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China says Phl vessel ‘deliberately stirred up trouble’ before collision
Beijing on Sunday said a Philippine coastguard vessel "deliberately stirred up trouble" ahead of a collision with a Chinese boat in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported. "The Philippine Coast Guard vessel 4409 deliberately stirred up trouble and reversed in a premeditated manner," state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the foreign ministry, adding "the malicious collision heated up the situation". The post China says Phl vessel ‘deliberately stirred up trouble’ before collision appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden says Xi meeting in November ‘a possibility’
US President Joe Biden said Friday he may meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November as Washington and Beijing push to reset ties, but added that nothing is scheduled yet. The leaders of the rival powers have not met in person or spoken for nearly a year, and tensions have mounted as an increasingly assertive China and the United States vie for global influence. "There has been no such meeting set up, but it is a possibility," Biden told journalists after reports that they were set to meet during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. Biden is set to host leaders from across the region on November 16 and 17 in the California city, and speculation has mounted that it could be the venue for a rapprochement. The White House had begun making plans for a meeting on the sidelines of the summit in a bid to stabilize relations, The Washington Post reported, quoting one official as saying it "it's pretty firm." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit Washington at some point ahead of the APEC summit. Beijing however has not confirmed whether Xi will attend the summit or meet with his US counterpart. The White House has also declined to elaborate on a potential meeting with Xi. 'Disappointed' The last time Biden and Xi met was in November 2022 on the sidelines of a summit in Bali. Their talks were surprisingly cordial but relations then froze over again, and there has not even been a phone call since. Biden had said last month he was "disappointed" that Xi was not attending a G20 summit in New Delhi. He added that he was "going to get to see him," although he did not elaborate. Tensions between the United States and an increasingly assertive China have mounted as the world's two largest economies push for diplomatic, military and economic influence. Bilateral ties face a long list of problems, from trade disputes to Taiwan's future to the expansive Chinese presence in the South China Sea. But the United States has been working to restore a more effective working relationship, sending a series of senior officials to China in recent months despite continuing friction. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and China's Wang met in the Mediterranean island nation of Malta in mid-September in the latest attempt to reach out. The APEC forum will be a key test of whether their efforts are working, as the Asia-Pacific region is one of the main theaters where Beijing and Washington are going head-to-head. Biden has also been pushing to show that international groupings like the G20 and APEC can still deliver on problems including the economy and climate -- even when China is not involved. The post Biden says Xi meeting in November ‘a possibility’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Long-game scenario
Employing lawfare and so-called grey zone tactics may point to China preparing for the long haul, according to experts. The tactic involves wearing down its opponents in the South China Sea conflict while waiting for a suitable administration in the United States, which would again give less importance to America’s stabilizing role in the Asia-Pacific region. China’s preparations for a protracted conflict are evident in its latest moves, from making public the 10-dash line claim, the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Jakarta, and the water spraying by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel of a Philippine Navy boat on a mission to resupply the grounded Sierra Madre. Regional analysts said China is employing a combination of lawfare, which is the use of legal systems and institutions to undermine an opponent, and gray zone tactics, which are maneuvers short of war that point to a conflict for the long haul. China’s drafting of a new map was timed to reassert its territorial claims and flex its muscles ahead of the ASEAN and G20 Summits. It did gain a measure of success as in the joint statements customarily issued at the end of the events; there was no explicit mention of China despite most members of the regional blocs expressing concerns about its assertive actions in the disputed waters. Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies based at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said the elephant in the room, amid the increasing aggressiveness of the Asian giant, was China’s undergoing multiple crises. Koh said that while lawfare and maritime coercion have been part and parcel of Beijing’s toolkit in the past, “there has been an obvious uptick that coincided with China’s domestic problems, which are property market woes, high youth unemployment, and sluggish exports.” For instance, during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, “the Philippines was subjected to boat swarming tactics similar to those recently seen.” The use of such methods intensified after the Philippines announced an expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States, which Beijing interpreted as one of America’s efforts to intervene in its conflict with Taiwan. For China, digging in and preparing for a long engagement is beneficial. At Ayungin Shoal, China has been blocking Philippine missions to repair the dilapidated landing ship grounded there since it knows that the rusting hull would not last too long and nature will take care of its eventual removal. It can simply wear down the country’s resolve until it abandons its hold on the shoal, or so China believes. China is trying to prevent a united stand in the region since lawfare can be matched by counter-lawfare, such as by tightening existing legal maritime provisions or creating new ones in line with international law to assert the other claimant nations’ interests, according to geopolitical experts. ASEAN has inherent structural limitations make it challenging to take a united position on the South China Sea disputes. China exploits these limitations, such as the ASEAN decision-making process, where a disagreement by one member defeats a unified stand of the 10-nation group. Thus, the role of powers outside the region remains more important than ever to backstop the efforts to maintain stability while following international law. Previous talk about matching the military prowess of China, particularly for the long haul, would be impossible for the Philippines. This was why the alliance with the United States through EDCA was strengthened — to give the Philippines the minimum defense capability against aggressors. The post Long-game scenario 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......»»
Ten Chinese stars missing at Hangzhou Asian Games
BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- As athletes shape up for their final preparations ahead of the 19th Asian Games, several high-profile names will be absent due to various reasons. Following are 10 Chinese star athletes who didn't make the roster for the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Yang Qian (Shooting) Olympic debutant Yang shot down the first gold of Tokyo 2020 in women's 10m air rifle, before becoming the firs.....»»
Ten Chinese stars missing at Hangzhou Asian Games
BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- As athletes shape up for their final preparations ahead of the 19th Asian Games, several high-profile names will be absent due to various reasons. Following are 10 Chinese star athletes who didn't make the roster for the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Yang Qian (Shooting) Olympic debutant Yang shot down the first gold of Tokyo 2020 in women's 10m air rifle, before becoming the firs.....»»
US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow
US President Joe Biden hailed closer ties with Vietnam on Sunday as the two countries struck a deal to deepen cooperation, including on semiconductors, but said he was not aiming to contain China. The "comprehensive strategic partnership" with Hanoi is part of Washington's push to bolster its network of allies around Asia and the Pacific in the face of Beijing's rising influence. Biden accused Beijing of seeking to bend the international order to its will. "One of the things that is going on now is China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game, in terms of trade and other issues," Biden said. Sometimes to Beijing's chagrin, Washington has invested heavily in building alliances as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, including the Quad security dialogue with India, Australia and Japan, and the AUKUS pact with Britain and Australia. Biden said he wanted establish clear ground rules for relations. "I don't want to contain China. I just want to make sure we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it's all about," he said. Biden flew in to Hanoi straight from a G20 summit that failed to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels and highlighted deep divisions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US president said he had met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 -- a meeting the White House had not announced -- and discussed "stability". Semiconductor deal Global supply chain shocks and fears about US reliance on China for strategic resources have further driven the push to boost ties with the likes of Vietnam. The new partnership includes an agreement on semiconductors, with the United States committing to help Vietnam develop its capabilities and expand production. There is also a section on rare earth minerals, which used in the manufacture of high-tech devices such as smartphones and electric car batteries. Vietnam has the world's second-largest deposits of rare earths after China and US officials say it has a key role to play as it looks to diversify and strengthen its supply chains. Biden moved last month to restrict US investment in Chinese technology in sensitive areas including semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. "This can be the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation," Biden said as he met Nguyen Phu Trong, the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party and the country's paramount leader. "Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time." The deal puts the United States on a par with China -- as well as Russia, India and South Korea -- at the top level of the Vietnamese hierarchy of diplomatic relations. Trong thanked Biden for his contribution to improving US-Vietnamese ties and said his country would work hard to implement the new agreement. Although it is careful to be seen as not taking sides between the United States and China, Vietnam shares US concerns about its neighbour's growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. However, The New York Times reported just ahead of Biden's visit that Vietnam was secretly arranging to buy arms from Russia in contravention of US sanctions. The report cited a Vietnamese finance ministry document that laid out plans to fund arms purchases from the Kremlin through a joint oil and gas project in Siberia. AFP has contacted the Vietnamese government for comment. US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer told reporters that Washington acknowledged Vietnam's decades-long military relationship with Russia. But he said there was "increasing discomfort on the part of the Vietnamese with that relationship", and the new partnership would help Hanoi "diversify away from those partnerships" by allowing it to source from the United States and its allies. Human rights Biden said he had raised human rights in his meeting with Trong and pledged to "continue our candid dialogue in that regard". Vietnam has a dire rights record. Government critics face intimidation, harassment and imprisonment after unfair trials, and there are reports of police torture to extract confessions, Human Rights Watch says. While Biden has often criticised China's human rights record, he has largely stayed quiet on Vietnam and campaigners feared he may not raise the subject. On Monday Biden visit a Hanoi memorial to his friend John McCain, the former US senator shot down and held captive during the Vietnam War who in later years helped rebuild ties between the two countries. The post US, Vietnam agree to deepen ties as China worries grow appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Alibaba announces surprise departure of ex-CEO
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the surprise departure of former CEO Daniel Zhang, who had been set Monday to take charge of a key subsidiary as the firm undergoes a major restructuring. Hangzhou-based Alibaba is one of China's most prominent technology firms, with business operations spanning cloud computing, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment, and artificial intelligence. After years of turbulence in the Chinese tech sector, Alibaba in March announced the biggest restructuring in its history, dividing itself into six entities, with the goal of listing them on the stock exchange separately. CEO Daniel Zhang was due to take charge of the firm's new cloud computing branch, now a separate entity, on Monday. But two months after announcing his appointment, Alibaba said its ex-boss was no longer with the company. "The board of our Company expresses its deepest appreciation to Mr. Zhang for his contributions to Alibaba Group over the past 16 years," the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is listed, late on Sunday. It gave no reason for his departure. Plans for a spin-off cloud computing firm would go ahead, Alibaba said, "under a separate management team to be appointed". The company announced in June that Zhang would be replaced by Joseph Tsai as chairman and Eddie Wu as CEO. The executive played a vital role in the company's success in the past decade, spearheading the now hugely popular Singles' Day shopping festival since its first edition in 2009. Shares in the firm sank nearly 3.5 percent Monday -- the first working day of its new reorganization into six distinct branches. In addition to e-commerce and cloud computing, Alibaba's reach stretches into everything from logistics to media, entertainment and artificial intelligence. But its vast size brought it into the crosshairs of Chinese regulators as Beijing sought to crack down on the tech sector. In 2020, Alibaba became the country's first tech giant to bear the brunt of increased oversight, when authorities called off what would have become one of the most valuable public listings in history -- valued at $34 billion -- for its former subsidiary Ant Group. Ant Group is the owner of Alipay, a mobile payment application widely used in China. One month after officials hit the brakes on its IPO, Alibaba was investigated for alleged anti-competitive practices, then issued a $2.8 billion fine. And in July authorities fined Ant Group nearly $1 billion for breaching banking regulations. The post Alibaba announces surprise departure of ex-CEO appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Yellen says US ‘carefully’ monitoring China economy
The United States is "carefully" monitoring China's challenges, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday, as the slowdown in the world's second-largest economy raises concerns for global growth. Many are worried about the Asian giant's struggles, with the threat of recession in Europe and high inflation in many major economies contributing to a plunge in demand for Chinese goods. "China faces a variety of both short and longer-term global challenges, economic challenges that we've been monitoring carefully," Yellen told reporters in New Delhi, ahead of a two-day G20 summit. "That said, China has quite a bit of policy space to address these challenges," she added. China's President Xi Jinping will miss the leaders' meeting at a time of heightened trade and geopolitical tensions with the United States and India, with which it shares a long and disputed border. China's challenges included "less of a pick up in consumer spending that had been anticipated in the aftermath of the Covid restrictions, as well as long-standing issues with respect to the property sector and... debt related to that", she said. G20 host India overtook its northern neighbor as the world's most populous country earlier this year, and Yellen added that China's "labor force is beginning to shrink". Xi's absence will impact Washington's bid to keep the G20 the main forum of global economic cooperation and its efforts towards a financing push for developing countries. That includes a plan to increase World Bank and International Monetary Fund lending power for emerging nations by some $200 billion as a better alternative to Beijing's "coercive" Belt and Road Initiative. While "aware of the risks to global growth", Yellen said she had "been surprised by the strength of global growth and how resilient the global economy has proven to be". "While there are risks and some countries that have certainly been affected, overall, the global economy has been resilient," she added. Yellen added that the "most important negative influence is Russia's war on Ukraine." The post Yellen says US ‘carefully’ monitoring China economy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippines’ Marcos opposes ‘militia vessels’ in South China Sea
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos told leaders at a summit in Indonesia on Thursday to oppose the use of "coast guard and maritime militia vessels" in the South China Sea, where Manila has a territorial dispute with Beijing. Philippine ships have been harassed several times in recent months by Chinese vessels in the disputed waterway, an important trade route where other Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia also have claims. Marcos told the 18-nation East Asia Summit, which was attended by China, that Manila was concerned about the installation of military facilities on reclaimed features such as outcrops and reefs, as well as violations of international law. "We are concerned over consistent actions that are in violation of obligations under international law," Marcos said, according to a transcript of his remarks released by the presidential palace. "We must oppose the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea." He did not mention any country by name at the summit, which was attended by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and US Vice President Kamala Harris. Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannon on August 5 at a Filipino ship on a mission to resupply marines stationed at a World War II-era ship on Second Thomas Shoal. Another resupply mission to the shoal was also harassed later that month. China defended its actions in the area as "professional". The Philippines deliberately grounded the ship to stake its claims on the shoal in the disputed sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. China, which has built military facilities on reclaimed territory, has urged the Philippines to remove the ship. It has also used boats, which Manila described as "militia vessels", to enforce its claims against smaller neighbors. Marcos said countries must not allow tensions in the South China Sea to escalate further and urged "all parties to exercise self-restraint and refrain from unilateral" actions that would increase tensions and risk miscalculations. China released a new map ahead of Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Jakarta this week in which its maritime claims overlapped with those of other countries. The map sparked strong protests from Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. mba/jfx/pbt © Agence France-Presse The post Philippines’ Marcos opposes ‘militia vessels’ in South China Sea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Chinese and Russian officials gather at Southeast Asia summit
US Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend an East Asia summit in Indonesia on Thursday, offering an opportunity for direct, high-level diplomacy between the rivals. The 18-nation meeting will bring Washington and Beijing into contact a day after Premier Li Qiang warned major powers must manage their differences to avoid a "new Cold War", ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi this week where Chinese President Xi Jinping will be absent. Interactions between the officials from the world's top two economies will be closely watched as they seek to control tensions that risk flaring anew over issues ranging from Taiwan to ties with Moscow and the competition for influence in the Pacific. "To keep differences under control, what is essential now is to oppose picking sides, to oppose bloc confrontation, and to oppose a new Cold War," Li told regional leaders on Tuesday. Harris held her own talks with Southeast Asian leaders on "the importance of upholding international law in the South China Sea", according to a statement from her office, the disputed waterway where Chinese claims have angered several Southeast Asian nations. Thursday's summit will be the first time top US and Russian officials have sat around the same table in almost two months after US and European officials condemned Lavrov at a July ministerial meeting over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $1 billion in new assistance to Ukraine in a surprise visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Canada's Justin Trudeau, and Australian PM Anthony Albanese will attend the summit, as well as leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. G20 host Modi addressed ASEAN leaders on Thursday morning, telling them it is essential to "build a post-Covid rules-based world order" and make collective efforts to ensure a "free and open Indo-Pacific", using another term for the Asia-Pacific region. Thursday's talks come several months after Blinken traveled to Beijing, the first visit by the top US diplomat in nearly five years, where he met Xi as well as former foreign minister Qin Gang. - 'Broken' - The meeting was not expected to be a fiery affair despite the differences between the major powers, according to a Southeast Asian diplomat who will attend. "They will state their positions, these meetings are not tense. Especially at the leaders' level where some degree of decorum will be observed." The group will issue a negotiated joint statement after the summit. While the gathering can bring major players together, its ability to help resolve a range of regional and global disputes is limited, experts say. "It's a sign of the ASEAN convening power but lately we can say that the East Asia summit is broken. It has been turned into a forum for talking points," said Aaron Connelly, senior fellow at Singapore-based think tank IISS. While Thursday's meeting will be more geopolitical in scope, big powers used earlier talks in Jakarta to shore up alliances and lobby the Southeast Asian bloc. Li traveled on a Chinese-funded high-speed train project between the capital Jakarta and the Javan city of Bandung with a senior Indonesian minister on Wednesday. Harris held separate meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. -- both ASEAN members -- on the sidelines of the summit. "The Vice President reaffirmed the United States' ironclad alliance commitment to the Philippines, and highlighted the role the US-Philippines alliance plays in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific," her office said in a statement. South Korea's Yoon reportedly pushed for the bloc to counter North Korea's nuclear threats, calling for any military cooperation with the country to stop. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also give an address on the sidelines of the summit later on Thursday. ASEAN members are holding bilateral meetings with India, Australia, and the UN on Thursday. The post US, Chinese and Russian officials gather at Southeast Asia summit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fukushima water release sparks seafood ban, protesters’ arrest
China banned all Japanese seafood imports while South Korean protesters tried to storm Tokyo’s embassy in Seoul on Thursday as Japan started releasing into the Pacific Ocean treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. China’s customs authority said it would “suspend the import of aquatic products originating in Japan from 24 August 2023, including edible aquatic animals”. The decision was taken to “comprehensively prevent the food safety risks of radioactive contamination caused by the discharge of nuclear wastewater from Fukushima into the sea,” the General Administration of Customs said. It would also “protect the health of Chinese consumers and ensure the safety of imported food,” the authority added. Beijing had already suspended all food imports from 10 out of 47 Japanese prefectures in July, with Hong Kong following suit. China imported over $500 million worth of seafood from Japan last year, according to customs data. In Seoul, 16 people protesting the water release were arrested Thursday for trying to enter the Japanese embassy in the South Korea capital, Yonhap News Agency reported. “The police detained them on charges of trespassing and violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act,” Yonhap said. All other protesters had been dispersed and police had restricted access to the building housing the embassy shortly after the incident, an Agence France-Presse reporter saw. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo criticized what he called a “politically driven” campaign against the wastewater release, which was using “fake news” to fan fears. Ahead of the release, about 10 people held a protest near the plant and around 100 others gathered outside TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo, AFP journalists said. Live video provided by plant operator TEPCO showed two engineers clicking on computer mouses and an official saying — after a countdown — that the “valves near the seawater transport pumps are opening.” Monitors from the United Nations atomic watchdog, which has endorsed the plan, were due to be on site for the procedure, while TEPCO workers were scheduled to take water samples later on Thursday. Japanese officials have repeatedly insisted the wastewater release is safe. Three of the reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people in 2011. WITH AFP The post Fukushima water release sparks seafood ban, protesters’ arrest appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant
Japan began releasing wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday in an operation it insists is safe but has generated a fierce backlash from China. The beginning of the discharge of around 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water into the Pacific over several decades is a big step in decommissioning the still highly dangerous site 12 years after one of the world's worst nuclear accidents. Live video provided by plant operator TEPCO showed engineers behind computer screens and an official saying -- after a countdown -- that the "valves near the seawater transport pumps are opening." Monitors from the UN atomic watchdog, which has endorsed the plan, were due to be on site for the procedure, while TEPCO workers were scheduled to take water samples later on Thursday. Ahead of the operation, about 10 people held a protest near the site and around 100 others gathered outside TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo, AFP journalists said. "It's like dumping an atomic bomb in the ocean. Japan is the first country that was attacked with an atomic bomb in the world, and the prime minister of the country made this decision," said Kenichi Sato, 68. China's environment ministry on Thursday blasted Japan's plan as "extremely selfish and irresponsible", saying it would "track and study" the impact on its waters. - Multiple meltdowns - With around 1,000 steel containers holding the water, TEPCO has said it needs to clear space for the removal of highly dangerous radioactive nuclear fuel and rubble from the wrecked reactors. Three of the reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people in 2011. Since then, TEPCO has collected 1.34 million cubic metres of water contaminated as it cooled the wrecked reactors, along with groundwater and rain that has seeped in. TEPCO will carry out four releases of the treated water from Thursday until March 2024. The first discharge will take about 17 days. About 5 trillion becquerels -- a measure of radioactivity -- of tritium will be released this fiscal year, TEPCO added. Japan insists that all radioactive elements have been filtered out except the tritium, levels of which are harmless and lower than what is discharged by operational nuclear power plants, including in China. This is backed by most experts. "When released into the Pacific, the tritium is further diluted into a vast body of water and would quickly get to a radioactivity level which is not discernibly different from normal seawater," said Tom Scott from the University of Bristol in England. "Hence, it poses very little risk and the risk itself decreases with time due to the relatively short radioactive half-life... meaning that the amount of tritium (and hence the risk) continually reduces." - Sushi safety - Not everyone is convinced, with environmental group Greenpeace saying that the filtration process is flawed, and China and Russia suggesting the water be vaporised and released into the atmosphere instead. China has accused Japan of treating the Pacific like a "sewer", and even before the release, Beijing banned food imports from 10 out of 47 Japanese prefectures and imposed radiation checks. Hong Kong and Macau, both Chinese territories, followed suit this week. Restaurants in Beijing and Hong Kong serving sushi and sashimi are already reeling from the restrictions. "About 80 percent of the seafood products we use come from Japan," Hong Kong caterer Jasy Choi, who runs a small kitchen for takeaway Japanese food, told AFP. "If more than half of my Japan-imported ingredients are affected, then it would be difficult for me to continue to operate." Analysts said that while China may have genuine safety concerns, its strong reaction is also at least in part motivated by its economic rivalry and frosty relations with Japan. The South Korean government, which is seeking to improve ties with Japan, has not objected although many ordinary people are worried and have staged protests. Social media posts in China and South Korea have included false claims about the release including doctored images of deformed fish with claims they were linked to Fukushima. burs-stu/cwl © Agence France-Presse The post Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant
Japan began releasing wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday in an operation it insists is safe but has generated a fierce backlash from China. The beginning of the discharge of around 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water into the Pacific over several decades is a big step in decommissioning the still highly dangerous site 12 years after one of the world's worst nuclear accidents. Live video provided by plant operator TEPCO showed engineers behind computer screens and an official saying -- after a countdown -- that the "valves near the seawater transport pumps are opening." Monitors from the UN atomic watchdog, which has endorsed the plan, were due to be on site for the procedure, while TEPCO workers were scheduled to take water samples later on Thursday. Ahead of the operation, about 10 people held a protest near the site and around 100 others gathered outside TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo, AFP journalists said. "It's like dumping an atomic bomb in the ocean. Japan is the first country that was attacked with an atomic bomb in the world, and the prime minister of the country made this decision," said Kenichi Sato, 68. China's environment ministry on Thursday blasted Japan's plan as "extremely selfish and irresponsible", saying it would "track and study" the impact on its waters. Multiple meltdowns With around 1,000 steel containers holding the water, TEPCO has said it needs to clear space for the removal of highly dangerous radioactive nuclear fuel and rubble from the wrecked reactors. Three of the reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people in 2011. Since then, TEPCO has collected 1.34 million cubic metres of water contaminated as it cooled the wrecked reactors, along with groundwater and rain that has seeped in. TEPCO will carry out four releases of the treated water from Thursday until March 2024. The first discharge will take about 17 days. About 5 trillion becquerels -- a measure of radioactivity -- of tritium will be released this fiscal year, TEPCO added. Japan insists that all radioactive elements have been filtered out except the tritium, levels of which are harmless and lower than what is discharged by operational nuclear power plants, including in China. This is backed by most experts. "When released into the Pacific, the tritium is further diluted into a vast body of water and would quickly get to a radioactivity level which is not discernibly different from normal seawater," said Tom Scott from the University of Bristol in England. "Hence, it poses very little risk and the risk itself decreases with time due to the relatively short radioactive half-life... meaning that the amount of tritium (and hence the risk) continually reduces." Sushi safety Not everyone is convinced, with environmental group Greenpeace saying that the filtration process is flawed, and China and Russia suggesting the water be vaporised and released into the atmosphere instead. China has accused Japan of treating the Pacific like a "sewer", and even before the release, Beijing banned food imports from 10 out of 47 Japanese prefectures and imposed radiation checks. Hong Kong and Macau, both Chinese territories, followed suit this week. Restaurants in Beijing and Hong Kong serving sushi and sashimi are already reeling from the restrictions. "About 80 percent of the seafood products we use come from Japan," Hong Kong caterer Jasy Choi, who runs a small kitchen for takeaway Japanese food, told AFP. "If more than half of my Japan-imported ingredients are affected, then it would be difficult for me to continue to operate." Analysts said that while China may have genuine safety concerns, its strong reaction is also at least in part motivated by its economic rivalry and frosty relations with Japan. The South Korean government, which is seeking to improve ties with Japan, has not objected although many ordinary people are worried and have staged protests. Social media posts in China and South Korea have included false claims about the release including doctored images of deformed fish with claims they were linked to Fukushima. The post Japan begins release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Proxies and agents
The country has been the focus of China’s foreign influence operations, or FIOs, over the past few years, which are activities that had intensified in parallel to the worsening situation in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines has been the focus for the bulk of the People’s Republic of China FIOs relating to the WPS, as much of the offshore territory claimed by the PRC in this area that lies within the Philippines’ EEZ, based on a report of Dr. Peter Chalk, a former senior analyst with the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, CA. United Front Work, which is a euphemism for covert activities in the Philippines, is allegedly undertaken mostly by five local groups: China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, which promotes universal adherence to the CCP’s One China Principle by advocating against recognition of Taiwan and, presumably, its claims in the SCS; Chinese People’s Association of Friendship with Foreign Countries, which works to foster cordial relations with other countries to “improve” their opinions of the PRC; China Overseas Friendship Association, which acts as a platform for information exchanges, and people-to-people links and provides networking across the global overseas China diaspora; and China Zhi Gong Party, which focuses on outreach to overseas Chinese individuals and communities. The groups act as proxies of the United Front Work Department, or UFWD, of the Chinese government which have specific tasks to coopt influential Filipinos and members of the Filipino-Chinese community into backing the PRC’s position on regional affairs. With respect to the WPS, the UFWD focuses on swaying businessmen, civic leaders, academics, journalists, and politicians to act as pliable conduits for promoting and endorsing Beijing’s presence in the littoral area. Chalk then recounted the overarching influence of Beijing that extended to the May 2022 national elections, when the UFWD reportedly attempted to manipulate candidates including one in northern Luzon, who was instrumental in Beijing’s effort to oppose the annual US-Philippines Balikatan exercise. “Though the drill ultimately went ahead, the official issued a statement that he would not support US forces rotating through two military bases” in his province, Chalk stressed. “This reticence may reflect that the governor remains under some degree of PRC influence, at least in terms of his opposition to an American military presence in strategically significant regions of the archipelago,” Chalk continued. Chalk also identified “pseudo-strategic think tanks” in the country as promoting one-sided analyses and commentaries supporting President Xi Jinping’s Indo-Pacific maritime policies. He cited the Philippines Association for China Studies, the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Association, and the Integrated Development Studies Institute as examples. Apart from using these centers as a means for spreading pro-PRC propaganda, the UFWD has allegedly compromised these organizations’ senior leadership to penetrate the highest echelons of the Philippine government and security establishment. Chalk mentioned a case in point which was in August 2022, when the President of PACS had to withdraw his candidacy to become the deputy national security advisor to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. after officials with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency sent an unsigned letter accusing him of having close links to China and selling classified information on the WPS disputes. The post Proxies and agents appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘NBN-ZTE, China’s first salvo’
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday refuted a claim that it was his father, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, who promised China the BRP Sierra Madre would be removed from Ayungin Shoal. Ejercito pointed out that it was his father who ordered in 1999 that the World War II-era ship be run aground to bolster the Philippines’ sovereignty claim to what was also called the Second Thomas Shoal. The senator was reacting to a former government official’s claim in an opinion piece in a national daily that it was Estrada who promised the Chinese the Sierra Madre would be removed. “That claim seems inconsistent. The mere fact that President Estrada was the one who ordered the BRP Sierra Madre be grounded on Ayungin Shoal, it’s impossible that he would commit to removing the same,” he told reporters in a Viber message. Ejercito also took a swipe at the ex-official in connection with a controversial project the administration he worked for entered into with China. “At least President Erap had the courage to fight for our sovereignty,” the senator said. “Unlike them who paved the way for the NBN-ZTE, the first salvo of Chinese intrusions in our country.” Estrada’s son to former actress Guia Gomez was referring to the canceled National Broadband Network project with ZTE Corp., a Chinese telecommunications firm. China continues to insist it has territorial rights over Ayungin Shoal, which is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as affirmed by a 2016 arbitral ruling. No such pledge After a China Coast Guard vessel used a water cannon in an attempt to drive away Philippine Coast Guard-led resupply boats headed to the BRP Sierra Madre last 5 August, Beijing claimed the Philippines had pledged to tow away the scuttled tank landing ship that serves as the Philippines’ outpost on Ayungin. In reaction, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he knew of no such promise by the Philippine government to remove the Sierra Madre, adding that if there was such a pledge made by a past administration, he was rescinding it. “Who was closer to China? Was it Erap? The VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) was in fact approved during his time,” Ejercito averred, referring to the military cooperation deal between the Philippines and the United States. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy the BRP Sierra Madre as a permanent station on Ayungin Shoal in response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995. The deployment was years ahead, according to the DFA, of the conclusion in 2002 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. “[It] is therefore not a violation of the DOC,” the DFA pointed out. The post ‘NBN-ZTE, China’s first salvo’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘I miss the sun’: Journalist detained in China issues rare message
Jailed Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei has described the bleak conditions she faces in detention in a rare public message released on Thursday ahead of the third anniversary of her imprisonment by Beijing. "I miss the sun," reads the message, described as a "love letter" to Australia dictated to officials on a consular visit. "In my cell, the sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year." The message was shared with Australian news outlets and on the social media platform X by Cheng's partner, Nick Coyle, on Thursday evening. Cheng, a former anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, is formally charged with "supplying state secrets overseas", though no further details have been supplied. Her detention came as relations between Australia and China cratered, raising speculation it was politically motivated. Last year Coyle said he had serious concerns about a "range of health issues" Cheng faced behind bars. In Thursday's poignant message, the mother of two said she hadn't seen a tree in three years and spoke of her longing for Australia and the outside world. She said her bedding in jail was only taken out to air once a year. "When it came back last time, I wrapped myself in the doona (quilt) and pretended I was being hugged by family under the sun," the message read. "Most of all I miss my children," it ended. Cheng has been detained since August 2020 but was only formally arrested in February 2021. She was tried last March behind closed doors, with even Australia's ambassador to China blocked from entering the court to observe proceedings. The court deferred the verdict and Cheng's sentence, which could extend to life in prison. "She has missed her daughter going to high school. Her parents aren't getting any younger and Lei is their only child. So time is getting more and more precious," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Coyle as saying on Thursday. Last month Australia's foreign minister said she had again raised Cheng's case when she met China's top diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Jakarta. Ties between the two sides have been improving since the election of Australia's center-left Labor government in May last year. Last week, China announced it was removing extra tariffs on Australian barley imposed in 2020 at the height of the dispute. The post ‘I miss the sun’: Journalist detained in China issues rare message appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl ‘promise’ to tow away BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin, not under my Pa’s term – Ejercito
Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Thursday asserted that it was not his father, former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, who allegedly promised China that the Philippines would remove the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal. “It was former President Joseph Estrada who ordered that BRP Sierra Madre be placed in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 as a symbol of our sovereignty and to mark our territory,” Ejercito said in a statement. “I cannot recall such a commitment from the Philippine government to remove the Sierra Madre,” he added. Over the weekend, China claimed that the Philippines had promised to tow away the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal. "The Philippine side has repeatedly made clear promises to tow away the warship illegally 'stranded' on the reef," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. In a separate statement, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines further supports Beijing's claim that the Philippines promised to tow away the vessel several times. “For instance, in November 1999, the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines met with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Domingo Siazon and Chief of the Presidential Management Staff Leonora de Jesus to make another round of representations. Many times the Philippines promised to tow away the vessel, but it has taken no action,” the embassy said. “In September 2003, upon the news that the Philippines was preparing to build facilities around that military vessel illegally run aground at Ren'ai Jiao, China lodged immediate representations. The Philippine Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Franklin Ebdalin responded that the Philippines had no intention to construct facilities on Ren'ai Jiao and that, as a signatory to the DOC, the Philippines had no desire to and would not be the first to violate the Declaration,” it added. On Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. denied that the Philippine government made such a promise to China. “I’m not aware of any such arrangement or agreement that the Philippines will remove from its own territory its ship, in this case, the BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal,” Marcos said in a video message. He also asserted that he is rescinding any commitment should there be an agreement between the two countries to remove the vessel. "And let me go further, if there does exist such an agreement, I rescind that agreement now,” Marcos said. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy the BRP Sierra Madre as a permanent station on Ayungin Shoal in response to China’s illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995. “The deployment of a Philippine military station in its own areas of jurisdiction is an inherent right of the Philippines and does not violate any laws,” it added. The agency also explained that the Philippine station on Ayungin Shoal was deployed in 1999, years ahead of the conclusion in 2002 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. “[It] is therefore not a violation of the DOC,” it pointed out. The DFA also reiterated that China Coast Guard’s actions on 5 August which includes the use of water cannon and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels were in violation of the relevant provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS, the Award on the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration, the 1972 COLREGS, and the 2002 ASEAN-China DOC. “The 2016 Arbitral Award is based on UNCLOS and affirms UNCLOS. It is final, legal and binding,” the agency said. The post Phl ‘promise’ to tow away BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin, not under my Pa’s term – Ejercito appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese FM begins SE Asia tour as South China Sea tensions flare
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Singapore Thursday at the start of a three-nation regional tour, Beijing's embassy in the city-state said, as tensions flare with the Philippines in the South China Sea. His three-day trip, after returning to the post last month following the unexplained disappearance of predecessor Qin Gang, also includes Malaysia and Cambodia. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy confirmed to AFP on Thursday morning that Beijing's top diplomat had arrived in the financial hub. "China hopes to strengthen strategic communication with the three Southeast Asian countries through this visit," China's foreign ministry said when it announced the trip on Wednesday. Wang will visit until Friday and hold separate meetings with his counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's government said. His visit comes after Beijing and Manila clashed at the weekend when the Philippines accused Chinese Coast Guard vessels of blocking and firing water cannon at its boats on a resupply mission to Filipino marines stationed on a World-War-II-era ship. China has since insisted the Philippine navy vessel grounded on a reef in the Spratly Islands be removed from the hotly contested waters that have long been a flashpoint between the two. Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines are all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is in talks with China over a code of conduct in the sea that Beijing claims as almost entirely its own. Other ASEAN members Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei all claim parts of the sea, too. Singapore has for decades juggled ties with China and the US as their rivalry grows across the Asia-Pacific region. Wang will travel to Malaysia on Friday where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he will meet with Beijing's envoy in the northern state of Penang, Malaysia's Star newspaper reported. Anwar is on the campaign trail ahead of local elections on Saturday in six states. Wang will finish his trip in Cambodia, which has become one of China's strongest allies in the region under the rule of outgoing ruler Hun Sen, receiving huge sums of Chinese investment. mba/jfx/aha © Agence France-Presse The post Chinese FM begins SE Asia tour as South China Sea tensions flare appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese FM begins SE Asia tour as South China Sea tensions flare
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Singapore Thursday at the start of a three-nation regional tour, Beijing's embassy in the city-state said, as tensions flare with the Philippines in the South China Sea. His three-day trip, after returning to the post last month following the unexplained disappearance of predecessor Qin Gang, also includes Malaysia and Cambodia. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy confirmed to AFP on Thursday morning that Beijing's top diplomat had arrived in the financial hub. "China hopes to strengthen strategic communication with the three Southeast Asian countries through this visit," China's foreign ministry said when it announced the trip on Wednesday. Wang will visit until Friday and hold separate meetings with his counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's government said. His visit comes after Beijing and Manila clashed at the weekend when the Philippines accused Chinese Coast Guard vessels of blocking and firing water cannon at its boats on a resupply mission to Filipino marines stationed on a World-War-II-era ship. China has since insisted the Philippine navy vessel grounded on a reef in the Spratly Islands be removed from the hotly contested waters that have long been a flashpoint between the two. Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines are all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is in talks with China over a code of conduct in the sea that Beijing claims as almost entirely its own. Other ASEAN members Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei all claim parts of the sea, too. Singapore has for decades juggled ties with China and the US as their rivalry grows across the Asia-Pacific region. Wang will travel to Malaysia on Friday where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he will meet with Beijing's envoy in the northern state of Penang, Malaysia's Star newspaper reported. Anwar is on the campaign trail ahead of local elections on Saturday in six states. Wang will finish his trip in Cambodia, which has become one of China's strongest allies in the region under the rule of outgoing ruler Hun Sen, receiving huge sums of Chinese investment. The post Chinese FM begins SE Asia tour as South China Sea tensions flare appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»