JRL NEWSWATCH: “How the Ukraine war has divided the world; China is making diplomatic progress with countries that are unhappy about America’s approach to the conflict” – Financial Times
“… China has also made recent headway with its Middle East diplomacy. … [especially with] Iran and Saudi Arabia … broker[ing] a deal to restore diplomatic relations between [them]. … [Global] developments [relating to Chinese influence] are causing some concern in Washington. … A significant divergence in attitudes to the war in Ukraine is driving [global] shifts [in attitudes towards the United States and China]. … Concerns about potential [future] U.S. sanctions … have become even more pointed, given the rise in tensions between Washington and Beijing. … The dollar is the world’s most popular currency for trade. But China is the world’s largest trading nation. … [S]ome countries are looking to do less trade in dollars. Russia has already moved in this direction for obvious reasons and Beijing is encouraging others — such as Saudi Arabia and Brazil — to use the yuan for bilateral trade. …”