particular, and will very likely work harder given the two leaders’ agreement that cooperation between the two countries is the “only correct choice”.

But these matters are complicated and they are unlikely to have come up with any quick fixes. Although both clearly believe the issues are solvable, with Trump saying they will work together to solve not only their mutual problems but also world “problems of great danger and security”, and President Xi Jinping saying China is committed to working with the United States on issues of international concern, as well as controlling the differences between the two sides.

Such precious progress in trying to find common ground, along with the Chinese commitment to establish a constructive “new-type of relationship” with the US, as Xi again elaborated in his talks with Trump, will go a long way to anchoring the all-important, yet sometimes volatile, Sino-US relationship.

The concordant note struck by Xi and Trump showcased not only the personal rapport they have established, but also consolidated optimism about the prospects for bilateral ties, especially since Xi has previously emphasized the “leading role of head-of-state diplomacy”, and Trump on Thursday touted the “chemistry” between himself and his host.

There is undoubtedly a lot of work left to do, as the US secretary of state pointed out. But the readiness of the two leaders to listen, as well as talk, was apparent in their public appearances, and offers hope that together, China and the US can do “tremendous things” to the benefit of both countries, even the world, as Trump suggested.

Certainly, China is willing since, as Xi said, the Pacific is big enough to accommodate both and although there are challenges the two nations need to face, these are limited, and there is boundless potential for growth.

(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2017-11/09/content_34345630.htm)

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

Sino-US Relations Stand at Historic New Starting Point