For the second time in three months, a belligerent and resentful crowd of locals in Indonesia’s Aceh province made authorities move dozens of newly arrived Rohingya refugees from their shelter by storming the facility, officials said Wednesday. After their boat had capsized near West Aceh regency last week, following a long journey from Bangladesh, the 75 traumatized Rohingya were placed in the temporary shelter in the village of Suak Nie. They seemed scared and sobbed, as seen in a widely circulated video, before officials led them to a vehicle to…
Month: March 2024
Deceptive Practices and Countermeasures on China’s Online Retail Platforms
As reported by China’s Ministry of Commerce, in 2023 total online retail sales amounted to 15.4 trillion yuan ($2.1 trillion), an increase of 11 percent, marking China’s 11th consecutive year as the world’s largest online retail market. Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of e-commerce has facilitated the adoption of various deceptive strategies to target a broader customer base, giving rise to significant concerns. Deceptive Practices on China’s Online Retail Platforms The prevalent deceptive practices on China’s online retail platforms mainly fall into two categories: the sale of fake goods and deceptive…
Chinese cities ban burning of ‘ghost money’ ahead of grave festival
Authorities in some parts of China have announced a ban on the burning of “ghost money” and other paper offerings for departed loved ones ahead of the annual grave-tending festival of Qingming next week, calling the practice “feudal superstition” and sparking an outcry on social media. Bans on the burning of “ghost money” and on the sale of “superstitious feudal” goods have been issued by authorities in the northern city of Tianjin, in Nenjiang city in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and in Nantong city in the eastern province of…
Russia Vetoes Monitoring of UN Sanctions Against North Korea
UNITED NATIONS — Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution on Thursday, effectively abolishing the monitoring of United Nations sanctions against North Korea by a panel of U.N. experts. The Security Council resolution sponsored by the United States would have extended the mandate of the panel for a year, but Russia’s veto will halt its operations. The vote in the 15-member council was 13 in favor, Russia against and China abstaining. Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told the council before the vote that Western nations are trying to “strangle” North Korea and…
Xi Jinping’s chief of staff is China’s new internet tsar, sources say
It was established because of concerns raised by Xi and other officials that Beijing’s lack of control over the internet and public opinion expressed online could compromise the party’s rule. Cai’s appointment has not been announced but he took the helm of the commission some time in the first half of 2023, according to one source in Beijing. The party does not usually announce such appointments. They are usually disclosed in official statements issued after meetings, which contain the key members’ roles and titles. In rare monetary policy shift, Xi…
Japan’s Leader Seeks Meeting with North Korea and End to Deflation, to Boost Public Support
Tokyo — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated Thursday his determination to work toward a summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to realize the return of Japanese people believed abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 80s. “I remain committed to realizing this for Japan,” he told reporters, while declining to directly address the recent comments from North Korea that suggested such a meeting would be possible only if Japan stops pressing the abductions issue. Speaking at a news conference after the government budget cleared parliament, Kishida…
Xiaomi surprises with lower-than-expected pricing on new EVs, in new challenge to Tesla
Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi on Thursday launched its much-awaited first electric vehicle (EV) – the SU7, short for Speed Ultra – at a venue in Beijing close to its car manufacturing facility, pricing the standard model at 215,900 yuan (US$29,867) to take on Tesla’s Model 3 in the world’s largest EV market. The high-end SU7 Pro costs 245,900 yuan while the SU7 Max, the most powerful vehicle in the series, was priced at 299,900 yuan. Xiaomi has started pre-orders on the vehicles, including 5,000 units of the “Founders” version of…
US, Argentina to Cooperate, Combat Illegal Chinese Fishing
Panama City — Starting next month, the U.S. Coast Guard and Argentine Navy will begin conducting joint exercises aimed at combating illegal Chinese fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. Argentina, Chile and Peru have criticized Chinese-operated craft for large-scale invasive fishing in their territorial waters without regulation, which the South American countries say is depleting fish stock and damaging the natural biodiversity of the southwest Atlantic. It is a key nesting area for seabirds and feeding area for marine mammals. The Coast Guard will send its destroyer, the USS James, to…
China’s EV sector a live wire for US, with war of words over excess capacity casting shadow over Janet Yellen visit
United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is expected to consult American companies on China’s industrial overcapacity, particularly in solar power and electric vehicles (EVs), at a planned meeting during her trip to China next week – a discussion that is likely to inform the tone of subsequent talks with her counterparts in Beijing, as both sides have deployed heated rhetoric on the issue. The town hall-style meeting will last for one and a half hours in the early afternoon of April 5 according to information obtained by the Post, twice…
3 Key Points for Understanding China’s Foreign Policy
When I talk with foreign friends in Beijing, some of them mention that they are increasingly confused about China’s foreign policy. Does China want to change the status quo in the Asia-Pacific? Is China using Europe as a bargaining chip with the United States? How did “wolf warrior” diplomacy come about? Their questions are interesting and universal. However, it is difficult to get introductions from experts in China because some are reluctant to talk to foreign media. As a relatively independent journalist, I think it is necessary to make a…