Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#KPOP #KoreanSociety
#BTS Falls Prey to Chinese Netizens' Attack
BTS, a Korean boy band representing the success of K-pop around the world, was named the winner of the James A. Van Fleet Award 2020 by The Korea Society in the United States on October 7, 2020. The band was credited as one of the reasons for the closer relationships between South Korea and the U.S.
In their acceptance speech, BTS mentioned that 2020 marks 70 years after the Korean War: "We will always remember this painful history shared by our two countries and the countless men and women who sacrificed their lives".
However, this speech by BTS provoked many Chinese netizens, who condemned BTS for "humiliating China". Posts attacking BTS surged in China. A comment posted on a social media platform that read, "Get lost, BTS is dead" garnered over 1.66 million 'likes' and over 36,000 comments in China.
Watch BTS' Speech at the 2020 Van Fleet Award:
https://youtu.be/gv09j97njnY
Source: Stand News #Oct11
#KoreanWar #VantheFleetAward #FreeSpeech
#LittlePink
#BTS Falls Prey to Chinese Netizens' Attack
BTS, a Korean boy band representing the success of K-pop around the world, was named the winner of the James A. Van Fleet Award 2020 by The Korea Society in the United States on October 7, 2020. The band was credited as one of the reasons for the closer relationships between South Korea and the U.S.
In their acceptance speech, BTS mentioned that 2020 marks 70 years after the Korean War: "We will always remember this painful history shared by our two countries and the countless men and women who sacrificed their lives".
However, this speech by BTS provoked many Chinese netizens, who condemned BTS for "humiliating China". Posts attacking BTS surged in China. A comment posted on a social media platform that read, "Get lost, BTS is dead" garnered over 1.66 million 'likes' and over 36,000 comments in China.
Watch BTS' Speech at the 2020 Van Fleet Award:
https://youtu.be/gv09j97njnY
Source: Stand News #Oct11
#KoreanWar #VantheFleetAward #FreeSpeech
#LittlePink
Forwarded from RTHK Latest News
Australia probes reports of China's coal import ban
Australia is investigating media reports that China has stopped taking its coal shipments, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday, adding that such import quotas to support Chinese market were "not uncommon".Trade industry reports late last week suggested that some Chinese ports had been told not to accept Australian thermal and metallurgical coal, and that Australian shipments were being sold along to other markets at the last minute.China's imports of coal had been expected to slow in the second half, after heavy imports earlier this year met with weaker than expected demand due to coronavirus-related disruptions."When it comes to coal, in China they do have their own coal industry and it is not uncommon that from time to time the Chinese government will have domestic quotas to support local production and local jobs in China," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told journalists at a briefing in Queensland state."The arrangements they put around domestic quotas in coal production is not unusual," he said, adding that Australia's trade minister was investigating.Traders and analysts said the halt could protect China's its own struggling coal industry while allowing the perception it was taking a swipe at Australia without making such a move official.China imposed hefty duties on barley in May and in August said it would investigate whether Australian wine was being dumped into its market."We think it's another concerted effort by authorities to support the domestic market," ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes said in a report. "As such, we don't see any medium term implications. Nevertheless, this will weigh on prices of premium hard coking coal. Cargoes are taking a long time to be sold amid the confusion, with buyers treading carefully."Singapore coking coal futures and Newcastle thermal coal futures fell to their lowest in around two weeks on Monday, the most recent data showed.Still, two traders and two analysts, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, pointed to China's aggravation with Australia's political positions as a factor behind the decision.Diplomatic relations between the two countries soured in 2018 when Australia banned China's Huawei Technologies from participating in its nascent fifth-generation (5G) broadband network.Australia's call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus – which first emerged in Wuhan – further angered the government in Beijing. (Reuters)
2020-10-13 15:08:13
Australia is investigating media reports that China has stopped taking its coal shipments, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday, adding that such import quotas to support Chinese market were "not uncommon".Trade industry reports late last week suggested that some Chinese ports had been told not to accept Australian thermal and metallurgical coal, and that Australian shipments were being sold along to other markets at the last minute.China's imports of coal had been expected to slow in the second half, after heavy imports earlier this year met with weaker than expected demand due to coronavirus-related disruptions."When it comes to coal, in China they do have their own coal industry and it is not uncommon that from time to time the Chinese government will have domestic quotas to support local production and local jobs in China," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told journalists at a briefing in Queensland state."The arrangements they put around domestic quotas in coal production is not unusual," he said, adding that Australia's trade minister was investigating.Traders and analysts said the halt could protect China's its own struggling coal industry while allowing the perception it was taking a swipe at Australia without making such a move official.China imposed hefty duties on barley in May and in August said it would investigate whether Australian wine was being dumped into its market."We think it's another concerted effort by authorities to support the domestic market," ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes said in a report. "As such, we don't see any medium term implications. Nevertheless, this will weigh on prices of premium hard coking coal. Cargoes are taking a long time to be sold amid the confusion, with buyers treading carefully."Singapore coking coal futures and Newcastle thermal coal futures fell to their lowest in around two weeks on Monday, the most recent data showed.Still, two traders and two analysts, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, pointed to China's aggravation with Australia's political positions as a factor behind the decision.Diplomatic relations between the two countries soured in 2018 when Australia banned China's Huawei Technologies from participating in its nascent fifth-generation (5G) broadband network.Australia's call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus – which first emerged in Wuhan – further angered the government in Beijing. (Reuters)
2020-10-13 15:08:13
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
"China and Russia attempted to Undermine Cohesion in the West by sowing disinformation about on COVID-19 Vaccines and Cyber Attack," warns top UK general
The Chief of Defence Staff in the UK, Nick Carter, warned that Russia was attempting to undermine cohesion by sowing disinformation about on coronavirus vaccines on social media.
Carter said in an intelligence event yesterday (Sept 30) that Russia is exploiting strategic benefits by manipulating the information environment in this global pandemic crisis, including penetrating fake description in social media groups. He quote a case from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), which published a report in recent months, that a fake press release was circulating in mid-July about the US conducted vaccine trials on Ukrainian volunteers with death cases. This fake news was published in different countries and languages. The original source was believed having support from Russia authorities in order to stir up anti-American and anti-Ukrainian sentiments.
Carter said disinformation on the vaccine was an example of "digital authoritarianism", cooperating with Putin’s cyber and hacking attack. He also believes that a similar approach was adopted by China, where mass surveillance and "social credit scores" are being forged. Carter said Russia and China "see the strategic context as a continuous struggle in which non-military and military instruments are used unconstrained by any distinction between peace and war". "Their goal is to win without going to war: to achieve their objectives by breaking our willpower, using attacks below the threshold that would prompt a war-fighting response.", he added.
Source: The Stand News #Oct01
#China #Russia #UK #Australia #NickCarter #Putin #ASPI #CyberSecurity #Digitalauthoritarianism #Vaccine #FakeNews
https://bit.ly/3ndBdbq
The Chief of Defence Staff in the UK, Nick Carter, warned that Russia was attempting to undermine cohesion by sowing disinformation about on coronavirus vaccines on social media.
Carter said in an intelligence event yesterday (Sept 30) that Russia is exploiting strategic benefits by manipulating the information environment in this global pandemic crisis, including penetrating fake description in social media groups. He quote a case from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), which published a report in recent months, that a fake press release was circulating in mid-July about the US conducted vaccine trials on Ukrainian volunteers with death cases. This fake news was published in different countries and languages. The original source was believed having support from Russia authorities in order to stir up anti-American and anti-Ukrainian sentiments.
Carter said disinformation on the vaccine was an example of "digital authoritarianism", cooperating with Putin’s cyber and hacking attack. He also believes that a similar approach was adopted by China, where mass surveillance and "social credit scores" are being forged. Carter said Russia and China "see the strategic context as a continuous struggle in which non-military and military instruments are used unconstrained by any distinction between peace and war". "Their goal is to win without going to war: to achieve their objectives by breaking our willpower, using attacks below the threshold that would prompt a war-fighting response.", he added.
Source: The Stand News #Oct01
#China #Russia #UK #Australia #NickCarter #Putin #ASPI #CyberSecurity #Digitalauthoritarianism #Vaccine #FakeNews
https://bit.ly/3ndBdbq
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
US House of Representatives Passes Another Bill Against Uyghur Forced Labour, Compels Listed Companies to Disclose Details of Operations Involving Xinijang
The US House of Representatives passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act by 253 votes to 163 on 30 September, requiring publicly traded companies to disclose details of those of their business activities and supply chains involving Xinjiang. This was the second bill addressing force labour in Xinjiang the House had passed in 10 days.
Introduced in March by Democratic representative Jennifer Wexton, the bill seeks to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers of securities to make necessary disclosures about activities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Following the bill’s passage, Wexton said on Twitter that Americans deserve to know if the products they use every day, from phones to clothes, are produced by forced labour. She stressed that “[c]omplicity in human rights abuses will not be tolerated.” Quoting the 2019 annual report on China by the cross-party Congressional Executive Committee on China, the bill notes numerous reports of the Chinese government cracking down on ethnic minorities and holding them in forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Source: Apple Daily #Oct01
#US #Xinjiang #China #Uyghur #House #Congress #JenniferWexton #ForcedLabour #Business #Securities
https://bit.ly/34FaL2d
The US House of Representatives passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act by 253 votes to 163 on 30 September, requiring publicly traded companies to disclose details of those of their business activities and supply chains involving Xinjiang. This was the second bill addressing force labour in Xinjiang the House had passed in 10 days.
Introduced in March by Democratic representative Jennifer Wexton, the bill seeks to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers of securities to make necessary disclosures about activities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Following the bill’s passage, Wexton said on Twitter that Americans deserve to know if the products they use every day, from phones to clothes, are produced by forced labour. She stressed that “[c]omplicity in human rights abuses will not be tolerated.” Quoting the 2019 annual report on China by the cross-party Congressional Executive Committee on China, the bill notes numerous reports of the Chinese government cracking down on ethnic minorities and holding them in forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Source: Apple Daily #Oct01
#US #Xinjiang #China #Uyghur #House #Congress #JenniferWexton #ForcedLabour #Business #Securities
https://bit.ly/34FaL2d
Forwarded from RTHK Latest News
Qingdao city races ahead with mass testings
More than three million swabs have been taken in a matter of days in Qingdao city, where a minor coronavirus outbreak has elicited a sweeping health response.Queues for testing stretched deep into Monday night across the eastern city, which detected six virus cases the day before but swiftly swung into action to head off a wider outbreak.In scenes which contrast with the fumbled efforts of other nations to establish effective testing regimes, Qingdao health workers in protective gear set up tents to take samples across neighbourhoods, where parents brought toddlers for testing.Residents said on social media that community representatives informed them of their nearest testing stations, with local districts helping to organise sample collection for mass testing."As of 8am... our city has taken 3.08 million samples for nucleic testing, with 1.11 million results received," Qingdao's health commission said in a statement on Tuesday.In addition to six people with symptoms, there six asymptomatic cases have been detected so far.The city declared it aims to test its entire population – around 9.4 million – within five days of the detection of the first cases at a hospital on Sunday.It was not immediately clear how fast results could be processed. (AFP)
2020-10-13 15:57:10
More than three million swabs have been taken in a matter of days in Qingdao city, where a minor coronavirus outbreak has elicited a sweeping health response.Queues for testing stretched deep into Monday night across the eastern city, which detected six virus cases the day before but swiftly swung into action to head off a wider outbreak.In scenes which contrast with the fumbled efforts of other nations to establish effective testing regimes, Qingdao health workers in protective gear set up tents to take samples across neighbourhoods, where parents brought toddlers for testing.Residents said on social media that community representatives informed them of their nearest testing stations, with local districts helping to organise sample collection for mass testing."As of 8am... our city has taken 3.08 million samples for nucleic testing, with 1.11 million results received," Qingdao's health commission said in a statement on Tuesday.In addition to six people with symptoms, there six asymptomatic cases have been detected so far.The city declared it aims to test its entire population – around 9.4 million – within five days of the detection of the first cases at a hospital on Sunday.It was not immediately clear how fast results could be processed. (AFP)
2020-10-13 15:57:10
Forwarded from RTHK Latest News
Xi tours Guangdong city ahead of Shenzhen visit
President Xi Jinping on Tuesday visited the city of Chaozhou in Guangdong province, one day ahead of his highly-anticipated visit to Shenzhen on WednesdayHe was seen visiting shops, asking for prices at stalls and mingling with the locals, and also toured an electronics factory in the city.He also visited some cultural and historical landmarks in the city and called for better protection and development of the ancient city of Chaozhou.Xi will be in Shenzhen on Wednesday to mark the 40th anniversary of the country's first special economic zone. Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other key SAR officials will also be in attendance.
2020-10-13 18:18:23
President Xi Jinping on Tuesday visited the city of Chaozhou in Guangdong province, one day ahead of his highly-anticipated visit to Shenzhen on WednesdayHe was seen visiting shops, asking for prices at stalls and mingling with the locals, and also toured an electronics factory in the city.He also visited some cultural and historical landmarks in the city and called for better protection and development of the ancient city of Chaozhou.Xi will be in Shenzhen on Wednesday to mark the 40th anniversary of the country's first special economic zone. Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other key SAR officials will also be in attendance.
2020-10-13 18:18:23
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
TikTok Denies Preference for Government Background as Former Official at Chinese Embassy in Iran Reported to Have Headed Its Content Policy Team
Source: Stand News #Oct04
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Source: Stand News #Oct04
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
TikTok Denies Preference for Government Background as Former Official at Chinese Embassy in Iran Reported to Have Headed Its Content Policy Team
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order earlier to ban US companies from trading with TikTok and its parent company ByteDance in September for national security reasons. A federal court in Washington, D.C. has since issued a temporary injunction halting the takedown. The Financial Times quoted a source on 4 October as saying that a former official at the Chinese embassy in Iran had headed the global content policy team at TikTok’s parent company ByteDance and taken charge of developing content in line with TikTok’s “standards.” The report said the appointment has raised concerns over whether TikTok is free from the Chinese government’s influence, adding that during the appointment in question the company had reportedly banned videos that triggered Beijing. TikTok denied in response that the appointee had been involved in formulating that policy. It also stated that it had not taken into account the appointee’s government background during the hiring process and that they had not been in contact with the Chinese authorities at the time.
The report said according to a now-deleted LinkedIn profile, the appointee, Cai Zheng, had worked at the Chinese embassy in Tehran for four years before joining ByteDance in 2018 as head of its global content policy team and taking charge of developing content in line with TikTok’s “standards.” A source said he had left the content policy team this January and transferred to ByteDance’s game division. The vacancy had not been filled.
The report said the appointment of a former Chinese official as the central figure in its policymaking has raised concerns over whether TikTok is truly fre from the influence of the Chinese authorities as ByteDance had claimed.
Source: Stand News #Oct04
#China #TikTok #ByteDance #Censorship
https://bit.ly/2GPY9gj
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order earlier to ban US companies from trading with TikTok and its parent company ByteDance in September for national security reasons. A federal court in Washington, D.C. has since issued a temporary injunction halting the takedown. The Financial Times quoted a source on 4 October as saying that a former official at the Chinese embassy in Iran had headed the global content policy team at TikTok’s parent company ByteDance and taken charge of developing content in line with TikTok’s “standards.” The report said the appointment has raised concerns over whether TikTok is free from the Chinese government’s influence, adding that during the appointment in question the company had reportedly banned videos that triggered Beijing. TikTok denied in response that the appointee had been involved in formulating that policy. It also stated that it had not taken into account the appointee’s government background during the hiring process and that they had not been in contact with the Chinese authorities at the time.
The report said according to a now-deleted LinkedIn profile, the appointee, Cai Zheng, had worked at the Chinese embassy in Tehran for four years before joining ByteDance in 2018 as head of its global content policy team and taking charge of developing content in line with TikTok’s “standards.” A source said he had left the content policy team this January and transferred to ByteDance’s game division. The vacancy had not been filled.
The report said the appointment of a former Chinese official as the central figure in its policymaking has raised concerns over whether TikTok is truly fre from the influence of the Chinese authorities as ByteDance had claimed.
Source: Stand News #Oct04
#China #TikTok #ByteDance #Censorship
https://bit.ly/2GPY9gj
Forwarded from Hong Kong news updates
U.S.
Big-brand BTS promotions disappear as band sparks uproar in China
South Korean boyband BTS is facing a barrage of criticism in China after its leader made remarks about the Korean War and several big-name brands, including Samsung, have apparently distanced themselves from the K-pop group amid the uproar.