Kremlin Says Putin Trip to China Is 'On the Agenda'

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with CEO of VTB bank Andrey Kostin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with CEO of VTB bank Andrey Kostin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)
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Kremlin Says Putin Trip to China Is 'On the Agenda'

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with CEO of VTB bank Andrey Kostin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with CEO of VTB bank Andrey Kostin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a visit by President Vladimir Putin to China was on the agenda, adding that now was a good time to build on the already strong relationship between the two countries.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a regular news briefing that the date of Putin's trip would be announced when it had been finalized.

"Now is an absolutely opportune moment to maintain high dynamics in the development of bilateral Russian-Chinese relations... The exact dates will be agreed and you will be informed. Dialogue continues at various levels," he said.

Russia has further strengthened its economic, trade, political and military ties with China after its decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine drove relations with the West to post-Cold War lows.

Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to a "no limits" partnership just weeks before Russia launched what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24 2022.

Xi visited Moscow in March this year and sealed a series of economic and other agreements with his "dear friend" Putin.

China, a major buyer of Russian oil and gas, presented a paper calling for a de-escalation and eventual ceasefire in Ukraine, but Kyiv and its Western allies rejected the plan, saying it would lock in Russian territorial gains.

During Putin's expected trip to Beijing, Peskov said, the two presidents would focus on bilateral trade and economic cooperation and on global issues.

"Based on the similarity of Moscow and Beijing's vision of the essence of international relations...we have very, very good prospects for further discussions and, most importantly, for constructive interaction," Peskov said.



Thiel’s Palantir Dumped by Norwegian Investor over Work for Israel

The logo of US software company Palantir Technologies is seen in Davos, Switzerland, May 22, 2022. Picture taken May 22, 2022. (Reuters)
The logo of US software company Palantir Technologies is seen in Davos, Switzerland, May 22, 2022. Picture taken May 22, 2022. (Reuters)
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Thiel’s Palantir Dumped by Norwegian Investor over Work for Israel

The logo of US software company Palantir Technologies is seen in Davos, Switzerland, May 22, 2022. Picture taken May 22, 2022. (Reuters)
The logo of US software company Palantir Technologies is seen in Davos, Switzerland, May 22, 2022. Picture taken May 22, 2022. (Reuters)

One of the Nordic region's largest investors has sold its holdings in Palantir Technologies because of concerns that the US data firm's work for Israel might put the asset manager at risk of violating international humanitarian law and human rights.

Storebrand Asset Management disclosed this week that it had "excluded Palantir Technologies Inc. from our investments due (to) its sales of products and services to Israel for use in occupied Palestinian territories."

The investor, which manages about 1 trillion crowns ($91.53 billion) in assets, held around 262 million crowns ($24 million) in Palantir, a spokesperson told Reuters. A representative for Palantir, based in Denver, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Storebrand said Palantir had not replied to any of its requests for information, first lodged in April. The data analytics firm, co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, provides militaries with artificial-intelligence models. Earlier this year, it agreed to a strategic partnership to supply technology to Israel to assist in the ongoing war in Gaza.

Palantir has previously defended its work for Israel. CEO Alex Karp said he was proud to have worked with the country following the Hamas attacks in October last year and in March told CNBC that Palantir had lost employees and that he expected to lose more over his public support for Israel.

Storebrand's exit follows a recommendation from Norway's government in March warning businesses about engaging in economic or financial activity in the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, the asset manager said in its third-quarter investment review published on Wednesday. The International Court of Justice, the United Nations' highest court, said in July that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories including the settlements was illegal.

Israel's foreign ministry rejected that opinion as "fundamentally wrong" and one-sided, and repeated its stance that a political settlement in the region can be reached only by negotiations.

Storebrand said its analysis indicated that Palantir provides products and services "including AI-based predictive policing systems" that support Israeli surveillance of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Palantir's systems are supposed "to identify individuals who are likely to launch 'lone wolf terrorist' attacks, facilitating their arrests preemptively before the strikes that it is projected they would carry out," Storebrand said.

It added that, according to the United Nations, Israeli authorities have a history of incarcerating Palestinians without charge or trial. A UN Special Rapporteur said in a 2023 report that "the occupied Palestinian territory had been transformed as a whole into a constantly surveilled open-air prison."

Israel rejected the UN's findings. In September Reuters reported that Norway's $1.7 trillion wealth fund may have to divest shares of companies that violate the fund watchdog's tougher interpretation of ethics standards for businesses that aid Israel's operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.