Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Citizens reacted positively to the ban on the Chinese video platform TikTok in Nepal which became the latest nation to ban this app after mounting criticism and complaints. Residents of Chitwan in Central Nepal welcomed the decision to ban TikTok. They opined that the ban would have a positive effect on society as a whole. “While opinions may vary depending on individual perspectives and priorities, I believe it would have a positive impact in our country if the government took the step of banning the TikTok. The main issue that needed to be addressed was incorporating legal regulations…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As a U.S. Navy surveillance plane flew in circles, keeping a close watch, dozens of Chinese coast guard and accompanying ships chased and encircled Philippine vessels in the latest confrontation in one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the South China Sea. At the height of Friday’s four-hour face-off in the high seas, a Chinese coast guard ship blasted a water cannon toward a Philippine motorboat delivering food and other supplies to Filipino forces on a marooned, rusting warship that serves as the country’s fragile territorial outpost at Second Thomas Shoal. China has steadfastly stood by its claim…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China in the past 20 years lent about $ 21 billion more than previously thought to Pakistan, Nikkei Asia reported, citing a study revealed this week. According to the study, Pakistan has the biggest China-funded energy portfolio in the world. AidData, a research institute at William and Mary University in the US, said that Pakistan’s cumulative public debt exposure to China from 2000 to 2021 was $ 67.2 billion. The number surpassed the $ 46 billion recorded for the same period in the World Bank’s International Debt Statistics on the basis of voluntary disclosures from Pakistan, Nikkei Asia…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Nepal government has banned social media platform TikTok with immediate effect and decided to regulate other platforms to prevent their misuse. “A meeting of the cabinet decided to ban TikTok with immediate effect,” said Rekha Sharma, Minister for Communication and government spokesperson. The ban on TikTok, arguably the most popular social media platform in the country, came five days after a government declaration regarding the regulation of all social media platforms, which also gave them three months to set up Nepal offices to address grievances. However, in a follow up action, it singled out TikTok imposing a total…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Japan on Sunday conducted a tsunami evacuation drill on its westernmost island, an exercise that could also help residents respond to an emergency arising from any attempt by China to take control of nearby self-ruled Taiwan, an official said. About 200 island officials and members of Japan’s military, known as the Self-Defence Force (SDF), took part in the exercise on Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island, 2,000 km (1,240 miles) southwest of the capital, Tokyo. But SDF helicopters and landing craft from ships that had sailed more than 1,000 km (620 miles) from the main Japanese islands were unable to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As developing countries weigh the consequences of borrowing heavily from China for major infrastructure projects, anti-corruption officials in Nepal have begun an investigation into a flagship airport financed and built by Chinese state-owned companies. Nepal’s $216 million international airport in Pokhara, the country’s second-biggest city, opened in January. China agreed to provide loans to build the airport more than a decade ago. Nepal tapped China CAMC Engineering, the construction arm of a state-owned conglomerate, Sinomach, as the contractor. The airport has failed to attract any regular international flights, raising concerns about whether it will generate enough revenue to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Vietnam has stepped up its efforts to sell its underutilized rare-earth mines to foreign investors even as the United States expressed its readiness to assist Hanoi in organizing auctions for them. The development is likely to have an impact on geopolitics and global economy, a statement clearly made by Emily Blanchard, the U.S. State Department chief economist, during her recent visit to Hanoi. The overture came as Vietnam plans to launch tenders for several sections of its Dong Pao mine, one of the world’s largest untapped reserves of rare earths, by year’s end, a move that could help…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Japan’s navy on Saturday announced the start of a joint annual military exercise, with the Philippines observing the operations for the first time as the two countries seek closer maritime cooperation. The Japan-led Annualex exercise started on Friday with operations conducted by the naval forces of the United States, Australia and Canada, with the Philippines attending as an observer, Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force Vice Admiral Akira Saito told reporters. “The Philippines is a very important country for us, and we are looking to coordinate with their navy at every possible opportunity,” Saito said aboard the USS Carl Vinson…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Three activists of the San Francisco chapter of Students for a Free Tibet have on Nov 10 hung a banner from the roof of the city’s Moscone Center, denouncing Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “dictator” and calling for “Free Tibet” ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held there over Nov 15-16. “It may be that the group chose to do it today because, starting Nov 11 or 12, the whole area is going to be locked down with Secret Service and other law enforcement guarding the perimeter, noted sfist.com Nov 10. The banner…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China is setting out to mass produce human-like robots in two years, an ambitious plan that it hopes to put Beijing as the leader of the field. In a blueprint issued to local authorities across China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the goal to establish an innovation framework for humanoid robots and ensure that the country can make core parts of the robots on its own. The products, under the plan, will reach advanced international standards in quality. They will see applications in harsh environments, manufacturing, as well as service sectors, according to the directive.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Philippines on Friday condemned China’s coast guard for “unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers,” including its use of a water cannon against one of its boats, in an attempt to disrupt a resupply mission in the South China Sea. China’s actions, the Philippines said, have not only “put the lives of our people at risk,” but have “put into question and significant doubt the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue.” The regular resupply missions support the Philippines’ troops stationed in an intentionally grounded dilapidated warship on Second Thomas Shoal, a hotly disputed atoll in the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s (ICBC) U.S. arm was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted trades in the U.S. Treasury on Thursday, the latest in a string of victims ransom-demanding hackers have claimed this year. ICBC Financial Services, the U.S. unit of China’s largest commercial lender by assets, said it was investigating the attack that disrupted some of its systems, and making progress toward recovering from it. Hackers lock up a victim organization’s systems in such attacks and demand ransom for unlocking it, often also stealing sensitive data for extortion. Several ransomware experts and analysts…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Philippines on Friday condemned China’s coast guard for “unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous manoeuvres,” including its use of a water cannon against one of its boats in an attempt to disrupt a resupply mission in the South China Sea. China’s actions, the Philippines said, have not only “put the lives of our people at risk,” but have “put into question and significant doubt the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue”. The regular resupply missions support the Philippines’ troops stationed in an intentionally grounded dilapidated warship on Second Thomas Shoal, a hotly disputed atoll in the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: This month, China’s government began a nationwide poll of 500,000 urban and rural households to learn more about population trends. The survey, coming soon after China’s “once-in-a-decade” 2020 census, was, in the words of Reuters, “unexpected.” China’s leaders look like they are now panicking over population decline. Will they force couples to procreate? Or will they industrialize the process of procreation? The population survey came just days after Chinese leadership tried to talk up births. Xi Jinping, in remarks published by the official Xinhua News Agency on Oct. 30, told women to start a “new trend of family.”…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Laos, a Southeast Asian nation nestled between Thailand and Vietnam, is grappling with an escalating debt crisis that threatens its economic stability. The primary contributor to this precarious situation is its significant indebtedness to China, raising concerns about the country’s ability to manage its obligations and maintain financial equilibrium. The financial entanglement began in late 2013 when China emerged as Laos’ largest foreign investor. The subsequent years witnessed a surge in Chinese influence, particularly through infrastructure projects funded under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Laos borrowed substantial sums from the administration of President Xi Jinping to finance…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Taiwan is taking aim at China’s alleged “communist spies” ahead of a crucial presidential election, where the island’s relationship with Beijing will be on the ballot. Taiwan and China have been spying on each other since 1949, when Chinese nationalists set up a separate government in Taipei opposing Mao Zedong’s communist China. In the last 10 months, Taiwanese authorities have handed down a steady stream of charges and convictions – proof, they say, that Beijing’s espionage strategy has intensified and expanded beyond elite military circles. Retired air force colonel Liu Sheng-shu was sentenced to 20 years in prison…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The U.S. announced a $553 million project Wednesday to build a deep-water shipping container terminal in Sri Lanka’s Port of Colombo as it competes with China in international development financing. The project is billed as providing critical infrastructure for the South Asian nation with the potential to “transform Colombo into a world-class logistics hub at the intersection of major shipping routes and emerging markets,” according to the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. The DFC loan of $553 million for the West Container Terminal will “expand its shipping capacity, creating greater prosperity for Sri Lanka — without adding to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In recent years, TikTok, a popular Chinese social media app, has captured the attention of millions, both young and old, across the globe. With its short video format, catchy music, and quick entertainment, TikTok quickly became a cultural phenomenon. However, its seemingly harmless allure masks a darker side, which has left an indelible mark on the social fabric of Nepal. The Ministry of Home Affairs’ recent public notice has shed light on the government’s growing concerns about the platform. In discussions with TikTok’s executives, government officials, including representatives from the Nepal Police’s Cyber Bureau, expressed their apprehensions about…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Chinese government on Thursday told Britain to stop its efforts to “enhance” ties with Taiwan after a high level meeting in London and the signing of a new trade agreement between the island and Britain. Taiwan and Britain, which like most countries has no formal ties with the Chinese-claimed island, on Wednesday signed a new Enhanced Trade Partnership and British Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston hosted Taiwan Deputy Economy Minister Chen Chern-Chyi for talks in London. China’s embassy in London said in a statement that Beijing has always firmly opposed any form of official contact between countries that…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: It has come to light that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has directed Chinese students studying in the United States to attend the visit of President Xi Jinping during his trip to the US. The directive was reportedly issued by the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles. The CCP has organized Chinese students to travel to San Francisco to welcome President Xi Jinping, characterizing this act as a “great responsibility and a glorious mission.” An internal notice was sent to all committee members of the USC Chinese Student and Scholar Association. “We have just received a notification from the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s economy is still in a stage of medium-speed growth of about 5%, and there may be the potential for it to continue to grow at this rate for another five to 10 years, a central bank advisor said on Wednesday. The country needs to maintain a relatively loose monetary and fiscal policy, while paying more attention to discover its potential through structural reforms, Liu Shijin, a member of the People’s Bank of China’s (PBOC) monetary policy committee, told the Financial Street Forum in Beijing. “For the Chinese economy which is currently on a medium-speed growth stage, macro…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: More than half of China’s $1.1 trillion of loans to low- and middle-income countries have entered their principal repayment periods, a new study found, prompting a reboot by Beijing to reduce exposure to distressed debt. The report published on Tuesday by AidData, a research lab at U.S. university William & Mary, comes after Beijing pledged last month to promote “small yet smart” projects as its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) marked its tenth anniversary. About 55% of outstanding debt owed by developing nations — including principal but excluding interest — has entered principal repayment periods and the figure…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The storming of Pakistan Air Force’s training base at Mianwali in Punjab by several terrorists early this month indicates the terrorist group’s intention to renew its attacks against Pakistan military’s strategic assets.The attackers were from Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a newly emerged militant group said to be an affiliate of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Noted defence expert Dr Ayesha Siddiqa writes in The Print (November 7. 2023) that the air force lost about 35 men and 14 aircraft were damaged or destroyed. This failure raises a serious question about the army’s intelligence as well as counter-offensive strategy to deal…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: More than 6,500 Afghanistan nationals left Pakistan through the Torkham border on Sunday, taking the number of repatriated Afghans to more than 174,350, Pakistan-based Dawn reported citing border officials. Afghan nationals started leaving Pakistan after the government gave a deadline to all unregistered foreign nationals to leave Pakistan by October 31, after which action will be taken against them as per law. Officials said 174,358 Afghan nationals have departed for Afghanistan since September 17. According to officials, voluntary repatriation is still underway; however, the number continues to decline with each passing day. “There was a huge number of…