Tag: China News

New Zealand Links Parliament Hacking to China State-Backed Group

Media Library

New Zealand said Tuesday a Chinese state-sponsored hacking operation targeted New Zealand’s parliament in 2021, an allegation that came a day after the United States and Britain took actions in response to their own attacks by China-backed hacking groups. New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) said it linked malicious cyber activity against the country’s parliament to the group Advanced Persistent Threat 40, which the GCSB said is linked to China’s Ministry of State Security. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is…

For Chinese Nationalists, Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’ Is a Problem

Media Library

washington —  Even before streaming platform Netflix aired “3 Body Problem” last week, Chinese nationalists were upset about the adaptation of the Chinese science fiction novel series and its international popularity. On social media sites in China, where Netflix is blocked, some criticized the platform’s cast and changes to the story while others accused it of deliberately using a tragic moment in the country’s past to belittle the world’s second-largest economy. The novel The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin was first serialized in the Chinese magazine Science Fiction World in…

US Vice President: Banning TikTok ‘Not at All the Goal’

Media Library

Austin, Texas —  U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the Biden administration has no intention to ban TikTok, the popular short video application from Chinese company ByteDance. Harris told ABC’s “This Week” program on Sunday that a ban was “not at all the goal or the purpose of this conversation.” The White House urged the Senate last week to swiftly advance a bill that would force ByteDance to sell TikTok over privacy and national security concerns within six months or face a ban. U.S. officials and lawmakers worry that the…

US and UK Announce Sanctions Over China-Linked Hacks on Election Watchdog and Lawmakers

Media Library

london —  The U.S. and British governments on Monday announced sanctions against a company and two people linked to the Chinese government over a string of malicious cyberactivity targeting the U.K.’s election watchdog and lawmakers in both countries. Officials said those sanctioned are responsible for a hack that may have gained access to information on tens of millions of U.K. voters held by the Electoral Commission, as well as for cyberespionage targeting lawmakers who have been outspoken about threats from China. The Foreign Office said the hack of the election…

German Industry Skeptical of China’s Vow to Treat Foreign Firms Equally 

Media Library

FRANKFURT/BERLIN —  A fresh pledge by Beijing to treat foreign companies like domestic rivals drew a cool response from one of its biggest trading partners, Germany, where industries called for concrete actions rather than words to create a true level-playing field. Germany’s engagement in the world’s No.2 economy has been in focus, partly because China remains its biggest trading partner but also because Berlin has asked companies to diversify away from what it calls “partner, competitor and systemic rival.” Beijing’s efforts to make sure international companies stay engaged come as…

China Proposes Dialogue With Australia Amid Rising Tension in South China Sea

Media Library

Taipei, Taiwan      —  China said it may propose talks on maritime issues with Australia amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea. Following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s trip to Australia last week — during which he exchanged views on trade, consular affairs, and regional security with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong — the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on March 21 that Beijing is actively considering “launching a dialogue on maritime affairs” with Australia. In response to Beijing’s proposal, Australia’s Foreign Affairs and Trade…

New Zealand Troops to Help Solomon Islands in Election

Media Library

sydney —  New Zealand said on Monday it will dispatch defense personnel, helicopters and a naval ship to the Solomon Islands to assist in a national election due next month, where relations with China will be a key issue. The deployment is part of a $6.48 million support program for the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission announced in January and that will help transport election officers and materials around Pacific Island nations. New Zealand’s foreign ministry said the vessel HMNZS Canterbury will leave Auckland on Tuesday to transport two helicopters and…

UK Deputy PM to Address Lawmakers on Chinese Cybersecurity Threat

Media Library

LONDON —  British deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is set to address the country’s lawmakers about the cybersecurity threat posed by China on Monday as worries about possible interference grow before an election expected later this year. Dowden is expected to make a statement Monday, a government official said, declining to confirm whether the deputy PM will also announce reprisals including sanctions. FILE – British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden speaks during an interview with Reuters, in Seoul, South Korea, March 19, 2024. There has been growing anxiety about China’s…

IMF Chief Urges China to Boost Growth With ‘Pro-market Reforms’ 

Media Library

beijing —  The head of the International Monetary Fund called Sunday for China to implement “a comprehensive package of pro-market reforms” to boost a sluggish economy beset by a housing market crisis, low domestic demand and persistently high youth unemployment. Chinese policymakers have so far resisted calls to juice the economy through massive government stimulus, instead stressing the need to pivot toward “high-quality” growth. Speaking at the China Development Forum in Beijing on Sunday, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the “transition from high rates to high quality of growth…

China Blocks Using Intel, AMD Chips in Government Computers, Report Says

Media Library

China has introduced guidelines to phase out the use of U.S. microprocessors from Intel and AMD in government personal computers and servers, the Financial Times reported Sunday. The procurement guidance also seeks to sideline Microsoft’s Windows operating system and foreign-made database software in favor of domestic options, the report said. Government agencies above the township level have been told to include criteria requiring “safe and reliable” processors and operating systems when making purchases, the newspaper said. China’s industry ministry in late December issued a statement with three separate lists of…