UPDATE: South China Sea dispute remains top priority for Washington- US secretary of state John Kerry meets Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing on Feb. 14, 2014. (Photo/CNS) Recent talks between visiting US secretary of state John Kerry and Chinese leaders indicate that tensions in the South China Sea remain the top China issue for Washington, reports Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese. Kerry arrived in Beijing on Friday and met separately with Chinese president Xi Jinping and premier Li Keqiang. During Kerry's 70-minute meeting with Xi, the two leaders reportedly discussed pressing issues such as North Korea, which Kerry later told reporters China was willing to put more pressure on to make Pyongyang abandon its nuclear program. Washington's main concern, however, is not North Korea as the two countries have already reached a consensus on how to move toward with the problem, Duowei said, adding that Kerry's primary objective was in fact to try and assert the US position over China's ongoing dispute with Japan over ownership of the Diaoyutai (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan) islands in the South China Sea. As US president Barack Obama intends to push on with talks involving the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal among the 12 negotiating countries, Washington does not want any regional conflicts to destabilize the situation, Duowei said. During the meeting, Kerry reportedly told Xi that Washington is hoping for better transparency in the South China Sea to reduce possible "misinterpretations." Kerry added that he believes China is ready to establish a code of conduct for the volatile region following its discussions with the Association of South East Asian Nations. "That would help reduce tensions that stem from the territorial and maritime disputes and, in the meantime, it's very important that everybody build crisis management tools and refrain from coercive or unilateral measures to assert whatever claims any country in the region may have," he said. The two leaders also discussed China's planned new air defense identification zone in the South China Sea, which Kerry made clear that Washington thought was a bad idea. "We have made it very clear that a unilateral, unannounced, unprocessed initiative like that can be very challenging to certain people in the region, and therefore to regional stability," he said, adding that the advice was not limited to just China. Kerry had made similar remarks last year when China set up a similar air defense identification zone in the East China Sea, where it is embroiled in a territorial dispute with the Philippines over the Spratly islands.｜Politics｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com

CLICK LINK TO READ: South China Sea dispute remains top priority for Washington｜Politics｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com: "China's foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement that Beijing agrees that the South China Sea dispute should be settled through international law but warned Washington against exacerbating the situation.

"The United States is not a direct party in the South China Sea dispute and should keep its commitment of not taking sides on issues of territorial sovereignty and be cautious in words and actions," Hua said."



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UPDATE: Has the Libyan revolution succeeded? - Inside Story - Al Jazeera English - The United Nations says it is concerned about the course Libya is taking, as the country marks the third anniversary of the revolution that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. The UN called on all Libyans to "rise above partisan interests and ... work by all means to prevent inflaming tensions which could lead the country to slide into lawlessness and chaos". Meanwhile, Libya's transitional parliament has drawn up a roadmap to pave the way for elections and a new constitution. So, are the dreams of a better life being realised? Or has the transition to democracy stalled? Presenter: Shihab Rattansi Guests: Ibrahim Sharqieh, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Doha Centre Fatima Hamroush, a former minister for the Libyan transitional government Vijay Prashad, a historian, journalist and commentator, and author of the book: Arab Spring, Libyan Winter Source: Al Jazeera

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO: Has the Libyan revolution succeeded? - Inside Story - Al Jazeera English:



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UPDATE: SRI LANKA: Navi Pillay calls for international probe into war crimes in Sri Lanka. The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has called for an international probe into war crimes committed in Sri Lanka during the final stages of its ethnic conflict, according to a media report on Sunday. Her report, said to have been given to the Sri Lankan government recently, recommends setting up of an international inquiry mechanism to further investigate the alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law and monitor any domestic accountability process. The report also mentions emergence of new evidence on what happened in the final stages of the armed conflict, Colombo-based newspaper The Sunday Times, which claims to have accessed the report, said. The report said she reiterates concerns about the continuing trend of attacks on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association; rising levels of religious intolerance; and continued militarisation — points she had emphasised while wrapping up her week-long visit to Sri Lanka in August 2013. - The Hindu

CLICK LINK: Navi Pillay calls for international probe into war crimes in Sri Lanka - The Hindu: "Soon after, making her oral submission at the 24th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva in September, she set a March 2014-deadline for the government to engage in a credible national inquiry into reported cases of human rights violations failing which the international community would establish its own inquiry mechanism. The Sri Lankan government did not officially respond to the report."



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PEACE UPDATE: Chinese bloggers press Kerry on Internet freedom - Beijing (AFP) - Chinese bloggers urged US Secretary of State John Kerry to push for greater freedom online in China during a rare meeting in Beijing Saturday, asking for help to "tear down the great Internet firewall".Yahoo News

CLICK LINK TO READ MORE: Chinese bloggers press Kerry on Internet freedom - Yahoo News: " 'Tear down the firewall' -

In the 40-minute meeting, Zhang Jialong, who frequently comments on China's social conditions to his 110,000 microblog followers, urged the United States to support "Chinese who aspire for freedom" and help "tear down the great Internet firewall"."



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ISTANBUL — The Syrian government announced on Friday that it would participate in next round of Geneva peace talks aimed at ending the country’s civil war, as civilians trapped in a rebel-controlled part of Homs, one of the conflict’s urban epicenters, began trickling out under a deal negotiated by the United Nations. Syria’s official SANA news agency said at least 58 people, mostly women, children and the elderly, had departed the besieged Old City neighborhood of Homs by midafternoon. Syrian state television broadcast images of frail civilians escorted onto a bus by members of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Vehicles from the United Nations refugee agency and World Food Program could also be seen. Later the United Nations said at least 83 people had been evacuated and “delivered to places of their choice” by United Nations and Red Crescent staff members. - Syria Says It Will Stay in Peace Talks as Homs Evacuation Begins - NYTimes.com

Syria Says It Will Stay in Peace Talks as Homs Evacuation Begins - NYTimes.com: "The Homs governor, Talal al-Barazi, was quoted by SANA as saying that he expected 200 civilians to be evacuated by day’s end and that he had reached an agreement with the United Nations to allow aid deliveries inside the besieged area to those who chose to remain."



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Chinese President, UN Chief Vow to Promote World Peace, Development - As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China will perform its due international duties, vigorously participate in the works of the UN, promote peaceful settlement of international disputes, so as to provide more Chinese wisdom and strength in safeguarding world peace and security and in promoting mankind's common development, he added. For his part, Ban said the UN highly values China's leading role in dealing with various global challenges, adding that among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China dispatches the largest number of peacekeepers. China has sent navy vessels to escort the shipments of Syrian chemical weapons, actively promoted peaceful solutions of the issues of Syria and South Sudan -- all of which demonstrate that China has made important contributions to safeguarding world peace and security, said Ban. Meanwhile, Xi briefed his views on the current situation in Northeast Asia, stressing that China is willing to make joint efforts with relevant countries for regional peace and stability. A correct view of history must be built and the post-World War II international order be consolidated in a bid to realize the good neighborly and friendly relations in the region, said the Chinese leader. The year 2015 will witness the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN, as well as the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the victory of Chinese people's Anti-Japanese War. Xi wished that the UN will promote international efforts to hold activities to commemorate the anniversaries. Ban expressed the hope that Northeast Asia can maintain stability and prosperity, saying the UN is willing to work together with different countries to jointly bring forward the world's peace and development cause. The two sides also exchanged views on the Syrian crisis and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, as well as climate change. Xi expounded China's stands on those issues.

CLICK LINK TO READ ARTICLE: Chinese President, UN Chief Vow to Promote World Peace, Development: "Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Sochi, ahead of the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games."



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Chinese President, UN Chief Vow to Promote World Peace, Development - As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China will perform its due international duties, vigorously participate in the works of the UN, promote peaceful settlement of international disputes, so as to provide more Chinese wisdom and strength in safeguarding world peace and security and in promoting mankind's common development, he added. For his part, Ban said the UN highly values China's leading role in dealing with various global challenges, adding that among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China dispatches the largest number of peacekeepers. China has sent navy vessels to escort the shipments of Syrian chemical weapons, actively promoted peaceful solutions of the issues of Syria and South Sudan -- all of which demonstrate that China has made important contributions to safeguarding world peace and security, said Ban. Meanwhile, Xi briefed his views on the current situation in Northeast Asia, stressing that China is willing to make joint efforts with relevant countries for regional peace and stability. A correct view of history must be built and the post-World War II international order be consolidated in a bid to realize the good neighborly and friendly relations in the region, said the Chinese leader. The year 2015 will witness the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN, as well as the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the victory of Chinese people's Anti-Japanese War. Xi wished that the UN will promote international efforts to hold activities to commemorate the anniversaries. Ban expressed the hope that Northeast Asia can maintain stability and prosperity, saying the UN is willing to work together with different countries to jointly bring forward the world's peace and development cause. The two sides also exchanged views on the Syrian crisis and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, as well as climate change. Xi expounded China's stands on those issues.

CLICK LINK TO READ ARTICLE: Chinese President, UN Chief Vow to Promote World Peace, Development: "Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Sochi, ahead of the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games."



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