News

U.S. should return to rational, pragmatic policy toward China

Published

4 years ago

May 2, 2022

By Hu Zexi, Zhang Mengxu, People’s Daily

As the spillovers of the Ukraine crisis continue to spread, the international situation is increasingly complex and grave. The U.S., the instigator of the crisis, has neither reflected on its mistakes nor done its duty for world peace and security by trying all means to promote a ceasefire and peace talks.

Instead, it has continued to fan the flames of tensions between Russia and Ukraine and made it more difficult to achieve reconciliation. The country even attempts to shift the blame for its mistakes onto others and has willfully smeared and attacked China, sowing misunderstanding, antagonism, and insecurity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Remarks and acts of the U.S. regarding the Ukraine crisis, including spreading lies to create the illusion that China is responsible for the crisis and attempting to bracket the Taiwan question and the Ukraine crisis together to seek an excuse for using Taiwan to contain China, won’t do any good to the settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but will further undermine mutual trust and cooperation between China and the U.S.

“The U.S. has kept stirring up trouble and only pursued ‘coercive diplomacy’ to make other countries pay for its mistakes and suppress China. Obviously, the U.S. hasn’t learned anything from its wrong foreign policy in the past and still views the world with the friend-enemy binary logic,” pointed out Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies.

Washington’s actions on the Ukraine crisis have proven that creating confrontation is the essence of the current U.S. policy toward China, according to Diao Daming, a research fellow with the National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China.

“By using the Russia-Ukraine conflict to create division in the world, the U.S. attempts to cast China as a ‘common threat’ to the West so as to enlist its allies in confrontation with China at minimal cost, thus maintaining its hegemony and interests,” said Diao.

Such moves of the U.S. have exposed the country’s Cold War mentality and the wrong approach it has taken in dealing with its relations with China.

Some people in the U.S. hope to spawn a “new Cold War” with China, and regard the cultivation of a shared enemy as the necessary key to maintaining the so-called “liberal order”, said Peter Isackson, chief strategy officer of Fair Observer, an independent, nonprofit media organization in the U.S., in his recent article published on the website of Fair Observer.

According to the article, these people believe the fear of “enemy” can divert American people’s attention from serious and worsening problems at home, such as income inequality and an enduring pandemic punctuated by contestable government mandates.

Some in the U.S. oppose the U.S. policy of engagement with China because they object to the loss of American global and regional preeminence and the inability of the U.S. to have its way unilaterally, which is “narrow-minded and short-sighted”, pointed out Chas W. Freeman, Jr., former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.

U.S. politicians’ fear-mongering over China and hyping the China threat will make the U.S.-China relations harder to manage, according to Andrew J. Nathan, a professor of Political Science at Columbia University.

Major countries in the world are supposed to shoulder major responsibilities for safeguarding international peace and security.

The U.S. must abandon its wrong approach, return to a rational and pragmatic policy toward China and show its sense of responsibility by working together with China to steer the China-U.S. relations back on the right track at an early date.

Last year, bilateral trade between China and the U.S. exceeded $750 billion for the first time, and two-way investment between the two countries jumped to nearly $240 billion. Meanwhile, more than 70,000 American enterprises made investments in China.

Facts have fully demonstrated that the interests of China and the U.S. are deeply entwined, ideological differences can’t define the relations between the two countries, and the U.S. waging a “new Cold War” on China despite opposition would harm both China and itself.

The move to contain China will further divide the U.S. from its partners and undermine the reputation of the U.S., thus constituting an act of self-destruction, according to G. John Ikenberry, who is the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University.

The Asia-Pacific region is not a wrestling ground for international politics. For a long time, the U.S. has attempted to create tensions and incite confrontation and antagonism in the region by pushing its Indo-Pacific strategy, arousing widespread concerns among countries in the region.

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region share the general desire to prevent the resurgence of the Cold War mentality and refuse to take sides between major powers.

“All countries in the world want a positive and constructive relationship with both the U.S. and China,” said former Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, whose view is echoed by many.

Competition among major countries is not the theme of the times, and zero-sum game is not the right choice. Now that the world has emerged from the Cold War, it should not suffer from a new Iron Curtain.

The U.S. should shoulder its responsibilities as a major country and respond to the international community’s expectations by returning to a rational and pragmatic policy toward China and working together with the latter to bring the bilateral relations back on the right track.

News

‘Ombugadu Is a Brand, Not a Title’ — PDP Chieftain

Published

1 day ago

September 15, 2026

Our Reporter

By Emmanuel Kuza

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Abuga Ovie, has described the name Ombugadu as a political brand, saying the popularity and wide acceptance of the name have made David Emmanuel Ombugadu a major force in the state’s political landscape.

Ovie, who stated this in an interview on Tuesday, said what started as opposition from some of Ombugadu’s biological brothers and people he described as fathers and uncles who betrayed him for personal political interests had now assumed a wider dimension, with political parties allegedly joining the battle against him.

According to him, the latest development was an attempt to undermine the political value of the Ombugadu name by presenting another person with the same surname, describing it as an indication of how far some political actors were prepared to go to weaken the PDP governorship candidate.

“Ombugadu is a brand, not a title. The people are not fools. They know their own. You cannot simply bring another person bearing the same name and expect the people to forget the political identity that Ombugadu has built over the years,” he said.

He further alleged that a former governor was working to introduce a political associate who had served as Accountant-General of Nasarawa State into the political equation, with the alleged objective of destabilising the PDP and weakening its chances by ensuring that the party fields a less competitive candidate in 2027.

“The plan, as we understand it, is to destabilise the PDP and make sure the party presents a weak candidate, thereby creating an advantage for the former governor’s preferred candidate. But all those efforts have proved abortive because the national leadership of the PDP stood its ground and refused to lose its best bet for the 2027 governorship election,” Ovie said.

The PDP chieftain said the resolve of the national leadership to retain Ombugadu had demonstrated the confidence the party had in his capacity to win the governorship election, despite what he described as attempts by some political actors to frustrate his ambition.

Ovie urged political parties and their leaders to resolve their internal differences instead of concentrating their efforts on Ombugadu, whom he compared to David in the Bible, saying he remained focused despite betrayal and opposition from those close to him.

“Ombugadu is like David in the Bible. Even when his brothers forsook him, he remained focused. Today, despite the people who have betrayed him, he remains focused and has a blueprint that can rescue Nasarawa State,” he said.

He said political parties should concentrate on presenting their programmes and convincing voters about how they intend to address the challenges confronting the state rather than expending their energy on attempts to stop Ombugadu.

“Political parties should fix their problems instead of wasting their strength fighting Ombugadu. Let everybody bring their blueprint before the people and explain what they intend to do for Nasarawa State,” he said.

Ovie maintained that the 2027 election should be about ideas, competence and the future of Nasarawa State, rather than attempts to manipulate political structures or undermine individuals perceived to enjoy strong grassroots support.

He urged the people of the state, particularly the Eggon community, to remain politically vigilant and resist what he described as efforts to make them settle for less, insisting that voters would ultimately determine who enjoys their confidence at the polls.
Reduce repeated references to Ombugadu

News

200 widows benefit from empowerment outreach in Plateau

Published

2 days ago

September 15, 2026

milcah

By Israel Adamu, Jos

Two hundred widows from communities across Langtang North Central State Constituency of Plateau State have benefited from an empowerment outreach organised by Gimbiya Gani Nandir Lar under the Jagoran Talakawa movement.

The outreach, held at Pilgani in Langtang North Local Government Area, was aimed at supporting vulnerable women and drawing attention to the challenges faced by widows, particularly those struggling to provide food, pay school fees and meet other basic needs for their families.

The organiser, Nandir Lar, who is the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for Langtang North Central State Constituency, said the gesture was motivated by compassion and concern for vulnerable members of the society.

She stressed that the outreach was not a political programme but an expression of love and support for humanity.

Nandir Lar said: “The plight of widows may not always make headlines, but their struggles are real, painful and deserving of our collective attention.

“This is simply an expression of compassion and love for humanity. It is not a political programme.

“Our constituency is home to people with diverse needs, including mothers, widows and young people who are seeking opportunities to improve their lives.”

Former Provost of the Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Amos Chirfat, commended the initiative, saying it had brought smiles to the faces of vulnerable women in the constituency.

Minority Leader of the Langtang North Legislative Council, Dirya Sheni, also commended Nandir Lar for supporting widows and other vulnerable members of the community.

At the end of the outreach, each of the 200 beneficiaries received a 10-kilogramme bag of corn flour, seasoning and N10,000 cash

News

SCUML, REDAN Strengthen Collaboration on Anti -Money Laundering Compliance

Published

2 days ago

September 15, 2026

milcah

By Francis Wilfred

The Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), and the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) have expressed commitment to ensure a full compliance with the Anti Money Laundering/Counter Finance on Terrorism/Counter Proliferation Financing, (AML/CFT/CPF) laws within the Nigeria’s real estate sector.

They made the resolve during a stakeholders’ engagement held on Thursday, September 10, 2026

The engagement focused on Mutual Evaluation readiness, risk-based supervision, beneficial ownership transparency, customer due diligence, internal controls and stronger collaboration between SCUML and the real estate sector.

Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 1 Ibinabo Amachree, speaking on behalf of SCUML highlighted the strategic role of real estate operators in protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system, particularly given the sector’s vulnerability to money laundering and other financial crime risks.

Amachree encouraged REDAN members to move beyond registration to ensure that compliance is embedded in their day-to-day operations. He mentioned the areas to include: understanding institutional risks, knowing customers and beneficial owners, identifying politically exposed persons, conducting appropriate sanctions screening, maintaining effective internal controls and meeting applicable reporting obligations

He, therefore, reaffirmed readiness to working closely with REDAN and other stakeholders to improve compliance, build capacity and promote a stronger culture of accountability across the real estate sector

“The message is clear: effective compliance is not just about meeting regulatory requirements; it is about protecting businesses, strengthening the real estate sector and safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system”, she said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of REDAN, Lagos state, Mr Tony Kolawole pledged readiness to partner with SCUML in ensuring compliance with AML/CFT/CPF in the real estate sector to uphold financial integrity.

The engagement also provided an opportunity for REDAN members to share practical regulatory and operational challenges affecting the sector, reinforcing the importance of continuous dialogue between regulators and industry stakeholders.