Author: News Desk

Immigration rises in Taiwan from Hong Kong
8Jan By News DeskNo Comments
Asia, China

Immigration rises in Taiwan from Hong Kong

Taipei, Taiwan: Taiwan is seeing a rise in the people migrating from Hong Kong in the country.The democratic island of Taiwan is expecting a new wave of arrivals from the former British colony of Hong Kong, where the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is presiding over a city-wide crackdown on civil society, public dissent and political opposition under a draconian national security law, according to Radio Free Asia. The latest statistics from the Taiwan Immigration Department indicate that number of Hong Kong residents emigrating to Taiwan hit a new high in 2021, the island’s Mainland Affairs Commission (MAC) spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng told reporters on Friday. Earlier, the island’s interior ministry handed out 9,772 residence cards to Hong Kong residents between January and Novem
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TAIWAN UNIFICATION & PLA MODERNISATION: GOALS TO WHAT END?
8Jan By News DeskNo Comments
Asia, China, Conflict, Politics

TAIWAN UNIFICATION & PLA MODERNISATION: GOALS TO WHAT END?

Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a mobilization order for the training of the armed forces for 2022 sparking off speculation about the fate of Taiwan, even as he addressed the nation on television hoping for reunification with Taiwan under his long-term vision to realize the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."  The mobilisation of the armed forces is the first order of the new year by the Central Military Commission of which Xi is the chairman. There was a similar order last year as well as part of the modernisation of the People’s Liberation Army forces. The order says the entire rank and file of the armed forces are required to resolutely implement the plans and instructions of the Party leadership and the CMC, and accurately understand the changing landscape of na
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Credibility problems and China
6Jan By News DeskNo Comments
China, World

Credibility problems and China

Beijing, China: China’s Communist Party (CCP) controls the media — through rigid censorship; an army of civil servants who post, like, share on behalf of the CCP; and through social media such as Weibo, WeChat and other outlets that were created specifically for the domestic market and are tightly controlled, according to Deutsche Welle. As a result of this overbearing control, missing tennis star Peng Shuai’s posting disappeared in no time causing embarrassment to China. Further, CCP also controls the economy, it controls the courts, it controls science and education. Ultimately, all walks of life are monitored right down to the last detail which puts a question on its credibility.As a result, the CCP acts against Chinese citizens. It subjects hundreds of thousands of Muslim
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Bail for the ex-editors of Hong Kong based media outlet have denied bail
4Jan By News DeskNo Comments
World

Bail for the ex-editors of Hong Kong based media outlet have denied bail

Hong Kong: Stand News' former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen, 52, was brought to West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Thursday afternoon after being detained by police overnight. His co-defendant, 34-year-old Patrick Lam - who recently stepped down as the acting chief editor of the independent news source - did not make an appearance owing to health reasons. The two editors are among several people who were arrested by the police on Wednesday on suspicion of allegedly violating the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance. Among the other arrestees were prominent barrister Margaret Ng, Cantopop singer Denise Ho, Christine Fang and Chow Tat-chi, who were former directors of Stand News. They were released on police bail in the late afternoon on Thursday without charge, said the publication. Be...
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U.S. calls on China and Hong Kong to release Stand News employees
3Jan By News DeskNo Comments
China, World

U.S. calls on China and Hong Kong to release Stand News employees

WASHINGTON: China and Hong Kong have been told by USA to immediately release the staff members of Stand News which is a pro-democracy media outlet. Antony Blinken U.S. Secretary of State called on China and Hong Kong for the same. "We call on PRC and Hong Kong authorities to cease targeting Hong Kong's free and independent media and to immediately release those journalists and media executives who have been unjustly detained and charged," Blinken said in a statement, referring to the People's Republic of China. "By silencing independent media, PRC and local authorities undermine Hong Kong's credibility and viability," he said. Stand News, set up in 2014 as a non-profit organization, was the most prominent remaining pro-democracy publication in Hong Kong after a national security ...
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Local media outlets witnessed raids, senior media staff arrested
1Jan By News DeskNo Comments
China, World

Local media outlets witnessed raids, senior media staff arrested

Hong Kong: Hong Kong media company members have been arrested. Among the arrested people some were working media professionals and some were former senior staff. These arrests were made after more than 200 national security police officers were deployed to raid the offices of Stand News, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported. The arrests were made on suspicion of breaching the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance by conspiring to publish seditious publications, the publication added. Hong Kong police said they conducted a search on the office of the online media company for relevant journalistic materials. This development comes a day after Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and six other former staff members of the tabloid Apple Daily are set to face an additional sedition charge, und...
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Stand News “pro-democracy” Media Company closed its operations in Hong Kong
31Dec By News DeskNo Comments
Opinion, World

Stand News “pro-democracy” Media Company closed its operations in Hong Kong

Hong Kong: Another pro-democracy media company closed its operations in Hong Kong. Stand News announced its closure after seven years. It is also removing all its content. This comes hours after a police raid and seven arrests on Wednesday. The authorities have frozen the assets worth HK$61 million, Hong Kong Free Press reported. Earlier in the day, more than 200 national security police officers were deployed to raid the offices of Stand News. As many as seven current or former senior staff members of the Hong Kong online media company were arrested on suspicion of breaching the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance by conspiring to publish seditious publications, the publication added. This development comes a day as Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and six other former staff me...
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China aims to dominate East Asia
30Dec By News DeskNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore, World

China aims to dominate East Asia

In a recent congressional research Service (CRS) report highlights about the competition of US and China in East Asia region. A recently updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) report shines a new light on the scope of China-U.S. competition in the East Asia region. The 128-page report, authored by Naval Affairs Specialist Ronald O’Rourke, opens with an overview of U.S. interests in the South China Sea (SCS), East China Sea (ECS), and Yellow Sea. These waters, explains the author, border current and emerging U.S. partners, including Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The document lays out a series of core American policy goals guiding the U.S.-China competition in the SCS and ECS. These include, but are not limited to …fulfilling U.S. security commitments in
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Sri Lankan trade with China and Hong Kong fell since 2020
29Dec By News DeskNo Comments
China, World

Sri Lankan trade with China and Hong Kong fell since 2020

Colombo, Sri Lanka: Trade of Sri Lanka with Hong Kong and China has seen a steady decline since 2020.   Kapila Bandara, writing in the Sunday Times said that Sri Lanka's trade with China, including tea shipments, steadily declined in 2020. Separately, its meagre bilateral trade with wealthy Hong Kong, a world-leading trade and financial services centre, has fallen sharply in the five years to 2020. Sri Lanka's exports to China in 2020 have dropped to USD 223 million, from USD 229.06m in 2019, and down from USD 230.59 million in 2018, data from Sri Lanka Customs, Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Export Development Board show, reported the Sunday Times. Out of Sri Lanka's total trade, China accounted for just 2.22 per cent in 2020, compared with the United States absorbing 24...
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Chinese spies in Taiwan’s military
28Dec By News DeskNo Comments
Asia, Business, China, Conflict, Singapore, World

Chinese spies in Taiwan’s military

TAIPEI: Hong Kong business man, Xie Xizhang is accused of espionage in Taiwan for China. For more than 20 years he has been doing this.   On one trip in 2006, Xie met a senior retired Taiwanese navy officer, Chang Pei-ning, over a meal, according to official documents accusing the pair of espionage. Chang would become one of Xie's agents, the documents allege, helping him penetrate Taiwan's active military leadership as part of a long-running Chinese operation to build a spy ring among serving and retired military officers. The Taiwanese officers and their families were allegedly lured by Xie's offers of all-expenses-paid trips abroad, thousands of dollars in cash payments, and gifts such as silk scarves and belts for their wives. In June 2019, counter-espionage officers moved ...
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