Day: June 8, 2023

China’s central bank chief calls for ‘confidence, patience’ amid weak economic data

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“[We] should have confidence and patience for China’s steady economic growth.” He added that China is expected to see “relatively high” economic growth in the second quarter due to base effects. China’s economy grew by just 0.4 per cent, year on year, in the second quarter of 2022 due to Beijing’s strict virus controls. Advertisement China’s producer price index (PPI), meanwhile, also fell short of expectations and tumbled by 4.6 per cent in May compared to the previous year, hitting its lowest level since February 2016, as the prices factories…

China to Build Station That Could Spy on U.S. from Cuba, Officials Say

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China is planning to build a facility in Cuba that U.S. officials are concerned could be capable of spying on the United States by intercepting electronic signals from nearby U.S. military and commercial facilities, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the agreement. Beijing has built listening outposts elsewhere and has a military presence in Cuba, but an eavesdropping station could give China a foothold about 100 miles from the Florida coastline, from which it could potentially conduct surveillance operations against the United States. The proximity of the planned facility…

China-led team finds first evidence of oldest stars in the universe

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Harvard University theoretical physicist Avi Loeb, who was not involved in the research, hailed the discovery as “extremely important in confirming our theoretical ideas about the first generation of stars”. Loeb said first-generation stars are among the universe’s biggest unsolved mysteries. Scientists predicted that they formed from pristine gas after the Big Bang and were made of just hydrogen and helium, without the heavier elements that were synthesised in the cores of later giant stars. Advertisement Astronomy theory also suggested that these ancient bodies may have had masses equivalent to…

China-linked businesses and investors seek comeback in India

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China-linked tech companies are finding ways to break back into India, giving fresh hope to investors that their businesses can overcome trade tensions between the countries and power new growth. Online fashion company Shein has pursued an alternative deal structure to relaunch in India in partnership with Reliance Industries, the country’s biggest listed company. It had been among dozens of Chinese apps banned in 2020 over alleged national security concerns following deadly clashes on India’s border with China. Battlegrounds Mobile India, a shooter game published by the Tencent-backed South Korean…

Chinese-linked businesses and investors seek comeback in India

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China-linked tech companies are finding ways to break back into India, giving fresh hope to investors that their businesses can overcome trade tensions between the countries and power new growth. Online fashion company Shein has pursued an alternative deal structure to relaunch in India in partnership with Reliance Industries, the country’s biggest listed company. It had been among dozens of Chinese apps banned in 2020 over alleged national security concerns following deadly clashes on India’s border with China. Battlegrounds Mobile India, a shooter game published by the Tencent-backed South Korean…

Blinken’s Visit to Saudi Arabia Caps Biden Effort to Rebuild Ties

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By the time Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken wrapped up a visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, he and Saudi officials had discussed cooperation on a smorgasbord of issues: Iran, Sudan, the Islamic State, regional infrastructure, clean energy and the potential normalization of Saudi-Israel relations. Mr. Blinken gave effusive remarks on the work being done at a news conference in Riyadh: “It is critical for expanding opportunity and driving progress for our people and for people around the world.” It was the type of bonhomie that American officials usually…

Stalemate in US-China Ties Appears Likely to Continue Despite Talks

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washington —  After a series of renewed talks between the U.S. and China leading up to Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s expected visit to Beijing in coming weeks, experts said the two rivals need to come up with a plan to avoid conflict. The talks had been stalled since February over a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying across the U.S. The two countries agreed to “open lines of communications,” said a statement released after Dan Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, held talks with his…

Chinese censors take aim at AirDrop and Bluetooth

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But soon after Mr Xi secured a third term, Apple released a new version of the feature in China, limiting its scope. Now Chinese users of iPhones and other Apple devices are restricted to a 10-minute window when receiving files from people who are not listed as a contact. After 10 minutes, users can only receive files from contacts. Apple did not explain why the update was first introduced in China, but over the years, the tech giant has been criticised for appeasing Beijing. BBC

Jailed Vietnamese climate activist to start hunger strike on Friday

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A Vietnamese climate activist serving a five-year prison sentence for tax evasion will begin a hunger strike on Friday unless he is immediately and unconditionally released, his wife told Radio Free Asia. Lawyer and environmentalist Dang Dinh Bach, 44, who had campaigned to reduce Vietnam’s reliance on coal, was arrested in June 2021 and then sentenced to five years in jail.  Bach was director of the Law and Policy of Sustainable Development Research Center, which works with communities affected by development, poor industrial practices and environmental degradation to help them…

Cambodia’s leader tells garment workers that opposition is pushing for sanctions

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Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday urged thousands of garment workers to speak out against the opposition Candlelight Party and its efforts to bring international sanctions against the country’s garment industry. “Workers must dare to point to any opposition party officials who have urged foreigners not to invest in Cambodia and buy products from Cambodia,” he said during a public event in Kampong Chhnang province attended by local garment factory workers.  “You need to say, ‘You are the person who destroys us,’” the prime minister said. “Other opposition parties are…