China on Saturday announced sanctions on individuals and entities in Canada 🇨🇦 and the United States 🇺🇸 in response to sanctions imposed on Chinese citizens and groups over conditions in Xinjiang.

While 🇪🇺🇬🇧🇺🇸🇨🇦 sanctioned human right abuse, CCP 🇨🇳 sanctioned human right defenders.

https://t.co/23vroF4Q2J

UK prime minister Boris Johnson pledges to create G7 rival to Belt and Road to combat CCP global economic expansionism.

https://t.co/I7HQjdfy39

Mainland law firm linked to the ‘Hong Kong 12’ case is ordered to disband – lawyer

https://hongkongfp.com/2021/03/29/mainland-law-firm-linked-to-the-hong-kong-12-case-is-ordered-to-disband-lawyer/

Dozens protest in Macau over Covid spending coupons, despite gov’t ban citing pandemic

https://hongkongfp.com/2021/03/29/dozens-protest-in-macau-over-covid-spending-coupons-despite-govt-ban-citing-pandemic/

Today, Extinction Rebellion conducted a Melbourne workshop, blaming the alleged climate emergency on 'white privilege'.

So I went to ask them how it works.

SHARE their stupidity.

https://youtu.be/yMPIPvn_ZbA

US tariffs on Chinese imports to stay

President Joe Biden's new trade negotiator has said the United States is not yet ready to lift tariffs on Chinese imports, but could be open to talks with Beijing.US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, whose appointment was confirmed earlier this month, told The Wall Street Journal she understood the levies were hitting some American companies and consumers, but they can also protect businesses.In January 2020, then-president Donald Trump signed an accord between Beijing and Washington after a bruising trade battle that saw tariffs imposed by both sides."I have heard people say, 'Please just take these tariffs off,'" the 47-year-old Tai told the newspaper in an interview published on Sunday.But the former trade lawyer, whose parents were born in China, warned that suddenly axing the levies could harm the US economy unless a policy reversal is "communicated in a way so that the actors in the economy can make adjustments."She said it was essential for "companies, traders, manufacturers or their workers" to be able to plan for the future.Tai told The Wall Street Journal that while she recognised the tariffs were taking a toll on some US businesses, they had been imposed "to remedy an unbalanced and unfair trade situation."She also cited tactical reasons for holding firm."No negotiator walks away from leverage, right?" she said."Every good negotiator is going to keep all of their options open."Tai has already discussed Beijing's trade practices in calls with Japanese ministers, and in her confirmation hearings said she supported a "holistic review on China." (AFP)

2021-03-29 15:42:48

Bats a likely source of Covid: WHO

An international expert mission to Wuhan has concluded it was very likely that Covid-19 first passed to humans from a bat through an intermediary animal, while all but ruling out a laboratory leak. The intermediate host hypothesis was deemed "likely to very likely", while the theory that the virus escaped from a lab was seen as "extremely unlikely", according to the long-awaited report, which AFP obtained a copy of on Monday, before the official release. The report from the international mission to Wuhan has been keenly anticipated ever since the expert team left China more than a month ago. Delays in the publication of the findings, drafted in collaboration with the team's Chinese counterparts, had been blamed on coordination and translation issues, even as a diplomatic tug-of-war raged in the background over the report's contents. During a lengthy press conference in Wuhan on February 9 at the end of the mission, the experts and their Chinese counterparts made clear that they could not yet draw any firm conclusions.But they said they had worked to rank a number of hypotheses according to how likely they were.Experts believe that the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the Covid-19 disease originally came from bats. One theory examined was that the virus jumped directly from bats to humans. The final report determined that this scenario was "possible to likely". A more likely scenario, the report found, was that the virus had first jumped from bats to another animal, which in turn infected humans. "Although the closest related viruses have been found in bats, the evolutionary distance between these bat viruses and SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to be several decades, suggesting a missing link," the report said. "The scenario including introduction through an intermediary host was considered to be likely to very likely," it said, although it did not conclude which animal may have first allowed the virus to jump to humans. The report meanwhile did not rule out transmission through frozen food – Beijing's favoured theory – since the virus appears to be able survive at freezing temperatures, saying that "introduction via cold/ food chain products is considered possible". Finally, the report examined the idea of a lab leak from, for instance, the Wuhan Institute of Virology – a theory promoted by former US president Donald Trump's administration. It pointed to the fact that there was no record of any virus resembling SARS-CoV-2 in any laboratory before December 2019, and stressed high safety levels at the labs in Wuhan. "A laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be extremely unlikely," it said. (AFP)

2021-03-29 16:27:32

Biden Says that Huawei is a “Distrustful Supplier” and Equipment Poses a National Security Threat

The spokesperson of the White House, Jen Psaki, indicated on Wednesday (27th January) that the Biden government would prevent the US telecommunications network from using equipment from “distrust-worthy suppliers”, such as the Chinese telecommunications equipment giant Huawei.

Psaki stated the telecommunication equipment of a “distrust-worthy supplier” will be a national security threat to the US and other allies. The US will make sure that the telecommunication network is not using equipment from those suppliers, and they will work with the allies to secure their cybersecurity. “Invest in the expansion of telecommunications equipment production by the credible US and allied companies”.

Former Trump government allegations that Huawei can monitor users, steal intellectual property rights, and violate sanctions. Huawei denies wrongdoings. Apart from putting Huawei on the trade blacklist, Trump also took the lead on lobbying allies to reject Huawei equipment when building a 5G network. Before the end of the Trump administration, the government still noticed many suppliers of Huawei, including chip manufacturer Intel, will revoke their supply license to Huawei.

Source: The Stand News #Jan27

https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20210128/GNU3TQJ5WNAO3HQ56XJBFXCMVA/

#Biden #WhiteHouse #Telecommunication #Huawei #NationalSecurity #NetworkSafety #Intel #UnitedStates #China

Burberry becomes first luxury brand to suffer Chinese backlash over Xinjiang

Burberry, a member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), is the first luxury brand assailed by the Chinese backlash to Western accusations of abuses in Xinjiang, losing a Chinese brand ambassador and its hallmark tartan design.

The company’s iconic plaid design was also removed from the clothing worn by characters in Tencent's wildly popular video game “Honor of Kings”, according to a post on the game’s official Weibo account, winning praise from China’s netizens.

Award-winning Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu terminated her contract with Burberry as the brand’s ambassador as Burberry has not “clearly and publicly stated its stance on cotton from Xinjiang.

Source: Reuters #Mar26

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-burberry/burberry-becomes-first-luxury-brand-to-suffer-chinese-backlash-over-xinjiang-idUSKBN2BI0EI

#XinjiangCotton #BCI #BetterCottonInitiative #China #Burberry

Burberry becomes first luxury brand to suffer Chinese backlash over Xinjiang

Burberry, a member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), is the first luxury brand assailed by the Chinese backlash to Western accusations of abuses in Xinjiang, losing a Chinese brand ambassador and its hallmark tartan design.

The company’s iconic plaid design was also removed from the clothing worn by characters in Tencent's wildly popular video game “Honor of Kings”, according to a post on the game’s official Weibo account, winning praise from China’s netizens.

Award-winning Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu terminated her contract with Burberry as the brand’s ambassador as Burberry has not “clearly and publicly stated its stance on cotton from Xinjiang.

Source: Reuters #Mar26

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-xinjiang-burberry/burberry-becomes-first-luxury-brand-to-suffer-chinese-backlash-over-xinjiang-idUSKBN2BI0EI

#XinjiangCotton #BCI #BetterCottonInitiative #China #Burberry

(Art censorship: M+ museum | National Security Law)

Police can decide if our art is illegal: Henry Tang

The head of the West Kowloon Cultural District, Henry Tang, said on Monday that it will be up to the police to decide if art displayed at the M+ museum violates Hong Kong's national security law.

Even before the museum opens, pro-Beijing figures and media have suggested that its collection could breach the legislation, including a photo by dissident artist Ai Weiwei showing him holding his middle finger up at Tiananmen Square.

Tang said images of the collection are displayed on the website of M+, but the police have not contacted museum officials about it so far.

"If we receive a complaint or an enquiry from them, we would fully cooperate with them and find out the details of it, and of course comply with the law as any person or organisation in Hong Kong should," he said.

Tang, a former chief secretary who is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said Ai's finger photo would not be shown at the opening of the museum.

But he refused to say whether it will ever be exhibited there, or whether he believes the photo is illegal.

...

Source

https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1583157-20210329.htm

(u/KvasirsBlod)

(Crackdown on RTHK | New broadcasting director)

Another RTHK programme dropped at the last minute

...

The latest show to be dropped is an episode of the documentary series Hong Kong Connection which centred on issues facing university student unions. It had been due to be broadcast on Monday evening.

Polytechnic University is the only government-funded university to have an operating student union cabinet this year. The cabinet at Chinese University, Syzygia, resigned en masse earlier this month, after the institution cut ties with it over public statements the university said could potentially breach the national security law.

A programme synopsis that was later deleted from RTHK's website said the show featured interviews with the two student union cabinets, CUHK council member and pro-government lawmaker Lau Kwok-fan, and another pro-establishment legislator, Eunice Yung.

Sharie Ho, Syzygia's former deputy chairperson who was interviewed for the programme, said she had expected the episode to be axed, and was sorry that the production team's efforts had gone to waste.

"We think letting one person decide whether a programme can go out or not... is very insulting to the dedicated workers at RTHK, and insulting to the wisdom of Hong Kong people," she said.

Yung, for her part, said dropping the show was not the best way to deal with any problems it might have had.

...

Source

https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1583158-20210329.htm

(u/KvasirsBlod)

(Crackdown on RTHK)

RTHK in hot water again over references to Taiwan

The Communications Authority upheld another complaint about RTHK on Monday, admonishing the station for comments in a show suggesting that Taiwan is able to establish its own diplomatic relations.

...

The public broadcaster was accused of "portraying Taiwan as a country", inciting hatred against the People’s Republic of China, and "insulting national sovereignty".

The 30-minute documentary looked at the life of students from Burkina Faso in Taiwan and community projects in Malawi.

At issue was the narrator and interviewees using terms such as "diplomatic relations between the two countries," and "break off diplomatic relations", when describing Taiwan's relationship with the two African nations.

The authority said that by suggesting Taiwan was a sovereign state capable of establishing formal diplomatic relations, RTHK had clearly breached the TV Programme Code which requires the factual contents of documentary programmes to be accurate.

...

But the authority said it had found no evidence that the broadcaster had incited hatred against the People's Republic.

...

Source

https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1583183-20210329.htm

(u/KvasirsBlod)

(Beijing's overhaul of HK's electoral system)

https://twitter.com/galileocheng/status/1376474109048053766?s=20

(u/KvasirsBlod)

(Art censorship: M+ museum | National Security Law)

https://twitter.com/alvinllum/status/1376487998204747781?s=20

(u/KvasirsBlod)

(Crackdown on RTHK | New broadcasting director)

Praise for RTHK chief as yet another show in doubt

...

A number of RTHK shows have been suddenly dropped since Li took over as director of broadcasting earlier this month, prompting complaints not only from pro-democracy figures among the interviewees, but also members of the pro-establishment camp.

Following a meeting of RTHK's Board of Advisers on Monday morning, chairman Lam Tai-fai praised Li for his "good communication skills" as well as his "courage" in carrying out reforms of the station.

The board said RTHK management had explained that some programmes were taken off air because they weren't objective and fair, and would have breached regulations and the broadcaster's own charter and guidelines.

But the advisers also urged the station to give the public a clear explanation regarding such decisions.

...

Source

https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1583215-20210329.htm

(u/KvasirsBlod)

Yang Jiechi’s 17-Minute Talk in Alaska Breaks Biden’s Strategic Balance With China

READ: https://www.theepochtimes.com/yang-jiechis-17-minute-talk-in-alaska-breaks-bidens-strategic-balance-with-china_3750012.html?utm_medium=epochtimes&utm_source=telegram

@EpochTimes | Download Our App

H&M Stores Vanish From China Maps as Xinjiang Spat Worsens

H&M outlets appeared not to show up on Apple Maps and Baidu Maps searches in China on Friday after the fashion retailer found itself at the center of an escalating spat over human rights in the contentious region of Xinjiang.

The disappearance of H&M’s physical stores from online maps comes after the retailer was removed from Alibaba’s e-commerce platform earlier this week as the controversy escalated. The company had been blasted by China’s Communist Youth League and the People’s Liberation Army on Mar 24 after social-media users dug out an undated statement about accusations of forced labor in the region’s cotton-picking industry.

Source: Bloomberg #Mar26

https://trib.al/BEhjL43 #HM

#HM #China #BaiduMap #AppleMap #XinjiangCotton #Xinjiang #ForcedLabor