Day: September 15, 2023

China Is Investigating Its Defense Minister, U.S. Officials Say

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China’s defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, has been placed under investigation, according to two U.S. officials, fueling speculation about further upheaval in the military after the abrupt removal of two top commanders in charge of the country’s nuclear force. General Li has not been seen in public in more than two weeks. He had been expected to take part in a meeting last week in Vietnam, but there was no word of his attendance. Asked by reporters on Friday about General Li’s whereabouts, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese…

China’s desperate stock traders keen for policy ‘bazooka’ to rouse US$10 trillion bear market from slumber

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“I’m about 60 per cent confident in the market,” said Jia, who works for a Japanese software company in Shanghai, in a recent interview. Despite the positive vibes on the policy front, “there’s no significant improvement in fundamentals,” he said. “The key issue is the lack of money and confidence. Of course, confidence matters more.” Chinese stocks surged after the authorities halved the stamp duty on trades, effective 28 August. But the long-term outlook is clouded. Photo: EPA-EFE The task of restoring that confidence, among both retail and institutional investors,…

VOA Immigration Weekly Recap, Sept. 10–16, 2023

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Editor’s note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com. Federal Judge Says DACA Is Illegal, So What’s Next? A federal judge has ruled again that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is illegal. The policy protected from deportation hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. The decision does not immediately affect DACA recipients, whose status remains the same through the legal appeals process. They also can continue to renew…

China Has Paused Its Spy Balloon Operations, U.S. Officials Say

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American officials said on Friday that China had paused its spy balloon operations after one of the craft floated across much of the United States early this year and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, setting off a diplomatic crisis between the rival powers. The officials said that they did not know how long the pause would last, but that given the investments the Chinese government had made in the balloon program, Beijing was likely to restart it. The spy balloon that crossed the United States was…

US Lawmakers Stress Need for Pressure on Myanmar to End Rights Crisis  

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washington —  U.S. lawmakers from both major parties have voiced their resolve to rally international pressure for an end to the suffering of the people of Myanmar at the hands of the military junta that cut off democratic rule in the country in February 2021. U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, a member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, speaks to VOA at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 13, 2023. “We are rededicating ourselves to human rights and peace for the people of Burma,” said Representative Chris Smith, a Republican and…

Will China weaponise the yuan? Global finance body throws cold water on the idea as it rankles markets

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Beijing could – if it really wanted to – drastically devalue China’s yuan to prop up the nation’s exports. Or at least that’s what the market fears. But the global association of the financial industry says China’s leadership is unlikely to utilise such a seismic option, even as the world’s second-largest economy has been labouring to reverse a persistent downturn. China’s yuan has depreciated steadily since February, driven by the faltering post-pandemic economy and widening yield gap with other economies such as the US, as well as dampening capital flows…

Hanoi fire that killed 56 draws attention to lax safety standards in Vietnam

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The fire that tore through the nine-story Hanoi apartment building this week and killed 56 people has shed light on Vietnam’s lax fire safety standards. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has ordered an investigation, along with tougher regulations for smaller apartment buildings, according to a government statement.  One tenant whose family has been living in a tiny 30-square meter (323-square feet) unit in a five-story building for many years said that after Wednesday’s fire in the Thanh Xuan section of Hanoi, he checked the fire prevention system in his…

What anger over top influencer says about China today

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Li – who first rose to fame in 2017 when he started hosting online sales sessions on shopping platform Taobao – is one of China’s most successful salesmen. He hawks a a range of products from food to cosmetics and homeware, and reportedly sells millions of dollars’ worth of items every night. He earned the moniker Lipstick King by once selling 150,000 lipsticks within five minutes. Over the years, Li has garnered some 150 million followers across multiple platforms – that number has shrunk since his controversial comments. BBC

China continues Taliban balancing act after new ambassador arrives in Afghanistan

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“China’s policy towards Afghanistan is clear and consistent,” the ministry added, according to Reuters. China was among the first countries to welcome the Taliban’s return to power after the chaotic withdrawal of American troops two years ago and is one of only a handful to host a Taliban charge d’affaires. Advertisement In his first message posted on the Chinese embassy’s website on Friday, Zhao said: “Practical cooperation in the field will promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of China-Afghanistan relations, continue the traditional friendship between the two peoples, and…

Myanmar vendors told to sell military beer – or face consequences

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Vendors in Myanmar who boycott military-produced booze and cigarettes beware – you may be getting a summons from junta authorities. That’s what happened to restaurant owners on 19th street in Yangon’s Latha township when representatives of their local ward administration office called them in on Wednesday and warned them to sell the goods or face the consequences, the owners and officials told RFA Burmese. The military controls businesses that produce and distribute several alcoholic brands in the country, including Myanmar Beer, Mandalay Beer, Black Shield Beer, Mandalay Rum, Army Rum,…