Tag: US

Chinese threat to Taiwan ‘closer than most think’: top US admiral
24Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Chinese threat to Taiwan ‘closer than most think’: top US admiral

Admiral John Aquilino, who is chosen to be the next commander of US forces in the Pacific, on Tuesday said that China is amassing weapons and systems to militarily overwhelm Taiwan, an action it could be “poised to take” within the next six years.“My opinion is this problem is much closer to us than most think,” he said before the Senate Armed Services Committee, which was reviewing his nomination to lead the US military’s Indo-Pacific Command.He further stated that China considers establishing full control over Taiwan to be its “number one priority”.The current head of the command, Admiral Philip Davidson, told a hearing earlier this month that China could be prepared to take Taiwan, the self-governed democratic island that Beijing claims as its sovereign territory, by force within the ne...
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Japan, US to conduct joint military drills near Senkaku Islands to counter China
22Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Japan, US to conduct joint military drills near Senkaku Islands to counter China

The United States and Japan have decided to conduct large-scale joint drills to protect the Senkaku Islands and counter China’s aggressiveness in the East China Sea.According to media reports, Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces would join the US Marines and Air Force in an exercise to defend the Japanese-administered Senkakus, which are claimed by China as Diaoyu.Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi stressed the need for joint drills during a TV program aired on Friday in local media. “We need to improve our capability through joint drills and demonstrate our presence,” he said.In February, China adopted a law allowing its coast guard to fire at foreign ships. Since then, Chinese coast guard ships have repeatedly sailed into Japanese waters near the islets.The drills come after...
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US condemns Beijing’s move to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system
13Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

US condemns Beijing’s move to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system

After Beijing approved a resolution to drastically overhaul Hong Kong's electoral system to ensure only 'patriots' can rule the city, the United States publicly condemned China for its “continuing assaults on democratic institutions”."We condemn the People's Republic of China (PRC's) continuing assaults on democratic institutions in Hong Kong," US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said during a press briefing."The changes approved by the National People's Congress today, on March 11, are a direct attack on Hong Kong's autonomy, its freedom and democratic processes limiting political participation, reducing democratic representation, and stifling political debate in order to defy the clear will of people in Hong Kong and deny their voices in their own governance," he added.On Thurs...
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Increasing number of foreigners avoid travel to China due to fear of detention: Report
13Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Increasing number of foreigners avoid travel to China due to fear of detention: Report

Academics, NGO workers and media professionals have said that they are unwilling to travel to China after the detention of foreigners in the country.China’s President Xi Jinping forges increasingly hostile relations with Western governments and hence, some fear being a target of a possible diplomatic spat between their government and Beijing.Several people pointed to the detention of two Canadians in China in December 2018 – Micheal Kovrig, an NGO worker and Michael Spavor, who organised trips to North Korea – after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on charges filed in the US.Last year, Chinese-Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei, who worked for the state media channel CGTN, was also detained amid worsening ties between Beijing and Australia.Gordon Matthews, a professor of...
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US Congressman expresses solidarity with Sindhi community as Pak crackdown on minorities
10Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

US Congressman expresses solidarity with Sindhi community as Pak crackdown on minorities

US Congressman Adam Schiff has condemned the human rights abuses in Pakistan’s Sindh province, including disappearances, torture, forced conversions and extrajudicial killings.While supporting the Sindhi Foundation’s ‘Long Walk for Freedom, Nature, and Love’, Schiff said that he hopes the long walk “can raise awareness for these crimes and bring peace and justice to Sindh”.“I am so pleased to be able to offer a few words of encouragement and support for the long walk for freedom, nature and love. I have had the honour of getting to know more about the Sindhi people and their peaceful and inclusive culture,” he said.He also expressed concern over the “trends of human rights abuses in Sindh province, including disappearances, torture, forced conversions and extrajudicial killings”.According ...
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Chinese cyber-espionage unit on US hacking spree: Expert
8Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

Chinese cyber-espionage unit on US hacking spree: Expert

A cyber security specialist has said that approximately 30,000 organizations in the United States, including local governments, have been hacked in recent days by an "unusually aggressive" Chinese cyber-espionage campaign.According to a post by Brian Krebs on his cyber security news website, the campaign has exploited recently discovered flaws in Microsoft Exchange software, stealing email and infecting computer servers with tools that let attackers take control remotely."This is an active threat," White House spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said when asked about the situation during a press briefing. "Everyone running these servers needs to act now to patch them. We are concerned that there are a large number of victims," she added.After Microsoft released patches for the vulnerabilities, atta...
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US welcomes steps to return J&K to full economic, political normalcy
5Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

US welcomes steps to return J&K to full economic, political normalcy

The United States State Department spokesperson Ned Price has welcomed and appreciated India’s actions to return the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to full economic and political normalcy consistent with the country’s democratic values.“We welcome steps to return the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to full economic and political normalcy consistent with India’s democratic values,” he said. “We continue to follow developments in Jammu and Kashmir closely.”Stressing upon the strategic partnership with India, Price asserted, “We have a comprehensive global strategic partnership with India.”“When it comes to Pakistan, we have an important shared interest in the region and we’ll continue to work closely with Pakistani authorities on those,” he added.In February, the United States wel...
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US has obligation to address genocide in Xinjiang by China: Nancy Pelosi
5Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

US has obligation to address genocide in Xinjiang by China: Nancy Pelosi

The United States Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed solidarity with the Uyghur community amid the ongoing human rights abuse in China and affirmed her view that the United States has an “obligation to address the genocide”.“If we don’t speak out clearly for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out for human rights any place in the world,” she said after a meeting through video conference with the representatives of Campaign for Uyghurs.During the meeting, held on March 1, the Campaign for Uyghurs informed the Speaker about the updates and legislative priorities relating to stopping the Uyghur genocide, according to an official statement.Dr Rishat Abbas, Senior Advisor to CFU and the World Uyghur Congress, said, “Uyghurs are facing unp...
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New York Stock Exchange to delist major Chinese oil company on March 9
4Mar mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

New York Stock Exchange to delist major Chinese oil company on March 9

In compliance with an executive order by former US President Donald Trump, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) will move to delist CNOOC Ltd., the Chinese oil major“Trading in American depository shares of CNOOC will be suspended at 4 am ET on March 9,” the NYSE said in a statement.It’s the fourth Chinese company to be slapped with such a punishment.The exchange said in January that it would end trading of shares in China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom to comply with Trump’s order targeting companies that the previous administration said had links to the Chinese military.CNOOC’s Hong Kong-listed shares dropped 1.1 per cent on Monday.The Big Board’s regulatory arm determined that CNOOC was ‘no longer suitable for listing’ in light of the executive order, which Trump signed in Novembe...
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US-China tensions over South China Sea to continue under Biden administration: Report
28Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

US-China tensions over South China Sea to continue under Biden administration: Report

With Chinese military conducting a live-fire drill to test its response to repeated missile attacks in a “far sea” and US stepping up reconnaissance activities, it seems that tensions between Beijing and Washington over the South China Sea will continue under the new Joe Biden administration.There are fresh signs from the Chinese and the American armed forces that tensions over the South China Sea will continue, according to media reports.The Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command conducted a live-fire drill to test its response to repeated missile attacks in a “far sea”, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday without saying when or where the exercise took place.The drill involved the guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan, guided-missile frigate Hengyang, the amphibious dock landing ...
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