Chinese Mobile Phones May Send User Data to China, Belgium Warns

Belgian justice minister Vincent #VanQuickenborne has warned that mobile phones made by Chinese brands may pose spying risks to users, Le Soir reported.

Given the laws under which Chinese #smartphones are produced, Van Quickenborne said, the data they hold may be sent to the Chinese authorities or exposed to #espionage.

According to Le Soir’s report, Chinese law requires companies to store their data on Chinese servers and grant the Chinese authorities access to the IT system.

While #Europe has been slower than the US in its crackdown on Chinese telecom firms, Sino-European relations have become increasingly tense following #China ’s sanctions against Lithuania and as fears of espionage and data theft grow.

#Belgium had previously cautioned athletes attending the #BeijingWinterOlympics against hackers.

Source: Technews #Feb15

https://technews.tw/2022/02/15/huawei-xiaomi-china/

Dozens of Graduates from Universities Across China Sign Petition Against Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Over 100 domestic and overseas alumni of over 10 universities across #China, including Peking University and Tsinghua University, have signed a petition against #Russia ’s invasion of #Ukraine . Echoing the open condemnation of Russia’s actions made earlier by a number of historians, the petition calls on the Chinese government to fulfil its guarantee of Ukraine’s safety.

In a 26 February Weibo post titled “Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and Our Stance”, Professor Sun Jiang of Nanjing University, Professor Wang Lixin of Peking University, Professor Xu Guoqi of The University of Hong Kong, Professor Zhong Weimin of Tsinghua University, and Professor Chen Yan of Fudan University openly censure and express strong opposition to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The scholars call on the Russian government and President Putin to cease the aggression and come to a solution through talks. The post was hidden two hours later.

Source: RFA #Mar01

https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/antiwar-03012022043310.html

Intel deletes mention of Xinjiang in letter after China backlash

US chipmaker Intel has deleted references to Xinjiang from an annual letter to suppliers after the company faced a backlash in China for asking suppliers to avoid the sanctions-hit region.

Last month, Intel was slammed on Chinese social media for a letter to suppliers published on its website. The 23 December letter said Intel had been “required to ensure that its supply chain does not use any labour or source goods or services from the Xinjiang region” following restrictions imposed by “multiple governments”.

Source: The Guardian #Jan11

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/11/intel-deletes-mention-of-xinjiang-in-letter-after-china-backlash?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#Intel #Xinjiang #China #US #Chipmaker

Chinese property developer in Melbourne reportedly deported from Australia for 'endangering national security'

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have confirmed that the federal government has accused Chinese millionaire #ZhengJieFu of carrying out missions for Chinese intelligence agencies and secretly promoting Beijing's interests.

Zheng has been deported from Australia in 2021, making him one of the most recent Australian residents to be deported by the federal government for allegedly having close ties to Chinese state security or foreign interventionist agencies.

Unidentified sources told reporters that the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (#ASIO) had accused Zheng of foreign interference in Australia on behalf of the Chinese government, claiming that he had offered cash to a student in Australia to pressure the father of a human rights activist who was already in Chinese custody. However, Zheng has previously denied the allegations.

ASIO alleges that Zheng had "repeatedly" contacted a suspected Chinese spy on mission in Australia while he was in the country.

Source: SBS Australia #Apr5

https://www.sbs.com.au/chinese/cantonese/zh-hant/millionaire-chinese-property-developer-quietly-expelled-for-harming-security-interests

#Australia #Melbourne #China #ZhengJiefu #Chineseintelligenceagencies #Chineseinfluence #Chinesespy #Australianationalsecurity #ASIO

#China fighter jet intercepts Australian plane - Canberra

// #Australia has accused the pilot of a Chinese fighter jet of carrying out a dangerous manoeuvre near one of its aircraft over the South China Sea.

It says the Chinese aircraft released flares and cut in front of the Australian surveillance plane.

The Chinese jet then released "chaff" - an anti-radar device which includes small pieces of aluminium which entered the Australian plane's engine.

Beijing claims most of the region as its own territory.

But the US, neighbouring countries and others, including Australia, dispute its claim.

In February, Australia accused a Chinese navy ship of shining a military grade laser towards one of its warplanes over the Arafura Sea off northern Australia.

Source: BBC #Jun4

Read the full article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-61696973

#Beijing #WolfWarrior #Jet #AirSpace

Africa Eye: Racism for sale

In February 2020 a shocking video began to circulate on Chinese social media. A group of African children are being instructed, by a voice off-camera, to chant phrases in Chinese. The kids repeat the words with smiles and enthusiasm — but they don't understand that what they're being told to say is " I am a black monster and my IQ is low."

The clip ignited outrage in China and beyond. But no-one ever answered some crucial questions: why was this filmed? Where was it shot? Who made it?

Source: BBC #Jun13

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-61764466

#Racism #Africa #China #Black

#China #Econony
Rumors flies of Chinese city residents facing difficulties withdrawing money from banks

After banks in rural areas in Henan were suspected of financial improprieties, rumors had been spreading online of bank account holders in multiple prefectural cities and municipalities in China being faced with difficulties when withdrawing money from their bank accounts.

Some bank account holders were even only informed of the ¥1000 RMB daily withdrawal limit when they arrived at their bank.

Affected cities seemed to include #Shenzhen, #Shanghai, #Dandong and #Foshan, among others. Videos had emerged online of elderly people lining up outside the bank waiting to withdraw their money in Shanghai. However, as only 40 people could withdraw their money per day, some elderly people began lining up since two in the morning.

Lines were present outside many banks in affected cities such as Dandong, where customers lined up before the bank opened, and still could not withdraw their money by afternoon. Residents at Dandong claim that this situation had been going on for several weeks, with no signs of improving.

Source: i-CABLE

https://bit.ly/39OVhze

#ChineseEconony #ChineseBanks

Across 19 countries, more people see the U.S. than China favorably – but more see China’s influence growing

//In 19 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center this spring, people see the United States and President #JoeBiden more favorably than China and its president, Xi Jinping. But when it comes to perceptions of each country’s relative influence in the world, much larger shares in most nations see China’s influence growing than say the same of the U.S.

The five key findings comparing international attitudes toward the two countries are:

1. The U.S. is generally seen more positively than China.

2. Views of Biden remain much more positive than views of #XiJinPing.

3. A median of 66% across 19 countries say China’s influence on the world stage is getting stronger, while just 32% say the same about the U.S. 

4. In many countries, younger people tend to feel more positively about China than older people. 

5. People on the right of the ideological spectrum are more likely than those on the left to view the U.S. favorably, but there are no strong ideological patterns in views of China.//

Read the full report:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/29/across-19-countries-more-people-see-the-u-s-than-china-favorably-but-more-see-chinas-influence-growing/

Source: Pew Research Center #Jun29

#Research #Survey #PewResearch #US #China

Missile funding?: #NorthKorea seen smuggling coal to #China

//North Korea is likely shipping coal directly to Chinese ports, activity that is banned from international trade under United Nations Security Council sanctions, a Nikkei investigation found.

Nikkei obtained satellite images of a North Korean-registered ship carrying coal, and confirmed that the ship directly went to China by examining data from the vessel's automatic identification system (AIS).

It is likely that China -- one of five permanent members of the Security Council -- is involved in smuggling activities and shows that current U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang to prevent it acquiring funds for missile development are not being fully implemented...

Nikkei obtained data on about 180 vessels -- including North Korean-flagged ships and vessels that had been cited for sanctions violations in the past -- from ship information companies MarineTraffic and Refinitiv, and traced their movements for about 18 months from January 2021.

There were 37 vessels that stayed in the port of Longkou for several days while transmitting AIS data. Similarly, at least 20 vessels called at ports in Liaoning and Hebei provinces, which handle large volumes of coal.

Regarding the movements of North Korean vessels, there have been previous reports that they would cut their AIS transmissions, making them impossible to follow, and trade at night.

Observers have often noted ship-to-ship transfers North Korea has used to circumvent conventional distribution channels, but it appears the country does not try to hide sanction-violating shipments anymore.//

Source: Asia Nikkei #Jun29

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/N-Korea-at-crossroads/Missile-funding-North-Korea-seen-smuggling-coal-to-China

#UN #CCP