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Global Affairs objected to Canadian military decision to cancel training with People's Liberation Army

Sources: The Globe and Mail #Dec09

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Global Affairs objected to Canadian military decision to cancel training with People's Liberation Army

Classified Canadian government documents released to media outlets, including The Globe and Mail, reveal that the department of Global Affairs disagreed with the Canadian military to cancel the winter military exercises with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China in 2019.

In a memo to Ian Shugart, then deputy foreign minister, it was said that the "unilateral decisions" by the military to cancel previously agreed co-operation with the PLA "risk being interpreted by China or others in an unintended (and unhelpful) way" and "could also damage Canada's long-term defence and security relationship with China."

The diplomats feared that any reductions in military ties between the PLA and the Canadian army may be viewed as a "retaliatory move" concerning the cases of Meng Wanzhou and the two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, detained by China.

The revelations triggered a public outcry among Canadians. Critics said the disagreement indicates that Canada's China policy has been contradictory and incoherent. "It is more urgent than ever, in the context of an increasingly belligerent and assertive China, to present a united political front," said Charles Burton, a China expert. "This is really about the defence of our sovereignty and security on matters over which there is consensus across the political spectrum in Canada."

Sources: The Globe and Mail #Dec09

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-global-affairs-objected-to-canadian-military-decision-to-cancel/

CBC/Radio-Canada #Dec12

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-china-pla-peoples-liberation-army-1.5838658

#Canada #China #PLA
Indonesian Pharmaceutical Factory Changed Their Mind on the Uncertain Data after Saying 97% Validity for Chinese Vaccination

Source: Stand News #Dec09

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Indonesian Pharmaceutical Factory Changed Their Mind on the Uncertain Data after Saying 97% Validity for Chinese Vaccination

Brazil, Turkey and countries in East Asia Regions subsequently purchased Chinese COVID-19 vaccination which the foreign press claims it as “Chinese Vaccination Diplomatic”. Indonesia is the most frontline among these countries as they have received 1.2 million doses of CoronaVac, COVID-19 vaccinations from Sinovac Biotech in Beijing. However, Bio Forma Company, an Indonesia state-owned pharmaceutical company, pointed yesterday (Dec 8) that according to their interim data, the CoronaVac achieves 97% effectiveness, but then changed their wordings to uncertain protectiveness of the vaccine less than a day after.

An Indonesian state-owned pharmaceutical factory PT Bio Farma, co-operating with Beijing Sinovac Biotech, has announced on Tuesday (Dec 8) that the interim data of CoronaVoc phase 3 clinical test shows its 97% of effective protection without providing details.

Sinovac Biotech immediately issued a statement that they have not received data on the effectiveness of CoronaVac phase 3 clinical test. Later in the same day, PT Bio Farma added that the effective rate of Sinovac Biotech vaccinations has not yet been determined and claimed that the complete report will release in Jan 2021. Both parties did not explain the reason for misunderstanding.

Source: Stand News #Dec09

https://bit.ly/2K6ghES

#Indonesia #Beijing #SinovacBiotech #CoronaVac #Vaccination #Validity #Effectiveness #COVID19 #Phase3ClinicalTest
UK interior minister Patel meets Hong Kong activist Nathan Law

British interior minister Priti Patel met with Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law in London on December 9 (Wednesday), pledging to protect and uphold freedoms for citizens of Britain’s former colony.

Britain has accused China of multiple breaches of the deal to hand the territory back to China in 1997. It says China’s Security Laws and moves to disqualify legislators have undermined Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy.

Source: Reuters #Dec09

https://www.reuters.com/article/hongkong-britain-nathanlaw/uk-interior-minister-patel-meets-hong-kong-activist-nathan-law-idUSKBN28J2JO

#HongKong #UK #NathanLaw #British
China Races Toward Plan to Blacklist, Redlist Firma for Behavior

Source: Bloomberg #Dec09

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China Races Toward Plan to Blacklist, Redlist Firma for Behavior

China is making a swift advances with a system for measuring the social creditworthiness of companies, a sweeping data-collection effort that could solidify Beijing’s control over foreign and domestic enterprises and possibly challenge the dominance of U.S.credit-rating companies.

The corporate social credit system (CSCS) would “penalise companies with poor compliance records by reducing their access to the market and subjecting them to public censure via “blacklists”, while rewarding consistently compliant companies with economic incentives and public praise via “redcoats,” the report said.

Though there’s been a lot of attention focused on whether China’s system could be used to target or punish foreign companies in China, or become a trade war weapon, the report’s authors said they didn’t find any evidence that social credit is currently being used this way.

The report said technology sophistication of the system has been overstated, both in China and abroad.

Source: Bloomberg #Dec09

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-09/china-races-toward-plan-to-blacklist-redlist-firms-for-behavior

#China #CorporateSocialCreditSystem #CSCS
China: Big Data Program Targets Xinjiang’s Muslims

A leaked list of over 2,000 detainees from Aksu prefecture provided to Human Rights Watch is further evidence of China’s use of technology in its repression of Muslim population.

Human Rights Watch first reported big data program, the Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP), in February 2018, and “revised engineered” the IJOP mobile apps in May 2019. IJOP System assists officials in selecting targets.

“Predictive policing’ platforms are really just a pseudo scientific fig lead for the Chinese government to justify vast representation of Turkic Muslims,” senior China research Maya Wong said. “The Chinese government should immediately shut down the IJOP, delete all data it has collected, and release everyone arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang.”

Source: Human Rights Watch #Dec09

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/12/09/china-big-data-program-targets-xinjiangs-muslims
#Xinjiang #China #BigData #IJOP #HumanRights
A Chinese Woman Contacted with Many Politicians in the U.S. and Have Close Relationship, Suspected to Collect Political Intelligence and to Sway Their Decision-Making

Source: Stand News #Dec09

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A Chinese Woman Contacted with Many Politicians in the U.S. and Have Close Relationship, Suspected to Collect Political Intelligence and to Sway Their Decision-Making

A year-long investigation by Axios reported that a Chinese woman with a surname Fang suspected of being a Chinese intelligence officer. She grew close to local political powers and conducted political intelligence missions by assisting with campaign fundraising, participating in political gatherings, and having relationships or sex with at least two Midwestern mayors while studying in California between 2011 and 2015.

While studying in California State University East Bay in 2011, Fang served as a president of the school's Chinese Student Association and a president of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA) campus chapter. Through political gatherings, civil society conferences, campaign rallies, and campus events, she came into contact with elected officials and other prominent figures, such as incumbent California Statewomen Ro Khanna and Judy Chu, and Hawaii U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who ran for California's district. She also involved in romantic or sexual relationships with at least two mayors for approximately three years. The FBI spotted her having sexual intercourse with elected officials on at least twice.

According to the report, her ultimate target was California U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell. Fang participated in Swalwell's re-election campaign in 2014 and arranged at least one intern in his office. Fang kept interacting with Swalwell several times in several years, until FBI agents alerted him in 2015, after which he severed his ties. She abruptly left the States and returned to China in the same year. However, she did not return to the U.S. nor even contacted her friends in the U.S. or the social networks she has built over the years; Axios inquired her via email and Facebook but had no response.

#US #espionage #China #FBI #Axios #EricSwalwell #SecualRelationship #Spy #Intelligence #CCP

Source: Stand News #Dec09

https://bit.ly/3scLpUk
Brazil to Look into Banning Companies that Use 5G Equipment from Huawei

Source: Apple Daily #Dec09

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Brazil to Look into Banning Companies that Use 5G Equipment from Huawei

In support of the US’s Clean Network Program, Brazil was looking into legal procedures to restrict national telecommunication companies from using 5G network equipment developed by Huawei. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s national security advisor was looking into whether or not the government should ban Huawei with a presidential decree. However, as many major telecommunication companies have partnered with Huawei for years, the move was expected to be met with strong opposition.

A report stated that the Secretary of Institutional Security Augusto Heleno was in discussions with the Ministry of Communications to set up security provisions that telecommunication companies and equipment suppliers must comply to. They were also studying into the feasibility of a presidential decree. The US has criticised Huawei for its ties with China’s People’s Liberation Army and has expressed concerns over the leaking of confidential information to the Chinese government, which presents threats to national security.

As China has been Brazil’s most important trade partner, the ban on Huawei was expected to be met with strong oppositions from the industry and even from within the government, including the Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao. The Brazilian Minister for Communications Fabio Faria refused to comment on the report, while Heleno has said that he was not involved in affairs pertaining to 5G.

#Brazil #5G #Huawei #JairBolsonaro #AugustoHeleno #HamiltonMourao #FabioFaria #Telecommunication #NationalSecurity #Beijing #ChineseGovernment #PLA #CleanNetwork

Source: Apple Daily #Dec09

https://bit.ly/3sRiRzP
Britain’s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics will not send officials to attend

Source: Stand News #Dec09

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Britain’s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics will not send officials to attend

Following the United States and Australia, Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, indicated in Parliament on Wednesday (Dec 8) that they will not send ministers or officials to attend the Winter Olympics in February next year. He described this as an “actual” diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Iain Duncan Smith, the Former Chairman of the Conservative Party, said, “The authoritarian and brutal Chinese regime is persecuting religious minorities and threatening Muslim Uyghurs”, and ask the UK to diplomatically boycott Beijing Winter Olympics.

Johnson responded that he did not believe boycotting sports activities was a wise approach. But he indicated, “No ministers or officials are expected to attend, which will actually be a diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympic”.

Source: Stand News #Dec09

https://thestandnews.page.link/oCxHShMVEKzDyhQG8

#UnitedKingdom #BeijingWinterOlympic #Uyghurs #Muslim #BorisJohnson
China rumoured banning Hollywood films to counter the US diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Spider-Man and Matrix may not be released in China.

Source: The Stand News #Dec09

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China rumoured banning Hollywood films to counter the US diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Spider-Man and Matrix may not be released in China.

The United States announced on 6 Dec that they would not send government officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics as part of a diplomatic boycott. China's Foreign Ministry responded that if the US persists in its policy, "China will take firm countermeasures".

Rumours on Weibo on 9 Dec saying China will suspend the release of Hollywood films as the first wave of counter-measures in response to the US boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Perhaps, the first to be hit is the highly anticipated "Spider-Man: No Way Home".

A Weibo user commented on 8 Dec, "The news just came in that all US films have been suspended (except those already scheduled)". He said that Spider-Man was originally scheduled to release at 10:00 yesterday, but in response to the US boycott of the Winter Olympics, "the notice to suspend US films came down at 9:57...", meaning that Spider-Man will be banned completely.

Rumours are circulating online that the China State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has suspended the release of US blockbusters in China. The blockbusters include Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Matrix Resurrections, which will be released in Hong Kong on Christmas Day. Media outlets across the country have also been ordered not to publicise any US films.

Source: The Stand News #Dec09

#China #US #BeijingWinterOlympics #Olympics #DiplomaticBoycott #Hollywood #Film
Canada Diplomatically Boycotts Beijing Winter Olympics

Source: Stand News #Dec09

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Canada Diplomatically Boycotts Beijing Winter Olympics

#Canada announces that they will join the diplomatic boycott to #Beijing2022 #WinterOlympics, and will not have a delegation to attend.

Canadian President #JustinTrudeau indicated that many partner countries are extremely concerned about the continuous behaviour on #humanrights violation. "We have raised the concerns on China's human rights issues for years, and we have to reiterate our stand to #China."

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Canada stated that #Trudeau had a false accusation on China's "human rights violation". China strongly dissatisfies Canada using this reason to diplomatically boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics and has been raised solemn negotiation to Canada.

The spokesperson says that the Canadian government tragically treats the Aboriginals and that the nationwide ethnic discrimination in Canada is severe. China continues that Canada does not qualify to teach or criticise China about human rights. They suggest that Canada should not politicise sports events and should stop interfering with the hosting of the Beijing Olympics, or else, Canada will bring disgrace to itself.

Source: Stand News #Dec09