China, Taiwan and the US
The recent confrontation between the United States and China over the long-standing issue of Taiwan is yet another debacle among other issues. The two-hour-long phone call between President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping has yielded no fruitful results. Instead, the provocative rhetoric by both the leaders, along with the latter-day news of the forthcoming visit of the US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-ruling island, has further exacerbated the already worsened scenario.
The People’s Republic of China is adherent of its deep-rooted narrative that Taiwan is an integral part of Beijing. During the virtual call, the Chinese premier warned of unintended consequences in case of any intervention by the US. He further added that those who “play with fire” will get burned. Such incendiary statements are further adding to the misery of the people of the planet who are already confronted with dire and unprecedented economic crisis as a result of the continuing Russia-Ukraine war. Another such conflict will definitely lead to disastrous repercussions for the public at large and its spillover effects will spread rapidly across the globe.
It is high time Washington and Beijing adopted a more plausible and preventive approach to deal with the incumbent situation in a timely manner in order to avoid any possible escalation.
Muhammad Aftab Ahmad
From Online
Get prices down
With the recent fuel price hike, we also see a rise in the prices of essential food items. Greedy traders have the excuse of a war in Europe on their side, even in cases of non-imported goods. But will our authorities simply accept this hike in prices as the norm? Especially when the job market is still recovering from the effects of pandemic-induced lockdowns, do citizens not deserve some empathy?
Instead, the price hike for food only seems to be getting worse. This cannot be acceptable and authorities must stamp down on traders who are merely taking advantage of the situation.
Ahmed Tahsien
Narayanganj
