China Archives - Page 130 of 134

Security law puts Hong Kong pastors at risk of being extradited to China: Watchdog

29Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Security law puts Hong Kong pastors at risk of being extradited to China: Watchdog

As China plans to go ahead with the imposition of draconian national security law on Hong Kong, pastors including pro-democracy activists and religious leaders face a risk of being extradited to mainland China for trial, a US-based Christian watchdog has warned."Under such laws, vocal Hong Kong clergy who have been supportive of Hong Kong's democracy movement, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, could be extradited to mainland China to be tried, since Beijing considers them to be threats to the regime," International Christian Concern (ICC) said in a statement."Other hundreds of protestant leaders or Christian organizations who have actively spoken out against the Hong Kong government might face the same fate, since Beijing has said it considers the mass p...

Pro-China national anthem law muzzles creative activity in Hong Kong

28Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Pro-China national anthem law muzzles creative activity in Hong Kong

A documentary on the protests in Hong Kong has become the first casualty of the recently passed national anthem protection law by the pro-China Hong Kong Legislative Assembly.Although an uncut version of New York-based director Evans Chan's "We Have Boots" had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands earlier this year, a political art segment will be cut from the new expanded two-hour documentary.The segment, which will be cut involves local performance artist Kacey Wong playing music from March of the Volunteers on the accordion during a protest march in 2018. Wong's performance of The Patriot juxtaposes a portable jail cell on wheels with music from the Chinese and UK national anthems, as well as "Do you hear the people sing?" from the musical Le...

Beijing’s China Pakistan Economic Corridor will be ‘trillion dollar blunder’, say experts

28Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Beijing’s China Pakistan Economic Corridor will be ‘trillion dollar blunder’, say experts

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship of China's imperialistic and expansionist agenda under its Belt and Road Initiative, is set to become a "trillion-dollar blunder" project, say experts.According to a leading Israeli English daily, the CPEC, a collection of infrastructure projects currently under construction throughout Pakistan, was originally valued at $46 billion but is now estimated to be $87 billion and only a quarter of which have been completed.The CPEC was intended to modernize Pakistani infrastructure and strengthen its economy by the construction of modern transportation networks, numerous energy projects and special economic zones (SEZs). Plans originally called for a seaport, roads, railways, pipelines, dozens of factories and the largest airport in Pakista...

Beijing officials declare COVID-19 outbreak ‘under control’

26Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Beijing officials declare COVID-19 outbreak ‘under control’

Officials in Chinese capital Beijing on Wednesday said the new coronavirus outbreak that has infected 256 people in Beijing since early June is now "under control".Authorities have raced to contain the outbreak linked to the largest wholesale food market in Beijing after the first case was announced on June 11, leading to a partial lockdown of the city."The Beijing epidemic directly linked to Xinfadi (market) is basically under control, but at the same time we have discovered household and workplace cluster infections and cases of community transmission," said Beijing municipal government spokesman Xu Hejian at a briefing."The prevention and control situation remains complicated, we cannot lower our guard in the slightest," he said.Officials found that 253 out of 256 Beijing cases were lin...

24Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Hong Kong questions China’s intention over giving Carrie Lam power to appoint judges for trials under security law

As the pro-democracy and anti-national security law protests in Hong Kong continue, China has made another arbitrary decision to empower Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to appoint judges to hear trials under the national security law, leaving many lawyers and opposition party leaders confused about Beijing’s real intentions.“It is very odd for a person [who has] a stake in the prosecution to select the judges,” Hong Kong Bar Association chairman Philip Dykes said.For some people, like the leader of the opposition Civic Party, Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, it puts a big question on the impartiality of judges who will be appointed by pro-Beijing leader Lam, as a new mainland adviser would sit on a top-level national security commission to be set up to “give orders” to Hong Kong authorities.Ling Bing, a

To impose dominance over Hong Kong, China legislation bans ‘collusion’ with world

24Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

To impose dominance over Hong Kong, China legislation bans ‘collusion’ with world

In the bid to muzzle the growing dissent voices, the Chinese government has included the word "collusion" in the national security law, criminalizing "activities of foreign and external forces to interfere in the affairs" of Hong Kong.With this move, anyone who "colludes with foreign states in plotting to harm the motherland's sovereignty, territorial integrity and security" will be sentenced between 10 years and life in jail.According to the state media, the draft law discussed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) has clearly outlined the crimes of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities and collusion with foreign and external forces to endanger national security, as well as lays out their penalties.The Beijing government seems to have become mor...

23Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

About 110 teachers, 3,600 students arrested over social incidents in Hong Kong since June last year

About 110 teachers or staffs from educational institutions and nearly 3,600 students have been arrested over social incidents in Hong Kong from June 2019 to May 2020, Hong Kong’s education chief said.Answering questions raised by a member of HKSAR's Legislative Council in a written reply on Wednesday, Kevin Yeung, secretary for education of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said that among the people arrested during the period in relation to the social incidents, about 10 of them were staff members of post-secondary institutions and about 100 of them were staff or teachers of primary and secondary schools.“Among the students arrested in the same period, about 2,000 were from post-secondary institutions and the remaining about 1,600 were aged under 18 who we

Hong Kong kickstarts unofficial memorandum to stop China from imposing national security law

23Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Hong Kong kickstarts unofficial memorandum to stop China from imposing national security law

As China sets to impose its national security law in Hong Kong despite several protests and worldwide condemnation, students and labour unions here have started an unofficial referendum among members on whether to stage a walkout.The referendum has been organized by a group of 30 labour unions across more than 20 industries and a student platform. They were quoted as saying that they aim to secure a two-thirds majority to carry motions, including the industrial strike and class boycott.According to local media, 20 polling stations alone had opened at 10 am and voters were seen trickling into the main station in Tsz Wan Shan."Our action will prove that we are not puppets... We are Hong Kong citizens," Demosisto activist Isaac Cheng, who represents organiser the Secondary School Student Prep...

China’s PLA instigated most violent clash between India-China since 1962 just to grab territory: McConnell

23Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

China’s PLA instigated most violent clash between India-China since 1962 just to grab territory: McConnell

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) initiated one of the most violent clashes with India, since the two countries went to war in1962, just for the sake of grabbing land territory, said a top American Senator.As many as 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives on Monday in the face-off with Chinese troops who attempted to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern Ladakh. The Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash.Mitch McConnell, US Senate Majority Leader during a foreign policy speech on the floor of the House on Thursday said: "On land, for the sake of grabbing territory, the PLA appears to have instigated the most violent clash between China and India since those nat...

Uighurs in Xinjiang face grave health hazards as China conducts nuclear tests

19Jun

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Uighurs in Xinjiang face grave health hazards as China conducts nuclear tests

Forced labour, persecution, and political indoctrination are not the only things Uighurs in China’s Xinjiang are suffering from. Nuclear tests near to Uighur populations are the new addition leading to thousands of death.The US State Department, in the month of April, said in a report that China may have secretly conducted low-yield underground nuclear tests at Lop Nur test site despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts.The report further claimed extensive excavation activity being carried out at Lop Nur throughout 2019. Though the test might come as a surprise for international community, for Uighurs it is just another one added to the long list of nuclear tests that have been conducted at Lop Nur.Urumqi, Turpan, Qumul and Korla are cities with Uighur populati