Month: August 2021

Advertisement The coup d’état that occurred in Myanmar in February 2021, when the military seized power from the democratically elected government, has attracted an enormous amount of international attention. While most major powers expressed concern and condemnation of both the coup and the following violence against protesters and urged the restoration of democracy, China has been reserved, not expressing any negative comments regarding the event. The reluctance to report the February 1 event as a military coup in major Chinese state media such as Xinhua and the People’s Daily reflects…

Advertisement Everyone knows it’s a bad idea to spill water on a cell phone, but did you know that it takes more than 3,000 gallons of water to produce one? Water is needed for mining the metal, making the glue and plastic for assembly and packaging, and then diluting the wastewater used throughout the process. This amount is 10 times the average per capita daily water consumption in China. Semiconductors, the tiny circuits known as chips that power all of our electronic devices — including your phone — are particularly…

Advertisement A diplomatic row between China and Lithuania broke out earlier this week, with China ordering Lithuania to withdraw its ambassador in Beijing on Tuesday. China stated that it would do the same with its ambassador in Lithuania. The diplomatic row centers around plans by Taiwan to open a new diplomatic office in Lithuania, which also intends to open a trade office in Taiwan this fall. The move does not mean that Taiwan will establish official diplomatic relations with Lithuania. The new office would still be a representative office and…

Advertisement As if the existing tech crackdown wasn’t sufficient, China just rolled out an internet insurance rectification plan, which seeks to force insurtech companies into regulatory compliance. Insurance companies have very little time in order to meet the requirements. What is the new rule all about? On August 11, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) stated that it will launch a special rectification of internet insurance chaos, requiring insurance technology companies to end bad practices such as improper marketing and pricing practices and strengthen user privacy protection. The “Notice…

Advertisement On July 2, 2021, just one day after Xi Jinping celebrated the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Chinese government abruptly announced a cybersecurity review over DiDi. As the most popular ride-hailing company in China, which offers daily service to 550 million users through an app, DiDi had a low-key IPO in the United States only days earlier. The review included extremely harsh measures such as banning DiDi from adding new users. Afterward the stock price of DiDi tumbled.  Dramatic as it may seem, the DiDi episode…

In a statement published on Wednesday, the Dandong court said: “For the crime of spying and illegal provision of state secrets abroad [Spavor] has been sentenced to 11 years in jail, confiscation of 50,000 yuan ($7,715: £5,578) worth of personal property and deportation.” BBC

  Advertisement   For all the talk of China’s growing presence in Africa, its economic engagement is surprisingly limited. In 2020, Africa accounted for 4 percent of China’s trade with the world (4.4 percent for its exports and 3.6 percent for its imports). In 2019, the continent accounted for just 2.9 percent of Chinese direct investment flows in the world. Since Africa is made up of 54 countries, 53 of which recognize Beijing, economic relations are even less important by country. On the other hand, China accounted for 16.4 percent…

Advertisement   A Canadian entrepreneur who was charged with spying after his government arrested an executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei faces a possible verdict Wednesday as Beijing steps up pressure on Canada ahead of a court ruling on whether to hand over the executive to face U.S. criminal charges. Michael Spavor and another Canadian were detained in China in what critics labeled “hostage politics” after the executive’s 2018 arrest in connection with possible violations of trade sanctions on Iran. On Tuesday, a court rejected the appeal of a third…

Wan Yong, who heads the team monitoring the elephants, told a news conference on Monday that the herd had crossed the Yuanjiang River and was continuing to head south. Electric fences, bait and artificial roads have been used to ensure the animals followed the correct path. BBC