Taiwan is “not for sale”, the island’s foreign minister has said in a stern rebuke to Elon Musk, who asserted Taiwan was an integral part of China, again wading into the thorny issue relations between Beijing and Taipei. His comments came as dozens of Chinese warships and planes were detected near Taiwan for suspected military exercises. Musk, the billionaire owner of the social media platform X formerly known as Twitter, as well as the Tesla electric car company and SpaceX, made the comments to the All-In Summit in Los Angeles…
Day: September 13, 2023
Vietnam releases activist 18 months early
Vietnamese authorities have released independent journalist Mai Phan Loi 18 months before the end of his 45-month sentence, a family friend told Radio Free Asia this week. Loi was freed on Sunday, the day U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Hanoi for two days of meetings with Vietnamese leaders. Loi, the chairman of the Scientific Council of the Community Education and Communication Center, was arrested in June 2021 on charges of “tax evasion.” Prosecutors alleged he instructed his subordinates not to declare funds received from abroad, worth nearly US$83,000. In…
Stronger ties between Putin and Kim could see a ‘Cold War-like coalition’ form in northeast Asia
“Northeast Asia will form a confrontational situation between the ‘quasi-alliance’ of the United States, Japan and South Korea and that of Russia and North Korea. It cannot be ruled out that hotspot issues may suddenly get out of control,” he said. “It will become more difficult to restart the denuclearisation process on the Korean peninsula and build a security and peace mechanism in northeast Asia.” Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, during the high-profile trip by the North Korean leader to Russia. Photo: AP Pyongyang fired…
US Officials Troubled by Russia, North Korea Military Cooperation
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Wednesday with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Russia’s most advanced spaceport amid warnings from the United States and South Korea against a potential arms transfer. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. Voice of America
China sets AI sights on democracies – reports
Two reports released this month warn that China is using artificial intelligence, or AI, to influence public opinion in the democratic world, with elections in Taiwan and the United States next year most likely at stake. A RAND policy researcher told reporters last week on the release of the company’s study that “logically” Taiwan’s presidential elections in January 2024 would be the first major target of China’s AI misinformation campaigns. AI makes it possible for an actor such as the People’s Liberation Army to create opinions that appear to be…
Analysts: Cambodia’s New Government to Maintain Close Ties With China
Phnom Penh, Cambodia — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will seek to strengthen ties with China when he visits Beijing later this week, analysts said. Hun Manet will make an official visit to China from Sept. 14 to 16, China’s Foreign Ministry announced Monday. The son of Hun Sen, who led the Southeast Asian nation for almost four decades, Hun Manet took office on Aug. 22. “At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun will pay an official visit to China,” Foreign Ministry…
Thai voters complain of betrayal after Thaksin Shinawatra’s return
Thailand’s billionaire former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is back in his home country after 15 years of self-exile, but the charismatic politician’s return has left a bitter taste in his northern homeland and longtime political stronghold. Hours after his private jet landed last month, Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party agreed to govern with parties backed by its longtime foes in the military-dominated establishment. It abandoned its alliance with the progressive Move Forward party, which won the most seats in May’s election. While Thaksin has been jailed on corruption charges, his sentence…
Hong Kong police charge man over ‘seditious’ children’s books
Authorities in Hong Kong have charged a man with “possession of seditious publications” after he bought copies of the banned “Sheep Village” series of children’s picture books from the United Kingdom. Kurt Leung, 38, was charged with bringing 18 books into Hong Kong with the intention of inciting hatred of the Chinese and Hong Kong government, and promoting “feelings of ill-will and enmity.” Leung is accused of having three copies each of “The Guardians of Sheep Village,” and other titles in the series — which the authorities say glorifies protesters…
Apple’s new iPhones get mixed reaction from some Chinese consumers amid hype over Huawei’s latest 5G handsets and government use ban
Apple’s launch of its iPhone 15 series of 5G handsets drew mixed reactions from some mainland Chinese consumers on Wednesday amid the recent hype over Huawei Technologies’ new Mate 60 Pro, while analysts expected the US tech giant to still lead the high-end segment of the world’s largest smartphone market. On Chinese social media, a number of consumers commented on the lack of compelling new advances in the latest iteration of Apple’s flagship product line, which was unveiled on Tuesday at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Some netizens indicated…
Experts: Thailand’s New Government Aims for Balance Amid US-China Rivalry
Washington — Thailand’s new civilian coalition government may seek greater engagement with Western democracies even as it continues to maintain ties with China forged by the previous military-led regime, analysts said. But while the new Pheu Thai government may want to differentiate itself from that of Prayuth Chan-ocha — the general who led the 2014 military coup and was subsequently voted in twice as prime minister by parliament — appearances suggest a pivot away from China is unlikely. In March, months before the May 14 election, Pheu Thai Party leader…