Category: Business
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Meng Wanzhou: ‘princess of Huawei’ who became the face of a high-stakes dispute
Until she was detained at Vancouver airport in December 2018, Meng Wanzhou was not a household name. But the 49-year-old Huawei executive has now become the face of a high-stakes trilateral dispute between China, Canada and the US. On Wednesday a marathon extradition hearing wrapped up in Vancouver, after months of legal arguments over whether…
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As US exits Afghanistan, China eyes $1 trillion in minerals
Afghanistan, now under the control of the Taliban, is sitting on what could be the world’s largest lithium reserves, among other precious deposits. When the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001, the global economy looked a lot different: Tesla Inc. wasn’t a company, the iPhone didn’t exist and artificial intelligence was best known as a Steven…
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US State Secy Antony Blinken Raises Concerns Over China’s Growing Nuclear Arsenal
Amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on August 7, Saturday expressed concerns over China’s growing nuclear arsenal. During a meeting with the foreign ministers of the 28th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Blinken outlined a list of provocative Chinese behaviour. He noted serious concerns over the rapid growth of…
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China aiming at untapped earth metals of Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan: In the middle of the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, China is siting opportunities for USD 1 trillion worth untapped mineral deposits of Afghanistan. Afghanistan possesses a vast number of intact mines and natural resources, including lithium reserves, as well as other valuable resources. Over the weekend, Zhou Bo, a senior colonel in the…
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Will Japan Become a Hub for China and Russia to Evade Sanctions?
Despite being a close ally to the United States and the other G-7 members, Japan implements sanctions comparatively sparingly toward China and Russia. Now that the G-7 has placed a greater priority on tackling illicit finance in the June 2021 Cornwall Summit, Japan risks being left behind if it continues in its hesitation to impose…
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China Imposes New Mandatory School Curriculum Xi Thoughts to Brainwash Young Minds
With the start of the Chinese school year from 1st September, all elementary and secondary students face a new mandatory class – ‘Xi Jinping Thoughts on Socialism’ to help “establish Marxist belief” in the country’s young minds. The new curriculum highlights how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Xi are focusing on ideological control of…
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Hong Kong’s government is crushing the city’s pro-democracy unions
O NCE CHINESE state media labelled the group a “poisonous tumour”, it was clear that its time was running out. Within hours of that slur, in late July, the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union was disowned by the city’s education bureau. For ten days the union, which represents about 80% of the city’s teachers, sought…
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Economic recovery from Covid ‘running out of steam’ – OECD
The world’s major economies have seen their rapid recovery after easing Covid restrictions begin to run out of steam in the past month as a resurgence in the virus depressed consumer spending, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. There are signs that the recovery in the US and Japan is losing momentum,…
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Does the Belt and Road Have a Future in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan?
When the United States and its allies began evacuating from Kabul on August 15, as the Taliban entered the Afghan capital, China decided to keep its embassy open and claimed it was ready for friendly relations with the Taliban. State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had already met with Taliban representatives in late July…
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China’s anti-corruption watchdog eyes new target: alcohol
China should reduce business drinking and replace it with “correct values,” the Chinese Communist Party’s anti-corruption watchdog said in a commentary on a sexual assault case involving employees with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Some “under the table rules” such as forced drinking for business purposes may lead to crimes, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection…