Day: April 21, 2023

Who were the ancient Xiongnu? Study uncovers genetically diverse empire and nomadic princesses

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However, the Xiongnu did not have a writing system, and much of what is known about them was written and passed down by its political rival, the Han dynasty ruling China. The Han Chinese “repeatedly and dismissively” characterised the Xiongnu Empire as a “simple body” of nomadic elites, and many aspects of the political constituencies and social organisation remain unknown, according to the paper’s authors. 01:03 The mysterious tomb of Han dynasty Emperor Wen among China’s top 10 archaeological finds Previous studies have discovered a high level of genetic diversity…

China’s new rural land transfer scheme sparks fears over heavy-handed enforcement

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New rules governing the transfer of rural land in China have sparked concerns that the ruling Communist Party may be gearing up for the mass confiscation and reallocation of farmland in the name of “stabilizing the grain supply,” Radio Free Asia has learned. The Ministry of Agriculture announced this week it will roll out a pilot scheme to “standardize” the transfer of rural property rights, as well as “strengthening supervision and management” over the use of rural land in China, which is typically leased to farmers on 30-year “household responsibility”…

China Reacts Unenthusiastically to Yellen’s Olive Branch for Talks

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WASHINGTON —  China on Friday did not reciprocate U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s appeal for the world’s two biggest economies to resume official communications. In a speech detailing the Biden administration’s economic priorities on China a day earlier, Yellen said the U.S. seeks constructive and fair economic ties with China without compromising its national security. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded by accusing the U.S. of now using technology and trade issues between the two economies as a tool and weapon “in the name of national security.” “The U.S.…

Uyghur News Recap: April 8–21, 2023

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Uyghur Asylum Seekers in US Face Stress From Waiting, Report Finds The Uyghur Human Rights Project recently published a report highlighting the plight of Uyghur asylum seekers in the U.S. who have fled persecution in Xinjiang. The report revealed that Uyghurs experienced significant stress caused by waiting for more than eight years without resolution of their asylum cases. The Uyghur Human Rights Project made 14 recommendations for action to government agencies and civil society groups to quickly resolve outstanding applications. Experts urge Congress to strengthen Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act…

US case against alleged monkey smuggler is ‘attack on Cambodia,’ his lawyers claim

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The former head of Cambodia’s Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity should not be held responsible for illegally smuggling research monkeys because he was acting on orders of his government and not in a personal capacity, his lawyers have argued in a U.S. government case against him. Moreover, the U.S. case against Masphal Kry is tantamount to an attack on the Cambodian government, his defense lawyers argued, calling the indictment “a full-on assault on a foreign ministry.” U.S. Justice Department officials said Kry and seven other individuals were running a smuggling…

Vietnam orders media to scrub all content about prominent writer’s death

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Vietnam has ordered media outlets to remove news coverage about the death of literary critic and poet Dang Tien, and not to publish further reports about him because he was a member of a literature organization the government claims is anti-communist, sources in the country told Radio Free Asia. Dang Tien, best known for his books “Universe of Poetry,” and “Poems, Poetics, Prosody, and Profiles,” died in France at age 83 on April 17.  After starting his career as a book reviewer while still a college student in Saigon, now…

China hawk John Bolton to be first 2024 White House hopeful to visit Taiwan

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An outspoken China hawk who is seeking the White House is due to become the first 2024 presidential hopeful to visit Taiwan as American political positions toward Beijing harden ahead of next year’s U.S. election. John Bolton, who served as national security advisor to President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2019 and has launched a bid to become the next Republican nominee for president, will deliver remarks at two pro-Taiwanese independence events in Taipei, his office said Friday. The first is a keynote speech at The World Taiwanese Congress on…

To Understand China, Foreign Reporters Need Access, Journalists Say

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washington —  Longtime New York Times China reporter Chris Buckley traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the day the city went into lockdown. It was January 2020. “In retrospect, it sounds crazy,” Buckley said. He went prepared with masks and a healthy sense of caution, but he never predicted that what he saw during those weeks would still grip the world three years later. “It was a big story, and I like to cover big stories. It’s exciting. It’s fulfilling. And I hope it didn’t make…

Vietnam: Four Climate Activists Are Political Prisoners, Report Says

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Bangkok, Thailand —  The government of Vietnam used charges of tax evasion to jail four dissidents known as the Vietnam Four for their roles in climate activism, a human rights group says in a new report. The 88 Project is a Vietnam human rights group headquartered in the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois. Its 88-page report, called “Weaponizing the Law to Prosecute the Vietnam Four,” documents how authorities in Vietnam have cracked down on four Vietnamese climate activists, charging them with tax evasion and sentencing them to prison in a…