Fears over Chinese spying lead to calls for UK ban on DiDi Global ride-hailing app
MPs are calling for a ride-hailing app based in Beijing to be blocked from launching in Britain amid concerns that users’ data will be harvested by Chinese spies.
DiDi Global has obtained its first licences to operate in Salford, Sheffield, Wolverhampton and Manchester. It is expected to seek further licences as it competes for market share with Uber, the American taxi app.
A group of cross-party MPs fear that China’s national security laws could be used to require DiDi to hand over data if asked for it by Beijing. The National Intelligence Law from 2017 requires all Chinese companies to “support, co-operate with and collaborate in national intelligence work”.
Source: The Times #Aug09
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fears-over-chinese-spying-lead-to-calls-for-uk-ban-on-didi-global-ride-hailing-app-mzbkxqmk7
#DiDi #App #Uber #Salford #Sheffield #Wolverhampton #Manchester
MPs are calling for a ride-hailing app based in Beijing to be blocked from launching in Britain amid concerns that users’ data will be harvested by Chinese spies.
DiDi Global has obtained its first licences to operate in Salford, Sheffield, Wolverhampton and Manchester. It is expected to seek further licences as it competes for market share with Uber, the American taxi app.
A group of cross-party MPs fear that China’s national security laws could be used to require DiDi to hand over data if asked for it by Beijing. The National Intelligence Law from 2017 requires all Chinese companies to “support, co-operate with and collaborate in national intelligence work”.
Source: The Times #Aug09
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fears-over-chinese-spying-lead-to-calls-for-uk-ban-on-didi-global-ride-hailing-app-mzbkxqmk7
#DiDi #App #Uber #Salford #Sheffield #Wolverhampton #Manchester
Chinese spies pose as refugees in UK visa plot
Chinese spies are posing as refugees in an attempt to enter Britain through a resettlement scheme designed for Hongkongers, The Times can reveal.
Government sources have said they are aware of sleeper agents applying for British National (Overseas) visas under the pretence of seeking refuge from the totalitarian state.
“There are stringent background checks in place for the visa applications — and they’re in place for a reason,” government sources said. “The vetting process for the BNO visa scheme is much more thorough than any other.”
Source: The Times #Aug09
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chinese-spies-pose-as-refugees-in-uk-visa-plot-g0fdfv37v
#Chinese #UK #Visa #BNO
Chinese spies are posing as refugees in an attempt to enter Britain through a resettlement scheme designed for Hongkongers, The Times can reveal.
Government sources have said they are aware of sleeper agents applying for British National (Overseas) visas under the pretence of seeking refuge from the totalitarian state.
“There are stringent background checks in place for the visa applications — and they’re in place for a reason,” government sources said. “The vetting process for the BNO visa scheme is much more thorough than any other.”
Source: The Times #Aug09
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chinese-spies-pose-as-refugees-in-uk-visa-plot-g0fdfv37v
#Chinese #UK #Visa #BNO
Taiwan for all intents and purposes is an independent country. Deal with it.
Storm clouds continue to gather in East Asia and the South China Sea.
No one can be in any doubt now that China and the United States see each other as strategic rivals and are engaged in a geopolitical contest across the full spectrum of interstate relations. Whether the contest is viewed as one for primacy, parity or a new equilibrium of shared strategic space in the Pacific, the reality is the contest has been joined.
It is just as indisputable that the political, military, economic and even psychological balance of power has been shifting relentlessly to China’s net benefit and many Indo-Pacific countries have accommodated to this new normal.
Source: The Japan Times #Aug09
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/09/commentary/world-commentary/taiwan-independent-country/
#Taiwan #Independent #EastAsia #SouthChinaSea #China
Storm clouds continue to gather in East Asia and the South China Sea.
No one can be in any doubt now that China and the United States see each other as strategic rivals and are engaged in a geopolitical contest across the full spectrum of interstate relations. Whether the contest is viewed as one for primacy, parity or a new equilibrium of shared strategic space in the Pacific, the reality is the contest has been joined.
It is just as indisputable that the political, military, economic and even psychological balance of power has been shifting relentlessly to China’s net benefit and many Indo-Pacific countries have accommodated to this new normal.
Source: The Japan Times #Aug09
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/09/commentary/world-commentary/taiwan-independent-country/
#Taiwan #Independent #EastAsia #SouthChinaSea #China
U.S. Steps Up Pressure on Businesses Over Forced Labor in China
U.S. lawmakers and Biden administration officials are stepping up pressure on American businesses to stop imports from the Western Chinese region of Xinjiang as Beijing’s alleged use of forced labor emerges as a top item on their bilateral trade agenda.
Western officials say the Chinese government uses forced labor of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, the world’s leading producer of cotton and raw materials used in solar panels. Beijing strongly denies the claim.
Imports of cotton and tomato products have already been effectively banned since January, and penalties on purchases of some solar materials were implemented in June.
Source: WSJ #Aug09
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-steps-up-pressure-on-businesses-over-forced-labor-in-china-11628501400
#US #Labor #China #Biden #Xinjiang #Uyghur #Muslim
U.S. lawmakers and Biden administration officials are stepping up pressure on American businesses to stop imports from the Western Chinese region of Xinjiang as Beijing’s alleged use of forced labor emerges as a top item on their bilateral trade agenda.
Western officials say the Chinese government uses forced labor of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, the world’s leading producer of cotton and raw materials used in solar panels. Beijing strongly denies the claim.
Imports of cotton and tomato products have already been effectively banned since January, and penalties on purchases of some solar materials were implemented in June.
Source: WSJ #Aug09
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-steps-up-pressure-on-businesses-over-forced-labor-in-china-11628501400
#US #Labor #China #Biden #Xinjiang #Uyghur #Muslim
Hong Kong Civil Servants Arrested for "Seditious" Social Media Posts
Source:
Channel C, HK01 #Aug09
Read more
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Source:
Channel C, HK01 #Aug09
Read more
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Hong Kong Civil Servants Arrested for "Seditious" Social Media Posts
On Aug 9, national security police arrested 4 men, two of whom are civil servants, for allegedly publishing seditious posts online, Hong Kong Police said.
Sources claim that the two civil servants are the administrators for the "Civil Servants Secrets" Facebook page, which publishes stories submitted anonymously by civil servants of the city. The relevant Facebook page and Instagram are both currently down.
Police said that the two, aged 28 and 29, published seditious posts that "promoted feelings of hostility between different classes of the city's population".
Police had further investigated 5 other men, two of whom were arrested for allegedly committing fraud. Police searched their homes and workplaces, and confiscated electronic communication devices. Police said that the operation is ongoing, and there may be more arrests connected to the case.
Oscar Kwok, Head of the Hong Kong Civil Service College, spoke to reporters from HK01 last Friday that he reads the "Civil Servants Secrets" page to understand their feelings. Kwok had served in the police force for 32 years, and said that he hopes the public - particularly the media - would speak more positively of civil servants and show gratitude for their work, so that they could be more motivated to serve the public.
A message from someone who claimed to have witnessed one of the arrests at a government office quickly circulated online. The message said that police arrived at their office in large numbers, and the staff was told not to touch their computers. Several computers were confiscated, including one that was said to contain very sensitive data. The whole office was shocked. The source said: the managers looked sombre, and the rest of the staff kept their heads down as they quietly went back to work.
Source:
Channel C, HK01 #Aug09
https://bit.ly/3vQxSVQ
#CivilServants #Suppression #FreedomOfSpeech #NationalSecurityLaw
#FacebookPage #CivilServantSecret #Seditious
On Aug 9, national security police arrested 4 men, two of whom are civil servants, for allegedly publishing seditious posts online, Hong Kong Police said.
Sources claim that the two civil servants are the administrators for the "Civil Servants Secrets" Facebook page, which publishes stories submitted anonymously by civil servants of the city. The relevant Facebook page and Instagram are both currently down.
Police said that the two, aged 28 and 29, published seditious posts that "promoted feelings of hostility between different classes of the city's population".
Police had further investigated 5 other men, two of whom were arrested for allegedly committing fraud. Police searched their homes and workplaces, and confiscated electronic communication devices. Police said that the operation is ongoing, and there may be more arrests connected to the case.
Oscar Kwok, Head of the Hong Kong Civil Service College, spoke to reporters from HK01 last Friday that he reads the "Civil Servants Secrets" page to understand their feelings. Kwok had served in the police force for 32 years, and said that he hopes the public - particularly the media - would speak more positively of civil servants and show gratitude for their work, so that they could be more motivated to serve the public.
A message from someone who claimed to have witnessed one of the arrests at a government office quickly circulated online. The message said that police arrived at their office in large numbers, and the staff was told not to touch their computers. Several computers were confiscated, including one that was said to contain very sensitive data. The whole office was shocked. The source said: the managers looked sombre, and the rest of the staff kept their heads down as they quietly went back to work.
Source:
Channel C, HK01 #Aug09
https://bit.ly/3vQxSVQ
#CivilServants #Suppression #FreedomOfSpeech #NationalSecurityLaw
#FacebookPage #CivilServantSecret #Seditious
Channelchk
國安處拘4男 據悉2人為「公務員Secrets」Admin 被指發佈煽動帖文 | Channel C
警方國安處拘捕4名男子，其中2名分別28及29歲的男子為社交平台管理員，涉嫌違反「作出具煽動意圖的作為」罪，多間傳媒引述消息指，2人為「公務員Secrets」的管理員，目前facebook專頁「公務員Secrets」及Instagram帳戶已無法登入。