Briefly

CHINA

Vice-president meets former Canadian PM

In a meeting with former Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng said that sound and stable China-Canada ties not only serve the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, but also contribute to world peace and development. Han said that the two countries need to strengthen coordination and cooperation to address climate change and other global challenges. Chretien, who served as the Canadian prime minister from 1993 to 2003, said he will further contribute to practical cooperation and friendly exchanges between the two countries.

FRANCE

Macron arrives in Central Asia for talks

French President Emmanuel Macron landed early on Wednesday in the Kazakh capital Astana for talks with counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and signed contracts in sectors including pharmaceuticals and aerospace. After meeting university students, the French leader was due to travel to Samarkand in neighboring Uzbekistan, where he was due to stay until Thursday. French energy giant EDF is in the running to build Kazakhstan's first nuclear power station, a project that is due to be decided on in a referendum this year.

MONTENEGRO

Parliament appoints new government

After weeks of negotiations, Montenegro's parliament on Tuesday appointed a new government, a coalition of pro-European parties expected to lead the small Balkan country in its bid to join the European Union. The new government, led by economist Milojko Spajic of the Europe Now Movement, will have 19 ministries and five deputy prime ministers. Spajic said economic policies would aim to improve the living standards of Montenegro's population of 620,000, and include reforms enabling more fiscal revenue, a better business climate and judiciary.

UNITED STATES

Closing arguments next in crypto fraud trial

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried underwent a final barrage of questions on Tuesday from a prosecutor aimed at showing that he is not being honest about how much he knew about the disappearance of $8 billion from his customers' accounts, setting the stage for final arguments in his fraud trial on Wednesday. The testimony will be summarized before a jury begins deciding his fate as early as Thursday. Bankman-Fried insisted in his testimony in the Manhattan federal court that he did not defraud anyone before his cryptocurrency empire collapsed.

Agencies - China Daily