Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
Australian journalists left China to guarantee their safety
Bill Birtles, the ABC's correspondent based in Beijing, and Mike Smith, the AFR's correspondent based in Shanghai, boarded a flight to Sydney after being questioned separately by China's Ministry of State Security.
Chinese officials showed up at Birtles' apartment at midnight last Wednesday. They told him that he was banned from leaving the country, and that he would be contacted the next day to organise a time to be questioned over a "national security case".
The threatening behaviour leaves the two journalists no choice but to leave China, through the Australian embassy.
In July, the Australian Government changed its travel advisory to China, warning that Australian citizens may face "arbitrary detention" on the mainland.
Former foreign minister and NSW premier Bob Carr said that this should force the Government to reconsider whether it still wants a bilateral relationship with China.
#Australia #China #Sep08
Source: ABC News
Bill Birtles, the ABC's correspondent based in Beijing, and Mike Smith, the AFR's correspondent based in Shanghai, boarded a flight to Sydney after being questioned separately by China's Ministry of State Security.
Chinese officials showed up at Birtles' apartment at midnight last Wednesday. They told him that he was banned from leaving the country, and that he would be contacted the next day to organise a time to be questioned over a "national security case".
The threatening behaviour leaves the two journalists no choice but to leave China, through the Australian embassy.
In July, the Australian Government changed its travel advisory to China, warning that Australian citizens may face "arbitrary detention" on the mainland.
Former foreign minister and NSW premier Bob Carr said that this should force the Government to reconsider whether it still wants a bilateral relationship with China.
#Australia #China #Sep08
Source: ABC News
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Cybersecurity
China proposes Global Data Security Initiative, pledging not to monitor other countries and not to put "back doors" in their products.
According to the Chinese official media, Xinhua News Agency, its government presented the Global Data Security Initiatives (GDSI) at an international conference. Among the eight initiatives, there are calls to oppose the use of cyber technology to damage the infrastructure of other countries or steal important data; endanger the security of other countries; oppose the misuse of cyber technology to monitor other countries; collect personal data of citizens of other countries, and prohibit product and service providers from "installing backdoors in their provisions"; illegally obtaining user data, and controlling or manipulating user systems and equipment.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, China made the eight proposals at the "Seize the Digital Opportunity for Cooperative Development" conference in Beijing. Apart from the aforementioned initiatives, some other proposals include calling on countries to take a comprehensive and objective view on data security issues, opposing large-scale surveillance against other countries and not to request data located outside the country from enterprises or individuals without the permission of other countries' laws.
Source: Stand News #Sep08
#XinhuaNewsAgency #ChineseInternetTech #BackdoorTech
China proposes Global Data Security Initiative, pledging not to monitor other countries and not to put "back doors" in their products.
According to the Chinese official media, Xinhua News Agency, its government presented the Global Data Security Initiatives (GDSI) at an international conference. Among the eight initiatives, there are calls to oppose the use of cyber technology to damage the infrastructure of other countries or steal important data; endanger the security of other countries; oppose the misuse of cyber technology to monitor other countries; collect personal data of citizens of other countries, and prohibit product and service providers from "installing backdoors in their provisions"; illegally obtaining user data, and controlling or manipulating user systems and equipment.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, China made the eight proposals at the "Seize the Digital Opportunity for Cooperative Development" conference in Beijing. Apart from the aforementioned initiatives, some other proposals include calling on countries to take a comprehensive and objective view on data security issues, opposing large-scale surveillance against other countries and not to request data located outside the country from enterprises or individuals without the permission of other countries' laws.
Source: Stand News #Sep08
#XinhuaNewsAgency #ChineseInternetTech #BackdoorTech
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Two Australian Correspondents Evacuated from China Following Inquisitions by State Security Agents, Union Calls China and HK “Unsafe for Foreign Journalists”
Another diplomatic row between China and Australia took place as Chinese state security agents went knocking on the doors of two Australian correspondents stationed in China and questioning them last week. Both journalists have returned home with arrangements made by their organizations and the Australian diplomatic mission in China.
The Australian Broadcasting Company’s (ABC) Beijing correspondent Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review’s (AFR) Shanghai correspondent Mike Smith were subjected to multiple rounds of questioning by Chinese state security agents last week. The interviews dealt with Cheng Lei, an Australian employee of the CCTV arrested last week. Earlier last week, diplomats in Australia reminded Birtles to leave China as soon as possible. Relevant suggestions were made by the Australian foreign department to the ABC’s managing director David Anderson. The ABC went on to arrange a flight home leaving last Thursday for Birtles.
On the day before Birtles’ return (2 September), however, seven Chinese police officers went to his home in Beijing late at night when Birtles was having a farewell party with his friends. The officers told Birtles that he was not allowed to leave China and that the police will contact him the next day to schedule an interview about a case concerning national security. Birtles approached the Australian Embassy in Beijing for protection, during which he was contacted by the Chinese authorities again and asked to be questioned.
Source: Stand News #Sep08
#Australia #China #Journalist #PressFreedom #NationalSecurity #Diplomacy
https://bit.ly/2Zs5Mjn
Another diplomatic row between China and Australia took place as Chinese state security agents went knocking on the doors of two Australian correspondents stationed in China and questioning them last week. Both journalists have returned home with arrangements made by their organizations and the Australian diplomatic mission in China.
The Australian Broadcasting Company’s (ABC) Beijing correspondent Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review’s (AFR) Shanghai correspondent Mike Smith were subjected to multiple rounds of questioning by Chinese state security agents last week. The interviews dealt with Cheng Lei, an Australian employee of the CCTV arrested last week. Earlier last week, diplomats in Australia reminded Birtles to leave China as soon as possible. Relevant suggestions were made by the Australian foreign department to the ABC’s managing director David Anderson. The ABC went on to arrange a flight home leaving last Thursday for Birtles.
On the day before Birtles’ return (2 September), however, seven Chinese police officers went to his home in Beijing late at night when Birtles was having a farewell party with his friends. The officers told Birtles that he was not allowed to leave China and that the police will contact him the next day to schedule an interview about a case concerning national security. Birtles approached the Australian Embassy in Beijing for protection, during which he was contacted by the Chinese authorities again and asked to be questioned.
Source: Stand News #Sep08
#Australia #China #Journalist #PressFreedom #NationalSecurity #Diplomacy
https://bit.ly/2Zs5Mjn
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
Shots fired for the first time in 45 years, PLA claimed Indian army fired initial shot and China took “counter-measures”
The conflict between China and India escalates again, with the first shooting incident in 45 years since their ceasefire agreement.
The People Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command spokesman, Zhang Shui, accused Indian troops of illegally crossing the China-India border into Shenpao mountain near the south bank of Pangong Tso Lake on Monday (7/9), and fired warning shots after the PLA were about to negotiate. He said that the PLA were forced to take "counter-measures” to stablize the situation.
However, the Chinese statement did not clarify what type of “counter-measures” were taken by the PLA and how they did it.
China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Zhao Lijian, stressed at a press conference that the Indian army had illegally crossed the Chinese border and opened fire in the first place. He said that it was a serious provocation and demanded the Indian side to restrain frontline troops.
However, the Indian side said that it was the PLA who fire the warning shot. The Hindustan Times quoted a statement from the Indian military saying that the Indian army kept restraint and did not open fire at any stage, but alleged that it was the PLA who acted aggressively in blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.
#China #India #PLA #BorderDispute #CeasefireAgreement
Source: Stand News #Sep08
, https://bit.ly/2HqVwBS
The conflict between China and India escalates again, with the first shooting incident in 45 years since their ceasefire agreement.
The People Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command spokesman, Zhang Shui, accused Indian troops of illegally crossing the China-India border into Shenpao mountain near the south bank of Pangong Tso Lake on Monday (7/9), and fired warning shots after the PLA were about to negotiate. He said that the PLA were forced to take "counter-measures” to stablize the situation.
However, the Chinese statement did not clarify what type of “counter-measures” were taken by the PLA and how they did it.
China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Zhao Lijian, stressed at a press conference that the Indian army had illegally crossed the Chinese border and opened fire in the first place. He said that it was a serious provocation and demanded the Indian side to restrain frontline troops.
However, the Indian side said that it was the PLA who fire the warning shot. The Hindustan Times quoted a statement from the Indian military saying that the Indian army kept restraint and did not open fire at any stage, but alleged that it was the PLA who acted aggressively in blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.
#China #India #PLA #BorderDispute #CeasefireAgreement
Source: Stand News #Sep08
, https://bit.ly/2HqVwBS
立場新聞 Stand News
【中印衝突】 45 年來邊境首開火 解放軍稱遭越界印軍鳴槍威脅 中方採「反制動作」 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞
【18:00更新】中印衝突再升級，爆發自兩國停火協議 45 年來，首次開槍事件。解放軍西部戰區新聞發言人張水利...
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Uyghur Man Draws 15-Year Prison Term for Contacting Uncles Overseas
A Uyghur man living in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) was sent to an internment camp four years ago for the crime of speaking to relatives overseas, contradicting Chinese claims that Uyghur residents of the region are free to keep in touch with family members abroad, RFA has learned.
Eli Juma, a resident of the No. 5 Village of Imamlirim township in Aksu (in Chinese, Akesu) prefecture’s Uchturpan (Wushi) county, was detained and sent to a camp in early 2017 for speaking to his uncles Jelil Juma and Helil Juma, both of them living outside China, three years before.
“Yes, he was in contact with his uncles, in contact with his relatives,” a village police officer in Uchturpan confirmed to RFA in a recent interview. “He spoke to them on the phone. I believe it was in 2014,” the officer added, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Source: RFA #Sep08
https://t.co/sWsJT46ToS
#Uyghur #Prison #China #XUAR
A Uyghur man living in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) was sent to an internment camp four years ago for the crime of speaking to relatives overseas, contradicting Chinese claims that Uyghur residents of the region are free to keep in touch with family members abroad, RFA has learned.
Eli Juma, a resident of the No. 5 Village of Imamlirim township in Aksu (in Chinese, Akesu) prefecture’s Uchturpan (Wushi) county, was detained and sent to a camp in early 2017 for speaking to his uncles Jelil Juma and Helil Juma, both of them living outside China, three years before.
“Yes, he was in contact with his uncles, in contact with his relatives,” a village police officer in Uchturpan confirmed to RFA in a recent interview. “He spoke to them on the phone. I believe it was in 2014,” the officer added, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Source: RFA #Sep08
https://t.co/sWsJT46ToS
#Uyghur #Prison #China #XUAR