Bloomberg China has responded to New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern’s warning at the Nato summit that Beijing is becoming increasingly assertive and more willing to challenge international norms. “We have taken note of the relevant comment made by the New Zealand side at the Nato session, which includes some misguided accusations against China,” a spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Wellington said in a statement on its website dated June 30. The prime minister’s comments are “wrong” and “regrettable,” the statement said. “It is obvious that such comment is not helpful for deepening mutual trust between the two countries, or for the efforts made by the two countries to keep our bilateral relations on the right track,” the ...

  Bloomberg Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban appeared to strike a milder tone regarding Europe’s policy on Ukraine, all the while proceeding with a controversial nuclear project backed by Russia. Hungary won’t keep standing in the way of European Union sanctions except on vital matters of energy policy, he told public radio in an interview. While Budapest will still oppose ...

Bloomberg Representatives of indigenous organizations and Ecuador’s embattled government signed an agreement to end more than two weeks of nationwide protests over fuel prices and the high cost of living. Mediated by the Catholic Bishops Conference, the government of President Guillermo Lasso agreed to increase subsidies at the pump. With other measures pledged by the conservative administration, the total is ...