More than 100 ethnic Dega, Cham and Khmer staged a protest in Washington DC against the Vietnamese government’s treatment of indigenous people in Vietnam. The demonstrators marched to the White House and the Vietnamese Embassy on Friday to make their views heard. The Vietnamese Montagnards represent a group of 30 different tribes in the country’s Central Highlands. They have repeatedly clashed with the government over issues including land rights and religious freedom. “After many years, from 1975 to 2023, 48 years, we realize that the situation of human rights and…
Day: November 5, 2023
South Korea bans short selling until 2024
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Shares in South Korea surged on Monday morning after the country’s financial regulator issued a blanket ban on short selling to appease retail investors ahead of parliamentary elections next year. The country’s benchmark Kospi index rose as much as 4 per cent, with battery company LG Energy Solution jumping more than 20 per cent and Posco Future M, a battery materials company, up 28 per cent. The technology-focused Kosdaq index…
Crackdown on illegal mining forces Indonesia to import nickel ore
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Supply shortages caused by Indonesia’s crackdown on illegal nickel mining have forced the country to import large quantities of ore from the Philippines to keep smelters operating. Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel producer, has in recent months pursued a corruption investigation across the government that has led to delays in the issuance of quotas for nickel mining. More than 53,000 tonnes of nickel ore and concentrates were shipped in May…
China Premier Li Seeks to Bolster His Country’s Economic Outlook at Shanghai Export Fair
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday pledged to continue deepening reforms, expand free trade zones and relax market access for foreign investment while seeking to generate excitement around a largely lackluster economy. Li made the remarks when delivering a keynote speech at the opening of the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai, seeking to draw thousands of foreign businesses shopping for Chinese products and looking to expand trade and investment with the world’s second-largest economy. China’s economy expanded at a 4.9% annual pace between July-September, beating…
Chinese team creates drones with ‘human brains’ able to tackle complex tasks through group chats
The technology comes from Li Xuelong and his team at the School of Artificial Intelligence, Optics and Electronics at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shaanxi province. The research brings large language models like ChatGPT “to life”, integrating them into practical applications, according to a WeChat post from the university’s official account. After finding a set of lost keys in a park, a drone sends a photo to the group chat and asks the human operator to confirm before retrieving the item. Photo: Li Xuelong The post included a demonstration video from…
China to Accelerate Issuance of Government Bonds, Finance Minister Says
BEIJING, China — China will accelerate the issuance and use of government bonds, state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday, citing an interview with new finance minister Lan Foan. The finance ministry will steadily promote the resolution of local government debt risk and increase efforts to better leverage the role of special bonds to boost the economy, Xinhua cited Foan as saying. “The Ministry of Finance will continue to implement a proactive fiscal policy, focus on improving efficiency, and better play the effectiveness of fiscal policy,” said Lan, who also…
Tracking North Korea sanctions-busters under China’s watchful eye
On a clear day over the East China Sea, the voice of a Chinese military official crackles over the radio of a Canadian military patrol plane to tell it to stay away from Pengjia, an islet controlled by Taiwan but claimed by Beijing. “We were nowhere near [the islet],” the flight’s US crew commander told the Financial Times. “Close is 12 miles — we were 35 to 40 miles away.” The job of the Aurora CP-140 long-range surveillance aircraft is to “detect, deter and disrupt” tankers carrying illicit shipments of…
Flights tracking North Korean sanctions busters anger China
On a clear day over the East China Sea, the voice of a Chinese military official crackles over the radio of a Canadian military patrol plane to tell it to stay away from Pengjia, an islet controlled by Taiwan but claimed by Beijing. “We were nowhere near [the islet],” the flight’s US crew commander told the Financial Times. “Close is 12 miles — we were 35 to 40 miles away.” The job of the Aurora CP-140 long-range surveillance aircraft is to “detect, deter and disrupt” tankers carrying illicit shipments of…
Toyota takes on Tesla’s gigacasting in battle for carmaking’s future
Toyota’s battle to catch up with Tesla in a new era of electric vehicles is playing out in one of the oldest parts of the carmaking business: the assembly line. The Japanese carmaker has been claiming technology breakthroughs in solid-state batteries and last week placed an $8bn bet on the US electric vehicle market as it tries to persuade investors of its ability to compete with Tesla. But Toyota is also being challenged by Tesla on the factory floor, where the world’s most valuable carmaker is pioneering a fundamental change…
The US is quietly arming Taiwan to the teeth
But in the last decade the military balance across the Taiwan Strait has tipped dramatically in China’s favour. The old formula no longer works. Washington insists its policy has not changed but, in crucial ways, it has. The US State Department has been quick to deny FMF implies any recognition of Taiwan. But in Taipei it’s apparent that America is redefining its relationship with the island, especially so given the urgency with which Washington is pushing Taiwan to re-arm. And Taiwan, which is outmatched by China, needs the help. BBC