China :: World

by David Smith • Country's ruling elite part of a 'culture of impunity' • American diplomats keep watch on rise of China in Africa Kenya could descend into violence worse than the 2008 post-election crisis unless rampant corruption in the ruling elite is tackled, the US ambassador to Kenya has warned in a report to Washington. Michael Ranneberger's cable, written in January, is scathing about efforts to reform the political system in the country. "While some positive reform steps have been taken, the old guard associated with the culture of impunity continues to resist fundamental change ," he wrote. That culture has existed since independence, he said, adding that President Mwai Kibaki, prime minister Raila Odinga and "most members of the cabinet and leaders of the political parties" are part of it. He cited, but did not name, "a person at the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission ... [who] blocks progress on high-level investigations a

by Richard Wachman AstraZeneca's survey, which polled 6,000 people in six countries, showed that America is still viewed as the most innovative country, after Japan and China Britain once ruled a third of the world and its technological edge allowed it to run rings round its competitors. How different things are today. Britons have scarcely any confidence in the nation's ability to remain as innovative as its rivals, according to a study to be published this week. There is a pervasive fear the UK will slip further down the international league table, as the balance of power shifts from west to east. Britons expect China to replace Japan and the US as the new global standard bearer for innovation by 2020, a view widely held in other countries. Almost two thirds of Britons feel their country is not as innovative as it used to be, despite government efforts to create a culture where enterprise and innovation can flourish. Only 7% of us consider the UK to be the world

by Ewen MacAskill, Robert Booth • Agency identified priorities for information on UN leaders • Cables reveal further evidence of intelligence gathering The US state department's wishlist of information about the United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, and other senior members of his organisation was drawn up by the CIA, the Guardian has learned. The disclosure comes as new information emerged about Washington's intelligence gathering on foreign diplomats, including surveillance of the telephone and internet use of Iranian and Chinese diplomats. One of the most embarrassing revelations to emerge from US diplomatic cables obtained by the whistleblowers' website WikiLeaks has been that US diplomats were asked to gather intelligence on Ban, other senior UN staff , security council members and other foreign diplomats – a possible violation of international law. US state department spokesman PJ Crowley, in interviews since the release, has tried to deflect critic

by Zoe Wood Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria among countries with worst record, child labour index finds Emerging markets such as Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and Pakistan are child labour hotspots, according to a new study that warns British companies of the risks of sourcing goods from them. A number of UK high-street retailers, including Primark and Monsoon, have been caught up in recent exposés of labour practices through rogue suppliers. Now the 2011 Child Labour Index compiled by the risk analysis firm Maplecroft has illustrated the scale of the global child labour problem, with 68 countries ranked as being of "extreme risk" due to the level of abuse. Child workers are most frequently employed in clothing manufacturing, and Maplecroft says 70% of them work in the countryside, making them harder to trace. The index rates 196 countries. Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and Pakistan were among the dozen countries with the worst score – zero out of a possible 10

Wednesday, 23 September 2009, 16:24 S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 07 LONDON 002214 NOFORN SIPDIS EO 12958 DECL: 09/22/2019 TAGS PREL, PARM, KNNP, CH, EG, FR, IN, IR, KN, PK, RS, UK SUBJECT: U/S TAUSCHER'S BILATERAL MEETINGS IN LONDON WITH RUSSIAN, CHINESE, AND FRENCH OFFICIALS REF: A. (A) LONDON 2198 B. (B) LONDON 2199 Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 1. (S/NF) Summary: U/S for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher and Special Representative for Nuclear Nonproliferation Ambassador Susan Burk held bilateral consultations in London September 3-4, on the margins of the P5 Conference on Confidence Building Measures Towards Nuclear Disarmament, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs He Yafei, and French Director for Strategic Affairs Patrick Maisonnave. (Refs) All interlocutors agreed on the need for close P5 coordination in the lead-up to the UNSC Heads of Gover

Tuesday, 22 September 2009, 14:13 S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 LONDON 002198 NOFORN SIPDIS EO 12958 DECL: 09/21/2019 TAGS PARM, KNNP, PREL, CH, EG, FR, IN, IR, IZ, JA, KN, PK, RS, SL, UK SUBJECT: U/S TAUSCHER'S MEETINGS WITH FS MILIBAND AND OTHER HMG OFFICIALS Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 1. (S/NF) Summary: Under Secretary Tauscher held meetings in London on September 2-4 on the margins of the P5 Conference on Confidence Building Measures Towards Nuclear Disarmament with Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Simon McDonald, Head of the Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat at the Cabinet Office, Mariot Leslie, Director General, Defence and Intelligence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and Jon Day, MOD Director General for Security Policy. The UK interlocutors expressed broad support for USG goals with regard to nonproliferation and disarmament and highlighted the need for close P3 and P5 coordination in the lead-up to

• Latest leaks show China ready to abandon North Korea • Prince Andrew's sweary outbursts at media and French • Hillary Clinton leads international condemnation of leaks Today's WikiLeaks US embassy cables live updates 7.15am: Here's a catch-up on the current batch of leaked US diplomatic cables: Latest revelations • China is ready to accept a reunified Korea and regards North Korea as a spoiled child . South Korea's vice-foreign minister said he was told by two named senior Chinese officials that they believed Korea should be reunified under Seoul's control, and that this view was gaining ground with the leadership in Beijing. • Washington devours hearsay about Kim Jong-il's health, state of mind and succession plans . The "Dear Leader" variously emerges as "a flabby old chap", "quite a good drinker" and "increasingly indecisive since his stroke and other health problems". • The world according to Prince Andrew: c