*Law enforcement officers violently repress demonstrators in Georgia.
*China government condems new U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
teleSUR
*China government condems new U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
teleSUR
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00:00In the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, the police repressed demonstrators.
00:04The law enforcement officers violently prevented the crowd from storming parliament.
00:08Demonstrators are outraged by the government's decision to freeze EU accession negotiations
00:12until 2028.
00:13In this context, the officers used water cannons to chase the crowd away from the government
00:17building, while protesters put up resistance and threw firecrackers at the police, the
00:22officials remaining in parliament.
00:24After clashes between protesters and security units, special forces intervened and took
00:29control of the area.
00:35And Georgia's executive cabinet announced that the country's president must step down
00:39from public office.
00:40Prime Minister Irakli Kovacic said that President Salome Zurabishvili has until December 29
00:46to hand over the official building to the new president, elected during the October
00:5026 elections.
00:51However, the president expressed that she would not resign from her position since she
00:56does not recognize the legitimacy of the newly elected parliament.
01:00Zurabishvili stated that she plans to remain in office until the new elections despite
01:04the fact that her term of office ends this December.
01:08This comes in the midst of protests against the government's decision to freeze until
01:122028 negotiations for EU memberships.
01:19I must also emphasize that each and every citizen of Georgia is precious to us, and
01:25to me personally, especially those citizens who have been misled and are sincerely protesting
01:30against something that has not actually occurred.
01:33Once again, I want to assure everyone that Georgia's European integration has not been
01:37halted.
01:38The only thing we have rejected is the shameful and offensive blackmail, which was, in fact,
01:43a significant obstacle to our country's European integration.
01:47The Prime Minister also assured that he will wait for the US President-elect Donald Trump
01:53to take office in order to discuss various issues.
01:59You can see that the outgoing US administration is trying to leave the new administration,
02:03the Trump administration with a specially difficult legacy.
02:08They are doing this regarding Ukraine, and now also concerning Georgia.
02:15But this will not have any fundamental significance.
02:19We will wait for the new administration and discuss everything with them.
02:23Accordingly, this is as temporary phenomenon as Salome Zurabishvili.
02:30In other news, a Chinese government has condemned the approval of a US arms sale to Taiwan and
02:35rejected any official exchange between Washington and Taiwan.
02:38In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry denounced that this new arms sale, an estimated
02:43value of $385 million, is a serious violation of the principle of one China and of the three
02:49joint communiques signed between the two countries.
02:52According to the communique, this action violates the sovereignty and security interests of
02:55China, damages bilateral relations, and endangers peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.
03:00Therefore, China is demanding from the United States to honor its commitments and immediately
03:05call off the sale, meanwhile Beijing will be taking firm steps in order to counter these
03:11actions and to safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.