The US-China relationship / The 2024 US election

Chinese officers. Archive image. Mark Schiefelbein / Ap  

 

The US-China relationship  

The US and China are spying – two issues are crucial  

 

China and the United States have scaled up their global spying efforts, the New York Times reports. The development was made clear when the Chinese spy balloon over the United States was discovered last winter. 

 

The two countries' main goal with their respective intelligence operations is to answer two questions: What are the intentions of the leader of the rival country? And what military and technological capabilities do they have? 

 

For the US, much of the work is about finding out more about what Xi Jinping's plans are for Taiwan. The FBI has also stepped up its pursuit of Chinese spies in the United States. In the past year, it has been possible to identify about a dozen breaches of US military bases, carried out by Chinese citizens. 

 

 

The 2024 US election

Trump opens for female vice president - promises to end the war in 24 hours  

 

Donald Trump is open to appointing a woman as vice-presidential candidate, he says in an exclusive interview with the NBC program "Meet the press". 

 

- I like the concept, but we must choose the best person. But yes, I like the concept, says Trump. 

 

In the interview, the 77-year-old also says that, as president, he would put Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyj in the same room and then end the war in 24 hours. But he gives no details. 

 

- If I tell you exactly, I lose all my negotiating cards [...] But I would say certain things to Putin. I would say certain things to Zelenskyi.  

 

So far, only short excerpts have been published from the interview, which will be released in its entirety on Sunday. The interview has received a lot of attention in advance.

 

 

Paul Sancya / AP  

 

The car strike in the USA 

"Reasonably productive" talks between Ford and unions  

 

Negotiations between the United Auto Workers union and Ford Motors have been "reasonably productive" in trying to agree on a new contract. This is announced by the trade union, writes Reuters.  

 

According to the UAW, talks with Ford are now more positive than they were just before the strike was called. Then the car giant's CEO Jim Farley said that the union's demands would "drive Ford into bankruptcy". 

 

At the same time, a proposal from Stellantis to resume work at the factory in Illinois is said to have come to nothing.  

 

The general strike among the three giants Ford, GM and Stellantis is now in its third day.

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