China-North Korea relations start the new year on a new low

By Cao XinCao Zhong

New year, new greetings. And the most notable feature of North Korea’s festive diplomacy is its emphasis on its relationship with Russia – and its downgrading of its ties with China. Clearly, Pyongyang intends to flatter Russia and pressure China to extract benefits from both while operating from a stronger position. This approach is reminiscent of the late Kim Il-sung’s tactics in securing maximum benefit from the Soviet Union and Mao-era China.

When his grandson, Kim Jong-un, sent New Year greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 30, there was no mention of peace but instead an emphasis on hopes of a war victory and the “warmest comradely trust”.

North Korean media reported: “Hoping that the new year 2025 will be recorded as the first year of war victory in the 21st century, when the Russian army and people defeat neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory, he wished Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin greater success in his responsible and heavy state leadership activities and the Russian people prosperity, well-being and happiness.”

Kim repeatedly mentioned the strategic partnership with Russia, clearly aiming to highlight North Korea’s importance to Moscow and bolster its international status. In a heavily militaristic tone, Kim extended his “best wishes to the fraternal Russian people and all the service personnel of the brave Russian army in the name of his own, the Korean people and all the service personnel of the armed forces”.

This voicing of support, from one army to another, emphasises Pyongyang’s contribution to Russia’s war effort, in particular, the sending of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight Ukraine. It is a message to the world, including the United States, Japan, South Korea and China, that the new military alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow is going strong, and probably also meant to boost morale at home.

Clearly, at least before Russia’s war on Ukraine ends, the atmosphere of cooperation between Russia and North Korea is likely to continue. For both parties, this is an objective necessity, with North Korea’s need being particularly strong.

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‘Giant toilet’ Japan flat goes viral for affordable price, attracts interest from China

By Yating Yang

A six-square-metre rental flat in Tokyo, described by Japanese netizens as a “giant toilet” because of its “prison-style” layout, has gone viral online, attracting much interest from Chinese netizens.

The level of attention in the flat came on the back of a surge in foreign tourists traveling to Japan in 2024, which led to fully booked hotels across the country and drove up accommodation prices.

Its convenient location and affordable price make it stand out as a popular choice.

Japanese government sources show that the number of foreign visitors to the country from January to June in 2024 reached a record high of 17,777,200 in the first half of the year.

In October alone, Japan welcomed 3,312,000 foreign visitors, marking a 31.6 percent increase on the previous year.

The flat, in the Waseda area near Waseda University in Tokyo, is just a two-minute walk from Waseda Station and offers an exceptional location.

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Chinese scientists build the most precise timing machine for electronic warfare

By Stephen Chen

A timepiece that could profoundly change the nature of future warfare has been created by Chinese scientists.

Standing 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) tall and roughly the size of a single-door refrigerator, the caesium atomic fountain clock can be loaded onto a military truck and, after enduring long-distance transport with bumpy roads and other harsh environments, it can still cap the uncertainty of its timekeeping to less than one-fifth to the quadrillionth of a second.

This feat was once deemed impossible, as only the atomic clocks that set international standard time can achieve this precision, and those clocks are all large and need to be housed in a guarded laboratory against all environmental disturbances.

A high-precision timekeeping system is the backbone of modern warfare, enabling radars separated by thousands of miles to operate in unison, as they detect and track elusive stealth fighters. It also improves the quality of signals in electronic warfare and facilitates the transmission of vast amounts of data.

Extremely accurate timekeeping machines can even help turn science fiction into reality, such as combining lasers or microwaves emitted by different combat platforms into a single deadly beam to destroy enemies with tremendous energy.

The NIM-TF3 atomic clock, manufactured by the National Institute of Metrology of China, can operate autonomously for long periods without the need for professional maintenance, making it highly suitable for open-world applications.

In a peer-reviewed paper published in the Chinese-language Metrology Journal on December 18, the project team, led by Professor Lin Pingwei, said that the clock’s long-term stability reached an astonishing level of five quadrillionths in actual tests.

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Young Hongkongers say adapting to mainland Chinese work culture key to smooth transition

By Harvey KongAmbrose Li

Business administration graduate Tin Lau Tin-yat did not have to think twice about going to work in mainland China under Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme.

The programme offers young Hongkongers with at least a bachelor’s degree an opportunity to work across the border for up to 18 months, earning no less than HK$18,000 (US$2,310) a month.

“The good thing about this programme is that with the same salary I may earn in Hong Kong, I can have a very good quality of life on the mainland,” he said.

“It also allows Hongkongers to have a very different perspective. On the mainland, you see a lot of interesting industries in which you can develop a career.”

However, the past 15 months have not all been smooth sailing. Like other Hongkongers interviewed by the Post, Lau found it hard at first to cope with the work culture.

At a tech company in Shenzhen, he landed in hot water for addressing a client by his first name during meetings. His supervisor was taken aback, because the client was the co-founder of his company.

“After we returned to the office, he reminded me to be more careful when addressing clients,” Lau said.

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Chinese investments boost Abu Dhabi economy, supporting ports, energy and property

By Salina Li

Chinese companies are contributing to the diversification of Abu Dhabi’s economy with increasing investments in ports, industry, energy and property, according to an official of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).

Investments by Chinese companies into the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are creating jobs, fostering infrastructure development and strengthening the emirate’s status as a global business hub, said Hareb Al Mheiri, executive director of the investor growth sector at ADIO, which is responsible for supporting investment in the emirate.

“One prominent trend is the increasing involvement of Chinese firms in port development and industrial zones, such as the China-UAE Industrial Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Zone at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Group, which is enhancing the emirate’s industrial capabilities,” Al Mheiri said in an interview.

The property market has also seen a surge in Chinese investment, with a focus on luxury residential projects and hospitality, he said. This is being driven in part by a rising number of Chinese tourists, spurring further investments in tourism infrastructure.

“Chinese companies are establishing manufacturing facilities [here], capitalising on the emirate’s strategic location and favourable business environment to tap into regional markets,” Al Mheiri said.

Abu Dhabi, which holds 90 per cent of the UAE’s oil reserves and most of the sovereign wealth, is seeking to diversify its economy and grow its status as a financial centre and free zone.

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A ‘good day’ for democracy: Harris oversees peaceful certification of Trump’s victory

在周一的仪式上,副总统卡马拉·哈里斯正式宣布唐纳德·特朗普赢得选举,标志着和平的权力交接。此次认证过程与2021年1月6日的暴力事件形成鲜明对比,所有人都尊重选举结果,没有出现任何骚乱。

此次认证在严密的安全措施和冬季暴风雪中进行,哈里斯在会议结束后表示:“这是一个和平的权力交接,今天是个好日子。”四年前,特朗普的支持者闯入国会大厦,试图推翻选举结果,成为美国民主历史上最为惨痛的事件之一。

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First US bird flu death reported in Louisiana, state health officials say

美国首次报告鸟类流感死亡病例,一名路易斯安那州的患者因严重呼吸症状住院后去世。路易斯安那州卫生官员在周一公布了这一消息,确认该患者年逾65岁,并有基础疾病历史,曾与生病和死亡的鸟类有过接触。

卫生官员指出,经过基因分析,发现该患者体内的鸟类流感病毒发生了突变,可能导致病情加重。自三月份以来,美国报告了66例鸟类流感感染病例,尽管之前的感染大多较轻,且多见于接触生病家禽或奶牛的农场工人。病毒专家表示,鸟类流感导致死亡并非意外,自2003年以来,全球已有超过460人因H5N1鸟类流感病毒而死亡。

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US House select committee on China is reauthorised for another two years

美国众议院专注于应对中国经济、技术和安全威胁的特别委员会已被重新授权两年,预计其领导层将延续并继续采取强硬立场。该委员会于周五晚间获得重新授权,同时扩大了其覆盖范围,以应对北京对美国及其盟友的威胁。这一决策是在一项包含针对台湾居民的特殊税收条款的大型规则包中通过的。

委员会的领导人,密歇根州的共和党人约翰·穆伦阿尔和伊利诺伊州的民主党人拉贾·克里什纳穆尔西,周一表示:“中国共产党对我们的经济、国家安全和价值观构成了前所未有的挑战,我们将继续以此时刻所需的紧迫性来应对。”委员会的续期并不意外,双方领导人在委员会到期前的几个月里都表示了支持。该委员会成立于2023年1月,是当时众议院议长凯文·麦卡锡的项目,反映了两党在应对中国挑战上的共识。

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People like Musk ‘important bridges’ in ties: former AmCham China head Roberta Lipson

Roberta Lipson, former chairwoman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, emphasizes that American business leaders with significant investments in both the US and China, like Elon Musk, can serve as crucial links in fostering collaboration. She notes that these connections can promote technological innovation and job creation, essential elements in improving the strained bilateral relationship amid geopolitical tensions.

Lipson stresses the importance of maintaining "trust and understanding" through such ties, particularly as both nations face challenges in their economic relations. She urges the need for open dialogue between the governments to create a stable business environment, mentioning that tariffs and trade policies have been obstacles for American businesses. Emphasizing that high tariffs are not sustainable, she advocates for pragmatic economic policies and multilateral engagement as more effective strategies to address issues like China's overcapacity.

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No indication Treasury breach affected other federal agencies, US cyber watchdog says

美国网络安全监管机构CISA表示,最近美国财政部的网络攻击事件并未影响其他联邦机构。这一声明是在财政部承认遭到中国黑客攻击后发表的,黑客通过其承包商BeyondTrust的安全漏洞进行入侵。

财政部表示,部分计算机系统被入侵,BeyondTrust也确认了有限数量客户受到影响,但尚未详细说明具体情况。目前,BeyondTrust正在进行取证调查,因此无法确认其他可能受到影响的客户。根据《华盛顿邮报》的报道,黑客特别针对负责经济制裁的财政部办公室,试图窃取有关中国实体的信息,这些实体可能会被美国政府考虑实施金融制裁。同时,部分共和党立法者已要求就此次事件进行简报,这一事件也成为一系列归咎于北京的网络攻击中的最新案例。

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Trump to replace national archivist after agency’s role in documents case

美国总统当选人唐纳德·特朗普承诺将更换国家档案馆馆长,这一举动使该机构再次成为政治焦点。此举源于他在处理敏感文件时所引发的联邦起诉。特朗普在周一的节目中对主持人休·休伊特表示:“我们将有一位新档案馆馆长。”

国家档案馆的举动惹恼了特朗普,因为该机构在2022年初向司法部报告了他在处理机密文件方面的潜在问题。这一报告引发了调查,并最终导致联邦调查局对特朗普位于佛罗里达州马阿拉戈的家进行突袭,成为第一位遭到联邦犯罪指控的前总统。现任馆长科琳·肖根是第一位担任此职务的女性,她在此事件发生时并不在职,而前任馆长大卫·费里罗于2022年1月宣布将于4月退休。

肖根于2022年8月由现任总统乔·拜登提名,恰逢马阿拉戈的FBI突袭前几天,但直到翌年5月才获得确认,原因是关于该机构在文件调查中的角色的党派斗争。国家档案馆馆长可以被总统免职,接任者需经参议院确认,因此特朗普的承诺并不罕见。

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Syria a chance for Middle East to shape its own, better future

当前中东局势正经历剧变,叙利亚阿萨德政权的垮台与哈马斯2023年对以色列的攻击共同导致了地区权力的真空。这一危机为地缘政治重组提供了历史性机遇,促使地区国家而非外部势力主导变革,改变长期以来的失败局面。

叙利亚的战略地理位置使其在区域安全中扮演关键角色,所有负责任的国家都对叙利亚的稳定抱有切身利益。在这一重要背景下,叙利亚过渡政府首次访问沙特阿拉伯标志着重大政治突破。双方基于务实和现实的考量,而非意识形态的认同,沙特虽然与伊斯兰运动历史上存在敌意,但认识到需要与实际掌权的HTS进行合作,以便在叙利亚施加影响。

沙特的目标是防止威胁扩散至本国及其他地区。凭借丰富的资源,沙特可以在叙利亚的未来中发挥不可或缺的作用,尤其是在替代伊朗成为叙利亚主要能源供应国方面。经过近14年的战争、经济管理不善和制裁,叙利亚迫切需要更大的外交承认来解除阿萨德时代的制裁,而HTS也需从恐怖主义名单中移除,以便释放重要的国际财政援助。

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Archbishop of Canterbury’s tenure comes to an end after he resigned over abuse scandal

坎特伯雷大主教贾斯廷·韦尔比的任期于周一正式结束,原因是他在一项调查中被发现未能及时向警方报告一名志愿者在基督教夏令营中的系列性虐待行为。这项调查揭示了韦尔比在2013年获知虐待情况后,未能立即采取行动,导致了对受害者的进一步伤害。

作为英格兰教会的领袖,韦尔比将在象征性地放下主教权杖后,正式结束他的牧职。大部分官方职能将由约克大主教斯蒂芬·科特雷尔接管,教会将开始漫长的新领导人选拔过程。韦尔比的辞职是在对已故律师约翰·斯迈斯的独立调查后做出的,该调查揭示了斯迈斯在1970年代至2018年间对约30名英国和85名非洲年轻人的性、心理和身体虐待。

这份长达251页的报告指出,韦尔比在得知虐待情况后未能向当局报告,导致斯迈斯未能被及时制止。韦尔比最初拒绝辞职引发了对教会高层缺乏问责制的愤怒。此事件发生在英格兰教会历史上广泛存在的性虐待背景下,2022年的一份报告指出,教会内部的文化更倾向于保护被指控者而非受害者,使其成为“施虐者藏身之地”。

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Indonesia joins Brics as newest full member, Brazil foreign ministry says

印度尼西亚正式成为金砖国家的新成员。根据巴西外长的公告,这一消息标志着印度尼西亚在全球南方国家中的重要性。作为东南亚最大的经济体,印度尼西亚的加入将促进金砖国家内部的合作与发展。

印度尼西亚拥有大约1.4万亿美元的GDP和超过2.8亿的人口,在过去十年里年均经济增长超过5%。巴西外交部指出,印度尼西亚与金砖其他成员国共同支持全球治理机构的改革,并积极推动全球南方的合作。此次加入使印度尼西亚成为金砖扩张后首个全成员国,显示出该国在全球经济中的日益重要性。

在过去的一年中,金砖国家在俄罗斯的主导下引入了“伙伴国”类别,允许包括玻利维亚、马来西亚和尼日利亚等在内的11个国家成为合作伙伴。印度尼西亚的加入不仅提升了金砖国家的影响力,也为未来更多国家的加入铺平了道路,显示出这一组织在全球治理中的扩展潜力。

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Indonesia is admitted to the Brics bloc of developing nations, Brazil confirms

印度尼西亚正式成为金砖国家的全权成员。巴西在周一宣布了这一消息,强调了该国在全球治理改革中的承诺。印度尼西亚的加入得到了金砖国家领导人的支持,标志着这一发展中经济体联盟的进一步扩展。

印度尼西亚在2023年8月获得了金砖国家的候选人资格,但直到新政府成立后才选择正式加入。巴西政府表示,印度尼西亚作为东南亚最大的经济体和人口国,将在深化南南合作方面发挥积极作用。金砖国家自2009年成立以来,已经从最初的四个成员国扩展到包括伊朗、埃及、埃塞俄比亚和阿联酋在内的多个国家,显示出其广泛的国际影响力。

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China’s WuXi Biologics to sell Irish vaccine facility to Merck as US curbs loom

中国的WuXi Biologics宣布将以约5亿美元将其在爱尔兰的疫苗设施出售给美国制药公司默克,这一决定可能与美国即将实施的针对中国生物科技公司的立法相关。这一交易的背景是美国众议院在9月通过了生物安全法案,该法案禁止与特定公司的联邦合同。

该法案明确提到WuXi Biologics,尚需在美国参议院通过后才能送交总统签署成为法律。分析师杰斯廷·泽林表示,这可能是WuXi在减少其业务范围,并为可能的合同减少做准备。此外,财务时报10月份曾报道WuXi及其子公司WuXi AppTec计划出售部分业务,以应对新一届政府对中国采取更为强硬的政策。

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Trudeau’s star power dimmed after weathering coronavirus pandemic and Trump

Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he will resign as Liberal prime minister once his party selects a new leader, marking the end of his more than nine-year tenure amid growing calls for his departure. Trudeau's leadership faced increasing challenges, notably a significant fallout with former allies that ultimately led to his decision to step down.

Born into a political family as the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the 53-year-old leader had a notable career, winning three consecutive terms in office. His time in power was marked by Canada navigating major crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the renegotiation of a trilateral trade agreement with Mexico under pressure from then-US President Donald Trump. Despite his commitment to progressive ideals, including gender equality, Trudeau's downfall was exacerbated by a contentious split with former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, a key ally.

Trudeau became the Liberal leader in 2013 during a period of significant party decline. His optimistic campaign message resonated with voters fatigued by the Conservative government, leading to a successful election in 2015. His charismatic presence made him a global media sensation, highlighted by memorable moments such as his reception during a foreign trip in Manila, where he was overwhelmed by adoring crowds.

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