Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Chip machine manufacturer ASML on Monday said the Dutch government had partially revoked an export license for the shipment of some chip-making equipment to China, following US export restrictions. The Veldhoven, Netherlands-based company said shipments included certain lithography systems. “A licence for the shipment of NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i lithography systems in 2023 has recently been partially revoked by the Dutch government, impacting a small number of customers in China,” the company said. ASML dominates the market for lithography systems, which use lasers to help create chip circuitry. The company said it does not expect the revocation or the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Taiwan’s relations with China must be decided by the will of the people and peace must be based on “dignity”, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Monday after China’s leader, Xi Jinping, said “reunification” with the island is inevitable. China has been ramping up military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over democratically governed Taiwan, which on Jan. 13 holds presidential and parliamentary elections. Xi’s comments, in a New Year’s Eve address, struck a stronger tone than the previous year where he said only that people on either side of the Taiwan Strait are “members of one and the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Ahead of presidential elections in Taiwan that are slated to be held on January 13, President Xi Jinping on Sunday in his year-end address asserted that Taiwan will be reunified with China, Fox News reported. It reported that the tensions between China and Taiwan remain high, Xi has repeatedly affirmed China’s stance that Taiwan is a part of China and that it must be reunified, by force if necessary. “All Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s government called the frontrunner for Taiwan’s next president “confrontational” and a destroyer of peace after he spoke at a presidential debate and said the island’s sovereignty and independence belong to its people. The Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections are happening at a time of fraught relations between Beijing and Taipei. China has been ramping up military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over democratically-governed Taiwan. China has taken particular exception to current Vice President Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Party (DPP) and leading in opinion polls by varying margins, saying he is…

Srikanth Kondapalli: 2023 did not provide any succour to a China that was straining to come out of the Covid pandemic, neither on the domestic front nor on the external front. China itself was mostly responsible for it. Its economic restructuring toward “medium-high” growth and political restructuring toward an over-centralised authority are not yielding results domestically. Nor was China able to enhance its global standing despite dishing out slogans like “community of common destiny”. To be sure, China has not run out of steam. But the juggernaut is slowing down. The China rise story over the last 40 years has…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Hong Kong should end its ban on Japanese seafood imports as the Fukushima nuclear waste water discharge had not caused contamination and doing so will show it can make decisions separately from mainland China under “one country, two systems”, Japan’s top diplomat in the city has said. In an exclusive interview with the Post, Japanese Consul General Kenichi Okada said the city had already taken a different approach from the mainland by applying a more narrow ban on only 10 prefectures. “Mainland China banned all seafood imports from Japan, while Hong Kong banned imports from only 10 prefectures,”…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged Chinese ambassadors to forge a “diplomatic iron army” loyal to the Communist Party, reviving the abrasive “Wolf Warrior” rhetoric propagated by some diplomats as a sign of China’s increasingly assertive foreign policy. “Dare to be good at struggle and to become defenders of the national interest. It is necessary to resolutely safeguard the interests of national sovereignty, security and development with a posture of readiness and a firm will to defy strong powers,” Xi told Chinese overseas envoys gathered in Beijing, state broadcaster CCTV reported. His remarks harked back to a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Hong Kong government has hit back at claims by 24 countries that local and mainland Chinese authorities have continuously attacked press freedom in the city, saying the joint statement was an attempt at slander. In a rebuttal issued on Friday night, city authorities said the statement from the Media Freedom Coalition, which was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and 20 other countries, had “fact-twisting remarks and baseless smears” against the government’s efforts to safeguard press freedom. “The law enforcement agencies of the [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region] have been taking law enforcement…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Against the backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions and growing unease over China’s assertiveness, the Philippines is taking strategic steps to bolster its defence capabilities, Voice of America reported. The Philippines’ decision to enhance its military collaboration with the United States, particularly the expansion of US military presence at key locations, is a calculated response to the evolving regional dynamics and concerns about China’s expansionist ambitions. The move, under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signifies the Philippines’ proactive stance in navigating the complex geopolitical landscape of the Asia-Pacific region. Naval Base Camilo Osias, a seemingly inconspicuous military facility…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China abruptly ousted nine military figures from its national parliament without explanation, as a major purge of personnel in the upper echelons of the nation’s defense universe casts its net wider. The nation’s top legislative body revoked the lawmakers’ membership during a Friday meeting, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Their ouster adds to a series of recent removals that are raising questions about how such turmoil will affect the smooth operations of China’s military. Five of those cut came from the nation’s secretive Rocket Force, including former commander Li Yuchao who was earlier reported to be subject…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A sweeping purge of Chinese generals has weakened the People’s Liberation Army, exposing deep-rooted corruption that could take more time to fix and slow Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s military modernization drive amid geopolitical tensions, analysts say. China’s top lawmakers senior military officers from the national legislative body on Friday, state media reported, a step that typically precedes further punishment for wayward cadres. Many of these were from the Rocket Force – a key arm of the PLA overseeing tactical and nuclear missiles. The purges are a setback for Xi who has pumped billions into buying and developing equipment…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Qatari Court on Thursday commuted the death penalty sentence of eight ex-Indian naval officers it had arrested last year in the Dahra Global case, Ministry of External Affairs said in a press statement. The sentence has now been reduced to jail terms. Describing the judgement, Ministry of External Affairs said, “We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced.” The MEA also said that the detailed judgement in the case is awaited and are in close touch with the legal team…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. During the meeting, President Putin invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia, saying it will give them an opportunity to discuss all current issues and talk about the outlook for the development of bilateral relations. “We will be glad to see our friend, Mr. Prime Minister Modi in Russia,” Putin told Jaishankar at Kremlin. “We will be able to discuss all current issues, talk about the outlook for the development of Russian-Indian relations. We have a very large amount of work…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday highlighted ongoing development in India and asserted that the Indian government’s efforts are aimed at making India a successful and developed country in the next 25 years. “You can see our effort is to ensure that in the next 25 years, we are successful and become a developed country. A developed country doesn’t just mean a developed economy, it is also a country which is aware, conscious and proud of its traditions, heritage and culture,” he said. While interacting with the Indologists in St Petersburg, EAM Jaishankar added, “Today when you…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: To maintain deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and assist India in bolstering its defence modernisation plans, the United States is deploying cutting-edge military capabilities to its allies. Calling 2023 a ‘decisive year’, the US Department of Defence, in an official release has stated that it is supporting allies and partners as they invest in their capabilities. “Bolstering India’s defence modernization plans, including by advancing the priorities outlined in the Roadmap for US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation,” the release read. Under the US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation, both nations will co-produce fighter jet engines and Stryker armoured vehicles, as well as launch…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Across the glittering screens of smartphones, a noxious weed takes root. Fueled by algorithms and anonymity, a brand of “long-distance nationalism” thrives, one nurtured not by boots on the ground, but by the echo chambers of social media. This is the Long-Distance Nationalism of the Khalistan extremist, a warped ideology that seeks to sever Punjab from India, not through the sweat and sacrifice of on-ground struggle, but through the poisonous seeds of online hate. Their targets? Young, impressionable Sikhs, bombarded with a distorted narrative of historical grievances and present-day persecution. The reality, however, paints a far grimmer picture…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A motorcycle rally was carried out in Pakistan’s Gwadar led by Chairman Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch on Tuesday calling for an end to extrajudicial killings and the enforced disappearances of political activists, students and human rights activists, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. Protesters carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the government’s crackdown on participants of the Turbat long march, including women and children. The motorcycle rally was held to mark the first anniversary of the government crackdown against workers and leaders of Haq Do Tehreek (HDT). Led by ‘Haq Do Tehreek’ Chairman Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch and other…

INTERNATIONAL DESK:  Despite the Chinese government’s efforts to cut down on public attention on human rights cases in the country, the wives of dissidents who were arrested in April have been advocating for their husbands globally to raise awareness about human rights abuses in China , according to the Voice of America (VOA). “The best way to get the international community’s attention on these human rights cases in China is to speak about them from a family member’s perspective,” the wife of Chinese human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, Luo Shengchun, emphasised. “I always start with the stories of Ding Jiaxi…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: With the current number of released Baloch protesters standing at 160, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee has said that more than a hundred protesters continue to remain detained by police, The Balochistan Post reported. Moreover, there is growing worry that numerous others, most notably Zaheer Baloch, are still missing following the protests. The committee emphasised that ‘no one knows at all’ about the people who are missing since the protests started. These students were arrested when they gathered to protest the federal government’s and Islamabad Police’s refusal to allow participants in the “Long March Against Baloch Genocide” to enter…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s central bank has used an artificially strong reference exchange rate to defend a weak currency this year. This intervention has inflicted unintended pain on some. For years, Chinese companies have been basing their foreign exchange accounting on the People’s Bank of China’s daily yuan fixing, rather than the prevailing market rate, as recommended by the country’s Ministry of Finance. But as the PBOC has set the fixing consistently stronger than the spot level since June, the gap would make dollar assets appear lower in value in yuan terms on a corporate balance sheet, resulting in a paper…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Cross-strait tensions run the risk of escalating into an armed conflict if the front running candidate from Taiwan’s ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party wins the island’s presidential elections next month, a former mainland government official has warned. The unusually harsh warnings by Wang Zaixi, former deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, came as Beijing stepped up military and political pressure on the self-ruling island ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13. “There is a great deal of uncertainty in Taiwan’s elections, but one thing is certain: Taiwan independence means war, and insisting on Taiwan…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The number of applicants for China’s 2024 National Postgraduate Entrance Exam (NPEE) has dropped for the first time since 2015, China-based Global Times reported citing the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Sunday. According to the experts, the decline could, to some extent, be a sign of more rational thinking among Chinese graduates when choosing their future direction. They also noted that the country still needs to provide more diverse job options for young people. According to the statistics from MOE, the number of applicants for the NPEE was 4.38 million for the 2024 exams, an 8 per cent…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Indonesian government tells VOA it is investigating a deadly explosion at a Chinese-owned nickel plant early Sunday that killed eight Indonesian and five Chinese workers, and injured at least 46 people. The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the smelting furnace explosion at the Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel factory, a subsidiary of PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (PT IMIP) on the island of Sulawesi. Septian Hario Seto, deputy for Investment and Mining Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, told VOA that a team from…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Baloch leader Dr Mahrang Baloch has demanded abolishment of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Balochistan, terming it a death squad. Addressing the media here, the Baloch leader said a commission on human rights violations in Balochistan should be formed and the Ministry of Interior must apologise for the ‘crimes’ openly. Members of Baloch Solidarity Council protested outside the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad in which political and social leaders and public participated in large numbers. Mahrang Baloch said the protest was for the rights of the people of Balochistan. “We came to Islamabad in a long march with…