Day: November 2, 2023

Thailand Held Direct Hostage Talks with Hamas in Iran, Negotiator Says

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BANGKOK —  Thai officials held direct talks with Hamas in Iran last week over the fate of 22 of the kingdom’s nationals taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group in its attack on Israel, the head of the Thai delegation said. Negotiators met Hamas officials in Tehran on Oct. 26 and were given a pledge that the Thais would be released at the “right time,” Areepen Uttarasin told reporters in Bangkok on Wednesday. Israeli authorities say 1,400 people, many of them civilians, were killed and more than 230 hostages taken…

China’s Graphite Curbs Seen as Spur to Rivals’ Supply Chain Collaboration 

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washington —  As South Korean electric vehicle battery makers brace for China’s export curb on graphite to take effect next month, analysts say Washington, Seoul and Tokyo should accelerate the launch of a pilot program aimed at boosting supply chain resilience. Daniel Ikenson, director of trade, investment and innovation at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told VOA he thought the U.S., South Korea and Japan had already waited too long to establish a proposed supply chain early warning system (EWS). The EWS “should have been expedited well before the United…

China hunts for new industrial ‘pillars’ to replace a wobbly property market

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As China’s property sector – once a steadfast contributor to a sizeable chunk of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) – becomes a less reliable growth driver under a cloud of debt and unfulfilled commitments, Beijing has begun to seek out alternative guarantees for economic stability and dependable patterns of expansion. However, analysts warned that the world’s second-largest economy is unlikely to find one alternative industry to replace the entire sector in the short term, despite government efforts to elevate certain industries into strategic redoubts. Some emerging industries such as…

Vietnamese police release protesters as port demo dies down

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Police have released dozens of protesters who were demonstrating against plans to build a port in northern Vietnam’s Thanh Hoa province. The protesters were detained on Oct. 31 after a more-than-week-long blockade, aimed at stopping construction workers leveling the site of the proposed Long Son Container Port. Demonstrators are concerned the project would harm their livelihoods and cause pollution. “The police arrested about 30 people on the morning of Oct. 31, brought them to the town police’s headquarters for questioning and sent them home late at night with the request…

Pentagon unveils AI strategy to boost US ‘decision advantage’ in China competition

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The Pentagon’s latest data and artificial intelligence strategy announced on Thursday will advance “better and faster” battlefield decision-making amid Washington’s strategic competition with Beijing. Deputy defence secretary Kathleen Hicks said the main reason to integrate AI into US military operations “responsibly and at speed” is “because it improves our decision advantage”. “From the standpoint of deterring and defending against aggression, AI-enabled systems can help accelerate the speed of commanders’ decisions, and improve the quality and accuracy of those decisions – which can be decisive in deterring a fight, and in…

Hong Kong Scholar, Fired After Visa Rejection, Laments Loss of Freedom

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hong kong —  Even moderate political discussions now appear to be out of bounds in Hong Kong, lamented Rowena He, an associate professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) who was fired after she was denied a renewal of her work visa. The Hong Kong Immigration Department on October 24 told He, a Chinese Canadian scholar and historian, that it had denied her work visa renewal application. Without it, He, who is in the United States on an academic fellowship, can’t return to Hong Kong. “I’m not only…

China’s services activity picks up slightly in October, but sales soften and employment stagnates

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China’s services activity expanded at a slightly faster pace in October, a private-sector survey showed on Friday, with sales growing at the softest rate in 10 months and employment stagnating as business confidence waned. The vast services sector, which provides about 48 per cent of jobs in China, enjoyed a strong rebound earlier this year, but analysts said the sluggish household income growth and uncertain job market raise questions over the sustainability of the industry’s growth. The Caixin/S&P Global services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 50.4 in October from…

N Korea issues nuclear threat over US-S Korea space alliance

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North Korea issued a renewed threat to use nuclear weapons against the United States, calling the security collaboration between Washington and Seoul the actions of “war maniacs.” “The spectrum of the U.S. nuclear threat, whether it be strategic or tactical, would not alter the response of our military: We will respond nukes with nukes,” the country’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Friday. “The military forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea stand ready to execute the constitutional mandate to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the rights…

In China, Boeing’s 737 MAX production could be cleared for take-off after long delay on eastern island of Zhoushan

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China’s massive aviation market could be propelling American aerospace giant Boeing to resume operations at a completion-and-delivery facility in an eastern island city after a long hiatus that followed the global production suspension of the long-embattled 737 MAX. The expectation was given more credence as bilateral relations with the United States improved in recent months and state media China Times reported last month that the facility could resume deliveries as soon as mid-November, quoting industry sources. “We will be ready to deliver for our customers when that time comes,” Boeing…

Scientists find traditional Chinese medicine is based on a complex network of proteins – 3,000 years before modern science

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TCM is one of the oldest medical systems in the world, with the earliest records of the practice dating back to the Shang dynasty (1766-1122BC), an era of booming economy and industry that produced some the most sophisticated bronze artefacts in history. The foundation of TCM lies in treating symptoms that are believed to occur when there is an imbalance between yin and yang. There is an absence of “disease” as a concept in TCM, as patients are diagnosed and treated based on symptoms. This makes it challenging to connect…