China has banned attempts to scale Mount Everest from its side of the world’s highest peak for fear of importing coronavirus cases from neighboring Nepal.
China’s official Xinhua news agency says the shutdown was confirmed in a notice from the General Administration of Sport of China. The measure The measure reflects the great precaution that China has taken to deal with the pandemic.
While China has mostly slowed the internal transmission of the coronavirus, Nepal is seeing an increase with record numbers of new infections and deaths.
China had granted permits to 38 people to climb Everest this spring, and Nepal to 408 climbers. In Nepal, several climbers have reported testing positive for the coronavirus after being taken from Everest base camp.
May is usually the best month to climb Everest. Several climbers have reached the top this week and more attempts are expected later this month once the weather clears. Two mountaineers have died on the Nepalese side, one Swiss and one American.
Beijing fears rebound of infections from abroad
China was the first country to hit the pandemic in late 2019, but since then it has largely contained the disease with strict border controls. Beijing fears a rebound of infections from abroad could emerge.
With borders virtually closed since March 2020, China is now concerned about risks at the snowy summit, which it shares with Nepal at 8,848 meters above sea level, as the spring climbing season rages.
India’s neighbor Nepal has been hit hard by a second wave of the epidemic, just as the Himalayan state planned to reactivate its tourism this summer after a 2020 season that was wiped out.
Aerial Stock Photo: Vehicles and tents at the base camp at the foot of the Chinese side of the top of Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Coronavirus in the Nepalese side base camp
In recent weeks, the coronavirus has been registered in the base camp on the Nepalese side of the climb. Given the health situation, “all climbing activities are canceled,” state media said on Friday, referring to the Tibetan name for the peak.
The agency, which said the decision was made by the China Sports Administration, said it was unclear how long the edict would last.
Earlier last week, China said it would establish a “separation line” at the top of Everest to prevent the coronavirus from mixing with climbers on the Nepal side.
But Beijing did not specify how it intended to mark its territory on the narrow summit of the world’s highest mountain, where only a few climbers can fit at a time.
FEW (AFP, AP)
Everest: the two sides of the coin
Will there be a ring?
The Everest awakens a great fascination, as it happens with Orodruin, the “Lord of the Rings”. Here you cannot destroy a ring in hot lava. Everest is not a volcano, but is the highest mountain in the world, at 8,848 meters high, and is located in the border area of Nepal and Tibet.
Everest: the two sides of the coin
A snake in the sky?
A brilliant blue sky, glistening white snow, majestic mountains, a breathtaking panorama, and the highest peak in the world – that’s the romantic description of Everest. The other side of the coin: due to the number of mountaineers, it is not possible to move forward or backward on the narrow path, oxygen is scarce and, with 35 degrees below zero, the danger is mortal.
Everest: the two sides of the coin
Preprogrammed traffic
There are traffic jams not only on the highways, but also on Everest. The opportunities to scale it are very rare. In general, weather conditions only allow climbing between the end of April and the end of May. In Germany, you pay around € 50,000 to € 60,000 for an Everest expedition, which lasts between 40 and 60 days.
Everest: the two sides of the coin
“Marked by ice”
Indian mountaineer Ameesha Chauhan was trapped in the traffic jam and was exposed to freezing temperatures. Part of his face froze, but he came back alive. In total 300 mountaineers have died trying to climb Everest. As of May of this year, 11 have died.
Everest: the two sides of the coin
You can lose your toes …
Ameesha Chauhan dips her feet in a hot solution at Kathmandu hospital on May 27. Some of his fingers have suffered the consequences of the low temperatures. Some mountaineers have lost their toes or fingers.
Everest: the two sides of the coin
… or even the legs
Chinese mountaineer Xia Boyu lost both legs to frostbite on his first attempt to climb Everest. The photo was taken in 2018. A short time later, he climbed the mountain with two prosthetics.
Everest: the two sides of the coin
Where is the man, there is garbage
An estimated 8000 people have already ascended Everest, many thousands more have tried. Everyone has to eat and drink. This generates a lot of garbage. That is why Everest is known as the highest garbage dump in the world. Authorities have already recognized the problem and are working to fix it.
Everest: the two sides of the coin
Why climb?
Although many have climbed Everest, not everyone wants to go mountaineering there. Some prefer to run the Everest Marathon. The world’s highest marathon this year was held on May 29, starting at an altitude of 5365 meters. At this point oxygen is scarce.
Everest: the two sides of the coin
Only for experts
But there are always athletes who are exposed to these extreme tests. Running a half marathon is already exhausting, but you can also go the full distance of 42 kilometers. There is even an ultramarathon, which is 60 kilometers long.
India is experiencing the worst outbreak in the world under the second wave of the new crown epidemic. As the epidemic worsened, the images of bodies floating on the Ganges shocked the world.
According to a letter from the Indian government cited by Reuters, the authorities confirmed for the first time that some bodies floating in the river were victims of the new crown virus, and speculated that this phenomenon was caused by poverty in remote areas and fear of the new crown.
To date, India has reported a total of 24.68 million confirmed cases of new crown and 270,000 deaths. However, some public health experts believe that the actual number of infections and deaths in India may be higher than the official figures.
The Indian police stated that they have deployed police forces to search for bodies floating on the river and take appropriate ceremonies to complete the cremation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that the accelerated spread of the new coronavirus B.1.617 in India has spread to 44 countries and regions around the world, including Hong Kong, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, the United States and Australia.
On May 12, an open-air crematorium on the outskirts of Karnataka, India, was cremating the bodies of COVID-19 victims.(
AP: Aijaz Rahi
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According to the WHO, of all countries except India, the UK has been the most affected. Last week, leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries went to London to attend the summit. Two members of the Indian delegation tested positive. As a result, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the members of the delegation had to self-isolate.
Australia’s first flight to evacuate overseas Chinese from India landed in Darwin on Saturday, carrying 80 Australian citizens on board. They will undergo a 14-day quarantine. Previously, the Australian Federal Government was criticized for banning its citizens from returning to Australia from India.
At present, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Uganda, Hong Kong and other countries and regions have adopted measures to restrict the entry of passengers departing from India.
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The Nepal epidemic may turn into a disaster
In South Asia, neighbouring countries in India, including Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, are also showing a trend of worsening of the epidemic. Nepal, a religious sacred place adjacent to China and India, attracts tourists from all over the world on a spiritual journey every year. But the current situation has taken a turn for the worse, with new cases overwhelming the health system.
Nepal’s health authorities reported less than 200 new cases per day in early April. However, in the past three weeks, the number of new cases in a single day has increased sharply, reaching a record-breaking number of more than 8,000.
In addition, after the outbreak, more than 3,500 infected people in this country have died, including 400 people who have died of the new crown virus in the past two weeks.
In Nepalgunj, a town adjacent to Uttar Pradesh, India, the Bheri Hospital, which treats COVID-19 patients, is overcrowded and overloaded.
On Saturday, the capital of Nepal held a religious festival under restrictions.(
AP: Niranjan Shrestha
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According to Reuters, relatives of local patients ran around for anti-coronavirus drugs such as Remdesivir and hospital beds.
COVID Connect Nepal, a local volunteer group, said that the demand for intensive care beds and oxygen cylinders is increasing, and it is increasingly difficult to find beds for patients.
The head of the Nepal Epidemiology and Disease Control Department said, “The sanitary facilities are crowded with symptomatic patients…the situation may get worse in the next few days.”
In fact, the epidemic in Nepal has become more severe and may turn into a public health catastrophe.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released the South Asian epidemic news briefing last week, stating that the president of the Nepal Red Cross believes that once the epidemic in Nepal goes out of control, the situation will be different. May approach today’s India.
Nepal’s health system has almost collapsed, and various medical resources are severely lacking.(
AP: Niranjan Shrestha
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The briefing also mentioned that the number of cases recorded in Nepal this month is 57 times that of the same period in April, and 44% of the country’s residents have tested positive. This indicates that a large number of infected people have not been diagnosed and it is imminent to stop the spread of the virus, otherwise it will appear Mass deaths.
In addition, the briefing also stated that Nepal’s new crown vaccination rate only covers 1% of the country’s population, and that the out-of-control epidemic will exacerbate the public health crisis in South Asia.
What is the situation on the border between Nepal and India?
Nepal is bordered by China in the north, and its territories in the east, west and south are all surrounded by India. The border between Nepal and India stretches for 1,850 kilometers and is an open border. Citizens of the two countries can travel freely without visas.
Despite the worsening of the second wave of the epidemic in India, large-scale gatherings such as religious ceremonies, political meetings and weddings have not stopped in Nepal.
Just after India imposed flight restrictions, a steady stream of Indian citizens fled the epidemic area, transited in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and flew to other countries.
Last week, Nepal has grounded all flights and adopted various levels of blockade measures in 80% of the country.
The land border between the two countries is also under control. Authorities have set up 35 border checkpoints, but according to The Hindu, the rapid increase in the number of new crown cases in India prompted the Nepalese government to decide to close 22 of these checkpoints, while the remaining 13 remain open.
At present, many countries have begun to restrict the entry of Indian flights(
Reuters: Naseem Zeitoon
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How to control the epidemic on the border between China and Nigeria?
The border between China and Nepal is 1,389 kilometers long and runs along the northwest-southeast direction of the Himalayas, including the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.
Climbing Mount Everest is a well-known activity project in Nepal, and it is also an important source of income. The two climbing routes are located in China and Nepal. The Chinese route is on the northern slope and the Nepalese route is on the southern slope.
Since late April, there have been cases of new coronavirus infections in the Everest Base Camp in Nepal. According to the BBC report, the Himalayan Rescue Association, a rescue organization on the Nepal side, revealed that 17 of the climbers sent from Mount Everest base camp to Kathmandu for testing have been diagnosed.
However, the Nepalese government has not cancelled spring mountaineering activities for fiscal revenue, and has issued more than 400 mountaineering permits in total.
Mount Everest has always attracted climbers from all over the world and is an important income-generating resource for Nepal.(
Nirmal Purja / Nepal
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The infection of mountain climbers in Nepal has aroused great attention from the outside world.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported that the Tibet Autonomous Region’s mountaineering management department and the government on the Chinese side of Mount Everest decided to implement strict prevention and control on the summit of Mount Everest, and set up a separation line on the summit side to prohibit climbers on the Nepal side from China. The climber has contact with people or objects.
According to the report, before the commercial mountaineering team rushed to the summit, a small team composed of Tibetan mountaineering guides would set up an isolation line on the side of the summit in advance, but did not mention the specific appearance of the isolation line, nor did it mention whether the Tibetan guides should stay in the small area. And guarded by the peak of hypoxia.
As of now, China has not reported any confirmed cases of people returning from Mount Everest.
Before the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, China received international commercial mountaineering teams every year and invited Sherpa mountain guides and collaborators from Nepal to support climbers on the northern slope. But after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, this activity was not approved.
Currently, only a team of 21 Chinese citizens is preparing to set off from Beipo.
Original title: British media concerned about the successful landing of the Chinese Mars rover: China’s first unmanned spacecraft landing on Mars Source: CCTV News Client
On May 15th, the British “Guardian” reported on the successful landing of the “Tianwen-1” Mars rover under the title “China’s first unmanned spacecraft landing on Mars,” and said that this landing made China a The first country to achieve Mars circumnavigation, landing, and patrol exploration during the first Mars exploration mission.
The Guardian reported that China became the second space country to land on the red planet after the United States.
The article stated that the lander carrying the “Zhurong” Mars rover used parachute navigation and entered the Martian atmosphere within the well-known “black seven minutes”, completing a thrilling landing and landing on a vast lava called the “Utopia Plain”. On the plain.
The launch of China’s “Tianwen-1” in July last year marked an important milestone in China’s space program. The probe entered Mars orbit in February this year.
The website of the British “Nature” magazine published a report entitled “China’s first Mars rover has landed, what will happen next” on the 15th. According to the article, this is China’s first mission to explore Mars, and it also makes China the third country to land a spacecraft on Mars after Russia and the United States. The article quoted Roberto Orosse, a planetary scientist at the Institute of Radio Astronomy in Bologna, Italy, saying that this mission “is a huge leap for China.”
The article also said that in the next three months, the “Zhu Rong” rover will complete the measurement of Mars, because it carries a detection radar that can penetrate the surface, which will reveal the formation process of the landing area. Orosei said that with luck, a thin horizon marked with permafrost may also be detected, which will provide an explanation for recent climate changes on Mars and reveal the fate of ancient water that once flooded the surface.
In addition, the orbiter itself carries 7 payloads, which can study the boundary between the Martian atmosphere and the solar wind, so as to better understand how the Martian magnetic field operates today.
At the end of the article, “The success of this Mars landing may start China’s journey to achieve more advanced missions, including plans to achieve Mars sampling and return by 2030.” (Main station reporter Kang Yubin)
Although Xiaomi has stood out for occupying the first places in the smartphone sector, the company also faces other markets with products such as electric bicycles, security cameras or gadgets designed for smart homes.
Despite how strange it may seem, Xiaomi has taken the initiative to enter markets outside the consumer technology industry with the launch of products that are in common use, but with improvements that increase their functionality.
This is demonstrated by its latest addition, some boxers for men that come integrated with the same technology that astronaut suits wear.
In this sense, the boxers have been created in collaboration with Outlast, the German clothing brand, being also certified by The Space Foundation as a result of the space technology integrated into its design.
Regarding its design, Xiaomi expressed that the space technology present in these boxers serves to regulate the temperature automatically, so that they prevent you from sweating in that area during the summer and keep you warm in winter. To achieve this, we resorted to the use of thermoregulatory fibers that respond to changes in temperature. The front part is designed in such a way that the genitals stay properly there.
This means that each part has its own space assigned and allows both the penis and the testicles to “breathe” better, thus avoiding the concentration of sweat in that area and the formation of bad odors.
Those interested in acquiring these futuristic underpants may have the opportunity to do so through the website of Youpin in China, although you should take advantage of the sooner you place your order, since this product will only be available for a limited time.
The futuristic boxers are available in 3 different colors and different sizes, and can be purchased for a value of 99 yuan for a pack of 3, equivalent to 12 euros.
Shao Yiming, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and a member of the Vaccine R&D Special Team of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council, said that research data shows that domestic inactivated vaccines are effective against the new coronavirus variants found in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil.
Shao Yiming said that China’s inactivated vaccine research and development process has the ability to quickly respond to mutant strains, and relevant companies have been fully prepared to update vaccines in a timely manner according to the severity of the virus mutation and the situation.
In addition, Zhang Yuntao, vice president of Sinopharm Group, mentioned yesterday that in the Phase III clinical study of Sinopharm’s new crown vaccine, 13 cases of pregnancy occurred during the vaccination period. The pregnant women are currently undergoing normal check-ups. In May 2021, the first baby was born with good health. The case shows that Sinopharm Zhongsheng’s new crown inactivated vaccine is expected to be widely promoted among pregnant women in the future.
[Hong Kong, 14th Reuters]–British daily necessities giant Reckitt Benquiser has narrowed down potential sales destinations for infant formula business in Greater China to Bain Capital, Carlyle Group, and dairy giant Yili Group. A source revealed.
Morgan Stanley is appointed to carry out the bidding. The sale could amount to over $ 2 billion. According to the source, Sequoia Capital, a corporate alliance of Shijiazhuang Kimrakuho Dairy Industry in China, and KKR, a private equity company, were also candidates for sale.
Carlyle is said to be working with CITIC Capital.
Candidate buyers are required to submit a binding takeover offer by June 11.
No comments have been received from each company.
Reckitt is developing an infant formula brand in Greater China, which was acquired in 2017 by the US Mead Johnson division. The business accounted for 6% of total sales of around £ 14 billion ($ 19.8 billion) in 2020. China’s total population in 2020, announced this week, was the lowest since the 1950s, with a birth rate on par with aging societies such as Japan and Italy.
China has become more powerful in the past ten years and is becoming increasingly geopolitical, as is well known. This is particularly evident in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). China’s presence there has become more and more visible over the past decades, despite the great geographical distance. But now relationships seem to have stalled.
Since 2012 there have been regular meetings between the Chinese Prime Minister and the Heads of government held by 17 Central and Eastern European countries. The aim of these forums is to develop business relationships and improve the investment climate for Chinese companies. Last year, China’s trade with the participating countries grew by eight percent, almost three times as much as Chinese foreign trade as a whole. For the first time, total trade exceeded the $ 100 billion mark.
As expected, China’s attempts to advance into the CEE region and not only gain a foothold there, but also create confusion and dissent in the European Union, are triggering discussions. Western Europe and especially the “Big Three” Germany, France and Great Britain (which have shrunk to the “Big Two” since Brexit) are watching with suspicion how the CEE countries are deepening and institutionalizing their cooperation with China. Apparently, membership of the EU has not deterred these countries from pursuing their own foreign policy priorities and using the partnership with the emerging great power for their own interests. Even more acute is the question of how China’s own long-term interests can be reconciled with those of the EU.
No country has come as close to the US in terms of military spending in the past 30 years.
The rivalry between China and the USA is likely to become the most important factor in international politics in the coming years. This also gives the relationship of the CEE countries to Beijing a new geopolitical meaning.
The conflict between the US and China is determined by both material factors and different perceptions. If you compare the gross domestic product in terms of purchasing power parity, China has already left the USA behind. The defense budget of the People’s Republic is increasing year after year. Exact numbers are not available, but estimates are on the order of $ 178 billion to $ 261 billion. The latter amount would represent almost 35 percent of American military spending. No country has come as close to the US in terms of military spending in the past 30 years – and there has been no country that has overtaken the US in terms of economic volume.
China’s dynamic economic development cannot be reduced to a single denominator. The structural problems and the special character of the Chinese economy, the environmental situation, the regional development deficits – we have to take all of these into account if we are to correctly assess the balance of power. Nonetheless, the chances that China will overtake the US in the medium term are pretty good if we take the above indicators as a yardstick.
The race for allies is already well underway, and the US has a clear lead in this race.
The defining characteristic of this competition will no longer be the rivalry between two opponents in the future. The race for allies is already well underway, and the US has a clear lead in this race. The network of US allies spans not only the Euro-Atlantic community but also important regions of Asia – including some that are of vital importance to China. The Biden government has already defined the future course of the ideological front: Democracy in the fight against authoritarianism. This gives the White House the opportunity to further expand its lead in the struggle for allies and to narrow China’s scope for options.
This development will also pose difficult decisions for the CEE countries. Chinese investments and infrastructure projects and China’s market – all of this is extremely attractive for the CEE countries. But if they have to accept the risk that their relations with the USA will be undermined, the assessment will be different.
It appears that those CEE countries that belong to the 17 + 1 platform have already started to grapple with these questions. Some countries even have the answer to these questions ready – and Beijing is unlikely to be happy about this answer.
For many of the CEE countries, 2020 has been a frustrating and disappointing year in terms of potential cooperation with China. The total volume of Chinese investments in the EU member states fell to the level of 2012/2013 – and the CEE countries were not spared this downward trend. In addition, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are not a priority for China; Northern Europe and the “Big Two” are much higher up on the Chinese agenda. Overall, China invested a meager $ 3.1 billion in the 17 + 1 countries.
At the most recent 17 + 1 summit, the magnitude of the problems became very clear.
In 2012, Europe had high hopes and expectations for the 17 + 1 platform. Industrial development, large-scale infrastructure projects, China’s gateway to Europe – all of this seemed feasible. Today – nine years after it was founded – the 17 + 1 initiative is being ridiculed by many, in whose eyes this format is nothing more than a structure that organizes forums, trade fairs and exchange programs.
The most recent 17 + 1 summit was initially postponed due to the corona pandemic and finally took place as an online event in February 2021. At the meeting, the magnitude of the problems became very clear. Slovenia, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were only represented by ministers at the summit, while China sent its highest representative in Xi Jinping. He presided over the summit.
The Chinese President had to hear all sorts of unpleasant questions from the European participants – for example the question of why the opening of the Chinese market for agricultural products from CEE is taking so long. The Europeans are somewhat pessimistic: The Chinese investment volume is low, the infrastructure projects are significantly more modest than originally announced, and the cooperation remains unequal. The Chinese president then promised to expand the logistical possibilities to supply the CEE countries with Chinese vaccine more quickly and to increase agricultural imports from the region to 170 billion dollars. In view of the new overall geopolitical situation, this may not be enough for the Europeans.
China will have to invest more and pay a higher price for its partnership with Central and Eastern Europe.
The activities of Chinese investors are now increasingly restricted in the CEE countries. In May 2020, for example, Romania canceled the construction of two new nuclear reactors in Cernavoda that had been agreed with China. Following the example of Washington, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Estonia want to restrict Huawei’s activities in their countries. In addition, the region is now expressing more pronounced criticism of China’s minority, Hong Kong and human rights policies.
China is in no hurry to increase the prosperity of its partners. Beijing is committed to the principle of common prosperity for the world, but mainly pursues its own goals: to establish supply chains and promote its own trade interests. China’s willingness to open up its markets is certainly not particularly pronounced. The project too New silk road For China, it is more of a door opener for its own access to the world of modern developed economies than an instrument to allow the other countries involved in this mega-project to share in the prosperity.
The European market is undoubtedly very interesting for China, and the Central Asian and Eastern European countries have an important function as transit routes and corridors. But in times of changing geopolitical realities, the price of political problems rises dramatically.
China will have to invest more and pay a higher price for its partnership with Central and Eastern Europe. It could expand its geographic scope or share the profits so that Europe doesn’t get the impression that it only wants to invest money in projects where it reaps the lion’s share of the profits – such as when it took over the port of Piraeus in Greece . Another option would be to offer the countries in the region something that goes beyond trade and infrastructure advantages.
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has not released an annual list of Chinese companies with military ties, raising concerns that the Biden administration may be hesitant to enforce a Trump-era executive order banning investment in these companies.
The Financial Times reported on May 13 that the Defense Department missed the deadline to publish a legally required list of Chinese military companies, citing two people familiar with the matter. The report is crucial for President Joe Biden, who must make a decision on whether Americans can invest in such companies.
Under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021, Congress directs the Pentagon to identify Chinese military companies through a publicly published list. The deadline for this year’s report was April 15.
A Pentagon spokesman told the Financial Times that the report would be released before October.
In his final weeks in office, former President Donald Trump took swift action to ban investments in Chinese companies linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), an important step in curbing Beijing’s access to lucrative US capital markets.
The investment ban targeted 44 companies identified by the Defense Department as “Communist Chinese Military Companies” (CCMC). The order required US investors to divest the securities of these companies and their subsidiaries before the November 2021 deadline.
Trump’s executive order “is a critical tool to prevent the increase in the Chinese Communist Party’s military capabilities,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) Told The Epoch Times in an email.
“If this delay is attributable to the Biden Administration’s hesitancy about keeping the executive order in place, the American people deserve to know that, and the absence of any explanation or communication here is concerning.”
Trump’s order was aimed at curbing investment by US pension and retirement funds in companies that support China’s totalitarian regime. Many of these companies are listed on stock exchanges around the world and are tracked by major indices such as MSCI and FTSE.
Chinese companies blacklisted by the Pentagon last year included prominent technology and manufacturing companies such as state-owned mobile operators China Mobile and China Telecom, video surveillance maker Hikvision, and China’s aerospace company Aviation Industry Corp..
During your confirmation hearing, the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, highlighted the importance of the Pentagon’s list in addressing the “substantial challenges posed by China’s military-civil fusion policy for the national security of the United States.”
The US Congress first ordered the Pentagon to produce an annual list of military companies linked to the Chinese regime in 1999. However, the report was not released until last year.
“After 21 years and pressure from President Trump, the Pentagon finally released the initial list last year,” stated Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) In an email.
“The threat from the Chinese Communist Party is much more urgent than it was two decades ago. The United States cannot afford any more delays. Congress needs to know which companies are linked to the Chinese military as soon as possible, ”he said, urging Congress to pass his bill, Law to Stop Funding the PLA, to prevent US investments from flowing into the military industrial base of China. China.
Pentagon officials did not immediately respond to a request from The Epoch Times for comment on the delay.
“The challenge is that every day that we continue to study the problem is another day where money continues to flow to misbehaving companies,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told The Epoch Times.
Pentagon will remove Xiaomi from blacklist
The Defense Department also agreed on May 12 to remove Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi from its investment blacklist.
Earlier this year, the department had designated the company for having ties to the Chinese military. In response, Xiaomi filed a lawsuit against the United States government, calling its placement “illegal and unconstitutional.”
In March, a federal judge ordered the temporary suspension of the blacklist application, citing insufficient evidence about the company’s ties to the EPL. The Biden administration did not contest the ruling.
“The court forced us to do this,” Emily Horne, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, told The Epoch Times.
“The US courts determined that the previous administration did not develop a sufficient legal basis to impose restrictions on the company and this action was required in light of the court rulings.”
However, he added that “the Biden Administration is deeply concerned about possible US investments in companies linked to the Chinese military and is fully committed to maintaining pressure on such companies.”
Legal experts have been warning Congress for months about ambiguous language in the defense policy bill that makes it difficult to identify companies connected to the Chinese military.
The problem arises because “the Department of Defense has assumed an investigative role, knowing full well that the facts might not be publicly available, as governments generally do not disclose their military affiliations,” according to Nazak Nikakhtar, a partner at the law firm of attorneys Wiley Rein LLP and former Under Secretary of the US Department of Commerce.
“The risk of litigation could have been avoided,” he told The Epoch Times.
It is a known fact that the Chinese regime, through its national strategy called “Civil-Military Fusion” and other national security laws, uses Chinese companies to help strengthen the PLA, he said.
As stated in his testimony Before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in March, Congress could consider amending the defense policy bill to apply “a de jure approach, rather than a de facto approach, to designating the CCMCs “.
“This more flexible standard would facilitate the designation of CCMCs by reducing the burden of proof on the Department of Defense and would also reduce the risk of litigation for the government,” he argued in his testimony.
Otherwise, many other blacklisted Chinese companies could follow the same legal route and challenge the blacklisting, he said.
Shares of Xiaomi rose 6 percent in Hong Kong on the news.
“We know that our adversaries around the world, especially communist China, will use all available resources to steal American technology, jobs, and intellectual property in an effort to take over the world,” said a spokesman for Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla .) said in an email.
“That is why companies under the influence of our adversaries, such as Xiaomi, DJI and Huawei, must remain on the list of entities.”
The American Securities Association (ASA), which represents Main Street’s regional financial services companies, also urged the Pentagon to “expeditiously fulfill its legislative mandate and report back to Congress.”
“Last quarter, Wall Street diverted $ 3.4 billion of money from new American investors to the Chinese Communist Party, supporting its engine of environmental destruction, gross human rights abuses against its own people and military build-up,” said Chris Iacovella, CEO of ASA, in an email.
Why do we need your help to fund our news coverage in the United States and around the world? Because we are an independent news organization, free from the influence of any government, corporation or political party. From the day we started, we have faced pressure to silence ourselves, especially from the Chinese Communist Party. But we will not bow down. We depend on your generous contribution to continue practicing traditional journalism. Together, we can continue to spread the truth.
The UK claims that many cyberattacks against Western countries come from Russia and China. While the countries of the West and the UK are directing their efforts to strengthen the cybersecurity of the world, the Russian Federation and the PRC are not making proper efforts to prosecute the activities of international hacker groups and detain them.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Wednesday 12 May that Beijing and Moscow are using cyberattacks to “sabotage, steal and loot” and “control and censor” their own citizens and called for the prosecution of cybercriminals located on their territory.
In his speech at the annual Cyber UK conference on Wednesday, Dominic Raab contrasted “authoritarian regimes” such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran with Britain’s own system of “democratic oversight and accountability.”
“We demonstrate respect for international law,” he said, “And we use our capabilities to protect our citizens, to protect international cooperation as a force for good in the world, while our adversaries use their cyber power to steal, sabotage and plunder. international system “.
According to the head of the department, China is obliged to prosecute those who carry out cyberattacks from its territory, even if they have no ties with the state.
He warned Beijing that he cannot “just wave his hand and say that this has nothing to do with them: even if it is not directly related to the state, they must persecute these people, not harbor them.”
Minister Raab listed a number of high-profile cyberattacks Western countries have experienced in recent months, including one against exchange servers reported by Microsoft in March. The hacker attack was carried out by “a group based in China and sponsored by the state.”
Dominic Raab stressed that this attack, according to some estimates, endangered the security of at least 3 thousand British organizations and many other organizations around the world.
Raab’s speech came at a time when the UK is taking steps to build up its cybersecurity capabilities, with new investments and new legislation to tackle espionage and prevent intellectual property theft, and amid concerns about Russian and Chinese activities. particular.
On Wednesday, the UK announced a £ 22 million commitment to further strengthen cybersecurity in developing countries, with a particular focus on Africa and the Indo-Pacific. The investment is being channeled as part of a broader strategy to deepen ties with these post-Brexit regions.
Part of the funding will go to support new cyber operations in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda, in collaboration with Interpol. The rest of the money, according to the Foreign and International Development Ministry, will be used to pay for new cybersecurity scholarships.
It is a phenomenon caused by an electrical discharge that usually occurs at the top of a storm cloud at a height of 30 to 90 kilometers. This phenomenon is generally between five and 10 kilometers wide and lasts between 10 and 100 milliseconds. The images were captured on May 9.
