China – Page 24 – The Singapore Post

24Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

A last look back at Asia this year

A last look back at Asia this year 2022 could not have come fast enough. For many in Thailand and no doubt the rest of the world, new hope based on increased vaccination rates against Covid-19 was overwhelmed by the spread of the Omicron variant at year-end. Thailand's travel and tourism sector continues to be particularly hard hit as entry and quarantine rules continue to change. In a last farewell to 2021 and our annual look back at Asia's winners and losers, we find even the good news was bad. WORST YEAR: AFGHAN WOMEN The chaotic US withdrawal in August brought to an end an era of advancements in Afghanistan, and hunger and misery are on the rise again in one of Asia's poorest nations. The US presence in Afghanistan -- the "graveyard of empires" -- was doomed in part by hubris and ...

Independent activist from Hong Kong released form prison after 6 years

24Jan

By News DeskNo Comments

China

Independent activist from Hong Kong released form prison after 6 years

Hong Kong: Six years ago independent activist Edward Leung took part in violent demonstrations, for which he had to face four years of jail in a top security facility. Edward is noe released from the prison on Lantau Island.According to Wall Street Journal, now the 30-year-old Leung left prison before dawn today.On his Facebook page early today, Leung wrote that he has been released and that he would leave the limelight, stop using social media and decline all media interviews. He added that he was subject to a supervision order, a rule for inmates released early, The Wall Street Journal reported. “Separated for four years, I want to cherish this valuable time to be reunited with my family and return to a normal life with them,” he wrote before deleting his Facebook account. “Heartfelt

US on alert for supply chain disruptions caused by Omicron in China: Biden officials

24Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Business, China, World

US on alert for supply chain disruptions caused by Omicron in China: Biden officials

WASHINGTON (BLOOMBERG) - The Biden administration is monitoring real-time data obtained from businesses operating in China to determine whether outbreaks of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus pose a risk to US supply chains, an administration official said. It is too early to tell whether there will be any impact on the American economy from the variant's spread in China or from aggressive efforts by officials there to stamp it out, the official said. The official asked not to be identified discussing the administration's efforts because the data is not public. President Joe Biden and his team have been accused by political opponents of being caught flat-footed both by pandemic-related supply chain disruptions that have driven inflation to four-decade highs and by the arrival of the...

23Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Business, China, Conflict, World

FTI warns of ‘big wave’ risks

A nurse prepares a Covid-19 vaccine for use at Bang Sue Central Station which is currently serving as a venue for mass vaccinations during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nutthawat Wicheanbut The Omicron Covid-19 variant will form part of a "big wave" posing a great challenge to industrial operators who need nothing but urgent adjustment to the rapid changes of the world, says the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). Besides the highly contagious virus which caused many European countries to reinstate strict measures to curb disease transmission, digital disruption, climate change, an ageing society and conflicts between giant economies will continue to keep manufacturers anxious and busy in 2022 and following years, said Kriengkrai Thiennukul, vice-chairman of the FTI. "These factors are like a...

Athlete surveillance warnings cloud China’s Winter Olympics

23Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

China, World

Athlete surveillance warnings cloud China’s Winter Olympics

Athlete surveillance warnings cloud China's Winter Olympics Researchers have said a virus-monitoring app all Winter Olympics attendees must use has a 'simple but devastating' encryption flaw. BEIJING: A growing number of Western nations and cybersecurity groups have issued digital surveillance warnings for next month's Winter Olympics in Beijing, with some advising foreign athletes to leave personal phones and laptops at home. China hopes to pull off a successful, coronavirus-free Games that will burnish its international reputation. But the run-up has been fraught with political controversies including diplomatic boycotts over Beijing's rights record and worries about the safety of tennis star Peng Shuai, who was not seen for weeks after accusing a former Communist Party leader of sex...

23Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Business, China, Conflict, Opinion, World

Why Moei River has become a war zone

Why Moei River has become a war zone Villagers seeking refuge cross the Moei River into Thailand on Dec 19 just after the Myanmar military launched attacks in Karen State opposite Tak province in Thailand. (Photo: Jittrapon Kaicome) This week's exodus of thousands of people fleeing for their lives from Myanmar's Karen State into Thailand's Mae Sot district in Tak was not unexpected. Prior to this, several agencies including those in Thai security, community leaders along the border, and military leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) shared the opinion that this dry season -- the end of November to late April -- will see a fierce offensive from the Myanmar junta army aimed at suppressing armed ethnic organisations, particularly the KNU. Since early this year, the Myanmar army has ca...

Biden-Kishida 1st formal talks touch on China, nuke weapons

22Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

China, World

Biden-Kishida 1st formal talks touch on China, nuke weapons

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday used their first formal meeting to discuss concerns about China’s growing military assertiveness that’s spurring increasing disquiet in the Pacific. Kishida said that the two leaders spent a “significant amount“ of their 80-minute call on issues surrounding China, including shared concerns about China's increasing aggression toward Taiwan. China claims self-governing Taiwan as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. In recent months, China has stepped up military exercises near Taiwan, frequently sending warplanes near the island’s airspace. Biden and Kishida also discussed the situations in Hong Kong and China’s Xinjiang province. Biden has repeatedly called out Beijing over its cra

China locks down city as Covid cases surge around the world

22Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Business, China, World

China locks down city as Covid cases surge around the world

China locks down city as Covid cases surge around the world China is on high alert for Covid-19 ahead of February’s Winter Olympics. BEIJING: China shut down a city of 13 million people on Thursday in a bid to extinguish a tiny Covid outbreak and chase its zero-case goal, as other nations around the globe battled huge infection surges driven by Omicron. Stock markets rose in Asia, following Wall Street's lead, partly due to preliminary studies from Britain indicating Omicron infections were less likely to result in hospitalisation compared with the Delta. The cautious optimism was also lifted by news that the US Food and Drug Administration had authorised Pfizer's anti-Covid pill, providing fresh tools to battle the disease. But with Omicron driving record infection numbers in many co

Hong Kong news site to shut; pro-Beijing lawmakers sworn in

21Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

China, Singapore, World

Hong Kong news site to shut; pro-Beijing lawmakers sworn in

HONG KONG (AP) — A group of lawmakers loyal to China’s Communist Party were sworn in to Hong Kong’s Legislature on Monday following an election without opposition candidates, as yet another pro-democracy news outlet announced it could no longer operate amid a growing crackdown on freedoms in the territory. The former British colony that was returned to China in 1997 was once known as a haven for dissent and freedoms of the press and expression not seen on the mainland. But the central government in Beijing has clamped down in the last year, leading to the closure of independent news outlets, the removal of monuments to dissent, and a poorly attended election swept by pro-Beijing politicians. The founders of news outlet Citizen News said the news site will stop publishing on Tuesday. Whil

21Jan

By Desk TeamNo Comments

China, Singapore, World

Japan’s post-Covid regional dilemma

Japan's post-Covid regional dilemma Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Koichi Hagiuda bumps fists with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in Bangkok on Jan 13 as they cement bilateral trade and ties. (Photo courtesy of Government House) Among the major powers that are moving forward with an eye on the post-pandemic era, when Covid-19 will eventually become an endemic with flu-like manageability, Japan is second to none. The visit last week by its minister of economy, trade, and industry (METI), Koichi Hagiuda, made front-page news in Bangkok, following similarly notable media coverage in Jakarta and Singapore. But while it has played a critical role in Asean's economic development and regional security, Japan's Indo-Pacific geostrategic environment has become adverse wi...

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