Author: Grace Tsoi

24Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Save Hong Kong: Pro-democracy protesters cry for help from international community

With China releasing draft of the national security law, the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong are making desperate attempts to save their country’s special status under the ‘One country two systems’ regime.While desperately calling out for help, Patrick Poon, an independent human rights researcher, said that the content of the draft law could have a far-reaching impact on universal values.“The details mean that it’s really the end of not only ‘One Country, Two Systems,’ but also really the end of Hong Kong’s autonomy and judicial independence,” he said.“The international community needs to respond to such arrangement more strongly than ever,” he said while adding “It will be a disaster for everyone if Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong’s affairs is not effectively countered with real
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Coronavirus cases in China were 37 times higher than reported in January: US Think Tank
24Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Coronavirus cases in China were 37 times higher than reported in January: US Think Tank

A US-based think tank has said coronavirus cases in China were likely 37 times higher than that reported by the country's government in January 2020.“From December 31, 2019, to January 22, 2020, China reported a daily average of 172 cases of COVID-19 among its residents. This number of confirmed cases was equivalent to just one per 8.2 million residents in the country per day,” the think tank RAND on its website said.Since the outbreak of a novel coronavirus, several governmental and non-governmental agencies around the world have accused China of opacity regarding the virus and for hiding information.RAND has published a report after examining the role of commercial air travel in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It has said that there is strong evidence to prove that Chin
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Pak-Origin plotter of 26/11 attacks arrested in US, faces extradition
23Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Pak-Origin plotter of 26/11 attacks arrested in US, faces extradition

Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman has been arrested in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.Rana, 59, a known close associate of David Coleman Headley - one of the main conspirators behind the attacks on India’s financial hub that killed 166 people - was serving a 14-year sentence in a Los Angeles federal prison when he was granted an early release last week because of being infected by the coronavirus.He was rearrested in Los Angeles on June 10 following an extradition request by India, where he is a declared fugitive, US prosecutors said.Assistant US Attorney John J Lulejian told the court that the Indian government, as per the bilateral Extradition Treaty signed in 1997, has requested the arrest and det
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China creating multiple fronts to take advantage of world busy combating COVID-19: US official
22Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China creating multiple fronts to take advantage of world busy combating COVID-19: US official

China opening multiple fronts like the one on India border maybe because of Beijing’s assessment that the world is distracted due to COVID-19 pandemic and it may advantage of it, a US diplomat said on Thursday.Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, David Stilwell, made this remark at a press conference during a conference call after the Hawaii meeting between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi to exchange views on bilateral relations.Talking about the recent India-China stand-off at Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh area, he said, "...one explanation for creating multiple fronts like this is an assessment in Beijing that the world is distracted and is focused entirely on survival, right, recovering from the corona pandemic, which the
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China displays ‘rogue’ attitude in neighborhood, creates wedge between US, Europe: Pompeo
21Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China displays ‘rogue’ attitude in neighborhood, creates wedge between US, Europe: Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday criticized the Chinese government for not only displaying its "rogue" attitude in its neighborhood, particularly the recent escalation of border tension with India, but also for "pushing disinformation and malicious cyber campaigns so as to drive a wedge between the US and Europe.".“I think all across the world it's becoming more apparent each and every day. Chinese Communist Party decreed an end to freedom in Hong Kong, violating UN-registered treaty and rights of its citizens-one of many int'l treaties that the Chinese Communist Party has violated,” Pompeo said during an online conference on democracy held in Copenhagen, Denmark.Earlier this week, Pompeo met a Senior Chinese official in Hawaii where he held closed door talks when relations betw
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Australia hints at Chinese cyber-attack; Japan, Vietnam too riled by Beijing
21Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Australia hints at Chinese cyber-attack; Japan, Vietnam too riled by Beijing

It seems like India isn’t the only country fighting China’s tactics right now. Hinting at China, Australian PM Scott Morrison on Friday said that his authorities and a few personal sector entities within the nation had been underneath a sustained cyber-attack by a state actor.Last week, Vietnam’s overseas ministry stated two Chinese ships had attacked a Vietnamese fishing boat within the South China Sea. The incident occurred close to the Parcel Islands which China claims as its own. In April, Vietnam had protested after one of its fishing boats was sunk by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel close to the islands.Reports from Japan on June 18 indicated that China had positioned its vessels close to the Senkaku Islands within the East China Sea for 66 days operating to intimidate Tokyo.
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G7 foreign ministers urge China to reconsider new security law on Hong Kong
20Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

G7 foreign ministers urge China to reconsider new security law on Hong Kong

Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) member countries on Wednesday issued a joint statement strongly urging China to reconsider its decision to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong, saying that it would “seriously” undermine the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle."The proposed national security law would risk seriously undermining the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle and the territory's high degree of autonomy. It would jeopardize the system which has allowed Hong Kong to flourish and made it a success over many years," the foreign ministers of United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the EU's High Representative said in the statement.The group said it was writing to underscore their "grave concern" regarding China's decision,
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Pentagon warns China is exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to wage ‘economic warfare’ on the US
19Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Pentagon warns China is exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to wage ‘economic warfare’ on the US

Defense officials in the U.S are growing increasingly concerned that China is using the coronavirus outbreak to gain stakes in strategically important businesses as the pandemic leaves struggling companies urgently in need of capital.But even as the Defense Department works to improve supply security, procurement experts warn that the Pentagon may not have the visibility required to help protect smaller companies down the chain. They say the job is only getting harder as the pandemic has broadened the definition of national security interests to include medical supplies. And they point to at least one Chinese-owned company that asked to bid on a Pentagon contract."We have to be very, very careful about the focused efforts some of our adversaries have to really undergo sort of economic warf...
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Vietnam objects to China’s Undersea Cable Construction in Paracel Island
17Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Vietnam objects to China’s Undersea Cable Construction in Paracel Island

The Vietnamese government has objected to China's alleged laying of undersea cables in the disputed Paracel Islands, saying it was a violation of Vietnamese sovereignty.The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying that the country deployed a coastguard vessel into another contested island chain in the South China Sea, the Spratlys, in an apparent response to the presence of Chinese maritime militia around a Vietnamese outpost there.When asked about a news report regarding a Chinese ship that was laying or repairing undersea cables near Chinese outposts in the Paracels, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said: “Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence and legal grounds affirming its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordan
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Malaysia minister says ‘news’ that Singaporeans not welcomed is fake
14Jun By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Malaysia minister says ‘news’ that Singaporeans not welcomed is fake

Malaysia's Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob has fallen victim to fake news claiming that he does not welcome Singaporeans to the country."The truth is, our borders are still closed to everyone, including Singaporeans, so such news is malicious," he said at his daily briefing on Malaysia's coronavirus situation yesterday. "This act can sour the relationship between Malaysia and our neighbour Singapore."Sabri also noted that his voice had been doctored in the offending tweet."I have lodged a report with the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)," he said.Malaysia has closed its borders to foreigners since March 18, when it implemented a partial shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.Although, it has since eased movement restrictions ...
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