Podcasts about vice minister

In this episode, Dr. Craig Zelizer speaks with Dr. Soraya Caro Vargas, a leader in industrial policy, gender equity, and international cooperation. From serving as Colombia's Vice Minister of Business Development to designing the country's first industrial policy in two decades, Soraya brings a rich, cross-sectoral perspective on how to build more inclusive and sustainable economies in the Global South. Based in Bogotá, with academic roots in Colombia, Italy, and India, Soraya shares how her experiences in government, academia, and diplomacy have shaped her career—and her deep commitment to bringing policy closer to people and territory. Why Listen Industrial policy in practice: What it takes to design and implement a national policy aligned with energy transition, health, defense, and bioeconomy goals Leadership as a woman in male-dominated fields: How Soraya navigates power, gender dynamics, and systemic barriers while staying grounded in ethics The unexpected PhD journey: Doing a doctorate at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) as a diplomat's spouse—and why it's not just about the title, but about building knowledge Why territory matters in policy: “You cannot govern from the desk in Bogotá” — how she helped shift Colombia's national policy toward more localized and inclusive processes Skills for impact: Communication, negotiation, working across sectors, and how to learn them through practice, not just theory Featured in the Episode UNAD - Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia: Colombia's National Open University, leading virtual and hybrid education for over 300,000 learners Colombia's Reindustrialization Policy: A national strategy centered on energy transition, health innovation, bioeconomy, and defense ACOPI - Asociación Colombiana de las Micro, Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas: Represents Colombia's small and medium-sized businesses and played a key role during the FTA negotiations Latin American Women Leaders Network (private initiative): A high-level network of 600+ women shaping policy, enterprise, and academia OECD Work on Informality: Referenced in Soraya's experience with informality in policy contexts ProColombia: Colombia's national trade, tourism, and investment promotion agency   More from PCDN Make your inbox amazing with our new Career Digest subscription option—for less than the cost of a cup of coffee per month. Delivered 5–6 days a week, you'll get over 200 human-curated opportunities every month—including jobs, fellowships, funding options, impact news, socent opps, trainings, remote roles and more. Whether you're just starting or looking to advance, this digest provides the world's best human-curated impact opportunities to fuel your career. Interested in subscribing for a group or organization? Get in contact. Other Terrific PCDN Resources Social Change Career Podcast: Access over 180 episodes featuring changemakers worldwide. https://pcdn.global/listen AI for Impact Newsletter: Sign up to get jobs, funding, consultancies, tools, tips, and ethical insights around AI + impact. https://impactai.beehiiv.com/ PCDN Free Weekly Impact Newsletter: Explore global social impact jobs, funding, and opportunities. https://pcdn.global/subscribe  

Description: Sharyl speaks with Cuba's Vice Minister of Foriegn Affairs about perennially troubled relations between the US and Cuba, and Cuba's dashed dreams for a post-Castro change in the dynamic.Subscribe to my two podcasts: “The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast” and “Full Measure After Hours.” Leave a review, subscribe and share with your friends! Support independent journalism by visiting the new ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sharyl Attkisson store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Order “Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism” by Sharyl Attkisson at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Harper Collins⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnes & Noble⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Books a Million⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IndieBound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JustTheNews.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SharylAttkisson.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FullMeasure.news⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for original reporting.Do your own research. Make up your own mind. Think for yourself.

Description: Sharyl speaks with Cuba's Vice Minister of Foriegn Affairs about perennially troubled relations between the US and Cuba, and Cuba's dashed dreams for a post-Castro change in the dynamic.Subscribe to my two podcasts: “The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast” and “Full Measure After Hours.” Leave a review, subscribe and share with your friends! Support independent journalism by visiting the new ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sharyl Attkisson store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Order “Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism” by Sharyl Attkisson at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Harper Collins⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnes & Noble⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Books a Million⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IndieBound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JustTheNews.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SharylAttkisson.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FullMeasure.news⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for original reporting.Do your own research. Make up your own mind. Think for yourself.

Today on the podcast Dr Julia Macdonald, head of Research and Engagement at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, sits down with Vietnam's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Do Hung Viet, who earlier this year visited New Zealand as an ASEAN Prime Minister's fellow.Mr Viet was appointed Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2022, following a diplomatic career that has focused on international organisations. He has held positions as Assistant Foreign Minister, Director-General of the Foreign Ministry's International Organisations Department, and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He will take up the position as Viet Nam's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in mid 2025.Tweet us at @AsiaMediaCentreWebsite asiamediacentre.org.nz Email us at media@asianz.org.nzWhakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

H.E Ihab Hashani 137 | Vice Minister of Municipalities and Housing in Saudi Arabia 

In this episode of the World of Higher Education podcast, host Alex Usher is joined by Javier Botero, a lead consultant at the World Bank and former Vice Minister of Higher Education in Colombia. They delve into the overlooked but significant developments in Colombia's higher education system under President Gustavo Petro. Topics include the implementation of free tuition, student assistance programs, challenges faced by private and state institutions, and specific cases such as the financial crisis and protests at the University of Antioquia. Javier provides insights into the financial constraints, political hurdles, and future prospects for higher education policies in Colombia.

China's consumption, powered by a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, will bring out greater vitality and play a bigger role in spurring overall economic growth this year, said officials and executives.Consumer goods trade-in initiatives will serve a strong catalyst in boosting market sentiment and fueling consumer spending in the world's second-largest economy, in the face of escalating trade barriers and the tepid appetite in the property market, they added.China has put scaling up domestic demand high on its policy agenda this year, with expanding consumption a top priority. Policymakers have fleshed out a set of specific measures to this end, Vice-Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping said at a news conference."Governmental stimulus is key to elevating consumer sentiment, and this significant support will be instrumental in upgrading consumption and driving high-quality development," said Jean-Paul Agon, chairman of L'Oreal Group.In particular, the country's trade-in initiatives, which have contributed to a more than 1 percentage point increase in the annual growth of the country's total retail sales last year, will cover a wider range of consumer goods and offer more attractive incentives this year, Sheng said.China is likely to double the funding for its consumer goods trade-in initiatives this year, reaching 300 billion yuan ($41.4 billion), said Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International.This move is forecast to lead to an additional 750 billion yuan in consumption in 2025, equivalent to a 1.5 percentage point acceleration in the growth rate of total retail sales of consumer goods, Wang added.As of Thursday, the government has received 34,000 applications for car trade-ins so far this year, while 844,000 consumers have purchased more than 1 million home appliances under the initiative, data from the ministry showed.Notably, some 7.92 million consumers have already applied for 10.79 million digital devices, since the trade-in program in this newly added category began on Monday, according to the ministry.These consumption-boosting initiatives are off to a good start, as they align with the growing consumer desire for technological innovation, improved efficiency and enhanced aesthetics, Wang said.In China's rapidly evolving consumer market, marked by a constant stream of new products and technologies, the key to success is not just the sheer volume of offerings, but rather the level of personalization, sophistication and relevance that companies can bring to the table, said Victor Leal Negre, senior vice-president of Greater China Grooming at Procter & Gamble."Each year, we feel the evolving consumption demands of Chinese consumers, which translates into our product innovations, allowing us to serve consumers more effectively," Negre said.Looking ahead to this year, China will continue to expand high-level opening-up, particularly in the services sector, which will further strengthen its role in stabilizing growth, employment and household incomes, Zhu said.Meanwhile, the government can offer more policy support to help localities purchase existing housing stock for affordable and rental housing purposes, which will also address the financing difficulties faced by real estate developers, Zhu added.With the gradual stabilization of the real estate market and the deepening implementation of government policies to stimulate consumption, consumer confidence is expected to rebound substantially in the next 12 to 18 months, global management consultancy McKinsey & Company said in a report in October.

Step into the heart of global diplomacy, where the fate of nations is decided—this episode takes you behind the scenes of United Nations global negotiations. Our guest, Amb. Elayne Whyte Gómez, who has held pivotal roles including Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, reflects on her early influences—from family discussions to the remarkable events that sparked her passion for diplomacy and leadership. Tune in as we unravel the story behind her bold career moves, pioneering work in social justice, and the lessons she's learned along the way in advocating for change on the world stage.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! https://anne-pratt.com

Community-based tourism is transforming the travel landscape in Ecuador, offering unique opportunities for cultural immersion while empowering local communities. Travel writer Sarah Arksey engages with Santiago Granda, Ecuador's Vice Minister of Tourism, to explore how this initiative eliminates middlemen, allowing locals to directly benefit from tourism. With a rich diversity of landscapes, from the Andes mountains to the Amazon rainforest, visitors can connect with indigenous cultures and partake in authentic experiences. The rise of community-based tourism, especially since the 1990s, showcases how local populations have adapted to create sustainable income sources while preserving their heritage. It all began with an earthquake in the 1990s when many tourists were stranded and asked locals to let them stay in their homes. It grew. Tune in to discover how ethical tourism practices are paving the way for a healthier future for both the communities and the environment in Ecuador.Unlike traditional tourism, which often leads to a substantial loss of profits for local communities—up to 70% according to a 2014 UN report—community-based tourism ensures that the economic benefits flow directly into the hands of those who preserve and share their cultural heritage. This initiative not only fosters economic independence but also promotes sustainable practices that protect the environment and local customs. Links referenced in this episode:www.gonomad.com/237232-community-based-tourism-ecuadorCompanies mentioned in this episode: La Salva Minga Sacha Lodge

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first century: 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time.  In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next (MIT Press, 2024), Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it happened: the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself. With a storyteller's gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark's Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author's reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat. A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home. Todd Stern is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a nonresident distinguished fellow at the Asia Society, concentrating on climate change. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the Department of State, where he was President Barack Obama's chief climate negotiator. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

The 7th OECD World Forum on Well-being will take place in Rome on 4-6 November 2024 and is co-organised by the OECD's Centre on Well-Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE) and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), with the collaboration of the Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT), and the support of the Bank of Italy, under the Italian Presidency of the G7. The Forum will look at how the well-being perspective can enhance our understanding of major societal challenges, such as climate change and artificial intelligence, and respond to them. Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to preserve individual liberty and improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. 7th OECD World Forum OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann will be joined at the Forum by: Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister of Economy and Finance, Italy Francesco Maria Chelli, President, Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) Baroness Beeban Kidron, Crossbench peer, UK's House of Lords, and Expert advisor for the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence Frank Vanderbrouke, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, Belgium Atsushi Mimura, Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Japan Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice President, European Investment Bank During the Forum, on 5 November, OECD WISE will be launching its flagship report How's Life? 2024 - Well-being and Resilience in Times of Crisis. This sixth edition of How's Life? presents the latest evidence from over 80 indicators covering current well-being outcomes, inequalities, and resources for future well-being. It contrasts medium-term trends in well-being outcomes with developments since 2019 to understand how well OECD governments are navigating the interconnected challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis and to outline emerging risks that require policy attention. Also on 5 November, OECD WISE will launch the OECD Digital Well-being Hub, developed in collaboration with Cisco. The Hub offers a holistic view of the impacts of digital transformation across key dimensions of well-being through a dashboard of indicators. It will also collect real-time, detailed evidence on people's digital behaviours and experiences through its crowd-sourcing tool, to help better understand inequalities and opportunities presented by digital life and provide a fuller picture of how the digital transformation is impacting our lives and our well-being. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Rania Khalek of Breakthrough News sat down with Cuba's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs during the UN General Assembly. They talked about the US blockade on Cuba, the rise of the right across the Americas, the genocide in Gaza and the dangers it poses to the world, and more. 

Episode Notes A growing number of women are making waves in leadership positions throughout the travel industry, and Skift is featuring 25 of them in our inaugural list, Generation Next: The Women Shaping Travel's Future. We're showcasing disruptors and innovators poised to take the industry to new places. We're highlighting executives such as Standard International CEO Amber Asher, who has helped take the brand global, and Amelia DuLuca, who is playing a leading role in Delta Air Lines' sustainability efforts. Our list includes leaders in all sectors of the travel industry around the world, such as Saudi Arabia's Vice Minister of Tourism Princess Haifa.  Next, Airbnb has relaunched the application process for experiences sign-ups after a roughly year-and-a half pause, writes Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Airbnb confirmed the relaunch after a LinkedIn user saw a prompt to host an experience. Schaal notes that experiences have been a passion project of CEO Brian Chesky for years. However, the company hasn't established a successful product yet.  The short-term rental giant halted experiences during the pandemic, restarted them later and then paused accepting new host applications for experiences around April 2023.  Finally, a recently published report reveals Saudis are exploring their own country in bigger numbers while foreign visitors are spending large amounts of money, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder. A report by the International Monetary Fund said Saudis were largely responsible for the surge in visitor numbers. Domestic tourists represented about 75% of visits in the kingdom last year. Although the Saudi government doesn't share how it defines a domestic tourist, the country's tourism authority told Skift it partly involves tracking mobile phone signals to see when people cross land borders.  Meanwhile, international travelers were the driving force behind the increase in tourism spending. Overseas visitors spent a little more than $37 billion last year — roughly $7 billion more than domestic travelers.  For more travel stories and deep dives into the latest trends, head to skift.com.  Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Tell us what you think about the pod!The passing of the Communist Party's general secretary has the makings of a watershed for modern Vietnam - yet the public domain is distinctly unruffled.  To talk through the reactions and implications of the unfolding transition, we reach out to the writer and podcaster of Vietnam Weekly, Mike Tatarski.  Spoiler: unknowns abound.  And in Indonesia: Erin and Kevin consider a bevy of Prabowo-oriented appointments, the military's yen for business and the pitfalls of zoomorphic forms in palace architecture.For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.infoRead Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/To read about Vietnam Weekly, go here: https://vietnamweekly.substack.com/

Hirotsugu Shinkawa, director-general of the Japanese Finance Ministry's Budget Bureau, will assume the post of vice minister of finance to succeed Eiji Chatani on July 5, the government announced Friday.

Lithuania's Vice-Minister of Justice discusses progress on creating a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

Are you poor? Am I poor? And what will it take to stop poverty? Social Impact Pioneer Dr Martin Burt doesn't think we should just be measuring poverty, or in turn wealth, by the amount of money we have alone. Martin believes that we can all be poor by some measures and that none of us are necessarily poor by all the measures. That is because Martin has been studying, working and leading businesses, civil society and governments to on his mission to tackle poverty. During this podcast you will hear what Martin has learnt on his journey; he shares the tools and skills he has developed in tackling poverty; and challenges us all to end poverty. Dr Martin Burt is the founder and CEO of Fundación Paraguaya, a social enterprise he set up in 1985 to tackle poverty head-on. Together they have researched poverty in depth and developed the Poverty Stoplight – which Martin will go into detail for us during the conversation. Fundación Paraguaya was named Latin America's most impactful and innovative development organisation by the Inter-American Development Bank in 2018. El Pais recently named Dr. Burt as one of the “21 Latin Americans who are changing the world.” Whilst the Poverty Stoplight (which is a key programme Martin is spearheading) is featured in the Solutions Insights Lab “What's Working Solutions”. If that wasn't enough – Martin holds a PhD from Tulane University in Development Economics and International Development, he is a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Research Associate at University of California, Irvine. In public service, Martin was elected Mayor of the capital city of Paraguay in the 1990s, he has served as Chief of Staff to the President of Paraguay, between 2012 to 2013 and was appointed Vice Minister of Commerce. Martin was also twice elected as the president of the Paraguayan-American Chamber of Commerce; and has written books on economics, development, municipal government, poetry, and education. Check out - “Who Owns Poverty?” Links: Poverty Stop Light - https://www.povertystoplight.org Who Owns Poverty? - https://redpress.co.uk/products/who-owns-poverty Martin's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinburt/ And if you liked this do try: Reframing Poverty with Eric Meade: https://businessfightspoverty.org/eric-meade/

Join us for an enlightening hour of discussion with Carlos Ron Venezuela's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for North America 2024. In today's episode, Teri Mattson and Carlos Ron delve into pressing US-Venezuelan foreign policy matters. Tune in as they dissect issues such as election interference by US and European Union actors, the implications of the Barbados agreement, and the illegal use of unilateral economic sanctions to shape Venezuelan domestic policy, including electoral outcomes.

Last time we spoke about the invasion of Sakhalin and the Portsmouth Treaty. The Japanese had defeated their enemy upon the land and sea, yet the reality was, both empires were ailing. They were both verging bankruptcy, but Russia held the edge in more troops and deeper allied pockets for loans. The Japanese sought the aid of President Theodore Roosevelt to usher a peace, but more importantly one that favored Japan's war aims. With his advice, Japan seized Sakhalin to improve their poker hand. At the Portsmouth negotiations, the Japanese would be rather shocked to find their American hero somewhat championed the Russian side when it came to war indemnities. In the end Japan signed the Portsmouth Treaty and would face an outraged population back home. The Hibiya riots erupted, and now the Japanese felt betrayed by America. Yet what of China, how was this going to affect her?   #85 Old Ways Meet New Policies    Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. The turn of the 20th century saw the Qing government face an unprecedented national crisis. The Boxer Rebellion did not go well. The Empress Dowager Cixi and the Beijing government literally fled the capital, not a good look. On January 29th of 1901, Empress Dowager Cixi, from her refuge in Xi'an issued an imperial edict in the name of Emperor Guangxu “After we moved out of the capital city, the empress has been constantly busy with state affairs. As emperor, I deeply regret my mistakes. In the past decades, problems have accumulated and been papered over as we mindlessly followed the old ways, leading to the calamity we face today. Now that peace negotiations are underway, we should reform all political affairs so that the country can become strong and prosperous”. To the Qing government she issued this “submit suggestions regarding reform measures within two months. The suggestions should be based on the current situation with reference to both Chinese and Western experience. Reform proposals should cover law, administration, people's livelihood, education, the examination system, military affairs, and public finance. What should be continued and what changed? What should be eliminated and what combined? What should be done to strengthen China, develop human talent, reach fiscal balance, and build a strong army?'. Thus the Qing officials busied themselves looking into the matters and expressed their opinions in countless memorials. The most influential of these opinions would come from three memorials jointly submitted by the Governor General of Jiangnang, Liu Kunyi and the governor general of Hubei-Hunan, Zhang Zhidong.  The first memorial proposed 4 methods for improving education. It advised setting up schools of liberal arts and military academies. To reform the civil examination system, abolish the military examination system and encourage studies abroad. The second memorial proposed 11 measures to reform the administration. They should promote frugality, abandon outdated rules, cease the sale of office, reform official salaries, eliminate clerks and runners, bring more leniency to criminal punishments, change the policies for official selection, find new ways to support the livelihood of Manchu serving in the eight banners, eliminate garrisons, eliminate the Green Standard army and simplify literary formalities. The third memorial proposed 12 reforms based on Western practices. To dispatch intellectuals to tour the world, to adopt foreign military practices, a new military strengthening program, improve agriculture, further industrialize, enact some new laws on mining/transport and commerce, revise the criminal code, introduce silver coins, introduce a stamp tax, create a modern postal service, learn foreign medicine practices and translate more foreign books.  These memorials were approved by Cixi and would become the blueprint for the New Policy Reforms of the late Qing dynasty. On July 20th, Cixi issued another edict to affirm these ideas would be implemented ‘“For the sake of the dynasty and people, the emperor and I have no other choice.” The Zongli Yamen was officially changed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Outdated posts were eliminated, such as the director general of the Yellow River and Grand Canal, governorship over Hubei, Yunnan and Guangdong provinces whom already held governor-generals, the court of sacrificial worship and the court of banqueting, those 2 last ones are something else arent they. For the military, traditional troops were disbanded or retrained as a reserve army or for police forces. The military examination system was abolished, new military academies were created. A military training bureau was created to train the “New Army” and a Ministry of Police took charge of public security instead of the wonky Green Standard system. To further economic development, a Ministry of Commerce was created. New regulations for chambers of commerce were promulgated. Business laws and provisional regulations for corporate registration were both promulgated. An exhibition center to encourage industrialization was set up in Beijing; vocational colleges were created; the Board of Revenue Bank was also created. On September 7th of 1901, the Qing government signed the humiliating Boxer Protocol and on the 6th of October Cixi made her glamorous return to the capital. China began a new approach with the west. On January 28th of 1902, the Qing court invited foreign ministers to the Imperial Palace ““The audience was conducted throughout with more formality and dignity and with greater outward show of respect for the foreign representatives than heretofore; the event was especially noteworthy as being the first occasion on which the empress dowager has openly appeared in an audience, and not behind the screen of gauze”. Qing officials of all ranks followed suit, trying their best to please the foreign representatives. The term walking on eggshells applies, the Boxer Rebellion had greatly pissed off most of the powerful nations. Thus the Qing dynasty was doing its very best to please both the foreign powers and its people, trying desperately to maintain its ailing rule. Yet the damage beginning all the way in the 1830's was too much. The Qing government also did not outright abandon its autocratic ruling system, in many ways it was providing band aid solutions in the form of reform measures. In a rather dramatic fashion, in 1902 during the birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi a poem was read y Gu Hongming, the aide to Zhang Zhidong “Everywhere people sing about loving the state, but nobody sings about loving the people.The emperor enjoys longevity, and the people pay the bill; the emperor lives forever, and the people suffer.”Everyone gasped in shock. Moments like this highlight the reality of the situation. While the Qing government was tossing reforms left and right, they were not far reaching enough. There were also countless provincial and local officials who refused to adopt the reforms. One example was the governor of Guangdong, Shanxi, Henan and governor-general of Guangdong and Guangxi, yes the age old classic of too many titles on a single person, Zhang Renjun. Zhang was a hardcore conservative and thought the reforms would increase government expenditures and thus further aggravate the populace, in his words “The people are already exhausted and catastrophe will come if we keep exploiting them.” He also believed the dynasty would not benefit from the reforms. He was against the organization and training of a modern army, establishing chambers of commerce and sending intellectuals abroad to study. To the last point he believed the Chinese students going abroad would have their minds poisoned and come back ushering in revolution, he would not be too wrong there. Above all else, he had been a Qing official a long time and knew fundamentally most Qing officials were greedy morons. He was basically the Ron Swanson of the Qing Dynasty haha. He was stuck in some ways, but brought up pretty good glaring problems with the reforms.  After 1905 further reforms were established and there was talk of preparing for constitutionalism, perhaps setting up provincial assemblies with a national assembly, introducing local self-government and such. Yet dramatic change required dramatic change, ca-ching, it would be a heavy financial burden. The Qing government assigned the expense for the reforms upon the provinces, whom in turn apportioned costs upon prefectures and counties. Ultimately the money was being extracted from the common people, whom were already paying enormous indemnities for the Boxer Protocol. Alongside this government stipends for their officials were spearing, as the greedy morons, in Zhang's words of course, lived lavishly. As you can imagine, the age old practice of fleecing the populace ran rampant. Qing officials were exploiting the populace for self gain. A German missionary working in China at the time, Richard Wilhelm had this to say “The Manchu aristocracy made use of the new chaotic conditions in order to feather their [sic] own nest. One reform crowded out another. A great deal of money was spent and nothing substantial was achieved. This state of affairs led to far-reaching dissatisfaction throughout the Empire. The officials, who were not given a clear and uniform lead by the authorities, were placed in the most awkward positions as a result of having to find money locally in accordance with the various edicts of reform which followed rapidly one upon another”. There were numerous flaws in the implementation of the reforms. A large reason for this was a lack of comprehensive planning. In terms of public financing, the reforms simply cost too much. For example, the cost for policing of a small province was something like 2 million taels, for larger provinces it was 3 million. A Qing official named Daungfang said of the situation ‘“As China is vast, if there were only two policemen per square kilometer, the annual expenditure for police nationwide would approach half a billion. The annual state revenue is insufficient to afford this expense, not to mention other reforms.” French diplomats aiding Beijing's Police and military reform programs at the time had this to say “At least we can say that the Qing empire lacks wisdom and foresight, as it decided to establish 36 divisions and to regroup the navy in a great hurry, but failed to consider how to finance these large annual expenses.” Alongside the enormous costs of the reforms, there were those trying to profit from them as well. In 1911, the American sociologist Edward Alsworth Ross had this to say “In an educational center far up the Yangtse the authorities kept bringing out American teachers at great expense under a year contract and then at the end of the year replaced them with others no better qualified. Inasmuch as every shift calls for an allowance of $300 for travel money, the knowing ones suspect that some official gets “squeeze” on the travel money and that is the reason for the incessant changing of teachers”.  As reformed institutions were created, many officials seized the opportunities to get their friends and family positions forming cliques. One account had Tang Shaoyi, one of the Chinese who got to go abroad to study, received the appointment of General director over the Shanghai-Nanjing railway, the Beijing-Wuhan Railway and Vice Minister of Communications, it was said of his tenure “Into every vacant place in the Customs or the railways or in the ministry that came to his bestowal he stowed one of his own relatives by blood or marriage or one of his own Cantonese clan. Out of 400 appointments in the Ministry of Communications made during his tenure of office 350 were jobs for which he could be called to account'.  A lot of new taxes were introduced in the name of the “New Policies”, some added by the Qing government directly, some by local officials, hell even local gentry got involved in the fleecing. An imperial edict acknowledged it “In recent years, the people have been exhausted. In addition, provinces have extracted reparations from the people, robbing Peter to pay Paul, so that the people's livelihood is ever more precarious. … Provincial governors have used all means to collect funds to finance local administration and pushed the people to desperation” A lot of schools sprang up all over China, nearly all of them offering studies in the natural sciences. Colleges of liberal arts and law offered Western social sciences, and this in particular opened new avenues to the Chinese. As the students embraced all kinds of new knowledge, they also took a critical eye to their society and current affairs. Many who were sent to study abroad came back and taught at universities, bringing with them revolutionary ideology.  On September 24th of 1905, Empress Dowager Cixi dispatched 5 ministers abroad; Zhen Prince Zaize, Minister of Finance Dai Hongci, Minister of the Military Xu Shichang, Governor of Hunan Duanfang and Prime Minister of the Business Department Shaoying. On November 25th, the Qing government set up a special institution to study constitutional governments of foreign nations, to provide guidance on their own constitutional reform. It was quite similar to what the Japanese did during the Meiji restoration, albeit quite late. Dai Gonci and Duanfang were the first to depart, traveling to the US to meet with President Theodore Roosevelt. Then Zaize led the rest to depart. At the end of 1906 they all submitted a report stating “the only way for the state to be powerful is constitutionalism”. This prompted Cixi to promulgate a decree on September 1st of 1906 announcing the “preparatory imitation of constitution”. By 1907 the preparatory office of the “Zizhengyuan Institute” Ie: parliament was created. Ming Lun and Sun Jiaxuan were appointed presidents of it. After this, constitutional guilds were established in all major cities within China. By 1908 a constitutional outline was published, showcasing civil rights and obligations; essentials of parliament and election law essentials.  Now for the military, in 1905 the Beiyang Army was reorganized into the New Army. Initially the Qing government planned to establish it as 500,000 regular troops over the course of 10 years, but they would only managed to train roughly 190,000 by 1911. By 1909 a Ministry of War was established to control the new army. Now back in 1904 a study was done, looking into what needed to be done for the New Army. The report indicated China should dispatch government officials to the provinces to make sure imperial decrees were being followed, this might seem like an obvious thing to do, but it had not really been enforced previously. There was a lot of huff and puff over who controls New Army units and a concession was made to allow provinces to raise them, but ultimately they took orders from the Qing court. The 8 banners were excluded from the reform. The report argued the need for specialized and educated officers for both the front lines and staff. Officer pay was increased in an attempt to thwart corruption. Officers were given detailed regulations and were expected to lead their men, not their drill instructors, who due to a lack of qualified officers were often employed to instruct the men. Officers therefore were pretty useless in battle and the soldiers had very little faith in their officers. The report called for standardization of weaponry and for the army to be divided into 3 categories as per the norms of western armies: the standing army was to be 1st class reserves; second class reserves for the regulars would serve 3 years, then they would return home and enroll in the first reserve for another 3-4 years. The army would organize into corps with 2 divisions each consisting of 2 brigades of infantry, 1 regiment of cavalry and artillery, 1 battalion of engineers and transport units. It was estimated each corp would cost nearly 3 million taels and divisions about 1.3 million. With an expected 36 divisions this would amount to 50,000,000 taels annually to grow the new army.  Taking a look at the political reforms, on July 28th the governor-general of Zhili province, Yuan Shikai submitted a 10 point memorial. He suggested creating a national assembly, Zizhengyuan, at the central level, while provincial assemblies would be set in provincial capitals and other assembles would be set up in prefectures and counties. For legislatures, he suggested finding qualified members of the provincial assemblies to be promoted to the national assembly. Now he was one of many to make suggests, others like Cen Chunxuan also made proposals. By October of 1907 an imperial decree was made “Provincial governors should promptly set up provincial assemblies in provincial capitals; fair-minded and enlightened officials and gentry should be prudently selected to take charge; and qualified gentry and citizens should select capable persons as members of provincial assemblies. … Local governments should carry out reforms, and the decisions made by assemblymen should be implemented by provincial governors. Provincial governors should report significant events to the provincial assemblies before they take initiatives. In the future, provincial assemblies shall promote some of their members to the National Assembly. If the National Assembly conducts inquiries, it shall send official documents to provincial governors to ask them to pass on the information, and also directly ask the provincial assemblies for response. If provincial assemblies have some issues, they shall inform the provincial governors and report directly to the national assembly for investigation”. In the end the Qing court favored Yuan Shikai's ideas. Though they endorsed the ideas, the Qing court also had no plan to implement them. Because of this the provincial governors had no idea what to do. Lackluster and inconsistency resulted, prompting the Qing court to issue a Charter for the Provincial assemblies and election of provincial assemblymen on July 22nd of 1908. The Qing court basically gave the provinces a year to set up the assemblies. Now elections had never before occurred in China, officials and peoples had no experience with them. The process of preparing provincial assemblies, verifying the qualifications of voters, first, second round elections, organizing the sessions all required a lot of people and a lot of money. There was no way they were going to pull it off in a year. The Qing court began harassing the provincial officials and the first session of the provincial assemblies would convene on October 14th of 1909. There would be two regular sessions held prior to 1911. After pulling off the first session, provincial governors were under a lot of pressure to produce action. Ultimately most were too afraid to act on specific issues, corrupt or incompetent and this led to a large dissatisfaction. When the second annual session of provincial assemblies occurred there was a large amount of conflict. Issues like finally banning opium were hotly debated, many argued its poisoning effect on their society, while others argued the government would lose too much revenue from opium taxes. We haven't talked about opium in quite some time eh? It honestly was a large problem until Mao Zedong's reign. The provincial assembly system had a lot of problems. The governor of Zhejiang province, Zengyun described much of them in a report he made in 1910 “One year after it was established, the provincial assembly has still accomplished little. … Assemblymen can point out problems, but few can articulate the reasons for them. … As China did not have this system before, legislators are confused. They do not know what issues should be discussed. A few persons with exposure to the law and politics of other countries have only a partial understanding and cannot cite appropriate precedents or articulate them clearly. Moreover, they cannot communicate well with others as most people are rather ignorant. Therefore, although decisions are made by majority vote, the assemblymen rarely support or reject proposals appropriately. During the thirty to forty days of the session, more than half of the assemblymen have not spoken at all. Constitutionalism was introduced with the aim of fostering communication between the government and people. I fear that if such problems persist, the government and people will be further estranged. It is particularly worrisome that the outcome would deviate so much from our initial aim”. There were countless reasons for conflicts between the provincial assemblies and governors. First the provincial officials tended to have a weak idea of constitutionalism and tended to not allow the provincial assemblies participate in public administration. Secondly, the new restrictions upon governors within the constitutional order hindered action. Thirdly the transition to constitutional rule was messy, for example the respective powers of provincial officials and assemblies were very vague. Fourth provincial assemblies tended to be insensitive to the real problems faced by governors. Fifth governors and assemblies had very different positions, responsibilities and thus priorities, conflict was inevitable. Lastly, the provincial assemblies often focused too much on trivial issues such as etiquette. Simultaneously while all of these reforms and debates were going on, something else was brewing, revolutionary fever. In September of 1905, a revolutionary named Wu Yue set off a bomb trying to assassinate the 5 ministers who were about to be sent abroad to study constitutionalism. On July 6th of 1907 Xu Xilian led a failed revolt in Anqing, but was successful in killing its governor. This incident sparked a lot of attention from the Qing court and provincial officials. The Qing government was in a tough spot, to them it seemed there were revolutionaries pushing for constitutionalism and those pushing against it. There were countless revolutionaries and revolutionary groups that had formed throughout the Qing Dynasty's history. Many sought to re-establish a Han-led government, you know all those pesky Ming types. I obviously cant talk about them all, but there is one in particularly thats worth mentioning. In 1891 one man studying to become a doctor, met some friends in Hong Kong, many of whom were revolutionaries. One was named Yeung Ku-wan, and he was the leader of the Furen Literary Society calling to overthrow the Qing dynasty. The man went on to become a doctor and wrote a 8000 character petition to our old friend Li Hongzhang in 1894. His petition presented ideas for modernizing China. He traveled to Tianjin to try and personally meet Li Hongzhang and give him the petition, but was not granted an audience. It seems from the experience, Sun Yat-Sen's heart turned to revolution. He departed China and traveled to Hawaii, a place that was basically a second home to him, he was educated there and had family living in Honolulu. In 1894 in Hawaii he founded the Xīngzhōnghuì “Revive China Society”. This would be the first Chinese nationalist revolutionary society and each person admitted to it would swear the following oath “Expel Tatar barbarians, revive Zhonghua, and establish a unified government”. Sun Yat-Sen returned to Hong Kong in 1895 and met up again with Yueng Ku-wan. Both men viewed the First Sino-Japanese war situation as a huge opportunity and resolved to merge their societies. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen became the secretary of the newly merged group while Yeung Ku-wan was the president. They had Lu Haodong design a flag for their society, the Blue sky with a white Sun flag. If you pull up a picture of the flag, the 12 rays of the white sun represent 12 months and 12 traditional chinese hours, it symbolizes the spirit of progress. Soon their society began to brush shoulders with some old friends of ours, the Tiandihui “heaven and earth society” and even the triads. Dr Sun Yat-Sen was associating with such groups to gain funds and aid in his global travel to support a revolution.  In 1895, the Xīngzhōnghuì unleashed their planned uprising in Guangzhou, thus earning the name the “first Guangzhou uprising”. On October 26th , Yeung Ku-wan and Dr Sun Yat-sen led Zheng Shiliang and Lu Haodong to Guangzhou intending to capture the city in a single strike. However their plans were leaked to Qing authorities. The Qing arrested many of the revolutionaries, including Lu Haodong who would later be executed. The uprising was a complete failure. Yeung Ku-Wan and Dr Sun Yat-sen were both sent into an exile for 5 years. Dr Sun Yet-sen spent his exile promoting revolution within China abroad. He went to Japan, the US, Canada and Britain. While in Britain Dr Sun Yat-sen was seized by the Chinese secret service and nearly smuggled back to CHina in an effort to be executed. James Cantlie working with the globe, the times and foreign office managed to get Dr Sun Yat-sen released. James was a former teacher of Sun at Hong Kong college for medicine and a lifelong friend. When Sun made his way to Japan in 1897 he befriended the Japanese politician Tōten Miyazaki who motived him towards Pan-Asianism. Sun would also befriend Mariano Ponce, a diplomat of the first Philippine Republic. During the Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War, Sun helped Ponce procure weapons from the IJA. Sun hoped to help the Filipinos win back their independence so the Philippines could be used as a staging point for another Chinese revolution. Ultimately the Americans won and thus Sun's dreams of allying with the Philippines vanished. On October 8th of 1900 Sun ordered the launch of another uprising, this time in Huizhou. A revolutionary army led by Zheng Shiliang, around 20,000 men strong, began a coup. This led his force to fight against the local Qing forces, with Sun working out of Taiwan promised to supply his men with ammunition from the Japanese. However, the Japanese got cold feet and the Japanese Prime Minister prohibited Sun Yat-sen from carrying out revolutionary activities on Taiwan. Sun tried to turn to the triads for help, but it simply did not pan out, thus after a month of fighting, Zheng Shiliang had no choice but to order the army to disperse.  After this Sun traveled to Bangkok in 1903 trying to secure funds. On Yaowarat Road in Bangkok's Chinatown Sun issued a famous speech claiming “overseas Chinese were the mother of the revolution”. Yaowarat road would later be commemorated as Sun Yat Sen Street. In 1905 Sun Yat-sen went to Singapore and merged his Xinzhongwei with the Guangfuhui “restoration society” and a few other smaller groups to form the Tongmenghui. Sun then created the three principles of the people: Minzu “nationalism”, minquan “democracy” and minsheng “welfare”. With Minzu, Sun sought national independence, as during his time China was under threat from imperialist powers. China needed to break the unequal treaties and harmonize the differing peoples of the nation. This led to the development of the Five races under one Union: Han, Mongol, Tibetan, Manchu and Muslim. For Minquan, he sought for the people to have real say in governance, and for Minsheng he sought for the government to take care of its peoples needs.  The Tongmenghui rapidly grew, finding support all over the world. With this rapid growth came more and more uprisings. On December 1st of 1907, Sun led an uprising in Zhennanguan against the Qing forces at the Friendship Pass. If you remember all the way back to when we were covering the Franco wars in indochina, the Friendship Pass is the border of China-Vietnam In Guangxi-Lang Son provinces. The uprising failed after 7 days of fighting, but Sun never gave up. In 1907 he launched more failed uprisings such as the Huanggang uprising, the Huizhou seven women lake uprising and Qinzhou uprising. In 1908 even more came, the Qin-lian uprising and Hekou uprising. And these were those backed by Sun Yat-Sen, there was a hell of a lot more going on such as the Great Ming Uprising in 1903, the Ping-liu-li uprising, the Anqing uprising. Then in 1910 Sun unleashed the second Guangzhou uprising, seeing a few hundred revolutionaries break into the residence of the Qing viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. This one was initially pretty successful,but the Qing gathered forces and turned the tide of battle. 72 revolutionaries out of 86 dead bodies were identified and revered as the 72 martyrs. To say revolutionary fever was at an all time high is an understatement. China was about to change forever, in the year 1911. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Qing government was in full panic mode. Too much damage had been dealt to the empire, China had lost face. To quell the outside world she signed humiliating treaties, but to quell her own people, now that was more challenging. The old ways gradually fell to new policies, but can an old dog learn new tricks? 

In this episode, we are very honoured to have Vaida Česnulevičiūtė Markevičienė, the Vice Minister for Finance for Lithuania, as our guest. The Vice Minister tells about why Lithuania embraced the fintech opportunity and how it put a plan in place to ensure success. She discusses the importance of Government and Enterprise collaboration and how they have created a centre of excellence for fintech in Europe. She moves on to talk about the green agenda and green fiance, how the country has a plan in place to achieve net zero by 2030, and what that means in securing energy independence with a focus on renewables such as solar and wind.

The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, has said that his country is at a state of war after the deadly attacks, kidnappings and prison riots that shocked the country in the past few days. The government says the violence is a reaction to the president's plan to build a new high security prison for gang leaders. We hear from Esteban Torres Cobo, a vice-minister in the government. Also on the programme: the daughter of the Nigerian megachurch leader TB Joshua tells us how she too became of a victim of his abuse; and the Oregon school teacher who found the panel that blew off an Alaska Airlines planes in his back garden.(Image: Police officers stand outside of El Inca prison amid the ongoing wave of violence around the nation in Quito, Ecuador, on 10 January 2024. Credit: Reuters/Toro)

In this week's episode of Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball, Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe, reflects on the world's first ever Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit convened near London. The Summit saw the three blocks, the EU, US and China, come together, with participation from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US Vice President Kamala Harris and China's Vice Minister of Technology Wu Zhaohui. With new technologies posing risks such as cyber-attacks, deep fakes and election interference, the aim of the Summit was to start a global conversation on the regulation of AI. To that end, Jamie outlines five key principles that should guide this effort going forward.

What might happen when the landscape is our place of learning?In this episode, I speak with Luis Alberto Camargo. Luis was named the 2023 Richard Louv Prize recipient, in recognition of his life's work, which has impacted 130,000 children and youth across Colombia. Luis is Founder and Executive Director of Organización para la Educación y Protección Ambiental (OpEPA - Colombia & USA), Co-Founder of The Weaving Lab, Core member of Regenerative Communities Network and Founder of Colombia Regenerativa, and Director at Thundra Outdoors. Global Change Leader, Young Global Leader (2008), Ashoka Fellow. Prior, he held a number of roles, including Adviser to the Vice-Minister of Environment of Colombia, Adviser to the Department of National Planning, Researcher at Universidad de los Andes and WWF, Wilderness Medicine Instructor at the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) as well as wilderness educator in the US. We discuss:

Recapitulating the learnings from our unforgettable flagship event, onsite at Twickenham Stadium.Leaders on the Ground takes you behind-the-scenes at our in-person events, where our team will review the action and key takeaways from the on-stage sessions. In this episode, Leaders' Content Director David Cushnan and Managing Director Laura McQueen are joined by Stuart Rowson, Founder and Consultant at Lucky Socks Media, to recap the goings-on from a momentous return to Leaders Week London.The group discuss a range of themes and talking points spanning the week and our Business Summit on-stage sessions, which featured a stellar lineup of speakers across three stages. Alongside the dialogue, the episode will contain short snippets of sessions featuring Mark Bullingham, CEO of the FA, Jennifer Hills, Co-Managing Director of Globe Universal Music Group, H.E Bader Alkadi, Vice Minister of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport and more.

Tisha Schuller welcomes Juan Manuel Rojas Payán, CEO of Promigas, to the Energy Thinks podcast. Listeners will hear Juan Manuel discuss the complex need for natural gas in Colombia and emphasize Promigas' unique work to both expand natural gas access to address poverty and decarbonize their operations. Promigas, a company present in Colombia and Peru that engages in the transportation and distribution of natural gas and electric power, released its 24th Colombia Natural Gas Sector Report (https://www.promigas.com/Paginas/Eventos/ESP/Informe-del-Sector-Gas-2023.aspx) and its Energy Poverty Index (https://www.promigas.com/Paginas/Nuestra_Empresa/ESP/IMPE.aspx). Before working at Promigas, Juan Manuel served as the corporate VP of strategy and business development at Ecopetrol, Colombia's largest oil producer. Prior to Ecopetrol, he held leadership roles at Argentinian energy companies including general manager at Bridas Corporation, senior manager for business development at Pan American Energy, and director of energy at Sideco Americana. Juan Manuel was the Vice Minister of Energy in Colombia in 2000 and 2001. He received a master's in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School and a master's and bachelor's in economics from la Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. Follow all things Adamantine Energy and subscribe to Tisha's weekly Both of These Things Are True email newsletter at www.energythinks.com. Thanks to Adán Rubio who makes the Energy Thinks podcast possible. [Interview recorded on Sept. 21, 2023]

Colombia is in the midst of a change, the development of a new focus on life, human rights, dignity and peace. Its foreign policy reflects that. In his address to the IIEA, Vice-Minister Coy discusses the Colombian Government's foreign policy approach and priorities, especially regarding shared experiences and lessons on Peace implementation between Colombia and Ireland. He also discusses the unique ethnic, territorial, and gender-based approach required to achieve Total Peace through international cooperation and dialogue.  Francisco Coy is the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia, a position he has held since 2022. Vice-Minister Coy joined the Colombian Foreign Service in 1988 and has previously served as Advisor to the Foreign Minister from 2020 to 2022. He has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission of Colombia to Belgium, Luxembourg and to the European Union and NATO from 2015 until 2020. He has also been a Professor of Colombian Foreign Policy, Comparative Foreign Policies, and Foreign Policy of the United States at the Javeriana University, Andes University, Rosario University, Externado University of Colombia, the Military University, and Jorge Tadeo Lozano University.

This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Mr. Tatsuya Terazawa, Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan. Previously he served as the Senior Advisor of the Cabinet Office of Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. Earlier he served at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan where he held leading positions including the Vice-Minister for International Affairs. He is also the Senior Specially Appointed Professor at the Tokyo University of Science, where he teaches international negotiations.    The conversation begins by examining how Tokyo is approaching de-risking and technology competition. They describe Japan's early experiences facing economic coercion as a driving force behind its development of an economic security strategy. Next, they explore China's role in the clean energy transition, emerging policy responses to its control of key inputs in the West, and the approaches U.S. and allied governments need to pursue to stay competitive. They note the importance of better coordination among stakeholders involved in climate politics, energy policies, and economic security. After discussing the dispute between China and Japan over the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear facility, they end by examining the difficult balancing act of taking measures to reduce national CO2 emission while safeguarding partner state business interests.  

Highlights reviewing the crop season from August's Global Update, from the Global, Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California, in today's Almond Byte. Chinese facility registrations A major challenge this year was implementation of China's Decree 248 requiring food facilities exporting food to China to finalize online CIFER registrations by June 30, 2023. ABC took the lead in assisting FDA complete these registrations managed by China's General Administration of Customs (GACC). It was often hit and miss – since Jan 2022, at least 50-60 containers of almonds worth more than $10 million were held up in China due to minor administrative issues related to GACC registrations. Through persistence and collaboration with FDA and USDA, most of the containers were eventually released into China. By the end of June, 65 handlers had finalized their registrations with GACC (valid for the next 5 years). ABC is now working with FDA to develop a system to assist “new” companies to register with GACC.Regulatory issues in Europe ABC continues to monitor Farm to Fork and Green Deal policies that will impact almond exports to European Union (EU). Several Farm to Fork policies are facing headwinds within Europe due to a variety of factors – the Pandemic, economic conditions and the impact of the ongoing war in the Ukraine on energy and food prices. ABC has worked with European partners to ensure industry concerns are shared with government officials. Import inspections in the EU were another challenge this year due to inspection inconsistency and increased infestation detections resulting from large crops combined with logistical challenges. This past year, ABC worked with USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service to help clear around 10 stuck shipments due to lack of Pre-Export Check certification, incorrect interpretation of import control rules and other issues. ABC is continuing to monitor the situation and is providing input to the EU Commission regarding import control guidance which should help harmonize industry experience across member states.Global Trade StrategyThis past year, a more comprehensive trade strategy was developed to guide ABC priorities. The plan was rolled out to committees and the Board of Directors and the strategy identifies potential tariff reductions and technical barriers, while leveraging industry partner associations to amplify almond priorities – a key element to finding solutions to technical barriers to trade as we expand exports into new horizon markets. The Global, Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at ABC has engaged with several international delegations this year including a Vietnamese team of importers and processors, a Pakistani delegation at the Gulfood Show in Dubai, the Turkish Nut Trade Association, and most recently a Vice Minister's delegation from China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

From July 11-12, Lithuania is scheduled to host the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius. According to Lithuanian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mantas Adomėnas, the summit's success will be predicated on three principal dimensions: (1) Ukraine's NATO prospects, (2) defense of the eastern flank, and (3) defense spending. On this week's episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia explore these principals with Adomėnas and discuss what a NATO arrangement might look like for Ukraine. Does the EU see the war as an excuse for Ukraine's expedited integration into NATO? Will the EU forget about its commitments to defense spending and the military after the war is over? How can the West prepare for the "new reality" of an increasingly unpredictable world? And as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's signals that Ukraine is preparing for its counteroffensive, could a demonstrable show of success before July impact the summit? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's biweekly newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter here.

This episode of CMSOnAir is a conversation on current migration policy issues in the United States. Kevin Appleby, Interim Executive Director for the Center for Migration Studies (CMS), and Víctor Genina, Director of Development and Policy for the Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN), sit down to discuss insights into these issues. SIMN is an umbrella organization established in 2007, and inspired by Saint John Baptist Scalabrini. SIMN encompasses more than 250 grassroots Scalabrini entities that serve and advocate for the dignity and rights of migrants, refugees, internally displaced people, and seafarers around the world. Prior to joining SIMN in July 2021, Víctor served as an advisor on international migration and human rights issues to the Permanent Missions of Mexico to the United Nations, both in New York and Geneva, and as an advisor to the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico for Latin American Affairs. A specialist in international migration, Víctor holds degrees from El Colegio de México (COLMEX), The New School of Social Research, and the National University of Mexico (UNAM). Learn more about the Scalabrini International Migration Network: www.simn-global.org/ Learn more about the Center for Migration Studies of New York: www.cmsny.org/

On this episode of the World of Higher Education Podcast, Javier Botero joins us to discuss Colombian higher education. These days he's a lead consultant at the World Bank, but formerly he was the Vice Minister of Higher Education in Columbia, and he's here with us today to provide an overview of recent policy developments in the nation.

In this special edition of The Kingdom Community Show, we air a recent broadcast of Mission's Pulse with our good friend David Joannes who sits down with Lazarus Yeghnazar, the founder of Transform Iran, a faith-based humanitarian outreach “to the desperate” in Iran. He is a former top translator for Iran's war ministry and budget minister who emigrated to England 36 years ago following the Iran-Iraq war.Learn more about David Joannes and subscribe to the Mission's Pulse podcast when you visit https://davidjoannes.com About Lazarus YeghnazarRecently featured on CBN, Yeghnazar shared more about his heart for the nation and how many people in Iran have encountered Jesus through dreams and visions—something that is fairly foreign to Western cultures. See the CBN interview here https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2023...Lazarus Yeghnazar was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1949 to an Armenian Christian family. At the age of six, he saw a vision of Jesus and committed his life to His service. At 21, Lazarus was ordained as an elder at the Central Jamaate Rabani Church in Tehran and appointed as a member of the General Leadership of these churches across Iran.At 23, despite the fact that he taught himself English, Lazarus became the head of the translation department of the Ministry of War in Iran and the official translator for the Vice Minister of War in Iran.He was imprisoned twice before he was 25 for preaching the Gospel in different cities in Iran (during the time of the Shah). After the Islamic Revolution, when the hostages were captured at the American Embassy, he was the only one called upon to conduct Christmas and Easter services for the hostages.He had an official audience with the King and Queen of Iran at the age of 27. Years later, by special invitation, he met and prayed with the crowned prince Reza Pahlavi (then in exile).Lazarus also established Pars Link, one of the front-running electronics engineering firms in Iran, and became a successful international businessman. At 30, he founded and led the first Tehran chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International.In 1988, after the end of the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq, Lazarus and Maggie felt God's leading to leave Iran and settle in Europe. In 1991 they established 222 Ministries in obedience to the call of God. In 2022 ‘222 Ministries' became ‘Transform Iran' to better communicate the expanded vision they had received from the Lord.Lazarus has a strategic pioneering spirit. He sees what is happening and what needs to be done and has the courage and voice to lead where others may hesitate to go.Find out more about Transform Iran here https://transformiran.com/our-story/

Baani Grewal speaks to Ashok Malik, Partner and Chair of the India Practice at The Asia Group and ASPI Visiting Fellow. They discuss India's foreign policy under Modi, including its relationships with the West, and China and Russia; and developments in the Australia-India relationship, including why it's significant that the Raisina Dialogue is coming to Sydney. The information domain is critical in warfare, and given the rapid developments of technology, it is increasingly weaponised by adversaries. Dr Jake Wallis asks Janis Sarts, Director of the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence, how NATO and like-minded countries such as Australia are faring in combating disinformation, and whether there is a model for deterrence in the information domain. Bec Shrimpton speaks to Netherlands Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Marcel de Vink about geopolitics and Australia-Netherlands collaboration. Bec asks the Vice Minister about the global implications of Russia's war on Ukraine, NATO's approach to international security and the need to develop social resilience. Guests (in order of appearance): Baani Grewal: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/baani-grewal Ashok Malik: https://theasiagroup.com/team/ashok-malik/ Dr Jake Wallis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/jacob-wallis Janis Sarts: https://stratcomcoe.org/employees Bec Shrimpton: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/bec-shrimpton Marcel de Vink Music: "Phychic" by Ketsa, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

EPISODE: Save the Planet: Nicaragua & the Climate CrisisGUEST: Javier Gutierrez, Secretary of the Presidency of Nicaragua for Climate Change and Vice-Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.On the heels of COP27, we present an encore broadcast from August 2021 discussing climate change with guest Javier Gutierrez, Secretary of the Presidency of Nicaragua for Climate Change and Vice-Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.This episode is a thorough presentation of the effects of climate change on food production, extreme weather conditions, insect borne illnesses, and migration, as well as, a scientific discussion as to what is happening to the planet as a whole.ADDITIONAL LINKS:Watch via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y3txWsliCYWTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean is a Popular Resistance broadcast in partnership with CODEPINK, Common Frontiers, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, Friends of Latin America, InterReligious Task Force on Central America, Massachusetts Peace Action and Task Force on the Americas.

In this special episode, five experts talk about how the world might pay for the harm that's been inflicted on poorer nations by burning fossil fuels. Director of the Loss & Damage Youth Coalition Ineza Umuhozo Grace, climate economist Gernot Wagner, the Dominican Republic's Vice Minister of Climate Change Milagros De Camps, and two International Red Cross representatives share their insights.

"Paraguay participates in the ""V Ibero-American Forum of MSMEs"" Paraguay Participated in the first session of the Ibero-American Forum of MSMEs that is hed in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 14 and 15, 2022, Initiative of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (Segib) and the Council of Ibero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero-Amero" "--START AD- #TheMummichogblogOfMalta Amazon Top and Flash Deals(Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://amzn.to/3CqsdJH Compare all the top travel sites in just one search to find the best hotel deals at HotelsCombined - awarded world's best hotel price comparison site. (Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://www.hotelscombined.com/?a_aid=20558 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."" #Jesus #Catholic. END AD---" "n Entrepreneurs (CEIB), as a meeting point for key players in the SME and entrepreneurial ecosystem, both from the public and business sectors. In this context, the Ambassador of Paraguay in Portugal Julio Duarte van Humbeck, pointed out in his speech the high percentage of participation of MSMEs in the Paraguayan economy and its great social impact. He emphasized the priority that the National Government grants to MSMEs in its State policy. He also indicated the successful experiences, with financing from international organizations, to achieve an internationalization of national products. Likewise, Ambassador Duarte Van Humbeck highlighted that productive chaining and integration are fundamental for Paraguay, which is why its State policy of trade facilitation and free transit, added to its characteristic of open economy and its good macroeconomic indices, they favor the concretion of businesses and the establishment of foreign direct investment. The virtual participation of the President of the Paraguayan Industrial Union, Engineer Enrique Duarte, and the presence, scheduled for the November 15 session, of the Vice Minister of MSMEs, Isaac Godoy, were highlighted to share experiences and good practices in the sector developed at the national level. national, accompanied by the economic advisor María Luisa Almeida, accredited at the Embassy of Paraguay in the Kingdom of Spain. https://www.mre.gov.py/index.php/noticias-de-embajadas-y-consulados/paraguay-participa-en-el-v-foro-iberoamericano-de-mipymes "

Note: this episode is bilingual (Spanish and English). For full English translation, please view at: https://youtu.be/AvzCWjqiRQEAdditional note: the first few minutes of this broadcast were disrupted by anti-government trolls. The disruption has been left in the recording so as to demonstrate some of the obstacles faced while reporting a non-US narrative from Venezuela.TODAY'S EPISODE: Alex Saab: A Kidnapped DiplomatThis is a special episode featuring the screening of the documentary film by the same name followed by a discussion/Q&A session with our guests:Camila Fabri Saab, wife of Alex Saab andCarlos Ron, Venezuela's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs for North AmericaBACKGROUND:Alex Saab is virtually unknown in the United States, where he is currently languishing in a Miami prison, but he has been vital to Venezuela's ability to survive the brutal economic war being waged by the U.S. He is a political prisoner whose case has parallels to that of Julian Assange. Both have been subjected to extraterritorial reach by U.S. authorities, as neither are U.S. citizens, and their alleged crimes took place outside of the country. Assange is in jail for telling the truth. Saab is in jail for helping feed VenezuelansThe documentary Alex Saab, A Kidnapped Diplomat, directed by Venezuelan journalist and documentary filmmaker Karen Méndez, focuses on the illegal detention of Saab, first in Cape Verde and since October 2021 in the United States.FOLLOW OUR GUESTS:Camila Fabri Saab: https://twitter.com/CamillaFSaabCarlos Ron, Venezuela Vice-Minister of Foreign Relations, North Americahttps://twitter.com/CarlosJRonVETAKE ACTION:Sign the Free Alex Saab Petitionhttps://www.codepink.org/freealexsaabIn partnership with Common Frontiers, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, Friends of Latin America, InterReligious Task Force on Central America Massachusetts Peace Action and Task Force on the Americas, WTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean broadcasts weekly on CODEPINK YouTube Live. You can also find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Telegram and RadIndieMedia.com

The PLA conducts live-fire drills near Taiwan in response to U.S. House Speaker Pelosi's sneaky visit to Taiwan Island. China also suspends cooperation with the U.S. in climate change and other fields. The great majority of the international community including international organiztions such as the United Nations have expressed their adherence to the one-China principle in the face of U.S. provocation. Who has de facto changed the status quo over Taiwan? Who has really caused rising tension in the region? Liu Xin sat down for an exclusive interview with China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. He explains why Chinese reactions are the justified and appropriate response to U.S. provocations.

Bolivia's Vice Minister of High Energy Technologies, Alvaro Arnez, discusses the future of lithium under the new MAS government. Other

Last time we spoke, the death of Nurhaci led to the rise of his grandson Hung Taiji. The Sea King Mao Wenlong was finally caught lying about his military achievements and even secretly negotiating with the Jin. Mao's rival Yuan Chonghuan took little time to get rid of Mao, thus riding himself of the man stealing his limelight. Unfortunately it was not long when Yuan would fall victim to a sneaky ploy of Hung Taiji and was executed under the false pretense that he was a turncoat like Mao. Hung managed to gain some very valuable Ming defectors and upgraded his military with new cannons and naval units. Then Hung proclaimed his people to be the Manchu under a brand new Qing dynasty as he conquered all of Korea. With the Koreans now giving him tribute, he soon turned his gaze towards the Ming, with some new toys in hand.   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. This episode is The Rebellion of Li Zicheng In early 1634, one man, Chen Qiyu, was instilled with an incredible amount of power. He was made Supreme commander of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Huguang and Sichuan. The Ming Court had realized the required authority necessary to coordinate operations against the wandering bandit menace. Droughts, famine, even cannibalism was seen all over, driving peasants to swell the ranks of bandits who soon became rebel armies. So many officials in numerous provinces complained they lacked the resources necessary to feed their troops, distribute relief or quell rebellions. In turn when they would fail, they would be dismissed, leading to a further shortage of competent men to manage the terrible situation. In the area between Shaanxi and Henan, over 200,000 rebels began taking smaller towns and killing local officials. The rebels would routinely attack smaller towns, usually in groups of 10,000 and perform atrocities against officials. They would avoid any open battles with Ming forces, always on the move. Then all the prominent rebel leaders got together for a meeting, which would be a rather dramatic turning point. The overarching leader amongst them was Li Zicheng who would make many key decisions for them all. They decided to divide their forces and strike out simultaneously in all directions. The most successful of these groups would be the Rebel leaders Zhang Xianzhong and Gao Yingxiang who hit Nan Zhili. Enroute to their target, their troops carried around banners declaring themselves followers of the True Primal Dragon Emperor and thus they were identifying themselves as something more than just mere bandits. They marched through Henan on their way into Nan Zhili, looting the town of Fengyang. There they killed over 4000 Ming officials and civilians performing some heinous atrocities, some stating they even ripped fetuses out of pregnant women. They razed everything to the ground and looted the place for days. Once they were done, Gao headed west and Zhang went east to attack Luzhou. Defending Luzhou was commander Wu Dapo who deployed peasants and troops to defend the town. He set up cannons atop walls and stockpiled large logs to be thrown at the rebels. Then as the bandits got close, his forces opened fire killing around a 1000 of them.Yet such local competent commanders were increasingly becoming rare and the Emperor continuously resorted to dispatching eunuchs wherever he could to resolve matters. These eunuchs of course were not military men and many had ulterior motives. The bandits were moving further south freaking out the Ming Court and Emperor. Drastic measures were enforced such as rushing 43,000 troops from other theaters, such as from the northeast where the Qing could strike at any moment. In the wake of the absolute disaster at Fengyang, Hong Chengchou was given the task to crush the rebels within 6 months time and the emperor followed this up by pledging almost 1 million taels worth of supplies for the task. Despite all these major efforts, Hong had far too few troops, too much ground to cover and far little time.    The rebels roamed freely, prompting one official in Henan to state “the villages are bereft of people, white bones fill the wilderness and at night the crying of ghosts can be heard everywhere”. Rice inflation was so high, it is alleged people were buying human flesh of the deceased in markets. The rebel groups were demonstrating more and more tactical awareness. They began burning crops in certain areas to deny food supplies to pursuing Ming forces. Gao Yinxiang besieged Guangzhou with a force of possibly 70,000 and used many heavy cannons. Gao followed this up by attacking Taozhou, dangerously close to the secondary capital of the Ming, Nanjing. His forces would crush a Ming army in Song and Henan before he returned to Shaanxi in 1636. The rebels and Ming officials would go back and forth with countless battles and one Ming official realized the rebellions now needed to be quelled as a first priority. The Minister of War Yang Sichang stated the rebels were a “disease of the heart” and that the capital region must be protected from the spreading poison of the rebels. The frontier war with the Manchu he deemed to be like the arms of a person, not necessary for survival, but the heart was. Yang saw the greatest danger being in Shaanxi, Henan, Huguang and Jiangbei. He thought the empire required a bold new strategy to restore state control of the central plains. Once this was achieved, then they could turn their attention towards the Manchu threat. Yang's plan was to become known as “shi ian zhi wang” the Ten-sided net. Like most grand proposals during this time, it looked amazing on paper and would be a catastrophic failure.   By 1637 the scope of the rebellions had expanded greatly and the center of its activity was shifting from south and east closer to the capital and the agricultural heartland of the Ming dynasty. Thus Yang proscribed the construction of more defenses along the frontier, hoping to bolster everything aside from troops. He wanted to keep around just 50,000 troops outside the Great Wall, thinking it would be a sufficient deterrent against the Manchu. The idea was, if the 50,000 were attacked by Manchu invaders, they could buy enough time for reinforcements to come. In the meantime they could even open up peace talks with the Manchu simply to buy more time for what he really wanted to do, quell the rebellions once and force all. There was quite an uproar in the Ming Court over the idea of opening peace talks with the Manchu, but it would begrudgingly be done. Some others in the court advised opening up trade markets with their Mongol allies to procure horses, hoping to drive a wedge between the Manchu and their Mongol allies. Ming intelligence at the time suggested the Mongolia frontier situation was a hot spot not just between the Ming and Manchu, but also between the Manchu and certain Mongol groups. The idea as stated by one official was “to use barbarians to control barbarians”.   Yang believed given adequate supplies, how many times have I stated that one at this point, given adequate supplies the soldiers could be fed and would fight, and in turn would be able to depend on the populace accordingly. Once the populace felt safe, they would direct their allegiance to the Ming government and be less inclined to join rebel groups. Then with the populace, they could form militias and finally cut off, isolate and stave out the rebel groups. Yang then prescribed punishment and even execution for Ming officials who were derelict in their duties. This was the “ten-sided net” strategy. Yang said Shaanxi, Henan, Huguang and Jiangbei would have 4 lines of defense, each with a pacification commissioner assigned. At Yansui, Shaanxi, Shandong, Jiangnan, Jiangxi and Sichuan would be 6 auxiliary lines of defense, each also assigned pacification commissioners. Those commissioners would be directing both defensive and offensive operations. Through their efforts they would gradually close in around rebel positions until all were trapped, then killed or captured. Defense was the primary function of it all. Once the net closed in on the rebels, the Ming would employ “clearing the fields and strengthening the walls” as a general strategy. Thus with heavily defended cities and no supplies available to them, the rebels would eventually be forced to surrender. 2 supreme commanders, the Zongli and Zongdu would smash the enemy wherever possible, while the rest of the officials would act more locally. The Zongli and Zongdu's troops would be elite troops with better mobility. Yang estimated they would need 10,000 troops in key defensive posts and around 30,000 for each supreme commander. In total they would require 120,000 troops, of which 36,000 would be mounted. Overall, the problem should be resolved in a matter of just 6 months, sure. Now to equip and supply all these troops it was estimated to cost 2.8 million taels. How were they going to pay for all this, taxes taxes taxes. Yang argued they could increase the land tax by about 12 ounces of grain to bring in an extra 1.9 million taels and get another 400,000 via special taxes on surplus lands. 200,000 from postal revenues and the rest perhaps by raising the sales tax a bit. There was a ton of debate in the Court over all this, but Yang got his way. The plan was a go though it certainly had its critics. One major critic against Yang and his plan was Sun Chuanting, the Grand coordinator of Shaanxi. Sun argued countless problems with the ten-sided net plan. First he argued the funds and manpower for it were highly unrealistic “how can the state raise an extra 2.8 million tales when they've already spent more than 1 million taels in extra revenues”. Sun re-iterated this argument asking where the troops would even come from and how the hell would he manage to do all this in just 6 months. Sun also stated the seasons when this would take place were not the same seasons the bandits usually were at large. There was also the issue of terrain, the rebels could still flee to mountains and forests, which large Ming armies would lose them in. Sun said many more troops would actually be required for this plan and those officials appointed needed to not only be competent, but also very knowledgeable at the local levels. Sun characterized the plan to be more of an “empty net strategy”. But like most critics, hell the majority of our politicians today to boot, Sun had no alternative plan. I am sure any of you in the audience can already see one of the largest issues with this plan, that of taxation. The peasants are rebelling because there is no food or funds in their regions, so the plan is to further tax them to stop them from rebelling? This issue did not go unnoticed, the Emperor stated himself “leadership and money needs to come from the gentry, not the masses. Suppressing the bandits requires a big campaign which requires lots of troops. The money can't come from the people, but should come from the treasury, but the treasury is empty”.  Xiong Wencan, a man who gained a reputation for quelling rebels was appointed as one of the supreme commanders, alongside Hong Chengchou. Out in the field, Xiong and Hong managed to achieve many victories against the rebels,  Hong even managed to defeat Li Zicheng, one of the biggest rebel leaders at large. But these victories did not amount to peace for the populace. Many of the pacifications armies would loot and rape as they drove the rebels into the mountains. As is expected, Ming commanders would not venture deep into mountains, fearing rebel ambushes. Ming forces won numerous battles, claiming the lives of thousands of rebels, but were never able to eliminate the enemy entirely from any given region. At one point, the rebel leader Zhang Xianzhong was defeated in battle and had to surrender. This prompted some Ming officials to discuss the idea of using Zhang Xianzhong to kill other rebel leaders. Most officials deemed the idea completely insane and it was soon disregarded. While the discussions were going on  however, Xiong Wencan allegedly gave Zhang 20,000 men to help maintain local order. This eye opening moment prompted Yang Sichang to become more more personally involved in the campaign, not liking how his subordinates were simply doing things on their own and some not even following direct orders. Yang also vowed to the emperor it would all be done by the winter of 1638. Yang then berated field commanders to obey the authority of the Ming officials. Winter of 1638 came with no significant results, and Yang asked the emperor to replace him, but was refused. This prompted Yang to make a list of officials who he deemed deserved punishment for lack of action during the campaign, one of the most notable was Hong Chengchou who seemed to be making no ground. Many officials were punished, except for Hong who the emperor personally liked and protected.    There were many unforeseen problems, such as local officials hiding resources and bribing the tax agents who came looking for funds. Natural disasters plagued China as well. Locust plagues hit and caused more famines in Henan, Suzhou and Shandong forcing more and more peasants to scrounge for food and many Earthquakes hit Sichuan. More and more the strong joined the rebels and the weak starved to death. Yang himself seemed to not even be following the ten-sided net strategy anymore by 1638. Yang began to prioritize certain regions over others, rather than keeping the net closing overall and when the Emperor questioned him, Yang would argue it was too difficult to coordinate the officials. As I mentioned many of the sub commanders and other officials were beginning to not heed orders and it was becoming a noticeable problem. And of course Yang gave the old, lack of troops, lack of supplies speech. All in all, rebels were certainly being killed or captured and many of their leaders were falling, its not like the Ming were not making headway. Yang was even beginning to feel some confidence that the plan was working and proposed grabbing another million taels for the plan and famine relief. Then disaster would strike.   As I previously mentioned, part of the plan was to open up peace talks with the Qing, to bide more time to finish off the rebels. In 1638, the Ming were not looking so good and the Manchu's were coming off multiple war victories making them not too willing to talk about peace. Some in the Ming Court thought they should negotiate making Hung Tiaji a tributary prince, Yang Sichang pushed for this heavily. Yuan Chongzhen held a meeting with many officials over the state of the frontier defenses. They lacked firepower and many competent commanders were busy with the rebels. In the end as a result of the circumstances the Emperor ruled in favor of offering to make Hung Taiji a tributary prince. Meanwhile Qing nobles such as Dorgon, Kong, Geng and Shang began raiding Ming territroy outside the great wall. Then Dorgon had a lucky encounter at a large redoubt near the Great Wall and annihilated the force in it and proceeded across the border and approached the Yellow River. Zu Dashou alerted the capital and demanded relief forces to rush over. The Ming Court debated on what action to take, Yang Sichang advocated for negotiations, while others urged for battle. One commander Lu Xiangsheng argued with Yang “If you discard war but talk of negotiations,you nourish disaster and bring disgrace to the country. Who doesn't know this? What's the point of my receiving the double-edged sword from the emperor if I don't exert myself in battle”. Yang's rebuttal to this was to sneakily transfer troops from Lu Xiangsheng to another commander named Gao Qiqian, leaving Lu with only 20,000 men. The Emperor for his part was outraged by the Qing threat to his capital yet again and yelled at Yang in front of the Court. It seemed the Emperor was most angry about the idea that those around him thought he personally believed peace talks were the best choice of action, as he did not think they were. The Emperor then ordered Lu Xiangsheng to pursue the enemy and for Gao Qiqian to defend Shanhaiguan. The Emperor sent 40,000 taels to Lu as a reward and stated “Peace talks were the idea of the outer court officials. The Emperor personally favors wars”.    The Qing attacked Gaoyang, where the now 76 year old and retired Sun Chenzong was. He, alongside his whole family participated in the defense of the city. The city fell after 3 days, poor Chenzong and 19 of his family members perished. Lu Xiangsheng pushed for a counter attack, but Gao Qiqian argued they would be better to take up defensive positions. Lu's forces were fighting the enemy at Baoding, but had no rations left. Lu pleaded with his men to continue fighting “you and I have all received the blessings of the state. In this calamity we may not avoid death, but there is no calamity in which we might not attain life!”. His men resolved to fight on to delay the enemy, praying for relief forces to come. Gao's forces were only 15 miles away when they received a plea from Lu to come help, Gao did not reply. Lu's force was surrounded near the Gaoshui bridge outside Jiazhuang, they then engaged the enemy. The battle lasted 6 hours with cannons, guns and arrows flying off. Lu's sub commanders pleaded to try and break out of the encirclement, but Lu demanded they all make a last stand. Lu would die from 4 arrows and 3 sword blows, allegedly after taking 10 men with him. The Qing took Changping, Jizhou, Pinggu and reached the outskirts of Jinan by January of 1639. Jinan city would fall and be razed to the ground, and the Ming Prince Zhang Bingwen would die from arrow fire in street fighting as the defenders fled. Dorgon then raided some territory around Tianjin before heading back east. By the time any significant Ming relief forces came to bear down on the Qing they were already making a withdrawal. The Qing raids had lasted 5 months, they hit 53 cities of which they captured 8. They fought 57 battles defeating 33 Ming divisions and captured an incredible 473,000 Ming, 4000 taels of gold and nearly a million taels of silver. Over 100 Ming officers were killed and sadly 150,000 civilians. The Ming Court responded first with the execution of 32 officials deemed to have allowed the situation to get out of hand. Yang Sichang was impeached, but managed to avoid execution. Competent commanders who were quelling the rebels were transferred to the northeast to prepare new defenses against future Qing attacks leaving the northwest to fester with more rebellions.    A little while back I mentioned the talk of using the surrendered rebel leader Zhang Xianzhong to help kill other rebel leaders. Well this whole time he was in Gucheng training a so-called militia and making promises to the Ming that he would help pacify all of Huguang. He had erected customs houses on the Han river to collect transit taxes, under the guise they were to help defend Gucheng. He was also bribing officials and local administrators left right and center, effectively having them firmly in his hands. Meanwhile Xiong Wencan was still performing offensive operations against the rebels, while the Ming Court in late 1638 falsely believed the rebels were largely quelled. Then Zhang Xinazhong, to the surprise of no one, began rebelling with that so-called militia group he had been training. It should come to no surprise, Zhang's efforts the whole time were in preparation for future rebelling. He had  extorted money through the transit tax schemes and used the funds to reinforce the walls of the town where he settled his garrison. On top of bribing so many officials to turn an blind eye to his actions, upon re-commencing with the rebellion, he sent a release of records of all the corrupt officials who dealt with him and made it public, leading to more and more executions. Zhang's force joined up with another rebel leader's force namd Luo Rucai and they soon began to attack Fangxian which fought them for over a week before its gates were opened. The rebels plundered Fangxian and then casually moved into the mountains near the Shaanxi border. The man who had captured Zhang in the first place, Xiong Wencan was berated for all of this of course. Xiong sent Zuo Liangyu to pursue the rebels, but Zuo's force would be ambushed in the mountains, taking 10,000 casualties and having to retreat. It was one of the greatest rebel victories, they had not only killed a large number of Ming soldiers, his force also got their hands on a ton of war supplies and Zuo's official seals of authority.    The disgraced and severely deranked Yang Sichang demanded to be allowed to deal with the problem and was reappointed minister of war, Grand secretary, Supreme Commander of Bandit pacification and bestowed the double edged sword of authority in 1639, wow talk about the kitchen sink of appointments. The Emperor agreed to give Yang 5 million taels to wipe the rebels out once and for all and pretty much gave Yang carte blanche for how to operate. Apparently the Emperor even personally served Yang wine at a later banquet and gave him a handwritten poem, what a fall and rise moment. Xiong was impeached of course for his incompetence and even being accused of taking bribes from Zhang Xianzhong. Yang had a 6 step plan now to stop the spread of the rebels. First, taxes would be used to raise local troops with military farms established to feed them. Second, town walls would be improved, Third mercenaries would be hired to help train local militias. Fourth all cities would have firearms mounted on their walls. Fifth the government needed to improve famine relief efforts. And sixth they needed river forces to stop rebel boats and advocated for bringing troops from neighboring regions to help encircle the rebels. As you can imagine, the funding for all of this came from what else, new taxes. Surprisingly, Zuo Liangyu was appointed Bandit Pacifying General despite his enormous defeat to Zhang. Zuo from the offset would also believe he was being held back by Yang, who kept him in a defensive position and denying him any opportunity to get revenge upon Zhang.    Despite the efforts, the rebels remained on the rise, now Luo Rucai and Zhang Xianzhong commanded a force of 100,000 by the fall of 1639. Yang decided to surround Zhang's stronghold of Gucheng, as Chongzhen berated him demanding to know how long this would all take. Throughout 1639-1640 the Ming seemed to be piling up victories over the rebels and even Zhang Xianzhong had fled into Sichuan being pursued by a very angry Zuo Liangyu. Yang ordered Zuo to stop pursuing him, but Zuo ignored the order and managed to encircle Zhang near Mount Manao. There he made a major victory, inflicting 3500 casualties, captured several commanders and also Zhang's wives and concubines. Zuo seemingly exonerated himself, but Zhang managed to escape further west into Sichuan, not to mention Yang was not too happy he disobeyed orders. Yang, as was typical of Ming officials, sought to limit those he saw as a rising rival such as Zuo. So Yang recommended another general, He Renlong to be invested with Zuo's title, which would prove to be a serious mistake. Yang's recommendation fell dead, and now he had alienated both Zuo and He. Zuo then turned to pursue Zhang who was beginning a rampage throughout Sichuan. Many Ming soldiers began deserting at this time, prompting Yang to more desperate acts, such as recruiting Shaolin monks at the Temple in Henan. Soon all of Sichuan was in trouble as tons of cities were taken by rebels or simply abandoned. Famines forced peasants to cannibalism and thus many joined the rebels, soon Yang yet again asked to be relieved of his post, but the emperor responded by sending 200,000 taels for famine relief instead.    Because of Yang's strategy to coordinate regional defenses, many local communities were left largely to fend for themselves against the wandering rebels. Zhang and Luo's combined forces struck several cities in Sichuan. Yang was pushed to relocate his HQ to Chongqing where he could be closer to the fighting. He then began to place a bounty on Zhang's head and announced clemency for other rebels if they brought him Zhang's head. To make matters worse, the Ming court increasingly became frustrated with Yang's inability to achieve results with his numerous disputes with his subordinates whom all were rallying against him, stating he was incompetent and should be replaced. To all of this Zhng Xianzhong wrote a poem mocking Yang “Before we had coordinator Shao Who often came forth and danced with me Then came the armies who would not fight But followed me around But now we have good commander Yang Who graciously leaves me a three day road!”. The rebels took Luzhou in December of 1640 and fled at the first sight of Ming troops trying to encircle them. Yang was desperate and ordered all his commanders to assemble at Yunyang and to mount one more campaign to crush the rebels once and for all. Yet by this point many of the commanders were simply ignoring Yang's orders. For example Zuo Liangyu headed east trying to stop rebels from escaping into Shaanxi and He Renglong had gone west doing a similar operation. Yang was lashing out at the commanders arguing with so much terrain to cover it was now better to go on the offense than defense, but all the commanders ignored him. Then Yang's fears were realized when Zhang Xianzhong managed to capture Ming Prince Xiang at Xiangyang. Zhang's men had plundered some seals of office from Ming forces and used them to get into the town. Now Zhang occupied the prince's seat in his palace. Zhang allegedly poured the prince some wine at the palace and demanded of  Xiang “I wish to have the head of Yang Sichang, but he is far away in Laikou, so now I'll have to borrow the prince's head in his stead. This will cause Sichang to suffer the full penalty of the law for having lost his princely fief. Now the prince should use all his strength to finish his wine”. Zhang then tied prince Xiang to the palace wall and lit him and his concubines on fire. Zhang then distributed some 150,000 taels from the prince's treasury to the people, but it should be noted his men also performed horrible atrocities upon the people as well. They cut several hands, feet, ears and noses from random civilians when they captured towns in the area. Now the rebel army moved east taking even more towns, even Guangzhou.    Upon hearing the news Yang was livid with the commanders, who all defended themselves stating they were guarding against raids from Li Zicheng's rebel army from the north. To add insult to injury, Li Zichengs forces did strike from the north hitting Luoyang and managed to capture the extraordinary fat Prince Fu and his grandson. By contemporary accounts, its estimated Prine Fu may have been over 400 pounds and was quite reviled by the local populace. Prince Fu kowtowed before Li, begging for his life. Li of course killed him and then distributed a lot of his wealth to the people of Luoyang stating to them “the prince and the wealthy stripped away the flesh of the people and had no regard for the life or death of the common folk. I've killed him on your behalf”. Allegedly, Li and his sub commanders then stripped flesh from Prince Fu and consumed it with wine as a cruel pun. For taking Luoyang, Li became the foremost rebel leader and the term “dashing Prince” began to be associated with him. Luo Rucai similarly held the title “generalissimo chosen by heaven to pacify the people”.    Yang fell into despair believing all was lost, now he sent a letter to the emperor asking for his own execution. Yang eventually stopped eating and died in march of 1641. Zhang Xianzhong would later capture Yang's ancestral home of Wuling and dig up his grave and desecrate Yang's corpse. Yang's demise truly illustrates the many problems of the late Ming politics and Military situation. All too often, sweeping authority was bestowed on civil officials who lacked military experience. The ten-sided net strategy was doomed from the beginning. The main problem with it was that of resource allocation. If perhaps the Manchu threat had been contained in the northeast, then maybe Yang ould have mustered the forces and resources necessary to beat the rebels. But the entire time there was a fight over resources between the Manchu problem or the Rebel problem, and many in the Court did not know which one was the largest threat. The numerous natural disasters that led to wide scale famines did not help at all and were only made worse by Yang's lack of military experience. While the Ming forces pretty much always bested the Rebels during battle, the rebels enjoyed superior mobility and easily disappeared when needed.   For the remainder of 1641 the Ming tried to fight off the rebels in central China. Ding Qirui replaced Yang Sichang and Fu Zonglong was appointed Vice Minister of War and Supreme commander of Shaanxi. Li Zicheng had risen to be the most powerful rebel leader with Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai beneath him, but all held significant reputations and status. As a result of all the battles to destroy the rebels, now the rebels had earned significant battle experience, technological expertise and a ton of weapons. The Ming were losing their technological edge in war against the rebels.   After the Qing raid into Shandong, the Qing launched a probe attack on Songshan in March of 1639. A Qing force of 30,000 approached Songshan and were met with 37 heavy cannon fire which repulsed the invaders quite quickly. Hung realized the Ming were not yet ready to abandon their defenses outside the Great Wall so easily. Plans for defending the Liaodong region continued, but at this point Ming officials feared to advance any plan for war in fear of failing and being punished for it. It goes without saying the Emperor's temper was pretty high at this point and one was likely to be executed or atleast lose significant status for such ventures if they did not pan out. As the war against the rebels intensified in western and central China, the Qing began to make more noise in Liaodong. Ningyuan remained a thorn in Hung Taiji's side, alongside Songshan and Jinzhou for over a decade now. Since early 1640, the Qing began setting up military farms in preparation for future attacks on Ming territory. The Joseon dynasty was now also helping the war effort by sending food supplies by ship to Xiaolinghe and Dalinghe. Many war plans were brought to Hung by his commanders, and eventually one would be approved. The plan was to capture Songshan and Jinzhou which were thought to be the key to take Shanhaiguan. The war planners argued that previous raids had failed against Shonghan and Jinzhou because the Ming held Shanhai-son jin corridor, but if that was severed, the Qing could consolidate all Liaodong and then hit China proper. Now the Ming were not sitting by idle, they saw the Qing build up and knew a massive invasion was incoming. The Ming also rightfully deduced an attack would be made on Songshan and Jinzhou so both were heavily fortified and prepared for sieges.   The Qing first made their attack on Jinzhou in may of 1640. The Qing began to dig trenches around the city preparing for a very long siege. By March of 1641, Zu Dashous sent a messenger outside the walls of Jinzhou stating to the Qing forces “we've got enough food to last 2-3 years. It will be a long siege; will you be able to hold out that long to outlast us?”. The Qing replied “we aren't lifting the siege, whether it lasts 2-3 or even 4-5 years. How are you going to keep getting food?”. The back and forth talk seemed to unsettle the Ming's Mongol allies at Jinzhou who began to negotiate with the Qing separately. This drove Zu to panic somewhat and go out and strike up a battle with the Qing, but was beaten back into the city. The Qing began to hack their way through the first layers of the city defenses as the Ming continuously sent relief forces from Xingshan, but all were being ambushed and defeated. Then in April of 1641, the Qing assaulted the outpost of Chayeshan. The Qing bombarded it with large cannons and arquebuses. The soldiers and a small force of monks there fought back as best they could using spears, boulders and incendiaries. Soon the Qing overwhelmed the outpost with firepower and razed it to the ground. Then in May of 1641 the Ming engaged a Qing force just outside Xingshan led by Wu Sangui. Wu's force was outmaneuvered despite having a lot of cavalry and encircled by the Qing commanders Dodo and Jirgalang. The Ming lost a few thousand men and several commanders fled, only to then get caught up in another engagement around Liangmashan just a few miles from Jinzhou. At Liangmashan the Ming dug in and tried to bait a force of 3000 Qing into a fight, but the Qing did not take the bait. More fighting occurred outside various outposts and the Ming kept driving off Qing raiders who in turn would just wait until night time to hit walls with siege ladders. Songshan resisted a 37 day long siege under heavy Qing fire, until a Ming relief force arrived. The Qing were camped a few miles due east of Songshan and had to fend off multiple Ming strikes against them. It seemed all the outposts and major walled cities were managing to hold off the Qing. The Qing strategy of bombarding them and trying to draw them out into decisive battles in the field was not working. It seemed the Ming still enjoyed the edge when it came to firepower, but Ming scouts were sending concerning reports that the Qing were busy building a ton of weapon carts and ships at Shenyang. It was clear that a purely defensive war would not be enough. The Ming commanders began to analyze the situation and they discussed the importance of trying to force a decisive battle that might allow them to retake Liaodong. They believed if they could dictate the place and style of combat then they might stand a chance. The Ming also began to get reports that Korean ships were transporting Qing soldiers in the Bohai Gulf which raised the concern the Qing might sever their sea supply lines. This all accumulated into a major war planning session in april of 1641. The Ming commanders held a conference at Ningyuan and decided they needed to break the Qing encirclement of Songshan and Jinzhou. Wu Sangui would lead an initial attack followed up by Zu Dashou from Jinzhou. They ended up clashing with a Qing cavalry force of about 8000, sending the Qing fleeing with their superior cannons. The battle was embarrassing for the Qing, and the commander of the force, Jirgalang was replaced by Hung's brother Dorgon from that point on. It was also around this time the rebels armies had captured and killed the 2 Ming princes and Yang Sichang suicide. All the northeast outposts and cities were demanding further relief forces and supplies, but the Ming court decided to focus on the increasing rebel problem and thus the northeast would just have to rely on what had on hand.   In the summer of 1641, Hung renewed the efforts against Jinzhou and Songshan. The Qing erected their siege weapons, dug moats and trenches around the cities to thwart any relief or supply efforts and dispatched mobile forces to hit anyone outside walls. Chongzhen did not want to send any significant force against the Qing, believing by autumn the Qing would become weakened through attrition. The Emperor did not agree with this plan however and sent the Minister of War Chen Xinjia and Zhang Ruoqi to goad Chongzhen into action. Chen began attacking Chongzhen for what he argued was his lack of faith in the Ming forces. The same factionalism that had plagued the Ming for decades was soon going to force a catastrophe.    Meanwhile, since the death of Yang Sichang, the rebel leader Li Zicheng's ambitions were growing each day. He was now recognized as a charismatic leader and quite the military genius. The way in which he dealt with Prince Fu had gained him a lot of notoriety with the populace since he was handing out money and food. Li then gained the attention of some gentry, one notable one was named Li Yan. Li Yan joined Li and advised him “you must take capturing the hearts of all the people under heaven as the root. If you don't kill people, then you'll win their hearts”. This seems to have had a profound effect on Li as he began to do just that. Li also began a program of making popular slogans for his rebel movement, one went like this “Kill your oxen and sheep. And prepare your wine and spirits.Open your gates and welcome the Dashing Prince. When the Dashing Prince comes. You won't be paying taxes”. A man after my own heart and wallet, if I must say. Shortly after Li Zicheng began changing how his force rebelled, more gentry joined him such as Niu Jinxing and a midget sorcerer named Song Xiance. Yes a Midget sorcerer. Song Xiance was a native of Guide in Henan. He walked with a limp because of a bad right foot and was known by locals as Son the Child. His reputation as a sorcerer came from the fact he went around telling fortunes and casting divinations, which was something seen throughout Chinese history for midgets. Well one of these fortunes he told was that of Li Zicheng who he predicted would have his 18th grandson assuming the imperial throne and that his name would also be Li. So as Li Zicheng enjoyed popular support and expanded his movement, other rebel leaders continued to rampage throughout western and central China. Widespread famine and more people resorting to cannibalism swelled the rebel armies ranks. The situation dramatically changed in august of 1641 when Luo Rucai broke off from Zhang Xianzhong and joined up with Li Zicheng in Henan. Alongside Luo other smaller rebel leaders also joined Li and Li took this newfound force to attack Xincai along the Henan - Nan Zhili border. The commander at Xincai was Fu Zonlong who managed to beat back the rebels with cannons, but the rebel hoards kept coming. Fu then sent word to He Renlong and Li Quoqi asking the 2 commanders for help, but both complained it was not possible to cut through the rebel lines to get to Xincai. Li began to step up the siege and Fu's defenders were soon running low on food. It is alleged, Fu's forces were forced to eat the corpses of slain rebels. When the gunpowder ran out Fu had no other choice but to attack the rebels. Fu led 6000 men out at night to attack the rebels and managed to kill an estimated 1000 rebels before breaking out of the encirclement. They fled for their lives being chased by rebel forces and Fu was eventually captured. The rebels then tried to use Fu to open the gates of Xincai. When he was marched in front of the gate he screamed out “I am the commander of Shaanxi and though I have fallen into rebel hands and there are rebels on all sides of me, I will never serve you. I am a high official. If you wish to kill me, then kill me. How can I not sacrifice my life rather than help you bandits deceive those in the city?”. With all of that said, the rebels beat him to the ground, cut off his nose and Fu would die from his wounds, Xincai would soon after.   Zuo Liangyu would attack Li and Luo's force, driving them in the direction of Henan. From there the rebels would target Nanyang in November of 1641. Nanyang was defended by Meng Ruhu who died trying to defend the city. When Nanyang fell, Li burnt down the residence of Prince Tang furthering his personal war against the Ming monarchy. After this Li began to occupy towns in southwestern Henan much to the dismay of the Ming Court. The Ming Court appointed Sun Chuanting straight out of jail, to be the new Supreme Commander of the 3 Frontiers. By the way I have not made much mention of it, but so many officials were jailed for failing their jobs, only to later be reappointed to that same job or another job and taken out of jail, it really was chaotic.    At this time the Ming official Wang Qiaonian decided to attack Xiangcheng in central Henan which had recently fallen to rebels. Wang led 10,000 well trained troops to take the city and found it relatively undefended, little did he know the rebels had moved on early. Unfortunately, once the rebels heard of Wang taking Xiangcheng they soon returned and surrounded the city. Wang along with many of his men would be killed in street fighting over the city. Zhang Xianzhong made an assault on Shucheng in southwestern Nan Zhili in march of 1642 which fell quite easily after a 3 day siege. Zhang changed the city's name to Desheng meaning “attained victory”. Over the next few months, Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai continued to raise hell in Henan, he rebel forces were rotting the Ming Dynasty to its core.   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.  The Ming dynasty was like a roast beef rotting from the inside while being carved up from the outside. Droughts, famines and terrible administration led so many starving and wartorn peasants to join rebel groups and now Li Zicheng emerged the largest rebel leader amongst others who now held entire armies at their command. Yang Sichang began the disastrous “ten sided net plan” which resulted in many victories over the rebels, but at terrible costs. The more the Ming allocated resources towards quelling the rebels in the northwest and center of China, the weaker their northeastern frontier became, ripe for the plucking for Hung Taiji. Now Hung focused his attention on long term sieges of major Ming held fortresses outside the Great Walls, but once those fell he could attack China proper.   

英语新闻|Xi: Large-scale agriculture to play key rolePresident Xi Jinping has highlighted the important role of the nation's large-scale grain growers, calling on them to boost their operations, make greater and more effective use of modern agricultural technology and contribute to ensuring China's food security.国家主席习近平强调了我国种粮大户的重要作用，希望他们发挥规模经营优势，积极应用现代农业科技，为国家粮食安全贡献力量。Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark on Monday in a letter of reply to Xu Congxiang, a veteran grain farmer in Taihe county, Anhui province.6月27日，中共中央总书记习近平在给安徽省太和县种粮能手徐淙祥的回信中寄予殷切期望。In his letter to Xu, a large-scale grain farmer who won several national honors after setting up an agricultural cooperative in 2010, the president expressed his hope that large-scale grain growers can leverage the advantages of scale operation, actively apply modern agricultural technologies and encourage small-scale farmers to contribute to the country's food security by expanding grain production and improving grain quality.自2010年种粮能手徐淙祥创办农业种植专业合作社后，他多次获得国家级荣誉。习近平在给这位种粮大户的回信中表示，希望种粮大户发挥规模经营优势，积极应用现代农业科技，带动广大小农户多种粮、种好粮，一起为国家粮食安全贡献力量。Xi, who met the veteran grain farmer on a fact-finding trip to the county in April 2011 while serving as China's vice-president, said he was delighted to know that Xu has reaped a bumper wheat harvest this year and his children and grandchildren are carrying on his work.2011年4月，习近平到张槐村实地考察时会见了这位种粮能手。习近平在今年给他的回信中指出，“得知你家种植的小麦喜获丰收，儿孙也跟着你干起了农业，我感到很高兴。”Noting that people feel assured when they have an ample supply of food, Xi said he always pays close attention to grain production.习近平强调，手中有粮，心中不慌。对粮食生产，他一直都很关注。The CPC Central Committee, with a host of policy measures to support grain production in recent years, aims to ensure China's self-sufficiency and to enable farmers to earn tangible benefits and make their lives better, he said.他表示，党中央近年来出台了一系列支持粮食生产的政策举措，就是要让中国人的饭碗牢牢端在自己手中，就是要让种粮农民有钱挣、得实惠，日子越过越好。Since leading the establishment of the agricultural cooperative in his county, Xu has been devoted to large-scale farming and the research of agricultural technology, and has won several national honors, including National Model Worker.自徐淙祥牵头成立农业种植专业合作社以来，他一直致力于规模化养殖和农业技术研究，曾获得包括全国劳动模范在内的多项国家级荣誉。He recently wrote to Xi to report his experience of growing grain and helping fellow villagers shake off poverty, and he expressed his resolve to lead more farmers to increase their crop yields and quality.近日，他写信给习近平总书记，汇报了十多年来从事粮食生产、帮助群众脱贫等情况和体会，表达了继续做好农业研发推广工作，带动更多农民多种粮、种好粮的决心。According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the nation has about 3.9 million large family farms and over 2.2 million agricultural cooperatives.据农业农村部统计，全国大型家庭农场数量约有390万个，农业合作社超过220万个。Meanwhile, small-scale farms account for over 90 percent of China's agricultural production, according to the latest national agricultural census, which was published in 2017.根据2017年发布的第三次全国农业普查公报显示，全国小农户从业人员占农业从业人员的90%以上。About 210 million rural households operate farms smaller than 0.67 hectare, according to the census.全国农业普查公报数据表明，全国农村经营耕地10亩（约合0.67公顷）以下的农户约有2.1亿。Tang Lixia, a professor and deputy dean at the College of International Development and Global Agriculture of China Agricultural University, said that, in the letter, Xi reaffirmed the role of large-scale farms in ensuring China's food security.中国农业大学国际发展与全球农业学院教授、副院长唐丽霞表示，习近平总书记在信中重申了规模化农场在保障中国粮食安全中的作用。"Compared with small-scale farms, it is easier to promote the use of agricultural machinery and scale up input in science and technology at large-scale farms, which can increase the yield of crops and farmers' incomes," she said.她说：“与小规模农场相比，大型农场更容易推广使用农业机械并加大科技投入，从而提高农作物产量和农民收入。”She said Xi's letter came at an opportune time as the nation was wrapping up its summer harvests and preparing for the planting of its autumn crops.她强调，习近平总书记的这封信来得正是时候，当下全国农业从业人员正在夏季收成，准备种植秋季作物。Xi's underscoring of China's food security was even more significant, as the Ukraine crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to higher global commodity prices, especially among staple foodstuffs, she said.她指出，习近平对中国粮食安全的强调尤为重要，因为乌克兰危机和新冠疫情导致全球商品价格上涨，特别是主食价格。The nation's per capita share of grain reached 483 kilograms in 2021, higher than the internationally recognized security line of 400 kg, Vice-Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Deng Xiaogang said at a news briefing on Tuesday.6月28日，农业农村部副部长邓小刚在“中国这十年”系列主题发布会上表示，2021年全国人均粮食占有量达到483公斤，高于国际公认的400公斤粮食安全线。veteran英[ˈvetərən]；美[ˈvetərən]n.经验丰富的人，老兵; 退伍军人bumper英[ˈbʌmpə(r)]；美[ˈbʌmpər]n.（汽车前后的）保险杠adj.丰收的; 巨大的tangible英[ˈtændʒəbl]；美[ˈtændʒəbl]adj.可触知的; 确实的，真实的; 实际的; [法]有形的census英[ˈsensəs]；美[ˈsensəs]n.人口普查

Last time we spoke, the Yuan Dynasty lost their hold over China as a result of famines and a rebellion led by Zhu Yuanzhang that eventually toppled them. Now the Ming Dynasty stood as a marvel to the world achieving great wonders, but how long would it prosper? The Ming Dynasty's first Emperors began their reign hampered by paranoia, leading to bloodshed. Eventually it seemed all was going well for the new Dynasty, but then an external threat came to the door in the form of Japan. The Imjin War of 1592-1598 saw the Ming Dynasty quelling the Japanese challenge at their status as the supreme military power in East Asia, but it also weakened them, opened the door for the Jurchen Chieftain Nurhaci to establish a new state and wage war upon them. Now Nurhaci had won a great victory over 4 Ming armies, what would he do next and how would the Ming stop him? Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War.   This episode is the Ming strike back  After Nurhaci had shocked the Ming Court by defeating the 4 armies they sent to destroy him, they now realized they required bigger actions. The Ming Court appointed Xiong Tingbi as “Jinglue” the Military Affairs Commissioner of Liaodong. Xiong was a veteran, a very skilled commander, an intelligent negotiator and interestingly an ambidextrous archer. He was one of the very few Ming officials who had both civil and military skills. Xiong began his work by taking an account of his forces and the enemy. There was supposed to be roughly 180,000 Ming soldiers in the region, but Xiong's personal inspectors found only 90,000 and of which many were unfit for war. Xiong estimated Nurhaci to have around 100,000 men, so this prompted him to request 1.2 million taels of silver from the Ministry Revenue to pump up the Liaodong defense. This soon escalated into a back and forth situation, prompting Xiong to argue that the bureaucrats were not investing enough funds to actually put up a real defense of Liaodong. In the end the Ministers of War and Revenue coughed up around half what he asked for. This would be a recurring theme until the end of the Ming dynasty.    Xiong's strategy was to establish extremely stout defenses instead of sending large forces out in the field to face the Jin. He also sought to “sooth the hearts and minds of the people”, emphasizing a psychological aspect of the war. What was meant by this was that Xiong was displaying to the Emperor that they needed the people of Liao to know they were valued subjects, because too many were becoming unhappy and as a result defected to the Jin. Xiong also realized having failed to secure enough funds he needed to find his own and thus they would “use the people of Liao to defend Liao and by using the resources of Liao to support Liao”.   Xiong realized the only real avantage the Ming held over the Jin, was that of firepower. Thus Xiong wanted to formulate his defensive plans based around taking advantage of that. He quickly began using the funds to build up the moats and walls for the fortresses, build cannons and firearms and paid for the relocation of over 180,000 additional troops from other regions to defend a southern line between Fushun and Fort Zhenjiang. He also built up a system of beacons and watch towers which provided communication and coordination for the defensive efforts, cant help but visualize the beacons of Gondor haha.   Xiong's defensive strategy was to not meet the Jin in the open field and allow them to fall upon his fortifications. Thus he would not ride out to meet the invaders, but bide time and gradually recover lost territory through attrition. This would all start from Fushun and Qinghe, he also hoped to eventually gain some assistance from Mongols in the north and Koreans from the east thereby forcing the Jin into a multi front war. Xiong perceived Shenyang to have land too open and thus too difficult to defend so he argued against fortifying it much. This gave fuel to other rival officials to criticize him for this, stating he was simply abandoning it. Unsurprisingly given the Ming political climate, Xiong's plans were attacked by many officials. One of the largest critics was Yang Sichang who said it was too difficult to fund and transport many of the troops Xiong wanted and that this would lead to heavy tax hikes and burdens for the commoners. Then as more territory fell to the Jin, Yang criticized Xiong's strategy stating “who even dares to stand up to the enemy. If good rewards are bestowed, then certainly there will be bravery”. It seemed unlike many of his colleagues, Xiong understood the Ming could win a defensive war by not trying to meet the enemy on the field. In fact once he began his defensive campaign, the Jin attacks decreased somewhat.   Xiong would end up serving around a year with the full backing of Emperor Wanli who personally liked him, until he died on August 18th of 1620. At the end of his life, Emperor Wanli blamed the civil and military officials' inability to cooperate for the debacle in Liaodong. With the passing of Emperor Wanli, very little moments of military glory would befall the Ming's future.  Emperor Wanli was succeeded by Emperor Taichang who died barely a month into his term of possibly dysentery and was succeeded by Emperor Tianqi. As the transition process between the emperors was carrying on, many officials who had grievances against Xiong began to make their moves. They began to berate the high costs of his defenses, slandered his accomplishments and accused Xiong of losing territory and being a coward. An impeachment process began against Xiong and he did not want to face even worse scrutiny that could possibly lead to dire consequences so he quit his job. The position of Military Affairs Commissioner for Liaodong fell to Yang Sichang, one of the main officials slandering him; this also would become a recurring theme. A man named Yuan Yingtai was made Minister of War and Commissioner of Liao affairs. When Emperor Tianqi taking the throne and with Xiong out of the picture, suddenly the decision to reinforce Shenyang was made. As you might remember, Xiong thought it was not a good place to establish defenses. Yuan Yingtai was confident he could take more aggressive actions unlike his predecessor. He also sought to bolster the Ming strength with Mongol allies whom he personally trusted more than the inhabitants of Liaodong. You see, as a result Han defectors because of the Jin attacks, and just because of general history, the people of Liaodong were perceived by many to be somewhat untrustworthy. Thus he began promising several Mongol chieftains monetary rewards in exchange for their aid. Some of Yuan's colleagues feared what would happen with all the Mongols after they defeated the Jin stating “it was like opening the chicken coop to welcome the wolf and the tiger”. Despite all the worry Yuan persuaded the new Emperor to give 3 million taels to begin hiring Mongols, though much like in all aspects of the Ming dynasty at this point, the logistics of that money being dispursed properly by local officials was going to have issues.   Nurhaci's forces invaded the Liaodong region in the February of 1621 commencing with a siege against the fortress of Fengjibao due east of Shenyang. The forts defenses were commanded by General Li Bingchen and the cannons along its walls proved to be quite deadly, so Nurhaci took the easy route and simply surrounded the fortress at a safe distance waiting to starve them out. Eventually Li Bingchen alongside 200 soldiers came out and engaged the nearest Jin force managing to inflict some casualties, then they ran for their lives back to the fort as the Jin forces chased after them. During the chase, 1 Jin officer was killed by cannon fire, so Nurhaci pulled back the men to safety. The next day, Li Bingchen came out, but this time with 2000 men trying to engage the Jin. This time they were absolutely broken by the Jin and scattered in defeat, Li Bingchen himself was forced to flee away,  and so the fortress was taken. Now the path to Shenyang was wide open. It is somewhat ironic to note, the removal of the defensive Xiong Tingbi and the appointment of the more aggressive Yuan Yingtai was what really facilitated Nurhaci's attacks on Liaoyang and soon Shenyang. If you recall, Xiong did not want to defend Shenyang, deeming it indefensible. Yuan Yingtai did not share this view.   After taking Fengjibao, Nurhacis army continued its march towards Shenyang, but he wanted to hit the city before winter had broken. Nurhaci's scouts reported to him that Shenyang was quite heavily fortified with many cannons and firearms. Not wanting to needlessly sacrifice men, Nurhaci opted to establish a base camp on the banks of the Hun River and ordered his men to conduct raids and pillage the surrounding area to push the Shenyang defenders to sortie against them in the open field. There were 2 major commanders at Shenyang, He Shixian and You Shigong. Well Nurhaci's raiding proved to be successful, as He Shixian, suddenly came rushing out with 1000 soldiers to attack a smaller Jin raiding party and allegedly he was quite drunk as well.    They were quickly surrounded and forced to try and fight their way back to the west gate of Shenyang. Many of He Shixian's men desperately urged him to flee to Liaoyang and to this he apparently said “How can I as the General not remain to defend the City?”. You Shigong saw He Shixian's plight as he and his forces tried desperately to reach the west gate. Thus You Shigong tried to come out with his own force to save him, but He Shixian by that point had taken 4 arrows into his back and died. You Shigong's forces were then surrounded and completely annihilated. Nurhaci's men then scaled the walls of the city using siege ladders. As they were scaling the walls however a Ming relief column commanded by Chen Ce was spotted around the Hun River, so Nurhaci personally led some Banner men to attack them. Chen Ce's heavy armored Pike infantry tried to make a solid formation against the Jin cavalry, but were outflanked and pushed right into the Hun River, many drowning in their heavy armor. Another relief column showed up behind them and engaged a force of 200 Jin which were quickly pulled back. Nurhaci then rallied them alongside his son Daisan and killed possibly 3000 of the Ming forces as they chased them out of the area.   Shenyang's morale broke upon seeing their presumed rescuers all fail and soon the Jin captured the city. After hearing that Shenyang had fallen, a Ming army of 50,000 was set to besiege and recapture the city. Scouts brought news of this to Nurhaci who stated that they must keep the momentum going, so he grabbed his bannerman and rushed out to confront the Ming force on the open field before they could set up their entrenchments around Shenyang. The Ming army was taken by surprise and only able to position their guns and fire a few times before the Jin cavalry was upon them. Nurhaci's men made a pincer attack forcing the Ming to rout. Nurhaci would  further this up, by simultaneously attacking and defeating yet another relief force dispatched from Liaoyang. The battle was quite significant as it marked the first time that Nurhaci had captured a significant walled city. All the previous victories were smaller fortresses and market towns. Capturing Shenyang was a huge achievement not by its lonesome, it also meant the Jin had a springboard to capture Liaoyang and perhaps control the whole region now. Liaoyang at this point was considered the lynchpin of Ming defenses, it had been heavily fortified with heavy firearms on its walls and an abundant garrison. Nurhaci was also given word that Yuan Yingtai's headquarters were located at Liaoyang.   Thus Nurhaci's force immediately began to march upon Liaoyang and camped a couple miles outside the walled city. They began their siege of the city by cutting off its main water supply, sapping the eastern wall of the city and constructing siege weapons. Nurhaci also suspected relief armies would soon embark to assist Liaoyang, so he tasked 4 banners to intercept any that might try. Once the Ming defenders saw the siege weapons being constructed, this prompted them to send out a force of 30,000 troops who quickly set up their own lines and fired guns and catapults upon the invaders. The Ming defector and now commander, Li Yongfang utilized his own cannons upon the Ming force drawing their attention while a smaller Jin force snuck around them. That Jin force then made a desperate attack upon the bridge leading into the walled city under heavy Ming cannonfire. They were able to take the Wujing Gate and cut down the bridge severing the 30,000 strong Ming force outside. The Ming desperately tried to flee back into the city realizing they had been cut off, but now the invaders were charging on their heels pushing them into the cities moat, the very moat that was supposed to protect them! It is said quote “the defenders corpses eventually piled up so much within the moat that the water turned crimson red”. The Jin forces then began to employ floating bridges across the moat. A relief corps from Shandong arrived to the scene, but the 4 Banner's dispatched just for the possibility were able to turn them back. Meanwhile the wall defenders rained fire arrows and pots full of fiery substances, but it would be to no avail as 2 walls soon crumbled. As the walls fell, the defenders began to panic and tried to flee only to come face to face with more Jin attackers and be pushed back to die within the moats. From the first day of the siege, Yuan Yingtai personally led the troops. To his despair, a Jin cannon had managed to hit the Ming Powder stores, which took out a vast amount of their supply. To add insult to injury, the Mongol allies they had within the city were plundering it instead of aiding in the defense. Yuan Yingtai was standing in a tower watching the destruction fall before him. Once he say the banner troops breach the walls he lit his watch tower on fire committing suicide. It is alleged before he did this, he welcomed the invaders waving some burned incense shouting “wansui” Long Life before he lit himself on fire.    The Jin followed up the taking of Liaoyang by occupying all the defenses east of the Liao River, over 70 fortified towns and garrisons. It is estimated 70,000 Ming soldiers perished and the Ming relief forces from the south had only taken perhaps 2 to 3 thousand Jin forces down trying to save the region. A lot of the fortified cities would do well initially in battles, but they all seemed to run out of ammunition or gunpowder and eventually would fall as a result. Adding to this, with every city taken by the Jin, more and more of the Ming's Mongol allies defected to the Jin cause.   The situation prompted Nurhaci to send a letter to the King of the Joseon Dynasty pressing him to renounce his allegiance to the Ming and to turn over all the Ming refugees who fled into Korea. Nurhaci began to restore many Ming officials to their former ranks and titles, but now under service to the Jin state. As was becoming more standard practice, Nurhaci also gave orders to his forces to leave the Ming commoners unmolested. And yet again, Nurhaci moved his capital now to Liaoyang and held a victory feast 3 months later in the new capital.    It was at this point Nurhaci began to do more state building and put on hold the further invasion of Ming territory. He wanted to draw more subjects over to his side from the Ming and he did this by initiating new laws, taxes and practices designed to protect all peoples, specifically Han chinese. Meanwhile the Ming Court were scratching their heads trying to figure out why Shenyang and Liaoyang fell. A lot of reasons were given such as: Yuan Yingtai lacking practical military experience, the Ming officials were all uncoordinated,  the Ming soldiers abandoned the fortresses too fast sometimes before there was even a breach in any wall and perhaps there was just a general lack of discipline in the military ranks. Thus the Ming Court made motions to improve the military training and searched for more capable commanders. Xue Guoyong was appointed Vice Minister of War and the Jinglue of Liaodong. Wang Huazhen was appointed Xunfu, the vice censor in chief of the right and touring pacification commissioner of Guangning, wow what a long title. Oh and its not just a long title, there was a real issue beginning to brew with the Ming Court appointing too many responsibilities onto single officials. Indeed the Ming bureaucracy was ripe with incompetence as it was with corruption. Often Ming officials would compete for resources or formulate countervailing strategies in the field. In the absence of a strong overseer, gridlocks formed often. While the Tianqi Emperor secluded himself and did not put his foot down enough on the Ming officials, Nurhaci was always in the field holding direct command of his forces. This would prove to be a distinct advantage leading to the Ming downfall. This would also end up the case with Xue Guoyong, who began his job…by really not advocating any particular policy. Though on the plus side, this led to a more defensive strategy.   Now Wang Huazhen however favored an aggressive policy using both land and sea operations against the Jin. The Ming Court then tried to figure out the best place to hold the line, most thought the best would be the west bank of the Liao River. Thus the city of Guangning was going to be heavily fortified and Xiong Tingbi was recalled to service. Xiong immediately recommensed with his original defense strategy using Guangning as the focal point. He fortified positions along the Sancha River and made sure Denglai and Tianjin would be able to launch both land and naval relief operations. Xiong asked for 300,000 men to execute the new defensive plan but would only receive around 260,000. To make matters worse, Wang Huazhen began dispersing these forces to garrison multiple sites rather than concentrate the bulk at Guanging as Xiong planned. As I said countervailing strategies in the field.   To add to the chaos that was the Ming Court there was a rather famous upcoming star named Mao Wenlong. Mao had established a base of operations on the island of Pidao near the mouth of the Yalu River and he made a series of raids into Jin territory, sometimes aided by Korean units. This would push the Jin to make expeditions within Korea to try and capture Mao and also had the double effect of influencing the Ming Court. As I have mentioned, the overall strategy was now defensive, but these daring raids by Mao were pushing those in the Court to adopt more and more aggressive policies. Mao became something of a lynchpin for the aggressive camp in the ourt, despite the fact Mao was only leading around 200 men with 4 boats. Mao did manage to strike at the fortress of Zhenjiang showcasing how much of a pest he could be to the Jin. Meanwhile Xiong and Wang argued against each other over their defense vs offense strategies and now Wang had fuel for his side of the argument, that of Mao. Thus the Court eventually gave way to Wang who unleashed Mao upon the Jin. The Ming Court agreed to allow upto 50,000 men to be sent by sea to Liaodong to capture Zhenjiang and once it was secured their Korean allies might augment it as well. Xiong argued it was too early for such ventures but that was not headed as Wang rebutted by stating he had over 400,000 Mongol allies ready to act. Thus Mao disembarked under the cover of darkness to attack Zhenjiang. Mao had secured some 5th columnists inside who opened the gates for his Ming forces and the Jin garrison was forced to flee. Mao held the fortress with his men and even repulsed a Jin counter attack of some thousand troops. Then attack after attack after attack came, and Mao feared being surrounded and was forced to cast off back to Pidao island. As soon as Mao left, Nurhaci ordered his forces to raze Zhenjiang to the ground, not ever wanting to deal with the pesky situation again.     Now while this was a major victory for Mao it also held dire consequences. First it had dislocated a lot of people from Korea and Liaodong and they would most likely defect to the Jin. Second it began the rise of semi-independent military figures in the Bohai gulf region. Third, it shook the confidence of the Jin and pushed them to continue the invasion sooner. Mao's achievements also did little to anything in regards to retaking territory. The Ming Court however were now more than ever bolstered towards Wang's aggressive strategy and were now poised to launch an operation into Liaodong. Mao was appointed “zongbing guan” Commander of Dongjiang and ordered to coordinate an attack on the Jin rear alongside the Korean allies, so the Ming forces from the west would not have all attention put on them. Mao immediately demanded 50,000 troops and to make a deadly pincer attack. It also seems everything had really gone to Mao's head as he began referring to himself as an independent “hai wang” (sea king) in the Bohai region. Mao began to boast that with only 40,000 men he could recapture all of Liaodong and those threats did not go unnoticed by Nurhaci. Nurhaci would begin a long process of courting Mao try to strike a deal with him secretly.   Now while the Jin invasions were definitely a primary threat to the Ming Dynasty, problems from within the empire would also contribute to its downfall. One major one would be known as the She-An Rebellion of 1621.    To finance the war efforts in Liaodong, provinces like Guizhou and Sichuan were required to send troops, war supplies, grain and a hell of a lot of money. This led to a lot of discontent and some disastrous situations. A aboriginal chieftain named She Chongming had agreed to send grain and 20,000 troops to Liaodong for the war effort. Well She showed up to the provincial capital, Chongqing with the grain and the 20,000 troops including all their families, making the total number over 80,000. The local governor informed them that the Ming only required the warriors and ordered the families to return home while simultaneously refusing to provide them food rations for the trip back. And so She killed the governor, many other officials and assaulted Chongqing. Well apparently this was all part of the plan and She quickly proclaimed the formation of the Kingdom of Shu, that being in reference to the ancient people of Sichuan.    Soon 100,000 locals defected to the cause of conquering Sichuan. The rebellion spread like wildfire from Sichuan, Guizhou, Zunyi and eventually petered out at Chengdu which was unsuccessfully besieged for over 102 days. In the meantime the Ming forces were able to reclaim Chongqing after a month of fighting. Then following in She's footsteps, another aboriginal chieftain named An Bangyan tried to get out of paying some taxes by asking to send troops instead to Liaodong. The Ming official rejected the request and An joined the rebellion stating it was “in order to reclaim his ancestors glory”. She and An combined their forces and marched on the city of Guiyang in Guizhou with an army estimated to be up to 300,000 strong. Guiyang city only had 5000 soldiers, but the indigenous army was unable to penetrate the city's wall defenses, it turns out they went about their attack only one gate at a time. The siege lasted 296 days and barely 200 of the city's defenders survived. Many of the cities inhabitants were forced to resort to cannibalism, some even went atop the city gates to show the attackers the acts of cannibalism to show their resolve.  In 1623 a Ming relief force was sent to quell the rebellion and were ambushed resulting in the death of a possible 40,000 troops. The commander on scene then pleaded for an additional 200,000 troops and 3 million taels worth of war supplies to stop the rebellion. The government periodically would send forces to fight the rebels over the course of many years, but the rebellion persisted. Then in 1629 both She and An would be killed on the battlefield and the Ming finally managed to quell the rebellion. In all the rebellion required possibly a million Ming troops and cost up to 35 million taels of silver, over 12,000 per day. The fact the rebellion lasted so long showcases the enormous dissatisfaction the common people felt about the Ming rule in the South West. Now it goes without saying this was an enormous cost on both human life and for the finances of the ailing dynasty, but lets not forget all the people and money spent in the south west of China was also not being spent in the North East against the Jin raiders.   Taking our focus back to the northeast, Ming forces at the fortress in Xiping had managed to repulse a Jin assault. The commander of Fortress Xiping was Luo Yiquan, who prefered sticking inside the fortress rather than open field combat. Luo's forces defended the city fiercely, his cannons inflicted heavy  casualties upon the Jin forces, so much so that when Li Yongfang asked him to surrender, Luo simply cursed him out as a traitor. It is said quote “that so many of Jin's corpses piled up that it reached the top of the walls and that Luo himself could not wield his bow at one point as a result of so much blood streaming into his eyes”. Yet like so many other Ming fortresses, there was a finite amount of gunpowder and ammunition. When Luo ran out he apparently turned in the direction of Beijing, bowed and said “Your minister has exhausted himself” before slitting his throat. Luo's remaining garrison of 3000 were slaughtered when Nurhaci's men took the fortress. Xiong was furious at Wang's inability to hold Xiping, stating “where has all your big talk of peacetime gone?”. Well it turns out Wang had indeed sent a relief force of 30,000 men, but they arrived late and were ambushed by the Jin perhaps losing a third in battle.    Now when the reports began to pour in that Luo's forces were giving the Jin hell at fortress Xiping, this seemed to have emboldened Wang Huazhen who appointed Sun Degong to follow up the successful repulse and take the fight to the Jin on the field. Sun Degong began this mission by cutting a deal with Nurhaci promising to help turn over Guangning. When Xiping fell, Sun ran to Guangning and began telling everyone impending doom was on the way. This prompted Wang's Mongol allies to begin plundering everywhere. Thus the city was emptied and Sun was able to turn it over neatly to Nurhaci. Wang had originally been at Guangning, but quickly fled to the outskirts of Dalinghe where he ran into none other than Xiong Tingbi who berated him “You said you could completely pacify Liao with 60,000 troops so what happened?”. Wang now agreed that Xiong's defensive strategy was the best option and both men told their forces to begin a scorched earth policy as they retreated in shame towards Shanhaiguan.    As for Sun Degong he earned a place in Nurhaci's army as a mobile corps commander attached to the White Banner. Sun helped Nurhaci's sons Daisan and Hung Taiji furthermore to take Yizhou, killing a garrison of 3000 there. With the loss of Guangning the Ming had lost a central staging point to recover territory in Liaodong. Both Xiong and Wang were impeached and each executed, Xiong in 1625, Wang in 1632. Xiong seems to be quite the victim in all of this and many felt he should not have been executed. But Xiong had made quite a few enemies over the years and lacked enough powerful friends to save him. His loss would be one of many terrible losses for the ailing dynasty. With the loss of Guangning, many in the court were now convinced of the necessity to create a second front to distract Nurhaci. Thus the sea king, Mao Wenlong was appointed commander in charge of pacifying Liao and instructed to cooperate with the new jinglue, Sun Chengzong. Sun Chengzong enjoyed a good relationship with the emperor and managed to convince him to appoint several men, 2 important ones being Sun Yuanhua and Yuan Chonghuan. Sun began his job by fortifying the Ming defense perimeter. Similar to Xiong, Sun favored a defensive approach. Sun made an effort to caution the Ming court not to overemphasize minor defeats or victories, but rather to always keep up a stout defense and win this war by outlasting. To Sun, the major issue at hand was that many in the court who held most of the power had no knowledge of military matters. Sun gave Yuan Chonghuan the job of Inspector of the Army at Shanhaiguan, so that he could train and establish defensive preparations.    Sun dispatched many Ming officials to inspect the state of defenses. Their findings indicated that Ningyuan, located due southwest of Guangning was the best place for an advance base and that the walls could be extended as far out as Shanhaiguan. Sun also recognized that since the beginning of the conflict, the Ming were at an extreme disadvantage in the open field, something new needed to be done. Ming rulers had long understood the importance of firearms for war, they had proved crucial in the 3 great campaigns of the Wanli Emperor in the 1590's afterall. Thus Sun called for 130,000 additional troops to face the Jin and directed the Ministry of Works to construct 300 “caitiff exterminating cannons”, 1000 100character cannons and 7000 niao chongs, sometimes denoted as arquebuses. The Jin had defeated the Ming countless times because of the superior mobility of their large amount of cavalry, allowing them to lure the Ming into killing fields and terrain that best suited them. Now the Ming were turning to outside sources to aid their war effort.    The Portuguese colony on Macau was consulted to aid in the training of gunnery and soon experts were made such as Sun Yuanhua who would claim to have trained 8000 men in firearms in under 3 months time. As one Jesuit stated at the time “These guns were highly esteemed and carried to the frontiers against the Tartars; who were not knowing of this new invention, and coming on many together in a close body received such a slaughter from an iron piece that they were not only put to flight at that time, but went on ever after with more caution”. Sun called for the adopting of western methods for the casting and deployment of cannonry and urged the building of cannon platforms and other wall defense structures to complement them. Sun Yuanhua was appointed the rank of jishi and would train countless in gunnery. Now at this time in history some of these western made cannons are theorized to have a range of around 2-3 miles. A 7000 lb gun which could fire a 32 lb shot would have an effective range of about 2000 feet but could max out at 7000. It is estimated that the Ministry of Works manufactured around 25,000 cannons of various sorts, 6500 muskets, 8000 or so smaller guns and around 4000 Culverines from 1618-1622. Alongside the swords, spears, arrows and such this all is estimated to have cost the Ming Dynasty 21 million taels. That's a staggering amount, greatly showing the extent of the Ming Dynasties resources when push came to shove. The Ming would also receive 26 additional cannons from the Portuguese between 1623-1625 of which 11 were placed in Shanhaiguan.    The sea king, Mao Wenlong continued to press for funds and the assistance of Korea as he waged war on the Jin. Mao made another daring night attack, his time on Jinzhou where he managed to steal 1014 cannons and guns, a ton of gunpowder and other war supplies for the use of his ships. To the Ming, taking such supplies from the Jin was a great war effort, so they kept supporting Mao. Over the next few years, Mao would lead small units against isolated Jin fortresses, raiding from the coast. The entire time he made these ventures, he would continuously complain about needing further funds, but the Koreans, some of whom were assisting him warned the court that he was exaggerating a lot of his victories. The Koreans even warned the Ming court that Mao might be holding secret talks with Nurhaci.   Sun did not favor a withdrawal of Ming forces all the way to Shanhaiguan,which many commanders were advocating for, instead he argued that they use Ningyuan as a staging point of defense and for the future springboard to take territory back. He also wanted to stress the problems he saw looming in the Ming Court, so he made this statement to them “The frontier situation is dire. Troops have been amassed, but not trained and military supplies have not arrived. You need generals to lead the troops but civil officials to coordinate training. Generals must oversee ranks, but a civil offi cial must determine their use. You must use military offi cials to defend the frontiers but every day they should consult with civil officials in their tent. So the frontier should be entrusted to a xunfu and a jinglue and the decision to attack or defend should emanate from the court.”.   Sun further argued that raising troops was not enough and that they would need more adequate funds much to the lamentations of the court who cried there was no money to spend due to the She-An rebellion. The Emperor eventually handed over 30,000 taels, which was not very much. Now the new strategy was to hold Ningyuan and the islands of Bohai to force the Jin to divide their strength. They would use Mao Wenlong as a vanguard who could perform land or sea operations. Alongside this many in the court were also in favor of hiring more Mongols, because in their words Mongols might be “more cost effective than paying, feeding, training, and supplying soldiers recruited from the interior”. Well to this Sun unveiled his trump card, a bold new plan, in his words to quote “use the people of Liao to defend Liao and the soil of Liao to support the troops of Liao”. His plan was to establish military farms in the rich soil of Liao which could be garrisoned by 100,000 local Liao people. They would become regular full time soldiers who could defend major fortresses in Liao. The idea was quite good on paper, by doing everything local, the defenders of Liao were less likely to plunder their own neighbors and would be more likely to fight off invaders for what they now had. Sun's plan was given the greenlight and in 1622 he began implementing training programs in the use of firearms with the aid of Yuan Chonghuan. Liao locals were enlisted for building projects and military jobs. Brigades were organized and the land cultivation expanded all across liao. Sun recommended they build 5 new walled cities and 13 forts for protecting the people of Liao. All of this work in turn helped revive the great Ming project called tuntian, which was a agricultural farm system designed to feed all the troops in the empire, but it had been waning over the centuries. By 1623 Sun was given additional honorific titles and 100,000 taels as reward for his efforts to restore discipline and order within the region of Liao. After 4 years in office, Sun had recaptured 9 major cities, 45 fortresses, trained 110,000 new troops and a massive amount of arms production.Yet despite his great success, Sun was also acquiring jealous enemies within the Ming court such as the eunuch Wei Zhongxian. Wei Zhongxian had been incriminated by some officials that were friends to Sun and he held a grievance towards them all. Alongside this the Jin had begun raids south of the Great Wall and recaptured the city of Lushun in 1625. Sun's successes made his rivals quite jealous and his enemies did not stop at just attacking him, they went after his proteges also. Eventually Wei Zhongxian and his allies managed to pressure Sun to retire and he was replaced by Gao Di in late 1625.    In the meantime, there had been problems in Korea and the Sea King Mao was arguing they needed to do more to support their Korean allies stating “although weak, Korea is still on our border and can be useful in helping us resist the Jin. Therefore we cannot simply abandon Korea. Every person who returns to being a Ming subject is one less potential Jin soldier”. The idea of Korea falling into the orbit of the Jin frightened the court and Wei Zhongxian argued they should support Mao. At the same time, former predecessor and successor to Sun, Yuan Chonghuan was growing increasingly frustrated by Mao's antics.    After the blunders at the battle of Sarhu and Guangning, Yuan Chonghuan was tasked with the defense of Shanhaiguan in 1622. Before he went to the frontlines he actually visited the imprisoned Xiong Tingbi before his execution. Xiong asked Yuan what his strategy would be, to which Yuan stated “first defend, then fight”. Xiong was pleased at the similar mindset and advised him for the rest of the day. By 1624 Yuan was helping build the new defensive lines around Songshan, Xingshan, Dalinghe and Jinzhou. Then some of the Ming Court began to argue that the Ming forces should be pulled further back to which Yuan protested “In the art of war you advance, not retreat. Three cities have already been recovered; we can't lightly cast them away! If these places are disturbed, everything will fall apart and we won't be able to hold the passes. Now if we select a capable general to guard them, certainly we won't need to deliberate further”. When Sun was replaced, Gao Di did not agree with Yuan on the issue and made orders to abandon the cities. Despite the orders however, Yuan refused to withdraw stating “I have been entrusted with the defense of the Ningyuan region. Should I need to, I'll die for it, but I certainly won't abandon it!”. Thus Yuan began to prepare Ningyuan for an onslaught all by his lonesome.   Nurhaci noticed the Ming pulling back forces and saw that Ningyuan was becoming isolated, so what better place to attack? Now throughout the conflict, though Nurhaci's forces were winning victory after victory, Ming cannons proved to inflict quite a toll upon them. Nurhaci wanted to create a new strategy to help against the cannons. So his forces would now stretch animal hides over military carts and send them first in to draw fire, then follow this up with infantry and cavalry strikes to goad out defenders from the forts. In early 1626 Nurhaci's forces arrived at Ningyuan where he tried to convince them to surrender. He sent the message to Yuan Chonghuan stating he would overrun his city with a force of over 200,000. Yuan replied that he knew the great Khan only had 130,000 troops and that he and his fellow commanders were prepared to die to the last man defending Ningyuan. He also left the ancient maxim quote “Those who seek life will die, but those who welcome death will live”.    As we mentioned, Ningyuan's walls had quite a few western made cannons and Yuan had ordered the torching of all the nearby buildings around the city to not offer anything to the invaders. Well trained Fujianese gunners were put on cannon detail and the word was sent out to Shanhaiguan calling for reinforcements. Yuan had a total garrison of 20,000 men with sub commanders assigned specific roles. Man Gui was in charge of wall defenses, Zu Dashou the south gate, Zhu Mei the north gate and Zuo fufen the west gate. The night before the battle Yuan conducted a blood pact, the defenders would defend the city to the death, any who fled would be executed. The Jin setup came northwest of the city, testing the range of the Ming cannons. Nurhaci's scouts reported the southwest corner of the city to be the weakest point. Nurhaci personally led the charge and brandished his sword in the air. Yuan ordered his men to hold fire until the enemy was within a close range. Nurhaci's reinforced military carts rolled forward, but his forces reverted to their original way of fighting and pushed forward of the carts. It seems the Jin hoped to use the same tactics they usually did, run past the cannon fire while goading the defenders out. The Ming did not come out however, they pelted the cavalry with cannonfire and incendiary bombs and poison bombs were lobed over the walls. The Jin forces then tried to attack another corner of the city, but were hit with a ton of burning oil and more incendiary bombs which destroyed a lot of their seige equipment. One strategist on the wall had even come up with the idea of tossing bed sheets covered in gunpowder and oil over the attackers and hitting it with fire arrows. This eventually caused a sea of fire to erupt around the walled city engulfing the Jin's frontal infantry. By the evening the battle was still raging on and parts of the walls were on fire. Around 10pm Nurhaci ordered the men to pull back, finally sending an angry message to his commander Li Yongfang “You said this city would be easy to take. How can it be this difficult to attack?”. The next day the Jin launched similar attacks and got similar results, something obviously needed to change. There was a nearby island called Juehua which held the major granary for Ningyuan. The defenses on the island were a bit more relaxed because the Ming assumed the invaders had no boats, unfortunately the water had frozen enough for men to cross. Nurhaci dispatched a force who crossed the river and massacred thousands while destroying the granary. Estimates place the dead defenders of Juehua to be up to 16,000.   Then Nurhaci yet again brandished his sword and personally led an attack upon the walls, and then disaster struck. One of the Portuguese-made cannons struck near Nurhaci giving him over 30 wounds. Nurhaci was soon taken out of the combat zone and Yuan sent a letter asking the well-being of the Khan, something traditionally done by Ming commanders. Nurhaci reportedly replied back with insults calling Yuan a treacherous man. Now there are a few different stories, but one states Nurhaci died 2 days later of the wounds on September 30th, some others state it to be later on. Regardless at the age of 67 he died, wow, think about that guy at 67 waving a sword around on a horse in battle? This was the first major defeat for Nurhaci, though later Qing records would state he only lost something like 500 men. The Ming reports stated that it was in the figure of a few thousand and Yuan sent 269 heads back to Beijing. The Ming court was overwhelmed with joy by this moment, the Emperor himself exclaimed “that 10 years of defeat had been erased in a single day”. In the meantime, the sea king Mao was still receiving a lot of press coverage for his raids in the Bohai coast and this seems to have frustrated Yuan or atleast made him jealous of the spotlight not only being on him. Yuan began advocating for a mixed strategy of offense and defense, to gradually retake territory from Ningyuan to Lushun. Yuan urged the Ming Court that his way of war would work best and that Mao's wreckless adventures were only provoking the Jin to strike elsewhere where they could do more damage. Needless to say, the tiger that was Nurhaci was dead, so now what would the Jin do?   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.  Xiong Tingbi created a defensive strategy to defeat the Jin menace and despite his impeachment and execution, his legacy carried on with certain Ming commanders. The rise of the sea king Mao Wenlong seems to have the court gushing like fan girls over the countless victories he has won, but reports from others are suggesting he might be exaggerating his victories, or perhaps making them up? Sun Chengzong proved to be a very gifted commander initiating new military strategies that bore fruit despite being forced into retirement by his court enemies. Then at the last hour when all hope was lost and all on his lonesome, Yuan Chonghuan the cannon expert managed to turn the tides at Ningyuan by dealing a death blow to Nurhaci's army and Nurhaci himself. The Jin are leaderless, who will take the throne and what comes next?

Japan's Ministry of Finance on Friday announced the appointment of Eiji Chatani, director-general of the ministry's Budget Bureau, as vice minister of finance to succeed Koji Yano.

On the eve of the first round of the 2022 presidential election in Colombia, this episode dives into some of the major political currents affecting the region. Over the past several months, leftist candidates have won the presidencies of Chile, Honduras, and Peru, and former left-wing guerilla Gustavo Petro is leading in the polls in Colombia. This episode explores what is driving these political developments, and if they represent the beginning of a long-term decisive shift toward left-wing politics across the region. Moreover, this episode investigates how the influence of the United States and China is shaping politics in the region, and what this means for global geopolitics.  Our hosts Lucas Pombo, Ivan Chanis, and Melissa Lockett are joined by the following three distinguished guests who give their perspectives on these important questions: 1) Francisco Santos, former Vice-President of Colombia (2002-2010) and former Colombian Ambassador to the United States (2018-2020); 2) Gerardo Torres Zelaya, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Honduras; 3) Dr. Maryhen Jiménez Morales, the https://www.lac.ox.ac.uk/people/maryhen-jimenez-morales (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow )at the Latin American Centre, University of Oxford & the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars in Washington, DC.  Our executive producers for this season of the Oxford Policy Pod are Livey Beha and Read Leask. To keep up with the latest on our episodes, follow us on Twitter @oxfordpolicypod and on Instagram @oxfordpolicypod_. 

In our latest Women Peace and Security podcast episode, we interview Col. Gladys Ruiz Pecci, Vice Minister of National Defense in Paraguay.

Jacquie brings Carlos Ron - Venezuela's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs for North America and the President of the Simón Bolívar Institute - on to discuss the people's victory over and the continued fight against fascism in Venezuela, the historical struggle against imperialism, and how we can be in solidarity with Venezuela!

As President Biden mentions the quiet part out loud, about U.S. dreams for regime change in Russia, the conflict in Ukraine is unleashing a tide of political and economic changes in the world. We speak to historian Gerald Horne. And the effort to evict Russia and Russian oil and gas from the world economy even prompts the U.S. to meet with Venezuela, where U.S. sanctions have killed more than 100,000 people. An interview with Carlos Ron, Venezuelas Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs for North America. Plus headlines, including signing of Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people's voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you!

In this episode we listen to H.E. Jongmoon Choi, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea discuss Korea in the Arctic.The Vice-Foreign Minister‘s speech is followed by a Q&A with the audience, moderated by Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chairman of the Arctic Circle and former President of Iceland.This event originally took place at the 2021 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, Iceland. 

On this episode of CODEPINK radio, Teri Mattson and Leonardo Flores interview Carlos Ron, Venezuela's Vice Minister for North American Affairs, about recent talks between the US & Venezuelan governments. In the second half of the program, Teri Mattson speaks with Victor de Currea-Lugo about the recent elections in Colombia.

Do we need a global treaty to tackle plastics pollution, similar to the one on climate change. Campaigners and a growing number of governments and businesses say we do. Ahead of a United Nations Environment Assembly which could launch talks on a plastics pact, the World Economic Forum heard from a range of experts on why we need a treaty and what it might contain. Speakers: Kristin Hughes, Director, Global Plastic Action Partnership, World Economic Forum; Espen Barth Eide, Minister of climate and environment of Norway and President of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA); Marco Lambertini, Director-General, WWF International; Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer, Unilever; Luis Vayas Valdivieso,  Vice-Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador; Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director, Economy Division, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Inés Yábar, Communications Coordinator, Co-Founder, Life Out Of Plastic - L.O.O.P.; Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director, Centre for Nature and Climate, World Economic Forum. 

Do we need a global treaty to tackle plastics pollution, similar to the one on climate change. Campaigners and a growing number of governments and businesses say we do. Ahead of a United Nations Environment Assembly which could launch talks on a plastics pact, the World Economic Forum heard from a range of experts on why we need a treaty and what it might contain. Speakers: Kristin Hughes, Director, Global Plastic Action Partnership, World Economic Forum; Espen Barth Eide, Minister of climate and environment of Norway and President of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA); Marco Lambertini, Director-General, WWF International; Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer, Unilever; Luis Vayas Valdivieso,  Vice-Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador; Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director, Economy Division, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Inés Yábar, Communications Coordinator, Co-Founder, Life Out Of Plastic - L.O.O.P.; Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director, Centre for Nature and Climate, World Economic Forum. 

Ban Ki-moon was the 8th Secretary General of the UN. He is the Chairman of Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future.In April 2019, Mr. Ban was elected as the Chairman of Presidential National Council on Climate and Air Quality (NCCA) (2019-2021). In April 2018, Mr. Ban was elected as the Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia. In January 2018, Mr. Ban, along with former President of Austria Mr. Heinz Fischer, were inducted as Co-Chairs of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Ban Ki-moon was also elected as Chairman of IOC Ethics Committee in September 2017. Currently, he is the Distinguished Chair Professor and Honorary Chairman at the Institute of Global Engagement & Empowerment at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. In February 2018, he was elected and has been serving as the President of the Assembly & Chair of the Council of Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Prior to these appointments, Mr. Ban served two consecutive terms as the Secretary General of the United Nations (2007-2016).Throughout his tenure at the UN, Mr. Ban strove to be a bridge builder, to give voice to the world's poorest and the most vulnerable people, and to make the Organization more transparent and effective. He successfully pressed for action to combat climate change - an effort that culminated in the adoption and rapid entry into the landmark Paris Agreement in 2016. Mr. Ban worked closely with member states of the UN to shape the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to establish UN Women, which has been advancing the Organization's work for gender equality and women's empowerment. Mr. Ban also launched major efforts to strengthen UN peace operations, to protect human rights, to improve humanitarian response, and to prevent violent extremism and to revitalize the disarmament agenda.At the time of his appointment at the UN, Mr. Ban was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea. His 37 years with the Ministry included postings in New Delhi, Washington D.C., and Vienna, and responsibilities for a variety of portfolios, including Foreign Policy Adviser to the President, Chief National Security Adviser to the President, Vice Minister, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General for American Affairs. Mr. Ban has also been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations by serving as Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization.Mr. Ban received a bachelor's degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970. He earned a master's degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1985. Further reading:Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizenshttps://bankimooncentre.org/The Elders mourn the loss of Archbishop Desmond Tutu (December 2021)https://theelders.org/news/elders-mourn-loss-archbishop-desmond-tutu

ESPAÑOL:Marcela Chacón es La Directora Regional de Asuntos Públicos y Gubernamentales de Bayer Centroamérica y el Caribe desde 2015, asumiendo también funciones de Consejera de la Cámara de Comercio de Costa Rica, Secretaria de la Mesa Directiva de la Cámara Industrial de Costa Rica. Anteriormente, Marcela ocupó cargos en el sector Gobierno como Viceministra de Seguridad Pública e Interior, siendo también columnista en el diario extra. Su carrera inicial se desarrolló como Asesora Legal y especialista en capacitación en la Embajada de Estados Unidos en Costa Rica.Algunos de los aspectos más destacados del podcast:Bienvenida y tus inicios como Consejero Legal y especialista de entrenamiento en la Embajada de Estados Unidos en Costa Rica.Tu incursión en el sector Gobierno con tus experiencias como Vice Ministro de Seguridad Pública y Vice Ministro del Interior.Desde el 2015 te has desempeñado como Director Regional de Public and Goverment Affairs en Bayer Central América y Caribe. Tu participación como miembro de consejo en la Cámara de Comercio, la Cámara de la Industria y la Cámara de ExportadoresQue retos en Sostenibilidad afrontamos en Costa Rica y en la RegiónEl rol de la mujer en la Industria y el Liderazgo en la RegiónLa nueva planta de Bayer en Costa Rica sirviendo como un hub de la Cadena de Suministros de Bayer. La Mujer y la Cadena de SuministrosENGLISH:Marcela Chacon is Regional Director, Public and Government Affairs, Bayer Central America and the Caribbean since 2015, assuming also roles of Board member in the Commerce Chamber of Costa Rica, board secretary at the Industrial Chamber of Costa Rica. Previously, Marcela hold positions in the Government sector as Vice-Minister of Public Security and Interior, also being columnist in the extra newspaper.  Her initial career was developed as Legal Advisor and training specialist in the USA Embassy in Costa Rica. Some of the highlights from the podcast:Welcome and your beginnings as Legal Counsel and training specialist at the United States Embassy in Costa Rica.Your foray into the Government sector with your experiences as Vice Minister of Public Security and Vice Minister of the Interior.Since 2015 you have served as Regional Director of Public and Government Affairs in Bayer Central America and the Caribbean.Your participation as a board member in the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry and the Chamber of Exporters What challenges in Sustainability do we face in Costa Rica and in the Region? The role of women in Industry and Leadership in the RegionBayer's new plant in Costa Rica serving as a hub for Bayer's Supply Chain.Women and the Supply ChainDiscover more details here.Follow us on:Website: https://bit.ly/32bR2GrInstagram: http://bit.ly/2Wba8v7Twitter: http://bit.ly/2WeulzXLinkedin: http://bit.ly/2w9YSQXFacebook: http://bit.ly/2HtryLd

G20 was concluded last week in Rome, Italy with a 20-page declaration. So many areas covered and agreed in the declaration. This episode covers the priorities and policy stances of Indonesia at the G20 Summit and what does it mean for Indonesia's G20 Presidency next year. Were there any implications of the China's Xi Jin Ping and Russia's Putin absence from the G20 summit? To talk about this, I am delighted to having Dr. Muhammad Hadianto, Deputy Director at Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Indonesia and Advisor to Vice Minister of Trade, also part of the G20 sherpa team who is in charge for the G20 Indonesian Presidency in 2022. Enjoy our conversation!

This week on CODEPINK radio we'll be discussing the sanctions on Venezuela. In the first segment Teri Mattson and Margaret Flowers interview William Castilo, Venezuela's Vice Minister for Anti-Blockade Policies, about the devastating economic war. In the second half of the program, Teri interviews Venezuelan Vice Minister Yvan Gil about $2 billion in Venezuelan funds currently being frozen by Portuguese bank Novo Banco - money that would otherwise be spent on healthcare for Venezuelans.

Guest: Venezuela Vice Minister Yvan GilSince 2017, the private Portuguese bank NovoBanco, 75% of which is owned by US private equity firm Lone Star, has withheld roughly $2 billion USD belonging to the Venezuelan state's Economic and Social Development Bank (BANDES). BANDES is requesting that NovoBanco transfer roughly $25 million of the $2 billion directly to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to pay for emergency medical supplies for the people of Venezuela. These supplies include: polio vaccines, yellow fever medicine, and thousands of syringes to address a critical shortage in the country.The government of Venezuela directed BANDES to apply for a transfer of funds from its accounts in NovoBanco to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) as of 22 July. These funds were temporarily frozen, but recently have been unblocked by Portuguese legal authorities. And, yet, Novo Banco has issued no response.To talk more with us about this disturbing and criminal withholding of funds is Yvan Gil, Vice Minister for Europe of the People's Power Ministry for Foreign Relations.

On this installment of our series, The Road To COP26 Presented By Octopus Energy, we talk to the World Health Organization's Director of Public Health and Environment Dr. Maria Neira about the 7 million premature deaths caused by air pollution every year and what international leaders can do to adequately address the issue at COP26. Dr. Neira has been working for the WHO since 1993, except for the three years she served as Spain's Vice Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs from 2002 to 2005. She has served as the WHO Director of Public Health and Environment since 2005. Thank you to our sponsor Octopus Energy, a 100% renewable electricity supplier. Octopus Energy is currently serving millions of homes around the globe in countries like the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, and Germany.  Subscribe to our Substack newsletter "The Climate Weekly": https://theclimateweekly.substack.com/ As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel! Join our Facebook group. Check out our updated website!

Guest:Javier Gutierrez, Secretary of the Presidency of Nicaragua for Climate Change and Vice-Minister of Environment and Natural ResourcesBackground:Under the slogan Uniting the world to tackle climate change, the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which will be held in Glasgow (UK) from 1 to 12 November 2021, will bring together representatives of some 200 governments with the aim of accelerating climate action to fulfill the Paris Agreement. The Presidency of the conference is already working with civil society and business to prepare the annual event and inspire climate action ahead of the event.What is COP:The Conference of the Parties or COP is the supreme body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a treaty that sets out the basic obligations of the 196 states (or parties) and the European Union to combat climate change. It was signed at the 1992 Earth Summit and came into force in 1994. Since then, a COP has been held every year to review the status of its implementation and to propose, evaluate and approve other instruments to support its establishment.On 12 December 2015, in the framework of COP21, world leaders approved in Paris a historic agreement to slow down climate change. They committed to keeping the global average temperature increase to well below 2 ºC with respect to pre-industrial levels, and to work to limit this increase to 1.5 ºC. They also agreed to intensify efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to make funding flows consistent with the transition to a low-carbon economy and climate-resilient development.Now, five years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, climate action has become a key part of the recovery plans for the COVID-19 pandemic. A green recovery that creates sustainable jobs and that addresses challenges linked to public health, climate change and loss of biodiversity in order to protect the environment for future generations. Many in the audience may know that Nicaragua did not sign the Paris Agreement because the Ortega Government did not believe the accord went far enough specifically regarding wealthy northern hemisphere countries to the detriment of the vulnerable countries of the global south. This is why we are so fortunate to hear from Vice-Minister Gutierrez today about Nicaragua's impending proposals at COP26 and how these proposals emphasize the effects of climate change and the necessary response required for Nicaragua and all of Central America. In partnership with Friends of Latin America, Massachusetts Peace Action and Task Force on the Americas, original broadcasts of WTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean can be viewed every Wednesday at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET on CODEPINK YouTube Live

Jehdudi Castro Sierra, Advisor to the Presidency of Colombia joins us on the podcast to discuss Bitcoin adoption in El Salvador and Latin America. He was previously the Vice-Minister of Digital Economy. You can follow him on Twitter: @JCastroS Podcast music by www.bensound.com

President Moon Jae-in's secretary for civil affairs was indicted Thursday for abuse of power for allegedly masterminding a travel ban on a top official from the previous administration.   The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office's Criminal Department III indicted Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs Lee Kwang-cheol, a key member of the Blue House inner circle, for arranging an illegal travel ban on former Vice Minister of Justice Kim Hak-eui in 2019. The indictment was filed with the Seoul Central District Court so Lee can be tried with other government officials indicted earlier in the case.   Lee said the indictment was unjust, according to a Blue House statement, but still tendered his resignation to Moon.Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/07/01/national/socialAffairs/Lee-Kwangcheol-Kim-Hakeui-travel-ban/20210701181200294.html

Virginia Foxx, U.S. Representative for the 5th district of North Carolina and Ranking Member on the House Committee on Education and Labor, instructs parents on how to fight critical race theory and other radical ideologies being pushed into classrooms. Tyler O'Neil, Senior Editor, PJ Media, on the U.S. Senate rejecting legislation that would allow a federal takeover of elections. Bill Donohue, President of Catholic League, responds to a Democrat congressman who threatened to strip the Catholic Church of its tax-exempt status if politicians who support abortion are denied communion. Gordon Chang, author of The Coming Collapse of China and The Great U.S.-China Tech War, shares what could happen if counterintelligence officer Dong Jingwei-China's Vice Minister of State Security-has in fact defected to the U.S. Beth Mizell, Louisiana State Senator, discusses the Louisiana governor's veto of her bill the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/loving-liberty/support

Maria Neira joined the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993 as the Coordinator of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control. In 1999, she became the Director of the Department of Control, Prevention and Eradication. She was then appointed as the Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health in 2005. During her career, Maria also worked with Médecins Sans Frontières in refugee camps in Central America. Maria served as the Vice Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs in Spain, as President of the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency, as the Public Health Adviser of the Ministry of Health in Mozambique, and as the United Nations Public Health Advisor/Physician for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Rwanda. Maria studied medicine and surgery at the University of Oviedo. She specialized in endocrinology and metabolic diseases at the Université René Déscartes. In addition, she holds a master's degree in Public Health, a diploma in Human Nutrition from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, and an international diploma in Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management form the University of Geneva. In 2016, she received the “Inspirational Women in Geneva Working for the Environment” award, in additional to other international awards in France and Spain. LYRICS TO THE SONG: The Ballad of Ella Kissi-Debrah Reading in the papers Numbers written there Of how many die each year Cos of dirty air But numbers they don't speak Drama they lack Unlike the sound of hearing someone Die from an asthma attack What can change? So that - Ella Kissi-Debrah Didn't die in vein And we all take action And Policies change Ella Kissi-Debrah Hear our prayers So that no more children Will die From breathing air Ella Kissi-Debrah Deserves a happy tune But this song is not for her It is meant for you To pluck and play your heart strings So you think twice before we drive And decide who you will give your vote to So more kids stay alive So that - Ella Kissi-Debrah Didn't die in vein And we all take action And Policies change Ella Kissi-Debrah Hear our prayers So that no more children Will die From breathing air

Facebook: Bulgantuya KhurelbaatarInstagram: Bulgantuya.kh

Peers semua pasti udah familiar sama organisasi Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia (PPI). Selain untuk mewadahi mahasiswa Indonesia yang berkuliah di luar negeri, kira-kira apa aja yaa kegiatannya? Nahh di episode ini peers bakal dengerin obrolan dari Kak Betabayu Santika selaku Vice Minister of Public Relation PERPIKA sekaligus host dari Podcast Waktu Rebahan dan juga announcer Radio PPI Dunia. Yuk dengerin untuk mengenal lebih jauh tentang PERPIKA dan sekilas mengenai per-podcast-an! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Lo scorso 9 marzo Stroncature ha ospitato il convegno internazionale “CHILDREN AFFECTED BY ARMED CONFLICT. SAFEGUARDING THEIR RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND ENSURING SCHOOLS ARE SAFE”. L'evento ha coinvolto rappresentanti delle Nazioni Uniti, del Ministero degli Esteri e della Cooperazione economia italiano e dell' Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict.Opening remarks: Ms. Laura Guercio, Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict Ms. Cathrine Andersen, Special Representative for Protection of Civilians, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Pieter Leenknegt, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Belgium to the UN in Geneva Keynote Speakers: Ms. Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (tbc) Ms. Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Ms. Marina Sereni, Vice Minister of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Panel Mr. Fausto Pocar, Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict and Honorary President of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law Ms. Yatasha Govender, Advocacy and Policy Advisor, Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attacks Ms. Sonia Khush, Syria Response Director, Save the Children Ms. Karla Hoover, Access to Education Delegate in Azerbaijan, ICRC Mr. Ezequiel Heffes, Legal Advisor, Geneva Call Ms. Katherine Cocco, Child Protection Officer, UNICEF New York

The circular economy has gained a great deal of momentum in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region, with many national and city governments developing and scaling policies, strategies, and roadmaps. As a response, eight institutions have launched the LAC Circular Economy Coalition, aiming to support countries and foster multi-stakeholder collaboration. In this episode, we have compiled the best moments of our discussion panel on the subject that was streamed live on our channels on 16th February. We discuss the coalition with representatives from three of the strategic partners, Adriana Zacarias Farah from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Rose Mwebaza from the United Nations Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), Luisa Santiago, Latin America Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Rolando Castro, Vice Minister from the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) of Costa Rica. Find out more about the coalition here: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/lac-circular-economy-coalition-launchesMore episodes of The Circular Economy Show here: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/our-work/activities/the-circular-economy-showMore about our work here: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

Season 7 | Episode 2 Who is The Vice Minister of Heat Propaganda and the Assistant to The Vice Minister of Heat Propaganda? The Jai-Lander got things going today with a breakdown of the #TopFive most hated rock bands of all time. #FireSpo is no longer a thing. The Fins offseason still has us excited and we rank Tua, Watson and Wilson. There will be surprises. We top off another great show with some extra SPICY SPORTS NUGGIES!!!

Colombia's Vice Minister for Tourism, Julián Guerrero Orozco, discusses the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on tourism in the country and the various government measures introduced to help the sector. Highlighting the supports already in place, the Vice Minister states that 'there has to be a limit at some point because it cannot go on endlessly ... I would dare say that probably no other economic sector in Colombia has received more benefits than the tourism sector.' In relation to international visitors, he says that while numbers will most likely remain low for the coming months, foreign tourists are still a high priority, with digital nomads being a potentially important group to attract to Colombia. Outside of the pandemic, Mr Guerrero acknowledges the 'huge problem' of prostitution and sex tourism, particularly underage sex workers in the centre of the country's second city, Medellín. Describing it as 'a cancer', he says that his department and other state and regional authorities 'are trying our best to combat this crime.' (For some background to Medellín's prostitution problem, read https://wwcorrigan.blogspot.com/2019/10/medellins-plaza-putaero.html). ***** If you haven't already subscribed to this channel, please do by simply clicking the button above. Watch a video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/bAJYSF6iEVg. ***** Check out the Wrong Way Corrigan blog at https://wwcorrigan.blogspot.com/. ***** Outro music: Master of the Feast by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400019 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brendan-corrigan/message

Ambassador Sugiyama presented his credentials as Ambassador to the United States in March 2018. His diplomatic career with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spans more than 40 years. He most recently served as Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. Previous positions include Deputy Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau as well as the International Cooperation Bureau; Director-General for Global Issues, including Ambassador for Climate Change; and Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. Ambassador Sugiyama has also held leadership positions within the Foreign Policy Bureau and Treaties Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His overseas assignments have included multiple positions at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.; Political Minister at the Embassy of Japan in Korea, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Egypt. He entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1977. Ambassador Sugiyama studied at Waseda University in Japan and at Oxford University in the UK. He has taught international law for many years on the law faculty of Waseda University, as well as at many other schools in Japan and overseas. He has written numerous law articles, edited books on international law, and served as a member of the editing committee of the international law journal issued by the International Law Association of Japan. Ambassador Sugiyama was Christened at University College, Oxford. He and his family are Episcopalians. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

In this podcast Olenka Pevny and Andrii Smytsniuk speak with Olesya Ostrovska-Lyuta about cultural politics in Ukraine and on the role that art institutions play in its cultural policies. Olesya Ostrovska-Lyuta is the Director of Mystetskyi Arsenal Art and Culture Museum Complex. She is also former Vice-Minister of Culture of Ukraine. ‘Mystets'kyi Arsenal’ (‘Art Arsenal’) is a public cultural institution, museum, and art exhibition complex which occupies a historic 60,000 square metre space in the centre of Kyiv. The mission of ‘Mystets'kyi Arsenal’ is to raise public awareness of the social and cultural issues facing the nation and to serve as a conduit for cultural exchange with the international community.

 Just World Ed President Helena Cobban hosts the first session of the groundbreaking “US-China public dialogue” that JWE is holding in collaboration with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University in Beijing. This dialogue session features two wonderful specialists who discuss some of the big-picture topics of contention in the relationship and dive in some detail into the thorny issue of the South China Sea.From Beijing (actually, Guangzhou, in southern China) we had Ambassador He Yafei, a Senior Fellow with the Chongyang Institute who has held many high-ranking diplomatic posts including as Counsellor of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.And from Washington DC we had Dr. Michael Swaine, who recently became the first Director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Dr. Swaine is the author of numerous books and articles on strategic issues relating to China and other parts of East Asia. He is co-director of a multi-year crisis prevention project with Chinese partners… And he also advises the U.S. government on Asian security issues. Support the show (http://justworldeducational.org/donate/)

This is an excerpt from a special video screening of an interview with Mr. Hwang In Cheol, a North Korean abduction victim and former Vice Minister of Unification Kim.

Governments across Latin America have taken extraordinary mobility-limiting measures in recent days as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge, with important impacts for a region that has seen a massive scale of forced and irregular migration. Most countries in the region have ordered the full closure of their land and sea borders, and imposed stringent air travel restrictions on all foreigners. In addition, government leaders in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador are among those who have announced countrywide lockdowns and declared states of emergency, ordering the closure of public spaces including businesses, schools, and shelters. This global public health crisis comes at a critical time for regional mobility and migration. Since 2015, Latin America has experienced unprecedented migration flows, with the exodus of millions from Venezuela. There are major questions about how the pandemic-related preventative measures will impact ongoing migration flows and border communities that depend on cross-border trade and services. And there are significant concerns about how COVID-19 may affect immigrant communities that do not always have access to health services.  At the same time, several governments, such as those in Colombia and Argentina, are looking at creative ways of engaging immigrant health professionals in the effort to combat the spread of the virus. This Migration Policy Institute webinar brings together public health and migration experts to analyze the impact these preventative measures will have on vulnerable immigrants and refugees in Colombia. The speakers also discuss how policymakers and international organizations can include migrant populations in their emergency response plans.   Speakers included:Iván Darío Gonzalez Ortiz, former Vice Minister and Acting Minister, Colombian Ministry of Health and Social ProtectionJulián A. Fernández Niño, Professor, Department of Public Health, Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colombia)Christian Krüger, former Director, Migración Colombia Gladys Sanmiguel, former Secretary of Social Integration for Bogotá, Colombia   Moderator: Andrew Selee, President, Migration Policy Institute   View MPI's resources on COVID-19

Under US sanctions, Venezuela responds to Coronavirus through increased internationalism. Carlos Ron (@CarlosJRonVE), the Vice-Minister for Foreign Relations with North America, joins us. Support www.patreon.com/redmediapr

Regional Responses to Nicaraguan Outflows (Panel 2) Carlos Andrés Torres Salas, Vice Minister of the Interior and Police, Costa Rica Harold Villegas-Román, Advisor to the Vice Minister of the Interior and Police; and Commissioner, Restricted Visa and Refugee Commission, Costa Rica Alberto Cortés Ramos, Professor, Political Science Department, University of Costa Rica Moderator: Manuel Orozco, Director, Migration, Remittances, and Development Program, Inter-American Dialogue As crises continue to unfold in Venezuela and Nicaragua, more than 4.5 million people have left both of those countries, with most settling in neighboring countries in the region. To date, Latin American countries have generally responded by finding pragmatic ways to receive and integrate migrants and refugees from Venezuela and Nicaragua. This series of panel discussions examines the challenges ahead as countries in the region seek to chart future strategies for responding to large-scale forced migration flows. Leading policymakers and key stakeholders from the region, as well as representatives of major international institutions involved with the regional response, offer their views on changing entry requirements; legal pathways and asylum processes; access to education, health care, and public services; and the opportunities and challenges that these migration flows present for the future of the region. Remarks given in Spanish have been translated into English in this recording.

El viceministro de turismo para Colombia, Julián Guerrero Orozco, visita al estudio para un amplio debate.Nos cuenta de las enormes posibilidades de crecimiento en el sector en el país y su creencia de las recientes noticias negativas sobre la situación de seguridad que no van a tener un efecto perjudicial en el contexto del número de visitantes. También, él nos informa que las visitas guiadas como las de 'Pablo Escobar Tours' en Medellín no necesariamente son malas para el país, sino que estas dependen del mensaje que comunican.Además, mientras su cargo actual es político, él dice inequívocamente que no tiene ningún interés para postularse como candidato para cualquier cargo público.***********Colombia's Vice Minister for Tourism, Julián Guerrero Orozco, joins us for a wide-ranging chat.He tells us of the huge scope for growth in the sector, his belief that recent negative news in terms of security won't have a detrimental effect on visitor numbers and how 'Pablo Escobar tours' and the like aren't necessarily bad things for the country — the key is in what message they communicate.Also, while he is now firmly in the political sphere, he unequivocally states that he has no interest in putting his name on the ballot paper for any sort of public office.

Today Global Tennessee presents an interview with Ambassador of Japan to the United States H.E. Shinsuke J. Sugiyama and in our second segment an interview with Project C.U.R.E. President Dr. Douglas Jackson. TNWAC President Patrick Ryan and Board Member John Scannapieco (and Chairman of the Japan-America Society of Tennessee) talked with Ambassador Sugiyama about U.S.-Japan relations, Japan-Tennessee commercial relations and foreign direct investment and people to people connections -- cultural, educational and other bridge building activities. Ambassador Sugiyama has represented Japan in Washington since March 2018. He previously served as Deputy Minister and Vice Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs among other leadership positions in Japan's foreign service. Ambassador Sugiyama's visit to Nashville and his participation in the "Global Tennessee" Podcast have been coordinated by our friends at the Consulate of Japan in Nashville and Consul-General Hiroyuki Kobayashi. In our second segment of this episode Dr. Doug Jackson, PhD, C.U.R.E. President and Ms. Katherine Lay Miller, Nashville Executive Director, talked with Patrick Ryan about their organization (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment) that identifies, solicits, collects, sorts and distributes medical supplies and services according to the imperative needs of the world to over 130 countries. Dr. Jackson talked about the history and mission of the organization. Notes: Amb Sugiyama Bio - https://bit.ly/2twhV6M Consulate of Japan in Nashville - https://bit.ly/2TXS4Qx Japan-America Society of Tennessee - https://japanamericasocietyoftennesseeinc.wildapricot.org Project C.U.R.E. - https://projectcure.org Dr. Douglas Jackson Bio - https://projectcure.org/people/douglas-jackson-phd-jd Ms. Katherine Lay Miller Bio - https://projectcure.org/people/katherine-lay-miller

O.C.A.C. Vice Minister, Roy Leu, and Section Chief of Student Affairs, Bey-ru Shiau, come on the show to talk about spreading Mandarin around the globe and bringing overseas Taiwanese compatriots back to the motherland.

O.C.A.C. Vice Minister, Roy Leu, and Section Chief of Student Affairs, Bey-ru Shiau, come on the show to talk about spreading Mandarin around the globe and bringing overseas Taiwanese compatriots back to the motherland.

nelly jerez-Honduras foreign affairs vice minister, the word "Wall" hurts Dems and the electronic border fence.

Described by Bismarck as the "powderkeg of Europe", and later host to the worst genocide on European soil since the Holocaust, we explore what relevance the Balkans region's tumultuous past has to its future. We interview Dr Gentian Elezi, former Vice Minister of European integration in the Albanian government, about Albania's EU integration and relations with other countries in the region. We also speak with Christos Constantopoulos about the view from the Southern Balkans in Greece, with regards to the rise of fascism and Greek attitudes towards Europe. We also ask Dr Tim Less, fellow at Darwin College, Cambridge and former British diplomat in Skopje and Banja Luka, about foreign interests in the Balkans, as well as what can be gained by taking a comparative perspective between eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Edvinas Kerza, Vice Minister of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, sits down with Julie Smith and Rachel Rizzo to discuss the country's new cyber report, evolving threats in cyber space, information warfare, and the new cyber rapid response project proposed by Lithuania as part of PESCO.

Mr. Haruhiko Kuroda was appointed the 31st Governor of the Bank of Japan on March 20, 2013. He started his career at the Ministry of Finance in Japan in 1967. In the early years, he was seconded to the International Monetary Fund as Advisor to the Executive Director. His responsibilities at the Ministry encompassed fields such as international finance and national and international tax as well as services in the finance minister's office including as secretary to the then Finance Minister Murayama. He represented the Ministry at a number of international monetary conferences as Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, including meetings of the Group of Seven Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, International Monetary Fund/World Bank Joint Annual Meetings, and bilateral meetings between Japan and other countries/regions. From 2003, he served as Special Advisor to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Koizumi, while teaching economics and finance as Professor at the Graduate School of Economics of Hitotsubashi University. His previous position was President of the Asian Development Bank. He took office in February 2005, and in the eight years of his tenure he contributed to the reforms of the institution by formulating a long-term strategy and strengthening its financial resources. Born in October 1944, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law from The University of Tokyo (1967), and a Master of Philosophy in Economics from University of Oxford (1971).  

In the eighth part of the Rural China series, China Daily reporter D J Clark visits the local doctors in Kengxi village who explain how the recent rural health insurance initiative have benefitted the local community. Back in 2005 medical insurance was predominantly for city dwellers, covering only about a quarter of China's population and 80% of all the medical facilities were based in urban areas. To offset this imbalance, China set out a five-year plan to rebuild the rural medical service system by supporting the construction of county-level hospitals, grassroots medical care institutions and village clinics. They also setup a new affordable rural healthcare insurance, all in all spending 1.13 trillion yuan over the last three years according to Vice Minister of Finance Wang Jun.

Charles and Linda Wilson Dialogue on Domestic Issues Chuck Hagel served two terms in the United States Senate, from 1997-2009, representing the state of Nebraska. He was a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Intelligence committees. He also served as the chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the Senate Climate Change Observer Group. Hagel is a distinguished professor at Georgetown University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is co-chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board; Chairman of the Atlantic Council; a member of the Secretary of Defense's Policy Board and Secretary of Energy's Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future; and is a member of Public Broadcasting Service board of directors. He is also the author of "America: Our Next Chapter," an examination of the current state of the nation that provides substantial proposals for the challenges of the 21st century. Mr. Zhang Yesui was born in Hubei Province in October 1953. He graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. He has been Vice Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the United States of America.