Moderator:
Southern Weekly reporter Mao Shujie
Southern Weekend intern Ling Zhuolin
Commentators:
Liu Yongtao, Professor, Center for American Studies, Fudan University
Wei Zongyou, Professor, Center for American Studies, Fudan University
hot spot
In the first televised confrontation of the 2024 U.S. election, Trump defeated Biden
On June 27, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump held their first televised debate for the 2024 presidential election. Photo/Visual China
On June 27, 2024 local time, the first candidate televised debate for the 2024 U.S. presidential election was held in Atlanta. The current president, Democrat Joe Biden, and the former president, Republican Donald Trump, are facing each other again after nearly four years.
The debate was set in the "swing state" of Georgia and lasted 90 minutes. According to the released video of the debate, on the whole, Trump appeared "energetic" and Biden appeared "unstable", and many media noted that Biden had a hoarse voice that night, with pauses and stumbles in response, and occasional coughing. The White House explained that Biden had a cold.
Judging from the content of the debate, the two discussed many issues such as the economy, illegal immigration, the "Capitol Hill riots", the Ukraine crisis, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and even whether the advanced age of the two affects their ability to perform their duties. However, the two accused each other of their performance in power and personal behavior, and even launched personal attacks, accusing each other of being the "worst" president in the history of the United States.
In addition, Biden referred to Trump's extramarital affair with stars, attacking him for being "like a wildcat (debauchery)." And Trump once again denied having an affair with a star, counterattacking Biden as a "disaster", and proposed that the Biden administration's hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan was the "most embarrassing day" in US history.
After the debate, Hazel Reitz, a Democratic voter in San Francisco, Calif., told AFP that while she would still vote for Biden, "I don't understand a word of what he says." Isn't that sad?"
According to an instant poll released by CNN that night, 67 percent of viewers who tuned into the debate thought Trump won and 33 percent thought Biden won.
According to US media reports, the second debate between the two will be held on September 10.
Discussant: Liu Yongtao, Professor, Center for American Studies, Fudan University
It is interesting to note that the debate was organized by a media outlet and not by a debate committee. Overall, the debate is a continuation of the two candidates' head-to-head four years ago. They expressed their public policy ideas and governing philosophies, but more often than not, they blamed and denigrated each other.
Both sides want to use the debate to consolidate their voter base and win the support of middle-of-the-road and moderate voters. American voters are already familiar with the personal traits and governing styles of the two candidates, and the strategy adopted in this debate is to seize on the weaknesses and stains of the other side rather than stating at length the governing philosophy.
Looking back at previous presidential debates, the two sides tended to shake hands before the debate, following the basic norms of using proper language. Today, debate candidates not only do not shake hands, but also use vulgar and vicious language, including verbal abuse, cursing, and verbal violence to hurt each other. This is a manifestation of the growing political polarization of the United States into the system of American political discourse.
A debate does not determine the final choice of voters, and the two candidates have their own relatively stable electorate groups. Some Democratic supporters were frustrated and disappointed by Biden's performance in the debate, but they did not "defect" to the Republican side. Republican supporters, in turn, will not turn away from Trump for his use of exaggerated and untrue statements in the debate. However, the attitude of wavering centrist voters may be affected by this debate. They don't make up a large percentage of the U.S. electorate, but they may be the straw that will determine a narrow margin of victory for either side.
Discussant: Wei Zongyou, professor at the Center for American Studies, Fudan University
Judging from the order of the debate, it was much better than the one in October 2020. There was no confusion such as snatching the conversation or the moderator losing control of the debate scene. Judging by the effect of the debate, Biden did not perform well. As the mainstream media in the United States commented, Biden's performance "was a disaster". Although the age difference between the two is actually less than 4 years, it feels like a 20-year difference.
The issue of age is likely to be a major concern for many voters. Especially since there are two candidates, one is 78 years old and the other is 81 years old, voters are more concerned about the age of both sides, worried that if one of them can win the election, there will be enough physical and mental strength to work for another four years. In this debate, Biden exposed or magnified the weakness of age, giving people the impression of "old people".
The debate did get a lot of attention and was watched by a lot of people. However, it is unlikely that there will be a noticeable change in support immediately after this debate. For hardcore Democratic voters, it won't affect their choice. However, for wavering voters in the middle, he may be more concerned about who is better able to lead the United States in the White House for another four years and lead the country forward.
A previous poll showed that about 16% of respondents said they might have to look at the performance of the debate to decide who to support. In this sense, the performance of both sides in this debate may affect the voting propensity of voters in the middle.
World
NATO's new secretary-general is "the longest-serving prime minister of the Netherlands"
On July 11, 2023 local time, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrived at the NATO summit with a smile. Photo/Visual China
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) issued a statement on June 26, 2024, appointing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the new NATO Secretary-General. He will succeed current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for a five-year term on Oct. 1, the statement said.
The NATO Secretary-General, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, and the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Europe are the core officials of NATO. The Netherlands is one of the founding members of NATO, and many of the previous NATO secretaries-general have come from the Netherlands. Stoltenberg took office in 2014 and his term ends on October 1, 2024.
It is reported that the nomination of NATO secretary general needs to be unanimously approved by all 32 member states. U.S. and German media reported in February that Rutte had already received support from the leaders of the United States, Britain, Germany, France and other NATO member states. Turkey said at the end of April it would support Rutte.
Rutte was born in The Hague, Netherlands, at the age of 57. In October 2010, at the age of 43, Rutte became the prime minister of the Netherlands, and since then he has been re-elected, making him the longest-serving prime minister in the history of the Netherlands. In 2023, Rutte announced his intention to retire from Dutch domestic politics. In May 2024, several political parties in the Netherlands nominated a new prime minister. The new Shuffle-led cabinet will be sworn in on July 2, the same day Rutte will officially step down as Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
Rutte reportedly had good relations with a number of British and American leaders. During Rutte's tenure, the Netherlands' military spending as a percentage of GDP exceeded the 2% "target" set by NATO for its members. After the full-scale escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, the Dutch government provided Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, weapons and ammunition, etc.
South Korean media: More than 500,000 people agreed to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol
On May 10, 2022 local time, in Seoul, South Korea, South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol was sworn in. Photo/Visual China
According to South Korea's "Mainichi Shimbun", the petition titled "Immediately Initiate the Impeachment Case of Yoon Suk-yeol" launched on the National Petition Website of the South Korean National Assembly has received 500,000 signatures as of the evening of June 28, 2024 local time.
South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo previously reported that the Legislative and Judicial Committee of the South Korean National Assembly (PSC) has received a "petition of national consent" urging the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Under South Korea's current public consent petition system, petitions with more than 50,000 signatures within 30 days will be submitted to the relevant standing committee. If the Standing Committee determines that the petition is valid, it can be submitted to the plenary, and the petition through the plenary will be forwarded to the government, which must report to the National Assembly on the outcome of the processing of the petition.
"Since President Yoon Suk-yeol took office, South Korea has fallen into a full-blown crisis, with a total collapse in all areas of economy, security, diplomacy, people's livelihood, and democracy," the petition said, citing the corruption of the Yoon-Kim Keon-hee family, the imposition of a pro-Japanese solution to the compensation package for forced labor conscription by the Japanese army, and the connivance of the Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge into the sea.
The petition reads, "We can no longer tolerate Yoon Suk-yeol pushing South Korea into crisis without introspection," "In order to correct the destruction of South Korea, we have ordered the impeachment of the Yoon Suk-yeol regime," and "The 22nd National Assembly should immediately file an impeachment motion."
It is reported that the decision on whether the petition will be submitted to the plenary session of the South Korean National Assembly will be decided by the Judicial Affairs Committee, and once it is passed by the National Assembly, the final decision will be made based on the results of the impeachment trial by the Constitutional Court.
Another terrorist attack in Russia has killed 16 police officers
On June 24, 2024 local time, in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, Makhachkala after a terrorist attack, a burned car. Photo/Visual China
Following the terrorist attack on the "Krokus City" concert hall in the suburbs of Moscow in March 2024, the recent terrorist attack in the Republic of Dagestan in Russia has once again attracted international attention.
On the evening of June 23, local time, Makhachkala, the capital of the Russian Republic of Dagestan, several churches in the tourist city of Derbent and a police post were attacked by terrorists "almost simultaneously".
Several militants reportedly attacked the above-mentioned targets, and law enforcement officers arrived and engaged in a fierce exchange of fire, and the two sides engaged in a long fight, and the operation to eliminate the militants was not largely completed until late in the evening. As of June 25, 21 people had been killed in the attack, 16 of whom were police officers.
Two days later, on the evening of 25 June, another witness reported seeing an armed man shooting at the police in Makhachkala, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Dagestan subsequently stated that this information had not been confirmed and that there had been no violation of public order.
In the attack that took place in the Republic of Dagestan, in addition to the police for the majority of the victims, in an Orthodox church in Derbent, the militants killed the priest Nikolai Kotelnikov, who was well known in the local area, as well as a guard.
Russian media reported that this was the largest terrorist attack in Dagestan in recent years.
An attempted coup d'état took place in Bolivia, and the former army commander was arrested
On June 27, 2024 local time, in La Paz, Bolivia, former Bolivian army commander Soúñiga (center) was arrested by police after leading a military operation. Photo/Visual China
On June 26, 2024 local time, an attempted military coup occurred in Bolivia, a landlocked country in central South America.
Earlier in the day, in La Paz, one of the country's twin capitals, former Bolivian army commander Zúñiga, who had recently been stripped of military command, led troops to gather at Plaza Murillo, where the presidential palace and Congress are located.
Local television footage showed soldiers and armored vehicles storming the gates of the presidential palace. Former Bolivian President Evo Morales condemned the action, calling it a "coup d'état in the making."
Suniga announced on the spot that he was leading the military operation. He claimed that he could not tolerate "the destitution of the country and the humiliation of the military" and that they were "here to express their grievances".
On the same day, Bolivian President Arce appointed José Wilsé Sánchez Velázquez as commander of the new army. On the same day, Sánchez issued an order for the soldiers who had captured the presidential palace to abide by the constitution and return to their garrisons, after which the soldiers were evacuated.
Speaking at the presidential palace on the same day, Arce strongly condemned the attempted coup d'état in the square around the presidential palace as a "betrayal" of the country, stressing that Bolivian democracy must be "respected". He called on military personnel to respect their professional mission and the country's constitutionalism, stressing that the military should faithfully fulfill its duty to defend the country.
After the incident, Suniga was arrested for his involvement in an attempted coup d'état, and prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Suniga and his accomplices.
Assange pleaded guilty and was released, and the WikiLeaks case ended 14 years at the end of his life
On June 26, 2024 local time, in Canberra, the capital of Australia, the plane taken by Assange, the founder of the "WikiLeaks" website, arrived in Canberra and reunited with his family who had been waiting at the airport for a long time. Photo/Visual China
On June 24, 2024 local time, Julian Assange, the founder of the "WikiLeaks" website, was released from a British prison and flew to Australia. A legal battle that lasted 14 years came to an end.
According to a US federal court document disclosed by US media on June 24, Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge charged by the US Department of Justice with violating the US espionage law on charges of "conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information".
Under the plea agreement reached by both parties, the US Justice Department will seek to sentence Assange to 62 months in prison, which is equal to the sentence Assange has completed in London. The U.S. Department of Justice will recognize Assange having completed his sentence, waive his previous extradition request, and allow him to return to his country of origin, Australia.
Assange, who was born in Australia, founded WikiLeaks in 2006. In 2010, "WikiLeaks" exposed a large number of US diplomatic cables and classified documents of the US military during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, exposing the war crimes of the US military. Assange was then embroiled in a lawsuit that the United States charged him with 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer misuse. In 2019, Assange was arrested in the UK and sentenced to prison. After that, the United States made an extradition request.
Australia has repeatedly urged the United States to drop the prosecution of Assange. And U.S. President Joe Biden also said in April 2024 that he was considering dropping the prosecution of Assange.
Southern Weekly reporter Mao Shujie and Southern Weekly intern Ling Zhuolin
Editor-in-charge: Yao Yijiang