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"Unacceptable risks to human life and the environment": China-backed mine in Indonesia rings safety alarms over the potential for its waste dam to collapse in the earthquake-prone region

news.mongabay.com China-backed mine in Sumatran seismic hotspot rings safety alarms

JAKARTA — Protests are mounting in Indonesia against a China-backed zinc and lead mine being developed on the island of Sumatra in defiance of opposition from local communities. On June 11, protesters from communities that would be affected by the mine in Dairi district demonstrated outside the Chin...

China-backed mine in Sumatran seismic hotspot rings safety alarms

Archived link

  • Communities in Indonesia’s Dairi district continue to protest a zinc and lead mine being developed by a Chinese-backed company.
  • They warn the PT Dairi Prima Mineral (DPM) mine poses unacceptable risks to human life and the environment, given the potential for its waste dam to collapse in the earthquake-prone region.
  • There are 11 villages located around or downstream of the proposed tailings dam, making the prospect of its collapse potentially disastrous. Some homes and houses of worship lie less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) from the dam, while an entire village of 2,010 people, called Pandiangan, is just 1.8 km (1.1 mi) from the dam.
  • This would make the project illegal if it was built in China, since that country’s regulations prohibit the construction of a tailings dam within a kilometer of a populated area, according to Emerman.
  • These concerns are borne out in a series of independent analyses of the project’s environmental impact assessment, which experts say fails to live up to the standards the developers claim to follow.
  • Despite the questions over the assessment, the Indonesian government has issued environmental approval for the project, which local communities are now challenging at the Supreme Court.
0

"Unacceptable risks to human life and the environment": China-backed mine in Indonesia rings safety alarms over the potential for its waste dam to collapse in the earthquake-prone region

news.mongabay.com China-backed mine in Sumatran seismic hotspot rings safety alarms

JAKARTA — Protests are mounting in Indonesia against a China-backed zinc and lead mine being developed on the island of Sumatra in defiance of opposition from local communities. On June 11, protesters from communities that would be affected by the mine in Dairi district demonstrated outside the Chin...

China-backed mine in Sumatran seismic hotspot rings safety alarms

Archived link

  • Communities in Indonesia’s Dairi district continue to protest a zinc and lead mine being developed by a Chinese-backed company.
  • They warn the PT Dairi Prima Mineral (DPM) mine poses unacceptable risks to human life and the environment, given the potential for its waste dam to collapse in the earthquake-prone region.
  • There are 11 villages located around or downstream of the proposed tailings dam, making the prospect of its collapse potentially disastrous. Some homes and houses of worship lie less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) from the dam, while an entire village of 2,010 people, called Pandiangan, is just 1.8 km (1.1 mi) from the dam.
  • This would make the project illegal if it was built in China, since that country’s regulations prohibit the construction of a tailings dam within a kilometer of a populated area, according to Emerman.
  • These concerns are borne out in a series of independent analyses of the project’s environmental impact assessment, which experts say fails to live up to the standards the developers claim to follow.
  • Despite the questions over the assessment, the Indonesian government has issued environmental approval for the project, which local communities are now challenging at the Supreme Court.
0

Chinese Government Rejects Key Human Rights Recommendations in Latest UN Review

Archived link

  • The Chinese government’s rejection of recommendations to end its deepening human rights crisis reflects its disdain for international human rights reviews at the United Nations, human rights nongovernmental organizations said in a joint statement released on June 25, 2024.
  • In a disingenuous effort to paper over its refusal to engage to improve its appalling record made clear by latest Universal Periodical Review (UPR) in January 2024, the Chinese government said it would accept 290 of the 428 recommendations, partially accept 8, note 32, and reject 98 of the recommendations made. The 290 accepted ones include those the government said it “accepted and being implemented” and those “accepted and already implemented.”
  • However, none of the “accepted” recommendations address concerns raised by UN member states about crimes against humanity, torture, forced disappearance, persecution of human rights defenders and journalists, or other grave and well-documented violations.
  • In this context, the numerous acceptances by the Chinese government does not mean actual intention to improve its rights record. No one should confuse a high number of accepted recommendations with any real commitment by Beijing on human rights.
  • Beijing’s responses to UPR recommendations also include hostility towards the process and towards UN human rights mechanisms. The government has challenged the authority of the UPR to address topics Beijing insists are a matter of “sovereignty,” and disparaged the professionalism of UN human rights experts.
  • The Chinese government also falsely proclaimed the August 2022 OHCHR report on human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which that office alleged may constitute crimes against humanity, as “completely illegal and void.”
0

Chinese Government Rejects Key Human Rights Recommendations in Latest UN Review

Archived link

  • The Chinese government’s rejection of recommendations to end its deepening human rights crisis reflects its disdain for international human rights reviews at the United Nations, human rights nongovernmental organizations said in a joint statement released on June 25, 2024.
  • In a disingenuous effort to paper over its refusal to engage to improve its appalling record made clear by latest Universal Periodical Review (UPR) in January 2024, the Chinese government said it would accept 290 of the 428 recommendations, partially accept 8, note 32, and reject 98 of the recommendations made. The 290 accepted ones include those the government said it “accepted and being implemented” and those “accepted and already implemented.”
  • However, none of the “accepted” recommendations address concerns raised by UN member states about crimes against humanity, torture, forced disappearance, persecution of human rights defenders and journalists, or other grave and well-documented violations.
  • In this context, the numerous acceptances by the Chinese government does not mean actual intention to improve its rights record. No one should confuse a high number of accepted recommendations with any real commitment by Beijing on human rights.
  • Beijing’s responses to UPR recommendations also include hostility towards the process and towards UN human rights mechanisms. The government has challenged the authority of the UPR to address topics Beijing insists are a matter of “sovereignty,” and disparaged the professionalism of UN human rights experts.
  • The Chinese government also falsely proclaimed the August 2022 OHCHR report on human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which that office alleged may constitute crimes against humanity, as “completely illegal and void.”
0

Chinese Government Rejects Key Human Rights Recommendations in Latest UN Review

Archived link

  • The Chinese government’s rejection of recommendations to end its deepening human rights crisis reflects its disdain for international human rights reviews at the United Nations, human rights nongovernmental organizations said in a joint statement released on June 25, 2024.
  • In a disingenuous effort to paper over its refusal to engage to improve its appalling record made clear by latest Universal Periodical Review (UPR) in January 2024, the Chinese government said it would accept 290 of the 428 recommendations, partially accept 8, note 32, and reject 98 of the recommendations made. The 290 accepted ones include those the government said it “accepted and being implemented” and those “accepted and already implemented.”
  • However, none of the “accepted” recommendations address concerns raised by UN member states about crimes against humanity, torture, forced disappearance, persecution of human rights defenders and journalists, or other grave and well-documented violations.
  • In this context, the numerous acceptances by the Chinese government does not mean actual intention to improve its rights record. No one should confuse a high number of accepted recommendations with any real commitment by Beijing on human rights.
  • Beijing’s responses to UPR recommendations also include hostility towards the process and towards UN human rights mechanisms. The government has challenged the authority of the UPR to address topics Beijing insists are a matter of “sovereignty,” and disparaged the professionalism of UN human rights experts.
  • The Chinese government also falsely proclaimed the August 2022 OHCHR report on human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which that office alleged may constitute crimes against humanity, as “completely illegal and void.”
0
www.theguardian.com Afghan girls accuse Taliban of sexual assault after arrests for ‘bad hijab’

Reports surface days before UN summit on Afghanistan that will exclude Afghan women and debate on women’s rights

Afghan girls accuse Taliban of sexual assault after arrests for ‘bad hijab’

Reports surface days before UN summit on Afghanistan that will exclude Afghan women and debate on women’s rights

  • In more than one case the arrests and sexual abuse that young women faced while in custody earlier this year led to suicide and attempted suicide.

  • In one case, a woman’s body was allegedly found in a canal a few weeks after she had been taken into custody by Taliban militants, with a source close to her family saying she had been sexually abused before her death.

  • Girls and women also say they had been subjected to beatings and intimidation while in detention.

> Amina*, a 22-year-old medical student, said she spent three nights in a Taliban prison after being arrested in January 2024. She said she was interrogated by an older man who asked her about her menstruation and whether she was married or not.

> “I fell at his feet and begged him, ‘Please, kill me but don’t harass me’,” she said. “He said: ‘Since you are keen to die, I will kill you, but before that, let us have fun with you.’

> “Then he started touching my private parts,” Amina said. “I fainted twice during the interrogation, but every time, he poured cold water over my head.”

> Amina said what happened to her happened to every girl taken to that interrogation room and left alone with the man.

0
www.theguardian.com Afghan girls accuse Taliban of sexual assault after arrests for ‘bad hijab’

Reports surface days before UN summit on Afghanistan that will exclude Afghan women and debate on women’s rights

Afghan girls accuse Taliban of sexual assault after arrests for ‘bad hijab’

Reports surface days before UN summit on Afghanistan that will exclude Afghan women and debate on women’s rights

  • In more than one case the arrests and sexual abuse that young women faced while in custody earlier this year led to suicide and attempted suicide.

  • In one case, a woman’s body was allegedly found in a canal a few weeks after she had been taken into custody by Taliban militants, with a source close to her family saying she had been sexually abused before her death.

  • Girls and women also say they had been subjected to beatings and intimidation while in detention.

> Amina*, a 22-year-old medical student, said she spent three nights in a Taliban prison after being arrested in January 2024. She said she was interrogated by an older man who asked her about her menstruation and whether she was married or not.

> “I fell at his feet and begged him, ‘Please, kill me but don’t harass me’,” she said. “He said: ‘Since you are keen to die, I will kill you, but before that, let us have fun with you.’

> “Then he started touching my private parts,” Amina said. “I fainted twice during the interrogation, but every time, he poured cold water over my head.”

> Amina said what happened to her happened to every girl taken to that interrogation room and left alone with the man.

13
Chinese Tech Companies Push Staff To the Limit - Slashdot
  • The working culture in China is really 'unique': rigid and extremely hierarchical (and patriarchal) structures, staff is expected to work overtime.

    Just noticed that there is even a Wikipedia article about (but you'd find many other sources on China's '996 working hour system'):

    996 working hour system

    The 996 working hour system (Chinese: 996工作制) is a work schedule practiced illegally by many companies in China. It derives its name from its requirement that employees work from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, 6 days per week; i.e. 72 hours per week, 12 hours per day. A number of Mainland Chinese internet companies have adopted this system as their official work schedule. Critics argue that the 996 working hour system is a violation of Chinese Labour Law and have called it "modern slavery".

    The system is still very widespread, although deemed to be illegal as the article also says.

    [Edit typo.]

  • Chinese hackers deploy SpiceRAT and SugarGh0st in global espionage campaign primarily targeting government entities across Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Africa

    thehackernews.com Chinese Hackers Deploy SpiceRAT and SugarGh0st in Global Espionage Campaign

    Chinese hackers target government agencies worldwide with SugarGh0st and SpiceRAT malware.

    Chinese Hackers Deploy SpiceRAT and SugarGh0st in Global Espionage Campaign

    Archived link

    • A previously undocumented Chinese-speaking threat actor codenamed SneakyChef has been linked to an espionage campaign primarily targeting government entities across Asia and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) with SugarGh0st malware since at least August 2023.

    • SneakyChef uses lures that are scanned documents of government agencies, most of which are related to various countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs or embassies, according to security analysts.

    2

    Chinese hackers deploy SpiceRAT and SugarGh0st in global espionage campaign primarily targeting government entities across Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Africa

    thehackernews.com Chinese Hackers Deploy SpiceRAT and SugarGh0st in Global Espionage Campaign

    Chinese hackers target government agencies worldwide with SugarGh0st and SpiceRAT malware.

    Chinese Hackers Deploy SpiceRAT and SugarGh0st in Global Espionage Campaign

    Archived link

    • A previously undocumented Chinese-speaking threat actor codenamed SneakyChef has been linked to an espionage campaign primarily targeting government entities across Asia and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) with SugarGh0st malware since at least August 2023.

    • SneakyChef uses lures that are scanned documents of government agencies, most of which are related to various countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs or embassies, according to security analysts.

    0
    ich🇬🇷iel
  • Ja, und Fakt ist nunmal, dass China von der Krise in Griechenland profitiert und den Hafen von Piräus übernommen hat, nicht Deutschland, wie von Dir irrtümlich gepostet.

  • China's state subsidies in green technologies significantly higher than those in EU and OECD countries, distorting competition, researchers say
  • I posted this elsewhere already, but it also fits here goven many of the posts in this thread: It is not just about data/privacy concerns (which are underestimated imo, as China pursues an own agenda with collecting your data through Chinese tech) and 'unfair' subsidies, but about gross human rights violations.

    In short, some parts of the cheap Chinese cars are made in concentration camps where people are forced to work under catastrophic conditions.

  • Canada to Curb China EV Imports as Trudeau Responds to Biden Move
  • It is not just about data/privacy concerns (which are underestimated imo, as China pursues an own agenda with collecting your data through Chinese tech) and 'unfair' subsidies, but about gross human rights violations. In short, the cheap Chinese cars are made in concentration camps where people are forced to work under catastrophic conditions.

  • ich🇬🇷iel
  • Bitte gerne. Bei all der Propaganda ist es nicht immer einfach, den Überblick zu behalten, selbst bei einfachen Fakten. Da sind dann oft kleine Sachen wichtig. Schrittchen für Schrittchen sozusagen.

  • Cyber-attacks: six persons added to EU sanctions list for malicious cyber activities against EU member states and Ukraine

    Here is the official statement (pdf)

    EU Council adds six Russians to sanctions list over alleged hacking activities:

    1. Ruslan Aleksandrovich PERETYATKO: attributed to Callisto Group (Seaborgium, Star Blizzard COLDRIVER)
    2. Andrey Stanislavovich KORINETS: attributed to e Federal SecurityService (FSB) Center 18, and Callisto Group.
    3. Oleksandr SKLIANKO: attributed to Armageddon hacking group supported by FSB
    4. Mykola CHERNYKH: attributed to Armageddon hacking group supported by FSB
    5. Mikhail Mikhailovich TSAREV: attributed to threat group Wizard Spider, responsible for Conti and Trickbot malware
    6. Maksim Sergeevich GALOCHKIN: attributed to threat group Wizard Spider, responsible for Conti and Trickbot malware

    The EU horizontal cyber sanctions regime currently applies to 14 individuals and four entities, and includes an asset freeze and a travel ban. Additionally, EU persons and entities are forbidden from making funds available to those listed.

    1

    Russian government accused of leaving citizens vulnerable to attacks like Sunday's gun rampages by turning the state's security apparatus on Kremlin critics instead of terrorist threats

    Archived link

    Russia's exiled chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt was speaking after gunmen killed 19 people in the mainly Muslim region of Dagestan in southern Russia in attacks on churches, synagogues and the police.

    "The Russian authorities during the last years have used the law enforcement authorities to repress any kind of opposition to the Kremlin, opposition to the war and any movements like the LGBT movement which was declared as extremist. People are sent to prison for criticising the war," Goldschmidt said in a video interview from Berlin.

    "So instead of using law enforcement and the interior ministry and FSB (security service) to provide security for Russian citizens, it's being used to eradicate any opposition to the regime. And here we see the results, that such terrorists like ISIS are able to again and again mount successful attacks against houses of worship, against cultural events." [...]

    Putin offers condolences

    The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin expressed his deep condolences over Sunday's attacks, but it has not commented on who was to blame or why authorities failed to stop them.

    [...]

    Goldschmidt himself left Russia soon after the start of the war and has encouraged more Jews to follow his example rather than stay on in what he called a "semi-totalitarian" country.

    "Tens of thousands of Jews left, and I'm happy they left," he said. "We are worried for all of those who are still there."

    0

    Top propaganda official faces investigation

    chinamediaproject.org Top Propaganda Official Faces Investigation

    The sudden announcement Friday of a corruption probe against Zhang Jianchun marks just the second case in the Xi Jinping era of a senior propaganda official falling from grace.

    Top Propaganda Official Faces Investigation

    Zhang Jianchun (张建春), a deputy minister at the CCP’s powerful Central Propaganda Department, was accused on Friday of “severe violations of discipline and law” — a signal that a corruption investigation is underway.

    [...]

    Zhang, 59, had a lengthy career in the CCP’s Organization Department, the body that essentially serves as the human resources heart of the Party, arranging for official appointments and personnel assignments.

    [...]

    In the wake of the 2022 CCP congress he presided over a gathering of publishing houses to stress the importance of releasing published teaching materials about Xi Jinping’s political report. The month before he had officiated at a gathering of Party-run newspaper publishers, where he blandly emphasized the importance of adhering to the leadership of “comrade Xi Jinping as the core.”

    [...]

    Prior to the news of his downfall, Zhang Jianchun had not made a public appearance in two months.

    0

    Russian government accused of leaving citizens vulnerable to attacks like Sunday's gun rampages by turning the state's security apparatus on Kremlin critics instead of terrorist threats

    Archived link

    Russia's exiled chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt was speaking after gunmen killed 19 people in the mainly Muslim region of Dagestan in southern Russia in attacks on churches, synagogues and the police.

    "The Russian authorities during the last years have used the law enforcement authorities to repress any kind of opposition to the Kremlin, opposition to the war and any movements like the LGBT movement which was declared as extremist. People are sent to prison for criticising the war," Goldschmidt said in a video interview from Berlin.

    "So instead of using law enforcement and the interior ministry and FSB (security service) to provide security for Russian citizens, it's being used to eradicate any opposition to the regime. And here we see the results, that such terrorists like ISIS are able to again and again mount successful attacks against houses of worship, against cultural events." [...]

    Putin offers condolences

    The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin expressed his deep condolences over Sunday's attacks, but it has not commented on who was to blame or why authorities failed to stop them.

    [...]

    Goldschmidt himself left Russia soon after the start of the war and has encouraged more Jews to follow his example rather than stay on in what he called a "semi-totalitarian" country.

    "Tens of thousands of Jews left, and I'm happy they left," he said. "We are worried for all of those who are still there."

    14

    Russian government accused of leaving citizens vulnerable to attacks like Sunday's gun rampages by turning the state's security apparatus on Kremlin critics instead of terrorist threats

    Archived link

    Russia's exiled chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt was speaking after gunmen killed 19 people in the mainly Muslim region of Dagestan in southern Russia in attacks on churches, synagogues and the police.

    "The Russian authorities during the last years have used the law enforcement authorities to repress any kind of opposition to the Kremlin, opposition to the war and any movements like the LGBT movement which was declared as extremist. People are sent to prison for criticising the war," Goldschmidt said in a video interview from Berlin.

    "So instead of using law enforcement and the interior ministry and FSB (security service) to provide security for Russian citizens, it's being used to eradicate any opposition to the regime. And here we see the results, that such terrorists like ISIS are able to again and again mount successful attacks against houses of worship, against cultural events." [...]

    Putin offers condolences

    The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin expressed his deep condolences over Sunday's attacks, but it has not commented on who was to blame or why authorities failed to stop them.

    [...]

    Goldschmidt himself left Russia soon after the start of the war and has encouraged more Jews to follow his example rather than stay on in what he called a "semi-totalitarian" country.

    "Tens of thousands of Jews left, and I'm happy they left," he said. "We are worried for all of those who are still there."

    0

    Bank of China halts payments with sanctioned Russian lenders, Russian media reports

    www.themoscowtimes.com Bank of China Halts Payments With Sanctioned Russian Lenders – Kommersant - The Moscow Times

    The Russian division of the Bank of China has suspended operations with Russian lenders sanctioned by the United States in order to avoid being hit with secondary sanctions, the Kommersant business newspaper reported Monday, citing industry insiders.

    Bank of China Halts Payments With Sanctioned Russian Lenders – Kommersant - The Moscow Times

    Archived link

    The Russian division of the Bank of China has suspended operations with Russian lenders sanctioned by the United States in order to avoid being hit with secondary sanctions, the Kommersant business newspaper reported Monday, citing industry insiders.

    The Bank of China’s Russian division — which specializes in yuan payments between Russia and China — is the second-largest Chinese banking subsidiary in the country [...]

    Experts [said that this] would likely increase fraud risks given the subsequent shift to opaque intermediaries to process payments between Russian and Chinese entities.

    “This is not very good news for the Russian market,” an anonymous industry insider was quoted [...]. “There will be additional costs both in time and the price of processing payments.”

    "But the most important problem is that payments go beyond the banking sector, resulting in the state having less control,” the source added.

    0

    Bank of China halts payments with sanctioned Russian lenders, Russian media reports

    www.themoscowtimes.com Bank of China Halts Payments With Sanctioned Russian Lenders – Kommersant - The Moscow Times

    The Russian division of the Bank of China has suspended operations with Russian lenders sanctioned by the United States in order to avoid being hit with secondary sanctions, the Kommersant business newspaper reported Monday, citing industry insiders.

    Bank of China Halts Payments With Sanctioned Russian Lenders – Kommersant - The Moscow Times

    Archived link

    The Russian division of the Bank of China has suspended operations with Russian lenders sanctioned by the United States in order to avoid being hit with secondary sanctions, the Kommersant business newspaper reported Monday, citing industry insiders.

    The Bank of China’s Russian division — which specializes in yuan payments between Russia and China — is the second-largest Chinese banking subsidiary in the country [...]

    Experts [said that this] would likely increase fraud risks given the subsequent shift to opaque intermediaries to process payments between Russian and Chinese entities.

    “This is not very good news for the Russian market,” an anonymous industry insider was quoted [...]. “There will be additional costs both in time and the price of processing payments.”

    "But the most important problem is that payments go beyond the banking sector, resulting in the state having less control,” the source added.

    0

    Wikileaks founder Julian Assange freed in US plea deal

    www.bbc.com Wikileaks: Julian Assange freed in US plea deal

    Wikileaks said its founder had left a UK prison after striking a deal to plead guilty to US criminal charges.

    Wikileaks: Julian Assange freed in US plea deal

    After a years-long legal saga, Wikileaks says that founder Julian Assange has left the UK after reaching a deal with US authorities that will see him plead guilty to criminal charges and go free.

    Assange, 52, was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information [...]

    Assange will spend no time in US custody and will receive credit for the time spent incarcerated in the UK.

    [He] will return to Australia, according to a letter from the justice department.

    5
    www.nbcnews.com Autocracy is ‘evil,’ Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism

    Lai Ching-te once again called on China to accept the existence of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that is claimed by Beijing but where its courts have no jurisdiction.

    Autocracy is ‘evil,’ Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism

    Archived link

    Lai Ching-te once again called on China to accept the existence of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that is claimed by Beijing but where its courts have no jurisdiction.

    Democracy is not a crime and autocracy is the real “evil,” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Monday after China threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists.

    China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has made no secret of its dislike of Lai, who took office last month, saying he is a “separatist,” and staged war games shortly after his inauguration.

    On Friday, China ramped up its pressure on Taiwan by issuing new legal guidelines to punish those it says support the island’s formal independence, though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the democratically governed island.

    Asked about China’s move at a news conference at the presidential office in Taipei, Lai first reiterated his sympathy for recent flooding in southern China before responding.

    “I want to stress: Democracy is not a crime; it’s autocracy that is the real evil. China has absolutely no right to sanction Taiwan’s people just because of the positions they hold. What’s more, China has no right to go after Taiwan people’s rights across borders,” he said.

    According to China, anyone who does not uphold “reunification” is therefore a Taiwan independence supporter, Lai added.

    “I also want to call on China to face up to the existence of the Republic of China and have exchanges and dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected, legitimate government,” he said, using Taiwan’s formal name. “If this is not done, relations between Taiwan and China will only become more and more estranged.”

    Taiwan said that since Thursday, there has been a sharp increase in Chinese military flights as Beijing carried out a “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island.

    From Thursday to Sunday, Taiwan says it detected 115 Chinese military aircraft operating nearby, getting as close as 31 nautical miles from the southern tip of the island.

    Taiwan has said that for the past four years China has carried out regular military activity around the island as part of a “gray zone” pressure campaign.

    Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. He has repeatedly offered talks with China but been rebuffed.

    China says any move by Taiwan to declare formal independence would be grounds to attack the island.

    The government in Taipei says Taiwan is already an independent country, the Republic of China, and that it does not plan to change that. The Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war against Mao Zedong’s Communists.

    Lai also faces domestic challenges, as his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in parliament in the same election in January that brought him to power.

    Speaking at the same news conference, Lai said he would ask the constitutional court to stay a package of contested parliament reforms the opposition has passed and consider whether they comply with the constitution.

    The opposition says the reforms, which among other things criminalize contempt of parliament by government officials, are needed to bring more accountability, but the DPP says they were forced through without proper discussion.

    0
    www.nbcnews.com Autocracy is ‘evil,’ Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism

    Lai Ching-te once again called on China to accept the existence of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that is claimed by Beijing but where its courts have no jurisdiction.

    Autocracy is ‘evil,’ Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism

    Archived link

    Democracy is not a crime and autocracy is the real “evil,” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Monday after China threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists.[...]

    On Friday, China ramped up its pressure on Taiwan by issuing new legal guidelines to punish those it says support the island’s formal independence, though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the democratically governed island. [...]

    “I want to stress: Democracy is not a crime; it’s autocracy that is the real evil. China has absolutely no right to sanction Taiwan’s people just because of the positions they hold. What’s more, China has no right to go after Taiwan people’s rights across borders,” he said.[...]

    “I also want to call on China to face up to the existence of the Republic of China and have exchanges and dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected, legitimate government,” he said, using Taiwan’s formal name. “If this is not done, relations between Taiwan and China will only become more and more estranged.”

    Taiwan said that since Thursday, there has been a sharp increase in Chinese military flights as Beijing carried out a “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island.

    2
    www.nbcnews.com Autocracy is ‘evil,’ Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism

    Lai Ching-te once again called on China to accept the existence of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that is claimed by Beijing but where its courts have no jurisdiction.

    Autocracy is ‘evil,’ Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism

    Archived link

    Lai Ching-te once again called on China to accept the existence of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that is claimed by Beijing but where its courts have no jurisdiction.

    Democracy is not a crime and autocracy is the real “evil,” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Monday after China threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists.

    China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has made no secret of its dislike of Lai, who took office last month, saying he is a “separatist,” and staged war games shortly after his inauguration.

    On Friday, China ramped up its pressure on Taiwan by issuing new legal guidelines to punish those it says support the island’s formal independence, though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the democratically governed island.

    Asked about China’s move at a news conference at the presidential office in Taipei, Lai first reiterated his sympathy for recent flooding in southern China before responding.

    “I want to stress: Democracy is not a crime; it’s autocracy that is the real evil. China has absolutely no right to sanction Taiwan’s people just because of the positions they hold. What’s more, China has no right to go after Taiwan people’s rights across borders,” he said.

    According to China, anyone who does not uphold “reunification” is therefore a Taiwan independence supporter, Lai added.

    “I also want to call on China to face up to the existence of the Republic of China and have exchanges and dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected, legitimate government,” he said, using Taiwan’s formal name. “If this is not done, relations between Taiwan and China will only become more and more estranged.”

    Taiwan said that since Thursday, there has been a sharp increase in Chinese military flights as Beijing carried out a “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island.

    From Thursday to Sunday, Taiwan says it detected 115 Chinese military aircraft operating nearby, getting as close as 31 nautical miles from the southern tip of the island.

    Taiwan has said that for the past four years China has carried out regular military activity around the island as part of a “gray zone” pressure campaign.

    Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. He has repeatedly offered talks with China but been rebuffed.

    China says any move by Taiwan to declare formal independence would be grounds to attack the island.

    The government in Taipei says Taiwan is already an independent country, the Republic of China, and that it does not plan to change that. The Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war against Mao Zedong’s Communists.

    Lai also faces domestic challenges, as his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in parliament in the same election in January that brought him to power.

    Speaking at the same news conference, Lai said he would ask the constitutional court to stay a package of contested parliament reforms the opposition has passed and consider whether they comply with the constitution.

    The opposition says the reforms, which among other things criminalize contempt of parliament by government officials, are needed to bring more accountability, but the DPP says they were forced through without proper discussion.

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    Kritik an Chinas Ukraine-Kurs: Deutscher Vizekanzler liefert sich Schlagabtausch mit hohem Regierungsvertreter in Peking
  • Das ist nicht nur eine Frage des Zolls. Viele Produkte -in der Auto- ebenso wie in praktisch allen anderen Industrien- werden in Zwangsarbeit hergestellt, und zwar auch, aber nicht nur in Xinjiang. Solange China keine unabhängigen Audits seiner Lieferketten zulässt (was u.a. VW kürzlich offen gesagt hat), sollte sich die Frage nach Zöllen gar nicht erst stellen. Produkte, die unter solchen menschenverachtenden Bedingungen produziert werden, sollte es gar nicht geben. Europa braucht u.a. auch ein viel strengeres Lieferkettengesetz.

    Zudem gefährdet China durch seine Unterstützung Russlands im Ukraine-Krieg und sein aggressives Verhalten im Südchinesischen Meer die internationale Sicherheit (auch das wird in letzter Zeit wiederholt angeprangert, mittlerweile sogar von Politikern in Europa).

  • Javier Milei in Deutschland: Hoffnungsträger oder Scharlatan? - ZDFheute
  • Naja, streng genommen nicht. Ein Kommentar soll 'nur' alle Seiten eines Themas beleuchten, aber nicht die Meinung derer, die das schreiben. Die Meinung der Journalisten und -innen sollte belanglos sein. Daran hält sich nur (fast) niemand in der Branche.

  • 'We have no choice now’: Desperate to circumvent sanctions and do business with China, Russian companies resort to bartering and cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar
  • @tal

    This is true. A couple of years ago Tether (along with its sister company Bitfinex, a crypto currency exchange) settled allegations by the New York state in the U.S. by paying a fine (in the double-digit millions), admitting that claims that Tether was backed by fiat at all times was "a lie".

    A major issue with this coin is that it is not subject to regulation by any authority (it's owned by iFinex based in the British Virgin Islands), so they may claim whatever they want.

    I don't know what exactly made them choose Tether, but one reason might indeed be that they don't have much choice (alternative crypto coins are arguably far too volatile to serve as a means of payment for companies with higher bills). Maybe because the company has an office in Hong Kong as far ad I know (at least they had one not long ago). Maybe also because there is a higher volume, maybe because there is also a Tether variant pegged to the Chinese yuan (it hss the same shortcomings as the USDT, but a much lower volume). I don't know.

    But let's not forget that it can be tracked as it's on a blockchain. If they seek to circumvent sanctions and hide their money trail, that's not a good idea.

    In a nutshell: anyone who says that the sanctions don't work should read stories like that and they might change their mind.

  • Client-Side-Scanning: 'Chat Control is Pure Surveillance State'
  • @zecg

    What a garbage! This comment doesn't make sense for a lot of reasons, but the most obvious one at first sight is the 'useful idiots' argument. These 'useful idiots' are exactly the far right-wing officials who get repoortedly bribed by China and Russia, and are criticized by their own party members for their incompetence.