World – The Singapore Post

US President Trump amends order to address threat from securities investment in Chinese military companies

15Jan

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

US President Trump amends order to address threat from securities investment in Chinese military companies

United States President Donald Trump amended an executive order on Wednesday to address the threat from securities investments that finance Chinese military companies.“Effective at 11:59 pm eastern standard time on November 11, 2021 [04:59 GMT on November 12], possession of any such securities by a United States person is prohibited,” stated the executive order, published on Thursday, according to a White House release.According to the order, investors are permitted to conduct any transaction that will allow them to divest of securities in firms that Washington believes have links to the Chinese military.The new order amends a preceding directive published in November last year that merely prohibited investors from purchasing securities in these firms after November 11, 2021.Earlier, an ex

Xi Jinping writes to former Starbucks chairman for help amid strained US ties

14Jan

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

World

Xi Jinping writes to former Starbucks chairman for help amid strained US ties

In a letter to former Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz China’s President Xi Jinping has asked for help to promote trade between Washington and Beijing, according to state media on Thursday.Xi, responding to an earlier message from Schultz, urged the multi-billionaire to "continue to play an active role in promoting China-US economic and trade cooperation", the official Xinhua news agency said.China will "provide a broader space for companies from all over the world, including Starbucks and other American companies, to develop in China", Xi wrote in his letter.This comes as relations between US and China have reached a nadir with bitter disputes over trade, tech, security and rights.Schultz, who stepped down as chairman of Starbucks in 2018 but retains an honorary title at the company, had

“Beautiful Sight”: China mocks US as protestors break into US Capitol

7Jan

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China, World

“Beautiful Sight”: China mocks US as protestors break into US Capitol

After supporters of US President Donald Trump broke into the US Capitol, Beijing took to social media on Thursday to criticise the "sharp contrast" between Washington's response to the chaos and the 2019 Hong Kong anti-government protests.China’s mouthpiece Global Times tweeted side-by-side photo comparisons of Hong Kong protesters occupying the city's Legislative Council Complex in July 2019 with Wednesday's Washington riots.The latter saw Trump fans invade the US Capitol to protest the election defeat, taking selfies, scuffling with security and ransacking parts of the building."@SpeakerPelosi once referred to the Hong Kong riots as 'a beautiful sight to behold'," the Global Times said in the tweet, referring to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's June 2019 comment about Hong Kong's mass

China rejects US’ allegation that coronavirus originated from Wuhan lab

4Jan

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China, World

China rejects US’ allegation that coronavirus originated from Wuhan lab

Refuting US’ allegations that the novel coronavirus was leaked from Wuhan Lab in China, Beijing on Monday said that the pandemic was likely to have been caused by separate outbreaks in multiple places in the world.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying's remarks came amidst reports that a ten-member team of the World Health Organisation (WHO) scientists would visit China in January to investigate the origin of the coronavirus.Beijing is yet to confirm the visit by the WHO team and remained silent about granting permission for it to visit Wuhan city in central China."I have no detailed information for you," Hua told a media briefing when asked about the visit of the WHO team and whether its schedule included a visit to Wuhan."China attaches high importance to cooperation with th

US House presents bill to terminate Pak designation as major non-NATO ally

4Jan

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

World

US House presents bill to terminate Pak designation as major non-NATO ally

On the first day of the 117th Congress, Republican Congressman Andy Biggs introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives to terminate the designation of Pakistan as a Major non-NATO Ally.The bill will strip away Pakistan’s designation as a major non-NATO ally, which allows various benefits such as access to excess US defense supplies and participation in cooperative defense research and development projects.The bill also notes that the US President cannot issue a separate designation of Pakistan as a Major NATO ally, unless a presidential certification that Pakistan continues to conduct military operations that are contributing to significantly disrupting the safe haven and freedom of movement of the Haqqani Network in Pakistan.It also seeks a presidential certification that Pakistan

Pakistan arrests Mumbai terror attack mastermind, LeT commander Lakhvi ahead of FATF meet

3Jan

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

World

Pakistan arrests Mumbai terror attack mastermind, LeT commander Lakhvi ahead of FATF meet

Just before the meetings of the global watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in January and February, Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi on charges of using terror funds.“[Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi] is accused of running a dispensary using funds collected for terrorism financing. He and others also collected funds from this dispensary and used them for further terrorism financing and for personal expenses,” said the Counter Terrorism Department police spokesperson of the Pakistani province of Punjab.The spokesperson further said that Lakhvi’s offences were compounded by the fact that he is on the United Nation’s Security Council list of banned terrorists (und

NOW MYANMAR FACES CHINESE BORDER ENCROACHMENT

2Jan

By Our NewsroomNo Comments

Asia, Business, China, Conflict, World

NOW MYANMAR FACES CHINESE BORDER ENCROACHMENT

It is now known that Chinese authorities constructed fences during November, 2020 near the China-Myanmar border in Laukkai Township in the Kokang Self Administered Zone in northern Shan State of Myanmar. The construction was carried out by China near border post BP-125 and between posts BP-121 and BP-122. While the Myanmar military objected to this development, the Chinese went ahead with the works on the pretext of a crackdown on illegal border crossings from Myanmar in the wake of the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases. In fact, Major General Zaw Min Tun sent a protest letter to his Chinese counterpart quoting the 1961 treaty on the China-Myanmar boundary. The treaty, as such prohibits building any structure within ten meters of the demarcation line on either side. On sensing the objection f

Ready to try Pak terrorist Omar Sheikh in Daniel Pearl case: US Acting Attorney General

31Dec

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Asia, World

Ready to try Pak terrorist Omar Sheikh in Daniel Pearl case: US Acting Attorney General

United States Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A Rosen said that Washington is ready to take custody of terrorist Omar Sheikh to stand trial in the American journalist Daniel Pearl’s abduction and murder case.In a statement, Rosen said the judicial rulings reversing Omar Sheikh conviction and ordering his release are an “affront to terrorism victims everywhere”.His statement comes days after the Sindh High Court directed to release terrorist Sheikh, Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil and Salman Saqib, the accused in the abduction and murder case of US journalist Daniel Pearl.In 2002, Pearl, the 38-year-old journalist of The Wall Street Journal’s South Asia bureau, was abducted and beheaded while he was in Pakistan investigating a story of terror groups’ links to Al Qaeda.“...The separate judicial ru

US President-elect Joe Biden says coalition needed to confront Beijing

30Dec

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China, World

US President-elect Joe Biden says coalition needed to confront Beijing

US President-elect Joe Biden made it clear on Monday that Washington needs to build a coalition of like-minded nations to confront Beijing."As we compete with China to hold China's government accountable for its trade abuses, technology, human rights and other fronts, our position would be much stronger when we build coalitions of like-minded partners and allies that make common cause with us in defence of our shared interests and our shared values," Biden said.Under the Donald Trump administration, ties between China and US had deteriorated over issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang, encroachment on the special status of Hong Kong, accusations of unfair trade practices by Beijing, lack of transparency concerning the pandemic and China's military aggression in various parts of...

Canada calls for transparency in trial of 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors

30Dec

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

China, World

Canada calls for transparency in trial of 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors

After Beijing detained 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists - also known as the Shenzen 12 – who were allegedly attempting to flee to Taiwan in August to escape the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) draconian National Security Law, Canada has voiced its concern and urged the Chinese authorities to conduct trials on the basis of the Human Rights framework."Canada expresses deep concern over the secret trial involving the Shenzhen12. We urge Chinese authorities to conduct trials in accordance with due process and judicial transparency in line with international Human Rights norms and standards," the Canadian Government's foreign policy handle tweeted.London also expressed concern that the defendants were "tried in secret" and were denied access to lawyers of their choosing."We are deeply conce

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