A Harvard University professor charged with hiding his ties to a Chinese-run recruitment program has been found guilty on all counts. Charles Lieber, 62, the former chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns, two counts of making false statements, and two counts of failing to file reports for a foreign bank account in China. The jury deliberated for about two hours and 45 minutes before announcing the verdict after five days of testimony in Boston federal…
Day: December 21, 2021
China accuses Australia of ‘violent’ interference in Five Eyes response to Hong Kong election
China has accused the Australian government of “violently interfering” in its internal affairs after Australia joined with its Five Eyes allies to voice grave concerns about the “erosion of democratic elements” in Hong Kong. Pro-Beijing candidates have been confirmed to occupy nearly every seat in Hong Kong’s new legislature after an overhaul of the electoral system that authorities said would ensure “patriots run Hong Kong”. Elections on Sunday were marred by record low voter turnout and held 18 months after authorities began a crackdown on political dissent in the name…
Tech Regulation in China Brings in Sweeping Changes
Advertisement When Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of internet giant Alibaba, told China’s financial elites on October 24, 2020 that their incompetence had created a severely underdeveloped financial system and insinuated that his fintech may be the cure, his words marked the moment when Beijing shifted its relations to big tech giants from toleration to confrontation. Ma was perhaps unaware that the same day saw the launch of “Operation Cyber Sword,” a wide-ranging campaign involving 14 ministries and agencies aimed at reigning in China’s tech sector. The regulatory actors were…
China deletes social media accounts of ‘livestreaming queen’
China has deleted social media accounts of an influencer known as the country’s “livestreaming queen” and stripped her of a title that promotes honesty on the internet, a day after she was ordered to pay a record $200m fine for tax evasion. Huang Wei, known by her popular username Viya, is one of China’s most high-profile livestreamers in an e-commerce sector that saw rapid growth since the coronavirus pandemic took hold last year. With over 110 million followers on social media, Viya reportedly sold products worth a total of 8.5bn…
China mulls bolstering laws on women’s rights and sexual harassment
China is considering strengthening its laws on women’s rights to provide more robust protection against gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. The draft regulations come amid the rise of a nascent #MeToo movement in China, which activists say has been hampered by the country’s strict regime of censorship and oppression against all signs of dissent. The major draft revision was presented to China’s top lawmaking body for deliberation on Monday. The amendment marks a significant development in the country’s women’s rights legislation since it was implemented almost three…