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China’s economic influence more welcome in poorer countries, poll finds

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Thailand holds most positive views of China, followed by Nigeria, Kenya and Tunisia, Pew survey shows.

Taipei, Taiwan – China’s economic influence is felt everywhere around the world, but whether it is viewed in a positive or negative light depends greatly on each country’s economic development, a survey of 35 countries has found.

People living in high-income countries like the United States, Canada, Australia expressed broadly unfavourable views of China overall, with a median of 70 percent of people across 18 countries reporting negative feelings, according to polling released this week by the Pew Research Center.

Those perceptions flipped in middle-income countries like Thailand, Kenya, and Bangladesh, with a median of 56 percent of respondents across 17 countries reporting favourable views, according to the Pew figures published on Tuesday.

Within the 35 countries surveyed, individual views varied widely, with the lowest approval rating reported by Sweden at 11 percent, followed by Japan (12 percent), Australia (14 percent) and the US (16 percent).

The most positive views were reported by Thailand at 80 percent, followed by Nigeria (75 percent), Kenya (73 percent), Tunisia (68 percent), and Singapore (67 percent).

A similar division was seen regarding perceptions of whether China had a positive or negative influence on the economy specifically.

A median of 57 percent of people in high-income countries viewed China’s economic influence negatively, in contrast to the median of 47 percent of people in middle-income countries who viewed its influence positively.

In the US, 76 percent of respondents reported negative views towards China’s economic influence, followed by Germany (69 percent), France (68 percent), and Canada (68 percent), with similarly negative views held across Europe, Japan, South Korea and India.

Singapore and Malaysia viewed China’s economic influence in the most positive light, with 67 percent of respondents reporting favourable views, followed by Nigeria (64 percent) and Thailand (63 percent).

Pew attributed some of the views to the effect of China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative, which has invested more than $3 trillion in other countries over the past decade.

Views of Chinese President Xi Jinping were negative on the whole, with a median of 24 percent of respondents expressing confidence in the leader and 62 percent reporting little to no confidence.

The most unfavourable views were held by Japan (87 percent), Australia (85 percent), and Sweden (82 percent).

Singapore and Thailand had the most favourable views of Xi, with 63 percent of respondents saying they had a fair or great deal of confidence in the Chinese leader, followed by Malaysia (55 percent) and Bangladesh (51 percent).

Nine middle-income countries surveyed separately about the effect of Chinese companies on their economies reported overall positive views.

A median of 72 percent agreed that Chinese companies are good for their country’s economy, with the most positive views reported in Thailand (81 percent), Kenya (80 percent), and Bangladesh (79 percent). The trio of countries also reported overall positive views about the environmental impact of Chinese companies and how they treat local workers.

India had the most negative views, with only 49 percent of respondents viewing Chinese companies as having a positive effect on their economy, followed by Ghana (55 percent) and South Africa (57 percent).

Within the Asia Pacific region, nine out of 10 countries surveyed expressed a high level of concern about China’s territorial disputes in the region.

The highest level of concern was expressed in the Philippines, which regularly clashes with Beijing over its claims in the South China Sea, with 91 percent of respondents saying they were at least somewhat worried.

The Southeast Asian nation was followed by South Korea (87 percent) and Japan (86 percent), which have similar disputes in the East China Sea, Australia (82 percent), and India (69 percent).

 

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Vladimir Putin is in a painful economic bind – The Economist

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Vladimir Putin is in a painful economic bind  The Economist



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Which items will be tax-free under the Liberals’ promised GST/HST break?

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The government on Thursday announced a sweeping promise to make groceries, children’s clothing, Christmas trees, restaurant meals and more free from GST/HST between Dec. 14 and Feb. 15.

“Our government can’t set prices at checkout, but we can put more money in people’s pockets,” Trudeau said at a press conference announcing the measures.

The government says removing GST from these goods for a two-month period would save $100 for a family that spends $2,000 on those goods during that time. For those in provinces with HST, a family spending $2,000 would save $260.

Thursday’s announcement also included a rebate for Canadians who worked in 2023 and made less than $150,000, totalling $250 per person.

Here are the items that will be GST/HST-free if the Liberals’ legislation passes.

Groceries

Many grocery items are already tax-free. The Canada Revenue Agency considers most food and beverages to be “basic” grocery items, such as produce, bread, cereal, canned and frozen food, eggs, coffee, milk, and meat.

However, certain categories, like carbonated drinks, candies and snack foods, are taxed.

The government’s tax break will apply to certain items that normally are subject to tax.

These include prepared foods such as vegetable trays and pre-made meals, as well as snacks such as chips, candy and granola bars.

Carbonated beverages, water bottles fruit juices and juice crystals are included, as are ice cream products and baked desserts like cakes and pies.

The government says its tax break will mean “essentially all food” will be GST/HST-free.

Alcohol

The tax break will also apply to alcoholic beverages below seven per cent alcohol by volume, including beer, wine, cider, and pre-mixed drinks.

Normally, all alcoholic drinks are taxed.

Restaurants

Restaurant meals will also be subject to the tax break. It will apply whether you’re dining in, taking food to go, or ordering delivery.

Children’s items

Children’s clothing, including baby bibs, socks, hats and footwear, will qualify for the tax break. So will children’s diapers and car seats.

Children’s footwear and clothing used exclusively for sports or recreational activities will not be included in the tax break. This includes costumes.

Children’s toys will be included in the tax break as long as they’re designed for use by children under 14 years old. These could include board games, dolls, card games, Lego, Plasticine and teddy bears.

Printed goods

Print newspapers will be included in the tax break, but electronic or digital publications will not.

Most flyers, magazines, inserts and periodicals will be excluded.

Printed books will be included in the tax break, including religious scripture. Audio books where 90 per cent or more of the recording is a reading of a printed book are included.

Printed items that aren’t subject to the tax break include magazines where advertisements take up more than five per cent of total printed space, sales catalogues and brochures, books designed for writing on, event programs, agendas and directories.

Other

Christmas trees, natural or artificial, will be included in the tax break.

Puzzles and video game consoles are also included.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.

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In Russia's War Economy, The Warning Lights Are Blinking – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

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In Russia’s War Economy, The Warning Lights Are Blinking  Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty



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