Accepting a nuclear North Korea was never US policy … until Trump 2.0?

特朗普在就职后不久称北朝鲜为“核大国”,这可能会重塑美国的外交政策。这一随意的表述引发了分析师的广泛讨论,大家试图解读这是否意味着政策的重大逆转,或者是特朗普个人外交风格的回归。

特朗普在与记者的即兴交流中表示:“他喜欢我,我也喜欢他,我们相处得很好。”他提到北朝鲜最高领导人金正恩,并指出“他是一个核大国。我们相处得很好。我认为他会高兴看到我回来。”长期以来,华盛顿拒绝承认平壤的核地位,目的是为了不合法化其武器计划。然而,特朗普的言论激起了对美国未来外交方向的辩论,并可能影响与韩国的同盟关系。

一些分析师将特朗普的评论解读为恢复外交接触的信号,但也有专家警告,类似的言辞可能对地区稳定构成威胁。首尔的国际研究教授Leif-Eric Easley对此表示谨慎,认为不应将特朗普的言论视为微妙的外交策略。

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How Hong Kong can cut wasteful spending and boost revenue

香港政府预计当前财政年度的预算赤字将达到约1000亿港元(128亿美金),这引发了公众和政府的深切关注。这是该市连续第三年出现超过1000亿港元的赤字,财政司司长陈茂波表示,预计到3月底,香港的财政储备将降至6850亿港元,创十年来新低。

在这种关键情况下,一个负责任的政府必须迅速采取有效措施,以避免进一步的经济损失和增加已知及未开发的收入来源。近年来,政府对医疗、社会需求和教育等服务进行了大量补贴,未来需要在不影响公共服务的情况下,找到有效的削减开支方式。此外,虽然有人建议削减公务员和立法会议员的薪水来减轻赤字,但专家认为这种做法可能适得其反。相反,财政司司长应优先关注减少浪费的公共开支,尤其是在电力和燃料等方面,从而实现节省资金和减少温室气体排放的双重目标。

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Huawei smartphone spin-off Honor reshuffles management in wake of CEO’s abrupt departure

Honor, Huawei's spin-off smartphone brand, is undergoing significant management changes following the resignation of its CEO, George Zhao Ming, as it gears up for a public listing in a highly competitive market. The company's recent adjustments include the appointment of Li Jian as the new CEO and the resignation of Jiang Hairong, the chief marketing officer for China.

These management shifts come as Honor prepares for an initial public offering (IPO) announced in November 2023, which necessitates an organizational overhaul. In the interim, Guo Rui, Honor’s global CMO, will oversee the China region, while Zheng Shubao, the sales chief, will be succeeded by Chen Haoqian from eastern Jiangsu. A company representative described these changes as a "routine adjustment of regional managers," highlighting the internal complexities as Honor seeks to solidify its position in the smartphone industry.

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China flight attendant quits job, becomes pig farmer, earns US$28,000 in 2 months

一位在中国的空乘人员辞职回乡当起了养猪农民,两个月内赚取了20万元人民币(约2.8万美元)。这位名叫杨燕熙的27岁女子来自东北的黑龙江省,辞去在上海航空公司工作五年的职位,回到农村生活。

杨燕熙在大学毕业后进入航空行业工作,但在公司困难时期,她的月薪仅为2800元人民币(约380美元)。在上海生活时,她时常向父母请求资金以购买奢侈品。选择回家乡养猪,不仅让她更接近家人,还帮助她在短时间内实现了可观的收入。

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Hong Kong urged to crack down on unlicensed tour guides from mainland China

在香港,许多内地人士提供导游服务,但其中许多人被认为无牌或违反居留条件,这引发了对当局加强打击这一非法活动的呼声。最近,香港入境事务处逮捕了八名内地人士,他们因非法在香港担任名为“地陪”的导游及跨境快递员而被拘留。

“地陪”是指所谓的“本地陪伴”,这种私人导游服务近年来在内地越来越受欢迎。这些导游往往会带领游客游览香港,提供拍照、交通安排和推荐当地活动等服务。同时,另一个引人关注的现象是“逆向购买”,即香港居民雇佣内地人士在对岸的店铺及超市购买食品和日用品,然后由这些快递员将物品带回香港,这种服务通常需支付一定的费用。这一趋势在社交媒体上引起了关注,许多广告正在传播这一服务。

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Hongkongers to keep forfeiting flat deposits at high rate, agents forecast

越来越多的香港购房者在新房购买中放弃了押金,预计这一趋势将在高利率和市场不确定性的背景下持续。根据中原地产的报告,去年有449名首次购房者 forfeited their deposits,较前一年增加了75%。尤其在最后一个季度,104个弃权案例几乎是第三季度40个案例的三倍,虽然未披露押金的具体金额,但市场消息称,典型的初始押金约为10万港元(合12,844美元)。

房地产代理表示,短期内违约案例仍将保持高位。“随着农历新年后市场的繁忙,开发商将提供折扣,我们预计新物业单位的违约数量将保持高位,”中原地产高级助理董事杨铭怡表示,并预测2025年第一季度将有约100个此类案例。尽管如此,随着政府去年底降低了未建房屋的按揭要求,长期来看,这一数字可能会有所下降。

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Trump says he is mulling 10% tariff on imports from China, starting February 1

By Kawala Xie

US President Donald Trump said he is considering 10 per cent tariffs on imports from China, starting on February 1, as a penalty for the flow of fentanyl, which is responsible for thousands of deaths in the US annually.

“We’re talking about a tariff of 10 per cent on China, based on the fact that they’re sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada,” Trump said in his first press conference after his inauguration on Tuesday.

Trump said after his swearing-in on Monday that he is considering 25 per cent tariffs on the US’ two North American neighbours, also to start on February 1, to push them to stop shipments of the opioid from coming into the US, but did not mention China.

The new US leader did not announce any tariffs on China on his inauguration day, despite earlier vows to do so on his first day in office. Instead, he directed federal agencies to investigate China’s “unfair trade practices” as one of over 250 executive actions that he took.

Trump added in the press conference that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping “didn’t talk much” about the tariffs during their call on Friday, adding that Xi knows “where I stand”.

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In Trump 2.0, Japan faces a familiar uncertainty

特朗普重返白宫引发了日本社会的焦虑与谨慎希望。日本政府对特朗普的当选表示了适度的祝贺,但公众反应却显得更加复杂,主要担忧包括关税、地区紧张局势以及特朗普的“美国优先”孤立主义政策。

尽管天皇德仁和首相石破茂迅速向特朗普表示祝贺,并表达了希望加强日美同盟的愿望,但民众的情绪却显得更加不安。横滨的家庭主妇细村香奈子表示:“他上任时一切都显得更加不稳定,我担心这种情况会再次发生。”这种对未来的不安反映了日本民众对特朗普执政期间可能带来的不确定性的深切担忧。

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Trump says he’ll sanction Russia if Putin does not negotiate on Ukraine

By Reuters

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would probably impose sanctions on Russia if its president, Vladimir Putin, refuses to negotiate about ending the war in Ukraine.

Trump gave no details on possible additional sanctions. The United States has already sanctioned Russia heavily for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trump said his administration was also looking at the issue of sending weapons to Ukraine, adding his view that the European Union should be doing more to support Ukraine.

“We’re talking to [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, we’re going to be talking with President Putin very soon,” Trump said. “We’re going to look at it.”

Trump said he had pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping in a call to intervene to stop the Ukraine war.

“He’s not done very much on that. He’s got a lot of … power, like we have a lot of power. I said, ‘You ought to get it settled.’ We did discuss it.”

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Donald Trump says he’s open to Elon Musk buying TikTok ‘if he wanted to’

美国总统特朗普表示,如果亿万富翁埃隆·马斯克有意收购TikTok,他将表示支持。这一表态是在TikTok面临美国全国禁令的背景下作出的,最高法院上周维持了一项法律,要求TikTok与其中国母公司字节跳动断绝关系。特朗普提到,他与TikTok的“大股东”会面,并认为在没有他的批准下,该应用程序是“毫无价值”的。

特朗普进一步阐述了他的想法,建议马斯克收购TikTok,并将一半的股份归美国所有,以换取相关许可。他称这一计划为“合理”,并表示这样做将使马斯克拥有更有价值的资产,因为美国将成为“终极合作伙伴”,在许可和其他方面给予支持。这一提议反映了特朗普对TikTok未来的看法以及他对美国在科技领域的影响力的重视。

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Chinese electronics recycler GEM plans Hong Kong share listing

By Yuke Xie

GEM, a Shenzhen-listed recycler of electronic and industrial waste, is eyeing Hong Kong for a second share listing in a bid to access international funding and accelerate its global expansion.

“To support [its] global strategy, accelerate the development of overseas business, enhance its overseas financing capabilities and strengthen its international brand image and global competitiveness, the company plans to issue H shares and list them on the Hong Kong stock exchange,” GEM said in a filing with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Monday evening.

The company added that it plans to consult relevant intermediaries to discuss plans for moving forward with the listing. However, it warned that details have not yet been finalised, and that “significant uncertainty” remains regarding the process.

Founded in 2001 in Shenzhen, the southern city bordering Hong Kong, GEM specialises in recycling batteries, electronic waste, scrapped cars, waste plastics and other materials. The company also produces materials for use in power battery manufacturing, positioning it as “a leading enterprise in the global new energy supply chain”, according to its website.

The company’s Hong Kong share issuance is slated for April, state media reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Shares of GEM rose 0.15 per cent on Tuesday to 6.54 yuan in Shenzhen.

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Trump strips Secret Service protection from ex-adviser Bolton, target of Iran murder plot

美国总统特朗普于周二取消了前国家安全顾问约翰·博尔顿的特勤局保护,这位前顾问因在白宫任职后成为了伊朗谋杀阴谋的目标。博尔顿的发言人表示,特勤局在周一晚致电博尔顿,通知他其安保措施将在次日中午结束。

博尔顿对特朗普的决定表示失望但并不意外,并在社交媒体上发文批评前总统。在他即将出版的回忆录中,博尔顿对特朗普进行了严厉抨击,称其“无资格担任总统”,且个人利益驱动使其惩罚敌人、迎合对手。2019年,博尔顿被特朗普解职,而美国在2022年控告了一名伊朗革命卫队成员策划刺杀博尔顿,这一事件显示出博尔顿在外界政治中的复杂和危险境遇。

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Elise Stefanik, Trump’s UN ambassador pick, vows to counter China’s ‘significant inroads’

By Igor Patrick

Elise Stefanik, US President Donald Trump’s choice to serve as America’s top envoy to the United Nations, has vowed to counter China’s ascendant influence and “significant inroads” at the intergovernmental body.

At her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday to serve as US ambassador to the UN, the Republican congresswoman from New York outlined plans to push back against what she described as China’s systematic efforts to expand its presence in UN agencies and gain support among developing countries.

“China has made significant inroads within the Global South and even within the Western hemisphere,” she testified. “They’ve done it by building ports. They’ve done it through telecoms. It’s really been a whole-of-government approach.”

Stefanik pledged to focus on “ensuring US taxpayer dollars support well-functioning UN entities” while advancing strategies to vie with Beijing’s infrastructure investments across the developing world.

Asked about comprehensive reform at the Security Council, a powerful UN body in which the US has veto power, she did not commit to advocating for the inclusion of members from the Global South, an idea floated by the Joe Biden administration.

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India set to take back 18,000 citizens from US to placate Trump

印度政府已表示愿意与唐纳德·特朗普政府合作,识别并带回所有在美国非法居住的印度公民,这表明新德里希望避免与美国的贸易战。美国已识别出约18,000名非法印度移民待遣返,印度将对此进行核实并启动遣返程序。

虽然目前的数字为18,000人,但实际的非法印度移民数量可能更高,因为尚不清楚在美国的非法移民总数。尤其是来自印度西部的年轻人,尤其是旁遮普和古吉拉特邦的居民,占据了大多数非法移民。印度与其他国家一样,正积极与特朗普政府沟通,以减轻其贸易威胁带来的影响。特朗普在其竞选中承诺加强对非法移民的打击,并在就职后不久便开始推行相关政策,进一步强化边境安全。

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China, Russia’s growing Arctic presence underpins Trump’s Greenland musings

特朗普声称美国对格林兰的拥有和控制是“绝对必要的”,强调了该岛在美国导弹防御和反潜作战中的战略重要性。尽管分析人士怀疑美国会购买格林兰,因为丹麦和该岛政府已明确表示“不会出售”,但美国军事存在的增加可能会加剧与中国和俄罗斯在北极地区的竞争。

特朗普的言论在北约及丹麦引发了不安,丹麦曾在1979年前殖民格林兰,并现在作为自我管理的领土进行管理。在他周一就职前的讲话中,特朗普提到美国可能会“必要时”武力夺取该岛。去年12月,他在Truth Social平台上发文,称将格林兰置于美国控制之下是“绝对必要的”,并提到该岛可能蕴藏丰富的关键矿产资源。

在1月14日的马阿拉歌新闻发布会上,特朗普未能保证其政府不会使用军事或经济手段来获得格林兰或巴拿马运河的控制权。他表示:“人们真的不知道丹麦是否对其拥有任何法律权利,但如果有,他们应该放弃,因为我们需要它来保障国家安全。”他还提到,中国和俄罗斯的船只在该地区频繁出现,强调美国不能对此置之不理。

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From TikTok to RedNote: a digital migration that defies geopolitics

在美国对TikTok的禁令争议中,数十万用户意外涌向中国社交媒体平台RedNote,展现出了一场独特的草根文化交流。 这些用户并未选择YouTube Shorts或Instagram Reels等美国替代品,而是聚集在RedNote,开启了与中国互联网用户的互动。

这一现象与美国驻华大使Nicholas Burns的言论不谋而合,他在采访中提到,通过这样的交流可以让中国人更好地理解美国社会。如今,越来越多的美国社交媒体用户通过加入中国平台,探索中国文化。这些“TikTok难民”不仅在寻找新的内容发布平台,更在进行一种数字抵抗,挑战传统社交媒体的权力动态。

这种网络迁徙的非凡之处在于其规模和性质,用户们积极与中国互联网用户互动,创造双语内容,寻求语言交流伙伴,甚至互相帮助完成作业。RedNote已成为跨文化理解的意外课堂,用户们分享各自的日常生活和社会现实,促进了更真实的文化理解,超越了官方叙述所能提供的视角。

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Trump lectured by bishop after he targets transgender people and immigrants

在特朗普庆祝其第二任总统任期之际,华盛顿国家大教堂的主教向他恳求“对同性恋者和贫穷移民施以慈悲”。这一意外的训词让特朗普面露不悦,毕竟他在就职典礼上并没有预料到会面临这样的批评。主教玛丽安·埃德加·巴德从讲坛上呼吁,强调这些群体在美国面临的恐惧和不安。

主教强调,“民主党、共和党和独立家庭中都有同性恋、双性恋和跨性别儿童,”并指出许多为社会服务的工人并不拥有合法身份。她提及这些工人在农业、餐饮和医疗等领域的重要性,这正是特朗普执政初期内政策所针对的群体。主教的呼声不仅是对特朗普的提醒,也是在传达一种更广泛的社会关怀,指出政策制定者应当关注所有美国人的福祉。

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Marco Rubio holds talks with Quad leaders on first day as US secretary of state

By Khushboo Razdan

Just hours after being sworn in as US secretary of state on Tuesday, Marco Rubio focused his foreign policy agenda on strengthening strategic alliances in the Indo-Pacific.

On his first day in the job, he was set to convene a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in Washington, followed by bilateral talks with the foreign ministers of India, Japan and Australia – partners in the bloc formed to counter China’s influence in the region.

Rubio’s meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will be his first as US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat. Jaishankar is in Washington after attending Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

Traditionally, the first foreign outreach of a new administration is either with a neighbour – Canada or Mexico – or with an ally from Nato, the 32-nation transatlantic defence pact.

Experts said that by choosing the Quad as his initial focal point, Rubio underscored the Trump administration’s emphasis on maintaining a strategic balance in Asia, particularly in light of China’s expanding economic and military footprint.

Led by the US, the Quad was originally formed in 2004 but remained dormant until 2017. It was revived during Trump’s first term as a group of democracies pushing back against an “autocratic” China. The alliance was elevated to the leaders’ level under US president Joe Biden in 2021.

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