China ends poverty with help of towering debt and big handouts
China has declared an end to poverty, but that victory came with snowballing debts in the nation's poorest counties that were used to finance handouts and subsidies, raising doubts about the sustainability of the government's campaign.
Aggressive measures to eradicate poverty include relocating entire farming communities from poor, mountainous areas and disbursing monetary assistance. Also, some municipalities have also been buying agricultural products from poor areas at far above market prices in order to lift incomes.
China set the poverty line too low. The World Bank considers anyone who lives on less than $1.90 a day to be extremely poor. This translates to $693.50 a year -- about $80 above the Chinese threshold.
Source: Nikkei Asia #Dec18
https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/China-ends-poverty-with-help-of-towering-debt-and-big-handouts
#ChinaPoverty #China #WorldBank
China has declared an end to poverty, but that victory came with snowballing debts in the nation's poorest counties that were used to finance handouts and subsidies, raising doubts about the sustainability of the government's campaign.
Aggressive measures to eradicate poverty include relocating entire farming communities from poor, mountainous areas and disbursing monetary assistance. Also, some municipalities have also been buying agricultural products from poor areas at far above market prices in order to lift incomes.
China set the poverty line too low. The World Bank considers anyone who lives on less than $1.90 a day to be extremely poor. This translates to $693.50 a year -- about $80 above the Chinese threshold.
Source: Nikkei Asia #Dec18
https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/China-ends-poverty-with-help-of-towering-debt-and-big-handouts
#ChinaPoverty #China #WorldBank
Chinese state-owned fund among backers of company handling Canadian visa applications
Source: The Globe and Mail #Dec18
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Source: The Globe and Mail #Dec18
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Chinese state-owned fund among backers of company handling Canadian visa applications
Documents filed with Britain’s corporate registry, Companies House, show Chengdong Investment Corp. as one of the most significant contributing partners to the parent company of TT Services, which runs visa application centres for the Canadian government in 24 countries. Its services include collecting fingerprints, photos, biographical information and other personal data.
Chengdong is a subsidiary of China Investment Corp., a Chinese state-run giant with more than US$1-trillion in assets.
Immigration consultants in Canada have raised concerns about the contract with VFS since 2008, when the company began processing visas in China, where police can access corporate offices. Chinese national law also requires any organization operating inside the country to co-operate with intelligence services.
But Richard Fadden, a former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) who served as national security adviser to two prime ministers, said he does not think it is appropriate for a company with Chinese state-enterprise ownership to handle visa applications for the Canadian government.
Source: The Globe and Mail #Dec18
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-chinese-state-owned-fund-among-backers-of-company-handling-canadian/?fbclid=IwAR1qobvp1OuTEhNBRrs4aSA_Y1gIwGdFrNcZwn-4y_rRRODPFMIaYUf6nTg
#Canada #VisaApplication #China
Documents filed with Britain’s corporate registry, Companies House, show Chengdong Investment Corp. as one of the most significant contributing partners to the parent company of TT Services, which runs visa application centres for the Canadian government in 24 countries. Its services include collecting fingerprints, photos, biographical information and other personal data.
Chengdong is a subsidiary of China Investment Corp., a Chinese state-run giant with more than US$1-trillion in assets.
Immigration consultants in Canada have raised concerns about the contract with VFS since 2008, when the company began processing visas in China, where police can access corporate offices. Chinese national law also requires any organization operating inside the country to co-operate with intelligence services.
But Richard Fadden, a former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) who served as national security adviser to two prime ministers, said he does not think it is appropriate for a company with Chinese state-enterprise ownership to handle visa applications for the Canadian government.
Source: The Globe and Mail #Dec18
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-chinese-state-owned-fund-among-backers-of-company-handling-canadian/?fbclid=IwAR1qobvp1OuTEhNBRrs4aSA_Y1gIwGdFrNcZwn-4y_rRRODPFMIaYUf6nTg
#Canada #VisaApplication #China
The Globe and Mail
Chinese state-owned fund among backers of company handling Canadian visa applications
The ownership structure has prompted some of Canada’s former foreign intelligence leaders to warn that Ottawa should think carefully about trusting sensitive information to a company partly owned by the Chinese state
China’s Attacks on Australian Goods Take Many Different Forms
After a year of steadily worsening relations between Beijing and Canberra, China has imposed a raft of trade measures blocking billions of dollars’ worth of Australian commodities.
The restrictions targeting shipments of beef, barley, coal, lobster, wine and timber have taken on many forms. Some measures are precise, such as anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on barley, allowing Australia to escalate the matter to the World Trade Organization. Others, ranging from verbal notices to bans on individual companies, are less clear-cut.
Source: Bloomberg #Dec18
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-17/china-s-attacks-on-australian-goods-take-many-different-forms
#AustraliaChina #WTO #Antidumping #China
After a year of steadily worsening relations between Beijing and Canberra, China has imposed a raft of trade measures blocking billions of dollars’ worth of Australian commodities.
The restrictions targeting shipments of beef, barley, coal, lobster, wine and timber have taken on many forms. Some measures are precise, such as anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on barley, allowing Australia to escalate the matter to the World Trade Organization. Others, ranging from verbal notices to bans on individual companies, are less clear-cut.
Source: Bloomberg #Dec18
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-17/china-s-attacks-on-australian-goods-take-many-different-forms
#AustraliaChina #WTO #Antidumping #China
Hong Kong junior high school student seeks asylum in UK
A 15-year-old girl is believed to have become the youngest Hong Kong protester ever to seek asylum in the UK. Called "Aurora," she joins a growing list of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists fleeing the territory in the wake of Beijing's increased crackdown on dissidents. DW Correspondent Phoebe Kong met "Aurora" before she travelled to the UK. Here's her story.
Source: DW #Dec18
https://www.dw.com/en/hong-kong-junior-high-school-student-seeks-asylum-in-uk/av-55985187
#HongKongProtestor #Asylum #HKerExile #UK
A 15-year-old girl is believed to have become the youngest Hong Kong protester ever to seek asylum in the UK. Called "Aurora," she joins a growing list of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists fleeing the territory in the wake of Beijing's increased crackdown on dissidents. DW Correspondent Phoebe Kong met "Aurora" before she travelled to the UK. Here's her story.
Source: DW #Dec18
https://www.dw.com/en/hong-kong-junior-high-school-student-seeks-asylum-in-uk/av-55985187
#HongKongProtestor #Asylum #HKerExile #UK
#LegCoElection
Five Overseas Hongkongers including #NathanLaw wanted by HK Authorities Over #BlankVotes and #NoVote 'Incitement'
In Hong Kong, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (#ICAC) issued a warrant on December 18, 2021 to arrest five exiled activists, including Nathan Law Kwun-chung, for inciting voters to cast blank or invalid ballots in the Legislative Council election on December 19, 2021.
Apart from former lawmaker Law, four others, including Sunny Cheung Kwan-yang; and former district councilors Timothy Lee Hin-long, Lee Ka-wai, and Carmen Lau Ka-man are also wanted persons.
Source: Stand News, #Dec18
https://bit.ly/3GUhh6t
#Regime #FakeElection #PoliceState #CCPStyle #FailedState
Five Overseas Hongkongers including #NathanLaw wanted by HK Authorities Over #BlankVotes and #NoVote 'Incitement'
In Hong Kong, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (#ICAC) issued a warrant on December 18, 2021 to arrest five exiled activists, including Nathan Law Kwun-chung, for inciting voters to cast blank or invalid ballots in the Legislative Council election on December 19, 2021.
Apart from former lawmaker Law, four others, including Sunny Cheung Kwan-yang; and former district councilors Timothy Lee Hin-long, Lee Ka-wai, and Carmen Lau Ka-man are also wanted persons.
Source: Stand News, #Dec18
https://bit.ly/3GUhh6t
#Regime #FakeElection #PoliceState #CCPStyle #FailedState
#LegCoElection
DQ'd, Jailed, Exiled: the Fate of 31 Elected Pro-Democracy Members of 2016 Legislative Council
Source: Stand News #Dec18
Read more
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DQ'd, Jailed, Exiled: the Fate of 31 Elected Pro-Democracy Members of 2016 Legislative Council
Source: Stand News #Dec18
Read more
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#LegCoElection
DQ'd, Jailed, Exiled: the Fate of 31 Elected Pro-Democracy Members of 2016 Legislative Council
After a year-long delay, and after China has "perfected" Hong Kong's electoral system, the Legislative Council (Legco) election finally took place on December 19, 2021.
Unlike the past, traditional pro-democracy parties such as Democratic Party, Civic Party, and Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood are all absent from this election. Taking their place in running is a few lesser known, self-professed "non-establishment" candidates.
The previous Legco Election took place in 2016, in which over 2.2 million voters elected 35 legislators from the geographic constituencies, the only part of the legislature which is generated by direct election.
Taking by-elections into account, 31 pro-democracy legislators have been voted into office in 2016. However, these elected representatives can no longer serve as the voice of the people in the halls of the Legislature.
Of the 31, 4 have emigrated from Hong Kong or have left in exile. 14 are in custody or are serving prison sentences, while 5 have been released on bail. The remaining 10 have stepped back from politics.
The oath taking controversy in 2016-2017 saw six legislators disqualified ("DQ") and removed from office, as a result of China's National People's Congress reinterpreting the requirements in Hong Kong's Basic Law after the legislators have already taken their oaths.
Following the 2019 #AntiELAB movement, the pro-democracy camp initiated a primary election in a bid to secure over half of the seats in Legislature in the election originally scheduled for 2020. 610,000 voters cast their votes in the primaries which saw candidates from across the full spectrum of the democratic camp participate. 18 of them had been sitting members of the 2016 Legco.
However, the primary election was accused by the authorities to be a "plot to paralyze the government", and the police arrested 55 people associated to the primaries under the #NationalSecurityLaw. This includes 16 of the aforementioned 18 sitting Legco members; the remaining two, #NathanLaw and #TedHui, have left Hong Kong in exile.
Source: Stand News #Dec18
https://thestandnews.page.link/Tmr7PZVS2TohiCqWA
#PoliticalProsecution #DQ #HongKongElection #CCPStyle
#Regime #PoliceState #Arrest
===
Related News:
How Hongkongers Respond to "Patriots-Only" #Election
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31663
"Don't Vote" Banner Spotted on Lion Rock Mt. in Hong Kong
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31667
"Patriots-Only" #LegCoElection Causes Lowest Turnout in Hong Kong History: 3.12 Million Hongkongers Cast #NoVote
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31665
DQ'd, Jailed, Exiled: the Fate of 31 Elected Pro-Democracy Members of 2016 Legislative Council
After a year-long delay, and after China has "perfected" Hong Kong's electoral system, the Legislative Council (Legco) election finally took place on December 19, 2021.
Unlike the past, traditional pro-democracy parties such as Democratic Party, Civic Party, and Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood are all absent from this election. Taking their place in running is a few lesser known, self-professed "non-establishment" candidates.
The previous Legco Election took place in 2016, in which over 2.2 million voters elected 35 legislators from the geographic constituencies, the only part of the legislature which is generated by direct election.
Taking by-elections into account, 31 pro-democracy legislators have been voted into office in 2016. However, these elected representatives can no longer serve as the voice of the people in the halls of the Legislature.
Of the 31, 4 have emigrated from Hong Kong or have left in exile. 14 are in custody or are serving prison sentences, while 5 have been released on bail. The remaining 10 have stepped back from politics.
The oath taking controversy in 2016-2017 saw six legislators disqualified ("DQ") and removed from office, as a result of China's National People's Congress reinterpreting the requirements in Hong Kong's Basic Law after the legislators have already taken their oaths.
Following the 2019 #AntiELAB movement, the pro-democracy camp initiated a primary election in a bid to secure over half of the seats in Legislature in the election originally scheduled for 2020. 610,000 voters cast their votes in the primaries which saw candidates from across the full spectrum of the democratic camp participate. 18 of them had been sitting members of the 2016 Legco.
However, the primary election was accused by the authorities to be a "plot to paralyze the government", and the police arrested 55 people associated to the primaries under the #NationalSecurityLaw. This includes 16 of the aforementioned 18 sitting Legco members; the remaining two, #NathanLaw and #TedHui, have left Hong Kong in exile.
Source: Stand News #Dec18
https://thestandnews.page.link/Tmr7PZVS2TohiCqWA
#PoliticalProsecution #DQ #HongKongElection #CCPStyle
#Regime #PoliceState #Arrest
===
Related News:
How Hongkongers Respond to "Patriots-Only" #Election
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31663
"Don't Vote" Banner Spotted on Lion Rock Mt. in Hong Kong
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31667
"Patriots-Only" #LegCoElection Causes Lowest Turnout in Hong Kong History: 3.12 Million Hongkongers Cast #NoVote
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31665
#PoliceState
Hong Kong Police Targets Pro-democracy Restaurants under the #Pandemic
Source: #FirstHand; #Dec18
Read more
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Hong Kong Police Targets Pro-democracy Restaurants under the #Pandemic
Source: #FirstHand; #Dec18
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
#PoliceState
Hong Kong Police Targets Pro-democracy Restaurants under the #Pandemic
Several pro-democracy restaurants in Hong Kong have reportedly become the targets of police inspection as soon as the government rolled out mandatory contact-tracing app at the premises on December 9, 2021.
These pro-democracy "yellow" restaurant were ordered by the authorities to halt dinner dine-in services for two weeks after some customers allegedly failed to scan the #LeaveHomeSafe app.
On December 18, 2021, the police and the staff from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (#FEHD) inspected the Kwong Wing Catering branch in Mong Kok. They claimed that one male customer did not scan the, a defecto tracing app, as required by the government.
It was the third Kwong Wing Catering branch to be penalised within a week for similar alleged violations. The inspection was “suspicious,” the eatery wrote on Facebook, saying police arrived less than 20 minutes after the customer concerned sat down.
After reviewing the security footage, Kwong Wing Catering said the male customer came in with another person, who did scan the app. That person then put the device in the man’s backpack while he appeared to be searching for his phone. He eventually presented his companion’s phone to the restaurant staff.
Other affected pro-democracy restaurants included Kabo Burger, Dine Inn, Explorer Fusion Restaurant, Thai Cool, DK Pizza Cafe, WE TIME CAFE, Santgria Kitchen and more.
Source: #FirstHand; #Dec18
#COVID #Discrimination #Planting #Regime
Hong Kong Police Targets Pro-democracy Restaurants under the #Pandemic
Several pro-democracy restaurants in Hong Kong have reportedly become the targets of police inspection as soon as the government rolled out mandatory contact-tracing app at the premises on December 9, 2021.
These pro-democracy "yellow" restaurant were ordered by the authorities to halt dinner dine-in services for two weeks after some customers allegedly failed to scan the #LeaveHomeSafe app.
On December 18, 2021, the police and the staff from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (#FEHD) inspected the Kwong Wing Catering branch in Mong Kok. They claimed that one male customer did not scan the, a defecto tracing app, as required by the government.
It was the third Kwong Wing Catering branch to be penalised within a week for similar alleged violations. The inspection was “suspicious,” the eatery wrote on Facebook, saying police arrived less than 20 minutes after the customer concerned sat down.
After reviewing the security footage, Kwong Wing Catering said the male customer came in with another person, who did scan the app. That person then put the device in the man’s backpack while he appeared to be searching for his phone. He eventually presented his companion’s phone to the restaurant staff.
Other affected pro-democracy restaurants included Kabo Burger, Dine Inn, Explorer Fusion Restaurant, Thai Cool, DK Pizza Cafe, WE TIME CAFE, Santgria Kitchen and more.
Source: #FirstHand; #Dec18
#COVID #Discrimination #Planting #Regime