World News

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/90709

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52811518

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52811634

Cross posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18048115

The Chinese government maintained its systematic suppression of human rights across the country in 2024, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2025. Repression was especially severe in Tibetan areas and for the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, and the authorities further dismantled Hong Kong’s basic freedoms.

For the 546-page world report, in its 35th edition, Human Rights Watch reviewed human rights practices in more than 100 countries. In much of the world, Executive Director Tirana Hassan writes in her introductory essay, governments cracked down and wrongfully arrested and imprisoned political opponents, activists, and journalists. Armed groups and government forces unlawfully killed civilians, drove many from their homes, and blocked access to humanitarian aid. In many of the more than 70 national elections in 2024, authoritarian leaders gained ground with their discriminatory rhetoric and policies.

“From freedom of expression to religious freedoms, the Chinese government has kept a chokehold over the country throughout 2024,” said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The Chinese government has further tightened abusive laws and imprisoned critics and rights defenders, while making it increasingly difficult to report on government abuses throughout the country.”

[...]

Austrian digital rights organization noyb led by Max Schrems has filed GDPR complaints against TikTok, AliExpress, SHEIN, Temu, WeChat and Xiaomi for unlawful data transfers to China. While four of them openly admit to sending Europeans’ personal data to China, the other two say that they transfer data to undisclosed “third countries”.

As none of the companies responded adequately to the complainants’ access requests, we have to assume that this includes China. But EU law is clear: data transfers outside the EU are only allowed if the destination country doesn’t undermine the protection of data. Given that China is an authoritarian surveillance state, companies can’t realistically shield EU users’ data from access by the Chinese government. After issues around US government access, the rise of Chinese apps opens a new front for EU data protection law.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52721306

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52623372

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52737991

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52720910

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/24313014

Paywall? https://archive.is/kxEkU

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18029420

Archived link

According to Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Tibetan government-in-exile, the sharp decline in Tibetan arrivals is attributed to increased Chinese control following the 2008 uprising. Tsering also pointed to demographic shifts in Tibet, noting that there are fewer children due to reduced family sizes.

Speaking to ANI, President of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Sikyong Penpa Tsering said, "Just like any other community, the Tibetan diaspora community is also facing a lot of social and demographic change. One reason is, of course, from 1959-60 people proceeded or followed His Holiness the Dalai Lama--about 80-85 thousand Tibetans who came to India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Then till about the early 80s, there was no movement from Tibet at all, and from the early 80s onwards, some Tibetans were coming out during Hua Guofeng's time, and then from the 90s and year 2000, there were quite many Tibetans coming out up to 2008. We used to receive any number between 2,500 to 3,500 Tibetans every year. Most of them were young children who were left behind to study in India, not knowing whether they would be able to meet their families again or not."

This drastic decline has resulted in the Tibetan Reception Centre in Khaniyara village near Dharamshala standing largely vacant.

[...]

"After the 2008 uprising in Tibet, there was more control inside Tibet, and there may be other reasons why those things are happening. After Xi Jinping came into power, the control over the whole of China, more particularly over the Tibetan people, has been very strong, and even small variables like tourist guides who have been bringing these people over the Himalayas by taking money--have also been removed from Lhasa, as a lot more pressure on the Nepalese government," said Tsering.

[...]

Tsering highlighted efforts in Western countries to create new compact communities. "The larger number of Tibetans are in North America, Europe, Australia--all these countries. So there have been some initiatives from some Tibetans, particularly in Manasota, where we are talking about at least 3,000 to 5,000 Tibetans. They are planning to acquire about 80 acres of land to accommodate about 300 families where the compact Tibetan communities [can thrive]. Another group is also planning to open a charter school for Tibetans. These are new ecosystems within the Tibetan community," he said.

[...]

archive link

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52630161

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18018433

Archived links

Unofficial sources have been stated to suggest that at least 100 people have died in one township as a result of the devastating earthquake that hit Tibet’s Mt Everest county of Dingri in Shigatse City on Jan 7 morning, casting doubts on China’s official claim of a total of 126 known casualties thus far. The doubt is reinforced by China’s total ban on access to the affected region for everyone, including the independent media, except for government dispatched rescue groups.

Suggesting that at least 100 deaths had occurred in the county’s Dramtso township alone, which has ten villages – including Senga (Zingkar, the Township headquarter), Gurong (Guring), and Chajiang – the Tibetan service of rfa.org Jan 10 said, based on Tibetan sources, that it was among the worst affected. China’s official media had mentioned the epicentre Tsogo (with seven villages) and Chulho too among the worst affected townships in Dingri county.

[...]

While determining the exact death toll is currently very challenging, “everybody is sceptical of the official death toll, but we have no way to know the actual figures,” [...] a resident of Tibet’s capital Lhasa [is] saying.

[...]

The available pictures of the disaster, which show rescue personnel actively helping victims, are mostly, if not all, those taken and released by China’s official media. This is because China is reported to prohibit individuals from taking pictures or videos, with police being deployed to monitor aid workers to ensure compliance. Independent media continues to remain banned from Tibet.

[...]

Tibetans from across the region attempting to rush assistance were being blocked at various newly set up checkpoints, with authorities requiring permits for entry. They are said to be required to hand over to Chinese authorities all aid materials for distribution, leaving volunteers unable to directly provide support to those in need. As a result, mountains of relief and aid materials donated for the earthquake victims are stated to be piled up at the government’s local disaster relief management centre in Dingri county.

[...]

This was the second bid to arrest the impeached president, following a failed attempt on Jan. 3.

Archived link

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is now over a decade old. Since BRI’s inception in 2013, Beijing has pumped in $1 trillion in pledged investments. That includes $634 billion in construction contracts and $419 billion in non-financial investments, according to a 2023 report by the Green Finance & Development Center. The money, peppered across projects in as many as 140 countries, is ostensibly intended to build infrastructure that can boost a country’s trade with China.

The Dragon has worked hard to portray the initiative as one of modern history’s most ambitious connectivity projects. But portrayal and on-ground reality are different.

[...]

On the surface, BRI is a beacon of development for developing countries. Under this umbrella, Chinese loans finance large-scale infrastructure projects like ports, railways, highways, and energy facilities.

[...]

Under the surface, these loans are built on opaque agreements, high interest rates, and a lack of rigorous project feasibility assessments. The underlying strategy, critics argue, is clear: Extend credit to debt-distressed nations, knowing that repayment difficulties will compel concessions that favour Beijing’s strategic interests.

From control over critical infrastructure to enhanced geopolitical leverage, China’s gains often come at the expense of the borrower’s sovereignty.

This is the debt-trap diplomacy. And the pattern is everywhere—from Asia to Africa.

[...]

The debt-trap diplomacy thesis arose directly from Sri Lanka’s experience with the Hambantota Port. Sri Lanka’s former President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, had dreamed of transforming a small fishing town into a major shipping hub. Rajapaksa secured loans worth over $1 billion from China’s Exim Bank between 2007 and 2012 to fulfil the dream. Then came trouble.

In 2017, unable to repay Chinese loans, Colombo was forced to lease the port to a Chinese company for 99 years.

The false promise of development led to a strategic asset in the country being leased to the regional bully for a century. This arrangement raised concerns about the erosion of economic sovereignty and the geopolitical implications of such dependency in the Indian Ocean region.

[...]

Pakistan, too, saw a similar result after choosing to rely on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship BRI initiative.

With investments exceeding $60 billion, CPEC aimed to revolutionise Pakistan’s infrastructure and energy landscape. The power plants built using this funding generate enough electricity for Pakistan to use, and then some [...] However, under CPEC, Pakistan agreed to repay Chinese state companies not only the costs of building power plants but also guaranteed dollar-based returns of up to 34%, regardless of whether the electricity was consumed [...] The problem is not just of the energy infrastructure. The strategic Gwadar Port—once touted as a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economic revival—remains underutilised. It only serves as a symbol of Chinese influence, not a beacon of national development.

The trap works.

[...]

Across Africa too, the BRI has worked well (for China).

In Kenya, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project—funded by Chinese loans—was envisioned as a catalyst for regional integration. Instead, it has become a cautionary tale. With limited freight demand and operational inefficiencies, the SGR has failed to justify its $4.7 billion price tag, leaving Nairobi grappling with a mounting debt burden.

Countries like Zambia and Djibouti now face debt levels that limit their fiscal flexibility and undermine domestic priorities.

[...]

The BRI is much more than a bundle of economic harm, though. It’s about access and power for China. From ports in Sri Lanka to railways in Kenya, Beijing’s control over critical infrastructure extends beyond economic transactions.

[...]

These assets can serve dual purposes, vastly advantageous for China’s aggressive military and strategic positioning, the likes of which have already been seen in the South China Sea (SCS) and the Indian Ocean. The cost of BRI participation is measured not only in dollars, but also in compromised autonomy.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18017479

Archived link

A Philippine security official said Tuesday that China is “pushing us to the wall” with growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea and warned that “all options are on the table” for Manila’s response, including new international lawsuits.

A large Chinese coast guard ship patrolled hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal in recent days and then sailed toward the northwestern coast of the Philippines on Tuesday, coming as close as 77 nautical miles (143 kilometers), Philippine officials said in a news conference.

[...]

“You’re pushing us to the wall,” Malaya said of China. “We do not and will not dignify these scare tactics by backing down. We do not waver or cower in the face of intimidation. On the contrary, it strengthens our resolve because we know we are in the right.”

[...]

Two Philippine coast guard ships, backed by a small surveillance aircraft, repeatedly ordered the 165-meter (541-foot) Chinese coast guard ship to withdraw from the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, a 200-nautical mile (370-kilometer) stretch of water, Philippine coast guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

“What we’re doing there is, hour-by-hour and day-to-day, (we’re) challenging the illegal presence of the Chinese coast guard for the international community to know that we’re not going to allow China to normalize the illegal deployment,” Tarriela said.

[...]

The Philippines has aggressively defended its territorial interests in the South China Sea, a key global trading route. That has brought Philippine forces into frequent confrontations with China’s coast guard, navy and suspected militia boats and sparked fears that a bigger armed conflict could draw in the United States, the Philippines’ longtime treaty ally and China’s regional rival.

The lopsided conflict has forced the Philippines to seek security arrangements with other Asian and Western countries, including Japan, with which it signed a key agreement last July which would allow their forces to hold joint combat training. The pact, which must be ratified by lawmakers of both countries before it takes effect, was the first such agreement to be forged by Japan in Asia.

[...]

Crew on board an oil tanker accused of sabotaging undersea power and communications cables in the Baltic Sea were poised to cut other cables and pipelines when Finnish authorities boarded the vessel last month, the head of the Finnish investigation said.

Baltic Sea nations are on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Leaders of the NATO member states around the Baltic Sea are set to meet in Helsinki on Tuesday to discuss the alliance's response to the threat.

On Dec. 26, Finnish authorities seized oil tanker Eagle S carrying Russian oil. They said they suspected the vessel had damaged the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecoms cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed for more than 100 km (60 miles).

The head of the investigation, Risto Lohi of the National Bureau of Investigation, told Reuters the vessel was threatening to cut a second power cable, Estlink1, and the BalticConnector gas pipe between Finland and Estonia at the time it was seized.

"There would have been an almost immediate danger that other cables or pipes related to our critical underwater infrastructure could have been damaged," he said.

Lohi said a ninth crew member from the ship had been added to a list of those being treated as suspects and barred from travelling. Finland announced earlier this month that eight of the 24 crew members were being barred from travel. The captain of the ship is Georgian and the crew are citizens of India and Georgia.

[...]

Sweden's Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said on Sunday said that authorities had determined the Chinese ship had also threatened to cut a power cable connecting the Baltic states and the Nordic countries. "We can today report that it has been determined that there are traces of an anchor, probably from Yi Peng 3, also in connection with NordBalt-cable, that is, the connection between Sweden and Lithuania. This obviously illustrates the seriousness of the situation we find ourselves in," he told reporters.

[...]

Archived link

Russian energy giant Gazprom might soon lay off some 1,600 managers in an effort to cut payroll expenses, St. Petersburg media reported Monday, citing a letter from a board member to the company’s CEO Alexei Miller.

The proposal comes as Gazprom faces a sharp wartime downturn, with its gas trade to Europe — once its primary market — collapsing in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, Gazprom posted its first annual net loss since 1999.

Yelena Ilyukhina, deputy chairwoman of Gazprom’s management board, highlighted in a Dec. 23 letter to Miller that the company’s management staff at its St. Petersburg headquarters had grown to more than 4,100 people over the past two decades.

According to the letter, published by the local news outlet 47news.ru, payroll expenses at Gazprom’s headquarters total over 50 billion rubles ($486 million). Ilyukhina proposed reducing the number of managers to 2,500 and called for “optimization” proposals to be submitted to Miller by Feb. 15.

Gazprom’s deputy chairman, Sergei Kupriyanov, confirmed the letter’s authenticity to Forbes Russia but declined to provide additional comments.

[...]

csmonitor.com/World/2025/0114/…

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52594610

German police have launched an investigation into suspected cases of Russian espionage after drones were spotted over several military installations in Bavaria, according to a statement on Monday.

Against the backdrop of Russia's war on Ukraine, it could not be ruled out that German military installations and defence companies were being spied on by drones, Bavaria's State Office of Criminal Investigation said.

The latest incident occurred late on Sunday when a drone was spotted over a military base near Manching, police said, referring to a vast facility where the German forces test new manned and unmanned aircraft.

Drones were seen over the base near Manching on three days in December, the statement said. Another unauthorized overflight happened that same month over a military installation in Neuburg an der Donau.

[...]

Investigators pointed to a series of unauthorized drone overflights at sites including military facilities, LNG and oil terminals, seaports and logistics companies as examples of suspected sabotage by Russian state actors in recent months.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52555892

https://archive.is/trh0r

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/24742929

https://archive.ph/WsaRI