Leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski reacts after the first exit polls during the party's electoral evening in Warsaw, Poland, on October 13, 2019. - Poland's governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party won the general election in Poland, expanding its majority, according to an exit poll by the Ipsos institute. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

The Poles have voted: the populist party PiS is set to rule the country for another four years with a comfortable majority in the Sejm. More than 43 percent of the electorate supported PiS, which has been in power since 2015 – with its generous welfare spending and oversight of a well-performing economy cutting through to voters.

President Donald Trump and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 2, 2019. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

With all due respect, Your press conference with the president of the United States was perplexing, to say the least.

First, you shouldn’t have been there at all. Why give an opportunity to Donald Trump to boost his image by receiving a world leader. But once you were there, you had an excellent opportunity to promote Finland in front of the world. Instead, you became an extra in a Trump reality TV episode and a sidekick in an internal dispute of a president dragging himself and his country through the mire. 

In this file photo taken on August 24, 2019 a woman shops for Chinese made shoes at a store in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles, California. - President Donald Trump's new tariffs on China are a "job killer," US shoe companies warned August 28, 2019 pleading for them to be removed. In a sharp deterioration in the US-China trade war, Trump last week ramped up the punitive duties for the vast majority of US imports from China.The five percent increases, which will take the tariffs to 15-25 percent, and are due to roll out in stages through December and target some popular items, such as laptops, mobile phones and some shoes. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

 Recently, the trade war between China and the US has again dominated the media news headlines. On the 23rd, in response to the US tariff hikes on $300bn of Chinese imports, China was forced to take counter-measures to impose tariffs on $75bn of the US imports. Instead of reflecting on its own unilateral behavior, the US has taken steps to further aggravate trade conflicts, announcing higher tariffs on $550bn of Chinese imports and ordering the US companies to withdraw from China.

Protestors block the entrance to the airport terminals after a scuffle with police at Hong Kong's international airport on August 13, 2019. - Hundreds of flights were cancelled or suspended at Hong Kong's airport on August 13, 2019

Viewpoint by: Chen Li, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Finland

Recently, the situation in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China drew wide attention from the international community. For a long time, Hong Kong has always been a global metropolitan city, one of the most robust economy and a center of international banking, trade and cargo. It has a beautiful name “Pearl of the Orient”, and is seen as a paradise for shopping. But today’s Hong Kong turns into a scene of chaos. What on earth has Hong Kong become?

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban waits for a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House May 13, 2019, in Washington...Lehtikuva, Creator: Brendan Smialowski

A new surprising addition to the long list of the Hungarian government’s enemies is Finland. Here is why.

“We need a nervous system, a strong nervous system, to enable us to show due respect, and answer questions politely – not with a smile or a laugh – when our Finnish friends ask us about and delve into the rule of law in Hungary” – said Viktor Orbán Hungarian PM in his opening speech at the 30th Bálványos Summer Open University and Student Camp.

A boat sails past as a cargo ship berths at a port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province on June 10, 2019. - China's exports beat gloomy forecasts to rebound in May though imports sank more than expected as the trade war with the United States heats up, official data showed on May 10. (Photo by STR / AFP) / - LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Currently, the so-called Sino-US economic and trade friction and its affiliated issues have become a heated topic worldwide, and drew intensive attention from all countries including Finland. As a follower of this matter, I would like to share some of my personal observations.

Firstly, trade conflict prompted by the US affects many countries and many areas in the global market, and goes far beyond China-US trade issues. As the world’s second largest economy, China is a main victim of the US’s tariff sticks. After 11 rounds of consultations, the US suddenly threatened to raise tariff rates on China.

A video grab taken from AFP TV footage shows WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as he is driven by British Police to Westminster Magistrates Court in London on April 11, 2019. - WikiLeaks founder Assange appeared in a London courtroom on Thursday, hours after being arrested in Ecuador's embassy on an extradition request from the United States and for breaching bail in Britain. (Photo by - / AFP) - LEHTIKUVA / AFP

On April 11, the ongoing saga of journalist and transparency activist Julian Assange took a dangerous turn.  Ecuador's president, Lenin Moreno, revoked his asylum in that country's London embassy.

British police immediately arrested him -- supposedly pursuant to his "crime" of jumping bail on an invalid arrest warrant in an investigation since dropped without charges but, as they admitted shortly thereafter,  actually with the intent of turning him over to US prosecutors on bogus "hacking" allegations.

From time to time I am asked, which science is the stronger one, ecology or economy. The answer is obvious. Ecology sets the framework for all human activities, including and especially the economy. There is no sustainable economic or social development if we keep breaching ecological limits.

Coast of the Barents Sea. Teriberka, Russia

Russia and certain Scandinavian countries have already implemented a number of projects across their joint border areas aimed at developing tourism infrastructure with joint management of specially-protected natural areas. 

Pasvik Nature Reserve is an example of such protected areas. It is located in the extreme northwest of Russia, in the Pechenga district of the Murmansk region.

View of the headquarters of Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA in Caracas, on January 29, 2019. - The United States announced sanctions against Venezuela's state oil company Monday in a coordinated effort with the main opposition leader to cripple embattled President Nicolas Maduro's power base. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

The short: The Trump Administration wants the Maduro Administration to leave.  H.E. Nicolas Maduro, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela wants to stay.  The governments of the Russian Federation and People’s Republic of China believe that the repayments of what could be approaching US$100 billion might be best served by President Maduro remaining in office.  The Republic of Cuba wants the Chavez Administration (1999-2013) to return.

If the Trump Administration provided assurances that the commercial interests of each country, which are not the same with respect to what they have received and what they want would be guaranteed, they each might support the removal of President Maduro and his exile to the Republic of Cuba.