𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 Thread Ambr Burns says US 'the leader' in Asia; Saudi-China plant builds buses in Egypt; Brazil lets 2 Iran warships dock; Japan buys 400 Tomahawks, $400Mn war budget; G20: Blinken & Lavrov;

What it fundamentally is all about. Nicholas Burns, US ambassador to China: "[China needs to accept] that the U.S. is staying in the [Asia-Pacific] region, we're the leader in this region" https://www.nbcnews.com/video/china-needs-to-accept-u-s-is-a-leader-ambassador-burns-says-164164165750…

Multipolarity in action: A new bus assembly plant co-built by Chinese and Saudi companies, has started production in Egypt.

Welcome to the multipolar world: The US ambassador in Brazil,Elizabeth Bagley,urged the govt. of Brazil not to allow Iran's ships to dock. "We firmly believe those ships should not dock anywhere" Meanwhile Iranian navy warships Makran and Dena berthed in Rio on Sunday.

Prime Minister Kishida has announced a 400% budget increase in weapons purchases from the US, to buy Japan first offensive weapons with overseas strike capability since World War 2.

Japan seeks to buy 400 U.S. Tomahawk missiles, Kishida says https://s.nikkei.com/41smgqe

US will support Ukraine "for as long as it takes", Antony Blinken tells Russia's Sergei Lavrov in first face-to-face meeting since invasion https://bbc.in/41BbIoS

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV at the G20: "It’s time to stop playing the food card. This crisis stems from the West printing trillions of US dollars and euros early on during the COVID-19 pandemic and buying up food supplies around the world. Today, the bulk of grain supplies from Ukraine are being shipped at giveaway fodder prices to the EU, rather than to the poorest countries that need them. Russia’s efforts to export agricultural products are openly obstructed around the world, no matter how hard the EU officials, who are so used to telling lies, are trying to convince everyone otherwise. Batches of free Russian fertilisers, in particular, for Africa, remain blocked at European ports. Without any scruples, the West is burying the UN Secretary-General’s well-known humanitarian initiative."

South Korea to ask US to let chip makers keep investment in China Seems to be no clear path ahead here, with South Korean companies have billions in sunk capex in China and requiring clarity on technology roadmap https://sc.mp/hhzq

“Nornickel’s Chinese customers are also pushing to link long-term contracts to Shanghai prices, the people said...” Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-01/russia-s-largest-miner-is-selling-nickel-to-china-in-yuan…

oh hi @European Central Bank in the spirit of transparency and expectations anchoring, would be great if you could share those internal slides showing it's corporate profits, not wages, driving inflation https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ecb-confronts-cold-reality-companies-are-cashing-inflation-2023-03-02/…

Al Jazeera - Era of French interference in Africa is ‘over’, Macron says https://aje.io/khn20g via @Al Jazeera English

Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc Gas Raises $2.5 Billion in Year’s Biggest IPO Adnoc sold 3.84 billion shares at 2.37 dirhams apiece Middle East has seen a wave of IPOs on high oil prices https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-03/abu-dhabi-s-adnoc-gas-raises-2-5-billion-in-year-s-biggest-ipo…