Additional interesting stats, especially regarding statement on the safety of nuclear energy and waste:
IAEA-database of nuclear and radiological incidents
Note that although the list which is linked above gives an impression of the spread, diversity and frequency of incidents and accidents and with nuclear power plants with radioactive transports, it is not a complete list of all nuclear incidents and accidents; different national regulators have different regimes as to which incidents to report to the IAEA and which not.
One article on nuclear energy in the UK from May 2024 says:
A vast subsea nuclear graveyard planned to hold Britain’s burgeoning piles of radioactive waste is set to become the biggest, longest-lasting and most expensive infrastructure project ever undertaken in the UK. The project [UK's nuclear waste dump] is now predicted to take more than 150yrs to complete with lifetime costs of £66bn in today’s money...The waste itself includes 110,000 tonnes of uranium, 6,000 tonnes of spent nuclear fuels & about 120 tonnes of plutonium. -- Source
[Edit typo.]
A related article with interesting stats on the world's nuclear power plants: the U.S. and France have the largest fleet, but China Is rapidly building new nuclear power plants as the rest of the world stalls
“There are probably not more than seven countries that have the capability to design, manufacture and operate nuclear power plants,” Cui Jianchun, the Chinese foreign ministry’s envoy in nearby Hong Kong, said during an official visit to the plant. “We used to be a follower, but now China is a leader.”
Here are some charts on Germany's energy mix and long-term development (April 2024), it supports @[email protected]'s statement:
Germany’s clean industry wish-list: Kick nuclear out of EU financing
Laying out key priorities for the EU's upcoming Clean Industrial Deal, German Economy State Secretary Sven Giegold on Monday (30 September) wants the Commission to prioritise renewable energy, taking a tough line on nuclear power and France’s targets.
Laying out key priorities for the EU's upcoming Clean Industrial Deal, German Economy State Secretary Sven Giegold said on Monday (30 September) he wants the Commission to prioritise renewable energy, taking a tough line on nuclear power and France’s renewable targets.
Alongside a quicker roll-out of renewable energy facilitated by “further exemptions from [environmental impact] assessments,” Giegold outlined several other German priorities for the EU’s upcoming strategy.
Based on the 2030 renewable energy targets, the EU should also set up a 2040 framework, complemented by new, more ambitious targets for energy efficiency, he said.
“It should include new heating standards, a heat pump action plan and a renovation initiative,” he explained, noting a heat pump action plan was last shelved in 2023.
Hydrogen, made from renewables, should be governed by a “a pragmatic framework,” the German politician stressed, reiterating calls from his boss, Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), to delay strict production rules into the late 2030s.
Great Firewall reaches all the way into space
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3355025
> Archived link > > Beijing has published its proposed regulations for satellite broadband, including a requirement that operators conduct censorship in real time. > > It has been suggested that the constellation system will help run and export the nation's content censorship system, known as the Great Firewall. > > [...] > > In its latest draft rules, the Cyberspace Administration of China proposes any organization or individual using terminal equipment with direct connection to satellite services is not allowed to "produce, copy, publish, or disseminate content prohibited by laws and administrative regulations, such as content that incites subversion of state power, overthrows the socialist system, endangers national security and interests, damages the national image, incites secession of the country, undermines national unity and social stability, promotes terrorism, extremism, ethnic hatred, ethnic discrimination, violence, pornography, and false information." > > It clarifies that terminal equipment includes civilian handheld, portable, and fixed terminals, as well as terminals installed on aircraft, ships, and vehicles – essentially any device that enables users to access satellite communication systems for voice calls, text messaging, and data exchange. > > [...] > > The draft rules further include articles that would make tracking of providers and users easier. This includes requiring providers to: > > - Obtain licenses and approvals, whether telco, radio frequency related or otherwise; > - Collect real identity information from those using its services, as China already requires of telcos; > - Integrate monitoring and supervision into their platforms to allow Beijing's oversight; > - Locate ground facilities – such as gateway stations and Earth stations – and user data on Chinese soil. Any data that does need to go overseas must be processed through a gateway approved by the telecommunications regulatory department of the State Council. > > [...]
Viele würden auswandern, wenn sie könnten: Das leise Verschwinden der Freiheit in Hongkong
Hunderttausende waren 2019 bei pro-demokratischen Protesten in Hongkong auf die Straßen gegangen. Fünf Jahre später ist von dem Bestreben nach mehr Demokratie in der Öffentlichkeit wenig übrig geblieben. Von Marie von Mallinckrodt.
Bei den Protesten in Hingkong vor fünf Jahren, die sich erst gegen ein Auslieferungsgesetz an China richteten und dann mehr und mehr gegen den generellen Einfluss, gingen an manchen Tagen zwei Millionen Menschen auf die Straße.
Die kommunistische Zentralregierung Chinas hat schon nach den Protesten 2020 ein "Staatssicherheitsgesetz" für Hongkong eingesetzt, welches fast alles kriminalisieren kann, was sich gegen die Regierung richtet.
In diesem Jahr folgte dann das verschärfte, eigene Gesetz. Mehr als 300 Menschen sind aufgrund der "Staatssicherheitsgesetze" im Gefängnis, etliche verurteilt - darunter Demokratieaktivisten, Journalisten, Vertreter der Zivilgesellschaft.
Fünf Jahre nach den Demonstrationen ist wenig übrig geblieben von dem, was Hongkong bei der Übergabe von Großbritannien an China vor 27 Jahren versprochen wurde: weitgehende Autonomie und Freiheitsrechte.
[...]
Seit 2019 sind nach Schätzungen eine halbe Million Hongkonger ausgewandert. Eine Umfrage der Chinesischen Universität Hongkong aus dem vergangenen Jahr ergab, dass 38 Prozent der Befragten auswandern würden, wenn sie könnten. Als wichtige Gründe hierfür wurden unter anderem der Zerfall von Freiheit und Menschenrechten sowie ein undemokratisches System genannt.
Great Firewall reaches all the way into space
Beijing has published its proposed regulations for satellite broadband, including a requirement that operators conduct censorship in real time.
It has been suggested that the constellation system will help run and export the nation's content censorship system, known as the Great Firewall.
[...]
In its latest draft rules, the Cyberspace Administration of China proposes any organization or individual using terminal equipment with direct connection to satellite services is not allowed to "produce, copy, publish, or disseminate content prohibited by laws and administrative regulations, such as content that incites subversion of state power, overthrows the socialist system, endangers national security and interests, damages the national image, incites secession of the country, undermines national unity and social stability, promotes terrorism, extremism, ethnic hatred, ethnic discrimination, violence, pornography, and false information."
It clarifies that terminal equipment includes civilian handheld, portable, and fixed terminals, as well as terminals installed on aircraft, ships, and vehicles – essentially any device that enables users to access satellite communication systems for voice calls, text messaging, and data exchange.
[...]
The draft rules further include articles that would make tracking of providers and users easier. This includes requiring providers to:
- Obtain licenses and approvals, whether telco, radio frequency related or otherwise;
- Collect real identity information from those using its services, as China already requires of telcos;
- Integrate monitoring and supervision into their platforms to allow Beijing's oversight;
- Locate ground facilities – such as gateway stations and Earth stations – and user data on Chinese soil. Any data that does need to go overseas must be processed through a gateway approved by the telecommunications regulatory department of the State Council.
[...]
Indonesia to fight cheap online imports from China as Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop are hurting local firms
Indonesia has introduced measures to limit sales of cheap imports on e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop that are hurting local firms.
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3324721
> - Indonesia has imposed curbs on cheap imports to rein in e-commerce platforms > - There is growing resentment across Southeast Asia against Chinese e-commerce firms > - Import tariffs can create tensions and hurt some local businesses > - Other countries in Southeast Asia are also cracking down with higher import duties and outright bans on some China imports > > The Indonesian government says it wants to protect its local business from cheap Chinese online imports, with a plan to impose import duties of up to 200% on a broad range of goods including textiles, clothing, footwear, cosmetics, and electronics. The measures are largely aimed at Chinese imports, which have surged in recent years as e-commerce platforms gained in popularity. > > “If we are flooded with imported goods, our micro, small and medium enterprises could collapse,” Zulkifli Hasan, Indonesia’s trade minister, said in a briefing in July. These businesses make up about 60% of the country’s gross domestic product, and employ around 120 million people, according to government data. > > Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest e-commerce market, accounting for nearly half the gross merchandise value of the eight top platforms, according to advisory firm Momentum Works. The value of e-commerce sales in Indonesia hit $77 billion last year, authorities say. > > Chinese imports had enjoyed low, or zero, duties in Indonesia under regional trade agreements. But as sales of cheap clothes, shoes, and electronics surged online, the government stepped in to protect local businesses. President Joko Widodo has repeatedly raised concerns about low-priced Chinese-made goods, and urged consumers to shun imported products. The country has imposed the strictest curbs on cross-border e-commerce sales in the region. It set a de minimis limit — the threshold below which goods are not subject to import duties — at $100, then lowered that to $75, and then to $3. Authorities also banned shopping on social media platforms last year, forcing TikTok Shop to close. But the platform was back online after about two months, saying it had met the requirements. > > Across Southeast Asia, other governments are also cracking down with higher import duties and outright bans on some goods. Malaysia has a 10% sales tax on imported goods priced below 500 ringgit ($106), while the Philippines has imposed a 1% withholding tax on online merchants. In Thailand, the entry of Chinese e-commerce firm Temu has sparked calls for higher tariffs on some imported goods. More taxes and curbs on e-commerce firms may be imminent across the region, Simon Torring, co-founder of research firm Cube Asia, says.
Indonesia to fight cheap online imports from China as Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop are hurting local firms
Indonesia has introduced measures to limit sales of cheap imports on e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop that are hurting local firms.
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3324721
> - Indonesia has imposed curbs on cheap imports to rein in e-commerce platforms > - There is growing resentment across Southeast Asia against Chinese e-commerce firms > - Import tariffs can create tensions and hurt some local businesses > - Other countries in Southeast Asia are also cracking down with higher import duties and outright bans on some China imports > > The Indonesian government says it wants to protect its local business from cheap Chinese online imports, with a plan to impose import duties of up to 200% on a broad range of goods including textiles, clothing, footwear, cosmetics, and electronics. The measures are largely aimed at Chinese imports, which have surged in recent years as e-commerce platforms gained in popularity. > > “If we are flooded with imported goods, our micro, small and medium enterprises could collapse,” Zulkifli Hasan, Indonesia’s trade minister, said in a briefing in July. These businesses make up about 60% of the country’s gross domestic product, and employ around 120 million people, according to government data. > > Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest e-commerce market, accounting for nearly half the gross merchandise value of the eight top platforms, according to advisory firm Momentum Works. The value of e-commerce sales in Indonesia hit $77 billion last year, authorities say. > > Chinese imports had enjoyed low, or zero, duties in Indonesia under regional trade agreements. But as sales of cheap clothes, shoes, and electronics surged online, the government stepped in to protect local businesses. President Joko Widodo has repeatedly raised concerns about low-priced Chinese-made goods, and urged consumers to shun imported products. The country has imposed the strictest curbs on cross-border e-commerce sales in the region. It set a de minimis limit — the threshold below which goods are not subject to import duties — at $100, then lowered that to $75, and then to $3. Authorities also banned shopping on social media platforms last year, forcing TikTok Shop to close. But the platform was back online after about two months, saying it had met the requirements. > > Across Southeast Asia, other governments are also cracking down with higher import duties and outright bans on some goods. Malaysia has a 10% sales tax on imported goods priced below 500 ringgit ($106), while the Philippines has imposed a 1% withholding tax on online merchants. In Thailand, the entry of Chinese e-commerce firm Temu has sparked calls for higher tariffs on some imported goods. More taxes and curbs on e-commerce firms may be imminent across the region, Simon Torring, co-founder of research firm Cube Asia, says.
Ireland is home to 40 Chinese firms, which critics say harms the country's reputation
Ireland is home to 40 Chinese firms, which some critics say harms the country's reputation.
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3323880
> [...] For an increasing number of critics, Ireland being home to Chinese firms links the country to the human rights abuse allegations levelled against some such companies. These include Chinese clothing firm Shein, which since May 2023 has had its European headquarters in Dublin. > > [...] > > In May, Ireland’s Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Dara Calleary, welcomed a report celebrating how Huawei was contributing €800m ($889m; £668m) per year to the Irish economy. The firm has three research and development centres in Ireland. > > This is the same Huawei whose telecoms network equipment the US has banned since 2022 due to concerns over national security. The UK has moved in the same direction, ordering phone networks to remove Huawei components. And mobile phone networks in many Western nations, including Ireland, no longer offer Huawei handsets. > > Meanwhile, WuXi has, since 2018, invested more than €1bn in a facility in Dundalk, near the border with Northern Ireland. > > Earlier this month the US House of Representatives passed a bill to restrict US firms’ ability to work with WuXi, again citing national security concerns. The bill now has to go to the US Senate. > > [...] > > Prominent critics of Ireland rolling out a “green carpet” to Chinse firms include Barry Andrews, one of Ireland's members of the European Parliament. “Human rights and environmental abuses should not be allowed in Irish shopping baskets,” says the Fianna Fáil MEP. > > He points to a US Congress report from last year, which said there was “an extremely high risk that Temu’s supply chains are contaminated with forced labour”. > > Temu had told the investigation that it had a “zero-tolerance policy” towards the practice. > > “One person’s bargain is another’s back-breaking work for poverty wages,” adds Mr Andrews, whose party is part of the current Irish government coalition. > > [...] > > Some leading economists question whether Ireland even needs the few thousand jobs that the Chinese firms provide. > > “Ireland’s economy has been running at near full employment for the best part of a decade," says Dan O'Brien, chief economist at Ireland's Institute of International and European Affairs. > > [...] > > Mr O’Brien says that Ireland’s level of FDI was already too high without the Chinese investment on top. “Given we are already overly dependent on FDI in a world that is at risk of deglobalisation, we don’t need another major source of FDI on top of that from the United States.” > > He adds EU rules should be “actively used to discourage Chinese FDI” in Ireland. > > [...]
TALLINN – Estonia's Climate Minister Yoko Alender and Finland's Minister of the Environment and Climate Kai Mykkänen signed a...
Estonia's Climate Minister Yoko Alender and Finland's Minister of the Environment and Climate Kai Mykkänen signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to ensure the resilience and security of critical undersea infrastructure, including through enhancing surveillance capabilities.
The purpose of the memorandum of understanding is to outline the structures within which Finland and Estonia can develop their cooperation on the monitoring and repair of underwater energy connections.
[...]
The Balticconnector gas pipeline damaged in October 2023 has been repaired. There are also two submarine power cables between the countries, Estlink 1 and Estlink 2, on the bottom of the Gulf of Finland. These transmission connections are an essential part of the energy markets and security of energy supply in Finland and Estonia. They also even out price fluctuations.
[...]
Ireland is home to 40 Chinese firms, which critics say harms the country's reputation
Ireland is home to 40 Chinese firms, which some critics say harms the country's reputation.
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3323880
> [...] For an increasing number of critics, Ireland being home to Chinese firms links the country to the human rights abuse allegations levelled against some such companies. These include Chinese clothing firm Shein, which since May 2023 has had its European headquarters in Dublin. > > [...] > > In May, Ireland’s Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Dara Calleary, welcomed a report celebrating how Huawei was contributing €800m ($889m; £668m) per year to the Irish economy. The firm has three research and development centres in Ireland. > > This is the same Huawei whose telecoms network equipment the US has banned since 2022 due to concerns over national security. The UK has moved in the same direction, ordering phone networks to remove Huawei components. And mobile phone networks in many Western nations, including Ireland, no longer offer Huawei handsets. > > Meanwhile, WuXi has, since 2018, invested more than €1bn in a facility in Dundalk, near the border with Northern Ireland. > > Earlier this month the US House of Representatives passed a bill to restrict US firms’ ability to work with WuXi, again citing national security concerns. The bill now has to go to the US Senate. > > [...] > > Prominent critics of Ireland rolling out a “green carpet” to Chinse firms include Barry Andrews, one of Ireland's members of the European Parliament. “Human rights and environmental abuses should not be allowed in Irish shopping baskets,” says the Fianna Fáil MEP. > > He points to a US Congress report from last year, which said there was “an extremely high risk that Temu’s supply chains are contaminated with forced labour”. > > Temu had told the investigation that it had a “zero-tolerance policy” towards the practice. > > “One person’s bargain is another’s back-breaking work for poverty wages,” adds Mr Andrews, whose party is part of the current Irish government coalition. > > [...] > > Some leading economists question whether Ireland even needs the few thousand jobs that the Chinese firms provide. > > “Ireland’s economy has been running at near full employment for the best part of a decade," says Dan O'Brien, chief economist at Ireland's Institute of International and European Affairs. > > [...] > > Mr O’Brien says that Ireland’s level of FDI was already too high without the Chinese investment on top. “Given we are already overly dependent on FDI in a world that is at risk of deglobalisation, we don’t need another major source of FDI on top of that from the United States.” > > He adds EU rules should be “actively used to discourage Chinese FDI” in Ireland. > > [...]
Ireland is home to 40 Chinese firms, which critics say harms the country's reputation
Ireland is home to 40 Chinese firms, which some critics say harms the country's reputation.
[...] For an increasing number of critics, Ireland being home to Chinese firms links the country to the human rights abuse allegations levelled against some such companies. These include Chinese clothing firm Shein, which since May 2023 has had its European headquarters in Dublin.
[...]
In May, Ireland’s Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Dara Calleary, welcomed a report celebrating how Huawei was contributing €800m ($889m; £668m) per year to the Irish economy. The firm has three research and development centres in Ireland.
This is the same Huawei whose telecoms network equipment the US has banned since 2022 due to concerns over national security. The UK has moved in the same direction, ordering phone networks to remove Huawei components. And mobile phone networks in many Western nations, including Ireland, no longer offer Huawei handsets.
Meanwhile, WuXi has, since 2018, invested more than €1bn in a facility in Dundalk, near the border with Northern Ireland.
Earlier this month the US House of Representatives passed a bill to restrict US firms’ ability to work with WuXi, again citing national security concerns. The bill now has to go to the US Senate.
[...]
Prominent critics of Ireland rolling out a “green carpet” to Chinse firms include Barry Andrews, one of Ireland's members of the European Parliament. “Human rights and environmental abuses should not be allowed in Irish shopping baskets,” says the Fianna Fáil MEP.
He points to a US Congress report from last year, which said there was “an extremely high risk that Temu’s supply chains are contaminated with forced labour”.
Temu had told the investigation that it had a “zero-tolerance policy” towards the practice.
“One person’s bargain is another’s back-breaking work for poverty wages,” adds Mr Andrews, whose party is part of the current Irish government coalition.
[...]
Some leading economists question whether Ireland even needs the few thousand jobs that the Chinese firms provide.
“Ireland’s economy has been running at near full employment for the best part of a decade," says Dan O'Brien, chief economist at Ireland's Institute of International and European Affairs.
[...]
Mr O’Brien says that Ireland’s level of FDI was already too high without the Chinese investment on top. “Given we are already overly dependent on FDI in a world that is at risk of deglobalisation, we don’t need another major source of FDI on top of that from the United States.”
He adds EU rules should be “actively used to discourage Chinese FDI” in Ireland.
[...]
For Bulgaria and Romania, the costs of not being full members of the Schengen area are counted in billions of euros. The transport and tourism sectors of both countries are most affected and checks at land borders create huge barriers for Romanian and Bulgarian companies, restricting their competiti...
Non-full membership in the Schengen area costs Bulgaria more than EUR 834 million per year. Romania loses EUR 2.32 billion in annual revenues from not participating fully in Europe’s border-free regime, with losses for its transport operators amounting to another 90 million annually due to delays at the country’s land borders.
The figures were presented at the conference The cost of non-membership of Schengen for the Single Market – impact on Bulgaria and Romania, which took place in Sofia, Bulgaria on 24 September. The event was jointly organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)and the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA).
Three universities in North America and Europe turned down a bust to a Chinese human rights activist before it went to Ireland
Instead of spearheading China’s liberalisation, Western universities which benefit from Chinese money are increasingly vulnerable to pressure from its government
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3247781
> Archived link > > Instead of spearheading China’s liberalisation, Western universities that benefit from Chinese money are increasingly vulnerable to pressure from its government. > > [...] > > Through a combination of pressure tactics – including a global censorship regime, the weaponisation of informal Chinese networks, questionable party-state funding, and dependencies on “official China” – students and researchers are silenced, and higher education institutions are influenced. > > Within many universities outside China, academic freedom has been compromised by Chinese funding. Dependent on the large funds that have been allocated to them, they are more inclined to do research in line with the CCP’s programme. More recently, the much publicised Hong Kong National Security Law allows anyone to be charged who challenges China’s national unity, regardless of nationality or territory. The Hong Kong National Security Law purports to have extraterritorial effect and therefore it is not limited to Chinese citizens or even those physically in Hong Kong. This inevitably contributes to a climate of self-censorship among academics. > > [...] > > Unfortunately, rising authoritarianism, if not actual totalitarianism, in China has turned the tables on Western universities. Instead of spearheading the liberalisation of China, they have become vulnerable to Chinese pressure in the opposite direction. Their partnerships with Chinese universities have turned into potential liabilities as professors come under fire for not properly declaring Chinese funding, research grants are linked to human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and universities’ technology breakthroughs are being used to improve China’s system of mass surveillance. > > [...] > > The Irish Centre for Human Rights and the University of Galway showed courage in accepting this gift of memory to [Chinese human rights activist] Liu. Statements of support by the university’s president and the director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights are significant. It is our hope that this example will encourage other universities to resist the pressure from Chinese money that might compromise their academic freedom. > > [...]
Three universities in North America and Europe turned down a bust to a Chinese human rights activist before it went to Ireland
Instead of spearheading China’s liberalisation, Western universities which benefit from Chinese money are increasingly vulnerable to pressure from its government
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3247781
> Archived link > > Instead of spearheading China’s liberalisation, Western universities that benefit from Chinese money are increasingly vulnerable to pressure from its government. > > [...] > > Through a combination of pressure tactics – including a global censorship regime, the weaponisation of informal Chinese networks, questionable party-state funding, and dependencies on “official China” – students and researchers are silenced, and higher education institutions are influenced. > > Within many universities outside China, academic freedom has been compromised by Chinese funding. Dependent on the large funds that have been allocated to them, they are more inclined to do research in line with the CCP’s programme. More recently, the much publicised Hong Kong National Security Law allows anyone to be charged who challenges China’s national unity, regardless of nationality or territory. The Hong Kong National Security Law purports to have extraterritorial effect and therefore it is not limited to Chinese citizens or even those physically in Hong Kong. This inevitably contributes to a climate of self-censorship among academics. > > [...] > > Unfortunately, rising authoritarianism, if not actual totalitarianism, in China has turned the tables on Western universities. Instead of spearheading the liberalisation of China, they have become vulnerable to Chinese pressure in the opposite direction. Their partnerships with Chinese universities have turned into potential liabilities as professors come under fire for not properly declaring Chinese funding, research grants are linked to human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and universities’ technology breakthroughs are being used to improve China’s system of mass surveillance. > > [...] > > The Irish Centre for Human Rights and the University of Galway showed courage in accepting this gift of memory to [Chinese human rights activist] Liu. Statements of support by the university’s president and the director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights are significant. It is our hope that this example will encourage other universities to resist the pressure from Chinese money that might compromise their academic freedom. > > [...]
Three universities in North America and Europe turned down a bust to a Chinese human rights activist before it went to Ireland
Instead of spearheading China’s liberalisation, Western universities which benefit from Chinese money are increasingly vulnerable to pressure from its government
Instead of spearheading China’s liberalisation, Western universities that benefit from Chinese money are increasingly vulnerable to pressure from its government.
[...]
Through a combination of pressure tactics – including a global censorship regime, the weaponisation of informal Chinese networks, questionable party-state funding, and dependencies on “official China” – students and researchers are silenced, and higher education institutions are influenced.
Within many universities outside China, academic freedom has been compromised by Chinese funding. Dependent on the large funds that have been allocated to them, they are more inclined to do research in line with the CCP’s programme. More recently, the much publicised Hong Kong National Security Law allows anyone to be charged who challenges China’s national unity, regardless of nationality or territory. The Hong Kong National Security Law purports to have extraterritorial effect and therefore it is not limited to Chinese citizens or even those physically in Hong Kong. This inevitably contributes to a climate of self-censorship among academics.
[...]
Unfortunately, rising authoritarianism, if not actual totalitarianism, in China has turned the tables on Western universities. Instead of spearheading the liberalisation of China, they have become vulnerable to Chinese pressure in the opposite direction. Their partnerships with Chinese universities have turned into potential liabilities as professors come under fire for not properly declaring Chinese funding, research grants are linked to human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and universities’ technology breakthroughs are being used to improve China’s system of mass surveillance.
[...]
The Irish Centre for Human Rights and the University of Galway showed courage in accepting this gift of memory to [Chinese human rights activist] Liu. Statements of support by the university’s president and the director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights are significant. It is our hope that this example will encourage other universities to resist the pressure from Chinese money that might compromise their academic freedom.
[...]
Hong Kong: Stand News editor sentenced to 21 months in jail
The landmark sedition case is seen as a barometer for press freedom in Hong Kong. Stand News was one of the last media outlets in the former British colony that dared to criticize authorities amid a crackdown by Beijing.
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3244714
> A Hong Kong court on Thursday sentenced Stand News former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen to 21 months in prison, while former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam was released after his sentence was reduced because of ill health. > > Last month, the two were the first journalists to be convicted under a colonial-era sedition law since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997. > > Chung and Lam were found guilty of conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications. > > [...] > > [The court] He ruled that 11 articles that were published under Chung and Lam's leadership carried seditious intent. > > [...] > > Chung and Lam were held behind bars for nearly a year after their arrests, before being released on bail in late 2022. Their trial began in October that year and lasted some 50 days. > > Stand News, which has now closed down, was one of the last news outlets in Hong Kong to voice criticism of authorities amid a crackdown from Beijing after the 2019 protests. > > The latest World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders ranked Hong Kong as the 135th out of 180 territories, down from 80th place in 2021 and 18th place in 2002.
Hong Kong: Stand News editor sentenced to 21 months in jail
The landmark sedition case is seen as a barometer for press freedom in Hong Kong. Stand News was one of the last media outlets in the former British colony that dared to criticize authorities amid a crackdown by Beijing.
A Hong Kong court on Thursday sentenced Stand News former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen to 21 months in prison, while former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam was released after his sentence was reduced because of ill health.
Last month, the two were the first journalists to be convicted under a colonial-era sedition law since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Chung and Lam were found guilty of conspiracy to publish and reproduce seditious publications.
[...]
[The court] He ruled that 11 articles that were published under Chung and Lam's leadership carried seditious intent.
[...]
Chung and Lam were held behind bars for nearly a year after their arrests, before being released on bail in late 2022. Their trial began in October that year and lasted some 50 days.
Stand News, which has now closed down, was one of the last news outlets in Hong Kong to voice criticism of authorities amid a crackdown from Beijing after the 2019 protests.
The latest World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders ranked Hong Kong as the 135th out of 180 territories, down from 80th place in 2021 and 18th place in 2002.
Romania has raised 4 fighter jets after a Russian drone has entered the national airspace
Romania has raised 4 fighter jets, after a Russian drone has entered the national airspace - spotmedia.ro
Romania has once again scrambled fighter jets last night after Russian forces attacked several targets in Ukraine.
A drone reportedly briefly entered Romanian airspace near the Ukrainian border.
The attack last night targeted the town of Izmail in the southern Odesa region, where three people were killed and at least 11, including a child, were injured, according to Governor Oleh Kiper quoted by Kiev Independent.
The Ukrainian Air Forces confirm that a Russian drone "strayed" into Romanian territory. In total, 32 drones were launched last night, of which 24 were intercepted, according to the Ukrainians.
"For monitoring the situation, two F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces took off from the 86th Air Base in Borcea starting at 1:52 am and, later, starting at 3:22 am, two F-18 aircraft of the Spanish Air Forces from the Extended Air Policing Service at the 57th Air Base in Mihail Kogălniceanu."
[Edit typo.]
Yeah, not just redirecting funds, they can also use forced labour to lower their production costs.
They have already done that, just read their Project 2025.
Russia: Under a proposed new legislation, comments defending the decision not to have children could be fined by up to €50,000
Under the proposed new legislation, comments defending the decision not to have children could be fined by up to $55,000. After prohibiting LGBTQ+ activism, Russian authorities have set their sight on the feminist movement
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3235819
> Archived link > > Openly defending one’s decision not to have children will be prosecuted in Russia. The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, is preparing a bill under which authorities will impose fines of up to €50,000 ($55,580) for supporting “the refusal to have children.” The measure affects all areas of life — from casual conversation to films and books — and is a serious threat to the Russian feminist movement. > > The crackdown on what the Kremlin calls the “childfree” movement will result in fines of up to 400,000 rubles for individuals (around $4,300), 800,000 rubles for civil servants ($8,600), and up to five million rubles ($55,580) for companies or other legal entities. Foreigners will also be deported. > > There are thousands of reasons why a person may decide not to have children, but the Cabinet of ministers has asked the State Duma to make only three exceptions to the law: religious reasons, medical reasons or in the case of rape. It also alleges that there is a mass-organized childfree movement, even though the websites on this subject are little more than a curiosity; Russian newspapers cite the existence of groups on VKontakte, the Russian Facebook, which barely have 5,000 members. > > [...]
Russia: Under a proposed new legislation, comments defending the decision not to have children could be fined by up to €50,000
Under the proposed new legislation, comments defending the decision not to have children could be fined by up to $55,000. After prohibiting LGBTQ+ activism, Russian authorities have set their sight on the feminist movement
Openly defending one’s decision not to have children will be prosecuted in Russia. The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, is preparing a bill under which authorities will impose fines of up to €50,000 ($55,580) for supporting “the refusal to have children.” The measure affects all areas of life — from casual conversation to films and books — and is a serious threat to the Russian feminist movement.
The crackdown on what the Kremlin calls the “childfree” movement will result in fines of up to 400,000 rubles for individuals (around $4,300), 800,000 rubles for civil servants ($8,600), and up to five million rubles ($55,580) for companies or other legal entities. Foreigners will also be deported.
There are thousands of reasons why a person may decide not to have children, but the Cabinet of ministers has asked the State Duma to make only three exceptions to the law: religious reasons, medical reasons or in the case of rape. It also alleges that there is a mass-organized childfree movement, even though the websites on this subject are little more than a curiosity; Russian newspapers cite the existence of groups on VKontakte, the Russian Facebook, which barely have 5,000 members.
[...]
Tiktok versagt gegen Schatten-AfD: Fake-Profile sammeln Millionen Likes, die - laut deutschen Verfassungsschutz rechtsextreme - Partei profitiert
Tiktok verbietet Profile mit falscher Identität. Eine CORRECTIV-Analyse zeigt, die Masche funktioniert trotzdem – und die AfD profitiert davon.
Auf Tiktok wütet ein Netzwerk, das nach den Plattform-Richtlinien eigentlich verboten ist: CORRECTIV fand dutzende Kanäle, die sich fälschlich als Partei- oder Politiker-Profile der AfD ausgeben. Im Namen der Partei erreichen sie Hunderttausende. Die AfD schweigt und Tiktok sieht jahrelang tatenlos zu.
These comments have nothing to do with economics.
The member countries approved the Commission's move already.
May I ask where this happend?
Yes, and according to an EU report in 2023, only 0.065% of the bloc's sheep population had been killed by wolves and there had been no reports of fatal wolf attacks on humans for 40 years. Source (you need to scroll down to the end of the article for these numbers).
it’s not implausible that this operation could have been setup without Chinese government involvement
Sure, the Chinese government knows nothing. It's not that the CCP is surveilling every inch in the country, including in Xinjiang and Tibet. This is just a small firm which does that without any knowledge by the government (/s, just to be safe).
Suppose you see such posts on social media, would you really think, "Ah, that's a funny joke", and laugh about it?
As the article suggests, there haven't been too many with that sense of humor to say the least.
I don't omit the context. They say it was intended as a joke after it backfired on social media, and the company's apology - as the article states - is somewhat quiet (on the other hand, the Chinese government - usually not averse to censor content it deems unpleasant - apparently had no problem with it).
A detail that is buried somewhere in this article is that Fico's government apparently takes de facto control of Slovak parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, which is traditionally controlled by the opposition. So there is no independent oversight at all.
It's time for the EU and its member states to ban any surveillance software and protect EE2E (including abandoning such things like 'chat control') if they want protect Europe from the further rise of authoritarian regimes.
Überall, wo KI bislang in der Sozialpolitik bzw. in ihrer Verwaltung eingesetzt wurde, endete das meines Wissens in einer Katasrophe.
I didn't edit out anything. Everyone can read the the article to understand the issue and its context.
And there appear to be many who do not understand this 'joke':
Internet users responding to the apology, numbering more than 60,000 by noon Thursday, remained mostly unmoved. Some called on the company to make a public apology directly to the employees, while others suggested a video apology would be more appropriate. For most, it was reminder of the pitfalls of jumping on the video humor bandwagon.
Ja, auf Deutsch habe ich dazu nichts gefunden, aber auf English zumindest einen Artikel.
Chinese economist disappears: Is Zhu Hengpeng victim of Xi Jinping’s war on dissent? -- (Archiv-Link)
Unter anderem heisst es da (nach dem Zwischentitel "Critique of China’s economic landscape"):
Zhu’s economic analysis was a direct critique of China’s current policies, particularly in taxation and social security. He highlighted how the country’s heavy tax burden and flawed social security structure inhibit the growth of residents’ consumption levels. Drawing on international examples, he argued that sustainable economic growth requires a robust social security system alongside significant public spending to reduce income inequality, alleviate public anxieties and expand the middle-income demographic—steps essential for boosting consumer demand.
Es geht dann noch ein bisschen weiter. Viel Details kann man zwar auch nicht erfahren, aber ein bisschen was steht drin.
Again, flip over to any other industrialized nation and you’re going to find the same media trends. You get to fixate on “China Media Bad” because you’re not getting spammed with American propaganda about Hindu nationalists or Japanese fascists. But then we are as guilty of drinking the propaganda kool-aid as any other country. And a big part of that kool-aid is the exceptionalism mentality that insists we’re clear-eyed while everyone else is being brainwashed.
What a rubbish. I live in a (Western) country where racism and nationalism and all the sh't that it entails is much older than modern-day China, but the media isn't controlled here. Journalists and bloggers and private persons on social media can freely write and criticize, including the government.
I wondering when you get tired here about this whataboutism. In the context of the death of a 10-year old this is even disgusting.
@[email protected] @[email protected]
I feel these are somewhat simplistic explanations (I doubt, for example, that Wogi's college students are old enough to have experienced in person and thus be "really pissed about the horrific war crimes", there must be a more complex issue behind).
There is, apparently, a persistent form of racism in China, namely the prejudice that the Han Chinese are more advanced than other cultures inside and outside of China. This does also, though not exclusively relate to Japan.
How the media in China have reported -or, better, how it did not report- on the incident is a sad reminder on Chinese propaganda and media control. But it also shows how this brutal killing and the Chinese state-media's silence might be linked to decades of anti-Japanese education and cultural conditioning in China.
There is also a good video by a foreigner living in China (19 min): CHINA: RACISM: China’s Ugly, Disturbing yet Open Secret --- (archived link). It's very insightful and worth everyone's time.
Last year, Human Rights Watch urged the Chinese government to combat anti-black racism on Chinese social media.
[Edit typo.]
In that case it's Iceland, but I feel countries do that anywhere - with other bears, wolves, whales, ...
Es gibt viele Arten, die Jugendarbeitslosigkeit zu berechnen (oder andere ökonomische Metriken). Man kann die Studenten reinrechnen oder eben nicht.
Der Punkt hier ist aber, dass die chinesische Regierung das jahrelang getan hat. Danach hat man dann die Studenten einfach aus der Statistik genommen und offiziell verkündet, dass die Regierung die Jugendarbeitslosigkeit erfolgreich bekämpft hat. Das ergibt ökonomisch natürlich keinen Sinn, weil sie im Vergleich zu vorher einfach nur einige Arbeitssuchende weggelassen haben.
Es gibt leider seit ein paar Jahren in China ähnliche statistische "Anpassungen" auch in anderen Bereichen, nicht nur bei der Berechnung der Arbeitslosigkeit. Leider spiegeln die offziell gemeldeten statistsischen Kennzahlen häufig nicht die Realität wider.