Grace Tsoi, Author at The Singapore Post

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.

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,

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...

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

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 ...

Minister assures contact-tracing device will not track location of Singapore citizens

8Jun

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Minister assures contact-tracing device will not track location of Singapore citizens

The wearable device for contact tracing in development by the Government to help curb the spread of Covid-19 will not track an individual's location, and those who prefer to use Singapore's contact-tracing app TraceTogether will still be able to do so, said Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative Vivian Balakrishnan.“The device, which may be issued to everyone here, will be a small device that people can slip into their bag or pocket,” he said in the comments thread of a post on his Facebook page on Sunday.The announcement of this device comes after news that TraceTogether, which identifies people in close contact with a coronavirus patient via wireless Bluetooth technology, does not work well with Apple devices.The app is useful when those infected cannot recall whom they had be

Racially insensitive acts not condoned, but Singapore and US situations are different: Singapore Education Minister

7Jun

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Racially insensitive acts not condoned, but Singapore and US situations are different: Singapore Education Minister

Young people in Singapore are doing the right thing by standing up against racial insensitivity, said Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung on Saturday.He was speaking about a photo of a birthday celebration taken in 2016 which depicted Raffles Institution students with their faces painted black.In a Facebook post, Ong stressed that such acts of “racial insensitivity or micro-aggression against a person” of another race are not condoned, but urged people to also be mindful of how the situation in Singapore differs from that in the United States, which erupted in nationwide protests after an unarmed black man was suffocated in police custody on May 25.The photo resurfaced on social media recently, depicted a group of Chinese students, some with their faces painted black and some wearing black

23May

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Latin America named new epicenter for virus

Live version of coronavirus map The World Health Organization declared Latin America “a new epicenter” of the coronavirus pandemic Friday as US President Donald Trump demanded churches reopen despite the ongoing Covid-19 threat. China meanwhile warned that its economy will suffer an immense hit from the coronavirus and Beijing’s communist rulers for the first time […] The post Latin America named new epicenter for virus appeared first on Asia Times.

23May

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

A rushed reach for the sun in Myanmar

SAGAING and YANGON – Myanmar is rushing ahead with a major solar power initiative amid the Covid-19 pandemic, giving potential investors just a month to submit bids and raising questions about the tender’s intent and viability. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy published a notice on its official Facebook page dated May 18 inviting companies […] The post A rushed reach for the sun in Myanmar appeared first on Asia Times.

23May

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Flaunting Korea’s tattoo taboo

Millennial South Koreans talk a great deal about generational change and the related changes in attitudes and behaviors. One visible and physical aspect of this in recent years has been a rise in tattoos. While 0n-skin artwork has surged with a vengeance into fashion among hipsters in the wider world, the trend is arguably more […] The post Flaunting Korea’s tattoo taboo appeared first on Asia Times.