Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
Chinese State Media Condemns Searches of Correspondents’ Residences in Australia, Canberra Says Will Act Against Criminals Masquerading as Journalists
Tensions between China and Australia rise as a number of state-controlled Chinese media organizations including Xinhua News Agency, the Global Times, and China News Service took turns to accuse the Australian intelligence of having “brutishly” and “barbarically” conducted searches of the residences of Chinese correspondents in June and confiscated their equipment. The Australian home minister Peter Dutton refused to comment on the searches in an interview on 13 September. He admitted, however, that the authorities had taken some actions and would enforce the law where there is sufficient evidence.
In his interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Dutton said the government has the power to gather intelligence to prevent foreign interference. He refused to comment on whether any Chinese journalists had had their residences searched and been interrogated in June, stating only that the investigation was still underway. He admitted that the intelligence authorities had undertaken some activities, saying there was no evidence that the actions taken by the authorities had put Australian correspondents in China at risk.
Where the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has sufficient grounds, said Dutton, searches or other appropriate actions will be carried out. “If people are masquerading as journalists or business leaders or whoever they might be and there’s evidence that they are acting in a contrary nature to Australian law, then ASIO and the Australian Federal Police and other agencies will act,” he said.
Source: Stand News #Sep13
#China #Australia #Journalist #Intelligence #Diplomacy
https://bit.ly/3kEo2hV
Tensions between China and Australia rise as a number of state-controlled Chinese media organizations including Xinhua News Agency, the Global Times, and China News Service took turns to accuse the Australian intelligence of having “brutishly” and “barbarically” conducted searches of the residences of Chinese correspondents in June and confiscated their equipment. The Australian home minister Peter Dutton refused to comment on the searches in an interview on 13 September. He admitted, however, that the authorities had taken some actions and would enforce the law where there is sufficient evidence.
In his interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Dutton said the government has the power to gather intelligence to prevent foreign interference. He refused to comment on whether any Chinese journalists had had their residences searched and been interrogated in June, stating only that the investigation was still underway. He admitted that the intelligence authorities had undertaken some activities, saying there was no evidence that the actions taken by the authorities had put Australian correspondents in China at risk.
Where the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has sufficient grounds, said Dutton, searches or other appropriate actions will be carried out. “If people are masquerading as journalists or business leaders or whoever they might be and there’s evidence that they are acting in a contrary nature to Australian law, then ASIO and the Australian Federal Police and other agencies will act,” he said.
Source: Stand News #Sep13
#China #Australia #Journalist #Intelligence #Diplomacy
https://bit.ly/3kEo2hV
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
Brazil Stops Purchasing more Coronavac Vaccine and Does not Recommend for the 3rd Dose Booster
Brazil is a major customer of China's Coronavac. However, due to the rising efficacy concerns against the COVID Delta variant, along with other vaccines becoming more accessible, the Brazilian government pauses the Coronavac vaccines purchases and encourages people not to use it for a third booster shot. The CoronaVac vaccine factory originally planned to be built in Brazil is also unknown whether it will be built as scheduled.
The Wall Street Journal mentions that Brazil has almost fully purchased 100 million doses of China’s CoronaVac shot. However, the Brazilian government no longer recommends using CoronaVac as a booster dose, but Pfizer instead due to the low protective rates of CoronaVac.
According to the Brazilian government data, the Chinese shot accounted for 80% of the doses at the beginning of the year due to the National Immunization Programme but now declines to less than 35%. The data also shows two-thirds of Brazilians have had one vaccine shot, and just over a third have had two doses.
Source: Stand News #Sep13
https://bit.ly/39t1w7W
#COVID19 #SinovacBiotech #Coronavac #Pfizer #Brazil #WallStreetJournal #Vaccine #Booster
Brazil is a major customer of China's Coronavac. However, due to the rising efficacy concerns against the COVID Delta variant, along with other vaccines becoming more accessible, the Brazilian government pauses the Coronavac vaccines purchases and encourages people not to use it for a third booster shot. The CoronaVac vaccine factory originally planned to be built in Brazil is also unknown whether it will be built as scheduled.
The Wall Street Journal mentions that Brazil has almost fully purchased 100 million doses of China’s CoronaVac shot. However, the Brazilian government no longer recommends using CoronaVac as a booster dose, but Pfizer instead due to the low protective rates of CoronaVac.
According to the Brazilian government data, the Chinese shot accounted for 80% of the doses at the beginning of the year due to the National Immunization Programme but now declines to less than 35%. The data also shows two-thirds of Brazilians have had one vaccine shot, and just over a third have had two doses.
Source: Stand News #Sep13
https://bit.ly/39t1w7W
#COVID19 #SinovacBiotech #Coronavac #Pfizer #Brazil #WallStreetJournal #Vaccine #Booster
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
Former US admiral says China 'their own worst enemy' as tensions rise in South China Sea
The Olympics, the fall of Kabul and the damage wrought by Delta have all occupied the world's focus in the past few months.
But in the waters to Australia's north, foreign navies have been gathering and critical diplomatic deals have been done.
All to ensure China does not control the South China Sea through direct force or by intimidation.
I think that it behooves all of us who are like-minded countries, who support the idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific," former US Indo-Pacific Commander and former US ambassador to South Korea, retired Admiral Harry Harris, told 7.30.
"We should be concerned about China's aggressive actions, not only in the South China Sea, but elsewhere."
Source: ABC #Sep13
#US #China #Australia #SouthChinaSea
https://t.co/rFt6baVgQt
The Olympics, the fall of Kabul and the damage wrought by Delta have all occupied the world's focus in the past few months.
But in the waters to Australia's north, foreign navies have been gathering and critical diplomatic deals have been done.
All to ensure China does not control the South China Sea through direct force or by intimidation.
I think that it behooves all of us who are like-minded countries, who support the idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific," former US Indo-Pacific Commander and former US ambassador to South Korea, retired Admiral Harry Harris, told 7.30.
"We should be concerned about China's aggressive actions, not only in the South China Sea, but elsewhere."
Source: ABC #Sep13
#US #China #Australia #SouthChinaSea
https://t.co/rFt6baVgQt
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
Twitter whistleblower reveals employees concerned China agent could collect user data
The FBI informed Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) of at least one Chinese agent working at the company, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said during a Senate hearing on Tuesday where a whistleblower testified, raising new concerns about foreign meddling at the influential social media platform.
Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, a famed hacker who served as Twitter's head of security until his firing in January, said some Twitter employees were concerned the Chinese government would be able to collect data on the company's users.
Source: Reuters #Sep13
#Twitter #China #Data #FBI
https://www.reuters.com/legal/twitter-whistleblower-detail-dire-security-threats-ahead-musk-deal-vote-2022-09-13/
The FBI informed Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) of at least one Chinese agent working at the company, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said during a Senate hearing on Tuesday where a whistleblower testified, raising new concerns about foreign meddling at the influential social media platform.
Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, a famed hacker who served as Twitter's head of security until his firing in January, said some Twitter employees were concerned the Chinese government would be able to collect data on the company's users.
Source: Reuters #Sep13
#Twitter #China #Data #FBI
https://www.reuters.com/legal/twitter-whistleblower-detail-dire-security-threats-ahead-musk-deal-vote-2022-09-13/