Women’s Tennis Tour Ends Peng Shuai-Inspired China Boycott

By The Associated Press

April 13, 2023

China's Peng Shuai serves to Japan's Nao Hibino during their first round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 21, 2020. (Andy Brownbill/AP Photo)

The women’s professional tennis tour will bring its events back to China later this year, announcing on Thursday the end of a boycott instituted in late 2021 over concerns about the safety of former player Peng Shuai after she accused a high-ranking official there of sexual assault.

WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in an interview with The Associated Press that while what he sought was never delivered—a chance for someone from the tour to meet with Peng, along with a full and transparent investigation into the Grand Slam doubles champion’s accusations—the decision was made, with input from player and tournament representatives, to return to the country.

“The stance that we took at the time was appropriate. And we stand by that. But 16 months into this, we’re convinced that our requests will not be met. And to continue with the same strategy doesn’t make sense,” Simon said from St. Petersburg, Florida, where the WTA is based.

“So we needed to look at a different approach. With this, our members believe it’s time to resume the mission in China, where we believe we can continue to make a positive difference, as we have for the last 20 years, while at the same time making sure that Peng is not forgotten. By returning, hopefully more progress can be made.”

Although there have been no reports of Peng sightings in public since carefully orchestrated appearances during the Beijing Olympics in February 2022, Simon said the WTA has “received assurances from people who are close to her, that we’ve been in contact with, that she is safe and living with her family in Beijing.”

He added that the tour has been assured by the Chinese Tennis Association, the sport’s national governing body, that “there won’t be any issues with our athletes or our staff while they’re competing within the region.”

He called the change in course “an organizational decision” and noted: “The great majority of the athletes were supportive and wanted to see a return … and felt it was time to go back.”

The tour’s schedule in China should be revealed in the next couple of weeks, Simon said. It will begin in September and include the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen and other stops similar to what was played in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic led to a round of cancellations.

Peng, now 37, won doubles trophies at Wimbledon and the French Open and reached the No. 1 ranking in doubles; in singles, she was a U.S. Open semifinalist and was ranked as high as No. 14. She dropped out of public view after saying in a social media post in November 2021 that former vice premier Zhang Gaoli forced her to have sex. The post was quickly taken down by Chinese authorities.

The following month, Simon—with the backing of the WTA Board of Directors, players, tournaments and sponsors—said the tour would suspend play in China. That was the strongest public stand against China by a sports body and cost the WTA millions of dollars in revenue.

Peng later tried to recant, including in a controlled interview during last year’s Winter Games. After the Olympics, the global attention and outrage raised by her case—“ Where is Peng Shuai? ” was a popular rallying cry, a T-shirt slogan seen at Grand Slam tournaments, a trending topic on social media—seems to have lessened.

The ATP men’s tennis tour and the International Tennis Federation, which oversees the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup along with lower-level tournaments for individual players, recently said they would resume operations in China after staying away because of COVID-19.

The ITF said Thursday it welcomed the WTA’s decision to resume play in China.

“Regarding Peng Shuai, while she appears safe and well, we will continue to seek assurances about her ongoing safety and welcome all other organizations’ efforts to support her, both publicly and behind the scenes,” ITF President David Haggerty said.

Back when he first delivered the news about leaving China, Simon told the AP: ”The one thing that we can’t do is walk away from this, because if we’re walking away from the key elements—which is obviously not only her well-being, but the investigation—then we’re telling the world that not addressing sexual assault with respect to the seriousness it requires is OK, because it’s too difficult. And it’s simply something that we can’t let happen.”

Asked whether Thursday’s move could be construed by some as backing down, Simon replied: “Well, everybody will have their own opinions on that, for sure. I can understand how someone might look at it that way, for sure. But we took a stand that no one else has. And, I think, from that, we did receive some things that we didn’t think we would get, as well,” citing the assurances about Peng’s safety and that of WTA players and staff upon return to China.

By Howard Fendrich

 

China’s Crackdown On Flamboyant Billionaires – Analysis

 April 14, 2023  

By East Asia Forum

By Martin Miszerak*

In March 2023, China’s National People’s Congress announced the establishment of a Central Finance Commission, a ‘super-regulator’ tasked with the supervision and overhaul of the entire financial sector. The new body is to be chaired by none other than Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Commission’s first ‘unofficial’ financial restructuring may well have been the mid-February disappearance of billionaire investment banker Bao Fan.

Bao is the founder and chairman of China Renaissance, the country’s top investment bank. The disappearance of Bao Fan remains a mystery, although a rumour later circulated that he was ‘cooperating’ with an investigation by ‘certain authorities’.

Bao Fan is not the first Chinese billionaire to vanish. He follows in the footsteps of Jack Ma, founder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba and former controlling shareholder of Ant Group. Ant Group was a financial services powerhouse scheduled to go public in Hong Kong in November 2020 in the biggest initial public offering (IPO) ever. Jack Ma disappeared shortly after he delivered a speech in Shanghai which was highly critical of the Chinese banking sector and its regulators.

The IPO was put on hold and Ant Group has been subjected to extensive restructuring. Jack Ma unexpectedly reappeared in mainland China in late March 2023, presumably as a part of the government’s initiative to improve sentiment among the private sector. It is not clear how long the government will allow him to stay on the mainland, but any executive role in Ant Group is over for him.

Bao Fan’s business philosophy sheds some light on the possible circumstances of his disappearance. Bao was an unabashedly global citizen but doing business in an environment of intensifying nationalism and authoritarianism under Xi Jinping. The son of Chinese diplomats, he lived a privileged youth, with the ability to travel internationally and attend high school in the United States. Armed with a Master of Business Administration, he spent several years working for investment banks Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley. Bao was a titan of China’s technology and finance industries and his fame lay in his unceasing focus on networking and deal-making.

While Bao’s company China Renaissance operates a wealth management division, the company’s core business was investment banking, accounting for 44 per cent of its total revenue in 2021. Given his focus on deal-making, it is hard to imagine Bao Fan spending much time on the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which may have been a fatal error.

Bao operated on the model of a flamboyant ‘master banker’ and ‘rainmaker’, reminiscent of the late US investment banker Bruce Wasserstein, who also bolted out of First Boston (today Credit Suisse) to set up his boutique investment bank and later led the buyout and IPO of Lazard Freres. China Renaissance’s business model eerily resembles that of Lazard Freres, which is generally thought to be home to ‘swashbuckling’ star bankers.

Bao Fan’s flamboyance and aggressive deal-making as ‘king’ of the platform tech industry were incompatible with Xi Jinping’s Marxist vision for the financial sector. Under Xi’s vision, the financial sector should be limited to supporting China’s manufacturing sectors, particularly those prioritised in Made in China 2025. While Xi Jinping is not against the private sector and Premier Li Qiang has repeatedly affirmed China’s commitment to the private sector, their imperative is for the private sector to be under Chinese Communist Party (CCP) control and promote party objectives.

There is no room for someone like Bao Fan within such a private sector model. For Xi, an ideal entrepreneur is someone like Ren Zhengfei, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Huawei. Ren blends unquestionable entrepreneurial talents with a dedication to communism and Mao Zedong, after whom he ‘fashions himself’ and the company. He reads the Selected Works of Mao Zedong in his spare time.

It is difficult to be optimistic about the future of either Bao Fan or China Renaissance. The ‘reappearance’ of Bao Fan as if nothing had happened is highly unlikely. He is much more likely to follow in the footsteps of Jack Ma, either remaining incommunicado under house arrest or being forced into exile.

China Renaissance is likely to follow in the path of Ant Group by ‘inviting’ a major state-owned shareholder and demoting Bao Fan to minority status. Such restructuring would redirect China Renaissance away from the platform tech companies and toward Xi Jinping’s industrial policies. A new chairman appointed by the CCP will be anything but flamboyant, as there is simply no room for flamboyant investment bankers in Xi Jinping’s capitalism with Chinese characteristics.

*About the author: Martin Miszerak is Visiting Professor at SolBridge International School of Business and Adjunct Lecturer at Renmin Business School, Renmin University.

Source: This article was published by East Asia Forum

East Asia Forum is a platform for analysis and research on politics, economics, business, law, security, international relations and society relevant to public policy, centred on the Asia Pacific region. It consists of an online publication and a quarterly magazine, East Asia Forum Quarterly, which aim to provide clear and original analysis from the leading minds in the region and beyond.

ASEAN Condemns Killings Of ‘At Least Dozens Of’ Civilians In Myanmar Airstrike

This image grab from a video shows the aftermath of shelling and airstrikes by Burmese junta forces on Pa Zi Gyi, a village in Kanbalu township in the Sagaing region of Myanmar, April 11, 2023. [Citizen journalist via RFA]

 April 14, 2023 

By BenarNews

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations finally came out on Thursday to condemn the slaughter of as many as 130 people in an airstrike by Burmese junta forces on a village in Myanmar’s Sagaing region this week.

A fighter-jet dropped two bombs on Pa Zi Gyi, a village in Kanbalu Township, and two Mi-35 attack helicopters strafed the crowd with gunfire, eyewitnesses said, after hundreds of villagers had gathered for an office opening ceremony on Tuesday, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported.

Women and children were among the dead. It was one of the most lethal strikes by the junta on civilians since the Burmese military seized power in a February 2021 coup. 

Indonesia, the 2023 holder of the ASEAN chair, issued the statement on the Southeast Asian bloc’s behalf two days after the United Nations and United States came out with statements deploring the attack.

“ASEAN strongly condemns the reported recent air strikes carried out by the Myanmar Armed Forces in Pa Zi Gyi Village, Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region of Myanmar, that claimed the lives of at least dozens of civilians,” the ASEAN chair said.

“All forms of violence must end immediately, particularly the use of force against civilians,” it added. “This would be the only way to create a conducive environment for an inclusive national dialogue to find a sustainable peaceful solution in Myanmar.”

The 10-member bloc, whose members include Myanmar and which operates largely by consensus, has been widely criticized for failing to take strong action against the Burmese junta.

The military has carried on with attacks amid nationwide turmoil in the nearly two years since the junta chief agreed to follow a five-point peace framework that ASEAN leaders agreed to during an emergency summit on post-coup Myanmar.

In Jakarta on Thursday, an aide to Indonesian President Joko Widodo declined to comment in response to a query from BenarNews about the ASEAN statement. Indonesia’s foreign ministry spokesman and director-general for ASEAN matters did not immediately respond to questions on whether the regional bloc would back up its strongly worded statement with punitive action against Naypyidaw.

In Sagaing, witnesses said it was hard to tell how many people were killed in Tuesday’s aerial attack because the bodies were so badly mangled by the bombs and machine-gun fire.

As of Thursday, the death toll had risen to 130 people, according to a report by RFA Burmese that cited information from a rescue team of volunteers in the village. RFA is a news organization affiliated with BenarNews.

Amid the carnage, the military had deployed a surveillance helicopter and stationed troops on the outskirts of Pa Zi Gyi, impeding efforts to collect body parts and bring the wounded for medical treatment, residents said.

The Burmese military confirmed in a statement on Tuesday evening that it had carried out a “precision” attack on Pa Zi Gyi because, it said, members of the anti-junta People Defense Force paramilitary group had gathered there and “committed terrorist acts” in the area.

Junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun told the military-controlled broadcast channel MRTV that those killed in the strike were members of the PDF – not civilians – and that the large number of casualties was the result of a rebel weapons cache exploding during the operation.

But a rescue worker who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns, said this was false. The attack on the site was deliberate and thorough, beginning with a fighter-jet bombing run followed by the helicopters strafing the area, the source told RFA.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, provoking mass protests and armed resistance. More than 3,200 civilians have been killed by the military since then, according to U.N. estimates.

Since April 2021, Myanmar’s military rulers have ignored a blueprint for peace agreed to by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the Burmese junta chief, and leaders of ASEAN member-states at the emergency summit in Jakarta. Among its provisions, the five-point consensus, called for an end to violence, dialogue with all parties and humanitarian assistance.

BenarNews’ mission is to provide readers with accurate news and information that reflects the complex and ever-changing world around them. With homepages in Bengali, Thai, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia and English, BenarNews brings timely news to its diverse audience. Copyright BenarNews. Used with the permission of BenarNews

Death toll in Myanmar air strike rises to 165, while threat of attack remains

Rescue workers say they are frantically cremating bodies amid the risky security situation.

By RFA Burmese
2023.04.13

Relief workers cremate body parts from people killed by the Myanmar military junta’s strike on Pa Zi Gyi village, Kanbalu township, Sagaing region on April 11, 2023.

 Citizen Journalist

The number of people killed in an air strike seen as one of the worst attacks on civilians by Myanmar’s junta since a military coup two years ago has risen to 165, the country’s shadow government said Thursday.

The attack, in which jets bombed and helicopters strafed the opening ceremony for a public administration building in northern Myanmar’s Sagaing region on Tuesday, is the latest example of the military’s increasing reliance on air power in its multifront conflict with armed resistance groups, who have enjoyed growing success on the ground.

Rescue worker Nway Oo told RFA Burmese that 130 bodies had been cremated as of Thursday morning. But he said workers are struggling to comb through unidentified remains amid the ongoing threat of a military attack. Hours after the air strike on Tuesday, junta troops again attacked the site, killing three rescue workers.

“The gender of some of the bodies cannot be determined,” Nway Oo said. “Some of their bodies were too disfigured to even identify whether they were male or female.”

The remains of only 59 people were identifiable, he said, while the rest of the bodies “had to be picked up part by part and buried.”

Initial reports from the site in Kanbalu township’s Pa Zi Gyi village said at least 83 bodies had been cremated, including those of 22 minors, although sources told RFA Burmese that rescue efforts and the collection of remains had been hampered by by a continued military presence in the area, as well as the scale of the devastation from the attack. 

Witnesses have said that it was hard to tell how many people had died because the bodies were so badly mangled by the bombs and machine gun fire.

The country’s shadow National Unity Government – made up of members of the former civilian government and other individuals who oppose the junta – announced that the death toll at Pa Zi Gyi had risen to 165, including 27 women and 19 minors. In a statement, the NUG said efforts are still underway to identify victims and that the number of dead is “likely to increase.”

While the statement did not include the exact number of people injured by the air strike, it said at least 17 people had been “seriously wounded” and underwent major surgery.

Ongoing threat of attack

Residents told RFA military jets have occasionally been seen flying over the village to survey the site, while a column of more than 80 troops has been stationed around two miles to the east.

Ko Myo, a resident of Pa Zi Gyi, said rescue workers were frantically cremating remains amid the risky security situation.

“We have brought in some car tires [to build pyres],” he said. “We’ve had to [cremate] urgently, as the military’s planes are still flying around. We have to collect as many bodies as possible and cremate them before we leave.”

The aftermath of the airstrike on Pa Zi Gyi village in Sagaing region's Kanbalu township, Myanmar, Tuesday, April 11, 2023. Credit: Kyunhla Activists Group via AP

Meanwhile, Pa Zi Gyi has become a ghost town, as more than 800 residents of the 100-home village have fled since the attack and are too frightened to return while the threat of another raid looms, Ko Myo said.

A resident who gave his name as Maung Oo told RFA he had lost six family members in the air strike, and said he will never forgive the junta for carrying out such a brutal act.

“My youngest brother, brother-in-law, grandfather, aunties, niece and nephews were among the dead,” he said, calling those responsible for the attack “animals.”

“We must take up any available weapons and fight back. I will never stop fighting them even if I have to give up my life.”

Holding the junta accountable

Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, the NUG’s minister of women, youths and children affairs, said the shadow government is working to hold the junta accountable for Tuesday’s attack and other atrocities visited on the people of Myanmar.

“Attacks targeting innocent civilians are very serious war crimes … under both international and domestic laws,” she said. “That is why we are working to prosecute those who are responsible in both local and international criminal courts.”

The military confirmed in a statement on Tuesday evening that it had carried out a “precision” attack on Pa Zi Gyi because members of the anti-junta People Defense Force paramilitary group had gathered there and “committed terrorist acts” in the area.

Junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun told the military-controlled broadcast channel MRTV that those killed in the strike were members of the PDF, not civilians, and that the large number of casualties was the result of a rebel weapons cache exploding during the operation.

But rescue workers have disputed that account. They say the attack on the site was deliberate and thorough, beginning with a jet fighter bombing run and followed by an Mi-35 helicopter strafing the area.

Residents of Pa Zi Gyi whose family members were killed have called on the international community to take effective action against the junta and to block sales of jet fuel, weapons and ammunition to the regime.

On Thursday, Indonesia, the 2023 chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, issued a statement on the bloc’s behalf two days after the United Nations and United States condemned the attack.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

ASEAN 'strongly condemns' Myanmar

army's deadly strikes against civilians

Is international law capable of dealing with Myanmar?

Aung San Suu Kyi says Rohingya crisis "could have been handled better"

Regional bloc urgest Myanmar to fully implement a deal, which calls for an end to violence and dialogue between the military government and rebels.ASEAN chair Indonesia calls for a consensus that would be the only way to create a conducive environment for an inclusive national dialogue in Myanmar. (ASEAN)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) "strongly condemns" recent air strikes in Myanmar in which dozens of people were reported killed, the current chair of the bloc Indonesia has said in a statement,

"All forms of violence must end immediately, particularly the use of force against civilians", added the Thursday's statement.

A statement issued by the ASEAN chair does not necessarily indicate the agreement of all member states.

The official death toll from Tuesday morning's strike on the remote Kanbalu township in Myanmar's central Sagaing region remains unclear, though at least 100 fatalities including many civilians have been reported by the BBC, The Irrawaddy, and Radio Free Asia.

The military government confirmed on Wednesday it had "launched limited air strikes" after receiving a tip-off from locals about an event marking the opening of a local defence force office connected to the military government's opponents.

The attack drew swift condemnation from the United Nations and Western powers.

READ MORE: Myanmar confirms deadly air strike that is feared to have killed 100

Witnesses and media reports say dozens of villagers in central Myanmar have been killed in an air attack carried out Tuesday by Myanmar junta. (AP)

Consensus on cessation of hostilities

Indonesia — Southeast Asia's biggest economy — is serving as the 2023 chair of ASEAN and will host the 10-member bloc's annual leaders' meetings in May and September.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said last week that Jakarta had been working hard to implement the "Five-Point Consensus" agreed with the Myanmar junta in April 2021, which calls for an end to violence and dialogue between the military and rebels.

But the plan has been largely ignored by the junta and mediation attempts by ASEAN countries to solve the crisis have so far failed.

Jakarta's chairmanship of the bloc had raised hopes ASEAN could push for a peaceful solution in Myanmar, using Indonesia's weight as a regional economic power and its diplomatic experience.

Indonesia earlier this year announced plans to set up a special envoy's office under the foreign ministry to establish a low-level dialogue with the junta, though little information has emerged about the status of any talks.

The junta remains an ASEAN member but has been barred from top-level summits over its failure to implement the peace plan.

Following the coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021, a military crackdown on dissent and armed groups opposed to their rule has left more than 3,200 people dead, according to a local monitoring group.

READ MORE: Thousands flee Myanmar into Thailand amid clashes between military, rebels

Boston adopts new building code to limit use of fossil fuels

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Thursday signed a new city ordinance aimed at discouraging the use of fossil fuels in the construction of new buildings and major renovation projects.

The ordinance requires that new buildings that rely on fossil fuels install solar panels and additional wiring in anticipation of a future conversion to electrification with the goal of most new buildings going all-electric.

Wu signed the measure at an event at the Museum of Science. The Boston City Council approved the ordinance last week on an 8-4 vote.

The action makes Boston the largest city in Massachusetts to implement the code, which was finalized by the state last year. Brookline and Watertown were the first two communities to adopt the code earlier this year.

Several other communities have embraced similar efforts.

In Boston, 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from the building sector, according to Wu. The mayor has said the emissions from buildings contribute both to global climate change and to local air pollution that disproportionately harms low-income residents and communities of color in the city.

“Building a Green New Deal city means improving on our existing infrastructure as well as investing in future resilient development,” Wu said in a statement when she unveiled the proposal last month. “This new green building code will help ensure that we set the foundation for healthy, resilient growth throughout our neighborhoods.”

The updated energy code will deliver improved air quality, lower energy costs and reduced carbon emissions, Wu said.

Wu also announced last month that the city will use $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to improve energy performance at the city’s affordable housing developments.

The announcement comes after Massachusetts lawmakers adopted a new law last year meant to encourage communities to embrace fossil fuel-free codes for new construction.

While Wu’s proposal stops short of that, she has expressed interest in taking even more aggressive steps. Wu has said she wants Boston to participate in a new pilot program included in the 2022 law.

Under that program, 10 cities and towns will be allowed to fully prohibit fossil fuels from new construction and major renovations as long as each community first meets the 10% affordable housing target set by state law and also exempts life sciences labs and health care facilities from the all-electric requirements.

Environmentalists have called on the state to go even further by allowing any city or town to ban oil, gas and other fossil fuels in the construction of buildlings.