Old H&M comment on 'forced labour' in China's Xinjiang raises online storm
At least one Chinese online retailer appeared to drop H&M’s products amid social media attacks on the Swedish company for saying it was “deeply concerned” about reports of forced labour in the farwestern region of Xinjiang. A graphic in a commentary from the official CCTV that slammed the company for its stance said that “H&M you are no longer at all fashionable”. Some people on Weibo called for H&M to leave China and for a boycott.
H&M’s official store on Alibaba’s Tmall, an e-commerce platform, was not accessible on Mar 24. The official People’s Daily reported that searches for H&M products on platforms JD.com and Pinduoduo no longer showed any results.
China is H&M’s fourth-biggest market with sales of 9.75 billion Swedish crowns ($1.13 billion) in the 12 months through November 2020.
Source: Reuters #Mar24
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-cotton/old-hm-comment-on-forced-labour-in-chinas-xinjiang-raises-online-storm-idUSKBN2BG1G4
#China #HM #Xinjiang #ForcedLabour #XinjiangCotton
At least one Chinese online retailer appeared to drop H&M’s products amid social media attacks on the Swedish company for saying it was “deeply concerned” about reports of forced labour in the farwestern region of Xinjiang. A graphic in a commentary from the official CCTV that slammed the company for its stance said that “H&M you are no longer at all fashionable”. Some people on Weibo called for H&M to leave China and for a boycott.
H&M’s official store on Alibaba’s Tmall, an e-commerce platform, was not accessible on Mar 24. The official People’s Daily reported that searches for H&M products on platforms JD.com and Pinduoduo no longer showed any results.
China is H&M’s fourth-biggest market with sales of 9.75 billion Swedish crowns ($1.13 billion) in the 12 months through November 2020.
Source: Reuters #Mar24
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-cotton/old-hm-comment-on-forced-labour-in-chinas-xinjiang-raises-online-storm-idUSKBN2BG1G4
#China #HM #Xinjiang #ForcedLabour #XinjiangCotton
U.S.
Old H&M comment on 'forced labour' in China's Xinjiang raises online storm
(This March 24 story corrects China turnover in paragraph 8)
#MassSurveillance #BigData
HK Gov't's COVID-tracing App Keeps Visit Records For Up to 7 Years and Shares Data with Enforcement Personnel
Source: Unwire #Mar24
Read more
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HK Gov't's COVID-tracing App Keeps Visit Records For Up to 7 Years and Shares Data with Enforcement Personnel
Source: Unwire #Mar24
Read more
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#MassSurveillance #BigData
HK Gov't's COVID-tracing App Keeps Visit Records For Up to 7 Years and Shares Data with Enforcement Personnel
Recently, a revised privacy statement of the Hong Kong government-endorsed COVID-tracing app, #LeaveHomeSafe, showed that users’ visit records would be uploaded to the Department of Health and stored for a period of up to seven years.
The statement also mentioned that such records could be provided to law enforcement agents, aiding their tracking work.
This statement is different from the earlier version in February 2021, in which it stressed that records of users’ visits would only be stored in their handsets and will not be used for other track-and-trace matters.
It seems that users’ visit records have already been sent to the Government database. It was said that users’ visit records lodged via the mobile app would be first collected in the cloud database for statistical reports compilation.
Once a confirmed #COVID19 case is identified, the relevant information is downloaded to the user's mobile phone to track down his/her close contacts.
The new Privacy Statement also stated that in the face of an offence or prosecution, the Privacy Commission could authorize the use of relevant data for enforcement purposes.
Source: Unwire.hk; #Mar24
https://unwire.hk/2021/03/24/stayhomesafeappprivacyongpnermsoft/software/
#LeaveHomeSafe #Privacy #TrackandTrace #DepartmentofHealth
HK Gov't's COVID-tracing App Keeps Visit Records For Up to 7 Years and Shares Data with Enforcement Personnel
Recently, a revised privacy statement of the Hong Kong government-endorsed COVID-tracing app, #LeaveHomeSafe, showed that users’ visit records would be uploaded to the Department of Health and stored for a period of up to seven years.
The statement also mentioned that such records could be provided to law enforcement agents, aiding their tracking work.
This statement is different from the earlier version in February 2021, in which it stressed that records of users’ visits would only be stored in their handsets and will not be used for other track-and-trace matters.
It seems that users’ visit records have already been sent to the Government database. It was said that users’ visit records lodged via the mobile app would be first collected in the cloud database for statistical reports compilation.
Once a confirmed #COVID19 case is identified, the relevant information is downloaded to the user's mobile phone to track down his/her close contacts.
The new Privacy Statement also stated that in the face of an offence or prosecution, the Privacy Commission could authorize the use of relevant data for enforcement purposes.
Source: Unwire.hk; #Mar24
https://unwire.hk/2021/03/24/stayhomesafeappprivacyongpnermsoft/software/
#LeaveHomeSafe #Privacy #TrackandTrace #DepartmentofHealth
Unwire.hk
安心出行紀錄會上傳衞生署 資料提供執法人員 + 記錄留7年
近日，流動應用程式「安心出行」的聲明中指，有關外出的紀錄會被上傳至衞生署，保存年期更長達7年，聲明中更直指資科 […]
H&M Criticized in China Over Xinjiang Forced-Labor Stance
Chinese state media and social-media users excoriated H&M, the Swedish fast-fashion giant, accusing the company of spreading rumors and smearing China over a statement it made last year on forced labor in China’s northwest Xinjiang region.
H&M, which operates more than 400 stores in China, is blocked in the e-commerce websites, Alibaba, Pinduoduo and JD.com. Internet users call for boycotting H&M in Weibo which is similar to China’s Twitter.
Two of the fashion company’s Chinese brand ambassadors also announced they were cutting ties with H&M over what was called its smearing of China.
The backlash against H&M nevertheless highlights how multinational companies are being squeezed in an intensifying, high-stakes clash between Beijing and Western governments over human rights.
Source: WSJ #Mar24
https://www.wsj.com/articles/h-m-battered-with-criticism-in-china-over-xinjiang-forced-labor-stance-11616598679
#Xinjiang #HM #CCP #XinjiangCotton
Chinese state media and social-media users excoriated H&M, the Swedish fast-fashion giant, accusing the company of spreading rumors and smearing China over a statement it made last year on forced labor in China’s northwest Xinjiang region.
H&M, which operates more than 400 stores in China, is blocked in the e-commerce websites, Alibaba, Pinduoduo and JD.com. Internet users call for boycotting H&M in Weibo which is similar to China’s Twitter.
Two of the fashion company’s Chinese brand ambassadors also announced they were cutting ties with H&M over what was called its smearing of China.
The backlash against H&M nevertheless highlights how multinational companies are being squeezed in an intensifying, high-stakes clash between Beijing and Western governments over human rights.
Source: WSJ #Mar24
https://www.wsj.com/articles/h-m-battered-with-criticism-in-china-over-xinjiang-forced-labor-stance-11616598679
#Xinjiang #HM #CCP #XinjiangCotton
#Journalism #Professionalism
Resigned News Anchor Encourage Hongkongers to Take Care in Challenging Times
Source: Instagram of Wong Chun-yin; Smart Post #Mar24
Read more
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Resigned News Anchor Encourage Hongkongers to Take Care in Challenging Times
Source: Instagram of Wong Chun-yin; Smart Post #Mar24
Read more
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#Journalism #Professionalism
Resigned News Anchor Encourage Hongkongers to Take Care in Challenging Times
Wong Chun-yin, a news anchor in Hong Kong working for the TV station TVB, resigned on March 24, 2021.
At the end of his last newscast, Wong bidded farewell to his audiences, “This is my last time to present news here. Hongkongers, take care and goodbye.”
After that, Wong wrote a post on Instagram, in which he described his feelings and experience since joining the journalism industry in Hong Kong.
Wong said he was once struck by excitement when he for the first time rode on the press vehicle of TVB news as a reporter many years ago.
Wong said he used to take pride in being part of the the once well-respected “TVB News” in his profession.
“However, when doing news in the field today, we have to cover up the logo on the news vehicle with a piece of white cloth and take off logo clips on the microphone in order to hide our identity,” Wong wrote.
Reflecting from his years of experience in TVB news team, Wong expressed deep disappointment in the management, which has been regarded a cause of self censorship and the station's deteriorating integrety.
“I faced absurdity every day as a reporter, which I found it torturous," Wong wtote. "Years later, I was promoted from a front-line reporter to a news anchor, which was another eye-opening experience."
"Although I was slightly away from the field, my role as a reporter has never been changed despite the different work positions. I thenrealised that there is, in fact, no cure for in-your-face absurdity.”
Wong quoted what Chris Pattern, the former governor of Hong Kong, said to the Chinese officials when he departed Hong Kong in 1997:
“Hong Kong was like a Rolls-Royce. All you had to do was to take charge of the ignition key, get in, turn on the engine. And the car would go.”
Wong lamented, “Today, the Rolls-Royce probably has become a HengChi. It is unfortunate that the same situation has happened to the TVB news team. It is sad and a lost cause.”
In closing, Wong thanked his colleagues and friends, saying that he will certainly miss the excitement in the journalist's work and the persistence in always looking for the right words to say.
Wong sighed that “the toughest question is that times has changed and it cannot be crawled back to the old days.”
Source: Instagram of Wong Chun-yin; Smart Post #Mar24
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=261981228903048&set=a.246817660419405
#WongChunYin #NewsAnchor #TVB
Resigned News Anchor Encourage Hongkongers to Take Care in Challenging Times
Wong Chun-yin, a news anchor in Hong Kong working for the TV station TVB, resigned on March 24, 2021.
At the end of his last newscast, Wong bidded farewell to his audiences, “This is my last time to present news here. Hongkongers, take care and goodbye.”
After that, Wong wrote a post on Instagram, in which he described his feelings and experience since joining the journalism industry in Hong Kong.
Wong said he was once struck by excitement when he for the first time rode on the press vehicle of TVB news as a reporter many years ago.
Wong said he used to take pride in being part of the the once well-respected “TVB News” in his profession.
“However, when doing news in the field today, we have to cover up the logo on the news vehicle with a piece of white cloth and take off logo clips on the microphone in order to hide our identity,” Wong wrote.
Reflecting from his years of experience in TVB news team, Wong expressed deep disappointment in the management, which has been regarded a cause of self censorship and the station's deteriorating integrety.
“I faced absurdity every day as a reporter, which I found it torturous," Wong wtote. "Years later, I was promoted from a front-line reporter to a news anchor, which was another eye-opening experience."
"Although I was slightly away from the field, my role as a reporter has never been changed despite the different work positions. I thenrealised that there is, in fact, no cure for in-your-face absurdity.”
Wong quoted what Chris Pattern, the former governor of Hong Kong, said to the Chinese officials when he departed Hong Kong in 1997:
“Hong Kong was like a Rolls-Royce. All you had to do was to take charge of the ignition key, get in, turn on the engine. And the car would go.”
Wong lamented, “Today, the Rolls-Royce probably has become a HengChi. It is unfortunate that the same situation has happened to the TVB news team. It is sad and a lost cause.”
In closing, Wong thanked his colleagues and friends, saying that he will certainly miss the excitement in the journalist's work and the persistence in always looking for the right words to say.
Wong sighed that “the toughest question is that times has changed and it cannot be crawled back to the old days.”
Source: Instagram of Wong Chun-yin; Smart Post #Mar24
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=261981228903048&set=a.246817660419405
#WongChunYin #NewsAnchor #TVB
Hong Kong Journalist Stands Trial Over Use of Online License Plate Search
#BaoChoy, a producer contracted to make the documentary by government broadcaster #RTHK, was arrested after she made a documentary exposing their handling of the July 21, 2019 mob attacks on train passengers in Yuen Long stood trial in the city. She was accused of accessing car ownership details on official databases as she tried to track the movements of suspected attackers on the night for the film.
Choy pleaded not guilty to two counts of "knowingly making a false statement" to access number plate ownership records, a charge which could see her fined and jailed for up to six months if convicted.
Choy's program, titled "Who Owns The Truth?", showed that police were present as the attackers gathered in Yuen Long, but delayed their response as men in white T-shirts started attacking train passengers at the MTR station.
Source: RFA #Mar24
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/trial-03242021093631.html
#Journalism #YuenLong721
#BaoChoy, a producer contracted to make the documentary by government broadcaster #RTHK, was arrested after she made a documentary exposing their handling of the July 21, 2019 mob attacks on train passengers in Yuen Long stood trial in the city. She was accused of accessing car ownership details on official databases as she tried to track the movements of suspected attackers on the night for the film.
Choy pleaded not guilty to two counts of "knowingly making a false statement" to access number plate ownership records, a charge which could see her fined and jailed for up to six months if convicted.
Choy's program, titled "Who Owns The Truth?", showed that police were present as the attackers gathered in Yuen Long, but delayed their response as men in white T-shirts started attacking train passengers at the MTR station.
Source: RFA #Mar24
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/trial-03242021093631.html
#Journalism #YuenLong721
#OpinionArticle #Court #PoliticalSuppression
"I Do Not Plead Guilty": Hong Kong Journalist Facing Legal Challenge for Unveiling Suspected Police-Triad Collusion
Source: Stand News; #Mar24
Read more
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29316
"I Do Not Plead Guilty": Hong Kong Journalist Facing Legal Challenge for Unveiling Suspected Police-Triad Collusion
Source: Stand News; #Mar24
Read more
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29316
#OpinionArticle #Court #PoliticalSuppression
"I Do Not Plead Guilty": Hong Kong Journalist Facing Legal Challenge for Unveiling Suspected Police-Triad Collusion
[Editor's note: This is an opinion article written by Au Ka-lun, a veteran journalist in Hong Kong.
In this article, Au recounted what happened during a court hearing where Bao Choy, a journslist working for the public broadcaster RTHK, was charged by the Hong Kong authorities for "giving false statement". The case has stirred up the population's outcry for censoring media freedom and infringing free speech.]
On March 24, 2021, in the courtroom of the Western Magistrate’s Courts in Hong Komg, veteran journalist Bao Choy Yuk-ling resonantly said “I do not plead guilty”.
It is noteworthy that Choy said “I do not plead guilty" (我不認罪) instead of “I plead not guilty” (我唔認罪).
Bao Choy is a professional broadcaster who knows well the subtle difference between “do not” (不) and “Not” (唔) in Cantonese.
In Cantonese, the negation word that is pronounced “ng” is hard to sound out loudly, making it more difficult to be heard and message less affirmative.
Comparatively speaking, the sentence “I do not plead guilty” is more resounding and powerful.
Although I cannot see Bao Choy’s eyes and face through the screen, her clear response to the Court--by saying “I do not plead guilty” twice--found resonance outside the wall of the courtroom.
I heard not only her determination and defiance, but also her unyielding spirit with no fear, complaint and regret.
During the court hearing, the entire news documentary program, Hong Kong Connection: The Truth of 721. Perhaps, which was produced by Choy, was shown.
All those inside and outside the courtroom watched the investigative news programme, which is about the triad attack on pro-democracy protesters and passersby in Yuen Long on July 21, 2019, together.
We saw footages where a large group of white-clad gangsters gathered in the early afternoon; we even saw plain-clothes police officers witnessing the gathering of these Triad members.
The documentary recorded the suspected collusions between the police and the gangsters; questioned the police’s leniency towards the Triad; and demonstrated the journalists’ persistence in reporting the truth.
However, the Hong Kong authorities has deliberately tossed these facts aside. They charge a journalist for checking the car plates and owners' information.
It is a simple case, in which both the prosecution and the defendant did not summon a witness.
The case is upright and aboveboard, leaving Bao Choy nothing to defend for herself but holding her head high and said, “I do not plead guilty.”
Source: Stand News; #Mar24
https://www.thestandnews.com/court/%E8%94%A1%E7%8E%89%E7%8E%B2-%E6%88%91%E4%B8%8D%E8%AA%8D%E7%BD%AA/
#BaoChoy #AuKaLun #Journalism #Professionalism #RTHK
"I Do Not Plead Guilty": Hong Kong Journalist Facing Legal Challenge for Unveiling Suspected Police-Triad Collusion
[Editor's note: This is an opinion article written by Au Ka-lun, a veteran journalist in Hong Kong.
In this article, Au recounted what happened during a court hearing where Bao Choy, a journslist working for the public broadcaster RTHK, was charged by the Hong Kong authorities for "giving false statement". The case has stirred up the population's outcry for censoring media freedom and infringing free speech.]
On March 24, 2021, in the courtroom of the Western Magistrate’s Courts in Hong Komg, veteran journalist Bao Choy Yuk-ling resonantly said “I do not plead guilty”.
It is noteworthy that Choy said “I do not plead guilty" (我不認罪) instead of “I plead not guilty” (我唔認罪).
Bao Choy is a professional broadcaster who knows well the subtle difference between “do not” (不) and “Not” (唔) in Cantonese.
In Cantonese, the negation word that is pronounced “ng” is hard to sound out loudly, making it more difficult to be heard and message less affirmative.
Comparatively speaking, the sentence “I do not plead guilty” is more resounding and powerful.
Although I cannot see Bao Choy’s eyes and face through the screen, her clear response to the Court--by saying “I do not plead guilty” twice--found resonance outside the wall of the courtroom.
I heard not only her determination and defiance, but also her unyielding spirit with no fear, complaint and regret.
During the court hearing, the entire news documentary program, Hong Kong Connection: The Truth of 721. Perhaps, which was produced by Choy, was shown.
All those inside and outside the courtroom watched the investigative news programme, which is about the triad attack on pro-democracy protesters and passersby in Yuen Long on July 21, 2019, together.
We saw footages where a large group of white-clad gangsters gathered in the early afternoon; we even saw plain-clothes police officers witnessing the gathering of these Triad members.
The documentary recorded the suspected collusions between the police and the gangsters; questioned the police’s leniency towards the Triad; and demonstrated the journalists’ persistence in reporting the truth.
However, the Hong Kong authorities has deliberately tossed these facts aside. They charge a journalist for checking the car plates and owners' information.
It is a simple case, in which both the prosecution and the defendant did not summon a witness.
The case is upright and aboveboard, leaving Bao Choy nothing to defend for herself but holding her head high and said, “I do not plead guilty.”
Source: Stand News; #Mar24
https://www.thestandnews.com/court/%E8%94%A1%E7%8E%89%E7%8E%B2-%E6%88%91%E4%B8%8D%E8%AA%8D%E7%BD%AA/
#BaoChoy #AuKaLun #Journalism #Professionalism #RTHK
China's New Belt and Road Has Less Concrete, More Blockchain
The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t been good for China’s Belt and Road Initiative. the virus “seriously affected” one-fifth of the projects in the China-centered infrastructure drive, according to the Ministry of foreign Affairs. Djibouti, Laos, Maldives, Pakistan, and Zambia, among others, have asked China to renegotiate or forgive Belt and Road loans. Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka have already extracted concessions.
Source: Bloomberg #Mar24
#China #BeltandRoad #Djibouti #Laos #Maldives #Pakistan
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-24/china-s-new-belt-and-road-has-less-concrete-more-blockchain
The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t been good for China’s Belt and Road Initiative. the virus “seriously affected” one-fifth of the projects in the China-centered infrastructure drive, according to the Ministry of foreign Affairs. Djibouti, Laos, Maldives, Pakistan, and Zambia, among others, have asked China to renegotiate or forgive Belt and Road loans. Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka have already extracted concessions.
Source: Bloomberg #Mar24
#China #BeltandRoad #Djibouti #Laos #Maldives #Pakistan
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-24/china-s-new-belt-and-road-has-less-concrete-more-blockchain
Hong Kong Police Arrest #StandWithUkraine Citizens
A netizen uploaded a 11-second video on Twitter. The video showed a man and a woman, wrapped in Ukrainian flags, being taken away by police on March 24, 2022 in Central.
Hong Kong Police confirmed that they ticketed 5 people for violating the anti-gathering ban.
Video: https://mobile.twitter.com/virginiaylau/status/1506931402247671813
Source: Twitter; Ming Pao #Mar24
https://m.mingpao.com/ins/%e6%b8%af%e8%81%9e/article/20220325/s00001/1648136995410/%e4%b8%ad%e7%92%b0%e8%88%89%e6%94%af%e6%8c%81%e7%83%8f%e5%85%8b%e8%98%ad%e6%a8%99%e8%aa%9e-5%e7%94%b7%e5%a5%b3%e6%b6%89%e9%81%95%e9%99%90%e8%81%9a%e9%81%ad%e7%a5%a8%e6%8e%a7
#PoliceState #Suppression #GatheringBan #HongKongProtest
A netizen uploaded a 11-second video on Twitter. The video showed a man and a woman, wrapped in Ukrainian flags, being taken away by police on March 24, 2022 in Central.
Hong Kong Police confirmed that they ticketed 5 people for violating the anti-gathering ban.
Video: https://mobile.twitter.com/virginiaylau/status/1506931402247671813
Source: Twitter; Ming Pao #Mar24
https://m.mingpao.com/ins/%e6%b8%af%e8%81%9e/article/20220325/s00001/1648136995410/%e4%b8%ad%e7%92%b0%e8%88%89%e6%94%af%e6%8c%81%e7%83%8f%e5%85%8b%e8%98%ad%e6%a8%99%e8%aa%9e-5%e7%94%b7%e5%a5%b3%e6%b6%89%e9%81%95%e9%99%90%e8%81%9a%e9%81%ad%e7%a5%a8%e6%8e%a7
#PoliceState #Suppression #GatheringBan #HongKongProtest
#China and #Solomon Islands Draft Secret #SecurityPact, Raising Alarm in the Pacific
Source: New York Times #Mar24
Read more
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Source: New York Times #Mar24
Read more
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#China and #Solomon Islands Draft Secret #SecurityPact, Raising Alarm in the Pacific
//A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II.
The agreement, kept secret until now, was shared online Thursday night by opponents of the deal and verified as legitimate by the Australian government...
it has set off alarms throughout the Pacific, where concerns about China’s intentions have been growing for years.
“This is deeply problematic for the United States and a real cause of concern for our allies and partners,” Charles Edel, the inaugural Australia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said on Friday.
“The establishment of a base in the Solomon Islands by a strategic adversary would significantly degrade Australia and New Zealand’s security, increase the chances of local corruption and heighten the chances of resource exploitation.”
The leaked document states that “Solomon Islands may, according to its own needs, request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces to Solomon Islands to assist in maintaining social order, protecting people’s lives and property.”//
Read the full article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/world/asia/china-solomon-islands-security-pact.html
Source: New York Times #Mar24
#Security #InternationalRelations #FiveEyes #Australia #Defense #Pacific #WW2
//A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II.
The agreement, kept secret until now, was shared online Thursday night by opponents of the deal and verified as legitimate by the Australian government...
it has set off alarms throughout the Pacific, where concerns about China’s intentions have been growing for years.
“This is deeply problematic for the United States and a real cause of concern for our allies and partners,” Charles Edel, the inaugural Australia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said on Friday.
“The establishment of a base in the Solomon Islands by a strategic adversary would significantly degrade Australia and New Zealand’s security, increase the chances of local corruption and heighten the chances of resource exploitation.”
The leaked document states that “Solomon Islands may, according to its own needs, request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces to Solomon Islands to assist in maintaining social order, protecting people’s lives and property.”//
Read the full article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/world/asia/china-solomon-islands-security-pact.html
Source: New York Times #Mar24
#Security #InternationalRelations #FiveEyes #Australia #Defense #Pacific #WW2
Nytimes
China and Solomon Islands Draft Secret Security Pact, Raising Alarm in the Pacific (Published 2022)
The leaked agreement, if signed, could help the Chinese Navy block shipping routes that played a vital role in World War II.