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‘Palestinian children should be killed’
No, that heartless advice did not come from a mentally deranged man or an ordinary man on the street. It came from a top Filipino diplomat who has worn many hats in government. He is in fact a lawyer, journalist, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to the United Nations, Press Secretary, Congressman, and presently Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s (United Kingdom) and concurrently Special Envoy to China for special concerns. In my book, those bona fides could easily qualify him as a revered Filipino statesman — but for his indiscretion, uncouth words, and disrespect for the feelings of others. I refer, dear readers, to Teodoro Lopez Locsin Jr. I have to emphasize the descriptive word “Jr.” because, from accounts I have read, he is far different from his namesake, Teodoro Locsin Sr., who fought the Japanese and the dictatorial regime of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., a fearless publisher of the news magazine Philippines Free Press for which he was imprisoned during the Marcos martial law regime. Did the “apple fall far from the tree?” In his Twitter account, Locsin Jr. said: “That’s why Palestinian children should be killed: they might grow up to become as gullible as innocent Palestinians letting Hamas launch rockets at Israel ...They are Muslims...” In the diplomatic community, we call that a faux pas. Perhaps realizing the callousness of his gaffe, he immediately deleted the tweet with the following lame expression of mea culpa: “I immediately deleted my sarcastic response to a tweet as I realized it could be misconstrued ...My apologies to those who did misconstrue my sentiments and did, in fact, get triggered...” That statement did not wash away the disastrous effect of his slip. If one reads between the lines, they were subtle words to camouflage the booboo, not a real entreaty for clemency. His admission of his mistake, though, may work to mitigate the imprudence. Remarkably, the Department of Foreign Affairs, anticipating its far-reaching negative effect, disassociated itself from the statement, saying it was made in Locsin’s “personal capacity.” I wanted to distance this column from the ensuing uproar. But being the de facto medium for Filipino Muslims’ concerns and sentiments on political and social issues, it cannot default from its moral responsibility. I was afraid that repeating the obnoxious remark might gain traction — and psychologists warn about the “repetition-induced truth effect.” I did not want to dignify it. After all, he had shown remorse and apologized for the impropriety of his words, and, as a sage says, “There is no need to beat a dead horse.” But the storm of controversy has spread like wildfire in Morolandia that I have to add my voice of indignation. Silence amid the din of protest is a sin. I have not seen in a long time such a display of revulsion and rage from the Moros, reminiscent of the time foreign invaders came to their shores and, for 300 years, the Moros dug in, resisted, and repelled the hegemonistic colonization campaign. Muslim netizens promptly denounced the statement as xenophobic, insensitive, and unbecoming of a diplomat. Their protest and outcry reverberated from the halls of the Houses of Congress, the Regional Parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to the cramped temporary shanties of the Marawi war evacuees and the shores of the Sulu seas. For a single moment in their lives, the tribes of Morolandia set aside their tribal identities. They spoke in one thunderous voice, calling for a sanction for what they perceived was the misconduct of a diplomat who, to preserve his honor, must perform a Japanese seppuku or self-sacrifice by resigning from his post. Articulating the collective position of the Deputies of the BARMM interim Regional Parliament, Speaker Pangalian Balindong issued a public statement rich in a poignant message condemning the “insensitive and irresponsible social media post ...for its Islamophobic, racist, and anti-Semitic undertones.” (To be continued) amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post ‘Palestinian children should be killed’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Apple scraps Jon Stewart show over China, AI clashes: report
US comedian Jon Stewart's talk show on Apple TV+ has reportedly been canceled after just two series due to clashes between its host and the company over topics such as China and artificial intelligence. Stewart told staff that executives from Apple -- which has vast commercial interests in China and AI -- had expressed concern over proposed new content for "The Problem with Jon Stewart," The New York Times said. Apple did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. Stewart became a household name in the United States as the host of Comedy Central's long-running "The Daily Show," before stepping down to pursue other interests in 2015. Streaming platform Apple TV+ launched "The Problem with Jon Stewart" as a flagship current affairs show in 2021. The show takes a satirical look at a different topical issue each week. Episodes in the most recent season included "Globalization: Made In America" and "Searching for Allies." Since Apple first established a presence in China in 1993, the US tech giant has grown into a major provider of smartphones, laptops and consumer electronics in the country. Apple chief Tim Cook made a surprise visit to China this month, and he has previously spoken of his company's "symbiotic" relationship with the nation. In an earnings call in August, Cook said Apple views AI and machine learning as "core fundamental technologies that are integral to virtually every product that we build." amz/hg/sst © Agence France-Presse The post Apple scraps Jon Stewart show over China, AI clashes: report appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hong Kong halts trading, closes schools post-typhoon
Asian finance hub Hong Kong halted trading at its stock exchange on Monday and closed schools after Typhoon Koinu generated torrential rainfall overnight. Koinu -- which caused one death in Taiwan last week -- had weakened into a severe tropical storm by Monday, said the Hong Kong Observatory, as it moved toward the coastal areas of China's Guangdong province. The storm caused non-stop rain overnight, leading the agency to issue a "black" rainstorm warning signal -- its highest -- at 4:00 am local time (2000 GMT). More than 150 millimetres were recorded over most parts of the territory since midnight Monday, and rainfall exceeded 300 millimetres over some parts of urban Hong Kong island, data showed. "Because of seriously flooded roads and inclement weather conditions, you are advised to take shelter in a safe place and stay there," the observatory said. The city's third-highest storm warning signal -- "T8" -- was to remain in place until 11:40 am local time. Due to the storm warning, trading at the city's stock exchange was to be suspended in the morning session but was expected to resume at 2:00 p.m. Schools and daycare centres, ordered to shut down when authorities issued the T8 signal a day earlier, remained closed on Monday. This was the second time in a month the city has issued a black rain warning. In early September, Hong Kong experienced its highest rainfall in nearly 140 years, flooding subway stations and malls, and causing landslides. In China's Guangdong province -- where Koinu is expected to sweep past en route to Hainan island -- the cities of Zhuhai and Jiangmen issued a Level III emergency response, according to the Xinhua news agency Sunday. That meant more than 35,500 fishing boats had to return to port, while dozens of coastal scenic areas were temporarily closed. Before moving to Hong Kong, Koinu had grazed nearby Taiwan, bringing torrential rain and record-breaking winds to its outlying Orchid Island. The storm left at least one dead in Taiwan, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes. Southern China is frequently hit during the summer and autumn seasons by typhoons that form in the warm oceans east of the Philippines and then travel west. But climate change has made tropical storms more unpredictable while increasing their intensity -- bringing more rain and stronger gusts that lead to flash floods and coastal damage, experts say. The post Hong Kong halts trading, closes schools post-typhoon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Starbucks opens $220 million plant outside Shanghai
US coffee behemoth Starbucks opened a $220 million development outside Shanghai on Tuesday, a sign established multinationals are still looking to China for growth despite its faltering post-Covid recovery. A survey released Tuesday by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai reported optimism among US businesses in China was at a "record low", mainly blaming the sluggish economy and Washington-Beijing tensions. But Starbucks' "Coffee Innovation Park", which includes a roasting plant and distribution center, is the largest investment the company has made in any such project outside the United States, a news release said Tuesday. "Starbucks' best days are ahead in China," a spokesperson for the company told AFP by email when asked to comment on business sentiment in the country. "As Starbucks' largest and fastest-growing international market, we will continue to deepen our investment and reinforce our unwavering long-term commitment to the China market," CEO Laxman Narasimhan was quoted as saying in the release. Narasimhan visited China in May, when he met the mayor of Shanghai, according to state media. His trip took place as other CEOs of major multinational companies flocked to the world's second-largest economy to shore up business support post-Covid -- including Apple, Tesla, JP Morgan, and General Motors. Starbucks declined to give further details on the visit when asked. The company has more than 6,500 coffee shops in more than 250 Chinese cities and says that a new store opens in the country every nine hours. The new Coffee Innovation Park has been built to serve the company's China stores exclusively, the company said, with some beans used coming from southern Yunnan province. The post Starbucks opens $220 million plant outside Shanghai appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BBM: Our calm, kind, gentle President
The most challenging thing is to write an essay about the country’s President who is celebrating his birthday. I should probably go back to the years when he was the “crush ng bayan.” From London, he would come home for vacation and would be met at the airport by his doting parents, with his mother kissing him on the forehead. He was very fashionable, from his haircut to his clothes and, well, he was the epitome of “cuteness” as cute could be. He did not sport long hippie hair but had bangs and his lips were well-pronounced. His mom took pride in his looks. “Kamukha ko (he looks like me),” she would say. Bongbong grew into the Oxford student who would come home and occasionally appear on television. I recall in 1973, he and his friends danced the latest craze on live television. He was, by then, oozing with appeal, his shy and boyish smile adding to the enigma that comes with being the president’s son. Many years later, I saw him when he and his sister Irene graced the opening of a project in Isabela. I am trying to remember if it was for natural gas or the largest dam in Asia. But he was there on the stage set up at the Cauayan airport, looking fresh and friendly, although he was smiling at everyone and no one in particular. I stood alone, away from the other welcomers, and somehow got him to look at me. I looked at him like I was telling him I know you or we know each other, and he stared back, smiling too, looking like he was wondering if he might have seen me before somewhere. It was one of my tricks. [caption id="attachment_183135" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The President has a long way to go, but that’s no reason for him to relax and wait for things to happen. | Photograph courtesy of BBM FB[/caption] Much would be said of the young gentleman, of his not being who he was supposed to be because he had died somewhere. Also, that he had killed someone who had called his father a dictator. Bongbong Marcos, for better or worse, was the fodder for both favorable and malicious talk. He became governor of Ilocos Norte in the mid-1980s when he took over from his aunt, Elizabeth Keon. At the same time, he wore the military uniform of the officer rank bestowed on him by his father, the President. Moving fast forward, Bongbong Marcos became a congressman and a senator, ran for vice president, and lost. Sometime after he caught Covid-19. After he had lost the vice-presidential contest and was protesting its result, he appeared on Daily Tribune’s online show, Spotlight. I remember only a little, not because he or his remarks were forgettable, but I blame my old age for not remembering. But I recall a pleasant interview, for he was relaxed and calm, and while he seemed occupied by his electoral protest, he was at the same time accepting of it. It was the Marcoses’ turn to be cheated, people said. The next presidential election had him and Leni Robredo, along with others, slugging it out. And while everyone had taken to microphones to condemn and attack him and his father, martial law and the dictatorship, he remained silent. He chose not to participate in the debates, leaving it to his supporters and fans to fight back for him. One UP professor who may have been unbiased took a liking to him, like an older woman in love for the first time, gushing over the assets of a fine, young, sexy gentleman. But that was not unexpected. Bongbong Marcos, after all, was the “crush ng bayan” from the time he was a teenager. Today, he is the President of the Philippines. I was talking with one youthful matron who possesses both beauty and wisdom and whose family was best known to be in the opposition against the Marcoses. She said that when President Rodrigo Duterte began his term, she gave him a chance to prove himself because he had been elected. As her gauge for the success of a presidency had much to do with how the stock market fared, she was disappointed because stocks dived very low to the depths. She gave RRD a failing mark. When BBM became President, she also gave him a “chance.” She told me, “I have yet to see what will happen next because he has just finished his first year, and it is too early to know how well or evil he has done. The people elected him, he is now the President, so let’s give him a chance.” The woman’s statement, I believe, more or less sums up the general feeling of the Filipino people. Here is one President perceived to be good and kind, and one who is not to be feared compared to his father or even his daring and feisty elder sister. One would hear, “Matatakot kayo pag si Imee ang presidente (You would be afraid if Imee were president),” which is people’s way of saying what they feel and think about the Marcos siblings. So, we have a kind President who has had to deal with all kinds of issues and problems: Typhoons, the pandemic, and now the rice shortage. I have always been a BBM fan (after all, he was “crush ng bayan” in our youth), and even if he had not become a statesman in the tradition of many of our top legislators, one thinks of him as a pleasant guy who plays it cool and is lovable. Now comes a wife who is perceived to be running the show. All because, like it or not, she has the educational credentials; she proved herself in the Big Apple; and as her husband himself would tell one and all, she has excellent organizational abilities. She ran the campaign, many would assume, although she much preferred to keep to the sidelines. Like it or not, Liza Marcos, the First Lady, is a potent mover in this administration. Her many worthy projects in the creative industry, health care, education, and environment, along with her brand of diplomatic maneuvering using Filipiniana fashion as a vehicle for international friendship, bode well for this administration. We got two leaders for one vote, and we are better off as a nation. To the President’s credit, he recognizes the role his wife plays in his administration, and that speaks of a man secure in his position as the head of his family. Regarding cronyism, BBM has his friends in the business sector, top men and women, titans and tycoons, czars and magnates, who accompany him on his travels abroad. One of them described their roles as similar to those of club guest relations officers — entertaining guests and clients. We are told that they talk with their counterparts on the international scene, wherever the presidential itinerary takes them. Hence, the public does not see the usual kind of cronies who are there for what they could take. These friends want to help because if this administration succeeds and the economy improves, the Filipino people, including the business sector, will live better lives. The greatest challenge to BBM, everyone perceives, is the conflict with China over the West Philippine Sea. In this regard, BBM has proved to be wise, circumspect and decisive. He has the backing of the international community and his people. We hope he will pass the test, because if he passes it we are all together the victors. BBM deserves our prayers and hopes for the best of his administration. If he succeeds, and we hope he does, we will rise as a people. The President has a long way to go, but that’s no reason for him to relax and wait for things to happen. There are some things that people feel he should handle with steel gloves, akin to his father’s style, and that is up for him to decide. A kind and gentle President may be all we need to make this nation great again, and there’s Bongbong Marcos to take on the role and fulfill the promise of a happy, progressive, and peaceful country and people. BBM is not only the best-looking President, but the kindest and, of late, the most eloquent, as he is proving himself to be. He is also the coolest. The post BBM: Our calm, kind, gentle President appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Apple expected to bow to EU and unveil iPhone with USB-C charger
Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone lineup on Tuesday, with its Lightning charger ports likely to be replaced on the newest models by a universal charger after a tussle with the European Union. The bloc is insisting that all phones and other small devices must be compatible with the USB-C charging cables from the end of next year, a move it says will reduce waste and save money for consumers. The firm had long argued that its cable was more secure than USB-C chargers, which are already deployed by Apple on other devices and widely used by rivals including the world's biggest smartphone maker Samsung. Apple, still the world's biggest company by market capitalization, has not revealed what it plans to announce at Tuesday's "Wonderlust" event but usually unveils new iPhones at this time of year. It comes as Apple faces declining sales of iPhones, with higher prices pushing customers to delay switching to newer models. The firm is also caught up in diplomatic turbulence between the United States and China, with reports saying the Communist government is banning civil servants from using its phones. - 'Tepid' sales - Like any other company, Apple would prefer to boast about shiny new features rather than new charging ports. But analysts agree that the switch to USB-C is going to be the main headline. Insider Intelligence principal analyst Yory Wurmser said the iPhone needed "a big cycle" after "tepid" recent sales. He said Tuesday's event would probably see new Apple Watch and AirPod models, "but it's the iPhone 15 that will really determine how the next year will look for Apple". EU policymakers said the rule would simplify the lives of Europeans and do away with a mountain of obsolete chargers. "With the common charger, we are slashing consumer costs, and it's good for the environment too," said EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton in a statement, adding that the move would save consumers 250 million euros ($270 million) each year. Apple had long resisted the change, arguing that it would stifle innovation and make the phones less secure. "The cable change may give consumers pause, but within a generation they will get over it: they won't have a choice," said Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart. - Price bump? - Along with rolling improvements to iPhone cameras and chips, Apple is expected to raise prices on its Pro models, according to Wurmser. Sales of iPhones in the recently ended quarter lagged analyst estimates. Apple suffered a 2.4 percent drop in iPhone sales, which account for nearly half of total revenues. Apple shares were battered last week following reports of significant Chinese restrictions on iPhones at government offices and state-backed entities. "China is a very important market for Apple, so any negative sentiment by the Chinese government toward Apple is concerning," analyst Greengart told AFP. Apple reported $15.8 billion in revenues from China in the most recent quarter, nearly 20 percent of total revenues. Executives pointed to the uptick in China sales in a period when overall sales fell. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives estimated that a Chinese government ban would affect less than 500,000 iPhones of roughly 45 million projected to be sold in the country in the next year. "We believe despite the loud noise Apple has seen massive share gains in China smartphone market," Ives said. gc/arp/jxb/lth © Agence France-Presse The post Apple expected to bow to EU and unveil iPhone with USB-C charger appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hong Kong grounds flights, closes stock market as Typhoon Saola nears
Hong Kong grounded flights, shut down its stock market, and closed schools on Friday as Super Typhoon Saola barrelled towards China's southern coast. The finance hub issued a T8 threat warning -- the city's third-highest -- around 2:40 am, and the city's bourse said the" morning trading sessions for all markets will be canceled". Saola's wind speeds topped 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour as it came within 230 kilometers east-southeast of the financial hub around 8:00 am local time (0000 GMT), Hong Kong's observatory said. It will bring "heavy squally showers and violent winds", the observatory said, adding weather would "deteriorate rapidly" throughout the day. Streets were deserted Friday morning as a light drizzle blanketed Hong Kong island, with wind and rain expected to pick up later. A direct hit on Hong Kong is rare, but the observatory said it would "assess the need to issue higher tropical cyclone warning signals" in the evening. Airline Cathay Pacific said it canceled all flights in and out of Hong Kong between 0600 GMT Friday and 0200 GMT Saturday. Its subsidiary, budget airline HK Express, announced it was canceling 70 Friday and Saturday flights in and out of Hong Kong. On China's mainland, authorities issued the highest typhoon warning for the storm, which state media said would make landfall "in the coastal areas stretching from Huilai to Hong Kong" on Friday afternoon or evening. Guangdong province also declared a windstorm emergency level I -- the highest level of emergency response. Several cities delayed the start of the school year as a precaution. China's transport ministry has deployed 16 rescue-and-salvage ships and nine rescue helicopters to areas set to be hit by the storm, state news agency Xinhua said. Saola displaced thousands earlier this week as it passed the northern Philippines, but no direct casualties have been reported so far. Authorities in Hong Kong's neighboring casino hub of Macau said they were eyeing the possibility of issuing the city's third-highest typhoon warning on Saturday. Southern China is frequently hit in summer and autumn by typhoons that form in the warm oceans east of the Philippines and then travel west. While they can cause temporary disruption to cities like Hong Kong and Macau, fatalities have become much less common thanks to stronger building codes and better flood management systems. The post Hong Kong grounds flights, closes stock market as Typhoon Saola nears appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Taiwan won’t be next Ukraine, indie bet vows
Global electronics giant Foxconn’s billionaire founder Terry Gou announced Monday he will run for president of Taiwan as an independent candidate and vowed peace between Beijing and Taipei if he is elected. In his press conference, Gou said he would “never let Taiwan become the next Ukraine,” referring to China’s possible invasion of the island state just like what Russia did to its West-leaning neighbor last year. “I implore the people of Taiwan to give me four years. I promise that I will bring peace to the Taiwan Strait for the next 50 years and lay the deepest foundation of mutual trust between the two sides,” Gou said. “The Democratic Progressive Party has been in power for more than seven years, and it has brought the danger of war to Taiwan,” he added. President Tsai Ing-wen, of DPP, is wrapping up her second and final term. She refuses to accept reunification with China. Beijing has ramped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since she came into office in 2016. Gou made his fortune turning Foxconn into the world’s largest contract producer of electronics, including for Apple’s iPhones. He has a long-running ambition to become the leader of the self-ruled island, failing this year in an attempt to become the opposition Kuomintang party’s nominee for the January election. The 72-year-old, whose self-made success is the stuff of legend in Taiwan, needs 290,000 signatures to qualify as an independent candidate. In recent months, Gou has held campaign-like events around Taiwan, like staging rallies in various key cities and commemorating important anniversaries. The Kuomintang has chosen Hou Yu-ih, a former police chief who is now the mayor of New Taipei City, as its candidate for the 2024 election. He has been polling poorly in recent weeks, however. Tsai’s deputy, Vice President Lai Ching-te, is the DPP’s candidate and the current frontrunner in the polls. WITH AFP The post Taiwan won’t be next Ukraine, indie bet vows appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China’s Huawei renews patent licensing deal with Ericsson
Chinese telecoms giant Huawei said Friday it had renewed a licensing agreement with Ericsson to use each other's technologies, in a rebuff to US warnings about the risk of espionage by Beijing. Huawei has been at the center of an intense technological rivalry between China and the United States, which suspects the company of spying for Beijing -- accusations Huawei denies. US sanctions on Huawei since 2019 have cut off the firm from global supply chains for American components and hobbled its smartphone arm, forcing it to pivot towards other forms of growth. Washington has also pressured its allies to ban the use of Huawei gear in their 5G telecoms networks, arguing that Beijing could use the equipment to spy on other countries' communications and data traffic. Despite those tensions, Huawei and Ericsson -- based in Stockholm -- have signed a "long-term" global agreement to license each other's patents, the Chinese company said in a statement Friday. The deal covers patents essential to 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular technologies as well as both companies' "respective sales of network infrastructure and consumer devices", Huawei said. The company's intellectual property chief, Alan Fan, said the agreement "demonstrates the commitment both parties have forged that intellectual property should be properly respected and protected". "Our commitment to sharing leading technological innovations will drive healthy, sustainable industry development and provide consumers with more robust products and services," he said. The previous agreement between Huawei and Ericsson was signed in 2016. Back then, Huawei was an insurgent force in the global technology sector with an eye on dethroning Apple and Samsung as the world's top sellers of smartphones. It briefly grabbed that title in 2020 but US sanctions have since clipped its wings and forced Huawei into a strategic refocus on software, connected devices, business computing, smart vehicles, and other sectors. Despite being sidelined from American technologies, Huawei could begin producing its own chips for 5G phones this year, according to media reports about which the company has refused to comment. The post China’s Huawei renews patent licensing deal with Ericsson appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Apple fans celebrate 30 years of tech giant in China
Apple megafans flocked to Beijing's swish flagship store on Friday as the tech giant kicked off its fourth decade in gadget-mad China -- even as it looks to shift some production out of the country. The California-based company held a series of events in Beijing at the first retail store it ever opened in China to mark the milestone of 30 years in the key consumer market. Enthusiasts gathered at the sleek showroom in the commercial Sanlitun district to soak up the event, which featured an appearance by renowned Chinese record producer Zhang Yadong and several short films shot and edited entirely on Apple products. "I'm an old Apple fan," said 17-year-old high school student Hu Jiarong in front of the Beijing store. "You could say I'm a hardcore fan. I've used iPhones since the 6s all along until the 14 Pro," he added. "I feel that each new generation is stronger than the last." Since the US-based tech giant first established a presence in China in 1993, Apple has grown into a major provider of smartphones, laptops and consumer electronics in the country. But last year, sales were hit by curtailed production at factories as a result of China's zero-Covid policy. And US export controls on high-tech components are also threatening the company's supply chain. Despite the developments, the firm still enjoys a strong base of loyal consumers in China. Twenty-two-year-old university student Vicky Zhang told AFP outside the store that she has been using Apple's iPhones since she was in middle school. "It's very comfortable to use, the packaging is very simple, and there aren't any messy and chaotic icons," said Zhang. Asked if Apple's relocating of production outside of China would impact her future smartphone purchasing decisions, Zhang said: "I don't think so. "I think it's just the trend, and not a loss of points from my perspective." In March, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Beijing, saying his company enjoyed a "symbiotic" relationship with China. "For 30 years, we've been proud to serve local people," Cook said in an online statement on Friday congratulating the firm on the anniversary. "We'll continue to do our part in enriching the lives of Chinese customers, helping them reach their full potential, and trying our hardest to make the world a better place." The post Apple fans celebrate 30 years of tech giant in China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China vows ‘forceful’ response over Taiwan VP’s US visit
China on Sunday vowed "resolute and forceful measures" over a weekend trip by Taiwan Vice President William Lai to the United States it said it was closely monitoring. Lai -- the frontrunner in Taiwan's presidential elections next year -- is officially making only transit stops in the United States en route to and from Paraguay, where he will attend the inauguration of president-elect Santiago Pena. Taiwan is claimed by China, which has vowed to take the island democracy one day -- by force, if necessary -- and ramped up political and military pressure. "China is closely following the development of the situation and will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," an unnamed spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement published online. Lai has been far more outspoken about independence than Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, to whom Beijing is already hostile as she refuses to accept its view that Taiwan is a part of China. The Harvard-educated doctor-turned-politician has previously described himself as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker", and reiterated this week when speaking with a local television channel that Taiwan was "not part of the People's Republic of China (PRC)". "The Republic of China and PRC are not subordinate to each other," he said, using Taiwan's official name. On landing in New York on Sunday, Lai said on Twitter, now rebranded as X: "Happy to arrive at the Big Apple, icon of liberty, democracy and opportunities," adding that he was greeted at the airport by representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan, the United States's de facto embassy for the island. "Looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programs in New York," he wrote. Lai is expected to continue to Paraguay, then stop in San Francisco on his way back. - Airspace incursions - In the week leading up to Lai's departure, incursions by the Chinese military around Taiwan's waters and airspace -- which have been happening near-daily in the past year -- were larger than usual. On Wednesday, the defense ministry said 33 Chinese warplanes and six vessels had been detected around the island in a 24-hour window. "China is firmly opposed to any form of official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, is resolutely opposed to separatists seeking 'Taiwan independence' entering the US under any name and for any reason, and firmly opposed to any form of official contact between the US government and the Taiwanese side," China's foreign ministry spokesperson said. "China expresses strong dissatisfaction with and strongly condemns the US insistence on arranging William Lai's 'transit' to the US," the spokesperson added, labeling Lai a "downright troublemaker". ehl-je/cwl © Agence France-Presse The post China vows ‘forceful’ response over Taiwan VP’s US visit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Apple profits edge higher despite lower iPhone sales
Apple reported modestly higher quarterly profits Thursday despite another dip in revenues, as a record performance in services offset lower iPhone sales. Profits for Apple's third fiscal quarter were $19.9 billion, up 2.3 percent from the year-ago period. Revenues again declined, this time by 1.4 percent to $81.8 billion. Bright spots in the quarter for the tech giant included an "all-time high" in services revenue, comprised of the App Store, Apple Pay and Apple TV, and other subscription services. Apple also won higher revenues in China, an improvement on the prior quarter, when revenues had been lower versus the year-ago period. Sales also rose in Europe but fell in the Americas, Japan, and the rest of Asia Pacific. Apple suffered a 2.4 percent drop in iPhone sales, which account for nearly half of total revenues. The company also experienced declines in revenues from the Mac and iPad. Apple has described ebbing sales in these areas as reflecting macroeconomic weakness, with price inflation straining household budgets. "We are happy to report that we had an all-time revenue record in Services during the June quarter, driven by over one billion paid subscriptions, and we saw continued strength in emerging markets thanks to robust sales of iPhone," said Chief Executive Tim Cook. Shares of Apple dipped 1.0 percent to $189.28 in after-hours trading. The post Apple profits edge higher despite lower iPhone sales appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India announces new French fighter jet deal as Modi visits Paris
India announced a new multi-billion-dollar deal for French fighter jets on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris for a two-day trip that will see him feted as the guest of honor during France's national day celebrations. India's defense ministry said that the country intended to order 26 more Rafale jets as well as another three Scorpene-class submarines, with the price and other terms still being worked out. India is one of the biggest buyers of French arms, and Modi announced a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets during a 2015 trip to Paris that was worth around 4.0 billion euros at the time. Some of those Indian-piloted Rafales will take part in a flypast on Friday during France's Bastille Day military parade where Modi will sit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron as guest of honour. "This closeness is not limited to just the leaders of two countries, it is in fact a reflection of the unwavering friendship between India and France," Modi told an enthusiastic crowd of Indians living in France on Thursday evening. Despite differences over the war in Ukraine and tensions over human rights in India, Western democracies are courting Modi and India as a counterweight to China in Asia. Macron's red carpet welcome comes weeks after Modi was given the rare honor of a White House state dinner in Washington -- a city he was once banned from visiting. "India is one of the pillars of our Indo-Pacific strategy," an aide to Macron told reporters this week on condition of anonymity. Human rights But amid the pomp and diplomatic courting in France, a resolution from the European Parliament on Thursday served as a reminder of Modi's controversial leadership style and Hindu nationalist agenda that has critics at home and abroad. Sitting in Strasbourg in eastern France, EU parliamentarians approved a motion that urged India to end violence in the country's restive northeastern Manipur state and to protect minorities there. Clashes between the majority Meitei, who are mostly Hindus, and the mainly Christian Kuki tribe have left at least 120 people dead, 50,000 displaced and over 1,700 houses destroyed, the parliament said. It criticized the "nationalistic rhetoric" of the local state government, run by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi's role during Bastille Day in France was "an affront not only to India's minority communities, journalists and human rights defenders but also to India as a democracy," the text's chief negotiator, Pierre Larrouturou, said. A protest called against Modi drew only a few dozen people in central Paris on Thursday. Strategic partnership Modi has visited France four times since Macron came to power in 2017, while Macron was honored with a state visit to New Delhi in 2018. Aides on both sides have talked up the personal chemistry between the two leaders and pointed to cooperation on climate change, space technology, and nuclear power as part of a 25-year-old "strategic partnership" between France and India. Modi told the French newspaper Les Echos that bilateral trade had doubled in the last nine years and Macron's "thinking really matches ours". India and France "are naturally compatible" and "we see France as one of our foremost global partners," Modi added. Few observers expect Macron to raise rights concerns with Modi publicly. "The fact that explains France's relative success in this relationship is that unlike the US, the UK, Canada, Germany and a few other European countries, you've hardly seen France commenting on the internal affairs of India," Constantino Xavier from the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, a New Delhi-based think tank, said this week. "That has been appreciated on the Indian side." Modi has been dogged by allegations he was complicit in religious violence during his tenure as chief minister of the western state of Gujarat in 2002 when around 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots. The Indian government and judicial probes have cleared him of culpability. Since his first crushing electoral victory in 2014, he has also been denounced by rights groups for increased discrimination and violence towards the country's Muslims, as well as stifling independent media. "Diversity is the biggest strength of our democracy," he told the meeting on Thursday evening that also lauded the country's economic growth. Many European and American businesses, including US tech giant Apple, are ramping up production there to mitigate the threat of supply chain disruptions from China. The war in Ukraine has heightened concerns in the West about the risk of conflicts disrupting the flow of key raw materials and technology from China, but it has also exposed a rift with India. New Delhi, which has long sought to balance its ties with Moscow and the West, has declined to condemn Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and has emerged as a top buyer of discounted Russian oil during the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. The post India announces new French fighter jet deal as Modi visits Paris appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
North Korea’s Kim pictured with foldable smartphone at ICBM launch
When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the launch of his country's newest and most powerful ballistic missile this week, a shiny gadget lay on his table: a foldable smartphone. Photos released by the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Thursday showed what looked like a silver foldable handset in black leather casing, strikingly similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip devices or China's Huawei Pocket S phones. The photo from Wednesday's launch of the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) instantly unleashed speculation about where the phone came from. "If the object in the photo is a foldable phone, it is highly likely that it was secretly smuggled to North Korea via China," South Korea's Joongang Ilbo newspaper reported. North Korea is banned under UN sanctions from importing or exporting electronic devices. Kim's love for gadgets has been an object of outside curiosity in the past. He has been pictured using what appeared to be Apple products, including iPads and Macbooks. Only around 19 percent of the North Korean population is estimated to have access to mobile phones, according to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. sh/ceb/qan © Agence France-Presse The post North Korea’s Kim pictured with foldable smartphone at ICBM launch appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US business titans flock to China despite fraying ties
From Elon Musk to Bill Gates and Apple's Tim Cook, some of the United States' biggest business titans have headed to Beijing, seemingly defying the barrage of doomsayer narratives around the US-China trade war. The stream of visits by some of the world's richest men began after China abruptly ended nearly three years of Covid isolation late last year. In Beijing, the American magnates have talked up their optimism about China's vast market and trade ties between the world's two largest economies. Landing in China in late May, Tesla owner Musk reportedly said that Beijing and Washington's interests were "intertwined, like conjoined twins, who are inseparable from each other". Apple CEO Cook also spoke of his firm's "symbiotic" relationship with China -- home to the world's largest iPhone factory. The biggest honor of all -- a meeting on Friday with Xi Jinping -- was reserved for Gates, whom the Chinese leader hailed as "our old friend", according to the state-run People's Daily. The visits come as US-China trade tensions deepen, and after trade between the two countries reached a record $690.6 billion last year, according to the US Department of Commerce. But businesses are worried about a slow in US exports to China, America's third-largest trading partner, with the drop strongly felt in the tech industry. Citing national security concerns, the United States in 2022 blocked exports to China of the most advanced semiconductors and the equipment needed to make them. China has hit back by vowing to accelerate its efforts to become self-reliant on semiconductors. "China-US trade was... once mutually dependent and beneficial," analysts at the Peterson Institute for International Economics wrote in a recent paper. "US exports to China are one more channel through which the bilateral relationship continues to deteriorate." 'Minority voice' The US government is engaged in high-stakes disputes with China over policy issues ranging from Taiwan to human rights, with no sign of tensions abating despite an upcoming visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. US businesses in China have long been at the forefront of advocating for engagement, arguing that a strong economic relationship could spur reform. The visits by the magnates show just how embedded some of the world's biggest firms are in China, despite the political tensions. With China growing more repressive under Xi, however, long-influential business lobbies are "increasingly a minority voice", according to Joe Mazur, an analyst at Trivium. "The business community is one of the last remaining pieces of ballast that is stabilizing the US-China relationship." Blinken visit The business community in China will be closely watching Blinken's visit this weekend, which analysts say is unlikely to ease the confrontation. "American business has substantial investments, thousands of employees, and still considers China a promising market," James Zimmerman, a Beijing-based former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, told AFP. But the US and Chinese governments, he said, "have hollowed out any level of collaboration and there is little room for developing even a pretense of goodwill". The US-China Business Council, long a key interlocutor between Beijing and Washington, feels left in the lurch, with its efforts against stricter trade curbs having failed to sway an increasingly hawkish Congress. "They have to make the case for continued engagement with China when the received wisdom in Washington is that the moment of engagement has passed," Mazur said. Is it worth it? Recent moves by Beijing to restrict overseas access to data and raids on consulting firms' offices have also spooked foreign companies -- adding to a sense that doing business in China is increasingly not worth the risk. "There's a shift in sentiment," said Claire Chu, a senior China analyst at defence intelligence company Janes. Many companies may "wonder maybe, even if I don't exit, I should start thinking about it", Chu added. "Dawn raids with little due process and the indefinite detention of employees without access to legal counsel has become the norm for both Chinese and foreign companies alike," Zimmerman said. Many top manufacturers are openly recalibrating their reliance on China: both Apple and Tesla are looking to move some of their production out of the country. "Much the same way that people said 10 years ago that you need to be in China to be relevant, now relevance will depend upon a strategic reshoring exercise," Zimmerman added. The post US business titans flock to China despite fraying ties appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
WWII wreck on which nearly 1,000 Australians died found
Deep-sea explorers said Saturday they had located the wreck of a World War II Japanese transport ship, the Montevideo Maru, which was torpedoed off the Philippines killing nearly 1,000 Australians aboard. The ship -- sunk on 1 July 1942 by a US submarine whose crew did not realize it carried prisoners of war -- was found at a depth of more than four kilometers (2.5 miles), said the maritime archaeology group Silentworld Foundation, which organized the mission. The sinking of the Montevideo Maru was Australia's worst maritime disaster, killing an estimated 979 Australian citizens including at least 850 troops. Civilians from 13 other countries were also aboard, the foundation said, bringing the total number of prisoners killed to about 1,060. "At long last, the resting place of the lost souls of the Montevideo Maru has been found," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. "Among the 1,060 prisoners on board were 850 Australian service members –- their lives cut short," he said in a statement on social media. "We hope today's news brings a measure of comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil." Explorers began searching for the wreck on April 6 in the South China Sea northwest of the Philippines' main island of Luzon, and made a positive sighting just 12 days later, using high-tech equipment including an autonomous underwater vehicle with sonar. "The discovery of the Montevideo Maru closes a terrible chapter in Australian military and maritime history," said John Mullen, director of Silentworld, which conducted the hunt with Dutch deep sea survey firm Fugro along with help from the Australian military. The post WWII wreck on which nearly 1,000 Australians died found appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese to boycott Apple if US bans WeChat app
Chinese consumers could boycott Apple if the United States bans WeChat, China’s foreign ministry spokesman warned Friday, as the clock ticks down on a US order to block the popular social app......»»
China closes U.S. Chengdu consulate
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China said Friday it had revoked the license for the US consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu, in retaliation for the closure of China’s Houston consulate earlier this week. The move is a “legitimate and necessary response to the unreasonable measures by the United States,” the foreign ministry said in […] The post China closes U.S. Chengdu consulate appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pegatron wants to assemble in India
Apple maker is second-biggest in the world with factories in China. The post Pegatron wants to assemble in India appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
TikTok lookalike Zynn brings Chinese video app rivalry to US
Chinese short video app makers have taken their rivalry overseas, with TikTok facing stiff competition from a newcomer that has surged in popularity abroad — by paying users to keep scrolling. Zynn, a product of China’s number-two video app maker Kuaishou, launched in May and became the most popular free app in the US Apple […] The post TikTok lookalike Zynn brings Chinese video app rivalry to US appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»