Volume 4, Number 10

EIR Daily Alert Service

P.O. Box 17390, Washington, DC 20041-0390

• British Apoplectic: U.S. Could Join the ‘Common Destiny of Mankind’ with China and Russia
• Brits Try To Poison Trump-Putin Relations, Falsely Announce Reykjavik Meeting within Weeks
• British Caught Red-Handed in the Steele ‘Trump Dossier’ Caper
• Trump Tells Wall Street Journal He Is Open To Improved Ties with Russia, Including on Sanctions
• Former NATO Head Warns of ‘Sleepwalking’ into Confrontation with Russia
• China, Russia Warn Seoul and Washington on THAAD Deployment
• Preparations for Astana Syrian Peace Talks Moving Forward
• Xi Jinping To Expound His View of a ‘Community of Common Destiny’ in Switzerland
• Switzerland Looks Forward to Xi Visit
• Major Breakthrough on Kra Canal Potential
• India Should Learn from China: Spend More on Scientific Research To Accelerate Development
• Free Trade Agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union Starts This Year

EDITORIAL

British Apoplectic: U.S. Could Join the ‘Common Destiny of Mankind’ with China and Russia

Jan. 15 (EIRNS)—Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Switzerland today, both for a state visit with that nation and to deliver the keynote address to the Davos World Economic Forum on Jan. 17. There is a special irony to Xi’s much-awaited address to that body: Davos is perhaps the emblematic international forum of the dying imperial order which is rapidly being replaced by a New Paradigm under the leadership of Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

An article in Xinhua today previewed some of the central themes that Xi is expected to address, regarding the content of that emerging new order. “A community of common destiny, a shared home for humanity. Since Xi first proposed the concept in late 2012, it has gone on to shape China’s approach to global governance,” Xinhua wrote. The Belt and Road Initiative, the concept of win-win cooperation, and “a new security concept” to foster universal security, are all part of Xi’s policy. Xinhua quoted Tanq Qifang, a researcher with the China Institute of International Studies, explaining: “The concept of a community of common destiny transcends all sorts of differences in human society and targets greatest possible benefits for all.”

Having everything to lose, the British Empire is nothing short of apoplectic about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s statements that he intends to normalize relations with both China and Russia, as he once again made clear in a Jan. 13 interview with the Wall Street Journal. The British are wildly exposing themselves to try to cripple Trump, and to torpedo any rapprochement with Russia, in particular. As the U.K. daily Guardian confessed, the British “fear a deepening relationship between the U.S. and Russia under Trump risks leaving Britain out in the cold.”

Lyndon LaRouche today commented that, “the way he [Trump] is going ahead right now, there’s going to be a big change internationally. Now, it’s not Trump alone. It’s the other elements in the system that are coming together to bring a force into play which will dominate the planet. Not because they are using fists, but because they are using brains. I’ve always preferred brains to fists,” LaRouche noted.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche elaborated that what the British “are trying to attempt against Trump is a color revolution.” Trump is now being subjected to a campaign of lies and “fake news” similar to what the British orchestrated covertly for decades to target Lyndon LaRouche as their mortal enemy. There is one stroke that can be taken to put an end to that color revolution, Zepp-LaRouche stated: Indicate that what was done to Lyndon LaRouche was the greatest injustice, for which the United States as a nation has paid dearly for decades, and immediately implement LaRouche’s Four Laws, beginning with a return to FDR’s Glass-Steagall.

She continued: That is because around the world, at the highest levels of government, as we have been told directly and repeatedly, “Lyndon LaRouche is viewed as the only American they can trust—simply because he has proven to be a world citizen as well as an American patriot. He has always been on this level that Xi Jinping is now talking about,” of the community of common destiny of all mankind.

U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC

Brits Try To Poison Trump-Putin Relations, Falsely Announce Reykjavik Meeting within Weeks

Jan. 15 (EIRNS)—Today’s Sunday Times of London reports that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet within a few weeks in Reykjavik, Iceland, to take the first steps on improving relations between the two countries. Both Sean Spicer, Trump’s press secretary, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quickly denied the report. Spicer tweeted: “100 percent false.” Peskov told RIA news agency that “So far there have been no talks about any meeting.”

The Russian Embassy in London hit the nail on the head, telling RIA that the Sunday Times story was “an attempt by the Britons to undermine Donald Trump’s Presidency. Apparently, they will continue this right till the last moment.”

In its coverage of the Sunday Times account, the U.K. Guardian pretty much confirmed that the British are doing everything in their power to torpedo any U.S.-Russian rapprochement under Trump: “The news [of a Trump-Putin meeting] is unlikely to be welcomed by senior figures in the British government, who fear a deepening relationship between the U.S. and Russia under Trump risks leaving Britain out in the cold. It is understood Downing Street expects Theresa May to visit Trump at the White House in the second half of February. Britain has called for sanctions against Moscow over Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and Syria. It is understood that British intelligence has sought reassurance from the CIA that U.K. agents in Russia will be protected when intelligence is shared, the Times reported.

“A British intelligence source with extensive transatlantic experience said U.S. spies had labelled Trump and his advisors’ links to the Kremlin problematic. ‘Until we have established whether Trump and senior mem­bers of his team can be trusted, we’re going to hold back,’ the source told the Times. ‘Putting­ it bluntly, we can’t risk betraying sources and methods to the Russians.’ ”

British Caught Red-Handed in the Steele ‘Trump Dossier’ Caper

Jan. 15 (EIRNS)—A clearly stung British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday stated for the record, referring to “former” MI6 agent Christopher Steele who authored the lying 35-page dossier on Donald Trump: “It is absolutely clear that the individual who produced this dossier has not worked for the U.K. government for years.”

Not many informed individuals will believe May. As the Russian Embassy in London tweeted on Friday: “MI6 are never ‘ex.’ ” Steele is furthermore a lifelong close friend of the current head of MI6, Alexander Younger. He was in charge of training new MI6 recruits when he purportedly “retired” from the agency in 2006. And yet four years later, in 2010, Forbes reports, “Steele was one of four British intelligence officers to be invited to a ‘black tie gala dinner in central London’ to celebrate the 100th anniversary of MI6.”

It is so obvious that the British are desperately deployed to politically castrate Trump even before he enters the White House, that the Guardian’s Assistant Editor Simon Tisdall was quite open about the policy. In a Jan. 14 article he wrote wishfully about the Steele dossier that, true or false, “the damage has been done … [there is] unprecedented confusion and disarray in the U.S…. Doubts have been sown about the independence, trustworthiness, and political legitimacy of the U.S. President-elect…. There will be no honeymoon for him…. There is already talk of impeachment and a Watergate-sized crisis…. Trump is seriously damaged…. Trump’s attempts to enact a policy agenda, domestic or foreign, are likely to be severely undermined by chronic political weakness. This is especially true of anything touching Russia…. He risks being seen as kowtowing to his Moscow handlers.”

Trump Tells Wall Street Journal He Is Open To Improved Ties with Russia, Including on Sanctions

Jan. 15 (EIRNS)—In an hour-long interview with the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 13, President-elect Donald Trump was asked about the Russia sanctions, and he stated that he would keep them “at least for a period of time,” adding: “Well, we’ll see what happens. I can say this: If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody’s doing some really great things?”

Trump also said that “I understand that they would like to meet, and that’s absolutely fine with me…. If Putin likes Trump and if Trump likes Putin, that’s a good thing for the world. It’s not a bad thing for the world. Now, it could be that that won’t work out. Very real possibility. I’m not saying it’s going to work out. I have lots of good relationships. I have relationships that aren’t so good. It could be that it’s going to work out. And it’s possible that it’s not. That’s OK, too.”

STRATEGIC WAR DANGER

Former NATO Head Warns of ‘Sleepwalking’ into Confrontation with Russia

Jan. 13 (EIRNS)—In remarks to the House of Lords, Sir George Robertson, former Secretary-General of NATO (1999-2003), warned Britain—and the West—that they may be “sleepwalking into a potential calamity” of confrontation with Russia, according to today’s Scottish Sun.

“We must be aware of and act on the dangers inherent in the present confrontation between Russia and the West,” he intoned. “Without the tripwires and warning arrangements of the Cold War, we are in grave danger of making a mistake or a miscalculation with potentially catastrophic results. We have a crisis of optimism—hoping for the best and failing to prepare for the worst.”

Robertson’s remarks were reported in the context of statements by senior Tory MP Crispin Blunt, head of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, who said that absent a war, the Russia-U.K. relationship “is about as bad as it could get,” and that the mutual “official shouting match between the U.K. and Russia isn’t helping either country or wider international relations.”

China, Russia Warn Seoul and Washington on THAAD Deployment

Jan. 13 (EIRNS)—Following a meeting on Jan. 12 of the Sixth Russian-Chinese consultation on the security of Southeast Asia, Russia and China warned they intend to take “countermeasures” in response to the proposed deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea.

Those countermeasures are designed to protect China’s and Russia’s interests and the strategic balance in the region, which they consider threatened by the THAAD deployment. Both nations, through their Foreign Ministries, urged the U.S. and South Korea to address these security concerns and halt the planned deployment. According to TASS, Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that by pursuing the THAAD deployment, Washington and Seoul will “heighten tensions and boost the arms race in the region as well as expand military drills” and “damage regional stability and security.” Given the “high conflict potential” and the “complex and sensitive” situation on the Peninsula, the Ministry underscored, it is essential to seek “joint efforts aimed at finding a meaningful strategy that would show the way out of the current deadlock and help settle the nuclear issue and other problems facing the Korean Peninsula.”

Xinhua emphasized that the two nations insisted on the goal of “denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, to safeguard peace and stability.”

Preparations for Astana Syrian Peace Talks Moving Forward

Jan. 14 (EIRNS)—Preparations for the Syrian peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan being organized by Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran are proceeding apace.

The transition team of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has been invited, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The invitation was extended to Trump’s designated National Security Advisor, Michael T. Flynn, in a Dec. 28 phone call to Flynn by Russia’s Ambassador in Washington Sergey Kislyak.

Noting that the Obama administration had been “pointedly excluded” from the talks in Astana, the Washington Post reported that should the invitation be accepted, it would possibly speak for “enhanced U.S.-Russia cooperation that President Vladimir Putin and President-elect Donald Trump have forecast under a Trump administration.” The anonymous source also said that “no decision was made” during the call and that “I don’t have anything additional on U.S. attendance at this time.”

Meanwhile, officials from Turkey, Russia, and Iran met in Moscow on Jan. 13 to prepare for the conference, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement reported by Hurriyet Daily News. Participants included Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister; Sergey Vershinin, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry Department for Middle East and North Africa; Hossein Jaberi Ansari, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister; and Sedat Onal Turkish Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also held extended consultations with the Chinese government’s Special Envoy for Syria Xie Xiaoyan, Sputnik reports. It is not clear whether China will have a representative at Astana.

Next week, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh is planning to visit Moscow, Sputnik reports, and that Egypt and Iraq are expected to be invited to Astana.

The online Russian newspaper Vzglyad noted that the Astana meeting has a far better chance to reaching a peace agreement that can hold than the talks in Geneva, precisely because it is an Asian country, a Muslim country, and close to Russia. They also note the following: “Taking into consideration that the agreements on the peace talks in Astana were achieved among Presidents Putin and Erdogan, there is not much choice left for the Syrian opposition.” Further, they report that this is not only the rebel groups which depend on Turkey, but also pro-Saudi forces, “as they understand only too clearly that their refusal to take part in the talks will automatically label them as terrorists alongside the Islamic State (Daesh) and al-Nusra Front.”

NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDER

Xi Jinping To Expound His View of a ‘Community of Common Destiny’ in Switzerland

Jan. 15 (EIRNS)—In the coming days, during his four-day (Jan. 15-18) visit to Switzerland, Xinhua reported, President Xi Jinping will expound on his vision of this world as a “community of common destiny.” Xinhua said that in his New Year’s speech, Xi had dwelt on this vision and is expected to send that message again when he speaks at the United Nations Office at Geneva on Jan. 18. According to Xinhua, since Xi first proposed the concept of a “community of common destiny” in late 2012, “it has gone on to shape China’s approach to global governance, giving rise to proposals and measures to support growth for all.”

Commenting on Xi’s concept of “community of common destiny,” Tang Qifang, a researcher with China’s Institute of International Studies, said: “The concept of a community of common destiny transcends all sorts of differences in human society and targets greatest possible benefits for all.” Xinhua added: “This is a very advanced notion born out of changing world conditions, and an embodiment of the Chinese aspiration to share peace and development with the world.”

Another academic, Wang Yiwei, Director of the Institute of International Affairs and the Center for EU Studies at the Renmin University of China, pointed out that “the community of common destiny is a concept created by China.” “Although the West and the UN also had similar mottos, the community of common destiny is a greater and broader concept. Apart from environmental protection, it also covers the economy, politics, diplomacy and security,” Global Times reported today.

Wang noted globalization, which has benefitted some developed countries and its elites, needs reform. “The way out is the One Belt and One Road initiative, Wang said, which will make more developing countries and those stuck in the lower classes have new opportunities to share China’s growth, so China can make the international community support and understand China’s rise and the concept of the community of common destiny,” Global Times wrote.

Switzerland Looks Forward to Xi Visit

Jan. 14 (EIRNS)—In an interview with Xinhua prior to the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Swiss Ambassador to China Jean-Jacques de Dardel underlined that the focus of Swiss-Chinese relations is cooperation on innovation. Already during the visit of Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann in Beijing last April, the two sides agreed on an Innovative Strategic Partnership. This is the first ever such agreement struck by China with another country.

“China desires more innovation and Switzerland is a champion in innovation. In this regard, it is meaningful to concentrate ourselves on innovation, to fill bilateral relations with life,” de Dardel said. Both the Swiss “Industry 4.0” and the “Made in China 2025” strategies follow the same aim, i.e., to improve production, eliminate the unnecessary stuff and boost the technology driver for sustainable development, he said.

Switzerland has decided to recognize the status of market economy for China. “We believe that inclusiveness is always better than exclusion,” de Dardel said.

China is committed to multilateralism and is ready to play a larger role in deciding on world economic policy, the ambassador said. He brought examples of this, including the successful organization of the G20, the concept and the implementation of the Silk Road Initiative and the country’s efforts in establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

SCIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Major Breakthrough on Kra Canal Potential

Jan. 14 (EIRNS)—The coming to power of the new King of Thailand, Vajiralongkorn Rama X, after the death of his father last year, has created a new opening for the launching of the Kra Canal. EIR’s ally Pakdee Tanapura has led the campaign in Thailand for the canal since he helped organize conferences in 1983 and 1984 in Bangkok featuring Lyndon LaRouche, government officials and representatives from several nations, especially the Mitsubishi Global Infrastructure Fund (GIF). Now, the new King is reported to be favorable to building the canal, and several leading figures on the Privy Council are fully behind it.

A Chinese company has recently completed a feasibility study, deciding on the best route for the canal. While China will not openly back the project unless and until the Thai government officially endorses it, the potential for Thai government support is now high.

A book has been prepared, to be released this coming week, promoting the Kra Canal, with articles by Tanapura and several others, including leading retired generals and admirals with ties to the government and the Privy Council. It is being published in 10,000 copies, with 1,200 copies being distributed to leading government officials, royalty, and institutional figures, as well as members of Parliament.

One article written by Tanapura is titled “From Mumbai to Shanghai in 48 Hours,” the length of time to travel via the Kra Canal. The article discusses this connection between the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins, India and China, through the Canal, and the vast network of high-speed rail connections now being built across the region a part of the new Silk Road process. This reflects a document by Lyndon LaRouche from 1983, titled “A 50-Year Development Policy for the Indian-Pacific Oceans Basin.”

The Kra Canal would become the hub of an ongoing transformation of the entire region. The potential that China and Japan would join forces with Thailand to build the Canal, and perhaps with others including the U.S. under its new leadership, be a major strike for peace through development for Asia and the world.

India Should Learn from China: Spend More on Scientific Research To Accelerate Development

Jan. 13 (EIRNS)—China is growing as fast as it is, because it is investing in basic and applied scientific research, said Nobel laureate in physics (2004) David Gross. He was speaking on Jan. 10 at the Nobel Dialogue Series at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in India, on a panel with three other Nobel laureates, on “Basic or Applied Research? Fostering an Innovating Environment.” Gross emphasized that India should be spending more on research to foster its growth. He said that the reason for the growth of China, “which was poorer than India 30 years ago,” is that it has doubled the percentage of GDP that it is spending on scientific research, whereas India has had a constant level of spending over the same time period.

Gross, who is a member of the U.S., Indian, and Chinese Academies of Sciences, said: “I believe that India has enormous potential…. I was pleased to hear the ambitious goals set by your Prime Minister yesterday, and on other occasions.” In addition to making opening remarks at the conference, Modi had dinner with the laureates after inaugurating a Nobel Exhibition at the Gujarat Science City in Ahmedabad.

Gross used as an example of improvements needed, the case of the Lego India Project, Indian Express reports, which has had “inexcusable political and legal delay, in such a way that there is a big danger of [India] losing a marvelous opportunity…. So, the opportunities are there…. China is seizing upon them … in all aspects of basic science … and India must rise with its ambitions for its own benefit, and for the benefit of the world, and I strongly encourage such efforts.”

Free Trade Agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union Starts This Year

Jan. 13 (EIRNS)—At the Russia-India Business Forum, held on the sidelines of the Jan. 10-13 Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2017, the head of the Russian Trade Representation in India Yaroslav Tarasyuk said negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will begin in 2017, according to Russia & India Report. The idea of an FTA between India and the Russian-led EAEU was first suggested in February 2013 in Delhi by Viktor Khristenko, then Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).

On Dec. 26, 2016, TASS reported, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia had approved proposals on the need to start talks on creation of the free trade zone between the EAEU and Iran, Egypt, India, and Singapore, and “that means that already on the platform of the EuroAsian commission we will start an intensive process of preparation of signing agreements with those countries.”