Donald Trump files US Supreme Court brief in TikTok case
By Khushboo Razdan
US president-elect Donald Trump on Friday filed an amicus brief with the US Supreme Court in the TikTok ban case, urging the top court to temporarily halt a law requiring the Chinese-owned app to be banned by January 19, 2025, unless sold to a non-Chinese buyer.
“President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump’s incoming administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case,” the submission said.
It added that the “case presents an unprecedented, novel and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other”, Trump’s filing said.
The filing further stated that Trump “has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions and he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means”.
More to follow...
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By Khushboo Razdan
US president-elect Donald Trump on Friday filed an amicus brief with the US Supreme Court in the TikTok ban case, urging the top court to temporarily halt a law requiring the Chinese-owned app to be banned by January 19, 2025, unless sold to a non-Chinese buyer.
“President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump’s incoming administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case,” the submission said.
It added that the “case presents an unprecedented, novel and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other”, Trump’s filing said.
The filing further stated that Trump “has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions and he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means”.
More to follow...
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Ukraine’s Zelensky urges China to put pressure on North Korea over troops in Russia
By dpa
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on China to exert influence on North Korea in response to the deployment of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian troops in the Ukraine war.
“The Korean nation should not lose its people in the battles in Europe. And this can be influenced, particularly by Korea’s neighbours, especially China,” Zelensky said in his evening video address.
“If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not escalate, it must exert appropriate pressure on Pyongyang,” he added. China is the closest ally of the isolated communist country.
Moscow is mainly using the North Korean troops in its attempts to regain the Russian area of Kursk, which is partly occupied by Ukrainian troops, Zelensky said.
“We can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all,” Zelensky continued.
Everything is being done to avoid the Ukrainian military capturing the North Korean soldiers, he said, claiming that the North Korean troops would rather kill each other than be taken prisoner.
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By dpa
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on China to exert influence on North Korea in response to the deployment of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian troops in the Ukraine war.
“The Korean nation should not lose its people in the battles in Europe. And this can be influenced, particularly by Korea’s neighbours, especially China,” Zelensky said in his evening video address.
“If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not escalate, it must exert appropriate pressure on Pyongyang,” he added. China is the closest ally of the isolated communist country.
Moscow is mainly using the North Korean troops in its attempts to regain the Russian area of Kursk, which is partly occupied by Ukrainian troops, Zelensky said.
“We can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all,” Zelensky continued.
Everything is being done to avoid the Ukrainian military capturing the North Korean soldiers, he said, claiming that the North Korean troops would rather kill each other than be taken prisoner.
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What will China’s new mega dam mean for India ties and fragile Tibetan ecosystem?
By Shi Jiangtao
Beijing’s approval of a controversial mega dam in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which flows from Tibet autonomous region into India, has sparked concerns about the environmental impact of the project, as well as the effect it could have on China-India ties amid signs of a thaw between the two neighbours.
The dam is expected to be the world’s largest hydroelectric project and could generate three times the power of the Three Gorges Dam. Its construction will mark a major step in China’s plan to tap the hydropower potential of the Tibetan plateau.
But it could also intensify a dam-building competition between the Asian neighbours near their disputed Himalayan border, according to diplomatic and environmental experts.
State news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday that the Chinese government had recently approved the massive project, which was included in Beijing’s 14th Five-Year Plan for the 2021 – 2025 period.
The report did not specify the exact location of the project on Tibet’s longest river, which becomes the Brahmaputra River when it flows into the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, viewed by China as part of southern Tibet. The river also flows into Bangladesh, where it is called the Jamuna.
But what is known is that the project will be built on a section referred to as the Grand Canyon, or the “Great Bend”, on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo.
According to a 2020 estimate by state-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, the dam, located in one of the most hydropower-rich areas of the world, is expected to produce nearly 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually.
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By Shi Jiangtao
Beijing’s approval of a controversial mega dam in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which flows from Tibet autonomous region into India, has sparked concerns about the environmental impact of the project, as well as the effect it could have on China-India ties amid signs of a thaw between the two neighbours.
The dam is expected to be the world’s largest hydroelectric project and could generate three times the power of the Three Gorges Dam. Its construction will mark a major step in China’s plan to tap the hydropower potential of the Tibetan plateau.
But it could also intensify a dam-building competition between the Asian neighbours near their disputed Himalayan border, according to diplomatic and environmental experts.
State news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday that the Chinese government had recently approved the massive project, which was included in Beijing’s 14th Five-Year Plan for the 2021 – 2025 period.
The report did not specify the exact location of the project on Tibet’s longest river, which becomes the Brahmaputra River when it flows into the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, viewed by China as part of southern Tibet. The river also flows into Bangladesh, where it is called the Jamuna.
But what is known is that the project will be built on a section referred to as the Grand Canyon, or the “Great Bend”, on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo.
According to a 2020 estimate by state-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, the dam, located in one of the most hydropower-rich areas of the world, is expected to produce nearly 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually.
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US teacher jailed in Russia is designated by State Department as wrongfully detained
By Associated Press
An American teacher arrested in Russia on drug charges more than four years ago has been designated by the US government as wrongfully detained, the State Department said on Friday.
Marc Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, is serving a 14-year prison sentence after being arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport and possessing what his family and supporters said was medically prescribed marijuana.
After Fogel was omitted from a massive prisoner swap last August that resulted in the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan, among others, his family’s lawyers made another push for the Biden administration to secure his freedom, including by designating him as wrongfully detained.
The State Department considers a range of factors in deciding whether to designate an American jailed in a foreign country as wrongfully detained, including if there is credible information that the person is innocent. The factors also include if they are being held for the primary purpose of influencing US policy or securing concessions from the US government.
Officials confirmed on Friday that Fogel had now received that designation.
“The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogel’s release for some time. We have long called for his humanitarian release and tried to include him in the August 1 deal, but were unable to. The Secretary determined Marc is wrongfully detained in October,” the State Department said in a statement.
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By Associated Press
An American teacher arrested in Russia on drug charges more than four years ago has been designated by the US government as wrongfully detained, the State Department said on Friday.
Marc Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, is serving a 14-year prison sentence after being arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport and possessing what his family and supporters said was medically prescribed marijuana.
After Fogel was omitted from a massive prisoner swap last August that resulted in the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan, among others, his family’s lawyers made another push for the Biden administration to secure his freedom, including by designating him as wrongfully detained.
The State Department considers a range of factors in deciding whether to designate an American jailed in a foreign country as wrongfully detained, including if there is credible information that the person is innocent. The factors also include if they are being held for the primary purpose of influencing US policy or securing concessions from the US government.
Officials confirmed on Friday that Fogel had now received that designation.
“The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogel’s release for some time. We have long called for his humanitarian release and tried to include him in the August 1 deal, but were unable to. The Secretary determined Marc is wrongfully detained in October,” the State Department said in a statement.
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With South Korea in crisis, what black swans lurk for East Asia in 2025?
By Hao Nan
On December 14, South Korea’s National Assembly successfully impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on its second attempt. The impeachment has headed to the Constitutional Court, which has up to six months to review it. On Friday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo who had assumed the role of acting president was also impeached.
If Yoon’s impeachment is upheld, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung could become the new president and recalibrate Yoon’s domestic and foreign policy directions with the backing of a legislative majority. If Yoon’s impeachment is overturned and he resumes office, his unpopularity would make it unlikely that any meaningful agenda would be advanced. Legal battles and political paralysis are expected to drag on until mid-2025, adding an unsettling layer of uncertainty to the region.
This unfolding saga is a textbook example of a black swan: a low-probability, high-impact occurrence that shocks a system and prompts recalibration. Although there were subtle signs in retrospect, the scale and timing of the crisis blindsided many. For a democracy as robust and economically powerful as South Korea, its descent into such turmoil is difficult to fathom.
As East Asia enters a 2025 in which Donald Trump returns for a second term as US president, South Korea’s crisis raises a pressing question: are there other black swan events lurking for the region?
Taiwan, another pillar of regional stability, offers early warning signs of an upheaval. Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is in a legislative deadlock with the opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party coalition, and grappling with mounting polarisation over cross-strait relations. With key elections in 2026 and 2028 looming, Lai faces growing pressure to unify a fractured electorate.
Earlier this month, a social media post swiftly deleted by the DPP appeared to show support for Yoon’s decision to declare martial law, sparking fears that Lai might consider a similar measure under the guise of countering mainland threats.
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By Hao Nan
On December 14, South Korea’s National Assembly successfully impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on its second attempt. The impeachment has headed to the Constitutional Court, which has up to six months to review it. On Friday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo who had assumed the role of acting president was also impeached.
If Yoon’s impeachment is upheld, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung could become the new president and recalibrate Yoon’s domestic and foreign policy directions with the backing of a legislative majority. If Yoon’s impeachment is overturned and he resumes office, his unpopularity would make it unlikely that any meaningful agenda would be advanced. Legal battles and political paralysis are expected to drag on until mid-2025, adding an unsettling layer of uncertainty to the region.
This unfolding saga is a textbook example of a black swan: a low-probability, high-impact occurrence that shocks a system and prompts recalibration. Although there were subtle signs in retrospect, the scale and timing of the crisis blindsided many. For a democracy as robust and economically powerful as South Korea, its descent into such turmoil is difficult to fathom.
As East Asia enters a 2025 in which Donald Trump returns for a second term as US president, South Korea’s crisis raises a pressing question: are there other black swan events lurking for the region?
Taiwan, another pillar of regional stability, offers early warning signs of an upheaval. Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is in a legislative deadlock with the opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party coalition, and grappling with mounting polarisation over cross-strait relations. With key elections in 2026 and 2028 looming, Lai faces growing pressure to unify a fractured electorate.
Earlier this month, a social media post swiftly deleted by the DPP appeared to show support for Yoon’s decision to declare martial law, sparking fears that Lai might consider a similar measure under the guise of countering mainland threats.
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Israeli troops forcibly remove staff, patients from northern Gaza hospital, officials say
By Associated Press
Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza on Friday, forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather, the territory’s health ministry said. The army denied claims it had entered or set fire to the complex and accused Hamas of using the facility for cover.
Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighbourhoods, according to staff. The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff.
Israel’s military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital, but said it had not entered the complex as of Friday night.
It repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that.
The Health Ministry said troops forced medical staff and patients to assemble outside and remove their clothes. Some were led to an unknown location, while some patients were sent to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which was knocked out of operation after an Israel raid this week.
Israeli troops during raids frequently carry out mass detentions, stripping men to their underwear for questioning in what the military says is a security measure as they search for Hamas fighters.
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By Associated Press
Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza on Friday, forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather, the territory’s health ministry said. The army denied claims it had entered or set fire to the complex and accused Hamas of using the facility for cover.
Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighbourhoods, according to staff. The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff.
Israel’s military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital, but said it had not entered the complex as of Friday night.
It repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that.
The Health Ministry said troops forced medical staff and patients to assemble outside and remove their clothes. Some were led to an unknown location, while some patients were sent to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which was knocked out of operation after an Israel raid this week.
Israeli troops during raids frequently carry out mass detentions, stripping men to their underwear for questioning in what the military says is a security measure as they search for Hamas fighters.
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New bird flu mutation discovered in US as cat infections cause alarm
By Agence France-Presse
The continuing spread of bird flu in the United States has alarmed experts – not just because of human cases causing severe illness but also troubling new instances of infections in cats.
A sample of the virus found in a critically ill patient in the United States has shown signs of mutating to better suit human airways, although there is no indication it has spread beyond that individual, authorities report.
Earlier this month, officials announced that an elderly Louisiana patient was in “critical condition” with a severe H5N1 infection.
An analysis posted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday revealed that a small percentage of the virus in the patient’s throat carried genetic changes that could increase the virus’s ability to bind to certain cell receptors found in the human upper respiratory tract.
Importantly, the CDC noted that these changes have not been detected in birds – including in the back garden poultry flock believed to have been the source of the patient’s initial infection.
Instead, the agency said the mutations were “likely generated by replication of this virus in the patient with advanced disease”, emphasising that no transmission of the mutated strain to other humans had been identified.
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By Agence France-Presse
The continuing spread of bird flu in the United States has alarmed experts – not just because of human cases causing severe illness but also troubling new instances of infections in cats.
A sample of the virus found in a critically ill patient in the United States has shown signs of mutating to better suit human airways, although there is no indication it has spread beyond that individual, authorities report.
Earlier this month, officials announced that an elderly Louisiana patient was in “critical condition” with a severe H5N1 infection.
An analysis posted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday revealed that a small percentage of the virus in the patient’s throat carried genetic changes that could increase the virus’s ability to bind to certain cell receptors found in the human upper respiratory tract.
Importantly, the CDC noted that these changes have not been detected in birds – including in the back garden poultry flock believed to have been the source of the patient’s initial infection.
Instead, the agency said the mutations were “likely generated by replication of this virus in the patient with advanced disease”, emphasising that no transmission of the mutated strain to other humans had been identified.
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US imposes sanctions on Georgian billionaire ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili
By Reuters
The United States on Friday sanctioned Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister widely seen as the country’s de facto leader, saying he was undermining democracy and allowing Russia to benefit.
Ivanishvili, who made billions in Russia in metals and telecoms in the 1990s, has spearheaded a turn away from the West in Georgia and accused foreign intelligence agencies of trying to drive it into war with Russia.
Critics say that under his Georgian Dream party, the country has become more authoritarian and pro-Moscow.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was sanctioning the reclusive Ivanishvili for “undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”.
Blinken said Ivanishvili had implemented “actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad” for Russia.
The sanctions, which freeze any US assets belonging to Ivanishvili, follow years of souring relations between the West and Georgia, a former Soviet republic now a candidate for European Union membership.
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By Reuters
The United States on Friday sanctioned Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister widely seen as the country’s de facto leader, saying he was undermining democracy and allowing Russia to benefit.
Ivanishvili, who made billions in Russia in metals and telecoms in the 1990s, has spearheaded a turn away from the West in Georgia and accused foreign intelligence agencies of trying to drive it into war with Russia.
Critics say that under his Georgian Dream party, the country has become more authoritarian and pro-Moscow.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was sanctioning the reclusive Ivanishvili for “undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”.
Blinken said Ivanishvili had implemented “actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad” for Russia.
The sanctions, which freeze any US assets belonging to Ivanishvili, follow years of souring relations between the West and Georgia, a former Soviet republic now a candidate for European Union membership.
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US unveils sweeping cybersecurity measures over alleged China-backed Salt Typhoon campaign
By Igor Patrick
US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday announced sweeping cybersecurity measures following revelations about Salt Typhoon, an alleged China-backed hacking campaign that infiltrated major US telecommunications companies.
The new steps include mandatory federal regulations for telecoms cybersecurity, enhanced guidance for securing networks and strengthened requirements for healthcare data protection.
Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger stressed a need for urgent reforms to prevent future breaches.
“We wouldn’t leave our homes or offices unlocked, yet our critical infrastructure often lacks the basic cybersecurity practices necessary to make it more defensible,” she said.
The US intelligence community believes Salt Typhoon has been active since 2022 and exploited vulnerabilities in telecoms infrastructure to access sensitive data, including geolocation, phone call records and text messages.
To date, nine telecom companies have been identified as targets. Neuberger cited one case in which a single administrator account controlled access to more than 100,000 routers, giving hackers unfettered control.
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By Igor Patrick
US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday announced sweeping cybersecurity measures following revelations about Salt Typhoon, an alleged China-backed hacking campaign that infiltrated major US telecommunications companies.
The new steps include mandatory federal regulations for telecoms cybersecurity, enhanced guidance for securing networks and strengthened requirements for healthcare data protection.
Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger stressed a need for urgent reforms to prevent future breaches.
“We wouldn’t leave our homes or offices unlocked, yet our critical infrastructure often lacks the basic cybersecurity practices necessary to make it more defensible,” she said.
The US intelligence community believes Salt Typhoon has been active since 2022 and exploited vulnerabilities in telecoms infrastructure to access sensitive data, including geolocation, phone call records and text messages.
To date, nine telecom companies have been identified as targets. Neuberger cited one case in which a single administrator account controlled access to more than 100,000 routers, giving hackers unfettered control.
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China launches investigation into beef imports as local price of the meat trends downwards
By Agence France-Presse
China’s commerce ministry on Friday launched an investigation into imported beef at the request of representatives from its struggling domestic industry, it said.
The local price of beef in China has trended downwards in recent years, with analysts blaming oversupply and a lack of demand as the world’s second largest economy has slowed.
At the same time imports have surged, with China representing a hugely important market for countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Australia.
The application for an investigation from domestic associations said that a sharp increase in beef imports in recent years “has had a significant adverse impact on the domestic industry”, the commerce ministry said in a statement.
Beef imports in 2023 were 65 per cent higher than in 2019, it quoted the producers as saying.
The investigation takes effect from Friday and should take eight months, but “may be extended appropriately under special circumstances”, the announcement said.
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By Agence France-Presse
China’s commerce ministry on Friday launched an investigation into imported beef at the request of representatives from its struggling domestic industry, it said.
The local price of beef in China has trended downwards in recent years, with analysts blaming oversupply and a lack of demand as the world’s second largest economy has slowed.
At the same time imports have surged, with China representing a hugely important market for countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Australia.
The application for an investigation from domestic associations said that a sharp increase in beef imports in recent years “has had a significant adverse impact on the domestic industry”, the commerce ministry said in a statement.
Beef imports in 2023 were 65 per cent higher than in 2019, it quoted the producers as saying.
The investigation takes effect from Friday and should take eight months, but “may be extended appropriately under special circumstances”, the announcement said.
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North Korean troops experience mass casualties on Ukraine front lines, White House says
By Reuters
North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with a thousand of their troops killed or wounded in the past week alone in the Kursk region of Russia, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
The number far exceeds the figure US officials have previously provided.
“It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defences,” Kirby said, describing the North Korean troops’ offensive as “massed, dismounted assaults”.
North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Russia’s UN mission declined to comment.
Kirby said President Joe Biden is likely to approve another security aid package for Ukraine in the coming days. Earlier this week, Biden condemned Russia’s Christmas Day attacks on Ukraine’s energy system and some of its cities and asked the Defence Department to continue its surge of weapons to Ukraine.
On December 17, a US military official said North Korea had suffered several hundred casualties while fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region.
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By Reuters
North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with a thousand of their troops killed or wounded in the past week alone in the Kursk region of Russia, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
The number far exceeds the figure US officials have previously provided.
“It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defences,” Kirby said, describing the North Korean troops’ offensive as “massed, dismounted assaults”.
North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Russia’s UN mission declined to comment.
Kirby said President Joe Biden is likely to approve another security aid package for Ukraine in the coming days. Earlier this week, Biden condemned Russia’s Christmas Day attacks on Ukraine’s energy system and some of its cities and asked the Defence Department to continue its surge of weapons to Ukraine.
On December 17, a US military official said North Korea had suffered several hundred casualties while fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region.
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Donald Trump expected to step up chase for critical minerals as China restricts exports
By Laura Zhou
With one of his final moves to counter China, US President Joe Biden is leaving his successor a national security challenge that will likely confront the US for the foreseeable future.
Biden, whose term ends on January 20, imposed export restrictions on 24 types of chipmaking equipment and three categories of software essential for semiconductor development. Enjoying broad bipartisan support, and against a backdrop of increasingly pointed warnings about China’s military prowess, Republican criticism has been mostly in the form of demands to do more.
Beijing countered by banning exports of three key mineral commodities crucial to advanced weaponry, the first time that critical minerals export restrictions were specifically levelled against the United States.
The reaction has raised alarms in Washington, with experts expecting that Donald Trump’s administration will intensify efforts to secure a steady supply of critical minerals both at home and abroad.
As Trump’s transition team reviews many of Biden’s policies, analysts say, the incoming administration may be forced to acknowledge that without the cooperation of allies and partners, the US will be unlikely to reduce its overreliance on China on minerals that are essential for defence and advanced technologies.
And to break China’s chokehold, Trump will also have to shift his “America First” policy orientation and prioritise strategic alliances, they say.
“Mr. Trump has a certain world view when it comes to engaging with other countries, but I think at the end of the day, just the reality of the fact that it’s very difficult for the United States to be completely self-reliant in areas like this, not just on critical minerals, but just across the spectrum of technology policy that’s going to need to happen,” said Martijn Rasser, managing director of Datenna Inc, an open-source intelligence company based in the Netherlands.
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By Laura Zhou
With one of his final moves to counter China, US President Joe Biden is leaving his successor a national security challenge that will likely confront the US for the foreseeable future.
Biden, whose term ends on January 20, imposed export restrictions on 24 types of chipmaking equipment and three categories of software essential for semiconductor development. Enjoying broad bipartisan support, and against a backdrop of increasingly pointed warnings about China’s military prowess, Republican criticism has been mostly in the form of demands to do more.
Beijing countered by banning exports of three key mineral commodities crucial to advanced weaponry, the first time that critical minerals export restrictions were specifically levelled against the United States.
The reaction has raised alarms in Washington, with experts expecting that Donald Trump’s administration will intensify efforts to secure a steady supply of critical minerals both at home and abroad.
As Trump’s transition team reviews many of Biden’s policies, analysts say, the incoming administration may be forced to acknowledge that without the cooperation of allies and partners, the US will be unlikely to reduce its overreliance on China on minerals that are essential for defence and advanced technologies.
And to break China’s chokehold, Trump will also have to shift his “America First” policy orientation and prioritise strategic alliances, they say.
“Mr. Trump has a certain world view when it comes to engaging with other countries, but I think at the end of the day, just the reality of the fact that it’s very difficult for the United States to be completely self-reliant in areas like this, not just on critical minerals, but just across the spectrum of technology policy that’s going to need to happen,” said Martijn Rasser, managing director of Datenna Inc, an open-source intelligence company based in the Netherlands.
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Beijing sanctions 7 companies in response to latest US support of Taiwan
By Robert Delaney
The Chinese government imposed sanctions on seven companies on Friday in response to US military sales and other forms of support for Taiwan, some of which were signed into law this week by US President Joe Biden.
Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified the companies as Insitu, Hudson Technologies, Saronic Technologies, Raytheon Canada, Raytheon Australia, Aerkomm and Oceaneering International Inc. “Relevant senior executives” of the firms were also sanctioned, although none was named.
The massive US$895 billion National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), annual legislation that funds and directs policy for the US military and security agencies for the coming financial year, included numerous measures intended to bolster military support for Taiwan.
Some of these provisions call for more direct aid to the self-governing island’s military and security forces, including US$3o0 million earmarked for “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities”; “manned and unmanned aerial capabilities”; “integrated air and missile defence systems” and other systems.
Other measures in the NDAA authorise more coordination with allies and other countries on supporting Taiwan’s defence capability. This includes a requirement for the State and Defence Departments to study the feasibility of enrolling Japan in Aukus, the security alliance of US, Britain and Australia.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called on Washington to “immediately stop arming Taiwan in any form, view China’s development and China-US relationship objectively and rationally, not to implement these negative articles concerning China and stop wrong words and deeds that harm China’s interests”.
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By Robert Delaney
The Chinese government imposed sanctions on seven companies on Friday in response to US military sales and other forms of support for Taiwan, some of which were signed into law this week by US President Joe Biden.
Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified the companies as Insitu, Hudson Technologies, Saronic Technologies, Raytheon Canada, Raytheon Australia, Aerkomm and Oceaneering International Inc. “Relevant senior executives” of the firms were also sanctioned, although none was named.
The massive US$895 billion National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), annual legislation that funds and directs policy for the US military and security agencies for the coming financial year, included numerous measures intended to bolster military support for Taiwan.
Some of these provisions call for more direct aid to the self-governing island’s military and security forces, including US$3o0 million earmarked for “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities”; “manned and unmanned aerial capabilities”; “integrated air and missile defence systems” and other systems.
Other measures in the NDAA authorise more coordination with allies and other countries on supporting Taiwan’s defence capability. This includes a requirement for the State and Defence Departments to study the feasibility of enrolling Japan in Aukus, the security alliance of US, Britain and Australia.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called on Washington to “immediately stop arming Taiwan in any form, view China’s development and China-US relationship objectively and rationally, not to implement these negative articles concerning China and stop wrong words and deeds that harm China’s interests”.
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Nasa’s Parker Solar Probe survives close brush with sun’s scorching surface
By Associated Press
Nasa’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully made the closest approach to the sun, the space agency confirmed on Friday.
Earlier this week, the spacecraft passed within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles (6 million km) of the scorching star. Nasa received an all-clear message from Parker on Thursday night confirming it survived the journey.
Launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun, Parker has since flown straight through its crownlike outer atmosphere, or corona.
With its close brush complete, the craft is expected to circle the sun at this distance until at least September.
It is the fastest spacecraft built by humans, and hit 430,000mph (690,000kph) at closest approach.
It is outfitted with a heat shield that can withstand scorching temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,370 degrees Celsius).
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By Associated Press
Nasa’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully made the closest approach to the sun, the space agency confirmed on Friday.
Earlier this week, the spacecraft passed within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles (6 million km) of the scorching star. Nasa received an all-clear message from Parker on Thursday night confirming it survived the journey.
Launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun, Parker has since flown straight through its crownlike outer atmosphere, or corona.
With its close brush complete, the craft is expected to circle the sun at this distance until at least September.
It is the fastest spacecraft built by humans, and hit 430,000mph (690,000kph) at closest approach.
It is outfitted with a heat shield that can withstand scorching temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,370 degrees Celsius).
via SCMP Full Text Feed
How China-Philippines clashes over Scarborough Shoal could be an early test for Donald Trump
By Shi Jiangtao
China’s efforts to put more pressure on the Philippines over a disputed atoll in the South China Sea could prove an early test for Donald Trump when he returns to the White House next month.
Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal – which is known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – in 2012, and it is now one of the major areas of contention between Beijing and the Philippines.
In recent weeks, China’s navy and coastguard have stepped up patrols around the reef to “resolutely safeguard” its sovereignty, and last Friday Chinese coastguards expelled a Philippine plane that “illegally intruded” into the airspace above the feature.
It follows a string of similar incidents, including one earlier this month when the coastguards used water cannon to block four Philippine ships that Beijing said were “trying to intrude into [China’s] territorial waters”.
Meanwhile, both countries have enshrined their claims into domestic law, a move some observers believe may prompt Beijing to start land reclamation efforts that could escalate into a conflict that would drag in the United States, a treaty ally of Manila’s.
Last month Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr signed two laws asserting the country’s maritime boundaries. One of these says much of the Spratly Islands, including Scarborough Shoal, are Philippine territory and claims the waters within a 12 nautical-mile (22km) radius from the islands as the country’s territory
Two days later, China published its own territorial baselines around the shoal – the first time it has made such a move in areas disputed by Manila – and has submitted nautical charts to the United Nations to stake its claim.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Shi Jiangtao
China’s efforts to put more pressure on the Philippines over a disputed atoll in the South China Sea could prove an early test for Donald Trump when he returns to the White House next month.
Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal – which is known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – in 2012, and it is now one of the major areas of contention between Beijing and the Philippines.
In recent weeks, China’s navy and coastguard have stepped up patrols around the reef to “resolutely safeguard” its sovereignty, and last Friday Chinese coastguards expelled a Philippine plane that “illegally intruded” into the airspace above the feature.
It follows a string of similar incidents, including one earlier this month when the coastguards used water cannon to block four Philippine ships that Beijing said were “trying to intrude into [China’s] territorial waters”.
Meanwhile, both countries have enshrined their claims into domestic law, a move some observers believe may prompt Beijing to start land reclamation efforts that could escalate into a conflict that would drag in the United States, a treaty ally of Manila’s.
Last month Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr signed two laws asserting the country’s maritime boundaries. One of these says much of the Spratly Islands, including Scarborough Shoal, are Philippine territory and claims the waters within a 12 nautical-mile (22km) radius from the islands as the country’s territory
Two days later, China published its own territorial baselines around the shoal – the first time it has made such a move in areas disputed by Manila – and has submitted nautical charts to the United Nations to stake its claim.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Scammers sending emails impersonating Hong Kong police chief
By Lo Hoi-ying
Hong Kong police have warned the public over fraudsters impersonating the head of the force and sending out fake court orders in emails that accused the recipient of visiting child porn websites.
The force said in a social media post on Friday the scammers were sending out emails claiming to be from Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu Chak-yee, the “director general” of a non-existent “Cyber Crime Coordination Centre”.
The emails appeared to come from the “Cyberservices Federation Center,” which also does not exist.
The scammers said the centre needed the recipient’s urgent response to a court order issued after the person visited the illegal sites.
The “centre” claimed to be able to access deleted data from hard drives and mobile devices and said it found traces of the illegal web activity.
“Be assured that serious legal action will be taken against you if you fail to respond to this notice immediately,” the email said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Lo Hoi-ying
Hong Kong police have warned the public over fraudsters impersonating the head of the force and sending out fake court orders in emails that accused the recipient of visiting child porn websites.
The force said in a social media post on Friday the scammers were sending out emails claiming to be from Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu Chak-yee, the “director general” of a non-existent “Cyber Crime Coordination Centre”.
The emails appeared to come from the “Cyberservices Federation Center,” which also does not exist.
The scammers said the centre needed the recipient’s urgent response to a court order issued after the person visited the illegal sites.
The “centre” claimed to be able to access deleted data from hard drives and mobile devices and said it found traces of the illegal web activity.
“Be assured that serious legal action will be taken against you if you fail to respond to this notice immediately,” the email said.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Hong Kong project housing up to 484,000 will take ‘20 years or more’ to finish
By Vivian Au
Hong Kong will need “about 20 years or more” to finish a project ensuring housing for up to 484,000 people and the creation of a hub for emerging industries, the Development Bureau has said.
In a Legislative Council paper published on Friday, the Development Bureau said the creation of the “New Territories North New Town”, the largest project under the Northern Metropolis scheme, would involve a total development area of about 1,175 hectares (2,900 acres).
The figure accounts for more than a third of the new land supply set aside for the megaproject, which focuses on areas along the border with mainland China.
The Northern Metropolis is divided into several projects and aims to transform 30,000 hectares of land in the New Territories into an economic powerhouse and housing hub.
The New Town project covers land in Heung Yuen Wai, Ta Kwu Ling, Ping Che, Hung Lung Hang, Queen’s Hill, Man Kam To and Lo Wu South.
According to the paper, the project will act as a hub for emerging industries and a “gateway economy” for mainland China, in addition to having cultural education and sports hubs, and boasting green spaces such as rivers and valleys.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Vivian Au
Hong Kong will need “about 20 years or more” to finish a project ensuring housing for up to 484,000 people and the creation of a hub for emerging industries, the Development Bureau has said.
In a Legislative Council paper published on Friday, the Development Bureau said the creation of the “New Territories North New Town”, the largest project under the Northern Metropolis scheme, would involve a total development area of about 1,175 hectares (2,900 acres).
The figure accounts for more than a third of the new land supply set aside for the megaproject, which focuses on areas along the border with mainland China.
The Northern Metropolis is divided into several projects and aims to transform 30,000 hectares of land in the New Territories into an economic powerhouse and housing hub.
The New Town project covers land in Heung Yuen Wai, Ta Kwu Ling, Ping Che, Hung Lung Hang, Queen’s Hill, Man Kam To and Lo Wu South.
According to the paper, the project will act as a hub for emerging industries and a “gateway economy” for mainland China, in addition to having cultural education and sports hubs, and boasting green spaces such as rivers and valleys.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
China’s trade tensions with US remain high ahead of Trump inauguration
By Luna Sun
Trade tensions with the United States remain a top challenge for China’s foreign trade, an industry association said on Friday, as the world’s second-largest economy braces for new obstacles under the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump.
The China-related trade and economic friction index for 19 countries and regions stood at 118 in October, remaining at a high level, and the US had the highest index for trade friction with China, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said.
The total value of trade measures related to China implemented by the 19 countries and regions increased by 10.3 per cent year on year but decreased by 7.8 per cent month on month. The trade friction indices in the electronics, machinery, transport equipment, and light industry sectors remained high, the council said.
The global trade friction index for October stood at 102, down from 105 in September but still at a high level. It was down 10.3 per cent year on year and 7.4 per cent month on month.
Trump, who will begin his second term as US president on January 20, has threatened to impose additional tariffs of up to 60 per cent on imports from China and has raised the prospect of “an additional 10 per cent” on top of that. Although it is not clear how the increases would be implemented, the looming risks have prompted importers to front-load deliveries of goods from China.
China’s exports to the US have grown for seven consecutive months. In November, they surged 8 per cent year on year by value to US$47.3 billion, contributing to the highest trade surplus since September 2022, according to Chinese customs data.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Luna Sun
Trade tensions with the United States remain a top challenge for China’s foreign trade, an industry association said on Friday, as the world’s second-largest economy braces for new obstacles under the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump.
The China-related trade and economic friction index for 19 countries and regions stood at 118 in October, remaining at a high level, and the US had the highest index for trade friction with China, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said.
The total value of trade measures related to China implemented by the 19 countries and regions increased by 10.3 per cent year on year but decreased by 7.8 per cent month on month. The trade friction indices in the electronics, machinery, transport equipment, and light industry sectors remained high, the council said.
The global trade friction index for October stood at 102, down from 105 in September but still at a high level. It was down 10.3 per cent year on year and 7.4 per cent month on month.
Trump, who will begin his second term as US president on January 20, has threatened to impose additional tariffs of up to 60 per cent on imports from China and has raised the prospect of “an additional 10 per cent” on top of that. Although it is not clear how the increases would be implemented, the looming risks have prompted importers to front-load deliveries of goods from China.
China’s exports to the US have grown for seven consecutive months. In November, they surged 8 per cent year on year by value to US$47.3 billion, contributing to the highest trade surplus since September 2022, according to Chinese customs data.
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