Conflict

Taiwan suspecting over China about testing hypersonic missiles, Beijing denies
Asia, China, Conflict

Taiwan suspecting over China about testing hypersonic missiles, Beijing denies

Taiwan’s defense ministry spokesperson Shih Shun-wen said that the military will find ways to deal with this threat after the Chinese hypersonic missile test. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday declined to comment on a report claiming that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August. "I'm not going to comment on the specific report," Psaki said when asked if she could confirm the report that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile this summer that surprised US officials. Psaki reiterated Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's earlier statement about the matter, underscoring US concerns about China's military capabilities it continues to pursue. Moreover, Psaki said the United States welcomes stiff competition but does not want that competition
An illegal protest from last year put 7 Hong Kong activist behind bars
Asia, China, Conflict, Opinion

An illegal protest from last year put 7 Hong Kong activist behind bars

Hong Kong: Seven activists from Hongkong has been imprisoned for 12 months for taking part in protest China’s new national security law from last year by a Hong Kong district court. Figo Chan, a convenor of the now defunct Civil Human Rights Front, was given the toughest sentence for playing a leading role in the July 1 protest, the Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK said. Former lawmaker Wu Chi-wai and ex-district councilor Tsang Kin-shing were each handed a 10-month jail term, given their social status, while the rest received six to eight months. The illegal demonstration was called a day after China imposed security rules on the former British colony to punish subversion, secession and terrorism. It coincided with the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover.
Dual task: Save Asean, save Myanmar
Asia, Conflict, World

Dual task: Save Asean, save Myanmar

Dual task: Save Asean, save Myanmar Never before in the 54-year history of Asean had its members encountered such a bitter debate about the situation in Myanmar as they did last Monday when they unknowingly nearly tore down the founding fathers’ commitment to keep the Asean roof over all countries in Southeast Asia. Indonesia, deemed the most powerful member of Asean, viewed Myanmar’s growing intransigence as unacceptable and threatened Myanmar with expulsion. On the other hand, Malaysia, which recently appointed a new cabinet, wanted the Asean chair to bar Myanmar from attending the upcoming Asean-related summits due to the junta’s non-cooperative attitude. Their foreign ministers told the whole world about the unyielding nature of Nay Pyi Taw but have not offered better ideas or ways o
Do not give land to Chinese farmers: Laos farmers
Asia, China, Conflict

Do not give land to Chinese farmers: Laos farmers

Vientiane, Laos: Chinese farmers were given land in the off season in Laos, but the people of Laos have urged the local government to not to lease the Chinese farmers their land in off-season. This came as the NAMPheung company has been leasing at least 180 hectares of land in Ngeun district to the Chinese farmers who grow watermelons on this land from December to April and then returns it to the villagers before the rice-planting season, Radio Free Asia reported. "The land is damaged, when they return the land to us for rice planting, yields are down and of lesser quality," a farmer informed. "The Chinese investors dig into the land so deep so the farmers have to fill up the land before planting. It's a waste of money labour and time," the villager said, adding that the villager...
Myanmar crisis shows Asean’s limits
Asia, China, Conflict, Politics, World

Myanmar crisis shows Asean’s limits

Myanmar crisis shows Asean's limits An anti-coup protester holds a placard criticising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in Mandalay, Myanmar, on June 5. (Photo: Reuters) It is often said that Asean's brand of regionalism is uniquely its own. In any discussion about the Asean way, the principles of non-interference and consensus are constantly invoked, though unfortunately, not always for the right reasons. Rather, the Asean way should be viewed for what it has achieved. And the notion of Asean centrality is certainly not a mere slogan but neither is it a given. It has always rested on Asean's capacity to resolve problems and manage the affairs of the region. The fact that Asean has been able to demonstrate that it remains central and relevant on matters of regional peace and...
Chinese billionaire Wang Xing got its antitrust investigation of Meituan closed by govt
Asia, Business, China, Conflict

Chinese billionaire Wang Xing got its antitrust investigation of Meituan closed by govt

Beijing: Chinese government has again slammed a big businessman from their estate. The businessman blocked his 18,000 public posts days before government issued him a fine of a US$533 million on him.    Wang Xing founded the Chinese group-buying site Meituan in 2010. Meituan was hugely successful and merged with Dianping in 2015. Online checks made by the South China Morning Post found that Wang has hidden from the public all of his 661 posts on popular Chinese microblogging service Weibo and 17,105 posts on Fanfou, a now-obscure microblogging platform that he launched in 2007 during his early days as an entrepreneur. Fanfou has served as Wang’s de facto online fan club, where he has posted about three times a day on average for 14 years, reporter Coco Feng wrot
Reunification with Taiwan peacefully: Xi Jinping
Asia, China, Conflict, Opinion

Reunification with Taiwan peacefully: Xi Jinping

Beijing, China: Chinese president has said to resolve the issue with Taiwan peacefully and objected the foreign interference in the matter.His remarks come amidst the rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei after nearly 150 Chinese military aircraft breached the airspace of Taiwan over a period of four days. “The Taiwan issue is exclusively an internal affair of China, and any external interference is inadmissible,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his address to mark the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution. The leader warned against underestimating the Chinese people’s “firm determination, unshakable will and significant ability” to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that the historic task to complete reunification of the homeland must and
‘There are no winners here, only losers.’ The inside story of how the Green party toppled Annamie Paul and tore itself apart in the process
Conflict, Politics, World

‘There are no winners here, only losers.’ The inside story of how the Green party toppled Annamie Paul and tore itself apart in the process

OTTAWA—Of course it would end like this. In one of her last acts as leader of the Green Party of Canada, Annamie Paul stared into her computer screen to address the party’s federal council on Tuesday night. Her year of bitter discord with officials at the top of the Green organization had finally pushed her to announce, one day earlier, that she would resign as leader after enduring the “worst” period of her life. But first, she had stunning objections to raise about the councillors on the screen before her. One of them, Paul stated, “has said that he supports my indictment at the International Criminal Court.” Others, she said, are active participants in online groups “that have called for my physical assault, that have made multiple antisemitic tropes against me, and as recently as to
Armenia takes Azerbaijan to UN court alleging discrimination
Conflict, World

Armenia takes Azerbaijan to UN court alleging discrimination

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Armenia is taking its decades long territorial dispute with neighboring Azerbaijan — that erupted into armed conflict again last year — to the United Nations’ highest court. Armenia filed a case at the International Court of Justice alleging breaches by Azerbaijan of an international convention that aims to eliminate racial discrimination, the court announced late Thursday. Armenia alleges that as a result of what it calls a “State-sponsored policy of Armenian hatred, Armenians have been subjected to systemic discrimination, mass killings, torture and other abuse,” the court said. The case centers of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan that has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian government for more than a quarter o
Tiananmen Massacre statue Pillar of Shame to be removed
China, Conflict, Politics

Tiananmen Massacre statue Pillar of Shame to be removed

Hong Kong: The pillar of shame, an artwork which pays tribute to victims of Beijing’s 1989 crackdown organisers have been approached by University of Hong Kong to remove the pillar. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and its liquidators Richard Tsoi and Elizabeth Tang said that they received a letter from the university issued on Thursday, asking the defunct group to remove the statue by next Wednesday at 5:00 pm, reported Hong Kong Free Press. The letter stated that if Alliance fails to remove the sculpture before the deadline, "the sculpture will be deemed abandoned". "And the University will not consider any future request from you in respect of the sculpture, and the University will deal with the sculpture at such time and in such man