Written Interview with Al Jazeera Media Network by China Foreign Minister Wang Yi
2024/04/26
Q1. Foreign Minister Wang Yi, you talked about the conflict in Gaza at your recent press conference held on the margins of the annual session of the National People’s Congress. What measures will China possibly take to promote an immediate ceasefire in Gaza?
Wang Yi: The protracted conflict in Gaza has become a humanitarian catastrophe that should not have happened, which has gone far beyond the bottom line of modern civilization. For nearly six months, the conflict has caused over 100,000 casualties and displaced over one million civilians. The international community must act now.
First, what is urgent now is to realize ceasefire as early as possible, and this is the overriding priority. Even one more day of delay would mean further violation of human conscience and more erosion of the cornerstone of justice. Thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties, the United Nations Security Council not long ago adopted its first resolution demanding ceasefire since the start of the conflict. The resolution is legally binding, and should be enforced effectively to achieve an unconditional and lasting ceasefire right away.
Second, unimpeded humanitarian assistance must be ensured at all times, and this is the pressing moral obligation. China has firmly opposed forced transfer of Palestinian civilians and collective punishment against people in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict. We have vigorously supported the early establishment of a humanitarian relief mechanism, and have continuously provided humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Going forward, China will continue to work with the international community to channel all our efforts toward the ceasefire resolution enforcement, civilian protection, and rapid, safe, unhindered and sustainable delivery of humanitarian supplies to people in Gaza.
Third, further spillover of the conflict must be forestalled, and this is the practical necessity for preventing the situation from spinning out of control. The escalation of Iran-Israel hostilities is the latest spillover of the conflict in Gaza. China calls on all related parties to stay calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation. With the ongoing sense of justice, China will actively promote peace and stability in the Middle East and help ease the tension.
Fourth, historical injustice to the Palestinian people must be redressed timely, and this is the right way to address the root of the conflict in Gaza. The Gaza calamity shows once again that the perpetual denial of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people is the root cause of the Palestinian question, and it is also the core issue of the Middle East question. The only way to break the vicious cycle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, eliminate the breeding ground of extremism and hatred, and achieve enduring peace in the region is to truly restore justice to the Palestinians, effectively enforce the two-State solution, and bring about political settlement to the legitimate security concerns of all related parties.
China will continue to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with Middle East countries and the whole international community to firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights; firmly support internal reconciliation among different factions of Palestine through dialogue; firmly support Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations at an early date; and firmly support establishing the independent State of Palestine and realizing “the Palestinians governing Palestine.” We call for a more broad-based, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference to set a timetable and a roadmap for the two-State solution, to promote comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, and to ultimately realize peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine as well as harmony between the Arab and Jewish peoples.
Q2. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced the deployment of several hundred servicemen in an escort fleet for cargo ships. In this connection, how do you see the rising tensions in the Red Sea?
Wang Yi: The Red Sea has vital international shipping lanes for goods and energy going through it. Safeguarding its peace and stability helps keep global supply chains unobstructed and ensures the international trade order. That serves the interests of the region and the wider international community. For quite some time, rising tensions in the Red Sea have affected important interests of regional countries, especially the littoral states. They have also heightened the overall security risk of the region and weighed on the global economic recovery. China is deeply concerned about this.
China’s position on the Red Sea is quite clear, which can be summed up in four points:
First, attacks and harassment on civilian vessels in the Red Sea should stop. There is no excuse at all for attacks on civilians.
Second, the international community should work together in accordance with law to ensure safe passage in the Red Sea. All parties are expected to play a constructive role toward deescalation.
Third, the root cause of the rising tensions in the Red Sea is the Gaza conflict. There should be an early ceasefire in Gaza so as to stem spillovers at source.
Fourth, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen and other Red Sea countries should be upheld in earnest.
Since the flare-up of the tensions, China has stayed in touch with all parties and strove vigorously for deescalation. We take seriously the legitimate concerns of countries in the region, especially the littoral states of the Red Sea. We stand ready to coordinate more closely with regional countries and work together with the international community to continue with our constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Red Sea at an early date.
It must be noted that the ongoing escort mission by the Chinese navy is not related to the Red Sea situation. It is carried out in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia as authorized by the U.N. Security Council. Since 2008, the Chinese navy has deployed 45 task groups in that region with a total of over 150 vessel sorties to deter pirates and conduct humanitarian operations. They have been a key part in safeguarding security in those waters. China will continue to act on the Global Security Initiative to protect the safety of international shipping lanes and to promote tirelessly a community with a shared future for mankind.
Q3. China has called for international peace conferences quite a few times to resolve the Ukraine crisis through negotiations. How will China mediate in these negotiations as the primary strategic partner of Russia? Will China pressure Russia to end the war?
Wang Yi: China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent, unequivocal and transparent. China is not a direct party to the conflict, and it did not start the crisis. Yet China is not an indifferent onlooker. In the two-plus years since the full escalation of the crisis, China has made tireless efforts to promote ceasefire and end the fighting. President Xi Jinping had in-depth talks with leaders of Russia, Ukraine and other countries. He stressed that peaceful negotiation is the only viable way out, and expressed China’s hope for all parties to build conditions for political settlement of the crisis through dialogue. In addition, China has released a position paper particularly on the Ukraine crisis, and its Special Representative has made many visits to relevant countries to conduct good offices, pass on messages, clarify positions, and urge all sides to seek common ground, put aside differences and build consensus.
At present, the danger of further deterioration and escalation of the crisis still exists. The international community must strengthen solidarity, pool all the efforts for peace, and take real actions to lower the temperature.
It is imperative to remain committed to political settlement. Conflicts and wars do not end on the battlefield but at the table. China supports an international conference held at a proper time that is recognized by both Russia and Ukraine and that ensures equal participation of all parties as well as fair discussions of all peace plans so as to achieve early ceasefire and end the fighting.
It is imperative to uphold objectivity and impartiality. There is no panacea to defusing crises. All sides should play their due part, and build up mutual trust to create conditions for ending hostility and starting peace talks. Any attempt to exploit the chaos for selfish gains or add fuel to the flames must be firmly rejected. More important, no one should form factions or provoke bloc confrontation.
It is imperative to address both symptoms and root causes. To uproot the crisis, we must dive deeper into the question of security. Pursuing unilateral or absolute security by willfully compressing the security space of others will inevitably tip the balance of power in the region and give rise to conflicts.
China will, together with the international community, uphold the principle of indivisible security, champion the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, accommodate legitimate security concerns of all sides, and support a balanced, effective and sustainable regional security architecture. We will work with all parties constructively to promote political settlement of the crisis, and contribute more to regional tranquility and security and enduring world peace.
Q4. On Taiwan. We have noted that eyes are on the Chinese government to see if it will take military action on China’s Taiwan region. Given Taiwan’s close ties with the United States and U.S. continued arms sales, how do you see the situation across the Taiwan Strait?
Wang Yi: Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times. The Cairo Declaration jointly issued by the governments of China, the United States and the United Kingdom in 1943 clearly stated that Taiwan, which Japan had stolen from the Chinese, shall be restored to China. The Potsdam Declaration of 1945 to end World War II reiterated in Article 8 that “the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out.” U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 was another unequivocal recognition of the one-China principle. These legally-binding international instruments are constituents of the postwar international order. They have further consolidated the historical and legal basis of Taiwan being an inalienable part of Chinese territory. Therefore, the Taiwan question is entirely China’s internal affair, and how to achieve national reunification is a matter for the Chinese people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. We will strive for peaceful reunification with the utmost effort and greatest sincerity. In the meantime, our bottom line is also clear: we will absolutely not allow anyone to separate Taiwan from China in any way.
At present, the cross-Strait situation is stable on the whole. But it faces serious challenges as well. The biggest challenge comes from “Taiwan independence” separatist activities and external disruptions. The “Taiwan independence” elements are the troublemakers, and do the biggest harm to cross-Strait stability. Maintaining peace across the Strait inherently means resolutely opposing “Taiwan independence.” Yet some countries are giving “Taiwan independence” separatist elements more and more weapons behind the scenes, in stark contrast to their calls for peace and stability of the Strait. These moves will only increase the risk of conflict and confrontation, and seriously undermine peace and stability in the Strait and the region as a whole. China will not sit on its hands with external disruptions. No one should underestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese people to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
As President Xi Jinping has stressed, complete reunification of our motherland is the shared aspiration of the people, the trend of the times and a historical inevitability, and no force can stop it. China will ultimately achieve complete reunification, and Taiwan is bound to return to the embrace of the motherland. We also firmly believe that Middle East countries and the international community will stay committed to the one-China principle and support the Chinese people’s just cause of opposing “Taiwan independence” separatist activities and striving for national reunification.
Q5. On U.S. election and China-U.S. relations. How does China see the election and the prospects of China-U.S. relations?
Wang Yi: The China-U.S. relationship bears on the well-being of the Chinese and American peoples and the future of humanity and the world. Last November, President Xi Jinping had a successful meeting with President Joe Biden in San Francisco upon invitation, and the two presidents agreed on a future-oriented San Francisco vision. China is sincere in improving its relations with the United States. A predictable, sustainable, healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship serves the interests of both the Chinese and American peoples as well as the whole world.
Meanwhile, the United States still sticks to its misperception of China, and presses ahead with its misguided policy to contain China. It has recently continued to woo its so-called allies in an attempt to provoke tensions at sea in the region and build networks to contain China at a faster pace. It has kept ratcheting up its unilateral sanctions, and gone all out to constrain China’s development of science and technology. The United States should not view the world through the lens of Cold War and zero-sum mentality, and it should not say one thing but do another. The people of the world have clear eyes, and even more so for the Middle East people that can see easily who is on the right side of history and justice. What China brings to the world is cooperation, growth, stability and win-win. China’s development and rejuvenation enjoys strong internal impetus and conforms with the trend of history. It will not be stopped by any force.
The U.S. election is an internal affair of the United States. China never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries. Meddling with others is just not the Chinese way. Whoever is elected, Chinese and American peoples will still need to have exchanges and cooperation, and the two major countries must find the right way to get along with each other. The three principles—mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation—put forward by President Xi Jinping are our fundamental guidance and goal when viewing and handling China-U.S. relations. During his recent phone call with President Biden, President Xi pointed out once again that two big countries like China and the United States should not cut off exchanges or turn their back on each other, still less slide into conflict or confrontation. They should instead cherish peace, value stability, and uphold credibility.
The China-U.S. relationship cannot go back to its past. But it should, and can fully, have a bright future. China is ready to work with the United States to carry out more win-win cooperation, do more that benefits the whole world, and truly fulfill their respective responsibilities to the international community.
Friday, April 26, 2024
WAIT, WHAT?!
Musk's X says posts of Australia bishop stabbing don't promote violence
Elon Musk's X defended publishing posts showing a bishop in Australia being stabbed during a sermon as "part of public discussion".
PUBLISHED ONAPRIL 25, 2024
SYDNEY — Elon Musk's social media platform X defended publishing posts showing a bishop in Australia being stabbed during a sermon as "part of public discussion", rejecting a regulator's order to take down the content on grounds it is offencive and violent.
In a post overnight, X's "global government affairs" account said the video taken by an "innocent bystander" should not have been banned under Australian law, which "permits content that can be reasonably considered as part of public discussion or debate".
"The content within the posts does not encourage or provoke violence," the X account said
The statement from the company formerly called Twitter, which the billionaire bought in 2022, clashes with Australian lawmaker claims that police feared the footage would be used to encourage people to join terrorist groups.
The e-Safety Commissioner ordered X to remove posts containing the video globally to stop Australians seeing them, but X has challenged the order partly on grounds of "exhorbitant jurisdiction". A court this week temporarily upheld the takedown order until a hearing on May 10.
The order has sparked increasingly heated public exchanges between Musk, who calls himself a free speech absolutist, and Australian officials including the prime minister and one senator who Musk said should be jailed.
Overnight, Musk shared a series of posts by another user which described the takedown order as part of a World Economic Forum "plot to impose eSafety rules on the world". "Accurate thread," Musk wrote to his 181 million followers.
The e-Safety Commissioner was not immediately available for comment.
The dispute follows an April 15 attack on an Assyrian bishop in Sydney, for which a 16-year-old boy has been charged with terrorist offences, according to the authorities.
After raids related to the incident this week, police charged five associates of the youth, also teenagers, with terrorism offences including possessing extremist material.
ALSO READ: Elon Musk decries Australian court 'censorship' of X terror posts
EXPLAINER
Why is Elon Musk feuding with Australia and Brazil over free speech?
X owner is fighting governments over their attempts to curtail online content deemed to be harmful.
By Erin Hale
Published On 26 Apr 2024
Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed free speech absolutist and CEO of X, Tesla, and SpaceX, is once again at the centre of a heated debate about free speech and censorship.
Since buying X, the platform formally known as Twitter, in 2022, Musk has sparred with governments and public figures around the world about what is acceptable to post online.
The mercurial billionaire is now embroiled in separate legal battles with the governments of Brazil and Australia over their attempts to curtail content deemed to be harmful, such as misinformation, violent material and racist speech.
In each case, Musk has accused government officials of stifling free speech.
But his critics say he is emboldening extremists and cherry-picking cases as he has complied with takedown notices elsewhere.
Why is Musk in a dispute with Brazil?
Musk’s dispute with Brazilian authorities is part of an ongoing debate about how to handle “digital militias” associated with right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro’s online supporters have been the subject of a five-year investigation by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for allegedly spreading fake news and hate speech during his tenure.
The judge is also overseeing an investigation into a coup attempt by Bolsonaro’s supporters after he lost the 2022 election to current left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
As part of his investigation, de Moraes banned 150 accounts belonging to the “digital militias” – a fact that was made public earlier this year when media reported that many of those accounts were still active.
The move, which has been controversial in Brazil, piqued the interest of Musk, who in April fired off a series of tweets directed at the judge, calling the bans “aggressive censorship”.
Musk also said X would “lift all restrictions” on the banned accounts, although the platform said it had complied with the orders pending legal challenges.
“This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached,” Musk said on X. “Shame.”
In response, de Moraes launched an investigation into Musk for obstruction of justice.
Why is Musk at odds with Australia?
As Musk battles it out in Latin America’s most populous country, he is also at odds with Australia’s internet watchdog.
The stoush with the country’s eSafety Commissioner centres on a knife attack carried out on April 16 during a livestreamed service at an Orthodox Assyrian church in Sydney.
Police have charged five teenagers over the attack, including a 16-year-old boy accused of stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and a priest.
After the attack, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant issued a global takedown notice for videos of the event to X and Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram.
Inman Grant has argued that posts of the attack should be taken down everywhere, including outside Australia, as internet users can easily avail of virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent domestic geo-blocking.
While Meta complied with the order, X has only geo-blocked the videos in Australia.
On Wednesday, Australia’s Federal Court extended an emergency injunction ordering X to remove the videos.
Musk has refused to back down, accusing Australia of attempting to impose censorship worldwide.
“Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian ‘eSafety Commissar’ is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet?” Musk said on X.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has in turn accused Musk of thinking he is above the law and being an “arrogant billionaire.”
It remains an open question whether or not the courts will affirm the right of the Australian authorities to order the removal of content viewable outside the country.
What’s next for X?
X’s legal teams are going to be busy.
Earlier this week, Brazil’s de Moraes gave X until April 26 to explain why the platform had allegedly not fully complied with the court order to block certain accounts that authorities say are still active.
Separately, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters rallied to support Musk this week as he continues his legal fight.
In Australia, X is fighting the global takedown order ahead of a court hearing on May 10, with the platform facing fines of about $500,000 for each day of noncompliance.
Advertisement
Musk has signalled that further legal fights are on the horizon.
In January, he pledged to fund legal challenges to Ireland’s pending hate speech legislation
Is Musk a defender of free speech?
Whether Musk is a defender of free speech or a right-wing provocateur is to a great extent in the eye of the beholder.
Since his takeover of X, Musk has dramatically scaled back moderation of the platform and reinstated numerous banned accounts, including that of former United States President Donald Trump.
But Musk’s critics have noted that despite his willingness to spar with Brazil and Australia, he has complied with similar takedown orders from Turkey and India, including content critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Some of Musk’s detractors argue that his principles only extend to figures he personally agrees with, such as Brazil’s Bolsonaro and Argentina’s new President Javier Milei.
Meanwhile, although the US is known for its especially permissive laws and attitudes towards speech, other countries have taken a more proactive approach to clamping down on misinformation and hateful content.
Why is Elon Musk feuding with Australia and Brazil over free speech?
X owner is fighting governments over their attempts to curtail online content deemed to be harmful.
Elon Musk is once again at the centre of a heated debate about free speech and censorship [Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters]
By Erin Hale
Published On 26 Apr 2024
Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed free speech absolutist and CEO of X, Tesla, and SpaceX, is once again at the centre of a heated debate about free speech and censorship.
Since buying X, the platform formally known as Twitter, in 2022, Musk has sparred with governments and public figures around the world about what is acceptable to post online.
The mercurial billionaire is now embroiled in separate legal battles with the governments of Brazil and Australia over their attempts to curtail content deemed to be harmful, such as misinformation, violent material and racist speech.
In each case, Musk has accused government officials of stifling free speech.
But his critics say he is emboldening extremists and cherry-picking cases as he has complied with takedown notices elsewhere.
Why is Musk in a dispute with Brazil?
Musk’s dispute with Brazilian authorities is part of an ongoing debate about how to handle “digital militias” associated with right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro’s online supporters have been the subject of a five-year investigation by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for allegedly spreading fake news and hate speech during his tenure.
The judge is also overseeing an investigation into a coup attempt by Bolsonaro’s supporters after he lost the 2022 election to current left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
As part of his investigation, de Moraes banned 150 accounts belonging to the “digital militias” – a fact that was made public earlier this year when media reported that many of those accounts were still active.
The move, which has been controversial in Brazil, piqued the interest of Musk, who in April fired off a series of tweets directed at the judge, calling the bans “aggressive censorship”.
Musk also said X would “lift all restrictions” on the banned accounts, although the platform said it had complied with the orders pending legal challenges.
“This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached,” Musk said on X. “Shame.”
In response, de Moraes launched an investigation into Musk for obstruction of justice.
Why is Musk at odds with Australia?
As Musk battles it out in Latin America’s most populous country, he is also at odds with Australia’s internet watchdog.
The stoush with the country’s eSafety Commissioner centres on a knife attack carried out on April 16 during a livestreamed service at an Orthodox Assyrian church in Sydney.
Police have charged five teenagers over the attack, including a 16-year-old boy accused of stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and a priest.
After the attack, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant issued a global takedown notice for videos of the event to X and Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram.
Inman Grant has argued that posts of the attack should be taken down everywhere, including outside Australia, as internet users can easily avail of virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent domestic geo-blocking.
While Meta complied with the order, X has only geo-blocked the videos in Australia.
On Wednesday, Australia’s Federal Court extended an emergency injunction ordering X to remove the videos.
Musk has refused to back down, accusing Australia of attempting to impose censorship worldwide.
“Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian ‘eSafety Commissar’ is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet?” Musk said on X.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has in turn accused Musk of thinking he is above the law and being an “arrogant billionaire.”
It remains an open question whether or not the courts will affirm the right of the Australian authorities to order the removal of content viewable outside the country.
What’s next for X?
X’s legal teams are going to be busy.
Earlier this week, Brazil’s de Moraes gave X until April 26 to explain why the platform had allegedly not fully complied with the court order to block certain accounts that authorities say are still active.
Separately, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters rallied to support Musk this week as he continues his legal fight.
In Australia, X is fighting the global takedown order ahead of a court hearing on May 10, with the platform facing fines of about $500,000 for each day of noncompliance.
Advertisement
Musk has signalled that further legal fights are on the horizon.
In January, he pledged to fund legal challenges to Ireland’s pending hate speech legislation
Is Musk a defender of free speech?
Whether Musk is a defender of free speech or a right-wing provocateur is to a great extent in the eye of the beholder.
Since his takeover of X, Musk has dramatically scaled back moderation of the platform and reinstated numerous banned accounts, including that of former United States President Donald Trump.
But Musk’s critics have noted that despite his willingness to spar with Brazil and Australia, he has complied with similar takedown orders from Turkey and India, including content critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Some of Musk’s detractors argue that his principles only extend to figures he personally agrees with, such as Brazil’s Bolsonaro and Argentina’s new President Javier Milei.
Meanwhile, although the US is known for its especially permissive laws and attitudes towards speech, other countries have taken a more proactive approach to clamping down on misinformation and hateful content.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
NGOs accuse ADB of funding Indonesian coal plants despite clean energy promises
The impact of pollution from Suralaya costs Indonesia US$1 billion (S$1.36 billion) every year.
APR 26, 2024,
JAKARTA - Green non-governmental organisations (NGO) have accused the Asian Development Bank (ADB) of indirectly financing coal plants in Indonesia through a US$600 million (S$816 million) loan despite promises to no longer fund projects tied to the fossil fuel, according to a new report.
The report by four NGOs alleges the ADB loan given in 2021 to Indonesia’s state power company to fund its 10-year business plan and “promote the use of clean energy” has no clause blocking spending on new coal facilities.
The Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) plan contains more than a dozen new coal projects, including an expansion at Java island’s Suralaya, one of the biggest coal-fired plants in South-east Asia, which will add two generating units to eight in operation.
“ADB’s loan agreement does not just fail to exclude coal. It actually allows PLN to use ADB funding for coal-fired power plants,” said Mr Dustin Roasa, research director at Inclusive Development International, which published the report on April 24.
“The loan’s eligible expenditures expressly cover anything in PLN’s 10-year plan, which does not shy away from new coal.”
The report gives locals’ accounts of how a previous expansion at Suralaya in Banten province neighbouring capital Jakarta “displaced families, reduced fish stocks... and sickened their children”.
The impact of pollution from Suralaya costs Indonesia US$1 billion every year because of preventable deaths, work absences and medical costs, a study published in 2023 by the Europe-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said.
“Publicly funded institutions like the Asian Development Bank must include robust coal exclusions in contracts... in order to end coal finance for good,” said Mr Daniel Willis, finance campaigner at NGO Recourse.
The report said the loan entered PLN’s general bank account and was not put into a separate account that could be monitored, allowing it to be spent however PLN wants. It did not claim the loan was directly used to fund Suralaya.
An ADB spokesperson said the loan agreement does “not include support for coal-fired power plants”, adding that it was a results-based loans in which the borrower must achieve certain targets including promoting clean energy before the loan tranches are disbursed.
“The loan does not violate ADB’s energy policy,” the spokesperson said.
PLN did not respond to an AFP request for comment about the report, which was released ahead of ADB’s annual meeting in Georgia next week.
The bank provides loans and grants for projects in the poorest countries in the Asia-Pacific region and has pledged to not fund “new coal-based capacity for power and heat”.
The ADB has a financing scheme for Asian governments to retire coal plants and in December agreed on a deal with the owners of the Cirebon-1 coal-fired power plant in Indonesia to shut it down seven years early. AFP
JAKARTA - Green non-governmental organisations (NGO) have accused the Asian Development Bank (ADB) of indirectly financing coal plants in Indonesia through a US$600 million (S$816 million) loan despite promises to no longer fund projects tied to the fossil fuel, according to a new report.
The report by four NGOs alleges the ADB loan given in 2021 to Indonesia’s state power company to fund its 10-year business plan and “promote the use of clean energy” has no clause blocking spending on new coal facilities.
The Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) plan contains more than a dozen new coal projects, including an expansion at Java island’s Suralaya, one of the biggest coal-fired plants in South-east Asia, which will add two generating units to eight in operation.
“ADB’s loan agreement does not just fail to exclude coal. It actually allows PLN to use ADB funding for coal-fired power plants,” said Mr Dustin Roasa, research director at Inclusive Development International, which published the report on April 24.
“The loan’s eligible expenditures expressly cover anything in PLN’s 10-year plan, which does not shy away from new coal.”
The report gives locals’ accounts of how a previous expansion at Suralaya in Banten province neighbouring capital Jakarta “displaced families, reduced fish stocks... and sickened their children”.
The impact of pollution from Suralaya costs Indonesia US$1 billion every year because of preventable deaths, work absences and medical costs, a study published in 2023 by the Europe-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said.
“Publicly funded institutions like the Asian Development Bank must include robust coal exclusions in contracts... in order to end coal finance for good,” said Mr Daniel Willis, finance campaigner at NGO Recourse.
The report said the loan entered PLN’s general bank account and was not put into a separate account that could be monitored, allowing it to be spent however PLN wants. It did not claim the loan was directly used to fund Suralaya.
An ADB spokesperson said the loan agreement does “not include support for coal-fired power plants”, adding that it was a results-based loans in which the borrower must achieve certain targets including promoting clean energy before the loan tranches are disbursed.
“The loan does not violate ADB’s energy policy,” the spokesperson said.
PLN did not respond to an AFP request for comment about the report, which was released ahead of ADB’s annual meeting in Georgia next week.
The bank provides loans and grants for projects in the poorest countries in the Asia-Pacific region and has pledged to not fund “new coal-based capacity for power and heat”.
The ADB has a financing scheme for Asian governments to retire coal plants and in December agreed on a deal with the owners of the Cirebon-1 coal-fired power plant in Indonesia to shut it down seven years early. AFP
Chernobyl: 38 Years from the World's Worst Nuclear Disaster
Author: Diana Kavardzhikova |April 26, 2024, Friday /
On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed a catastrophic event that would leave an indelible mark on history. In the heart of Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant became the epicenter of a tragedy that would reverberate for decades to come.
It was in the early hours of that fateful Saturday when reactor number four of the Chernobyl plant experienced a catastrophic explosion. The blast, equivalent to the force of three Boeing 747s, tore through the facility, dislodging the massive steel cover and igniting an uncontrollable fire. The engineers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were conducting a test to see what would happen in a power outage. They wanted to understand the reactor's response in case of electricity loss. However, during the test, a series of errors and misjudgments led to a drastic chain of events that resulted in the catastrophic explosion of reactor number four.
The immediate aftermath was one of chaos and panic. Within hours, the nearby city of Pripyat, built for the plant's workers and their families, was evacuated, displacing over 200,000 people. The scale of the disaster became apparent as radiation levels soared, spreading fear and uncertainty across Europe
In the days that followed, brave "liquidators" were dispatched to contain the crisis. These courageous workers, including firefighters and miners, faced perilous levels of radiation as they battled to prevent further catastrophe. Their sacrifices would come at a heavy cost, as many suffered severe health problems in the years that followed.
As per a 2006 report by Greenpeace, the Chernobyl disaster led to more than 250,000 cancer cases, with nearly 100,000 resulting in fatalities. In 2011, the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-governmental organization, estimated the death toll from Chernobyl to be around 25,000 – six times higher than the UN's projection. Additionally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer predicts that the incident will cause the deaths of 16,000 Europeans by 2065.
After the disaster, the Soviet Union tried to hide it, but soon, other nations noticed the unusual radiation levels. Monitoring stations in Europe, including Bulgaria, detected the radiation spread. Officials demanded answers from Moscow, leading to the Soviet Union admitted to the Chernobyl accident. This caused global outrage and had significant political and economic consequences. Subsequently, the Soviet Union faced immense pressure and underwent major changes.
Author: Diana Kavardzhikova |April 26, 2024, Friday /
On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed a catastrophic event that would leave an indelible mark on history. In the heart of Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant became the epicenter of a tragedy that would reverberate for decades to come.
It was in the early hours of that fateful Saturday when reactor number four of the Chernobyl plant experienced a catastrophic explosion. The blast, equivalent to the force of three Boeing 747s, tore through the facility, dislodging the massive steel cover and igniting an uncontrollable fire. The engineers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were conducting a test to see what would happen in a power outage. They wanted to understand the reactor's response in case of electricity loss. However, during the test, a series of errors and misjudgments led to a drastic chain of events that resulted in the catastrophic explosion of reactor number four.
The immediate aftermath was one of chaos and panic. Within hours, the nearby city of Pripyat, built for the plant's workers and their families, was evacuated, displacing over 200,000 people. The scale of the disaster became apparent as radiation levels soared, spreading fear and uncertainty across Europe
In the days that followed, brave "liquidators" were dispatched to contain the crisis. These courageous workers, including firefighters and miners, faced perilous levels of radiation as they battled to prevent further catastrophe. Their sacrifices would come at a heavy cost, as many suffered severe health problems in the years that followed.
As per a 2006 report by Greenpeace, the Chernobyl disaster led to more than 250,000 cancer cases, with nearly 100,000 resulting in fatalities. In 2011, the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-governmental organization, estimated the death toll from Chernobyl to be around 25,000 – six times higher than the UN's projection. Additionally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer predicts that the incident will cause the deaths of 16,000 Europeans by 2065.
After the disaster, the Soviet Union tried to hide it, but soon, other nations noticed the unusual radiation levels. Monitoring stations in Europe, including Bulgaria, detected the radiation spread. Officials demanded answers from Moscow, leading to the Soviet Union admitted to the Chernobyl accident. This caused global outrage and had significant political and economic consequences. Subsequently, the Soviet Union faced immense pressure and underwent major changes.
Why America should think twice before banning Chinese EVs
The challenge in front of the US government is to distinguish security threats from lobbying efforts
OMAR AL-UBAYDLI
Omar Al-Ubaydli is director of economics and energy studies
at Derasat in Bahrain and a columnist for The Nation.
Electric vehicle models are on display at a shopping mall in Beijing.
China has overtaken the US in terms of global unit sales of EVs. Reuters
In response to China’s rapid ascent up the electrical vehicle manufacturing table, US Senator Sherrod Brown urged President Joe Biden to impose an outright ban on their import, citing national security concerns.
The challenge before Mr Biden and the American electorate will be to distinguish between genuine threats to the welfare of the citizens and the murky, self-serving lobbying that has typified US trade policy for much of the last century.
Chinese EV manufacturer BYD recently overtook Tesla as the world’s number one producer, while China has already overtaken the US in terms of global unit sales. This trend has been enough for American politicians to start ringing the alarm bell.
Taken at face value, they have two major concerns.
The first is that the ability to manufacture EVs is a strategically important one that must be guarded, especially if it is being threatened by “unfair” competition from China. The claim is that authorities in Beijing are covertly subsidising Chinese EVs as part of a national, predatory pricing strategy, with the ultimate goal of eliminating competitors and making China’s geostrategic adversaries dependent on its technology for EVs.
If that sounds far-fetched, then isomorphic claims were levelled at China in the domain of aluminum and steel, both of which constitute critical inputs into military manufacturing. The result was the stiff tariffs that former president Donald Trump imposed on both metals, and that his successor, Mr Biden, opted to maintain.
US Senator Sherrod Brown represents the state of Ohio,
which is a hub for the production of American EVs. AFP
Sherrod Brown is one of the two senators from Ohio, which happens to be a hub for the production of American EVs
The second concern voiced by American politicians is that Chinese electrical cars have cameras and other data-gathering devices that will boost Chinese espionage efforts. Information on critical infrastructure, military deployments and so on will flow in real time to the Chinese EV manufacturers from their units roaming the streets in the US, providing Beijing with a potentially dangerous advantage.
The proposed response to these national security concerns is easy: an outright ban on Chinese EVs.
China-bashing is one of the few remaining areas of bipartisan consensus in the US, and so there is plenty of support among elites for this proposition. Moreover, at the grassroots level, while voters do like saving money when buying cars, they can also be particularly jingoistic when it comes to vehicular purchases, so it is likely that many ordinary Americans would happily support such a ban.
In a macroscopic sense, the concerns raised are potentially valid: if China is engaging in predatory dumping, and if its cameras can gather sensitive information, then something needs to be done. However, there are two problems that Americans need to be wary of if they fear that Chinese EVs pose a threat to national security.
The first is ensuring consistency, by embedding their chosen policy – an outright ban or otherwise – in a broader national security strategy where all threats are evaluated accurately, and where the appropriate countermeasures are imposed in a proportionate manner.
So, for example, EVs are not the only Chinese goods that could potentially act as a hidden espionage device; so too could cellular phones, personal computers, televisions and other gadgets.
Ensuring consistency isn’t just about not looking silly in a debate; it is also about putting a framework that businesses and consumers regard as logical and predictable, so that they can adjust to it. If bans on Chinese goods are done in an arbitrary and erratic manner, then Americans will not know what to invest in or buy, and will instead make myopic decisions that harm the economy just to avoid being caught on the wrong side of a ban.
Chinese EV manufacturer BYD recently overtook Elon Musk's
Tesla as the world’s number one producer. AP
The second challenge is protecting ordinary Americans from predatory lobbying. The US political system has a long history of being perverted by canny lobbyists who know how to exploit loopholes to advance their agenda, even if it benefits a few at the expense of many.
One of the most salient examples is the absurd support that American sugar manufacturers have secured from the US government for many years, with the result being more expensive, lower-quality sugar for consumers, and American chocolate companies and others relocating to Canada in the pursuit of competitively priced sugar.
Mr Brown is one of the two senators from Ohio, which happens to be a hub for the production of American EVs. It could be that his pleas reflect an attempt at furthering the interests of American citizens from behind a veil of ignorance. Alternatively, these pleas could be an example of political patronage 101, whereby Mr Brown is trying to protect profits and jobs among his constituents by exaggerating the threat posed by Chinese EVs, even if the net effect of his favoured policies on Americans as a whole is negative.
The bank bailouts during the 2008 global financial crisis illustrate how shrewd insiders can manipulate the US political system in their favour while disregarding the collateral damage imposed upon the rest of society. The damage caused by each subversion is amplified by the motivation it gives to others to try their luck, too.
In the process, Congress transforms from being a forum for constructive policies that serve the voters into a negotiating chamber for narrow political favours.
Thus, to protect themselves, voters need to ask themselves: is Mr Brown being supported by colleagues from states that are outside the EV value chain? Is the call for a ban on Chinese EVs mirrored by calls for bans on other Chinese goods that pose a similar threat? Is there compelling evidence of covert subsidies by Beijing?
A brief glance through the history books should make Americans think long and hard before giving their politicians the benefit of the doubt.
Published: April 25, 2024
China's company to establish car assembly plant in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan Materials 26 April 2024
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 26. China's Kashgar Jiabo Technology company plans to launch automobile production in Kyrgyzstan's Naryn region, Trend reports.
According to the regional administration, investors held negotiations with the head of the region, Altynbek Ergeshov, and a tripartite memorandum was signed for the construction of a car assembly plant following the discussions. Altynbek Ergeshov, the CEO of Jiabo, Huang Yongqi, and the head of Kyrgyz Post, Marat Cherikchiev, were signatories to the document.
The plant's launch is expected to provide employment for 100 to 1000 local residents, producing vehicles powered by gasoline, gas, and electric cars. Suitable locations for construction are currently being considered, including options in Kochkor, Naryn, and At-Bashy.
The specific car models to be manufactured remain undisclosed. A special working group will be set up on this issue.
Meanwhile, earlier in April, Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Zhaparov signed a law, according to which green license plates will be issued for electric cars in the country.
Kazakhstan plans to create hydrogen locomotives
Economy Materials 25 April 2024
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 25. Kazakhstan plans to create hydrogen locomotives, Trend reports.
The corresponding plan is reflected in the Concept for the Development of Hydrogen Energy in Kazakhstan until 2040, which is currently under public discussion.
Thus, according to the plan, Kazakhstan will implement a pilot project to create hydrogen automobiles (primarily buses and trucks) and railway transport.
At the same time, in the future, this type of transport will be introduced in large cities in order to reduce environmental pollution.
Meanwhile, on September 17, 2023, CEO of Wabtec Rafael Santana informed the President of Kazakhstan about the investment projects being developed to launch the production of locomotives using hydrogen technologies and their components in Kazakhstan, the creation of an engineering center, and technology transfer.
Furthermore, Kazakhstan will receive 145 locally produced locomotives in 2024.
Thus, locomotive assembly plant Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty (LKZ) will supply 101 locomotives in 2024, in particular 57 freight, 26 passenger, and 18 switcher diesel locomotives.
In addition, Electric Locomotive Kurastyru Zauyty LLP plans to supply 44 electric locomotives. In the first quarter, the plant delivered 9 electric locomotives on schedule.
Tags:
The challenge in front of the US government is to distinguish security threats from lobbying efforts
OMAR AL-UBAYDLI
Omar Al-Ubaydli is director of economics and energy studies
at Derasat in Bahrain and a columnist for The Nation.
Electric vehicle models are on display at a shopping mall in Beijing.
China has overtaken the US in terms of global unit sales of EVs. Reuters
In response to China’s rapid ascent up the electrical vehicle manufacturing table, US Senator Sherrod Brown urged President Joe Biden to impose an outright ban on their import, citing national security concerns.
The challenge before Mr Biden and the American electorate will be to distinguish between genuine threats to the welfare of the citizens and the murky, self-serving lobbying that has typified US trade policy for much of the last century.
Chinese EV manufacturer BYD recently overtook Tesla as the world’s number one producer, while China has already overtaken the US in terms of global unit sales. This trend has been enough for American politicians to start ringing the alarm bell.
Taken at face value, they have two major concerns.
The first is that the ability to manufacture EVs is a strategically important one that must be guarded, especially if it is being threatened by “unfair” competition from China. The claim is that authorities in Beijing are covertly subsidising Chinese EVs as part of a national, predatory pricing strategy, with the ultimate goal of eliminating competitors and making China’s geostrategic adversaries dependent on its technology for EVs.
If that sounds far-fetched, then isomorphic claims were levelled at China in the domain of aluminum and steel, both of which constitute critical inputs into military manufacturing. The result was the stiff tariffs that former president Donald Trump imposed on both metals, and that his successor, Mr Biden, opted to maintain.
US Senator Sherrod Brown represents the state of Ohio,
which is a hub for the production of American EVs. AFP
Sherrod Brown is one of the two senators from Ohio, which happens to be a hub for the production of American EVs
The second concern voiced by American politicians is that Chinese electrical cars have cameras and other data-gathering devices that will boost Chinese espionage efforts. Information on critical infrastructure, military deployments and so on will flow in real time to the Chinese EV manufacturers from their units roaming the streets in the US, providing Beijing with a potentially dangerous advantage.
The proposed response to these national security concerns is easy: an outright ban on Chinese EVs.
China-bashing is one of the few remaining areas of bipartisan consensus in the US, and so there is plenty of support among elites for this proposition. Moreover, at the grassroots level, while voters do like saving money when buying cars, they can also be particularly jingoistic when it comes to vehicular purchases, so it is likely that many ordinary Americans would happily support such a ban.
In a macroscopic sense, the concerns raised are potentially valid: if China is engaging in predatory dumping, and if its cameras can gather sensitive information, then something needs to be done. However, there are two problems that Americans need to be wary of if they fear that Chinese EVs pose a threat to national security.
The first is ensuring consistency, by embedding their chosen policy – an outright ban or otherwise – in a broader national security strategy where all threats are evaluated accurately, and where the appropriate countermeasures are imposed in a proportionate manner.
So, for example, EVs are not the only Chinese goods that could potentially act as a hidden espionage device; so too could cellular phones, personal computers, televisions and other gadgets.
Ensuring consistency isn’t just about not looking silly in a debate; it is also about putting a framework that businesses and consumers regard as logical and predictable, so that they can adjust to it. If bans on Chinese goods are done in an arbitrary and erratic manner, then Americans will not know what to invest in or buy, and will instead make myopic decisions that harm the economy just to avoid being caught on the wrong side of a ban.
Chinese EV manufacturer BYD recently overtook Elon Musk's
Tesla as the world’s number one producer. AP
The second challenge is protecting ordinary Americans from predatory lobbying. The US political system has a long history of being perverted by canny lobbyists who know how to exploit loopholes to advance their agenda, even if it benefits a few at the expense of many.
One of the most salient examples is the absurd support that American sugar manufacturers have secured from the US government for many years, with the result being more expensive, lower-quality sugar for consumers, and American chocolate companies and others relocating to Canada in the pursuit of competitively priced sugar.
Mr Brown is one of the two senators from Ohio, which happens to be a hub for the production of American EVs. It could be that his pleas reflect an attempt at furthering the interests of American citizens from behind a veil of ignorance. Alternatively, these pleas could be an example of political patronage 101, whereby Mr Brown is trying to protect profits and jobs among his constituents by exaggerating the threat posed by Chinese EVs, even if the net effect of his favoured policies on Americans as a whole is negative.
The bank bailouts during the 2008 global financial crisis illustrate how shrewd insiders can manipulate the US political system in their favour while disregarding the collateral damage imposed upon the rest of society. The damage caused by each subversion is amplified by the motivation it gives to others to try their luck, too.
In the process, Congress transforms from being a forum for constructive policies that serve the voters into a negotiating chamber for narrow political favours.
Thus, to protect themselves, voters need to ask themselves: is Mr Brown being supported by colleagues from states that are outside the EV value chain? Is the call for a ban on Chinese EVs mirrored by calls for bans on other Chinese goods that pose a similar threat? Is there compelling evidence of covert subsidies by Beijing?
A brief glance through the history books should make Americans think long and hard before giving their politicians the benefit of the doubt.
Published: April 25, 2024
China's company to establish car assembly plant in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan Materials 26 April 2024
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 26. China's Kashgar Jiabo Technology company plans to launch automobile production in Kyrgyzstan's Naryn region, Trend reports.
According to the regional administration, investors held negotiations with the head of the region, Altynbek Ergeshov, and a tripartite memorandum was signed for the construction of a car assembly plant following the discussions. Altynbek Ergeshov, the CEO of Jiabo, Huang Yongqi, and the head of Kyrgyz Post, Marat Cherikchiev, were signatories to the document.
The plant's launch is expected to provide employment for 100 to 1000 local residents, producing vehicles powered by gasoline, gas, and electric cars. Suitable locations for construction are currently being considered, including options in Kochkor, Naryn, and At-Bashy.
The specific car models to be manufactured remain undisclosed. A special working group will be set up on this issue.
Meanwhile, earlier in April, Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Zhaparov signed a law, according to which green license plates will be issued for electric cars in the country.
Kazakhstan plans to create hydrogen locomotives
Economy Materials 25 April 2024
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 25. Kazakhstan plans to create hydrogen locomotives, Trend reports.
The corresponding plan is reflected in the Concept for the Development of Hydrogen Energy in Kazakhstan until 2040, which is currently under public discussion.
Thus, according to the plan, Kazakhstan will implement a pilot project to create hydrogen automobiles (primarily buses and trucks) and railway transport.
At the same time, in the future, this type of transport will be introduced in large cities in order to reduce environmental pollution.
Meanwhile, on September 17, 2023, CEO of Wabtec Rafael Santana informed the President of Kazakhstan about the investment projects being developed to launch the production of locomotives using hydrogen technologies and their components in Kazakhstan, the creation of an engineering center, and technology transfer.
Furthermore, Kazakhstan will receive 145 locally produced locomotives in 2024.
Thus, locomotive assembly plant Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty (LKZ) will supply 101 locomotives in 2024, in particular 57 freight, 26 passenger, and 18 switcher diesel locomotives.
In addition, Electric Locomotive Kurastyru Zauyty LLP plans to supply 44 electric locomotives. In the first quarter, the plant delivered 9 electric locomotives on schedule.
Tags:
Colombia Becomes First Country to Restrict US Beef Due to Bird Flu in Dairy Cows
By Reuters
April 25, 2024
Fresh beef meat cut into large pieces is seen at First Capitol Meat Processing plant in Corydon, Ind., on Jan. 31, 2022. (Amira Karaoud/Reuters)
CHICAGO—Colombia has restricted the import of beef and beef products coming from U.S. states where dairy cows have tested positive for avian influenza as of April 15, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It is the first country to officially limit trade in beef due to bird flu in cows, in a sign of a broadening economic impact of the virus that has restricted poultry trade globally. Colombia imports a small amount of beef from the United States annually, according to government data and market analysts.
In a notice this week on the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service website, which was last updated on April 22, the agency said the ban includes beef products derived from cattle slaughtered in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas.
Colombia imposed temporary restrictions on raw bovine meat products, the notice said. If exporters have a valid import permit, shipments may still be held at the port.
The restrictions come as the U.S. government said it will require dairy cattle moving between states to be tested for bird flu starting on Monday, as federal officials ramp up their response to an outbreak that has bled over into the U.S. milk supply.
The measures aim to contain the spread of bird flu, which has been reported in eight states and 33 dairy herds since it was first detected in late March in Texas. A person exposed to cattle tested positive for the disease and suffered conjunctivitis.
To date, no U.S. beef cattle have tested positive for bird flu, government officials said.
Colombia is the only country that has officially imposed restrictions on U.S. beef exports over the H5N1 outbreak, said Joe Schuele, spokesman for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, an industry group.
“We don’t feel that import restrictions related to the avian flu outbreak have any scientific basis,” he said, adding: “It’s certainly a big deal for exporters who are doing business in Colombia and for their customers.”
USDA officials are talking with Colombia about the issue, Mr. Schuele said.
Trading partners have requested additional information on the government’s epidemiology, Rosemary Sifford, USDA’s chief veterinary officer, said in a webinar on Thursday.
“We are responding to their requests for information as we receive them, to provide information that assists them in mitigating any trade impacts,” Ms. Sifford said.
USDA officials did not say which trading partners asked for such information.
By P.J. Huffstutter and Tom Polansek
By Reuters
April 25, 2024
Fresh beef meat cut into large pieces is seen at First Capitol Meat Processing plant in Corydon, Ind., on Jan. 31, 2022. (Amira Karaoud/Reuters)
CHICAGO—Colombia has restricted the import of beef and beef products coming from U.S. states where dairy cows have tested positive for avian influenza as of April 15, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It is the first country to officially limit trade in beef due to bird flu in cows, in a sign of a broadening economic impact of the virus that has restricted poultry trade globally. Colombia imports a small amount of beef from the United States annually, according to government data and market analysts.
In a notice this week on the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service website, which was last updated on April 22, the agency said the ban includes beef products derived from cattle slaughtered in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas.
Colombia imposed temporary restrictions on raw bovine meat products, the notice said. If exporters have a valid import permit, shipments may still be held at the port.
The restrictions come as the U.S. government said it will require dairy cattle moving between states to be tested for bird flu starting on Monday, as federal officials ramp up their response to an outbreak that has bled over into the U.S. milk supply.
The measures aim to contain the spread of bird flu, which has been reported in eight states and 33 dairy herds since it was first detected in late March in Texas. A person exposed to cattle tested positive for the disease and suffered conjunctivitis.
To date, no U.S. beef cattle have tested positive for bird flu, government officials said.
Colombia is the only country that has officially imposed restrictions on U.S. beef exports over the H5N1 outbreak, said Joe Schuele, spokesman for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, an industry group.
“We don’t feel that import restrictions related to the avian flu outbreak have any scientific basis,” he said, adding: “It’s certainly a big deal for exporters who are doing business in Colombia and for their customers.”
USDA officials are talking with Colombia about the issue, Mr. Schuele said.
Trading partners have requested additional information on the government’s epidemiology, Rosemary Sifford, USDA’s chief veterinary officer, said in a webinar on Thursday.
“We are responding to their requests for information as we receive them, to provide information that assists them in mitigating any trade impacts,” Ms. Sifford said.
USDA officials did not say which trading partners asked for such information.
By P.J. Huffstutter and Tom Polansek
Has Germany’s far-right AfD become a gateway for Chinese and Russian spies?
The arrest this week of an aide to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD)'s lead candidate for the European parliamentary elections on accusations of spying for China is yet another blow to a party already tarnished by scandals involving alleged payments from sources close to Moscow.
Issued on: 26/04/2024 -
By: Sébastian SEIBT
Jian Guo, a German citizen of Chinese origin, was arrested in Dresden on Monday, 23 April, accused of spying for China.
Guo was a parliamentary assistant for Maximilian Krah, a member of the EU parliament and the AfD’s lead candidate for the upcoming European parliamentary elections on June 9.
Both Krah and Petr Bystron, number two on the AfD list for the June election, are facing investigations over foreign interference. The FBI last year questioned Krah during his trip to the US over alleged payments from sources close to the Kremlin. Bystron was accused of participating – knowingly or unknowingly – in a vast Russian disinformation operation.
Bystron, a Bavarian politician, was very involved with the "Voice of Europe" website at the heart of a Russian disinformation operation uncovered in March that aimed to undermine Western support for Ukraine. Bystron has been accused in the media of having received around €20,000 for his contributions to "Voice of Europe".
Alternative ‘against’ Germany
These mounting scandals give the impression that Germany's far-right party is a revolving door for infiltration by foreign agents, especially from authoritarian regimes such as Russia and China.
“The AfD has become a security risk” for Germany, wrote conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The magazine Der Spiegel also weighed in, asking in its newsletter of Tuesday 24 April: “Is the AfD an Alternative against Germany?"
Calls for Krah and Bustron to resign have multiplied in Germany.
But on Wednesday, Krah said he would remain the AfD’s top candidate in the upcoming EU elections.
“If you think this the end of me as the lead candidate, I must disappoint you,” he told reporters. “I am and remain the top candidate.”
As for Bystron, he has received the official support of Tino Chrupalla, one of the leaders of the far-right party.
It was the arrest of Guo, 40, that really triggered the outcry against the AfD. Until now, evidence of foreign influence-buying has largely been circumstantial: all-expenses-paid trips for AfD leaders to China, money from China or Russia or speeches given by AfD politicians that appear modelled on Russian propaganda.
The AfD and Russia: a long history
The accusations of espionage are “much more tangible evidence of collusion”, said Mareike Ohlberg, a sinologist and specialist in the Chinese Communist Party's influence campaigns at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Berlin-based think-tank.
Indeed, the AfD's susceptibility to Russian propaganda has been examined and commented on for several years in Germany. The participation of Bavarian members of the AfD as observers at the highly controversial Russian presidential election last March, for example, did not go unnoticed – particularly when they declared that the election had been conducted in a “very democratic manner”.
The revelations in early February about the multiple identities of the Russian-born parliamentary assistant to an AfD member of Germany's federal parliament, have also made waves. It has to be said that the affair had all the makings of a spy movie. This colourful character was not only working as a translator for a German member of parliament, but also a rapper and agent of the FSB, one of Russia's intelligence services.
Read moreGermany: After leaked deportation plans, civil society urges ban on far-right AfD
But in the long run, these links with Russia no longer come as much of a surprise in Germany.
“For journalists and observers who follow these affairs, the AfD has represented a security risk since around 2017, when the party began to increase its contacts with Russia,” said Anton Shekhovtsov, director of the Centre for Democratic Integrity in Austria, who has worked on the relations between Russia and the far right in Europe.
China lies in wait
China appears to be a new piece in the puzzle of the AfD's controversial foreign relations – and potentially even more problematic for Germany's intelligence services.
“If Russian interference is like a storm hitting Germany, China's is like global warming,” said Thomas Haldenwang, head of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in 2022.
But Ohlberg said reports of the party's ties to China were nothing new.
“China has been cultivating its links with Alternative für Deutschland since at least 2019,” she said.
Back in 2023, news website t-online published a lengthy investigation into the ‘China-gate’ affair surrounding Krah, shedding some light on how Beijing operates. Krah had studied in China and was invited to Shanghai by the Chinese authorities in 2019.
“The Chinese will first try to influence their targets by inviting them to their homes or to meetings in neutral territory, but rarely in the country of origin,” intelligence expert Erich Schmidt-Eenboom told t-online.
Krah then became a great defender of the Chinese point of view, saying that accusations of Chinese abuses against the country's Uyghur Muslim minority are “fables to frighten people”. He also maintains that Taiwan is part of China, as is Tibet.
A symptom of a larger problem
“The aims of Chinese political interference operations are to gather information about the target country's views on China, and then to influence the way in which China is perceived,” Ohlberg said.
But the AfD is not the only target of Chinese operations.
“In fact, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targets all the parties that count in a country and, in Germany, it has had even more success with the traditional parties” like the CDU, the SPD and the FDP liberals, Shekhovtsov said.
“The CCP does things differently with the traditional parties in Germany," Ohlberg added. "It tries to influence the major economic players, who then pass on the right message to their elected representatives.”
With the AfD, the modus operandi “seems to resemble more classic espionage cases with the recruitment of agents”, she said, adding that Beijing may be doing the same with the other parties, but that this has not yet been discovered.
How footage of protests against Germany’s AfD was misidentified as showing a pro-Palestinian march
For Ohlberg, the AfD nevertheless represents potentially more fertile ground than other parties. Chinese interference is “increasingly taking the form of operations aimed at demonstrating the weaknesses of Western democracy, and this is the kind of rhetoric that an AfD politician is more likely to repeat”, she noted.
The growing number of foreign interference scandals – Russian and Chinese – involving the AfD points to a growing "security problem" in Germany. But for Ohlberg, the far-right party is merely a symptom.
“The security risk stems above all from a ‘very 1990s’ attitude to foreign threats that persists in Germany. In other words, there is still the impression that the Cold War has just ended and that we can concentrate on economic development without worrying too much about foreign spies", she said.
The cases involving the AfD – much like the arrest on Monday of three Germans accused of carrying out industrial espionage for China – have been a wake-up call to the country. It's been a rude awakening.
(This article is a translation of the original in French.)
The arrest this week of an aide to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD)'s lead candidate for the European parliamentary elections on accusations of spying for China is yet another blow to a party already tarnished by scandals involving alleged payments from sources close to Moscow.
Issued on: 26/04/2024 -
Maximilian Krah, Member of the European Parliament of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has become embroiled in scandals featuring Chinese spies and Russian influence.
© Ronny Hartmann, AFP
By: Sébastian SEIBT
Jian Guo, a German citizen of Chinese origin, was arrested in Dresden on Monday, 23 April, accused of spying for China.
Guo was a parliamentary assistant for Maximilian Krah, a member of the EU parliament and the AfD’s lead candidate for the upcoming European parliamentary elections on June 9.
Both Krah and Petr Bystron, number two on the AfD list for the June election, are facing investigations over foreign interference. The FBI last year questioned Krah during his trip to the US over alleged payments from sources close to the Kremlin. Bystron was accused of participating – knowingly or unknowingly – in a vast Russian disinformation operation.
Bystron, a Bavarian politician, was very involved with the "Voice of Europe" website at the heart of a Russian disinformation operation uncovered in March that aimed to undermine Western support for Ukraine. Bystron has been accused in the media of having received around €20,000 for his contributions to "Voice of Europe".
Alternative ‘against’ Germany
These mounting scandals give the impression that Germany's far-right party is a revolving door for infiltration by foreign agents, especially from authoritarian regimes such as Russia and China.
“The AfD has become a security risk” for Germany, wrote conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The magazine Der Spiegel also weighed in, asking in its newsletter of Tuesday 24 April: “Is the AfD an Alternative against Germany?"
Calls for Krah and Bustron to resign have multiplied in Germany.
But on Wednesday, Krah said he would remain the AfD’s top candidate in the upcoming EU elections.
“If you think this the end of me as the lead candidate, I must disappoint you,” he told reporters. “I am and remain the top candidate.”
As for Bystron, he has received the official support of Tino Chrupalla, one of the leaders of the far-right party.
It was the arrest of Guo, 40, that really triggered the outcry against the AfD. Until now, evidence of foreign influence-buying has largely been circumstantial: all-expenses-paid trips for AfD leaders to China, money from China or Russia or speeches given by AfD politicians that appear modelled on Russian propaganda.
The AfD and Russia: a long history
The accusations of espionage are “much more tangible evidence of collusion”, said Mareike Ohlberg, a sinologist and specialist in the Chinese Communist Party's influence campaigns at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Berlin-based think-tank.
Indeed, the AfD's susceptibility to Russian propaganda has been examined and commented on for several years in Germany. The participation of Bavarian members of the AfD as observers at the highly controversial Russian presidential election last March, for example, did not go unnoticed – particularly when they declared that the election had been conducted in a “very democratic manner”.
The revelations in early February about the multiple identities of the Russian-born parliamentary assistant to an AfD member of Germany's federal parliament, have also made waves. It has to be said that the affair had all the makings of a spy movie. This colourful character was not only working as a translator for a German member of parliament, but also a rapper and agent of the FSB, one of Russia's intelligence services.
Read moreGermany: After leaked deportation plans, civil society urges ban on far-right AfD
But in the long run, these links with Russia no longer come as much of a surprise in Germany.
“For journalists and observers who follow these affairs, the AfD has represented a security risk since around 2017, when the party began to increase its contacts with Russia,” said Anton Shekhovtsov, director of the Centre for Democratic Integrity in Austria, who has worked on the relations between Russia and the far right in Europe.
China lies in wait
China appears to be a new piece in the puzzle of the AfD's controversial foreign relations – and potentially even more problematic for Germany's intelligence services.
“If Russian interference is like a storm hitting Germany, China's is like global warming,” said Thomas Haldenwang, head of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in 2022.
But Ohlberg said reports of the party's ties to China were nothing new.
“China has been cultivating its links with Alternative für Deutschland since at least 2019,” she said.
Back in 2023, news website t-online published a lengthy investigation into the ‘China-gate’ affair surrounding Krah, shedding some light on how Beijing operates. Krah had studied in China and was invited to Shanghai by the Chinese authorities in 2019.
“The Chinese will first try to influence their targets by inviting them to their homes or to meetings in neutral territory, but rarely in the country of origin,” intelligence expert Erich Schmidt-Eenboom told t-online.
Krah then became a great defender of the Chinese point of view, saying that accusations of Chinese abuses against the country's Uyghur Muslim minority are “fables to frighten people”. He also maintains that Taiwan is part of China, as is Tibet.
A symptom of a larger problem
“The aims of Chinese political interference operations are to gather information about the target country's views on China, and then to influence the way in which China is perceived,” Ohlberg said.
But the AfD is not the only target of Chinese operations.
“In fact, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targets all the parties that count in a country and, in Germany, it has had even more success with the traditional parties” like the CDU, the SPD and the FDP liberals, Shekhovtsov said.
“The CCP does things differently with the traditional parties in Germany," Ohlberg added. "It tries to influence the major economic players, who then pass on the right message to their elected representatives.”
With the AfD, the modus operandi “seems to resemble more classic espionage cases with the recruitment of agents”, she said, adding that Beijing may be doing the same with the other parties, but that this has not yet been discovered.
How footage of protests against Germany’s AfD was misidentified as showing a pro-Palestinian march
For Ohlberg, the AfD nevertheless represents potentially more fertile ground than other parties. Chinese interference is “increasingly taking the form of operations aimed at demonstrating the weaknesses of Western democracy, and this is the kind of rhetoric that an AfD politician is more likely to repeat”, she noted.
The growing number of foreign interference scandals – Russian and Chinese – involving the AfD points to a growing "security problem" in Germany. But for Ohlberg, the far-right party is merely a symptom.
“The security risk stems above all from a ‘very 1990s’ attitude to foreign threats that persists in Germany. In other words, there is still the impression that the Cold War has just ended and that we can concentrate on economic development without worrying too much about foreign spies", she said.
The cases involving the AfD – much like the arrest on Monday of three Germans accused of carrying out industrial espionage for China – have been a wake-up call to the country. It's been a rude awakening.
(This article is a translation of the original in French.)
Money is Power: Leveraging Finance to Strengthen Women’s Financial Resilience in Africa
25 April, 2024
By Syed T. Ahmed, Kudakwashe J. Chipunza and Sweta C. Saxena
Money makes the world go around, as they say. Conversely, the world stops if you do not have that resource. This is true for half of the world’s population who are women. Despite signing the Maya Declaration that aims to reduce poverty and ensure financial stability for the benefit of all and despite the goal of financial inclusion cutting through eight of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, women are excluded from enjoying its benefits.[1] Even with 75 per cent of the global mobile money account ownership in Sub-Saharan Africa[2], this has not translated to increased financial resilience and financial inclusion among women across the region.[3]
Figure 1: A Snapshot of Financial Activity in Africa
Source: Authors’ illustration based on data from 40 African countries surveyed in the World Bank’s 2021 Global Findex Survey.
Women’s financial prospects are doomed, or so some would say, once you begin to interrogate the data available in the 2021 World Bank’s Global Findex dataset (Figure 2). Relative to their male counterparts, women struggle to raise sufficient liquidity to cover monthly expenses and bills, and fewer females can raise emergency funds when needed, impacting their financial resilience.
Figure 2: Financial Liquidity Across Africa
Source: Authors' illustration using data from 40 African countries surveyed in the World Bank’s 2021 Global Findex Survey.
Liquidity and trust in times of turmoil
The challenges holding women back from financial resilience and excluding them financially are many. In Africa, 67 per cent of men aged 15 years and above are employed relative to 50 per cent of women. This disparity in employment across genders could partially explain why fewer women can save or borrow in formal financial systems, especially when savings are considered a vehicle for financial inclusion.[4] Instead, women resort to informal channels such as saving groups. However, these trust-based financial institutions such as saving groups, which more women in Africa rely on, might have limited effectiveness in providing liquidity when there is a covariate shock where all group members decide to simultaneously withdraw from the fund.
Literacy and choice during cycles of calm
The exclusion of women in formal financial systems is worsened by low financial literacy rates, which not only limit their effective participation in financial markets but also contribute to poor money management and short-sighted financial decision-making that makes them vulnerable to adverse shocks. Moreover, financial products are not necessarily adapted to women’s unique experiences with money matters, including literacy, income, or even behavioural attributes, such as propensity to risk or likelihood of saving, for example. The failure to accommodate gender experiences in the design of financial products and services limits women’s inclusion in the formal financial system and their ability to absorb financial shocks.
Addressing the structural barriers to building women’s financial resilience
To create a financially inclusive environment that bolsters financial resilience, several considerations need to be made. The fact that most women are still reliant on informal financial services, owing to reasons such as low labour market participation and education, financial service providers in Africa should introduce innovative financial products that are tailored to the realities of women which, in turn, could reduce their vulnerability to adverse shocks. In addition, regulators should also ensure that administrative procedures, such as due diligence regarding client profiling, are not based on biased assumptions where women are disadvantaged due to lack of collateral or credit history. The box below highlights examples of service providers that have tailored their financial products to accommodate women.[5]
Source: Authors’ Illustration
Along with such initiatives, it is imperative that the private sector, in the form of banks, financial institutions, and emerging financial technology companies, contribute to the financial acumen of their clients, as they play a central role in providing consumer protection and have a de facto responsibility for their financial inclusion. Therefore, it is incumbent to go beyond providing basic access to financial products and services and embedding financial knowledge in their service delivery. This would be pertinent insofar as equipping women to make informed decisions on financial matters which, in turn, improves their financial resilience.
Conclusion
While Africa has made significant strides in improving access to basic financial products and services among women, driven by the ubiquitous adoption of mobile money and digital finance platforms, this has not translated to improving their economic prospects. To effectively enhance the financial resilience of women in Africa,
[1] The Maya Declaration is detailed on the following link: https://www.afi-global.org/sites/default/files/publications/afi_maya_quick_guide_withoutannex_i_and_ii.pdf
[2] Global System for Mobile Communications (2024). The State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2024. Retrieved from https://www.gsma.com/sotir/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/GSMA-SOTIR-2024_Report.pdf
[3] Financial resilience is defined as the ability to absorb a shock or raise emergency funds (Demirguc-Kunt, Klapper, Singer & Ansar, 2022).
[4] ECA. (2022). African Women’s Report, Digital Finance Ecosystems: Pathways to Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa. Retrieve from: https://repository.uneca.org/handle/10855/48741
[5] Access Bank. (2024). The “W” Initiative. Retrieved from https://www.accessbankplc.com/sustainable-banking/our-community-investment/the-w-initiative
25 April, 2024
By Syed T. Ahmed, Kudakwashe J. Chipunza and Sweta C. Saxena
Money makes the world go around, as they say. Conversely, the world stops if you do not have that resource. This is true for half of the world’s population who are women. Despite signing the Maya Declaration that aims to reduce poverty and ensure financial stability for the benefit of all and despite the goal of financial inclusion cutting through eight of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, women are excluded from enjoying its benefits.[1] Even with 75 per cent of the global mobile money account ownership in Sub-Saharan Africa[2], this has not translated to increased financial resilience and financial inclusion among women across the region.[3]
Figure 1: A Snapshot of Financial Activity in Africa
Source: Authors’ illustration based on data from 40 African countries surveyed in the World Bank’s 2021 Global Findex Survey.
Women’s financial prospects are doomed, or so some would say, once you begin to interrogate the data available in the 2021 World Bank’s Global Findex dataset (Figure 2). Relative to their male counterparts, women struggle to raise sufficient liquidity to cover monthly expenses and bills, and fewer females can raise emergency funds when needed, impacting their financial resilience.
Figure 2: Financial Liquidity Across Africa
Source: Authors' illustration using data from 40 African countries surveyed in the World Bank’s 2021 Global Findex Survey.
Liquidity and trust in times of turmoil
The challenges holding women back from financial resilience and excluding them financially are many. In Africa, 67 per cent of men aged 15 years and above are employed relative to 50 per cent of women. This disparity in employment across genders could partially explain why fewer women can save or borrow in formal financial systems, especially when savings are considered a vehicle for financial inclusion.[4] Instead, women resort to informal channels such as saving groups. However, these trust-based financial institutions such as saving groups, which more women in Africa rely on, might have limited effectiveness in providing liquidity when there is a covariate shock where all group members decide to simultaneously withdraw from the fund.
Literacy and choice during cycles of calm
The exclusion of women in formal financial systems is worsened by low financial literacy rates, which not only limit their effective participation in financial markets but also contribute to poor money management and short-sighted financial decision-making that makes them vulnerable to adverse shocks. Moreover, financial products are not necessarily adapted to women’s unique experiences with money matters, including literacy, income, or even behavioural attributes, such as propensity to risk or likelihood of saving, for example. The failure to accommodate gender experiences in the design of financial products and services limits women’s inclusion in the formal financial system and their ability to absorb financial shocks.
Addressing the structural barriers to building women’s financial resilience
To create a financially inclusive environment that bolsters financial resilience, several considerations need to be made. The fact that most women are still reliant on informal financial services, owing to reasons such as low labour market participation and education, financial service providers in Africa should introduce innovative financial products that are tailored to the realities of women which, in turn, could reduce their vulnerability to adverse shocks. In addition, regulators should also ensure that administrative procedures, such as due diligence regarding client profiling, are not based on biased assumptions where women are disadvantaged due to lack of collateral or credit history. The box below highlights examples of service providers that have tailored their financial products to accommodate women.[5]
Source: Authors’ Illustration
Along with such initiatives, it is imperative that the private sector, in the form of banks, financial institutions, and emerging financial technology companies, contribute to the financial acumen of their clients, as they play a central role in providing consumer protection and have a de facto responsibility for their financial inclusion. Therefore, it is incumbent to go beyond providing basic access to financial products and services and embedding financial knowledge in their service delivery. This would be pertinent insofar as equipping women to make informed decisions on financial matters which, in turn, improves their financial resilience.
Conclusion
While Africa has made significant strides in improving access to basic financial products and services among women, driven by the ubiquitous adoption of mobile money and digital finance platforms, this has not translated to improving their economic prospects. To effectively enhance the financial resilience of women in Africa,
[1] The Maya Declaration is detailed on the following link: https://www.afi-global.org/sites/default/files/publications/afi_maya_quick_guide_withoutannex_i_and_ii.pdf
[2] Global System for Mobile Communications (2024). The State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2024. Retrieved from https://www.gsma.com/sotir/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/GSMA-SOTIR-2024_Report.pdf
[3] Financial resilience is defined as the ability to absorb a shock or raise emergency funds (Demirguc-Kunt, Klapper, Singer & Ansar, 2022).
[4] ECA. (2022). African Women’s Report, Digital Finance Ecosystems: Pathways to Women’s Economic Empowerment in Africa. Retrieve from: https://repository.uneca.org/handle/10855/48741
[5] Access Bank. (2024). The “W” Initiative. Retrieved from https://www.accessbankplc.com/sustainable-banking/our-community-investment/the-w-initiative
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
Lithuania: Nine suspects detained in probe into €4 million fraud involving Covid-19 equipment
Published on 26 April 2024
(Luxembourg, 26 April 2024) – Last week, 40 searches were conducted and nine suspects were detained, in an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Vilnius (Lithuania) into a €4 million subsidy fraud. At issue are four projects co-funded by the EU, including one for the production of Covid-19 protective equipment.
According to the investigation, the suspects sought to fraudulently obtain EU and Lithuanian funds under the 2014-2020 EU Funds Investment Programme, by submitting four projects to Lithuania’s Innovation Agency, on behalf of two companies. The aim of one of the projects was the production of items for the prevention of Covid-19, including disinfectant liquids and personal protective equipment. The three other projects aimed to install new packaging production lines and equipment, in order to increase the companies’ productivity.
The suspects are alleged to have used eight companies, some of which have no activity, in order to camouflage the fraud. Based on the evidence, once the projects were approved, the suspects used affiliated companies and simulated transactions between them in a circular manner, thus concealing the real value of the purchase of the required equipment. It is understood that the suspects artificially inflated the prices of the equipment, creating the impression that the funding beneficiaries had sufficient financing for their own contribution to the projects.
In doing so, the suspected fraudsters obtained over €4 million in funds, which is more than the cost of the equipment for the projects.
The investigative measures were carried out by Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service (Finansinių nusikaltimų tyrimo tarnyba – FNTT). During the searches, officers seized documents and evidence relevant to the investigation, as well as over €20 000 in cash. The suspects’ bank accounts were also frozen and several assets were seized, including real estate and plots of land.
Two of the suspects will remain in pre-trial detention. Two other suspects will remain under police surveillance, wearing electronic tracking devices. The remaining five have been prohibited from changing their place of residence.
All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Lithuanian courts of law.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
Lithuania: Nine suspects detained in probe into €4 million fraud involving Covid-19 equipment
Published on 26 April 2024
(Luxembourg, 26 April 2024) – Last week, 40 searches were conducted and nine suspects were detained, in an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Vilnius (Lithuania) into a €4 million subsidy fraud. At issue are four projects co-funded by the EU, including one for the production of Covid-19 protective equipment.
According to the investigation, the suspects sought to fraudulently obtain EU and Lithuanian funds under the 2014-2020 EU Funds Investment Programme, by submitting four projects to Lithuania’s Innovation Agency, on behalf of two companies. The aim of one of the projects was the production of items for the prevention of Covid-19, including disinfectant liquids and personal protective equipment. The three other projects aimed to install new packaging production lines and equipment, in order to increase the companies’ productivity.
The suspects are alleged to have used eight companies, some of which have no activity, in order to camouflage the fraud. Based on the evidence, once the projects were approved, the suspects used affiliated companies and simulated transactions between them in a circular manner, thus concealing the real value of the purchase of the required equipment. It is understood that the suspects artificially inflated the prices of the equipment, creating the impression that the funding beneficiaries had sufficient financing for their own contribution to the projects.
In doing so, the suspected fraudsters obtained over €4 million in funds, which is more than the cost of the equipment for the projects.
The investigative measures were carried out by Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service (Finansinių nusikaltimų tyrimo tarnyba – FNTT). During the searches, officers seized documents and evidence relevant to the investigation, as well as over €20 000 in cash. The suspects’ bank accounts were also frozen and several assets were seized, including real estate and plots of land.
Two of the suspects will remain in pre-trial detention. Two other suspects will remain under police surveillance, wearing electronic tracking devices. The remaining five have been prohibited from changing their place of residence.
All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Lithuanian courts of law.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
SNAFU
South Korea: World Scout Jamboree disaster blamed on government
By Jean Mackenzie,
By Jean Mackenzie,
BBC
Seoul correspondent
Heat exhaustion hits hundreds at World Scout event
Described as the world's largest youth camp, the jamboree - or festival - gathers young scouts from around the world every four years. The Jamboree held during the height of summer last August was riddled with problems from the start.
Children fainted in the 40C heat, without enough food to eat.
The report released by the independent panel said medical facilities were inadequate with some clinics not hooked up to electricity. There was also a shortage of basic supplies, such as saline solution to keep people hydrated.
ReutersParticipants had to hose themselves off to stay cool at the site during the heatwave
The UK contingent withdrew more than 4,500 child scouts due to the problems with many other countries following suit.
In its scathing report, investigators accused the South Korean government of deliberately misleading international and national scout organisations, over the state of the preparations.
"In terms of safety, security, safeguarding of young people, medical support, food and dietary requirements, sanitation and hygiene... there were significant challenges and deficiencies, as well as a failure to consistently deliver core services - at the standard promised," the report read.
It also said the Korean government becoming the "de facto organiser" had exacerbated the event's problems and caused several "structural and co-ordination complications".
The independent report also accuses the Korean government of hindering the review into the jamboree, by not providing information to the investigators.
"Regrettably, government officials were unable to provide much-needed information, especially on the financial statements relating to the event", it said.
But the government has refuted this claim. It said it did not receive a request for information while the World Scout Organisation was preparing its report.
ReutersParticipants in the 25th World Scout Jamboree arrive at a camping site in Buan
The South Korean government has denied being responsible for the disastrous World Scout Jamboree last year after being held to blame by investigators.
Tens of thousands were evacuated from the campsite last year due to problems with the food and medical facilities.
Independent findings have been critical of the Korean Scout Association and the government, which it said side-lined the scout group and took the lead role in organising the event.
But the government has denied this.
In a statement, it said it had only played a supporting role to the Korean Scout Association.
"It is not true at all that the direct cause of the event's failure is the government's involvement," it said.
The South Korean government has denied being responsible for the disastrous World Scout Jamboree last year after being held to blame by investigators.
Tens of thousands were evacuated from the campsite last year due to problems with the food and medical facilities.
Independent findings have been critical of the Korean Scout Association and the government, which it said side-lined the scout group and took the lead role in organising the event.
But the government has denied this.
In a statement, it said it had only played a supporting role to the Korean Scout Association.
"It is not true at all that the direct cause of the event's failure is the government's involvement," it said.
Heat exhaustion hits hundreds at World Scout event
Described as the world's largest youth camp, the jamboree - or festival - gathers young scouts from around the world every four years. The Jamboree held during the height of summer last August was riddled with problems from the start.
Children fainted in the 40C heat, without enough food to eat.
The report released by the independent panel said medical facilities were inadequate with some clinics not hooked up to electricity. There was also a shortage of basic supplies, such as saline solution to keep people hydrated.
ReutersParticipants had to hose themselves off to stay cool at the site during the heatwaveThe UK contingent withdrew more than 4,500 child scouts due to the problems with many other countries following suit.
In its scathing report, investigators accused the South Korean government of deliberately misleading international and national scout organisations, over the state of the preparations.
"In terms of safety, security, safeguarding of young people, medical support, food and dietary requirements, sanitation and hygiene... there were significant challenges and deficiencies, as well as a failure to consistently deliver core services - at the standard promised," the report read.
It also said the Korean government becoming the "de facto organiser" had exacerbated the event's problems and caused several "structural and co-ordination complications".
The independent report also accuses the Korean government of hindering the review into the jamboree, by not providing information to the investigators.
"Regrettably, government officials were unable to provide much-needed information, especially on the financial statements relating to the event", it said.
But the government has refuted this claim. It said it did not receive a request for information while the World Scout Organisation was preparing its report.
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