#InternationalRelations
#Philippines foreign minister on #SouthChinaSea dispute
//The Philippine foreign minister on Monday demanded in an expletive-laced Twitter message that China’s vessels get out of disputed waters, the latest exchange in a war of words with Beijing over the South China Sea.
The comments by Teodoro Locsin follow Manila's protests for what it calls the "illegal" presence of hundreds of Chinese boats inside the Philippines 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
"China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see… O…GET THE FUCK OUT," Locsin tweeted on his personal account.
"What are you doing to our friendship? You. Not us. We're trying. You. You're like an ugly oaf forcing your attentions on a handsome guy who wants to be a friend; not to father a Chinese province ...", Locsin said.//
Read full article:
www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-foreign-minister-issues-expletive-laced-tweet-over-china-sea-dispute-2021-05-03/
Source: Reuters #May3
#Philippines foreign minister on #SouthChinaSea dispute
//The Philippine foreign minister on Monday demanded in an expletive-laced Twitter message that China’s vessels get out of disputed waters, the latest exchange in a war of words with Beijing over the South China Sea.
The comments by Teodoro Locsin follow Manila's protests for what it calls the "illegal" presence of hundreds of Chinese boats inside the Philippines 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
"China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see… O…GET THE FUCK OUT," Locsin tweeted on his personal account.
"What are you doing to our friendship? You. Not us. We're trying. You. You're like an ugly oaf forcing your attentions on a handsome guy who wants to be a friend; not to father a Chinese province ...", Locsin said.//
Read full article:
www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-foreign-minister-issues-expletive-laced-tweet-over-china-sea-dispute-2021-05-03/
Source: Reuters #May3
#InternationalRelations
HK Authorities Force Taiwan's representatives in Hong Kong to sign “One China Commitment”
The Mainland Affairs Council (#MAC) of Taiwan pointed out that Hong Kong Government requested the Taiwanese staff of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office to sign the “One China Commitment”.
The Taiwanese staff refused, so their visas could not be renewed. 7 staff members had to leave Hong Kong and returned to Taiwan on Jun 20, 2021.
The President of MAC in Taiwan Chiu Tai-san criticized that the “One China Commitment” was a political barrier set up by Hong Kong Government, and it violates the Taiwan-HK agreement made in 2011 “with the aim to belittle the National status of my country, and forced the staff members to bow their heads to the Beijing authorities”.
Taiwan insists on rejecting it. Chiu also stated that #CCP is undoubtedly the “shadow fighter” behind all these operations, by attempting to take advantage of the Taiwan office in Hong Kong as a tool for political conspiracy against Taiwan. Once again, it proves Hong Kong’s “One Country Two Systems” becomes only an empty title.
As a consequent, countries that have signed contracts and negotiated with Hong Kong government "shall put a question mark on the autonomy and integrity of this authority”.
Source: Stand News #Jun22
#OneChinaPolicy #OneCountryTwoSystems
https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/%E9%99%B8%E5%A7%94%E6%9C%83%E6%96%A5%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E9%A7%90%E6%B8%AF%E8%BE%A6%E4%BA%8B%E8%99%95%E4%BA%BA%E5%93%A1%E8%A2%AB%E9%80%BC%E7%B0%BD-%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%AD%E6%89%BF%E8%AB%BE-%E6%89%B9%E8%A9%95%E6%B8%AF%E5%BA%9C%E9%81%95%E6%89%BF%E8%AB%BE-%E7%9F%AE%E5%8C%96%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E5%9C%8B%E6%A0%BC/
HK Authorities Force Taiwan's representatives in Hong Kong to sign “One China Commitment”
The Mainland Affairs Council (#MAC) of Taiwan pointed out that Hong Kong Government requested the Taiwanese staff of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office to sign the “One China Commitment”.
The Taiwanese staff refused, so their visas could not be renewed. 7 staff members had to leave Hong Kong and returned to Taiwan on Jun 20, 2021.
The President of MAC in Taiwan Chiu Tai-san criticized that the “One China Commitment” was a political barrier set up by Hong Kong Government, and it violates the Taiwan-HK agreement made in 2011 “with the aim to belittle the National status of my country, and forced the staff members to bow their heads to the Beijing authorities”.
Taiwan insists on rejecting it. Chiu also stated that #CCP is undoubtedly the “shadow fighter” behind all these operations, by attempting to take advantage of the Taiwan office in Hong Kong as a tool for political conspiracy against Taiwan. Once again, it proves Hong Kong’s “One Country Two Systems” becomes only an empty title.
As a consequent, countries that have signed contracts and negotiated with Hong Kong government "shall put a question mark on the autonomy and integrity of this authority”.
Source: Stand News #Jun22
#OneChinaPolicy #OneCountryTwoSystems
https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/%E9%99%B8%E5%A7%94%E6%9C%83%E6%96%A5%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E9%A7%90%E6%B8%AF%E8%BE%A6%E4%BA%8B%E8%99%95%E4%BA%BA%E5%93%A1%E8%A2%AB%E9%80%BC%E7%B0%BD-%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%AD%E6%89%BF%E8%AB%BE-%E6%89%B9%E8%A9%95%E6%B8%AF%E5%BA%9C%E9%81%95%E6%89%BF%E8%AB%BE-%E7%9F%AE%E5%8C%96%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E5%9C%8B%E6%A0%BC/
#InternationalRelations #Regime
#China Pressures #Ukraine by blocking #COVID19 #vaccine shipment
//China pressured Ukraine into withdrawing its support for a call for more scrutiny of human rights in China’s western region of Xinjiang by threatening to withhold Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines destined for Ukraine unless it did so, diplomats told The Associated Press on Friday, June 15, 2021.
Ukraine briefly joined a statement by over 40 countries, presented by Canada at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, urging China to allow immediate access for independent observers to Xinjiang. Some human rights groups have alleged Chinese mistreatment of Muslim Uyghurs and others in the region.
On Thursday, Ukraine pulled its name off the list of supporting states after Chinese authorities warned Kyiv that they would block a planned shipment of at least 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine unless it did so, said diplomats from two Western countries. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Ukraine has agreed to purchase 1.9 million doses of CoronaVac vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech. As of early May, Ukraine had received 1.2 million doses, according to Health Minister Maxim Stepanov.
In the past, China’s government has been no stranger to pressuring other countries in Geneva diplomatic circles or in national capitals either to line up behind its statements or avoid backing statements that criticize, question or seek scrutiny of human rights in the country...//
Read full article:
https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-china-europe-ukraine-health-a0a5ae8f735b92e39c623e453529cbb9
Source: Associated Press #Jun25
#Uyghurs #CCP #WolfWarrior #Diplomacy #MadeinChina #Sinovac
Image: Stand News
https://bit.ly/3ykp09J
#China Pressures #Ukraine by blocking #COVID19 #vaccine shipment
//China pressured Ukraine into withdrawing its support for a call for more scrutiny of human rights in China’s western region of Xinjiang by threatening to withhold Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines destined for Ukraine unless it did so, diplomats told The Associated Press on Friday, June 15, 2021.
Ukraine briefly joined a statement by over 40 countries, presented by Canada at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, urging China to allow immediate access for independent observers to Xinjiang. Some human rights groups have alleged Chinese mistreatment of Muslim Uyghurs and others in the region.
On Thursday, Ukraine pulled its name off the list of supporting states after Chinese authorities warned Kyiv that they would block a planned shipment of at least 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Ukraine unless it did so, said diplomats from two Western countries. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Ukraine has agreed to purchase 1.9 million doses of CoronaVac vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech. As of early May, Ukraine had received 1.2 million doses, according to Health Minister Maxim Stepanov.
In the past, China’s government has been no stranger to pressuring other countries in Geneva diplomatic circles or in national capitals either to line up behind its statements or avoid backing statements that criticize, question or seek scrutiny of human rights in the country...//
Read full article:
https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-china-europe-ukraine-health-a0a5ae8f735b92e39c623e453529cbb9
Source: Associated Press #Jun25
#Uyghurs #CCP #WolfWarrior #Diplomacy #MadeinChina #Sinovac
Image: Stand News
https://bit.ly/3ykp09J
AP NEWS
AP Exclusive: Diplomats say China puts squeeze on Ukraine
GENEVA (AP) — China pressured Ukraine into withdrawing its support for a call for more scrutiny of human rights in China's western region of Xinjiang by threatening to withhold Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines destined for Ukraine unless it did so, diplomats…
#InternationalRelations
Switching from China's “One Belt One Road” to the United States' "B3W", Italian Foreign Minister: US is more important than China
Source: Stand News #Jun29
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Switching from China's “One Belt One Road” to the United States' "B3W", Italian Foreign Minister: US is more important than China
Source: Stand News #Jun29
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#InternationalRelations
Switching from China's “One Belt One Road” to the United States' "B3W", Italian Foreign Minister: US is more important than China
United States stated in mid-June that it had established a global infrastructure plan called Build Back Better World (B3W), which compete with “One Belt One Road” from China. Italy, one of members from “One Belt One Road”, after joining B3W this year the Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio publicly indicated yesterday, although Italy and China have the trading and historical relationship, however this is absolutely not comparable.
Italy joined the “One Belt One Road” in 2019, is the first G& countries participate the project. According to Politico, Italy joined the project during the reign of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the former government hoped to use this to attract Chinese investment to revitalize its economy that has stagnated for decades. According to Reuters, the United States has previously expressed concern about Italy joining the China-led “One Belt One Road” initiative.
Source: Stand News #Jun29
https://bit.ly/3k5BGgW
#Italy #UnitedStates #B3W #OneBeltOneRoad #G7 #China #Economy
Switching from China's “One Belt One Road” to the United States' "B3W", Italian Foreign Minister: US is more important than China
United States stated in mid-June that it had established a global infrastructure plan called Build Back Better World (B3W), which compete with “One Belt One Road” from China. Italy, one of members from “One Belt One Road”, after joining B3W this year the Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio publicly indicated yesterday, although Italy and China have the trading and historical relationship, however this is absolutely not comparable.
Italy joined the “One Belt One Road” in 2019, is the first G& countries participate the project. According to Politico, Italy joined the project during the reign of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the former government hoped to use this to attract Chinese investment to revitalize its economy that has stagnated for decades. According to Reuters, the United States has previously expressed concern about Italy joining the China-led “One Belt One Road” initiative.
Source: Stand News #Jun29
https://bit.ly/3k5BGgW
#Italy #UnitedStates #B3W #OneBeltOneRoad #G7 #China #Economy
立場新聞 Stand News
從前加入「一帶一路」 今加入美國 B3W 意大利外長﹕美國比中國重要 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞
美國曾於 6 月中表明設立名為 Build Back Better World (簡稱 B3W) 的全球基建計...
#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.
#InternationalRelations
#SouthKorea’s Intelligence Agency Has Joined NATO’s Cyber Defense Unit; #China Isn’t Happy
Source: Time #May6
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#SouthKorea’s Intelligence Agency Has Joined NATO’s Cyber Defense Unit; #China Isn’t Happy
Source: Time #May6
Read more
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#InternationalRelations
#SouthKorea’s Intelligence Agency Has Joined NATO’s Cyber Defense Unit; #China Isn’t Happy
//On Thursday, May 5, 2022, South Korea’s spy agency became the first in Asia to join #NATO’s Cyber Defense Group in a move that risks inflaming tensions with regional superpower China.
In response, #HuXiJin, the strident editor of Chinese Communist Party (#CCP) mouthpiece The #GlobalTimes, tweeted that the move was an affront to Beijing and even lays the groundwork for war in Asia. “If South Korea takes a path of turning hostile against its neighbors, the end of this path could be a #Ukraine,” he wrote.
Despite hosting some of the world’s top tech companies, like #LG and #Samsung, South Korea has been a surprising laggard regarding cybercrime and only launched a National Cybersecurity Strategy under the #MoonJaeIn administration in 2018.
This is despite South Korea being the principle target of increasingly frequent cyberattacks from across the DMZ. A crack squad of 6,800 North Korean agents are engaged in fraud, blackmail and online gambling that together generate some $860 million annually, according to the Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy in Seoul. Many attacks originate from inside China.//
Source: Time #May6
#Cyberattack #Seoul #Beijing #ChinaThreat
#SouthKorea’s Intelligence Agency Has Joined NATO’s Cyber Defense Unit; #China Isn’t Happy
//On Thursday, May 5, 2022, South Korea’s spy agency became the first in Asia to join #NATO’s Cyber Defense Group in a move that risks inflaming tensions with regional superpower China.
In response, #HuXiJin, the strident editor of Chinese Communist Party (#CCP) mouthpiece The #GlobalTimes, tweeted that the move was an affront to Beijing and even lays the groundwork for war in Asia. “If South Korea takes a path of turning hostile against its neighbors, the end of this path could be a #Ukraine,” he wrote.
Despite hosting some of the world’s top tech companies, like #LG and #Samsung, South Korea has been a surprising laggard regarding cybercrime and only launched a National Cybersecurity Strategy under the #MoonJaeIn administration in 2018.
This is despite South Korea being the principle target of increasingly frequent cyberattacks from across the DMZ. A crack squad of 6,800 North Korean agents are engaged in fraud, blackmail and online gambling that together generate some $860 million annually, according to the Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy in Seoul. Many attacks originate from inside China.//
Source: Time #May6
#Cyberattack #Seoul #Beijing #ChinaThreat
Chinese ambassador #XiaoQian interrupted by multiple protesters during speech at University of Technology Sydney
//China's ambassador Xiao Qian has echoed calls for "concrete action" to "reset" the relationship with Australia in a speech that was repeatedly disrupted by a series of coordinated protests.
But several protesters interjected during Mr Xiao's address.
One described Mr Xiao as a "representative of a dictatorship" and accused the Chinese government of committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
He was ushered out by security guards.
One man was asked to leave the venue prior to the event because he was dressed in a Cultural Revolution-era military costume that security described as "confronting".
Another protester held a sign reading "Free Tibet", and other stood up and declared they were a Uyghur and not a terrorist.
Yet another was escorted out after standing up and criticising China's censorship, saying people in Hong Kong and Tibet were unable to express their views freely...
Professor James Laurenceson, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, asked Mr Xiao a number of questions that were provided to the embassy before the event.
He asked Mr Xiao if he could provide any hope for the families of detained Australians Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun, or for Uyghurs in Australia who have been unable to contact loved ones in Xinjiang for years.
"With all my respect for you… I do disagree with you," Mr Xiao said.
"Freedom of speech is different from absolute freedom. In this world, there's no such thing as absolute freedom. Freedom is freedom within rule of law.
"These are individual cases and the relevant authorities are dealing with these cases according to Chinese rules or regulations.
"So long as they respect the rules and laws, there's no reason for them to worry," the Chinese ambassador said.//
Source: ABC #Jun23
#InternationalRelations #Australia #ChineseAmbassador
//China's ambassador Xiao Qian has echoed calls for "concrete action" to "reset" the relationship with Australia in a speech that was repeatedly disrupted by a series of coordinated protests.
But several protesters interjected during Mr Xiao's address.
One described Mr Xiao as a "representative of a dictatorship" and accused the Chinese government of committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
He was ushered out by security guards.
One man was asked to leave the venue prior to the event because he was dressed in a Cultural Revolution-era military costume that security described as "confronting".
Another protester held a sign reading "Free Tibet", and other stood up and declared they were a Uyghur and not a terrorist.
Yet another was escorted out after standing up and criticising China's censorship, saying people in Hong Kong and Tibet were unable to express their views freely...
Professor James Laurenceson, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, asked Mr Xiao a number of questions that were provided to the embassy before the event.
He asked Mr Xiao if he could provide any hope for the families of detained Australians Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun, or for Uyghurs in Australia who have been unable to contact loved ones in Xinjiang for years.
"With all my respect for you… I do disagree with you," Mr Xiao said.
"Freedom of speech is different from absolute freedom. In this world, there's no such thing as absolute freedom. Freedom is freedom within rule of law.
"These are individual cases and the relevant authorities are dealing with these cases according to Chinese rules or regulations.
"So long as they respect the rules and laws, there's no reason for them to worry," the Chinese ambassador said.//
Source: ABC #Jun23
#InternationalRelations #Australia #ChineseAmbassador
The Countries Most In Debt To China
//Countries heavily in debt to China are mostly located in Africa, but can also be found in Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, data from The World Bank shows. China is currently the preferred lender to the world’s low-income countries, which owe 37% of their debt to China in 2022, compared to just 24% in bilateral debt to the rest of the world...
The Chinese "New Silk Road" project, a program to finance the construction of port, rail and land infrastructure across the globe, has been a major source of debt to China for participating countries. At the end of 2020, of the 97 countries for which data was available, those with the highest external debt to China were all involved in the project, namely Pakistan ($77.3 billion of external debt to China), Angola (36.3 billion), Ethiopia (7.9 billion), Kenya (7.4 billion) and Sri Lanka (6.8 billion)...
The idea that China could gain significant leverage over countries and their infrastructure in the case of repayment issues has been cited often, like in the case of a troubled Sri Lankan port that was built with Chinese funds and that China ultimately took a 70% stake in. The Laotian railway that has been burdening the country with debt is also 70% Chinese-owned.//
Read more:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/katharinabuchholz/2022/08/19/the-countries-most-in-debt-to-china-infographic/
Source: Forbes #Aug19
#Debt #RiseofChina #WorldEconomy #InternationalRelations
//Countries heavily in debt to China are mostly located in Africa, but can also be found in Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, data from The World Bank shows. China is currently the preferred lender to the world’s low-income countries, which owe 37% of their debt to China in 2022, compared to just 24% in bilateral debt to the rest of the world...
The Chinese "New Silk Road" project, a program to finance the construction of port, rail and land infrastructure across the globe, has been a major source of debt to China for participating countries. At the end of 2020, of the 97 countries for which data was available, those with the highest external debt to China were all involved in the project, namely Pakistan ($77.3 billion of external debt to China), Angola (36.3 billion), Ethiopia (7.9 billion), Kenya (7.4 billion) and Sri Lanka (6.8 billion)...
The idea that China could gain significant leverage over countries and their infrastructure in the case of repayment issues has been cited often, like in the case of a troubled Sri Lankan port that was built with Chinese funds and that China ultimately took a 70% stake in. The Laotian railway that has been burdening the country with debt is also 70% Chinese-owned.//
Read more:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/katharinabuchholz/2022/08/19/the-countries-most-in-debt-to-china-infographic/
Source: Forbes #Aug19
#Debt #RiseofChina #WorldEconomy #InternationalRelations
Forbes
The Countries Most In Debt To China [Infographic]
Chinese loans to developing nations—affecting many in Africa, Asia and the Pacific—have high interest rates and short repayment windows. These "commercial-style" loans are harder to repay and less transparent than other bilateral loans, while questions of…