Companies should pay attention to their supply chains: Face masks made with allegedly forced Uighur labour are sold overseas

As Australia stockpiling masks from China for its skyrocketing demands, experts discovered allegedly coerced Uighur labour in the supply chain.

A thinktank report from earlier this year revealed involvement of factories in programs of forced Uighur labour. The programs were said to be a “poverty alleviation” policy, yet in fact “inextricably linked to broader, coercive policies intended to erase the Uighur identity itself.”

These programs include shipping Uighurs thousands of miles away from their homes, mandatory “ideological training”, forced participation in flag-raising and anthem-singing ceremonies, learning Mandarin, and living and eating on-site in separate dormitories and a canteen.
All of the activities are under the supervisions of "minders" along with constant surveillance, banning of religious observance, and limited freedom of movement.

China has made auditing of human rights extremely difficult for Western companies and nearly impossible for consumers. Experts recommend companies to conduct desktop-based investigation to ensure their supply chains are not tainted by factories using forced Uighur labour.


Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/22/face-masks-made-with-allegedly-forced-uighur-labour-in-china-are-being-sold-in-australia

#Australia #Mask #China
#UighurLabour #HumanRight

#Newspaper

Japan’s ruling party to ban Tiktok and other Chinese apps
 
(28 Jul) The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reports that a group of lawmakers from Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), are proposing restrictions on Chinese apps like the video-sharing platform TikTok due to data security concerns.
 
The report stated that the LDP's group on regulatory policy, led by tax panel chief Akira Amari, would hold a meeting today to discuss restrictions on Chinese apps. There have also been reports of information leaks from banking systems that use Chinese-developed artificial intelligence to scrutinize funds etc. The group will urge the government to adopt its recommendations to ensure Japan's security from such threats.

Source: AM730
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

Further reading:
After India and US, Japan looks to ban TikTok and other Chinese apps
https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/28/japan-proposes-tiktok-ban/

#TikTok #DataSecurity #ChineseApp #Japan #LDP

U.S. ends preferential treatment for Hong Kong and #Fulbright Scholar Programme.
American scholars informed to not visit Hong Kong

Many scholars visited Hong Kong through a well-know exchange program, Fulbright Scholar Programme every year. A professor of Government and Public Administration Department, Wilson Wong shared a post in FB today. A Fulbright Scholar informed him that they will not coming to Hong Kong next January as planned before because the U.S. government formally ended the Fulbright Scholar programme in China, including Hong Kong. And that they will seek other countries to visit.

In the statement of U.S. President Trump to China released earlier, it was mentioned that the U.S. government is taking steps to terminate the Fulbright exchange program with China and Hong Kong. Wilson Wong thought at first Trump might react slowly by just stopping new applications and therefore have no impact on approved cases. "Now, Trump is effective and takes immediate action."

Source: Stand News #Jul28

#Extradition #CCP
#Germany to Suspend Extradition Agreement with Hong Kong; #WhiteHouse Condemns Disqualifications and Election Delay

Germany Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after Carrie Lam postponed a Sept. 6 election to the Chinese-ruled city’s legislature by a year:

“The Hong Kong government’s decision to disqualify a dozen opposition candidates for the election and postpone the elections to the legislature is another infringement on the rights of the citizens of Hong Kong.

We have repeatedly made our expectation clear that China lives up to its legal responsibilities under international law”.

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany condemns Hong Kong's decision to delay election:

"This action undermines the democratic processes and freedoms that have underpinned Hong Kong’s prosperity.

This is only the most recent in a growing list of broken promises by Beijing, which promised autonomy and freedoms to the Hong Kong people until 2047 in the Sino-British joint declaration.”

Source: Reuters #Jul31

#CCP #1C1S #CoronavirusPandemic
More Chinese Health Officials to Arrive in Hong Kong to Assist with Testing for Covid-19

On July 31, China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office released a statement that China would send their personnel to Hong Kong to assist in COVID19 testing. Immediately on August 1, China's National Health Commission announced that 7 Chinese health officials would arrive in Hong Kong the next day (August 2, Sunday), just as Chief Executive Carrie Lam raised the possibility that the Hong Kong population could be tested for Covid-19.

The 7 Chinese officials are part of a 60-membered team sent by China to Hong Kong. Another 6 officials from Wuhan, the epicenter at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, will also go to Hong Kong and assist in transforming the AsiaWorld Expo convention centre into a facility for treating Covid-19 patients.

Dr Chuang Shuk- kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection in Hong Kong, said on August 1 that she only learnt about Beijing's arrangement on TV. She believes that the Chinese team would be exempted from COVID19 examination upon arriving in Hong Kong.

Source: Stand News #Aug1

China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office: Beijing to Send Personnel to Hong Kong to Cope With COVID-19
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23869

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#HumanRights #Dignity #Coronavirus #Church
Churches Open Compounds To Citizens For Meals as Government Bans Dining In

The all-day ban on dine-in meals at restaurants took effect on July 29, 2020. People could be seen eating along the streets during lunch hours. Many churches opened their compounds for the public to have their meals. Many construction workers and white-collared workers were seen having their meals in the churches.

Thomas Law, a priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, said that there is hardly a proper place for the citizens to have their lunch, and the provision of places in the church is "a basic act of decency."

Poon Yuk-kuen, May, a pastor of the Methodist Church of Hong Kong, pointed out that she saw many citizens having their meals on the streets.

"We all want to eat. How did Hong Kong fall into such a state?" She also criticized the government for not considering the situation at a grassroots level, as many cleaners are prohibited to stay in the offices that they work for to consume their meals. Therefore, the church was "doing what they should do" while facing the dangers of the epidemic, for the sole purpose of providing comfortable places for the citizens to consume their meals.

Source: InMedia #Jul30
#FailedState

#Opinion

“Give me Liberty or or give me Death”

984 years ago, under the threat of absolute monarchy, Fan Zhongyan (a minister to the Song emperor Renzong) said, “if you don’t let me express my dissent, I would rather die”. Now, 984 years later, in 2020, the public intellectuals in Hong Kong and China don’t even have the right to remain silent.

Full article:
https://telegra.ph/Now-Hong-Kongers-dont-even-have-the-right-to-say-this-Give-me-Liberty-or-or-give-me-Death-07-31

#MovieReview

The film Ten Years which accurately predicted Today’s Hong Kong

(13 Jul) "Ten Years" is a dystopian film produced in Hong Kong and released in 2015. It tells five speculative tales of the state of Hong Kong in 2025 as the Chinese government tightens its grip on the Special Administrative Region.

One short story is "Local Egg", which provides a glimpse into how a grocery storekeeper and his son, a member of the Youth Guard, grapples with the insidious changes enforced by the government. Sam, the storekeeper, questions the Youth Guard when they tell him that his label, "local eggs", is on the censor list but relabeling them as "Hong Kong eggs" is allowed.

Ming, Sam's son, provides a reply slip for him to sign later that day. He reads it aloud, "Youth Guard Commander is authorized to assign your son covert operations. Parents are not necessarily informed." He expresses concern for Ming warns him against blindly following the Youth Guard's orders.

The next day, Sam discovers the Youth Guards pelting the closed storefront of a bookshop with eggs. Among them is Ming, standing with a closed carton of untouched eggs. Sam asks what he is doing and Ming responds, "I'm obliged to come, I don't know what I should do." As Sam leads Ming to help clean up, the bookshop keeper introduces himself and reveals that Ming was the one who warned him that the Youth Guard would come to vandalise his business.

⬇️⬇️⬇️Watch
(English subtitles available)
Source: Jack Dawson’s Facebook
Written by: Hong Kong Echo

#TenYears #HongKongMovie #Accurate #China #Control

IPAC denounced HK government for disqualifying pro-democracy candidates in the upcoming election

On 30 June, 12 Pro-democracy candidates in LegCo Election 2020 (which was later announced to be delayed for a year) were disqualified by the Hong Kong Electoral Affairs Commission. These 12 candidates collectively obtained tens of thousands of votes in the pro-democracy primaries.

68 legislators from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) signed the statement condemning the decision as 'unacceptable obstructions of the democratic process in Hong Kong'. These international legislators also urged the international community to respond proportionately with respect to the diminishing rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

The IPAC aims at enhancing coordination between govenments and urges them to respond accordingly to challenges posed by China. The Alliance previously also spoke out against issues on Uyghurs, Falun Gong, and the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Source:
https://twitter.com/ipacglobal/status/1288806722979745794?s=09

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/cantonese/zh-hant/twelve-pro-democracy-figures-barred-from-legco-poll

#IPAC #HongKongElection
#DQ #ProdemocracyFigures
#LegcoPoll #China

#Academia #University #CCP #ChinesePropaganda #ConfuciusInstitute
Universities in Germany Closing Confucius Institutes to Avoid Exposure to CCP Propaganda
 
Source: Apple Daily #Jul27

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23910

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#Academia #University #CCP #ChinesePropaganda #ConfuciusInstitute
Universities in Germany Closing Confucius Institutes to Avoid Exposure to CCP Propaganda
 
Universities in Hamburg and other locations in Germany are closing their Confucius Institutes to avoid propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from spreading in their campuses.  The German parliament also has plans on discussing the much-disputed issue of Confucius Institutes in the coming session.  However, most of the universities operating Confucius Institutes are still sitting on the fence. 
 
German national daily newspaper Die Welt has reported that the University of Hamburg has decided to terminate their collaboration with Confucius Institute by the end of this year to minimise the risk of “political influence and information leakage”. 
 
University of Hamburg is not the first university to shut down its Confucius Institute in Germany.  In 2016, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf terminated its agreement with the Office of Chinese Language Council International, which was responsible for the operation of Confucius Institute, over worries that the political doctrine of the CCP would influence the school.  Also worried about manipulation from the CCP, University of Bonn is now re-evaluating the presence of Confucius Institutes on its campus. 
 
19 Confucius Institutes are currently operating in Germany.  In recent years, more voices from the political and academic sectors have expressed their suspicion over Confucius Institutes working as CCP’s propaganda machine under the façade of promoting Chinese culture and language.  In a reply to an inquiry last year from parliament members, the German government has pointed out that the Office of Chinese Language Council International operates under the Publicity Department of the CCP.
 
Source:  Apple Daily  #Jul27
 

#NetizensVoice

90% of popular vote by Japanese netizens against Chinese tourists visiting

(27 Jul) On 22 July, the Japanese government announced that it would begin negotiations with 12 countries, including Taiwan, on measures to ease restrictions on business travel. A Japanese netizen recently tweeted, "I would like to ask everyone a question: after the pandemic ends, which nation's visitors would you least wish to visit Japan?" The options included the USA, Taiwan, China, and Other (countries). In the end, 21048 people voted. 89.5% of Japanese netizens chose China.

This response greatly upset Chinese netizens, who retorted, "You don't want us to come but you want to take our money?"

Taiwanese netizens laughed and said, "The Japanese understand that Taiwan and China are separate", "How have I not seen any Chinese netizens saying that Taiwan is not a country lol" and "What a surprise, looks like we're different from China XD".

Source: Myblogs
https://bit.ly/2Xd7Smp
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

Further reading:
Protesters Take the Streets of Tokyo in Support for Hong Kong, Holding “Liberate Hong Kong” Flags, Urging Japanese Government to Abort Xi Jinping’s Visit
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23545

#Japan #Taiwan #China #Tourist #Travel

⬆️⬆️⬆️ continue reading

#SOSGalápagos #Galápagos #Ecuador #China #Diplomacy
Huge Chinese Fishing Fleet Discovered off Galapagos Islands,
Ecuador Official: “A big threat and will request them to withdraw through diplomatic efforts”

The Ecuadorian Navy discovered a huge fleet of mostly Chinese-flagged fishing vessels around 320 kilometres from the Galapagos Islands. The fleet was made up of around 260 vessels. Former environmental minister of Yolanda Kakabadse, stated their presence has already raised the prospect of serious damage to the dedicate marine ecosystem.

The island's unique ecosystem and animal species intrigued Charles Darwin. Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands had a resounding impact on the formation of his Theory of Natural Selection. Due to the unique creatures of Galapagos Islands, the Ecuador government established the Galapagos National Park in 1959. In 1978, the islands were declared as the first Unesco World Heritage Site.

Kakabadse told The Guardian that about 260 ships were currently in international water just outside a 188-miles wide exclusive economic zone around the island. Also, the fleet's size and aggressiveness against marine species was a big threat to the balance of species in the Galapagos.

Kakabadse and ex-mayor of Quito, Roque Sevilla, were on Monday (July 27th) put in charge fo designing a "protection strategy" for the Galapagos Islands.

Source: Stand News #July28

Arm China CEO refuses to quit after removal by headquarters, accused of "creating a culture of fear"

In June this year, the UK-based chip designer Arm Ltd and the Chinese private equity firm Hopu Investments attempted to oust Arm China CEO, Allen Wu, after complaints of serious irregularities in his conduct.

Arm China published an open letter on Weibo accusing Arm Ltd of "threats and harassment" and attempting to cut Arm China's contracts with its business partners. It requested that the Chinese government intervene. In response, Arm Ltd blamed Wu for "propagating false information and creating a culture of fear and confusion among Arm China employees. It claimed that he "attempted to block the critical communication and support our China partners require from Arm for ongoing and future chip designs".

Wu currently owns 13.3% of Arm China's shares and has close ties with Huawei. He still holds the company's official seal and has used it to cancel his dismissal. Lawyers working closely with Arm China have expressed that China's complex seal system deterred confidence in foreign investors.

Sources: Yahoo Finance, (28-Jul); Apple Daily, (30-Jul); Reuters, (29-Jul)

Credit: Hong Kong Echo

#ArmLtd #Hopu #AllenWu #Finance #harassment #China

#Huawei #UK #CyberSecurity
Huawei 5G kit must be removed from UK by 2027

HUAWEI will be completely removed from the UK’s 5G networks by the end of 2027, the government has announced in mid July, following new advice by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on the impact of US sanctions against the telecommunications vendor. The ban would delay the UK's 5G rollout, yet the government prioritizes national security.

Key point as the below:
• No new Huawei 5G equipment to be purchased by the of this year
• All Huawei 5G equipment to be removed from UK networks by 2027
•The requirements for removal will be enshired in law, rather than be guidance.
• With other earlier restrictions on Huawei, this means a delay of around two years for the roll-out of 5G in the UK
•Cost impact is estimated at around £2 billion

Editor's note: Other worldwide 5G network providers include Nokia, Ericsson and others.

Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53403793